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58 Women in our films have moved away from stereotypes: Amitabh 60 Pressure that keeps you going in life: Ranbir Kapoor 61 It was a very lonely, scary journey: Priyanka Chopra 62 Actors not exempt from human feelings: Nargis Fakhri
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08 Ranj Dhaliwal promises sequel to saga - but not just yet 14 Is Surrey a Safe City? 18 Indian Men on Benches 22 Sidhu at the centre of Akali Dal-BJP shadow boxing 24 The Journey of Single Motherhood 28 The Significance of Christmas 32 My Early Education 36 Turban-Esque: Wearing turbans with a pride 38 Malala & Satyarthi shares a nobel moment 40 Where whisky and whiskey are worlds apart
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We are fast approaching 2015, and we look forward eagerly to continue providing a high-quality publication during the coming year. This is the final edition of Desi Today for 2014, and we’d like to first of all thank you, the readers, for the tremendous response and support you have provided us throughout this year. That is the clearest indication that we are successfully meeting the need for a publication that informs, entertains and encourages debate. We wish all our readers and advertisers a happy festive season. We sincerely hope everyone will have an outstanding 2015, and that you will continue to support us the same way you have been doing all along. This issue’s cover story features an in-depth interview with a young Surrey man who is multi-talented and keenly involved with a host of current issues. Ranj Dhaliwal first shot to fame with his novel Daaku, a work of fiction which took an unprecedented and true-tolife look at the inner workings of youth gangs, a perennial problem in B.C. He is also actively involved in numerous other topical issues Elsewhere, we examine whether Surrey is a safe city where crime is concerned. The rising incidence of crime in the city was the focus of the recent municipal elections, with all candidates promising various measures to combat crime. But is Surrey really an unsafe city, or was it all just election-campaign hot air? We try to answer that question as well as look at upcoming initiatives from the city. We also outline the political storm swirling around popular Indian personality Navjot Sidhu. The former Indian national cricketer is wellknown in many South Asian households in Canada as the sidekick and “loud laugher” on the super popular Comedy Nights with Kapil. A member of India’s ruling BJP party, Sidhu is in the middle of an engrossing political tug-of-war in Punjab. In the spirit of this upcoming holiday season, we also take an informative look at the significance of Christmas. And of course we have a whole host of other interesting and useful features, including a piece on single motherhood, a description of his early education by a distinguished local academic, and a new blog which celebrates the Sikh turban. And we have the usual collection of articles and tips which should provide your families and you hours of reading pleasure. A happy festive season to all of you. We’ll see you in the New Year! Sanjeev Katyal Rakesh Gupta
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DESI TODAY EXCLUSIVE
COVER
BIO Ranj Dhaliwal’s major claim to fame has been his two-book �ictional Daaku saga. The �irst book, titled Daaku, came out in October 2006, and its realistic portrayal of one young Indo-Canadian youth’s journey through the lifestyle of a gangster hit a nerve and turned the book into a best-seller.
The story continued through a second book, titled Daaku: A Gangster’s Life, which was released �ive years later in November 2011 and became another best-seller. Dhaliwal is now writing the third part of the Daaku saga as well as a fourth book.
The success of Daaku pushed the articulate Dhaliwal, now 38, into the public spotlight, and he has been much in demand from media, politicians and all kinds of stakeholders and groups for his views on gang-related issues in B.C., a perennial hot topic since the unbridled gangland violence of the 1990s claimed scores of lives.
But the books merely served to shine the public spotlight on a man who has been active on many fronts. Besides being a proli�ic writer, Dhaliwal – who is a paralegal in his “day job” – has also been active in local Sikh issues, including holding of�ice for a spell as a vice-president of the Surrey Sikh Temple. Dhaliwal also takes a keen interest in environmental and, by extension, aboriginal issues. He counts many prominent First Nations personalities among his friends.
And if all that’s not enough, the Surrey resident and father of two young sons is also a rapper, and builds custom Harley-Davidson bikes!
8
Naturally, as our verbatim interview illustrates, he has a lot to say on a lot of things . . . DEC / JAN 2014
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DAAKU DELIGHT
Ranj Dhaliwal promises sequel to saga - but not just yet - BY BACHAN RAI
You are still in the process of writing Daaku 3, the third instalment in the Daaku saga. When do you think it will be out? From the first one (Daaku) to the second one (The Gangster’s Life), there was about a five-year gap, 2006 and 2011. People are still buying the two books. I don’t want to lose what I put into the first two books. I’m hoping to release the third book, Gangland, late next year or early 2016. (Another) one I’m working on is called Gang-Related. I don’t know whether I’m going to do a fifth one.
What have been the sales like for your books? We’ve been doing quite well. Actual sales numbers we keep confidential. You have said your story is completely a work of fiction. Yet, people who have read your books say it all sounds very authentic. Did you have any kind of actual involvement or acquaintances in the gangs world to be able to detail the whole inner lifestyle in the evolution of a gangster? Definitely. When I see Ruby (the protagonist of Daaku), I see a little bit of myself. I had close to 30 friends murdered in gangland warfare. I dabbled in that lifestyle a little bit, but around the age of 22, I had seen too many people dying, and I decided this is not for me. When I first got together with these people, I was younger than them. When we got together, there was a big group of us - 100, 150 - and then “business” started coming in. Instead of just hanging out, we used to get into a lot of fights. I took it as a kind of general experience and turned it into a new story in my book. The story just keeps going. I have no problem saying that I was in that lifestyle.
What made you withdraw from that lifestyle? Was it some kind of single life-changing incident, or was it a gradual disillusionment with what you were seeing happening? I think the gang lifestyle is all an illusion. When you’re inside it, you don’t see it. When you step back, you wonder, what’s going on? I’m reading about my close friends in the newspapers - early morning shootings, midnight shootings - and I kind of withdrew. Many people don’t understand what these gangsters are going through. In my work, I try to portray then as real people. At the end of the day, they’re human.
They say once you’re in, you can never leave. Did you manage to retain those relationships? Would you be able today to pick up the phone and talk to a number of your old colleagues? Yes, and I still do. Sometimes when I need some information, they have no problem doing that for me. And I left on a good note. If you get the respect of your fellow men, they’re going to respect your decision. But if you’ve a lowdown, dirty thug, they won’t trust you. So there are ways to get out of that lifestyle. Make sure any debt you’ve got to pay is paid.
Are you talking solely about �inancial debt? There’s favors. That’s what the lifestyle is all about. Their word is all they live on. If you get caught in a lie in that world, you’re dead.
Did you write your book as a straightforward novel, or did you set out with some kind of moral aim, sort of to tell people, hey, don’t do this (the gang lifestyle)? When I started writing, it was off and on. I just started the story. And then I took typing lessons. Then the story just flowed. Halfway through the book, I started thinking that this book could either be a textbook on how to become a gangster, or this could help deter youths from getting into that lifestyle. Once I had that thought, I got in touch with publishers. Eventually, it got out there. www.desitoday.ca
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COVER
You have served as a vice-president of the Surrey Sikh Temple. How did that come about? Around that time, I called a prominent Sikh youth activist and suggested “taking back” the Surrey gurdwara. We started talking to other people to put a slate together (to contest the gurdwara elections). That’s how I got involved.
This was during the period when the tables-and-chairs incident of violence took place. Your slate was the third slate - the youth slate - and you were actually outside that �ight?
You’ve become a celebrity author and are considered an expert in the gang life. Did you expect that to happen? Did you have a problem handling that? Or did you just take it in stride? After my first novel came out in October 2006, the media started calling me to comment on gang stuff. I said I’m a fiction author, and declined to comment for a while. But when I started doing talks to various groups, I realized these kids have no clue. The teachers have no clue. The parents have no clue. All they hear is what’s going on on the radio. A lot of time they (radio) have no clue either! So I decided to start talking about it.
You had short hair, but you have now become a baptized Sikh. How did that
come about? My mom is an amritdhari (baptized) Sikh, but my father wasn’t, so there was that kind of dual dynamic in my house. I went through periods when I had a judaa (hair tied up in a bun) and others when I cut my hair. And then when I was in my late 20s and early 30s, I always went over to my mom’s house and we would talk about religion. I was asking a lot of questions. She told me to go read the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh scripture). After I started reading, I thought, wow, this stuff makes sense. And then I started reading the stories about our Gurus and Sikhi and how it all became. And I got further and further into it as I read more. In 2007, I decided to take amrit (become a baptized Sikh) and did so.
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We were outside of the two groups involved. We won that election. We didn’t take charge because there were irregularities in the nomination process. It dragged on for a while, but the sangat (gurdwara devotees), the community were very strongly behind us. I sent my committee a resignation letter. They wanted to go to trial, but I said I’m not going to trial for this. The better man steps away sometimes. Eventually, a new election was held, and we won by a landslide.
There has been the local issue about whether people should sit on the �loor or on tables and chairs when they take their langar (meal served at the gurdwara). Where are you on this issue? There’s a hukum (direction) from the Akal Takht. That is our highest religious authority. It’s about humility. When you go ask for something, you go with open hands. When you ask a kid to do seva (service) at the gurdwara, what’s the first seva a kid does? Providing water. He fills the cups. If you are sitting at the table, they don’t get to do that because they’re shorter than the table. At the floor level, they can do that seva. I look at it as, what is the lowest point, the point of humility? And so sitting on the floor just makes sense to me in that light.
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FEATURES COVER Also, when you are required to sit on the floor, you don’t walk around the langar (gurdwara dining) hall with shoes. I don’t wear shoes in the eating area in my own house. Most places that have tables and chairs in the langar hall, people walk around in shoes where people are going to eat. You should be able to walk around barefoot in the entire gurdwara. It’s your home at the end of the day.
That’s your philosophy and that’s �ine. But are you in favour of enforcing this philosophy, of insisting it’s my way or the highway, so to speak? Do you believe everybody must sit on the ground? Or do you believe in providing people the choice? Everybody has choice. But we also have a religious authority for a reason. The hukum has been looked at. We Sikhs self-govern. We are not supposed to go to (a regular) court (over religious rulings). The Akal Takht is our court. It’s the rule that when a judgment or order has been handed down, any Sikh can appeal that to the five takhts. So who am I to question that decision? There’s no forcing of people. Gurdwara management is an elected body. So if the members like somebody’s platform, that’s who they vote for. And whoever gets elected implements the rules. It’s not much different from Parliamentary democracy. People elect parties based on their platforms. Whoever is elected gets to pass the laws that all Canadians must follow. Also, they (gurdwara societies) have annual general meetings where anybody can bring up an issue. And resolutions can be voted on at these meetings. So it’s an ongoing democratic thing. So when you’re in the gurdwara, you have to follow the rules set down by those who were elected by the members.
Going back to the Daaku saga, it seems like the mid-90s was the peak of (South Asian) gangsterism. People were getting killed on a regular basis. Has IndoCanadian gangsterism come down now, or is it just that it doesn’t get into the news so often? The 1990s was actually the start. And then it peaked after that. I wouldn’t say it’s come down. But these people are more insulated now. Any time there is a struggle for leadership, you’re going to see a lot of killings. Once the leadership - and it’s not just one guy, it could be a dozen people that are at the top - have control, they don’t let it go. If somebody else wants to contest that, the challenge usually comes from within the same organization. The smart ones at 12
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the top have learned though that all these killings lead to police getting millions of dollars in funding and better tools to go after these guys. If you keep killing, the authorities crack down harder, the penalties get harsher. The police are getting more sophisticated. The gangsters are also getting more sophisticated.
Are you saying basically that the loose cannons have mutually eliminated each other? Whenever there is violence, it stems from a struggle for power and control. They weren’t really loose cannons. They were targeting each other because they wanted to show others that they were more powerful than those they targeted. It was telling the others, come join us or we will eliminate you. It’s basically two corporations going at it. In the real corporate world, you show power with financial strength, stocks etc. But in the gangster world, you show power with raw muscle. And the muscle is, we’ll kill you while you’re driving down the street.
How much do you blame the older generation for what the sons have turned into? Hasn’t the emphasis on making money at any cost translated into the kids not getting the kind of guidance and direction they needed growing up? I’ve talked to a lot of parents. And they say they’re making ends meet. They say they don’t have time for anything else. And I say to them, ‘You’ve got a coffee break? Pick up the phone and call the school, ask how your kid is doing.’ You can make a connection with the teachers. I don’t put blame. I used to talk about the cultural divide that is occurring where the parents are coming from India, they are hard workers who work for their families. And the children are sitting at home. And they end up meeting people who are eventually going to lead them into gangsterism and criminal activities. I realized that the gurdwara is the prime place (to provide youths with positive activities). It’s a good place to hang out. There’s no drugs, no alcohol, no tobacco, no gambling. And it’s a safe place. If you go to an outdoor basketball tournament, such as at a school, it may not be a safe place because you may have a problem with some kids from a different school. But in the gurdwara, there is safety. That’s what was lacking in the 80s and 90s. I think the gurdwaras didn’t understand that they should get involved.
The mainstream media tends to dabble www.desitoday.ca
with clichés and stereotypes when it comes to issues affecting the South Asian community. What is your opinion about that? And if you do agree that that’s the case, do you think you are playing a part in changing that? When I first started getting interviewed, I started telling people the gangs are multicultural. It was easy to start stereotyping because there were 100-odd murders in the 1990s, mostly Indo-Canadian. But they were also Canadian children. They got caught up in a lifestyle that killed them, and destroyed many lives. If you look at gangs today, there may be Indo-Canadians but they are mainly at the top. If you look at the guys who sell the drugs on the streets, you won’t see Asians or Indo-Canadians. The bicycle dealers at some transit points in Surrey are all Caucasians. You can’t call these Indo-Canadian gangs, can you? It’s multicultural.
You are also quite active in First Nations issues. How did that come about? I worked with the Sierra Legal Defense Fund and environmental issues are usually aboriginal community issues as well. But even before that, I was drawn to the aboriginal community. In school, we learned a lot about the aboriginal people. So when I got the opportunity to work with them, I really took to it because the First Nations are the people of the land. I haven’t seen another community that is as strong an advocate of environmentalism. And when you get to know them, they are beautiful people. Aboriginal people have a very rounded approach to economic issues, incorporating the environment into planning. We could use that approach in other communities. Finally, are you a hip-hop fan? You’ve got pictures with two hip-hop artistes on your website. And (singer) Bif Naked sent you a complementary message about your book. I’m a fan of music in general. I love country. I love rock. Hip hop. Rap. Now I’m learning tabla. And my wife does kirtan. So we have that music element in our home. I actually went into a recording studio at one time and recorded some rap. It’s on my website!
You’re working on Daaku 3 and a fourth book. Beyond that, what’s up? A Bollywood producer is coming with a big budget, and they want to put my book on the big screen across the world. The process is underway. It’s more than mere expressions of interest. But I can’t talk too much about it right now. www.desitoday.ca
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FEATURES
IS SURREY A
SAFE CITY?
The history of crimes is as old as the age of the world. Crimes are inherent in both civilized as well as uncivilized society. However the gravity, sensitivity, and reasons may vary in both societies. Individuals may have a selfish desire to fulfil-for example-to gain power, fear, peer-pressure, failure of self-direction, lack of moral judgment and character, disturb family life, boredom, genetic, poverty, drug habits, lastly to impress others. Some crimes are committed simply from ignorance, revenge, lack of self-respect, jealousy greediness and the discrepancy
“You will feel the full force of the law and if you are old enough to commit these crimes you are old enough to face the punishments. And to these people I would say this: you are not only wrecking the lives of others, you are potentially wrecking your own life too.” - David Cameron
held between the goals held by the society and the inability to reach those goals.
“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” - Nelson Mandela According to M. Farouk Radwan, a researcher, “Every human behavior is done to serve a certain important psycho-
logical goal including the crimes people commit. What seems irrational from the outside like a crime is actually an attempt to do something completely rational like reaching a certain psychological goal.” The Criminal Justice Reform, BC, defines as crime is an act or omission that violates the law and is punishable upon conviction. It further suggests crime typically occurs when three things happen at the same time and in the same space. 1. A motivated offender is present. 2. A suitable target is available. 3. There is either something or someone present which encourages the crime, or nothing or no-one to discourage it.
Nonetheless, one must appreciate that Canada has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Thanks to our active judicial system and the role of law enforcement agencies, crime prevention societies and community participation. According to Statistics Canada, from July 2013, crime rates across Canada have fallen to 46-year low and the homicide rate has dropped by 10% making it the lowest since 1972. The Vancouver Sun report suggests, Canadian crime rate peaked in 1991 and has been falling ever since. Both violent and property crimes have been falling in much of the last decade in Surrey and Vancouver. Kelowna City, however, tops the Canadian 14
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crime list in 2012 with 8,875 crimes for every 100,000 people. In contrast, the entirety of Metro Vancouver stands at a rate of 6,958 per 100,000 which ranks at the seventh highest in the country. After the city of Vancouver, Surrey is the second largest populous city of BC., and a multi-ethnic city of neighborhoods. It has grown into a cosmopolitan city and its population size is likely to surpass Vancouver in the future. Beside adequate public transit, Surrey has everything a city needs. Moreover, each neighborhood is different and crimes vary from area to area. Nonetheless, as against the large cities of the world, people move around freely without having much to fear in the night. In the current year, however, there have been incidents of murder, suicides, and stabbings, a young lady swarmed and beaten and countless break-ins and other crimes (not reported). The truth is crime is prominent in all major cities around the world and Vancouver including Surrey is no exception. Crime is a problem that is not isolated to one place. The findings of several polls conducted in the recent past suggest crime was the biggest issue among voters going into the civic election this fall. It’s not altogether surprising that crime has received much attention in Surrey recently. Hence, in Surrey mayor’s election this year, crime has dominated the agenda of every politician. In a poll conducted by Angus Reid of Metro Vancouver residents found just 12 % of Surrey residents rated their city as safe, as against 71% of residents of Richmond and Delta. Linda Hepner, the new elected Mayor of Surrey has ‘crime’ on top of her agenda list. This is what she has promised to the voters during her election campaign. “People need to feel safe in their communities and that is why safety is a top priority, we have added $54 million to the police budget in the past nine years and I am committed to seeing 100 more officers on patrol in the next 24 months in high density areas. We also need to tackle the root
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causes of crime that include addictions, mental health and homelessness. I will advocate for the establishment of a secure Mental Health Facility to better serve the vulnerable so they are not placed in the community with minimal support. I will
according to Maclean’s magazine, Surrey was ranked as the tenth most dangerous city of Canada back in 2010. The study was based on a sample crime data of 100 largest Canadian cities and measured 2010 crimes rates per 100,000 people. Crimes
“... we have added $54 million to the police budget in the past nine years and I am committed to seeing 100 more of�icers on patrol in the next 24 months in high density areas.” - Linda Hepner
develop a comprehensive policy framework, in my first 100 days, to ensure a better integration of local police and Provincial services. ” The outgoing mayor also has to say this on Surrey crimes, “We see a significant influx of people into the city — between 1,000 and 1,200 a month — and a lot of families are coming in. We see a lot of young professionals coming in. And there’s that other element that comes as well. They set up shop in affluent areas of Surrey. So it’s certainly a challenge.” Moreover,
included in the study were homicide, sexual assault, aggravated assault, vehicle theft robbery and breaking and entering. The city ranked sixth in violent crimes and thirteenth in non-violent crimes nationwide. Surrey scored 58.2% higher than the
DEC / JAN 2014
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FEATURES national average in six crimes. The research also showed after Quebec (184%) and Langley Township (177%) Surrey had the third highest car theft rate (154%) higher than the national average in the country. Interestingly, in the early 2000s, Surrey was called the capital city of car theft in North America. According to the Langley Times issue of July 31, 2013, the Langley crime rate was nearly double the BC crime rate and almost three times the national average in 2012. With the horrific death of hockey mom Julie Paskal this year, crime rates are escalating especially in the Newton area. As evident from the table below, Violent Crimes (VC) increased by 14% in Q3, 2014 as compared to Q3, 2013. A further breakdown of the VC indicated that the highest percentage change increased (56%) noted was in Abducting/Kidnapping related cases and the largest decline came in Attempted Murder cases (-33%). Property crimes (total) rose by 27%. The highest increase came from Theft Motor Vehicle (98%). Other CC Offenses (total) rose by 23%. The largest drop came in prostitution (-58%). Cocaine possession related cases dropped by 48% and marijuana production fell by 60%. According to a report published in Vancouverdesi.com, Surrey’s violent crime rate per-capita is fourth highest in Metro Vancouver, behind Vancouver, New Westminster and Langley City. According to a recent SFU study, Surrey hast the highest overall crime rate by a wide margin, the smallest decrease in the crime rate since 2008 (tied with Richmond) and the lowest clearance (solved crimes) rate of all jurisdiction.
“If you were going to be successful in the world of crime, you needed a reputation for honesty.” - Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay
Summary Q3 2014 Crime Statistics
(source: http://surrey.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=1496&languageId=1&contentId=34492)
OFFENCE TYPE
Q3 2014
Q3 2013
% (Q3) Change
YTD 2014
YTD 2014
% YTD) CHANGE
Violent Crimes (Total)
1562
1365
14%
4171
4251
-2%
Property Crimes (Total)
9344
7353
27%
26684
21045
27%
Other CC Offences (Total)
2746
2233
23%
7407
6213
19%
Total CC
13652
10951
25%
38262
31509
21%
Sue Hammell, Member of Legislative of Assembly from Surrey, British Columbia, was also interviewed for this article on the subject. This is what she has to say:
Do you believe Surrey is a safe place to raise one’s family? I have lived in this city since 1990, and I know that Surrey is a safe place to raise one’s family. However, I also believe that all of us, as citizens, have the potential to make it even safer.
“... While this lack of resource must be dealt with, we must also think of new and innovative ways to address crime. A commitment from the community, the RCMP and politicians is the key to achieving this. 16
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- Sue Hammell
What should the local government be doing more to reduce crimes in the city of Surrey? Despite the rapid growth in Surrey, we have fewer police officers than neighbouring cities. Increasing this number, however, is not an easy task nor is it completely within the municipality’s power to do so. The reality is that RCMP officers are trained nationally in Regina and the number of officers trained annually is limited. Additionally, new trainees are assigned throughout the country to replace retiring officers; to meet the needs of population growth; and to address emerging demands of crime. With such limitations, we must adopt both creative and strategic approaches in developing an action plan that addresses the issues of crime in this City. Our local government, therefore, needs engage all levels of government and the community. This way, we can collaboratively create a plan of safety that ensures accountability for politician and citizens. It also ensures that the plan is appropriately resourced.
What should the community be doing to help reduce crimes in the city? In the pursuit of crime reduction, it is essential that the community exercises an active role and level of responsibility towards the www.desitoday.ca
issue. Members of the community must contribute and utilize their strengths as resources in an effort to partner with the RCMP. We face an under resourced police contingency, where officers carry too many files and are over worked. While this lack of resource must be dealt with, we must also think of new and innovative ways to address crime. A commitment from the community, the RCMP and politicians is the key to achieving this.
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Crime is an issue that affects all members of the community. It is imperative that the community, therefore, actively contributes to the resolution. Engagement and acceptance of one’s accountability to their city are essential in ensuring this. Although the RCMP and various levels of government can certainly bring change, it is dependent on the participation of the community at large. We need to explore creative solutions rather than relying on RCMP officers, such as auxiliary officers. Organized block watches are another example, and allow citizens to exercise a level of control over the safety of their own neighbourhood. It is also important for individual crimes to be reported immediately before they continue to occur and/or escalate in severity. The truth is, Surrey is ranked 31st in the province when it comes to police officer per capita. Vancouver has 202 officers, per 100,000 residents in contrast to Surrey that has only 137 officers. Surrey’s Severity index is 26.5 points higher than Vancouver’s with 47% less officers. At present the RCMP is short 50 police officers at least. Hence with limited number of officers, in some cases, the RCMP is unable to attend the crime scene. One of the immediate steps that the City government should take is to increase this number. Crime reduction is a complex issue. It requires multi-pronged strategy and out of box thinking. It is time for the city government and the community to work together and find new venues and fresh ideas on how to fix the crime problem.
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INDIAN MEN ON BENCHES
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It’s a cold and dreary day. The weather has definitely shifted, and it’s time to pack up the summer clothes and bring out the winter wear. The long summer days are behind us, and these darker days have brought out a pensive mood. After picking up my coffee, I notice a group of elderly Punjabi men gathered on the benches outside the mall parking lot. With Christmas almost here I wonder where they go in the winter. And what about the women… where are they? Feeling curious, and wary of what their reaction will be to a female entering their midst, I approach one of the men, and comment that seeing gatherings like this is reminiscent of a commonplace social occurrence in India. Back East, men and
women sit under trees, By Manjit Bains enjoying the shade with friends, watching the comings and goings of the village, catching up on the latest news and gossip. I ask what message he would give people outside our community who wonder why they gather the way they do. He tells me, these are my friends, we gather for friendship, and to catch up on news. I notice out of the corner of my eye some of the other men stepping in closer to hear what we’re saying. Before you became friends, how did you find these meeting places? Lots of laughter and energy from the group as they each contribute to the response telling me they just know where to go, and which places have seating for them. They
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tell newcomers about these places and in some cases discover them through their kids. And when the weather gets colder, where do you go then? The first gentleman replies that those who have library cards go to the library, and some go to recreation centres. Because they know these places well, they already know how much seating is available for them. One man who has been standing on the periphery steps forward and requests that I not write anything bad about them and what they are doing. He’s speaking to me in heavily accented English. My conversation with the group has been in Punjabi thus far, and I feel he wants to make a point. Another gentleman continues by telling me that many of them are well-educated. Some were teachers and instructors in India, and when they moved here…., his voice trails off. I understand. Their credentials are not recognized. Many take farm labor jobs. The educated and uneducated, employed and unemployed take solace in each other’s company. Once in a while they take up a collection for coffee, and for alcohol, to share with everyone in the group, regardless of ability to pay. I want to delve into the alcohol issue, and ask if they also consume it in the park which is illegal, but feel they would not be receptive to any suggestion of finding a private residence to drink at. In some way, these men in their retirement years are like young teenagers who loiter and drink with their buddies in parks and schools because it’s not accepted behaviour at home. As for the women, they have their own gathering places. One of the men nods over his shoulder and tells me they are in the park over there. I look, but don’t see anyone. Unlike the men, they are less visible. Had I seen them, I would have liked to ask if they gather for the same reasons as the men. A few weeks prior, I had come across an elderly Punjabi woman with a cane standing beside the sidewalk, on the street. When I stopped my car, and asked if she was okay, her response was that she was headed to the temple. She had taken less than 2 steps since I’d first spotted her, and so I asked again if she was okay, wondering if I needed to call 911 or her family. She again answered that she was going to the temple, and told me to take her there. Now normally I don’t pick up strangers, but I was really concerned about her ability to make it to her destination. She put her cane in the car, and got in. During the short car ride, she shared that her daughter works nights, and sleeps during the day. Without any family member to drive her to the temple, she gets antsy sitting at home. With nothing to do, and no one to interwww.desitoday.ca
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act with, she feels she is wasting away, and craves social stimulation. I asked how she would have made it to the prayer service if I hadn’t given her a ride. Her reply was that someone always stops. There is always someone heading in her direction. So what does all this have to do with the Indian men and women we see sitting on benches outside of stores, and at parks and recreations centres? For some reason here in Canada it is frowned upon, mostly by members of our own community, especially the women. Possibly because younger ladies don’t appreciate being on the receiving end of these men’s looks and stares. The men’s dress code is criticized as sloppy, and their hygiene as being poor. The elderly women are less visible, and receive less of this criticism. Outside of our community I came across more curiosity about these men, and less judgement. One friend told me it’s great how these elderly men are an active part of their grandchildren’s lives. When she drops her grandchild off at school, she sees a lot of Indian grandparents doing the same. Growing up, her recollection of grandparents is ‘people you see once in a while’, who give you a pat on the head, but otherwise have little to do with you. No connection. No real relationship. She’s curious about the elderly Indian grandfathers she sees gathered in parks. She wants to know more about them, and their backgrounds. These differing opinions are not culture specific. It is not about a ‘brown versus white mentality’, but rather personal perception and experience. Only a few summers ago, at a picnic for friends & family, the kids were having a great time, playing on the swings, and in the sprinklers. The 20
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parents were too, until one of the little ones went missing. We helped look for the 1 1/2 year old, but with so many people, and so much movement, we couldn’t find him. His mother was frantic. It felt like 20 minutes before I saw the wide-eyed mother come back to the party clutching her son tightly. What happened? Where was he? Apparently he’d wandered off, past the tree-line that separated the park from the parking lot. An Indian man sitting on the bench with his buddies saw this little guy wander over, and brought him over to the park area where he reunited the toddler with his scared parents. In that moment, I was confronted by my own prejudice against this group. I had thought of them as, pardon my saying this, perverts… staring at me, and other women walking by (not noticing they also looked at the men). But had it not been for them, this little boy
could have wandered into traffic in the parking lot or the nearby street. We, and I say “we” because on more than one occasion I’ve also done this… we leave our homes in a dishevelled state. We’re only going into the store to pick up one item, and then going back home, so why dress up and run a comb through our hair? Yes, I skipped a shower this morning, but I’m not going there to impress anyone… not these strangers. In my current pensive state, I wonder if the body odor of some seniors is only partly due to laziness. Perhaps fewer baths are the result of fear of slipping and falling in the tub, or even the inability to step into one in the first place. It’s fair to say that I wish they dressed more…respectfully. But the same can be said of me It’s fair to say that I don’t want to be stared at. And the same has been said to me. Perhaps our seniors will read this, or their loved ones will share with them that better hygiene and an awareness of respectful observation would go a long way in improving the image they inadvertently project. What is the alternative to the seniors in our community gathering together in parks, recreation centres and mall parking lots? Being bored and depressed at home? That doesn’t serve anyone. After the conversation with the group of men on that cold and dreary day, I get back in my car, and sit for a few moments, observing people walk by. Most ignore these men. One shopper comes out of the store, sits on the empty bench facing these men, and lights a cigarette. He doesn’t give the men dirty looks. They also do not give him frowns for smoking in their midst. Not interacting with each other, they peacefully co-exist. As for what brought them out in the first place…there are as many stories, as there are Indian men on benches.
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PO LI TI C S
In
the last couple of months, the “timetested” ruling alliance of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is feeling the strain, forcing senior leaders from both sides to step in and claim that all is well. Both sides have indulged in shadow-boxing in recent weeks with the centrepiece being cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu. From the results of the April-May Lok Sabha polls, which did not give the alliance a clean sweep in Punjab, to the recent assembly polls in neighbouring Haryana where the Akali Dal dumped its “natural ally” BJP to join hands with “family friends” Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) to the open barbs being traded between Sidhu and Akali Dal top brass - the alliance is certainly on a political downslide. The BJP and Akali Dal are definitely
SIDHU AT
THE CENTRE
OF AKALI DAL-BJP
SHADOW BOXING
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indulging in shadow-boxing over Navjot Sidhu. The former cricketer and now a popular TV personality is not known to mince words, especially when referring to Punjab’s ruling Badal family and Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia - the brother-in-law of Akali Dal president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and younger brother of Sukhbir’s wife and union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal. The Akalis too have hit back at Sidhu, even officially asking the BJP to “tame” him. Sidhu openly blamed the Badals for “back-stabbing” the BJP in Haryana by joining hands with the INLD. The bad blood between Sidhu and the Badal-Majithia combine is over the BJP denying Sidhu the Amritsar Lok Sabha ticket earlier this year. It was at the insistence of the Badals and Majithia that Sidhu, who was elected thrice from Amritsar - in 2004, 2007 (bypoll) and 2009 was dumped by the BJP without assigning any reason and senior BJP leader and now Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was fielded instead. Jaitley lost the election by a huge margin of over 100,000 votes to Congress leader and former chief minister Amarinder Singh. The Amritsar debacle was an embarrassing one for the Akali Dal-BJP relationship. An upset Sidhu did not campaign for Jaitley at all. The Badal-Majithia gamble to oust Sidhu from Punjab’s political space, in connivance with some Punjab BJP leaders, failed miserably. The BJP, after its recent alliancebreaking experience in Maharashtra and Haryana just before assembly polls in both the states, is certainly looking at a bigger role for itself in the 2017 Punjab assembly elections. It is certainly not going to be satisfied with the 23 seats that the Akali Dal gave it in 2012 to contest in the 117-member assembly. The barbs from the BJP leadership, especially Sidhu, are certainly looking at the future scenario. With the Badal government facing allegations of corruption and Majithia’s name figuring in Punjab’s recent drugs scams, the BJP is unlikely to now play second fiddle. BJP leaders in the state are already flexing their muscles, forcing the Badals and the Akali Dal to run to the BJP central leadership for cover. With nearly two years to go for the next assembly polls, the BJP is unlikely to let the Akali Dal have a free run. By Jaideep Sarin www.desitoday.ca
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The Journey of Single Motherhood
By Nadia Ali
Single parenthood is a difficult venture to embark on in this day and age, regardless of whether one is a man or woman. While the anxiety of having to raise a child (or children) on your own is a painful enough concept, we must acknowledge that the experiences of a single mother and single father tend to be very different, especially in the ‘brown’ community. In this community, once a woman goes through a separation or divorce she is viewed as a failure and of less value for a variety of reasons, some of them including she was not able to keep her family together or her husband happy. All of this along with the added pressure of menacing in-laws in many cases. To clearly look at the experiences of single motherhood in the South Asian community, we must first discuss what gets the average Desi woman there in the first place. It is an extremely common occurrence that these woman are married off by their families at younger ages ranging from around 18-24. And, they are usually brought over from their native country to Canada, where they are away from their families and without a support system. Being a young woman in a new country where you are not accustomed to the ways of society and your new environment is extremely intimidating as one can imag24
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ine. Back in the earlier days, such as the late 80s and early 90s these women did not have proper education, many of them did not even graduate high school before being wed. These women arrive here with no usable education, no connections, and no means of transporting themselves around town, unless being driven by their husbands. They are essentially being bred for dependency. But why do these men, who usually are born in Canada or have spent a large portion of their childhoods in Canada going back to their homelands to find wives? Why aren’t they finding other ‘westernized’ women to marry? Because they want someone who is domesticated, who is willing to essentially give up their goals so these men have more efficient and convenient lives. These women are not expected to work or build careers, instead they are expected to be homemakers and make life easier for their new families. They are expected to make the tea every morning. They are expected to wash the dishes and keep the kitchen clean. They are expected to do the laundry. They are expected to cook food everyday with the perfect amount of flavor and spice. They are expected to have children within the first couple years of marriage. And most importantly, they are expected to do it with a smile on their face. From an outside perspective, it is easy to see this is not an ideal life. This does not go to say that women who aspire to be stay-at-home moms or wives lack drive or ambition, or are wrong for their wants, but in the case of young women in the Indian community, no one explicitly asks them what they want out of their lives. It is extremely important to remember that not every woman is built to be a wife or a mother. There is where the root of the problem lies. The answer can be as simple as asking the young woman what she wants before she is married off. But sometimes even if her desires are known, are disregarded. Such proved to be the case for Jasmine*, a woman who was wed fairly young and brought overseas where she discovered that her life was not as she envisioned it would be in Canada. Her marriage was not a very positive experience for her and after a certain incident decided to pack her belongings and leave the toxicity that surrounded her, with her two young children. “I wasn’t being treated well by my husband and his family I lived with. My close family was not in Canada, although I was lucky enough to have some distant family that would stand behind my decision to leave and support me,” Jasmine explains of her circumstances and how she left her www.desitoday.ca
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“The fact of the matter is that single women and men are brave people, and are trying to make positive changes in their lives and in the lives of their children.”
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marriage. “So many times I heard stories of women just enduring throughout their lives all types of abuse from their husbands, and I was not going to be one of them. When I first arrived in Canada, I was very shy, I did not stand up for myself, but when you become a mother, you do anything to make sure your children don’t grow up in a bad environment.” She continued, citing her reasons for leaving. When asked about the hardships of single motherhood, Jasmine said “Of course it was definitely hard. But I was determined to make things work for the future of my kids. I worked hard to provide for my family and we never were without anything.” In this case, Jasmine re wrote her circumstances and went against the norm to move on to a more independent life with herself and her kids, especially at a time where it was not socially acceptable to do so. However, not every woman is that lucky. Many women in these situations tend to become desperate, and decide not to leave as they believe it is too hard and fear what lies before them as single mothers. This is why being a single mother has become a sort of taboo topic within the community, women barely tend to leave, so most people are in awe of those who do. Some common experiences single women tend to go through when deciding to be on their own are anxiety and worry about if they will be able to make it work, wondering if they will be able to provide financially, and
how the overall situation will affect their children. All this along with dealing with the husband and the added family that comes along with him, depending on the type of people you are dealing with. These women deal with their close-knit community talking about her business, the spreading of rumors and unnecessary drama in many cases. Many times the females related to the husband (i.e. mother, sisters) behave the most heinously toward the wife, which also raises the baffling question: why have women lost compassion and sympathy for one another? Women need to be helping one another and raising each other up, rather than cutting each other down which is a lot of what we are seeing today. However, with all this being said, it does not go to downgrade the plights that single fathers experience as well. But, I will go as far as saying they just may have it easier. Since they usually are the bread winners of their families they already have established jobs or even careers, and have connections that can help them out when it comes to the logistics of single life. But, when it comes to the emotional side, such as dealing with the feelings and the children, the toil is just as painful as any woman’s. The fact of the matter is that single women and men are brave people, and are trying to make positive changes in their lives and in the lives of their children. Instead of looking down on the woman who left an abusive situation to better herself, she needs to be seen as the strong and powerful female she is, and be regarded as such by her own community. *Name has been changed
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The Signi�icance of
Christmas “In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it ‘Christmas’ and went to church; the Jews called it ‘Hanukkah’ and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy Hanukkah!’ or (to the atheists) ‘Look out for the wall!” - Dave Barry We live in a beautiful, charismatic and diverse world of many religions. Interestingly no one really knows exact number of religions present in the world; however, it is believed that the world today is not having less than 4,000 religions. Canada is a multi-faith country led by Christianity (67% according to the Canada 2011 National Household Survey), followed by non-religious affiliation (23.9%), Islam (3.25%), Hinduism (1.5%) and Sikhism (1.1%). Canada today has no official church and religion and demonstrates religious pluralism.
The meaning of Christmas Christmas means the Mass (celebration) of Christ. Christ is a Greek word meaning 28
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“anointed” or one set apart by God for a special purpose. In Hebrew ‘Christ’ means ‘Messiah’. Judaism was the main religion of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth. Christmas is a Christian holiday on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus and a widely observed cultural holiday. Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world’s nations. The AD calendar that we all use today also began with the birth of Jesus. The years before Jesus’s birth are known as B.C (Before Christ) and the years after Jesus’s birth are marked A.D (Anno Domini, which means, in the year of our Lord). The modern historians believed the birth year Jesus fall somewhere in between 7 and 2 BC, however, the exact month and day of his birth yet unknown. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary (the mother of Jesus) as a fulfillment of the Old Testament’s Messianic prophecy. According to the biblical accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem. According to tradition, Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem shortly before Jesus’ birth. Joseph had been ordered to take part in a census in his home town of Bethlehem.
is the divine son of God, however, only one out of three Canadians (and just one out of five British Columbians) would actually attend church service once a month or more. Nonetheless, for Christians, participating in a religious serviceduring Christmas season plays an important part. Gifts giving and family reunions take place on Christmas Day. The Advent (the word comes from the Latin adventus meaningcoming) is the period of preparations for the Christmas and begins on Sunday nearest to 30th November. Advent wreaths are popular in Christian churches which are often full for the service late on Christmas Eve. The decorations are major part of the Christmas celebrations. The traditional colors of Christmas decorations are red, green, and gold. The Christmas tree is considered by some as a living symbol of human dreams and aspirations life itself. Almost every Christian in Canada and many instances non-Christians decorate their offices and houses with a Christmas tree. The tree is usually an evergreen conifer such as spruce or pine. An artificial
Christmas tree is usually made from PVC. The tree is rationally decorated with apples, nuts, chocolates, and other foods. Unlike in the old days, the tree is now decorated with Christmas lights instead of candles.
“Everyone wants a Christmas tree. If you had a Christmas tree Santa would bring you stuff! Like hair curlers and slut shoes.” - Janet Evanovich, Visions of Sugar Plums Santa Claus is also known as Father of Christmas or simply “Santa Claus (called in America)” is an essential part of Christmas celebrations. According to the old myths, Santa is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children on 24 December. Santa is portrayed as a portly, joyous and white bearded man wearing red coat with white collar and cuffs, white- cuffed red
Christmas for Christians Christmas celebration is one of the greatest days in the Christianity.Christmas a festival of peace and reconciliationhas helped Christians to preserve many of their ancient beliefs and practices. For many Christians the season brings joy and happiness-some love to be with family, some celebrate the birth of Jesus-whom they consider the Messiah, and lastly some make a ‘ season of shopping’. All in all, its time of holidays and joys and to be with loved ones. At no other time of the year do people wish to hear “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” than on Christmas occasion. Today Christmas is more than a one-day celebration or a 12-day festival. It also coincides with the most important part of the business cycle of the year-the month comprising an important retail period-Christmas, the Boxing Day and the New Year. The majority of Canadians follow Christianity and attend church services albeit infrequently. Polls by Reginald Bibby in the Boomer Factor showtwo out of three Canadians believe Jesus www.desitoday.ca
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FEATURES trousers and black leather belt and boots and lives in the North Pole. The visual image of Father of Christmas that we see today is the one popularized by American card-makers in the Victorian era. “Santa is really the only cultural icon we have who’s male, does not carry a gun, and is all about peace, joy, giving, and caring for other people. That’s part of the magic for me, especially in a culture where we’ve become so commercialized and hooked into manufactured icons. Santa is much more organic, integral, connected to the past, and therefore connected to the future.”—TV producer Jonathan Meath who portrays Santa In the United States and Canada, children traditionally leave Santa a glass of milk and a plate of cookies; in Britain and Australia, he is sometimes given sherry or beer.
Pr. Jagpal S. Dhaliwal, Punjabi Church, was requested to provide his comments on this occasion. This is what he has to say: Christmas celebrations have become more of commercial and less spiritual. Is that true? As we know Christmas is a most popular December holiday season celebrated by large numbers of people all around the world. It has long been known as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which occurred over 2,000 years ago. However, not all who celebrate the holiday do so with Jesus’ birth in mind. In fact, there are many traditions associated with Christmas that actually began as a part of pagan culture.
All big departmental stores spend a lot of money on advertising at this time of the year in a bid to convince potential customers to buy their products/services. The seasonal buying trend entices customers to buy things that they even don’t need them. That perpetuates the capitalist driven consumer centric cycle into the next year and further erodes the true meaning of Christmas.
What is the signi�icance of Christmas for Christians? The question then becomes, “Since Christmas has its origins in pagan traditions, is it acceptable for Christians to celebrate it?” The fact remains that, although Christmas has some associations with a secular holiday, Christians still celebrate it to remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It may be a matter of conscience for some, for as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 10:23 ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is constructive.” There are many others who believe the holiday has been redeemed due to the deeper meaning it has been given. These individuals continue to celebrate Christmas based on Paul’s words further on in the passage: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”
What message would you like to give to the readers on this occasion? This is the message that I would like to give to all the readers. We should never forget that, the true meaning of Christmas is LOVE. In the Holy Bible, Book of John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love. The real Christmas story is the story of
God’s becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself (1 John 4:8).Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshiping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate. So the true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8): Merry Christmas - Jesus is the reason for the season.
Christmas for non-Christians Christians celebrate Christmas believing that it was the time when God’s greatest gift was given to them. An atheist, however, would say that it was highly unlikely that there was a virgin birth in Jewish backwater of Palestine roughly 2,000 years ago and that the birth of Jesus represented God’s incarnation on earth. It looked to him a bizarre story. Many Indo-Canadian non-Christians such as Hindus and Sikhs enjoy having a feast, putting up Christmas tree and lights, exchanging gifts and enjoying mythology of Santa Claus. Although Christmas is religious holiday, however, like most nonChristians, atheist, Sikhs and Hindus treat the occasion more of holidays than any religion virtue. When I asked my Hindu and Sikh friends about Christmas celebrations, they would reckon the occasion as happy holidays and relax time-oh yes-shopping time as well-than any spiritual time. My Chinese friends shared almost the same feelings. Nonetheless, feelings are pretty strong that Christmas has become more of commercialevent and less spiritual.
“I think commercialism helps Christmas and I think that the more capitalism we can inject into the Christmas holiday the more spiritual I feel about it ” - Craig Ferguson 30
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In the Muslim world, Christmas is not celebrated publicly, except in the minority Christian communities in the Middle East. There is no “Christmas Spirit” at all in the Muslim world. It’s not that Muslims are ignorant of Christmas or the birth of Jesus. It may come as a surprise to the readers that the story of the birth of Jesus is actually mentioned in the Quran (the holy book of Muslims). Although, contrary to Christians believe that the Jesus is a “son of God”, Quran explicitly mention that Jesus was not the son of God rather a messenger of God. The fact is Islam stands closer to the Christianity than any other religion on earth. Put it differently, although Muslims do acknowledge Christ’s miraculous birth of a virgin. However, Muslims also love and respect Jesus as one of God’s greatest messengers to the humanity. Muslims do agree and believe that Allah (God)-Gospal (the holy book) was revealed to Jesus, just like Ta’wart (Torah) to Moses, and the Old Testament (Zabur) to David and Koran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). My Muslim friends also treat the season as relaxing time-the time they want to spend with families and friends or if the weather is good hang out in parks, on beaches or head to shopping malls. Jews also don’t celebrate Christmas and not treat it as Jewish holiday. Unlike Muslims, Jews don’t believe in Jesus as a messenger of God because they believe Jesus didn’t fulfill the messiah prophecies; did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah; Biblicalverses “ referring” to Jesus are mistranslations and Jewish belief is based on national revelation.
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“Christmas is a bridge. We need bridges as the river of time flows past. Today’s Christmas should mean creating happy hours for tomorrow and reliving those of yesterday.” - Gladys Taber
By Syed Asad Hussain The author is political and economic analyst and lives in Surrey. He can be reached at asad.szabist@gmail.com. Views expressed here are personal. DEC / JAN 2014
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My Early Education “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think,” Professor Margaret Mead At the time this world renowned anthropologist shared her profound thoughts on childhood education, she was perhaps not familiar with our primitive education system. As I recall, thinking during that age used to be the domain of school teachers and family elders only. Children were not to question. They were only to listen and obey. If a child ever questioned his elders he or she -- gender did not matter -- was mouthy.
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Like the children in the West, I did not start my education first stepping on the floor of any kindergarten. Actually the first time I heard the word “Montessori” was from Pandit Bihari Lal, a friend of my paternal grandfather. He told my dad that his nephew Raman was on his way to England to be trained in the “Montessori” system of teaching young children. For a long time the word did not mean much to me except that Raman was going far away on a ship
to more education. I was not sure what the word meant to dad either. Much later, when I came to know what Montessori teaching techniques meant, you could say I did not play with picture blocks, colour picture outlines with crayons or had story telling sessions with my teacher. I never fell down singing “ring around the roses, pocket full of poses…” The concept of learning and also having fun learning were mutually exclusive. To
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learn and laugh, giggle and have fun were money and time wasting concepts. Teaching meant control; not let your brain run wild. I spent first twelve years of my childhood in Moradabad. I do not remember the official name of my Elementary School, or perhaps it did not have a name. We simply called it “Primary School.” It was situated on a private property, a portion of which was used by the City Municipal Board for schooling children and the rest was used as owner’s residence and his stable. The up side of this location was that it was very close to my home. In fact, it was within a short walking distance, a perfect distance of twenty-minute for a child who preferred to walk home from school kicking pebbles along the way. The down side was that in order to enter the schoolyard we had to pass through a very dirty and stinky passageway of the street. I can never forget the large heap of feces mixed with ashes and garbage that the toilet cleaners used to dump right outside the school gate, to be picked up later and carried out on squeaky male buffalo carts. We had to be extra careful going through that filth, especially during the rainy season when both the smell and sight of it used to become unbearable. Most of the time, the streets would flood making it impossible to see what we were stepping on. If accidentally we stepped on feces we were considered polluted. This meant we had to go back home, where someone had to wash us down from top to bottom right at the front door before we were allowed to enter the house and change into dry clothes. As a protection against any accidental brush with a “polluted schoolmate” we used to literally cross our fingers by putting our index finger on top of the big finger to make an “antoyee” and create a magic barrier against any pollution. Ours’ was a bi-faith co-ed school. Every day, before the learning started, we would line up to pray in two separate corners. The Hindus prayed to Bhagvan and Muslims to Allah. At the time it felt absolutely logical to pray to two separate powers looking over two different kinds of people. The majority of the students were Hindus. Hindu and Muslim students sat separately on burlap mats and teachers in wooden chairs, but there were no separate classrooms or dividing walls. It was one big open hall. However, despite this equality in our sitting arrangements there were certain differences between the Hindu and Muslim groups. There were no girls on the Muslim side. The Hindu side did. The Hindu students learned everything www.desitoday.ca
in Hindi written in deva-nagri script and the Muslims in Urdu, transcribed in Arabic. A Hindu teacher (guruji) taught the Hindu children and a Muslim teacher (maulvi sahib) taught the Muslim. Guruji came to school dressed in a collarless, long sleeved, loose fitting long shirt (kurata), white cotton dhoti in place of trousers and a white cap on his head, whereas, maulvi sahib came dressed in a long coat (achkan), tight fitting trousers and a black cap. In those days, we practiced writing on a 16-inch long and 12-inch wide wooden board (takhti). The Hindu students washed, dried and coated it with black soot, whereas the Muslims coated it with yellow clay, the same stuff my neighbourhood aunty Moto had used on my body to sooth my skin irritation when I had chicken pox. Here, I would say that Muslim students had it easy, as the yellow clay was available in the market, whereas the black soot was not. We had to collect it from the lids of the propane lanterns and scrape it from the bottoms of woks and griddles after they were used on wood fire. It was a daily grind to maintain a regular supply of soot. I always had to have a few steady suppliers of the black powder in case mom ran out of the stuff. I used to go to my grandma Bhabho or ask another neighbour, aunty Prem to scrape the black off the bottoms of their cooking pots before they scrubbed and washed them clean. Fortunately, my donors had no school going children. So, I had no competition in their homes. The process of coating the wooden board was not easy either. The soot had to be enough in quantity to coat the writing board evenly, on both sides. Once the takhti was dry, we made its surface smooth by rubbing it with the bottom of a round bottle up and down. Then we wrote on it with a reed-pen by dipping it in a pot called, budaqqa filled with thick liquid of grayish-white clay. This deal with soot was never a clean exercise. Because we sat on the floor we had to rest our writing boards on our knees. That means, we returned home with black hands, black knees and black trousers. Another problem we constantly encountered was how to dry our writing boards during the monsoon season when the sun would not shine for days. And then, if somehow we managed to dry them by putting them closer to the kitchen braziers, we worried about keeping them dry on our way to school, as our umbrellas were not big enough to cover us as well as the school-paraphernalia we lugged. Come to think of it, most of us did not even have umbrellas. We used big empty burlap
wheat bags. We folded their corners back to fashion a hood and cape to cover our head. They did provide the necessary protection but then they used to become too heavy to mange. From June to September was the peak monsoon season, when it rained the hardest. Getting ready to go to school during those four months used to be tough. Dragging yourself out of bed in cloudycool mornings, taking a quick bucket bath, eating a left over semi-fried roti with sugar and walking to school in damp clothes and soggy canvass shoes was dreadful. Fortunately, whenever we had a proverbial rain of “cats and dogs” the school authorities declared a “Rainy Day,” similar to a “Snow Day” in North America. Guruji Bhookhan Saran had thick long moustache rolled behind his ears and long hair that he tied in a bun. He was a stumpy and scary looking man who carried a baton in his hand. He taught grade one to read, write and add and subtract. If we misspelled a word or failed to recall time tables he never seemed to have any qualms about slapping our face with his thick heavy hand or using his “instrument” on our hands or backs or hips to punish us. Teachers seemed licensed to apply brute force to ‘stimulate’ learning. If they were familiar with some other punitive methods I say they might have used them as a teaching technique. He also kept a close eye on his students’ attendance. If a student was going to be absent his parents had to send him a note explaining his absence. The delivery person was to make sure that the note was given to him personally. If that did not happen, the teacher would “borrow” four stronger boys from grade five and send them over to the absentee’s home to inquire about his “well being.” Let me tell you, there were no escapes from those deputized sheriffs. They would come to your house, search it and find you. If they assessed you healthy and ascertained that you were playing hooky, they took you back to school. Two of them would grab you by your arms and two by your feet and drag you back to school like a hog. Girls were lucky; they were never subjected to this humiliation. We went to school six days a week, Monday through Saturday, though we enjoyed lot more holidays than children enjoy in Canada. We were given a day off for every festival of every faith. It was an equitable system. In addition, once a year, Dipti-sahib (Inspector of Schools) came for inspection. The Inspector was always a “he” and his visits were never a surprise. We were DEC / JAN 2014
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always given a fair warning that on such and such a day we would have Dipti-sahib visiting our school. We were to look clean, look organized, and mind our manners. We were trained to stand up quietly, give him a policemen salute and then remain standing until ordered to sit down. During the inspection, he moved from row to row; asked us to open our mouths and show him our teeth to prove that we brush them with neem twigs or clean them with tooth powder, regularly and show our fingernails that we keep them clean and clipped. He also looked at our hair to determine whether we wash them, oil and comb them regularly. On the day of his visits some children would really go overboard. They would show up with hair dripping in mustard oil and with thick black mascara applied to the lower lid of their eyes. After his physical inspection Dipti-Sahib would randomly ask us a few questions from our text book and ask us to read passages and recite time tables. At the end, he would leave us with the rest of the day and the following day off. We were also given a day off if a leader of the country, province or a benefactor of the school died. Between the religious holidays, inspection day, funeral days, Sundays and a six-week summer vacation to boot, I believe we did not do more than six months of schooling in an academic year. But who was hurting? And then, during those days the schools were also kept closed during communal rifts and riots, which were frequent during the pre and post partition of India. Right from an early young age, I learned to play it safe -- kept peacock feathers in my readers to receive the blessings of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge for good memory and good grades, prayed to Lord Shiva for his compassion and to Lord Hanuman to insulate me from Bhookhan Saran’s baton. But despite my prayers I could not always escape it. The day I feared most was the “ReportCard-Day, the 14th of May.” Bhookhan Saran had a custom he observed at the peril of some children. He would not release their report cards until each student brought him a rupee. Dad was fully aware of this practice, but he would not part with a rupee for Bhookhan Saran and Bhookhan Saran would not part with my report card without a rupee. But it was I, who suffered the stress and the humiliation in front of my class. Only after mom would spare me a rupee I would get home with a piece of paper though by that time, there would not be a sliver of joy left in my heart to feel pro34
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moted to the next level. One day I overheard mom and dad talking about me. They sounded rather unhappy with my school progress and were talking about taking me out of my school and placing me in the private coaching school of Dina Nath. I had heard of Dina Nath. His reputation for being even tougher than Bhookhan Saran was known to children. I pled with mom and dad, but it seemed their minds were made up. I was not sure whether they were mad at me for wasting a rupee on my report card or they were disappointed in my lack of progress. I recall I spent that entire summer in fear. One day, just a week before the end of the summer vacation, dad took me to the vegetable market. I thought we were going vegetable shopping. I felt good about our father-son-bonding-excursion. When we reached the market he stopped and started conversing with a sugar merchant. After a casual conversation dad asked him the way to the Dina Nath’s School. The merchant looked at me, smiled and directed dad to a narrow staircase behind his shop, “That would take you to his school.” Although the summer vacation was still in progress his school was already open. It was not a school. It was a small room. I noticed a few children writing on their takhtis, and a few adding and subtracting on their slate boards with an abacus. Compared to Bhookhan Saran, Dina Nath was much larger in size. He was taller, fatter and bald. Then, unlike Bhookhan Saran, who sat in a wooden chair, Dina Nath sat on the floor behind a wooden desk. His teaching tool not different than Bhukan Saran’s baton rested on the top of the desk. When I saw him, a shiver went down my spine. Dina Nath and dad greeted each other warmly. It was hard to say who greeted whom first because they both invoked the name of Lord Rama, “Jay-Ram-ji-ki” almost simultaneously. Then they chatted about their families, and only after that icebreaking-friendly-conversation dad came down to the business at hand. “I have come to handover this boy in your charge. Previously he had been going to Bhookhan Saran but he was not making any progress with him. So, I have brought him to you. I am sure under your tutelage he would do better.” I recall during his conversation dad never, even once, referred me by my name, and nor did Dina Nath ask what was my name as though I was a load of dirty laundry brought to Dina Nath’s Laundromat for cleaning. “Let’s find out,” responded Dina Nath in
a tone indicating, “Don’t you worry, Punditji! I have cleaned up hundreds of filthy loads like the one you have brought me.” Then he gave me three tests in reading, writing and arithmetic. After a few minutes he looked at my work and pronounced, “Bhookhan Saran has done a poor job”, but he also assured dad that if he left me with him I would improve, beyond dad’s dreams. Right then, one of his students not older that I was brought him his answers to arithmetic questions for checking. I did not know how many of them were wrong or what was wrong with them, but I cannot forget what I saw. Dina Nath grabbed that thick baton off his desk and hit the child on his shoulder. The child doubled over with pain and fell on the floor. I peed in my shorts. Urine ran down one of my legs. Dad grabbed me by the arm and left the school, without even biding Dina Nath a courtesy good-bye. Those were the days when teachers were always right, always listened to. Their brutal behaviour was not only tolerated, but they were also held in a high position by our society. But in my view Bhookhan Saran and Dina Nath were a total failure as teachers. They were incapable of seeding interest in learning. It was because of teachers like them that I developed a fear of raising my hand to ask a ‘stupid’ question or give a ‘stupid’ answer in my class for many years. Who knows how many children developed a fear of going to school and learning, and dropped out of the system; for ever? Then a miracle, when I needed it most, occurred. My eldest brother, Ravi got a job as school-clerk at the National AngloVedic Junior High School. It was a job for him, but for mom and dad a ray of divine light. Instantly they decided to register me at the same school where their eldest son was going to work. Though the school was approximately four miles, to and from home, the distance was not their concern, my education was. That said I strongly believe that every child, no matter how old or young he or she is, needs an occasional miracle to happen in his life to keep his faith in God alive. If not, God might as well be a doorknob.
By Dr Suresh Kurl Dr. Suresh Kurl is a former university professor; a retired Registrar of the BC Benefits Appeal Board and a former Member of the National Parole Board.
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Turban-Esque: Wearing turbans with a pride
A young woman wearing an elegant white maxi dress, a classic denim jacket with brown flats and a blue turban. A young man with well-groomed beard wearing a pink shirt with blue pants and a matching turban, exuding urbanity at its best. They are just two of the Sikh youth who are celebrating their sense of fashion while taking pride in the unique identity bestowed upon them by their faith.Though this may sound like a paradox but this synthesis of faith and fashion is the core of a budding Vancouver-based blog called Turban-Esque. Brain child of two University of British Columbia business students, Jaskaran Chauhan and JaskiratChahal, the blog was started in July this year. It is all about celebrating the unique identity that comes with wearing a Pagg.Over the course of four months, the blog has emerged as a platform for young Sikhs in the city to showcase their sense of fashion. “We both wear Paggs, right. It’s literally a part of us. It is like who we are. It is a part of our identity and you cannot separate me from my Pagg,” said Chauhan while explaining the concept of the blog. “Recently, it’s becoming more accepted. Now it’s more like guys who are different and it’s cool and awesome to be different…It’s a showcase of our identity. If you wear a Pagg, it’s like showing other people your identity and same with fashion. You express yourself through fashion, like it is who I am,” he added. This concept of expression through fashion and turbans, has been borrowed from other established blogs like Singh Street Style which is based in United Kingdom. “It’s kind of like basing it up on other people’s work. All these people like Jus Reign and Superwoman are based in Toronto and there was nothing like that in Vancouver. When we saw Singh Street Style, our first reaction was like ‘let’s be on it’,” Chauhan said. What sets Turban-Esque apart from
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any other such blog is the consideration of equal representation for women. “So far we only see men in the main media, you never see women with turbans in the media. That is one of the very important things that we wanted to focus on and make sure we had as equal gender representation as possible. Because they are just as proud as we are,” said Chahal. “If we are talking about being accepted, we want the same for girls, right. People look at guy with a Pagg differently than they look at a girl with a Pagg,” Chauhan added. He said that women who wear turbans are more prone to get judged as “orthodox” by people. “We want to show that that’s not necessarily. I mean some of the women featured on the blog, their sense of fashion is not what you would typically expect from a girl with a Pagg,” said Chauhan.While they have enough participants for men, women they say are a lot more apprehensive of putting themselves out there. So where do they see Turban-Esque after five years? “In five years, I want it to grow out from more than just our community because identity is something anybody could relate to,” answered Chauhan. “I mean the turban isn’t just a Sikh thing, right. There are people from Africa who wear turbans. I personally want to see this growing to be something bigger than just our community like bringing everybody together in expressing their identity,” he explained. “It’s cool that we can use fashion to get different people together. It’s great that our community is supporting us but we’ll like Turban-Esque to be a lot broader,” said Chahal. Having a unique identity and taking pride in it, is the idea behind Turban-Esque. In a society where everyone is trying so hard to fit in, this group of young Sikhs is reveling in the fact of being different than others and are confident about that.
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MALALA & SATYARTHI SHARE A NOBEL MOMENT Malala Yousafzai is just like my daughter, Kailash Satyarthi told a press conference in Oslo after he and Yousafzai were awarded this years’ Nobel Peace Prize. “Malala’s like my daughter. She is the bravest child one can think of,” said Satyarthi, adding that it was an honour for him to receive the award with her. Satyarthi then dedicated the Nobel Prize to all underprivileged children. Satyarthi, 60, also said the Nobel Prize was an effective way to raise awareness about children. “This Prize is very important for millions of children who are denied their childhood,” said Satyarthi. “There are children who are sold like animals...children who are forced into prostitution.. The children who are made hostages. The children who are made child soldiers. This award is important for all of them,” he added. “Even if a single child is in danger, the entire world is in danger,” said the Indian Nobel laureate. “As I am talking to you there are millions of children who are denied this freedom. We need to work for them. I feel a deep sense of moral responsibility through this Prize.” 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai, the youngest recipient of a Nobel Prize, also called Satyarthi her father. “I am honoured to sit with my father,” she said, pointing towards Satyarthi. “You have to speak for yourself. Learn to fight for yourself,” said Malala. “When 38
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you raise a voice, it brings about change,” she said, adding that her struggle for education against the Taliban had brought about significant changes. “We strongly believe in Islam. Islam is a religion of peace, but unfortunately there are people who don’t know about this religion,” said Malala. “Children all over the world ask for nothing special. They just ask for a school,” she said. “It is our right to go to school. Why should we fight for something we deserve?” Both Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi shared the $1.1-million Peace Prize. The Nobel Laureates took centrestage in Sweden’s capital Stockholm and Norwegian Oslo, where they received the Nobel medals, Nobel diplomas and documents confirming the Nobel Prize amount. Malala also said that even though it was her wish that the Prime Ministers of both India and Pakistan be present at the ceremony in Oslo, she had not received any confirmation so far of either Indian PM Narendra Modi or Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif attending the event. “India and Pakistan were once one nation. There should now be no hatred between the two nations,” said Malala.”You (India) have Kailash Satyarthi, what more do you need? Let’s teach children to understand what peace is, then we will soon become bhai-bhai (brothers) again.” Kailash Satyarthi also said that the most
important priority between India and Pakistan should be peace, especially among children and youth. “I will struggle to bring about peace among children and youngsters in India, Pakistan and other countries,” he said. “Consciousness is the beginning of change,” said Satyarthi. “People became conscious of the problems faced by children through this Prize,” he said. Asked about what the consumers could do to stop child labour, Satyarthi said, “Consumers must ensure that a commodity is not a result of child labour. They must demand the shopkeeper to tell them whether child labour was involved in the production process.” He also said, “If you want to see a better world, begin with the children.” When Malala was asked whether a Nobel Prize at such a young age was a lot of pressure for her, she said, “I was already feeling the pressure when I began fighting for children. The Nobel Prize only seems like a pressure. But it’s actually an opportunity.” “Apart from giving education to children, we should look at the quality of education being given to the child,” said Malala. She also spoke on women empowerment issues. “Portrayal of women in media is also important. If we show a woman as a toy, it will affect the mindset in a negative way,” she said. www.desitoday.ca
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FEATURES
Where whisky and whiskey are worlds apart There is a world of difference between what India, the world’s largest whisky drinking nation, cheers with and what connoisseurs call the American ‘whiskey’ spelt with an ‘e’, for starters. What Indians drink, particularly the cheaper stuff, is largely made from cane sugar, whereas the top selling American brands like Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam must be produced from grain, one learns on the American whiskey trail. Master distillers tell the trailers that the five things that make Kentucky Bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys uniquely American products include spring water, grain recipes and distillation process to their maturation in new charred oak barrels that are only used once. Even Bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys, which together set a new US record in 2013 with exports exceeding $1 billion to both established and emerging markets, are different. And there are many other variations giving each a distinct aroma, colour and taste. One’s ‘spirituous’ journey into the cultural heritage and history of spirits in America, courtesy the US Distilled Spirits Council, begins from the historic Mount Vernon home of the first US president George 40
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Washington, just a few miles outside the US capital. Unlike India’s ‘father of the nation’, Mahatma Gandhi, a retired Washington had no qualms about starting a distillery in 1797 when told by his Scottish farm manager James Anderson that it would make a good business. Dressed in period costumes, Mount Vernon’s new Master Distiller Steven T. Bashore and his team are once again producing whiskey using the 18th century distilling techniques in an authentically rebuilt distillery on the very foundations of the old one. Restored in 2007 at a cost of $2 million, the distillery has this year produced a limited edition George Washington Peach Brandy Eau de Vie, 800 bottles of which just went on sale at Mount Vernon for $150 each. Our next stop takes us to scenic Cascade Hollow, not far from Tullahoma, Tennessee, where a Nashville merchant, George A. Dickel, set up a distillery in 1870. Calling his brew as good as the finest scotch, Dickel spelled whisky without an “e.” Using the same fresh water from Cascade Springs that Dickel used, the restored George Dickel distillery crafts its brew with modern machines, but practically the same processes, says distiller Allisa Henley. To be labelled as Bourbon, a whiskey must contain at least 51 percent corn in its natural grain mix and follow a strict processing regimen. Making Tennessee whiskey takes an extra step called “charcoal mellowing” by seeping distilled whiskey through vats packed with charcoal made from aged, hard sugar maple trees. It’s then aged for at least seven summers in new char-lined wooden barrels in single storey warehouses made out of sheet metal to get a consistent flavour. The old barrels are sold among others to London-based Diageo, who use it to age their famed Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky in flat Scottish weather, Henley says. On to Jack Daniel’s in Lynchburg, Tennessee, the oldest registered distillery in the US set up in 1866. America’s top selling brand Daniel’s mellows its whiskey - with an ‘e’ - by letting it drip through 10 feet of charcoal. “The real secret to our whiskey is the pure, iron-free cave spring water from the Hollow,” says Chris Fletcher, assistant master distiller, the grandson of the legendary master distiller Frank “Frog” Bobo. Next afternoon brings us to Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, the maker of the world’s best selling Bourbon. Here Master Distiller Fred Noe III, great grandson of the legendary Jim Beam, keeps up the 200-year-old family tradiwww.desitoday.ca
tion. Beam, the fourth-generation family distiller, renovated and rebuilt his distillery in a mere 120 days at the age of 70 after America ended its experiment with prohibition in 1933 after 13 dry years. “I am mighty glad he did that,” said Noe. Special bottles made in various shapes and other memorabilia are on display in a room with the floor painted with the names of all the countries Noe’s granduncle T. Jeremiah Beam travelled to. He stopped by India in 1971. Maker’s Mark in Loretto, Kentucky, on the banks of Hardin’s Creek, the oldest working distillery running on the very site where it was established as a gristmill distillery in 1805, is our next port of call. Both Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark are now owned by the best-selling Japanese whisky maker Suntory, but their traditions have not changed. Merger has only made their portfolio much bigger and more international in scope with the addition of Japanese, Scotch, Irish and Canadian whiskies, said Noe. The Woodford Reserve distillery standing right in the middle of Kentucky’s famous horse country near a beautiful town called Versailles - and pronounced as it’s spelt in the American way - too has been restored to its former 1800 splendour. The historic distillery still cooks its mash in wooden tanks and distils it in old fashioned copper pot stills under the watchful eye of master distiller Chris Morris. Up a hill overlooking Kentucky River in Lawrenceburg is Wild Turkey distillery where master distiller Jimmy Russell, who turned 80 this month, has been at it for the last 60 years. But the grand old man of American whiskey hasn’t made any changes in the way America’s third top selling brand is made since the Italian Campari group purchased it in 2009. Our final stop is Stitzel-Weller distillery just outside Louisville. Here inspired by his great-great-grandfather Augustus Bulleit, who made his signature high-rye whiskey in the mid-1800s, Tom Bulleit has revived an old family Bourbon recipe. Now owned by Diageo, which last year bought India’s largest liquor company United Spirits Ltd, the same Bulleit experience may soon hit Indian markets. And with that our odyssey comes to an end, leaving one to echo American author Mark Twain as cited by Morris: “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky, because everything there happens 20 years after it happens anywhere else.” - Arun Kumar, IANS
Master distiller Fred Noe III, great grandson of the legendary Jim Beam, shows all the places his granduncle went to promote America’s largest selling Bourbon
Woodford Reserve distillery in Versailles, Kentucky makes its whiskey in old fashioned copper pot stills
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LOVE & RELATIONSHIP Digital relationships are resulting in the collapse of family ties, it would seem. As more and more youngsters and newly-weds are logging on to e-relationships, family life appears to be indulging more and more in what is being called ‘digital infidelity’. The virus has apparently left many a couple looking for solutions and programmes to reboot their matrimonial life, said CRISP president Kumar Jahgirdar. Bangalore-based NGO Child Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP) is working for gender neutral family laws. “We keep getting a lot of complaints on infidelity from the spouses who indulge in cheating by having an extra-marital affair,” Jahgirdar told IANS on the phone. He said now the digital world, via social media or smartphone, is more responsible for this unnatural intimacy. “The victims, mostly husbands, often show us how the spouse is communicating frequently with a stranger through SMS, email, Facebook, whatsapp and the like, using filthy text. Most often they will end up indulging in adultery,” he said. And adultery, he said, is often cited as
grounds for divorce. But there is a difference between infidelity and adultery. In infidelity there can be cheating by avoiding the partner and even an emotional affair. But adultery is the physical act of sexual intimacy with someone who is not the spouse of the individual. Under the law, adultery is a criminal offence defined in section 497 of the Indian Penal Code, whereas digital infidelity doesn’t amount to guilt. A new study by researchers at the University of Indiana found that Facebook users in relationships frequently use the site to keep in touch with “back-burners” - exes or platonic friends they know they could connect with romantically should their current relationships go south. Men have back-burners at roughly twice the rate of women, the study found. But among both genders, the practice is widespread: On an average, respondents in relationships said they had romantic or sexual conversations with two people, besides their current partner. Swarup Sarkar, founder of the Delhi chapter of NGO Save Family Foundation, said the western trend of a ‘fall-back’ male
partner on standby is fast catching up in India. “Thirty to 35 percent of the cases, on an average, are from men who are complaining about their wives cheating them. In most of the recent cases, digital relationships with other men leads to a rise in matrimonial discord,” Sarkar told IANS. According to Jahgirdar, the upcoming urban trend to keep a ‘full-back’ partner, who may to be an old friend, a colleague or an acquaintance through cyberspace is a worrying sign. “To check this upcoming relationship trend, we recommend changes in the laws and make adultery laws gender neutral since such crimes can happen in either gender,” he added. According to a recent survey by OnePoll.com, almost half the women in a relationship have a ‘Plan B’, in the shape of a man whose arms they can run into if their current relationship turns sour. One of the most worrying elements of the study, conducted from a survey of 2,000 British women, was the revelation that such a man will be ‘ready and waiting’ because of ‘unfinished business’.
Digital infidelity leading to rise in
marital discord?
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- Vishal Gulati, IANS
LOVE & RELATIONSHIP
Tips to restore faith in love post break-up
The end of any relationship leaves behind scars and the ability to trust again becomes a challenge when you start a new relationship. Take it slow, be honest and all will be fine. Rachel MacLynn, psychologist and relationship expert, shares trust commandments that will help put the faith back into love, reports femalefirst. co.uk.
Social media triggering low selfesteem among teenage girls The surge in online communication and social media coupled with economic downturn seven years ago have left many teenage girls with low self-esteem, reveals a British survey. The survey that included 30,000 students found a worrying drop in the number of 14- and 15-year-olds, particularly girls, who say they feel highly confident in their own worth, the Guardian reported. “In 2007, 41 percent of 14- and 15-yearold girls reported high self-esteem. This has fallen to 33 percent now,” the findings from the Schools Health Education Unit showed.
A new research says that listening to sad tunes could actually help people recovering from break-ups feel happy. One can experience four different cognitive rewards of music-evoked sadness - reward of imagination, emotion regulation, empathy and no “real life” implications, German researchers found. “Sad music has potential to regulate negative moods and emotions, as well as to provide consolation... In this sense, sad music can play a role in well-being,” said study author Liila Taruffi from Freie Universitat, Berlin in Germany. For the study, the team surveyed 772 participants from across the globe to find 44
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For boys, the low self-esteem figure came down to 50 percent from 55 percent in 2007. “Three in four 14- and 15-year-old girls have chatted on the internet and 13 percent received a message that scared or upset them.” One in five girls had chatted with people they did not know. A third of all pupils looked online for pornographic or violent images, films or games. Researchers warned that teenagers were having their lives exposed through online communication and schools should examine this seriously.
Sad tunes could lift your mood after a break-up
Accept that you are stronger than before: After
the end of a relationship, you become wiser and ultimately a stronger person than you were before you experienced the difficult time. And that means that you now have more to contribute to a new relationship, and that you can be an even better partner to the right person.
Go slow: Take your time and offer yourself
slowly, watching for how the person responds. Show a few smaller parts of yourself in the beginning; then, if the new person responds in a way that makes you feel safe, try offering a bit more.
Be honest: It can be very healthy to openly discuss your reluctance to make yourself vulnerable again. It can also create a sense of connectedness between two people, which can lead to more trust and caring. You might even find that the person you are sharing your experiences with has a similar story. Not everyone is same: Remember that your
new partner isn’t your old one. Don’t treat him as the person that hurt you, remember he hasn’t done anything wrong.
Trust yourself: In many cases, the fear of trust-
ing another person is more about your own fear of not being able to handle a betrayal. But you know you can. You know you will be able to cope with a broken heart and trusting yourself to be able to cope will make it much easier for you to learn to trust again.
out why people listen to sad music particularly after break-ups. Participants in the study reported liking sad music more when they were lonely. The appreciation of sad music was also enhanced after an argument with a loved one. “People can appreciate the negative emotions conveyed in the songs without having to experience the ‘real life’ consequences of their sadness,” the authors noted. Singer Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” and Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” were the most popular songs participants listened to when they were feeling sad. www.desitoday.ca
HEALTTH & WELLNESS
WANT TO GET A
Celebrity Body
Achieving a perfect body a la celebrities is not difficult if one follows the right workout regime and eating habits, says fitness trainer Romana Braganza. Braganza, who worked with celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes and Anne Hathaway, says one should follow five tips to get a perfect body, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
CHECK OUT HOW...
Pre-workout fuel Are you fuelling up adequately with pre and post workout meals? If not you may be sabotaging your workouts. Eating the right foods at the right times will make a difference in the way you gain muscle tissue. Make sure you have a snack pre workout such as steel cut oats, eggs and toast, or if on the go, a handful of almonds or a protein shake.
Healthy eating Giving your body what it needs includes restoring a natural balance. Training hard produces stress, which in turn, creates free radicals which attack healthy tissue in the body. To help your body fight these free radicals, ensure you have a healthy intake of fruit and vegetables each day such as broccoli, berries and cherries.
No excuses If you suddenly find yourself away from a gym then don’t skip a workout just because you don’t have any equipment. Try combinations that include single legged squats, single arm push ups, walking squats and sit ups. A full body workout can get you the sweat you need in 10 minutes.
Lift enough heavy weights I often see ladies in the gym not lifting enough weight. They are afraid of bulking up, but if not enough weight is lifted then not enough stress is put on the muscle to make a change. Women don’t need to worry about bulking up; hormonally women don’t have enough testosterone to look like men. Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and kate Beckinsale all lift weights and none look bulky but instead are enviably toned.
Hydrate before, during and after workout Dehydration can impair your physical and mental performance in all types of sports and exercise. Being as little as 2 percent dehydrated can reduce your performance by 10-20 percent. To achieve best results in a workout drink a glass of water before and sip some during. 46
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HEALTTH & WELLNESS
FAN OF
stylish wardrobes? WATCH OUT FOR
health risks
Do not follow fashion trends blindly. Consider the long and short-term health risks associated with the latest fashion trends, says leading Orthopaedic Surgeon, Simon Moyes. As a specialist sports injury orthopaedic surgeon, Moyes is no stranger to the aches and pains of professional athletes that come with the game. However, after reading both his practises at 31 Old Broad Street and The Wellington Hospital in London, it is said that fashion attracts vital injuries. From Plantar Fasciitis as a result of illfitting shoes, to nerve trauma caused by weighty and oversized handbags or even cervical pain from excessive ad heavy accessories, Moyes outlines the potential dangers that many risk of everyday to follow trends, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Heavy necklaces
We are seeing a growing popularity of heavy necklaces in modern fashion, with women opting to wear heavier jewellery around their necks. This, in combination with the use of heavier handbags can produce further protraction of the shoulder, curvature in the upper dorsal or thoracic spine and hyperextension of the lower cervical spine. This tends to force the head to thrust forwards. This can place a lot of strain on the base of the neck, causing lower cervical pain.
Flip-flops
With the summer on, thousands of people 48
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are swapping their shoes for flip flops. Although they are cool and comfortable in the heat, they can lead to a common condition called plantar fasciitis. This is a very painful condition, which produces pain in the sole of the foot and in the heel mainly on the inside of the foot. The lack of arch support and lack of cushioning combined with the way you walk in flip flops can predispose you to this condition.
High Heels
Many women prefer to wear high heels and are reliant on them for everyday use but repeatedly wearing heeled shoes can lead to Achilles tendonitis. The Achilles tendon is the long thin tendon that runs from the base of the calf muscles down to the heel bone. This can become extremely painful due to chronic shortening of the calf muscles by wearing repeatedly high heel shoes. The pain is localised over the tendon and may be associated with thickening and swelling of the tendon.
Handbags
Girls’ handbags, like men’s briefcases, can carry an enormous amount of material that can be surprisingly heavy. The way they are carried over the shoulder can predispose the development of chronic shoulder pain - namely inflammation and impingement of the rotator cuff. The heavy weight over the top of the shoulder tends to cause it to be protracted and the downward pressure on the cuff causes rubbing of the tendon. This causes shoulder pain. Patients may end up with pain at night, causing sleep disturbance, as well as pain using their arm at shoulder height. www.desitoday.ca
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HEALTTH & WELLNESS
ADOPT
healthy eating HABITS TO
stay fit
How to tackle common
SKIN COMPLAINTS If you’re suffering from skin-related problems like acne, eczeme to spider veins, don’t fret! You can easily cure them at home. Nutritionist keri Filtness has offered her expert advice on the most common skin-related problems and how one can tackle them, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Eating healthy does not have to be difficult. If you develop a routine of adopting positive healthy practices, eating healthfully can become second nature. Make a few changes in your lifestyle and adding few eating habits that can do wonders to your skin and body. “I’ve realised that the secret to good habits -- for nutrition, or anything else -- is to know yourself. For instance, some people do better when they give up a temptation all together, others when they indulge in moderation...You have to think about what works for you,” huffingtonpost.com quoted Gretchen Rubin author of the upcoming book on habits, “Better Than Before”, as saying. Few simple healthy habits that will help you to lead a healthier lifestyle:
Stock up on healthy foods
We tend to eat what we buy and keep around the house. It is, therefore so important to stock up on healthy foods. keep fresh fruit and veggies handy which you can grab and eat easily. Some of it are baby carrots, apples, pears, berries. Buy whole grains instead of white bread products including oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat breads. keep healthy protein options around for instance nuts and seeds, fresh turkey breast, and eggs. Try not to keep soda, cookies, and sugary cereals around.
Eat sitting down
When you eat meals while you are sitting down, you tend to eat more slowly, enjoy what you are eating, and may even end up eating less. When you eat standing, you often do not even realize that you are eating. If you want a scoop of ice cream, instead of eating straight from the pint, place a portion in a bowl, sit down, and enjoy it. It’s also great to eat with others and enjoy the 50
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social experience of dining.
Drink water instead of liquid calories
Limiting liquid calories is one of the simplest ways to cut out calories and sugar. Sweetened drinks like soda provide no nutritional value and are just empty calories. Diet sodas also provide no nutritional value, taste too sweet, and do not help most of us lose weight. So why even bother drinking them? Instead, get into the habit of opting for water or flavoured seltzers. They will keep you hydrated without providing any calories. Try drinking a glass of water before eating each meal or snack, and you may just end up eating less.
Snack on fruit instead of chips
It really is pretty easy to eat fruit if you keep it handy. Opt for a variety of fresh fruit in season, and plan for it. So often, we grab a bag of chips because it is convenient. Choosing fruit can also be convenient, if we set it up that way. The trick is to either know where to get fruit if you are out, or to stock it in your fridge, and bring it along if you are going to be out all day. Throw an apple in your bag on your way to work; this will help to ensure that you eat it if you need a mid-morning snack.
Eat a colourful salad or vegetables every day
Eating salads are a great way to get a variety of nutrients without too many calories. The different colours of vegetables impart different nutrients, so it’s best to choose a colourful variety.
Put leftovers away
Leaving leftovers sitting out on the counter signals “eat me”. It is so hard to resist temptation when food is just sitting around. Why tempt yourself?
SPIDER VEINS: Spider veins are tiny capillaries that run close to the surface of the skin and look like fine red, or sometimes purple, small wiggly lines. They are most commonly found on the face or legs.
STEPS TO TAKE CARE: Ensure that you are well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water daily as dehydration may lead to fluid retention, causing spider veins to develop. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables in a variety of colours as these will provide a wide variety of plant compounds which may be helpful as antioxidants to prevent damage to blood vessels and to support collagen production. ACNE: Acne is a common skin condition that causes red pimples on the skin, especially the face, due to tiny holes in the skin becoming blocked. The Sebaceous gland produces sebum, which ‘oils’ the skin. STEPS TO TAKE CARE: Eat a nutrient-dense diet, including foods such as unsalted nuts and seeds, avocado, oily fish, fruits and vegetables and wholegrain products. Try to cut down on processed foods and drink plenty of water. Cleanse the skin thoroughly but gently as harsh cleansers can strip the skin of oil. Try to avoid choosing products that contain mineral oil as they can block your pores. ECZEMA: Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. It often occurs in areas with folds of skin such as behind the knees or the inside of the elbows. STEPS TO TAKE CARE: Increase your intake of ‘good’ fats such as those found in nuts, seeds and oily fish. keep a food diary to identify any potential food allergies or intolerances which make the condition worse. Always speak to your general practitioner before cutting foods from your diet. Fish oil provides a good supply of Omega 3 fatty acids which are involved in the production of compounds which reduce inflammation. www.desitoday.ca
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Second-hand marijuana smoke may damage blood vessels Breathing second-hand marijuana smoke could damage your heart and blood vessels as much as second-hand cigarette smoke, says a new research. Reduced blood vessel function may raise the chances of developing atherosclerosis and consequently lead to a heart attack. Atherosclerosis is the disease process that causes plaque build-up in the arteries, which narrows them and restricts blood flow. “If you’re hanging out in a room where people are smoking a lot of marijuana, you may be harming your blood vessels,” said senior author of the study Matthew Springer, associate professor of Medicine at the University of California in the US. “There is no reason to think marijuana smoke is better than tobacco smoke. Avoid them both,” Springer added. In the study, blood vessel function in lab rats dropped to 70 percent after 30 minutes of exposure to second-hand marijuana smoke. Even when the marijuana contained no tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - a compound in marijuana that produces intoxication - blood vessel function was still impaired. Marijuana and tobacco smoke are chemically and physically alike. Now that marijuana is becoming increasingly legalized in the United States, its effect on others is a growing public health concern, Springer said. The study was presented at the ongoing American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.
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STYLE, BEAUTY, CULTURE What comes first - a wedding dress or wedding shoes? What if you buy the best of attire for your D-day but the shoes are not comfortable? Footwear is equally important and while buying them comfort should be given priority. Lauren Rudy, an associate buyer at David’s Bridal - a clothier that specialises in wedding dresses, says that “there definitely seems to be an attachment to a certain brand, wanting something to work back to their dress, something that complements it without taking away from it, and being on trend.” Wedding shoes like any other pair of fashion footwear should fit properly and not be too tight, too small or too big. Even if it is the only night you wear those shoes, walking down the aisle, standing in a reception line and dancing the entire night away should be as painless as possible.
e
Feet come in different sizes, widths and shapes with lumps and bumps in all the wrong places but shoes only come in sizes and widths. If you are purchasing your shoes online, in a bridal shop or at a department store, always buy your true shoe size not ones that almost fit, reports huffingtonpost. com.
e
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The landmines to avoid when purchasing your shoes is making sure they do not pinch in the toe
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What brides need to know when buying
wedding shoes?
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box or rub the top, tip and sides of your toes. That could lead to the formation of blisters and corns. So make sure you have enough wiggle room in the toe box of the shoe.
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If the shoes are too narrow or wide, by the end of your night your feet will probably be screaming at you to take them off. Blisters and corns can form on the toes due to constant rubbing, friction and the toes trying to grab the floor of the shoe for stability.
e
If you have developed bunions or hammertoes over the years, you now have to accommodate those bony tissues when buying your shoes. Having a narrow heel can also cause problems when buying shoes because of heel slippage. Bunions can trigger the big toe joint to get red, swollen and painful by the end of the night; on the other hand hammertoes can increase the chance of developing blisters.
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Always look for shoes with soft leather because the last thing you want to do is break in your wedding shoes. Placing over the counter arch supports in your shoes is the best way to solve muscle spasms and arch fatigue during the wedding day. They will also reduce the burning or ball of the foot pain from wearing four-five inch heels.
e
Bring only those wedding shoes that can provide enough room for both your foot and the arch support, as some products can be too bulky. Buying arch supports online is another option and there are arch products that can just fit in the arch of the wedding shoe regardless of heel height or style.
e
Another way to provide your feet with instant comfort is to place a soft thin inner sole in your shoes they will reduce friction and burning as well as provide extra padding. keeping these factors in mind, one can happily walk down the aisle with her feet feeling great and she is ready to say, “I do”
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STYLE, BEAUTY, CULTURE Wedding day is special not only for the bride but also for the groom. But men are often neglected as the glowing bride takes away the spotlight. To grab all eyeballs on the most important day of your life, it’s time to get to work. Sangeeta Amladi, head medical services, kaya Skin Clinic, has laid down some pointers for the groom-to-be that will help give the bride some tough competition, said a statement. * Treat yourself to some skin-dulgence: Don’t depend on photo-shop for acne and scar-free skin in your photos. Pimples, dry skin, an uneven skin tone, tanning and dark circles affect men too. You can opt for facials, peels and even simple home remedies to deal with your skin woes. You can also visit a skin specialist for treatments to combat tanning and pigmentation. * Beat the belly bulge: Being a groom demands being in good shape. A belly bulge as you walk away with your pretty bride is quite an eyesore. A good way to get fit for your big day is to hit the gym months before the wedding day. A combination of cardio and weight training is the best way to look lean. If you don’t have a gym membership, plug in your favourite music and head out for a jog. You can also try some martial arts or power yoga. * The hair affair: It was one thing to bask in your manliness when you were a bachelor, but post marriage, excessively hairy chests are a big no-no. Though the thought of waxing may make you run in the opposite direction, worry not. You can opt for permanent hair reduction using laser as it is a painless and safe option. It will require multiple sittings, so if you plan to opt for this, go well in advance before the D-Day. * Hair woes: Although most men will not admit to this, they are as obsessive about their hair as women. A nutritious diet and regular oiling, can help you deal with thinning and falling hair. You can also opt for a hair loss prevention service after consulting an expert.
It’s grooming time GROOMING TIPS FOR GROOMS THIS WEDDING SEASON 54
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* Nail it: The biggest turn-off for your bride would be unshapely and dirty nails. To look good and feel hygienic, a manicure and pedicure at least a week before the wedding will make your hands worthy of that ring. * Oral hygiene: A good smile with pearly whites looks great in photographs! A pre-wedding dental clean-up is essential to be able to not only smile that 1000 watt smile but also keep away bad breath and maintain good dental hygiene. www.desitoday.ca
RICHMOND CENTRE www.desitoday.ca
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STYLE, BEAUTY, CULTURE
By Nadia Ali
n i k S r u o Y p e Ke
g n i k o Lo s s e l w Fla
n o s a e S r e t n i This W
With the weather turning colder, it is important to ensure you make some changes in your skincare regimen in order to keep up with the dropping temperatures. Colder weather causes much of the natural moisture on skin to decrease, leaving it feeling dry and uncomfortable. Here is a list of budget-friendly tips, tricks, and products to incorporate into your routine to keep your skin looking amazing and feeling healthy!
CLEANSING Depending on your skin type (oily, dry, combination, normal) the specific cleanser that will be best for your skin will vary. By now, it is common knowledge that it is essential to wash your face every day, optimally each morning and night, though once a day is better for sensitive skin types. Here are some cleansers that are perfect for the colder seasons:
Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser ($9.97) This fragrance-free formula is perfect for sensitive skin 56
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types and is extra gentle on the skin to use throughout the day. It also does not strip the skin of essential oils or leave it feeling dry.
St. Ives’ Fresh Skin Exfoliating Apricot Scrub ($5.19) For oilier skin types, an exfoliator can definitely help whisk away some of that unwanted greasiness from skin. St. Ives’ scrub leaves the skin feeling clarified and smooth, and at the same time does not drive out all moisture.
Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam ($23.00) For acne prone skin, Clinique’s formula provides a gentle, foamy, cleansing experience that will not irritate the skin. Not only does it help remove active acne on the face, but also prevents any new blemishes
from forming. Clinique offers personalized cleansers for every skin type, and allows the customer to create their own system that will work best for their particular skin needs. Quick Tip: To get a super deep clean, invest in a Clarisonic Brush ($150+). The electronic brush helps get deep into pores and scrubs, exfoliates and cleanses any dirt or impurities. A cheaper alternative is the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing facial brush, which serves the same purpose but sells for much cheaper at around $25.00.
MOISTURIZING When picking a moisturizer for the winter season, it is important to acknowledge your skin type, in order to select a product that will give you the proper amount of moisture, and not leave you feeling dryer or oilier than you prefer. However, rememwww.desitoday.ca
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Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel ($11.00-44.00) For oilier skin tones, try Clinique’s moisturizing gel that will give your skin the hydration it needs, without a greasy residue. Quick Tip: If skin all over your body tends to get dry, use a heavier oil-based lotion such as Vaseline or Lubriderm. For those who prefer the more natural route, small amounts of baby oil or olive oil are great to apply to the skin before bed to hydrate skin throughout the night.
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ber that cold weather tends to leave skin in a dryer state than normal, so you may want to pick a slightly heavier moisturizer depending on your skin type. Here are a couple you may want to consider:
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“Characters of movies like Chandni Bar & Page 3 have had many, many shades that have moved away from the pre-set stereotypes of wife, of vamp or the sacrificing mother.” 58
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NOTING that the visual representation of women has changed dramatically over the past two decades, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan Monday saluted the way contemporary Indian films portray multi-hued female characters which have moved away from the pre-set stereotypes of wife, vamp or the sacrificing mother. “From the 1990s, along with the changing role of the women in India, the female protagonists began to change drastically. In the last two decades, the visual representation of women has changed dramatically. “Whereas a typical westernised women was considered a vamp a few decades ago, associated with vice and venom, today films show women in western designer clothes. This is part of India’s globalisation,” he said, delivering the inaugural address at the 20th kolkata International Film Festival. Rather than any implied judgement on morality, the clothes indicate the affluent lifestyle of the new middle class on which these films focus, he said. Asserting that the girls now were far more conscious of their rights, liberated and educated, Amitabh said: “This is now strongly reflected in Indian cinema. Films recently released have redefined the Indian women.” Referring to films like “Chandni Bar” and “Page 3” to buttress his point, he said: “These characters have had many, many shades that have moved away from the pre-set stereotypes of wife, of vamp or the sacrificing mother.” Big B’s thought-provoking speech traced the projection of women from the initial days of Indian cinema to the contemporary period. He said in terms of remuneration, status and roles the leading ladies of the early era like Devika Rani, Zubeida Mehta and Sobhana Samarth were on par with their male counterparts. “They paved the way for several women in our films, and through the years, a number of fresh stars have brought about a sea change in attitudes. They made it possible to essay innovative women roles in Indian films, especially mainstream cinema,” he said as the audience - that included his wife Jaya, son Abhishek and son-in-law Aisharya Rai - listened to him in rapt attention. Paying tributes to filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Mehbood khan and Hrishikesh Mukherjee for churning out memorable heroine oriented movies, he refered to another creator Shyam Benegal for “reflecting the change in women’s roles in society and giving us flesh and blood female protagonists who have stood their ground to several vagaries of time”. www.desitoday.ca
On the trinity of Bengali film-makers Ritwik Ghatak, Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, Amitabh said “they created strong female characters”. He said women in Ray’s films defied any kind of stereotypes. “While conventional narrative films were complicit in portraying women as subordinates, the creative imagination of Ray always presented positive, dynamic and alternative representations of the fairer sex. His films had several female characters of great sensitivity and substance.” Turning to the contemporary Bengali directors, he said Aparna Sen, Gautam Ghosh and Rituparno Ghosh created strong feminist films with complex and penetrating subjects. Amitabh, once regarded as the “angry young man of Indian movies” for the rebellious roles he depicted on screen, regretted
that though we live in a world overflowing with information, there was a growing scarcity of wisdom. “In order to seem informed we form our so-called opinions hastily based on fragmentary bits of evidence and superficial impressions, rather than true under-
standing.” Underscoring the importance of the storyteller in such a scenario, he said: “A great film - through symbols, metaphor and associations - helps us interpret information, integrated with our existing knowledge and transmit that into wisdom.”
Women in our films have moved away from stereotypes: Amitabh www.desitoday.ca
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FOOD, ART, ENT
Pressure that keeps you going in life RANBIR KAPOOR
Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer introduced newest addition to its family - Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir kapoor - and its new ad campaign “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” here Tuesday. The actor says the campaign is about “pressure that keeps you going in life”. “This is a campaign that TAG Heuer is re-introducing which is about individual identity and not giving up under pressure. It’s a kind of pressure that keeps you going in life. I think everybody will connect and identify with the campaign,” said Ranbir at the event at Buddh International Circuit. The setting looked like an exhilarating racing event with energetic performance by cheerleaders, car stunts on the race track and Ranbir paragliding onto the track. Amidst cheering, Ranbir took a lap of the circuit and then unveiled his ad visuals. The visuals are high on sophistication and style value with Ranbir in a dapper look. The black and white visual of the ac60
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tor exudes a timeless charm. “This is the first time I have seen my visual. I think that I look better in black and white,” said the 32-year-old actor. The “Barfi!” actor says pressure is often used as a negative connotation. But he thinks pressure is a good thing. “We all are under some kind of pressure be it work, family, time, marriage or bathroom pressure. I think best of us comes out under pressure and help us achieve glory,” he said looking relaxed in a TAG Heuer jacket teamed up with jeans. The brand is not only endorsed by internationally acclaimed stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Maria Sharapova, Cameron Diaz, Jenson Button to name a few and Bollywood’s king khan - Shah Rukh - as well. Ranbir says he is “pleased to be a member of the family”. “It’s a bit surreal for me. I used to look and admire Shah Rukh’s visual and think that I want this watch. I wanted to be a part of this brand for a long time,” the actor said. What’s the kind of pressure Ranbir feels? “The pressure that keeps lingering in my mind is to do well tomorrow and evolve as an actor and grow in my field,” Ranbir said. The watch brand also introduced Formula one time piece, which was presented
to the actor. The actor pointed out that one of the perks of endorsing the brand is that “you get free watches”. Talking about the significance of advertisement campaigns in actor’s life Ranbir said, “To be honest, advertisements are a big part of actor’s life and are equally important just like their movies,”. “An actor may have one or two movies releasing in a year, but the ad campaign runs throughout the year,” the actor added. The 32-year, who seem to be taking forward the legacy of kapoor family, insists that advertisements carry higher recall value and have wider reach. “When ‘Saawariya’ (his debut film) was released not many people saw it and I was doing an endorsement that time. Everyone got to know me through the advertisement... such is the reach of advertisements,” said Ranbir. The actor has been the face of “Youngistaan” campaign by Pepsi, has been irresistible for girls for an AXE ad, and is also seen as a guide in askme.com advertisement. The actor says he is associated with brands which he has faith in. “It is very important to choose a brand which you believe in. Because if you don’t believe in it, then how will the consumer believe in it,” he said. www.desitoday.ca
FOOD, ART, ENT
She enjoys star status in filmdom, but Priyanka Chopra says she missed having a guiding light in her journey. Now as a producer the former beauty queen plans to promote fresh talent. She calls herself a “baby producer”, but the 32-year-old wants to launch new talent in the film world with small, but good projects. Talking about a producer’s role, Priyanka told IANS: “I didn’t know I was going to produce films. I want to do make small movies and introduce new talent.” Priyanka, who made a successful transition from a beauty queen to an actress and is among the most formidable names in the Hindi film industry today, says the encouragement to venture into production came from her own experience. “When I came into the film industry, I had no one to hold my finger and show me the way and say, ‘This is the right direction’. I never had a mentor and I never even had friends who knew anything about films. “So for me, it was a very lonely and scary journey, and somewhere I wanted to make a production house which is a place to introduce new talent - writers, directors, musicians and actors through maybe small, but good films,” she said. It is at this juncture that “Madamji” came knocking at her door. “Madamji”, her maiden production venture, will be directed by Madhur Bhandarkar and it’d star the National Award winning actress herself in the lead role. The shooting of the film is likely to begin towards the end of November. “It so happened that Madhur came up to me with ‘Madamji’. Then I felt that if I do a film with Madhur, with whom I have a great working relationship (thanks to ‘Fashion’), and if I produce it, it will give me a good foothold in film production. “I’m just a baby producer - nothing compared to the big films (producers) out there. So, it was a spontaneous decision to produce ‘Madamji’,” added Priyanka, who has further strengthened her mark as an actress via “Mary Kom” this year. Spontaneity is something that comes naturally to this beauty, who has gone beyond the realm of acting to establish herself in the international music scene, apart from making her presence felt on forums for girl child rights and the need for a green environment. Priyanka says she never plans her moves. “I’m extremely instinctive and spontaneous. So whatever comes my way, I just give it my best. I didn’t know I would become a musician, I didn’t even know I wanted to become an actress. I wanted to be an engineer! So, whenever I propose, god disposes. “I’ve decided to let him only make my plans. The only thing I do is work really hard at every opportunity that’s given to me, and to whatever instinctively I feel like doing,” said the multi-talented star, who will next be seen in Zoya Akhtar’s “Dil Dhadakne Do” and “Bajirao Mastani”. One is an urbane multi-starrer and the other a period drama. An interesting variety - especially after a sports-based film like “Mary Kom”! “I always pick interesting projects! It’s a very conscious decision for me because I don’t like to repeat myself. I get bored doing the same thing. As a person, I like variety and I like things to keep moving. “As a professional, I love my job. I have spent my entire career learning it. I didn’t go to film school or advisors. So, my career has been my film school. There’s so much to learn and so much to do. There’s just no end to it in this business. And maintaining variety is the key,” she said. www.desitoday.ca
IT WAS A VERY LONELY, SCARY JOURNEY PRIYANKA CHOPRA DEC / JAN 2015
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C
Actors
not exempt
from human feelings NARGIS FAKHRI
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ommenting on the constant nudges on relationship status by the media, actress Nargis Fakhri says actors are also entitled to some privacy. “Being spoken about on a public platform does not give a nice feeling to anyone. Actors also like to have some privacy in their life. Actors are not exempt from those (human) feelings and do get bothered by link-up stories,” she told IANS over phone from Mumbai. The actress, who forayed into Bollywood with “Rockstar” was in the news for her relationship with actor-producer Uday Chopra and recently fuelled another rumour of dating actor Hrithik Roshan. But she seems to be a firm believer in the phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’ and prefers to ignore all such reports. “I think when you are in this field you have no choice but to ignore such reports,” the actress said. Fakhri, who launched Parachute Advanced Knowledge Centre’s Art of Oiling with international massage expert Moses Chundi recently, also outlined a number of benefits of coconut oil and stressed on the revival of the art of oiling which is vanishing from India. “I have learned so much from India, for instance the use of aloe vera which I use and I find it sad when I see certain arts of oiling slowly fading away. “I use coconut oil every single day. I apply coconut oil on my whole body for moisturising. The oil can also be used as make-up remover as it is light based and is not sticky,” said the actress. The actress, who believes in a holistic approach in her lifestyle, said that massage should be incorporated to enhance one’s well being. “I think massage is a very important part of life, which is present from centuries as an imminent part of India’s tradition,” she said. The actress who also showed her acting prowess in serious films like “Madras Cafe” and went on to raise temperatures with item numbers like “Devil” and “Dhating naach” said in today’s busy life health in being neglected. “In this hectic life, we have no time to take care of ourselves, hence massage is needed for rejuvenation and stress reduction. A lot of people are looking for quick fixes like they are taking medications and they are doing other things which are not healthy. But massage is very holistic and natural,” she said. www.desitoday.ca
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By Nadia Ali
With the holidays fast approaching there will be no shortage of parties and get-togethers, which means the joyous hustle and bustle of family and friends around the house. The holidays are not only the perfect occasion to end the year on a positive note but also kick off the new year surrounded with special people and tons of fun. What better way to entertain and bond with loved ones than through the magic of movies? Here is a list of the top ten Christmas themed �ilms that are sure to spread holiday cheer and inspire laughs from all ages! 64
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10. The Santa Clause (1994)
8. Jack Frost (1998)
Starring: Tim Allen Rating: PG Length: 97 min.
Starring: Michael Keaton, Kelly Preston Rating: PG Length: 101 min.
When Scott Calvin, an unknowing family man, accidently kills Santa Claus on the night before Christmas, he must take the place of St. Nick and along the way endures many mishaps and shenanigans.
A year after passing away a loving father comes back in the form of a snow man, Jack Frost, to tie up loose ends with his young son and say his final good-bye.
9. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
7. Arthur Christmas (2011) (Animated)
Starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis Rating: PG Length: 99 min.
Voices of: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Laura Linney Rating: G Length: 97 min.
The absence of their daughter over the holidays causes the Kranks to postpone their Christmas celebrations, creating pandemonium and chaos all around them!
Arthur, the grandson of Santa, is bestowed the responsibility to help his grandfather return a misplaced gift given to a little girl.
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6. Tim Burton’s the nightmare before Christmas (1993) (Animated) Voices of: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara Rating: PG; Length: 76 min. Tim Burton brings together the worlds of Halloween and Christmas, with Jack Skellington, a young king who tries to figure out for himself the true meaning of Christmas.
4. Home Alone (1990)
2. The Polar Express (2004) (Animated)
Starring: Macaulay Culkin Rating: G Length: 103 min.
Voices of: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola Rating: G Length: 100 min.
A young boy finds himself having to defend his home against some not-so-bright burglars after his family mistakenly leaves him behind for Christmas vacation.
This whimsical tale follows the incredible journey of a young boy en route to the North Pole and to Santa Claus.
FAMILY-FrIEndLY HoLIdAY MoVIES 5. A Christmas Carol (2009) (Animated)
3. Elf (2003)
Voices of: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth Rating: PG Length: 96 min.
Starring: Will Ferrell Rating: G Length: 97 min.
Based on the novel by Charles Dickens, Jim Carrey brings to life Ebenezer Scrooge, a coldhearted man who is visited by three spirits to teach him important life lessons about love and the meaning of Christmas.
Ridiculed by his fellow elves for his larger size, Buddy travels to America to discover more about himself and his true identity as an elf.
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1. dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Starring: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen Rating: G Length: 104 min. Follow the cruel, green Grinch as he attempts to steal the Christmas spirit from the Who’s of Whoville and wreaks havoc on the holidays.
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CHRISTMAS DINNER
Indian Style Tis the season to be merry!! This is the time of year when families get together to celebrate the year that has passed, and share stories over food, and well yes, even more food. When it comes to holiday eats, many countries have added their personal spin, and we are no exception. The recipes below take the Christmas dinner classics, and give them a Punjabi bhangra twist. When your guests arrive, exchange their coats for a glass of eggnog. This year offer them a selection:
EGGNOG CHAI LATTE Spicy and light • • • •
Make 1 cup of black tea (boil water, tea bag, black cloves and cardamom) Add 1 teaspoon of sugar Add ½ cup of warmed eggnog Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg
EGGNOG SHAKE For those wanting a cooler drink • 1 scoop vanilla ice cream (or shaved ice for a lighter alternative) • ½ cup eggnog • ½ cup almond milk
SPIKED EGGNOG Adults only (use dark rum, brandy, Southern Comfort or Godiva Chocolate Liqueur) • 2 tablespoons of anyalcohol listed above • ½ cup of eggnog Avoid eggnog made with modified milk ingredients!
By Manjit Bains
CRANBERRY SAUCE
Now cranberry sauce offers a tart compliment to the roast turkey, but uses for leftovers are limited. This year we suggest making your own Cranberry Chutney instead. Here’s one of my favorite recipes from Molly Wizenberg: • • • • • • • • •
24 ounces apricot jam ¾ cup white distilled vinegar 1 ½ teaspoon raspberry jam pinch of salt ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ cup Grand Marnier 2 bags fresh cranberries. Throw out any that are mushy and yucky ½ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped 1 ¼ cups dried tart cherries
Directions: • In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add apricot jam, vinegar, raspberry jam, salt, cloves, and Grand Marnier • Stir over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil • Keep stirring for the next 10-15 minutes to prevent it from burning • Reduce heat to medium, add the cranberries, and cook until you start to hear them pop • Add the ginger and cherries, stir well, and remove from heat • Cool completely. The chutney will thicken as it cools Enjoy!!
Now for our non-vegetarian readers, we suggest the following turkey recipe. While traditionally a goose, duck or peacock would have made it to the dinner table, we feel turkey will be a more comfortable stretch from the usual chicken.
“BUTTER” TURKEY A Christmas twist on the classic Indian butter chicken recipe Cook the turkey first, cube it, and then add to the sauce. Organic turkey is best. Yes, it costs more, but if you can reduce the portion size – 2 oz is plenty per person, the added cost is offset by better quality, healthier portion size, and better health long term as there are no antibiotics to unnecessarily consume.
TURKEY: • • • • • •
4-5 lb turkey breast, skin on 2 tablespoons melted butter pinch of salt black pepper ½ cup chicken or turkey stock 1 cup fresh yogurt (homemade is okay)
Directions: • Preheat oven to 450°F • Place the turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan • Brush turkey with melted butter. Season generously with salt and black pepper • Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting twice with stock — once after 15 minutes, then again in 15 minutes. • When thermometer reads 155°F, remove the turkey from the oven. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes • Cut into cubes, and place in a bowl with the yogurt to marinate
•
Add the cream and cardamom. Stir well • Cover and cook for 45 minutes, stir occasionally • Garnish with fresh cilantro Well, after that lovely and deliciously rich meal, how about another Christmas classic…fruit cake!! This dense sugary loaf only seen at Christmas can actually be quite delicious. Due to it’s lack of popularity, we will not be including a recipe here, but rather a suggestion to enjoy a slice with a nice hot cup of chai. And what’s a Christmas dinner without visions of sugar plums dancing in your head…
just like the ones in Clement Clark Moore’s famous poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas”? Actual sugar plums do not contain plums. Yes, that surprised me too! They are a sweet made of sugar hardened around a central seed or kernel in successive layers. Traditionally centers include fennel/caraway or cardamom…hmmmm…that would be the yummy rainbow covered fennel seeds that Indian restaurants give out after a well enjoyed meal. And here we’ve been adding a Punjabi flair to Christmas dishes; Looks like Christmas has borrowed something of our culture as well. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
BUTTER SAUCE: • • • • • • • • •
1/4 pound butter 1 large onion, minced 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1 1/2 teaspooncayenne pepper 1 cup strained tomatoes 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 teaspooncrushed cardamom seeds 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Directions: • Heat butter in saucepan on medium high heat • Add onion. Cook until golden and translucent. Add the cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes • Add cubed turkey, and reduce heat to medium • Cook covered for 15 minutes www.desitoday.ca
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DESI
Around Town
PICS Charitable Foundation received a $5,000 cheque from Dalbir Singh Mehta, Senior Manager Operations & Dalbir Singh Sohi CEO, Khalsa Credit Union in support for its newest initiative, Multicultural Long-Term Care Home.
Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature Awards Gala and Punjabi Literature Day in Vancouver
Vikram Vij of My Shanti and Vij’s Inspired Indian Cuisine was declared Surrey’s Business Person of the Year for 2014 on Thursday at the 16th Annual Surrey Board of Trade’s Surrey Business Excellence Awards Dinner. The other finalist were Peggy Howard of Guildford Town Centre and Chris Thornley of Thornley Creative Communications.
Photos by Chandra Bodalia
At Nehru Jayanti celebrations and the awarding of the Nehru Humanitarian Awards at Burnaby’s Royal Banquet Hall.
Tulsi Vivah at Vancouver’s South Hall Banquet Palace.
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The Surrey Board of Trade, at its annual Christmas Seasonal Sizzle Business Reception, presented the Surrey Food Bank $1871.50 and 500 pounds of food. Over 400 business people attended this annual Christmas event, and donated either cash or food.
Austin Batra of Mamba MMA, Abbotsford, (middle weight) and Ali Khanjari of Revamped, Vancouver, (super middle weight) won in their categories at the November Storm Kickboxing Championship
At the VIBC (Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration) Annual General Meeting
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DESI
Around Town
The South Asian Business Association (SABA) of B.C. presented a cheque to Kwantlen Polytechnic University to support scholarships.
The 2014 Khalsa Credit Union scholarship award function in Surrey
At the Vancouver-Fraserview Riding Association and MLA Suzanne Anton’s 2nd Annual Proud of Our Cultures fundraising event.
At the Rotary Club of Vancouver Fraserview fundraiser at Vancouver’s South Hall Banquet Palace with past president Jasdev Singh and President Mercedes Wong.
Burnaby City Council’s Inaugural Meeting was held at the Edmonds Community Centre. (L-R) Mayor Derek Corrigan, School Trustee Harman Pandher, City Councillor Anne Kang, and Burnaby RCMP Chief Superintendent Dave Critchley.
Workshop on Diabetes Management organized by Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association. Sadia Sameeullah, head of the Community Development Group, PCCA, and Naveed Wariach, PCCA President, thanked Sukhi Bath of Sukhi Bath Motors for providing the venue. Photo submitted.
At the 4th annual fundraiser of the Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) Canada.
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Bollywood aerobics and Bhangra dancing will be part of a virtual fitness centre aimed at increasing physical activity in South Asian adults living with – or at risk of getting – diabetes.
At the Gujarati Society of B.C. Diwali Show at Hard Rock Casino Theatre. Rajan Raniga, GSBC President, gave a token of appreciation to Platinum Sponsor Ruparel Kashyap of Bharat Jewellers.
The 100 year journey gala celebrates BC’s South Asian Pioneers. DEC / JAN 2015
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LIFE, ETC. Leander Paes received his Arjuna Award 25 years ago and it is 17 years since he was bestowed the nation’s highest sports award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. He is the oldest player to have won a Grand Slam title at 41. One can go on and on listing his would-you-believe-it achievements. At 41, age is only a number for him and says he learnt it from one of his unending list of doubles partners, the legendary Martina Navratilova. He might perhaps like to emulate her, winning a Grand Slam title at 50! He already has eight doubles and six mixed doubles titles. Plus the Olympic bronze from Atlanta. He is no longer after accolades, he insists, he now wants to enjoy his tennis and entertain his fans as long as his body and mind carry him. Yet, when he turns out for India he gets emotional, more so when he leads the country to victory in Davis Cup. He came very close to pulling off another great victory against Serbia over the weekend. His doubles victory with Rohan Bopanna inspired Somdev Devvarman to punch above his weight to take the tie into fifth rubber in which young Yuki Bhambri did not have the game or the temperament to do a Paes. India were left with a fighting 2-3 verdict,
Indian sport could do with a few more
LEANDERS
The legendary doubles pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes nicknamed “Indian Express” gave Indians many a moment to rejoice. Their biggest moment came in 1999 when they reached the final of all four Grand Slams, winning the Wimbledon and the French Open titles. They won another French Open title in 2001.
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Radek Stepanek, of the Czech Republic, left, and Leander Paes, of India, hold up the championship trophy in the men’s doubles final of the 2013 US Open tennis
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coming so close and yet so far. The entertainer par excellence still retains the boyish look and enthusiasm of a 12-yearold who came to Delhi for the first time with his Olympian father Vece Paes to play in the national sub-junior championships. For all his experience of a hockey player and a practicing medical doctor in good old Calcutta, Vece looked nervous whenever we discussed Paes’s tennis future. Not that he had any doubts about his ability, but he was not sure whether he would pursue tennis since he was dabbling in other sports, too. It was understandable as Vece played hockey at the highest level, his wife Jennifer captained India in basketball and the family lived in a football mad city for Paes to have distractions. With a little more sniff of the Maidan he would have turned out for Mohun Bagan or East Bengal. Any other sport he wouldn’t have been playing into his 40s. Vece did not have to wait for long for the answer, Paes decided to stick with tennis and in four years the stocky youngster was rushed into a Davis Cup tie by that shrewd reader of the game and players, Naresh Kumar. Paes was paired with Zeeshan Ali, the present coach of Davis Cup squad, and the two won the doubles against Japan in Chandigarh. After that, there was no looking back. His remarkable achievements make him easily India’s most enduring tennis player. Ramanthan Krishnan, Amritrajs Vijay and Anand and Ramesh Krishnan have room at the top and Leander, too, has his place there. And so has, in his company, Mahesh Bhupathi as his doubles partner. Many top Indian sportspersons swear by the national flag and feel the need to wear their patriotism on their sleeve. Paes, too, makes no secret of it and it is that fervor that eggs him on. Someone who has won Grand Slam titles in three different decades, Paes also has a fabulous Davis Cup record with quite a few fantastic results in singles, the best of them all being the one over Croat Goran Ivanisevic, the coach of the 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic at the National Sports Club of India courts. After losing the first two sets to the Croatian, Paes was down 0-3 in the third set, serving 30-40. People started leaving conceding the tie straight. They would have realised what they missed after some five hours and 38 minutes when the Indian champion served out the match. Leander puts this victory up there and that’s saying something for a guy who has quite a few wonderful winning moments to remember, particularly in the company of Ramesh to keep India in the World Group for close to a decade. Yet, he insists he is not a talented player because he lacks in inches to be a big player and he also feels his backhand play is a chink in his armour. Whatever be his faults, he makes up with his unbelievable dedication, determination and sheer hard work. Indian sport certainly could do with a few more Leanders. www.desitoday.ca
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By, Veturi Srivatsa, IANS DEC / JAN 2015
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LIFE, ETC.
Indian Super League Missing the
g
“There is no fun in watching Indian Super League,” said Karthik Bhushan, a soccer enthusiast in India. Bhushan like thousands of Indian youth is an avid soccer follower, who By Sableen Minhas never misses a match of any European football league, wears a Liverpool T-shirt with pride and will defend calling soccer as football rather aggressively. But in a country where cricket is a religion and football is limited to watching European leagues, does an effort such as the Indian Super League (ISL) have a shot? Launched in October this year with a vision to get Indian soccer team a global recognition, Indian Super League is also committed to improve infrastructure for the game at grassroots level. Backed by influential corporate houses like International Management Group, Reliance and Rupert Murdoch’s Star India, the league has eight franchises at present and aims to establish soccer as a mainstream sport. Sounds like a noble idea but let’s analyze the advantages and disadvantages of this domestic soccer league first. 72
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al
ADVANTAGES International exposure for domestic players Even though the league is being played in India, it is exceptionally international in its groundwork. With experienced international coaches like Antonio Lopez Habas (Spain) and Harm van Veldhoven (Netherlands) among others, coaching the teams, Indian players will be learning a lot. Moreover, playing besides international players should improve their game as well. Plus, with English Premier League assisting ISL in stadium management, fan development, marketing and brand management, the domestic league is for sure garnering a global spotlight.
Increased media attention With involvement of international figures in the league, comes a global media attention. This will work in favor of domestic players by improving their hiring prospects. The idea of soccer fanatics in India cheering an Indian player playing in a European club, does not seem that far-fetched now.
Appealing format With game season lasting only two months and fewer matches than the premier Indian www.desitoday.ca
rooms. This is a good news for the All India Football Federation who will be responsible for organizing the 2017 under-17 soccer world cup in the country. This will be the first time that a soccer event of such a global importance will be held in India.
DISADVANTAGES Not the premier soccer league in India It was undoubtedly the biggest moment for Indian football. IPL mania has hit Indian football, after hockey and kabaddi. The beginning was made in Mumbai in a star-studded gathering. Their hands on the ball, a very beautiful game playing in their mind, and ‘Let’s football’ - the official punchline - on their lips, all eight team owners of the Indian Super League (ISL) came together at a swanky gathering in south Mumbai to formally pledge their involvement with the Reliance-IMG floated tournament. Founding chairperson of the ISL, Nita Ambani, along with Bollywood celebrities Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as well as some accomplished businessmen - looking dapper and representing the eight franchises - came on stage amidst great fanfare. League, ISL is more appealing to domestic and international players. Since, most of the marquee and other international players are not exactly in their heydays of fitness, this 61 match league is more favorable to them.
Corporate Investment Unlike cricket, lack of funding has always been an issue for other sports in country.
Since, ISL has a huge corporate patronage it is a lucrative venture for domestic players. Top domestic players like Subrata Pal, Syed Rahim and Gouramangi Singh are earning about C$150,000 from their franchises. This amount is significantly higher than what the top international players are getting for playing in the league. Highest paid international players in the league, Gregory Arnolin and Bernard Mendy (both are from France) struck a deal of C$ 80,000 with FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC respectively.
Infrastructure development Corporate patronage is like a fairy godmother who sets everything right. Apart from providing funds for salaries, sports kits and marketing, it also pumps in money for development of infrastructure. According to a DNA India report, renovation of the eight stadiums to host the league will cost IMG-Reliance about INR 20 Crore. Refurbishment work includes installation of new floodlights, drainage system, improving the turf and dressing www.desitoday.ca
According to a NDTV report, FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke made in clear in October that, “Indian League is the only league in India. You cannot have two leagues in a country. We will not call ISL a league, though it’s a good platform for budding talent.”
Not all top Indian players participating Some I-League soccer clubs like Bengaluru FC and Churchill Brothers are resisting participation of their players in the twomonth competition. This headlock between I-League and ISL is hindering some top soccer players in the country from playing great soccer.
“Not as interesting as EPL” Going back to the opening comment by Bhushan, ISL is certainly not as entertaining or fast-paced as EPL or other European Leagues. “I just watched two or three matches, after that I lost interest in it,”Bhushan added. He said although ISL is a good initiative but it might not get popular with soccer fans who are used to watching professional international leagues. Though ISL is working hard to get India become a “global football power and qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” it will be a difficult path to help the 159th ranked (FIFA) team break into the top 32 teams who play the world cup. Another hurdle that lies ahead for the league is converting the thousands die-hard European league fanatics like Bhushan into followers of domestic soccer league. Will the league dribble its way to glory or fade into shadow of I-league and politics, is a question that can only be answered by time. by Sableen Minhas
DEC / JAN 2015
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LIFE, ETC.
A movement to
‘save’ Delhi’s nightlife Restaurateurs, pub owners and others from Delhi’s nightlife and hospitality industries got together to stage a candlelight march at Jantar Mantar against early deadlines and other facets of the law and policing that they felt were against them. The protest was the result of a social media campaign called Save Delhi Nightlife, which presents the concerns of the nightlife industry in the capital, reported Times of India. For over a year now, nightlife in Delhi and the rest of NCR has found itself in the news for all the wrong reasons. Changing dead lines, pub brawls, music restrictions and many more such issues have kept both the industry and guests con cerned, and have led to the creation of the Save Delhi Nightlife campaign. It began as an online petition to extend the operating hours of the city’s clubs, pubs and other watering holes. In a matter of weeks, it has turned into a full-fledged movement with thousands pledging their support and vowing to struggle till the goal of “saving” the city’s nightlife is achieved. The man behind the campaign - Save Delhi’s Nightlife - is 32-year-old event manager Ashutosh Sharma who started the online petition July 30 to extend the closing time for the city’s bars beyond the present 1 a.m., depending on the location. “Over the years, this sector is shrinking due to the early deadline. People are gradually losing their interest in going out at night and partying, thus affecting the livelihoods of many,” Sharma told IANS. The Save Delhi’s Nightlife page on Facebook has over 6,000 likes while close to 1,500 people have signed the online petition which has been sent to President Pranab Mukherjee’s secretary and Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, as also parliamentarians and senior government officials. Sharma said bartenders, DJs, bouncers and even cab drivers, apart from the restaurant owners, are losing out due to the 1 a.m. deadline. According to Delhi Police, outlets in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area - essentially central Delhi - are allowed to remain open till 1 a.m. while the others have to down shutters by 12.30 p.m. Police say the restrictions help maintain law and order in the city. “If clubs remain open late at night, incidents of crime and drunken driving will definitely increase. We have to follow the law,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity. www.desitoday.ca
Sharma rejected the argument. “I know many people who always get a cab back home if they get drunk at a party. It all comes to behaving responsibly and whether you are going to a club or not doesn’t matter,” he said. Shyam Singh of Delhi-based Escorts Security, which provides bouncers to numerous nightclubs in the National Capital Region (NCR), asked: “After a hard day’s work if people want to go out and have a good time how is that threatening the city’s law and order situation?” According to the stakeholders, a joint effort between Delhi Police and outlet owners is the only solution. Both Shyam Singh and Sharma advocated the increased deployment of bouncers not only within the premises but also in their vicinity. Outlet owners agree. “I agree that if there are more bouncers and better street lighting around an outlet or in the market where it is situated as well as parking lots will help a great deal,” Prabhat Kumar Sharma, manager of Urban Knights, an upscale club in south Delhi, told IANS. “We are ready to take all the steps to ensure the safety of our visitors but the deadline needs to be extended for sure,” he added. His views were corroborated by Aarti Rastogi, marketing manager at Turquoise Cottage, another popular south Delhi pub, who said that while beefing up security will certainly help, the city’s menfolk need to change their mentality as well. Meanwhile, Sharma said that his movement is gathering steam and the support base is increasing every day, thanks to a candlelight march organised at Jantar Mantar, in the city centre, and exposure on the social media. For the record, the deadline in Mumbai is 1.30 a.m. In Chennai, bars in five star hotels remain open till 12 midnight while those with special licences can run 24 hours, but they generally close down by 3 a.m. Other establishments serving liquor shut down by 11 p.m. In Bangalore, outlets can remain open till 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. On all other days they have to close down by 11.30 p.m. In Hyderabad, five-star hotels have different deadlines for closing outlets serving alcohol as per their licences while other outlets serving alcohol don’t accept orders after 10 p.m. -By Rahul Vaishnavi, IANS www.desitoday.ca
LIFE ETC.
Indian muslims should
integrate not assimilate - AMU VC
Indian Muslims should integrate but not assimilate. They should contribute in nation building, national security and economy, but conserve Islamic traditions, culture and ethos, feels Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice Chancellor Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah (retd). The former Indian Army deputy chief believes that it is only through modern scientific education that the Muslim community can overcome the challenges it faces.
“If we are educated nobody can afford to ignore us. Look at the Sikh community. They are three percent of the population but they are all over basically because they gave stress to education and nobody could ignore them. In the same way if Muslims, who are 15 percent of the population, get educated and get ready to face the future nobody can keep us behind,” Shah told IANS in an interview. “If government gives us reservation
okay but we should not try too hard. What we should try is equal opportunity. We should try for government help in founding minority institutions,” added Shah, the elder brother of renowned actor Naseeruddin Shah. Shah, who began his education in a madarsa, joined the Indian Army when he was just fifteen-and-half, rose to the third highest position in the force and since 2012 heads Aligarh Muslim University (AMU),
The Vice Chancellor of AMU, Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah felicitating more than half a dozen security personnel with bravery award.
My vision is that if we want to strengthen our community, we have to contribute towards security of our country. If our boys can join the armed forces so much the better. 76
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The Vice Chancellor of AMU, Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah
the highest school of modern learning for Muslims. Shah, who believes Indian Army is the most secular organisation of the country, is making efforts to send young Muslim boys to the armed forces. He is training class 11 and 12 students to encourage them to join National Defence Academy. “My vision is that if we want to strengthen our community, we have to contribute towards security of our country. If our boys can join the armed forces so much the better. They will not only get security for themselves, they will get well paid job, they will get security for entire community,” said Shah, who was here for a series of academic events. The vice chanceller plans to train many youngsters this year to attempt the civil services examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Shah, admitted that did not know a single English word when he joined the St. Josep’s College (school) in Nainital, has opened the gates of AMU for madarsa students. He introduced a bridge course for
50 madarsa students and 40 of them passed open competitive examinations to get admissions in Jamia Hamdard, Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU. “We are harnessing the power of the madarsas. It is my belief that any madarsa student, who is Hafiz-e-Quran (wellversed with the Quran) has got immense potential. If he can memorize the Quran, he can learn a lot. He will be ahead of other students.” “I know madarsas have been long demonized. They are called breeding ground of terrorists. Whatever the western world says I don’t believe. Madarasa are the foundation of good education to people who can’t afford education. Let us give them an opportunity prove that they are capable students,” Shah contended. He pointed out that when AMU presented the bridge course proposal to ministry of minority affairs, the government made it an all India policy and asked institutions in Muslim majority areas to follow it. Shah does not agree that there is discrimination against Muslim youths because they belong to a particular religion. “They lack self-confidence. It is the uneducated who are discriminated against,” he said. The former army officer said not once in his career he felt he was being discriminated against. “I and my buddy Azeez Baig were together in 1971 war. We could have been shot in the back nobody would have known a thing but we were not. Our troops gave us all respect. They carried us on their shoulders guarded us with their lives,” he added. - By Mohammed Shafeeq, IANS
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LIFE ETC
KNOW WHAT YOUR STAR SAYS
ARIES
(Mar 21 - Apr 19)
Arians, as per astrology horoscope 2015, Lord Jupiter is showering blessings on you. Lord of your ninth house (Bhagyesh) is in your fourth and �ifth house. Hence, �irst half of 2015 will keep your familial life beautiful. If you were struggling to go abroad, time seems favorable. Want to own a new car or home? Put some good efforts and your wish will be ful�illed. 2015 horoscope predictions forecast that the second half of 2015 is fabulous for love and marriage. According to the astrology 2015 predictions, married couples who are willing for a baby will be blessed with an angel. Businessmen will spend to expand their work. You may do something new with a brand new planning. 2015 astrology predictions foretell that you may get the support of seniors. As per the predictions of horoscopes 2015, there are beautiful chances of making good money. However, seeing the position of Saturn in eighth house and Rahu in sixth house, you may not be able to stay relaxed from your family and health front. You may have to think about these matters time to time. According to the 2015 predictions, Ketu of twelfth house is indicating that rather than being into trouble and acting like a fanatic, it would be better to take advice. Students will get results as per their hard work. REMEDY: Keep a square piece of silver with you.
TAURUS
(Apr 20 - May 20
Taureans, in 2015, Lord Jupiter seems quite happy with you. As per 2015 horoscopes, blessing of Jupiter will lead you toward the right direction, bringing you success. You will not only accomplish your tasks properly, but also will receive the honor and respect along with appreciation. Isn’t that cool? However, position of Saturn in your seventh house may bring hindrances in your income. But, don’t worry, tough times come before the good times to make you realise the worth of happiness. In addition to this, horoscope 2015 astrology predictions foretell that you may face lack of compatibility in your personal life. But, you will be the winner crossing all the barriers just by putting some efforts. If we talk about your love life, Rahu in �ifth house is indicating that truthfulness and loyalty is the most important in love. So, make it a point that you stay loyal to your partner. If we talk about wealth, this year is going to be brilliant. As per 2015 horoscope predictions, some domestic appliances like washing machine, fridge, etc. may call in some expenditure. If we talk about students, they may also get some unexpected results. Remedy: Offer you service to a black cow.
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DEC / JAN 2015
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HOROSCOPE GEMINI
(May 21 - June 21)
Geminis, 2015 is bringing a magic box of blessings for you. Looks like an amazing time! If you are planning to do something special for your loved ones, your efforts will come out with �lying colors. This is what we call “cherry on the top” in a positive way. In 2015, you have strong chances of getting name, fame, wealth and everything that one desires for. What else you can ask for? Health will also stay �ine. Even if you are going through an age old ailment, some improvement will be seen. Overall, this is the time coming with a jackpot! According to the 2015 astrology predictions, almost the entire year is wonderful for love matters. If you are working with a �irm and planning for a change, there are beautiful chances of something better. So, don’t miss any new opportunity, just grab it! On the other hand, businessmen may have to work a little harder, but remember that hard work always pays off well. Hence, don’t be afraid of working hard at all. If we talk about students, they will keep on getting positive results. REMEDY: Offer your service to the little girls.
CANCER
(June 22-July 22)
Cancerians, 2015 might be mind-blowing for you in some matters. If you have reached the age of getting married, wedding bells are all set to ring. So, be prepared! It doesn’t matter if you are getting married or anyone in your family, wedding bells will de�initely ring around you. In the matters of love, insisting for anything won’t be a good idea. So, be a little patient and act very carefully. Even for work related matters, 2015 looks quite brilliant. As per astrology prediction 2015, there are good chances of promotion. Looks like it a fantabulous time for you. You may have to travel due to work. However, most of them may go in vain. But anyways, you will be chilling out. Though your �inances seem in better health this year, yet investing with a blindfold won’t be a good idea. Finally, you got one thing to be concerned about. Health may give you some ups and downs. But, it doesn’t mean that you will de�initely fall ill. You just need to be a little cautious. Even for students, 2015 is going to be auspicious. 90% of the year seems to be favoring Cancerians. Remedy: Donate almonds in a temple.
LEO
(July 23-Aug 22)
Lions, 2015 has got mixed results for you. Don’t be confused, some will be really nice and some will be adventurous. In the �irst half of 2015, Jupiter is in your twelfth house and Saturn in fourth. Hence, you may have to face some troubles. Don’t freak out, it is the best time to test your abilities. As per horoscope 2015, you may get upset due to the behavior of some of your loved ones, but the second half of the year looks better, comparatively; and your troubles will vanish away gradually. However, I would suggest you not to bother what anyone says during this time. This is best way to keep calm and live in peace. Also, you will get a good hold over the dif�icult situations with your intelligent planning. Looks like you are quite intelligent. Astrology 2015 predictions foretell that you will feel quite better being indulged in spiritual as well as religious activities. So overall, things look quite interesting and happening this year. Utilize the best of 2015 and you will be able to �ind out hidden potentials in you, which may even make you super-human to some extent. REMEDY: Offer a mixture of rice and milk to a cow.
VIRGO
(Aug 23-Sept 22)
Virgonians, in the �irst half of 2015, position of Jupiter in eleventh house is showing that you may get various types of bene�its. You never know how many surprises are awaiting you. As per the predictions made by horoscopes of 2015, family members will also cherish the time, but it will be important to take care of everyone’s health seeing the position of Rahu in �irst house. But, there is nothing to be worried about. Just stay alert and focused on everybody’s health. In addition to all this, �irst half is also amazing for love, marriage or children. Along with this, this time is also favorable for work, business and education. Looks like 2015 is coming with lots of opportunities to party hard. However, caution is required in everything during the second half of the year. You just need to be a little alert, no need to freak out, nothing very serious is coming toward you. 2015 predictions say that expenditure may increase and your health may also deteriorate in between. Don’t worry, nothing major is going to happen with you. Hence, it will be important to work with patience and intelligence. Remedy: Offer water to the Peepal tree regularly.
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WITH GIFTED HEALER & PSYCHIC
YEAR-2015 LIBRA
(Sept 23-Oct 22)
Librans, overall, 2015 looks good for you. If we talk about familial life, some minor misunderstandings are possible. However, harmony at home won’t be disturbed. From the health point of view too, 2015 is good. If you are planning to buy a car or home, come out of the dilemmatic situation. This is the high time to take a �irm decision. According to the predictions made by 2015 horoscopes, the second half of 2015 has got the fragrance of roses and sweetness of chocolates for your love and personal life. So, be prepared for the ride of a love tunnel. 2015 astrology predictions also foretell that you are going to do something special in your work this year. Looks like you have got some new energy. According to the astrology prediction 2015, chances of promotion are also strong. Respect and honor will increase along with the public support. Bene�icial chances will also get strong, as per the predictions made by 2015 horoscope. However, expenditure may also rise due to the placement of Saturn in second house. You need to be a little stingy. 2015 horoscope says that students will get positive results. REMEDY: Apply saffron Tilak (mark on forehead).
SCORPIO
(Oct 23-Nov 21)
In 2015, most of the planets seem to be taking your side. Looks like you are on a safer side. Hence, 2015 will be quite amazing for you. As per the astrology 2015, only the position of Saturn might bring some adventure, rest everything looks brilliant. After all, couch is not the only wonder in the world, a joy ride is also important at times. Horoscopes 2015 foretell that harmony will prevail in family. 2015 is quite positive for love matters. Quite ecstatic, isn’t it? However, there might be some disturbances in married life due to the placement of Saturn in �irst house. Sometimes it is good to crave for love for a little while. Additionally, this may also give you some health related problems. Don’t worry, nothing major is seen. As per 2015 predictions, time is also bene�icial for work. So workaholics, looks like a good time for you. 2015 horoscopes also foretell that �inancial situation will get better. Start listing down all the things you need to shop. On the other hand, students will get positive results after hard work. As per 2015 horoscopes, students of business studies will cherish the second half of the year the most. REMEDY: Provide your service to monkeys, and avoid the consumption of non vegetarian food as well as alcohol.
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SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21)
Sagittarians, in the beginning of 2015, Jupiter is in your eighth house, which is not very positive. It is neither negative. Over that, Saturn is in twelfth house, so �inancial matters need to be handled cautiously. But, you need not panic managing all this. As you know that a small disturbance in �inances may bring what all types of troubles, work hard to stay at bay from any sort of problem. Only a calm and peaceful mind can do this. According to the 2015 astrology predictions, you may also feel change in the behavior of your family members. This change may even hurt you. It looks like that the entire year has taken the pledge to make you strong from all the angles of life. A feeling of insecurity may rise in you, which may also affect your health. As per the astrology prediction 2015, love matters may also stay a little dissatisfactory. But, remember - “Everything happens for good.” On the other hand, in the second half of 2015, all your wishes will start coming true. Total bliss will again start �lowing in your life, foretells horoscope for 2015. According to the horoscope 2015, income will improve and students will also get good results. Wow! Quite an adventurous ride for you. REMEDY: Donate Ghee and potato in a temple.
CAPRICORN
(Dec 22- Jan 19)
Capricorns, �irst half of 2015 is quite amazing for you. As per 2015 horoscope predictions, your outstanding plannings will keep on giving you success. You look quite brainy. Astrology 2015 predictions foretell that everything will be quite happening at your place. Everything will be positive at work. Looks like this is a celebration time for you. Financial situation will also be satisfactory. This is something going to take you unawares that so many favors are coming your way. If you have reached the age of marriage, �irst half of 2015 may add some help to you in this matter. Students will be full of the joys of spring, as they will be getting success in each endeavor. However, in the second half of 2015, the path of life might be asking for troubles. At that time, Jupiter will be in your eighth house. As a result, due to �inancial troubles, things may seem to be going far. Hence, you need to be cautious while doing everything. But, don’t worry, this is the perfect time to judge your abilities of standing still under the heavy dark clouds. Along with this, it will be better if you think twice before investing anywhere. Remedy: Flow 6 coconuts with husk in every four months in the running water.
AQUARIUS
(Jan 20-Feb 18)
Aquarians, 2015 will give you mixed results. You may feel some breach within your relations with loved ones. But, don’t cry your eyes out, everything happens for some good reason. Your bitter language could be one of its reasons. So, try to be as polite as possible. As per the horoscopes for 2015, you may stay stressed due to the health of a family member. But, nothing to be worried about, time will pass by swiftly. On the other hand, your health looks �ine. Horoscopes 2015 foretell that you may stay busy with lawsuits. But don’t worry, you will break the back of the beast. As per 2015 predictions, the second half of the year will bring betterment to your love life. Married life will be very blissful. Cupids seem quite happy with you. You will be on cloud nine. 2015 horoscopes say that good improvement at workplace is seen. It is a celebration time. According to the 2015 astrology, income and education will also increase. Looks like you are going to be on the ball this time. REMEDY: Donate yellow clothes to a priest.
PISCES
(Feb 19-Mar 20)
Pisceans, 2015 is going to begin beautifully for you. An auspicious ceremony may take place at home. It is a time to cherish the celebration at home. However, rude behavior of some family members may hurt you. But, I would suggest you to just ignore. Seeing the position of Ketu over ascendant, you need take good care of your health. In such situation, it will be important to keep an eye on your eating habits. Astrology prediction 2015 suggests you to drive very carefully. According to the horoscope 2015, time can be said nice for love matters, but position of Rahu in seventh is not considered very good, comparatively. Hence, love and faith are the major ingredients that will always be in demand. 2015 horoscope foretell that you may get a better job. You will be seen grinning from ear to ear. However, hard work and responsibilities may increase. So, be prepared. Also, there are good chances of the increment in bene�its. It is a double celebration time, so many good things are coming your way. According to the astrology 2015, time will be positive for education. But, some troubles may arise in the second half of 2015. REMEDY: Donate rice, jaggery and gram lentils in a temple. DEC / JAN 2015
News With A DEsi View
79
LIFE ETC
Tolerance and India’s Plurality The world is becoming increasingly connected, both physically and digitally. It has raised the fundamental ‘death of distance’ debate. According to the debate, the pro-side believes that the world is becoming increasingly flat while the opponents point to the relative nonavailability of data about internationalization to conclusively say that distance is dead. While we believe that, ‘distance’ still matters, we do feel that increasingly there is a movement towards distance becoming irrelevant over a longer time frame. A fundamental question then arises-what does this mean for labour and capital that are the basis of production in an economy. What about the mobility of these two within and across international borders? So far, movement of capital can happen more freely, within as well as across borders. It is because the financial architecture shaped by the digital revolution has resulted in the movement of capital relatively freely both within as well as across borders. The capital across borders mostly includes financial flows like foreign direct Investment flows, remittance flows, development assistance, etc. Also, within borders there are plenty of government schemes (think on the lines of Jan Dhan Yojana, MNREGA in India, Bolsa Familia in Brazil) as well as private sector models (like M-Pesa in Kenya) that point to an increasing effort to facilitate the flow of money and capital. Similarly, the capital markets are both deepening and widening in developing countries with better technology leading to efficient mobilization of funds. It points to relative ease of movement of capital within borders.
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DEC / JAN 2015
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Labour is mostly restricted within national borders, but migration is becoming an increasingly well-known reality. It is happening both within the country as well as abroad. Internationally, India already has the second largest diaspora abroad with some 22 million overseas Indians. Within any country, the urban – rural opportunity divide is the main driving force for movement of people to urban centers for jobs and better opportunities. In our neighborhood, China recently (since 1978) underwent the largest internal migration in human history where it saw the movement of 160 million people from its rural heartland to urban centers. It was fuelled by a desire to improve their quality of life. Similarly, India is expected to see a massive migration in the years to come as more people from its rural and suburban areas (roughly 70 percent at present) move to the urban centers (roughly 30 percentat present) over the next 20-25 years. What do these broad urbanization and globalization prospects imply for societies? In our opinion, this calls for tolerance as a fundamental driver for social progress within and across societies. Tolerance is the ‘willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own’. It appears to us that this fundamental value at the level of individuals and communities will have a very strong bearing on the way the world will re-structure in the years to come. Economic mobility should also lead to social understanding and cohesion else this will lead to a situation of alienation and conflict. The World Values Survey recently came up with data on 81 countries where respondents
were asked to identify people who they did not want as their neighbors. The survey showed that a large fraction of Indian respondents (43.5 percent) chose that they did not want a neighbor from a different race. It was the second worst percentage after Jordan where 51.4 percent surveyed people did not want people from a different race to be their neighbors. It leads us in the question of racial tolerance. While we believe this survey may not completely capture intolerance, it certainly points to some deep biases within our society. Broader and deeper research is necessary for settling the debate on racial prejudice and ways to tackle this in society. It is indeed very unnerving and painful to hear stories of northeastern people in our country being beaten and tortured in Gurgaon and Bangalore recently. Similarly, when it comes to the racial insensitivity against black people we seem to have a profound bias against them as a people. True, sometimes like everyone they might be at fault but taking the law in one’s hands is no solution to diffusing tensions and resolving matters. The recent incident where three African youth were beaten up by a mob for allegedly abusing a woman passenger inside a metro station points to a dark and disturbing trend. We as a people have been known historically for our long tradition of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence with people from other faiths and beliefs. It may be pertinent to understand what the Father of the Nation had in mind when he talked about the idea: “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.” It is critical that we don’t get blown off but equally pertinent is the willingness to let the culture of all lands blow entirely across our house. If we do not allow this to happen, we will remain autarkic to ideas and thoughts as well as to trade and commerce. It is the anti-thesis to the idea of Indian civilization that is based on tolerance, openness and mutual respect. By Amit Kapoor, IANS (The article is co-authored with Sankalp Sharma, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Competitiveness, India. is Chair, Institute for Competitiveness & Editor of Thinkers. The views expressed are personal
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LIFE ETC
Last week, my wife told me I “still had a lot of growing up to do”. I was so angry I refused to let her share this giant cardboard box I’d found. It had once contained some sort of giant TV, so was big enough for me, a pillow, the newspaper, and some kids. But I leapt out in excitement after I read an article in the paper which said radioactive wild boars, contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, had been discovered in European forests. The report infuriatingly failed to answer the obvious question: What super powers would you get if such a beast bit you? Don’t scoff. There are loads of books out now on “the science of superheroes”, showing that much of what we read or see at the movies has a scientific basis. These books are rigorous, well-written and highly persuasive, according to their authors. And they would know, right? The fact that they chose to publish them as e-books doesn’t automatically make them rubbish. Or perhaps it does, I don’t know. Anyway, these days, lawyers won’t let
people publish stuff that’s totally untrue, with the exceptions of Perez Hilton, the National Inquirer, Fox News, the entire Internet, all the newspapers, everything on Facebook et al. The subject of journalism and the law has been on my mind. Reporter friends recently toasted the fourth anniversary of the London Daily Telegraph’s famous libel case win against tennis player Robert Dee. The media dubbed Dee “the world’s worst tennis pro” so he hired lawyers to sue them. Some 30 scared media outlets printed apologies, but the Daily Telegraph did not. After the judge heard that Dee had lost 54 consecutive matches in straight sets, he dismissed the case. The following day, the Daily Telegraph printed a gloating report: “World’s Worst Tennis Player Loses Again.” That was in the West. In Asia, most people don’t expect justice. Although I have heard that the economy is so bad these days that many corporations are dropping judges from their payrolls. Can’t be bad. Going back to superheroes and radioactivity, has anyone considered what
would actually happen to Schrödinger’s cat, in the famous experiment in which a cat is put into a box with a radioactive substance? If Stan Lee, creator of Spider Man and The Hulk is correct, the cat will get superpowers and break out of the box, right? Hopefully, the cat will be able to talk, too. “You thought you could get away with locking me away for ever, Erwin. But now, revenge is mine! Mwah ha ha ha ha.” Exit one quantum scientist. I can totally see the whole movie now. Whatever. Anyway, I am delighted that scientists are at last taking the beliefs of superhero fans seriously. Perhaps they can solve one thing that has always puzzled me. Every time John Banner turns into The Hulk, all his clothes get ripped and fall off except his pants. His pants survive every time! What are they made of? Having reached the age where I am a couple of kilos heavier every year, I need a pair of those. Especially when playing games which involve climbing in and out of giant cardboard boxes. By Nury Vittachi, IANS
The science of superheroes
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DEC / JAN 2015
News With A DEsi View
81
LIFE ETC. Moti Bagh Palace, Patiala
Much more to Punjab than just agriculture, religious tourism Punjab has always been famous for its agriculture and religious tourism, particularly the holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandar Sahib (popularly known as the Golden Temple) in Amritsar. But for travel writer Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu, the state that ushered in the Green Revolution in the 1960s that made India self-sufficient in foodgrain, has much more to offer in terms of history and a rich heritage.
Takht-e-Akbari, Kalanuar
Having travelled extensively through the state, Sidhu has just penned her experiences and research on what Punjab has to offer through her contribution to a travel book, “Experience Punjab on the Road” (Times Group Books, Price: Rs 299). She is the principal writer of the book, which deals with various aspects of the state. “Driving in Punjab can be a lot of fun with good roads and the fact that the distances are not much. You can travel from one end to another in around five hours,” Sidhu, whose emphasis was to explore and share travel destinations through short trips from five main cities of Punjab - Amritsar, Patiala, Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jalandhar - told IANS here. Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort, Phillaur
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DEC / JAN 2015
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“Punjab is not all about the Golden Temple, the Attari-Wagah Retreat ceremony and the Jallianwala Bagh. The state has so much of history and heritage to offer along with food delights and the lush landscape. One unique thing about Punjab is that even its countryside is so urbane,” she said. Sidhu said that she has tried to bring out the rich historical aspect of Punjab. “This state has seen many historical events. Besides the influence of Sikhism, there is a huge Mughal imprint in the state - like Sultanpur Lodhi is important to Sikhs but has a lot of Mughal influence too.” About the things around the five main cities, Sidhu pointed out: “Amritsar is Punjab’s poster destination. It is a foodie’s delight too. Patiala has a lot of royalty and heritage in and around it. Bathinda may not have much to offer on the food front but you can see stud farms in the Muktsar area. The Ferozepur belt still has a lot of agricultural fields. Chandigarh offers nearby sites from the Harappan civilization.” Sidhu said that a lot of history and heritage in the state is getting neglected as people just have no idea on what is there around them. “Some of the heritage buildings have been converted into offices, rest houses and even colleges. In some areas, even local residents don’t know about historical buildings around them. “Take February 14 for example. Most of Punjab - and the rest of India - celebrates it as Valentine’s Day. People don’t realise that on the same date in 1556 Akbar was coronated as the emperor of Hindustan a Kalanaur (in what is now Gurdaspur district). Kalanaur even has a unique Akbari mosque,” Sidhu said. “Another unique thing is the museum at the
Police Academy in Phillaur (near Ludhiana). It has police case properties from 18th century onwards,” she said. This apart, some of the prominent heritage buildings in Punjab are the magnificent Khalsa College complex in Amritsar, the Sainik School in Kapurthala, the royal Moti Bagh Palace and Sheesh Mahal in Patiala and a number of forts and havelis. Since Punjab and its rich food also go side by side, Sidhu pointed out that the state has a lot to offer on this front.
Government-Museum & Art Gallery
“Besides the rich food from Amritsar and other places, even a place like Kot Kapura hast on offer Royal Atta Chicken - a tribal recipe originally from areas now in Pakistan. It is quite popular and has to be ordered in advance,” said Sidhu, who loves to travel and explore. For the record, thanks to the Green Revolution, Punjab today contributes over 50 percent of wheat and rice to the national kitty despite having just 1.54 percent of the country’s geographical ar ea. - By Jaideep Sarin, IANS
Khalsa College Complex, Amritsar
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