The Express Tribune Magazine - January 20

JANUARY 20-26 2013

Green Thumb 101 Everything you need to know to be able to say goodbye to your sabziwalas!

JANUARY 20-26 2013

Cover Story

17 Sow, you want to grow?

Say goodbye to the greengrocer and learn how to grow your own!

Features

26 Obama’s Pakistani Connection Meet Rayid Ghani, the man who helped Obama win a second term

34 Living Under Modi’s Shadow Who knows Narendra Modi better than the Muslims of Gujrat?

Comment

38 Thanks But No Tanks First of all, thanks to the Almighty, the boys played well

17

Travel

29 For an Apple a Day, Go Almaty’s Way

29

Forget New York, Almaty is the real Big Apple

Regulars

6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 40 Reviews: The Hunt For Bin Laden 42 Healthy Living: Erasing Wrinkles

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Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Farahnaz Zahidi, Sub-Editors: Ameer Hamza and Dilaira Mondegarian.

Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Maha Haider, Faizan Dawood, Samra Aamir, Sanober Ahmed.

Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Farah and Asad Mathira

Tania and Tara

arachi K in y t r a p a New Year s ld o h g n o Z

Zehra Bokhari, Saqib Malik, Atiya Khan and Shehla Chatoor

6 JANUARY 20-26 2013

Deepak Perwani, Sehar Ali, Frieha Altaf and Ali Kamran

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR & MARKETING

Areeba

Humaima Malik

JANUARY 20-26 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR & MARKETING

Tapu Javeri and Aliya Zaidi

Batool Rizvi and Umar Sayeed

Fariha Subhani

Mr and Mrs Intesar

Iraj Manzoor

8 JANUARY 20-26 2013

Farhan and Rukaiya Adamjee

Konain

Aijaz Aslam

JANUARY 20-26 2013

Alizeh

Iman and Labeeka JANUARY 20-26 2013

Sophiya Khan

Amna Babar and Saim

Uzma and Ayaz

10

The clothing brand Forest Blu launches in Lahore

Hammad and Atif

PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR PR AND EVENTS

PEOPLE & PARTIES

JANUARY 20-26 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Cristina Afridi and Nida Ali

Daniela and Terrell

Diet Pepsi and Verve host a New Years Eve Ball in Islamabad Sehar Malik and Sana

Michelle and Tania

Noah and Ahmer

12 JANUARY 20-26 2013

Tashia and Yasir

PHOTOS COURTESY VERVE PR

Michele A Galopin

Hassan, Palwasha and Arsalan

PHOTOS COURTESY VERVE PR

Sonia and Usman

Murtaza and Imaan

Omer and Sana

Adnan and Mohammed

Sidra and Khizer

Imtisal

Barry and Wajiha

13 JANUARY 20-26 2013

JANUARY 20-26 2013

JANUARY 20-26 2013

JANUARY 20-26 2013

sow, you want to grow?

COVER STORY

BY ZAHRA ALI

The healthiest food is found closest to its source, so why not bring the source home? Whether you have a sprawling garden or a tiny balcony, here’s how you can grow your own greens

17 JANUARY 20-26 2013

COVER STORY FEATURE Have you ever asked yourself where your food comes from? Most of the vegetables, herbs and fruits that you consume on a daily basis are grown outside our cities on farms and fields. Tons of chemical pesticides are regularly sprayed on these vegetables to prevent any crop loss and cases where sewage water is being used to irrigate fields are common. After the harvest, crops travel in an open vehicle to the sabzi mandi where vegetables are treated with more chemicals to increase their shelf life, add aroma and make the skin look fresh for a longer period of time.

Then the shopkeepers, stores and sabzi-walas come in and then, at long

last, the produce actually makes it to your table. By the time it does, it’s

gone through many hands and a whole lot of chemical treatment. It’s not good for the environment and it’s certainly not good for you!

But what if I told you that you could eat your own home grown chemi-

cal free organic food on a regular basis? And that too without a degree in botany!

You do not need acres of space to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, as

even a small garden will support some edible crops. Whether you live in a bungalow with enough space to start a vegetable patch or a tiny apart-

ment, there is an endless range of mouth-watering vegetables, herbs and fruits that you can grow organically throughout the year.

The First Steps: • An ideal starting point would be to ask yourself what you want to grow. Make a list of your family’s most loved vegetables and fruits.

Also include herbs that you use daily and add new vegetables that you are curious about and want to try.

• Children love to sow fast growing vegetables. Get them on board and your kitchen garden can turn into a learning experience for your kids.

You can even make them fall in love with vegetables simply by making them grow them from a seed!

• Next, try to consider what you can grow in the space you have. Think

about the quantity needed to feed your family. There is no point of having two lemon trees for a family of four.

• It’s a good idea to start with easy to grow vegetables just to gain

confidence and ‘green’ your thumb. Most vegetables and herbs are

problem free and can be harvested in 12 to 16 weeks. Growing fruits on the other hand is a long-term investment. However, once they start producing fruit, it will keep coming for decades.

• Your kitchen garden will require your love and attention. Do reserve some time every day to water and watch your garden grow.

18 JANUARY 20-26 2013 JULY 4-10 2010

Designing and planting a Balcony Kitchen Garden Now you must be thinking, what if I live in an apartment? Well, living in an apartment must not keep you from having a healthy green space. Even small spaces such as a balcony can become a rewarding and refreshing garden of your own. All you need is some planning.

Depending on the size of your balcony and also the amount of sun you get, select the sunniest

location for vegetables and partially sunny spots for herbs. Clearly, you will be growing your crops

in pots, so it is important that you provide nutrients organically to your plants. Try to get organic compost (see Natural Fertilisers) and add the same amount of soil to make a balanced mix for a combination of hanging baskets, terracotta pots and trays in your balcony.

Here are some crops you can grow easily in different sizes of containers on your balcony.

Soil depth 4 inches 6-8 inches 10-12 inches 14-20 inches

Crops Lettuce, baby spinach, small radish etc Greens, container carrots, small beats, bush beans, basil, parsley, thyme, coriander, mint, dill etc Beats, Chinese cabbage , cherry tomatoes, peas, spring onions, strawberries, lemon grass etc Hot and sweet peppers, cucumbers , eggplants, bush tomatoes, pole beans, broccoli, zucchini , corn etc

For a balcony garden, select crop varieties wisely. There is no point of growing a huge sponge gourd vine in a large container on a balcony; instead, grow a compact zucchini plant. It is a worthwhile investment to keep

a lemon or lime plant in a pot too. Some fruits such as falsa berry, strawberries, pineapples, chikoo, citrus

and even grapes will fruit in pots. Carefully select containers of the right size for your trees but do consider

having fruits like strawberries that require small pots and can be moved easily if you plan to shift from your apartment.

Planting a vegetable patch All this sounds intimidating doesn’t it? Well don’t worry, you do not need a team of gardeners and

specialised tools to start your own organic vegetable patch. Vegetable growing can be highly deco-

rative while being productive and fairly simple once you get the hang of it. Apart from pots and containers, you just need a small spade, a weeding fork (weeder) a watering can, a branch cutter and so on. Gardening gloves are helpful as well.

Soil is the most important element for your plants. Add lots of well rotted animal manure or or-

ganic compost weeks before you plan to plant your vegetables it it. During this time, start growing

your seedlings in pots which will be ready to be transplanted in a few weeks. Some vegetables such as sponge gourd, beans, corn etc will be planted directly into the soil.

You patch can be a raised bed or be at ground level. Whatever the shape of the beds, make sure to

keep them narrow so that you can reach the middle from either sides without stepping on the soil.

Usually this width is of four feet. Some gardeners like to grow vegetables in neat rows, while oth-

ers are inspired by cottage gardening and they plant vegetables and herbs closely combined with fruits and flowers to avoid weeds and to create an attractive display of edible plants.

19 JULY20-26 4-10 2010 JANUARY 2013

COVER STORY FEATURE

The prettiest vegetables for your kitchen garden Did you know that some people grow vegetables just to add to the beauty of their houses and gardens?

• Yellow pear cherry tomatoes are famous heirloom toma-

toes that look stunning in any garden. Explore tomatoes; you will always have something new to plant.

• Beans come in diverse shapes and sizes and have beau-

tiful flowers. Include any climbing beans to add height to your garden.

• Red cabbage, purple Brussels sprouts, Black Tuscan Kale:

in short, a combination of Brassicas will look great in a winter garden.

• Vibrant and mouth-watering sweet peppers and hot chil-

lies will add spark to your kitchen garden.

• Winter salads and leaves come in an amazing variety of

colours and textures. Pick a mix variety and you will never get bored of having them every day!

• Chives, basil, parsley, fenugreek, dill, fennel, oregano and all other herbs can be included in pots or between your

vegetable plants to enjoy their colours and to fill your garden with a pleasing fragrance.

An Organic Garden

A garden grown by making use of nature’s ways of nurturing plants is not just beneficial for us, but for wildlife and the environment in general. Since

you are starting an organic garden, these tricks will help you succeed without using any chemicals for fertilising your vegetables or for pest control.

Crop Rotation: The vegetable plot must be divided into four or five sections.

Permanent crops stay in one section while each year, other sections move to the next section. This prevents a build up of pests and disease, helps prevent

nutrient depletion and results in healthier soil. If you have a container garden, you can do the same with your seasonal vegetable pots.

Companion plantation: This is when two or more crops are grown together to benefit each other in terms of pest control and to attract beneficial insects.

This also creates a beautiful landscape and can be effective in container gar-

dening too. Growing Brussels sprouts with dill in a large pot or having chives growing in a rose container helps keep the bad bugs away and also creates an amazing contrast of colours and textures.

Tomatoes love the company of celery, parsley, basil, carrots, chives, mari-

golds, garlic and sweet corn, whether it’s in a casserole or a kitchen garden!

20 JANUARY JULY 4-10 20-26 2010 2013

Other pest control methods There are several ways of dealing with pests without using synthetic chemicals.

Provide correct conditions for plants. If they are healthy they can better fight disease.

• Hanging a compact disc is a fun way to scare away marauding birds.

• Water washes away aphids, spider mites and other small pests from plant foliage. Srpay your plants with water regularly.

• Insecticidal soaps and botanical insecticides are also effective but need to be

used frequently and sometimes can also harm beneficial insects. Avoid these except in cases of serious infestations.

• It is wise to include flowers like marigold to deter pests without using chemi-

cals in your garden. Some edible flowers such as Calendula, Nasturtium and

Pansies will grow well in hanging baskets and will also attract beneficial insects while adding pleasing colours to your kitchen garden.

Natural Fertilizers

Nature offers us many ways to fertilise our plants without using any

synthetic chemicals. While it’s hard to maintain a 100% organic vegetable garden it is not impossible. Here are some ideas:

• Grow beans on your vegetable plot to fix nitrogen in your soil naturally.

This will help produce healthy vegetables the next season.

• Add well-rotted animal manure to your soil to make it rich in organic mat-

Sow close to home!

livestock farms that use antibiotics and other medicines on their animals,

To sow something today, you do not even need to get out of

etables. Knowing your source is important.

greek seeds (meethi dana), coriander (sabut dhaniya), onion

ter. However, most of the manure that is available in the city comes from

some of which is then transferred into the manure and can affect your veg-

• Making your own compost at home is fairly easy. For small-scale outdoor composting, enclosed bins are the most practical. The least expensive meth-

od is to build one yourself from a heavy-duty garbage can. Simply drill 1.5cm

your home. Open up your kitchen pantry and look for fenu-

seeds (Kalonji), fennel (saunf) etc. Cover them lightly with soil and water softly. ]

aeration holes in rows at roughly 15cm intervals around the can. Fill the can

Get in the (growing) zone

printed newspaper, brown paper, saw dust and garden waste. Add water if

lowest winter temperatures it gets. It is a good idea to calculate

with vegetable peels, eggshells, used tea bags, shredded black and white it is dry, or dry material if it is soggy. Stir the contents occasionally to speed up the composting process. Compost can be made in as little as six to eight

weeks or it may take up to a year or more. Readymade organic composts are also available.

• For container gardens, using compost tea is also an option. This is made

by steeping or soaking compost in water. Seaweed extract is also used by

vegetables growers and can be made at home easily. If you can get a hold of seaweed, that is.

• The whole idea of having an organic vegetable garden is to first trace your

source of food, and then try to make it as pure as possible by mimicking na-

ture. Growing your own vegetables and making your own fertiliser and pes-

ticides might seem like a lot of work but the satisfaction of growing food for yourself and your family is worth it. Sow something today!

Each city has a different growing zone that is calculated by the what the range in your area is before you begin to select seeds.

As you start on your gardening adventure, it’s a good idea to visit local nurseries, flower shows and such to develop contacts and learn tips and tricks. To help you out, here’s a handy list of websites and blogs that can be of use to you:

www.gardeningpakistan.com — Gardening Pakistan Forums www.lahoregardening.com/ — Garden Geek

www.hsp48.org/ — The Horticultural Society of Pakistan, http://organicpk.blogspot.com/ — Organic Pakistan http://www.pakissan.com — Pakissan

You can visit Zahra’s own blog at http://cropsinpots.blogspot.com/

, check out her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cropsinpot or contact her directly on crops.in.pots@gmail.com

21 JULY20-26 4-10 2013 2010 JANUARY

FEATURE

connection

Few know that one of the key people behind Obama’s stunning re-election is a brilliant Pakistani called Rayid Ghani

BY ZAINAB IMAM

US President Obama’s electoral victory in 2012 marks the first time that a political campaign has made extensive use of data mining and analysis techniques that are used in only the most sophisticated corners of Corporate America. Team Obama revolutionised political interaction on social media by creating tools enabling supporters to take twitter and Facebook by storm. There were hashtags, updates on Tumblr, photos on Instagram, videos on YouTube, pinboards on Pintrest and even playlists on Spotify.

Few people know that, Rayid Ghani, a Pakistani formerly

since worked extensively in analytics and data mining.

Ghani joined the Obama campaign in July 2011, when the US

economy was tanking and most political analysts believed that the White House was the Republicans’ for the taking.

The pressure was on from day one. The campaign was al-

ready making phone calls and sending emails to people who had signed up as volunteers and donors. They were pulling up data from Obama’s first election campaign back in 2008, including

several kinds of data sources which were to form the backbone of Ghani and his team’s work.

“We had a number of lists — donors, volunteers, registered

working at Chicago’s Accenture Technology Labs, was the brains

voters, email addresses, Facebook likes, Twitter followers etc.

quarters of the Obama Campaign, Ghani designed an entire

could do more effective campaigning,” he explains.

behind this operation. In the ‘tech cave’ at the Chicago headprogramme based on data mining, analytics and reporting. The

The idea was to connect all this [data about people] so that we

The team then organised the lists so as to spot patterns that

goal: Obama’s Presidential Re-election.

would help them better communicate with people and, if need

work for the campaign, the strategy he followed and what we in

something about a person as a volunteer, I would want to use it

As Obama begins his second term, we speak to Ghani about his

Pakistan, a nascent democracy, can learn from it.

“I had just decided to leave my previous job and was looking to

be, win them over to their side. “The challenge was that if I know when talking to him or her about voting,” Ghani explains.

For instance, if the compiled data showed that a person is both

get more involved with non-profits. The campaign approached

a volunteer and a donor, the team would communicate with

could have more of an impact by working with the campaign for

tion relevant to both volunteering and donating.

me before I even had time to look for something else. I knew I

26

who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2001 and has

18 months than on anything else during the time,” says Ghani, JANUARY 20-26 2013

them keeping both those facts in mind and give them informaAs fascinated as I was with the idea, given my love for organisa-

tion techniques that enhance efficiency, this sounded like really intense work. “It is,” he confirms. “Towards the end, he says, the

team would often spend 18 to 20 hours per day at the campaign office, including weekends.”

The hiring was done with a lot of care. “Because it was such

intense work, we hired people who would be able to handle the stress. We hired a mix of people — professionals who had been working in the industry for several years, PhDs who had just

finished their degrees, graduate students who were still in PhD programs. Many of the people on the team had a graduate degree

in some quantitative field,” says Ghani. “One of the challenges

in this situation is that you’re not paying people as much as they

would get in a company. On top of that, you’re asking them to

A candidate who doesn’t appeal to the voters of a country can’t win using all the data and analytics in the world

drop their lives, and move to Chicago for a short time. That’s why

a lot of people who applied for these positions and got hired were younger people.”

There was plenty of work for everyone. Data was coming in

by the minute, sometimes even the second, as people signed up

make a phone call.

While those outside the campaign were following every news

to volunteer or donate and an automated system would add the

item on the election, the ones inside tried to ignore it as much

be used by the team that was in-charge of sending out email mes-

information about the state of the elections, and if you’re doing

name to the existing list. This updated information would then sages and making phone calls on behalf of the campaign. The latter was the tricky part, because this is where the campaign

actually went out to interact with the people. Campaign workers and volunteers were given a pre-written script to use as a guide to

as they could. “Obviously inside the campaign, you have better your job, you’re actually changing those numbers,” he says. “The

news was often more entertaining than anything else. Every

time the media would report on something our team was supposedly working on, we would chuckle because none of us were JANUARY 20-26 2013

27

FEATURE

Towards the end, he says, the team would often spend 18 to 20 hours per day at the campaign office, including weekends

talking to the media and these articles would often just be conjecture!”

Come Election Day, every single person in the campaign office

felt a level of stress that could drive a cucumber crazy! “We were

trying to predict things on an individual level ie which way a person will vote and then aggregate up to the electorate. And even

though we had confidence in our results, we couldn’t be 100% sure. Our work was all based on probabilities which meant that

there was uncertainty in our predictions. We were hopeful that we would win but you can’t be 100% sure until it’s over,” says Ghani.

Then came the morning after and it was surreal — not least

because the president himself was overcome with emotion while thanking the campaign team and the volunteers. “I was there,

yes. After his speech, he walked around the office thanking peo-

ple, shaking hands, and hugging the staff,” says Ghani, fondly.

He pauses and I ask him how he celebrated the victory. “We all just went home and slept because we hadn’t done that in days!” he says, laughing.

Whether or not Pakistanis like to admit this, Obama is a figure

who has had a lasting impact on election campaigns both in his

own country and abroad, including Pakistan. For example, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf often uses the slogan “Yes We Khan”,

a slightly modified version of the “Yes We Can” slogan from Obama’s 2008 election campaign. Another innovative aspect of

the ’08 campaign that caught on was intelligent usage of social media, which was followed first by the PTI and then by almost all

other rival political parties. I ask Ghani if he thinks data mining will catch on too.

“Efficiency is even more important in countries where money

is scarce and this model is certainly applicable in ways more than one,” he says. “Every campaign has resources [money and people]

and figuring out how to most efficiently allocate these is critical to winning.”

When I point out to the lack of data-driven research in Paki-

stan, he agrees that that makes it a little more difficult for Pakistan. “Campaign workers might have to go out and get their own data. The data is better in the US than in other countries. But

everything we did from fundraising to recruiting and mobilising

volunteers, to assessing voter behaviour to what ads to buy, all of that is almost equally applicable in other countries.”

In the end, he says what matters is the candidate and no

amount of effort or level of efficiency can help a bad candidate

win. “A candidate who doesn’t appeal to the voters of a country

can’t win using all the data and analytics in the world. This type

of technology only helps at the margins. A lot of the work we did eventually was successful because we had large numbers of motivated and energised volunteers who were taking our message and talking to voters and they were there because they believed

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in the message and in the candidate himself.”

JANUARY 20-26 2013

TRAVEL

for an apple a day,

go almaty’s way Discovering a winter wonderland in the heart of Central Asia

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY FAISAL KAPADIA

My misconceptions about visiting the city of Almaty vanished as soon as I set foot in Kazakhstan. Had I not been invited by the KIMEP University to train in the Tech Forum Central Asia Conference, I would probably never have ventured to the largest of the ‘stans of Central Asia’. What initially appeared as a distant city in a land unknown soon endeared itself to me with all the novelty it offered.

Located on the foot hills of the northern Tian Shan mountain range (the an-

cient mount Imon), Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, and is modern

and culturally diverse. It was the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997, when it lost this status to Astana. Once very much shielded from our gaze behind the Iron

Curtain, Almaty seemed to me to be a far away place, alien and exotic. Actually, it’s just a 6 hour flight from Karachi, and that too if you take a flight via Abu

Dhabi or Dubai. If you are flying from Lahore or Islamabad, you may be able to shave off another hour or so.

The descent to Almaty in wintertime is a breathtaking one. It seems like the

aircraft is hovering above a miniature snow globe, dancing and swirling with white flakes under its glassy interior. Only this time the plane breaks the glass bubble and lands on this white pristine wonderland.

It may be slightly alarming at first for anyone not used to the sight of white

powdery snow constantly descending on the city — for as long as 5 hours a day JANUARY 20-26 2013

29

TRAVEL

in some cases. Luckily, the temperature during my stay there did not fall below -2 degrees and it felt just like Nathia Gali or Swat. The great thing about

It seems like the aircraft is hovering above a miniature snow globe, dancing and swirling with white flakes under its glassy interior.

Only this time the plane breaks the glass bubble and lands on this white pristine wonderland

Almaty is that even though it’s snowing constantly, it is always business as usual. Mornings begin with snow ploughs clearing the roads, people scurrying to work, cars and aircrafts moving as per usual. Coming to Almaty really makes you forget that the concept of weather delays even exists.

Grand mosques stand side-by-side with majestic cathedrals, while soviet-

era domes jostle for space with the newer glass, steel and concrete skyscrap-

ers that dot the city’s skyline. In the backdrop are towering blue and white

mountains that surround the city as if to shield it from the eyes of invaders. It is a city made famous by its apples, and it will surely offer you many varieties from the interior of the city or from the hillsides. The apple festival is a superb

attraction in the summer, and it is from this abundance of apples that the city finds its name — ‘Almaty’ or ‘the city of apples’ in Kazakh.

Here in Pakistan, with our daily dosage of American media and Hollywood

movies, anything Russian is invariably cast as alien or exotic. But Almaty, on the edge of the Russian border, has a charm that defies the stereotype and

wins your heart almost instantly. Despite the language and cultural barrier,

you can instantly connect with the people of Almaty. Although they are predominantly Muslim, the people of Almaty are very secular and at ease with

themselves and their identity. And they also seem happy with their leadership headed by President Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev, even though they

do not live under a democratic framework. Perhaps this is because the per capita income of the population has increased tenfold since the time of independence. The sense of contentment is almost palpable, gauged through even the smallest of interactions with the residents of the city.

My recommendation for any visitor to Almaty is to explore the city on foot.

There are not many cities in this world which are as pedestrian-friendly as Almaty, especially in the winter haze. A sip from a hot mug of coffee as you meander along the roads of Almaty, all in a white picturesque setting of powdery snowfall, is an unrivalled experience. There are no security issues here, and

streets are often watched carefully by police in uniform and in plain clothes.

Refreshingly for us Pakistanis, there is absolutely zero worry about being harassed or mugged. In fact, it is not a bad idea to stop and chat with the locals,

30

since most of them are friendly and speak very good English.

JANUARY 20-26 2013

A visit to St Nicholas Cathedral is a must; it gives you a mag-

nificent flashback to the architecture and the colours of Czarist Russia. Its pale blue exterior and golden domes are straight out of

a fairy tale, and the insides are dotted with candles and restored frescos. It is an unforgettable experience for anyone with an eye for aesthetics.

The modern Almaty boasts of several malls and shopping pla-

There are no security issues here, and streets are often watched carefully by police in uniform and in plain clothes.

Refreshingly for us Pakistanis, there is absolutely zero worry about being harassed or mugged

zas like the “Silk way city” and the largest Mega centre, “Alma

Ata”. The Zelyony bazaar is an enthralling experience with its

stalls of fresh and dried fruits, as well as chunks upon chunks of meat. This is where the locals shop and if you are feeling courageous you can purchase fermented mare’s milk, “kumys,” as well

as fermented camel’s milk “shubat”. A good idea is to sit in one of the cafes overlooking the bazaar, munching on some bread and

cheese and sipping coffee while watching the city on a winter morning.

Almaty has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes serving hot

tea and coffee as well as different international cuisines. But no

culinary tour of this city would be complete without a visit to the

Yubileyny area. From dawn to dusk, one can see lines of people waiting to gorge themselves on “donor kebabs” more familiar to us as “shawarmas”. The crisp bread is stuffed with flavoured

meat, sour cream onions and carrots, and complemented with big, fat French fries. You can enjoy the food as you leisurely walk in the area or sit in one of the cafeterias. Most of these stalls also

provide fresh pomegranate juice which makes a chilling complement to the piping hot sandwiches.

The city also boasts a cable car for the more aerial enthusiasts;

for those eager for a more personal connection with Mother Nature, the city offers various tour-guides who are willing to take

you on a hike up in the mountains or a ski trip for the day. It is said that the view experienced from the mountains is a scene from the heavens. Unfortunately, my limited time in this place did not allow for such an excursion.

In a way, I am actually glad for this lost opportunity, now I have

a reason to return to Almaty, and refresh my memories of this

living and breathing snow globe, where the steadily descending snowflakes mark its fragrant pathways by day and by night.

JANUARY 20-26 2013

31

FEATURE A few hours after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi won his third election on December 20, 2012 I walked down the street in my neighborhood of Juhapura on the outskirts of Ahmedabad to interview survivors of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Once a mixed Hindu Muslim area, Juhapura with 300,000 residents and counting, is today one of the largest Muslim ghettos in India. In my two years of conducting research, I have managed to find only six Hindu residents in Juhapura.

Most people in Juhapura moved here after the 1985, 1992, or the

2002 riots in Gujarat. Others, like me, came to Juhapura because they could not find housing elsewhere in Ahmedabad due to anti-Muslim housing discrimination.

Just off the main road in Juhapura is Siddiqabad, a colony of 200

homes built for survivors of the Gulbarg massacre, when a Hindu

living un

modi’s sha Ten years after the 2002 riots, what is life like for Gujrat’s Muslims?

mob attacked the neighborhood and set it on fire. 35 people including Ehsan Jafri, a former Congress MP, were burned alive in

the attack. Everyone in Siddiqabad lived in the relief camps after the 2002 riots, some for as long as ten months.

Help finally came from a local Islamic NGO run by a leader of

the Tablighi Jamaat. Residents were re-settled into Siddiqabad and each family was promised a two bedroom home, a function-

ing school, and a gutter line. Instead they were given cramped one bedroom flats, a tiny classroom now filled with goat droppings, and no drainage system.

When I asked a local leader of the Tablighi Jamaat, he said that

Siddiqabad (which means “place of friendship”) was never meant to be a permanent home — it was just a transitional location. But that “transition” has lasted ten years. Now anger has turned in-

wards, as it is wont to do if ignored, and residents tell me it is the Islamic NGOs — not Modi — who have failed them.

And yet each time Modi wins, resentment against him resur-

faces and Muslims are reminded of the grim reality in Gujarat: that Modi is popular because of the riots — not despite the riots.

As a TV flashed the news of Modi’s victory, I asked a 33 year old

rickshaw driver in Siddiqabad whose home was burned down in the 2002 riots what he thought of Modi.

“India does not know who Modi is,” Imran said shaking his

head. “But we know who Modi is.”

I took my camera out and started filming.

“It is no use,” he told me. “People do not listen to us or want to

talk about those days. For them, he is Bhagwan.”

I have become used to the use of abstract pronouns in Ju-

hapura: “them” is Hindus, “those days” are the riots, and “he” is Modi. Modi’s biggest achievement may be just that: he is the default “He” in Gujarat.

Modi may have become “God” but now he wants something

34

perhaps more powerful—the role of India’s next prime minister.

But the problem is: does Modi know who Modi is?

JANUARY 20-26 2013

BY ZAHIR JANMOHAMED

nder

adow

I asked him why he supports Modi and he lashed out at me: “It is easy for you to say these things. You do not have a wife or kids in Gujarat. Your factory was not burned down in the riots. You do not have to live here.”

It does not appear so.

At times during this past election it seemed like Modi was not

running against the Congress party but against his former self.

But the more he tried to pivot, the more he kept tripping up and

to an NDTV poll, only 30% of Gujaratis want to see improved re-

lations with Pakistan, compared with 72% in Punjab and 42% in neighboring Rajasthan.

After the Godhra train fire in 2002, Modi was quick to blame

showing flashes of his old (and true?) self.

Pakistan for its role in the attack. But as he prepared to host his

communal harmony. This past Ramazan he hosted an iftar and

welcome a visiting delegation of investors from Pakistan and has

Earlier in 2012, he launched a three day Sadbhavna fast for

spoke during the election about Muslims being his “brothers.”

But during this past election, the BJP failed to give a single ticket

to a Muslim candidate, despite the rising number of Muslims

biennial Vibrant Gujarat Forum, he rolled out the red carpet to

even talked about easing visa restrictions for Pakistani business leaders.

Even Modi’s election victory speech was filled with contradic-

who now support the BJP in Gujarat.

tions. For a man who has come to embody Gujarati identity, it

tis find central to their identity: hatred of Pakistan. According

Hindi.

Modi has even flipped flopped over an issue that some Gujara-

is telling that Modi chose to venerate his Gujarati supporters in JANUARY 20-26 2013

35

FEATURE

36

I have become used to the use of abstract pronouns in Juhapura: “them” is Hindus, “those days” are the riots, and “he” is Modi. Modi’s biggest achievement may be just that: he is the default “He” in Gujarat

“I only think about Gujarat, Gujarat and Gujarat,” Modi said in

Hindi as an adoring crowd shouted back, “PM PM PM!”

“I just have one dream, Gujarat,” he said and then a few mo-

ments later added, “The BJP victory was for every Indian whether

they are in Assam or Kerala or Jammu or Kashmir.” He praised himself for running a campaign that was not “spicy or against anyone” but then made a jab at the Congress party when he said

Gujarat is “moving past the violent days of the (Congress ruled) 1980s.”

The once media-shy Modi has often said he has nothing to

apologise for but in his victory speech he did just that. “There

may have been a time when I hurt someone or when I made a mistake,” Modi said. “I ask my 60 million Gujaratis to forgive me.”

None seemed pleased with his apology. Hardline Hindutva

supporters felt betrayed by Modi’s softening Hindutva during the campaign and Muslims wanted a more explicit reference to the

JANUARY 20-26 2013

may be that Gujarat is now, and may be for generations to come,

a one party — or I should say one man — state. Sure you can criticise Modi but do you really want to disbelieve in “God” in as religiously charged a state as Gujarat?

For Gujarat Muslims, it is a question of choosing the least

worst option. Sabir Kabliwala is a former Congress MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) who recently contested the election from the Jamalpur-Khadia district in the old city of Ahmedabad.

Jamalpur is completely Muslim; Khadia is entirely Hindu, and that too, an RSS stronghold.

To nearly everyone’s surprise, the Congress party extended

the ticket to Sameer Khan, a 20 something municipal corporator

whose father, Vazeer Khan, is the Gujarat Congress Party minority cell president (and as Kabliwala claims is also a well known bootlegger in Gujarat, which is a dry state).

Modi was so keen for Kabliwala to join his campaign that when

Kabliwala’s son got married, Modi showed up at his son’s wedding — twice.

After Kabliwala was denied the Congress ticket, he opted to

run as independent, to see if there is a way to carve out a new path for Muslims in Gujarat. This ended up splitting the Muslim vote and the BJP candidate, Bhushan Bhatt, pulled off a victory.

I asked if Kabliwala will now consider Modi’s offer to join the

BJP or if he will petition to rejoin the Congress. He smiled. “In

Gujarat, you just have to chose: do you want the knife in the front or in the back.”

Is it true, I asked him, that some Muslims — especially wealthy

business owners — support the BJP out of fear? The talkative

Kabliwala, one of Ahmedabad’s wealthiest Muslims, was unusually short in his answer: “yes, it is true.”

I asked him to elaborate but he just kept repeating: “yes, it is

true.”

Across town I went to meet another one of Gujarat’s wealthy

Muslim business owners, who I was told has a large photo of Modi in his office. I sat in an oversized plush leather chair as his assistant brought me a plate of khari biscuits and chai.

He agreed to meet on one condition: I could not use his name.

A few minutes into the interview I asked him why he supports

2002 riots in his apology.

This is the paradox Modi faces: to win in polarised Gujarat, it

is Modi’s communalism, his neglect of Muslims, his Gujarati

chauvinism that makes him revered among most. Yet it is these very things that Modi knows will be his liability outside of Gujarat. This may be his undoing. He is used to crowds swooning

for him, and as he prepares to move to the Centre, he will be

forced to compromise as he attempts to please Indians from other states.

Compromise is, after all, antithetical to the project that Modi

has been building for so many years. His greatest achievement

Modi and he lashed out at me. “It is easy for you to say these things. You do not have a wife or kids in Gujarat. Your factory was not burned down in the riots. You do not have to live here.”

Before I could finish my chai, he asked me to leave. As I walked

towards the door, I put my hand on my heart and apologised for my question.

He held the door open as I left his factory.

“Do you think I want to put up this picture of Modi in my of-

fice?”

Zahir Janmohamed is writing a book about the aftermath of the Gujarat riots.

He previously served as the Advocacy Director for Amnesty International and as a Senior Foreign Policy Aide in the US Congress. Follow him on Twitter @zahirj

JANUARY 20-26 2013

37

REVIEW

the ultimate whodunnit

BY KHADIJA RAZA

Shaukat Qadir’s Operation Geronimo began as a quest to uncover the story of Osama bin Laden’s death. It now stands as a detailed volume, based on accounts by officers of Pakistan’s armed forces, locals, militants, local and foreign press, describing bin Laden’s arrival in Pakistan and his ultimate execution at the hands of the Americans Shakat Qadir is convinced that Bin Laden would have continued to live in hiding had he not been ‘sold out’ by the people closest to him.

He sets the premise for his conviction that someone led the CIA to OBL, right from the first page. ‘When it came to planning major operations, OBL insisted on being present and frequently disrupted everything by coming up with fantasies. He was obviously deteriorating due to a state bordering permanent delusion; perhaps ‘’premature senility’’ would best describe his condition’ Woven into this tapestry of loyalty, betrayal, intrigues and twists are high-profile names — the ISI, CIA, Bin Laden’s wives, his mentor al Iraqi, and his associates: al Zawahiri, al Misri, al Libi, Arshad Khan, and Khalid Shaikh Muhammed. Based on a mixture of facts and conjecture, the author subtly implicates OBL’s wife Khairee Bin Laden and some al Qaeda members by connecting them to the CIA and ISI. From the first page of the book, Qadir draws attention to a consensus among the al Qaeda Shura (High Council) that bin Laden must retire. “Nobody wanted him dead,” writes Qadir. “The question was how to put him on the shelf”.

The answer to this puzzle is bin Laden’s ‘elusive mentor’ — al Iraqi, a deeply venerated and ailing leader of Al Qaeda.

Bin Laden is tricked by al Zawahiri into writing to his elusive mentor, purportedly requesting his advice on capturing Kahuta, Pakistan’s nuclear facility and Bin Laden’s latest obsession. At the same time, unknown to Bin Laden, al Zawahiri is corresponding with al Iraqi, requesting him to push Bin Laden’s retirement.

Soon after, Khairee, one of Bin Laden’s older and estranged wives, arrives in Abbottabad after having been released by the Iranian authorities. She decides to join her husband in a foreign country not only at a time when matters are grave politically, but when Bin Laden’s relationship with her is also in turmoil. At this point, the reader has the liberty to engage in endless conspiracy theories. Was Attiya Abdul Rehman, the Chief of Operations for Al Qaeda, really so suspicious of Khairee that he had her strip-searched for homing devices? Or was it the other way round? Did Attiya actually keep Khairee long enough to reassure bin Laden that Khairee could be trusted? Was there a deliberate “leak” somewhere so as to enable the CIA to track Khairee to Bin Laden’s lair? Is it possible that her release was “arranged”? Was she the trusted courier that led to CIA to Bin Laden?’

40 JANUARY 20-26 2013

Throughout the book, I could not but notice a soft spot for the enigmatic founder of Al Qaeda; a man who shook the world and then was reduced to a pitiable state by this complicated web of intrigues and betrayals.

Essentially it is a compilation of accounts from different sources, which lets the reader come to his or her own conclusions of what might have or might not have happened in Abbottabad. Web links provided by the author tempt the reader to go back and forth into corroborating stories. Hence the reader enters into a labyrinth of narratives — incidents, versions and perspectives regarding what happened on May 02, 2011. It’s quite handy as a reference and research work, but don’t except an exciting spy thriller.

HEALTHY LIVING

wrinkle rewind

BY KIRAN ZAHRA

Have the years of sun exposure taken their toll on your skin? Well, if you stress over it, that’s just going to make matters worse. Instead of letting those wrinkles pile on, here is how you can take charge of your skin health without undergoing an expensive chemical peel.

As you age your skin becomes less elastic, loses moisture and looks dull. It ultimately gives rise to wrinkles which add years to your face. Although you cannot get rid of the wrinkles completely, here are some home remedies to fight aging and wrinkles: Eggs: Egg white is a good source of protein and helps restore mois-

stop the wrinkles from multiplying.

the egg white and rub it evenly on your face. After it dries, wash

keeping you hydrated water slows down the formation of wrin-

ture to the skin and maintain elasticity. Separate the yolk from

your face. Repeat this for a few weeks to achieve the desired results.

Vitamin E: Take a few vitamin E capsules and empty them in a bowl. Add honey, yogurt and the juice of one lemon to it and mix

well. Apply the mixture on your skin and let it dry. Wash your

face thoroughly afterwards and you will notice the glow on your face.

Coconut oil: Massage with coconut oil on wrinkle-prone areas and

take a hot bath afterwards. Not only will this help get rid of wrinkles but also stretch marks.

Apple juice: Green apple juice is good for battling wrinkles and it also heals cracked skin.

Milk cleansing: Cleanse your face daily with milk. It makes the skin supple, soft and wrinkle free.

Water: Consume at least 8 glasses of water per day. Along with kles.

Apple cider vinegar: Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water and drink that. It will give your skin a rosy glow.

Lemon juice: Apply lemon juice directly on your face thrice a day.

It not only slows down wrinkle formation but also whitens your

skin and leaves it blemish-free. However, use a good moisturiser afterwards as lemon juice can leave your skin very dry.

Fruit juices: Indulge in fruit juices on a daily basis. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that reverse or slow down the aging process and keep wrinkles at bay.

Rose water: Rose water is a natural skin toner; it boosts your skin’s youthfulness and vitality. Use it daily to get soft, flawless skin.

Flax seed oil: Flax seeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Along with these natural remedies, give special attention to breathing. Start your day by taking a few deep breaths and exercise to increase the oxygen supply to the skin. This will leave your skin smooth and vibrant.

For better skincare, diet is also important. Add more fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and sprouts to your daily diet. Along with slowing down the aging process it will boost your metabolism and keep you active.

Skincare from the kitchen shelf

• Wash it off properly afterwards with cold water as it closes the

Ginger and honey: Rub honey and grated ginger on your skin for a lasting glow and a more youthful appearance.

Cucumber juice: Dip a cotton ball in cucumber juice and dab it on

the wrinkles under your eyes. It has a cool and refreshing effect on the skin.

Castor oil: Apply castor oil on the wrinkle-prone areas and it will prevent them from multiplying.

Take one tablespoon of it and it will help tighten your skin and

Homemade facial mask: Things you will need:

For better results place a warm, moist towel on your face while

• 1 banana

you wait for 15 minutes. It will help the face mask to really sink

• 1/3 cup yogurt

it contains banana and yogurt and honey which improve the

• 1 ½ tbsp honey Procedure:

• Take a fully ripe banana and mash it properly with the back of a fork.

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open pores.

in. This mask is guaranteed to give you a youthful look because elasticity of your skin, allows it to exfoliate and give it all the moisture it needs.

When giving yourself a facial massage, make sure you proceed

• Add 1 ½ tbsp of honey and 1/3 cup yogurt and mix well alto-

in circular motions. It helps in blood circulation and also inhib-

• Apply the mixture on your face and keep it on for 15 minutes.

up the skin to prevent wrinkles from forming.

gether.

JANUARY 20-26 2013

its the break up of collagen which plays a key role in plumping