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NEARBY
Japan to fund mass rapid transit systems in Gujarat, Haryana
$4.5 billion soft loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency to boost $100 bn Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project
ARUN S tional Cooperation Agency tries. The interest rate of the worth ₹88,000 crore, on
Senior journalist, mother New Delhi SUNDAY SPECIAL ( JICA), will shortly be util- loan (in Japanese Yen) will similar terms , will be used
found dead in Mohali Funds from a Japanese gov- ised to develop two Mass be kept ‘very low’ (at 0.1%) to build the ₹1.08 lakh crore
CHANDIGARH ernment loan will soon be Maharashtra). It uses ‘the Rapid Transit Systems and have a ‘long’ repayment Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet
The Punjab police have set up utilised for the first time in 1,500-km-long, high-capa- (MRTS) — one each in Gu- period (at 40 years, includ- train project. JICA loans/as-
a SIT to probe the suspected the $100 billion, Delhi-Mum- city western Dedicated Rail- jarat and Haryana — that will ing a 10-year grace period). sistance are being used to fa-
murder of senior journalist bai Industrial Corridor way Freight Corridor (DFC) be part of the DMIC, official According to JICA, its cilitate development of
K.J. Singh and his mother, (DMIC) project. So far, the as the backbone’ and aims to sources told The Hindu. “ODA to India started in Metro rail networks includ-
who were found dead in mega-project was being de- be ‘a global manufacturing The JICA is the Japanese 1958” and so far around ing in Delhi and the Western
Mohali on Saturday. The veloped only with the Indian and investment destination’. governmental agency in “₹2.75 lakh crore in ODA DFC. The MRTS in Gujarat
police said Mr. Singh, who government’s financial as- charge of implementation of loans have been committed will be ‘at grade’ (ground
was in his sixties, and his sistance. Several rail links Japan’s Official Development for development across vari- level) and link Ahmedabad
92-year-old mother were The DMIC spans six States A soft loan (with conces- Assistance (ODA) — with the ous sectors.” As per JICA, it to the Dholera Special In-
found dead in their house. (Uttar Pradesh, Delhi Na- sional conditions) to the main objective of ‘promoting is “India’s biggest bilateral vestment Region (DSIR).
NEWS A PAGE 11 tional Capital Region, Hary- tune of $4.5 billion to be ex- economic development and donor.” Building on: The new project will connect the Dholera special
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD ana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and tended by the Japan Interna- welfare in developing coun- Incidentally, a JICA loan CONTINUED ON A PAGE 10 investment region with Ahmedabad. VIJAY SONEJI
*

Pak. repeatedly rejected

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Life’s a whirl

INSIDE
oer of talks: Sushma
‘We are ghting poverty but neighbour is ghting us’
SECTION 1
5Ws — Explainer Varghese K George
A page 12 New York
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Prime Minister Narendra
ColumnWidth Modi has always sought dia-
A page 13
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SECTION 2 Pakistan has turned its back
on the offer, External Affairs
Despatches
Minister Sushma Swaraj told
A page 5
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Framed Assembly (UNGA) on
A page 6&7 Saturday.
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Mr. Modi, “from the mo-
The Big Story
A page 8
ment he took his oath of of-
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Your Money peace and friendship,” to Stern message: Sushma Swaraj addressing the 72nd United
A page 9
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Pakistan, the Minister said, Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday. REUTERS
*

adding that Islamabad must

Business Abroad
A page 12
answer why it spurned this radically changed the ap- that is helping the world
CCCCCCCCCCCCCC offer. proach to poverty allevi- deal with a multitude of
Open Page “We are completely en- ation in India. challenges — with Pakistan’s,
A page 13
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gaged in fighting poverty; which, she said, had become
alas, our neighbour Pakistan ‘Exporting terror’ nothing more than a coun-
SECTION 2 A 14 PAGES seems only engaged in fight- Her 22-minute speech, de- try that exports terrorism.
SUNDAY MAGAZINE A 8 PAGES ing us,” Ms. Swaraj said, livered in Hindi, sought to
CLASSIFIEDS A ON PAGE 5 & 6 Savouring the season: Garba artists perform in Ahmedabad on Friday as part of the Navratri festival. * VIJAY SONEJI adding that Mr. Modi had contrast India’s progress — CONTINUED ON A PAGE 10

₹5 crore KBC winner becomes Arvind Subramanian Woman abducted, raped in car
teacher with ₹18,000 salary to stay on as CEA Staff Reporter
Noida
A 25-year-old woman was al-
moving car as they drove
around Delhi and Noida for
nearly eight hours. The vic-
“A case under Sections
376D (gang rape) and 506
(criminal intimidation) of
legedly abducted from tim was later let out near Ak- the IPC has been registered,”
Sushil Kumar clears Bihar Teachers’ Eligibility Test Govt. extends his tenure by 1 year Noida’s Golf Course metro shardham temple in east the police said.
station late on Friday and Delhi in the early hours of
Amarnath Tewary “Let me be clear... I have Special Correspondent media is factually incorrect. gangraped by two men in a Saturday. DETAILS ON A PAGE 3
Patna
never been after money,” he New Delhi The CEA’s first three-year
The 2011 winner of the ₹5 said. “I want a peaceful Chief Economic Adviser tenure ends on October 16. I
crore jackpot in the popular life...a quiet life, reading (CEA) Arvind Subramanian, have already signed the file,
TV programme Kaun good books, doing a little so- who had planned to return and you will soon be getting
Banega Crorepati (KBC) sea- cial work and playing music, to the U.S. after his three- a formal release on his con-
son-V will soon be working all of which I continued to year tenure ended on Octo- tinuation,” Mr. Jaitley said.
as a government school do even after winning the ber 16, has been persuaded
teacher with a monthly KBC jackpot,” he said. by the government to stay Ministry’s tweet
salary of ₹18,000. Sushil Kumar * He had used a part of the back for another year. “Dr. Arvind Subramanian
Sushil Kumar is among prize money to build a Official orders to this ef- will continue for one more
those who cleared the Bi- he told The Hindu over the double storied house, where fect will be issued soon, year after the completion of
har’s Teachers’ Eligibility phone from his home in 19 members of his family live Union Finance Minister his three-year tenure on
Test (TET), the results of Hanuman Gadhi area of together. He is married to Arun Jaitley said on Sat- 16th October, 2017,” the Fin-
which were announced on Motihari in East Champaran Kumari Seema Patel and has urday, putting an end to ru- ance Ministry said on its
Thursday. district. a four-year-old daughter. mours about Dr. Subramani- Twitter handle.
“I only got ₹3.6 crore of But what did he do with an’s resignation.
the prize money after taxes,” all that money? ‘I LOVE TEACHING’ A PAGE 9 “All the speculation in the CONTINUED ON A PAGE 10

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‘Longest sari’ at wedding turns knotty for couple

Sri Lankan ocials frown as children were used to carry the bridal train that stretched 3.2 km
Meera Srinivasan Kandyan style. Local media Ceylon Teachers’ Union
COLOMBO reported that the Central Joseph Stalin said many
It was a sari pallu designed Province Chief Minister political parties use school
to attract global attention, Sarath Ekanayake was a children for their events.
and it did. Nearly 250 special guest at the wedding. “Often, children stand in the
children carried the 3.2-km The State-run Daily News on hot sun to welcome a
(two mile)-long pallu of a Thursday quoted Mr. celebrity. School authorities
bride’s wedding sari in Sri Ekanayake as saying that a are also complicit in this but
Lanka’s Central Province, bride was preparing to they are under pressure
aiming to create a world attempt a Guinness record from local politicians, who
record. The attention it for the longest sari fall. influence appointments and
promptly got was that of the Following public outrage, transfers,” he said.
Sri Lankan authorities, who Sri Lanka’s Education In March 2017, Gujarat
are investigating the couple Ministry too said it would made it to the Guinness
for using children for the Long trail eect: The couple in their wedding nery, and, right, begin a probe. “What has Records for the longest sari,
event. children carrying the sari ‘pallu’ in Kandy. AFP * happened is totally at about 3.055 km long,
The National Child unacceptable,” Secretary to which officials arranged for
Protection Authority got into concern. They don’t At the spectacular event the Ministry S.S. Prime Minister Narendra
the act, and its chairperson understand what is going on, on Friday, hundreds of Hettiarachchi said. Modi’s visit to Bharuch. Saris
Marini de Livera told The they don’t gain anything school children followed the The episode highlighted can be very small too. The
Hindu on Saturday,
“Children being deployed
for such events is a serious
from it and more
importantly, they don’t have
a choice.”
couple, carrying the fall of
the sari that the bride had
worn in the traditional
https://t.me/yk_infoconcerns about having
school children at public
functions. Secretary of the
Sircilla sari from
Karimnagar, in Telangana,
can fit into a match box.

CM A ND-NDE
YK
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2 CITY
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NOIDA/DELHI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

THE HINDU

IN BRIEF
Construction of ITO Skywalk to begin next week
Delhi’s longest foot over-bridge to be built within six months; ocials say the ₹41-crore project will benet an estimated one lakh pedestrians
crore, which has now been
<
> There are a few
Jatin Anand
new Delhi
modalities related to reduced to below ₹42 crore
One of the Capital’s busiest due to design modifications
land acquisition for
Delhi Secretariat gets junctions for vehicular and suggested by the bidder.
an unusual visitor pedestrian traffic will see the project that are
NEW DELHI Delhi’s longest pedestrian in the process of Weather protection
A two-feet-long monitor foot over-bridge (FOB), the being worked out. As per the plan, fabricated
lizard was found on the ITO Skywalk, begin material- Once that is done, iron plates will be used to
premises of the Delhi ising around next week, construction work construct access ramps,
Secretariat causing a stir in the sources said. will begin which will also be accessible
hub of the city government, a The Public Works Depart- by lifts, leading to the tiled
Delhi govt official
wildlife NGO said on Saturday. ment (PWD) has finalised surface of the FOB.
The reptile, a non-venomous and awarded the tender for Aluminium Composite
species, was found trapped construction of the ₹41 crore to be completed within six Panel cladding, tensile cloth,
inside a turnstile in the lobby project. The 523-metre Sky- months and will benefit an stainless steel and 10 mm
area and was later rescued, walk will be equipped with estimated one lakh citizens, clear glass will constitute
Wildlife SOS said. The lizard lifts and escalators. including employees of as weather-protecting overhead
was later released back into many as 25 office complexes canopies with openings on
its natural habitat. PTI More connections in the area, who compose either side and solar panels
It will connect Tilak Marg, the daily footfall of pedestri- on top.
Sikandra Road, Mathura ans at the junction,” said the
Woman accuses live-in Road and Bahadur Shah Za- official. Eight lifts
partner of confining her far Marg with the ITO metro Sources said that clear- “The Skywalk’s length will be
NEW DELHI station and the Delhi High ances from the Archaeolo- around 523 metres and will
A woman has accused her Court through sturdy metal- gical Survey of India, the In- be a steel structure having
live-in partner of allegedly lic ramps and overhead dian Railways and the New pile or isolated RCC footing.
beating her and keeping her canopies. Delhi Municipal Council are The deck and staircase will
confined for over a month Construction of the Sky- in the process of being be made of steel. Granite
when she tried to leave for walk will be finished within procured. stone flooring will be used
her parents’ home after a six months of commence- on the steps of the staircase
fight with him, the police said ment of construction, said a ‘Cost-effective design’ and granite or vitrified tiles
on Saturday. The woman senior government official. After a recent directive by will compose the flooring of
alleged that on August 18, “There are a few modalit- the NITI Aayog, which al- the Skywalk deck in addition
when she tried to leave for ies related to land acquisition lowed bidders of govern- to stainless steel railings on
her mother’s home, her for the project that are in the ment construction projects Bidders were encouraged competition. According to said, five were selected for According to the official, the staircase,” said the offi-
partner thrashed her, burnt process of being worked out. to suggest the best design for to prepare “innovative and the official, bids were called second stage evaluation in the initial cost of the project cial, adding that as many as
her clothes and even chopped Once that is done, construc- the project, the cost of the cost-effective” concept in July 2015 and saw as many November 2015. Ultimately was pegged around ₹59 eight lifts with individual car-
off her hair. Police have tion work will begin,” said Skywalk project had seen a designs that were “unique, as 20 firms participating in one firm was selected and crore, but the estimate was rying capacities of 20 per-
registered a case. Her partner the official. reduction of around ₹17 highly functional and aes- the competition. given the go-ahead for con- recast and first brought sons will also be a significant
is absconding. PTI “The project is expected crore. thetic” in an open design Out of these, the official struction last week. down to a little over ₹44 part of the design.

29 stretches made
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After making a mess... 21 Hauz Khas Village eateries

‘no-tolerance’ zones sealed for violating norms
Illegally parked cars will be removed Staff Reporter Department, through the In violation of the Water
NEW DELHI area District Magistrate, (Prevention and Control of
Press Trust of India fines and penalties” as spe- For 21 Hauz Khas Village sealed the 21 properties, a Pollution) Act, the
New Delhi cified in thee acts. restaurants and bars, senior DPCC official said. restaurants were found
Over 25 corridors in the Cap- Saturday night turned out to The official added that releasing untreated
ital have been declared as Be aware be a dud, with the Delhi despite several inspections effluents. The restaurants’
‘no-tolerance’ zones for The 29 stretches that have government sealing their and notices, the eateries had kitchens were also found
parking and encroachment, been made ‘no-tolerance’ premises for violation of failed to comply with air and emitting smoke in violation
the Delhi Traffic Police zones include Aurobindo pollution-control laws. water pollution norms. of the Air (Prevention and
(DTP) said on Saturday. The Chowk-Andheria More, The move comes days Control of Pollution) Act.
move will come into effect Chirag Delhi Crossing-Savitri after the High Court said ‘Untreated effluents’ The eateries would
from September 25. Flyover, MB Road Cut-IG- that the party zone was a A total of 22 establishments remain sealed till they make
“Joint drives shall be con- NOU Chowk, 11 Murti-Dhaula “ticking time bomb”. had been issued notices, but the required changes to
ducted by the DTP and civic Kuan, ITO Chungi-Karkari Acting on directions from one was found to no longer comply with the laws and
bodies for removal of en- More. Other corridors that the Delhi Pollution Control exist when the sealing re-apply for licences to
croachment and obstructive will fall under ‘no-tolerance’ Committee, the Revenue action was taken. operate, said the official.
parking under the Delhi Mu- zones’ include stretches on
nicipal Corporation Act MB Road, MG Road, GT Kar-
(DMC), 1957 and Motor nal Road, Kamal Ataturk
Vehicle Act, 1988,” said Gar-
ima Bhatnagar, Joint Com-
missioner of Police (Traffic).
She added that the own-
Marg, Sardar Patel Marg and
Mathura Road.
“All are advised not to
park their vehicles on these
Forum orders rm, retailer to
ers of offending vehicles
“will be liable to enhanced
roads and stretches,” Ms.
Bhatnagar said. pay ₹50K for defective phone
Consumer alleged mobile stopped working within 2 months
Home buyers ask NHAI Shinjini Ghosh without repairing it. complainant has proved pur-

to nish Dwarka e-way NEW DELHI

A District Consumer Redressal
Forum has directed Samsung
“The complainant has filed
a copy of the cash invoice,
which shows that the handset
chase of mobile phone. As the
case of the complainant has
not been controverted by the
Staff Reporter The letter sent to the India and retailer Phonestore was purchased by him and opposite parties, we have no
NEW DELHI NHAI read: “The progress in Daryaganj to pay ₹50,577 as was under warranty at the reasons to disbelieve the
Home buyers, under the on this project is far from compensation to a consumer time of handing it over for re- complainant.”
banner of DXP Welfare Asso- satisfactory and actual on the grounds that they sold pairs to the authorised service
ciation, organised a meeting ground work for the road on a defective Samsung handset centre,” read the order. ‘₹7,000 for harassment’
with its members to discuss some areas has not even to him. ‘Directing the respondents to
the status of the Dwarka Ex- taken off till date.” Ajay Khosla had alleged No appearance refund the original price of
pressway on Saturday, and that the phone had started The district forum observed the handset, the court
wrote a letter to the National Many issues unresolved malfunctioning within two that neither Samsung nor the ordered a compensation of
Highway Authority of India Gaurav Prakash, a member months of the purchase. retailer who sold the handset ₹50,577 to the complainant.
(NHAI) for completion of of the association said: “Crit- In his complaint, Mr. had appeared before the Further, the district consumer
the project at the earliest. ical bottlenecks have only Khosla claimed that the hand- forum despite being served forum ordered an additional
“The major demand of increased with time. Litiga- set had started to get excess- notices. “None of the opposite compensation of ₹7,000 for
the association is time- tion issues pertaining to ively heated and ultimately parties have chosen to file any mental torture, harassment
bound completion of the land acquisition for CPR and stopped working. reply or contested the claim of and cost of litigation.
Dwarka Expressway, which in New Palam Vihar have The cleanup: Members of the National Students’ Union of India remove posters put up during He further alleged defi- the complainant,” the court In the order, the court said:
has been delayed by more not been resolved. We hope the Delhi University Students’ Union elections, on Saturday. The High Court has sought ciency of services on the part observed. “All the above amounts shall
than eight years now,” read that things turn up posit- responses from the four winning candidates on a petition accusing them of defacing public of the service centre as they Calling it a deficiency in be payable by all the opposite
a statement by the body. ively for us soon.” property during the campaign. V. SUDERSHAN * returned the handset to him service, the court said: “The parties jointly”.

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Flavours of Bengal in Durga Puja celebrations at Indirapuram

Prantic Cultural Society organising ve-day event showcasing Bengali pride and heritage; musical performances, cooking competitions and other activities scheduled
ISMAT ARA item placed in the pandal,” to perform at the event.
New Delhi the cultural head of the Manik Pal, the famous
A Bengal-like setting of Durga society, Sanjiban Deb Roy, idol-maker based in CR Park
puja can be seen in said. who is well known for making
Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, The outer area of the environment-friendly idols, is
where Prantic Cultural setting will be adorned with designing the idol of Goddess
Society is organising a five- images of Lata Mangeshkar, Durga. No artificial colours
day cultural celebration Talat Mahmood, Mohd. Rafi, will be used in the making of
starting Sunday. The event Satyajit Ray and various other the idol.
will continue till navami, artistes. “We have not Tapas Maity, a 48-year-old
September 29. restricted ourselves only to Bengal-based artist, has been
The theme, ‘Our Heritage, Bengali culture in this invited by Malay Majumdar,
Our Pride’, for this year’s attempt. We have put up a the chairman of the society,
celebration has been decided gallery projecting the lives of to design the pandal. “I have
with an aim to showcase the various Indian legends,” Mr. put up the calligraphy of the
Bengali pride and traditions Roy said. first text by Rabindranath
associated with the festival. Tagore that I had read,
Performances hoping that all people read it
‘Open to all’ A Bengal based band, ‘Bhumi’ because it’s a big part of our
“We have chosen this place has been invited to perform heritage,” said Mr. Maity.
because we want to showcase during the event. Various The Prantic Cultural
Bengal to the people living activities have been planned Society of Indirapuram had
nearby. It’s important for Pride in their work: Preparations on in full swing at the Durga Puja pandal of the Prantic Cultural Society in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. *
R.V. MOORTHY during the five-day received the first prize by the
people to understand our celebration, including Bengal Association in 2016,
culture and respect it,” said established in 2008. The Bengali art and culture. expected to draw a mix of event. The pandal is designed the old culture with the new. musical performances, for its pandal. “This year, we

https://t.me/yk_info
Abhijit Roy, executive society is a socio-cultural Several Bengali organisers Bengali and non-Bengali as an ancient, abandoned “This time, we want to cooking competitions and are under a lot of pressure to
member and one of the forum consisting of groups of and artists have come crowd. As many as 35 local zamindar’s (landowner) showcase our past in all theatre by children. Singers excel because we got the first
founder members of Prantic people who are passionate to together at Prantic Cultural societies are associated with house and the idea behind forms, to present our art and from Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, a TV prize last year,” said Mr.
Cultural society, which was preserve and promote Society and the celebration is Prantic in orgainsing the this is the amalgamation of culture in each and every show, have also been invited Abhijit Roy.
CM A ND-NDE
YK
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THE HINDU
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
NOIDA/DELHI

CITY 3
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Woman abducted, 25-year-old

gangraped in
Bharatpur shootout: One held in city
Ghaziabad Fugitive apprehended from Tughlakabad; country-made pistol recovered
raped in moving car Staff Reporter
Noida
Two men allegedly gang-
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI
A 27-year-old fugitive was ar-
received a tip-off about him.
“He was picked up from the
forest area opposite Durga
entered Vilanchatpura in
Pichoona village in order to
takeover an agricultural land
“Two people — Ranbir
and Chandru — were killed
on the spot, while 14 others
Accused dumped her near Akshardham around 2 a.m. raped a 25-year-old nurse rested on Friday for his al- Mandir and a country-made from another group of were severely injured,” said
near the Raj Nagar Exten- leged involvement in a pistol along with a live cart- people who were ploughing Mr. Baaniya adding that an-
Staff Reporter Two men in an SUV ap- sion in Ghaziabad while shootout in Rajasthan’s Bhar- ridge was recovered from his the field. other accused in the case
Noida <
> Ithey
was scared when
threw me out proached me and asked for she was returning home atpur in which two persons possession,” said Deputy The groups engaged in a Babloo was arrested by
A 25-year-old woman was al- directions to Sector 18. from the hospital where were killed and 14 others in- Commissioner of Police heated argument. The ac- Crime Branch on July 19.
on the empty road. I
legedly abducted from While I was explaining the she works, the police said jured over a land dispute in (south-east) Romil Baaniya. cused, along with his relative
Noida’s Golf Course metro dialled 100 and a route one of the accused on Saturday. July. Shiv Lal and others, fired in- Hunt on for others
station late on Friday and police team reached pulled me inside the car”. The police said the ac- Sikander, a resident of Property dispute discriminately at the other The police said that other ac-
gangraped by two men in a the spot The woman alleged that cused, who are yet to be south-east Delhi’s Tigri area, On July 14, a mob of over 60 party. cused in the case are ab-
moving car as they drove Victim the accused took turns rap- identified, dragged the wo- was apprehended from people armed with guns, pis- They also allegedly sconding are efforts are on to
around Delhi and Noida for ing her, and drove around man to the roadside Tughlakabad after the police tols, axes and iron rods thrashed them with rods. nab them.
nearly eight hours. The vic- tion in Noida. The officer ad- Noida and Delhi. They fi- bushes near NH-58 and al-
tim was later let out near Ak- ded that the woman has so nally dumped her near Ak- legedly took turns raping
shardham temple in east far refused to undergo a shardham temple around 2 and assaulting her. They
Delhi in the early hours of medical examination and a.m. and fled the spot. also allegedly snatched her
Saturday. has also refused to hand mobile phone and filmed
over her phone citing pri- Had come 3 days ago the assault.
Says no to medical test vacy concerns. “I was scared when they The woman has been
“A case under Sections 376D Police officials said they threw me out on the empty admitted to a private hos-
(gang rape) and 506 (crim- will check footage of CCTV road. I dialled 100 and a po- pital with injuries on her
inal intimidation) of the In- cameras near the metro sta- lice team reached the spot. face and her body.
dian Penal Code has been re- tions to ascertain the se- They brought me to the Sec- “On her way home, she
gistered against the two quence of events. tor 39 police station in Noida saw two men following her
unknown accused. We have Recounting her ordeal, around 2.30 a.m.,” she ad- on the isolated road. She
also recorded the statements the victim said: “I was wait- ded. The victim, a native of tried calling her family but
of the victim,” said Avnish ing for an auto-rickshaw Uttar Pradesh, had come to the call did not go through.
Dixit, Station House Officer near the metro station at Noida just three days ago in The two men stopped fol-
of the Sector 39 police sta- around 6 p.m. on Friday. search of a job. lowing her when they saw
her on the phone... Mo-
ments later, they re-

U.S. nationals duped by fake visa site appeared and pulled her to
the nearby fields,” said R.S.
Khoda, the station house
officer of the Sihani Gate
Portal looks similar to the Indian government’s website police station.
The incident took place
Hemani Bhandari verification, sent to the ap- at around 10 p.m. barely
NEW DELHI plicant via email,” said the 200 metres from where
Three U.S. nationals were in officer. she lives. It was raining
for a shock when they ar- When the applicant heavily when the assault
rived at the immigration would reach the designated took place, the police
counter of the Indira Gandhi airport in India, they can added.
International Airport (IGIA) produce the ETA with gran- “She said that initially
on September 18. When they ted status to the immigration she thought the two men
showed their Electronic officer and get clearance, were robbers and were try-
Travel Authorisation (ETA), the website allegedly ing to snatch her mobile.
they were told that no such claimed. However, when the She handed over the mo-
e-travel visas (e-TVs) were is- police did preliminary in- bile but one of them pulled
sued and they had been vestigation, the website was her hair while the other
fooled. found to be fake. slapped and punched her
Vamsi Krishna Boddu, “The Ministry of Home Af- multiple times,” said an of-
Radhika Boddu and their fairs has not authorised any fic’er investigating the case.
son Nikhil Vamsi Boddu Authorities found no record agency/agent/company/indi-
were allegedly duped by a of any issuance. vidual to issue e-TVs to for- ‘Both were drunk’
fake website eign nationals,” said the of- “She said both were drunk
www.indianevisaonline.org $700 each, the police said. ficer. and called each other by
which sent e-TVS to their When the U.S. nationals their names while in a
email ids. The authorities were questioned, they told Case registered hurry to leave the crime
found no record of any issu- the police that they had re- Deputy Commissioner of Po- scene. We picked up one
ance in the system. “Their ceived the document lice (IGI Airport) Sanjay Bha- person by a similar name
passports were also checked through email. The website tia said, “A case under Sec- who is an accused in an-
but no visa was issued in guaranteed Indian e-TVs tion 420 (cheating) has been other rape case. But the
their name,” said a senior within hours of application registered and the police are man was not identified by
police officer. and payment of the said investigating the matter. We the victim,” the officer
amount. have received two similar said.
Victims paid $700 each “The website claims to complaints this year and we The police said that the
It was found that the victims send the visa after filling the are tracing the login ID and two men were around 22-
were cheated by the website necessary application forms IP address of the website to 23 years old and unknown
which looks similar to that of online after which the e-TV trace the culprits”. Mr. Bha- to the woman.The incident
the Indian government’s is received in the central Im- tia said the victims were not comes even as several sim-
website and is allegedly issu- migration, Visa and Foreign- deported and allowed in the ilar incidents have been re-
ing e-TVs charging a hefty ers Registration & Tracking country after necessary ported in the area in the
sum. The victims had paid (IVFRT) office and later after verification. past.

● ● ● ●
https://t.me/yk_info
Published by N. Ram at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 and Printed by S. Ramanujam at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. 201306, on behalf of KASTURI & SONS LTD., Chennai-600002. Editor: Mukund Padmanabhan (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act).
Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 RNI No. TNENG/2012/49939 ISSN 0971 - 751X Vol. 7 No. 38

CM A ND-NDE
YK
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4 CITY
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Head of cow
vigilante
group held
Staff Reporter
Greater Noida
The Gautam Budh Nagar
Police have arrested the
head of Hindu Gau Raksha
Dal for allegedly forcing
meat shops to shut down
during Navratri in Greater
Noida on Saturday.
The accused, Ved Nagar,
along with his associates,
had forced several meat
shops across Greater Noida
to shut down over the last
one week.
“We received informa-
tion that Nagar, along with
few supporters, tried to
shut down meat shops on
Saturday. We traced the ac-
cused to Acheja village and
arrested him under Section
151 of IPC,” said a senior
police officer.
The outfit claimed it had
earlier petitioned the dis-
trict administration and
Badalpur police station to
stop meat sales during Nav-
ratri.
However, it decided to
go ahead and do it itself
when it received no re-
sponse. After that, fearing
vandalism, more sellers de-
cided to shut their shops
voluntarily.
“We directed the police
officials to take action
against such people who
try to disturb peace and
tranquility. We will not al-
low any person to breach
the law and order. We are
keeping a close tab on the
sensitive areas,” said B.N.
Singh, District Magistrate.
0 wrote to Lieutenant-Gov-
DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested to
verify and make appropriate enquiries to
satisfy themselves about the veracity of
an advertisement before responding to
any published in this newspaper. Kasturi
& Sons Limited, the Publisher & Owner of
this newspaper, does not vouch for the
authenticity of any advertisement or ad-
vertiser or for any of the advertiser’s
products and/or services. In no event can
the Owner, Publisher, Printer, Editor, Dir-
ector/s, Employees of this newspaper/
company be held responsible/liable in
any manner whatsoever for any claims
and/or damages for advertisements in
this newspaper.
CM
YK
Delhi govt to sponsor SC, ST
students’ coaching classes
New scheme to arrange private tuitions for aspirants; govt to bear the fee
Damini Nath
NEW DELHI
Hundreds of students belong-
ing to the Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, Other
Backward Castes and minor-
ity communities could soon
be able to join private coach-
ing centres to prepare for
competitive exams at the ex-
pense of the Delhi
government.
The department of SC/ST
welfare is in the process of
preparing the proposal for
the new scheme, which will
replace an earlier programme
that included the government
hiring private tutors to run
coaching classes. Delhi Social
Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal
Gautam said on Saturday that
the proposal should be ready
with a month.
“At least 500 students
would be able to avail of the
scheme. We will involve the
reputed coaching centres in
the city. They will conduct
their own tests to select the
‘File on hiring hospital sta not shown to me’
CM writes to L-G after baby dies at hospital due to lack of ventilator support
Damini Nath
NEW DELHI
Two days after a baby died at
a Delhi government hospital
allegedly due to lack of ventil-
ator support, Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday
ernor Anil Baijal, saying that
“a few lives could have been
saved” had the staff to oper-
ate ventilators been there.
The hiring of staff had
been held up and officers in-
structed not to show the file
regarding the matter to him
A step forward: The scheme would cover exams including the
UPSC, medical and engineering entrances. FILE PHOTO
candidates, who will have to
meet our criteria first. We will
pay their fees,” said Mr.
Gautam.
No separate classes
He added that the coaching
centres would be asked to in-
clude the beneficiaries of the
scheme in regular classes.
“We don’t want separate
or his Ministers, the CM said.
L-G’s approval
In his letter to the L-G, the
CM said that after a meeting
of medical superintendents
of government hospitals on
August 16, it was decided to
hire experts on contract to fill
vacancies. The Chief Secret-
ary had been directed to ask
the L-G for his approval to
empower medical superin-
tendents to recruit required
staff, said Mr. Kejriwal.
He added that the pro-
https://t.me/yk_info
* ment to come up with a new
classes for the students,” said
Mr. Gautam.
The scheme would cover
competitive exams held by
the Central and State govern-
ments, including the Union
Public Services Commission,
medical and engineering en-
trance tests. After the scheme
is cleared by the government,
the students would be able to
posal had been sent to Mr.
Baijal without showing it to
him, Finance Minister Man-
ish Sisodia and Health Minis-
ter Satyendar Jain. Accusing
the “bureaucracy” of impos-
ing conditions that would
have curtailed the medical
superintendents power to
hire, Mr. Kejriwal said he
asked for the file before it was
sent to Mr. Baijal.
“To my utter surprise, the
senior officers refused to
show me that file saying that
they had been instructed by
NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
THE HINDU
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Waterways
join the next batch of classes
held by the coaching centres.
On Friday, as Chief Minis-
ter Arvind Kejriwal reviewed
the implementation of vari-
ous schemes of the social wel-
fare and SC/ST departments,
he asked for a detailed pro-
posal of the coaching scheme
at the earliest.
The predecessor to the
proposed scheme was the SC/
ST department running its
own coaching centre for stu-
dents. This, according to Mr.
Gautam, had not been suc-
cessful, leading the govern-
model. Commuting woes:Vehicles pass through a waterlogged road after rain in north-west Delhi on
Candidates eligible under Saturday. SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
*
the previous scheme were
those whose families’ annual
incomes were not more than
After spell of rain, city
₹3 lakh. They had to be resid-
ents of Delhi for the past five
years. They also could not
have taken coaching from the
Delhi government or any
Centrally-funded centre more
than once.
to see pleasant Sunday
Maximum temperature recorded at 26.6 degrees Celsius
Ismat Ara
New Delhi
23 degrees
respectively.
Celsius 100%, as opposed to 80
and 100% on Friday.
Spells of rain throughout The maximum recorded Rainfall of 77.8 mm was
Saturday marked the begin- temperature in Delhi on recorded by 8.30 a.m. on
ning of a pleasant weekend Saturday was 26.6 degrees Saturday morning.
Hon’ble L-G not to show this for Delhiites. Celsius which was eight
file to any Minister including The downpour that notches below the normal, Traffic snarls
the CM,” Mr. Kejriwal wrote began on Friday is expec- while the minimum was re- Heavy traffic was reported
to Mr. Baijal. ted to continue till Sunday. corded at 23.5 degrees in Delhi and Delhi NCR re-
Since all matters related to Sunday is likely to be pleas- Celsius. gions due to incessant rain.
services are under the direct ant with the India Meteoro- Friday also saw a pleas- Traffic in areas such as
control of the L-G, Mr. Kejri-
wal said that the final de-
logical Department fore-
casting a generally cloudy
ant weather with a recor-
ded maximum temperat-
Khanpur depot,
usenabad, and MB Road
Vay-
cision would be taken by Mr. sky with light drizzle ure of 28 degrees Celsius carriageway were severely
Baijal. However, he urged the throughout the day. and a minimum of 25 de- hit.
L-G to send the file to the grees Celsius throughout The Delhi Traffic Police
elected government so they High humidity the day with heavy rainfall. also reported heavy water-
can offer their comments on The maximum and min- The humidity levels re- logging in Wazirabad T.
the proposal, based on their imum temperatures are ex- corded on Saturday Point and DTC Depot Ja-
interactions and visits to gov- pected to be around 31 and hovered between 90 and hangir Puri regions.
ernment hospitals.
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 5

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https://t.me/yk_info
CM A ND-NDE
YK
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IN BRIEF
Rallies, counter rallies
rock Darjeeling hills
DARJEELING
Rallies and counter rallies
supporting and opposing the
indefinite shutdown rocked
Darjeeling hills on Saturday
while the CID brought three
arrested GJM leaders from
Haryana to Kolkata. As the
shutdown entered its 101st
day, rallies of GJM leaders in
support of the shutdown and
separate State of Gorkhaland
came face to face at some
places with processions led
by expelled leader Binay
Tamang faction demanding
restoration of normalcy. PTI
Tribal students threaten
Manipur bandh
IMPHAL
The All Tribal Students’ Union
Manipur (ATSUM), on
Saturday, threatened to call a
State-wide strike on
September 28 over the State
government’s failure to
respond to the charter of
demands submitted to the
Chief Minister.
ANI
Woman, son killed in
West Bengal accident
HOWRAH
A woman and her son were
killed when their two wheeler
was hit by a truck at Liluah in
Howrah district on Saturday,
the police said. Vandana
Parekh (41) and Rahul Parekh
(18) died on the spot when
the truck coming from
opposite direction hit the two
wheeler. The truck driver fled
with the vehicle. PTI
Businessman shot at
in Kendrapara
KENDRAPARA
Two unidentified motorcycle-
borne men shot at a
businessman in Kendrapara
district injuring him seriously,
the police said on Saturday.
45-year-old Bichitra Mallik,
who sustained bullet injuries,
was admitted to SCB Medical
College and hospital in
Cuttack in a critical condition.
PTI
CM
YK
Manipur tightens security
over possible Rohingya inux
Total ban on sale, purchase of agricultural land for commercial purposes
Asian News International
Imphal
Manipur Chief Minister N. Bi-
ren Singh has said that strin-
gent security measures have
been taken up at the border
areas of Manipur, sensing
the possibility of a mass in-
flux in the backdrop of the
recent large-scale violence in
Rakhine province of neigh-
bouring Myanmar. “All pos-
sible measures have been set
in to motion to check influx
of illegal immigrants,” he
said, while speaking at a
press conference held in the
Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Vulnerable point
Terming Assam-Jiribam as
the most vulnerable point
citing the influx of Banglade-
shi immigrant, he said that
additional forces have been
stationed at the border.
“It has been informed that
besides the existing check
post, another police check
post will be set up at Jiribam
Mukh and also strengthened
the foreigner check post,”
the Manipur CM said while
spelling out the steps taken
Kids not safe anywhere in country: Satyarthi
Demands stringent law against human tracking, including child tracking
Press Trust of india
GUWAHATI
Nobel laureate Kailash Sat-
yarthi on Saturday said chil-
dren are now “not safe any-
where” in the country, while
batting for a rigorous law
against human trafficking,
including child trafficking.
‘Bharat Yatra’ campaign
“One of the major demands
of the ‘Bharat Yatra’ cam-
paign is that Parliament
must pass a stringent law
against human trafficking,
including child trafficking,”
Mr Satyarthi said, flagging
Manipur CM N. Biren Singh
along the border in the wake
of the Rongiyas refugees
crisis. “Moreover, house to
house drive has been started
by the Jiribam police with
help of the paramilitary
forces since September 13,”
he added.
The Chief Minister also
said that 1,211 houses were
covered wherein 265 suspi-
cious immigrants have been
rounded up and 107 have
been pushed back.
Similarly, the drive against
illegal immigrants have been
strengthened at the Indo-My-
anmar border at Moreh by
deputing officers.
He further said that the
Indo-Myanmar border at Bei-
Kailash Satyarthi
off the Meghalaya lap of the
campaign.
He asserted that he has
declared a war against
crimes like rape, sexual ab-
https://t.me/yk_info
hang in Churachandpur dis-
trict would be developed as
second corridor in the wake
of the Act East Policy adding
that a permanent police sta-
tion would soon be estab-
lished at Beihang.
He also spoke about the
total ban on use of agricul-
ture land for commercial
purpose, “State government
*
is going to effectively imple-
ment the Manipur Conserva-
tion of Paddy Land and Wet-
land Act, 2014 by putting a
total ban on sale, purchase
and use of agricultural land
for commercial purposes.”
He further informed that
anyone found violating the
ban would be penalised as
per the provisions of the Act.
Conserving wetland
According to Mr. Singh, the
move was initiated by the
State government in order to
uphold the primary object-
ive of the Act to conserve
wetland and agriculture
land, which came into force
on September 10, 2014.
He said: “A Cabinet meet-
ing was held with regards to
use and child trafficking,
and hoped the ‘Bharat Yatra’
campaign will make India
safe again for children.
Moral epidemic
“I refuse to accept that the
innocence, smiles and free-
dom of our children can
keep getting stripped and
raped. These are not ordin-
ary crimes. This is a moral
epidemic haunting our na-
tion,” Mr Satyarthi said.
“Our children are not safe
either in homes, schools or
neighbourhood or any-
where, and the perpetrators
NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
THE HINDU
Bengal govt issues passes to
tourists for Durga Puja visit
To enable them to visit all Puja pandals in and around Kolkata
Press Trust of India biggest festival in the world. passes,” he said.
Kolkata We want to show to the “We are also getting re-
the subject, wherein the The West Bengal govern- world what Durga Puja is all quests from the Consulates
gradual diminishing of agri- ment for the first time has about. And it is probably for more passes as they have
cultural land was discussed come up with special passes also the biggest food festival a good number of guests vis-
deliberately,” adding, “As for tourists to enable them in the world. So for the first iting West Bengal at this time
per the decision of the Cab- to visit all Durga Puja pan- time we have planned to of the Durga Puja festival,”
inet, an order was passed on dals in and around the city. showcase it,” the official he said.
September 19 and reaffirm- The State tourism depart- said. The State tourism depart-
ing to effectively implement ment has issued the ‘Sharo- In fact, the tourism de- ment has also set up a
the Conservation Act 2014,” dotsav 2017 special guest partment has contacted all counter at the Netaji Subhas
The Chief Minister also in- passes’ for the Pujas and the hotels, starting from top Chandra Bose International
formed that a data bank Red Road carnival on Octo- five-star facilities to budget Airport to draw attention of
would be set up to keep the ber 3, a tourism department hotels which are preferred the visitors.
records of paddy lands by official said on Saturday. by foreign tourists, he said. The tourism department
conducting proper identific- Each pass, depicting the is also planning to bank on
ation of the status of the ex- face of goddess Durga, will Consulates given passes the the FIFA U-17 World Cup
isting paddy land through di- enable one person to visit all The Consulates in the city matches scheduled in the
gitised cadastral maps on the Durga Pujas being held in have also been provided city. “Team members and of-
basis of satellite images at Kolkata and its neighbouring with these passes, he said. ficials will start arriving on
the time of the commence- Salt Lake City and Howrah “All the hotels in the city the city from this weekend
ment of the Act (in Septem- district besides the October have been asked to provide and early next week. We are
ber 10, 2014). 3 carnival. The pass will be the passes to their guests. planning to tap them at the
Although no reclamation valid from September 23 to Foreign guests have shown airport. We’ll distribute
of paddy land shall take October 3. immense interest in it and passes to the FIFA officials.
place without the reference “We want to publicise the we are getting calls from That will earn us a huge
to the data-bank, the Act al- Durga Puja which is the hotel authorities for more mileage,” the official said.
lows conversion or reclama-
tion of paddy land of an area
measuring 0.10 acre in
urban area and 0.20 in rural Internet
area for construction of res-
idential building for the service to
owner of the paddy land for
his own purpose if he has remain
none, he further illuminated
suspended
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
AGARTALA
Internet service which was
suspended in Tripura fol-
lowing the killing of a
journalist on September 20
(of such crimes) roam freely. in West Tripura district
We just cannot wait and would continue for an-
watch,” he said. other 48 hours to stop
Hailing Satyarthi’s cam- spreading of rumours.
paign, Meghalaya Minister of “Suspension of Internet
Sports and Youth Affairs service would continue in
Zenith M. Sangma said that the State till Monday to
the State government will stop spreading of rumour
leave no stone unturned to by any quarter,” Superin-
create a child-friendly tendent of Police (West)
society. Abhijit Saptarshi said.
Mr. Satyarthi had begun Prohibitory orders un-
his 35-day-long nation-wide der Section 144 CrPC
‘Bharat Yatra’ march on would also continue at
September 11. The 11,000- Mandai, Khumulwung and
km yatra will travel through Jirania areas till Sunday
22 States, culminating in considering the situation,
New Delhi on October 16. Mr Saptarshi said.
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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IN BRIEF
Heavy rain in Punjab,
Haryana areas
CHANDIGARH
Rain lashed several parts of
Punjab and Haryana,
disrupting traffic and leaving
many arterial roads flooded.
A MeT official said
Chandigarh recorded rainfall
of 57.1 mm since yesterday. In
Haryana, Kaithal recorded 61
mm rainfall, Faridabad 152
mm and Sonipat 122 mm, the
weatherman said. InPunjab,
Gurdaspur recorded 52 mm
rainfall, Samrala in Ludhiana
(87 mm), Ropar (100 mm)
and Balachaur in Nawanshahr
(94.2 mm). PTI
Man held for illegal
possession of arms
JAMMU
A man has been arrested for
illegal possession of a
country-made pistol in
Jammu, a police officer said
on Saturday. A police team
intercepted one Ashwani
Kumar, of Langrial in RS Pura,
in Chatta and recovered the
pistol and 11 live cartridges
from him last evening, the
officer said. PTI
Labourer killed in bee
attack in Muzaffarnagar
MUZAFFARNAGAR
The body of a 50-year-old
labourer, suspected to have
been killed by bee stings, was
found in the jungle at Purkazi
here, the police said Saturday.
The body of Baburam was
discovered from the jungle on
Friday evening and rushed to
a hospital, where he was
declared “brought dead”. PTI
Muzaffarnagar riots
accused held
MUZAFFARNAGAR
A man allegedly involved in
multiple cases of crime during
the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots
has been arrested, police said
on Saturday. The accused,
identified as Dinu Singh, was
carrying a reward of ₹25,000
on his head, Shamli SHO
Avinash Gotem said. PTI
Car thieves arrested
Press Trust of India
Mathura
Four members of an inter-
State gang involved in steal-
ing luxury cars were arres-
ted on Saturday near Chhata
Shergarh area in Mathura
district, the police said.
CM
YK
Stop misleading farmers: CM
Loan waiver scheme to help majority of small, marginal farmers, says Amarinder
Press Trust of India
Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Am-
arinder Singh on Saturday
asked the leaders of the
farmers’ unions to stop “mis-
leading” the farmers with
“false” statements on loan
waiver, the process for
which, he said, had already
been initiated by his
government.
‘Charges baseless’
He said this in a statement is-
sued here a day after various
farmers’ unions launched a
protest on the outskirts of
Patiala, alleging that the
State government’s farm
loan waiver scheme would
only benefit a small number
of farmers.
Capt Singh claimed that
Dogras heckle, gherao J&K Dy CM
Over the govt’s failure to declare Hari Singh’s birth anniversary as a State holiday
Press Trust of India
Jammu
J&K Deputy Chief Minister
Nirmal Singh was on Sat-
urday heckled by the Dogra
community members over
the State government’s “fail-
ure” to declare Maharaja Hari
Singh’s birth anniversary as a
State holiday.
The Deputy Chief Minister
was speaking at a function
after paying floral tributes to
Maharaja, the last Hindu
ruler of the State, on his birth
anniversary on Saturday.
Scores of people, includ-
ing youths wearing black T-
shirts and carrying saffron
flags, raised slogans against
Mr Singh and the PDP-BJP co-
alition government in Jammu
and Kashmir.
The protesters also gher-
oed Mr Singh and some of
them heckled him.
The Minister had to cut
short his speech and was es-
corted out by a large contin-
They were arrested before
they could strike a deal for
the cars they had stolen,
they said. The leader of the
‘Tatlu’ gang was among
those arrested. Any inform-
ation leading to his arrest
carried a reward of ₹12,000.
“baseless” charges were be-
ing levelled against his gov-
ernment by certain “politic-
ally motivated” leaders of
farmers’ unions.
The loan waiver scheme,
which was “set to be notified
soon, following a cabinet ap-
proval”, would benefit 10.25
lakh of the 13 lakh farming
families who took bank
loans, the Chief Minister said
and pointed out that the fig-
ures accounted for nearly 80
% of the borrowers in the
farming community in the
State, which comprised over
17 lakh families.
Contrary to what the
farmers’ union leaders,
“clearly instigated by certain
Opposition parties”, were
trying to project, the govern-
ment’s loan waiver scheme
gent of police.
The protesters also de-
manded his resignation and
accused the BJP of doing “dis-
service” to the Jammu region.
“BJP has done dis-service
to Jammu, which gave them
25 seats. They have failed to
address one of the major as-
pirations of the Dogras. Des-
pite passage of a resolution,
the BJP could not facilitate a
holiday on Maharaja’s birth-
day. It is a shame,” Sumit
Singh, one of the protesters,
said.
The Dogra community
members also blocked the
Deputy CM’s cavalcade. The
city saw dozens of pro-Maha-
raja rallies today.
Meanwhile, the BJP hit
back at critics and said some
people “who wanted to
merge Jammu and Kashmir
with Pakistan” are doing
politics on the issue to mis-
lead the people.
https://t.me/yk_info
would positively impact the
majority of the small and
marginal farmers of the
State, leaving out only the
big farmers, who would be
covered in the next phase,
he added.
The waiver amount an-
nounced by his government
was also “way above” those
announced by Uttar Pra-
desh, Rajasthan, Maha-
rashtra and Karnataka, des-
pite the fact that Punjab’s
financial condition was
“much worse” compared to
these states, Capt Singh
claimed.
Unlike the other States, in
Punjab, loans of up to ₹2
lakh would be waived for
farmers holding up to five
acres of land, he said, adding
that an outright relief of ₹2
Dogra community leaders gheraoing Jammu & Kashmir Deputy
Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Saturday. PTI
FIR against BJP leader
for slapping girl
Video clipping of incident had gone viral
lakh each would also be
given to the small and mar- Press Trust of India
ginal farmers, irrespective of Aligarh
their loan amounts. An FIR has been registered
States such as Rajasthan against a local woman BJP
and Karnataka had an- leader at the Gandhi Park
nounced a mere ₹50,000 police station here for slap-
loan waiver, Capt Singh said. ping a girl who was sitting
The government had with a Muslim youth in a
already prepared a detailed tea shop here, the police
list of farmers with the exact said on Saturday.
amounts of their loans, to be The FIR was registered
benefited in the first phase on Friday night under sec-
of the scheme, which would tions 323 (voluntarily caus-
be implemented as soon as ing hurt) and 504 (insult in-
the notification was issued, tended to provoke breach
he said. of the peace) of the IPC
The notification has been against BJP’s Aligarh wo-
sent to the poll panel in view men cell leader Sangeeta
of the model code of con- Varshney on a complaint by
duct being in force on ac- the girl’s father, they said.
count of the October 11 Gur- Ms Varshney had slapped
daspur Lok Sabha the girl on Monday evening
by-election. reportedly for sitting in a
tea shop with a young man
belonging to the Muslim
community.
The incident was cap-
tured on camera and went
viral on the social media.
*
NORTH 7
‘BJP will
retain
Gurdaspur’
Press Trust of India
Chandigarh
The police had earlier re- BJP candidate for the Gur-
gistered a case under relev- daspur Lok Sabha by-poll
ant sections of the IPC per- Swarn Singh Salaria said on
taining to obscenity at a Saturday that he did not ex-
public place against the pect a contest from the
youth. Congress and AAP nomin-
He was arrested and re- ees in the by-election and
leased on bail, police offi- exuded confidence that the
cials said. saffron party would retain
However, after the video the seat with a “massive”
clipping of the incident margin.
went viral, there was The BJP had, on Septem-
outrage. ber 21, named Mr Salaria as
Kalpana Gupta, a wo- its candidate for the Octo-
men’s rights protection ber 11 by-poll. Khanna’s
group activist, accused Ms wife Kavita was also a fron-
Varshney of indulging in trunner for the BJP ticket.
moral policing and trying to Mr Salaria (63), a business-
humiliate the girl publicly man, lashed out at Punjab
despite her assertion that Chief Minister Amarinder
she was an adult and had Singh for the latter’s re-
the right to befriend any marks against him. Capt
one of her choice. Singh had yesterday said,
Amid the outrage, the “What can he (Salaria) do
girl’s father submitted a for the constituency when
complaint following which he failed to run his own
a case was registered
against Ms Varshney, police
officials said.
medical college in Chint-
purni, jeopardising the ca-
reers of 1,800 students.”
A ND-NDE
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8 SOUTH NOIDA/DELHI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

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THE HINDU

Scribe gets Kancha CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

IN BRIEF
Ilaiah’s car Royal splendour
attacked
death threats Special Correspondent
WARANGAL

Oommen Chandy case

adjourned to October 7
BENGALURU
The Bengaluru civil and
sessions court on Saturday
adjourned to October 7 the
matter pertaining to a case of
alleged cheating involving
former Kerala Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy. The matter
pertains to a case where a
Bengaluru-based real estate
consultant accused Mr.
Chandy of taking money from
him after being promised a
solar power project in Kerala.
Bollywood film producer
Karim Morani arrested
HYDERABAD
Bollywood producer Karim
Morani, who is accused of
rape by a 25-year-old Delhi-
based woman, was arrested
here late on Friday. Morani
had surrendered at the
Hayathnagar police station at
11.45 p.m. on Friday, after the
Supreme Court refused to
stay the order of the High
Court here to cancel his
anticipatory bail.
for TV show
Sangh Parivar outts object to its title
S.R. Praveen
Thiruvananthapuram
When television journalist
Biju Muthathi filmed the
350th episode of his travel-
documentary show Kerala
Express, little did he expect
what followed. Since its tele-
cast on Kairali People TV on
September 17, his phone has
not stopped ringing. He has
been receiving death threats
and abuses.
Sangh Parivar outfits have
launched a protest against
the title of the show
Thendikalude Deivam (God
of the Destitute). The Hindu
Aikya Vedi took out a march
to the channel’s office on
Wednesday.
The journalist maintains
that there is no title more
apt for the episode on
Oachira Parabrahma
Mild tension prevailed at
Parkal town on Saturday as
academic Kancha Ilaiah,
who is facing flak over a
controversial book written
by him, confronted mem-
bers of the Vaisya com-
munity who protested
against the book here.
The academic alleged
that his car was attacked
with stones and chappals
by a group of people be-
longing to the Vaisya com-
munity. Mr. Ilaiah said he
was returning to Hydera-
bad after attending a meet-
ing of the Telangana Mass
and Social Organisations
Forum (T-MASS). The pro-
A screen grab of the testers blocked his car and
‘Thendikalude Deivam’ squatted in front of it.
episode of Kerala Express. Mr. Ilaiah called up the
activists of T-MASS, who
title have used this as their alerted the police and
rationale for targeting it. But rushed to the spot.
the journalist points to the The police shielded Mr.
Malayalam movie Ilaiah and took him to the
Paadhamudra, released in station, where he lodged a
1988, in which the protagon- complaint. Bright & beautiful: Mysuru Palace in Karnataka being illuminated as part of the Dasara celebrations. *
M.A. SRIRAM
ist played by Mohanlal uses
the phrase thendikalude

No need to resign, says

Thomas Chandy
KOCHI
Kerala Transport Minister
Thomas Chandy has dismissed
allegations of land grab,
saying he has not encroached
upon even a cent of revenue
land. “There was no need for
me to resign,” he told the
media here on Saturday. He
said the passage to his resort
was filled with land
temporarily.
₹11 crore ‘Kasula Haram’
for Tirumala deity
TIRUMALA
U.S.-based NRI Ramalinga
Raju on Saturday donated a
golden ‘Kasula Haram’ worth
₹11 crore to the temple of
Lord Venkateswara. About 30
kg of gold is expected to have
gone into the making of the
five-layered haram, which
will be used to adorn the
main idol in the temple.
temple, known as the home
of the destitute, homeless,
and beggars.
The temple in Kollam dis-
trict does not have a built-
up structure with a roof.
The vast open ground of 50
acres with two banyan
trees, under which pujas
happen, is home to hun-
dreds of homeless.
Negative connotation
“Those who abuse and
threaten me have not under-
stood what that temple
stands for. It is a shelter for
those who have been aban-
doned, and those who have
nowhere to go. The temple
administration provides
food and medical care to
those who stay here. There
are people from every reli-
gion at this place,” says Mr.
Muthathi.
The word thendi also has
a negative connotation,
meaning scoundrel. The
groups opposing the show’s
deivam to refer to the deity
at Oachira. In the television
show, he uses clips from the
movie to explain its context.
“I did talk to some of
those who called to abuse
and threaten me. When I
asked them, I discovered
none of them had watched
the episode. The title of the
show, and the phone num-
bers of the channel and my
own were shared on Whats-
App and social media, ask-
ing believers to protest
against those who have dis-
respected Hindu gods. If any
of these people had seen the
show, they wouldn’t have
abused me,” he says.
The journalist and the
channel, affiliated to the CPI
(M), have lodged a com-
plaint with the Kerala police
chief. Many of the threats
came from abroad as Inter-
net calls.
Following the threats, the
channel withdrew the epis-
ode from YouTube too.
Kerala societies to weave fabric for uniforms
Scheme is seen as a new lease of life for the sector, which is facing a crisis
Mohamed Nazeer
KANNUR
Weavers’ cooperative societ-
ies in the Kannur district will
weave 5.7 lakh metres of fab-
ric for the supply of uniform
materials under the Kerala
government’s scheme to dis-
tribute school uniforms to
students in Classes up to VII
for the next academic year.
The scheme that envis-
ages strengthening of the
handloom sector in the State
is expected to benefit the
weavers’ societies in Kannur
that has a rich handloom tra-
dition. The scheme is seen as
a new lease of life for the sec-
tor in the district and the
neighbouring areas facing
financial crisis. The societies
are preparing for accelerat-
ing production to produce
TDP panels
in Telangana,
A.P. rejigged
over the past few months for
Onam season have begun to Staff Reporter
focus on production of the VIJAYAWADA
uniform fabric. The Telugu Desam Party
seems to be relying on the
Wages revised old guard to face the gen-
“The handloom sector in the eral elections scheduled in
district is looking at the 2019. There were no sur-
school uniform scheme with prises as the committees
great hope as it will benefit for the Andhra Pradesh
all the 36 weavers’ sectors in and Telangana State and
the district,” said K.V. the Central Committees
Santhosh Kumar, secretary were reconstituted.
of the Kannur Handloom As- Revuri Prakash Reddy
sociation. and Dhanasari Anasuya
Warp and weft: A weaver at work in Kannur. * S.K. MOHAN Mr. Santhosh said the alias Seetakka, both from
wages for school uniform Telangana, made it to the
the targeted quantity of fab- ager, District Industries weaving were based on the all-important politburo for
ric in time. Centre, said. Over one lakh minimum wages fixed in the first time.
“The societies in the dis- metres of fabric had already 2009. The party accommod-
trict will weave 3,55,510- been woven, he said. The amount increased by ated them in the place of
metre shirting and 2,14,830- The societies that had 50% following the interim Ramesh Rathod and Erra-
metre suiting fabric,” K.T. been busy producing tradi- wage revision twice since belli Dayakar Rao, who
Abdul Majeed, general man- tional handloom products then. joined the TRS.

https://t.me/yk_info
CM A ND-NDE
YK
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 NATION 9

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IN BRIEF
Two coaches of
Agra-Gwalior train derail
MEERUT
Two coaches of the Agra-
Gwalior passenger train
derailed at the Agra
Cantonment Railway Station
on Saturday morning. No
injury was reported. Officials
said the empty train was
being taken for cleaning.
CBI gets custody of three
accused in Ryan case
NEW DELHI
The CBI on Saturday got
custody of the Ryan
International School bus
conductor, who is alleged to
have murdered a seven-year-
old student in Gurugram on
September 8, and two
officials of the school.
Three teenagers
drown in Bihar
DARBHANGA
Three teenagers drowned on
Saturday after they slipped
into a water body in Bihar
village, the police said. While
crossing the water body, one
of them slipped, and the two
others also drowned in a
rescue effort. PTI
Child mortality on the decline, says study
‘Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra have shown remarkable progress between 2000 and 2015’
Afshan Yasmeen
Bengaluru
India’s child mortality rate
has always been a cause for
concern, but a recent study
published in the medical
journal Lancet suggests that
the situation may be chan-
ging for the better.
The study shows a signific-
ant decline in cause-specific
child mortality rates
between 2000 and 2015 in
the country.
The faster declines in
child mortality after 2005
(average annual decline of
3.4% for neonatal mortality
and 5.9% for 1 to 59-month
mortality) suggest that the
country has avoided about
one million more child
deaths compared to the rates
of progress in 2000–2005.
Premature births
However, on a sobering note,
in the same period, deaths
due to premature births or
low birth weight rose from
12.3 per 1000 live births in
2000 to 14.3 per 1000 live
births in 2015. The increase
was driven mostly by more
term births with low birth
weight in poorer States and
rural areas.
The Million Death Study
titled “Changes in cause-spe-
cific neonatal and 1–59
month child mortality in In-
dia from 2000 to 2015: a na-
tionally representative sur-
vey’ was published online by
the Lancet on September 19.
The survey was led by Prof.
Prabhat Jha from the Centre
for Global Health Research at
St Michael’s Hospital in
Toronto.
Taking note of the pro-
gress in three States during
this period, the study says
that “if all States of India had
achieved the declines seen in
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and
Maharashtra, nearly all
States of India would have
I enjoy
teaching:
Sushil Kumar
Amarnath Tiwary
met the 2015 Millennium De- Patna
velopment Goals.” “I also bought a plot of
India’s child mortality rate land in Motihari in my
per thousand live births has mother’s name and helped
fallen by 62% from 125 per my brothers and a few
thousand live births in 1990 other relatives to set up
to 47 per thousand live births their own businesses,” he
in 2015. This is slightly less said. He himself started a
than the 2015 Millennium cabs business in partner-
Development Goal of a 66% ship with a friend in Delhi
reduction. and bought some shops in
Interpreting the outcome, Motihari town. The re-
the Lancet report said: “To maining amount he put in
meet the 2030 Sustainable bank accounts, on which
Development Goals for child he earns a decent interest.
mortality, India will need to
maintain the current traject- Helping hand
ory of 1–59-month mortality Mr. Kumar has been teach-
and accelerate declines in ing around 40 poor Dalit
neonatal mortality (to >5% students at Machargawa
annually) from 2015 on- Panchayat in Kotowa
wards. Continued progress block, a few kilometres
in reduction of child mortal- from his home, for free. “I
ity due to pneumonia, enjoy teaching them,” he
diarrhoea, malaria, and said.
measles at 1–59 months is “It was my wife who
feasible. Additional attention convinced me to take the
to low birth weight is TET examination, as I
required.” could then pursue my in-
The study tracking 52,252 terest in teaching as a pro-
deaths in neonates and fession. He sat for the test
42,057 deaths at 1–59 months with over 2 lakh examin-
has been funded by National ees, only 17% of whom
Institutes of Health, Disease managed to pass. And now
Control Priorities Network, as a government school
Maternal and Child Epidemi- teacher, this crorepati will
ology Estimation Group, and be earning a princely
the University of Toronto. ₹18,000 as monthly salary.

We lied about Jaya’s Damania gets threat

call from ‘Dawood’
Alwar godman held on rape charge
health, admits Minister Special Correspondent FIR was led on complaint by 21-year-old law intern from Chhattisgarh
Mumbai

Can produce footage of treatment: Dhinakaran
Special
Correspondent
MADURAI
Apologising to the
people of the State for
having lied about the
health status of late
Chief Minister Jayala-
lithaa while she was in
Apollo Hospitals, in a
sudden U-turn, Forest
Minister Dindigul
Srinivasan said that
they were forced to do
so, as they apprehen-
ded trouble from
Sasikala and her family
members.
Speaking at a public
meeting organised to
mark the centenary
celebrations of Aring-
nar Anna here on Fri-
day night, he said that
the people, particu-
larly the AIADMK
Dindigul Srinivasan
cadre, should pardon
them for having misled
them since September
22, 2016.
The Minister admit-
ted that all their claims
like “Amma had idli.
She had tea and she
smiled at the team of
doctors,” were a ment in hospital and
bunch of lies.
During his 45-
Activist Anjali Damania on Saturday re-
gistered an FIR with the Vakola police,
Special Correspondent
JAIPUR
reportedly gave large dona-
tions to his ashram.
under Sections 376 (rape)
and 506 (criminal intimida-
minute speech, the claiming that she had received a threatening A self-styled godman in Al- The godman was tion).
Minister attacked call from a number in Pakistan in the early war, Kaushalendra Prapan- christened Falahari Baba Shortly after the god-
Sasikala’s family for re- hours of Saturday. nacharya Falahari Maharaj, after he claimed to have sur- man’s arrest, his photo-
portedly denying The caller allegedly told her that she was sent to jail on Saturday vived by consuming only graphs earlier with BJP lead-
everyone access to would face dire consequences if she did not after he was arrested on fruits for the last 25 years. ers such as Narendra Modi,
‘Amma’. withdraw the complaint she had registered charges of raping a 21-year- Rajnath Singh and Raman
With the Chief Min- against senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader old law intern at his ashram 15-day judicial custody Singh were widely circulated
ister Edappadi K. Pa- Eknath Khadse. She has said she was at last month. After his arrest from a on social media.
laniswami ordering a home when she received the call at 12:33 Sixty-year-old Falahari private hospital where he The woman, hailing from
probe into Jayala- a.m. on Saturday. Maharaj, also known as had got himself admitted, Falahari Maharaj Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh,
lithaa’s demise as “The caller told me that my life would be Baba, commands a strong followed by his medical said she had mustered the
sought by O. Pan- made miserable if I did not withdraw the following in India and check-up by a five-member war. The court remanded courage to report about the
eerselvam, the truth complaint against Mr. Khadse. The number abroad. board, the police produced him in judicial custody for 15 incident after the conviction
would be out soon, he is registered as ‘Dawood 2’ with Truecaller,” The victim’s family has him in the court of addi- days. of Dera Sacha Sauda chief
added. Ms. Damania said. been among the Baba’s fol- tional chief judicial magis- Rahul Prakash, Alwar SP, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
Reacting to the Min- lowers for several years and trate Praveen Sharma in Al- said the Baba was arrested for rape.
ister’s comments, side- FIR registered
lined AIADMK leader In a recording of the call shared by Ms.
T.T.V. Dhinakaran told Damania, the caller speaks to her in Hindi,
reporters at Kodagu in repeatedly tells her that his identity is not
Karnataka that they important, and that she should withdraw
have footage of Jayala- her complaint. She subsequently visited the
lithaa getting treat- Vakola police station on Saturday morning
to register a complaint.
would hand it over at Mumbai police spokesperson and Deputy
“an appropriate time”. Commissioner of Police Rashmi Karandikar
confirmed that an FIR had been registered
and that investigations into the matter had

Protest continues in BHU been initiated.

Ms. Damania had earlier registered a
complaint that obscene comments had
Students raise voice against teasing in campus been made against her.

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA ing inside the campus. returning to her

VARANASI The latest incident
The Banaras Hindu was reported on
University students on Thursday, when a wo-
Saturday continued man student of the
their protest near the Arts Faculty was har-
varsity’s main gate assed by three men on
against the increasing a motorcycle inside
incidents of eve-teas- the campus as she was
hostel. The three men
abused her and fled
when she resisted
their attempts, she
said. The woman al-
leged that security
guards, did nothing to
stop the men.

Blue Whale
game claims
U.P. minor
Staff reporter
Meerut
A 12-year-old boy from
Kandhla in Shamli district
of Uttar Pradesh died by
throwing himself against a
moving train on Friday, ap-
parently as part of the on-
line Blue Whale game. The
boy, Nishant, had re-
portedly crossed several
stages of the deadly game
in which committing sui-
cide is the final task.
According to the U.P. po-
lice, Nishant’s family was
not aware that he was play-
ing the online game. The
family was informed by his
friends after Nishant’s
body was found on the rail-
way tracks near Ailum rail-
way station, near Kandhla
in Shamli.
His father Vinod, who is
in a state of shock, told the
media that Nishant did not
have a mobile phone and
was playing the game on
his friend’s phone. He was
playing the game with his
two friends Vipul and
Anant, who had crossed
28th and 23rd stages re-
spectively.
Nishant’s death comes
after the Centre asked all
major social media and

https://t.me/yk_info
communication platforms
to “immediately remove”
links pertaining to the Blue
Whale Challenge.
CM A ND-NDE
YK
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FROM PAGE ONE
Japan to fund mass
rapid transit systems
The sources said the De-
tailed Project Report (DPR)
for the MRTS was ready and
land was being acquired.
The MRTS in Haryana will
be an ‘elevated’ one and will
connect Gurgaon and Bawal
(part of the Manesar-Bawal
Investment Region in the
DMIC).
The land has been ac-
quired and the DPR has
been finalised, officials said,
adding that the MRTS has
been included in the JICA
‘Rolling Plan’ for the ODA
loan. The Department of
Economic Affairs will soon
ask JICA to work on prepar-
atory surveys for the pro-
ject, they said. The length of
these two MRTS projects
will be 85 km each.
Grant-in-aid
According to the Commerce
and Industry Ministry (the
nodal body for industrial
corridors), the financial as-
sistance for the DMIC pro-
ject is to be in the form of
grant-in-aid worth ₹17,500
crore — as a ‘revolving fund’.
This, it said, was for the de-
velopment of ‘trunk infra-
structure’ in the proposed
seven industrial cities in the
DMIC at ₹2,500 crore per
city on an average, subject
to a ceiling of ₹3000 crore
per city.
Pak. repeatedly rejected
oer of talks: Sushma
“Why is it that today India is
a recognised IT superpower
in the world, and Pakistan is
recognised only as the pre-
eminent export factory for
terror?” Ms. Swaraj asked.
“We are eliminating
poverty by investing in the
poor,” she said, which was a
departure from the “tradi-
tional method” of “incre-
mental levels of aid and
hand-holding.” The Minister
said demonetisation was “a
courageous decision to chal-
lenge one of the by-products
of corruption,” and, as a res-
ult, black money has “disap-
peared from circulation.”
“…Our Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has chosen
the more radical route,
through economic em-
powerment. The poor are
not helpless; we have
merely denied them oppor-
tunity,” Ms. Swaraj said, em-
phasising that the complete
eradication of poverty is the
most important priority of
the present government.
The Minister said the
Modi government has un-
dertaken a slew measures to
this end, and went on to un-
derscore three of them —
the Jan Dhan Yojana for fin-
ancial inclusion, the Mudra
Yojana for soft loans for mi-
cro entrepreneurs, and the
Ujjwala scheme for provid-
ing cooking gas for the poor.
She said alongside these
measures, the government
was also undertaking mar-
ket reforms such as the
newly introduced GST
regime.
Ms. Swaraj countered
Pakistan Prime Minister
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who
had earlier this week ac-
cused India of human rights
violations in Jammu and
Kashmir.
The Minister said the
Pakistan PM’s reference to
Arvind Subramanian
to stay on as CEA
An IIM-Ahmedabad alum-
nus, who went to Oxford
University for further stud-
ies, Mr. Subramanian was a
Senior Fellow at the
Peterson Institute for Inter-
national Economics before
he took over as India’s Chief
Economic Advisor (CEA) in
October 2014.
Officials said that while
Mr. Subramanian was keen
on returning to the U.S. after
his tenure ended, the Fin-
ance Minister had been
“personally quite keen that
he continue” and had re-
quested him formally to stay
on.
Mr. Subramanian’s term
as CEA has been marked by
dynamic suggestions and
analysis to do with the eco-
nomy — including coining
the term ‘JAM trinity’ (for
Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mo-
CM
YK
In September 2011, the
Union Cabinet — in addition
to giving approval for
₹17,500 crore as ‘Project Im-
plementation Fund’ — had
also okayed an additional
corpus of ₹1000 Crore as
grant-in-aid to carry out pro-
ject development activities.
The funds are released to
the Special Purpose
Vehicles (SPVs) formed
between the Centre and the
respective State Govern-
ments. Official sources said,
out of all this, the total
amount spent till September
2017 was around ₹3,500
crore.
As per the ministry, the
Japanese government had
announced financial sup-
port for the DMIC project to
an extent of $4.5 billion in
the first phase — for projects
with Japanese participation
through a mix of JICA and
Japan Bank for International
Cooperation ( JBIC) lending.
Also, the JBIC currently
holds 26% equity in the
DMIC Development Corpor-
ation (the SPV which is the
DMIC’s project development
agency) aggregating to ₹26
crore. The Indian govern-
ment holds 49% equity in
the DMICDC, while the re-
maining is held by HUDCO
(19.9%), IIFCL (4.1%) and LIC
(1%).
UN resolutions on Kashmir
have been long overtaken by
events and India and
Pakistan have mutually
agreed to resolve all issues
bilaterally, in the Shimla
Agreement and the Lahore
Declaration. She said
Pakistan has allowed the
joint decision in 2015 to
have a "Comprehensive Bi-
lateral Dialogue,” which was
proposed by the then
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif.
“Pakistan is responsible for
the aborting that peace pro-
cess,” Ms Swaraj said.
Time to introspect
The Minister said Pakistan
must introspect on the reas-
ons for its problems and
spend on the welfare of its
citizens. “We produced
scholars, doctors, engin-
eers. What have you pro-
duced? You have produced
jihadis. Doctors save people
from death; jihadis send
them to death. If Pakistan
had spent on its develop-
ment what it has spent on
developing terror, both
Pakistan and the world
would be safer and better-
off today,” Ms. Swaraj said.
Presenting India as a
partner in the international
community’s attempt to
deal with climate change,
security challengers and de-
velopmental goals, the Min-
ister said the UN must no
longer delay the adoption of
a commonly agreed defini-
tion of terrorism. “UN has
not been able to agree upon
a definition of terrorism. If
we cannot agree to define
our enemy, how can we
fight together? If we con-
tinue to differentiate
between good terrorists and
bad terrorists, how can we
fight together?” she said, re-
iterating a long-standing In-
dian demand.
bile), mooting the idea of a
‘bad bank’ to deal with the
persistent problem of non-
performing assets (NPAs) af-
flicting the balance sheets of
banks and corporates, and
proposing the concept of a
Universal Basic Income.
In August, NITI Aayog
Vice-Chairman Arvind
Panagariya resigned to pur-
sue his career in academics
in the U.S. The CEA’s post
had been vacant since
September 2013 before Mr.
Subramanian took charge,
after the previous incum-
bent Raghuram Rajan
resigned to take over as the
Governor of the Reserve
Bank of India. Dr. Rajan
resigned as Governor in
September 2016, after a
three-year term, without re-
ceiving an extension from
the government.
NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
BJP’s priorities go beyond votes: PM 2 BSF men,
3 civilians
Modi praises Uttar Pradesh government for naming toilets izzatghar or ‘room of honour’ injured
Omar Rashid
LUCKNOW
shahpur had promised him
that the village would be
Indo-Asian News Service
Jammu
Distinguishing his party from made open defecation free Two Border Security Force
his political rivals, Prime by October 2. (BSF) troopers and three ci-
Minister Narendra Modi on Stressing that “swachhta vilians were injured when
Saturday said the BJP’s work (cleanliness) is a puja (a Pakistan Rangers resorted
and priorities “are not de- ritual) for me,” Mr. Modi said to heavy shelling on the In-
cided by votes” but keeping it was a means of freeing the ternational Border in
in mind the interest and de- poor from diseases and the Jammu and Kashmir, the
velopment of the nation. attendant financial burden. police said on Saturday.
Mr. Modi said it was the “The two troopers and
tendency of politicians to Farm income three civilians were injured
work where they sensed a Mr. Modi also reiterated the in the overnight Pakistan
possibility for securing votes pledge to double the income ceasefire violation in R.S.
and strengthening their vote of farmers by 2022, adding Pura and Ramgarh sec-
banks. that his government had re- tors,” a police official said.
“But, brothers and sisters, solved to provide shelter to “The Pakistan Rangers
we were raised in a different every poor person in the used mortars, automatics
culture. Our character is dif- country, urban and rural, by and small arms to target
ferent. For us the country is the same year. over half a dozen BSF posts
bigger than the party. Our He criticised the previous and civilian areas in the fir-
priorities are not decided by In reverence: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits a cattle health fair at Shahanshahpur in Samajwadi Party govern- ing that started at 10 p.m.
votes,” the Prime Minister Varanasi on Saturday. PTI * ment for allegedly ignoring Our troops effectively re-
said in Varanasi, his Lok the Centre’s requests to taliated,” he added.
Sabha constituency, on the vote. They are not anybody's though India was the largest the foundation of a twin-pit provide the list of the home- Villagers in the areas
concluding day of his two- voter.” producer of milk, it fared toilet as part of the govern- less, and said that only after close to the International
day tour. Mr Modi said the Pashud- poorly in per capita animal ment’s cleanliness drive, much pressure, the State had Border said their crops had
han Arogya Mela would be- production, making cattle- praised the State for naming sent a list of 10,000 benefi- suffered extensive damage
Better cattle wealth nefit the animal husbandry rearing costly, mostly due to it Izzatghar or ‘room of hon- ciaries. in the shelling.
Addressing a public meeting sector in Uttar Pradesh, poor animal health. If the our’. In contrast, the Yogi Residents of the border
after inaugurating a cattle provide relief to farmers who per capita production was Mr. Modi said he liked the Adityanath government, villages have started mov-
health fair, Pashudhan for various reasons have neg- increased, it would attract name as “where there is an which came to power six ing to safer places.
Arogya Mela, in Shahanshah- lected the health of cattle, farmers towards dairy farm- izzatghar, there is honour of months back, had already Pakistani troops had been
pur, Mr. Modi said, “The and also increase the pro- ing and also pave the way for our mothers and sisters.” provided a list of lakhs of firing between September
mela will serve those animals ductivity of the cattle. a new economic revolution. The Prime Minister said people who will avail bene- 13 and 18. The attacks re-
who will never go out to Mr. Modi lamented that Mr. Modi, who also laid the inhabitants of Shahan- fit, the Prime Minister said. sumed on September 21.
Cong. banking on
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
On the draw Keshav
anti-GST sentiment
Rahul may meet traders in Gujarat
Sandeep Phukan
NEW DELHI
Three weeks after the Re-
serve Bank of India claimed
that 99% of the banned cur-
rency had returned to the
banking system, the Con-
gress’s intellectual cell
(Vichar Bibhag) held a sem-
inar on the impact of the
note ban on Thursday
afternoon.
Anand Sharma, Deputy Anand Sharma
Leader of the Congress in
the Rajya Sabha, was one of large scale protests by
the main speakers. He traders and small business-
wrapped up saying what men.
awaited the unsuspecting
public eventually was a Administrative failure
“double whammy”, with the Senior Opposition leader
introduction of the Goods Shaktisinh Gohil described
and Services Tax (GST). it as an example of BJP’s ad-
Tapping into the anger ministrative failure. “In-
among traders and small stead of tax simplification, it
Mattis to meet Modi, Nirmala
businessmen over GST is has become so complicated
now part of the Congress’s that it is affecting everyone,
latest political strategy, es- not just traders,” he said.
pecially in poll-bound States The Congress party is
like Gujarat where the busi- keen to woo back traders
U.S. Defence Secretary will stop over in Kabul before arriving in India on Tuesday ness community can be a and small business entre-
determining factor. preneurs who are seen to be
Special Correspondent Mr. Mattis will also ex- insurgency, regional security “This time, the GST issue among the BJP’s core voters.
NEW DELHI press American appreciation operations and peace keep- will play an important role, Since July 1, the party has
In the first-ever Cabinet level for India’s important contri- ing operations under the UN especially in urban areas- organised 42 protest meet-
visit from the Trump admin- butions toward Afghanistan’s Charter. ,”said Bharatsinh Solanki, ings across all the major
istration, U.S. Secretary of democracy, stability, The exercise includes a who heads the Congress trading hubs of Delhi.
Defence Jim Mattis will be in prosperity and security, it brigade headquarter based party in Gujarat. Praveen Khandelwal, sec-
New Delhi on Tuesday for a said. command post exercise, ex- Mr. Solanki did not con- retary general of the Delhi-
series of meetings. pert academic discussions firm it, but other leaders in based Confederation of In-
The U.S. Department of Joint Exercise under way on strategic issues of mutual Gujarat say they are trying dian Traders that represents
Defence said Mr. Mattis Meanwhile, the two sides are concern and combined to organise a meeting of six crore traders across the
would leave on Sunday for holding a joint training exer- training between the army traders and professionals in country, admits the sense of
his India trip. Indications are cise, Yudh Abhyas 2017, units. Rajkot during Congress vice- unease among traders, but
that he could stop over in Ka- which began on September The Army said during the president Rahul Gandhi’s puts the blame on the
bul before reaching New Jim Mattis 14 in Washington State, U.S. first week, participants fa- three-day tour of the State “miserable failure of the
Delhi on Monday evening. The exercise is an “ideal miliarised with each other’s that starts on Monday. GST Network.” Mr. Khandel-
“From Tuesday, Septem- endra Modi,” the Defence platform for the two coun- organisational structure, A similar meeting of Mr. wal is associated with the
ber 26. to September 28, Sec- Department said. tries to share their expertise weapons, equipment and Gandhi with textile traders BJP.
retary Mattis visits India, It said the Secretary on military operations,” the tactical drills while Com- had been arranged on Arguing that GST filing is
where he will participate in a would emphasise that the Army said in a statement. mander and Staff Officers September 4 when he vis- entirely technology-based
wreath-laying ceremony at United States viewed India as The theme of the exercise worked in close coordination ited the State last. and the system cannot af-
the India Gate and will meet a “valued and influential is to build and develop posit- to collate intelligence to is- For the major part of July, ford to have glitches, he
with Defence Minister partner, with broad mutual ive military relations and sue suitable operational or- the industrial hub of Surat — maintained that the Con-
Nirmala Sitharaman and interests extending well bey- inter-operability to conduct ders to the combined field famous for its textile and gress cannot escape re-
Prime Minister of India Nar- ond South Asia”. counter terrorism, counter training components. diamond trade — witnessed sponsibility.
Naidu may send JD(U) Samajwadi inghting far
request to ethics panel from over, shows meeting
Precedents may prevent quick action against rebel MPs Mulayam keeps away as Akhilesh takes a dig at Shivpal
Sobhana K Nair only in 2008, at the fag end Omar Rashid his blessings will always be
New Delhi of his tenure. LUCKNOW with me, and with it we will
Precedents are likely to In signs that the infighting carry forward this move-
come in the way of the Nit- Unlikely to be broken within the Samajwadi Party ment and take it to new
ish Kumar-led Janata Dal More recently, in 2012, the is far from settled, its pat- heights,” he told party lead-
(United)’s demand to dis- present Union Minister ron, Mulayam Singh, and his ers and cadre.
qualify its rebel MPs Sharad Upendra Kushwaha, who brother, Shivpal Yadav, were Mr. Yadav and his uncle
Yadav and Ali Anwar at the was then in the JD(U), quit absent from the party’s have been engaged in a long
earliest. Sources indicate the Rajya Sabha after the eighth State convention held feud which reached its peak
that after studying the JD party’s application to dis- here on Saturday. during the months leading
(U)’s request, Vice-President qualify him was forwarded Adding fuel to the fire, SP Naresh Uttam Patel, who was to the 2017 Assembly
and Chairman of the Rajya to the Ethics and Privileges president Akhilesh Yadav in re-elected the SP’s U.P. chief, elections.
Sabha M. Venkaiah Naidu is Committee. He had been a veiled attack on his es- with Akhilesh Yadav. PTI
* Now amid speculation
likely to send the case to the Sharad Yadav protesting against Bihar tranged uncle Shivpal, that Mr. Shivpal could hoist a
Ethics and Privileges com- Chief Minister Nitish Kumar warned SP workers to “be- opened now. They won’t new outfit, he looks further
mittee instead of summarily He had openly campaigned for two years. He sub- ware of banawati [fake] succeed in any conspiracy,” sidelined by his nephew. He
disqualifying them as de- for his son who was fighting sequently floated his own Samajwadis”. he said. was missing from the
manded by the party. the Bihar Assembly polls on party after finally parting Without naming anyone, The former Chief Minis- posters and banners put up
Two recent precedents Rashtriya Janata Dal ticket ways with the JD(U). Mr. Yadav claimed such ter, however, clarified that by the SP to publicise its
come in the way of a direct and criticised the BJP. The “There is no Parliament- Samajwadis had tried to he still enjoyed the blessings meeting.
action against Mr. Yadav and case was transferred to the ary precedent to disqualify a harm the party from within. of his father, even as he as- The fresh conflict came to
Mr. Anwar. Ethics and Privileges Com- member without giving him “They tried a lot and con- serted that along with the SP the fore recently after Mr.
In 2005, the then leader mittee by the then Vice-Pres- or her due hearing. It is un- spired to stall the move- founder, several other lead- Mulayam Singh expelled his
https://t.me/yk_info
of the Opposition Sushma ident and Chairman of the likely it will be broken now,” ment. They were successful ers had worked hard to es- cousin Ram Gopal Yadav,
Swaraj had moved an applic- Rajya Sabha. The case went a senior official at the Parlia- in one conspiracy, we could tablish the SP and its who sides with Mr. Akhilesh,
ation to disqualify Rajya on for nearly three years. mentary Affairs Ministry not come to power in the andolan. from the post of secretary in
Sabha MP Jai Narain Nishad. Mr. Nishad was disqualified said. State. But our eyes have “Netaji is my father. And the Lohia Trust.
A ND-NDE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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Puja wades through controversies I have never used religion
Depiction of a doctor-like gure raises IMA’s hackles; organisers say message was against quackery
Staff Reporter
Kolkata
The depiction of a figure
with a stethoscope and a
doctor’s coat receiving
money at the Mohammad
Ali Park Durga Puja pandal
has created outrage in the
city’s medical fraternity.
The organisers tried to
clarify with a placard that
the reference was to fake
doctors, but the controversy
refuses to die down.
The State unit of the In-
dian Medical Association
and the West Bengal Doc-
tors Forum condemned the
representation, saying such
depiction of doctors would
malign their image.
“I have told the organ-
isers that they have to make
the placard larger and put
up other large signboards to
make the matter clear to the
public. I also told them that
they have to remove the
stethoscope from the statue
as it is symbolises the med-
ical profession,” Santanu
Sen, State secretary of the
IMA told The Hindu.
Even as the puja organ-
Patna DM imposes
curbs on immersion
HC says it’s a law and order issue
Special Correspondent
Patna
District Magistrate Sanjay
Agrawal has issued an or-
der that Durga idols must
be immersed by September
30, a day before
Muharram.
In response to a public
interest litigation (PIL) peti-
tion filed by Kamal Kishor
Pathak, the court on Friday
said, “It is a law and order
issue, but the petitioners
should request the district
administration to extend
the date for immersing the
idols of goddess Durga.”
Senior Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) leader and
Union Minister for Micro,
Small and Medium Enter-
prises, Giriraj Singh, said
Journalist
murdered
in Mohali
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
CHANDIGARH
The Punjab police have set
up a Special Investigative
Team (SIT) to probe the
suspected murder of senior
journalist K.J. Singh and his
mother, who were found
dead in Mohali on Sat-
urday.
The police said Mr.
Singh, who was in his six-
ties, and his 92-year-old
mother were found dead in
their house.
“The police suspect Mr.
Singh and his mother were
killed for some unknown
motive. While Mr. Singh —
a former News Editor of
the Indian Express, The
Tribune and The Times of
India in Chandigarh — was
found with his throat slit,
his mother was suspected
to have been strangulated,”
said an official
spokesperson.
The bodies of the vic-
tims were discovered on
Saturday afternoon when a
domestic helper came to
the house but no one
answered the doorbell.
Punjab Chief Minister
Captain Amarinder Singh
directed Suresh Arora,
DGP, to set up the SIT.
“The IG (Crime), under
whom the SIT will func-
tion, has been asked to en-
sure that all leads are
probed and the culprits are
identified and nabbed at
the earliest,” said the
spokesperson.
The Indian Journalists
Union has condemned the
killing and recalled the re-
cent murders of two other
journalists — Gauri
Lankesh in Karnataka on
September 5 and Shantanu
Bhowmick in Tripura on
September 20.
“Three journalists killed
in the last three weeks in
different parts of the coun-
try exposes the fragility of
safety of journalists in the
country,” the IJU said in a
statement.
CM
YK
In a soup: Doctors complained that the representation denigrated their image.
isers argued that a photo
that went viral on social me-
dia was taken before the
pandal was completed and
now a placard “condemning
fake doctors” had been
hung from the statue, both
Giriraj Singh
he would speak to Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar on
the issue.
State BJP chief Nitya
Nand Rai, however, said,
“It is not an order by the
Patna DM but an appeal to
people for immersion of
idols by September 30 with
certain provisions ... there
is nothing serious in it.”
Jaipur Lit Fest in America
features 80 authors
Space for dialogue in climate of extreme voices: organisers
Varghese K. George
Boulder (Colorado)
It is when words fail that
weapons are used, one
could argue, and literature is
about the pre-eminence of
the first. The third edition of
the American chapter of the
Jaipur Literary Festival ( JLF)
last week featuring nearly 80
authors discussed words
and weapons, faded revolu-
tions and lingering anxieties
from climate collapse to nuc-
lear apocalypse.
The JLF in America is a
platform for “dialogue and
the opportunity to listen” in
a climate overwhelmed by
extreme voices, Sanjoy Roy,
producer of the festival,
said.
India third in nuclear power installations: study
But share of energy generation stagnates globally, and several countries shut down nuclear reactors in 2017
Vidya Venkat
Chennai
India is third in the world in
the number of nuclear react-
ors being installed, at six,
while China is leading at 20,
the World Nuclear Industry
Status Report 2017, released
this month, shows. The
number of nuclear reactor
units under construction is,
however, declining globally
for the fourth year in a row,
from 68 reactors at the end
of 2013 to 53 by mid-2017,
the report says.
The latest report further
reveals that most nuclear re-
actor constructions are be-
hind schedule, with delays
resulting in increase in pro-
ject costs and delay in power
generation. There are 37 re-
actor constructions behind
schedule, of which 19 repor-
ted further delays over the
past year. In India itself, five
out of the six reactors under
IMA and WBDF leadership
said that the placard was
put up only after strong
protests.
WBDF vice-president
Binayak Chanda said “the
placard was not there before
Puja inauguration by Supriyo
cancelled ‘under pressure’
Will resign from puja panel in protest, says district BJP chief
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
SERAMPORE(WB)
On the eve of its inaugura-
tion by Union Minister Babul
Supriyo, a Durga Puja com-
mittee in Hooghly district on
Saturday cancelled the pro-
gramme allegedly 'under
political pressure'.
Supriyo, Minister of State
for Heavy Industries and
Public Enterprise, had been
invited to inaugurate the
Durga puja of Nehru Nagar
Sarbajanin at Serampore on
Sunday to which he had
consented.
The club authorities, how-
ever, decided in the evening
that the BJP leader will not
inaugurate the puja.
“We had not realised
Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor, MP and
author, speaking at a discus-
sion on former Senator
Larry Pressler’s book Neigh-
bors in Arms, said unless the
existing nuclear powers
were willing to take some
steps towards disarming
construction are behind
schedule. Eight nuclear
power projects have been
under construction globally
for a decade or more, of
which three have been so for
over 30 years.
In the foreword, S. David
Freeman, an American en-
ergy policy expert who led
the Tennessee Valley Author-
ity under U.S. President
Jimmy Carter, writes that the
debate regarding the value
of nuclear energy “is over”.
“The most decisive part of
this report is the final section
— Nuclear Power vs Renew-
able Energy Development. It
reveals that since 1997,
worldwide, renewable en-
ergy has produced four
times as many new kilowatt-
hours of electricity than nuc-
https://t.me/yk_info
lear power,” he writes, con-
cluding, “The world no
longer needs to build nuc-
lear power plants to avoid
*
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
we strongly objected to such
a derogatory portrayal of
doctors as demons. So we
are considering the latest
step of the puja committee
as our moral victory.”
He said the WBDF had
earlier that we would have to
suffer so much political pres-
sure because of our plan to
get the puja inaugurated by
Babul Supriyo,” an official of
the puja committee said on
condition of anonymity.
“So we decided to cancel
the inauguration by Babul
Supriyo,” he said.
‘Informed in writing’
BJP district president and
the puja committee’s vice-
president Bhaskar Bhat-
tacharya said that he was in-
formed in writing that the
committee was unable to
carry on with the scheduled
inauguration by Babul
Supriyo.
“A Union Minister cannot
themselves, nuclear prolifer-
ation around the world
could continue.
Diplomacy and writing
can go well together, as
words are the weapon in
diplomacy, agreed Ambas-
sador to the U.S. Navtej
Sarna and High Commis-
sioner to Canada Vikas
Swarup, both writers of em-
inence and speakers at the
festival.
A conversation between
Michael Rezendes, the Bo-
ston Globe’s Pulitzer-winning
investigative reporter, and
The Hindu’s Editor Mukund
Padmanabhan focussed on
sexual abuse by Catholic
priests and the craft of in-
vestigative reporting.
climate change and certainly
not to save money.”
Data gathered by the au-
thors shows that global nuc-
lear power generation in-
creased by 1.4% in 2016 due
not yet ruled out the possib-
ility of taking legal action.
The puja organisers said
they only wanted to portray
the “menace of fake doc-
tors” and never intended to
give offence.
inaugurate a Durga puja!
This has been done under
political pressure. However,
BJP cannot be stopped this
way,” Mr Bhattacharya said
adding that he has informed
Supriyo about the cancella-
tion of the programme.
He said he would resign
from the puja committee’s
post in protest. “Local
people did not want the min-
ister to inaugurate the puja.
The organisers perhaps took
the decision for this reason,”
Local MP and Trinamool
Congress leader Kalyan
Bandyopadhyay said.
BJP State president Dilip
Ghosh condemned the incid-
ent and described it as
'mockery of democracy'.
Setback for couple’s monkhood plan
Wife postpones initiation as authorities intervene to ensure child gets care
Mahesh Langa
Ahmedabad
Madhya Pradesh-based 35-
year-old businessman Sumit
Rathore on Saturday adop-
ted monkhood in the Jain re-
ligion in a ceremony held in
Gujarat’s Surat while his 34-
year-old wife Anamika has
“postponed” her initiation
after the State administra-
tion intervened on behalf of
their three-year-old child.
The couple’s sudden an-
nouncement to renounce
worldly life, including their
three-year-old daughter and
businesses valued at about
₹100 crore, to embrace Jain
monasticism triggered a con-
troversy, with several organ-
isations and individuals seek-
ing the government’s
intervention to prevent them
from leaving the child
to a 23% increase in China,
though the share of nuclear
energy in electricity genera-
tion stagnated at 10.5%. By
comparison, globally, wind
power output grew by 16%
for politics, says Digvijaya
‘He has always disagreed with the BJP for such tactics’
Smita Gupta
New Delhi
Congress leader Digvijaya
Singh’s five-and-a-half-
month lNarmada Parikrama,
a spiritual journey starting
on September 30, will wind
up eight months before the
Madhya Pradesh elections in
2018-end. But he says, in an
interview with The Hindu,
that he has never used reli-
gion for politics. “I have al-
ways opposed the use of reli-
gion for politics … that is
something I have always dis-
agreed with the BJP over.”
But simultaneously, he
says: “We have elections in
Madhya Pradesh in Novem-
ber 2018. I have been out of
touch for a very long time. I
will not be addressing any
political meeting. I will not
be using the Congress flag.
But yes, I will be meeting
people ... I’ll get to know
how things are in Madhya
Pradesh. I’ve been out of
touch for the past 13 to 14
years ... It will help me to
understand what the issues
are … I will be reconnecting
with the people of the
State.”
Is he looking for a third
Left and progressive forces
must stay united: Yechury
Special Correspondent
Kochi
If the Left and progressive
forces fail to stay united and
mobilise the masses that are
unhappy at the crises en-
gendered by capitalism, the
discontentment will be ap-
propriated by Rightist forces
for political ascendancy in
order to pursue the same
neo-liberal policies, CPI(M)
general secretary Sitaram
Yechury has said, citing the
ascent of Donald Trump in
the U.S. and a chunk of ex-
treme right-wing parlia-
mentarians in the European
Union.
“We see a distinct polit-
ical shift to the Right in the
<
> She will follow after
legally appointing
the guardian of their
daughter
District Collector, Surat
without carrying out the ne-
cessary procedures for
guardianship.
Kutch-based paediatrician
Dr. Rajesh Maheshwari was
among the first people to
tweet Union Minister of Wo-
men and Child Development
Maneka Gandhi and the Na-
tional Commission for Pro-
tection of Child Rights
(NCPCR), asking them to
stop the couple in the in-
terests of their child.
Subsequently, Gujarat
State Commission for Protec-
tion of Child Rights
(GSCPCR) directed the civil
administration in Surat to
and solar power by 30%.
Wind power increased gen-
eration by 132 TWh (terawatt
hours) or 3.8 times, and
solar power by 77 TWh or
2.2 times more than nuclear
power’s 35 TWh respect-
ively. Renewables represen-
ted 62% of global power gen-
erating capacity additions.
Russia and the U.S. shut
down reactors in 2016, while
Sweden and South Korea
both closed their oldest units
in the first half of 2017, the
report notes.
Financial crisis
The report also documents
the financial crisis plaguing
the industry. After the dis-
covery of massive losses over
its nuclear construction pro-
jects, Toshiba filed for bank-
ruptcy of its U.S. subsidiary
Westinghouse, the largest
nuclear power builder in his-
tory. AREVA has accumu-
Digvijaya Singh
tenure as Chief Minister?
“Totally out of the ques-
tion,” he retorts.
So is Mr. Singh, often ac-
cused of playing the Muslim
card, sending out the mes-
sage that he is a good Hindu,
given that the Narmada
Parikrama is the only river
yatra that finds a place in the
Hindu tradition? “I am and
have been a good Hindu. I
don’t need a certificate from
the BJP or the sangh for
that,” he snaps back.
Mr. Singh’s journey
comes at a time when Con-
gress vice-president Rahul
Gandhi’s elevation is immin-
ent. Referring to his recent
U.S. trip, he says, “…Mr.
Sitaram Yechury
world today. If it has to be
met politically, the class
struggle has to be
sharpened. Every crisis has
the potential to be converted
into a revolutionary situ-
ensure that, without follow-
ing the proper procedure to
appoint guardians for the
child, one of the parents
should not be allowed to
take the initiation.
Ceremony held
“Today, the ceremony was
held in which only Sumit has
taken the deeksha (initiation)
while his wife will follow
after legally appointing the
guardian of their daughter,”
Surat District Collector Ma-
hendra Patel told The Hindu.
He added that Anamika’s
parents had submitted an af-
fidavit stating that they
would take care of their
granddaughter but this was
not carried out legally by the
parents.
Anamika's father Ashok
Chandaliya, a former
lated $12.3 billion in losses
over the past six years.
French bailout
The French government has
provided a $5.3 billion bail-
out and continues its break-
up strategy, the report notes.
In the chapter on the
status of the Fukushima nuc-
lear power project in Japan,
six years after the disaster
began, the report notes how
the total official cost estim-
ate for the catastrophe
doubled to $200 billion.
The lead authors of the re-
port are Paris-based energy
consultant Mycle Schneider,
who advised the European
Parliament on energy mat-
ters for over 20 years, and
Antony Froggart, energy
policy consultant and senior
researcher at Chatham
House, a London-based non-
profit organisation working
on international affairs.
NEWS 11
Gandhi should open up
more to the press here. He is
very sound in his political
ideology… 1000 people have
been hired, less by the RSS,
more by Mr. Modi, to run a
24x7 sustained campaign to
make a mockery of Rahul
Gandhi… but people want to
know what Mr. Gandhi
stands for. Gradually, people
are getting disillusioned by
Mr. Modi and his policies.
There is a great opening for
Mr. Gandhi to challenge
him.”
Mr. Singh is also optim-
istic about Opposition unity:
“..when Emergency was lif-
ted, everyone thought the
Congress will sweep the
polls because there’s no op-
position. But within 15 days,
the Janata Party was formed
… and it defeated the Con-
gress. People are keeping
quiet now... At that time too,
people were keeping quiet,
but anger was building up. A
similar situation is develop-
ing now... It will be up to the
Opposition to channel
people’s anger into votes.
For interview, log on
to http://bit.ly/Digvijaya
interview
ation, but are we capable of
doing that,” he asked while
inaugurating a two-day con-
ference of Communist and
Left parties from South Asia
here on Saturday.
He said the rise of com-
munalism in India represen-
ted the effort to disrupt the
strength of the unity of the
exploited classes through
polarisation.
In countries such as
Bangladesh, it was through
fundamentalism. This neces-
sitated the Left to stay united
to channelise the growing
discontent among the
masses with the final object-
ive of establishing socialism,
he said.
Neemuch district president
of the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), said before the cere-
mony was held in Surat, “I
am not against my daughter
Anamika becoming a nun.”
Sumit’s father Rajendra
Singh, who runs a factory
manufacturing gunny bags
for packaging cement, also
echoed a similar view and
claimed that family mem-
bers did not wish to discour-
age the couple from “pursu-
ing their spiritual path.”
Sumit and Anamika de-
cided to renounce the mater-
ial world for spiritual pur-
suits when their daughter
was just eight months old,
Sumit’s cousin Sandip
Rathore claimed, adding the
couple waited for more than
two years for the sake of
their child.
Chargesheet
led against
Shabir Shah
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
The Enforcement Director-
ate has filed a chargesheet
against Kashmiri separatist
leader Shabir Shah and co-
accused Aslam Wani in
connection with an alleged
money laundering racket
in which funds from
Pakistan were routed using
“hawala operators” to fin-
ance terrorism.
The ED alleges that Mr.
Shah, in his statement, has
admitted that he is in regu-
lar touch over phone with
Hafiz Sayeed, Pakistan-
based chief of the banned
“Jamat-ud-Dawa”. It is al-
leged that they last talked
to each other in January.
The case pertains to the
alleged seizure of ₹62.96
lakh by the Delhi Police
Special Cell from “carrier”
Aslam Wani in August
2005.
A ND-NDE
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12 WHO WHAT WHY WHEN WHERE ● ● ● ●

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NOIDA/DELHI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

THE HINDU

On September 15, the Communist Party The party set up a three-member com- tion of leaders from West Bengal, he ber 11, saying that the inquiry commis- ferences in the party during the inter-
WHO
Pp q
Q of India (Marxist) expelled a young
leader and vocal Rajya Sabha member,
mission of inquiry, chaired by Polit Bur-
eau member and Lok Sabha MP Mohd.
was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in
2014 when he was 34.
sion was a “kangaroo commission.” He
alleged that he was a victim of a conspir-
view.” Dr. Mishra referred to four allega-
tions against Mr. Banerjee, including a
37-year-old Ritabrata Banerjee, from the Salim in June to look into more com- The party’s confidence in the young acy hatched by a section of leaders. Mr. lavish lifestyle incompatible with a
party. plaints of misconduct against Mr. Baner- leader was evident even before his nom- Banerjee spoke about the historical member of the party and serious incon-

Ritabrata What happened?

In February, a Left party supporter pos-
jee. On June 2, he was suspended for
three months, pending inquiry. In Au-
gust, the CPI(M) state committee gave
ination to the Rajya Sabha when in 2011
he was the Left Front’s candidate for the
byelection to the Kolk-
blunders of the party and how some
leaders did not allow Mr. Yechury to be
renominated to the Rajya Sabha.
sistencies between income and ex-
penditure. Mr. Yechury said the MP was
given every opportunity to defend him-

Banerjee, ted a photograph of Mr. Banerjee on so-

cial media showing the MP with costly
accessories, including an Apple smart-
credence to the findings of the commis-
sion and sent it to the central commit-
tee. Finally, Mr. Yechury wrote to West
ata Dakshin Lok
Sabha seat, which
Mamata Banerjee
After this, the CPI(M) was left with
little option but to expel one of
its most promising stars, whose
self and it was unfortunate that he had
to be expelled.

Left oustee watch and a Mont Blanc pen, during a

football match. Those who circulated
the pictures raised questions about how
Bengal secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra
informing him of the Polit Bureau’s ap-
proval to summarily expel Mr. Banerjee
vacated while
taking over the
reins of the State
performance in Parliament
was appreciated across party
lines.
What will he do?
Mr. Banerjee’s future course of action is
not clear yet. Political circles are rife
a CPI(M) MP could afford such a life- from the primary membership. government. with speculation that he is likely to
style. It was Mr. Banerjee reaction that Is it a setback for launch a party with disgruntled leaders
made matters worse. He sent an email When did he join the Left? Why did he air the party? from other parties or that he may join
to the employer of the person who had Mr. Banerjee began his political career his views on TV? The expulsion has come as a some other national party. Over the
put up the post on social media, asking as an activist of the Students’ Federation But once the probe setback to the CPI(M), which is past few decades, a number of promin-
that action be taken against him. of India (SFI), the student wing of the began and there was desperately trying to induct ent faces of the CPI(M) have been either
Amid growing public criticism, the CPI(M). He first came into prominence speculation that the fresh blood into its ranks. expelled or have parted ways with the
MP apologised and the elders in the when he was elected students’ union party would take ac- Defending the ex- party following differences over ideolo-
party, including general secretary Sit- general secretary in 1998-99 from Kolk- tion, Mr. Banerjee pulsion, Dr. Mishra gical issues. They have not been able to
aram Yechury, stepped in and described ata’s Asutosh College. gave an inter- said the MP had create a political niche for themselves.
the use of accessories as “personal con- He quickly began to climb the rungs view to a “ridiculously It now remains to be seen whether Mr.
victions and personal consciousness of at the national level when he was elec- Bengali televi- raised per- Banerjee will emerge as an exception.
a comrade.” The matter came to an end ted all-India general secretary of the SFI sion channel sonal and
but troubles for Mr. Banerjee did not. in 2008. Despite reservations of a sec- on Septem- political dif- SHIV SAHAY SINGH
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What is it? Amid protests against others to price their products even bet- mestic fuel prices have also failed to ing the excise duty and the value added
WHAT
Pp q
Q the recent spike in pet-
rol and diesel prices, Union Petroleum
ter, that is, in accordance with their
fluctuating input costs. The oil compan-
match the drastic fall in international
crude oil prices over the last few years.
tax imposed on them. These taxes in-
crease the price at which oil companies
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ies need not wait a fortnight to change Petrol, for instance, sold at a retail price can profitably sell essential fuels to con-
ruled out the possibility of an end to the prices, and it is believed that this would of ₹65 in 2012 when the price of the In- sumers, thus restricting supply and

The lowdown recently introduced policy of revising

fuel prices daily. Since June 16 this year,
petrol and diesel prices across the coun-
allow them to quickly pass on the bene-
fit of lower crude oil prices to retail cus-
tomers. Also, daily price revisions will
dian crude oil basket was around $120.
Today, even as the price of crude oil has
dropped by more than half to hover
keeping prices high. Taking on the Op-
position’s criticism, Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley on Wednesday dared the

on the petrol try have been revised on a daily basis,

against the previous policy of revising
prices every fortnight. By opting for
reduce the risk of huge revisions in
prices, which is more common under
the fortnightly pricing policy.
around $50, the retail price of petrol
stands at well over ₹70. The surprising
divergence in the cost of crude oil and
States ruled by the Congress and the CPI
(M) to reduce VAT on petroleum
products and forgo their share of the

pricing policy daily pricing, India has joined advanced

countries like the United States and oth-
ers which follow the practice.
Why does it The daily pricing
policy has been blamed
domestic fuel prices has caused a lot of
anger. What is being missed is the fact
that fuel prices are determined by mar-
Centre’s revenue from fuel taxes. He
said 42% of the Central tax receipts
from petrol go to the States. Mr. Pra-
matter?
in recent weeks for the ket forces, not costs. So lower crude oil dhan has called for petrol and diesel to
How did it The daily pricing sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices need not necessarily lead to be brought under the GST to lower the
come about? policy is in line with prices. Fuel prices fell in the initial days lower fuel prices. Costs only determine tax burden. This will help bring down
the government’s ef- after the implementation of the new the profits of oil companies, whose op- their prices, but only when it is com-
forts over the years to deregulate the policy, but have seen a sharp accelera- erating margins have naturally im- bined with better competition in the oil
pricing of essential fuels. The prices of tion ever since. The price of petrol in proved since deregulation. sector. Otherwise, lower taxes will
petrol and diesel were first deregulated metro cities like Delhi and Kolkata, for merely improve the profits of oil com-
in 2010 and 2014 respectively, bringing instance, has risen by more than ₹5 What next? Taxes are the main panies without any of the benefits,
in the practice of fortnightly revision of since the introduction of daily pricing. culprit stopping petrol whether it is lower crude oil prices or
prices. The new daily pricing policy, the The government has blamed supply and diesel prices from reflecting the fall any other fall in input costs, being
government argues, will now allow oil constraints due to floods in the United in international crude oil prices. About passed on to consumers.
marketing companies such as Indian States for the present rise in prices. A half the retail price paid by consumers
Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and wider criticism, however, is that do- for petrol and diesel goes towards pay- PRASHANTH PERUMAL J.

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Why has the issue been raked up? tee for Citizenship Rights of the Chak- gious persecution. The areas where the
Pp WHY Q
q * On September 13, Home Ministry offi-
cials held a meeting with Arunachal Pra-
mas, directed the State government to
grant citizenship to Chakmas and Ha-
Chakma-Hajongs lived was submerged
following the construction of the Kaptai
desh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and jongs within three months. The State Dam. They were made to settle in the
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren government had opposed the move in Tirap division of Arunachal Pradesh,

is it dicult Rijiju, who represents the State in Par-

liament, on various administrative is-
sues. The subject of granting citizenship
court. After giving a statement that the
order had to be honoured, Mr. Rijiju
changed his stand and said it was not
then known as the North East Frontier
Agency, administered by the Ministry of
External Affairs through the Governor

to grant to the Chakma-Hajongs was also dis-

cussed. After the meeting, Mr. Rijiju said
a “middle ground” would be chosen so
implementable. He clarified that since
the Home Ministry was the implement-
ing authority for granting citizenship, it
of Assam. Arunachal Pradesh became a
Union Territory in 1972, which coin-
cided with the formation of Bangladesh,

citizenship to that the Supreme Court’s 2015 order to

grant citizenship to Chakma-Hajong
refugees could be honoured and the
would approach the Supreme Court to
modify its order.
the singular objective to protect the mit system,” he said. Since Arunachal
and soon local political parties began
protesting against the settlement of out-
siders in the State. The agitation gained
Chakmas? rights of the local population not di-
luted. “The Supreme Court order has to
What is the controversy now?
* After violent protests in the State fol-
tribes of the State from the onslaught of
alien culture and overwhelming influx
Pradesh is a protected State, any out-
sider visiting the State needs a permit to
momentum in 1987 when Arunachal
Pradesh became a State.
be honoured. Chakmas are settled in Ar- lowing Mr. Rijiju’s comments, Mr. of non-Arunachalese in the State,” his do so. Mr. Rijiju had earlier said that
unachal Pradesh since 1964. But the Khandu wrote to Home Minister Ra- letter said. Chakma-Hajongs would not get any What’s the road ahead?
Scheduled Tribe status and indigenous jnath Singh on September 18 that the Mr. Rijiju blamed the Congress for rights to buy property or land in Ar- * The logjam persists even as the gov-
people’s rights won’t be diluted,” he State was not ready to accept any in- settling outsiders in a tribal State in the unachal Pradesh. ernment looks for damage control. Mr.
said in a tweet later. This led to wide- fringement on the constitutional protec- first place. “Originally 2,700 families Rijiju said Chakma-Hajongs were en-
spread outrage in the State and several tion bestowed on the tribals of the State. were settled in Arunachal Pradesh by When did Chakmas flee to India? titled to live anywhere in India but their
incidents of violence were reported. Mr. Khandu said the State’s unique his- the then Congress government from * In the 1960s, over one lakh Chakmas stay in Arunachal Pradesh would violate
tory was governed by a special Act and 1964 to 1969. The settlement itself was and Hajong refugees, Buddhists and the constitutional rights of indigenous
What was the Supreme Court order? the Constitution gives special protection not as per regulations. The settlement Hindus, fled to India from the Chit- tribes protected by Article 37 IH.
* In September 2015, the court, after rights to the predominantly tribal State. violates the Bengal Eastern Frontier tagong Hill Tract area in the then East
hearing a petition filed by the Commit- “These provisions were legislated with Regulation, 1873, or the Inner Line Per- Pakistan (now Bangladesh), facing reli- VIJAITA SINGH

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Ringside view: The U.S. space agency

WHEN
Pp q
Q NASA received nal signals from its
Cassini aircraft last Friday as it ended a
journey of 20 years with a meteor-like
plunge into the ringed planet’s

15
atmosphere. In this handout image, the
moon Enceladus and the edge of Saturn
are seen from the Cassini spacecraft on
its descent towards the planet. The
September spacecraft, the intrepid robotic explorer
of Saturn’s magnicent beauty, shot

2017 across Saturn’s sky, sending pictures till

its ery end. The picture on the far right
is a shot of Saturn taken in 2016.Through
the years, it produced 450,000 images
and 645 gigabytes of data and gave
scientists a ringside seat to the sixth
planet from the sun. The discoveries
included seasonal changes on Saturn, a
hexagon-shaped pattern on its north
pole and the moon Titan’s resemblance
to a primordial Earth. As Reuters
reported, scientists took to social media
to say goodbye. Astrophysicist Neil
deGrasse Tyson said on Twitter: “Farewell
Cassini, how far you’ve come...in ery
death, Saturn & you are one. VIP
(Vaporize in Peace)...” NEW YORK TIMES, AFP *

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CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Mr. rashtra. The project’s canal network in- Academic Vidhyut Jodhi, who has
WHERE
Pp q
Q Modi criticised those who tried to stop
the project and said that despite all ob-
volves a 532 km main canal and 32
branch canals and minor, sub-minor
written two books on the project, said
that not more than three lakh hectares
structions and massive challenges, the canals and finally field channels. was under irrigation by Narmada waters
people of Gujarat were determined to Though the main canal was completed a because the government, having com-
complete the project. The cost, origin- decade ago, the State authorities have pleted the main canal and branch

In Gujarat, ally pegged at ₹6,000 crore, has in-

creased several times over and is now
estimated to be around ₹50,000 crore.
not been able to build minors, sub-
minors and field channels to realise the
full benefits of the project. “Under the
canals, had not built field channels to
take the water to the last mile.
Owing to absence of minor, sub-

after Narmada On September 17, Prime Minister Naren-

When will the network be built?
The project was originally planned to
original plan, about 90,389 km of canal
network was proposed to be built to ir-
rigate 1.8 million hectares in Gujarat.
minor and field channels, farmers along
the branch canals have put up diesel en-
gines to draw water to irrigate their

dam, focus dra Modi announced the completion of

Gujarat’s lifeline, the Narmada dam pro-
ject, the foundation of which was laid
deliver water to the parched Saurashtra,
Kutch and north Gujarat regions and
also parts of neighbouring Rajasthan.
However, there is no clarity on how
much network has been built so far and
the area it has brought under irriga-
farms which are near the main canal
network.

on canals by the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal

Nehru, in 1961.
The question being asked by farmers,
the real beneficiaries of the project, is
tion,” says the former BJP Chief Minister
Suresh Mehta.
What is the way ahead?
Having built the dam, the State must
when will the canals to bring the water He said that instead of building the strive to make it a participatory project
Why did it take so long? all the way from south Gujarat to the canal network according to the original which means handing over the water
The Sardar Sarovar dam, built over the parched fields in Surendranagar, Rajkot plan, the State government had, in fact, management to local water users’ asso-
Narmada river in south Gujarat, is the or Banaskantha be completed. As per the Gujarat government’s fig- reduced the command area and the ciations in villages. So far, the govern-
second biggest concrete gravity dam by Though the dam has been built with ures, the Sardar Sarovar Project will canal network without obtaining per- ment has only registered such associ-
volume after the Grand Coulee Dam in full height permitted by the Supreme provide irrigation facilities to 18.45 lakh mission from the authorities. According ations on paper. Farmers will need to be

https://t.me/yk_info
the U.S. It faced many hurdles, includ- Court, all gates have been closed as the hectares, covering 3,112 villages of 73 to him, the State brought down the educated on crop patterns to boost pro-
ing the World Bank’s refusal to fund it canal network is not in place to take wa- taluks in 15 districts of Gujarat, 2.46 lakh canal network size from 90,389 km to duction.
on grounds of environmental damage ter from the dam to the fields in the pro- hectares in Barmer and Jalore in Ra- 71,748 km, which means a reduction of
and displacement of tribals in Madhya ject command area. jasthan and 3,75,00 hectares in Maha- 18,641 km. MAHESH LANGA
CM A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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Home is where food is
Travelling allows us to sample dierent cuisines, but it also means missing the taste-things of elsewhere
Ruchir Joshi
is a writer, lmmaker and columnist
It’s strange what you miss in different
places, especially in terms of food. Trav-
elling from one place to another means
arriving in the particular culinary pleas-
ures offered by that destination, but it
also means that a new sector of depriva-
tion opens up simultaneously. If you
happen to be visiting somewhere for a
short period, then this is fine: you enjoy
the local foodings in all their pomp and
peculiarity, and then you move on be-
fore the lack of this or that makes itself
felt. The problem arises when you go
somewhere for a stretch, say, for a
couple of months, and bits of your taste-
bud operating system begin to experi-
ence small glitches.
Within India, coming home to Cal-
cutta, I can find some of the best vari-
ations of north Indian dishes, the veget-
arian items as well as the biryanis,
Why we need bullet trains
Mega projects, like mega mountains, shape the environment around them
R. SRINIVASAN
is Editor, The Hindu Business Line
GETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCK PHOTO
So far, the proposed Ahmedabad-
Mumbai bullet train project is just a
piece of stone that has been laid by
Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and
Shinzo Abe, but it has already been
written off as a white elephant by most
analysts and commentators. They are
probably right. The project, of course,
is alarmingly expensive. And a 0.1% in-
terest on the loan from Japan, despite
what the Prime Minister says, is not
“practically free of cost”; in fact, it may
well be above real interest rates in Ja-
pan if you factor in rupee depreci-
ation. Both the fares and the number
of passengers have to be unrealistically
high if the project is to even come
close to breaking even. In fact, with 12
stations on the route, to reach out and
touch as many potential voters as pos-
sible, it might not even be able to
maintain bullet train-levels of average
speeds, given the number of starts and
stops.
A leap into the unknown
But I am all for bullet trains. Not be-
cause I have an economic model
which makes the high-speed train pro-
ject suddenly viable — frankly, it is dif-
ficult to counter the logic of the above-
mentioned experts — but because
there is a dimension to an ambitiously
audacious project like this which is be-
ing totally missed in the heat and dust
kicked up by the whole bullet train de-
bate. It is the transformative impact
that such mega projects can have on
the entire ecosystem.
Every mega project that we have
seen — from China’s Great Wall to the
Angkor Wat, from the Taj Mahal to the
U.S. Interstate Highway System — has
represented a leap into the unknown
when it first started. Almost every case
has faced the same criticism that the
bullet train project is facing now — that
The stories we tell of ourselves
The attempt by many Indians to think of historical knowledge as an immutable scientic fact is a response to our immediate past
Keerthik Sasidharan
was born in Pallakad and lives in New York
Around the year 1,200 B.C.E., a scholar-
priest called Sin-lequi-unninni pressed
his stencil into a clay tablet to record
events that occurred 1,000 years before
his own time. His words spoke about a
tyrant called Gilgamesh who ruled the
city of Uruk (Warqa in southern Iraq)
around 2,100 B.C.E. Despite being
among the oldest stories that humanity
knows of, the Epic of Gilgamesh is not an
origin story of the kind, say, Adam and
Eve that we are now used to. In fact,
that Gilgamesh’s story is situated in a
bustling, crowded city — as opposed to
the Garden of Eden or from the stirring
of Brahma’s sleep — tells us that the
story’s primary preoccupation is not
with the origins of mankind but some-
thing even more obscure: the meaning
of life amidst the frenzy of living.
After many travails that follow in this
CM
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kebabs and the meat and chicken gravy
dishes, but I can never find the perfect
naan or lachha parantha that I get in
Delhi or its environs. Vice versa, there
was no question of getting decent
Bangla food in either Delhi or Bombay,
barring enclaves like Chittaranjan Park.
This much is easy to understand: while
some taste-things manage to travel from
their home base, others don’t. While
some foods drop roots (including sup-
ply chains for ingredients that need to
be brought from the original territory),
others find it impossible (example,
think how idli-dosai have become
equally ‘authentic’ all over India).
Half a meal
The next thing that’s also more or less
understandable is what happens when
you carry with you some precious food
to eat far away from its point of origin.
So, you come home to your warm trop-
ical city and quickly refrigerate the four
kinds of French cheese you’ve brought
back. You call friends over, they bring
wine, bread, crackers, and you open the
cheese. There is the pleasure of serving
and eating foodstuff that are once again
rare, but there’s something missing.
Maybe it’s the exact bread that goes
with the cheese or maybe it’s the taste
it was too unrealistic, too expensive,
too fanciful, or just plain
megalomaniacal.
But these projects also represent
the crowning glories of human
achievement. A Taj Mahal is not just
one man’s dream; the secret of its en-
during appeal is that it is a representa-
tion in physical reality of man’s capa-
city to dream. They also created
technologies, processes, and execu-
tion capabilities which not only had
not existed till then, but had not even
been thought of. And in the process,
they ended up shaping the world
around them forever.
Some of the largest mega projects
under way around the world are epi-
tomes of this ability of humans to sur-
pass the possible. Take the Interna-
tional Space Station. It has so far cost
nearly $200 billion, but is also our
world’s first and only permanent out-
post outside it — in space, the jumping-
off point for mankind’s eventual
spread to the planets and stars bey-
ond. It is also a magnificent example of
international collaboration, and a tech-
nology generator of mammoth propor-
tions, sparking innovations which are
now part of everyday technology.
Vision and will
You need vision to think up mega pro-
jects, and indomitable will to drive
them through. Dubai’s sheikhs have it.
They are pumping in north of $82 bil-
quest, Gilgamesh finally arrives at this
long-sought meaning that a female di-
vinity shares with him: “to make every
day a delight.” Like a modern day exist-
entialist, she entreats Gilgamesh to
learn to savour small joys, to experience
the sensuous fulsomeness of the
present despite the inevitability of one’s
own death. That, in fact, she says, “is
the work of mankind.”
Response to Babylonian Captivity
For nearly 1,500 years after Gilgamesh,
various versions of this story and its ac-
companying ethos simmered in the
epics and legends that spread from Per-
sia to the Levant. In 597 B.C.E., the Jew-
ish kingdom of Judah surrendered to
the armies of the great Mesopotamian
ruler, Nebuchadnezzar. As was the cus-
tom, Nebuchadnezzar deported many
Jews from Judah (along with other de-
feated Assyrians, Scythians, Egyptians,
Medes) to the Mesopotamian metro-
polis. Thus, Babylon became one of the
great early melting pots of humanity,
stirred by the ladle of forced migration.
There, amidst life as servants and
slaves, the Jews from Judah began to ab-
sorb the way of life, mythographies, and
motifs of their new masters, which in-
cluded the story of Gilgamesh. As Pro-
GETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCK PHOTO
of the wine, but you end up feeling that
you’ve had a sort of half or three-quar-
ters meal, with bits missing in the
middle.
Flip it around and things abroad can
get similarly strange. There is the well-
worn joke which starts with the ques-
tion, “Hey, where do you get the best In-
dian food in Paris?” The answer goes:
“Head for Gare du Nord, take a Eurostar
train to London King’s Cross, come out
and turn right. Drummond Street with
lion to build the Al Maktoum Interna-
tional Airport, which, when com-
pleted next year, will be the world’s
largest by a comfortable margin. Could
one have imagined that this tiny desert
emirate would become a global air
travel hub? No. But will it help bring in
technologies and services, create tens
of thousands of jobs, and probably
make Dubai a serious player in the air-
port-building business (they have
already achieved this in seaports)? Yes.
China’s party leaders have this abil-
ity and will as well. The South-North
Water Transfer Project is the world’s
largest hydro-engineering project, in-
volving, among other things, two
mega 1,000-km canals. It costs thrice
as much as the mammoth Three
Gorges Dam project did, but will solve
the water problems of 50% of China’s
population in one stroke.
An ability to dream big
We had it too, at one time. In fact, one
mega project from the past was, iron-
ically, temporally linked with the bul-
let train. The Narmada Dam, 56 years
after it was started, was dedicated to
the nation around the same time the
bullet train was announced. Forget all
the (again, mostly valid) criticism of
the project, the abandonment of dam
oustees, and so on, and just look at the
project in isolation. Half a century ago,
this country had no problems visual-
ising impossible dreams — damming
mighty rivers, building steel plants in
the middle of jungles, and so on. We
lost that capacity to dream big some-
where along the way, as well as the ca-
pacity to execute. Bhakra Nangal got
built, but Narmada took half a century.
Bhilai and Rourkela got built, but a sat-
isfactory version of the Arjun Main
Battle Tank is yet to be inducted, des-
pite having been sanctioned in 1974.
That is why we need more bullet
trains. It is not just the one project.
Just the technology, engineering and
quality levels it brings will alone trans-
form the future of our early industrial
age railway system. One showcase
team will fire the aspirations of a bil-
lion people, just like one Delhi Metro
made every city in India try to build
one. If we don’t dream big, we will
never achieve big.
GETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCK
fessor Stephen Greenblatt argues in his
new book, The Rise and Fall of Adam
and Eve, the earliest stories about hu-
manity’s origin came about, in parts, as
a response to this phase of ‘Babylonian
Captivity’.
But instead of mimicking the world
view of their captors, the Jews began to
compile what eventually became a
counter-canon — the Torah — to the per-
https://t.me/yk_info
vasive Babylonian ethos. Such inten-
tional narratives of self-creation how-
ever, as Prof. Greenblatt shows, can
only be born as a response to the mater-
its desi eating joints is right there.” Paris
may have some of the best food in the
world, but a cosmopolitan hub of inter-
national cuisine it is not, especially as
far as affordable subcontinental food is
concerned. If Paris is lacking in this re-
gard, Berlin is even worse. The city is
now full of boards proclaiming ‘In-
disches Restaurant’, but if you’re a desi,
you want to avoid most of these. Spend-
ing some time in Berlin, I got lucky:
around the corner from where I was
Call drops to an older age
The fading out of the phone booth has not been mourned enough
Mini Kapoor
is Ideas Editor, The Hindu
You have to be of a certain age to feel a
tug at your heart each time smart-
phones are made smarter. This month,
when Apple unveiled its iPhone X with
facial recognition software obviating
the need for a passcode for a user to
open her phone, it was not just ques-
tions of security and surveillance that
presented themselves. This way of in-
timately locking a phone to its (pre-
sumable) owner threatened to take us
yet another step away from an older ci-
vility of sharing the use of a commu-
nication device.
An object now obsolete
Mobile phones have, no doubt, made
getting around our world much easier.
As Robin Jeffrey and Assa Doron wrote
in their detailed account, Cellphone
Nation: How Mobile Phones Have Revo-
lutionized Business, Politics and Ordin-
ary Lives in India: “The cheap mobile
phone is the most disruptive device to
hit humanity since shoes.” There is no
need to list these revolutionary
changes, as we could probably chant
them in unison together, with no prior
coordination. It is, however, bracing to
be reminded of an object that’s been
made almost obsolete with this revolu-
tion: the phone booth.
In a slim, pocket-sized book in the
Object Lessons series, called Phone
Booth, Ariana Kelly interweaves the
history of this once “ordinary” thing
with philosophical questions of pri-
vacy and sanctuary as well as copious
references to popular culture to con-
vey a sense of what is being lost. As an
aside, in India we experienced the
truly liberating consequences of the
public phone via the public call offices
(or PCOs) with which the telecom re-
volution swept our landscape, so that
when someone says pay phone, it’s
that particular shade of yellow that
ial conditions from which the immedi-
ate histories of the Jews emerged. And
no history was closer to the Jews of the
5th century than the psychological, cul-
tural and literary influences that arose
from their period of Babylonian
Captivity.
After their release from Babylon in
538 B.C.E, the question facing the creat-
ive minds of ancient Judaism was
simple: “How do you uproot deeply
held beliefs?” As Prof. Greenblatt suc-
cinctly answers: “You change the story.”
Thus, the Old Testament inverts many
COLUMNWIDTH 13
staying was a small Indian restaurant
run by a Bangladeshi man who spoke
fluent, idiomatic Hindi. We struck up a
cordial relationship and my friend
would make sure the dishes he served
me and my companions were as fresh
and non-industrial as possible. While
far from great desi khana, coupled with
my own cooking this was good enough
to tide over my home food cravings.
Germany, a cornucopia of food
However, as I kept sternly reminding
myself, I wasn’t in Berlin to miss Indian
food. Germany has some of the best
bread, great cheese and sausages, and,
along with the Czechs and Belgians,
simply the best beer on the planet. Be-
sides, the huge Turkish presence means
a wealth of doner and “kebap” shops;
other West Asian and Asian populations
provide a whole variety of reasonably
priced non-European grub. Added to
this, there are, of course, the usual sus-
pects of variously priced burger joints
and purveyors of pizza and pasta. If you
want a change from the beer, European
and non-European wine is widely avail-
able at much cheaper prices than in the
U.K. and certainly back home. All in all,
Berlin (and a couple of other parts of
Germany that I visited) is a cornucopia
GETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCK
lights up in our minds and not the
sound of the coin-drop facility as in
older times. But no matter where you
are and what the shape of the tele-
phone box or kiosk you were exposed
to, all the talk continues to be centred
on how to repurpose not just the ac-
tual booth, but also the idea. She lists
them. As public Wi-Fi hotspots. As
local libraries, as in London. As ATMs.
Even as a work of art, as the public
graffiti artist Banksy so strikingly man-
aged when a broken red telephone box
lying flat with a hammer on its side,
and a pool of “blood” on the ground,
appeared on a London sidewalk.
Kelly, who teaches literature and
comparative religion in the U.S., how-
ever, opens the book with a descrip-
tion of an abandoned phone booth put
to a more therapeutic use, and one
based on the notes, advertisements,
and pointless messages that one found
at these spots. “Standing in a garden in
Otsuchi, a small town in the Iwate pre-
fecture, on the east coast of Japan,
there is a nonworking telephone booth
that has nevertheless been used by
more than ten thousand people since
the spring of 2011,” she writes. The ref-
erence is to the massive earthquake
and tsunami that killed 15,000 people
and devastated the lives of hundreds of
thousands more. A local resident set
up the booth as a place to leave a mes-
sage for lost ones, calling it “Phone
Booth of the Winds”. There was an un-
connected rotary dial telephone in-
strument, but the mode of communic-
ation was paper and pencil, inviting
visitors to leave messages “and trust
that the wind will carry the contents to
their intended recipients.” It was a
of the motifs from the Babylonian epics
to create their own originary myths, in-
cluding the story of Adam and Eve. On
closer reading of the two traditions,
many examples of this inversion stand
out. The urban life of Uruk is replaced
by the primordial Garden of Eden. The
triadic relation between gods and hu-
mans against Gilgamesh is transformed
into a human struggle between God and
Satan. If sexual experience transforms
one from savage to human in the Epic of
Gilgamesh, in the Judeo-Christian world
it is sexual knowledge that leads to the
expulsion of man from Eden. The quest
for meaning which leads Gilgamesh to
discover the importance of finding joy
in the present moment is transformed
by the Judaic tradition into a longing for
the ‘eschaton’ (the end times). Where
the Babylonians saw the possibility of
freedom, the Jews intuited the inevitab-
ility of transgression.
Stories claiming uniqueness
What is interesting in this historical
evolution of the Jewish people and their
self-description is not just that the stor-
ies they told of themselves are alluring
and fascinating, but that their origin
stories were a response to their immedi-
ate histories. These stories about origins
of food and drink. Nevertheless, after
nearly two months, I began to feel some
some sense of missing that I couldn’t
quite place.
Coming back from Berlin to London,
one of the first things I found myself
buying were sandwiches from the su-
permarket: egg and cress, bacon,
lettuce, and tomato, and even the very
German pastrami and sauerkraut.
Among the first places in which I found
myself eating out were my favourite
pizza joints. Despite coming from one of
the world’s best pork-producing coun-
tries, I found myself loading packets of
English bacon for breakfast at home.
Soon, I will come away from all this for-
eign food. At home await both ghastly
pizza delivery fraudsters and the won-
derfully chilli-hot Chinese sausages
from Kalimpong, both extortionately
priced Indian wine and the winter gifts
of sarson ka saag and missi roti, both the
crap psuedo Chinese and Thai food and
Gujju Bajri no rotlo and gawl (gur) and
the Bong luchi and kosha maangsho. No
doubt after a month of so of quaffing
aloo parantha in Delhi, or idli-dosai all
over the home country, I’ll find myself
double missing the sandwiches in Lon-
don and the lovely, dark bread, cheese
and salami in Berlin.
measure of the installation’s powerful
effect that when it was damaged by in-
clement weather some years later, she
says contributions poured in for its
repair.
Leaning in
The phone booth, in its era, was many
things, and Kelly counts them evocat-
ively. It was a sanctuary. It was a place
of privacy — and her account of
Howard Hughes, the wealthy aviator-
entrepreneur made yet more eccentric
by an obsessive-compulsive disorder,
touches our anxiety about the ease of
surveillance in the cell phone age. As
his disorder became more acute,
Hughes became fearful that he could
be tracked, and he had his staff install
a series of phone booths in his living
quarters. Yet, it was also a shared
space: you did not have a care about
the antecedents of who used the
phone before or after you.
In fact, the phone booth assumed a
certain awareness about those waiting
to use the phone, so that conversations
were clipped to allow the next person
her call. It assumed a certain posture:
“Virtually no one stands up straight;
nearly everyone leans, usually against
the triangular shelf beneath the tele-
phone, or against the wall of the booth
itself. They follow the line of the tele-
phone, which follows the line of the
face. It is an angle of nonchalance, ab-
sorption, self-importance, seduction;
they are on the verge of sliding.”
Compare this with the clumsy pos-
ture of the mobile age, while walking
for instance. Do a time-lapse photo-
graph of a busy sidewalk, with an
older-era demographic of nobody talk-
ing on the phone, and there will be a
certain grace to the trajectory. With
folks talking as they walk, however,
that flow of the sidewalk changes, as
Alexandra Horowitz describes so well
in On Looking: Eleven Walks with Ex-
pert Eyes: “[Pedestrians] no longer fol-
low the rules that make walking on a
crowded sidewalk go smoothly: they
do not align themselves (they swerve);
they do not avoid (they bump); and
they do not slip behind and between
others (they blunder).”
And this was written in the time be-
fore augmented reality!
become a way to speak as a community
of the traumas experienced, and reima-
gine new ways to gaze at oneself on
one’s own terms.
After nearly two hundred years of
British colonialism — wherein humili-
ation was internalised, institutions were
destroyed, and social practices under-
went involuntarily induced changes — it
is of little surprise that Indians have
now taken to telling new stories about
themselves. Be it new-found icons of
Hindutva muscularity, or of imagined
idylls of Islamic purity, these stories rely
on real and imagined borrowings from
antiquity in an effort to reclaim control
over their present.
However, unlike origin stories in the
past when multiple origin stories coexis-
ted, the modern origin stories that
flourish within the nation-state make ex-
traordinary efforts to claim uniqueness.
They assert with an unyielding assured-
ness that the present is an inevitable
consequence of their specific retelling
of the past. These attempts seek to
present historical knowledge as an im-
mutable scientific fact when, in fact, it is
more like literature: a space capacious
enough to hold multiple and sometimes
contradictory truths about the experi-
ence of being human.
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14 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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CAPSULE
Oh, that’s hot!
A new study says that the
earth’s surface heated to a
temperature of 2,370 degree C
during a meteorite impact 40
million years ago. They studied
the rocks in the Mistastin Lake
crater in Labrador, Canada and
found zircon transformed into
cubic zirconia. This
temperature is the highest
recorded by any rock on
Earth’s surface.
Spiral test
A computer-based sketching
test developed by Australian
scientists can help assess the
severity of Parkinson’s disease
by measuring the speed and
pen-pressure when made to
draw a spiral on an A3 sized
tablet. The kinematics of spiral
drawing indicates
physiological parameters such
as the amplitude of tremor
and extent of movement
disorders associated with
Parkinson’s.
Itchy nose phone
By using electrooculography
sensors embedded in the
frame of a pair of eyeglasses,
you can now control your
phone. Eyeglass wearers can
use their fingers to exert
different types of movement
on the nose, such as flicking,
pushing or rubbing. These
subtle gestures can be used to
control you phone and reject a
call, pause a video, or even
skip a song.
Dinosaur eating frogs
A new study says that extinct
giant frogs Ceratophrys aurita
and Beelzebufo ampinga that
lived during the Late
Cretaceous period in
Madagascar had the ability to
bite with considerable force
comparable to that of a tiger.
The large individuals would
have been able to prey upon a
variety of including small,
juvenile crocodiles and also
non-avian dinosaurs.
Big blue eggs
Scientists have unearthed blue
coloured fossiled dinosaur egg
shells from the Chinese
province of Jiangxi. Blue-
green egg colour in modern
birds has been associated with
paternal care, communal
nesting, and post mating
sexual signalling. This finding
gives more insight into their
reproductive behaviours and
further strengthens the link
between dinosaurs and birds.
ODD & END
Can't hear myself
Scientists studying frogs in
Brazil's Atlantic forest have
found that tiny pumpkin
toadlets (Brachycephalus
spp) lack inner ear
structures. The lack of
hearing apparatus and
auditory sensors suggests
that these species are
unable to perceive their
own calls. So these diurnal,
brightly coloured toads use
other visual aids like
movement of vocal cord,
mouth-gaping and arm-
waving for calling. They
may have developed these
alternative signalling as
sound may attract
predators. The results
published in Scientific
Reports also suggest that
the loss of inner ear may be
the result of genetic
mutations or could be the
side-effect of other
evolutionary selection
traits. This result can
provide further insights
into the evolution of
acoustic communication
systems in vertebrates.
CM
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How the Indian
monsoon shapes
buttery physiology
Aathira Perinchery
Timing is everything, espe-
cially when you live for just
three months and have to
undertake a 350 km jour-
ney: female Milkweed but-
terflies wait till their
gruelling migrations — from
one side of the Indian pen-
insula to the other — are
over, to invest in reproduct-
ive tissues for birth. The In-
dian monsoon, which
prompts these species to mi-
grate to drier areas, shapes
the physiology of the female
butterflies more than they
do to males, reveals a study
published in Oikos.
India's Milkweed butter-
flies undertake a fascinating
yearly migration. In April-
June, just before the onset of
India's intensive southwest
monsoon, millions of these
butterflies migrate from the
wet Western Ghats to the re-
latively drier eastern plains
and hills, across distances of
350-500 km. After migra-
tion, they 'swarm' in large
numbers: hanging around
each other and roosting on
plants. They then mate, lay
eggs and die. The next gen-
eration of butterflies flee
from the northeast mon-
soon that now hits the east-
ern plains and they migrate
to the Western Ghats just as
the southwest monsoon re-
treats from there.
While non-migratory but-
terflies do not have to worry
about timing, how do these
Milkweed butterflies invest
in body tissues: do they in-
vest in flight tissues in the
thorax to fly better, or re-
productive tissues in the ab-
Drug-resistant bacteria emerge from
drug companies’ untreated euents
All the 16 samples collected from the vicinity of the industrial area had antibiotics and antifungals
Aswathi Pacha
Thanks to discharge of un-
treated effluents from phar-
maceutical companies in Hy-
derabad, water bodies in and
around the Patencheru-Bol-
laram Industrial area are
contaminated with antibiot-
ics and antifungal agents
leading to the emergence of
multidrug-resistant bacteria.
The bacteria from these
water bodies have been
found to produce enzymes
such as extended spectrum
beta-lactamases and car-
bapenemases which can pro-
tect them from antibiotics
such as penicillin, ceph-
alosporins, cephamycins,
Dino-killing asteroid's
impact on bird
evolution
Human activities could
change the pace of evolu-
tion, similar to what oc-
curred 66 million years ago
when a giant asteroid wiped
out the dinosaurs, leaving
modern birds as their only
descendants. That's one
conclusion drawn by the au-
thors of a new study pub-
lished in Systematic Biology.
Jacob Berv from Cornell
University and Daniel Field
from University of Bath sug-
gest that the meteor-in-
duced mass extinction
(a.k.a. the K-Pg event) led to
acceleration in the rate of
genetic evolution among its
avian survivors. These sur-
vivors may have been much
smaller than their pre-ex-
tinction relatives, the Cor-
nell University press release
says.
"There is good evidence
that size reductions after
mass extinctions may have
occurred in many groups of
organisms," says Berv. "All
of the new evidence we have
domen for birth? Scientist
Dr. Krushnamegh Kunte and
his student Vaishali
Bhaumik of the National
Centre for Biological Sci-
ences in Bengaluru meas-
ured the thorax and abdo-
mens of 934 individuals of
ten Milkweed migratory and
non-migratory butterfly spe-
cies and examined 3,734 in-
dividuals across Kerala,
Karnataka and Andhra Pra-
desh to see how they invest
physiologically in flight
versus reproduction, during
and after their migration.
They found that male but-
terflies across species –
whether migratory or not —
did not differ in their
physiological investments.
But the bodies of female mi-
gratory butterflies changed
drastically: they invested
significantly in abdominal
tissue in the reproductive
phase after migration,
without decreasing invest-
ment in flight muscles.
“Our results suggest that
female butterflies have
more to lose if they do not
invest optimally in flight
over reproduction during
migration. A hiker wouldn’t
carry an unnecessarily
heavy burden during her
trek, and neither would a
butterfly,” says the lead au-
thor Bhaumik.
“We hope to concentrate
on climatic, behavioural,
and genetic aspects of their
migration,” says Dr. Kunte.
“If there are genetic differ-
ences between the migrat-
ory and non-migratory pop-
ulations, studying them will
help us understand this
phenomenon better.”
and carbapenems. The study
was carried out by scientists
from Leipzig University, Ger-
many along with a Hydera-
bad-based NGO Gamana.
The results were published
in the journal Infection.
Polluted Patancheru
The Patencheru-Bollaram In-
dustrial area, 32 km outside
Hyderabad is a growing hub
with over 100 industries and
more than 30 pharmaceut-
ical manufacturing
companies.
Samples were collected
from different water bodies
— rivers, lakes, ground water,
and water from sewage treat-
ment plant to name a few —
Impact: Size reduction may
have occurred in birds and
other groups.
reviewed is also consistent
with a Lilliput Effect affect-
ing birds across the K-Pg
mass extinction." Paleonto-
logists have dubbed this
phenomenon the "Lilliput
Effect" — a nod to the classic
tale Gulliver's Travels.
"Smaller birds tend to
have faster metabolic rates
and shorter generation
times," Field explains. "Our
hypothesis is that these im-
portant biological charac-
https://t.me/yk_info
ters, which affect the rate of
DNA evolution, may have
been influenced by the K-Pg
event."
A step closer to treating oral
cancer without surgery
Using photothermal ablation oral cancer can be treated in 30-40 minutes as an outpatient service
R. Prasad
Researchers in Mumbai have
moved a step closer to treat-
ing surface tumours such as
oral, breast and cervical can-
cer and other tumours such
melanoma and colon cancer
through photothermal abla-
tion using gold-polymer nan-
oparticles and near infrared
light. The researchers from
Mumbai’s Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Bombay
and Tata Memorial Centre
have synthesised hybrid
polymer-gold nanoparticles
as photothermal agent to ab-
late solid tumours.
The near infrared light
heats up the nanoparticles
and the heated nano-
particles, in turn, can kill the
cancer cells. Unlike other
agents tried out by others,
the hybrid nanoparticles
used by the Mumbai team
has no toxicity, is biodegrad-
able and gets cleared from
the body through urine.
The team led by Prof. Ro-
hit Srivastava from the De-
partment of Biosciences and
Bioengineering at IIT Bom-
bay and Dr. Abhijit De from
the Molecular Functional
Imaging Lab at ACTREC,
Tata Memorial Centre used a
thermoresponsive polymer
(poly(N-vinyl caprolactam))
nanoshell which can be
loaded with an anticancer
drug. The polymer nanoshell
is coated with gold
nanoparticles.
Besides killing the cancer
cells through thermal abla-
tion, the polymer degrades
at about 43 degree C and re-
leases the drug to completely
kill the tumour. Cancer cells
get killed above 42 degree C.
“The gold nanoparticle
coating is important. In its
absence the temperature of
the polymer does not rise to
43 degree C when we shine
near infrared light,” says
Deepak S. Chauhan from the
Department of Biosciences
in the vicinity of the compan-
ies as well as from locations
far away from the industrial
area. All the 16 samples col-
lected from the vicinity of
the industrial area and 10 of
12 samples collected from
distant locations were con-
taminated with antifungals
and/or antibiotics.
The antifungal agent fluc-
onazole was detected in 13
samples and one particular
sewer in the vicinity of the
industrial area showed levels
as high as 20 times greater
than therapeutically desired
levels in blood in patients.
According to the scientists,
this is the highest concentra-
tion of any drug ever meas-
IGIB researchers reverse cancer drug resistance
Small molecules used along with anticancer drug makes cancer cells sensitive to the drug
R. Prasad
Resistance to anticancer
drugs is a major problem in
oncology affecting a large
number of cancer patients.
Now, researchers at the
CSIR-Institute of Genomics
and Integrative Biology
(CSIR-IGIB), New Delhi have
found a way to make cancer
cells that are resistant to two
commonly used anticancer
drugs — doxorubicin and to-
potecan — to once again be-
come sensitive to the drugs.
Improving or regaining the
sensitivity of existing antic-
ancer drugs is a quicker way
to address the problem of
cancer drug resistance than
developing new drugs. The
results were published in the
journal Scientific Reports.
Chemotherapeutic drugs
like doxorubicin and topo-
tecan act by inducing DNA
damage. Once the DNA dam-
age gets induced it leads to
the activation of an import-
ant protein called p21, which
gets produced in larger
quantities. The p21 protein
helps stop the growth of cells
Promising: Preliminary studies of breast cancer in mice have shown promising results, says Rohit Srivastava (rst from left).
and Bioengineering at IIT
Bombay and the first author
of the paper published in the
journal RSC Advances. “The
polymer shrinks and disin-
tegrates when ablated and
releases the drug efficiently.”
“We are pretty confident
that the heat generated by
the gold-polymer nano-
particles alone [when we
shine laser] is sufficient to
kill the cancer cells. Addition
of a drug is possible but com-
plicates the nanoparticle-
production process,” says Dr.
De.
Studies carried out using
breast cancer cell lines have
been very encouraging. Pre-
liminary studies on mice for
breast cancer photoablation
have also shown promising
results. The cancer cells (cell
lines and in animals) were
killed using heat alone; no
anticancer drug was used.
Phase I trial
“We are planning to carry
out clinical trials (Phase I) on
people with oral cancer,”
ured in the environment.
The other antiinfectives
found in the waters included
antifungal medicine
voriconazole, medications
for bacterial infections such
as moxifloxacin, linezolid, le-
vofloxacin, clarithromycin,
ciprofloxacin, ampicillin,
doxycycline, trimethoprim
and sulfamethoxazole.
Monster microbes
The bacterial isolates from
the different samples were
tested for drug resistance.
Except two samples taken
from tap water away from
the industrial area, the re-
maining samples showed
bacteria containing drug-res-
Magic molecules: The drug sensitivity increases to as high as
80% depending on the dosage of small molecules used.
and triggers senescence or
apoptosis in cancer cells
thereby killing them. How-
ever, in many drug-resistant
cancer cells the production
of p21 is compromised,
thereby preventing the de-
struction of cancer cells even
in the presence of these
drugs.
“A few years ago we and
others groups noted the te-
lomere repeat factor 2
(TRF2), which protects the
end of human chromosomes
called telomeres (much like
small clips at the end of
shoelaces that keep the ends
says Dr. De. “We have
already carried out trials in
animals and the efficiency is
really encouraging. We were
able to burn out the tumour
in animals.”
“We have already started
all the process towards a
Phase I trial. If no company
or entity comes forward to
produce the hybrid nano-
particles for the Phase I trial
then we will set up a GMP fa-
cility ourselves at IIT Bom-
bay,” says Prof. Srivastava.
“If phototherapy alone is
not 100% efficient then we
can load the polymer nano-
particle with a drug to kill
cancer cells,” says Prof.
Srivastava. “Oral cancer is
largest subset of cancer in In-
dia. If we can make photoab-
lation work it will be a simple
therapy that can be used as
outpatient procedure — in-
ject the nanoparticles and
just shine laser. There will be
no need for surgery. I see tre-
mendous potential using this
technology.” Besides oral
cancer, breast and cervical
istant genes.
Carbapenemase-produ-
cing enterobacteria and non-
fermenting bacteria such as
Acinetobacter and Pseudo-
monas species were found in
more than 95% of all water
samples collected. This find-
ing further confirms previ-
ous studies that there is a
strong association between
drug pollution and presence
of multidrug-resistant
bacteria.
“The sewage treatment
plant at Patancheru is ill
equipped to treat pharma-
ceutical wastewater contain-
ing effluents with different
chemical compositions. So it
simply discharges it into the
from fraying), can bind to
the genome outside the te-
lomeres,” says Dr. Shantanu
Chowdhury from CSIR-IGIB
who led the team. “So we
wanted to find out where
else the TRF2 binds in the
genome.”
That search led the team
to the p21 protein and they
found that the promoter of
p21 protein has a TRF2 bind-
ing site. The TRF2 specific-
ally binds to a DNA structure
called G-quadruplex (G4)
which is present in the p21
promoter.
“Once we found that TRF2
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
cancers can also be treated
the same way.
Quicker and safer
Unlike surgery, the thermal
ablation procedure takes
very less time. Once the nan-
oparticles are injected at the
site of the tumour, one has to
wait for 15-30 minutes for the
nanoparticles to settle and
spread in the cancer cells be-
fore shining the laser for 3-5
minutes. “In 30-40 minutes
we can deliver effective
treatment to individuals and
thus as an outpatient service
one can treat up to 15-20 pa-
tients a day easily,” says Dr.
De.
Deep-seated tumour can
also be treated with photo-
ablation using catheter that
can carry light. Right now
the cable that delivers the
laser is thicker. “Once we
miniature it then can reach
deeper tumours,” says Dr.
De.
Contrast medium
The hybrid nanoparticles
Ill-equipped: The sewage treatment plant at Patancheru is ill
equipped to treat pharma wastewater.
river. There have been com-
plaints that they just mix
household waste water from
BHEL Township with these
industrial effluents and dis-
charge it into the river. As a
result, the water in the Musi
river has started to turn
foamy,” Mr. Anil Dayakar
from Gamana NGO and one
of the authors of the paper.
Despite the Supreme
Court demanding last year
that the industries in the
Patencheru-Bollaram area
should treat wastewater and
binds to the p21 promoter,
we wanted to know if it also
controls how p21 mRNA is
made [mRNA produces the
p21 protein]. And that led to
the basic finding that TRF2 is
a repressor and inhibits the
expression of p21 mRNA in
multiple cell types,” says Dr.
Chowdhury.
Once the researchers un-
derstood the mechanism by
which the TRF2 binds to p21,
they used small molecules
that were available (from
other researchers) to disrupt
the binding of TRF2 to the
p21 promoter site. “The
small molecules were able to
disrupt the binding of TRF2
to the p21 promoter. And
when TRF2 is not able to
bind to the p21 promoter the
expression of p21 does not
get compromised,” he says.
“When the small mo-
lecules are given along with
the anticancer drug doxoru-
bicin there is increased
amount of p21 produced and
cancer cells that were unre-
sponsive to doxorubicin
once again become sensitive
to the drug,” says Dr.
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU
can be injected into the
blood and need not be injec-
ted directly into the tumour.
The nanoparticles are able to
reach the tumour cells
through enhanced permeab-
ility and retention effect.
Since the hybrid nano-
particles absorb light and
can automatically reach the
cancer cells when injected
into blood, they can also be
used as a contrast medium.
Unlike the conventionally
used iodine contrast me-
dium for CT scan, the nano-
particles produce better con-
trast due to higher
absorption coefficient (due
to higher electron density)
and at one-fifth the concen-
tration.
Also, the gold nano-
particles get accumulated in
tumour cells and so the con-
trast increases with time. Ad-
ditionally, the gold nano-
particles have longer half-life
and circulate in the body for
a longer time and so imaging
can be done for a longer
time.
reuse it, “massive violations”
have been the norm.
“The ground water in this
area is yellow. The villagers
who live around this estate
have many skin problems.
Though there is a water
treatment plant nearby, it is
not really of use. Despite
decades of campaigning by
local NGOs the pollution has
not been reduced. In 2009,
the national pollution index
classified this industrial area
as ‘critically polluted,’” says
Mr. Dayakar.
Chowdhury.
The researchers used
fibrosarcoma and breast can-
cer cell lines to test the com-
bination of small molecules
and doxorubicin in reversing
cancer drug resistance. “The
drug sensitivity increases by
over 50% when we use small
molecules along with doxor-
ubicin. Drug sensitivity be-
comes as high as over 80%
depending on the dosage of
small molecules,” he adds.
“This is a proof-of-concept
study to show that cancer
cell sensitivity to existing
drugs can be regained by us-
ing small molecules. This
way the existing cancer
drugs can be used instead of
discovering new drugs,” he
says.
Since existing small mo-
lecules were used for the
study, the researchers do not
rule out the possibility of the
small molecules binding to
other G4 sites in the genome.
So the focus of the team is to
design specific small mo-
lecules that bind only to the
G4 site in the p21 promoter.
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 BEING 15

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DR HUMERUS KESHAV
Exercise, by any name, is good for the heart
Moderate exercise goes a long way in keeping cardiovascular disease at bay
Jacob Koshy 20% in reducing CVD risk — over

I
t has been gold standard wis- not exercising, says Shifali Goenka,
dom — stamped by the World a specialist in non-communicable
Health Organisation (WHO), no diseases at the Public Health
less — that a half hour of moderate Foundation of India, and who in-
exercise a day goes a long way in dependently reviewed the study.
keeping cardiovascular disease “The work shows how important it
(CVD) at bay. However, the evid- is to have better infrastructure and
ence for this was based on studies investment in community health,”
in western Europe and the United she added.
States and on people who took Cardiovascular disease is the
time out of their routine to exer- leading cause of death worldwide
cise. In a study published in The and a major economic burden
Lancet last week, that panned 17 globally. It is estimated that 70% of
countries and over a 100,000 cardiovascular disease deaths oc-
people including India, a team of cur in low- and middle-income
experts have established these be- countries, where it is the most
nefits across populations. Even common cause of death.
AROUND THE WORLD better, they report, exercise For the analysis, 130,843 parti-
doesn’t necessarily mean a tedious cipants aged between 35-70 from
Lab-made antibody treadmill routine but can include
Extend your life: “Exercise can include routine physical activity.” GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
urban and rural areas in 17 coun-
protects monkeys from
*

physical activity performed while tries across the world completed

HIV-like virus tidying up your house, commuting people who did not meet the re- ercising in their leisure time. In physical activity a week), 13% of questionnaires on their levels of
A laboratory-made three-pronged to work and even tending to your commended amount of activity — countries such as India, a lot of deaths (around one in 8 cases) and physical activity. Participants com-
antibody protected monkeys from plants. 6.4% compared to 4.2% for people physical activity is part of work 9.5% of cardiovascular disease pleted follow-up visits with the re-
infection with two strains of SHIV — a There was also no such thing as who met guidelines. Also only schedules and yes, that too con- cases (around one in 10) could be search team at least every three
monkey form of HIV — better than Getty Images/iStockphoto ‘too much exercise’, and working 3.8% of those who met exercise cri- tributed to a reduced risk of CVD,” prevented. years to record information on car-
individual natural antibodies from which out an hour-or-so over the min- teria developed CVD compared to she told The Hindu. However the diovascular disease and death for
the engineered antibody is derived, researchers report in imum meant even more protection 5.1% of people who did not meet researchers didn’t break down the WHO recommendation 6.9 years. The team analysed rates
Science. The three-pronged antibody, created by investigators against CVD, including death from exercise requirements. health gains by country and in- The WHO recommends that adults of cardiovascular events including
from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is the cardiovascular disease, heart at- Dr. R.M. Anjana, diabetologist at stead “pooled” data across low-in- aged between 18-64 do at least 150 death from cardiovascular disease,
primary agency of the U.S. government responsible for tack, stroke, or heart failure, and the Madras Diabetes Research come and high-income countries. minutes of moderate-intensity aer- heart attack, stroke, or heart fail-
biomedical and public health research, and the Paris-based reduced overall mortality in the Foundation, said the benefit was Were the entire population to obic physical activity throughout ure and deaths.
pharmaceutical company Sano, also stopped a greater number sample of people studied. “statistically significant” given the meet physical activity guidelines, the week, as well as muscle Overall, almost a fifth of people
of HIV strains from infecting cells in the laboratory more large sample size involved. A co- 8% of deaths (equivalent to around strengthening exercises at least in the study — (18%, 23631 people)
potently than natural, single antibodies. This new broadly The data author of the study, she said that one in 12 cases) and 4.6% of cardi- two days a week. But estimates — did not meet physical activity
neutralising antibody binds to three dierent critical HIV sites. Of the 1,06,970 people studied the study underlined the import- ovascular disease cases (almost suggest that nearly a quarter of the guidelines, but almost half — (44%,
Plans are now under way to conduct early-phase clinical trials over seven years who conformed ance of integrating any form of one in 20 cases) could be preven- world’s population is not meeting 57868 people) — were highly
of the “trispecic” antibody in healthy people and in people to the norms of various grades of physical activity into one’s daily ted. Furthermore, if the entire physical activity guidelines. active.
living with HIV in the hope that it could eventually be used for exercise (moderate, heavy), the routine. “Previous studies have fo- population was highly active (com- The benefits of moderate exer-
long-acting HIV prevention and treatment. risk of mortality was higher for cussed on western populations ex- pleting more than 750 minutes of cise were significant — or nearly jacob.koshy@thehindu.co.in

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Poliovirus therapy induces
immune responses against
cancer
A voyage for a cure Create the framework
An investigational therapy using a
orking in a federal

Getty Images
modied poliovirus to attack cancer
tumours appears to unleash the body’s
own capacity to ght malignancies by
W structure is import-
ant for new innovations
activating an inammation process to be implemented. The
that counters the ability of cancer cells to evade the immune partial divide between
system. In the Science Translational Medicine, researchers from the Centre and state be-
Duke Cancer Institute, U.S. provide the rst published insight N.K. Ganguly comes a barrier to eradic-
into the workings of a therapy that has shown promise in early ating diseases in an ef-
clinical trials in patients with recurrent glioblastoma, a lethal fective manner. One must
form of brain cancer. Not only does the poliovirus directly also bolster the growth of small and emerging research
attack the cancer cells but also triggers a longer-lasting laboratories and start-ups, and realise that innovations
immune response that appears to inhibit a tumour from can evolve even from small institutions, and can be
growing again. leveraged on a large scale, especially in areas of health.

MicroRNA blocks life- The core hurdles

threatening respiratory
distress syndrome
A team of U.S. and German researchers
have discovered that immune cells
called neutrophils deliver a regulatory
molecule known as microRNA into the Getty Images/iStockphoto
lung tissue to help protect against harmful inammation. In
Science Translational Medicine, they report that enhancing
cellular expression of the microRNA (miR-223) could clear the
way toward much needed treatments for acute respiratory
distress syndrome, a condition with a fatality rate as high as
50%, and characterised by widespread uid accumulation in
the lungs after infection or injury. For their study, the
researchers protected mice against excessive lung
inammation after infection with methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria by treating rodents
with nanoparticles containing miR-223. Animals lacking the
miR-223 gene had more severe lung inammation after acute
lung injury from mechanical ventilation and were more likely to
succumb to MRSA infections, as compared to control mice.
Depressed? Use
smartphone apps
New Australian-led research has
conrmed that smartphone apps are
However, to translate research and new discoveries
into the required health products, more often we need
a strong infrastructural framework wherein the public
and private sectors work in tandem to develop syner-
gies. For this, we need to build a health-care ecosystem
that offers positive investment returns and ensures pat-
ent rights of inventors, and keeps the cost of innova-
tion under check through the right implementation of
supportive policies and various economising channels.
Therefore, more than price regulations what we
need is a sustained effort towards addressing the core
issues that slow down innovations and bring up the
cost, such as underinvestment in research and devel-
opment, ambiguous and weak intellectual property
rights (IPR), lengthy drug clearance policies, poor sup-
ply systems and imperviousness to public-private part-
Spain to her rescue: Shalini Yadav, a teenager from Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, and aicted with a rare nerships.
disorder, lamellar ichthyosis (sh-like scales), from birth, is to undergo treatment for free at a hospital in the Spanish city of Also, with the recent tax reforms, it is always good to
Málaga. A report on her plight appeared across world media and and a few Indian journalists and fund-raisers played a improve a fractured system but without affecting in-
crucial role in facilitating her treatment. The girl is now at Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria. Lamellar ichthyosis is novation. The hope through tax reform was that the
a condition that mainly aects the skin. Infants with this condition are typically born with a tight, clear sheath covering cost of pharmaceutical products at the consumer level
would be reduced, but the burden seems to have in-
their skin called a collodion membrane. Such people have large, dark, plate-like scales. Aected infants could develop
creased. Such a scenario calls for immediate interven-
infections, an excessive loss of uids (dehydration), and respiratory problems. These individuals may also have hair loss,
abnormally formed ngernails and toenails, a decreased ability to sweat, an increased sensitivity to heat, and a thickening tions to boost stronger pharmaceutical collaborations
without compromising innovation.
of the skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. AFP *

In the market-driven Indian health-care industry,

an eective treatment option for sustained innovation is impossible without ensuring
depression, paving the way for safe returns on investments. This essentially means having
Getty Images/iStockphoto and accessible interventions for
millions of people around the world
diagnosed with this condition. Depression is the most prevalent
Better armour in cervix cancer ght robust IPR and patent policies. Allowing inventors to
earn profits during the term of the patent will help sus-
tain future investment in research and development
mental disorder and a leading cause of global disability, with Tumour antigen proves successful in rst phase of clinical trials and reward investors for their investments in
mental health services worldwide struggling to meet the innovations.
demand for treatment. The researchers from Australia’s T.V. Venkateswaran
& Jyoti Singh
However, despite announcing a new IPR policy in
National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM), Harvard 2016, India remains near the bottom of the 2017 Inter-
ancer of the uterine cer-
Medical School, The University of Manchester, and the Black
Dog Institute in Australia systematically reviewed 18 C vix, also known as cer-
vical cancer, is the second
national Intellectual Property Index. While India’s
score has improved marginally, evidently a lot has to
randomised controlled trials, which examined a total of 22 be done to bring about consequential changes in the
dierent smartphone-delivered mental health interventions. leading cause of cancer overall IP framework.
Smartphone apps, overall, signicantly reduced people’s deaths among women in In-
depressive symptoms, suggesting these new digital therapies dia. Almost one lakh wo- Policies and transparency
can be useful for managing the condition. men fall victim to the insidi- India’s stance towards IPR has been a major snag in at-
ous disease every year in
GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK PHOTO

tracting foreign investors. To bolster investor confid-

Whole food diet may help the country. ence in the Indian market we need an IPR framework
prevent colon cancer which offers predictability, clarity and transparency. A
Hope in tumour antigen world-class drug regulatory framework implemented
A diet that includes plenty of colourful
But there is hope. Research- by strong drug regulatory authorities is imperative to
vegetables and fruits may contain
ers at the New Delhi-based reap the benefits of innovations. We need policies
compounds that can stop colon cancer
National Institute of Im- which appropriately value new biomedical innovations
and inammatory bowel diseases in
munology (NII) have now and incentivise continued investment in research and
pigs, according to an international team Getty Images/iStockphoto
extracted a tumour antigen development. Alongside, we also need more transpar-
of researchers. Understanding how
named SPAG9 that prom- ies such as bacteria or vir- put up a fight against can- tion and an unhygienic en- ency in clinical trial-approval procedures to ensure
these compounds work on a molecular level could be an initial
ises to be a highly potent uses usually trigger a volley cer. Under the approach, vironment are the main prompt access to life-saving drugs while maintaining
step toward nding treatments for people with cancer, they
weapon against this type of of fighter-cells called T either the immune system cause behind the Human their standards and accuracy.
added. In the study, pigs served a high calorie diet
cancer. cells. They surround germs is given a boost or T cells papillomavirus (HPV) infec- Incapacities in drug clearance policies, whether
supplemented with purple-eshed potatoes had less colonic
“The tumour antigen, and fight them. are “trained’’ to identify re- tion that leads to cervical making them too easy or too stringent, eventually de-
mucosal interleukin-6 — IL-6 — compared to a control group.
which is expressed in re- Each type of virus or bac- calcitrant cancer cells and cancer. Normally our body feat the long-term purpose of innovations. While weak
IL-6 is a protein that is important in inammation and elevated
productive tract cancers teria requires specific anti- kill them. has tumour suppressor policies can open the way to low quality or unsafe
IL-6 levels are correlated with proteins, such as Ki-67, that are
and a variety of malignan- gen T cells. Vaccination The NII scientists are us- genes and proteins which drugs in the market, outdated or unduly burdensome
linked to the spread and growth of cancer cells. Eating whole
cies, has proved successful primes the body to poten- ing this strategy to develop are able to suppress the laws and regulations can add to the cost and delay ac-
foods that contain macronutrients, substances that humans
in phase I trials. This means tial threats and keeps the the new weapon against formation of tumours. The cess to life-saving drugs.
need in large amounts such as proteins, as well as micro- and
that it has been proved to arsenal of antigens ever cancer of the cervix. “We cells in a tumour multiply So, to sustain research and bring more effective and
phytonutrients such as vitamins, carotenoids and avonoids,
be safe on human subjects. ready to fight an invasion. take cells called monocytes uncontrollably with hardly affordable drugs in the market, we need to strike a bal-
may be eective in altering the IL-6 pathway. The ndings have
Phase II clinical trials are However, this cannot from the patient’s blood any cell death. ance between inventor concerns and public interest.
been reported in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. The
presently under way to happen with cancer. Even and modify them into what NII has outsourced the For inventors, their first priority is to sustain their un-
U.S. Department of Agriculture supported this work.
gauge its efficacy. We hope though they are rogue ele- are called dendritic cells. manufacture of recombin- dertakings, and for this they need an investment-
to get positive results by ments, cancer cells are after These cells have efficient ant SPAG9 to Syngene Inter- friendly environment, backed with equitable IP rights
DEMYSTIFYING SCIENCE next year,” says Dr. Anil Ku- all from within the affected antigens to stimulate the national (Biocon Limited), and coherent regulatory laws. From the public health
mar Suri, NII director, in an persons themselves. The ‘fighter’ cells, or T-cells, in Bengaluru. “If the trials suc- perspective, the end goal of research and development
What is ‘Monstrous Moonshine’? interview. body’s immune system can- the body. They are then ceed, it will be the first mo- is to make new health-care technologies effective, safe,
This refers to a 1979 paper in mathematics by John Conway and The therapeutic vaccine not normally recognise primed with the tumour an- lecule identified in India accessible and affordable for all.
Simon P. Norton. The paper described a surprising connection based on the antigen is be- them as a ‘threat’. There- tigen SPAG9, for 10 days, and will be an example of Hopefully, with high possibilities of the introduction
between a massive algebraic object known as the ‘monster ing tested among 54 pa- fore, they allow them to and given back to the pa- translational research out- of better IPR policies and new laws on clinical trials, in-
group and the j-function, a key object in number theory. In tients at the Cancer Insti- proliferate and spread all tients in the form of a vac- come. Our findings have novations in health care will get the much-needed
2015, a group of mathematicians presented proof of the umbral tute (WIA) at Adyar in around the body. cine. The ‘educated’ T cells opened new avenues for push and the country will soon be able to realise the
moonshine conjecture, which revealed 23 other moonshines, or Chennai. The trials are be- are able to discriminate the novel treatment modalities goals of universal health coverage.

https://t.me/yk_info
mysterious connections between the dimensions of symmetry ing conducted by a team of Using immunotherapy cancer cells and put up a in battling the deadly dis-
groups and coecients of special functions. They can be used oncologists led by Dr. T. Immunotherapy is a new fight against them,” ex- ease of cancer worldwide,”
N.K. Ganguly is former Head, Indian Council of Medical Research
to solve problems of elliptic curves, or in non-mathematics Rajkumar. approach that exploits the plains Dr. Suri. says Dr. Suri. — India Sci-
tech, surfaces that are shaped like a doughnut. Invasion of foreign bod- body’s inner capability to Poor health, malnutri- ence Wire
CM A ND-NDE
YK
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16 NON-FICTION
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Hope in the time of a freeze
An insider speaks of how spells of heightened hostility in India-Pakistan ties also suddenly give way to eorts at reconciliation
Mini Kapoor
I
n the ongoing season of Coke
Studio from Pakistan, old clas-
sics are being reprised in a new
sound. There’s, for instance, Faiz
Ahmad Faiz, with his speak-up an-
them Bol. And there’s the more re-
cent track from Junoon, Pakistan’s
“first rock band”, Ghoom Tana,
now with a giddy seven-women
chorus led by current singing sen-
sation, Momina Mustehsan.
In one of those coincidences
that a good book inevitably en-
ables, as the new version debuts,
in T.C.A. Raghavan’s sweep of In-
dia-Pakistan relations I am reading
about the original, which he
picked out as being emblematic of
the exhilarating phase of people-
to-people interactions in the
mid-2000s when “change of an
elemental kind seemed to be in
the air.” Raghavan reminds us of
the long, seven-minute music
video of Ghoom Tana Junoon’s gui-
tarist Salman Ahmad had shot
with a narrative of tracing one’s
personal history unbound by Rad-
cliffe’s line and doing right by the
wishes of elders torn away from
native places and neighbours.
Ahmad had led an India-Pakistan
collaboration with Naseeruddin
Shah and Nandita Das to flit
between Lahore and Patiala and
tell of lives intimately touched by
Partition and India-Pakistan wars.
Connecting the dots
At this time of a freeze in cultural
ties, that older, grainier video of-
fers a caution that such moments
of hope that we have found a
wormhole out of decades of hostil-
ity can be illusory. But equally,
there is what appears to be
Raghavan’s underlying thread,
that spells of heightened hostility
A shot at glory
As Argentina struggles to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, its greatest player
tells the story of leading his country to victory decades ago
K.C. Vijaya Kumar
I
f a man through sheer will and
mastery over the craft of football
could win a World Cup, it just had
to be Diego Maradona. The 1986 edi-
tion at Mexico is remembered for
the Argentina captain’s genius. The
player of the tournament, he scored
five goals, inclusive of the much-
talked-about brace against England
in the quarterfinal.
The first was notorious for the
role his hand played and the second
became a classic, famous for magical
feet and legs whirring at Usain Bolt’s
speed. It resulted in a goal adjudged
as the best in football history.
The 1986 World Cup which Argen-
tina won after defeating West Ger-
many 3-2 in the final, triggered the
binary-argument in the world of soc-
cer – who is the greatest ever, is it
Brazil’s Pele or Maradona? For those
who grew up in the 1980s, that ques-
tion remains redundant and
Maradona heads the pantheon.
In this era of Lionel Messi and
Cristiano Ronaldo and the over-
whelming clout of European
leagues, the World Cup still holds its
relevance and a player’s halo is
shaped by what he does in the
greatest show across the globe. In
that Maradona is second to none.
Three decades after that epochal tri-
umph, Maradona along with Daniel
Arcucci, has penned a book titled
Touched by God: How We Won the
Mexico ’86 World Cup.
Country above club
The tome spread over 226 pages de-
scribes in detail the journey of
Maradona and his merry band, cul-
minating in World Cup glory. In the
beginning, Maradona writes: “This
is Diego Armando Maradona speak-
ing, the man who scored two goals
against the English — and one of the
few Argentines who knows how
much the World Cup weighs.”
Maradona is direct in the manner
in which he recalls the greatest days
of his life. This is not a book for lyr-
ical prose, it is more about speaking
his mind. Maradona believed that he
and his men could win the World
Cup and they precisely did that. In
the months leading up to the ’86
event, he did inter-continental
flights between Italy and South
America. Representing Napoli,
Maradona struck a fine balance
between playing for his club and the
need to wear the Argentina jersey
and turn out in exhibition and
warm-up matches for his nation. For
him there was no confusion, it was
always country above club.
It wasn’t easy though and
Maradona admits: “It looked like we
would be the worst team at the cup
that year.” He had to deal with the
team manager-cum-coach Carlos Bil-
ardo. A relationship that was more
hate than love. Then there was the
run-in with team-mate and former
captain Daniel Passarella. To make it
CM
YK
■ The People Next Door: The
Curious History of India’s
Relations with Pakistan
T.C.A. Raghavan
HarperCollins
₹699
and suspicion in India-Pakistan re-
lations also suddenly give way to
efforts at reconciliation and prob-
lem solving. The past, he re-
peatedly shows, never goes away,
and contends that in coming to
grips with the history of the two
countries, nothing is perhaps as
invaluable as “encountering senti-
ments and experiences of others
who have interfaced with India-
Pakistan relations and connec-
tions they have drawn between
different events and processes.”
Raghavan, who retired from the
Indian Foreign Service in Decem-
ber 2015 at the end of a two-year
stint as India’s high commissioner
to Pakistan, has seen and led In-
dian diplomacy with the neigh-
bour for even longer. He was
deputy high commissioner in Is-
lamabad from 2003 to 2007, the
period when the war clouds after
Operation Parakram evaporated,
and the Islamabad Declaration of
January 2004 and India’s sub-
sequent cricket “friendship series”
opened the most sustained bilat-
eral contact so far, with, for ex-
ample, new transportation links
Captain’s kiss: The book’s theme is the hard work that Maradona and his team
put in to win despite not starting as favourites. AFP
■ Touched by God: How We Won
the Mexico ’86 World Cup
Diego Armando Maradona and
Daniel Arcucci
Hachette India
₹699
worse, there were factions in the
change rooms. Maradona slowly gal-
vanised the squad into one unit. His
reference-point was the pressing
need to offer joy to his fellow coun-
trymen who were still hurting over a
war with the United Kingdom per-
taining to the Falkland Islands in
1982.
Friends and fury
The book has excessive angst and
the victim-complex is obvious when
he writes: “You have to stick up for
the good guys on and off the field —
even though no one ever stood up
for me.” There is anger against one-
time rival — France’s Michel Platini —
and some justified spite against the
governing body FIFA’s officials. At
one point, he tells the men in suits:
“Eat your expensive caviar and
drink the best bubbly, but we want
Across the divide: Indian Border Security Force soldiers watch as Pakistani trucks laden with dry fruit cross the
India-Pakistan Border at Wagah. AFP
resumed across the Rajasthan-
Sindh border and the Line of Con-
trol in Kashmir to reduce borders
to “lines on the map” and collapse
the distance on the Grand Trunk
Road to their actual travel times.
As Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh said in January 2007, he
dreamt of a day when “while re-
taining our respective national
identities, one can have breakfast
in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and
dinner in Kabul. That is how my
forefathers lived. That is how I
want my grandchildren to live.”
The terrorist attack on Mumbai in
November 2008 gutted the assur-
ances in the Islamabad Declara-
*
to put on a good show for the people
without killing ourselves trying.”
And as for the ‘Hand of God’ goal
against England, Maradona says: “I
am not sorry for scoring with my
hand!” His logic being that the rule-
makers deemed it legitimate. Next
up he draws enormous joy from the
second goal, which inspired com-
mentator Victor Hugo to exclaim:
“You cosmic kite, what planet did
you come from?”
The book’s theme is the hard
work that he and his team put in
while winning the World Cup, but
overall it has this tone of simmering
anger and there is no censorship on
the words and the abuse is unrelent-
ing.
Perhaps that could have been
toned down. But that is the way
Maradona is, warts and all, cham-
pion in 1986, a drug-offender in
2004 and coach for the national
team in the 2010 World Cup at South
Africa.
The World Cup defines Maradona
and he writes: “It hurts that thirty
years have gone by and we still
haven’t won the cup again. It hurts
me deep in my soul.” And then he
lets it rip: “One guy wrote to me...
that I didn’t want Lio Messi to out-
shine me. What an !@#$%^&. If we
had won in South Africa, I would
have another cup under my belt,
only this time as coach!” Political
https://t.me/yk_info
correctness has never been Marado-
na’s strength and it is evident in this
book and there is much for his fans
to savour.
* hosts at wedding reception amidst
tion and put that dream on hold.
Raghavan had an insider view of
this phase too, as he served on the
Pakistan Desk in the Ministry of
External Affairs from 2007 to
2009. Raghavan wears his insider
status lightly, assumes the reader’s
familiarity with the bare bones of
subcontinental history, and in-
stead deep dives into memoirs,
government archives and oral his-
tory transcripts to give the anec-
dotal recap of India-Pakistan rela-
tions a perspective that’s so far,
mystifyingly, been absent from
other accounts. He places mirrors
at different angles at each point, to
gauge what brought about a de-
Of crossings and stories
Uprooted by Partition, a civil servant recounts his journey
Kandaswami Subramanian
any retired civil servants
M have an uncontrollable
urge to write memoirs on their
experiences in government.
Some tend to be self-serving,
while others expose the mis-
deeds of ministers and
politicians.
Narendra Luther, the author
of this book, belongs to a differ-
ent class of civil servant-turned-
writer. Indeed, writing seems to
have been his passion from
school days.
Even later, while in service,
he contributed articles to lead-
ing newspapers. During his
long career, he served in many
departments both in Andhra
Pradesh and at the Centre. He
had his moments of joy when
his draft or speech was appreci-
ated by superiors. Indeed, he
had his brushes with bosses,
which are occupational haz-
ards. At the end, he was happy
and concludes, “Before I put
the lid on my official career, I
would like to say that, on the
whole, I enjoyed working with
my ministers.”
Unlike most others, he takes
a positive view of the role of
ministers in our system.
Continuity and change
Looking at India’s view of the world over two millennia
Varghese K. George
emocratic societies progress
D in an evolutionary manner
by character. However, leaders
promising revolutionary
changes are increasingly win-
ning popular approval in many
democratic countries in the re-
cent past. India is certainly one
among them, and Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi is one such
leader. Modi revels in his image
of being a disrupter; the em-
phasis is always on the new, the
change, than on continuity.
Aparna Pande’s sleek offer in
less than 200-pages, From
Chanakya to Modi: The Evolu-
tion of India’s Foreign Policy, is
an overview of an Indian view
of the world over two millen-
nia, in which the emphasis is on
continuity. Not that she is un-
mindful or dismissive of the
changes that are taking place in
India’s strategic posture under
Modi, but her focus is on the
underlying principles that
guide them all — from Chanakya
to Modi, as the ambitious title
suggests.
What are those principles?
Here, the book is more nar-
rowly, and appropriately, fo-
cussed on individuals and ideas
that shaped the strategic cul-
ture of independent India, with
a healthy dose of historical
cision on either side of the border
and how it may have been differ-
ently assessed and weighted, offi-
cially and in the public mind. Jun-
agadh, for instance, is a forgotten
footnote of Partition’s curiosities
for most Indians, while “some
maps in Pakistan to this day show
Junagadh as a part of it.”
Quirky tales
But it is through the walk-on parts
of people who unsettle the neat
narratives of foreign policy briefs
and official histories that
Raghavan conveys the “quirky
matrix of India-Pakistan relations.”
There are the individuals who
■ A Bonsai Tree:
An Autobiography
Narendra Luther
Niyogi Books
₹350
Luther and his family were
uprooted during Partition in
1947. The early part of the book
offers a glimpse into the happy
lives led by Hindus and Muslims
in Lahore and bemoans the loss
of “innocence”. He narrates
how his family was offered shel-
ter by Muslim neighbours for a
month at the height of the
carnage and how they were
saved.
The description of the train
journey from Lahore to
Jallandar is harrowing and we
can hear the repeated gun shots
in the dark stopping the train at
unstated intervals. Fortunately,
the train was guarded by
Gurkha soldiers.
■ From Chanakya to Modi:
The Evolution of India’s
Foreign Policy
Aparna Pande
HarperCollins India
₹599
background that shaped the
thinking of Indian leaders
through the struggle against co-
lonialism. Two ideas appear to
provide the core of continuity
that runs through these dec-
ades and personalities — first, a
self perception of Indian excep-
tionalism that is rooted in the
civilisational pride of society;
second, a consequent beha-
viour of strategic autonomy,
which means a resistance to
binding international alliances
and an eagerness to cultivate
simultaneous relationships with
competing powers of the world.
Leaders from Nehru to Modi
sought to “restore India to its
eminence,” she notes.
It is not perhaps in the ambit
of a strategic expert to delineate
NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
THE HINDU
BOOKSHELF
walk in and out of the book at vari-
ous points, including people who
“in the normal course would have ■ India Now and in
been pillars of new Pakistan but Transition
who moved in the opposite direc- Edited by Atul K. Thakur
tion” at Partition. Azim Husain, an Niyogi Books
ICS officer, chose to “uproot him- ₹595
self from Punjab and the majority
The cliché of the age, writes
of his family,” and while signing
Sunil Khilnani in the foreword
the Kutch Agreement in 1965 on to this book, is that India is in
India’s behalf had as his Pakistani the throes of unprecedented
co-signatory Mian Arshad Hussain, historical change. A host of
his brother-in-law. In any case,
diverse writers from
many of the key official and polit- Ramachandra Guha, Wajahat
ical players on either side had an Habibullah to Manu Joseph
older familiarity with people on help us understand the
the other side. transition, the ‘idea of India’
Such familiarity and the di- and make sense of the future,
lemma over how to balance pre- covering a range of topics
sumed courtesies even amidst hos- from politics to strife to
tility are touchingly conveyed on literature.
the watch of Kewal Singh, India’s
high commissioner in Pakistan
during the 1965 war. Originally
from Lyallpur (Faisalabad) and
having served in Punjab pre-1947,
he had an old network of ac-
quaintances, and his recollections
of breaking bread with Pakistani
apprehensions of “the outbreak of
war any minute” and when to de-
cide that hostilities were overt ■ Red Famine: Stalin’s War
enough to destroy records and on Ukraine
cipher codes in the diplomatic Anne Applebaum
mission are riveting. Penguin Random House
Raghavan telescopes the history ₹1,704
from 2008 till the present day in a The Pulitzer Prize-winning
few pages, but in his reckoning writer investigates why four
now “enough has changed to million Ukrainians died of
make sure older solutions will not starvation in 1932-33.
work.” Nonetheless, “the cyclical Drawing on archival material
pattern” of reconciliatory moves and rst-hand testimony, she
and hawkish standoffs will go on. probes how the famine came
His excellent book brings home about. The starvation, she
the necessary truth that in India- writes, was followed by an
Pakistan ties, you must keep inhal- attack on Ukraine’s cultural
ing the voices of the past to deal and political leadership — and
with the present. then by denial that it had
ever happened at all.
Though he is well settled in
Hyderabad, he retains his love
for Lahore, its mushairas,
schools, colleges, cultural even- ■ Devi: The Goddesses
ings and the bazaars. Fortu- of India
nately for him, his relocation in John Stratton Hawley and
Hyderabad was fulfilling. He Donna Marie Wul
could relate to the pervasive Aleph
Mughal culture, Urdu poetry, ₹599
mushairas, etc. He wrote a his- This collection explores
tory of the Nizam; hegot deeply twelve dierent Hindu
interested in pre-historic rocks goddesses, all of whom are in
around which the city was built some way related to Devi, the
and also led the movement to great goddess. They feature
save those rocks. the old and the new, from
Running through many Saranyu, Bhagavati,
chapters of this book is Luther’s Vindhyavasini to the ‘global’
efforts to handle his son and goddess, Kali, and the
daughter. The son became an modern one, Mother India.
alcoholic and a drug addict. To- With analysis of texts and
gether with his parents, he eldwork, it tells us how and
fought a battle for over 30 years why goddesses are
and got liberated. He is running worshipped in everyday life.
a successful rehabilitation
centre which has clients from
across India.
His daughter became a re-
cluse for different reasons
(child abuse) and, over the
years, she turned into a philo-
sopher and a Buddhist monk.
The narration of this family
story lifts the book from the
humdrum account of official
peccadilloes. ■ Reset: My Fight for
Inclusion and Lasting
Change
Ellen Pao
Penguin Random House
₹1,514
In 2015, Ellen Pao sued a top
Silicon Valley venture capital
rm, calling out workplace
the multiple strands of Indian discrimination and retaliation
exceptionalism and ideas of against women. Her suit
civilisation that have been com-
peting for political authority in
rocked the tech world, and
though she lost the case, Pao
India. Pande, however, notes in revolutionised the
passing, indicators of such a de- conversation at oces, in the
bate within Indian strategic media, and around the world.
thoughts. For instance, she In this book, she tells her side
quotes former Prime Minister of the story.
Manmohan Singh that “India’s
experiment of pursuing eco-
nomic development within the
framework of a plural, secular
and liberal democracy has in-
spired people around the
world.” The exceptionalism that
Modi aspires for India may
come out to be of a different
nature if one were to go down
analysing that, but that is bey-
ond the scope of this attempt. ■ Dear World: A Syrian
Pande is by no means either Girl’s Story of War and
dismissive or laudatory in her Plea for Peace
narrative of the civilisational Bana Alabed
underpinnings of Indian stra- Simon & Schuster
tegic thinking, but she is con- ₹499
cerned that the baggage of his- This is a poignant memoir and
tory may be debilitating the manifesto for peace by a
thinking of Indian bureaucracy seven-year-old Syrian girl
and consequently, its institu- who became known
tions. Now, the preference for worldwide for her tweets
individuals over institutions is a during the siege of Aleppo in
typical Indian trait, a former 2016. Last December, Bana
policy maker tells the author. and her family were safely
evacuated to Turkey. Her
Those who are impatient for
change, and those who fear mother Fatemah writes small
change may both benefit from chapters too about a family
Pande’s perspective. endangered by war.
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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Ruthless India ready to seal the deal at Holkar Stadium
Kohli’s men, however, need to address their middle-order issues; Australia will have to revive its faltering batting unit to prevent a demoralising series loss
Amol Karhadkar
INDORE
The last time Virat Kohli &
Co. were here was during last
year’s navratri festival to fea-
ture in the city’s maiden
Test.
Come another navratri
and Kohli’s comrades are
back in the otherwise laid-
back city that is often re-
ferred to as mini-Mumbai for
its cosmopolitan diaspora.
No wonder then that as
the Men in Blue slogged it
out at the Holkar Stadium for
almost three hours in the
sweltering afternoon heat,
the streets outside were
flooded with fans waiting for
a glimpse of their favourite
stars.
With Kohli’s cavaliers just
a win short of sealing the
five-match ODI series against
Australia and the customary
frenzy following the Indians,
it may seem as if the hosts
have little to worry about.
However, despite the con-
vincing victories in Chennai
and Kolkata, largely shaped
by an impeccable bowling
unit, Kohli’s men realise that
they need to overcome a nag-
ging issue before the run-up
to the 2019 World Cup starts.
For almost two years now,
India has been searching for
a set middle-order.
Barring Manish Pandey
and Kedar Jadhav, who have
tasted intermittent success,
none of the other batsmen
have been able to make a
case for a permanent slot.
With Pandey and Ambati
Rayudu having been side-
Finch brings in aggression: Warner This team has the quality
Special Correspondent
Indore
Australian opener Aaron
Finch, who sat out the first
two one-dayers with a calf
injury, had a long stint at the
nets on Saturday.
He could replace Hilton
Cartwright, who failed
miserably in the first two
matches.
David Warner, Finch’s
opening partner, spoke
highly about him at the press
conference.
“I think you know what
he’s going to bring. He’s a
very good batter and he’s
played a lot of cricket for us
over the last couple of
years,” said Warner.
“He’s got a lot of experi-
ence and for us at the top of
the order he brings a lot of
aggression.
A paradigm-shifting achievement
India’s World Twenty20 triumph, 10 years to the day, changed the game in many ways
K.C. Vijaya Kumar
CHENNAI
A decade ago on this date, S.
Sreesanth waited for Misbah-
ul-Haq’s miscued shot to des-
cend into his palms at the
Wanderers Stadium in Jo-
hannesburg. It was the final
tipping point of a well-fought
summit clash between India
and Pakistan. As the crowd
twitched nervously, the
catch was taken and the in-
augural ICC World Twenty20
title belonged to Mahendra
Singh Dhoni and his men.
The five-run win added
ballast, mortar and stardust
to the evolving legendary
status of Dhoni. Sporting a
long mane then, unlike the
crew-cut he has now, the
great player from Ranchi is
also remembered for two
acts on that rousing night.
Ingenuity
One showed ingenuity as he
gave the last over to an un-
sung Joginder Sharma, the
second displayed spon-
taneity as he gifted his t-shirt
to an eager fan. The blend of
stupendous deeds and
simple acts that defines
Dhoni continues to this day.
If the 1983 World Cup tri-
umph at Lord’s galvanised
cricket in India, making it
the most popular sport from
Kashmir to Kanyakumari,
and also lent it commercial
heft, the after-effects of the
2007 victory were felt on a
larger scale.
Until that seminal mo-
ment, the Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) re-
mained ambivalent towards
Twenty20s. Even the squad
that Dhoni helmed was
made conspicuous by the ab-
CM
YK
On the ball: India skipper Virat Kohli got it right in the rst two ODIs and will be keen to settle the series on Sunday.
lined due to injuries, the se-
lectors were forced to fall
back on Yuvraj Singh for the
Champions Trophy.
The selectors appear to
have moved on from Yuvraj,
who is at the end of a glitter-
ing white-ball career.
Rayudu is yet to prove his
fitness; Suresh Raina is far
from proving his fitness and
form, and Dinesh Karthik
Getting ready: Aaron Finch had a long session at the nets,
testing his tness ahead of the third one-dayer. PTI
“It’s good to see him back
in the nets and he’s doing
everything possible he can
sence of Sachin Tendulkar,
Sourav Ganguly and Rahul
Dravid as the big-three pre-
ferred to rest. Their slots
came in handy for some
youngsters like Rohit
Sharma to strike root.
At a certain level,
Twenty20 and its premier
global tournament were
seen as a diversion. But once
Dhoni seized the cup and
cricket’s shortest format
showed that it was high on
adrenaline and had the po-
tential to widen its demo-
graphic base, the BCCI could
no longer deny its worth.
There was also the need
to deal with a rebel entity —
the Indian Cricket League
failed to impress on yet an-
other return to the squad in
the West Indies.
Openers on the move
It has forced the selectors
and the team management to
fall back on specialist open-
ers being moved to the
middle order.
As a result, K.L. Rahul has
been moved around in the
*
to be fit for this game,” he
added. The Australian bats-
men have found it difficult to
(ICL). Once the Men in Blue
covered themselves in glory
in South Africa, the BCCI saw
an opportunity in
Twenty20s and found the
necessary encouragement to
launch the Indian Premier
League in 2008.
Shape-shifting
Perhaps there was an under-
lying quest for revenge too as
the IPL cannibalised the ICL.
In the history of abridged
cricket, the IPL’s inception
was as shape-shifting as the
World Series engineered by
https://t.me/yk_info
Kerry Packer in Australia
from 1977 to 79.
The IPL and its clones
rained money and forced
batting order since the Sri
Lanka series and Ajinkya Ra-
hane is considered a reserve
batsman in the unit.
If Shikhar Dhawan, who
had to leave the squad just
before the start of the series
to be with his ailing wife, re-
turns for the last two ODIs,
India may have four special-
ist openers in the squad,
with Rahul and Rahane
read wrist-spinners Kuldeep
Yadav and Yuzvendra
Chahal. But Warner didn’t
agree with the assessment.
“I find that the players can
read them and there’s the
odd one or two that you
probably can’t see the seam
and then the players react off
the wicket.
“That’s probably the odd
one here or there,” he said.
“At the end of the day
you’ve got to have a game
plan against the spin.
“If you get off to a good
start and the spinners come
on, it is a different game
then. It’s about the tempo of
the game and the situation.
“ I feel if we’re in a differ-
ent position you’re going to
see a different mode against
the spinners or a different
tempo.”
players into the dilemma
that most international foot-
ballers suffer from — club or
country? Starting with Chris
Gayle, freelance-cricketers
sprung up overnight.
But that was the least of
the game’s headaches as the
IPL’s spot-fixing crisis in 2013
where allegations surfaced
against Sreesanth and com-
pany, and which also
showed a few franchise own-
ers in poor light, flung a dag-
ger into Indian cricket’s
heart. The healing touch was
subsequently sought from
the Supreme Court but the
repercussions are still being
felt.
The 2007 ICC World
*
AP
doubling up as back-up
openers and middle-order
batsmen.
It may appear a problem
of plenty but with the
middle-order wearing a far
from settled look, it is high
time India finds a settled No.
4, 5 and 6 for its batting line-
up.
While India has to deal
with minor issues, Steve
to defend any total: Rahane
Special Correspondent
INDORE
On September 24, 2007, a
young outfit led by a newly-
named T20 captain, Ma-
hendra Singh Dhoni, made
history by defeating Pakistan
to win the inaugural World
Twenty20 in Johannesburg.
On the eve of the 10th an-
niversary of that memorable
night, the Indian ODI squad
— with Dhoni and Rohit
Sharma, the only two play-
ers in the current side from
back then — just went about
their routine drills.
While Dhoni joined the
spinners and bowled a few
leg-breaks before padding up
to take them on, Rohit, the
ODI vice-captain, had a long
Twenty20 remains an in-
credible milestone for Indian
cricket.
The pleasure-points
ranged from the staggering
six sixes that Yuvraj Singh
struck against England’s Stu-
art Broad to the sheer joy
that Dhoni’s men gifted to
their followers.
Yet, in all this nostalgia, it
would be prudent to remem-
ber that it also sowed the
seeds for the Twenty20 re-
volution which mixed mind-
boggling commerce with
slivers of corruption. But for
now, it is time to raise a toast
to all the men who made it a
day to remember at
Johannesburg.
Smith’s unit is staring at a de-
moralising series loss.
If Australia has to keep the
series alive, it will have to im-
prove its faltering batting
unit. Steve Smith would be
hoping for either David
Warner or Glenn Maxwell to
play a sensible innings rather
than trying too hard against
India’s wrist-spin combina-
tion of Kuldeep Yadav and
stint in the adjacent net, fa-
cing a barrage of pace bowl-
ing.
India’s bowling exploits
have resulted in lop-sided
contests in the first two
matches despite the team’s
inability to post imposing
totals.
“You can’t expect to score
300 or 350 every time you
bat. There will be times
when you score 240 or 280,
but it’s more important that
you defend such totals as
well,” said Ajinkya Rahane.
“This team has the quality to
defend any total. The bowl-
ing attack is so good that the
team is confident we can de-
fend and win matches des-
pite not putting up huge
‘The trophy helped us win
the faith of our fans’
Vijay Lokapally
NEW DELHI
Yuvraj Singh has relived
those six sixes in an over
against Stuart Broad count-
less times and can showcase
them with an impeccable
shadow replay of those
strokes.
The precursor to this epic
show was his verbal duel
with Andrew Flintoff. Yuvraj
knows how best to retort.
Let his bat do the talking.
Broad’s over would soon
earn a place in cricket his-
tory. First ball bang out of
the Kingsmead. Next into
the stands behind square
leg. Then flying over cover.
Broad tries round the
stumps but bowls a full toss.
The result is the same, a six
over point now. He slams it
over midwicket to make it
five in five. “I knew what he
was thinking. A yorker. I was
in a similar situation once,”
recalls Yuvraj. Broad
trembles. The crowd holds
its breath. And Yuvraj ex-
plodes to send the ball soar-
ing over midwicket.
Setting the trend
“Honestly, after the fourth
six I thought it could be six
in six. I had to exploit the on-
side. The midwicket bound-
ary was shorter. I anticipated
the yorker and was glad to
receive one.
“It was great fun because
the knock kind of set the
trend for the team. We went
on to beat South Africa in
the next match and nothing
was going to stop us from
there,” Yuvraj said in a chat
with The Hindu.
A decade has passed since
that fascinating assault
Yuzvendra Chahal.
If that doesn’t happen,
then the last two matches
could well become a mean-
ingless exercise.
The teams (from):
India: Virat Kohli (capt.), Rohit
Sharma, K.L. Rahul, Manish
Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Ajinkya
Rahane, M.S. Dhoni, Hardik
Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Ya-
dav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit
totals.” For India to establish
itself as the numero uno in
ODIs, the middle-order
conundrum needs to be re-
solved at the earliest. The
lack of solidity in those slots
has resulted in the team be-
ing forced to improvise.
Rahane preferred to draw
positives from even that.
“The best thing about this
side is that the guys can all
bat anywhere, so that flexib-
ility is there,” he said.
“I have batted at No. 3, 4,
and 5. It is important how
you deal with the situation.
Adjustment is completely in
the mind.
“Technically you can ad-
apt anywhere, but it’s the
mindset that matters.”
Slam-bang stu: Yuvraj
which put Yuvraj in the
grand company of the ever-
green Garry Sobers.
Play with freedom
“The T20 World Cup,” re-
membered Yuvraj, “was a
wonderful journey. The
team was full of youngsters.
We decided to have fun and
not attract needless pressure
like we had in the West In-
dies [failing to qualify for the
second stage of the ICC
World Cup]. We told
ourselves not to have any
fear of losing and basically
play positive.”
Yuvraj, 35, emphasised,
“It was a crucial phase for
Indian cricket. By claiming
the trophy we won the faith
of our fans. Cricket went on
an unprecedented high from
that point and set up the
SPORT 17
Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar,
Umesh Yadav, Mohammed
Shami and Ravindra Jadeja.
Australia: Steve Smith (capt.),
Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright,
Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cum-
mins, James Faulkner, Aaron
Finch, Travis Head, Glenn Max-
well, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew
Wade, David Warner, Adam
Zampa and Peter Handscomb.
Match starts at 1.30 p.m.
Just in case: M.S. Dhoni sends
down a few leg-breaks in the
spinners’ net on the eve of
the third ODI before padding
up to knock a few balls
about. PTI *
process that culminated
with the glorious 2011 World
Cup triumph in Mumbai.”
The 2007 ICC World
Twenty20 was more enjoy-
able than the 2011 win, em-
phasised Yuvraj. “In 2011 we
played under severe pres-
sure. It was Sachin’s last cup
and we were all stressed out
after every match. In 2007,
there were few expectations
from us. It worked in our
favour.”
Misbah’s costly blunder
And that last over in the final
when Joginder Singh snared
the dangerous Misbal-ul-
Haq? “Oh, that was unbeliev-
able. Misbah hitting that
shot when he could
slammed the ball anywhere
in front. Sreesanth taking
that catch was incredible
too. When I saw him getting
*
AFP
under the ball I just closed
my eyes because Sree was
known to drop catches. But
then Sree is such an unpre-
dictable guy. He held the
catch and with that the cup.”
Yuvraj revealed Har-
bhajan Singh was to bowl
that over. “But Bhajji said he
was not confident of getting
his yorkers. He told MS
(Dhoni) not to take a chance
with him. So MSD tossed the
ball to Jogi. Thanks to Mis-
bah, we made history.”
According to Yuvraj, the
“bowlers won us the tourna-
ment. We enjoyed each oth-
er’s company and the ca-
maraderie grew with every
match. Everyone just ex-
pressed himself loudly on
the field. Most importantly
there was no coach (like
Greg Chappell) to shackle
our natural flair.”
A ND-NDE
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18 SPORT
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IN BRIEF
Mary Kom picked as
AIBA representative
NEW DELHI
Five-time world champion
and Olympic bronze-
medallist M.C. Mary Kom has
become the first Indian to be
picked as the International
Boxing Association’s (AIBA)
representative for the IOC
Athletes’ Forum scheduled in
November. PTI
Morgan hopes Hales,
Buttler get Ashes chance
NOTTINGHAM
England one-day captain Eoin
Morgan hopes Alex Hales and
Jos Buttler have to change
their schedules for the off-
season by gaining selection
for the Ashes tour of
Australia. “I’d like to see
them play in an Ashes
series.“Ashes and World Cups
are the pinnacle of our
careers so to see guys playing
in that format and doing well
would boost confidence
massively,” said Morgan. AFP
Spanish royal becomes
world sailing champion
MONTREAL
Former Spanish king Juan
Carlos at 79 has been named
World sailing champion along
with his crew aboard the
all-new Bribon Gallant during
the Classic Six competition in
Vancouver that also included
America’s Cup legend Dennis
Conner of the USA, who
finished 14th. The Classic Six
category refers to any boat
designed before December
31, 1965. New models use
composite materials instead
of wood. AFP
Vinod emerges champion
NEW DELHI:
Top seed Vinod Seth defeated
K.V. Narayana Murthy 6-3,
6-4 in the men’s over-45 final
of the ITF grade-5 seniors’
tennis tournament in
Pokhara, Nepal, on Saturday.
Narayana Murthy and
Hatinder Panwar had beaten
the top seeds, Binod Kayastha
of Nepal and Vinod Seth, in
the doubles final earlier.
Ghosal stuns Rosner,
enters nal
MACAU
Saurav Ghosal stormed into
the final of the $50,000
Macau Open squash
tournament here on
Saturday. Seeded fourth, he
ousted the top seed Simon
Rosner of Germany in five
games 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 11-13,
11-4 in a thrilling semifinal.
The Indian is ranked 28th in
the world while the German
is 11th. Ghosal will meet
second seed Mohamed
Abouelghar of Egypt. PTI
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
SUDOKU
Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku
CM
YK
Karn, Shahbaz scalp four each
New Zealand-A players ounder against host spinners
Smart work: Samarth’s reex catch ends the stay of New Zealand-A opener George Worker
V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
VIJAYAWADA
India-A finished the first day
of the four-day ‘Test’ match
on a satisfying note at 71 for
two in reply to New Zealand-
A’s 147 as spinners domin-
ated the proceedings at the
Mulapadu Cricket Complex
here on Saturday.
For the visitors, leggie Ish
Sodhi struck twice in the fi-
nal session but the home
team ensured there were no
more setbacks, thanks to a
disciplined effort from
opener R. Samarth.
Earlier, the spin duo of
left-armer Shahbaz Nadeem
and leggie Karn Sharma
bowled picked four wickets
apiece to bundle out Kiwis
for 147 in 64th over.
A tting nale to the
CFL season
East Bengal on guard as Mohun Bagan
seeks to wrest back the title
Sports Bureau
Siliguri
Mohun Bagan will seek to re-
claim local supremacy when
it meets traditional rival East
Bengal in the deciding tie of
the Calcutta Football
League’s premier division-A
match on Sunday.
The season’s first Kolkata
derby will be hosted by the
Kanchenjungha Stadium
here as the Salt Lake Sta-
dium has been kept aside for
the FIFA Under-17 World
Cup, scheduled to get under
way on October 8.
East Bengal has been
champion for a record seven
seasons on the trot in the
119-year-old tournament.
Mohun Bagan last won the
title in 2009. This happened
primarily because Mohun
Bagan was trying to tide over
financial troubles after the
departure of its sponsor, the
UB Group. Working on a cur-
tailed contract system, it got
into the team building pro-
cess seriously before the
start of the I-League, which
it won in 2015.
Enabled by better cash
flow this season, Mohun
Bagan reverted to picking up
the strongest possible side,
which saw the arrival of
quality foreigners like the
forwards Anusmana Kromah
(Liberia) and Stephane Bayi
Kamo (Ivory Coast), and the
It was a disappointing bat-
ting display by the visitors
after a decent start when
openers George Worker (33,
56b, 4x4) and Jeet Raval (34,
55b, 3x4, 1x6) thrived on
dropped chances.
They looked good enough
to bat for long before
Nadeem forced Worker on to
the backfoot only to give a
sharp chance to forward
short-leg fielder, and soon
pacer Md Siraj saw Jeet Raval
shoulder arms an inswinger
to be bowled.
Two quick blows effect-
ively pushed New Zeal-
anders on the defensive and
soon, they were in more seri-
ous trouble with Nadeem
striking regularly. At one
stage, they were reeling at 81
Nigerian defender Kingsley
Eze.
East Bengal, meanwhile,
imported coach Khalid
Jamil, who guided Aizawl FC
— and the North-East — its
first I-League title last sea-
son, essentially targeting the
national league crown which
has eluded it in the last 13
years.
On Jamil’s advice, East
Bengal picked up a string of
foreigners like the Syrian
midfielder Mahmoud Al
Amna, and the Trinidad and
Tobago duo of Willis Plaza
(striker) and Carlyle Mitchell
(central defender).
Apart from the foreign
components, both the sides
have a good number of qual-
ity Indian names.
Both teams are on 22
points from eight outings
each ahead of the last en-
counter. But East Bengal,
with a superior goal-differ-
ence, is on top of the stand-
ings, making it imperative
for Mohun Bagan to win.
The last time the league
saw a similar situation was in
2013, when East Bengal won
the match 3-2. But what Mo-
hun Bagan coach Shankarlal
Chakraborty will draw hope
from is the fact that the res-
ult of last ‘derby’ at the same
venue — in the I-League in
April — was 2-1 in its favour.
The kick-off is at 5 p.m.
Zaidi storms to victory in SuperSports 600cc
Rajiv Sethu clinches the Honda CBR 250 (Open) title
S. Dipak Ragav
Chennai
Amidst dramatic crashes in
searing heat with the track
temperatures soaring to 63
degrees, Malaysia’s Mohd.
Zaqhwan Zaidi, astride a
Honda, powered his way to
victory in the premier Super-
Sports 600cc class as battles
for leaderboard positions in-
tensified in the fifth and pen-
ultimate round of the Asia
Road Racing Championship,
hosted by Madras Motor
Sports Club at the MMRT
track here on Saturday.
Zaidi started second on
the grid behind pole-sitter
Keminth Kubo ( Japan,
Yamaha), but eased to the
front early in the 16-lap race.
He then kept his nerves even
as two other Japanese riders,
Taiga Hada (Honda) and Yuki
Ito (Yamaha), scrapped for
the other two podium spots,
to post his second win of the
season. Hada finished
second, ahead of Ito.
India’s Shankar Sarath Ku-
https://t.me/yk_info
mar achieved his objective of
doing a one- minute, 46-
second lap, but could not
make headway in the com-
*
V. RAJU
for six in 29.3 overs before a
fighting 50-run stand
between Tim Seifert (35 not
out) and Scott Kuggeleijn (17)
lent some respectability.
But once their partner-
ship was broken by Karn,
who induced a mistimed on-
drive from Kuggeliejn, it was
a familiar script of a visiting
team struggling against spin.
The scores: New Zealand-A —
1st innings: George Worker c
Samarth b Shahbaz 33, Jeet
Raval b Md Siraj 34, Henry Nich-
olls lbw b Shahbaz 5, Will Young
b Md Siraj 0, Tom Blundell b
Shahbaz 1, Tim Seifert (not out)
35, Todd Astle c Rishabh b Shah-
baz 0, Scott Kuggeleijn c
Samarth b Karn 17, Ish Sodhi c
Karun b Karn 0, Matt Henry c
Karun b Karn 14, Lockie Fer-
Army Boys in
seminals
SPORTS BUREAU
NEW DELHI
Army Boys Sports Com-
pany completed a compre-
hensive 4-1 victory over
Afghanistan football team
to reach the semifinals of
the 58th Subroto Cup (un-
der-17) football tournament
here on Saturday.
The match, stalled by a
downpour on Friday with
Army Boys leading 2-1, saw
the home team dominate
the proceedings for all of
24 minutes on Saturday.
In the space of four
minutes, T. Bidyasagar
(59th) and M. Haokip
(62nd) put Army Boys 4-1
ahead and virtually shut
the door on the Afghan
team. On Friday, T. Hemjit
Singh opened the scoring
for Army Boys in the eighth
minute. The Afghan team
hit back through Akbar.
In the second session, P.
Linthoingamba put the
Army Boys ahead before
heavy rain stopped play.
The result (quarterfinals):
Army Boys Sports Company 4
(T. Hemjit Singh, P.
Linthoingamba Singh, T. Bidy-
asagar, M. Haokip) bt Afgh-
anistan Football Team 1 (Ak-
bar). Sunday’s semifinals:
Mungiabari HSS
(Mungiakamai, Teliamura,
Khowai, Tripura) v St. Colum-
bus Collegiate School (Mis-
sion Road, Hazaribagh,
Jharkhand) (2 p.m.); Govern-
ment Bazar HS (Lunglei,
Mizoram) v Army Boys Sports
Company (4 p.m.), Ambedkar
Stadium.
Pulling ahead: Starting from second on the grid, Mohd. Zaqhwan Zaidi held his nerve to post his
second win of the season. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
*
petitive 600cc field and fin-
ished a lap down in the 12th
spot.
Rajiv Sethu clinched the
title in the Honda CBR 250
(Open) category of the
MMSC One-Make Champion-
ship despite finishing fifth in
NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
THE HINDU
Sasi Kumar
RACING
Leading Legend Mukund
triumphs
has an edge
HYDERABAD: Leading Legend
has an edge over his rivals in the
Major General Nawab Khusru
4 NAWAB SULTAN ALI KHAN
MEMORIAL CUP (1,100m),
maiden 3-y-o & over, rated upto
Jung Bahadur Memorial Cup 30 (Cat. III), 3-45: 1. Rose Petal (3)
(1,600m), the feature event of the G. Naresh 62, 2. Royal Gift (2)
races to be held here on Sunday Rafique Sk. 61.5, 3. Valee Peaks
(Sept. 24). (6) Md. Ismail 61.5, 4. Own Battle
(7) B. Dileep 60.5, 5. Tough Sus-
JATPROLE CUP (1,400m), 4-y-o
1 & over, rated 42 to 62 (Cat. II),
2-15 p.m.: 1. Dandy Girl (5) Md. Is-
sex (—) (—) 57.5, 6. Rohini (4) Go-
pal Singh 56.5, 7. Yes Baby (5)
mail 60, 2. Valerian Steel (6) C. Deepak Singh 54.5 and 8. Top
Sprint (1) A.S. Pawar 50.
Umesh 58.5, 3. Mahathi (1) Aneel
57.5, 4. Pentagon (3) G. Naresh 1. ROYAL GIFT, 2. VALLEE PEAKS,
57.5, 5. Sweet March (2) Deepak 3. ROSE PETAL
Singh 56.5, 6. Ashwa Asoka (4)
Akshay Kumar 55, 7. Wonder Eye
(7) Md. Sameeruddin 55 and 8.
5 MAJOR GENERAL NAWAB
KHUSRU JUNG BAHADUR ME-
MORIAL CUP (1,600m), 3-y-o &
Lavender (8) C.P. Bopanna 54.5. over, rated 58 to 78 (Cat. II), 4-15:
1. MAHATHI, 2. SWEET MARCH, 3. 1. Green Image (9) A.A. Vikrant
PENTAGON 60, 2. Tiger (3) Akshay Kumar 59,
3. Prospero (8) C. Umesh 58, 4.
2 RAJA SAHEB OF CHALLAPALLI
MEMORIAL CUP (1,200m), 3-
y-o & over, rated 26 to 46 (Cat.
Commanding Boy (2) Kunal
Bunde 56, 5. Leading Legend (6)
III), 2-45: 1. Cash Landing (2) Go- Rafique Sk. 56, 6. Top Contender Sasi Kumar Mukund.
pal Singh 60, 2. La Romance (3) (4) Kuldeep Singh 54.5, 7. Awe- * S. SIVA SARAVANAN
guson lbw b Karn 0. Extras: (b-2, B.R. Kumar 60, 3. Sprint Legend some Approach (—) (—) 54, 8.
lb-2, nb-4) 8. Total: (all out in (4) Kunal Bunde 59.5, 4. Desert Handy Man (7) Nakhat Singh
53.5, 9. Carolina Moon (5) K. Sai Special Correspondent
63 overs) 147. Moon (8) Sai Kumar 59, 5. Charlie
Brown (5) N. Rawal 58.5, 6. News Kiran 53 and 10. Legend (1) N. Coimbatore
Fall of wickets: 1-72, 7-78, 3-78, O’ Star (6) Md. Ismail 57.5, 7. Rawal 53.
Top seed Sasi Kumar
4-79, 5-81, 6-81, 7-131, 8-133, 9- Dance Oh Dance (7) Kuldeep 1. LEADING LEGEND, 2. PROS-
147, 10-147. Singh 56.5, 8. Top Starchy (9) K. PERO, 3. HANDY MAN Mukund worked his way to
Mukesh Kumar 56.5 and 9. Khan a 6-3, 6-4 win over Arjun
India-A bowling: Shardul
Thakur 10-5-16-0, Md Siraj 10-
Sahib (1) Akshay Kumar 56.
1. LA ROMANCE, 2. DANCE OH
6 P.V.G. RAJU MEMORIAL CUP
(Div. II), (1,400m), 5-y-o &
over, rated 26 to 46 (Cat. III), 4-
Kadhe in the final of the
$15,000 LMW-ITF Futures
3-30-2, Karn Sharma 20-3- DANCE, 3. CASH LANDING 50: 1. Rebellion (11) Rafique Sk.
tournament at the Perks
58-4, Shahbaz Nadeem 23-11- 60, 2. Market Leader (5) A.S.
39-4.
India-A — 1st innings: R.
3 P.V.G. RAJU MEMORIAL CUP
(Div. I), (1,400m), 5-y-o &
over, rated 26 to 46 (Cat. III), 3-15:
Pawar 59.5, 3. Hunter’s Pride (10)
Md. Ismail 59, 4. Silvassa (8) Ro-
Tennis Centre here on
Saturday.
1. Canberra (1) Md. Ismail 60, 2. hit Kumar 58.5, 5. Time To Climb
Samarth batting 38, Priyank Some stinging serves
Charming Beauty (11) Akshay Ku- (4) S.S. Tanwar 58, 6. Ice Crystal
Panchal c Raval b Ish Sodhi 14, mar 59.5, 3. White Gold (9) (6) Nakhat Singh 56.5, 7. Nelly (9) and well-angled returns
Sudip Chatterjee lbw b Ish Sodhi Shailesh 59.5, 4. Western Express Akshay Kumar 55, 8. Vijays De- saw Sasi Kumar get off to a
light (2) P. Gaddam 54, 9. Man Of
1, Karun Nair batting 7. Extras: (7) Aneel 59, 5. Golden Xanthus superb start.
(4) Sai Kumar 58, 6. Vijay Vidyut The Series (7) C. Umesh 53, 10.
(b-8, nb-3) 11. Total: (for two He broke Kadhe in the
(2) P. Gaddam 57, 7. Naamdhari Pamella (3) G. Naresh 53 and 11.
wickets in 25 overs) 71. (12) Ajit Singh 56, 8. Sir Legend Pretty Star (1) B.R. Kumar 53. second and fourth games.
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-60. (10) C. Umesh 55, 9. Abracos (8) 1. ICE CRYSTAL, 2. MAN OF THE But Kadhe, a first-time fi-
New Zealand-A bowling: Matt
Rafique Sk. 53, 10. Wonder Star SERIES, 3. REBELLION nalist, was playing the
Henry 6-1-15-0, Lockie Ferguson (5) Md. Sameeruddin 53, 11. Day’s best: LA ROMANCE
Dolce (3) K. Mukesh Kumar 52.5, Double: MAHATHI — LEADING waiting game. Having read
6-1-19-0, Scott Kuggeleijn 3-1- his rival, and working hard
12. Pegasus (6) A. A. Vikrant 52.5. LEGEND
2-0, Todd Astle 3-0-16-0, Ish 1. WESTERN EXPRESS, 2. WHITE Jkt: 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6; Tr (i): 1, 2 & 3; from the baseline, Kadhe
Sodhi 7-0-11-2. GOLD, 3. SIR LEGEND (ii): 4, 5 & 6; Tla: all races. got one break back, and
followed that up with a
hold.
Pranaav, Sikki exit in seminals He then put Sasi Kumar
under pressure by varying
The pair goes down ghting in Japan Open
up his rallies. For the first
Agencies pair fought hard, managing roller-coaster ride initially as
time in the match, the top
seed looked like he would
choke, as he faced triple
TOKYO a 7-4 lead early on which was both pairs fought hard till
India’s campaign at the Ja- erased by the Japanese 8-8 when the Japanese
break-point in the seventh
game.
pan Open Super Series combo quickly at 9-9. But combo opened up a 13-9 But Sasi Kumar man-
ended after the mixed the Indians moved ahead lead. In the end, Takuro and aged to save the situation,
doubles pair of Pranaav with a short burst of points Sayaka managed to grab the and surged ahead to clinch
Jerry Chopra and N. Sikki to eventually grab the open- one point needed at 20-19 to
the set without further
Reddy suffered a narrow loss ing game comfortably. seal the issue. drama.
in the semifinals on Takuro and Sayaka Other results (Semifinals): Kadhe looked solid in
Saturday. changed gears in the second Men: Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt
the second set. He did have
Pranaav and Sikki and led 4-1 before entering Son Wan-Ho (Kor) 21-16, 21-16;
a couple of double-faults,
squandered the opening the break at 11-8. Pranaav Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Shi
but then he also hit some
game advantage to go down and Sikki reduced the deficit Yuqi (Chn) 21-19, 21-8. Women:
big serves and pulled off a
14-21, 21-15, 21-19 to the local to 13-15 before the Japanese Carolina Marin (Esp) w/o No-
couple of stunning cross-
pair of Takuro Hoki and combo walked away with zomi Okuhara (Jpn); He
court returns.
Sayaka Hirota. During the the game. Bingjiao (Chn) bt Chen Yufei
He had the big chance to
60-minute battle, the Indian The decider turned into a (Chn) 21-14, 25-23.
break Sasi Kumar in the
sixth game, but failed to
convert.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
\ DELHI ROUND UP \
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Sasi Kumar, on the other
hand, did not let go when
such opportunities presen-
Indian Navy books match 4-1 against qualifier Ahlawat 50, Raghav Kumar 48, ted themselves.
SAI Centre, Kurukshetra. Lokender Kumar five for 48) bt With a couple of line
last four spot
The results: Tripathi Group 214 in 41 overs calls going in his favour, he
Last year’s runner-up Indian Pool ‘A’: Indian Navy 3 (Nitesh, (Sandeep Singh 63, Rahul grabbed the chance to
Navy won its second Pawan Kumar, Kuldeep) bt PNB Yadav 62, Vision Panchal six for break Kadhe in the very
consecutive match, getting 1 (Gagandeep Jr.); Pool ‘B’: IAF 54). next game, and that proved
past Punjab National Bank 2 (S. Alam, Damanjit Singh) bt Sudeet shines decisive.
3-1 in Pool ‘A’, to ensure a Air India 1 (Shivendra); Army XI Kadhe rued his slow
Sudeet Thakur top-scored
spot in the semifinals of the 4 (David Dung Dung 2, Jonny start.
with 58 while Mohit Burha
11th Maharaja Ranjit Singh Jasrotia, Ignace Tirkey) bt SAI “I was down 1-4. On
picked up three wickets as
hockey tournament at the Centre 1 (Munish Rana). these fast courts one needs
West Delhi Academy
National Stadium on Ankit, Vision shine to start well. I still tried and
downed Hari Nagar
Saturday. had my chances, but he
Man-of-the-match Ankit Academy (HNA) by 31 runs
However, heavyweight Air played a little bit better,” he
Dabas’s century (102) and in the Ghevra Cup cricket
India stumbled to an upset said.
left-arm spinner Vision tournament.
2-1 defeat against Indian Air The results: Final: Sasi Kumar
Panchal’s six-wicket haul (six The scores:
Force in Pool ‘B’. Shivendra for 54) helped Minerva Mukund bt Arjun Kadhe 6-3,
WDA 230 in 38.2 overs (Sudeet 6-4.
managed to score the only Academy, Chandigarh defeat
Thakur 58, Sameer Kumar
goal, through a penalty Tripathi Group by 84 runs in
three for 36, Jatin Bhardwaj
stroke, for the star-studded
Air India.
the J.P. Attrey memorial
cricket tournament.
three for 46) bt HNA 199 in
39.3 overs (Rahul Rana 82,
Paes and
Army XI, led by the
experienced Ignace Tirkey,
The scores:
Minerva Academy 297 in 48
Mohit Burha three for 31,
Shailender Kumar three for
Purav lose
won the other Pool ‘B’ overs (Ankit Dabs 102, Mohit 39).
Sports Bureau
St. Petersburg (Russia)
Leander Paes and Purav
Raja lost 4-6, 6-3, [10-7] to
top seeds Julio Peralta and
Horacio Zeballos in the
semifinals of the St. Peters-
burg Open ATP 250 tourna-
has already clinched the ment on Saturday.
title. The results: St. Petersburg
The results (provisional): Open ATP 250: Semifinals:
SuperSports 600cc, Race 1 (16 Julio Peralta (Chi) & Horacio
laps): 1. Md. Zaqhwan Zaidi Zeballos (Arg) bt Leander
(Mas, Honda) 27:20.721; 2. Paes & Purav Raja 4-6, 6-3,
Taiga Hada (Jap, Honda) [10-7].
27:21.347; 3. Yuki Ito (Jap,
Yamaha) 27:21.710.
Asia Production 250cc, Race 1
(12 Laps): 1. Tomoyoshi Koyama
Karman &
(Jap, Honda) 22: 07.059; 2.
Anupab Sarmoon (Tha, Yamaha)
Veselinovic
22: 07.176; 3. Galang Hendra
Pratama (Ina, Yamaha)
nish
22:11.328).
Underbone 150cc, Race 1 (10
runners-up
Laps): 1. Fakhrusy Syakirin
Rostam (Mas, Honda) Sports Bureau
Lubbock (USA)
19:14.180; 2. Md. Haziq Md.
Karman Kaur Thandi and
Fairues (Mas, Yamaha) 19:
Ana Veselinovic lost 2-6,
14.358; 3. Azroy Hakeem Anuar
(Mas, Honda) 19:14.432. 6-4, [10-8] to Victoria Duval
Support Races (MMSC One- and Alisa Kleybanova in
Make Championship): Honda the final of the $25,000 ITF
CBR 250 (Open), Race 1 (10 women’s event here.
Laps): 1. Deepak Ravikumar The results: Final: Victoria
(Chennai) 20:31.867; 2. Anish D. Duval (USA) & Alisa Kleyban-
the support race which was just one more race to be run Shetty (Hubballi) 20:33.699; 3. ova (Rus) bt Ana Veselinovic
won by Deepak Ravikumar. on Sunday. Hari Krishnan Rajagopal (Chen- (Mne) & Karman Kaur Thandi
The 10 points that Sethu Arun Muthukrishnan took nai) 20:33.916. 2-6, 6-4, [10-8].
earned took his tally to 179, the honours in the other sup- TVS Apache 200 (Open), Race $15,000 ITF women, Sharm
well clear of second-placed port race, the TVS Apache 1 (10 Laps): 1. Arun Muthukrish- El Sheikh: Semifinals: Yu-Ting
Hari Krishnan Rajagopal 200 (Open) where nan (Che) 22:07.866; 2. Anand Hsieh & Pei-Chi Lee (Tpe) bt
(145), who in turn, is 39 Sivanesan, who finished Kumar S. (Che) 22:08.311; 3. Emilie Francati (Den) & Kanika
ahead of Anish Shetty with third behind Anand Kumar, Sivanesan S. (Che) 22:08.401. Vaidya 7-5, 6-1.
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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Kane at the double
Bayern squanders a two-goal lead to be held by Wolfsburg
A coach’s delight: Harry Kane has been prolic in front of goal for the third straight season.
* REUTERS
EURO LEAGUES
Agence France-Presse
London
Harry Kane struck twice as
10-man Tottenham Hotspur
survived a late scare to main-
tain its perfect away record
with a 3-2 victory at West
Ham United on Saturday.
Kane’s double, taking his
tally to six in four games,
and a third from Christian
Eriksen gave Mauricio
Pochettino’s side a three-
goal lead on the hour before
Javier Hernandez started the
Hammers fightback.
The home side was
helped by the 70th-minute
dismissal of Serge Aurier for
a second yellow card and
was given further hope
when Cheikhou Kouyate
headed home from Arthur
Masuaku’s 87th-minute
cross.
But Spurs held on to claim
a third win in three away
games, a record that eases
the pressure over their con-
tinuing problems in their
temporary home at Wemb-
ley, where they have yet to
win in the league.
Tottenham manager
Pochettino had taken a 49-
strong group of players and
club staff out for a mid-week
CM
YK
meal at a London steak res-
taurant to strengthen the
bond within the squad.
Atletico downs Sevilla
Diego Costa watched from
the directors’ box as Atletico
Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 in La
Liga. Yannick Carrasco and
Antoine Griezmann scored
the goals at the Wanda Met-
ropolitano on Saturday.
Costa’s drawn out move
back to Atletico from
Chelsea was finally agreed
on Thursday, but the striker
isn’t allowed to feature until
the January transfer window
opens.
Ulreich’s blunder
A blunder by stand-in goal-
keeper Sven Ulreich contrib-
uted to Bayern Munich
squandering the chance to
go top of the Bundesliga on
Friday as it threw away a
two-goal lead to draw 2-2
against Wolfsburg.
Goals from Robert Lewan-
dowski and Arjen Robben
had given Bayern a com-
manding lead at half-time,
but Ulreich’s error and a late
equaliser from Daniel Didavi
saw Wolfsburg rescue an un-
likely point in Munich.
It was the first time in six
years that Bayern had failed
to win after holding a 2-0
lead at one stage.
The results: Premier League:
West Ham 2 (Hernandez 65,
Kouyate 87) lost to Tottenham
3 (Kane 34, 38, Eriksen 60);
Burnley 0 drew with Hudder-
sfield Town 0; Everton 2 (Ni-
asse 77 & 82) bt Bournemouth 1
(King 49); Manchester City 5
(Sane 44, Sterling 51 & 59,
Aguero 79, Delph 89) bt Crystal
Palace 0; Southampton 0 lost
to Manchester United 1 (Lukaku
20).
Stoke City 0 lost to Chelsea
4 (Morata 2, 77 & 82, Pedro
30); Swansea City 1 (Abraham
56) lost to Watford 2 (Gray 13,
Richarlison 90)
La Liga: Atletico Madrid 2 (Car-
rasco 46, Griezmann 70) bt
Sevilla 0; Alaves 1 (Manuel Gar-
cia 40) lost to Real Madrid 2
(Ceballos 10 & 43
Serie A: Roma 3 (Dzeko 12, El
Shaarawy 30, 45) bt Udinese 1
(Stryger Larsen 90)
Bundesliga: RB Leipzig 2 (Au-
gustin 28, Werner 67) bt Ein-
tracht Frankfurt 1 (Rebic 77);
Hoffenheim 2 (Geiger 13, Rupp
90+3) bt Schalke 04 0; Werder
Bremen 0 drew with SC
Freiburg 0; VfB Stuttgart 0
drew with FC Augsburg 0;
Mainz 05 1 (De Blasis 54-pen)
bt Hertha Berlin 0.
On Friday: Bayern Munich 2
(Lewandowski 33-pen, Robben
42) drew with VfL Wolfsburg 2
(Arnold 56, Didavi 83).
https://t.me/yk_info
Aronian and
Diren draw
rst game
Sports Bureau
TBILISI
Armenia’s Levon Aronian
and China’s Ding Liren
drew their first game of the
World Cup chess final in 35
moves here on Saturday.
Aronian, playing white,
appeared better off until
the 28th move but the fol-
lowing king-move restored
the balance and Liren
never again looked in any
danger.
Eventually the draw was
agreed following repetition
of moves.
The result:
Final: Game One: Levon
Aronian (Arm) drew with Ding
Liren (Chn).
Bengal Warriors has it easy
Bengaluru Bulls’ over-reliance on Rohit backres
PKL
UTHRA GANESAN
NEW DELHI
Bengaluru Bulls’ over-reli-
ance on captain Rohit Ku-
mar backfired against a
more-rounded team effort
by Bengal Warriors, which
won 33-29 in the Delhi leg of
the ProKabaddi League on
Saturday.
That Bulls managed to
come this close was mainly
because of the relentless at-
tacks by Harish Naik, who
took on the mantle of lead
raider, and the combined
defensive attempts of experi-
enced Ravinder Pahal and
Mahender Singh.
Rohit, meanwhile, could
only manage two points in 14
raids as his poor form in the
last few games continued,
the player falling down the
leaderboard to fourth
among top raiders from top
spot.
It was Warriors who raced
ahead and stayed ahead.
Led by Maninder Singh and
Deepak Narwal, who regu-
Europe tops World in on opening day
Starts with three straight wins in singles
LAVER CUP
Agence France-Presse
PRAGUE
Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem
and Alexander Zverev won
their opening singles to put
Team Europe ahead of Team
World after day one of the in-
augural Laver Cup in Prague
on Friday.
Nick Kyrgios and Jack
Sock then handed Team
World its first point by beat-
ing Tomas Berdych and
World No1. Rafael Nadal in
the day’s closing doubles
rubber to round off the score
at 3-1 for Europe.
“I’m happy the way the
day went, we had a couple of
wins that were super close
No escape: Bengaluru Bulls’ Rohit Kumar had an o-day,
scoring just two points in 14 raids. SANDEEP SAXENA
larly scored two-point raids,
it opened up a big 4-11 lead
in the eighth minute, ensur-
ing a Bulls all-out.
It became 10-18 at half-
time and it continued in a
similar vein post break.
In the other match, Da-
bang Delhi’s woes continued
as it lost 34-29 to Puneri
Paltan to stay entrenched at
the bottom of Zone A.
The results: Bengal Warriors 33
(Maninder Singh 9, Deepak
Easy going: Alexander Zverev took out Denis Shapovalov in
straight sets CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES
*
and we could lose,” said
Nadal. “We have a good res-
ult for our team. Happy to go
to back to bed with 3-1.”
*
Narwal 7, Surjeet Singh 6, Ran
Singh 4) bt Bengaluru Bulls 29
(Harish Naik 11, Ravinder Pahal
5 , Mahender Singh 5).
Puneri Paltan 34 (Deepak
Hooda 10, Monu 6, Rajesh
Mondal 5, Girish Ernak 5) bt
Dabang Delhi 29 (Meraj Sheykh
7, Rohit Baliyan 6, Abolfazl
Maghsodlou 5).
Playing today: Bengal Warriors
vs Tamil Thalaivas, 8 p.m.; Da-
bang Delhi vs Haryana Steel-
ers, 9 p.m., STAR Sports 2 (SD
& HD).
SPORT 19
tin del Potro, 7-6(3), 7-6(0) in
the tournament opener.
Seventh-ranked Austrian
Thiem then put Europe 2-0
ahead, beating John Isner 6-7
(15), 7-6(2), [10-8].
In a clash of the teams’
youngest players, 20-year-
old World No. 4 Zverev over-
powered 18-year-old Cana-
dian Denis Shapovalov 7-6
(3), 7-6(5) in another rubber
without breaks.
The results: Team Europe leads
Team World 3-1 [Marin Cilic bt
Frances Tiafoe 7-6(3), 7-6(0);
Dominic Thiem bt John Isner 6-
7(15), 7-6(2), [10-8]; Alexander
Zverev bt Denis Shapovalov 7-6
World No. 5 Cilic beat (3), 7-6(5); Tomas Berdych &
72nd-ranked Frances Tiafoe, Rafael Nadal lost to Nick Kyr-
a replacement for the in- gios & Jack Sock 6-3, 6-7(7),
jured Argentinian Juan Mar- (10-7)].
Vishnu & Prarthana
move into the nal
SPORTS BUREAU joint third with 4.5 points.
Other results:
ASHGABAT
Top-seeded Vishnu Vardhan Tennis: Women’s doubles
and Prarthana Thombare (quarterfinals): Ankita Raina &
made the mixed doubles fi- Prarthana Thombare bt Khim
nal, beating Sanjar Fayziev Iglupas & Anna Patrimonio
and Arina Folts of Uzbek- (Phi) 6-3, 6-3.
Chess: Men: Sixth round: K.
istan 7-6(4), 7-6(6), in the
Sasikiran (4.5) drew with Lu
Asian Indoor Games on
Shanglei (Chn, 5); Surya
Saturday.
Shekhar Ganguly (4) bt Nezad
Vijay Sundar Prashanth Husein Aziz (Qat, 3).
battled past Timur Kh- Women: Sixth round: Tania
abibulin of Kazakhstan 4-6, Sachdev (4) drew with Aulia
6-3, 7-6(3) in the Medina Warda (Ina, 4); Mahri
quarterfinals. Geldiyeva (Tkm, 3) lost to S. Vi-
In chess, K. Sasikiran was jayalakshmi (4).
A ND-NDE
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20 SPORT
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Our dream goal is to win the
2020 Olympic Games: Marijne
The men’s coach brushes o the criticism his appointment received
Shreedutta Chidananda
Bengaluru
Where his predecessor
Roelant Oltmans often spoke
of what were in his eyes real-
istic expectations, the new
senior men’s hockey coach,
Sjoerd Marijne, refuses to
discuss any goals but the
loftiest.
“Our dream goal is to win
the Olympic Games 2020,”
he said here on Saturday. “It
doesn’t matter if it’s realistic
or not; it’s the aim. It’s our
dream goal.
“And if it’s our dream we
have to make sure it’s going
to be realistic. If I’m already
saying that it’s not realistic,
then I’m already setting a
limit.”
It didn’t matter where In-
dia stood in the World at the
moment, Marijne felt. “You
don’t have to be No. 1 to win
tournaments. Argentina was
not No. 1 when they won the
Olympic gold last year.
“Even if you’re World No.
6, you want to win every
tournament you go to. You
Davis Cup: India nds itself in a terrible mess in doubles ‘U-17 WC crucial for
We are expected to struggle and it will take a couple of years to pick up, says former India coach Nandan Bal
Alarming trend: Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna practising
ahead of the India-Uzbekistan Asia-Oceania Group-I tie in April.
Eventually, Sriram Balaji teamed up with Bopanna for India’s
fth combination in six ties. FILE PHOTO: V. SREENIVASA MURTHY
*
Australian Open ghtback
changed everything: Federer
Agence France-Presse
LONDON
Roger Federer has admitted
his year would have been
“very different” had he not
battled back from a 1-3 fifth-
set deficit in his Australian
Open triumph against Rafael
Nadal.
Without a Grand Slam title
since 2012, Federer fought
back to beat Nadal in Janu-
ary’s decider in Melbourne,
setting himself up for a stun-
ning return to form.
He followed it up with
back-to-back Masters victor-
ies at Indian Wells and Miami
before winning his 19th
Grand Slam title at Wimble-
don and has risen to number
two in the ATP ranking.
“I don’t think I would
have won both Indian Wells
and Miami,” said Federer,
36, in an interview published
in Saturday’s edition of The
Times newspaper.
“Maybe I would have won
one. I would have played on
the clay maybe.
“The season would have
been very different.
The plan
“My plan was to play maybe
the quarters at best at the
Aussie and then take it from
there.
“By winning all those big
three events at the beginning
of the year, it allowed me to
sit there in the top eight of
the world already after a few
months of the season and
not worry about being
ranked number 35 if I had
lost early in the Australian
Open because of the points I
had to defend.
CM
YK
Aiming for the stars: Sjoerd Marijne feels that a team doesn’t have to be the No. 1 to win
tournaments. V. SREENIVASA MURTHY
* went and Paul van Ass came
don’t go to tournaments say-
ing I want to be third. You
want to win. And after that if
you come third, you say it
was a nice result.”
Marijne was talking to re-
porters at the Sports Author-
ity of India here, having
taken charge of his first train-
ing session in his new role.
The Dutchman, who was
hitherto coaching the senior
women’s team, was named
the men’s coach earlier this
Catalyst: Roger Federer says his comeback in the deciding set in the Australian Open summit
clash against Rafael Nadal in January acted as a spark for his tremendous success
later in the year. AP *
“It changed the entire
mindset. Thank God it
happened like this.”
Federer and Nadal’s resur-
gence coincided in difficult
seasons for Andy Murray
and Novak Djokovic, both of
whom saw their years cur-
tailed by injury.
Stan Wawrinka, Kei
Nishikori and Milos Raonic
are also currently sidelined,
but Federer does not believe
players are put under too
much strain on the tour.
“I think that all of the guys
had to take a break because
either they are carrying an
injury for a while or they are
really not doing well. Some
month following the exit of
compatriot Oltmans. The ap-
pointment invited criticism,
not least because Marijne’s
record with the eves was far
from spectacular, but the 43-
year-old was unconcerned.
“What other people say, I
can’t do anything about,” he
said.
“I’ve done a lot of work
with men’s teams in the past
— all club teams but interna-
tional players. I was with the
N. Sudarshan
BENGALURU
Ahead of India’s Davis Cup
World Group Playoff tie
against Serbia here in 2014,
Yuki Bhambri, when asked
what the country’s biggest
strength was, said: “Doubles.
It is the one match where we
go in knowing that we are
the favourites.”
Leander Paes and Rohan
Bopanna did combine for a
rousing five-set victory then,
but in the seven ties after
that, India has tried six dif-
ferent combinations and lost
five matches, the latest being
against Canada last weekend.
The only two victories have
come against South Korea
and Uzbekistan which had
doubles players ranked in
the thousands.
“We should be alarmed,”
said Anand Amritraj, former
India captain. “Only because
I don’t see an immediate
solution. Rohan and Leander
are playing with non-Indian
partners, and Purav [Raja]
and Divij [Sharan] don’t
seem to be playing together
any more. I’m not really sure
have had surgery,” Federer
said. “I think this is just a
freak moment in time that it
hit a lot of the guys at the
same time. The US Open
wasn’t quite the same.
“It was still a successful
event — Rafa played phe-
nomenal and four of the wo-
men in the semis were Amer-
ican, so the tournament was
a success.
“But you did miss those
guys. It’s normal.”
While Federer is resisting
the ravages of time thanks in
https://t.me/yk_info
part to his fast, aggressive
game, he does not think
Djokovic or Murray would
necessarily benefit from ad-
Spanish men till the 2008
Olympics with Maurits
Hendricks. We won silver. In
the last 17-18 years I’ve
worked more with men than
women. I had no hesitation
in taking up this job.”
As he left, Oltmans had
stated that he was always
prepared to be sacked, given
the high turnover of foreign
hockey coaches in India.
Marijne was asked for his
opinion on the matter.
where this leaves our
doubles.”
India’s problem in recent
times has been that the
matches it has lost haven’t
been against specialist
doubles teams, but just
scratch pairs. The strongest
team it faced was Spain in
2016 — the Rafael Nadal-Marc
Lopez pair which had won
gold at the Rio Olympics.
Paradoxically it was one of
India’s better performances.
“We certainly blew it
against the Czech Republic in
2015 and against Canada,”
said Amritraj.
“We also lost twice to New
Zealand. The surprising
thing is that none of these
were top-five doubles teams,
and even [Daniel] Nestor and
[Vasek] Pospisil were in a
confidence crisis, having lost
13 first round matches in
doubles and singles between
them.”
These two matches
against the Czech Republic
and Canada are emblematic
of all problems. The much-
maligned Indian singles play-
ers did as well as they could
opting similar tactics.
“Andy or Novak, we are
talking about big champions
and future hall of famers,”
said the Swiss, who was
speaking at the inaugural
Laver Cup team event in
Prague, which he has
launched.
“These guys know what
they have to do. I feel if you
had the success they had,
they will be able to get close
to it or again do it. I don’t
worry too much about the
playing style.
“These guys are so good,
they can play different ways.
That’s what sets them apart
from pretty much the rest.”
“I heard that. But I’m not
thinking about whether I’m
getting sacked.
“Because if I am, then I’m
getting distracted from my
job. That’s not why they
hired me,” he said.
Marijne’s immediate task
is to prepare the team for the
Asia Cup, which begins in
Dhaka on October 11. “Time
is short, so we do what we
can,” he said.
“The first challenge is to
get to know the players. Of
course, I know the names,
but I don’t know how they
are, how they react under
pressure, their behaviour,
how they are in
tournaments.”
How, though, did the wo-
men’s team feel about Mar-
ijne’s exit? “It was not easy
because if you’re there for
six months, you build good
relationships,” he said.
“They were disappointed.
But I’m happy that they were
disappointed because if they
were not then it means I
didn’t do my job well.”
only to see doubles let the
team down. Against the
Czechs, Somdev Devvarman
produced one of his career-
best performances to defeat
the then World No. 40 Jiri
Vesely. Against Canada, India
came within a set of winning
three singles matches out of
four.
Big shoes to fill
“Leander’s and Mahesh’s are
big shoes to fill,” said Nandan
Bal, former India coach and
now a selector.
“Rohan has come the
closest. We tried him with
Leander, but they don’t com-
bine well. There is a person-
ality clash too. A generation
is over. We are expected to
struggle. It will take a couple
of years to pick up.”
There is certainly some
truth in this. But the feeling
is unmistakable that team se-
lection could have been
more prudent against
Canada.
With Denis Shapovolov in
the mix, it was all too obvi-
ous that doubles would be
the clincher. What we in-
Law seeks
momentum
before WC
qualiers
Agence France-Presse
Nottingham
West Indies coach Stuart
Law is looking to the re-
mainder of the ODI series
against England to help
him build a settled team
ahead of next year’s World
Cup qualifying tourna-
ment.
Defeat in the first ODI at
Old Trafford on Tuesday
ended West Indies’ hopes
of gaining direct entry to
the 2019 World Cup in Bri-
tain.
Instead the two-time
champion will now have to
come through a qualifying
tournament, set to take
place in Zimbabwe early
next year, if it is to secure a
spot in the business end of
the showpiece 50-over
event.
West Indies reached the
first three World Cup fi-
nals, all staged in England,
winning the inaugural edi-
tion in 1975 and repeating
that achievement in 1979
before suffering a shock
defeat by India at Lord’s in
the climax of the 1983 edi-
tion.
But this year saw the
Caribbean side fail to qual-
ify for the elite Champions
Trophy one-day tourna-
ment as they were outside
the world’s top eight 50-
over teams. So it was no
surprise when West Indies
missed out on an auto-
matic place at the World
Cup.
“Our plan is to go to Zi-
mbabwe next year with a
settled team,” Law told re-
porters at Trent Bridge.
Injury has opened my eyes to
life outside hockey: Sreejesh
Shreedutta Chidananda
Bengaluru
It is nearly three months
since P.R. Sreejesh tore the
anterior cruciate ligament in
his right knee at the Sultan
Azlan Shah Cup. The goal-
keeper has since undergone
surgery and a lengthy rehab-
ilitation process before re-
joining the National camp
here a couple of weeks ago.
A return to action may
still be some time away, but
when he arrived at the SAI,
Sreejesh
Sreejesh put his pads on and
spent time walking on the
pitch, simply soaking it in.
“It had been almost 90 days
since I put my pads on,” he
said here on Saturday.
“I just wanted to get that
feeling. It was like being a
goalkeeper for the first time.
I wore my pads, walked
around, stood on the field. I
could remember what all
was happening with me be-
fore the injury. It reminded
me of where I was before
and where I am now.”
Sreejesh had originally
planned to return to action
in November but he now ad-
mits it might take a little
longer. As India prepares for
the Asia Cup, there is again a
stead saw was Saketh Myneni
being drafted into the final
four after having played a
paltry 12 sets since January.
There is always the option
of changing a nomination till
an hour before the draw and
India exercised it to drop
Myneni in favour of Purav.
But it is difficult to fathom
that a player who was even-
tually deemed “a few weeks
away from playing a five-set
match” was selected at all.
Curiously, after the
doubles rubber, Bhupathi
was wholesome in his praise
of the 45-year-old Nestor.
“He’s played 50 Davis Cup
matches and that’s why at 5-
all, 30-all in the second set
he served an ace,” he said.
Fans could be forgiven if they
had chosen to juxtapose
Nestor and Paes.
We may never know if
Paes would have helped In-
dia win. But when selection
is often clouded by factors
beyond the court it does res-
ult in a muddle. The end res-
ult is the terrible mess
doubles finds itself in.
Wenger foresees radical
transfer shake-up
Says regulation has to be stricter and clearer
Restructuring needed: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is of the opinion that there should be
a re-look of the transfer spending following the mega deals this season. AFP
Agence France-Presse
LONDON
Arsenal manager Arsene
Wenger believes there will
be a radical overhaul of the
transfer market within the
next year following the stra-
tospheric spending of the
close-season trading period.
Paris Saint-Germain
smashed the world transfer
record to sign Neymar from
Barcelona for $266 million,
while Premier League clubs
spent $1.9 billion.
German chancellor An-
gela Merkel urged the sport’s
authorities to curb spiralling
fees earlier this month and
Wenger said the interven-
tion of such a figure proved
it was time for change.
“Something will happen.
It is for the first time that,
politically, the German
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
*
V. SREENIVASA MURTHY
new coach to get used to,
but Sreejesh is not con-
cerned. “It’s nothing new,”
he said.
“In 2014 Terry Walsh
in. Then Roelant (Oltmans)
came in. Now Sjoerd (Mar-
ijne) comes in.
“All I’m thinking about is
how I’m going to work with
him and how we perform
than worrying that this has
happened.”
Oltmans and Marijne
were different, he felt. “The
way Sjoerd says things are
different because he wants
players to take the initiative.
He wants players to be given
more importance. He makes
many young players’
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI
Legendary Brazilian foot-
baller Ronaldinho says that
the upcoming FIFA Under-17
World Cup in India can be
crucial for many young play-
ers as it has given him “a
wonderful start” to his glit-
tering career when he won
it for the first in 1997.
Ronaldinho won Brazil’s
first FIFA U-17 World Cup 20
years ago in Egypt. He is the
only player to have won
both FIFA U-17 World Cup
(1997) and FIFA World Cup
Finals (2002) titles.
“The U-17 World Cup is a
very special tournament for
me. It opened the door for
my professional career. I
was lucky enough not only
to take part in the competi-
tion but to win it too.
“I can honestly say that it
opened the door for my pro-
fessional career,” said Ron-
aldinho, who was named
FIFA World Player of the
Year in 2004 and 2005.
“The U-17 World Cup can
be crucial as for many play-
prime minister came out,”
he said in comments pub-
lished by British newspapers
on Saturday.
“I think politically some-
thing will happen in the next
12 months to regulate and
limit the transfer amount.
“You have to go one of
two ways — regulate it prop-
erly or leave it completely
open. But you cannot be in
between.
“That is where we are at
the moment. That is only to
the advantage of some clubs
who can deal with rules in a
legal way.
“The regulation has to be
stricter and clearer or open
it completely: you can do
what you want, provided
you can guarantee you have
the money to pay. At the mo-
ment, we are a bit in
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU
plans but he takes inputs
from our side on how we
want to play, and whether
these workouts are helping
us improve. For everything,
he takes feedback.”
The injury had opened
his eyes to life away from
hockey, Sreejesh stated.
“The injury was a good
thing. I was in a hockey shell
before.
“I never imagined
Sreejesh without hockey.
But these three months have
given me the courage to
think that a life without
hockey is possible. There’s a
world outside, there’s your
family. You need to be with
everyone.”
The 29-year-old was de-
lighted that he had been able
to witness the birth of his
second child. “I was there
when he was born. I was
there for his naming cere-
mony.
“I missed all this with my
first child. I missed watching
her grow up. I saw her every
three months. But now I’m
getting some time to spend
with my baby. Now I wake
up at midnight, change di-
apers, and carry the baby.
Now I feel I’m a father.”
Ronaldinho.
*
FILE PHOTO: PTI
ers it marks the start of their
careers. Young players
dream of making it big, and
this competition gives them
a fantastic opportunity to
make that dream come true.
It got my career off to a won-
derful start and will always
be close to my heart,” he
was as quoted as saying by
www.fifa.com.
In a career spanning al-
most 20 years, the Brazilian
won almost every title in
football, including 2002
World Cup, Confederations
Cup 2005 and the UEFA
Champions League in 2006.
Ronaldinho has played
for Brazil senior side 97
times and has 33 interna-
tional goals.
*
between and that does not
work.”
Wenger believes the high
fees will increase the likeli-
hood of players running
down their contracts and
then leaving clubs on free
transfers.
Both Alexis Sanchez and
Mesut Ozil are in the final
years of their Arsenal
contracts.
“With the amount of
transfer levels and the ex-
pected amount of contracts
the players want, you will
have more and more players
going into the final year of
their contract,” Wenger said.
“You will be in a position
where you either extend for
money you cannot afford or
you go into the final year of
their contract.”
A ND-NDE
 september 24, 2017 Chennai

Section 2
Trump tweets take Premium bikes help Tax-free bonds in Asteroid mission
on GOP holdouts on two-wheeler sales cross secondary market score receives a gravitational
health legislation that of four-wheelers over xed deposits kick from earth
page 4 page 8 page 9 page 14

Printed at . Che n n a i . Coim b ato r e . Be n g a luru . Hy de r a b a d . M a d u r a i . No i da . V i s a k h a pat n a m . Th i ru va n a n t h a pu r a m . Ko ch i . V i j ayawa da . Ma ng a lu ru . Ti ru c h i r a pa l l i . Ko l k ata . Hu b b a l l i . M o h a l i . M a l a p p u r a m . M u m b a i . Ti ru pat i . lu c k n ow

IN BRIEF Paswan joins chorus

Their quest for
land continues
KALPETTA
Tribals in this part of Kerala
share a similar story — no
house and no land, only
suering at the hands of
political parties and ocials.
In their quest to own land,
they have staged many a
protest, but to no avail.
NEWS A PAGE 2
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Despite U.S. warnings,
Iran tests new missile
TEHRAN
Iran said on Saturday that it
had successfully tested a new
medium-range missile in
deance of U.S. warnings
that such activities were
grounds for abandoning their
landmark nuclear deal. State
television carried footage of
the launch of the
Khoramshahr missile, which
was rst displayed at a high-
prole military parade here
on Friday.
WORLD A PAGE 3
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
A muted beginning
for Apple’s iPhone 8
SAN FRANCISCO/SYDNEY/TOKYO
Apple Inc.’s release of iPhone
8 kicked o with less fanfare
on Friday than new models in
previous years in the U.S.,
Asia, Australia and Britain, as
fans held out for the premium
iPhone X, due in early
November.
BUSINESS ABROAD
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Banished Manipuri script stages a comeback
Manipur’s king chose Bengali script in 18th century, but the fortunes of the local script have revived
Iboyaima Laithangbam
IMPHAL
The Manipuri script, over
3,500 years old by some ac-
counts and edged out by a
Bengali import, is on a re-
vival course, with street
signs, newspapers, literature
and even records of As-
sembly proceedings adopt-
ing it.
The script was lost to the
speakers of the language
when Shantidas Gosai, a
Hindu missionary, spread
Vaishnavism in the region in
1709, during the reign of
Pamheiba. The King, who as-
sumed the name Garib Ni-
waz, decreed its replace-
ment with that of Bengali.
Books and other written
materials in Manipuri were
then incinerated. But many
of his subjects opposed the
imposition and continued to
follow dual religions, Vaish-
nava and Sanamahi. They
also preserved the Manipuri
script.
June 20 marked a mile-
stone in the revival efforts,
when college teachers com-
pleted a 10-day reorientation
programme.
Manipur’s Education Min-
ister T. Radheshyam said, “It
is a must for college and uni-
versity teachers to be well-
acquainted with the Ma-
nipuri script. In due course,
it will be taught at the univer-
sity level.” Necessary teach-
ing resources were readily
available, he noted.
Pursuing the restoration
A PAGE 12
plan is Meelal, a registered
Return to favour: A vigorous campaign has brought back the Manipuri script, seen in these
images, into popular use including in newspapers. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
body with 24 organisations
that took off on August 18,
2003. It has been at the fore-
front of the campaign.
Meelal has kept a hawk eye
on the use of non-Manipuri
words in writing and social
media, and in open air
theatre, a widely enjoyed
form of entertainment.
There are campaigns led
by Meelal for teaching of the
Manipuri script in schools
and colleges, doing away
with Bengali-script text-
books. It organises free
classes for the young and the
old.
Redundant letters
Manipuri belongs to the
Tibeto-Burmese branch of
the Sino-Tibetan family of
languages and has no use for
several Bengali letters, some
of which its speakers are un-
able to pronounce correctly.
Writers are known to use
Bengali letters whimsically,
with the result that writers
use different spellings for
*
several words. Personalised
spellings imposed by univer-
sity professors on the re-
search scholars have aggrav-
ated the linguistic problem.
Militant enforcement
Occasionally, activists have
used extreme methods to ad-
vance the cause. Signboards
without the Manipuri script
were defaced with tar. A
SUNDAY SPECIAL
plaque at a city flyover was
vandalised and the govern-
ment library in Imphal,
which housed a considerable
number of Bengali books,
was burned down one night
by unidentified protesters.
Thanks to the revivalist
moves, Manipuri language
newspapers have to publish
at least one news item in the
traditional script on their
front pages.
Hoardings, billboards and
other material for public
events must also be in the
script. Organisers have had
to tender public apologies if
this requirement was defied
or ‘forgotten’. Also, vehicle
owners must display their re-
gistration numbers in the
Manipuri script.
The plan to return to the
old has faced rough weather.
Litigation and objections by
some groups prompted the
government to drag its feet
over the reintroduction. The
State government accepted
the 27-alphabet script in
1980, but some groups
claimed that the 18-letter, 27-
letter or 36-letter alphabets
were the ‘genuine’ ones.
While it is also called
‘Meitei,’ the late Lt. Col.
Haobam Bhuban, a former
Minister, demanded that it
be called the Manipuri script
for three reasons: it is the
one used for the royal chron-
icle of the kings of the land,
King Gambhir signed the
Jeeree Agreement of April 18,
1833 in it, and most import-
antly, in 1979 the Manipur
Assembly, under the leader-
ship of Yangmasho Shaiza, of
the Tangkhul tribe, ap-
proved the 27-letter Ma-
nipuri alphabet.”
The State language is also
spoken by Manipuris in sev-
eral places, including Assam,
Tripura and other northeast-
ern States, and Bangladesh
and Myanmar.
Writing on the wall
The results of the campaign-
ing are visible. It is no acci-
dent that many public sign-
boards no longer have the
Bengali script. Widely pub-
lished newspapers that have
not gone Manipuri, like
Poknapham, Sangai Express
and Hueiyen Lanpao, are los-
ing younger readers. Since
2006, students have been
taught in the Manipuri
script, creating a new gener-
ation of educated Manipuris.
Publishers with a longer-
term view of the market
began printing newspapers
in the Manipuri tradition,
and in English. Many organ-
isations, including those sup-
porting insurgency, use Ro-
man in lieu of the Bengali
script for their press re-
leases. Most writers have
stopped using the Bengali
script, while others have re-
written their old books using
the traditional alphabet.
In another move that has
received a big welcome, Ma-
nipur Speaker Y. Khemchand
recently announced that one
copy of the State Assembly
proceedings would be recor-
ded in the Manipuri script.
for concurrent polls
But Opposition remains unconvinced
Sobhana K Nair
New Delhi
Adding to the chorus favour-
ing simultaneous polls for
Parliament and State Assem-
blies, Lok Jan Shakti Party
chief and Union Minister
Ram Vilas Paswan on Sat-
urday said the time was ripe
to introduce the process to
save time and money.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has been advocating
simultaneous polls since
March 2016.
Phased move
The AIADMK, which has not
officially joined the NDA yet,
has also been making posit-
ive noises. Deputy Speaker
of the Lok Sabha M. Tham-
bidurai wrote a three-page
letter to Mr. Modi proposing
that by 2019, 20 States
should go for polls and by
2024, all Parliamentary and
Assembly elections could be
fully synced.
Mr. Paswan also said his
party had been proposing
simultaneous elections
since 1989. The counter-ar-
gument that the arrange-
ment would reduce ac-
countability to the voters
was fallacious, he said.
Turmoil in Tamil Nadu
Asked how the changed sys-
tem would handle political
turmoil as currently seen in
Tamil Nadu, Mr. Paswan
said the answer lies within
the Assembly. “If, say, a
Chief Minister or a party
loses the confidence of the
House, instead of going back
Ram Vilas Paswan
to the people, the members
of the House should vote to
pick the alternate leader or
party,” he said.
The Lok Jan Shakti Party
also strongly opposed pro-
portional representation. It
informed the parliamentary
panel discussing the elect-
oral reforms that this would
increase caste-based polit-
ics. “Look at the election
posters put up today; we
will be representatives of all
castes and communities. If
we bring in proportional
representation, no one will
work for an entire constitu-
ency. The social equations
will be disrupted and the
schisms will grow deeper,”
he said.
However, the Opposition
parties have remained un-
convinced of the advantages
of the system. In the Stand-
ing Committee of Law and
Justice’s December 2015 re-
port on the subject, both
the Trinamool Congress and
the Congress rejected it as
anti-democratic and uncon-
stitutional. The CPI and the
NCP have said the process is
“not feasible.”

https://t.me/yk_info
CM B CH-CHE
YK
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IN BRIEF
‘Madrasas should impart
modern education too’
BHOPAL
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj
Singh Chouhan has urged
madrasas to impart modern
education along with religi-
ous training. At a function of
the Madhya Pradesh Madarsa
Board on Friday night, he
announced an increase in the
annual infrastructure fund of
each madrasa from ₹25,000
to ₹50,000. PTI
Illegal arms factory
unearthed on border
LAKHIMPUR KHERI
An alleged illegal arms
factory was unearthed in the
remote Mahadev Tanda
village in the Singahi area on
the India-Nepal border, the
police said on Saturday. “Four
persons — Israr, Punnu, Mohd.
Shami and Rafiq — found
making country-made
firearms were arrested on
Friday. Twenty firearms were
recovered,” the police said. PTI
Youths beaten up, police
officials suspended
MUZAFFARNAGAR
Five officials of the Baseda
police outpost here in Uttar
Pradesh have been taken off
duty and two suspended after
a video of three youths being
beaten up inside the outpost
surfaced. The video allegedly
showed the youths being
beaten up in the outpost,
with their hands tied to a
pillar. PTI
Medium-intensity quake
in Kashmir Valley
SRINAGAR
An earthquake measuring 4.5
on the Richter scale shook the
Kashmir Valley on Saturday.
The epicentre of the
earthquake, which was
recorded at 5.44 a.m., was in
the Symbol area of Bandipora,
an official of the
Meteorological department
said. The police said there
were no reports of any
damage. PTI
CM
YK
Tribals in Wayanad wait
for the promised land
Landless communities revive agitation to settle conict of livelihoods and laws
E.M. Manoj
Kalpetta
Balakrishnan, 70, is the head
of the Annapara ‘Kat-
tunayakka’, a particularly
vulnerable tribal group
(PVTG). As a boy, his parents
told him that his grandfather
possessed nearly 60 acres of
land. “We do not own a
single cent now, not even to
cremate our dead,” he says.
A dilapidated single-room
hut situated on encroached
forest land at Irulam, near
Pulpally in Kerala’s Wayanad
district, has been his home
for five years now.
Mr. Balakrishnan’s grand-
father was illiterate. When
settler farmers began migrat-
ing to Wayanad in the 1960s,
a few of them introduced al-
cohol and tobacco to tribals,
who had no proper title
deeds, and soon found their
land usurped. Two hundred
such tribal families have
been living on the slopes of
Irulam and Cheeyambam in
the South Wayanad forest di-
vision since May 2012.
The politically sensitive is-
sue of tribals with no lands
in this part of the Western
Ghats has hit the headlines
again, after 54 families
entered the Wayanad Wild-
life Sanctuary and took over
land last week, marking a
fresh phase of the agitation.
Years ago, on January 5,
2003, over 3,000 tribals
from 800 families of the Adi-
vasi Gothra Mahasabha
began encroaching upon
forest land and building huts
at Thakarappadi in the Way-
anad Sanctuary. About 725
tribal members from differ-
ent parts of the district were
arrested under the Wildlife
(Protection) Act.
They were acquitted in
two cases by a magistrate’s
court in Sulthan Bathery on
August 2, 2011. Later, the
government cancelled all re-
lated cases against them.
Nowhere to go: Tribal people cultivating pepper on forest
land at Cheeyambam in Wayanad, Kerala. E.M. MANOJ
A few months later, a
group of tribals under the
aegis of the Adivasi Kshema
Samiti, a tribal feeder organ-
isation of the Communist
Party of India-Marxist (CPI-
M), encroached on and built
huts in the forest under the
South and North Wayanad
Forest Divisions.
Later, the agitators were
given rights for the land un-
der the Scheduled Tribes
and Other Traditional Forest
Dwellers (Recognition of
Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
When the stir intensified in
Wayanad, with support from
major political parties in
2012, thousands of landless
tribal people participated.
They erected huts on forest
land, hoping that they would
get to own it at the end of the
agitation. This led to 53 agit-
ation points in the two forest
divisions.
Hope takes root
They felt encouraged be-
cause similar agitations had
resulted in land being as-
https://t.me/yk_info
*
signed under the Forest
Rights Act, on which they
began cultivating ginger, cof-
fee and pepper.
Mr. Balakrishnan also
planted nearly 300 pepper
vines and 200 coffee plants
on an acre of forest land ‘as-
signed’ to him by the leaders
of the Adivasi Congress, an
outfit of the Congress party.
He was promised that he
would never be evicted. But
the Forest Rights Act was
meant only to protect the
rights of people who could
trace their claim back to 75
years or three generations,
and not for all landless tribal
people.
Narayani, 45, a resident of
the Irulam Paniya settlement
near Pulpally with just 15
families, is an activist with
the Adivasi Kshema Samiti,
the tribal wing of the CPI(M).
She says her party members
told her that tribals should
continue agitating and not
leave the area till they got
land.
Though Forest Depart-
ment officials arrested 826
tribal agitators, including
296 women, after demolish-
ing nearly 1,287 huts erected
by the latter in July 2012
alone, they were let off. They
were back when local courts
granted them bail.
The families were those
arrested under the Kerala
Forest Act but later, the gov-
ernment cancelled all forest
cases against them. Once the
intensity of the agitation
abated, a few returned to the
huts. Those who did not pos-
sess land stayed back.
Battling many odds
These members still live in
unhygienic makeshift huts,
with no potable water, vul-
nerable to diseases and at-
tacks by wild animals. In
some instances, elephants
have destroyed their huts.
Their political support disap-
peared after elections were
past.
Though governments
have enacted the Scheduled
Tribes and Other Traditional
Forest Dwellers (Recognition
of Forest Rights) Act, 2006,
and the Kerala Scheduled
Tribes (Restriction on Trans-
fer and Restoration of Alien-
ated lands) Act, 1975, for tri-
bal people, their issues
remain unresolved, says C.
K. Janu, chairperson of the
Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha.
“The Land Reforms Act en-
acted in the Kerala State in
the 1960s helped thousands
of landless tenants realise
their dream of owning land
but it also denied justice to
tribal people,” says Ms. Janu,
who has led agitations for
them.
Data available with Ker-
ala’s Directorate of Sched-
uled Tribes Development,
show there are 36,135 tribal
families in the small district.
Of them, 8,018 are landless
and 5,050 families hold be-
low 10 cents of land.
With this Samaritan,
on-road service is free
60-year-old hobbyist helps people in distress on highways
Sumit Bhattacharjee
Visakhapatnam
A drive down the breezy
25km Beach Road from Vi-
sakhapatnam to Bheemuni-
patnam, with the ancient
red sand dunes of Erramatti
Dibbalu on one side and the
blue waters of the sea on
the other, can be very
pleasant — until a vehicle
suffers a flat tyre. There are
no shops nearby to fix the
puncture.
But a traveller who en-
counters the man in white,
Duppamapudi Nageswara
Rao, passing by can con-
sider his problem solved.
Anjali Srinivas is one
such motorist. She enjoys
the drive but one day,
found herself stranded.
“My tyre was punctured at
a lonely spot and it was get-
ting dark. I was not carrying
a spare wheel and did not
have the tools. Many cars
sped past. My only option
was to call my family but
my husband was a 40-
minute drive away. I was
scared. Suddenly, this good
Samaritan stopped his car a
few paces away. He intro-
duced himself as DNR and
got down to fixing the punc-
ture without further ado.
He had the necessary tools
and a puncture kit in the
boot of his car. He finished
the task in 15 minutes and
said goodbye.”
Ms. Srinivas is among the
many people DNR has
helped in diverse ways
across the 23 districts of un-
divided Andhra Pradesh in
the last 20 years. Some
years ago, when a short cir-
cuit set off a fire in a shop-
ping complex in Vi-
sakhapatnam, DNR
sprinted to his car, pulled
out a mini-extinguisher and
doused the flames even be-
fore the fire services could
respond. He has put out
about half a dozen such
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
Ready to roll: D.N. Rao stocks up on essentials to help
motorists and others in distress. C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
small fires with his handy
extinguisher.
Mr. Rao stocks equip-
ment to deal with 30 or 40
potential crises in his car.
“If anyone needs a sewing
kit to sew a button, I have it
ready,” he says earnestly.
Relief on-the-go
Pragmatic and resourceful,
DNR has changed car bat-
teries with a 10-metre ex-
tension cord he keeps
handy; provided medicines
to travellers suffering from
fever, diarrhoea or nausea;
offered chocolates, biscuits
or fruit juice to diabetic
commuters; and supplied
bed rolls and raincoats to
riders of two-wheelers.
A fast bowler who once
represented his University,
he even keeps a cricket kit
handy. “Whenever I see
poor children playing
without a proper kit, I lend
my kit to them for a couple
of hours and also play with
them. I carry a football and
volleyball, and stationery
too. But my basic idea is to
help people in distress on
the road,” he says.
Mr. Rao, who is 60 years
old and lives in Visakhapat-
CHENNAI
THE HINDU
*
nam, joined a friend’s ce-
ment and steel business
after he took early retire-
ment from the Cement Cor-
poration of India. “The new
job required a lot of touring
across the State, and I love
long drives. One day, in
1977, I was stuck with a
punctured tyre near
Kadiyam village in the East
Godavari district. It was a
bad experience for me and
from then on, I decided to
carry a full puncture kit.
Now, I have a modern hy-
draulic set to deal with the
problem,” he said.
Road warrior
The doughty good Samar-
itan recounts, “I slowly ad-
ded things like wax and
seal, a laptop, car and mo-
bile battery chargers, and
Wi-Fi, which I offer free to
anyone. It initially began as
a [response to a] need and
turned into a hobby. Now, it
is my passion.”
It is Mr. Rao’s love for the
open road that brings him
into contact with people in
need of help. If in trouble,
look out for the man driving
a white car, and clad in
white clothes.
B CH-CHE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
THE HINDU CHENNAI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
ELSEWHERE
Macron sees ‘advances’
by May in Brexit speech
PARIS
French President Emmanuel
Macron has noted “advances”
and “openings” in U.K. Prime
Minister Theresa May’s Brexit
speech. Mr. Macron said “the
signals sent by the Prime
Minister show a willingness”
ahead of a new round of talks
between Britain and the EU
next week. AFP
11 arrested in Bangladesh
for terror financing
DHAKA
Eleven people have been
arrested for their suspected
links in terror financing
during separate raids in the
Bangladeshi capital, the
police said on Saturday. The
anti-crime and anti-terrorism
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
made the arrests from
different parts of Dhaka on
Friday. PTI
Pakistan successfully
fires anti-ship missile
KARACHI
The Pakistan Navy on
Saturday successfully test-
fired an anti-ship air to sea
level missile in North Arabian
Sea, with its chief vowing to
safeguard the sea borders
and the country’s interests at
“every cost.” The Sea King
multi-role helicopter fired the
missile in open sea, which
successfully hit the target. PTI
Turkey warns Kurdish
leaders over referendum
ISTANBUL
Turkish officials are pressing
Iraqi Kurdish leaders to call
off an upcoming
independence referendum as
Turkey’s Parliament convenes
to renew a mandate for its
military to intervene in Iraq
and Syria. Turkish PM Binali
Yildirim on Saturday called
the referendum “a mistake, an
adventure”. AP
CM
YK
Deant Iran test-res missile
U.S. has warned that such activities can result in abandonment of nuclear deal
Agence France-Presse
Tehran
Iran said on Saturday that it
had successfully tested a
new medium-range missile
in defiance of warnings from
Washington that such activit-
ies were grounds for
abandoning their landmark
nuclear deal.
State television carried
footage of the launch of the
Khoramshahr missile, which
was first displayed at a high-
profile military parade in
Tehran on Friday.
It also carried in-flight
video from the nose cone of
the missile, which has a
range of 2,000 km and can
carry multiple warheads. “As
long as some speak in the
language of threats, the
strengthening of the coun-
try's defence capabilities will
continue and Iran will not
seek permission from any
country for producing vari-
ous kinds of missile,” De-
fence Minister Amir Hatami
said in a statement.
The test comes at the end
of a heated week of dip-
lomacy at the UN General
Assembly in New York,
Iran tries to reconcile Syria and Hamas, rebuilding alliance
Tehran is creating a bloc of support across the region to counter Israel and the United States’ Arab allies
Associated Press
Beirut
Iran is working to restore a
lost link in its network of alli-
ances in West Asia, trying to
bring Hamas fully back into
the fold after the Palestinian
militant group had a bitter
fall-out with Iranian ally
Syria over that country’s civil
war.
Iran and its Lebanese ally
Hezbollah are quietly trying
to mediate a reconciliation
between Syria and Hamas. If
they succeed, it would shore
up a weak spot in the alli-
ance at a time when Iran has
strengthened ties with Syria
Pushing ahead: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaking at
the annual military parade in Tehran on Friday. AFP
where U.S. President Donald
Trump again accused Iran of
destabilising the Middle
East, calling it a “rogue state
whose chief exports are viol-
ence, bloodshed and chaos”.
Previous Iranian missile
launches have triggered U.S.
sanctions and accusations
that they violate the spirit of
the 2015 nuclear deal
between Tehran and major
powers. Iran, which fought a
brutal war with neighbour-
ing Iraq in the 1980s, sees
missiles as a legitimate and
and Iraq, building a bloc of
support across the region to
counter Israel and the United
States’ Arab allies. But when
Syria tipped into civil war,
Hamas broke with President
Bashar al-Assad and sided
with the rebels fighting to
oust him. The rebels are
largely Sunni Muslims, like
Hamas, and scenes of Sunni
civilian deaths raised an out-
cry across the region against
Mr. Assad, who belongs to
the minority Alawite sect.
A bulwark
Iran, meanwhile, has been
one of Assad’s strongest
https://t.me/yk_info
* They
vital part of its defence —
particularly as regional rivals
Saudi Arabia and Israel im-
port huge amounts of milit-
ary hardware from the West.
Mr. Trump has threatened
to bin the nuclear agree-
ment, saying Iran is develop-
ing missiles that may be used
to deliver a nuclear warhead
when the deal’s restrictions
are lifted in 2025.
He is due to report to the
Congress on October 15 on
whether Iran is still comply-
ing with the deal and
backers since the crisis in
Syria began in 2011, pumping
billions of dollars into the
economy and sending ad-
visers as well as Iranian-
backed fighters to help him
stay in power. Hezbollah sent
thousands of fighters, help-
ing tip the war in Assad’s fa-
vour against the rebels and is
now helping in the fight
against the Islamic State.
The reconciliation attempt
comes after Hamas elected a
new leadership and its main
backers — Qatar and Turkey,
both strong supporters of
the rebels in Syria — have
sought to improve relations
whether it remains in U.S. in-
terests to stick by it. If he de-
cides that it is not, that could
open the way for U.S. law-
makers to reimpose sanc-
tions, leading to the poten-
tial collapse of the pact.
Mr. Trump said on Wed-
nesday he had made his de-
cision but was not yet ready
to reveal it. The other signat-
ories to the deal — Britain,
France, Germany, China,
Russia and the EU — have all
pushed for it to continue.
European support
point out that
abandoning the agreement
will remove restrictions on
Iran immediately — rather
than in eight years' time —
and that the International
Atomic Energy Agency has
repeatedly confirmed
Tehran is meeting its com-
mitments.
Iran says all of its missiles
are designed to carry con-
ventional warheads only and
has limited their range to a
maximum of 2,000 km, al-
though commanders say
they have the technology to
go further.
with Iran. Since Yehiyeh Sin-
war took over Hamas leader-
ship in the Gaza Strip in Feb-
ruary, the group has been
rebuilding those relations.
In August, a Hamas deleg-
ation visited Tehran and took
part in President Hassan
Rouhani’s inauguration.
They also met with the Par-
liament Speaker and senior
aides to Iran’s supreme
leader, Ayatollah Ali Khame-
nei. This year, Hamas offi-
cials have held three meet-
ings with Hezbollah leader
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and
relations have reportedly re-
turned to normal.
Dam in Puerto Rico on
the verge of collapse
70,000 people told to evacuate
Agence France-Presse
San Juan
Some 70,000 people have
been ordered to evacuate
their homes after a rain-
swollen dam in Puerto Rico
failed in the latest disaster
caused by Hurricane Maria,
which was on Saturday ex-
pected to head into open
waters.
With the storm death toll
standing at 33 across the
Caribbean, Puerto Rico’s
National Weather Service is-
sued a flash flood warning
for people living along the
Guajataca river in the north-
west of the island, saying an
earthen dam there was in
danger of collapsing.
“All Areas surrounding
the Guajataca River should
evacuate NOW. Their lives
are in DANGER!” the NWS
tweeted on Friday, saying
flooding had already begun
downstream. Governor Ri-
cardo Rossello also issued
an order for 70,000 people
living in the area to flee.
Public safety chief Hector
Pesquera said a drain which
normally releases water
Signs of rapprochement: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,
right, meeting Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Damascus in
2006. Hamas fell out with Syria over the country’s civil war.
WORLD 3
Bring home
the bacon,
Merkel
tells voters
Agence France-Presse
Berlin
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel and her rival Martin
Schulz rallied voters on the
eve of Sunday’s vote, ur-
ging Germans to shun the
first hard-right party ex-
pected to enter Parliament
in force since the end of
the Second World War.
A resident carries supplies Ms. Merkel, the clear
in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, frontrunner after 12 years
on Friday. AP *
in power with a double-di-
git lead, also told her con-
from the dam in a con- servative base not to get
trolled fashion had stopped complacent and to cast
working, the El Vocero daily their ballots, rousing them
reported. with a folksy call to “bring
home the bacon”.
Extending the warning Her Social Democratic
Footage from WeatherNa- (SPD) rival, Martin Schulz,
tion TV showed water gush- in a passionate speech in
ing down a ramp-style con- Berlin on Friday told voters
duit, washing away huge to reject the “sleeping-pill
chunks of soil from the politics” of the famously
grassy green slopes of the cautious Chancellor.
dam. Both agree that voters
Early on Saturday, the must resist the right-wing
NWS extended the warning populist Alternative for
to the western Quebradillas Germany (AfD), which has
and eastern Isabela areas, railed against the influx of
home to another 8,000 around one million mostly
people. Muslim migrants and
refugees.
The party with links to
the far-right French Na-
tional Front and Britain's
UKIP has been polling at 11-
13% and is expected to
enter the Opposition
benches of the Bundestag.
The International Aus-
chwitz Committee warned
that the “conglomerate of
anti-Semites, enemies of
democracy and national-
istic agitators” will bring
“an inhuman coldness” to
the glass-domed chamber
of the Reichstag building.
Ms. Merkel — who has
been heckled and booed as
a “traitor” by AfD followers
— was nonetheless headed
back into one of their
strongholds Saturday, in
her Baltic coast constitu-
ency, where the anti-Islam
party beat Ms. Merkel’s
Christian Democrats in
* AP State elections last year.
B CH-CHE
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4 WORLD
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
ELSEWHERE
‘Will punish those who
killed UN experts’
UNITED NATIONS
Congolese President Joseph
Kabila told the UN General
Assembly on Saturday that he
would ensure those
responsible for killing two UN
investigators earlier this year
will be punished. “We are
determined to ensure that
light is shed on the exact
circumstances of this crime,”
he said. REUTERS
Nigerian journalist
detained over report
LAGOS
Nigerian journalist Emmanuel
Atswen has been detained for
reporting that relief materials
are allegedly being diverted
from a camp for flood
victims. More than 1,00,000
people were forced to flee
their homes in early
September following floods
in central Benue State. AFP
Russia opens criminal
case over arson attack
MOSCOW
Russian police on Saturday
said they had opened a
criminal case following a
series of violent arson
protests over a film about
Russia’s last Tsar. The film,
Matilda, tells the story of a
love affair between Tsar
Nicholas II and ballerina
Matilda Kshesinskaya. REUTERS
Became millionaire due
to inheritance: Duterte
DAVAO
Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte says he became a
local millionaire at a young
age due to inheritance and
reiterated he has no
unexplained wealth. One of
his leading critics has
questioned his claim that he
was born into a poor family.
Mr. Duterte provided some
details of his assets. AP
Myanmar blames Rohingya for blast
Militants planted a ‘home-made mine’ that exploded on Friday, says Army chief
Agence France-Presse
Sittwe
Myanmar’s Army chief on
Saturday blamed Rohinyga
militants for an explosion
outside a mosque in Rakhine
State, as a rights group ac-
cused the military of starting
fires in the region to prevent
refugees from returning.
The unrest comes days
after Myanmar’s civilian
leader Aung San Suu Kyi de-
clared troops had ceased
“clearance operations” in
the border area that have
forced more than 4,30,000
Rohingya refugees to flee for
Bangladesh in under a
month.
The Army claims it is tar-
geting Rohingya militants
who attacked police posts on
August 25. But its operation
has been so sweeping and
brutal that the UN says it
likely amounts to "ethnic
cleansing” of the Rohingya
Muslim minority.
On Saturday Myanmar’s
commander-in-chief Min
Aung Hlaing posted a state-
ment on Facebook saying
Rohingya militants planted a
“home-made mine” that ex-
New Zealand’s election
ends in stalemate
PM English’s party comes rst
Agence France-Presse
Wellington
New Zealand’s cliffhanger
election ended in a stale-
mate Saturday, leaving mav-
erick populist Winston
Peters of the New Zealand
First (NZF) party to decide
whether conservative Prime
Minister Bill English or his
youthful challenger Jacinda
Ardern forms government.
Mr. English delivered an
unexpectedly strong per-
formance to claim 46% of
the vote, while the much-
hyped “Jacinda-mania” sur-
rounding Ardern fell short
as she finished on 36.
The kingmaker
It could be another two
weeks before the outcome is
known, with Mr. Peters say-
ing he was in no hurry to de-
CM
YK
Quake in N. Korea triggers suspicion
China calls it a ‘suspected explosion’ but South Korea terms it a ‘natural earthquake’
Reuters
Beijing/Seoul
A small earthquake near
North Korea’s nuclear test
site on Saturday was prob-
ably not man-made, the nuc-
lear proliferation watchdog
and a South Korean official
said, easing fears Pyongyang
had exploded another nuc-
lear bomb just weeks after its
last one.
Chinese earthquake offi-
cials said the magnitude 3.4
quake detected at 0829 GMT
was a “suspected explosion”
but both the CTBTO, which
monitors nuclear tests, and a
South Korean meteorological
agency official said they be-
lieved it was a natural quake.
“A key method is to look at
the seismic waves or seismic
acoustic waves and the latter
can be detected in the case
of a man-made earthquake,”
said the South Korean offi-
cial, who asked for anonym-
ity. “In this case we saw
none. So as of now, we are
categorising this as a natural
earthquake.”
Magnitude 3.0-quake
The earthquake, which
South Korea put at mag-
nitude 3.0, was detected in
Kilju county in North Hamgy-
ong Province, where North
Korea's known Punggyeri
nuclear site is located, the of-
ficial said.
All of North Korea’s previ-
ous six nuclear tests re-
gistered as earthquakes of
magnitude 4.3 or above. The
last test on Sept 3 registered
as a 6.3 magnitude quake.
A secondary tremor de-
tected after that test could
have been caused by the col-
lapse of a tunnel at the
mountainous site, experts
said at the time. Satellite
photos of the area after the
Sept 3 quake showed numer-
ous landslides apparently
caused by the massive blast,
which North Korea said was
an advanced hydrogen
bomb.
The head of the nuclear
Where life takes us: Two Rohingya refugees cross the Naf
river to reach the city of Teknaf in Bangladesh. AP
ploded in between a mosque
and madrassa in northern
Rakhine’s Buthidaung town-
ship on Friday.
The Army chief accused
the militants of trying to
drive out around 700 hun-
dred villagers who have re-
mained in Mi Chaung Zay —
an argument analysts have
said makes little sense for a
group whose power depends
on the networks it has built
across Rohingya communit-
ies.
On Friday Amnesty Inter-
New Zealand‘s Prime
Minister Bill English. *
AP
cide who to support. The
major parties must forge co-
alitions to reach a majority
under New Zealand’s pro-
portional voting system.
On the final count, Eng-
lish’s National Party and
current ally ACT had 59
seats, two shy of the 61
needed to win.
test monitoring agency CT-
BTO said on Saturday that
analysts were “looking at un-
usual seismic activity of a
much smaller magnitude”
than the Sept 3 test in North
Korea.
“Two #Seismic Events!
0829UTC & much smaller @
0443UTC unlikely Man-
made! Similar to “collapse”
event 8.5 mins after DPRK6!
Analysis ongoing,” CTBTO
Executive Secretary Lassina
Zerbo said in a Twitter post,
referring to Sept 3 test.
Russia’s emergency min-
istry says background radi-
ation in nearby Vladivostok
was within the natural range.
The U.S. Geological Sur-
vey said it could not conclus-
ively confirm whether the
quake, which it measured at
magnitude 3.5, was man-
made or natural.
“The depth is poorly con-
strained and has been held
to 5 km by the seismologist,”
USGS said. “The Air Force Hail Kim: A mass rally that was held in Pyongyang on Saturday in support of Kim Jong-un . AFP
Technical Applications Cen-
ter (AFTAC) is the sole organ-
ization in the U.S. federal
government whose mission
is to detect and report tech-
nical data from foreign nuc-
lear explosions.”
There was no immediate
reaction from China’s For-
eign Ministry, but the news
was widely reported by
Chinese state media outlets
and on social media.
North Korea’s nuclear
tests to date have all been
underground, and experts
say an atmospheric test,
which would be the first
since one by China in 1980,
would be proof of the suc-
cess of its weapons
programme.
Earlier on Saturday, China
said it will limit exports of re- and red ties held up the red fears of miscalculation in the square, past portraits of Mr.
fined petroleum products
from Oct. 1 and ban exports
of condensates and liquefied
natural gas immediately to
comply with the latest UN
sanctions. It will also ban im-
ports of textiles from North
Korea.
*
national said new videos and
satellite imagery confirmed
fires were still ripping
through Rohingya villages,
scores of which have already
been burned to the ground.
Human Rights Watch on
Saturday also echoed allega-
tions from Bangladeshi offi-
cials that Myanmar security
forces were laying landmines
along the border, where
hundreds of thousands of
Rohingya have crossed in the
largest mass refugee move-
ment in recent decades.
‘Israel is currently sitting on a slippery slope’
Director of rights group B’Tselem calls upon international community to challenge the status quo of occupation
Sattwick Barman
Jerusalem
The continuing occupation
of the Palestinian territories
is having a toxic effect on the
Israeli political system itself,
according to Hagai El-Ad, ex-
ecutive director of Israeli hu-
man rights group B’Tselem.
“We have been sitting on a
slippery slope and sliding
down it since 1967... The
fantasy that you can have
military rule over millions of
people for 50 years on one
side of the Green Line and
have a proper democracy on
the other — and that one
thing is not going to have a
toxic effect on another — is
bogus,” Mr. El-Ad told The
Hindu in an interview in
Jerusalem.
https://t.me/yk_info
Mr. El-Ad last year spoke
out against the occupation
before the UN Security Coun-
cil. The reaction from the
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
CHENNAI THE HINDU
Trump rails against
health law rebels
McCain opposed GOP bill on Friday
Associated Press
Washington
Sen. John McCain’s opposi-
tion to the GOP’s last-ditch
effort to repeal and replace
the Obama health law has
dealt a likely fatal blow to
the legislation and perhaps
to the Republican Party’s
years of promises to kill the A Donald Trump supporter
programme. at a rally in Huntsville,
It was the second time in Alabama. AFP *
three months Mr. McCain,
81, had emerged as the des- of Congress and the White
troyer of his party’s signa- House this year.
ture promise to voters. Mr. Trump, at a political
“John McCain never had rally Friday night in
any intention of voting for Alabama, he said he would
this Bill, which his Governor continue the fight to repeal
loves. He campaigned on the law. “You can’t quit
Repeal & Replace. Let Ari- when you have one or two
zona down!” President Don- votes short.”
ald Trump said in a series of GOP leaders hoped to
tweets Saturday that at- bring the legislation to the
tacked GOP Senators who full Senate this coming
hadn’t gotten behind the week. They face a Sept. 30
bill. deadline, at which point
*
Mr. McCain announced special rules that prevent a
on Friday that he could not Democratic filibuster will
“in good conscience” vote expire.
Pyongyang rallies in Kim’s support for the legislation.
“I believe we could do NFL protest
better working together, Re- Also, referring to the refusal
Agence France-Presse publicans and Democrats, of some NFL players to
Pyongyang clenched, as speakers re- versity student Ri Il Ung, 24. and have not yet really stand during the national
peated Mr. Kim’s denigration “Trump is a warmonger tried,” Mr. McCain said. anthem as a mark of
Tens of thousands of Py- of Trump on Friday as and a backstreet gangster,” “Nor could I support it protest, Mr. Trump said on
ongyang residents were “mentally deranged” and a he added. without knowing how much Friday “They’re ruining the
gathered in the capital’s Kim “dotard”. The North Korean regime it will cost, how it will affect game.”
Il-sung Square Saturday to On one side of the square is intensely militaristic and insurance premiums, and Several athletes, includ-
laud leader Kim Jong-un’s a giant poster depicted innu- bases its claim to legitimacy how many people will be ing a handful of NFL play-
denunciation of U.S. Presid- merable red missiles on defending the country helped or hurt by it.” ers, have refused to stand
ent Donald Trump. plunging towards a col- from external aggression, Mr. McCain joined Sen. during “The Star-Spangled
Such set-piece rallies, or- lapsing U.S. Capitol, with the and analysts say that Mr. Rand Paul, R-Ky., as two de- Banner” to protest of the
ganised by the authorities, slogan “Korea’s Answer”. Trump’s comments are grist clared GOP “no” votes on treatment of blacks by
are a regular feature of polit- to its mill. the repeal legislation, police.
ical life in Pyongyang, and Taking up arms Mr. Kim is also using the though Mr. Trump held out Mr. Trump, who once
are intended as a physical The bellicose rhetoric drama to reinforce his lead- hope on Mr. Paul. owned the New Jersey Gen-
demonstration of popular between Mr. Kim and Mr. ership, they add. With Democrats unanim- erals of the U.S. Football
support for the leadership. Trump has become increas- Thousands of people ously opposed, two is the League, says those players
Students in white shirts ingly personal, and raised marched through the exact number of GOP votes are disrespecting the Amer-
Mr. McConnell can afford to ican flag and deserve to lose
flag of the ruling Workers’ stand-off over the North’s Kim’s predecessors, his lose. their jobs.
Party, with a yellow ink nuclear weapons and bal- father and grandfather Kim While Mr. Trump tries to “Wouldn’t you love to see
brush representing intellec- listic missiles. Jong-il and Kim Il-sung, be- keep up the pressure, the one of these NFL owners,
tuals, a hammer for the “I would like to put down hind a banner proclaiming: GOP seems destined to fail when somebody disrespects
workers, and a sickle for the my pen and take up arms “Let us safeguard with our again on a campaign prom- our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that
peasantry. again to perform my duty to lives the central committee ise that every Republican *** off the field right now.
Ranks of workers and res- defend the fatherland,” said of the party headed by the agreed on right up until the Out! He’s fired,” Mr. Trump
idents listened, their fists Pyongyang Mechanical Uni- great comrade Kim Jong-un.” party obtained full control said to loud applause.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Back home
Inux of
refugees
stops
Agence France-Presse
Cox’s Bazar
The flood of Rohingya
refugees into Bangladesh
has come to a virtual halt,
Dhaka officials said on Sat-
urday, almost a month
after violence erupted in
Myanmar’s Rakhine State
and sent nearly 4,30,000
people fleeing across the
border.
Officials gave no reason
for the dramatically re-
duced numbers. But Ro-
hingya Muslim leaders said
it could be because villages
located near the border in
Myanmar’s Rakhine state
were now empty.
Bangladesh Border
Guard commanders said
hardly any refugees are
now seen crossing on boats
coming from Myanmar or Relic of a violent past: A Russian Antonov transport plane carrying parts of a Lufthansa passenger jet, which was hijacked and
trying to get over the land taken to Somalia 40 years ago by a far-left militant group, at the airport in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on Saturday. After the
border. remaining parts of the Boeing 737 arrive from Brazil on Wednesday, it will be reassembled and displayed at a museum. AP *
pation is temporary. At some What followed was one of flict is through international
point in time you need to the most divisive and polar- action. “The international
start questioning that ising trials in the country’s community needs to step
dogma... When you factor in history with many, including forward and say, ‘No more!
the passage of time, the real- Mr. Netanyahu and Defence We do not accept another 50
ity on the ground and the Minister Avigdor Lieberman, years of this reality...’ The
growing volume of state- coming out in favour of a UNSC, in its resolution 2334,
ments by Israeli leaders say- pardon for Azaria. In the calls on all member states to
ing that we need to continue end, however, the Israeli differentiate in their relevant
controlling the territory for courts rejected Azaria’s ap- dealings between Israel and
the foreseeable future, the peal and upheld his 18- the occupied territories. We
word temporary becomes month prison sentence. think that is the minimal
something between a joke Speaking of the difficulties baseline that any decent
and a very obvious lie. As a of working in such a polar- country needs to hold in its
human rights organisation ising environment, Mr. El-Ad relations with Israel.”
we are here to challenge the said: “Unfortunately, in a Asked if India can play any
Resist the injustice: A Palestinian protester throws a burning reality.” growing number of coun- direct role in resolving the
tyre toward Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank tries, not only Israel but also crisis, he said: “Israel’s best
village of Kofr Qadom, near Nablus. REUTERS * Army medic’s trial India and elsewhere, those friends can have a better re-
Last year, B’Tselem released who critique policies of the lationship with my country,
political establishment was Danon, urged the UN agen- a video showing Israeli Army government are being met and at the same time insist
swift. Likud party leader and cies that support B’Tselem to medic Elor Azaria executing with demonisation and at- that the occupation has to
coalition chairman David pull funding. a wounded, incapacitated tempts to portray us as end and ensure that their
Bitan called for Mr. El-Ad’s Asked what made him Palestinian man, who had traitors.” economic policies are in no
citizenship to be revoked, speak out, Mr. El-Ad said: carried out a knife attack in According to the veteran way benefiting or supporting
while the country’s Ambas- “The pretence for a long the West Bank city of rights activist, the only non- the continued oppression of
sador to the UN, Danny time has been that the occu- Hebron. violent way out of the con- the Palestinian people.”
B CH-CHE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
THE HINDU CHENNAI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
*
GETTY IMAGES
MANILA
Tales from
Marawi, the
burning city
It all began on May 23, when
the Philippine military re-
ceived information that Isni-
lon Hapilon, leader of the
Abu Sayyaf group and the
“emir” of Southeast Asia as appointed by the
Islamic State, was in Marawi, one of the
largest cities on the island of Mindanao. He
was there to meet members of the Maute
group, which has pledged allegiance to the IS.
A massive gunfight erupted with Maute milit-
ants attacking several prominent buildings in
the city and taking hostages. With the viol-
ence spiralling out of control, President
Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law. The
“battle of Marawi” has already led to the death
of more than 50 civilians and displacement of
6,00,000 people.
Mindanao, the second largest island in the
Philippines, is not new to terrorist attacks.
The Abu Sayyaf group has been operating on
the island since the early 1990s, seeking an in-
dependent state for Muslims, who make up
around 20% of Mindanao’s population. “Some
areas of Mindanao are very poor, which is
probably why some people have resorted to
> Unlike
< in the past, the ongoing
crisis in Mindanao has
changed things for the worse
as the IS is trying to expand
inuence on the island
through local Islamist groups
extremist activities and drug trade,” said one
resident of Iligan, a city about 38 km from
Marawi. In Iligan itself, people have always
been wary because there have been incidents
of kidnapping for ransom, and most victims
are brought to Marawi, or kidnappers are
from Marawi, the resident said, referring to
the mainly Muslim city of 2,00,000 people.
“But generally, there is an understanding
between Muslims and Christians in
Mindanao.”
Unlike in the past, the ongoing crisis in
Marawi has changed things for the worse. This
time, the difference is that the IS is trying to
expand influence on the island through local
Islamist groups. The battle is draining the city
in terms of economic resources, and more im-
portantly, the mental and physical health of
its people. Today, Marawi bears the look of a
war zone, say people who fled. There is a
severe shortage of food, water, and other es-
sential supplies. Hundreds of people are still
trapped in the siege with very few having ac-
cess to electricity and running water.
Iligan is trying to provide sustenance to the
families arriving from Marawi. “The people of
Marawi are obviously struggling to have a nor-
mal life,” said another resident, who also did
not want to be identified for security reasons.
The refugees from Marawi are accommodated
in open-area sports centres in Iligan and are
left to sleep on mats on the floor. There are
volunteers to help them, but their situation is
far from normal and there is no assurance that
they can go back to Marawi anytime soon as
the war is still going on, said the resident. Res-
idents who have relatives or sufficient savings
have moved to Iligan and other neighbouring
cities, like Cagayan de Oro. Several others are
still stuck. “Marawi is currently burned to the
ground. It will take years for them to rebuild
their lives.”
Uncertain times
Interestingly, while the world might be debat-
ing whether the martial law is doing any good,
many people in Mindanao find refuge in it.
“Even the residents of Iligan feel safer with the
military around day and night. Slowly but
steadily people are able to do business,” said
one respondent. “Everybody I know is wor-
ried about what will happen if the martial law
is lifted and the military leaves… If Marawi is
today, Iligan could be tomorrow.”
The U.S. is now providing “non-combat as-
sistance”. But along with political support,
what the local government urgently needs is a
rehabilitation plan. As one Iligan resident put
it: “Officials have to consider the sentiments
of all Iligan locals, some of whom also find
these evacuees as part of the problem.”
Manasi Mathkar is a freelance journalist based in
Manila
CM
YK
* GETTY IMAGES
TOKYO
The post-war
pacism is in
for an update
Caught between North
Korea’s provocative weapon
testing and a tense territ-
orial dispute with an ascend-
ant China, Japan is being
forced to confront the contradictions between
its constitutionally mandated post-Second
World War pacifism and the realities of its pre-
carious topography.
In the last few weeks, North Korea has
tested a powerful nuclear bomb as well as sent
an intermediate-range ballistic missile flying
directly over the northern Japanese island of
Hokkaido. The result is a new urgency to long-
held debates in Japan related to developing
more muscular military capabilities, including
a possible constitutional revision.
Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution explicitly
states the decision to “forever renounce war
as a sovereign right” and to eschew the main-
tenance of military forces. This pacifist stance
has been facilitated by a security alliance with
the U.S. that commits the latter to defending
the archipelago in the event of an attack.
Article 9 has been reinterpreted several
times. Since 1954, Japan has had a self-defence
force (SDF), which has over the decades
grown into a 2,50,000-strong military, trained
to use some of the most cutting-edge defence
equipment in all of Asia. These include fourth-
generation battle tanks, licence-built Apache
attack helicopters and modern reconnais-
sance drones.
However, substantial cultural, legal and
budgetary restrictions on Japan’s military cap-
abilities remain in place. For example, ‘offens-
ive’ weapons like bombers and long-range bal-
<
> North Korea’s repeated
provocations have forced
Japan to debate the
contradictions between its
avowed pacism and
precarious topography
listic missiles are not permitted to the SDF and
nuclear weapons are a huge taboo.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a na-
tionalist for whom the country’s pacifism is
misguided. In 2015, he revised the SDF law to
permit “collective self-defence”, giving the
green light for Japan to come to the military
aid of allies under attack. This revision was
met with huge public protests and Mr. Abe’s
plans for a constitutional revision — he has set
a 2020 deadline for it — are a major reason for
a plunge in his approval ratings, which
dropped to 20% in July.
However, North Korea’s provocations are
playing into the Prime Minister’s hands. A re-
cent poll conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun
newspaper shows that following Pyongyang’s
latest tests, Mr. Abe’s ratings have rebounded
to 50%.
The Japanese media are currently full of se-
curity experts calling for Tokyo to develop
pre-emptive strike capabilities. The purchase
of cruise missiles is being mulled. And the De-
fence Ministry has announced a record ¥5.26-
trillion ($48 billion) budget for 2018, which
would cover the purchase of upgraded missile
defence systems such as land-based Aegis
Ashore interceptors.
Mutual support
Some analysts are even suggesting that Japan
reconsider its aversion to nuclear weapons.
Mr. Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump
have responded to North Korea’s testing with
avowals of mutual support. However, on the
campaign trail, Mr. Trump had criticised Ja-
pan for riding on U.S. military power, suggest-
ing that Tokyo acquire its own nuclear de-
terrent to avoid an over-reliance on the U.S.
By demonstrating that it can attack U.S. mil-
itary outposts like Guam and possibly even
drop a nuclear bomb on the U.S. mainland,
North Korea has shaken the foundations of Ja-
pan’s national security. Washington’s commit-
ment to protect Japan is based on the idea that
the American mainland would remain safe
from North Korean retaliation. However, this
is no longer certain. What does look certain,
however, is that Japanese “pacifism” is in for
an update.
Pallavi Aiyar is a journalist and author based in
Tokyo
https://t.me/yk_info
*
GETTY IMAGES
LONDON
In U.K., a ght
to get the
numbers right
Last weekend, just days be-
fore British Prime Minister
Theresa May delivered her
landmark Brexit speech in
Florence, Foreign Secretary
Boris Johnson published a 4,000-word article
for the right-wing The Daily Telegraph newspa-
per, setting out his “vision for a bold, thriving
Britain enabled by Brexit”. The article was
widely seen as an effort on his part to kick-
start the Conservative Party’s leadership cam-
paign by pitching himself as the person to de-
liver a “hard Brexit” (leaving the single market
and ending free movement). Significantly, he
brought up a pledge that had been made by
the ‘leave’ campaign last year ahead of the ref-
erendum — that leaving the EU would free up
an additional £350 million a week to spend on
National Health Service (NHS). “Once we have
settled our accounts, we will take back control
of roughly £350 million per week,” he wrote
in The Telegraph piece.
The £350 million pledge has since last
year’s referendum come to epitomise the divi-
sions in Britain. It was plastered across buses
and billboards by the Leave campaign, with
<
> While interpretation of statistics
by government or Opposition
parties has always been
questioned, the issue has
attained more salience in the
charged politics of Brexit U.K.
many on the Remain side believing it had
been crucial to swinging of the vote in favour
of Brexit. After the referendum, the figure was
swiftly abandoned by many Brexiters (it even
disappeared from campaign websites). “On
behalf of the communities we represent, we
will keep asking, where is the £350 million for
the NHS that was promised,” wrote a group of
Labour MPs last September, calling on the
Leave campaign to “either admit it was a lie
and apologise to their voters or justify it and
explain when it is coming”.
‘Clear misuse’
While Mr. Johnson’s intervention provoked
criticism from his own party, the most
strident censure came from the statistics regu-
lator, the U.K. Statistics Authority, whose head
expressed surprise and disappointment over
the “clear misuse of statistics”. “It also as-
sumes that payment to the U.K. by the EU, in-
cluding, for example, for the support of agri-
cultural research, will not be made by the U.K.
government when we leave,” admonished Sir
David Norgrove, in a letter to the Foreign Sec-
retary made public by the organisation, as is
its custom when it comes to disputed figures.
While interpretations of statistics by gov-
ernments or Opposition parties have been
questioned for long — either by official bodies
or unofficial critics — it has attained greater sa-
lience in the highly-charged politics of Brexit
Britain. In July, the statistics agency was
forced to intervene in the debate on interna-
tional students, warning about the way the
government had been gathering data. The
agency said that the numbers on which the
government had based its contention that
large number of students were overstaying did
not provide a “complete and coherent picture
of former student emigration”. Data based on
exit checks showed the actual figures to be far
lower than what the government had been es-
timating. Also, earlier this year, the authority
had to chastise the government over its use of
statistics on homelessness, which had
wrongly been used to claim that the figures
had fallen by half.
However, the statistics body is far from the
only one to frankly speak out. Earlier this
year, the head of NHS England made head-
lines after publicly questioning government’s
claims that the NHS had received more than it
had asked for in funding. Following last
week’s terrorist attack at Parsons Green sta-
tion and government assurances over more
police on the streets, the Metropolitan Police
Federation issued a reminder that with cuts,
there were no “extra” police officers to call
on. “Only same ones working longer shifts
and having their days off cancelled.”
Vidya Ram works for The Hindu and is based in
London
DESPATCHES 5
*
AP
KARACHI
One leg in
militancy & the
other in politics
Despite being denied regis-
tration by Pakistan’s Elec-
tion Commission, the Milli
Muslim League (MML), the
political party floated by
Jamaat-ud-Dawa ( JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, man-
aged to field a candidate in the Lahore byelec-
tion last week. Saeed, who is accused by the
U.S. and India of masterminding the 2008
Mumbai terror attacks, has been under house
arrest since January. “But he kept a close eye
on the election,” said a JuD leader.
The government was apparently under
pressure to act as the MML went ahead with
the plan to contest the election to the seat va-
cated by ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Days before the election, Pakistan’s Election
Commission sent a written note to the Interior
Ministry, asking it about the MML. The Min-
istry replied that it had not given clearance to
the MML’s candidate, Mohammed Yaqoob
Sheikh. The party still decided to field Mr.
Yaqoob as an independent candidate.
Mr. Yaqoob told reporters that the MML
was founded on the vision of Saeed although
he was not a member or leader of the party.
“We have not seen failure in 30 years of our
struggle. This byelection will prove that
Lahore belongs to Professor Hafiz Saeed. This
is our entry test into politics,” MML president
Saifullah Khalid, another leader of the JuD,
said at a campaign rally in Lahore. Mr. Yaqoob
didn’t disappoint his leaders. He won 5,800
votes, beating candidates from mainstream
parties like the Pakistan Peoples Party and the
Jamaat-e-Islami, while Kulsoom Nawaz, wife
of Mr. Sharif, won the election.
> The
< Pakistani government says it
was up to the Election
Commission to stop the Haz
Saeed-backed MML candidate
from contesting the bypoll,
but it failed to do so
With Saeed’s picture printed on banners
alongside the country’s founder Mohammed
Ali Jinnah, the MML went all out against Mr.
Sharif for “favouring” India. In the closing
campaign rally, the candidate and other
speakers blamed Mr. Sharif for being soft on
India. “We supported him in the last elections
but he talked about creating soft borders with
India and wanting a visa-free border cross-
ing,” said Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, a close
aide of Saeed, as thousands of supporters
cheered. The crowd shouted slogans such as
Modi ka jo yaar hai ghaddar hai ghaddar hai
(Any friend of Modi is a traitor), referring to
Mr. Sharif.
Widespread concerns
Mr. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N, which
is in power both at the Centre and in Punjab,
had expressed reservations over JuD’s polit-
ical entry. The byelection had drawn interna-
tional attention as well. A high-level U.S. offi-
cial wrote a letter to Pakistan, expressing
concerns. The government said it was up to
the Election Commission to stop the MML
candidate from contesting the poll.
“Following the U.S. démarche, we have
conveyed our reservations in writing to the
Election Commission and they should have
stopped the MML candidate,” a senior govern-
ment official told The Hindu, requesting an-
onymity. Whether the Pakistani government
likes it or not, the MML is already in the
mainstream.
“This is not how mainstreaming of a
banned militant organisation is done. It will
create more problems for Pakistan,” said Za-
hid Hussain, a senior Pakistani journalist and
author. “If the MML wants to come to politics,
it has to renounce its extremist and militant
ideology. But by putting Hafiz Saeed on its
campaign banner, the party is still indicating
that it supports the ideology of a person de-
clared as a global terrorist by the UN.”
The MML appears to be undeterred by criti-
cism. “The election performance was rather
encouraging,” said one party leader. “We have
decided to field a candidate in the forthcom-
ing byelection in NA-4 in Peshawar under the
party’s banner.”
Mubashir Zaidi writes for The Hindu and is based
in Karachi
*
GETTY IMAGES
BEIJING
Battling e-waste
in China’s
industrial hub
The proliferation of cell-
phones, computers, televi-
sion sets and other gizmos
has a downside. The grow-
ing consumption of digital
products is generating mountains of e-waste,
whose disposal is posing serious health and
environmental risks. But recycling of e-
garbage is also providing jobs to hundreds of
thousands in many parts of the developing
world. China is at the heart of reconciling this
contradiction between guaranteeing much
needed incomes and preserving clean air, wa-
ter and soil, necessary for public health.
Guiyu, a coastal township in southeast
China, is the world’s e-waste capital. Since the
turn of the century, the area has seen millions
of tonnes of electronic leftovers, generated at
home and abroad, being routinely dumped.
The e-garbage pile began to inflate after some
local businessmen taught residents the pro-
cess of extracting valuable by-products — gold,
silver and copper — from motherboards, wires
and picture tubes. Poor workers provided the
feedstock for this booming industry. But prob-
lems began to arise when people fell sick, and
> In
< 2013, Guangdong decided to
launch an industrial park for
e-waste recycling on the
outskirts of Guiyu that would
consolidate more than 1,200
workshops into 29 big units
the drop in air, water and soil quality caught
global attention. “The whole town was
blanketed by foul air that smelled of acid. I al-
ways felt like coughing,” the South China
Morning Post quoted Yang Linxuan, a resid-
ent, as saying.
Air contamination followed when moun-
tains of plastic wiring were burnt in open
fields to retrieve the embedded copper in
them. Acid baths, which combined nitric acid
and cyanide, sprang up to extract gold from
motherboards. Serious water contamination
resulted when untreated effluents, including
acid to wash out residual toner ink from cart-
ridges, were channelled into a tributary of the
Beigang river, which soon began get choked.
Mercury, fluorine, barium, chromium, and
cobalt, which either leach from the waste or
are used in processing, are blamed for skin
rashes and respiratory problems. The foul air
and water can also damage kidneys and the
nervous system, and weaken the immune sys-
tem, heightening the risk of cancer. A study
conducted by the Shantou University Medical
College in 2014 found that heavy metal con-
tamination had turned the air and water toxic
and that children in the town had high levels
of lead in their blood.
National embarrassment
The unregulated Guiyu e-waste industry soon
became a national embarrassment for China.
The local government of the Guangdong
province, of which Guiyu is a part, decided to
launch a comprehensive plan in 2013. It was
decided that instead of the several recycling
workshops, known for their blacksmith-type
furnaces, with long flues meant to take toxic
smoke away into the atmosphere, all recycling
activity would be carried out in an industrial
park on the outskirts of the town.
Consequently, a $233 million facility be-
came fully operational in December 2015.
More than 1,200 workshops were consolid-
ated into 29 big units, which carried out the
bulk of the recycling. Guangdong University,
specialising in minimising pollution, has been
a core partner in this exercise. Simultan-
eously, the supply chain of bringing e-waste
from abroad has been disrupted. In July,
Beijing notified the World Trade Organization
that it would cease 24 kinds of waste imports
by the end of the year.
Despite its efforts, not everyone is con-
vinced. Liu Hua, a campaigner with environ-
mental group Greenpeace’s Beijing office, told
the South China Morning Post that there was
no fundamental break in the extraction pro-
cess in the industrial park. He pointed out that
“the process of extracting precious metals
from e-waste is still polluting”.
Atul Aneja works for The Hindu and is based in
Beijing
B CH-CHE
 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

6|7 FRAMED CHENNAI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

THE HINDU
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Long view: From Ramgadh, mining at Sandur in Ballari district of Karnataka is but a tiny speck.
Text and images by Bhagya Prakash K. glory again on the hills? Not
“See Sandur in September,” ex- quite, reveals a visit. With legal
claimed Mahatma Gandhi when mining, though not on the same
he visited the picturesque town scale, still on, blasts continue to
in present-day Ballari district of shake the hills and people in the
Karnataka in 1934. To this day, region complain that their
every second person you en- houses develop cracks. The wa-
counter in Sandur will quote ter in the streams still run pol-
Gandhiji’s words. luted, and greenery is struggling
What brought ruin to the to come back to life on wasted
lovely hills of Sandur in the land in the Ramgad hills in
2000s were the rich iron ore de- Sandur.
posits. Indiscriminate mining, The hopes of revival remain a
throwing all norms to the wind, mirage with a reclamation and
reduced these verdant environs rehabilitation plan, drawn up by
into mounds of red earth and bil- the Indian Council of Forestry
lowing dust, with hardly a blade Research and Education on Su-
of grass or a tiny flower left. It ap- preme Court directions, yet to
peared as if there was no rule of take off. A huge amount of
law in Sandur, and a Lokayukta money is now available with the
report described the town as the Karnataka Mining Environment
“Republic of Ballari”. This con- Restoration Corporation, set up The root cause: Iron ore stocked for auction at Ramgadh.
tinued till the Supreme Court by the Karnataka government, to
banned all iron ore mining in act as a special purpose vehicle
Ballari on July 29, 2011. for implementing the plan. All Mud-stained
With some semblance of the these, for now, remain on paper, waters: The
rule of law back in Sandur now, as the once-green hills of Sandur Narihalla
is September the month of green testify. reservoir in
Sandur.

Sandur’s sigh
The verdure of the hills, which amazed Gandhiji, was gouged out by indiscriminate mining, and now green shoots are struggling to take root
In circles: Land
laid waste by
mining at
Ramgadh.

Relentless destruction: Mining going on at Devagiri village near Sandur.

Silver lining: Amid the ravages, Neelakurinji owers keep their date with the Devagiri hills after 12 years.

https://t.me/yk_info The earth bleeds: Residents of Sandur say miners chip away mountains one truck at a time, leaving the town’s population to
battle sound and air pollution.

CM B CH-CHE CM B CH-CHE
YK YK
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

8 THE BIG STORY CHENNAI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

THE HINDU
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Parvatha Vardhini C
With the lull from demonet-
isation and uncertainties due
to changeover to BS IV emis-

Two-wheelers
sion norms and GST behind
it, the two-wheeler industry
looks set to record double-di-
git growth for the year
2017-18.
Strong rural demand from
good monsoons, the Seventh

in the fast
Pay Commission payouts and
lower borrowing costs are ex-
pected to help, too. Already
in the first five months of this
fiscal, the two-wheeler in-
dustry (consisting of motor-
cycles, scooters and mopeds)

lane
has shown 10.4 per cent
growth, higher than cars and
commercial vehicles.
But not all segments of the
industry are growing equally.
Scooters are selling like hot
cakes and customers are
choosing bikes with more
ride comfort and engine
power, over the plain old The two-wheeler
commuter bikes. Premium
bikes are gaining popularity segment is racing ahead
too, with the population go-
ing on weekend trips and ad- of four-wheelers,
venture rides gaining in
popularity. powered by scooters
Scooters racing ahead and premium bikes.
Even as motorcycle sales
volume has grown by 7.8 per Here are the trends
cent so far this fiscal (over the
same period last fiscal), that matter
scooters have witnessed a
much stronger growth of 18.2
per cent in the same period.
This trend of volume
growth in scooters outpacing
motorcycles is not new.
When motorcycles showed
shrinkage in volumes in 2012-
13 and again in 2015-16, scoot-
ers continued to show
double-digit volume growth.
Thanks to this, from about 20
per cent five years ago, the
share of scooters in total two-
wheeler sales has now moved
up to 34 per cent.
With scooters command-
ing only about one-third of
the total two-wheeler
volumes even today, a part of
their high growth can be at-
tributed to a smaller base.
But the fact that scooters * GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK
have been steadily gaining a
larger share of the two- the Cliq, a scooter at an at- five years. Thus, the 75-110 cc (Boxer, CT, Platina, Discover) three percentage points over higher segment bikes. Unicorn 160, CB Hornet 160 ever, higher demand for
wheeler pie cannot be tractive price point targeted category of bikes, typically has seen erosion in market the previous year to 66 per While interest in the entry and Suzuki’s Gixxer in this Avenger and Pulsar in the
denied. at rural India, creating a fresh considered the entry seg- share. Honda (Dream Yuga, cent), it has improved since segment has waned, it has category have met with suc- 200-250 cc category as well
Crowded traffic condi- challenge. ment, has seen its share in Livo) and TVS (Max 4R, Vic- then to 75 per cent currently. grown in the mid-segment, cess in this segment. This as the recent introduction of
tions, poor public transport, total motorcycle sales decline tor, Jive, Star City) too have Its strong foothold in the especially in the category of success, though, has been at the V15 bike in the 125-150 cc
increasing number of women Consumers upgrading to 58 per cent now, from 64 been on somewhat shaky more price-sensitive rural 150 -200 cc bikes. With TVS’s the cost of Bajaj Auto (KTM , segment has helped the com-
drivers, style and unisex ap- Within motorcycles, higher per cent five years ago. Part ground. markets has helped the com- Apache doing well here, Pulsar), an early mover in pany make up for this loss.
peal have been some of the disposable incomes and in- of this decline can be attrib- Hero MotoCorp (Dawn, pany do well so far. Honda and Suzuki launched this category. Bajaj’s market Thus the interest in bikes
demand drivers for gearless creasing purchasing power uted to cannibalisation by Deluxe, Splendor, Passion) is Yet, headwinds remain in products in this segment in share in the 150-200 cc bikes with higher engine capacity
scooters, which form the have seen consumers shift to scooters as well. the only exception. While its the form of competition from the last three to four years, category has now come down goes to show that customers
bulk of the market here. bikes with more ride comfort Yamaha has exited the market share here did take a scooters and the willingness sensing the shifting customer to 20 per cent from almost 50 are now willing to shell out
With scooters proving to and engine power in the last entry segment and Bajaj Auto beating in 2013-14 (down of consumers to upgrade to interest. Thus Honda ‘s CB per cent five years ago. How- more for the superior feel
be a good counter to the cyc- and ride experience rather
lical nature of the rest of the than just settle for plain Jane
auto industry including mo- bikes with no bells and

What it means for the stocks

torcycles, companies have whistles.
cashed in on this trend. Hero,
Honda and TVS have tradi- Premium bikes in vogue
tionally been the big players A third trend coming out of
in this segment, with Suzuki motorcycle sales patterns is
garnering a small market Parvatha Vardhini C the growing interest in bikes
share. The bounce-back in two- with engine capacity over
Yamaha entered in 2012-13 wheeler sales this fiscal 250 cc, considered a
with the Ray and has steadily turns the spotlight on the premium segment.
grown its market share in this prospects for stocks in this Higher disposable in-
segment to 7 per cent now space. With many players comes, availability of finance
with other launches such as such as Honda, Yamaha, Su- from banks specifically for
the Alpha and Fascino. The zuki, etc. being unlisted in purchase of these super bikes
same year, Piaggio came up India, the choice for in- as well as a spirit of adven-
with the Vespa, a premium vestors is only among Hero ture among buyers are driv-
offering among scooters. It MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, TVS ing the demand for these
also brought out two more Motors and Eicher Motors bikes.
scooters under the Aprilia (Royal Enfield). From less than 1 per cent
brand in 2016 and 2017. five years ago, bikes above
However, thanks to the on- Eicher: premiumisation 250 cc now command a little
slaught from Honda (Activa, The strong drift towards over 6 per cent share in total
Dio, Aviator) players such as premium bikes will con- motorcycle sales. Royal En-
Piaggio, Suzuki and the listed tinue to benefit Eicher Mo- field has been a big gainer
Hero MotoCorp (Pleasure, tors. In the last five years, from this new found interest
Maestro Edge, Duet) have the motorcycle industry for premium bikes among
seen their market shares de- faced two years of shrink- *
GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK customers. Its Bullet/Classic
cline in the last five years. age in volumes (2012-13 and 350 and Bullet/Classic 500
The tough competition from 2015-16) and grew only in country by setting up new the entry-segment, where it the near to medium term, category. Two products in its trailing 12-month earn- have been popular choices in
Honda has seen Hero’s mar- single digits each of the re- dealerships. has seen its market share in- the stock may be a good the premium segment are ings. However, it may not the 250-500 cc segment.
ket share in scooters come maining periods. However, it is not that crease over the last few one to hold. Valuations are expected to be launched be an attractive one to hold Taking note of the growing
down steadily to about 12 per However, Royal Enfield the market has not recog- years. Yet, to remain com- also reasonable at 22 times this fiscal as well. These at this juncture. Exports interest, Kawasaki (Ninja
cent from 19 per cent five has managed to grow nised the potential for this petitive over the long term, trailing 12-month earnings. factors have helped the constitute at least 35 per 300), Yamaha (R3) Mahindra
years ago. In the same volumes by 30-67 per cent stock. The Eicher Motors the company does recog- company tide over vagaries cent of total revenues and it (Mojo), Bajaj (Dominar 400)
period, Honda’s market share in each of these years. Al- stock has been a multi-bag- nise the need to have a Valuation dampens TVS in exports, especially in the has been grappling with are the other players that
has improved by at least 10 though this high growth has ger, moving up nine fold stronger presence in the TVS has got the going right three-wheeler segment. headwinds in this segment. have entered this segment in
percentage points to 59 per been on a small base, the since the beginning of the fast growing scooter and ex- on scooters and premium Tailwinds for the com- The company has been the last five years.
cent. shift in market preference market rally in September ecutive/premium segments. bikes. First, it has not suc- pany in two-wheelers re- trying to address this by TVS has already begun ex-
TVS too faced the heat indicates that Eicher will 2013. The stock now trades Refreshed versions of the cumbed to the pressure main; but the stock has moving away from its tradi- port of bikes in the 250-350cc
from Honda initially due to continue to show healthy at a rich valuation of nearly Maestro Edge and Duet from Honda in the scooters moved up sharply, taking tional export markets such category from its partnership
the positioning of its offer- double-digit volume growth 50 times the trailing 12- scooters were launched re- segment and has managed the valuation to about 53 as Sri Lanka, Nigeria etc., to with BMW. These bikes are
ings. While the 90-125 cc in the foreseeable future. month earnings, leaving cently. Ditto with the to hold on to its market times the trailing 12-month newer ones such as Turkey, expected to be made avail-
scooter segment is where Considering the increas- less scope for a strong rally Achiever, a bike in the 150cc share. earnings. This limits the Iran, South-East Asia and able for the domestic market
bulk of the sales lies, TVS had ing demand and the long from the current level. segment. Plans are afoot to Second, the Apache has room for further upside. Bangladesh. Besides this, sooner than later.
only the ‘Wego’ in this cat- wait periods, the company launch a new 200cc bike to- also been a key volume while the company focuses Besides, Bajaj Auto re-
egory at that point in time. set up a third plant near Hero of the masses wards the end of the fiscal booster in the popular 150- Headwinds for Bajaj Auto on mid- and higher segment cently entered into a partner-
The flagship ‘Scooty’ and its Chennai, which com- At the other end of the as well. Considering that its 200cc segment. Besides, Similar to Hero MotoCorp, bikes and has had launches ship with the premium brand
variants fell in the 75-90 cc menced operations last spectrum, with rural de- market leadership in the the alliance with BMW is Bajaj Auto is among the in the right segments, com- Triumph, from which
category, which did not month. It is also expanding mand reviving, Hero contin- entry-segment will hold the also a source of strength for more reasonably valued petitive pressures remain sub-500 cc bikes are expec-
garner as much interest its footprint across the ues to be in pole position in company in good stead in the fast growing premium auto stocks, trading at 22.5 strong. ted to be rolled out for emer-
among consumers. ging markets.
However, in the last three International players with
to four years, the company niche offerings much above
has pulled up its socks with 500 cc are also trying to cash
the launch of the Jupiter and in on the growing interest in
Zest in the 90-125cc segment. superbikes. Harley-Davidson
This has helped the company has already set up a manufac-
push up its market share to turing plant at Haryana for
14-15 per cent and maintain it some of its bikes.
in the last three-four years, Others are setting up as-
after the earlier decline to 12 sembly units in India to re-
per cent. duce the costs, as import of
Listed players may, never- fully built bikes can be more
theless, continue to face the expensive.
heat in this segment as The Triumph, for instance,
Honda cannot be wished assembles its CKD imports at

https://t.me/yk_info
away any time soon. While so its plant at Haryana while Be-
far scooters were typically nelli’s CKD imports are as-
targeted at urban consumers, sembled at a plant in
Honda recently brought out Maharashtra.
CM B CH-CHE
YK
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU CHENNAI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 YOUR MONEY 9

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DEBT WATCH ALERTS

Go for tax-free bonds in secondary market
They are better than options such as
FDs from banks and NBFCs
Dhuraivel Gunasekaran
Those who have invested in tax-
free bonds during the primary
issue have a reason to smile.
can be done with the help of
a financial calculator or
excel sheet.
While YTM is an im-
turns now are much lower
than the yields on portant factor to con-
sider, investors should
tax-free bonds.
pay attention to credit
rating. The higher the rat-
Yields still
Google Tez makes its debut
Google Tez, a mobile payments app from
Google, powered by Unified Payment
Interface (UPI) will help transfer money
handful of tax-free bonds with
without providing the bank account details
good credit rating that trade at
relatively higher volumes and of the recipient.
also offer reasonable YTMs in Users have the option to transfer funds
through UPI ID or directly transfer funds to
the secondary market (see ac-
companying table). These in- the recipient’s bank account by providing
account number and IFSC. Payments can
clude series of IRFC, PFC,
Nabard, REC and NHAI bonds. also be made through QR code, or by

GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK
The prices of the tax free bonds ing, the lower the default These are good options to con- entering the recipient’s mobile number.
competitive Cash Mode is a special feature that allows
which are actively traded in the When an issue risk. The tax free bonds issued sider for fixed income investors CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
secondary market on BSE and by NHAI, PFC, IRFC, HUDCO, at this point in time. quick transfer of money through Audio QR
opens in the code.
NSE have grown significantly REC, IIFCL, JNPT, NHPC, NTPC, The highest YTM currently WHAT TO
primary market, the It works like near-field communication and
and now yield double-digit coupon rate on the NHB and Nabard are currently available is 6.13-6.17 per cent. In WATCH
gains. rated at the highest notch of comparison, a fixed deposit of- uses ultrasound waves to connect two
bond is clearly O Yield to Maturity

For instance, the series
NTPC N6, which was launched
during December 2013 with a
face value of ₹1,000 and
coupon rate of 8.91 per cent, is
now trading at the price of
₹1,360 on NSE; the annualised
returns (internal rate of return)
of the series has touched 15.3
per cent. Similarly, NHB bonds
that launched during January
2014, bonds that Nabard
launched during March 2016
and REC bond launched during
January 2014 have registered
14.1, 16.8 and 13.1 per cent annu-
alised returns, respectively,
since their launch.
However, the rise in prices
has resulted in fall in yields of
the bonds for investors who
want to buy it now. Yet, consid-
ering that the interest is tax-
free, these instruments still
score over other options such
as fixed deposits from banks
and NBFCs. Interest rates on
fixed deposits have dropped
sharply and their post-tax re-
DE-TAX
stated, which is the
annual rate of return.
But in the secondary
market, the coupon
rate does not matter.
This is because the
bond in the secondary market
may trade below or above its is-
sue price. What matters is the
yield-to-maturity (YTM).
YTM is the internal rate of re-
turn earned by an investor who
buys the bond today at the mar-
ket price, assuming that the
bond will be held until matur-
*
‘AAA’ by credit rating agencies.
Tax-free bonds is-
sued by
IREDA
hold ‘AA+’
status while
those issued by Kamara-
ity, and that all coupon and jar Port and DCI hold rating of
principal payments are made ‘AA’.
on schedule. YTM is calculated Besides, liquidity is also cru-
by arriving at the discount rate, cial, especially when you want
which equates the sum of all fu- to sell the bonds before matur-
ture cash flows from the bond ity to lock into profits or to
(interest and principal) to the meet a big expense or if you
current price of the bond. This want to exit to prevent loss of
capital in bad times. Data com-
piled by HDFC Securities shows
that out of the 193 series of lis-
ted tax-free bonds, only 14
bond series are traded with
daily average volume of at least
1,000 units in the last one-
month period, either on the
BSE or the NSE (as on Septem-
ber 20, 2017).
The best ones
Going by the data compiled by
HDFC Securities, there are a
fers a maximum of 6.75 per
cent today on deposits over five
years. But since interest is tax-
able, post-tax returns go down
to 6 per cent, 5.4 per cent and
4.7 per cent for the 10, 20 and
30 per cent brackets,
respectively.
How to buy
Both the BSE and the NSE facil-
itate purchase and sale of tax-
free bonds. They are listed and
traded in the cash segment
along with the equity shares.
Retail investors can buy and
sell tax free bonds through the
Demat account. Keep in mind
that selling tax free bonds in
the secondary market attracts
capital gain tax. If you sell these
tax free bonds within 12
months from the date of buy-
ing, you will have to pay tax on
the gains as per your tax slab. If
you sell after 12 months, then
tax has to be paid at flat rate of
10 per cent. There is no indexa-
tion benefit available.
phones through microphone and speaker.
The app is supported in Android and iOS
O Credit Rating
mobiles and is also available in various
O Liquidity Indian languages.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC HDFC Bank launches EasyEMI on debit cards
Tax axe With the festival season approaching, HDFC
Keep in mind that Bank launched EasyEMI on debit cards last
selling tax free bonds week. Until now, this feature was available
in the secondary only on credit cards. With EasyEMI on debit
market attracts capital cards, customers with pre-approved loans
gains tax can pay in instalments for purchases made
using debit cards.
In the first phase, HDFC Bank has made this
facility available to 8 million customers who
have been informed through SMS and
email.
The minimum available loan through the
EasyEMI is ₹10,000. EasyEMI can be used to
purchase products such as consumer
durables, consumer electronics, mobiles,
furniture and medical equipment and also
for purchase on online websites.
SEBI nod for IPOs
State-owned general insurer The New India
Assurance Company Limited (NIA) received
approval from SEBI for its IPO last week.
The company plans to issue 12 crore shares
comprising 9.6 crore shares to be sold by
the government and 2.4 crore shares as
fresh issue. NIA is a 100 per cent
government-owned general insurance
company operating in 28 countries.

What’s changed for professionals after GST Footwear retailer Khadim India Limited has
also received approval for its IPO. The issue
comprises fresh issue of 500 million fresh
shares and secondary sale of 6,574,093
Alongside new demands, compliance burden increases sharply under the new tax regime shares.

Lokeshwarri S K
merce portals, GST regis- Professionals having branch ment of outward supplies,
It’s more than two months tration is mandatory. offices in various States need to GSTR 2 that is the statement of
since the Goods and Ser- be registered in each of the inward supplies and GSTR 3 BANK FD INTEREST RATES (%)
vices Tax has taken over The nitty-gritty States from where they render that shows the final tax. Besides
less than Years
the previous indirect tax The service tax rate un- service. Input Tax Credit (ITC) this, they have to file one an-
Bank 1 year 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 5 W.E.F
regime and most busi- der the GST has in- can be availed by professionals nual return, GSTR 8. Further,
nesses and professionals creased from 15 per cent for inputs, capital goods pur- they may also be required to FOREIGN
have made a valiant at- earlier to 18 per cent chased for providing the ser- file GSTR 7, which is a state-
Citi Bank 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.25 09-17
tempt to adapt to the new now. While you can pass vice and services used by the ment of TDS. DBS Bank 6.10 6.30 6.50 6.70 04-17
laws. The migration of the on the higher cost to the tax payer as an input. While this sounds onerous, Deutsche Bank 6.00 6.90 7.00 7.50 08-17
existing indirect tax payers service receiver, your ser- However, ITC is available you need to focus mainly on HSBC 6.00 6.50 5.00 5.00 08-17
is almost complete and the vices are going to be only on a provisional basis to uploading the invoices for out- CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Scotia Bank 4.00 4.50 4.50 5.00 04-16
StanChart 6.50 6.75 6.50 6.50 09-17
first set of returns are cur- more expensive now. the tax payer. The supplier has ward supplies and filing the STEPS TO
rently being filed. If you Services that are sup- to file a valid GST return and GSTR 1. INDIAN- PUBLIC SECTOR
FOLLOW
are a professional service plied within a specific the data of the supplier and the Based on the GSTR 1 filed by Allahabad Bank 6.50 6.60 6.50 6.50 07-17
state shall be charged receiver have to match before those who have made supplies O Upload invoices daily Andhra Bank 6.25 6.75 6.50 6.25 07-17
provider, here are a few
to avoid last-minute Bank of Mah 6.00 6.50 6.25 6.00 01-17
things you need to be Central GST (CGST) and the credit can be confirmed. If to you, an auto-populated BOB 6.40 6.65 6.50 6.50 08-17
* GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK hassles
aware about the new GST State GST (SGST) while your supplier has not made the GSTR 2 will come to you. You BOI 6.25 6.60 6.50 6.30 09-17
regime. come of under ₹20 lakh can Integrated GST (IGST) will be tax payment, you have to pay need to validate the entries in O File the self- Canara Bank 6.35 6.50 6.20 6.20 09-17
now opt to not get a GST regis- charged on services supplied to the GST under reverse charge GSTR 2 and add a few addi- assessment form CBOI 6.50 6.60 6.50 6.50 04-17
Registration for GST tration. However, it would be other States; this will be a total along with interest from the tional items such as imports. Corp Bank 6.35 6.60 6.60 6.50 09-17
GSTR 3B Dena Bank 6.25 6.50 6.25 6.30 09-17
In the earlier regime, service better to get a registration if you of CGST and SGST. A service is date when the credit was Similarly GSTR 3 is also auto- IDBI Bank 6.50 6.75 6.25 6.25 07-17
tax had to be paid on all ser- are providing services to larger considered as inter-State supply wrongly taken. populated return which only O File the details for Indian Bank 6.25 6.50 6.25 6.00 02-17
vices, except those in the negat- companies that would like to if the registered place of busi- needs validation. It would be GSTR 1 and validate IOB 6.25 6.75 6.25 6.00 06-17
ive list, if the aggregate claim Input Tax Credit on pay- ness of the person making the Returns filing best to upload the invoices on entries in GSTR 2 and OBC 6.40 6.60 6.40 6.40 08-17
turnover in a particular fiscal ment made to you. Dealing supply and the location of the While the rules were complic- the GST utility daily, if you have PNB 6.25 6.60 6.50 6.25 08-17
GSTR 3 Punjab & Sind 6.60 6.70 6.70 6.70 09-17
year was above ₹10 lakh. There with unregistered tax payers in- service receiver are in two dif- ated enough under the previ- numerous invoices, to avoid CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC SBI 6.50 6.75 6.25 6.25 07-17
is a little reprieve for service volves paying the GST under re- ferent States. ous regime, compliance burden last-minute hassles. Syndicate Bank 6.15 6.50 6.60 6.60 08-17
providers under the GST re- verse charge for larger compan- The time of supply of ser- increases sharply under the UCO Bank 6.35 6.50 6.40 6.25 09-17
gime with the exemption limit ies and hence they might prefer vices is the earlier of the two — GST regime. “Service providers Manage cash flow Union Bank 6.75 6.75 6.50 6.50 08-17
for registering for payment of not dealing with you. date of invoice or date of re- had to earlier file returns Be sure to make adequate ad- United Bank 6.00 6.25 6.00 6.00 04-17
Vijaya Bank 6.25 6.50 6.50 6.50 01-17
GST, almost double, at ₹20 In some cases, GST registra- ceipt of payment, whichever is quarterly if the turnover was justments for the change in
lakh. The limit is lower in case tion is mandatory. For instance, earlier. The date when the ser- less than ₹50 lakh,” says Pritam cash-flow under the GST re- INDIAN- PRIVATE SECTOR

of North-Eastern States at ₹10 if you provide services to a vice is completed can be taken Mahure, a Pune-based tax con- gime. Under the earlier regime, Axis Bank 6.50 6.75 6.25 6.25 09-17
company or person located in as the time of supply if the in- sultant. “But now they have to since tax was paid only at the Bandhan Bank 7.00 7.25 6.90 6.90 06-17
lakh.
Catholic Syrian 6.25 6.50 6.75 6.50 03-17
So professionals such as another State (inter-State sup- voice is not raised within the file at least 37 returns in a year.” end of each quarter, service CUB 7.00 7.10 6.85 6.85 11-16
Chartered Accountants, Cost ply) then you need to register time prescribed. The value of Professionals now have to providers had 90-day window DCB 6.65 6.90 7.00 7.10 09-17
Accountants, Company Secret- and pay GST. Similarly, if you service shall be the price actu- file three returns every month to pay tax. This window has Dhanlaxmi Bank 6.00 6.60 6.50 6.50 08-17
aries and so on, with annual in- make supply through e-com- ally paid or payable for supply. — GSTR 1, which is the state- now shrunk to just 30-days. Federal Bank 6.50 6.70 6.50 6.80 09-17
HDFC Bank 6.25 6.75 6.00 6.00 NA
ICICI Bank 6.50 6.75 6.50 6.50 07-17
IDFC Bank 7.00 7.50 7.25 7.20 12-16
LOAN BASICS IndusInd Bank 6.50 6.85 6.75 6.50 08-17
J & K Bank 6.25 6.75 6.50 6.25 09-17

Ring in a loan for those wedding bells

Karnataka Bank 6.90 6.70 6.50 6.50 08-17
Kotak Bank 6.60 6.60 6.40 6.25 09-17
KVB 6.75 6.75 7.00 7.00 05-17
LVB 6.75 7.00 7.00 7.00 08-17
RBL Bank 7.10 7.20 7.30 7.20 09-17
SIB 6.00 6.75 6.50 6.50 06-17
It’s better to take a personal loan for a wedding as the range of options is wider TMB
TNSC Bank
6.75
6.50
7.00
6.75
6.90
6.50
6.90
6.50
04-17
01-17
Yes Bank 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 08-17
Gurumurthy K getting married or his/her par- hance the eligibility amount. cent of loan amount. Corpora- provided. If parents take the
As the festival season kicks in, ents can take this loan. If you The tenor is up to five years tion Bank charges the lowest loan, they have to submit docu- Data taken from respective bank's website as on 22 Sep-
tember 20 17. For each year range, maximum offered inter-
the country gears up for the are a salaried individual, you in ICICI Bank and Axis Bank processing fee of 1 per cent. ments to prove the relationship
est rate is considered; Interest Rate for deposit amount be-
wedding season as well. From need to meet the minimum in- while SBI, under its “Saral Axis Bank will waive the pro- with the person who is getting low Rs 1 Cr. Contributed by BankBazaar.com, an online
booking a marriage hall and fi- come criteria specified by the Personal Loan” lends cessing fee of 1.5 to 2 married. For the self-employed, marketplace for comparing financial products.
nalising catering arrangements institutions. Most banks expect for weddings up to per cent if your documents pertaining to the
to inviting relatives and friends, you to have minimum two four years. credit score is business or their profession,
a myriad plans will have been years of work experience and Tata Capital good. Prepay- such as the income statement
set in motion. And, yes, all also a slab on your monthly in- and Corpora- ment and tax returns, are needed.
these plans revolve around the come. For an Axis Bank wed- tion Bank of- charges are CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
all-important budgeting. ding loan, your salary must be fer much also applic- Should you go for it?
But are you worried that the at least ₹15,000 a month. The higher loan able. Bajaj Experts say that opting for a PROVE IT!
actual expenses may overshoot income criteria differ based on tenors of up Finserv normal personal loan is much O Wedding invite and
your budget? There are many where you live. For instance, to to six years charges a better than going for a specific bookings pertaining
financial institutions to help. get a loan from ICICI Bank, and seven lower pre- wedding loan. to the marriage
Banks and non-banking finan- your monthly income should years, payment They say that looking for a
cial companies (NBFCs) offer be ₹17,500 if you are in Mumbai respectively. charge of 2 per marriage loan might fetch you a O Income and address
special loans for weddings and and ₹25,000 in Delhi. cent while in higher interest rates and proof, bank
related expenses. The eligible loan amount can Interest rates, ICICI Bank it is 5 charges. Vikas Kumar, Co- statement
State Bank of India (SBI), go up to ₹25 lakh, as in the case other charges GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK per cent. However, in
*
Founder, LoanTap, says, “Since
O Business income
Corporation Bank, ICICI Bank of Bajaj Finserve. The amount The interest rates and Corporation Bank you approach the institution for
statement and
and NBFCs like Tata Capital and also varies between locations, other charges, such as pro- there is no prepayment a wedding loan, they will know
income tax return for
Bajaj Finserv offer special wed- based on where the lender is. cessing fee, are largely similar charges. that your need is actually large
self-employed
ding loans. These are typically For example, Corporation to those offered under the gen- and urgent, and may want to
a variant of the general per- Bank, under its “Corp Shubha eral personal loan product cat- Documentation use the opportunity to charge CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
sonal loans , but for the pur- Vivah Scheme” offers a max- egory. Bank interest rates vary Documents such as income higher rates”.
pose of meeting wedding ex- imum loan of ₹10 lakh in the between 11 and 22 per cent, as proof, salary details, bank state- A wide range of options
penditure. In most cases, there metro cities while in urban in ICICI Bank. In case of NBFCs ments, identity and address offered by banks and NBFCs is
is not much difference between centres it is just ₹2 lakh. such as Tata Capital, the in- proofs, that are required for a another reason to choose the
the wedding and a general per- Tata Capital, which offers a terest rate range is narrow, general loan, are to be submit- normal personal loan over the
sonal loan in terms of the in- maximum loan of ₹15 lakh, between 11.5 per cent and 19 ted for a wedding loan too. wedding loans. Rishi Mehra,
terest rates or charges. states that a higher loan per cent. Corporation Bank Apart from this, if an individual CEO, Wishfin.com, says: “One
amount is possible depending lends based on the MCLR and getting married takes a loan on should not restrict in looking
Eligibility and tenor on your credit score. Corpora- the current rate charged is 12.65 in his/her name, the wedding for a wedding loan. It is better

Wedding loans are available to
both self-employed and salar-
ied individuals between the
ages of 21 and 65. The person
CM
YK
tion Bank also allows you to
add co-applicants, to a max-
imum of two, to supplement
the repayment capacity and en-
https://t.me/yk_info
per cent (MCLR+4 percentage invitation or bookings pertain- to take a personal loan and use
points). ing to the marriage hall or ca- it for the wedding as the choice
SBI and Bajaj Finserv charge tering arrangements, are other is wide and it’s very likely you
a processing fee of up to 3 per important documents to be will get better deals”.
B CH-CHE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

10 BUSINESS CHENNAI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

THE HINDU
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IN BRIEF
Zydus Cadila gets USFDA
nod to sell BP drug
NEW DELHI
Cadila Healthcare on
Saturday said its group rm
Zydus Cadila has received the
nal approval from the U.S.
health regulator to market
blood pressure medicine,
Amlodipine and Olmesartan
Medoxomil tablets. The nod
by U.S. Food and Drug
Administration is for multiple
strengths of the tablets
5mg/40mg; 10mg/20mmg
and 10mg/40 mg, the
company said in a BSE ling.
“The drug is indicated for the
treatment of hypertension,
alone or with other anti-
hypertensive agents to lower
blood pressure and will be
manufactured at the group’s
formulations manufacturing
facility at Pharma SEZ
Ahmedabad,” Cadila
Healthcare added. PTI
No plans for electric
vehicles in India: Toyota
HYDERABAD
Toyota has no plans to
launch an electric vehicle in
India and would wait for the
charging infrastructure to
develop before taking a call
on launching such models,
according to a senior ocial
of Toyota Kirloskar Motor
(TKM). “We have no plans to
go electric,” vice-chairman
and whole-time director of
TKM, Shekar Viswanathan,
said.“Toyota (Motor
Corporation) does have an
electric vehicle (in its
portfolio ) but we (TKM) will
wait for the charging
infrastructure to come up in
‘Interest rates, rupee hurting growth’
Better exchange rate management, demand push key to ghting economic slowdown: ocial
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
Lower interest rates, better
exchange rate management
and a demand push are im-
perative to cope with the
present economic slowdown
that has been led by a slump
in the manufacturing sector,
a top government official
said, hinting that the Reserve
Bank of India needed to align
its monetary policy to push
growth as inflation targets
are well under control, des-
pite a spike last month.
The remarks assume signi-
ficance in the backdrop of
growth slowing to 5.7% in the
first quarter, with the slow-
down blamed on the linger-
ing effects of demonetisation
and de-stocking by produ-
cers ahead of the Goods and
Services Tax regime’s roll-
out in July.
Industry bodies have in-
dicated that a turnaround is
only likely in the second half
of this year.
“We are concerned and
we will adequately respond,”
Thyssenkrupp to form
union panels on Tata deal
Workers have ercely opposed merger with the Indian rm
Reuters
FRANKFURT
Thyssenkrupp AG is to set up
a joint working group of
board members and labour
representatives to help im-
plement the plan to merge
with Tata Steel, it said in a
statement on Saturday, is-
Recovery anticipated: “We are concerned and we will
adequately respond,” a top ocial said. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK*
the official said on Saturday,
but remained non-committal
about whether there was in-
deed a stimulus package in
the offing for the economy.
“A number of manufactur-
ing sectors have been af-
fected, and you can see the
manifestation in sectors such
as gems and jewellery, elec-
tronics, chemicals, textiles,
where imports have in-
creased substantially in the
last 2-3 quarters,” the official
said, requesting not to be
named as possible measures
to spur the economy are still
under consideration.
“Once the effect of de-
monetisation and GST wears
off, we should expect to see
those sectors picking up. But
those sectors have also been
affected by the appreciation
of the currency. So it’s a
combination of one-off
factors — demonetisation,
GST plus the appreciation of
the currency,” the official
stressed.
RBI intervention
Pointing to the central bank’s
heavy interventions in the
foreign exchange market
over the last three months to
prevent excessive appreci-
ation of the rupee, the offi-
cial said that the real com-
petitiveness of the currency
has improved a little bit be-
cause the Chinese yuan has
also been strengthening
against the U.S. dollar.
“But it’s still not enough to
offset the losses from the last
six to nine months [on the
exchange rate front]. I think
the response [for reviving
the affected sectors] has to
be across the board — in-
terest rates, exchange rates,
creating more demand,” the
official asserted, adding that
the silver lining was that
worldwide export volumes
were beginning to pick up
significantly.
“So hopefully, when these
one-off effects wear off, that
‘Need norms
for private
hospitals’
Reuters
MUMBAI
India’s drug pricing author-
ity called for better regula-
tion of the country’s
massive private healthcare
industry to ensure govern-
ment efforts to cut prices
benefit patients.
To cut the cost of pro-
cedures such as an-
Telecom sector under
stress: Bhattacharya
will be a source of demand,” ‘As a result, SBI is provisioning extra’
he said. The Centre’s reser-
vations on the monetary Press Trust of India
policy adopted by the cent- Kolkata
ral bank were articulated in The country’s largest lender
the Economic Survey’s State Bank of India reiter-
second volume released in ated on Saturday that the
August, where it was pointed telecom sector was under
out that the RBI’s inflation stress and the bank was do-
projections have been over- ing extra provisioning for
estimated by at least one per- this. SBI chairman Ar-
centage point for six of the 14 undhati Bhattacharya said,
previous quarters and actual “The telecom sector is un- Arundhati Bhattacharya
inflation had been below tar- dergoing a lot of stress and
get for over ten months (till the bank is extra provision- tors like telecom were show-
August). The Survey had said ing due to this.” She said this ing stress.” Ms. Bhat-
there was room for a 50 basis when asked whether TRAI’s tacharya, who inaugurated
points to 100 basis points cut decision to reduce the IUC the State Bank Institute of
in policy rates by the RBI. charges would affect incum- Management at New Town
“We have said what we bent operators like Voda- here said the merger of the
wanted to say about monet- fone, Airtel and Idea which associate banks with itself
ary policy in the Economic were already feeling the was a deep structural re-
Survey,” the official said. heat of Reliance Jio’s dis- form. “Results will come
“The only thing I would say ruptive move. over a period of time. We
is inflation had picked up in will deliver the in the next
August (to 3.36%), but all the ‘Under control’ three to four quarters as
analysis we had done was On the bank’s NPA outlook promised. On outlook of the
based on inflation going up... for rest of the fiscal, Ms. economy post demonetisa-
All our analysis was based on Bhattacharya said, “We have tion and GST, she said the
the premise that inflation probably reached the bot- government would have to
could be at 4% in the me- tom. Slippages are under do some ‘heavy lifting’ like
dium term,” he pointed out. control although new sec- infrastructure development.
Traders group wants Centre
to halt e-tailers’ business
Claims companies like Amazon are violating FDI norms
Special Correspondent ceiving FDI can conduct
NEW DELHI business for B2B segment
The Confederation of All In- and not for B2C segment.
dia Traders (CAIT) has “The advertisements issued
sought a stay on business by them in past days
operations of e-commerce amounts to soliciting retail
giants, including Amazon customers at their portals
and Flipkart, alleging viola- and influencing the prices
tion of FDI policy. and creating an uneven level

India before we ask Toyota
Motor Corporation to give us
(TKM) electric vehicle
products,” he said. PTI
Centre to discuss growth
slowdown with industry
NEW DELHI
Commerce and Industry
Minister Suresh Prabhu will
discuss the slowdown in
industrial growth with
industry bodies and explore
ways to boost the sector.
Industry bodies, including
the CII and ocials, including
Chief Economic Adviser
Arvind Subramanian will
participate in the meeting to
be held on September 26.
The Index of Industrial
Production (IIP) registered a
minuscule 1.2% growth in
July as against 4.5% in the
year-earlier period. In the
April-July period, IIP
recorded 1.7% growth as
against 6.5% in the year
earlier period.
sued after a supervisory
board meeting.
The meeting was held
after Thyssenkrupp top man-
agement’s move this week to
sign a memorandum of un-
derstanding with Tata Steel
for a 50-50 joint venture.
If approved, it would cre-
ate Europe’s second-biggest
steelmaker after ArcelorMit-
tal, with combined sales of
about €15 billion.
The working group will
consist of members of the ex-
ecutive boards of Thyssenk-
rupp AG, Thyssenkrupp
Steel Europe, which is the
unit for the steel activities
within the wider group, rep-
resentatives of Thyssenk-
rupp’s works councils and
the works councils of the
steel sites, the statement
said.
The working group will be
headed by Markus Grolms,
deputy chairman of the su-
Steely resolve: Heinrich Hiesinger’s declared goal is to get
labour leaders to agree to the deal. REUTERS
pervisory board of Thyssenk-
rupp AG and Oliver
Burkhard, member of the ex-
ecutive board of Thyssenk-
rupp AG, where he is chief
human resources officer, it
said.
Thyssenkrupp AG Chief
Executive Heinrich Hiesinger
depends on the support of
labour representatives, who
hold half of the 20 seats on
the group’s supervisory
board and have fiercely op-
posed the deal with Tata
Steel.
On Friday, several thou-
sand steel workers took to
the streets of Bochum in Ger-
many’s industrial heartland
to protest against the deal,
*
which would include up to
4,000 job cuts, about 8% of
the combined workforce.
Labour resistance
Opposition from Thyssenk-
rupp’s workforce could
mean prolonged negoti-
ations with management and
delay any approval of the
plan by the supervisory
board, scheduled for early
next year. If all labour rep-
resentatives on the supervis-
ory board vote against the
plans, its chairman Ulrich
Lehner could still push them
through with his casting vote
but it is Mr. Hiesinger’s de-
clared goal to get labour
leaders to agree.
gioplasty and knee surgery,
India’s National Pharma-
ceutical Pricing Authority
(NPPA) has dramatically re-
duced prices of knee im-
plants and cardiac stents.
The move has been
hailed as a major effort by
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to make healthcare
affordable, but it has been
met with stiff resistance
from healthcare providers.
Several hospitals across
the country have raised
prices of related services
which are an essential part
of such surgeries to make
up for price caps, industry
insiders and activists said.
These actions risk imped-
ing the efforts of the NPPA.
“We have to find a way
to rationalise the cost of
hospital care,” NPPA chair-
man Bhupendra Singh told
Reuters. “There is no legal
framework to regulate hos-
pital charges.”
GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK
The industry body, in a
letter to Commerce Minister
Suresh Prabhu, said while
these firms were market-
places, they were conduct-
ing business like a seller
company, placing “big ad-
vertisements in the media,
declaring discounts and an-
nouncing various other in-
centives for soliciting the
customers for the inventory
of which they are not the
owners.”
This, it said, was a
“blatant” violation of FDI
policy by Amazon, Flipkart,
Snapdeal, Jabong, Myntra
and Shopclues.
These companies, CAIT
demanded, should be “pen-
alised… and immediate dir-
ections may be passed to
stay operations of their re-
spective technology plat-
form” As per FDI policy
guidelines, CAIT pointed
out, e-commerce portals re-
playing field,” it said.
Influencing sale price
The policy states that “e-
commerce entities providing
marketplace will not directly
or indirectly influence the
sale price of goods or ser-
vices and shall maintain a
level playing field.”
CAIT national president
B. C. Bhartia said, “By insert-
ing big advertisements in the
media, they are attempting
to address consumers dir-
ectly which is contravention
of the aforesaid guidelines.”

Insolvency: valuing asset-less

aggregator is a challenge
Investors in such rms may not be able to nd new buyers
K.T. Jagannathan
Sanjay Vijayakumar
CHENNAI

With the National Company

Law Tribunal (NCLT) in
Chennai ordering the initi-
ation of corporate insolv-
ency resolution process
against Inasra Technologies
Private Ltd., the parent com-
pany of Stayzilla, an online
home-stay aggregator, a
fresh debate has begun on
valuation.
The debate is centred on Taking charge: Investors may have to assume responsibility for
the efficacy or ability of ar- governance-related issues in such rms. GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK *

riving at a valuation for a

company which is only an
aggregator which may not
have physical assets of any
worth.
In this instance, the in-
solvency petition was filed
by one of Stayzilla’s vendors,
Jigsaw Advertising and
Solutions.
NCLT has appointed an
interim resolution profes-
sional to take charge of the
management of the corpor-
ate debtor.
Jigsaw went to NCLT as
Inasra Technologies defaul-
ted in payment of its dues to
the tune of ₹1.69 crore.
Inasra Technologies, a start-
up, counts Matrix Partners
and Nexus Venture Partners
among its investors.
A section of the industry
and finance community at
least is unsure as to what
could be salvaged in an as-
set-less enterprise for distri-
bution among its creditors in
in flowing huge funds into
such start-ups. Will an in-
solvency-facing asset-less
start-up still attract new in-
vestors? Sources aren’t quite
convinced if such investors
could find new buyers.
“By all probability, they
NEWS ANALYSIS
may have to write down
their investments,’’ said a
corporate lawyer, who de-
clined to be quoted. Should
such an enterprise hold IPs,
(intellectual properties),
those could be valued and
sold. How much this could
help stake-holders salvage
their cause, however, is a
point to be debated.
“If you ran your business
into the ground, there is not
much intellect behind what
you did,” said Aswath
Damodaran, professor of
corporate finance, New York
your intellectual property,”
he said.
“Investors lose their
money and it is part of the
game of investing in your
start-ups. Don’t shed any
tears for them,’’ he added.
‘Complete overhaul’
A view in the start-up eco-
system is the Stayzilla epis-
ode will trigger a complete
overhaul in the way private
equity investors look at such
asset-short enterprises while
putting their money in.
For one, the insolvency
code allows for no discrimin-
ation between enterprises in
terms of initiating action.
For another, the code gives
creditors the control during
the insolvency process initi-
ation period. Given this new
normal, the investing com-
munity, it is pointed out, will
have to factor in the new
reality and reconfigure its re-

case of insolvency action.
Private equity players of-
ten are guided by perception
(about the future prospects)
CM
YK
University’s Stern School of
Business.
“I would seriously doubt
that anyone would pay for
https://t.me/yk_info
lations by assuming respons-
ibility for governance-re-
lated matter in enterprises
where they place money.
B CH-CHE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
THE HINDU CHENNAI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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IN BRIEF
Shareholders give nod to
Suzlon to raise ₹900 cr.
NEW DELHI
Suzlon Energy has said its
shareholders have approved
raising of ₹900 crore from
the market on private
placement basis. The
shareholders, as part of the
company’s annual general
meeting, also given its nod
to issue securities of up to Rs
2,000 crore, it said in a BSE
ling. Besides, the company
also received shareholders’
approval to re-appoint Tulsi
R. Tanti as managing
director. PTI
Indiabulls Housing Fin
raises ₹2,000 crore
NEW DELHI
Indiabulls Housing Finance
has raised ₹2,000 crore by
issuing bonds on a private
placement basis. “The
company has today allotted
its sixth tranche of secured,
redeemable, non-convertible
debentures of face value of
₹2,000 crore it said in a
ling. The securities were
allotted with two options —
₹500 crore with two years
maturity at coupon rate of
7.45% per annum and ₹1,500
crore with three years tenor
oering interest of 7.55% per
annum. PTI
REC gets nod to raise
₹65,000 cr. via bonds
NEW DELHI
State-run Rural
Electrication Corp. has
received shareholders’
approval to raise up to
₹65,000 crore via bonds
over the next one year. The
special resolution was passed
at the company’s AGM held
on September 18, 2017, REC
said in a regulatory ling.
The shareholders have also
approved the special
resolution for REC to enter
into related party
transactions. PTI
Lower duty drawback rate
may hit textile exports
‘Exporters concerned over delay in GST refund’
M. Soundariya Preetha
COIMBATORE
The sharp reduction draw-
back rates announced by the
government for textile and
clothing products may slow
down exports of these
goods, according to the in-
dustry.
The drawback rate an-
nounced for garments is 2%
as against 7.7% earlier. In the
case of made-ups, it was
7.3% and has been reduced
to 2% now.
‘Working capital issue’
The Excise and Service Tax
components have been sub-
sumed under the Goods and
Services Tax and only the
basic Customs Duty is refun-
ded under the drawback
scheme. This was on expec-
ted lines. But, the reduction
in drawback rates is steep
and the GST system is not
working as expected, said in-
dustry sources. There is a
Synopsys eyes software security rms
Electronic design automation company interested in acquisitions in the area
Jay Shankar
Bengaluru
Synopsys Inc., a Nasdaq-lis-
ted firm and a maker of elec-
tronic design automation
software products, is eyeing
acquisitions in the software
security space as it plans to
repatriate up to $850 million
of overseas earnings to take
advantage of the proposed
U.S. tax reforms, Dr. Chi-
Foon Chan, president and
co-chief executive officer of
the firm said in an interview.
“We anticipate there may
be tax reforms,” Dr. Chi-
Foon said. “It gives us the
capability of having cash in
the U.S. and we anticipate
that it will be a beneficial fin-
ancial move. It will basically
allow us to have flexibility in
stocks or [put to] other us-
age. It is a continued judge-
ment call.”
The Synopsys board on
September 8 had cleared a
CM
YK
INTERVIEW | GOVIND SINGH
Aim is to become a universal
bank after 5 years: Utkarsh CEO
‘We expect the cost of funds to reduce another 150 bps in the next one year’
MANOJIT SAHA
Utkarsh Small Finance
Bank, which started
offering its range of
products and services from
Friday, is taking steps to
become a universal bank in
five years, says its MD and
CEO, Govind Singh.
Excerpts from an
interview:
Now that the bank is
offering all its products
and services to the
customers, how will it
impact your cost of
funds?
■ Now that we can accept
public deposits, our cost of
funds will come down. As a
micro finance institution,
our cost of funds was 12.5%.
Since the soft launch — when
products and services are
offered to employees and
customers in a restricted
manner — in January, we
have already mobilised ₹450
crore of deposits and have
seen cost of funds coming
down by 100 bps. The
deposit base is low as
compared to the overall
borrowing which is ₹2,000
crore.
We expect cost of funds to
reduce another 150 bps in
the next one year as we aim
to mobilise ₹2,000 crore
deposits by March ’18.
As a bank, will you look to
expand the customer
base that you had built as
an MFI?
■ On the assets side, our
specialisation has been at
the lower end of the
spectrum. We do not have
expertise for large-ticket
loans. As an SFB, the
guideline says 50% of the
portfolio cannot be more
than ₹25 lakh. So, though I
can lend more than ₹25
lakh, I do not have the
ROSL provides for refund of
State levies on export of
garments and made-ups.
delay in refund of the input
tax under GST.
Annual textile exports
have been stagnant for the
last three years at about $37
billion. The reduction in
drawback rates will become
another contributing factor
to slow down exports, said
sources.
The government should
extend the transitional pro-
proposal to repatriate
between $775 million and
$850 million of cash held off-
shore by the third quarter of
the year which ends on Oc-
tober 31. The U.S. lawmakers
have indicated support for
the deemed repatriation
scheme.
“We can repay some debt
but debt is cheaper right
now. That is why I used the
term flexibility,” Dr. Chi-
Foon said. The California-
based company is also plan-
ning to use the cash at hand
to fund acquisitions.
‘Open field’
“Clearly the emphasis on the
number of acquisitions is on
software security side,” Dr.
Chi-Foon said. “It is an open
field of many things. In the
end whatever you acquire
will set your strategy of
where you go. I think you
could say we are more inter-
<
> There will be some
more capital
infusion this
month
capability to offer, say, ₹100
crore loan. So, on the
lending side, our ticket size
will be continue to be low;
we will continue to lend in
the four segments —
microfinance, micro, small
and medium enterprises,
affordable housing and
agriculture.
On the liability side, we
are going for all kinds of
accounts from all types of
customers.
Are you offering a higher
interest rate for savings
bank accounts?
■ Yes, we are offering a rate
higher than public sector
banks and most private
sector banks do. We offer
6% interest rate on savings
bank deposits.
We will also accept bulk
deposits from financial
institutions since building
retail deposits and current
and savings account (Casa)
deposits will take a long
time.
Building 30% Casa ratio
will take time. So, in the
initial phase, we will take
such deposits. But we will
focus on long-term deposits.
Even if we take a bulk
deposit, we will go for 1-year
deposits.
vision for duty drawback
and Rebate of State Levies
(ROSL) till the end of March
next year, said industry rep-
resentatives.
“A major area of concern
for exporters is the inordin-
ate delay in refund of GST,”
said Ujwal Lahoti, chairman
of the Cotton Textiles Export
Promotion Council. “Export-
ers who shipped their goods
in July are yet to receive re-
fund of input tax credits or
IGST paid. This has caused
serious working capital
problems for a large number
of exporters,” he added.
Currently, the ROSL
scheme provides for refund
of State levies on export
goods for garments and
made-ups.
However, the scheme
does not cover the embed-
ded State levies, such as
electricity tax and market
cess, from fibre to made-
ups, he said.
Chi-Foon Chan
ested in that area. We are not
prioritising one over the
other. The need is different.”
Dr. Chi-Foon said Syn-
opsys approached an acquis-
ition based on “some tech-
nology we do not have or
develop it fast or have the
capability to develop, or....
https://t.me/yk_info
because of the customer
base you do not have. You
acquire because there is
some new area which is ex-
BUSINESS 11
Can Fin
Homes to
split stock
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
New Delhi
Canara Bank sponsored
NBFC Can Fin Homes Ltd.
said it would split its equity
shares in a 1:5 ratio next
some time. We also have month to make it afford-
some operations in Madhya able for retail investors.
Pradesh with a regional The company has fixed Oc-
office in Jabalpur. On the tober 13 as the record date
liability side, we have gone for the sub-division/stock
split of its shares. Puja perks: The government has intervened to facilitate the
for some large locations
also, such as Lucknow and The high price of the deal ahead of the festive season. REUTERS *
Kanpur. We have some equity shares has kept
small retail investors away
presence in Haryana and in
Mumbai, we have opened a
branch and have received a
from trading in company’s
equity shares, Can Fin
Darjeeling tea garden
licence for Kolkata also. Homes said in a regulatory
filing. The move was “... in
order to improve the li-
workers to get bonus
Are you getting a What is the next
scheduled bank status? milestone for the bank? quidity of the company’s
■ The process is on. For ■ Five years down the line, equity shares... with higher Payout of about ₹36 crore expected
small finance banks, RBI our aim is to become a floating stock in absolute
numbers and to encourage on the basis of the work
comes for an inspection of universal bank. There are Special Correspondent
the systems and processes. some advantages of a participation of small in- KOLKATA done in 2016-17.
Once they have attain a universal bank such as lower vestors by making the The workers in Darjeeling’s Industry sources estimate
comfort level, they capital adequacy shares of the company af- tea estates that have been the payout at about ₹36
recommend it to finance requirement. In the interim, fordable,” it said. closed since June 15, on ac- crore. There are some
ministry. Once the ministry we will keep enhancing our count of the shutdown en- 55,000 permanent workers
approves, RBI includes it in product mix; we could look forced by the Gorkha Jan- and 10,000 temporary
the second schedule. The
advantage of a scheduled
at gold loans, for example.
In five years we will have a ‘Legacy mukti Morcha, will get
bonus at the rate of 19.75%.
workers who qualify for this
payout, Arijit Raha, secret-
While bipartite negoti- ary general, Indian Tea As-
bank is that the universe, for
an institution that can keep
much bigger customer base,
a wider range of product issues to dog ations have been on for sociation said.
deposits, expands. There are and services. We are some time now, the govern- However, although the
a lot of institutions who only planning our risk structure, banking’ ment intervened to facilitate stalemate continues, some
deal with scheduled banks. governance structure in line a deal ahead of the festive of the gardens have started
So, the cost of funds could with the best practices. Press Trust of India season. However, it is un- operations with the workers
further go down. Mumbai likely that payments can be themselves reporting for
Is there a plan to infuse The risk and regulatory made in full as hardly three work. Castleton Tea Estate
Where do you see your more capital? outlook for the banking working days are available of Goodricke Group has
loan portfolio by March ■ The capital base of the sector in 2017-18 is expec- before the commencement been operational for three
2018? bank is ₹300 crore now, as ted to be dictated by unre- of the Durga Puja next Wed- days now and the industry is
■ Our loan portfolio is against the regulatory solved issues from the pre- nesday. A majority of work- hopeful of other gardens fol-
₹2,000 crore and and by the minimum of ₹100 crore. vious year with a plethora ers at the 87 tea estates have lowing suit next week.
end of the fiscal, we expect There will be some more of macro-prudential devel- gone without salary for Tea companies that have
it touch ₹3,000 crore. capital infusion this month opments, said a report. more than 100 days now. operations only in Darjeel-
— around ₹120 crore. The Unresolved business “The gardens are open, ing fear a severe cash flow
Utkarsh is predominantly holding company has from the previous year in- and essential and mainten- problem following this halt,
present in northern enough liquidity which they cludes addressing cyber ance service staff have gone said A.N. Singh, the MD of
India. Are you eyeing can pump in as equity. risks, recovery of non-per- about their duties of run- Goodricke Group, which has
other parts of the forming loans, strengthen- ning the housing colonies several gardens in Darjeel-
country? How did demonetisation ing credit underwriting and maintaining services ing, Assam and Dooars.
■ Our core geography will affect your bank? and early warning systems like medical and water sup- Industry sources said that
remain the same, barring a ■ Historically, our NPA used and capital optimisation, plies,” a senior industry offi- it might not be possible to
few locations. U.P. and Bihar to be less than 0.25%. But the CII-Deloitte report on cial said, adding that while pay anything beyond an ad-
constitute 70% of our the demonetisation exercise paradigm shift in banking these employees qualify for hoc amount prior to the
branches. Two other states has impacted all MFIs, said. Due to potential risks salaries, the tea estate work- Puja. “This payment, on the
[where Utkarsh does NBFCs, banks. As a result, of new entrants like fintech ers do not qualify. basis of the 2016-17 perform-
business] are Jharkhand and currently, our gross NPAs companies, it is expected ance linked to a person’s
Chattisgarh. There are no are 9-10%. In our fresh that banking regulations Higher than last year output (leaf pluckings)... it
banks that are disbursements of the last 4-5 will focus on unassessed The bonus rate is a tad takes time to compute the
headquartered in these months, delinquencies have risks that are a byproduct higher than the 19% rate last total earnings,” an industry
states. This will continue for come back to normal. of these technologies. year. The payment would be official said.
Credit Suisse,
BITS Pilani
collaborate
Press Trust India
New Delhi
Credit Suisse and Birla In-
stitute of Technology & Sci-
ence, Pilani (BITS Pilani)
have joined hands to pro-
mote academic and in-
dustry collaboration in re-
search, training and
student development.
Both companies have
signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) to
this effect.
As part of this collabora-
tion, Credit Suisse and
BITS Pilani University are
jointly developing and de-
livering a new elective
course on “Financial Risk
Analytics and Manage-
ment,” a release said.
BITS Pilani is among the
top five engineering insti-
tutes in India and one of
the key recruitment cam-
puses for Credit Suisse in
the Asia Pacific region.
Twice a year, Credit
Suisse hosts interns from
BITS Pilani for 6-month po-
sitions in the bank’s offices.
panding and it helps your
strategy.”
Synopsis operates in three
businesses — electronic
design automation, semicon-
ductor IP and software integ-
rity of cybersecurity.
“If you look at the IP busi-
ness, the design block that
goes into a chip, it is doing
better than semiconductor
business. It is growing at
double the rate of the semi-
conductor business,” Dr.
Chi-Foon said. “If there is an
underlying theme of where
we are going, then it is IoT
and AI, and automotive. Se-
curity and safety is most im-
portant in all these vertic-
als,” according to Dr.
Chi-Foon.
The company has raised
its revenue target for the cal-
endar year 2017 to between
$2.67 billion to $2.685 bil-
lion, a growth rate of
between 10% and 11%.
B CH-CHE
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12 BUSINESS ABROAD
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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
CHENNAI THE HINDU

IN BRIEF
Around the world, a muted
beginning for Apple’s iPhone 8 on fuel for London ght
Buyers hold out for premium $999 iPhone X, that is due in early November
Reuters
SAN FRANCISCO/SYDNEY/TOKYO
U.K. Minister slams Apple Inc.’s release of the
ocials for ban on Uber iPhone 8 kicked off with less
LONDON fanfare on Friday than new
Britain’s minister for London models in previous years in
Greg Hands has criticised the the United States, Asia, Aus-
London authorities for tralia and Britain, as fans
deciding to strip Uber of its held out for the premium
taxi licence, a major setback iPhone X, due out in early
to the U.S. rm that has November.
become a big player in the In San Francisco’s Union
city’s transport system. The Square, 50 miles from
city’s transport regulator Apple’s Cupertino headquar-
deemed Uber unt to run a ters, just 80 people were
taxi service and said its lined up at the company’s
licence would not be flagship store, a sharp con-
renewed. Reuters trast to years past when lines
stretched for blocks when
Uber may be running low
‘A tarnished image may mean rm can’t rely on its user base’
Carol Ryan
years after Apple released LONDON
the first version of the re- Uber Technologies may have
volutionary phone, drove hit a London wall. The Brit-
down shares of the company ish capital has decided not
to near two-month lows of to renew the ride-hailing
$152.75 on Thursday, as in- app’s licence, citing an irre-
vestors worried pre-orders sponsible approach to safety
for the device had come in and security. Boardroom up-
well below previous heaval back in the United
introductions. States makes it harder for
The iPhone 8 will only Uber to address the con-
cater to those who want a cerns with much credibility.
new version but do not want And a dented reputation
to pay a hefty $999 for the could undermine London-
iPhone X, said iTWire.com’s ers’ enthusiasm to help Uber
technology editor Alex Za- challenge the ruling.
harov-Reutt, who did not Transport for London,
line up for the release. the body tasked with man- Battle lines: Taxi and labour groups have also been lobbying
That was the case for aging the U.K. capital’s fleet hard against the U.S. interloper. REUTERS *

new products were released. Damien Roberts, a customer of buses, trains and taxis,
In Australia, hundreds of in line at Apple’s San Fran- said on Friday that Uber’s It might even loom large Johnson tried to crack down
people usually gather at cisco store. Mr. Roberts five-year licence will not be enough to alarm SoftBank, on Uber in London two
Apple’s Sydney city store, owns a battered iPhone 6s reissued at the end of which is mulling a $10 billion years ago with proposals
with queues winding down and wanted an upgrade to September. Concerns raised investment in the company that would have seen pas-
George Street in the central the iPhone 8 Plus for phone by U.K. police about the re- according to the Wall Street sengers having to wait at
business district. But there Checking it out: The latest model has ‘modest’ renements calls, messages and playing porting of serious crime in- Journal. least five minutes for a ride,
were fewer than 30 people over its predecessor, according to some customers. AP *
his favorite video game fluenced the outcome, as the company was able to
lining up before the store “Clash of Clans.” He said he did the tech group’s presum- COMMENT mobilise customers to sign a
opened on Friday, according modest refinements. consumer interest, were less didn’t need the extra fea- ably inadequate explana- petition and see off Mr. John-
to a Reuters witness. “(It) is pretty similar to the than seen for previous tures of the $999 iPhone X. tions of the use of its contro- Uber looks unprepared son’s threat. A similar appeal
Zuckerberg nixes new Apple’s flagship store in iPhone 7 but it shoots 4k 60 releases. versial Greyball software, for the fight. New Chief Ex- to riders and drivers is part
Facebook share class London’s Regent Street also frames per second and it’s In San Francisco, custom- ‘Lot of money’ which can be used to evade ecutive Dara Khosrowshahi, of Uber’s response to TfLs
WILMINGTON experienced a slim turnout, got a new glass back instead ers waiting in line were “It’s a lot of money to shell regulatory scrutiny. who replaced ousted co- ruling. Along with promises
Facebook chairman & CEO according to several British of the metal which is appar- evenly split between those out for a phone,” said Mr. founder Travis Kalanick last that Uber will clean up its
Mark Zuckerberg abandoned newspapers. ently more durable,” he told interested in the iPhone 8 Roberts, a Briton who was No secret month, is trying to impose act, it could again be an ef-
plans to create a new class of Shares of the company de- Reuters. “There aren’t too and those looking to buy the purchasing the phone while Those are legitimate wor- discipline at the company, fective tactic. But an image
company stock with no clined 1.3% to $151.39 in af- many new features to this Apple Watch Series 3. on vacation. ries, although it’s no secret and the board is in need of tarnished both in London
voting power, which was ternoon trading on Friday. one,” said Mr. Kourouche. The latest watch includes Speaking to CNBC, Apple that taxi and labour groups new members, too. Those at and elsewhere may mean
meant to be a way for him to The stock has lost 6.3% since In China, a loyal Apple standalone cellular data con- Chief Executive Tim Cook have also been lobbying the top are preoccupied Uber can’t rely on its user
retain control over the rm closing at $161.50 on Sept. 11, customer said the improved nectivity for the first time, said the Apple Watch with hard against the U.S. inter- with filling holes in the exec- base to back it whole-
and full a charity pledge. a day before its new camera was one of the reas- meaning it can be used to cellular data service is “sold loper. As such, TfLs decision utive ranks, improving gov- heartedly this time.
Mr. Zuckerberg said he could products were announced. ons she had bought the new make phone calls without an out in so many places is a serious blow in Uber’s ernance and managing the (The author is a Reuters
meet the pledge and device. iPhone nearby. around the world” and biggest European market fallout from a string of Breakingviews columnist. The
maintain voting control Poor reviews “I waited until midnight to iPhone 8 models were also one usually known for relat- controversies. opinions expressed are her
without the change. Reuters While the number of people watch the launch event with Watch buyers sold out. He did not specify ively light-touch regulation. When then-Mayor Boris own)
queuing up outside Apple my boyfriend to learn what’s Chayce O’Neal, 27, said he the locations he was refer-
stores has dropped over the new with this iPhone. Its had come to buy the new ring to.
past several years with many photograph function is watch and wasn’t discour- The iPhone X is a glass
buyers choosing to shop on- pretty good. So I think I must aged by reviews that men- and stainless steel device WEEK AHEAD IN MARKETS
line, the weak turnout for change with no hesitation,” tioned connectivity prob- with an edge-to-edge display
the latest iPhone has partly said Ta Na, a 29-year-old lems. But he was skipping that Mr. Cook has called “the
been due to poor reviews.
Mazen Kourouche, who
was first in queue in Sydney
consumer in Shanghai.

Weibo mentions
the iPhone 8 and holding out
for the iPhone X.
“I like being on top of the
biggest leap forward since
the original iPhone”.
“I think it’ll be more lively
Shorting U.S. volatility: rising
after lining up 11 days outside
the store so he could buy
and review the product on
Mentions of iPhone 8 and
iPhone X on the popular
Chinese social media plat-
cutting edge of technology,”
he said.
Indifferent reviews of the
with more people with the
iPhone X,” said Ray Yokoy-
ama, after buying an iPhone
risks mean itchier trigger ngers
Investor group seeks YouTube, said there were form Weibo, an indicator of iPhone 8, which comes 10 8 in Tokyo.
probe into SEC hack Daily stock price uctuations have been near record lows
WASHINGTON
A global investor group has CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Reuters ETN, which makes money these contracts daily to
called for a probe into a NEW YORK as long as the volatility keep their volatility expos-
cyberbreach at the Securities
and Exchange Commission
Idyll gone awry A long stretch of low volatil- drops or holds in place, is ure in line with the level of
ity for U.S. stocks has made up about 100% this year. stock swings in the market.
(SEC) and urged the regulator betting on continued calm a Some traders, however, Managers of these lever-
to delay new data-gathering popular and lucrative trade, have grown more wary of aged and inverse products
rules till it could assure but traders and strategists increased risks to the trade. are required to buy volatil-
investors that its systems warn that risks to the trade “I think a lot of folks have ity futures as they go up
were secure. SEC had have mounted, while the gotten lulled into a false and sell when they decline.
admitted that hackers potential for profits has sense of security because Strategists fear that this
breached its corporate shrunk. the short trade has gone so rebalancing — which needs
database in 2016. Reuters U.S. equity market volat- well for so long,” said Matt to be even more pro-
ility — the daily fluctuations Thompson co-head of nounced if a shock follows a
in stock prices — has Volatility Group at Typhon period of unusually muted
hovered near record lows Capital LLC. volatility, such as now —
for much of this year. “We are still shorting may be akin to adding fuel
The CBOE Volatility In- volatility but we have an to fire. “There could be a
dex, a gauge of the degree itchier trigger finger.” feedback effect and maybe
to which investors expect While there are many selling begets more selling,”
share prices to fluctuate, ways to short volatility — said Salil Aggarwal, equity
has averaged 11.4 this year. bet on lower stock gyrations derivatives strategist at
That is lower than for any — investors’ hunger for this Deutsche Bank.
comparable period over its trade is particularly appar- Meanwhile, investors are
nearly three-decade ent in the growth in volatil- not reaping as much for tak-
T-Mobile, Sprint close to history. ity-linked exchange traded ing on risk as they did in the
accord on deal terms products (ETPs). past, said Anand Om-
T-Mobile US Inc. is close to Betting on calm Assets under manage- prakash, director of equity
agreeing on tentative terms Robust corporate earnings, ment for the top two short and derivative strategy at
of a deal to merge with Sprint encouraging economic volatility products is at $2.8 BNP Paribas.
Corp., people familiar with growth and a view that billion and their exposure What traders are being
the matter said, a major world central banks are to volatility is at an all-time paid to take on the short
breakthrough in eorts to available to rescue markets high, according to Barclays volatility risk currently, is
merge the third and fourth if trouble strikes, have Capital. But the very pop- slightly below their average
largest U.S. wireless carriers. helped mute stock market ularity of the trade has historical take since January
The deal will consolidate the gyrations and spell success cranked up the risk. 2013, and roughly 6% lower
U.S. telecom market and for those betting on calm. These products hold first than what they were paid
represents the rst The VelocityShares Daily and second month volatility monthly in mid-2016, Mr.
transformative U.S. merger Black sands: Empty sunbeds and folded umbrellas populate the deserted beach of Agios Kosmas at the riviera in Greece’s Athens, Inverse VIX Short-Term futures, buying and selling Omprakash estimates.
since January. Reuters after oil from a tanker that sank near the country’s largest port, Piraeus, washed ashore. REUTERS *

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At smartphone pioneer HTC: a new, or virtual, reality

Returning founder Cher Wang has not been able to turn the company’s fortunes around with the shares having slumped about 90% from the 2011 peak
Reuters heads HTC’s mobile busi- in a market where Apple and valuing the company at competition against the likes
TAIPEI/SINGAPORE ness, told reporters. “So our Samsung grew quickly and about $1.7 billion, as some in- of Samsung and Sony Corp.,
When HTC Corp. brought major releases will be as have since been joined by vestors hope the Google cash which control half the $2 bil-
back founder Cher Wang two usual. In future, HTC will Chinese rivals such as Hua- helps HTC focus on its Vive lion global AR and VR head-
years ago to turn around the concentrate not on our port- wei, Oppo and Vivo. VR headsets and reduce its set market.
struggling Taiwanese mobile folio size, but what’s in the HTC shares have slumped development costs. HTC saw flat second-
phone maker, investors portfolio.” about 90% since the 2011 HTC CFO Peter Shen said quarter growth, and had
hoped she could stem a Ms.Wang, a pioneer in peak. the deal will cut operating 4.4% market share after a
sharp loss in market share to Taiwan’s male-dominated The latest deal marks a re- costs by 30-40%. price reduction.
Apple and Samsung technology industry, foun- treat from HTC’s smartphone “Vive remains in the red;
Electronics. ded HTC 20 years ago as a legacy. Glimmer of hope free cash flow is negative;
But the gamble to rebuild contract manufacturer and “It may take a hard look at While the Google cash book value is eroding; and
the early smartphone pion- established it as a leader, its smartphone business ... throws HTC a lifeline for sales growth is decelerating,”
eer’s reputation failed, as its designing and making Mi- and think it’s probably better now, it may find it hard to re- JP Morgan analyst Narci
market share has continued crosoft-powered to wind it down as soon as tain staff, analysts said. Chang said in a note follow-
to dwindle: to below 1% from smartphones. possible rather than for it to Google has cherry-picked ing the Google deal.
closer to 10% in 2011. It later turned out its own drain more cash,” said David the best people, said a “Nevertheless... we think
On Thursday, Ms. Wang branded phones, but often Dai, an analyst at Sanford C. former HTC executive who HTC might narrow the loss
announced HTC was shifting struggled to translate posit- Bernstein. has spoken to current em- considerably... enough to
about 2,000 staff, mainly ive early reviews into strong “If it focuses on virtual ployees, adding: “It’s hard to keep the business afloat and
handset engineers, to Alpha- sales, despite spending heav- reality (VR) and augmented see how anyone remaining beat the (market) consensus
bet’s Google in a $1.1 billion ily on marketing, including a reality (AR), there’s a much would be enthusiastic.” for the next few quarters.”
deal that casts doubts over collaboration with “Iron more concrete chance the “Google’s investment will For now, no major VR
the company’s longer-term Man” star Robert Downey Jr. company turns things probably slow, but not stop, overhaul has trickled down

https://t.me/yk_info
future. for its flagship HTC One around.” HTC’s decline,” said Neil to staff.
“Our main consideration phone. That prospect pushed up Mawston, an analyst at “It’s business as usual,”
is that our brand will con- It also struggled to carve HTC shares by their daily Strategy Analytics. one Vive employee told Altered experience: Investors hope the Google cash helps HTC focus on its Vive VR (virtual
tinue,” Chialin Chang, who out a strong consumer brand maximum of 10% on Friday, Even Vive faces tough Reuters. reality) headsets and reduce its development costs. REUTERS *

CM B CH-CHE
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THE HINDU ALL

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 OPEN PAGE 13

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Handmade Requiem for the gardens My romance

in India Can’t a balance be achieved between the environment and economic development? with the train
Pallavi Ramane S. Divecha amidst our own simple, in- Chandrika R. Krishnan find the facets of human be-

C I T
an we promote a ‘Hand- was late. The sun had nocuous games. here is something in a ings more fascinating. Brav-
made in India’ tag as the started its lethargic des- Today, I glance towards train journey that has ing the ‘doctored biscuits,’ I
‘Make in India’ campaign cent. I walked carefully the garden with melan- fascinated a lot of have been fortunate to
is being promoted? This ques- on the carriageway of the choly eyes. The sublime people and I am one of travel with interesting co-
tion echoed during a discussion road. The footpath had view has now been distor- them. Maybe it has to do passengers who have left an
on ‘Art Futures: Creating Future been hijacked by gigantic ted with monstrous con- with stories like the ‘The impression on me; I keep in
Stakeholders in Art’, organised blue-and-green barricades. struction machines and Little Engine That Could,’ touch with a few of them.
by the Union Ministry of Culture The sound of drilling workers. Newspapers had that I read as a child. It I have travelled with a
at the National Gallery of Mod- pierced my ears while dust reported that many parks could also be Ruskin Bond’s just-‘started’ journalist and I
ern Art in Mumbai. annoyingly found a new and gardens would be tales on trains and tunnels, am on the lookout for his
India, a country with a rich home on my sandals. A cleared to make way for or it could even be ‘The Rail- byline some 20 years
and diverse heritage, is substan- Mumbai underground the train stations for the way Children’. There’s thence. I have had compan-
tially lagging behind in market- metro train station was be- underground Metro line. something really wonderful ions who needed my help to
ing to the world its own treas- ing built here. I glanced at The news had appeared ir- about the sound of a train fetch them something from
ures. However, it is not just a my watch furtively. She relevant at that time, but and the journey itself that the station to companions
question of the conservation of was waiting and I was late. now it directly affects us. makes me feel extremely who had helped me and my
both the tangible and intangible I walk into the building. Frowning in disapproval, I nostalgic and excited. Being children disembark. I have
heritage, or the livelihood of mil- Nostalgia hits me like a bul- had simply turned the page an inveterate tea-drinker, I sought help and have
lions of artists, or earning for- let: piercing, painful and to read other, more inter- really don’t pay much heed offered my services. I have
eign exchange through tourism. yet ineffably cajoling. As a esting articles. to the way the railway chai is had as companions lawyers,
It is a question of creating vision- child, my brother and I Today, however, it made, nor am I too worried students and a young reality
ary and passionate artists as well would often go to the smacked me hard on the about the samosas being a show winner. Her grand-
as a generation of art-lovers. rather quaint neighbouring face. This was my garden, storehouse of bacteria: I father was miffed I didn’t re-
garden seeking a respite my childhood haven, my think the dust coating cognise her.
Patronage to philanthropy from the exuding evening green emerald verdant makes it tastier. Today, the Recently I met a young 17-
Until the colonial period, artists heat. My mother, dressed patch, that would shine pantry car has made life year-old. In the so-called
used to enjoy patronage in some in a starched cotton sari, lustrously in the morning easier but I remember the ‘self-obsessed’ generation,
form or the other. But the trans- would sit on the wooden sun. Now it had been re- immense preparation prior this young girl was like a
ition from such patronage to benches, knitting and chat- duced to an insignificant to a journey. The longer the whiff of delight. When the
philanthropy supported by the ting with her friends. I muddy patch. ILLUSTRATION: SREEJITH R KUMAR journey, the more the num-
masses hasn’t been very effect- would swing and he would I ring the doorbell. My clenched in a storm of The underground Metro deep fissure, swallowing ber of packets that needed
ive. Therefore, art work contin- slide, the only playground daughter comes running as emotions. He was looking is essential to provide im- the whole society. Eco- to be prepared.
ues to remain a luxury item in a equipment in those days. fast as her little feet can at the brown patch. “It is proved travel infrastruc- nomic growth and pro- This love for train travel I
developing country such as The garden was beautifully take her while her eyes sad to see these beautiful ture, multi-mode con- gress are what we are striv- acquired from my father. He
ours. On the contrary, from the outlined with magenta-col- sparkle vivaciously. Every trees being felled. How can nectivity and economic ing for. Environmental care was game for travelling, say-
painted mud walls of tribal huts oured bougainvillea bursts visit to my parents’ house they take a garden away growth in the over-popu- is slowly regressing to the ing that ‘god and railways
to a simple rangoli at a doorstep, and jasmine vines. ended with a customary just like that?” he asked lated financial hub of Mum- back of our daily require- willing’ he would reach his
we find art flourishing in every The grassy patches were visit to the garden. with a broken voice. The bai city. What I am per- ments, thus being silenced destination on a particular
corner of India. One needs to at- interspersed with cobble- uncomfortable interlude plexed to see is that every by the simple ignominy of day. Given the Railways’
tach a value to it. Efforts should stone paths, with one addi- Playtime lost was interrupted by my modern development pro- being left out. Can’t a bal- opaqueness and proclivity
be made to demystify art works tional path on the peri- After an afternoon of bon- daughter’s cheerful en- ject is an enemy to the nat- ance be achieved between for ‘unpunctuality,’ my
and develop markets to make meter to be used by serious homie indoors, she quiry about the garden. ural habitat. Economic the environment and eco- father would reiterate that young are often criticised
them affordable to commoners. exercise buffs. Parrots strained to get out and My father threw his progress is vital for every nomic development? rail services were not under for a ‘myopic vision,’ she
This transformation should peeped playfully from the start her main business of hands in the air and said, nation. However, surrepti- We all believe in efficient god’s control. Some things was completing her science
start from the school education gulmohar trees while an the evening. The business “First you cut trees, take tiously hidden below the financial planning and in- have changed for the better record in the train, thus sav-
stage. To quote Unesco, “intro- ageing banyan tree spread of every child – play. How- away the greenery and intoxicating materialistic surance plans. What about and the romance hasn’t ing herself some time to visit
ducing learners to artistic pro- out its branches majestic- ever, today not only was I then complain about global needs of a society is the prudent environmental in- waned. her aunt who was recouping
cesses cultivates a fertile imagin- ally, making a canopy of so late, there was no warming? What kind of a careless use of natural re- surance? Don’t our chil- I look forward to the from a major illness. Belying
ation, emotional intelligence, bright green leaves. My garden left to play in. future will these young in- sources and unbound dren deserve this too? hustle and bustle of the sta- the almost symbiotic rela-
capacity for critical reflection brother and I would enjoy My father was standing nocent children have?” chemical emissions. Un- tion before boarding the tionship these youngsters
and social adaptability as well as chasing the butterflies in the balcony, his face I wonder the same. checked, this will create a sdivecha@yahoo.com train and the noises of the have with technology, she
freedom of thought.” India pos- intermediate stations. I en- used her phone but spar-
sesses the demographic di- joy observing the drama go- ingly, just to take a call from
vidend. Nurturing our young ing outside the window of her parents and to inform
population in such a way that
they would have creative minds
and independent voices is our
collective responsibility. Art edu-
The bane, and the bliss, of being burgled my compartment. If at all I
worry about anything, it is
the worry that I would get
stuck in that ‘newly de-
her cousin travelling in an-
other coach that she was
safe with a ‘nice’ compan-
ion! We spoke about her
cation through hands-on learn-
ing will contribute to it.
A burglary at home could be nothing but a hackneyed story, until that happens to you and me signed, miniature-sized ex-
cuse of a washroom’ in the
cousins and their get-to-
gether, her future plans, her
Mohan Kumar had up the sleeves. As we ing bell button, drew us to train, where you need to interests — and it was such

O
Innovations can help stensibly, that was fumbled through the util- our foyer by sheer intu- enter like a crab, crouch to an eye-opener. Only at the
Technological innovations can an auspicious morn- ity passage, we had an ition, stepped in with a do your job and slither out end of the journey we ex-
further aid this process. The ing. eerie sensation, as if soothing smile and sat like a snake! Sometimes we changed names. I wish we
present generation demands Away from our home somebody (sleuths?) with us, clasped our do share space with an occa- can make our life safer so
smart access to different aven- and in our village amid a had left the scene hands in warmth, sional cockroach or mouse, that more people can de-
ues of knowledge. There are mo- wedding congregation, my just minutes ago. looked in our eyes but the charm remains. velop good interpersonal
bile apps to help learn classical spouse and I were enjoying We inched for- with ease, walked I always carry with me a skills.
western music and dance styles rounds of rapturous recep- ward in awe and straight into our book but most of the time
or to simply take a virtual walk tions among relationship threw a light in kitchen and the book is left unread for I chandrika1306@gmail.com
through a heritage city. The up- circles. Just then came the our bedroom made tea for all
coming film Loving Vincent, disrupting call, vibrating for the nonce. to share, spoke a
based on the life of the Vincent on my smart phone. The What a dis- lot in lighter vein
van Gogh, is another such mar- foreboding voice at the gusting junk of and about posit-
vel. It is the world’s first fully other end faltered, and the soiled papers ivity and ethics,
painted animated film, created near fracas that followed and trampled and breathed
by a team of 115 artists using Van got the better of us. So, the documents, slit nothing, not an
Gogh’s style of painting. Can we final and worst ever reveal: pouches and iota, of the dirty More on the Web
also think of creating such bio- Goddamn, burglar on our ripped boxes! burglary. Speaking thehindu.com/opinion/open-page
graphical films on Raja Ravi premises, overnight! Ouch! Dangling dhotis and copies of the complaint,
Varma, Amrita Sher-Gil or M.F. We got ourselves into a sarees, and tucked dup- First Information Report
A peacock and an epiphany
Husain? Augmented reality and tizzy, what with having pattas and salwars, not and the like had already Why we all have something as magnificent
virtual technology, therefore, fully out of the skewed found a place on our tea- as the dance of a beautiful bird in our lives
have the greatest potential to
bring the young closer to art. <
> Our good old
almirah, the poor
shelves, well-nigh made a
sad souvenir of the sloppy
table. Don’t ever keep in-
doors...move out…get
SHIVANGI RAI

In 1949 China had only 25 mu- steely legacy, lay ransacking! Simply, our questioning, but with no bedroom, the lout would out of the damned thing...! Between men and women
seums. It targeted to create doused and dead good old olive green scruples to eavesdrop on wax eloquent in a clumsy We could imbibe a strik-
3,500 museums by 2015 and almirah, the poor steely what could be transpiring. chorus: thcho, thcho, ing sense of direction. What sets them apart, and yet make them
in shame complementary beings
achieved it some three years in legacy, with limbs torn and Shrewd men would prefer thcho… All set to further Mend your home, do im-
advance of the target date. Stra- been caught in a cleft stick, twisted, and viscera pulled to stay clear, as if having poke, someone would chip portant repairs… a security R.S. KARUNARATNE
tegically developing the cultural and constrained to save out of its chest and abdo- little stake in our affairs. in: Much, eh? Mean, the system should you want...
and creative industry (CCI) has face in a growing feeling of men, lay doused and dead Gossip-mongers? No won- loot! We would rather give and a Ganapathi homam, In the age of information overload
been an integral part of China’s stigma. Felt wronged by in shame and humility! der, we had a bunch of a chuckle. Not much en- on top of all! Good heav-
12th five-year plan. India should
Pregnancy in the time of information
the heavens, we went des- Bane of our life, this? them right under our nose, thused, the unbidden ens! We felt blessed and
make the most of its glorious perate scouting in a sorely the earliest to call at the sleuths would slither aside: thought we deserved that.
and technology: it is an exciting journey
past for a better future. Steps SHAIRA MOHAN
hushed setting, for a ger- Different responses gate, barging in with the Who knows? How blissful!
such as patenting valuable cul- mane source of succour. Come morning, and the probing shot: How come Must have been a telling Certainly, we took rare
tural objects, giving tax benefits Virtually done, we shelved catch-up mania (or, pho- these scumbags broke such loss! Have asked for it! cues from the rogue event.
to craftspersons, introducing the occasion for good, and bia?) began. People would a mighty teak door? Next Thought as much! More Bane or bliss, burglary Contributions to this page may be emailed to openpage@thehindu.co.in to a
culture as a subject in curricula, got off in a scurry, to our not spare the chance of a would come a salvo of than the burglary, the be- could be nothing but a length of up to 700 words. Please provide the postal address and a brief descrip-
tion of the writer. An email id that is provided could be considered for publication.
structuring funding through hapless home. piercing glance as they go seething queries: Other hind-the-scenes bullying hackneyed story until that Certify in writing that it is original material; The Hindu views plagiarism as a serious
public-private partnership mod- Our forlorn home stood past our beleaguered doors? Gotten broken, all? was what left us bruised. happens to you and me, in issue. Also confirm that the submission is exclusive to this page. Taking into ac-
els would accelerate the process. count the volume of material being received, we regret our inability to acknow-
dumb and dormant, in the premises. Neighbours, not Windows, intact? Oh...bed- Some of our kindred flesh and blood. Heaven ledge receipt, or to entertain telephonic or other queries on the status of a submis-
dim streetlight. In an air of all of them, would keep be- room door, this? Surging families living a little away forbid! sion. If a submission is not published within eight weeks, consider it to be out of the
reckoning — in most cases owing to dearth of space. The publication of an article is
pallaviramane@gmail.com anguish, we made for the hind shutters probably in a ahead, and stealing un- turned up in a flock. Well, not to be seen as The Hindu endorsing the viewpoint in any way.
rear door whose keys we silly bid to ward off police abashedly a glimpse of our they spared the frayed call- ramo1953@yahoo.com

Tales of the hypochondriacs: listen to your bodies

Health anxiety is in your mind, distressed and paranoid, that suspects the natural sensations and tells you not to trust them
Shwetha Mahendran activities (hyper-vigilance), an second fiddle to the intrusive quit worrying. You’re okay, yourself, as a sign of weak-
<
> Iatook a headache for

H
ypochondriacs are abnormally high number of thoughts that clogged my get over it. It’s only when an- ness.
brain tumour, neck
considered to be a bit hospital visits/avoiding the mind. noyance and condescension But I want to make one
of a joke. You've prob- hospital altogether, and con- pain for spinal The important thing to creep into their voices that thing loud and clear: you are
ably seen those comics on stantly seeking reassurance problems, stomach note here is that it isn't your you realise what they don’t brave. Nobody is going to tell
overly-finicky patients visiting from every possible source ache for appendicitis body that’s turning against understand. They don’t un- you this, but you are brave.
multiple doctors to get a clear about their symptoms. you. The human body creaks, derstand that people with hy- You are brave for putting up
diagnosis. They're humorous, There have been days that I wasn’t going to die. growls and quivers, and if pochondria experience irra- with a mental illness that is
aren't they? Nothing really when I believed a headache Even after my mom’s initial anything this shows that all tional, baseless fears of rarely spoken about. You are
harmful about them. was due to a brain tumour, reassurance, I wasn’t con- your vital organs are function- imaginary illnesses, as op- brave for being the butt of
These jokes — usually de- and neck pain was caused by vinced. But how many times a ing properly. Even if any of posed to the rational, healthy many jokes through the years.
livered inoffensively — may be spinal dysfunction. There day could my mother repeat your body parts are feeling concerns and decisions of You are brave for putting up
funny to some. But to me, and have been days on which a the same thing without feel- sore, it’s completely normal. people who’re merely health- with people who may care
a lot of others, it’s a painful small red dot on my finger ing like a broken record? She It’s your mind, distressed and conscious. about you, but never fully get
reminder of reality. made me consult a doctor, eventually told me to quit paranoid, that suspects the And at the end of all your you.
Health anxiety, otherwise and days on which I felt like cribbing, and that’s what I natural sensations in your struggles, you might feel vul- You are brave for putting
known as hypochondria or my body was slowly did. This didn’t stop the anxi- body that tells you not to trust nerable. Your self-esteem may up with the illusions of life-
hypochondriasis, is a mental deteriorating. ety from building up. them. take a beating. Depressive threatening diseases that con-
illness that makes a person in- A particularly wretched And ultimately my full at- symptoms are common in an stantly hover over you.
terpret a minor symptom as- episode comes to mind. A tention was directed towards All that advice anxiety disorder. You may You are brave, and there is
sociated with the body as an stomach ache had me wor- the pain in my stomach. And the worst thing about hy- feel like a nag at times, un- no diagnosis required to

https://t.me/yk_info
indication of a much more ried about appendicitis. I Turns out, it can be a crip- pochondria is that nobody grateful to life and whining prove it.
serious underlying condition. needed my mother to prom- pling condition. On that day, takes you seriously. They as- about the non-existent. This
Some symptoms include the ise me that, no, I was not ill. I and a few others, studying sume you’re a health-con- sort of vulnerability may be shwethamahendran.
need to closely observe bodily needed to hear from her lips and other such tasks played scious person and tell you to interpreted by others, and by 20cs@licet.ac.in

CM B CH-CHE
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14 LIFE
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IN BRIEF
Scorsese to oer online
course in lmmaking
LOS ANGELES
Legendary director Martin
Scorsese will offer a
filmmaking course via online
education startup
MasterClass in 2018,
reported Variety. The class
costs $90 for unlimited
access to more than 20 video
lessons. Advance registration
is possible through
masterclass.com/ms. PTI
Google launches
movie review feature
NEW DELHI
Google has launched a
feature that allows users to
contribute to movie and
television reviews within
Search results. The tech giant
has confirmed that the new
feature is available only in
India for the present time,
Tech Crunch reported on
Saturday. User-generated
reviews are filtered for
inappropriate content. IANS
Sputnik replica to go
under the hammer
NEW YORK
Just ahead of the 60 th
anniversary of the launch of
Sputnik 1, a replica of the
famous satellite is going on
sale at Bonhams in New York
on Wednesday. The replica
was built for electromagnetic
tests, according to the papers
that come with it, and comes
complete with a vintage East
German radio receiver. NYT
Supermodels reunite for Versace
tribute at Milan Fashion Week
The women had all worked with Gianni during their years on the runway
Agence France-Presse
Milan
Donatella Versace authored
the defining moment of
Milan Fashion Week on Fri-
day, with a blockbuster show
honouring her late brother
Gianni, which closed with a
surprise supermodel re-
union that brought the
cheering crowd to its feet.
Security guards had to
brush back the audience
when it rushed to the ramp
after a white curtain at the
head of the room peeled
back to reveal the guests of
honour.
Out stepped Cindy Craw-
ford, Carla Bruni, Naomi
Campbell, Helena
Christensen and Claudia
Schiffer in gold, as the
George Michael anthem
“Freedom ‘90” pounded
from the sound system.
Each of the women — all
now in their 40s or 50s —
had personally worked with
Gianni during their years on
the runway.
“Gianni, this is for you,” a
voice declared throughout
the show, which featured the
greatest hits of the murdered
designer’s canon.
There were his iconic
baroque designs on dress
and trouser combinations, a
glittering number bearing
Andy Warhol’s pop art, Mar-
ilyn Monroe and rock n roll
leather adorned with shim-
mering tassels.
Broad, square-shouldered
suits, tight pastel-coloured
velour-looking dresses, as
well as swimsuits adorned
with sea stars and shells
defined the collection.
It was all done before a
starry crowd, including For-
mula 1 champion Lewis
Hamilton, Kardashian mum
Kris Jenner and Gucci creat-
ive mastermind Alessandro
Michele. Superstar model
sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid
were there too — but to show
off the collection to the
crowd of buyers, fans and
bloggers.
July 15, marked the 20th
death anniversary of Gianni,
CM
YK
NASA asteroid mission receives Audrey Hepburn’s attic
a gravitational kick from earth treasures to be auctioned
Fuel-ecient way to move the spacecraft onto Bennu’s orbital plane
Agence France-Presse
Miami
An unmanned NASA space-
craft travelling to a distant
asteroid, veered towards
Earth on Friday, for a gravit-
ational slingshot manoeuvre
that will better aim it to-
wards the sun-orbiting space
rock, Bennu, the U.S. space
agency said.
The gravity boost took
place about halfway through
the two-year journey of the
spacecraft, known as OSIRIS-
REx (Origins, Spectral Inter-
pretation, Resource Identi-
fication, and Security —
Regolith Explorer).
“The preliminary results
are in, and my #EarthGrav-
ityAssist was succesful!” said
the NASA Twitter account
for OSIRIS-REx, about an
hour after it made its closest
approach to Earth.
The mission launched last
year from Cape Canaveral,
Florida. Its goal is to collect a
sample from Bennu in 2018,
and return it to Earth for fur-
ther study in 2023.
Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-
REx’s principal investigator
at the University of Arizona,
Tucson, described the grav-
‘Lady Beast’ ghts the good ght for women gamers in Japan
Yuko Momochi, the country’s rst woman professional gamer, is looking for female talent who could one day turn pro
Agence France-Presse
Chiba
In her online world, she is
“Lady Beast”, deftly operat-
ing her green monster
Blanka in dizzying hand-to-
hand streetfighting combat
on the global professional
gaming circuit.
In real life, she is Yuko
Momochi, a 31-year-old
slender Japanese woman
with short hair dyed light
brown, who is hoping to en-
courage more girls into the
Glamorous support: (From left) Claudia Shier, Donatella Versace, Naomi Campbell, Cindy
Crawford and Helena Christensen on the runway in Milan on Friday. AP
who was killed on the steps
of his Miami Beach mansion.
The gunman, 27-year-old An-
drew Cunanan, took his own
life days after the inexplic-
able crime spree, that left at
least five dead.
“We pay homage to not
only (Gianni’s) artistic
genius, but to who he was as
a man, and above all, as my
brother,” Donatella wrote in
her notes on the Spring/
Summer 2018 collection.
Armani spreads joy
Giorgio Armani’s show
earlier in the day aimed for
the same determined joy,
which flew in the face of a
world that seems dogged by
disaster at the moment
—some natural and some
man-made.
The clothes he sent down
the runway were bright and
modern, full of vivid prints
and crisp cuts.
What was not there was
outrage over Donald Trump,
fear that North Korea’s cold
war might get hot and, no
trace of the carnage left by a
string of earthquakes and
monster hurricanes.
“It’s not because it’s a sad
Quick hello: This illustration provided by NASA depicts the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and its
y-by with earth. GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER/AP
* black-lacquered suitcase she
ity-assist as “a clever way to
move the spacecraft onto
Bennu’s orbital plane, using
Earth’s own gravity instead
of expending fuel.”
The spacecraft zipped
over Antarctica at a distance
of 17,000 kilometres, using
Earth’s gravity to shift its tra-
jectory so it can eventually
meet up with Bennu.
Bennu is a primitive, car-
male-dominated world of
professional gaming.
A former car saleswoman,
Ms. Momochi got her break
in competitive gaming in
2011 after she defeated a pre-
viously invincible character
in a Street Fighter match,
earning her a sponsorship of-
fer from an American team.
Hosting events
She was Japan’s first woman
professional gamer and now
also spends her time hosting
moment, that I have to make
women sad on the runway,”
the veteran designer told re-
porters after the show at
Teatro Armani.
Art with a “capital A”, Im-
pressionist paintings — but
not one in particular — drove
him to create a collection
with plenty of flowers, bright
silky pinks and lots of
sequins.
Providing a bit of star
power for the 83-year-old’s
show were Monaco’s Prin-
cess Charlene and Australian
actress Cate Blanchett, who
is the face of Armani’s Si per-
fume.
On the catwalk, there
were plenty of small jackets,
short dresses with sloping
hemlines and luminous
pleated skirts. The models
also showed off vertiginous,
see-through high heels.
Gauzy jacket and trouser
suits embellished with bright
designs, as well as silky
green or silver skirts were
major themes.
They were all part of what
https://t.me/yk_info
the designer’s notes called
the “sophisticated, linear el-
egance of the Armani
language.”
bon-rich asteroid, the kind
of cosmic body that may
have delivered life-giving ma-
terials to Earth, billions of
years ago.
The asteroid’s orbit
around the sun is tilted six
degrees in comparison to
that of the earth. During the
gravity assist, OSIRIS-REx
swung through a region of
space that contains earth-or-
events and searching for fe-
male talent who could one
day turn pro.
“My parents wanted me to
be a civil servant,” she laughs
at an interview on the side-
lines of the Tokyo Game
Show, one of the world’s
largest. “A girl raised by
steady parents has turned
out like this!”
Visitors to the Tokyo
Game Show are left in little
doubt they are entering a
male-dominated world.
*
As ever, the show con-
cluded with the designer
emerging in his trademark
working clothes — a long-
sleeved top and high-tech
sweatpants to briefly accept
the audience’s applause.
The show comes just two
months after the Armani
group announced it would
reorganise its brands, con-
centrating on three core la-
bels and trimming its net-
work of boutiques.
Spotlight on Cavalli
Friday was also a big day for
British talent Paul Surridge.
He made his maiden show-
ing in Milan since being
named creative lead at
Roberto Cavalli, known for
pioneering the sand-blasted
jean look. The show was big
on slinky monotone dresses
with see-through sections,
zebra-print trousers and
vests as well as flowery, flow-
ing gowns.
On the outdoor runway
set in a Milan park, there was
also some classic evening
wear mixing leather and
light fabrics, as well as
massively oversized chrome-
coated sunglasses.
CHENNAI
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
THE HINDU
Working script of Breakfast at Tiany’s also on sale
Agence France-Presse
London
Film scripts, dresses and
other treasures from the late
film legend Audrey Hep-
burn’s Swiss attic are going
up for sale in London, offer-
ing a remarkable insight into
her personal world.
“My mother kept it in the
attic, quite literally,” Hep-
burn’s son Luca Dotti said,
at a viewing of more than
500 lots at Christie’s auction
house ahead of the sale next
week.
“My mother was not a col-
lector, but she kept every
little bits and pieces for sen-
timental reasons”.
An array of luggage being Twist and twirl: Shoes belonging to Audrey Hepburn. *
REUTERS
sold off includes, a battered
notes. Glamorous dresses by War. She made her film de-
is believed to have arrived in designers including but in 1948, playing an air
biting satellites, but emerged London with, to take up a Givenchy and Valentino — stewardess in Dutch in Seven
intact. ballet scholarship in 1948, which her son Sean Hep- Lessons, an educational
OSIRIS-REx lost commu- before she became one of burn-Ferrer noted ‘few’ travel film, and moved to
nication with the earth for the world’s most famous would fit into — have been London later that year to
about an hour during the actresses. put on display alongside seek her fortune.
flyby, as expected, because The working script for the playful clothing, including a Hepburn had her first
the spacecraft was too low, 1961 film Breakfast at 1964 Spanish matador outfit. starring role in Roman Holi-
relative to the southern hori- Tiffany’s, including deleted Hepburn was born in Bel- day (1953) as a European
zon to be in view of either scenes, is another rarity be- gium on May 4, 1929 and princess who falls in love
the Deep Space tracking sta- ing sold along with numer- moved to the Netherlands with Gregory Peck who
tion at Canberra, Australia, ous other scripts featuring with her family after the out- played an American
or Goldstone, California. Hepburn’s hand-written break of the Second World journalist.
expected to attend the fair. key Kong and other video 2011 and got into the top
<
> Gaming itself was
fun but socialising
The violent world of online games with her brother. She eight at a Tokyo Game Show
gaming also tends to appeal recalled how her mother event in 2013.
with my opponent more to men, Ms. Momochi would unplug the computer And now she has
after the ght was said. after a few hours. launched a group — “Project
also fun “When I started going to Up until recently, her par- Gaming Girls” or P2G — to
game arcades, I was playing ents disapproved of her ca- encourage women and girl
Yuko Momochi
fighting games, which meant reer, only softening their op- players, whether profes-
it’s all men around you. It position slightly in recent sional or amateur.
Only a handful of female was tough to get in there years. “I want to share the joy
players are in evidence in the alone,” she recalled. Ms. Momochi has tasted you can get from gaming.
loud atmosphere and some success in the compet- Gaming itself was fun but so-
scantily-clad women in ex- Started young itive world of gaming. cialising with my opponent
hibition halls greet the Ms. Momochi started gaming She won second place in a after the fight was also fun,”
250,000 mostly male visitors at a young age, playing Don- Singapore competition in she said.
Russia rm unveils ‘surveillance-proof’ phone
Agence France-Presse
Moscow, she presented devices, we intend to fix that each device and prevent in-
Moscow
“TaigaPhone”, a brand new problem with the Taiga- formation leakage.
For Russians who fear that smartphone, costing around Phone,” company represent- The TaigaPhone is en-
someone may be eavesdrop- 15,000 rubles ($260), cre- ative Grigoriy Vasilyev told tirely green to represent the
ping on their phone conver- ated by InfoWatch Group, investors at the forum. Russian northern forest after
sations, leading IT entre- her software development InfoWatch says the device which it is named, and has a
preneur Natalya Kaspersky company. can guarantee the confiden- five-inch touch screen. The
says she has a solution. “Half of all data loss in tiality of all TaigaPhone phone has been created for
At a business forum in Russia happens on mobile users, track the location of the corporate market.
Saudi Arabia
to let women
attend opera
for rst time
Reuters
Riyadh
Saudi Arabia is celebrating
the 87th anniversary of its
founding this weekend
with an unprecedented ar-
ray of concerts and per-
formances, including al-
lowing women into the
King Fahd International
Stadium in Riyadh for a
Saturday evening operetta
— a first in the conservative
Islamic kingdom.
Also on offer is a concert
in the Red Sea city of Jed-
dah featuring, 11 Arab mu-
sicians, fireworks, air acro-
batics and traditional folk
dance shows.
The events are the latest
entertainment sponsored
by the government as part
of the Vision 2030 reform
programme, launched two
years ago, to diversify the
economy away from oil,
create whole new sectors
to employ young citizens,
and open up Saudis’
cloistered lifestyles.
However, in a country
that adheres to the austere
Wahhabi brand of Sunni Is-
lam, which bans gender
mixing, concerts and
cinemas, the plan’s seem-
ingly anodyne goals to em-
power women, promote
sports and invest in enter-
tainment have been
criticised.
Saudi rulers are also
starting to reform areas
that were once the exclus-
ive domain of the clergy,
such as education and the
law, and have promoted
elements of national iden-
tity that have no religious
component.
B CH-CHE
 MAGAZINE
Sunday, September 24, 2017
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Delhi
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A show that unleashes A village where Che Some say you can still hear
the inner rowdy to Guevara skips with his goats an Englishman whispering
spectacular eect and Engels sips chai inside Tunnel No. 33
page 4 page 3 page 6

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Saving heirlooms (Clockwise from left) Ecologist Debal Deb in his

COVER STORY farm; a farmer displays the long stalks of indigenous rice; and Gomati
Raut with the grain from her farm. Chitrangada Choudhury

ies they grew at sea level, on farms I first met Deb in 2014, when I trav-
7,000 feet higher, and on a range of elled to a two-acre common-property
lands in between. Some varieties could farm in southern Odisha’s Kerandiguda
grow in 20-50 feet of water. Others village, where he is engaged in a re-
could make do with annual rainfall of markable in-situ conservation of over a
hardly 25-30 inches. Yet others were thousand heirloom rice varieties, sev-
saline-tolerant. eral of them endangered.
Today, much of this biodiversity is ir- Close to 200 of the 1,200 varieties in
retrievably lost, forced out by decades Deb’s collection are from farmers in the
of Green Revolution agriculture, where Koraput region, proof that the villagers
‘high-yield’ hybrids and varieties were have not abandoned their native seeds.
pushed, with petrochemical inputs
(pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers) and Back from the brink
associated technologies. Such ‘superior’ Noticing how important heirloom rice
varieties are estimated to constitute varieties were for local villagers, and
over 80% of India’s rice acreage. anxious that his collection does not be-
Koraput is often depicted as a come the last repository of 25 regionally
‘backward’ region. But its vast,
undulating landscape has his-

Guardians of the grain

Koraput, often depicted
torically been among the
world’s leading areas for rice di- <
> as ‘backward’ , is
versification. And even as hy-
brid varieties have colonised among the world’s
much of India’s paddy fields,
Koraput’s loyalty to the local
leading areas for rice
Over the years we have lost over a lakh varieties of native rice. One endures. diversication
In the 1950s an official
district in Odisha is rediscovering some of them survey found that farm- endangered varieties, Deb reached out
ers here grew over 1,700 to some farmers in 2014.
BY CHITRANGADA CHOUDHURY As sweet as these names sound, their darker story of genetic and cultural kinds of rice. And farm- He asked them to grow native variet-
aromas are sweeter. Cooking and eating erosion. ers like Kamli are the ies and circulate the seeds to other

I
t is a balmy winter morning when I scented varieties like Kolaajeera and Half a century ago, we had over a reason that a sliver of farmers to save them from extinction.
meet Kamli Bataraa, an ebullient Kolakrushna, for instance, make for a lakh rice varieties — a stunning diversity India’s rice diversity He trained farmers in simple techniques
Adivasi farmer, at her home in Be- more pleasurable experience than the in taste, nutrition, pest-resistance and, still survives. to ensure genetic purity.
lugan, in southern Odisha’s Koraput ubiquitous hybrids of our daily diets. crucially, in this age of climate change A grassroots move- Today, the number of farmer-conser-
district. There is a hum across the vil- “With sarkaari dhaan, even if you and natural disasters, adaptability to ment in Koraput, with vator households has grown to 1,469
lage from the threshing of just-harves- have three vegetables on the plate, it agro-climatic conditions. over 1,400 farmer-conser- from only 13 in 2014. By reviving seeds,
ted paddy. When I ask Kamli about the does not taste that good,” laughs Gomati vators at its heart, is one of they are also reviving taste, ritual, nutri-
rice varieties she grows, she reels off 13 Raut, another Belugan farmer. “Our desi From 60 to 200 days other such groups now trying tion and sustainability, attributes way-
names: “Baunsunimundi, Haldi-dhaan, dhaan, you can eat it plain...” As eminent rice scientist R.H. Richharia to safeguard what remains of laid by the obsession with yield. Attrib-
Gadaakutta, Sapuri-dhaan, Betra- India is rice country: the cereal wrote in his 1966 classic Rices of India, this genetic-cultural wealth. The utes that make rice more than just
dhaan, Kolarikuji, Laakdikuji, Umriach- provides daily sustenance for over 60% Indian farmers knew how to cultivate effort is anchored by ecologist Dr. about calories and starch.
uri, Limchuri, Asamchuri, Bagurichuri, of Indians, and occupies the greatest rice with growing durations ranging Debal Deb, aided by staff from a
Mayer-dhaan, Patraa-dhaan.” cultivated area. But its primacy belies a from 60 to 200 days. There were variet- local organisation, Living Farms. Continued on page 2

https://t.me/yk_info
CM ND-X
YK
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2 PEOPLE NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU MAGAZINE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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60 MINUTES WITH: JOHN MOHAMMED BUTT

‘Home is where we can work’

Islamic cleric and soap opera producer retraces his journey from John Michael Butt to John Mohammed Butt
BY SUVOJIT BAGCHI
I arrived in a village and said I’m a traveller and
<
> asked for some spinach, something to cook, and

J
ohn Mohammed Butt picks up a
tall glass of iced water but places it
back on an unfashionable marble
they gave me these with a little butter
table without taking a sip when I
ask about his home. Home, as noted by has a chapter dedicated to him in Butt’s port studies. I just carried what was
a contemporary philosopher, is a place forthcoming memoir. John Michael Butt cheap in Lahore and Peshawar to Delhi
‘one has left’, and this is an apt descrip- became John Mohammed Butt. He calls and what was cheap in Delhi to
tion of Butt’s life. his conversion “a journey... a gradual Pakistan. It was easy those days. I car-
Broadcaster, Islamic scholar, soap op- process”. “Life was simple,” he says. “I ried synthetic clothes and foreign
era producer, writer and journalist Butt arrived in a village and said I’m a travel- watches from Pakistan to India.” His
started life as a dope-smoking hippie ler and asked for some spinach, some- teachers in Deoband were left “open-
and left his ‘English home’ in 1969. In thing to cook, and they gave me these mouthed” when they heard of his ad-
these roughly 50 years, he has shifted with a little butter.” ventures to fund his studies. “They said,
home, and careers, several times. Masha’Allah,” Butt says laughing, “what
Whenever I ask where ‘home’ is, there Becoming a talib our forefathers used to do to study, you
is a prolonged pause in the It was at this time that Afghanistan was are doing the same.”
conversation. emerging as a republic, following a coup He eventually obtained an Indian
“Rumi was based in Turkey, but born by Mohammed Daoud Khan who dis- Council for Cultural Relations fellow-
in Afghanistan. Ali Hamadani was born placed his cousin King Zahir Shah. ship to complete his studies in Deo-
in Hamadan, Iran, and spread Islam in Between 1970 and 1978, Butt travelled band, and his degree — which made him
Kashmir…” he says, now sipping the wa- extensively in Tirah (Afridi tribal territ- the first European graduate of the sem-
ter slowly. “Home is perhaps where we ory) in Swat and Peshawar “as a talib or inary — later saw him become a part-
can work,” he says. We are at an old Pa- a religious student”. time imam in Cambridge.
harganj hotel in north Delhi. “The work “In those days, talibs used to study The degree gave Butt, by then an Is-
that I can do in Afghanistan, I think more with renowned scholars than in lamic theologian, enough confidence to
many people can’t, you know,” he says. madrassahs,” wrote Butt in one of many meet Islamic scholar Maulana Wahidud-
Butt’s work — which he has been en- din Khan.
gaged with for the last two decades in
Afghanistan — is indeed unique and per- L Born in Trinidad in 1950, grew up in England and went Brush with modernity
haps impossible to pull off without to boarding school at Stonyhurst College, before Wahiduddin’s journal, Al-Risala, does
training, fluency in diverse languages travelling to Pakistan not practice “run-of-the-mill journalism
and the experience of living in several that asks who-where-when-why” but
L Speaks seven languages including Pashto and Dari
countries. Butt produces a radio soap rather analyses incidents. “If there is an
series called Da Pulay Poray (Across the L Converted to Islam in 1970, and spent eight years incident in life, Maulana Khan asks what
Border) in Pashto. studying at Darul Uloom Deoband we may learn from it to improve lives in
The series, which has completed future.” Butt worked with Al-Risala for
L Created the hugely popular Pashto and Dari BBC radio
nearly 800 episodes, is broadcast five six years.
times a week on a Pashto radio station, show called New Home New Life in 1993 Armed with Maulana Khan’s teach-
Arakozia FM, part of the Moby Media ings, an experience of editing a journal
Group, Afghanistan’s biggest media con- and an understanding of the Hadith,
glomerate. emails to me from his present home in which are interpretations of the Quran,
“It broadcasts from southwest to the Jalalabad. But the other young Afghan Butt customised a proposal to Darul
northeast and enjoys a huge viewer rat- students prompted his next move. They Uloom. “I tried to introduce modern
ing,” says Butt. The 67-year-old has a were just “dying” to study in Darul subjects within the Quranic framework.
long white beard and alabaster skin, Uloom Deoband, the 1866 Hanafi school Teaching modern journalism, for ex-
and is dressed in an off-white kurta-pa- of Islamic Jurisprudence in Uttar Pra- ample, in the context of the Hadith.”
jama that ends inches above the ankles. desh. “But they didn’t have funds and It didn’t work. “Darul Uloom told me
getting a travel visa was impossible,” he that children come from poorest famil-
Drawn from villages says. ies of India to study Islamic jurispru-
Da Pulay Poray is fiction, and narrates On a journey ‘The work that I can do in Afghanistan, I think many people can’t,’ says Butt. Shanker Chakravarty “The Afghan boys couldn’t go to dence to become religious leaders in
the story of Afghans, but not through Darul Uloom but I can, I thought. It their community and anything contem-
characters created on the scriptwriter’s We write down the idea of an episode in ever, has an older history. In 1993, he ber Pakhtunkhwa, as the region is now wasn’t difficult for me to get a visa but I porary may not really work as it may
desk. Rather, they come from villages in a paragraph or two and then the dir- conceptualised a successful radio called. had little or perhaps no money. As I was not have any immediate wage interest,”
Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Pashto- ector skilfully gets the voice actors to drama, New Home, New Life, for BBC In the summer of 1970, as Afgh- heading for Deoband, I heard that the Butt says. Now, with about a dozen stu-
speaking areas. Butt agrees that it is enact the scene.” Media Action. While the former was in anistan’s tryst with tragedies started Communists took over Afghanistan… dents in Pashto-speaking areas, Butt has
“kind of ” difficult to conceptualise the Funded by United Nations and Dari and Pashto, the latter was entirely spiralling, Butt, in his late teens, vowed everyone said ‘coup ho gaya’ .” launched his study programmes. “But it
radio series aurally. “We don’t work UNICEF, the series conspicuously re- in Pashto, beaming largely into the never to return to England and sat in As Butt headed for Deoband, Nur Mo- has no funding, it’s a personal attempt,”
from the scripts. No dialogue is written. fuses to indicate any parallels with Afgh- Pashto-speaking areas between Afgh- the boot of an Afghan Post bus to travel hammad Taraki and his fellow Com- he says, pointing to my neglected
anistan’s complex, often tragic, political anistan and Pakistan, the ‘Frontier’ as from Herat to Kandahar in an attempt to munist leaders began to initiate Marxist- Americano.
realities. “No, no, no…” Butt says ‘no’ he calls it. reach India. Leninist reforms in Afghanistan repla- Our 60-minute conversation has
The Afghan boys six times when I ask if the stories touch But he was alarmed by the subcontin- cing the Afghan brand of Islamic stretched to over four hours and Butt
<
> couldn’t go to upon Taliban’s activities or American
adventures in Afghanistan. “We don’t
From England to Swat
“When I say ‘Frontier’, I mean what
ent’s heat as he reached Peshawar and
“someone suggested I try Swat instead. I
governance and administration.
The course in Darul Uloom, which
has to leave. As we walk out, he says we
need to catch up “on Islam and modern-
Darul Uloom but I reflect on larger issues, but local-level used to be called the North-West Fron- thought it was a good idea.” ran over half a decade, turned Butt into isation”, perhaps in his Jalalabad home.
village politics, and let people draw tier Province. Old timers like me still While going from “place to place” a businessman who had to fund his “Afghanistan is very safe. The West’s
can, I thought. It their own conclusions.” refer to it as the Frontier — a name that between the two countries divided by studies. Around the time Dhirubhai Am- obsession with personal safety has
Butt calls himself “the progenitor” of resounded throughout the world, rather the British, the Cambridge boy, born in bani realised the demand for clothes given the country a bad name. You must
wasn’t dicult for Da Pulay Poray, first broadcast in 2005. than the unpronounceable name they Trinidad, was initiated into Islam by a made of synthetic yarn, Butt did too. “I visit to write,” he says, stepping into the
me to get a visa His adventure with radio drama, how- have come up with now,” he says of Khy- Pathan named Khaled Khan, who now invented a simple mechanism to sup- creaking elevator.

Guardians of the grain

The gradual erasure of indigenous
rice varieties, and the knowledge associ-
ated with them, is visible in
Badakadamguda village, off the state
highway running through Koraput. Here
I meet Arjun Gadaba, who is hard at
Continued from page 1 work under a noon sun, preparing his
land for sowing, with a pair of bullocks
Dansingh and Kaushalya Gheuria, mar- and a ploughshare.
ginal farmers from the Adivasi com-
munity of Bhumias, were among those Going back to basics
who began to distribute endangered Gadaba is clear about what dealt a de-
rice varieties — eight upland varieties — cisive blow to indigenous rice in his
that Deb gave them. area. “It happened when this came,” he
says, pointing to one of the canals of the
Our seeds give stamina Kolab Dam, a large irrigation project
“Where have our own seeds disap- that brought water two decades ago to
peared, especially those that can grow the area. “Packets and packets of hybrid
on dongar (upland) land like mine?” seeds followed. People could grow a
asks Dansingh rhetorically, when I meet four-month-duration crop twice a year,
the couple at their home in Gundu- with assured irrigation. Slowly our own
liguda village near the Koraput-Bastar seeds, the ones my parents knew about,
border. “This is why I joined the effort were abandoned.”
to keep our rice alive, so that we do not Gadaba is now relearning lost prac-
lose the little that remains of it.” Today, tices. Last year, for the first time in his
they grow 12 endangered varieties, cul- farming career, he cultivated a desi low-
tivating some in small quantities of just land variety called Haldiganthi, with
two rows each. seeds from Deb’s collection. He also
The farmers call these varieties grew the MT-1010 variety alongside.
aamara biyana, our seeds, or desi “But it required buying seeds, potash,
dhaan, referring to modern varieties as urea, pesticide, none of which I needed
sarkaari dhaan or government rice. Sev- for the desi dhaan,” he says. Sometimes,
eral farmers outlined economic reasons Heirloom crops are better suited to unpredictable he needed a bank loan to buy such in-
for not abandoning heirlooms. Since hy-
brids don’t breed true, “we have to keep
<
> weather, and have proved hardier in the face of biotic puts. “So the profit from any higher
yield gets cancelled out,” he says.
spending money to buy seeds,” says (e.g. pests) and abiotic (e.g. drought) stresses Encouraged by his experience with
Kamli. Haldiganthi, Gadaba tells me he plans to
“With desi, we store our seeds care- now grow Asabali and Lalu this season.
fully and use them in the next season.” Kolamali, Sunaseri, Tikkichuri, Kosika- nephew-uncle pair in Belugan, said that Phulmati Sira, a young Adivasi colleague
Then, of course, there’s the question of mon — “just like previous generations of on flood-prone land along a riverbank, of Deb, promises to bring him these two
nutrition and taste. In Jhareikiri village, my family.” After meeting Deb, Gheuria such as theirs, modern varieties like grains within a week, while the sowing
Krushnachandra Gadaba, who is con- adopted three more endangered heir- MT-1010 and Sanam fared poorly. “They season is still on.
serving 12 endangered varieties from looms: Samudrabaali, Raji and barely grow, pests attack them... we Since 2015, Sira has been touring vil-
Deb’s collection, tells me, “Eating hy- Government-churi. face a world of trouble. But desi dhaan lages in the block, gathering en-
brids doesn’t give us the strength and Also, the taller paddy stalks of heir- like Bahaanimundi, Umriachudi, Haldig- dangered seeds from farmers — varieties
stamina to work in the fields that desi looms yield valuable by-products: fod- anthi, Sapuri grow well, which is why that do not yet feature in Deb’s collec-
gives us.” der for cattle, mulch for soil, and hay we will never abandon them.” Many One grain at a time Kaushalya and Dansingh Gheuria grow 12 dierent varieties of tion — and expanding the conservator
for thatching roofs, unlike the shorter, farmers report that native varieties such indigenous rice. Chitrangada Choudhury network. “This area had totally aban-
Surviving cyclones modern varieties. as Kolamali and Kaberigandha with- doned desi varieties,” Sira tells me, as
There are other reasons why villagers Several farmers also say heirloom stood Phailin and Hudhud, the cyclones something rarely acknowledged by farmers and their knowledge systems is we leave Gadaba’s farm. “But now many
are wary of hybrids. One, they want to crops are better suited to unpredictable that hit Odisha in 2013 and in 2014, bet- modern science or government policy. key to successful conservation. “Hun- farmers are asking for them again. Even-
stave off the dependence on pesticide to weather, having adapted over centuries ter than the modern varieties. And For example, an announcement dreds of rice varieties can’t just be pre- tually, it is this that will ensure such
reduce their costs and to prevent the to local ecologies. This also makes them Tikkichuri and Sunaseri, for instance, made days ago by the Odisha govern- served in gene banks. Farmers have to varieties survive.”
impact of chemicals on soil quality. “Hy- hardier in the face of biotic (e.g. pests) cope better during droughts or spells of ment to promote organic agriculture know how to work with them,” he says. Having many rice varieties is not an
brids demand ever-increasing pesticide and abiotic (e.g. drought) stresses. Lab- poor rainfall. and “develop traditional agriculture” Deb adds that if farmers don’t pos- end in itself. As Deb says, “Rice conser-
use,” says Duryodhan Gheuria of Gun- grown varieties in contrast are designed entrusts the project to a panel of bur- sess such knowledge, there’s the risk vation is just a handle to ask ourselves,
duliguda village. “Our costs shoot up.” for the routines of mechanised farming, An intimate affair eaucrats and agriculture ‘experts’, releg- that a lowland variety will be adopted how do we build sustainability in
Gheuria had flirted with hybrids, and
subsequently decided to steer clear of
them. He grows four desi varieties —
large doses of chemical inputs, and a
predictable water supply.
Laxminath and Sadan Gouda, a
https://t.me/yk_info
What struck me as I interacted with the
Koraput farmers was their intimate
knowledge of agriculture and ecology —
ating the farmer as always to the role of
recipient.
But, as Deb points out, involving
unwittingly in an upland farm, or a
drought-resistant variety in a flood-
prone area, leading to crop failures.
society?”

The author is an independent journalist.

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THE HINDU MAGAZINE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
NOIDA/DELHI

REPORTING 3
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FIELD NOTES

The painting’s
on the wall
Padam Lal and his bullock and their
colourful portraits are among the last
few inhabitants of Saur village

BY ARPITA CHAKRABARTY

O
ur village looks different now.
Are these the same broken,
abandoned houses?” asks
Padam Lal rhetorically. The
ends of his luxuriant moustache quiver
as he smiles. I look at his portrait drawn
on the wall of the house. His moustache
is prominent there too, as is his bullock.
“She has gone to the forest now,” Padam
Lal tells me, following my eyes to the
painting.
Padam Lal and his bullock are among
the last remaining residents of the vil-
lage Saur in Tehri Garhwal of Ut-
tarakhand. All of 12 families live here
now, amid the remains of a not-so-dis-
tant flourishing past.
As recently as the 1980s, 250 families
called this home. Today, Saur is well on
its way to becoming a ghost village, with
a few tottering older inhabitants, Saur is perhaps the life again. “Of course, it’s a colourful
patches of agricultural land, miles of
barren stretches, and houses overgrown
<
> only ghost village in
place now. But we continue to live the
old life of silence and drudgery. Our
with weeds. A few kerosene lamps the world that has livelihood depends on the sky,” says
flicker in the wind, and the sound of si- Geeta Ramola matter-of-factly.
lence descends as fast as the night. been turned into an As daylight fades, Saul is once more
an eerie place where the wind whistles
Past perfect
art gallery past crumbling walls.
Uttarakhand has many such stories of Turning back time (clockwise from top) Tiger-painted walls; an everday pastoral selves.” Virendra Singh Arya, who But a couple of families have re-
rapidly emptying villages. According to scene on a locked-up house; Virendra Singh Arya and his wife, proud participants helped paint himself on the wall of his portedly moved back in the last couple
the 2011 Census, 1,053 of the 16,000 vil- in the project; and Padam Lal sits in front of his home. Arpita Chakrabarty home, says he felt overwhelmed. “I of years.
lages in the hill state have been aban- trimmed the bushes, I cleaned the “Hopefully, in the next few years, the
doned. weeds and painted the walls,” he recol- village will have tourists and more resid-
Lack of livelihood options, higher Deepak Ramola is a pahadi boy who sing songs in a forest to birds and to lects with a proud smile. ents. It shouldn’t too late,” says Sanjay
education or even health centres, and now lives in Dehradun, Uttarakhand’s each other while men wait for their turn Ramola and his team tracked down Ramola, who works in a new village
the relentless fight with wild animals is capital. Distressed at the rapid loss of a at the hookah. Some listen to Akashvani every family of the village, interviewed homestay that’s come up.
driving away the pahadis to towns and beloved past, he started a painting pro- Lucknow at the village pradhan’s house. them, recorded their lives, and found Meanwhile, Deepak Ramola says the
cities. Although migration remains a fa- ject. Funded by RoundGlass, the Wise their original village house. Every house work of Wise Wall Project is not over
vourite election campaign issue, no vil- Wall Project began to paint scenes of Still life has life lessons painted on it collected yet. Two volunteers will soon arrive to
lage has gotten its people back. daily life and record the wisdom of vil- The paintings are mostly inspired by the from its family members. teach English and computer skills to the
“Saur had no roads or electricity. We lage lore on the crumbling walls of Garhwal School of painting as well as by Niteesh Yadav, a typography artist, remaining children. An annual village
would go uphill for five kilometres to Saur’s homes. Today, Ramola and his Mughal miniatures. Poornima Sukumar, lage. “The villagers were initially scep- studied handwritings and created a festival is also on the cards.
reach the main road. If anybody fell ill, team have painted all of the village with a muralist who led the Wise Wall Pro- tical. For the first two days they would unique writing style to reflect that of the “The festival will be organised by and
the young men of the village would take scenes from everyday life and folk tales, ject, tells me they decided on the Gar- come and stare and laugh at us. Gradu- villagers. Phrases like, ‘A village life is for the villagers. There will be art, mu-
them to the hospital in makeshift palan- turning it into a poignant art gallery of hwal School because it was an effective ally, they came nearer and began to self-governing, unlike city life’, ‘Cities sic, treks and workshops on cooking
quins,” says the elderly Salmati Ramola. sorts. method of storytelling. “We were telling help us. ‘This is not how we wear saris’, are warm and sultry, a village has peace’ and agriculture. It could generate em-
Now, there’s a road and electricity, but In one mural, villagers gather and life stories and it became easier to cor- they said, or ‘This is how we do the fam- appear on walls and stones everywhere. ployment so that they can sustain their
it’s a bit too late. There are no people. sing songs to the goddess Surkanda, ask- relate them,” she says. ous dance called Mandan’. Eventually These voices linger, as if the villagers way of life,” Ramola says.
Salmati’s family, like the others, also mi- ing for rains. In another, girls play the Over 100 volunteers, or Wise Wall several children and villagers also took were still here. But the 12-odd remain-
grated to Mussoorie, Kanatal, Jharipani, old hopping and balancing game with Warriors, came together from across up brushes. It was interesting to see ing inhabitants of Saul doubt that their The Uttarakhand-based writer explores the
Dehradun and Delhi. pebbles called ‘Panch Patthar’. Women the country to paint the abandoned vil- how the villagers wanted to see them- hamlet will become vibrant with real lives of those who walk the mountains.

FOCUS Capital fellows (Left) It’s a ‘red’ teachers not know how to pronounce disappointment when he joined BA
world; and (below) Cheena Andi, a these names, they didn’t know how to classes in the Government Arts College
resident of Vannivelampatti. R. Ashok spell them either. So Karl Marx signs off in Udhagamandalam. “We thought Jyoti
as Karl Marks while Cuba’s identity card was a girl’s name!” his batchmates chor-
shy overtures to the new political party reads as Qupa, and Ho Chi Minh is a used. A mischievous young boy of about
soon developed into a strong bond in journalist who apologetically says the nine proudly says his name is Niruban.
the early 1970s. teacher in school wrote his name down It takes some time to realise that even
Ramakrishnan, a former armyman, as Ko Si Min. the late Tripura Chief Minister Nripen
points to a beautiful Rama temple in the Castro remembers that his father told Chakraborty has not been forgotten
middle of the village, and says it was re- him he was named after a great leader. here.
ligion, ironically, that made their new But it was only recently, when he Samayan, the young communist
relationship with communism more watched the funeral ceremony of Fidel party worker here who has named his
binding. In 1971, the temple adminis- Castro, that he got an inkling of the rich son Che Guevara, says communism is a
trator had stolen 300 sovereigns that legacy behind his name. Cuba says her way of life for them. Even if it’s a meet-
belonged to the temple deity. father told her that she was named after ing held far from the village, men and
By then, many people in the village a country that had given birth to great women are ready to forgo a day’s wages
had begun to attend Communist Party men. to attend it. Che Guevara studies in
meetings regularly. So, the matter was The village’s admiration for commun- Class 7 and he learnt about the eponym-
brought to the notice of K.P. Janaki Am- ist leaders was not just restricted to for- ous revolutionary from his father. He
mal, a communist leader. She rallied the eigners; they seemed to have had a lot takes great pride in recounting the story
people together and told them that they of affection for Jyoti Basu too, going by whenever he is asked in school.
would fight to retrieve the jewels not be- the number of Jyoti Basus living here. A
cause of their religious importance but handsome Jyoti Basu in his 30s chuckles Movie comrades
because they were the people’s treas- as he recalls how he was greeted with For the younger generation, the names
ure, which should not be taken away have not only become localised but also
from them. Her words made an immedi- personal. For Jeevanandham, named
The sleepy village
ate impression. Within a short while,
the villagers were able to retrieve the <
> had woken up to after a communist leader, Dimitrov is
‘mama’. For someone else, Engels is
temple jewels. Marx’s famous axiom of ‘appa’. Gowri, named after the
religion being the opium of the masses revolutionary zeal; firebrand communist leader from Ker-
came in handy to win the villagers over reading the party ala, is Ko Si Min’s amma. Karl Marks has
fully to communism. a daughter called Venmani, born on
With the hammer and sickle flying paper became a December 25, the day of the carnage in

Have a tea with Ho Chi Minh

high, it opened to the villagers a giant way of life Keezhvenmani in 1968.
window to a universe that was filled Even Safdar Hashmi is not forgotten.
with revolutionary thoughts and pas- Ko Si Min says his sister has been named
sionate speeches. Reading the party pa- after Safdar’s wife Moloyshree Hashmi.
per became a way of life for them. At a Of course, here she has become
The embers of a passionate aair with the hammer and sickle time when neighbouring villages were Malashree. Even after 50 years, there
flirting with Dravidian ideologies, the may still be someone in Van-
BY BEULAH ROSE mock for a siesta with Dimitrov. Come bulu, a farm worker, went to Thanjavur sleepy village had woken up to a ‘red’ nivelampaatti who tells the story of how
evening and you can sip chai with En- to find himself a job. At that time, Than- world. his grandfather’s name is Che Guevara.

I
t’s just a speck in the vast hinter- gels and unwind later that night to the javur was a hotbed for communism. Young men started adopting names It is a communist lineage that will be
lands of Madurai. On a narrow road sound of Ho Chi Minh rendering his With a large number of landless people that showed their admiration for a hard to erase.
that swings away from T. Kallupatti own firebrand version of the famous “It agitated over poor wages, the clarion world that was far removed from the But slowly, Dravidian politics is
sits the hamlet of Vannivelampatti, was patriotism, not communism that in- call ‘workers of the world unite’ struck a humdrum of everyday life. Thus was knocking on the door. In the open
nestled among cotton fields and in the spired me...” line. chord with them. Vembulu too was cap- born ‘Russia’ Raman, ‘Cheena’ Andi and ground in front of the Rama temple, the
shadow of a hillock looming over it. Or- tivated by this new ideology that fo- ‘Japan’ Murugan. Now in their 50s, comrades see the slow erosion of the
dinarily, you would drive by without a ‘We’, not ‘I’ cused on the ‘we’ rather than the ‘I’. these men respond to being called Rus- values they strove for. Villagers have be-
second glance, but you must stop. Be- Vannivelampatti clearly marches to a When he returned home to Van- sia or Cheena or Japan — their real gun to join the queue at the ubiquitous
cause this little cluster of huts has a very different drummer. The villagers nivelampatti, he shared his experiences names have been long forgotten. The government liquor shop that’s located a
unique story. here once had a passionate affair with with the other villagers. Even though villagers showcased their revolutionary little outside the village. When Suganthi
It’s the only place in the country communism, and today the remnants of these farmers and labourers had not zeal by naming their children after re- takes attendance now, she finds that
where you can wake up to see Che that fiery affair are seen in the names faced any real oppression at the hands volutionary leaders. names of comrades are being replaced
Guevara skipping with his goats, where they have adopted of all the revolution- of their landowners, somehow the ideo- by those of movie stars. Meanwhile,
you can stroll with Castro, then sit in the aries. logy impressed them. Perhaps it was be- Dimitrov mama Samayan and Jyoti Basu are headed to
tiny village square reading newspapers Before 1950, the village had about cause they were a close-knit group with Suganthi, a teacher in a primary school the town of Cumbum to attend a party
and rubbing shoulders with China, Ja-
pan and Russia. For lunch, go to Cuba’s
kitchen and then hang up your ham-
1,500 families of a denotified com-
munity and was a strong base for the
Congress party. In the early 1950s, Vem-
https://t.me/yk_info
many consanguineous marriages that
an idea that gave the group priority over
the individual appealed to them. Their
here, says she was flummoxed to hear
names such as Dimitrov and Andrei.
Laughing, she says that not only did the
meeting. They still want to keep the
communist flag flying, but it’s hard to
say for how long they can.

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4 ARTS NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU MAGAZINE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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What’s real (Clockwise from left) ‘The

Foreign Hand 1’; ‘Cop Shiva 2’; and
‘The Furies 1’. Clare Arni/ Tarq

male avatar. Arni reminisces how he

took longer than most women would to
get dressed, diligently painting his fin-
ger and toenails, making sure he got a
bit of the lipstick on his teeth as well.
“You get so caught up in your own play,”
says Wilson, referring to how he forgot
the make-up and almost answered the
doorbell at home before stopping mid-
way and saving his food delivery guy
from what would have clearly been a
rude shock.
The only giveaway, for lack of a
SPOTLIGHT touch-up, was the bit of green stubble.
“It’s part of the whole thing… you don’t
want to completely pretend. It has to
have artifice about it… that’s the idea,”
Clare Arni taps into the says Wilson.
inner hoodlum with The idea behind keeping the shoot
basic and functional, so that there is a
surprisingly fun results certain connect with reality, was also in
a way to question what is real and what
is not. Or how much of yourself you re-

Dr. Jekyll and

tain while playing another.

All about the journey

Hence, at the same time questioning
pretence versus reality or truth. The
process of arriving at end results was

Mr. Rowdy
probably not as important as the jour-
ney getting there.
It was a journey where the photo-
grapher was part director, part observer
and sometimes also participant. Be-
cause photographers work alone most
of the time, a team project like this,
where you are required to lean on and
learn from one another, comes as a wel-
come change.
BY TEJAL PANDEY She explains how the process is ex- the subject came into her own that they The demands of a photo project like
tremely “collaborative” as the rapport “started to play”, as Henry puts it, act- this do not end at location scouting or

T
he official definition of the word between the photographer and subject ing out the stories in their heads. convincing friends to play their roles
rowdy is a ‘noisy and disorderly plays an important role in what the final Henry’s outdoor shots show her but go deeper into production logistics.
person’. But a rowdy in image looks like. If the subject isn’t com- walking the streets at night, owning Arni had to hunt for props from local
Bengaluru-based British photo- fortable enough to bare all, emotionally them in a way and at an hour that “as a markets. From costumes to weapons
grapher Clare Arni’s world could be any- and mentally, the frame will be weak woman” made her feel “liberated.” Ar- like the ‘long’, a sword-like object made
body or anything. From a brothel and bland. ni’s rowdies are not all black and white. from a car’s chassis (and a popular item
owner to the butterfly effect, the They’re also the good guys who take to with rowdies of the area), Arni found a
choices that fit your idea of what a Catwoman on the prowl crime for vengeance and to fight for way to acquire them all.
rowdy could be are endlessly exciting. It’s a show where the more you know justice à la Batman or in, Henry’s case, Her dedication was paralleled by her
In her third solo show at Tarq, titled about each portrait, the more layered it Catwoman. rowdies, people like writer Zac O’Yeah
‘Notorious Rowdies’, Arni invites her gets. A closer look and the nuances This is reflected again in Arni’s image and Vinayak Varma, the CEO of mix-
friends and family to reinterpret the come through. An expression or a gaze, of the man in the black cape, re-enact- tape.in, who got so swayed by their
term for themselves and then enact a certain turn of the wrist, all moments ing Zorro, from the Mask of Zorro fame. roles that she feared they might actually
their findings out for her camera. caught at the exact fraction that make a Shot within the stunning white arches end up causing grievous injury to one
What we get as a result is a variety of photograph. of Tipu Sultan’s palace in Mysore, one another while playing their parts in the
colourful portraits, each with a narrat- Arni’s sister, Oriole Henry, whose realises how the spaces used — the mud-pit.
ive of its own. rowdy persona is Greek goddess Fury, forests, the abandoned, semi-collapsed Just as her characters who created
What started out as a “purely per- has four images. She recollects how she homes, the traditional mud-pits of entire imagined stories from scratch
sonal experiment”, when Arni “…didn’t really know what to do, be- Bengaluru’s old quarters, an old dilapid- with just an inkling of what their inner
stumbled across interesting ‘rowdy’ cause I’m not a rowdy,” but she con- ated factory — are important to how rowdy was like, Arni is eager to know
characters in the crime section of news- fesses it was strangely liberating. “I was Arni lets her rowdies unravel their what contexts the viewers can spin
papers, ended up as an elaborate photo- thinking… it should sell as therapy!” She fantasies. around these vivid frames.
graphy project. poses a part that is a complete anti- “Perhaps there’s a latent rowdy in
“They’re all friends and family, yes. thesis to her normal self where Poster colours each of us, wanting to be released,” she
So there is an amount of trust… because psychotic Gothic grunge meets ladylike, Besides the locale, Arni draws inspira- says. The show in a sense hopes that we
in a way it’s a sort of a whole cathartic gentle and polite. tion for this series from the aesthetic of will “search within ourselves” and push
experience, being a rowdy. It’s not just Since none of her subjects is a profes- the garish movie poster that one can our hidden rowdies to the front, even if
an image,” says Arni. “These people sional actor, the direction and guidance find in not just Bengaluru’s but in all of in only imaging their tales of adventure
transform… and it almost releases of body behaviour and angles usually India’s streets. Action-packed and in and debauchery.
something within [them]. That was came from Arni. The shoot normally your face, the actors in these posters
what was so interesting about it.” went into hours and it was only when jump out at the viewer with no room for ON SHOW Notorious
subtleties. Her series on the madam Rowdies, Till October 21,
who runs a brothel, the munshiji count-
An expression or a gaze, a certain turn of the Tarq, Colaba, Mumbai
<
> wrist, all moments caught at the exact fraction ing money, and the pimp bring out the
flashy tackiness of the film poster.
Patrick Wilson, who plays the role of The author is an independent
that make a photograph the madam, is unrecognisable in this fe- photographer-cum-writer based in Mumbai.

SCANNER FRAMED

A requiem for Old India

Earth song
Tarq is presenting, ‘This Burning
Land Belongs To You’, at Swiss
Cottage Gallery, London, as part of
Camden Kalā, from September 21 to
November 4. The exhibition brings
together the works of three
The smell of spices lingers in the chaotic bylanes of Purani Dilli’s Khari Baoli
contemporary Indian artists, Soghra
Khurasani, Rithika Merchant and
Ronny Sen, who work across
Gayatri Sinha
printmaking, painting and
is an art critic and curator who, while
photography, respectively. The preoccupied with her art website
artists’ lives and individual practices www.criticalcollective.in, is also
are reflected in their works. There contemplating a book on the Middle Ages
are musings on notions of land, and

B
on how domestic and international conflicts complicate our y now as you all must know we
relationship with the piece of earth on which we live. Sen’s have moved to New India. It’s dif-
photographs look at environmental degradation (picture), which has ficult to time precisely when this
made life tougher in some parts of the world; Khurasani examines momentous shift took place, if
changing realities for minorities in the place of their birth; Merchant
we all moved at the same time, where we
contemplates the journey of migration, asking us whether a move
have moved to and what exactly is new in
from one place to the other can save us.
India, but we are assured that we have
made the transition. So perhaps this
Personal archaeology column can be a requiem for Old India,
which seems to have been consigned to
Gallery Espace, New Delhi, is hosting another time, much like an old sweater
‘Apologue and Archaeology’, a solo
that had started to unravel.
exhibition by artist Samit Das, from
If places can age and have a sell-by
September 8 to October 7. Through his
date, then they must have an interface
works, Das has been examining the idea
of “personal archaeology/ personal between new and old. Like Old Delhi you
archives”. The aim is to get a better might think, which bore the name of Old
understanding of the present by until it was dignified by becoming simply
revisiting the past. It is a project that Delhi, although in Hindi it continues
brings into focus the importance of stubbornly to be Purani Dilli. Stubbornly yours Ajmeri Gate in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi. Monica Tiwari
archives. Das began by experimenting
with photocopies, which now feature in Smell of jalebis Nevertheless, Old Delhi, first isolated Baoli, and Naya Baans, the market for the including a handwritten Quran by Aur-
his work as ‘painted sculptures’, based Described as ‘Old’ in contrast to Lutyens’ by Lutyens and then the aggressive export of betel leaf and nut across South angzeb. But it has been squeezed for
on ideas of archaeology and Delhi, it continue to bear the marks of growth of South, East and North, has Asia and the U.K., are unique for the funds, unable to buy new books.
ethnography. The standalone pieces are a combination of a variety of age, such as the lingering association proved surprisingly resilient. In the age of manner in which they have adapted to A recent infusion has given the library
materials — iron, paint, archival images, found objects and wood — with Urdu that wafts in the air, like the the high-rise apartment and panoramic global trade, led by the traders of Balli- a facelift but much needs to be done to
adding to a narrative that is both conceptual and historical. smell of jalebis frying in ghee. Even in its view, Old Delhi still commands the maran and Kucha Mahajani, the nerve redress the condition of the nearly 20
overcrowded narrow galis, a few havelis highest commercial price for the ground centre of deal-making in Old Delhi. smaller libraries in the area, such as Mar-
survive, with their tehkhanas or base- floor of the smallest stall or khoka to the wari Library, a nearly 100-year-old repos-
Finding freedom
ments, stories of buried wells and mur- largest shop floor. Where are the books? itory of Hindi writing that enumerated
Samarth Theatre Group murs of resident ghosts of past begums. Despite the burgeoning NCR, it has What has not fared so well is the sterling Gandhi and Madan Mohan Malviya
presents ‘Tagore’s If the original number of 500 havelis maintained its supremacy as a leading image that Old Delhi once had as a centre among its visitors.
Women’, a play in Hindi has dwindled to barely 50 habitable Asian market — congested and chaotic — for learning. The nearly 20 libraries here Perhaps these centres were like an-
based on two short ones, we are presented with a memory of but the nerve centre for the trade of silver stocked with rare manuscripts seem to other extension of the cultural life of the
stories of Rabindranath a magnanimous past and a cruel re- and gold, grains and spices and dry fruit, have been relegated to another time. old city such as the famed Sir Shankar Lal
Tagore. The relevance of minder of how the old is allowed to saris and textiles, paper and sanitary Wedged between Old Delhi railway sta- mushairas, which brought together lead-
these stories, written
crumble and self-destruct. ware. For over 400 years, Shahjahanabad tion and the Chandni Chowk cluster, the ing poets Jigar Moradabadi, Firaq
about 80 years ago,
The sections of Old Delhi which are with its apparent chaos, is the largest Hardayal Municipal Public Library, Gorakhpuri and Majrooh Sultanpuri. Or
exhorts us to ask, have
we really changed? The
nurtured however, bearing the power of whole sale market in India. named after freedom fighter Lala the publishing industry on Nai Sarak,
play tries to answer this the state, recall the imprint of the still The fragrant spice bylanes of Khari Hardayal, has nearly 7,000 rare books, which had its heyday with an influx of
question. The story revolves around two characters, Giribala and older cities: Shahjahanabad and its mag- booksellers from Lahore after Partition.
Mrinal, who are very different from each other and yet alike in their nificent Red Fort still signify the seat of With the digital revolution, this industry
Even in the overcrowded narrow galis of
search for a sense of individuality and liberty. The women rise above power, from which the ruler of India ad-
<
> is gasping for survival. But the architec-
the limiting circumstances of their lives to find freedom. On show
October 7, 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m, at Akshara Theatre, central Delhi. https://t.me/yk_info
dresses the nation. The symbolic value of
the old thus remains, to reinforce and val-
idate the present.
Old Delhi, a few havelis survive, with stories
of buried wells and murmurs of ghosts
ture of Old Delhi, its food, language and
crafts, have so much to give, so long as
New India can accommodate the old.

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THE HINDU MAGAZINE

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Far between Bollywood has not problem is also that the generation that
BIG SCREEN been known to dive into the literary used to adapt Hindi books is gone. Now
pool often. Stills from Bombay there’s a whole new generation [in Bol-
Velvet, Phantom, and Half Girlfriend, lywood] that only speaks English, and
the few exceptions to this rule. does not understand the milieu,” he
says.
However, there are filmmakers like
Vishal Bhardwaj who are looking bey-
ond English literature. Bhardwaj has re-
portedly bought the rights to the short
stories of Hindi novelist Charan Singh
Pathik.
The Word to Screen market this year
also included four Hindi books. Famed
Tamil feminist writer Ambai pitched her
collection of short stories, Fish in a
Dwindling Lake, translated by Lakshmi
Holmström.
Das encourages filmmakers, espe-
cially those in the indie space, to look at
short stories instead of books. “With
short stories or journalistic features,
you can bring down your cost consider-
ably,” she says.
Despite filmmakers and publishers
trying to bridge the gap through various
means, the perennial problem of plagi-
arism refuses to leave Bollywood.
Makers of Udta Punjab were accused of
plagiarising Ben Elton’s 2002 novel High
Society, discrediting their own efforts
and research in authentically contextu-

Bollywood’s missing bookworms

alising the story in Punjab.

The author is not dead

There is one author who has success-
fully, and famously, cracked the space:
Chetan Bhagat. Beginning with Five
wilderness of Bollywood after being op- ment to keep the book rights with them Point Someone, which was made into 3
Or why the lm industry has shown little tioned. for longer. To educate writers on the Idiots in 2009, five of his books have
interest in mining literature for its scripts An ‘option’ is a contractual agree-
ment between publishers and produ-
legalities of optioning, MAMI held a
boot camp for publishers in Delhi. “We
been adapted. Bhagat’s success is re-
miniscent of Gulshan Nanda, whose
cers, where filmmakers get exclusive spelt out things like, ‘Do not give option- novels were adapted into several movies
BY KENNITH ROSARIO last month, ahead of the 19th Mumbai rights to the novel for a limited period. ing rights for three years but 18 in the 60s and 70s, including hits like
Film Festival. At the market, a list of cur- Novels are optioned for a non-refund- months’, so the writer and publisher Kaajal (1965) and Kati Patang (1970).

T
owering over her entourage in ated books was pitched to filmmakers able fee, and the producers are expec- won’t feel trapped,” says Arpita Das, But unlike Nanda, who only wrote
six-inch stilettos, Sonam Kapoor and producers, who included Anurag ted to start the filmmaking process in curator of the Word to Screen market. screenplays for the film adaptations,
takes the stage in the ballroom Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and Kanu the agreed duration. For several publishers and writers, Bhagat co-produced Half Girlfriend, en-
of a suburban Mumbai hotel. Behl. While several novels are optioned the long wait can be a frustrating experi- suring greater involvement. But publish-
She is handed a mic and all eyes are on “We realised the film industry knows with much enthusiasm, only a few are ence, especially where finances are con- ing remains a bigger market for the in-
her. The set-up is familiar for the actor very little about the publishing world, successfully adapted. Anuja Chauhan’s cerned. “Novels are optioned for vestment banker-turned-author. “The
but the audience is rather unusual. because unlike in the West, studios here The Zoya Factor, for instance, was ini- around ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh, but after it is book is only me and I get a straight roy-
There are authors, publishers, literary don’t have a dedicated team who scout tially optioned by Shah Rukh Khan’s made into a film it could grow exponen- alty for life,” he says.
agents, filmmakers, producers and for content,” explains Smriti Kiran, Cre- Red Chillies Entertainment production tially,” says Das. “A writer gets at least Most writers have reconciled to the
makers of web series. ative Director, MAMI. company for a period of three years. eight to 10 times that amount if a film is fact that a film will have an identity of its
“I am a voracious reader,” she de- To help filmmakers navigate the The film was not made and the book Novels are optioned for completed.” In India, the roadblocks for own. “The film notion is an adaptation
clares, before announcing that she has
bought the rights to Krishna Udayasank-
world of Indian literature, MAMI also
provided a catalogue of books, recom-
was then optioned by Walkwater Media,
run by Pooja Shetty-Deora, again for
<
> ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh but adaptations go beyond the haphazard
functioning of Bollywood.
and not a perfect representation. I don’t
mind if characters are added,” says
ar’s trilogy The Aryavarta Chronicles for mended by various publishers, which three years. after it is made into a “In this country, we also have to con- Manu Joseph. “I would like to see the
an onscreen adaptation. As the crowd would translate well into films. “I’m quite disappointed frankly,” says sider the realities of language and con- book through someone else’s eyes.”
cheers, she quickly adds, “But I don’t Chauhan. However, later at the Word to lm, this could grow text,” says Ananth Padmanabhan, CEO, But Chauhan says she is disillusioned
know when I will get to make it”. Books stalled Screen market, Sonam Kapoor an- HarperCollins India. with the process even when writers are
With content reigning supreme — at But despite growing interest, the nounced that the adaptation of The
exponentially Unlike Hollywood, Bollywood has not involved. “With one eye on budgets and
least on the surface — filmmakers, pro- paucity of adaptations from Indian liter- Zoya Factor is back on track, and she been known for diving into the literary one on censors and actors, the last thing
ducers and even actors like Kapoor are ature is starkly evident. This year saw will be playing the titular lead. “It will rights to adapt Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of pool, apart from picking up the occa- you’re looking for is creative integrity.”
showing an increased interest in Indian the release of Half Girlfriend based on be directed by Abhishek Sharma, who Poppies, and Karan Johar’s Dharma Pro- sional Sarat Chandra or Premchand As online content booms, authors are
literature as source material. Among the Chetan Bhagat’s novel. In the last two made Tere Bin Laden (2010),” said Ka- ductions had bought the rights for story. Now it is all about contemporary looking beyond producers and studios.
latest additions to the club is filmmaker years, we had Kabir Khan’s Phantom poor. Amish Tripathi’s The Immortals of Me- Indian books in English rather than Netflix Originals is adapting Vikram
Sudhir Mishra, who announced that his (2015), adapted from Hussain Zaidi’s Chauhan’s book is not the only one luha. The first two films are yet to go on books in Hindi or other regional literat- Chandra’s Sacred Games for its first
next will be based on Manu Joseph’s Mumbai Avengers, and Anurag waiting to be made. Filmmaker Dibakar the floors, and Dharma Production’s ure. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who homegrown series, as also a series
novel Serious Men. Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet (2015), based Banerjee bought the rights to V. Sudar- rights for Tripathi’s trilogy has re- has the rights to Gaurav Solanki’s three- based on Aravind Adiga’s Selection Day.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Academy of on historian Gyan Prakash’s Mumbai shan’s Anatomy of an Abduction: How portedly lapsed. part blog post titled ‘Hisar Mein Publishers and filmmakers are looking
the Moving Image (MAMI) conducted Fables. But beyond this handful, there is the Indian Hostages in Iraq Were Freed, Chauhan says that producers often Hahakar’, finds it difficult to adapt Eng- expectantly at the digital space now to
their second ‘Word to Screen Market’ a long list of Indian novels lost in the filmmaker Anusha Rizvi acquired the find loopholes in the optioning agree- lish novels into a Hindi movie. “The bring the two worlds closer.

FILMI DIALOGUE DOCU DRAMA

Saving Basanti and Joker Songs from Shivaji

The sense of loss after the R.K Studio re felt
like losing the Showman all over again
smoking, on a swing, playing with the
camera.
This sudden brush with an authentic
slice of cinematic history dwarfed my
own menagerie, in comparison, into a
to Ambedkar
Mera Naam Joker and Amar Akbar An- kind of mass-produced, assembly-line, A lm about sahirs, those stirring singers of heroic ballads
thony on the other; and the Padosan synthetic supermarket junk.
song modified cheekily for the dicky: Since then, I have bumped into pas- BY SAYONI SINHA
Namrata Joshi
Ek chatur car, kar ke singar. Basanti sionate individual collectors of genuine

A
is Associate Editor – Cinema with was always dressed up, and ready to go cinema memorabilia — Suman Chauras- popular folk lore suggests
The Hindu in Mumbai anywhere. What was there to not fall in iya’s rare gramophone records of Hindi that when Maratha warrior
love with and dream of stealing her film music in Mhow; Girdharilal Vish- Shivaji killed the Adil Shahi

I
love collecting film knick-knacks — from Parr? wakarma’s collection in Jodhpur of 78 dynasty’s commander Afzal
Bollywood coasters, a cushion with Then, sometime in 2012, I visited the rpm records; Prakash Jain’s antique ra- Khan in 1659, his mother Jijamata ap-
a Madhubala print, Sujata-Bandini unassuming Fabio Mansion in Moira, dio sets in Jaipur; and Zafar Ansari’s pointed Agnidas to write a powada or
posters reproduced on a tote, Goa; the home of the Wirschings, des- compilation in Indore of film synopsis ballad in his praise. When the singer
Madhumati-Yahudi ones embossed on a cendants of Josef Wirsching, one of the booklets, ancient film magazines and narrated the heroic ballad, Afzal
keychain… Clapperboards have their earliest cinematographers in Indian lobby cards including a rare one of Khanacha Vadh, Jijamata gifted him a
own range — embellishing a beer mug, cinema, who shot Franz Osten’s Indo- Mughal-e-Azam in Tamil. bracelet and the title of sahir, the
T-shirt, bolster, bag and my mobile European collaboration, The Light of singer of ballads or powada, which in
case. The radicals among my friends Asia, in 1925. A story of history old Marathi means ‘to glorify’.
have scoffed at my blatantly consumer- A German, Wirsching made India his Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’s docu- In Maharashtra, the tradition of
ist ways, others call it my version of home and worked in more than 20 mentary The Immortals tells the story ‘Shahiri’ dates back over 1,000 years Leading from the back Society, and not spirituality, is reected in Shahiri.
‘Che chic’. films of the leading film studio of those of Indian cinema through such rare and it is this history that Aashit Sable’s
I could well be indulging in a similar days — Bombay Talkies — and later with artefacts — Dadasaheb Phalke’s now sprawling, three-hour-long document- (1630-1680) was their golden age. Of ward castes, but with the increase in
fad, of easily owning a piece of cinema Kamal Amrohi in Dil Apna Aur Preet junk of a Ford car, K.L. Saigal’s har- ary, Shahiri, captures. “The perform- the collected powadas, however, only popularity of Shahiri forms, even up-
through this bric-a-brac. These objects Parai and Pakeezah. He passed away in monium, Bimal Roy’s Mitchell camera, ance of a sahir has had great influence half a dozen are from Shivaji’s era; per-caste and Brahmin poets became
could also be my way of claiming the 1967, while shooting Pakeezah. the Moviola on which L.V. Prasad ed- on Marathi history, religion, culture, and around 150 are from the Peshwa tamasha artistes. The film talks of how
memories of films, filmmakers and act- ited his films (ruined since last seen in society and literature. While the his- era. Notable ones on Shivaji include the Peshwas, more interested in erotic
ors I have loved and admired. Treasure troves the film). Each of these objects relates tory of Marathi ‘Shahiri’ is primarily Shivaji Avtari Purush, Shiv Pratigya entertainment, stopped the patronage
Way back in 2009, on Delhi roads, I Locked away in a trunk was his price- its own story, and is animated with a from Shivaji’s time, the 13th century and Pratapgarhacha Ransangram. extended to Shahiri by Shivaji. To
spotted Basanti, British expat Julian less legacy, lovingly maintained by his sense of history and nostalgia, myth Marathi scripture Dnyaneshwari men- “In the sahir’s ballads, instead of make a living, the sahirs began to sing
Parr’s yellow ambassador, handpainted grandson Georg Wirsching: a treasure and lore, that is of infinite archival tions a powada in praise of the gods,” spirituality, we see contemporary so- on various subjects.
with Bollywood lyrics and unique trove of pictures he took on and off film value. I saw the film a couple of days says Sable, who embarked on the pro- ciety. The sahirs roamed about during
poster art. There was Umrao Jaan on sets, film synopsis booklets, film re- after the fire at R.K. Studios that wiped ject as a post-graduate student and the day and in the evening, in the vil- Galvanising force
the bonnet; Coolie fittingly on the car- views of the time, some personal hand- out the precious collection of costumes worked on it for three years. lage square, they would tell people Modern sahirs then adapted the old
rier; Mother India, Sahib Biwi Aur Ghu- written letters from one of the earliest and artefacts it housed. what had happened during the day in framework to contemporary social
lam, Mughal-e-Azam and Shree 420 divas of Indian cinema, Devika Rani, To see the Mera Naam Joker puppet, Unique lyrical style the form of a ballad,” says Sable. “So if and political issues. Around the 1920s,
painted on one side; Sholay, Bobby, and her stunning photographs — the tramp’s Mera Joota Hai Japani shoes Sable’s film explores the intertwined Kamaladevi was arrested for selling Ambedkari Jalsas came into being.
housed in a drawer, and the coat hung relationship between folklore, culture salt, their song would go like this: These gained more popularity and
out especially for the film shoot, left me and language. Written in a unique lyr- ‘Kamaladevi while selling salt got ar- relevance after Ambedkar’s death and
with goosebumps. Incidentally, both ical style that narrated historical rested and left her only child behind. have become part of the Dalit move-
the shoes and the coat were brown in events in an inspiring manner, a The unkind government imprisoned ment. In 1956, the powada became a
colour, though I had always imagined powada would be performed by a lead her for nine months.’ That’s why they central force again, during the Samy-
them to be black, driven by the black- singer joined by a chorus. “The sahir are called people’s poets.” ukta Maharashtra Movement, which
and-white images of the day. The is accompanied by musicians on sam- Sable’s documentary also looks at called for a single State based on a
sense of loss felt boundless, like let- bal (wooden drums), tuntuna (one- Maharashtra’s Dalit movement, which common language and used Shahiri to
ting go of the Showman all over string instrument) and taal (pair of has time and again reinvented Shahiri spread its message.
again. clash cymbals). Often, harmonium tradition to protest social injustice. Al- Sable’s film, although over-long, is
The tragedy is that most per- and dholaki (two-headed hand-drum) most all sahirs belonged to the back- an earnest attempt to record a folk
sonal collections of film mem- are also used,” says Sable. history. But the filmmaker believes
orabilia in the country are in a The songs are mostly about gods the length is essential to tell the map
Sahirs are
precarious state and could be
facing a similar future.
and their ardent devotees such as
Bhakt Prahlad and Sati Savitri. “Most <
> considered credible
the story. “This is an art form where
the suppressed and the wronged raise
What’s worse, we may not sahirs came from tribes such as Gond- their voices. The sahir unites society
even be aware of some of the hali, Bharadi and Dangat, and de- chroniclers of while expressing its sorrows and suf-
film heritage that lies in peril. veloped it as their own art form,” says contemporary ferings.” That’s the legacy the film
Also, Basanti is no more. Sahir Vijay Jagtap of Maharashtra wants to record.
Most personal collections of lm Maratha history,
<
>
She got badly mangled in an Sahitya Parishad in Kolhapur.
memorabilia in the country are
in a precarious state
https://t.me/yk_info
accident in 2010, too battered
to be resuscitated back to her original
Eastmancolor glory.
Sahirs, says Sable, are considered
credible chroniclers of contemporary
Maratha history, and the era of Shivaji
and the era of Shivaji
was their golden age
The Mumbai-based freelance journalist
writes on films, food and everything
in between.

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RUBRIC

Tunnel Number 33
An engineer, a gunshot, and a tunnel that he could not complete add up to a great piece of railway history
Villagers believe the
<
> good colonel still
haunts the tunnel, and
that one can hear an
Englishman
whispering inside its
dark connes

chequer and wasting government re-

sources.
Col. Barog felt humiliated by the cen-
sure and became depressed. His profes-
sional reputation had been dented.

Dead end
One day he went for a walk near the un-
finished tunnel, accompanied only by
his dog. Weighed down by despair, he
decided to end his life. In that twilight
moment, he removed his revolver from
the holster and shot himself. Local
people say that his terrified dog, who
found the master lying in blood, ran to
the village. But when people reached
the tunnel mouth, Col. Barog was
already dead.
The work of the tunnel was reas-
signed to Chief Engineer H.S. Harring-
ton, who completed the tunnel in 1903.
But it is said that he too could not prop-
erly align the two segments. He is said
to have sought the advice of a spiritual
person from Chail, a diviner who indic-
ated the correct course to drill. His
name was Baba Bhalku.
The Shimla Railway Museum records,
in fact, mention Baba Bhalku’s
contribution.
Despite his calculation error, the gov-
BY P. KRISHNA GOPINATH By the Barog The station (left) has ernment and the railways honoured
come up on the site of the old Col. Barog and named the tiny hill vil-

I
t is imperturbably quiet. The few lo- village. Tunnel No. 33 is 1.14 km lage after him.
comotives in the yard are motion- long, the longest straight tunnel in And where the old village was, is the
less. Gangmen go about their work. the railways. present Barog railway station. The hill-
From the platform’s far edge, one Getty images/ istock & P. Krishna Gopinath sides covered with pines and deodars
can see the low hills of the Shivalik lend it a lyrical quality.
range, silhouetted against a cloudless Barog town derives its name from the Tunnel No. 33, the longest straight
sky. There is a hint of moving mist over railway station. It is a small hill station. tunnel in the railways, is known as the
their wooded tops. At about 4,500 ft in the Himalayan foot- Barog tunnel. It requires constant main-
The breaks release and the wheels hills, it is mildly cold. In the British era, tenance like any installation. To aid the
clang as Train No. 52453 gets in motion. hill trains would stop here for an hour, maintenance staff, there are 55 lights in-
The first, tentative movement is through and sahibs and memsahibs would have side. But often even this is insufficient.
sal and silk-cotton clusters. Blades of a leisurely and elaborate meal. The din- So for more light, the staff uses a reflect-
wild grass on both sides of the tracks are ing hall with the viewing gallery is still ing mirror to direct sunlight into the
speckled with dew that catch the first intact. The dusty plains of the Punjab tunnel, an old practice that is still con-
shafts of light. We are mostly in a silent would become peremptorily forgotten tinued.
glide before the engine imparts more strands of memory and the ascent of the Since light travels straight and the
combustion to climb higher. hills, with their coniferous crowns, truly Barog tunnel is straight, the beam
There is the sudden scent of chir began here. reaches up to 800 metres. According to
pines in the early autumnal air. The bird Colonel Barog, a railway engineer, the Station Master, D.D. Upadhyaya, re-
calls, still audible, are intermittently was assigned the work of Tunnel No. 33. flectors can be used at both ends if
muffled by the mournful, contrapuntal The Barog tunnel is precisely 1,143.61 mt needed.
horn of the old engine. As the foothills long. He made his calculations and as Villagers believe the good colonel still
turn steeper, the rickety, rackety train per the usual practice ordered the crew haunts the tunnel, and that one can
puffs and huffs up the sharper gradients to drill from both sides of the mountain. hear an Englishman whispering inside
over masonry bridges and through end- He had planned that after a while both its dark confines.
less tunnels amidst dense pines. The sets of drillers would meet at the centre The train from Solan has arrived. It
grandness of the engineering concep- and complete the tunnel. halts for eight minutes. Evening has a
tion is unmissable. The crew kept drilling but could not transformative effect on Barog. A crisp
come to the meeting point. In fact, their breeze blows through the trees. The
Trundling through valleys trajectories seemed to have diverged. light is decidedly softer. The sky
It’s a two-hour, 40 km journey to the leys covered with pines, deodars, oaks, slightly to the sides to reveal the en- Barog station is what an Indian rail- Morale dipped and everyone grew frus- changes colour. You need a cardigan to
quaint Barog station in Solan district in willows and blooming rhododendrons trance to Tunnel No. 33. This is the way station is not. It is unreal, clean, un- trated. ward off the chill. I hop aboard as the
Himachal Pradesh. The Kalka-Simla is the aesthete’s reward. longest straight tunnel in the railways crowded, totally jostle-free. The wood- Col. Barog was a worried man. He train moves. Inside Tunnel No. 33, there
Railway is now a UNESCO World Herit- When a passing cloud lifts on the and is 1.14 km long. Inside it, the en- work is brilliant blue with a forest soon realised that his calculations had are no human or other voices. Only a
age Site. back of a strong wind, faraway moun- gine’s amiable horn becomes a darken- backdrop. gone awry. The tunnel would not be mechanical reverberation.
Trains operate over 880 bridges, over tains with snow peaks appear ing roar before the train gently rolls into Small tracks intertwine in smooth completed and the project was a failure.
919 turns and through 102 tunnels. That momentarily. the station yard with two apologetic, curvature before disappearing in The British government fixed re- The writer spends time pretending to read
is the techno-engineering aspect. The Barog comes after 32 tunnels. The staccato horns and pulls along the straight lines beyond the signalman’s sponsibility on Col. Barog and he was and write. His other interests are
slow trundle through the hills and val- over-hanging pine canopy parts ever so platform. cabin in a single track. fined ₹1 for causing a loss to the ex- photography and Western classical music.

ciency not always high — but this is bourhood economy, and create a fair ence points for the integration of living
PLACE, WORK, FOLK made up by low barriers to entry for share of local jobs. Such economic net- and working at neighbourhood levels.
newcomers. Think of small shops, re- works could well serve as a source of in- Besides, Indian cities have also his-

Exporting Indian
altors, mechanics, mattress-makers, spiration to cities elsewhere, rich and torically relied on two other typologies
carpenters and chai-walas, for instance. poor, that aim at promoting local that are trending globally: the cooperat-
They provide an amazing range of ser- development. ive society and the chawl (or worker’s
vices in close proximity to those who Urban India is also home to the most barracks). The former is simply a means
need it. diverse housing types, serving all kinds for a community to pull resources to-

urbanism
of needs at the lowest possible cost. gether and develop a building with
Huge industrial force First, there is what we call the “tool- shared facilities. It allows a larger seg-
What’s more: these small entrepreneurs house”: a small residential unit that also ment of the population to access hous-
are also a huge force in the construction generates income for its residents ing than would otherwise be possible if
industry. They make furniture, window through rentals, workshops, businesses everything was left to real estate
grilles, cut glass, install electrical sys- or stores. At a time when an increasing developers.
Not everything is worthy of the bin tems, fix pipes, sell bricks and cement,
and build entire houses, temples,
number of people around the world
work from home, Indian tool-houses,
Chawls were originally conceived to
temporarily accommodate single men
mosques and schools. These activities which come in all shapes and sizes, or young families who moved to the city
BY MATIAS ECHANOVE factories and wired businesses, for constitute the backbone of the neigh- provide excellent architectural refer- to work. Big cities everywhere attract
& RAHUL SRIVASTAVA starters. The less planning there is, the young workers who need affordable ac-
more mixed the types of uses seem to commodation to set foot in the city

W
e realise the title of this be. This produces a lively street scene rather than permanent housing. Chawl-
piece must come as a shock with eyes on it, which keep a higher like typologies are being reinvented in
to most readers who are modicum of safety than we would or- New York or Paris — looking at their
convinced there is nothing dinarily expect — true to the observa- Street front with evolution in Mumbai in the past century
worth keeping, let alone exporting, tions of American-Canadian journalist houses designed or so, can help us imagine how they
about Indian cities. We cannot blame and author Jane Jacobs. by local builders could evolve elsewhere.
them: our major cities rank among the Most Indians take this for granted, from Dharavi, There is another aspect of Indian cit-
most polluted in the world. They are but contrast this with American cities Mumbai. urbz.net ies that could inspire a new generation
serviced by hyper-crowded public trans- where pedestrians are considered sus- of urban planners and city officials:
port and jammed by an ever-increasing pects, first and foremost, or European community participation.
number of private cars. They are noisy cities, where opening a small vegetable Communities are complex social ar-
as hell and equipped with poor infra- stand on the sidewalk or selling rangements with historically oppressive
structure. They are also run by ineffi- homemade dabba is harshly and divisive dimensions. But in some
cient bureaucrats and corrupt politi- reprimanded. modern contexts, they also have
cians. Left to themselves, those who can Indian cities are incredibly entre- provided foundations for self-develop-
afford it retreat into colonies — preneurial by any standard. The scale of ment and mutual-aid; producing co-
abandoning the rest of the city to its tra- businesses is often small and their effi- operative societies, hostels for the
gic faith. youth, schools, community spaces and
While all of the above is true, we take dispensaries.
the risk of sounding hopelessly optim- Urban India is also It may be worth the while of urban
istic and share a few aspects of Indian
cities that actually inspire a new genera-
<
> home to the most planners and policy-makers to recog-
nise not only what is dysfunctional in
tion of architects and urban planners. diverse housing Indian cities, but also what allows them
to cope and thrive.
Bustling neighbourhoods types, serving all
Indian neighbourhoods are usually
bustling with economic activity: retail-
ers, service providers, artisans, tiny
kinds of needs at the
lowest possible cost
https://t.me/yk_info The writers are co-founders of urbz.net,
an urban network that’s active in Mumbai,
Goa and beyond.

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THE HINDU MAGAZINE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
NOIDA/DELHI

STORYBOARD 7
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BY MIHIR VATSA

H
azaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary

Tiger Fall, the waterfall

was already past its prime
when I was born. Once a
prized national park, the
forest was demoted to the status of a
sanctuary in 1976. Nonetheless, even in
its quiet autumnal presence, this forest,

that wasn’t
spread across 186 sq. km, found men-
tion in my geography textbook. I don’t
remember the class, but I do remember
the pride I felt that millions of children
were reading about it.
This forest was a circuit which joined
us with the others, beyond administrat-
ive borders, beyond nomenclature of The place appears to oat: photos forget to distinguish between the red,
states and cities, and it was the shared
experience of reading these three
hard surface of the shore and the blue, uid stillness of the water
words, ‘Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary’,
that was our circuit’s only, and also the
most critical, spark.
Sometime in 2002, a signboard ap-
peared on NH 33, the highway which
cuts through the sanctuary and runs
north-south from Hazaribagh. Travel-
ling from Hazaribagh, you saw this sign-
board on your right, just before the
forest ended in the royal town of
Padma. The signboard announced
Lotwa Dam, and if you followed the dir-
ection of the arrow, only then you saw,
behind the trees, a quick glimpse of wa-
ter. My earlier encounters with the
forest were limited gazing through the
window of a bus, usually Badal or Su-
man Lok, destined for Patna, where my
maternal family lived. As such, the wa-
ter of Lotwa Dam was almost always a
matter of flash. If you missed it, you
missed it.

Feels just right

The forest that falls on the right of NH
33 is called Salparni. A small stream,
originating in the hamlet of Ichak,
enters Salparni from the south and it is
here that the forest waters it, shapes it,
and tests it. Before leaving the trees, this
insignificant stream transforms into a
rivulet and makes a picturesque water-
fall in the woods, its charm increasing
exponentially during the monsoon. Out
of the forest, this infant river takes the
name of Deta and joins another rivulet, Landscape of control During the monsoon, the Kewta river falls into the mine, creating a pool. (Bottom) Two old sketches; the one on the right shows the wilderness that once surrounded the fall. The spot where
Kewta, in the reservoir of Lotwa Dam. the car is parked has been swallowed by the mine. The other is a view of Tiger Fall before the mining began. The tiger, like the fall, has now disappeared. Mihir Vatsa
Built in 1975-76 to provide water for
irrigation, the Lotwa Dam reservoir everything: Bulu Imam, 74, hunter- Dam was built at least six years before ther ahead, the flow was blocked by a From where I stood, It’s a sketch. Two sketches, actually.
feels just right to the eyes. It’s a land-
scape of control, which, unlike the
turned-environmentalist, anti-mining
activist, and convener of INTACH’s Haz-
Perspectives in Geomorphology appeared
in 1981. If there indeed was a waterfall at
small check dam. I stopped here, real-
ising that if I walked more, I would
<
> the idea of
The first one is a picnic scene. There
is a car parked in the foreground. The
reservoir of its elder sister Tilaiya Dam aribagh chapter. these coordinates, it would have disap- simply reach Lotwa Dam. I turned and, landscape had adults are taking care of the food while
20 km ahead, satiates the senses but It was in his place that on an old Coal peared long before the writing of the on the way back to the car, realised that the kids wander towards the hills in the
never overwhelms. The road to the India map I found Tiger Fall. I had heard chapter. There was no way Prasad and the Kewta had been systematically de- turned uid, subject background. These hills aren’t high, but
reservoir shoots so swiftly from the about it before and had read about it Naseemuddin saw it without noticing prived of its water right up to the edge they do make nice folds. Beyond the
highway that travellers assume it is years ago in one of those thin supple- the reservoir, of which there was no of the cliff — the fall itself — so there was
to economy, politics, hills starts a thick forest, and from one
either inconsequential or abandoned, ments that arrived at New Year’s with mention in their paper. The coordinates nothing left to spill into the mine below. and public policy of the crevices a stream falls. The cap-
leaving the place to its solitude. Hindustan and Dainik Jagran. According were wrong. The waterfall which they Neat. I realised that as the water swelled tion below the sketch reads: “Parking
In summer, when the water shrinks, to the map, the waterfall was located had mentioned had to be Roy up against Lotwa Dam to create the Though no one, not even the work- the car in the grassy patch above The Ti-
the red earth with its complex colonies near the sanctuary, and for a moment I Choudhury’s Tiger Pool. reservoir, the seasonal Kewta only grew ers, knows for sure when the mine was ger Pool”.
of rocks is exposed to the feet that man- wondered whether it was the same wa- So I tried locating it. I knew it was a thinner. Finally, I realised that the satis- set up, it is believed to be either in 1991- The second sketch completely re-
oeuvre here. The sky remains a clear terfall which the Deta makes in Salparni stone mine now and found the mine a fying landscape of Lotwa Dam was cre- 92 or in 2004-05. The wildlife census of veals the fall. It’s a full moon sky and the
stretch of blue with just a light splatter- forest. I studied the map, and involun- kilometre downstream from Lotwa ated at the cost of Tiger Fall’s disappear- Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary in 1991 escarpment of two hills form the back-
ing of clouds, and the strong evening tarily mumbled, “Tiger Fall, huh?” Dam. A satellite view of the region made ance into a stone quarry. recorded 14 tigers in the forest. Soon, all ground. The river falls from the right
sunlight turns the water ethereal. Di- “It’s no longer there. We knew it as it apparent that Roy Choudhury’s river A report published in The Telegraph of them disappeared. Then, in 2005, cliff to make a pool. A tiger approaches
mensions deceive photography and the Tiger Pool,” Imam replied. “It’s a stone was Kewta, 20 years before it was in October 2014 had put the number of pugmarks of a lone tiger were found it for water. The water then falls into an-
photos forget to distinguish between mine now. I don’t go there any more.” blocked by Lotwa Dam. Sure enough such mines at more than 1,500, stress- and the news made it to the papers. other pool before finally coursing
the red, hard surface of the shore and He paused a moment, then, almost like the Kewta, now substantially impover- ing on the fact that these mines also en- What happened to the tiger after that is ahead. In the foreground on the ex-
the blue, fluid stillness of the water. This a warning, said, “And it would be better ished, flowed right to the mine and joyed the patronage “of at least one not known. treme right is a steep slice of rock which
trick of light gives the place an ex- if you also didn’t.” from there it went on to Padma. I minister and a well-known politician”. carries an inscription. The sketch is cap-
traordinary appearance of being afloat “But where is it?” I persisted. looked at the terrain around the mine, I had always thought of landscape as What’s in a name? tioned: “Tiger drinking at The Tiger
on a thin carpet of air. “Do you know Lotwa Dam?” but it appeared rather flat. No hills, no a stationary, geographical feature, dom- Earlier, in April, walking on the dry Pool by a full moon”.
The Asian Waterbird Census of 2016 “Yes, what about it?” undulations. I was surprised, also con- inated by the physical appearance of Deta in Salparni Forest with an old As I read the note accompanying the
recorded 19 species of birds at Lotwa Before Tiger Fall surfaced in the New fused, because I have always thought of things. But where I stood, midway of Ti- school friend, I had spoken of Tiger Fall. sketches, I find this line: “On one of the
waterfalls as the children of hills. ger Fall and Lotwa Dam, the idea of I told him it was somewhere on the ledges, I had my name inscribed, ‘Bulu’,
landscape turned fluid, subject to eco- sanctuary’s fringes but the fall itself was and I was very proud of it.”
Fall in a mine nomy, politics, and public policy. Land- no more. “Quite like the tigers,” he had
My first visit to the mine was in May. I scape was no longer innocent. I re- said. The precise humour in his state- The coda
took the first right from the highway turned home shortly afterwards. ment made us laugh. In 2006, the Supreme Court instructed
and two defunct gateposts welcomed So a change in nomenclature is in or- every State and Union Territory to de-
me. As I drove ahead, I crossed two Return of the waters der: Perhaps from the misleading Tiger clare Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around
more gateposts and on my right ap- Monsoon arrived in Hazaribagh in June Fall to an opulent Tiger Mine? Some- their protected forest areas, which can
peared an abandoned bungalow, its and so did Vinayak, a student of English times I wonder if I should remove it range up to 10 km from the core. The
foundation covered with wild grass and literature at Jamia Millia Islamia in from the list of waterfalls that I have purpose of ESZs is to have a buffer
bushes. Hollow frames of what were Delhi. We had previously gone waterfall- found so far travelling in the hills and where, among other things, industrial
previously windows and doors gawked hunting in Keredari and had planned to forests of Hazaribagh. activities will be either prohibited or
in all directions. It looked like a forest find another in Pokharia forest in the After all, it is a mine, spread across at regulated.
department construction. A few weeks sanctuary. Before the day of the trip, least 10 acres, leased out by the admin- The draft proposal for an ESZ around
ago, and at another waterfall, I had however, I spent a sleepless night and it istration in full knowledge of the site be- Hazaribagh Sanctuary was published on
found a similar ruin. Tiger Fall, or left me with little spirit to walk in the ing a waterfall with a substantial recor- August 18, 2015, by the Environment
whatever was left of it, had to be close. woods. We settled on finding a different ded history. They had decided that Ministry. If cleared, the Tiger Fall mine,
I parked the car near the bungalow. waterfall, which was located in Jihu vil- instead of conservation it needed to be along with hundreds of other stone
The road before me had descended into lage on the outskirts of the sanctuary, wiped out. If god works in strange ways, quarries, will come under the immedi-
the dry bed of Kewta, emerging again and which I knew was easier to ap- then the ways of Indian administration ate sensitive zone of the sanctuary and
on the opposite side as if nothing had proach. We decided to leave the car and are stranger. will risk closure.
happened, as if the river was an undeni- take Vinayak’s motorcycle instead. But is there a possibility of return? As of May 31, 2016, the State of
able feature of it, and as if I was an idiot In order to reach Jihu, we needed to Any idea how Tiger Fall looked like? Jharkhand has requested the Ministry
to have expected a bridge. As I stepped turn left after leaving the sanctuary, but Were there hills around, what about the that the proposals for Hazaribagh Wild-
out, I saw to my left a steep depression I asked Vinayak if we could check on Ti- “wild setting”? Imam remembers some- life Sanctuary ESZ and Palamau Tiger
of about a hundred feet, a sharp trough ger Fall, in case the monsoon flow had thing and goes into his office for a key. Reserve ESZ be deferred.
managed to wade through the mound. He opens an almirah and pulls out a di-
“It’s no longer there. We soon arrived at the abandoned ary. With a red cover, it is the most dis- The Hufflepuff wizard is the author of
<
> We knew it as Tiger bungalow. The Kewta had swollen sub-
stantially and had managed to cleave a
tinctive of all the diaries inside. He flips
through the pages looking for some-
Painting That Red Circle White, his first
poetry collection for muggles. He lives near
Pool,” Imam replied. small channel through the mound, from thing, finds it, and puts it in front of me. a lake with lotuses and noisy cormorants.
where it now escaped and dropped
“It’s a stone mine steep into the mine. I was thrilled.
For a better view, we walked around
now. I don’t go there the edge in a semi-circle and were soon
any more.” standing opposite the fall. The visual of
the mine darted at us. From the right-
Dam in spring, and its reservoir, along Year supplements, it was documented created by the mine, and as I peeped most edge, the Kewta fell into the pit,
with the entire wildlife sanctuary forest, by P.C. Roy Choudhury in his 1957 gaz- into it, bulldozers and dumpers ap- which had now taken the shape of a
has been declared an Important Bird etteer of Hazaribagh. He described it as peared at the bottom, hard at work. pool. Due to sediments, the water below
and Biodiversity Area. In the sky, white a place known as Tiger Pool where “the Consider your current posture as was completely yellow. On the leftmost
and noisy egrets fly from one end to the river tumbles over a number of small mine standing on the road: your face edge was another fall, created by the
other, and it’s their presence which falls and rapids in a wild setting.” looks to the east, your left hand is the flow of water from Lotwa Dam’s canal
makes you form your own. Needless to Twenty four years later, in a chapter north. Consider the gap between you into the paddy fields and consequently
say, the landscape created by Lotwa authored by Nageshwar Prasad and Md. and this text as the riverbed over which into the mine.
Dam, hidden slyly about 17 km from Naseemuddin for the book Perspectives the temperamental road goes. The
Hazaribagh, is a favourite. in Geomorphology, the authors wrote skinny Kewta flows from your right to Natural vs. industrial
about the presence of one waterfall in your left, and just as it reaches the left- The mine had done two things to the
The old man of Hazaribagh the same region, with 85°23’: 24°09’ as most edge of your body, it falls into the fall: it had unwittingly increased its
“Every small town has this one old man, its coordinates. Thereafter, they men- huge, dusty pit. Or so it should, if it ever height, and it had turned the entire
a prophetic grandfather, who knows tioned Tiger Pool separately, quoting retains water. place into a conflict zone, where the
everything about everything.” This ob- the same remarks by Roy Choudhury. This was my Tiger Fall. Dry, obsolete, neat demarcation between natural and
servation was made by my senior, land- It appeared that there were two wa- ugly. Previously a landscape of beauty, industrial landscapes was reduced to ir-
scape photographer Siddharth Pandey, terfalls. The first was what Roy now a site of greed. Roy Choudhury’s relevance. In summer, in the absence of
when we met last year in Delhi. Over Choudhury and Imam called Tiger Pool, “wild setting” was nowhere to be seen, water, the natural created the indus-
the years of our acquaintance, we have, which the Coal India map incidentally nor were the tumbling rapids. The mine trial. In the monsoon, in the presence of
through the geographies of our towns, referred to as Tiger Fall. The second was had hollowed the entire thing out. water, the industrial created the nat-
grown a friendship between the Him- the one with the coordinates provided ural. What this antithetical synergy
alayan mountains of Shimla and the Ch- by Prasad and Naseemuddin. I searched How to kill a flow birthed was an orphan waterfall, devoid
hotanagpur plateau of Hazaribagh. the coordinates on the Internet and I followed the river upstream. Right be- of hills. The road where we had parked
Siddharth’s statement had stuck with stared in disbelief when the result took fore it could fall off the edge, the water the motorcycle had itself become the
me because my very age-inappropriate me to a landmark I knew very well: was deliberately blocked by a mound of cliff through which the water fell. The
yet best friend in Hazaribagh is one
such man, a prophetic grandfather who
always knows everything about
Lotwa Dam.
Did the reservoir drown the second
waterfall? But it wasn’t possible. Lotwa
https://t.me/yk_info
earth that stretched across the width of
the stream. This resulted in a stagnant
pool. Some consolation, I mused. Fur-
bulldozers continued to move about the
area below and the dumpers grunted
their way in and out of the mine.

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8 BACK PAGE
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Easy like Sunday morning
This week is about currency aairs!
BY BERTY ASHLEY
1 Currency substitution or elminting
(from el-, meaning foreign) occurs
when the inhabitants of a country
use a foreign currency in parallel
with or instead of the domestic cur-
rency. El Salvador, Marshall Islands,
British Virgin Islands, Palau and 6
other countries use a particular cur-
rency as their own. Which currency
is this?
2 In 1748, a Dutch pioneer called
Conrad Weiser was a diplomat
between the early settlers and the
native Americans. He noted that the
exchange rate for a cask of whisky
with the natives was five whole skins
of male deer. This is supposedly the
first use of this term to mean money.
It is mostly used in mid-western
America but with advent of TV the
term has spread to other countries
as well and today you wouldn’t be
surprised to hear it in India as well.
What term is this?
3 The first country to feature this
particular person, X, on its cur-
rency note was Canada in 1935. Cur-
rently, X has appeared on banknotes
in every continent except Antarctica.
In some countries like Jamaica and
Bermuda, X has been replaced by
local personalities and local animals.
At last count X appears on the cur-
rencies of 33 different countries.
Who is X?
4 According to the census there are
around 1652 languages spoken in
India, of which about 150 have a size-
able speaking population. Of these,
22 languages are given official status.
Of these, 15 are found in the back
panel of a rupee note. In what order
are the languages arranged?
5 During the rule of King Offa of
Mercia, one pound of silver was
split in to 240 silver pennies. This
evolved into the British currency, the
pound sterling. The currency sign
for the pound is £. This is derived
GOREN BRIDGE
What happened?
East-West vulnerable, South deals
BY BOB JONES
T
wo Polish experts bid this
deal as shown at an import-
ant invitational tournament
in Europe some years ago.
As the cards lie, this is one of the
easiest slams to make that we’ll
ever see. Trumps split 3-2, the
queen of hearts sits “in the pocket,”
and the diamonds split 3-3. Despite
this, the expert declarer failed to
ECOTISM
CM
YK
NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU MAGAZINE
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
Notes from D.C.
BY MADHU JAIN Social gatherings (Indians-only,
usually) took place unfailingly, over
B
ethesda is a leafy suburb nib- chola, dahi bhalla, paneer and
bling into Washington D.C.. chicken curry — laid out in Tupper-
A porous boundary separ-
ates the two. Many of the
capital’s power brokers and big-
ware containers. Homeland was
transplanted — lock, stock, barrel
and banter. It was the same smorgas-
ticket journalists live here. It has for bord, no matter whose home it was.
years been an annual pilgrimage: our The South Indians served sambar,
daughter and her family live here. vadas, green beans with coconut and
For me, these sojourns are also a re- curd rice. Cultural evenings were
turn to the past — a double-decker dominated by bad Bharatanatyam
kind of encounter. I spent a decade and blaring Hindi film music.
of my growing up years in the U.S.,
most of it in the nation’s capital. From a Kubla Khan fantasy
It’s a changed landscape today, a A decade or so before the last cen-
world away from when I was study- tury rolled round, some kind of fairy
ing in D.C.; it was one of the most must have waved her magic wand
boring places on earth then, cultur- over the pockets of Little India: dip-
ally dead. Today, the Trump saga lomats, students, academics and the
stays titillating, more so than the odd budding entrepreneurs. From
Money Walt The Disney Dollar was a currency printed by the Walt Disney Company for use in its Disney facilities. most outlandish bargain-hunters and
political soap operas, penny pinchers, the
from a Latin word for a weight which
stood for 328.9g and means ‘bal-
ance’. What Latin word is this, which
8 The International Bank Note So-
ciety (IBNS) have a yearly poll to
determine the ‘IBNS Banknote of the
bill (1 followed by 21 zeroes). Now us-
ing the very stable ‘Forint’, which
country earlier had the pengő?
whether House of
Cards or Veep. Never
has the cliché “Truth
rapidly expanding
Indian population
metamorphosed
you might come across in a Year’, and have been doing so since is stranger than fic- into billionaires or
horoscope? 2004. Various countries have won it
but only one country has won it 10 The Disney Dollar was a cur-
rency printed by the Walt Dis-
tion” rung so true.
Political satirists
near-billionaires and
began to occupy the
6 This is the first decentralized di-
gital currency. It was invented in
2008 by a unknown programmer or
thrice and that too as a hat-trick,
from 2011 to 2013. With exceptionally
beautiful notes featuring flying birds,
ney Company for use in its Disney fa-
cilities. Similar in size and shape to
the US dollar it featured iconic char-
might as well put
away their pens for a
bit: nothing they
upper echelons of
public life. The latest
additions to this bur-
group under the name ‘Satoshi Na- panthers, a map of the country and a acters and places from the Disney dream up can match Getty Images/iStockphoto geoning tribe in-
kamoto’. It is represented symbolic- monument in a rare vertical format universe. It even had proper anti- what is unfolding on the small clude Raj Shah,
ally as ‘XBT’ or ‘BTC’. Currently it instead of the usual horizontal counterfeiting features and had screen. principal deputy press secretary to
has the highest exchange rate for INR format. The currencies that won unique serial numbers. Appropri- Robin Wright, the actress who President Trump, and Manisha
to the best of the QMs knowledge. were the 10 thousand, five thousand ately enough, whose signature is on plays Claire Underwood, the schem- Singh, a lawyer likely to become the
One XBT will get you an exchange of and thousand. Which country is the it as ‘Treasurer’? ing and ambitious wife of the presid- assistant secretary of state for eco-
Rs.2,60,436.40 (Two Lakh Sixty proud owner of these notes known ent, and occasional director of the nomic policy. Former U.S. President
Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty- as ‘Tenge’? A molecular biologist from Madurai, our Netflix series House of Cards, com- Barack Obama had already inducted
Six Rupees and Forty Paisa only). quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and plained in an interview with Variety many Indian-Americans into public
What currency is XBT?
9 Hyperinflation occurs when a
country experiences very high
is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee
is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’.
this summer that “Trump has stolen life. Young Indian-Americans can be
all of our ideas for Season 6.” Earlier, found at many levels of Washington’s
7 This country’s currency notes
were first printed on April 1, 1948.
They were printed by the Reserve
and accelerating rates of inflation,
rapidly eroding the real value of the
local currency and the prices of
@bertyashley
10. Scrooge McDuck
several episodes were Russia-related, bureaucracy.
with a political leader who might be a The real influx of desis to the
nod to Vladimir Putin. Even before Washington area, which includes
Bank of India for use only in that goods and services rise by more than 9. Hungary the Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kush- neighbouring bits of Virginia and
country. 50 percent a month. The country’s hardest to counterfeit) ner met the Russians — or was repor- Maryland, really began after 9/11,
These were Indian note plates en- government begins printing money 8. Kazakhstan (They are also among the ted as having met them to find ways when Homeland Security started giv-
graved (not overprinted) with the to pay for spending. The world’s 7. Pakistan of pulling the carpet out from under ing out contracts. Young Indian IT ex-
words ‘GOVERNMENT OF _________’ on worst case of hyperinflation was in 6. Bitcoin Hillary Clinton’s campaign. perts and software specialists
the top and the same in the coun- this European country post World flocked to the region, especially Fair-
5. Libra
try’s official language at the bottom. War II until August 1946. Their cur-
4. English alphabetical order
Personal lives fax County. Earlier, federal bureau-
3. Queen Elizabeth II
The signatures on the notes re- rency was called the ‘pengő’. During 2. Bucks
My Washington was bereft of these cracy had started farming out con-
mained that of Indian officials. this period, they printed a 100 quin- 1. The United States dollar scandals. Perhaps because they did tracts, and desis were also given
Which country’s currency started in tillion (1 followed by 20 zeroes) not filter out from various inner defence contracts.
such a manner? pengő bill and even a one sextillion circles. For us, Camelot was a sobri- A big cluster of billionaires and as-
Answers
quet for John F. Kennedy’s adminis- piring billionaires live in Potomac, a
tration, and the President a knight in wealthy and sprawling suburb of D.C.
shining armour. His straying — near in Maryland, fittingly called Po-
and far afield — was kept under tomacabad by those on the other
A-N-A-T-O-M-I-Z-E wraps. The Indian High Commis- side of the railway track because of
sioner at the time, the late B.K. the number of Indians who inhabit
Astronomia Sky watch Nehru who was also a friend of the faux chateaux that could have
Kennedys, told me some years later popped out of a Kubla Khan fantasy,
that they all knew about his affairs and obscenely huge mansions with
Laquered titanium and the Hollywood connection. But: towers and turrets and moats, the
globe acts as a day/ “everybody kept the secrets”. Per- kind one sees in Disneyland.
night indicator sonal lives were, well, personal. Jay Gatsby comes to mind. F. Scott
As for Indian compatriots (diplo- Fitzgerald’s novel was a cautionary
mats and a bit beyond), most were as tale about the American Dream. A
Triple axis dull as weak tea. Conversations sel- growing tribe of desis in the D.C. area
tourbillon dom went beyond best bargains for are now living this dream with
washing machines and televisions: second homes in Florida and private
‘Orbital seconds’ this was the time when even the planes to take them there.
wheel, resembling word consumerism had not entered I almost miss the chola and paneer
a satellite the Indian vocabulary. Indians visit- days.
ing D.C. blatantly asked for discounts
given to diplomats. I know because I The author has a lust for life, loves
make his contract, and his line of Stars and was also a diplomat brat and my sis- totting up experiences and writing about
play was solid. What could possibly constellations, ter had to drive them to wherever the them, sometimes. She is also Editor of
have happened to cause this slam marked in 18k gold prices were right. The Indian Quarterly.
to fail?
What happened is that Zia Mah-
mood was sitting West! Zia is origin- BY SAURYA SENGUPTA a differential system (a set of gears) to
ally from Pakistan, but is now win- ensure the dial stays aligned to the
I
ning world championships n the good old days, if your wrist- correct angle, irrespective of the pos-
representing the USA. The defense watch showed you the correct ition of the rest of the arm.
THE SUNDAY CROSSWORD NO. 2962
started with two rounds of clubs, time, it would’ve been just about Another arm holds up a triple-axis
declarer ruffing the second. South enough. But today, it either has tourbillon. A tourbillon (French for
cashed the king of spades and Zia to tell you how many steps you’ve ‘whirlwind’) is a rotating mechanical
followed smoothly with the jack! walked, or be able to make calls, or device that offsets the effect of grav-
Zia had no particular reason for have a miniature night sky etched on ity on a watch. They’re incredibly
playing the jack — it was simply a it. The Astronomia Sky by Jacob & Co. complex devices, cost a planet to
falsecard that couldn’t cost. De- fulfils just this latter need of the day, make, and all my watches have
clarer saw that, if he drew all the amongst other things. worked fine without one, honestly.
trumps, he would need a 3-3 split in Encased in an elaborate dome- Yet another arm holds a separate
diamonds or a doubleton queen of shaped body, the watch is brimming seconds indicator, which spins on its
hearts — both against the odds. with mechanics and royalty-level lux- own axis, and the final arm hosts a
South decided to treat Zia’s play ury. The base of the watch makes one rotating globe, cut from orange
as an honest one and he protected revolution a year, mimicking a sider- sapphire.
himself against a possible 4-2 dia- eal year, or the actual time it takes To come back to that base, though,
mond split. He led a diamond to earth to revolve around the sun. On did we mention it had stars and con-
the queen and a diamond back to the edge of this dial is a month indic- stellations etched on it in 18k gold?
his hand, before ruffing a diamond ator for the perpetual calendar. At And once a day, an oval — represent-
with dummy’s ace of spades. Next the watch’s centre is a small globe — ing the horizon — orbits the dial, and
came a spade to his eight. Had Zia built of lacquered titanium, of course the golden stars and constellations
discarded, declarer would have — and to this is mounted the rest of visible inside at any point are the
claimed the balance, but Zia pro- the assembly. This assembly makes ones currently overhead.
duced the nine to defeat the con- one revolution along the dial every Now, why anybody needs a watch
tract. twenty minutes — for the sake of to do so many things is really a ‘your
Declarer’s line was solid, maybe accuracy. guess is as good as mine’ scenario.
even indicated, but he might have With the globe acting as the trunk, And the watch costs $580,000. Nope,
tried cashing the ace and king of there stem four branches; the first no typos there. That’s half-a-million
hearts before starting on dia- supports the hours and minutes dial. dollars. That’s half-a-million-dollars
monds. The fall of the queen would Yes, this does actually show the time. more than checking the time on your Across 5 Flightless bird caught finally
have saved the day. These are housed in a sub-dial, upon phone. 1 Orbiting object’s business fulfilled (5) in ditch (4)
4 Joker with trick taking in broadcasters? (8) 6 Decline drink with convert (8)
8 Novelist, ace in treatment of good 7 Keen to retain old bypass (5)
raw matter (8,6) 9 Opera spoilt by grand poses (5,3,4)
10 Democrat in range with a quiet plan (4,3) 12 Applauded then dismissed, being of no
BY ASHVINI MENON 11 Projection: one Oscar for production more use (7-3)
company (6) 15 One rages about endless ceremony
13 Principal speaker’s head of hair (4) and annoyances (9)
14 Tomfoolery from poet going into air 16 Bar, secure, managed without a
guitar initially (10) fearsome guard dog (8)
17 Potter’s eye transformed conventional 19 Published title for monk? Not
image (10) planned (6)
18 Song in particular I admire (4) 21 Supply answer about love for
20 Handy tips for novice after bounty (6) perfume (5)
22 Former partner stopped missing 23 Ruler in for astonishing upset (4)
husband? That’s grand (7)
24 Communication between writers in Solution No. 2961
agreement (14)
25 Second novel in stark language (8)
26 Hides from king in crowd (5)
Down
1 Making concessions can be
embarrassing (12)
2 Spread ruin, vicious in rage (9)
3 Shock shown by artist with uncertain
https://t.me/yk_info expression amid cheers (6)
4 Miserly type, cold fish occupied by
collection (10)
ND-X