Postnoon E-Paper for March 23rd 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

INDIA TAKE CHARGE AS OPENING PAIR SHOW THEIR METTLE

ndia were 59 for no loss at lunch in reply to Australia's 262 all out in first innings on the second day of the fourth and final cricket Test in New Delhi. Australia: 262 all out. India: 59 for no loss in 14 overs (Murali Vijay 23*; Pujara 28*)

PG 31 WWW.POSTNOON.COM

ON SATURDAY

L A N S O H I

ANDHRA PRADESH LEADS REST OF INDIA IN A HUGE AADHAAR CARD SCAM. POSTNOON INVESTIGATES.

REPORT ON PG 4

MARCH 23, 2013 HYDERABAD

32 PAGES

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WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 32°C

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

PAGE TWO SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

FESTIVAL OF COLOURS

Talent hunt

Big Mic is a platform for creative expression like poetry, comedy, cinema, magic, music and rap. Where: Slounge, Lemon Tree Premier, Plot No 2, Survey No 64, HITEC City, Madhapur When: March 23, 8.30am onwards

Innovating traditions

Artists with interest in sculptural forms are invited to participate in this workshop. There will be an interactive use of techniques between Nakashi art and contemporary art practices. Where: ICONART Artist in Residency Premises, 1672 SBI building, 2nd floor, Road no12, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: 98499 68797

Full moon dine

Dine with your loved ones under the full moon. A special thali will be served every full moon. Where: La Cantina When: March 27, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Daily treats

Orange is the fruit of the month at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace. Dishes include orange blossom cheesecake, orange creme brule and dark chocolate orange tart. Where: Daily Treats, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace When: Up to March 31 Contact: (040) 6767 6818

Holi special

Aam panna, thandai, assorted pakodas and special chat platters are some of the items on the menu. There will also be tattoo and mehendi artistes, musician and bangle seller at the venue. Where: Kailash Parbat Above Ebony Gautier, 2nd floor, Road no. 36, Jubilee Hills When: March 23-31 Lunch: noon to 3.30pm Snacks: noon to 11.30pm Dinner: 7pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2355 8856

Shaam-e-Deccan

GreenPark is hosting Royal Hyderabadi Food Festival – Shaame-Deccan. There will be a spread of vegetarian and non vegetarian delights, especially the nawabi kebabs and a wide choice of biriyanis. Where: Once Upon a Time, GreenPark, Greenlands, Begumpet When: March 15-24,

CINEMAS

Women purchase colours for Holi at Begum Bazaar. 7.30pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 6651 5151

Women in Public Spaces

Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad had called for applications for a group photography exhibition on ‘Women in Public Spaces.’ This is an exhibition of selected entries. Where: Goethe-Zentrum, Hyderabad When: March 15-24, 9.30am to 5.30pm Contact: (040) 2335 0443

It’s Easter!

There is a special Easter brunch. Where: Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace When: March 31, noon to 4pm Contact: (040) 6767 6888

French artist B2Fays

Alliance Française of Hyderabad, Kalakriti Art Gallery and Park Hyatt Hyderabad present French artist B2Fays. It is an exhibition of paintings and multimedia installations. Where: Preview: Park Hyatt Exhibition continues at Kalakriti Art Gallery When: Preview: March 28, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

Homage to Ganesh Pyne There is an exhibition of mixed

media and jottings by Ganesh Pyne. The preview will be followed by a talk and presentation at 7pm by Pranab Ranjan Ray, art historian and activist of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Preview: March 22, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

Thinking form and content

An exhibition of art work by Gopal Nayak. Where: ICONART Gallery, Road no. 12, Sri Ram Nagar Colony, Banjara Hills When: Up to March 30, from 11.30 am to 7pm Contact: 98499 68797

DocuSplash!

Barf, 1997, Sita’s Family, 2002, Delhi Mumbai Delhi, 2006 and Naach, 2008, will be screened. Where: Goethe-Zentrum, Hyderabad 20 Journalist Colony, Road no. 3, Banjara Hills When: March 24, 11am onwards Contact: gothe.de/hyderabad

The great Oxford sale

Discounts on books, magazines, stationery and gift items.

M ANIL KUMAR

Where: Oxford Bookstore, Tresorie, The Park, 22 Raj Bhavan Road When: Up to March 31 Contact: (040) 31002959

Spring treasure sale

There is a sale of up to 50 per cent off at Taj Khazana, which showcases artefacts as well as a selection of garments, stoles, shawls and accessories from various Indian designers. Where: Taj Khazana, Taj Falaknuma Palace When: March 15-25 Contact: (040) 6629 8600

DSLR workshop

Nikon India is organising its first ever basic DSLR workshop in Hyderabad. Registrations start at 10.30am. Where: Hotel Basera, 1-9-167/168, SD Road, Secunderabad When: March 24, noon to 4pm

Easter brunch

This is a family brunch. Items on menu include beef wellington, mushroom pie, Easter eggs and hot cross buns. Where: The Square When: March 31, noon onwards Contact: (040) 6684 4422

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973

CITY SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Bike set ablaze

ome unidentified people burnt the bike of Rakesh Kumar, a retired CISF. He is a resident of Bollaram Bazaar, Secunderabad. He had parked his bike in front of his house and was asleep when some unidentified people set it ablaze with petrol. He tried to control the fire by pouring water and later he lodged a complaint in Bollaram police station.

Harassment case booked

Black market rice seized

team of vigilance officers have seized nearly 20 quintals of rice from the Zaheerabad market on Friday while it was being shifted to retail shops for black marketing. Some locals were allegedly smuggling rice from the area. Information officers acted on some specific information and raided the market. A case has been registered but no one has been arrested yet.

rchana, 19, a student and resident of Bowenpally, lodged a complaint with the police against a youth, Maruti, 25, who allegedly has been harassing her for the past few months and tried to sexually assault her. When she resisted, he went to her house and threatened her family. The Bowenpally police have registered a case in this connection.

Special team to clear pending dowry cases

Eight teams from four zones of Old City have been formed to clear the nearly 500 pending dowry cases at Ghansi Bazaar women’s police station. Mohd SUBHAN

mohd.s@postnoon.com

aking serious action against dowry-harassment cases, deputy commissioner of police, south zone, Dr Tarun Joshi, has started a special drive in his zone. Special teams have been formed to deal with the pending cases in women’s police station, Ghansi Bazaar, and so far, the team has closed nearly 80 pending cases of dowry. “We have been working on pending cases for the last 20 days at the women’s station at Ghansi Bazaar. I gave the staff a time frame and asked them to complete the pending cases. We have an overload due to these pending cases. There is a shortage of

staff and some technical issues at the women’s police station. There are 20 staff members at the station, including one woman circle inspector and one sub-inspector, which is not sufficient for the huge number of cases we receive from Old City. That is why we have taken this step,” said Dr Joshi, adding that for a limited period, they will book dowry harassment cases in the police stations concerned and not overload the women’s police station. Since the last two years, 500 dowry harassment cases have been pending. In some cases the charge sheet hadn’t been filed properly, and in some others, the victim didn’t open up. “That is why, after discussing with higher officials, we have taken necessary steps and formed eight teams from four zones of Old City to complete the pending cases. From each zone, we have taken

two teams of the rank of subinspector and constable, who are taking care of the work. We will check all the files once a week, and after the work is completed, we will start booking cases at the women’s police station again,” he said. He said they have nearly 18 police stations, one of which is the women’s station at Ghansi Bazaar. “We try to counsel (the couple), and if they are not interested in a reunion, we book a case against the husband and in-laws (involved in the crime). If they compromise later, we close the case with the help of Lok Adalat,” Dr Joshi said. He denied charges of corruption at the women’s police station and warned the staff there against such practices. He said if any citizen has a complaint against them, they can come forward, and strict action will be taken against the officials concerned.

Woman succumbs to burns

The victim was allegedly set ablaze by her husband and in-laws when she failed to give them more dowry. Postnoon News

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woman was allegedly set ablaze by her husband and in-laws when she failed to give them more dowry. The victim, P Vanisree, was rushed to a hospital but later succumbed to burn injuries. The incident, reported in Postnoon's March 18 issue (in pic), occurred in East Marredpally, Secunderabad, under Tukaramgate police station limits. According to the police, Vanisree, 32, married P Vikram Singh, a resident of Addagutta, in 2008. At that time, her parents had given gold, money and other valuable articles as dowry.

Just 10 months after the wedding, Vanisree's husband, her mother-in-law Shashikala and sister-in-law Vaneetha

started harassing her for more dowry. They reportedly used to beat her constantly. Due to the harassment,

On the night of March 16, she was allegedly set ablaze by her husband and in-laws. Her screams alerted the neighbours, who rushed her to hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Vanisree attempted suicide. After undergoing treatment, she returned to her parents' house.

In December 2012, her husband came and took her home. Soon, they started harassing her for dowry again. On the night of March 16, Vanisree was fast asleep when her husband, mother-in-law, sister-inlaw and sister-in-law's husband, Sridhar, allegedly doused her with kerosene and set her ablaze. Her screams alerted the neighbours, who rushed her to hospital. She later succumbed to her burns while undergoing treatment. Her parents have lodged a complaint at the Tukaramgate police station. The police have booked a case against her husband and inlaws, and have started investigations.

CITY SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

AP leads in Aadhaar fraud

A clause meant to ensure no one was left out of Aadhaar has become the keystone of a major scam. FILE PHOTO

AGENCIES ENTRUSTED WITH THE ENROLMENT CENTRES REALISED THAT THEY COULD ‘GRANT BIOMETRIC EXEMPTION’ FOR ANY APPLICANT AT A NOMINAL PRICE.

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA

rahul.r@postnoon.com

rust us to spin a scam out of anything. One more blotched job on Aadhaar card Abhiyan has come out. Putting a big question mark on its credibility, the Lok Sabha on Thursday was informed that gross misuse of the Biometric Exemption Clause by Aadhaar enrolment officers at the national level had forced the UIDAI to cancel 3,84,237 cards. This means an unspecified sum has found its way to private pockets. Earlier, several complaints regarding Aadhaar card had been reported. AP is on top with the highest number of this scandal.

from his office were cancelled.

AFTERMATH

WHAT IS BIOMETRIC EXEMPTION CLAUSE ? When performing a biometric scan, the details of a set of physical aspects of the applicant are taken into record — fingerprints, iris scans, facial features, etc. This, however, is exempted in rare cases for people with physical disabilities and whose professions (commercial labourers, miners) make it difficult to record biometrics. As an alternative, photographic records of their absent biometrics (damaged irises, absent fingers, smoothened fingers with no record of prints) are recorded along with demographic details of the applicant. This system of

inclusion, absent among other civil supply cards like the ration card, was what the government believed to be a “fool proof ” inclusion of all sections of the public — until things went wrong, that is.

WHAT WENT WRONG AND HOW? After nearly 50,000 Aadhaar cards remained undelivered, authorities at the UIDAI got suspicious. All of them turned out to be cards granted under the Biometric Exemption Clause. Investigations by the UIDAI revealed that Andhra Pradesh

alone contributed to the highest number of fake cards, with 2.3 lakh out of the total 4.1 lakh generated here under this scheme. AP had recorded a total 48.8 lakh registrations for the Aadhaar card last year. Some agencies entrusted with the enrolment centres realised that they could ‘grant exemption’ for any applicant at a nominal price. In Hyderabad alone, the price varied from `50 to `200. Enrolment officers played a game for this and made a pile. One Aadhaar card enrolment

officer from Warangal, on condition of anonymity, said it was a fast and cheap way of making money. “Some people who did not want their biometrics would approach us with a deal. We would slot them under the biometric exemption category and exclude their biometrics from being recorded. This could be photographically manipulated. We received money in return for the business,” he said. Shortly after the regional UIDAI realised that something was wrong, this enrolment officer was relieved of his duties and the cards issued

Shortly after the lid blew off this scam, the government hastened to cancel these enrolments and made amendments to its policy, but it was too late. Other such instances were reported in Jharkhand, UP, Maharashtra as well. It was found that only 22,195 of the total 4.1 lakh Aadhaar cards generated under this clause were genuine. Another 7,000 registrations came under investigation.The UIDAI instructed all enrolment agencies not to grant biometric exemption without prior permission of a senior officer, preferably a government official. But then, the truth is, that too can be managed. Officials from the regional office of UIDAI, Hyderabad were unavailable for comment. But as an RTI activist says, it’s an irony that the scheme implemented for removing corruption, was in itself, flawed and even corrupt. Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu says, “The whole Aadhaar is a farce. It was implemented without any proper study on the reliability of technology. There is corruption in a scheme that is supposed to eliminate corruption from other schemes.”

OU counselling centre to shut? N SHIVA KUMAR

Aleena Alice

aleena.t@postnoon.com

ust when the need of the hour calls for counselling centres in every college, Osmania University’s Sahayam, the only dedicated counselling centre in a varsity in the City, is likely to shut down. The reason? The indifferent attitude of the university management to the counselling centre. When the T-agitation was at its peak and several students attempted suicide in 2009, Sahayam Counselling Centre was formed . The centre has since been helping students who approach it with stress, depression and issues of harassment. G Angella David, who is one of the full-time counsellors at Sahayam, says, “We have dealt with a number of students who were almost on the verge of a breakdown and counselled them out of it.” Recalling a case where

a boy who was depressed was brought to Sahayam, she added, “This boy, who came from a village background, had issues coping with city life, due to which he had adjustment problems and was almost on the verge of a

total breakdown. When his roommate noticed a change in his behaviour, he immediately brought him here, and we could talk to him and counsel him.” According to her, most students who come to Sahayam

come with cases of anxiety, depression, OCD and relationship issues. “When students come to us with a problem, we assure them of confidentiality. We help them out in 4-5 sessions and in a few major cases, we follow up on the students to know how they have been progressing. In extreme cases, we direct students to a psychiatrist,” she says. Every week, Sahayam gets around six cases, not only from OU but also students from other affiliated colleges. “Not many colleges have a counselling centre. Information about our centre has been spreading through word of mouth and we have students from other colleges coming for help. It’s not only the students who come here with problems, but staff also approach us,” says Prof C Beena, HOD Psychology, who is the driving force behind Sahayam. “Apart from counselling, Sahayam also conducts training

programmes and workshops on topics like violence, AIDS, ragging and stress management in different colleges and hostels,” she adds. Despite knowing that Sahayam has been helping students, the university authorities seem insensitive to the centre’s needs. It has been almost a year since the staff members have been paid. “I have been approaching the authorities to ensure that the staff are paid. However, it is not done. Lack of funds is the reason quoted for not paying. But other programmes have been running successfully with UGC funds. It’s only that the university does not understand the importance of counselling centres,” says Prof Beena. “We have many plans which will help students. However, the University’s attitude throws cold water on all of them,” she said. Efforts to get the V-C’s response proved futile.

CITY SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

E-petition service neglected Even eight months after the launch of e-petition to address public grievances, Postnoon finds that the service has been grossly neglected by members of the House. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE BEHIND LAUNCHING THE SERVICE WAS TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO ADDRESS VARIOUS PUBLIC ISSUES THROUGH AN ONLINE PLATFORM.

Md INKESHAF AHMED

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

ur public representatives are not keen utilising the fruits of developments in order to serve well the people who voted them as their representative. This is evident from the fact that even eight months after the launch of electronic petition (epetition) by Assembly speaker Nadendla Manohar for the convenience of all 295 MLAs and 90 MLCs of the House, the facility

is grossly neglected. Along with the e-petition service, the speaker had also launched an exclusive website for AP Legislature, giving out the details of the State legislature and its public representa-

CITY GOES YO!

tives in an attempt to make it a part of the ‘IT revolution,’ which is the buzzword of. The main objective behind launching the e-petition service was to provide a platform for the MLAs and MLCs to address various public problems in their respective constituencies online.

The problems so received would be sent to respective departments by the Assembly officials for their redressal in a time bound manner. The revolutionary facility would help in doing away with the usual delays

involved in the conventional method. But, despite these advantages, hardly a handful of MLAs are actually utilising these services. A random survey done by Postnoon revealed that most of the MLAs are not even aware of it. “I don’t even know that there is any such service. The authorities of the Assembly did not organise any training programme for us regarding its usage,” CPI floor leader Gunda Mallesh said. Interestingly, there are MLAs, who, despite knowing the existence of such a system, simply ignore it. “I have heard of the e-petition system, but I am yet to use it,” BJP floor leader E Lakshminarayana said.

House adjourned twice, rival parties create ruckus TRS MLAs had come to the House with hand cuffs, protesting against the government’s attitude towards their MLAs. Postnoon News

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Yo Yo Honey Singh performed at Vasavi Engineering College’s cultural fest, Euphoria.

he budget session of the House today witnessed rapid political developments in the midst of two continuous adjournments following the pandemonium created by rival party leaders. When the House began this morning, the TRS and TDP MLAS fully utilised the opportunity and rushed towards the speaker’s podium. TRS, BJP and Telangana Nagara Samithi leader N Janardhan Reddy demanded the immediate release of party floor leader Etela Rajender and Jupalli Krishna Rao, who had been arrested on charges of destroying properties during the sadak bandh programme. Telugu Desam Party members demanded that the speaker take up discussions on the power crisis issue. This had forced the speaker to adjourn

THE LEFT PARTIES

LAUNCHED AN INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE AT INDIRA PARK AGAINST THE DECISION OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO HIKE POWER TARIFF. the House twice in the day. Utilising the occasion, BJP leaders, along with N Janardhan Reddy, met with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in his chambers and gave him a representation to immediately release the arrested Telangana leaders. Succumbing to pressure and following an assurance given to the TRS leader on Friday, the State government had decided to make a statement in the House on sadak bandh. Earlier in the day, TRS MLAs had come to the House wearing chain cuffs on their hands, protesting against

the attitude of the government towards their party MLAs. The TDP MLAs took out a padayatra from the party headquarters in Jubilee Hills to the Assembly, demanding to undertake a discussion in the House on power problems. Apart from the two TRS MLAs, Telangana Joint Action Committee chairman Prof Kodandram was also arrested on the same charges in Mahbubnagar district. On the other hand, the Congress Legislature Party is likely to complain to the speaker today against its nine rebel MLAs, who had voted in favour of the confidence motion.

PARTIES

PROBLEM

CASH IN ON POWER

The left parties launched an indefinite hunger strike at Indira Park against the State government’s decision to hike power charges and prices of various essential commodities.

NATION SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Bones near CPI(M) office

India, US mull cooperation in space missions

Inquire cop action on Dalits

uman bones were today found inside a sack in a dried up pond near a CPI(M) party office at Mirbazar in this headquarter town of West Midnapore district, police said. Some locals spotted dogs pulling a sack, containing human bones behind the party office. The police took away the sack and a case has been registered, the sources said.

ndia and the US have agreed to expand their cooperation in civil space activities ranging from weather and monsoon forecasting to cooperative space exploration work, including future missions to the moon and Mars. The agreement between the two countries' space agencies, ISRO and NASA was announced Friday after a meeting of the US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG). "Building on NASA's collaboration in India's highly successful Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission in 2008, NASA and ISRO agreed to explore further cooperative space exploration work," a statement said.

ujarat High Court today ordered state home secretary to constitute a high level inquiry into the case of beating up of Dalit community members by the police in Rajkot last year. The court also ordered that six of the victims should be paid compensation of `25,000 each, to be recovered from the salary of the erring officers.

Cops in trouble over ‘terrorist arrest’ Accused’s family insist he was returning under the government’s rehabilitation scheme, making the arrest look botched. SRINAGAR: The family of Sayyed Liyaqat Shah, arrested for allegedly planning a terror strike in Delhi, on Friday claimed he was returning home via Nepal under the Jammu and Kashmir government's rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants. Shah's wife Ameena Begum told a news agency that her

husband was returning home under the government's rehabilitation policy via Nepal and there was no question of him carrying any weapons. "My husband was picked up by some gunmen six years after our marriage around 15 years ago. After some years, we received a letter from him saying he was in Pakistan and was

Pune steps up health measures PUNE: A perceptible spurt in Swine Flu cases in the city, with as many as seven fatalities since January, has led civic health authorities to step up screening measures. The latest victim of the H1N1 virus in the city was a five-month-old baby who succumbed a couple of days ago, taking the death toll in the last three months to seven. About 20 people are undergoing treatment for the infection with half a dozen of them needing ventilator support. "Swine Flu has become endemic in Pune. Hospitals have been advised to focus on the elderly with underlying medical conditions and newborns who are more susceptible," said ST Pardeshi, Acting CMO, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

Manipur gets 6 new outposts

IMPHAL: Six new police outposts will be opened soon to provide security along two important national highways passing through interior hill district of Tamenglong and Chandel in Manipur, Manipur government spokesman and state education minister Moirangthem Okendro said today. Okendro said the decision to open new police outposts in addition to the existing police stations and outposts in the state was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister O Ibobi Singh here late last evening. While five new outposts will be set up at Keimai, Khongsang, Awang Khul, Joujangtek and Thangal area, a new police post will be established at Machi near Imphal-Moreh national highway in Chandel district.

working as a labourer in Mansehra," she said. "After mobile phones started working in the Valley, we used to occasionally receive calls from him confirming his welfare and his desire to return home," Ameena said. "We filed an application with the authorities in Kupwara district requesting that Liyaqat be

Tough H1B visa rules: US engineers WASHINGTON: An American professional body of engineers has supported the move for tough H-1B visa rules, which if implemented would affect foreign companies, in particular those from India. "This, along with increasing the number of green cards available to high-skill workers, would strengthen job retention and creation in the US," IEEEUSA president Marc Apter said in a statement endorsing the "H1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2013," legislation introduced this week by Senators Sherrod Brown and Chuck Grassley. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)USA is the largest body of electrical and electronics engineers in the US. The bill "aims to close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs, reduce fraud and abuse, provide protections for American workers and for visa holders, and require more transparency in the recruitment of foreign workers," IEEE-USA said. Among other things, the bill will require all companies to make a good-faith effort to hire Americans first, prohibit employers from advertising only to H-1B visa holders, require that wages paid to H-1B holders and US citizens be essentially the same and prohibit companies from outsourcing visa holders to other PTI companies.

allowed to return home under the rehabilitation policy." "Authorities accepted our request and said he must return to India via Nepal and thereafter he would be helped to re-join his family," Ameena said. "There is no question of my husband returning with any weapon at all since he was coming home under the govern-

ment's rehabilitation policy." Ameena Begum lives in Jindiyala village in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, 105 km from here. Her elder son Shabir is 21 and younger son Saddam is 15. Shah, 47, was arrested by the Delhi Police from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on March 20. IANS

WORLD SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Achebe dies at 82

42 die in fire at Thai camp

he toll from a blaze that swept through a camp in northern Thailand has risen to 42, a Thai official said Saturday, after hundreds of temporary homes for refugees from Myanmar were reduced to ashes. Dozens of people were injured in the fire, which broke out on Friday. Rescue workers were on the scene at the remote mountainous camp area.

CIA provides intelligence to Syrian rebels WASHINGTON: The US Central Intelligence Agency has been feeding information to select rebel fighters in Syria to try to make them more effective against government troops, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Citing unnamed current and former US officials, the newspaper said the new CIA effort reflected a change in the administration’s approach that aims to strengthen secular rebel fighters. The CIA has sent officers to Turkey to help vet rebels who receive arms shipments from Gulf allies, the report said. But administration officials cited concerns about some weapons going to Islamists, the paper noted. In Iraq, the CIA has been directed by the White House to work with elite counterterrorism units to help the Iraqis counter the flow of al Qaeda-linked fighters across the border. According to the report, the West favours fighters aligned with the Free Syrian Army. Syrian opposition commanders said the CIA had been working with British, French and Jordanian intelligence services to train rebels in the use of various kinds of weapons, the paper said. AFP

Militants free Australian

igerian novelist Chinua Achebe, widely regarded as the father of modern African literature, has died aged 82 after a brief illness, his family said. Best known internationally for his novel Things Fall Apart, which depicts the collision between British rule and traditional Igbo culture in his native southeast Nigeria, Achebe was also a staunch critic of corruption in his country. Achebe had lived and worked as a professor in the United States in recent years, most recently at Brown University in Rhode Island.

slamic militants in the Philippines have released Australian Warren Rodwell, 15 months after kidnapping him from his home in the south of the country, the military said on Saturday. “Warren Rodwell has been released in Pagadian city. It is confirmed and he is now (in) the custody of the police in Pagadian city,” regional military commander Lt Gen Rainier Cruz told AFP.

Troops patrol riot hit Myanmar town

Oz PM set for cabinet reshuffle

SYDNEY: Australia’s

Policemen stand guard in a street in riot-hit Meiktila, central Myanmar. Myanmar declared a state of emergency for a riot-hit town where 20 people have been killed in Buddhist-Muslim violence. AFP PHOTO/ SOE THAN WIN

MEIKTILA: Troops patrolled the streets of a central Myanmar town Saturday after BuddhistMuslim unrest tore through the area leaving at least 20 dead and spurring the government to declare emergency rule. Around 50 military trucks were deployed in Meiktila, where homes and mosques have been torched by mobs armed with knives and sticks in three days of communal rioting. The clashes are the latest sign of worsening tensions between Muslims and Buddhists, presenting a serious challenge for the quasi-civilian regime as it looks to reform the country

after decades of iron-fisted military rule. Violence in Meiktila, located 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of the capital Naypyidaw, began on Wednesday after an apparent argument in a gold shop spiralled into pitched battles. Mosques have been reduced to ashes, while gangs of young men, including monks, have roamed the streets. The town’s sports ground has become a makeshift refuge for at least a thousand local Muslims, according to a journalist at the scene. Kyaw Kyaw, a 27year-old Muslim religious leader who has lived in the town since

his childhood, said some Buddhist monks and local people had helped them escape. “We could not take anything when we left our homes. We had to run for our lives,” he said, adding that he was not sure what was behind the sudden violence. Meiktila remained tense Saturday, although no new clashes were reported overnight. The president’s office said the state of emergency would enable the military to help restore order — a significant move in a country trying to emerge from the legacy of junta rule, which ended two years ago.

embattled Prime Minister Julia Gillard Saturday said she would announce a cabinet shake-up within days after losing four ministers who backed a failed Labor Party coup against her. Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, Tertiary Education Minister Chris Bowen and Human Services Minister Kim Carr quit on Friday after backing a return of former leader Kevin Rudd to save the party from defeat in September polls. Respected Labor elder and Arts Minister Simon Crean was sacked Thursday after calling for the leadership challenge which Rudd ultimately failed to contest, while parliamentary secretary Richard Marles has also quit his post. Gillard said the leadership question was “behind us” and there would be no difficulty in filling the three cabinet positions left by Ferguson, Bowen and Crean. “I will deal with the ministerial reshuffle in coming days,” she told AFP reporters.

AFP

Ireland passes Israel and Turkey Pope prepares to latest IMF review restore diplomatic ties meet predecessor WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund

JERUSALEM: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and

said Friday it was ready to disburse a fresh round of bailout funds to Ireland after completing a new review of the country’s reform program. The IMF said the ninth review concluded that Ireland’s “strong policy implementation has continued and positive signs are emerging” in the economy, after two years and three months under the 85-billion-euro ($110 billion) EU-IMF rescue. Completing the review means the IMF can disburse another 970 million euros from its 22.6-billioneuro share of the bailout. “The Irish authorities have pursued steadfast policy implementation for more than two years and positive results are emerging,” said IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton.

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached an agreement Friday that ends the diplomatic dispute spurred by the 2010 deaths of nine Turkish activists at the hands of Israeli commandos. The unexpected breakthrough came during a telephone call between the two premiers with input from US President Barack Obama, who was concluding a visit to Israel. “The two men agreed to restore normalization between Israel and Turkey, including the dispatch of ambassadors and the cancellation of legal steps against Israeli soldiers,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. Nine Turkish activists were killed May 31, 2010, when Israeli commandos intercepted and boarded the ship Mavi Marmara.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis prepared to go face to face with his predecessor Benedict XVI on Saturday in a historic meeting between two men with very different styles but important core similarities. The Argentine pope was expected to take a helicopter from the Vatican landing at around 1115 GMT at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome where the “pope emeritus” has been living since his resignation last month. The meeting between a pope and a former pope is believed to be a first for the Catholic Church as Latin America’s first pontiff embarks on a papacy fraught with challenges that sometimes overshadowed Benedict’s reign.

COMMENT SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

EDITORIALS OBAMA AND the ‘enemies’ The tension surrounding Barack Obama’s visit to Israel was palpable. Here’s a PotUS that has never been overwhelmed by the pro-Israel lobby in the US. In fact his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has seesawed from chilly to fractious. So when Obama stepped off Air Force One, the world’s Press wondered if he would then embark on a whirlwind tour of Israel’s many historical sites, without picking at the scab of Israeli settlements and Hamas’s penchant for launching rockets. But Obama is not the ‘head of the free world’ for nothing. At first he stroked his hosts’ ego, citing the ‘unbreakable’ bond between the two nations that have stood together through thick and thin (some very thick times), and then he paid a visit to Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas and did something similar. But Obama’s ability to square up to a Bibi who so often resembles a hawk, he could well have avian blood coursing through his veins, meant that his final salvo would hurt. Speaking to an Israeli audience of handpicked youth Obama made his case for an independent Palestinian nation. He cushioned his blows with vacuous rhetoric about the great Jewish homeland. The Israelis weren’t fooled, and neither were the Palestinians. Obama, like Clinton before him, will have hoped, when he came to the White House in 2008 that peace in the Middle East was possible. He now knows better. As long as the Israelis continue to build illegal settlements in contravention of international law there will be no hope of peace. As long as Hamas continues to attack Israelis with rockets, there will be no peace. But one will not stop before the other does. With the shadow of Iran looming over the trip, Palestinian statehood, and Israeli security were spoken about, but little was really said. As Obama returns to Washington, he will have left the Middle East no safer than it was a week ago. One fears that the Judaeo-Islamic conflict (and don’t fool yourself that it’s anything else) will run the inevitable course, soaked in blood and the death of innocents, both Israelis and Palestinians.

Holi moley! Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR

I was 16 when I had my first brush with Holi. In the 80s and 90s, this largely North Indian celebration had not yet percolated to the Deccan region. For a South Indian, the closest experience of Holi came from Hindi movies, in which actors and the sidekicks wore pure white and splashed each other with coloured powder and aimed water guns to take it up a notch. I knew that groups of boys in the neighbourhood were using the festival to get playful with the girls, but I didn’t think much of it. So when I was riding my moped to college and they threw a handful of coloured powder on me, I was livid. They hid behind a tree although they knew very well that I would not react to this intrusion. Holi was this kind of festival.

Over the years, when the festival became increasingly popular, thanks to a growing North Indian population in most Indian cities down South, it became a fad for everyone – North Indian Hindu who celebrates Holi or not —to participate. I attended a couple of such gatherings with my friends but have to admit that I didn’t enjoy it much. Holi is about letting go of all inhibitions and I found it difficult to do that. Earlier this week, I was chatting with my colleagues from the US and UK. They asked me about the preparations for Holi, and I said that I only like to watch the celebrations from a distance. One colleague commented: “Yes, it looks too messy”. This set me thinking about the tone and flavor of the festival that have been designed for it to be “messy”. This is the one festival in the Hindu calendar when anything goes. Strangers can act goofy with each other and neighbours can splash colour on seniors, all in the name of Holi. This act of letting go is for

OF LATE, NEW COMMERCIAL FORCES ARE ADDING STRUCTURE TO THIS FESTIVAL, WHICH IS CREATED TO AVOID JUST THAT. LETTING GO IS, I RONICALLY, GETTING MORE ORGANISED. us to give up control and experience the joy of living in the moment without fear of consequences. Of late, new commercial forces are adding structure to this festival, which is created to avoid just that. Big scale, ticketed events with DJs playing international music, food and drink varieties to pep up the energy has become part of the celebrations. Letting go is, ironically, getting more organised. Not just Hinduism, other cultures and religions, too, made room for this human need to cease control. A day before the Eastern Orthodox Lent,

Christians in the small town of Galaxidi in Greece, throw flour on each other. They dance in gay abandon on the town’s streets and paint their faces with charcoal. Not just in Greece but also in Thailand and Tibet, the Thai New Year of Song Kran is celebrated by flour and water throwing. Flour is a symbol of good luck for Tibetans. In the tiny South American country of Ecuador, too, natives celebrate by throwing flour and water in coloured dyes at each other, much like Holi. There is also food, drink and dancing associated with the festival in the country’s Bolivar province. In the control-freak lives that we lead today, it’s not easy to let go. This perhaps explains the morphing of the festival to sit well with the modern times. There’s colour that doesn’t stick to skin, low-fat foods for the festivities, designated areas to play Holi so that we can return to the orderliness of our lives as quickly as possible. Wonder if we’re just moving with the times or defeating the very purpose of this celebration.

COMMENT SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Can faith move mountains? My World SHRADDHA JAHAGIRDAR-SAXENA

or years, I believed that my name ‘Shraddha’ was a misnomer. ‘Shraddha’ as is popularly known means faith, belief and is synonymous with Bhakti. But somehow faith or shraddha as is commonly interpreted as a belief in a God, a being whom we can turn to for solace, was not a part of my psyche in the conventional sense for a long time. I was so named by my parents even though my father was a rationalist who upheld the Royist belief in reason and a non-belief in rituals and God (he was an atheist) drove his philosophy. I learnt later when I was old enough to understand that my birth was tension-filled but my parents (mom is a gynaecologist) had full faith in the medical profession and so, that explains my name. Let me emphasise here that Mom did pray to her own deities, on special occasions. And taught us a prayer we said every night before sleeping (Tvameva mata, pita tvameve). But going to temples on a regular basis was very rare as I grew up. And yet, I cherish the childhood memories of bringing

Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU

home ‘Ganpati Bappa’ every year into our sprawling Sea Face Park flat and worshipping the two small murtis (one for my brother and one for me) under my parents’ supervision – a ritual that instilled in us a strong link with the popular deity. I remember how my marriage too was a registered one, because my father did not believe in the concept of kanyadaan. And since I respected his feelings, so it was. All along – and I still maintain – a respect and ‘worship’ of people we look up to and value is on par with and perhaps more impor-

tant to our daily lives than a ritualistic worship of a God, however omnipresent he may be. For a long time – childishly perhaps or out of a sense of frustration – I used to wonder if God really listened to our prayers. A disquiet that was intensified as I saw my grandma pass away even though we had made an impassioned prayer for her health, not realising that her corrosive illness had made sufficient inroads into her body so that it was only a matter of time for the inevitable to happen! By the time other illnesses ate into the fabric of my

Heritage

family, I had realised that praying and faith more than a plea for relief had become and is still my safety net. It brings a sense of peace into my mind, so that I am able to surmount any slings and arrows of fortune that life hurls at you! My safety net also comprises a host of friends – many of whom are firm believers of the Almighty – and they have instilled me in a sense of the peace that prayer and meditation brings us. To name, but two Ashwini and Prabha both who have been a part of my life for almost two decades are instru-

mental in my growing awareness that faith can move mountains! Perhaps, that is why I never leave home before touching the small Ganesha that is on my wall just outside my home. It is a feel-good mantra that makes me feel good! And, I have started to make small changes in my mindset that have already – I believe – made a difference to the way I think. So, it may be a mantra that I chant in the mornings (and one that my son too knows about and feels works, so he asked me one day to include his favourite team in my thoughts). I am, as I write this column, planning my first visit to Shirdi – with my friend Prabha – I am looking forward to the experience – on more levels than one. When my children were growing up and we said the Om Jai Jagdish prayer, they would look at me every time and smile whenever they chanted the line, Shraddha bhakti badhao. Over the years, my mind has been a paradoxical cauldron of thoughts. Today, I know now that it is all about having faith – and confidence. Nothing is impossible. And, of course, I do believe that faith can move mountains. It can – and has definitely – moved my world! Shraddha JahagirdarSaxena is Executive Editor, VERVE magazine.

Global edits The Guardian (UK)

Island politics

he crucial question [regarding Cyprus] is whether the scrambled rethink this weekend will be bold enough. On Cyprus's part, capital controls are reportedly under consideration, an extraordinary departure within a single currency zone. The reluctance of the Germans to stand behind stricken Cypriot financial institutions is understandable: they have grown bloated; they have acted imprudently; they have relied too much on funds from Russian tax-dodgers, whom bizarrely the Russian state has been defending all week. German politicians are doing no more than respecting the will of their own people in trying to ensure that all this does not go unpunished. But they need to stop and do a commonsensical check on the consequences of being bloodyminded about extracting a price – in this case 6bn – which could soon look paltry in the scale of things. If the doors of Cypriot banks were to open on Monday without this thing being resolved, Europe as a whole should wake up scared: for panic can be contagious. If the consequence, as is possible, were the island to slip

THE RELUCTANCE OF THE GERMANS TO STAND BEHIND STRICKEN CYPRIOT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IS UNDERSTANDABLE: THEY HAVE GROWN BLOATED; THEY HAVE ACTED IMPRUDENTLY. out of the euro and Cypriot pounds being printed, then the spell of the single currency's permanence would be broken for good. The consequences would even go beyond Europe. Since 1970, of 147 banking crises tracked by the IMF, none have imposed a blanket loss on all depositors. The next year, Richard Nixon broke the dollar's link to gold, since when the value of money has been underpinned by nothing but the word of government. We live with the uncomfortable truth that there is never enough money in the vaults to pay every depositor, largely because we trust the authorities to see to it that – when the pinch comes – the cash would be there. That promise may only ever have been implicit, but it does not follow that there would not be grave consequences from the world seeing that it can be broken.

BUSINESS SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Toyota to raise output

oyota Motor plans to raise domestic production during the AprilSeptember period by about 10 per cent from its earlier estimate thanks to the recent weak yen, it was reported. Toyota has already revised planned output for April and May by 10 per cent to between 13,000 and 13,500 vehicles a day and it now intends to keep production at that level.

2,300 Boeing jobs to go

S aerospace giant Boeing said Friday it would cut between 2,000 to 2,300 jobs by the end of the year in Seattle region as it winds down development of its 787 and 747 aircraft. About 800 workers of Boeing Commercial Airplanes will be laid off, with the rest of the cutbacks coming through attrition, redeployment and leaving vacant positions unfilled.

A vision he pursued

While at Satyam, Amit Kishore Prasad had a vision. Today, his vision has become a reality, SatNav Technologies. to integrate map data into their applications. Satyam Navigation grew into a 365employee company.” PRUDHVI RAJU K Amit was always interested in developing a product company over services. prudhvi.k@postnoon.com “Although product companies take heavy investments to start, there can be lifelong s Paulo Coelho said, when you sustainable returns on the intellectual propwant something, the entire unierty. Margins are always a constraint for a verse conspires in helping you to service company. I quit Satyam Navigation achieve it. It took Amit Kishore a to develop the product side of the business decade and `60-crore investment on my own with their agreement. They gave to develop SatNav Technologies. me the ownership of it as part of my equity Talking about his education, Amit says, in Satyam Navigation,” he says. “I did engineering from Vasavi college in He adds, “Satyam also invested heavily the City. I also completed a couple of other in developing the product side. I believed courses like BA (public adminanother `3-crore investment Investor: istration) and a computer diplowill help us to take these prodma simultaneously, after which ucts into the market. However, Sequoia Capital I did a post-graduate diploma in we underestimated the investGrowth in revenues: international marketing. This ment by 10 times. The company 50 per cent (YoY) holistic learning of different has invested around `60-crore subjects gave me an underExpected operational till date to develop navigation, standing of marketing, admintracking and other services.” breakeven: istration and computer.” After a decade of hard 2013 Initially, Amit dreamt of work, SatNav has evolved as a becoming a civil services offiholistic map-based IT company. SERVICES cer. However, the growth of priFor instance, “Insurance comvate sector and the software panies can map their potential Digital Map Data industry boom pushed him to customers and put their existStore Mapping opt for a job in Satyam ing database on to maps. This Computers in 1995. He also gave Routing and Logistics will help them integrate this life to his entrepreneurial database along with area-speTelematics and Real thoughts as a hobby in his free cific income data released by Time Tracking time. “I developed an e-comthe government. They can Sales Analysis & After make these localities into pockmerce site, which sells products like pearls, antique silver and ets and send agents based on Sales Experience bidriware, for which the City is their lifestyle segmentation to GPS Navi and Tracker known for. The business took renew or buy a policy. EfficUnits off well and had a turnover of iency levels and customer expe`4.5 lakh in those days.” rience can be greatly improved Building, Asset and After four years in Satyam, by using this map data.” Space Management Amit decided to quit and start Talking about competition, Systems his own enterprise. There was a he says, “We are not really technology entrepreneurship bothered about the competition programme initiated by Satyam to nurture as they do not offer the complete range of entrepreneurial ideas. “I submitted my services. There is a need to market the busibusiness idea. It got approved from a pool of ness and educate the customer as the devel125 other applicants,” he said. opment phase ended.” He says, “I wanted to take these maps on On investment climate, he says, to the web and built a digital database of “Although there is enthusiasm from streets and cities. Over time, one can build entrepreneurs with great product ideas, and exploit this data for various services investors do not tend to wait for years to see like tracking and navigation. Although the revenues. However, there is a gradual shift initial idea was to develop a product compain valuing the product businesses. NASSny, we later decided to offer services as well. COM, the industry body, and analysts are We used to pitch (our services) to Satyam concentrating on the product side for susclients like GE, GM, World Bank and used tainable and long-term returns.”

JPMorgan endorses Dimon

PMorgan Chase’s board Friday endorsed Jamie Dimon to continue serving as chairman and chief executive despite last year's embarrassing $6.2 billion trading loss in the "London Whale" debacle. JPMorgan had "strong" performance "during a time when many financial institutions with independent chairs experienced great difficulty," the company said.

FOCUS SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

A village overshadowed by a nuclear plant

Jan MARCHAL

Agence France-Presse

TEMELIN, CZECH REPUBLIC: Flanked by Germany, which is phasing out nuclear power, and Austria, which has already done so, the Czech Republic is pinning its future on atomic energy. The ex-communist republic of 10.5 million people, which now relies on nuclear for about 30 per cent of its energy mix, is pushing an upgrade of its disputed Temelin plant and betting on getting at least half of its energy from the atom by 2025. Thirteen years after its launch, Temelin’s Sovietdesigned reactors still stir controversy among neighbours and environmentalists, yet people living directly in their shadow are more circumspect. “I’m not afraid of the power station,” says Vaclav Hrabe in the kitchen of his modest house encircled by a small garden in Temelin, 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of the capital Prague. At 90, he’s the oldest resident of the village, overshadowed by the four huge

steaming concave cooling towers of the plant, which soar into the sky. According to a recent survey, 72 per cent of Temelin’s 400 villagers back plans to build an additional two units at the state-run CEZ power station. The Czech environment ministry recently gave the go ahead for the lucrative project worth an estimated 200-300 billion koruna ($10.2-15.3 billion). US industrial giant Westinghouse is bidding for it against a group called MIR1200, led by Russia’s Atomstroiexport and backed by several Czech companies. France’s Areva remains bitter over having been eliminated from the running late last year. “The power station will grow bigger, just like the village. There are quite a few people who want to build a house and live here,” says Hrabe, proud of his idyllic village in which the hulking nuclear facility seems completely out of place. Temelin the village is also cashing in on Temelin the atomic facility. “Every year, the power station gives Temelin

Cheekily dubbed Disneyland, the power station, launched in 2000, uses two Russian-era VVER pressurisedwater reactors. 10 million koruna to boost its infrastructure. The village also gets 30 million koruna from CEZ a year in real estate tax,” says Marek Svitak, spokesman for the plant. Cheekily dubbed “Disneyland” by the locals owing to the colourful lights that illuminate the plant at night, the power station, launched in 2000, uses two Russian-era VVER pressurisedwater reactors, with output of 1,000 megawatts each. Coupled with CEZ’s other nuclear plant in the southern

village of Dukovany, Temelin covers 30 per cent of energy consumption in the Czech Republic. The two new reactors, expected to come online in 2025, will raise that share to 50 per cent. Just sixty kilometres (38 miles) to the south, Austria, which gave up nuclear power in 1978, eyes the communistera plant with grave concern. But the Czech government, which holds a controlling stake in CEZ, says nuclear power is a strategic part of the Czech Republic’s drive for energy selfsufficiency and has no intention of giving it up. In his garden opposite Temelin’s town hall, pensioner Frantisek Riha is among the minority of villagers who share Vienna’s concern. “Nobody has persuaded me the plant is safe,” he says firmly, adding that emergency drills held four times a year were

“stressful.” In Ceske Budejovice, a city just 30 kilometres from Temelin, environmentalist Monika Machova-Wittingerova is an avowed opponent of the plant. “Nuclear power depends on activities that harm the environment, like uranium extraction and treatment,” said the head of a protest movement dubbed the South Bohemian Mothers. “There’s also the unresolved problem of nuclear waste storage... and you can never fully rule out the risk of a serious accident,” she added. “We organise concerts in the memory of Chernobyl and Fukushima, but only few protest rallies because public opinion is rather lukewarm,” Machova-Wittingerova admits. Two years after Japan’s March 11 Fukushima nuclear disaster which prompted EU heavyweight Germany to decide to shut down its nuclear plants by 2022, Prague remains undeterred. Other ex-communist countries Poland and Lithuania keen to overcome their energy dependence on Soviet-era master Russia are also pushing ahead with nuclear facilities.

The four cooling towers of Temelin Nuclear Power Plant seen behind a grain field in the village of Temelin, Czech Republic.

Pick

at the

AFP PHOTO / RADEK MICA

airport,

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

MOBILE GAME REVIEW

APP OF THE WEEK

www.allthingsdigital.com his tech blog hub of Wall Street Journal continues to provide hard-hitting, far-reaching news, opinion and commentary on the tech industry. It is a hit with the techies.

STAY ALIVE

PASSNFLY

deal for frequent flyers, the automated check-in app works with over 200 major airlines, can generate mobile or printed mobile boarding passes and will even try to pick out a window seat.

our mission is simple: kill as many zombies as you can by launching sharp projectiles at their skulls. Thanks to some meaty visuals and a slightly restrictive control scheme, this gruesome gallery shooter does produce moments of tension.

BEYOND THE ACTION Gears of War: Judgement has got rave reviews for its storyline, that many critics have called movie-like. It’s quite a departure from earlier games in the series that were primarily about a bunch of bulked up human beings fighting another species that wants them out off the planet. That being the case, great storylines are not new in games, here are five games that had stories better than what you find in most movies. compiled by NT Balanarayan

Alan Wake

SPECIAL MENTION Max Payne

famous author decides to head over to an island in the middle of a lake near a sleepy town, but his wife is abducted soon after and what follows is a great story of his hunt for his wife. Along the way, he faces enemies that spring up in the dark forest that can’t be killed, but are afraid of the light and pages from an old novel of his scattered across the forest that hints at what lies ahead for him. The game has one of the most convoluted storylines ever, but is really one of the best. Avid movie goers will also spot many references to classic movies in the game.

The story may be thin, but it has really funny dialogues.

Portal This series will be remembered more for its gameplay but the writing is simply one of the best in the industry.

Resident Evil This series has complicated characters and a very interesting plot, unfortunately all the movies based on the game have been very random at best.

Mafia

his game was ahead of its time when it launched in 2002. It was one of the first true open world games, but also one of the best written games even by today’s standards. It was jampacked with action, chasing scenes, romance, and betrayal — it even had a professional car race! The game is set in New York of 1930s and was made by a bunch of developers in Czech Republic that was soon acquired by 2k. Its sequel Mafia II, though prettier, is only half as good as the original. If you don’t mind a little old low-polygon graphics (by today’s standards) you can still play the original Mafia and fall in love with it.

Half Life series

he game had the most unlikely hero, a theoretical physicist and the best weapon in the game did not need to be reloaded as it was a crowbar. In the game he fights hordes of monsters that entered the world through a rift created during an experiment. It has great gameplay that has inspired first person shooters to date, but it’ll be remembered for its storytelling style. Eager fans have been asking Valve, the developers to release the third edition of the game so that they know the fate of their fabled hero. JJ Abrams of Lost fame recently announced that he’ll be working with Valve to make a movie based on the game.

Heavy Rain

his wasn’t a game in the traditional sense as the focus was entirely on the story which focussed on four people trying to catch the Origami Killer. The game has multiple endings and each action or inaction for that matter will influence the outcome of the game’s story. Unlike traditional games Heavy Rain does not have a ‘game over’ moment. If something bad happens to one character the story still continues, it’s just that some of the pieces in the puzzle may remain unsolved.

Deus Ex

his cyberpunk action game let gamers hack through worlds and allowed them to interact with almost any object in the game world. The storyline is heavily inspired by conspiracy theories and they are all woven together very well. While most science fiction tends to go a little out of hand with the capability of future tech, Deus Ex is quite grounded and the problems described in the game are relatable. The second game in the series is good in its own ways, but the story is only half as good. There are talks of Hollywood making games based on the series; hopefully it doesn’t end up like the Resident Evil series.

ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

PET NEWS Animals sent to Bolivia

Sea lions rescued

mysterious tide of California sea lion pups have been washing ashore in recent months. The Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach has more than 80 sea lion pups in their care.

ix endangered macaws have been flown from Britain to Bolivia in hopes that they can help save a species devastated by the trade in wild animals, international conservation experts said.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Out of the ocean

nearly 10-foot elephant seal stopped traffic for more than an hour as it tried to make its way across Avenida Atlantica in the Brazilian city of Balneario Camboriu in the southern state of Santa Catarina.

CATS AND DOGS The Animal Care Clinic 040-2335 2474 Pet’s World Dog Clinic 98856 46259 Blue Cross of Hyderabad 040-3298 9858, 23544355/ 5523 Vet-N-Pet 040-6553 9535, 93463 05890 Bluplus Pet Clinic 040-2712 1739, 2716 2636 Sri Sai Pet Clinic

040-2779 7458, 9848645350 Claws & Paws 98662 82772 All Creatures Animals Clinic 040-2773 0885 BIRDS Govt Veterinary Hospital 040-2331 9656, 2753 5755 Bird Watcher’s Society 040-2355 6166 Friends of Birds9391048315 SNAKES Friends of Snakes 8374233366

Clawed off

Declawing your cat is a far cry from a manicure. By declawing, you are subjecting your cat to a life deprived of their fingernails which, for them, is also a chief weapon for self-defence.

AMY ROSE THOMAS

amyrose.t@postnoon.com

our feli ne fri ends are known for their sharp claws, their incessant scratches and mistaking your leg for a toy that they were after and attacking it with gusto. Coming home to scratched-up sofas and bed posts is the order of the day for many cat owners. There are many who opt for an easy remedy — declawing their pet. Contrary to popular belief,

declawing your cat is a far cry from manicure. It is nothing short of surgical amputation of the first joint of the cat’s toes. One cannot imagine having to live life without fingernails. By declawing the animal, you are subjecting your cat to a life deprived of their fingernails which, for them, is a chief weapon for their selfdefence. Amputating is done with a scalpel or guillotine clipper. The wounds are closed with stitches or surgical glue, and the feet are bandaged. Another method is laser surgery, in which a small, intense beam of light cuts through tissue by heating and vapourising it. “Declawing is being banned in the country just like docking and cropping. Veterinarians are heavily penalised if they are caught doing it. Claws are important in cats and they help in selfdefence, balance and grooming. Once the claws are removed, the cat will be jittery while running and jumping since it will lose balance. Without nails, a cat will find it difficult to groom and scratch itself,” Dr Lakshmi S Ramana says.

PAINFUL SURGERY

Medication might help the cat in the beginning but since declawing is 20 amputations, it will take weeks or at times months for the nerve endings to heal. You might witness behavioural changes too since

your cat is being robbed of its most important weapon for selfdefence. And they can’t walk comfortably for weeks.

SELF - DEFENCE TOOL GONE

One might argue that homebound cats can be declawed. However, if a declawed cat gets in contact with a dog or another cat, it doesn’t stand a chance.

BITING PROBLEMS

Declawed cats are most likely to resort to biting after their claws are removed. Pet owners are likely to fall victim to these bites.

Simple alternatives to declawing your cat n A tall, sturdy and heavy scratching post sprinkled occasionally with catnip is the favoured alternative. n When selecting furniture, a closely woven fabric is the best. Cats find this type of fabric difficult to pierce. n When your cat begins to scratch on a piece of furniture, give him a firm warning such as “No, Kitty!” and then give him a quick squirt from a water pistol. This should discourage him. Then call him to his scratching post with a food treat and praise him when he uses the post. This may have to be done over and over until he understands. Source: www.petstation.com

BOOKS SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

SHORT READS Title: Six Years Author: Harlan Coben Publisher: Dutton Adult ix years ago, Jake Fischer watched the love of his life, Natalie, marry another man. When he hears Natalie’s husband has died, Jake can’t help but go to the funeral. When he gets there, the dead man’s wife is not Natalie. Who, then, was the woman who broke his heart?

Title: Patients Come Second Author: Paul Spiegelman, Britt Berrett Publisher: An Inc. Original he US might have some of the best healthcare in the world, but patients still complain about feeling treated badly. The authors suggest that will change only when the doctors, pharmacists and secretaries are invested in their work.

Title: Family Pictures Author: Jane Green Publisher: St Martin’s Press wo women who live on opposite coasts are connected by a secret bond — but they don’t know it till one of their daughters discovers a family photo that unravels what both of them thought they knew about their lives and families.

Title: Contagious Author: Jonah Berger Publisher: Simon & Schuster ow things catch on has always fascinated human beings. From a viral video to a preferred brand to common names, some things just seem contagious. Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger examines the six principles that drive things to become popular.

There is more to life...

...Because life is much more colourful than you can imagine. The 25 women whom author Rashmi Bansal features in her fifth book have realised this and more. Fleme Varkey

start their own enterprise. What these stories depict is that a woman need not need be a perfect mother or a perfect businesswoman, she just has to achieve the balance and each woman handles it in a different way. The book is a compilation of such interviews and though not a bestseller, it does make for some inspiring and interesting reading.

fleme.v@postnoon.com

n her blog, author Rashmi Bansal explains the reason for the title Follow Every Rainbow. The title is inspired from a line of her favourite song, “…follow every rainbow till you find your dream” from the movie The Sound of Music. “I chose this title because I think it describes the way women look at their lives and careers. We don’t want to climb every mountain just because it’s there. We need to see that rainbow over the horizon,” she writes of her choice of title. It’s her fifth book and Rashmi is back with 25 stories on 25 women entrepreneurs across the country and the world. Like in her earlier books, Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish and Connect the Dots, here too the theme is entrepreneurship. The author has divided the stories in this book into three segments — Lakshmis, Durgas and Saraswatis. Lakshmis are the women you do not typically expect to start businesses. They are not very educated and many of them are housewives. But once the business became a success, the other family members chipped in to carry on the good work, ‘because

success is not something one seeks for the self, it is sweeter when shared by all’. Here, she gives us the success stories of Meena Bindra, the owner of `300-crore salwar kameez selling brand Biba; of the grit and determination of Premlata Agarwal, the oldest woman to scale Mt Everest; of the intelligence and business acumen of ‘Loan Ranger’ Manju Bhatia,

who, at 26, is the joint managing director of Vasuli, a pan-India loan recovery company which employs only women and more. Durgas are women who have faced personal tragedies in life, perhaps deaths or divorce, because of which they had to stand up on their own feet. Once they took up the challenge, they were up for it. Here you have sculptor Jasu Shilpi, who nar-

SHADOW PLAY Padmini C

padmini.c@postnoon.com

he very idea of reading an Indian writer in English who departs from the usual tropes of diaspora, urban love, or more newly, Indian mythology, is reason enough to read Rajorshi Chakraborti. But the fact that his prose is readable and deceptively clever and funny and pithy, all at the same time, is added incentive. The New Zealand-based author, known for his previous works Balloonists and

Mumbai Rollercoaster, is now out with a collective of short stories, some of which seem to have come from his freelancing days when he wrote the essays for various publications. But for someone who’s reading him for the first time, Lost Men is not a bad place to start. In each of the stories, Chakraborti stalks his characters like a shadow in the night, cornering them at crossroads, in the aftermath of a disaster or on the path to redemption and presents us with the choices they make, all the while withhold-

rates why she choose such a profession— because Michaelangelo had said ‘sculpting is not a woman’s work’. The story of Ela Bhatt who runs SEWA is another awe-inspiring one. The third category of women are the Saraswatis — the modern, educated women armed with professional degrees. At some point, they decided to drop out of the general rat race and

Name Follow Every Rainbow Author Rashmi Bansal Pages 361 Publisher Westland Books

Rajorshi Chakraborti’s Lost Men is an interesting array of short stories that are really candid snapshots of people at their most natural. Name Lost Men Author Rajorshi Chakraborti Pages 252 Publisher Hachette India ing judgement. A conversation had, a journey undertaken, a chance missed, a past relived, a loved one lost, a secret withheld, a choice made; it doesn’t matter, Chakraborti takes the commonplace and weaves it into a

tale of intrigue that is as mystifying as it is thoughtful. As with any collection of short stories, there are some chapters in Lost Men you wish didn’t end and some that were edited out. Knock Knock (an eerie encounter with a bank executive), A Good Boy (a revelatory relook into a schoolboy’s suicide), and Viju’s Version (a strange relationship between a trusting school teacher and a notorious student) particularly stand out. If you are looking for a light, non-threatening read, this is it.

BOOKS SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Back to the City of Joy

The Lonely Monarch brings to life an artiste’s love for theatre. Originally written in Bengali by Sunil Gangopadhyay, the work was translated into English by Swapna Dutta. RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani. r@postnoon.com

here’s only one word to describe Sunil Gangopadhyay’s The Lonely Monarch — beautiful. The book brings to life the travails of a man who is so in love with theatre that he will do anything to revive and promote the art. However, lovers of thrillers and pulp fiction beware. The Lonely Monarch might not be something you might

like too much. It is a book that celebrates an artiste’s love for theatre and plays on the nuances of the field. But it is slow. Slow not in terms of the author struggling to weave the plot, but because there is probably no other way you could describe the Calcutta of yore or its people who love their literature and culture. And it is this that makes the book beautiful. But in all honesty, you have to understand this to enjoy the book. Originally written in Bengali by Sunil Gangopadhyay, the work was translated into English by Swapna Dutta. Based on the life of Sisirkumar

Bhaduri, a prominent Bengali theatre personality of the 20th century, the book is more a novel than biography. Since, the plot of the book is based on facts, prominent literary figures like Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Srikumar Bandopadhyay, Budhadeb Bose etc make an appearance as integral characters in The Lonely Monarch. The book brings to life the turbulent preIndependence times, when the British still ruled the country and the Indian culture was still very strong. But with entertainment fast becoming raucous and brash, Sisirkumar Bhaduri took it upon himself to counter the influence and change the image of theatre. For instance, when he was staging a play at a theatre in Bengal he insisted on using a rundown set to portray a

poor background. However, when the owner of the theatre, a Parsi, saw the set he was livid. He immediately demanded that there be a burst of colour and glittering gold paint added. Sisir has only one goal and that is to steer his audience towards more meaningful theatre. And the book brings to life his relentless efforts at doing so. He is met with challenges galore but along the way he even earns support from noted Bengali literary personalities, including Rabindranath Tagore. Swapna Dutta has done a good job of translating the work, with a neat and simple presentation. For people not familiar with Bengali theatre, this might seem a little hard to connect with, as it was for me. But try reading it as a novel that gives you an insight into old world Bengal and it might just work

Name The Lonely Monarch Author Sunil Gangopadhyay Translated by Sunil Gangopadhyay Publisher Hachette India Pages 234

WHAT’S SELLING Walden best in fiction

Walden best in fiction

n Oath Of The Vayuputras by Amish Tripati

n Accidental India by Shankar Aiyar

n Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

n Sum it up by Pat Summitt with Sally Jenkins

n Return of a King by William Dalrymple

n The Striker by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott

n Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss

n Durbar by Tavleen Singh

n The Storykeeper by Jodi Picoult

n India Grows At Night by Gurcharan Das

n Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson

n Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup n Racketeer by John Grisham n Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn n Fifty Shades Of Grey by EL James

n Land of the Seven Rivers by Sanjeev Sanyal

n A week in winter by Maeve Binchy

n Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard n My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor n American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice

WOMEN SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

wiss watch initiator Raymond Weil introduces its new high-end opulent feminine time-piece collection ‘jasmine, Turandot Splendor’. Bewitchingly beautiful, this watch pays true homage to the heroine of Puccini’s opera, Turandot, whose splendour is associated with jasmine.

ACCESSORIES

he Forevermark Encordia™ Collection is inspired by the ancient Greek knot of Herakles, often referred to over the centuries as the ‘love knot’. An elegant knot crafted in a sleek and smooth loop of yellow, pink or white gold, is a wonderful gift.

elebrate the festival colours with Ayesha's electrifying hues. Ayesha has launched a range of hair accessories to add a pop of colour to the outfit. The hair accessories comes in floral hair clips, slides, diamante clips, hair clutch and colourful hair ties.

HER WORLD’S A STAGE

Her tryst with theatre began when the rest were busy understanding algebra. And, she’s spent her life passing on her theatrical wisdom ever since. In a tête à tête with Postnoon, professor of acting and direction at the National School of Drama Dr Anuradha Kapoor reveals her love for the stage.

NIDHI BHUSHAN

nidhi.b@postnoon.com

ressed in a printed Anokhi kaftanlike kurta, Dr Anuradha Kapoor fit that typical description of a theatre personality perfectly. In one look, you could tell that she owed her salt and pepper hair to her stage — The National School of Drama. “For me, theatre has been around since the time I was in Modern School, Barakhamba Road in Delhi,” she says. “Our school had a fair amount of visits from celebrated theatre personalities like Om Shivpuri and Uma Sahai. Thanks to them, I had the opportunity to explore theatre at an early age.” Passionate and theatrehungry, the young Anuradha continued her affair with the art even in college. She joined a theatre group called Dishantar — founded by Om Shivpuri in New Delhi. “Dishantar was one of the earliest theatre

groups in the country and it shouldered the resurgence of Indian theatre. I was fortunate to be a part of the group as I did a lot of theatre work then, especially in Hindi theatre. Studying in Miranda House (Delhi University) I shared my passion with theatre personalities like Maya Rao. As part of Dishantar, we all did a lot of travelling and exploring for theatrical events in the country,” recalls Dr Kapoor. As part of University of Hyderabad and Goethe Zentrum Hyderabad’s Women’s March, Dr Kapoor was in the city to talk on ‘Women in Performing Arts’ and stage her directorial venture Jeevito Mrito, based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore. The play was performed by Seema Biswas. “Jeevito Mrito is a story about a widow who thinks she is dead. It subtly describes the way women perceive their lives sans their husbands,” explains Dr Kapoor. When asked if there are any changes made to the original story, she says: “We

EARLIER, THEATRE WAS CONSIDERED A HOBBY AT BEST, BUT TODAY PEOPLE ARE MORE OPEN TO MAKING A CAREER OUT OF IT. don’t make changes but try and perform the play in new spaces. For instance, the same play was staged in an open theatre in Kerala and Hyderabad, while it was staged in a room in Delhi.” Talking about women in theatre, Dr Kapoor says that the numbers are increasing. “Earlier, theatre was considered a hobby at best, but today people are more open to making a career out of it,” she says. When asked if the increase in number can be attributed to a reduction in obstacles, she

says: “Even though there isn’t a substantial reduction in obstacles that theatre faces in India, there is now a parallel narrative that says one can survive in the art. Students who are driven by passion still have to fight their way into joining a theatre group or an institute like NSD. The art is still considered a soft order, however, people are becoming more alert about it and are slowly beginning to recognise theatre as a profession. One can say we’ve now got a foot in the door.” When asked to point out how the role of women in films is different from that in theatre, Dr Kapoor quickly says: “The difference lies in the issues that are dealt with in theatre and in movies. Even though there are many commercial plays, most are in tune with what affects society directly. Moreover, there is less scope for stereotyping in theatre when compared to movies.” Talking about theatre being fundamental to her existence, Dr Kapoor concludes by saying, “I don’t know anything else I can do. Theatre is the lens I look through.”

Not all women lie All About Eve

FLEME VARKEY

recent survey shows that a chunk of female Facebook users lie about their lives on Facebook. A survey commissioned by Pencourage, a social-media site with where people post anonymous entries. According to the results, nearly one in four women admitted to exaggerating or lying about key aspects of their lives on social media between one and three times per month. The survey of 2,000 women was conducted by OnePoll. My objection is to the female part. The survey on the males is missing! Last year I was ranting about how my Facebook wall gets crowded with posts about honeymoon trips and music concerts and kids birthday. Well, coming to think of that, these women also provided ample proof of their adventures and parties. Survey people you forget women love to show off. On the contrary check out a man’s post when he says, ‘rocking the party,’ ‘spending time with Johnny etc... but the difference is he never has any proof to show. For all you know he is sitting in his PJs trying to get a life (virtual that is). Men will now say we don’t like to show off, and ‘us boys know what we are talking about.’ Women too put up random stuff but they need that constant encouragement and the urge to be known and appreciated, hence lies will do them no good. The Pencourage survey also takes a look at why these Facebook women allegedly lie. It touches on the fear that their lives may appear boring to others, the desire to make their lives look exciting, and jealousy over the fun that other people seem to be having. The solution— few likes and few shares works wonders for some women’s egos and morales. With imagination overtime, some lies are bound to creep up but that doesn’t make men holy saints. What say another survey to prove me wrong?

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013 1

Style corner

Mediterranean charm 4

Kishan Lohiya organised an evening of wine and cheese at The Blue Door restaurant, Jubilee Hills on Friday. It was completely Mediterranean in spirit.

A new outlet of the Naturals family salon & spa was inaugurated by Tollywood actress Kamna Jethmalani at Chandhanagar on Friday.

7 6

1 Namitha & Alankar 2 Mini Arora & Pooja 3 Pratiba & Ravendra 4 Tina & Praveen 5 Kishan Lohiya &

Sarita 6 Manoj & Geetha 7 Anjhu & Goolsan 8 Naveen & Vrithika 9 Mitoon & Pooja

Staying sharp Sharp International Products Pvt. Ltd, a personal grooming products manufacturing company launched its initial range of consumer friendly, razor blades in the City on Friday.

Encouraging art

Actor Sundeep Kishan inaugurated Rainbow, a unique charity art exhibition. The art work has been made by 300 students of Rockwell International school.

RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

I AM ALL EARS

ccording to a recent survey conducted by FlexJob that included 1,000 + respondents, 41 percent said that having a flexible job would definitely improve their sex life, followed by another 34 percent who were hopeful it would add some sparks. Keeping romance alive would be more possible as 47 percent felt they would have more time for date nights.

Dear angry kid, Seems like he has a thing for boundaries and perfection and basically having themselves at the centre of attention. One of the reasons why he might be doing is this is maybe he wants you to do something which you are not. So in this case you have to get your message across a bit too strongly. Leave out the blame part but be clear and specific when you talk to him about his attitude and make sure he acknowledges it.

am a 28-year-old woman and have been married for four years. My husband is of the belief that it’s either his way or the highway and often ends up humiliating me in front of friends. I feel like giving back all the time. How do I make him understand that he’s pushing me to the brink. Please help.

Who’s in control?

If a relationship means the coming together of two people who love each other equally, then from where does the aspect of control pop up? And when it does, it just sabotages a lot of things including — YOU. KANCHAN AGARWAL

kanchan.a@postnoon.com

“W

hen I was in a relationship, which I recently got out from, my boyfriend although two years younger than me was the dominating one. I think besides my refusal to control someone else, it was a history of jerks for boys that led me into surrendering myself to a friend-turned-lover who seemed like someone I could trust. I consciously ended the relationship after three years for all the right reasons. And as I wondered why I wasn’t left traumatised after parting ways with someone I had imagined to spend my entire life with, things started becoming clearer to me. I was supposed to be devastated because he had told me I would never find happiness without him and

that no one could love me as much as he did. I believed that although instinctively I knew that could not be true.” This is the story of 23-year-old Madhumitha Mithra who is one of the survivors of a controlling relationship. Countless other boys and girls, and men and women drown themselves in the purge of low self-esteem only because they are constantly being told they are not good enough, and with a lot of love at that. According to Dr S Jayanti, a person allows this kind of verbal, emotional and psychological abuse on himself from years of conditioning. “It

happens over the years. They believe what their loved one thinks about them. So even when something goes wrong, they tell themselves it was purely because of them”, she explains. Blaming oneself, denying opportunities and insisting that they deserve such ill treatment are the immediate consequences. “When one of my friends ethically tried to move on from a long-distance relationship with a man she fell in love with, she was slapped on the road. She cried silently and asked him to slap her more because she deserved it, and we got to know later that he had been cheating on her all along. He told her she was fat, not tal-

ented and was an idiot. Even now, after breaking up with him, she ends up with boys who play with her inferiority complex,” narrates Aparna Shah, a software engineer. When you take to heart what your partner says and believes him, depression is mostly next on cards. “You start believing all the negative things about yourself. If you get beaten, you take it for granted that you have done something wrong and you deserve it”, says Dr S Jayanti. One would think that the abused would be doing all he/she can to get out of such a dysfunctional relationship but it is hardly ever so. “They don’t. They honestly

believe the other person is good. It is their strong conviction that they should oblige and do everything right in their capacity,” she says. Is there any way to fix such an abused state of mind? “We try to correct their thoughts in therapy. We make them acknowledge their achievements. Sometimes we conduct couple therapy and rectify their communication” explains Dr Jayanti. Just because someone claims to love you, it should not mean they have the power to define who you are. Even as you discover yourself through or with the person you love, only you can know all that you are. No one else.

CINEMA SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Kajal to team up with Varalaxmi Sarathkumar to debut in Telugu

aralaxmi Sarathkumar, the daughter of Sarath Kumar, is all set to make her debut in Telugu. She has been reportedly signed up to play a lead role opposite Allari Naresh. This untitled film is going to be directed by Sai, a former associate of Srinu Vaitla. Anil Sunkara is going to produce the film and it’s

PAWAN KA LYA N? K

expected to go on floors in May this year. Last year, Varalaxmi was approached for another Telugu film and she even did a photoshoot with a young hero; however, the project was shelved. After making her debut in Tamil opposite Simbu in Poda Podi, she’ll soon be seen opposite Vishal in Sundar C’s Mada Gaja Raja this summer.

Potugaadu’s shoot set to begin in April

he principal shooting of Manchu Manoj’s upcoming film titled Potugaadu is going to begin from April 1 onwards. Kannada director Pavan Wadeyar is going to direct this film and Lagadapati Sridhar is producing it. Most part of the film will be shot in Karnataka and Hyderabad and we hear that the entire film is going to be wrapped up by the end of May. Pavan Wadeyar had directed a Kannada film titled Govindaya Namaha which turned out to be a

huge hit in Kannada last year. The film is said to be a romantic and action entertainer in which the hero falls in love with four girls. The entire cast and crew will be revealed soon. Manoj’s previous film Uu Kodathara Ulikki Padathara was an average fare at the box office, but he’s a busy bee this year. He has confirmed that he’ll be acting in two other projects including one film which will be directed by G Nageshwara Reddy and produced by Bellamkonda Suresh.

ajal might soon become the first actress in recent times to share screenspace with the top six stars in Telugu cinema today. She has already acted with the likes of Mahesh Babu, NTR and Ram Charan and now rumours are abuzz that she’s likely to team up with Pawan Kalyan in the latter’s upcoming film under Sampath Nandi’s direction. Sarath Marar is going to produce the film and it might go on floors after Pawan Kalyan wraps up shooting for Trivikram Srinivas’ film. In fact, Kajal was in talks to play the lead role in Pawan Kalyan starrer Gabbar Singh; however, the role went to Shruti Haasan in the end. Earlier this year, Kajal teamed up with Ram Charan in Naayak and that went on to become a huge hit and she’ll soon be seen opposite NTR in Baadshah which is slated for release on April 5. It’s turning out to be a big year for Kajal in not just Telugu film industry but also Tamil cinema where she’s acting in All in All Azhagu Raja and Jilla.

CINEMA SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Rangrezz questions

The real hero of this surprisingly watchable film is cinematographer Santosh Sivan.

OVERRATED EMOTION LOVE

Subhash K Jha

feedback@postnoon.com

ay back, Tina Turner sang What’s love got to do with it? Now in Rangrezz, the question is spun into a spunky dizzying drama of brutal love and betrayal. When love comes to shove, all hell breaks loose. It’s been a while since Priyadarshan made us sit up and watch in rapt attention. Visually and in terms of the content, Rangrezz is his best work in years. In what must rank as one of the most gripping elopement sequences written in the history of celluloid courtship, three friends, who look like they’ve walked out of Kai Po Che when Chetan Bhagat was not looking, get together to abduct a powerful minister’s daughter from a crowded temple to unite her with their lovelorn friend. The entire sequence lasts for a good 10 minutes. It is shot with the razor-sharp alacrity of a cleverly-staged game-show entitled How To Whisk The Chick Away Under Her Father’s Nose. And yet there is an air of unrehearsed casualness in the way the three friends, played with throw-away conviction by Jackky Bhagnani, Vijay Verma and Amitosh Nagpal, flee, fall and scamper away from danger, bruised, battered, bleeding and bellowing like wounded animals, with the eloping couple in the backseat of a screeching car. Full marks to the action director for cutting to the chase without negotiating a single faltering step in the way the drama unfolds.

Indeed, the real hero of this surprisingly watchable film on the violent end of that muchabused emotion called love, is cinematographer Santosh Sivan. Santosh’s unerring eye for a detailed lush and vivid emotional and physical landscape makes this Priyadarshan’s most visually rich film since Gardish in

NO PRESSURE ON NAWAZUDDIN

WHAT IF LOVE IS JUST HORMONES AND CHEMICAL AT WORK? IN AN URGENT RUSH OF ENERGY AND ADRENALINE, RANGREZZ POSES THIS QUESTION. Movie: Rangrezz Cast: Jackky Bhagnani, Amitosh Nagpal, Vijay Verma and Priya Anand Directed by: Priyadarshan Rating: was! The peppery racy proceedings could have been damned funny were it not so sad. The plot packs in plenty of punch. Priyadarshan wastes no time in building up a tempo in the spiralling storytelling. The characters evolve effortlessly from the core of plot. These are people who plunge into a crisis before thinking of the repercussions. The film poses some disturbing questions on the lack of genuine commitment in today’s relationships. What if love is just hormones and chemical at work? In an urgent rush of energy and adrenaline, Rangrezz poses this question. Priyadarshan spins a mean story told with a flair for violent flare-ups that are shot with gumption and gusto. It’s a film with a number of advantages, the performances topping the IANS list.

LOVE NEVER DIES

awazuddin Siddiqui, who received a special mention at the 60th National Film Awards for four films, says there won’t be any pressure on him even after such a big honour. “There shouldn’t be any pressure. I will continue to work like how I always work,” Nawazuddin said. Directed by Suparn Verma, Aatma, which released Friday, also stars Bipasha Basu. Nawazuddin received the special mention for four films he starred this year — Kahaani, Gangs of Wasseypur, Dekh Indian Circus and Talaash. “You should work according to your instinct. Being appreciated for your work is

1993. Even in the smallest scene in a small-town dhaba, the spicedup fumes emanating from the kitchen hit your nostrils. This is an elemental film, not the least apologetic about serving up a spicy dish .The BiharUttar Pradesh dialectic dialogues come across self-consciously the

way they are mouthed by the two actors — Pankaj Tripathi and Lushin Dubey, playing warring politician-parents of lovers-onthe-run. Ms Dubey is specially hammy. But then this is no place for the soft-spoken. This is a film with very strong sensory perceptions. The landscape is ruthless, rugged and riveting. The emotions are primeval. Caveman tactics, with characters caught out of their cushy hideouts kicking dragging and screaming, are the prevalent mode of vindication. It’s a tough world. And obviously a very tough film to make. Full marks to the film’s makers and the able cast of male actors who lend a compelling authenticity to the edge-of-theseat goings on. This is no state for the squeamish. Though Rangrezz is partly a coarse bromance and partly a mocking romance, its brutal landscape scoffs at softer emotions. The tyranny of the troubled territory is testimony to a history of family violence. The three guys, who form the core of the compelling content seem to convey more sincerity in their feelings for one another than the two man-woman relationships in the plot. Jackky, giving a subdued silently effective performance, roughs up the girl next door (Priya Anand) and shies away from any physical contact. This is Ishaqzaade without the sex. As for the other couple, whose elopement forms the central plot, their love evaporates faster than the film’s pacy editing can cope with. But not before one of the protagonists loses a leg and the other his hearing ability. All this for love that never

the most prestigious award that you can get,” he added. IANS

hen a child is involved, a horror movie always seems twice as frightening. However, Aatma fails to be truly scary because it fails to deviate from the Bollywood horror flick formula. Bipasha Basu plays a woman who is trying to save her child from her dead husband (Nawazuddin Siddique) in this psychological thriller. Nawazuddin is chilling as the obsessive father who wants his child to join him in the world of the dead — and is willing to kill anyone to gets in his way. Bipasha Basu is humdrum as the battered wife who finally thinks she is free of her abusive husband when he dies, only to find out that he is back to haunt her and their child. Even though she has more screen time than Nawazuddin, the talented actor overshadows Bipasha completely.

Movie: Aatma Starring: Bipasha Basu, Nawazuddin Siddique Director: Suparn Verma The music, composed by Sangeet and Siddharth Haldipur, is appropriately haunting and beau-

tiful. The background score keeps the feeling of dread alive rather well, and the mix of pop and rockbased songs goes well with the urban setting of the movie. The slick editing and cinematography of the film makes the film look good, but the clunky storyline makes it a slightly boring watch.

CINEMA SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Robert, Kristen still together

Paltrow suits up for Iron Man 3

obert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who were spotted together recently, put an end to speculations about their relationship, by saying they haven’t split. The couple had not been photographed together for over two months, leading many to speculate that they have ended their relationship for a second time. But the couple said they are still going strong. A fan photographed her friend posing with the Twilight stars as they left a Los Angeles karaoke bar together. “I just ran into them at a karaoke bar near my house. They were just there hanging out with a few friends,” dailymail.co.uk quoted a source as saying. As usual, the couple was dressed casually for their night out, with Stewart sporting a bulky

hough she didn’t see a lot of action in the first two Iron Man flicks, Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Pepper Potts, will be demonstrating some superhero antics of her own in the third instalment. “There were talks of Pepper getting in the suit at the end of Iron Man 2, but Marvel wasn’t ready to do it yet... I know Robert (Downey Jr.) was really interested in having Pepper do more in this movie, and it was also a factor in me coming back and getting to do things that were a little bit more fun and different. It would’ve still been nice, but it would’ve been very much the same thing just to be buttoned-up Pepper, and in this movie there’s a whole different experience of her.” So what was it like wearing the suit on set? “I didn’t mind wearing the suit at all,” she continued. “I thought it was light and perfectly comfortable and my children thought I was extremely cool. They were here on a day where I was in it, so they were trying it on and when my son saw me in the suit, he had the biggest eyes, so it was definitely worth it.”

Behind the scenes with CATE BLANCHETT H ollywood actress Cate Blanchett enjoys taking her sons on as many film sets as possible so that they can experience her job and see how the movie industry works. The 43-year-old actress has sons Dashiell, 11, Roman, 8, and Ignatius, 4, with husband Andrew Upton. She had let them come backstage with her when she was filming The Hobbit so she and the crew could pass down the secrets of her trade to them, reports contactmusic.com. “It’s like being a circus family, in the way doctors and

lawyers don’t hide their children from what they do. It’s a pretty exciting place backstage and I filmed for eight days on The Hobbit. It was so exciting for them because they saw the 3D cameras, they watched all the stunt guys and could see how the film was put together,” she said. She has taken a step back from acting in recent years to raise her sons. “I haven’t done a film for quite a long time, because I’ve been doing theatre and taking care of my sons. It’s been great to be in Australia,” she added. IANS

khaki jacket. Meanwhile, Pattinson showed off his much shorter hair after getting a buzz cut, wearing a red and black flannel shirt under a black jacket and jeans. Pattinson has just returned from Australia after wrapping The Rover, and it seems he headed straight back into his girlfriend’s arms. IANS

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

SUDOKU

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not. – Neil deGrasse Tyson

KAKURO

How to play kakuro

SCRIBBLING PAD

Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Word meaning "hello" and "goodbye" 6 Add to a database 11 Portly plus 14 Martin's "Laugh-In" partner 15 Light, semitransparent fabric 16 Fudge the facts 17 Use teasing deception 19 Supposed psychic gift 20 Routing term 21 Juan Peron's first lady 22 Student inside ivied walls 23 Brief time periods 27 Having common ancestors 29 1969 "bed-in" figure 30 "This" counterpart 32 Notorious fiddler 33 Half a French dance move 34 Palindrome for epic reads 36 Sends through a sieve 39 Went quickly 41 Desert drifter 43 Natural do 44 Of Nordic stock 46 Asiatic goat antelope 48 Valdez cargo 49 Ominous date for Caesar 51 "Why me?" sound 52 Band of geishas? 53 Handled differently? 56 Stiffly formal 58 "Don't make me laugh!" 59 Atlanta-to-Richmond dir. 60 Did some consuming 61 Fallopian tube travelers 62 Running back's maneuver 68 Shelter for feral animals 69 Have fun with Lego blocks 70 Ham and ___ (average Joe) 71 Explain further 72 Wanda of comedy

73 One of an acre's four DOWN 1 Surrealist Jean 2 Bud's "Who's On First?" partner 3 Notable head-turner 4 Reduce by 50 percent 5 Applies holy oil to 6 Morn's opposite 7 Dissenting chorus 8 Floor installer, at times 9 One and one, side-byside 10 Entertains with fine food and drink, e.g. 11 Swift 12 One of many in a supermarket 13 Not exactly enthusiastic 18 Hale or Lane 23 Brownish chocolate color

24 How the euphoric walk roofs 55 Yankees all-star Jeter 25 Ready to spend 57 Send packing 26 Palms yielding starch 63 Versatile playing card 28 Number that's often in 64 Where-at link a foreign language 65 "Long, long ___" 31 Breaks, at the ranch 66 Old Glory stripe color 35 Indian dresses 67 Virginia Woolf's "___ 37 Cleveland Indians, to Dalloway" fans PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 38 Unbroken, as a line 40 Arp's art 42 GI ID 45Superheroes, to villains 47 "Whence" companion 50 "Who goes there?" shouter 53 Valerie Harper sitcom 54 Like chalet

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Aries King of Swords

ork –There is a possibility that you’re feeling low and depressed about something not working out. Stop blaming yourself. You’re giving your best. Romance – Expect some bizarre twists and turns in your relationship. If not anything else, it will keep you entertained. Health – The changing weather is playing havoc with your health. Guard against eating street food at unhealthy places. Money – If you need to take some action on the finances front, do it sooner rather than later. Tarot message – Life does not come with an instruction manual. That’s what perhaps makes it all the more interesting. Go with the flow and expect nothing.

Taurus The Devil

ork – Guard crucial information and be careful about who you take or share information with. Don’t divulge too many details. Romance – You need to be more sensitive to your partner’s needs. Choose your words and actions carefully. Even the smallest act can hurt them. Health – Find innovative ways to stick to your diet. Try technology or something fun like Twitter updates to stay motivated to exercise and diet. Money – Shop around a bit before you choose an investment option. Let it be for the long term. Don’t get tempted by the short-term gains. Tarot message – You need to display maturity in handling both personal and professional matters.

Gemini King of Wands

ork – You are finding a lot of satisfaction at work and it’s giving you the inspiration to try out new ideas and do something else. Romance – You need to get into the wooing role with wine and dine. Join a wine society or something more exotic so you and your partner also learn something new. Health – There is never a one-size-fits-all formula for maintaining health. You need to find what works best for you. Understand your body better. Money – Go with your gut instinct about how you want to use your money. If you feel like spending it on a holiday, just do it. Tarot message – There will always be minor problems and ups and downs. Take these in your stride.

Cancer Eight of Wands

ork – You need to let the creative juices flow. Think out of the box. Don’t be afraid to try new ideas at the work place. Romance – Organise a candlelight dinner for your partner. Up the romance quotient and take your relationship a notch higher. Health – Your schedule has been pretty hectic over the last few months. Your body and mind are craving for a break. Just take off on a holiday. Money – If you want to up your style factor, go about it in an organised way. First, draw up a budget and be aware of how much you can spend. Tarot message – You may be doing too much. Take some free time out for yourself and relax.

Leo The Hanged Man

ork – You’re looking for answers but don’t know where to look. You may be feeling awkward seeking help from juniors but you need to. Romance – Visualise your reality and then work towards making it happen. There will always be ups and downs in your relationship. Solve the problems one at a time. Health – Consider tech tools to manage your health portfolio. Subscribe to a health magazine. Money – You’re very curious about a new mutual fund scheme or an investment opportunity. Let the experts advice. Tarot message – You need to prioritise the different aspects of your life and do what’s needed for you first.

SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

Libra Nine of Pentacles

ork – Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas at your office. Your bosses will appreciate the fact that you’re trying. Romance – Give equal credit to your partner for all the good times spent together. Even if you planned your dates, it was wonderful only because your partner cooperated. Health – There are fun, clever and creative ways to manage your health. Your exercise routine need not be a bore. How about Bollywood dance lessons? Money – Engineers and architects will benefit in this period. Those with more structured work profiles will do well, financially. Tarot message – Be prepared for surprises in life. Taking it with a smile and moving on always.

Scorpio Seven of Cups

ork – If you believe in legacy and giving back to society, make a definite plan and work towards it. Charity and philanthropy are very organised sectors today. Romance – Get creative with your partner. Singles may also want to go out and join online communities where they can meet other singles. Health – Beware of minor issues like sore throat or an upset stomach. Keep your mind fresh with meditation or anything to relieve stress. Money – Emotional decisions rarely work for finances. You need to be more practical when in managing your finance portfolio. Tarot message – Don’t be afraid to shake up your routine and do what’s not so familiar to you. It’ll lead to creative thinking.

Sagittarius Page of Cups

ork –You’re very passionate about your work. Your bosses realising this will give you new projects. Romance – An emotional time when you feel overly sensitive about everything your partner says or does. Keep some distance to maintain the maturity. Health – Take care of your heart. Go through a routine health check if you haven’t done so. All will be well. Money – You need to set more definite goals for your financial achievements. Start by figuring out how much you can save every month. Tarot message – There are many things one cannot avoid in life. It’s probably called karma. You have to go through yours.

Capricorn Five of Swords

ork – It’s the small ideas that will work well. Don’t be shy to share your idea. With many brains contributing to it, something big may come up. Romance – Make yourself more interesting to your partner, either by picking topics that are different or doing things you haven’t done together before. Health – You may need to use a combination therapy to ensure your body gets the most of the time you’re investing in the workout. Money – This is a definite marker of success in this day and age. But of what value it is to you will depend on how you treat money. Tarot message – Be innovative. If you can’t think of ideas on your own, ask someone else.

Virgo The Emperor

ork – Someone in your workplace may seem rude to you. But don’t take it personally. People are under all sorts of pressures. Romance – If your relationship is at a crossroad, then learn to let it go. It may be more beneficial to you. You’ll also come out stronger. Health – A health problem is perhaps more complex than it appears. Get a second opinion and go for simple solutions that work long term. Money – Finances are looking good and you have made the right investments at the right places. There’s little else left for you to do now. Tarot message – By changing your perspective, you can achieve a lot more in life. Open your mind and keep a positive attitude.

Date 24-3-2013

Aquarius Ten of Wands

ork – You want to feel more relaxed and want to space out work so that you can pay attention to each job. Romance – Fear of attachment is making you seem distant and also confused to your partner. Communicate clearly; explain yourself well. Health – Healing may take longer than expected. But the effects will stay for a long time. So don’t find quick-fix solutions. Money – Find a good tax consultant and make the right decisions about investment. Pay attention to weekend expenses. Tarot message – Your core values and belief systems are put to the test. What you believed to be true all along may be questioned.

Pisces The Moon

ork – You may be stressing out about work too much. Learn to relax. Take a break. Romance – Fear of commitment may be keeping you from going ahead and taking a relationship to the next level. Take your time. Health – Smokers really need to quit. Lifestyle changes and focusing on your diet and exercise can do wonders to not just your body but also your mind. Money – When you make financial investments remember that returns don’t come to you overnight. Be an investor for the long term. Tarot message – This is not the right time to get emotional about anything. Be practical and make decisions from your head, not heart.

Vol: 2, No 246 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

IN THE NEWS

first published on the Internet? 12. In which year did George Harrison, a former Beatles member, die? 13. What was the highest speed achieved by the French TGV trains during its test runs in 1990? 14. When was the first phone book

published? 15. Which country do the Oriflame products come from? 16.At what age did Yuri Gagarin, the first Russian cosmonaut to enter space, die? 17.American Airlines is merging with which other carrier to produce the world’s largest passenger airlines?

Answers

Crusoe? 7. Who performed the lead role in the 1978 Superman film? 8. Which other sport did NBA player Michael Jordan play? 9. How many parotid glands does a human have? 10. Which part of the body does the ‘scrum cap’ protect? 11. In which year was Wikipedia

1. Six 2. Tunis 3.Gray 4. Peas 5.1940 6. Daniel Defoe 7. Christopher Reeves 8. Baseball 9. 2 10. Ear 11. 2001 12. 2005 13. 515 km/hr 14. 1878 15. Sweden 16. 34 17. US Airways

TEST YOURSELF

IDENTIFY THESE MOVIES

CURRENT AFFAIRS 1

Which East African nation with a population of 43 million held its presidential elections earlier this month?

In an unlikely pairing, this minister of funk co-starred alongside Marilyn Manson in the 2002 short film Beat the Devil.

The United Nations Security Council voted to tighten sanctions on which country recently?

The Beastie Boys puzzlingly served as the opening act to which female artist's 1985 tour?

For how many years was Hugo Chavez the president of Venezuela? Which president announced earlier this month that he would resign only in 2018?

3 3

A meteor exploded near which mountain range in Russia raining debris which injured hundreds?

1. Kenya 2. North Korea 3. 14 4. Cuba’s Raul Castro 5. 30 6. Urals

The poem Tarana-e-Hindi is known by which other name?

PICTURE PUZZLE 59 with Santosh Ghule Whose legs and how many can you see in this picture?

Answer for 58:

According to legend for what specific reason did Begum Mumtaz Mahal introduce biryani in the meals for soldiers?

The bunnies have only six legs.

What would you enter through the Sirhi Darwaza?

Answers: 1.Toy Story 2. The Hobbit 3. Oz The Great and Powerful 4. Avatar

2 3

The name Led Zeppelin was inadvertently conceived by members of this band after their limo driver took the idea to Jimmy Page. Who are they?

Madonna’s 1986 hit single, La Isla Bonita, from the album True Blue was originally written for this singer.

Answers By what name did late painter MF Husain name his paintings on Madhuri Dixit?

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY

Van Halen was discovered in a Los Angeles bar by this bassist.

WHO AM I? I head the Sahara conglomerate. Harried by the Sebi, I put in ads in the newspaper which stated my stand. It read Enough is Enough. I am also the sponsor of the Indian cricket team.

Answer : Subrata Roy

Saudi Arabia’s king has sworn in women for the first time to the advisory Shura Council. How many women now sit on the council?

Do you know your music well enough?

Answers:

1 2 3 4 5 6

1.James Brown 2.Madonna’s Like a Virgin Tour 3. Gene Simmons of Kiss 4. Keith Moon and John Entwistle of The Who 5. Michael Jackson

1. How many limbs does a centaur have? 2. What is the capital of Tunisia? 3. What is the unit of absorbed dose? 4. Which plant did Gregor Mendel use in his research? 5. When did the first Opium War break out? 6. Who wrote the novel Robinson

1. Fida 2. The eastern gate of the Taj Mahal 3.It was a wholesome and one-meal dish considered to give all proteins and nutrients 4. Saare Jahan se Achaa

Answers

SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

MCA to award ` 2crore

Bhupati-Nestor advance

umbai Cricket Association has decided to give Rs two crore cash reward to its Ranji Trophy team for winning the trophy for the 40th time. This was announced at the AGM by president Ravi Savant. MCA had earlier announced that the winning team would be given Rs 3 crore in addition to the Rs 2 crore prize they would receive from the Cricket Board.

Istanbul hopes to get lucky

ndia's Mahesh Bhupathi and his partner Daniel Nestor of Bahamas advanced to the second round of the men's doubles event of the Sony Open ATP tour tennis tournament after a hard-fought victory over Richard Gasquet and Edouard Roger-Vasselin here. Bhupathi and Nestor notched up a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over their French opponents in a 79-minute opening round.

he IOC's evaluation commission arrives in Istanbul on Saturday, with the city hoping to bag the 2020 Games after four unsuccessful previous attempts. Commission members begin their four-day tour of the huge city that straddles Asia and Europe after previously assessing the rivals bids of Tokyo and Madrid, who are also in the running to host the event.

Djoker, Maria cruise Djokovic raced into the third round of the Miami ATP Masters with a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

MIAMI: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic raced into the third round of the Miami ATP Masters on Friday, with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Czech Lukas Rosol. The top-seeded Serbian, seeking to rebound from a semifinal exit at Indian Wells last week that ended his 22-match winning streak, needed just 53 minutes to advance. Meanwhile, On a day when rain left plenty of players waiting around Maria Sharapova didn’t waste any time in a 6-2, 6-0 second-round victory over Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. Sharapova, seeded third even though her triumph at Indian Wells last weekend saw her jump from third to second in the world rankings, needed less than an hour to subdue the 19-year-old wild card. Even a brief power outage that halted the match as the floodlights went out barely

Recari catches fire in Carlsbad

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand to Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic during their second round match at the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on Friday in Key Biscayne, Florida. AFP/CLIVE BRUNSKILL slowed her. “It was a bigger surprise that it was all around the outer courts as well, not just the stadium," she said of the outage that plunged the court into darkness.

Hass, Rose share lead ORLANDO, FLORIDA: England’s Justin Rose (left) fired a two-under par 70 on Friday to keep a share of the lead after two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational as Tiger Woods stumbled. Rose and Bill Haas stood on nine-under 135 after 36 holes at the $8.5 million US PGA event, which for Woods and many others is likely the final tuneup event for next month’s Masters, the year’s first major championship. Woods moved within a stroke of the lead only to finish with three bogeys, a disappointing 70 leaving him in a share of seventh,

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA: Sp-

ain’s Beatriz Recari fired a bogey-free five-under 67 to seize a one-shot lead after the second round of the LPGA Tour’s $1.7 million Kia Classic on Friday. Recari, who has two international career victories, posted her second bogey-free round to reach eight-under 136 overall. Australian Hall of Famer Karrie Webb shot a two-under 70 to remain tied for second place. AFP

In the end however, it was just a small hurdle on a day when a three-hour rain delay had matches backing up. “I was just trying to find a quiet corner where I could just

rest and just wait it out," Sharapova said of her approach to the rain delay. “I have been on the tour for many years and I have been part of a few delays ... you have to get out and just be ready, do a quick warmup, and be ready for the match." Sharapova next faces Russian Elena Vesnina, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Croatian Donna Vekic. Victoria Azarenka, the Australian Open champion who is seeded second, although she’s dropped to No. 3 in the world rankings this week, withdrew before her scheduled secondround match against US wild card Madison Keys with a right ankle injury. The injury had prompted Azarenka to pull out before her semi-final match last week at Indian Wells, but she had held out hope she’d be able to play in AFP Miami.

four strokes behind overnight leader Rose and Haas, who fired a bogey-free 66 to leap up the leaderboard at Bay Hill. “I played good," Woods said. “I missed a couple short ones. The score doesn’t indicate how well I played. I’m four back. I’m right there. The good news is we’ve got 36 holes to go. There’s a lot of golf left. Certainly four shots can be made up." Rose birdied the par-3 second and par-5 sixth, 12th and 16th holes while taking a bogey at the par-3 14th and missing a five-foot AFP par putt at the 18th.

Heat beat Pistons

MIAMI: The Miami Heat

stretched their record win streak to 25 straight games Friday but once again they had to dig deep in the second half to rally past a spirited opponent. The Heat, who own the second-longest streak in National Basketball Association history, beat the Detroit Pistons 103-89 behind a game-high 29-point effort from LeBron James. “They got us on our heels to

start the game but once we got our rhythm we started to play Miami Heat basketball," James said. James shot 12-of-15 from the field and finished with eight rebounds and eight assists for the Heat in front of a crowd of 20,350 at American Airlines Arena. Miami now trails the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers — who hold the NBA record — by eight games for the longest win-

ning streak ever. Miami got off to another slow start and trailed the Pistons 54-51 at halftime. The Heat had to battle back from two big deficits in their previous two games before facing Detroit. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player James said he’s not worried about the slow starts because the Heat know they can always grind teams down in the AFP fourth quarter.

Kamke topples Del Potro MIAMI: Fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina crashed out of the Miami ATP Masters on Friday, falling 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 to 89th-ranked German Tobias Kamke in a second-round match disrupted by rain. Del Potro had just dropped the first-set tiebreaker when the match was halted by rain, the break lasting almost three hours. The delay clearly did no favors to the world No. 7 from Argentina, although he said that the wait wasn’t the problem. “Yeah, we had a big delay, but it doesn’t affect my game," he said. “I think I came to the court again trying to be aggressive, but I made a lot of mistakes," he said. Del Potro had stormed to the final of the Indian Wells Masters last week with wins over world No. 3 Andy Murray and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. His semi-final win over Djokovic in the California desert had ended the Serbian star’s match winning streak at 22, and del Potro then extended Rafael Nadal to three sets in the final. However, he said losing his opening match in Miami wasn’t the result of a letdown, either physical or AFP mental.

League Cricket Kishan Prasad HCA One Day Finals Victory CC 156/9 (Bhanu 39, Mohammed Saleh Amoodhi 3/22) lost to Boys Town 158/1 (Abdul Khaled Al Qureshi 102 n.o.)

A3 division one day knock out National 183/8 (Virender Nayak 78, Jaipal Naik 36, Touseef 3/30) bt HBCC 148 (Jaipal Nayak 3/10, Venkatesh 3/35)

A 4-11 division one day SK Blues 233/8 (Suman Goud 96, Pradeep 44, Charan Teja 4/53, Raghav 3/17) bt Manchester 165 (Raghu 32, Lalith 3/16).

SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

Argentina in charge after Messi magic Lionel Messi scored once and set up two goals as Argentina beat Venezuela 3-0. BUENOS AIRES: Lionel Messi scored once and set up two goals as Argentina beat Venezuela 3-0 to remain in control of the South American qualifying race for the 2014 World Cup here Friday. The Argentinian skipper was the architect of two Gonzalo Higuain strikes which came either side of an emphatic Messi penalty on the stroke of half-time at the Monumental Stadium. The Barcelona superstar was Argentina’s best player throughout, twice forcing Daniel Hernandez into scrambled saves early on before producing the pass which enabled Higuain to break the deadlock on 29 minutes. Messi then harried Venezuela defender Gabriel Cichero into conceding a penalty, which the diminutive play-maker lashed into the roof of the net for 2-0 in first half stoppage time. A trademark jinking run and through-ball for Higuain gave Argentina their third in the 59th minute as Venezuela kissed goodbye to any chance of repeating their shock 1-0 win over the Argentinians in 2011. The victory leaves Alejandro Sabella’s side four points clear of second-placed Colombia at the top of the standings with 23 points after 10 matches. With just six games remaining, only an unthinkable collapse will prevent the “Albicelestes” from taking their place at next year’s finals in Brazil, with a trip to La Paz to face Bolivia on Tuesday their next game. In other games Friday, Colombia remained on course to end their 16-year World Cup exile after sweeping aside Bolivia 5-0 in Barranquilla.

Argentine forward Lionel Messi (R) scores a penalty against Venezuela during their Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup South AFP American qualifier football match, in Buenos Aires on Friday.

World Cup qualifying results South America Colombia 5 Bolivia 0; Uruguay 1 Paraguay 1; Argentina 3 Venezuela 0 Europe Croatia 2 Serbia 0; Macedonia 0 Belgium 2; Scotland 1 Wales 2; Bulgaria 6 Malta 0; Czech Republic 0 Denmark 3; Kazakhstan 0 Germany 3; Austria 6 Faroe Islands 0; Sweden 0 Republic of Ireland 0; Andorra 0 Turkey 2; Netherlands 3 Estonia 0; Hungary 2 Romania 2; Slovenia 1 Iceland 2; Norway 0 Albania 1; Israel 3 Portugal 3; Luxembourg 0 Azerbaijan 0; Liechtenstein 1 Latvia 1; Slovakia 1 Lithuania 1; BosniaHerzegovina 3 Greece 1; Moldova 0 Montenegro 1; Poland 1 Ukraine 3; San Marino 0 England 8; Spain 1 Finland 1; France 3 Georgia 1 Goals from Macnelly Torres, Carlos Valdez, Teofilo Gutierrez, Radamel Falcao and Pablo Armero secured an easy win as Colombia leapfrogged Ecuador into second place in the standings.

Colombia — who are revelling under the guidance of former Argentina coach Jose Pekerman — now look perfectly poised to reach their first World Cup since 1998. Barranquilla’s Metropolita-

no Stadium had rocked before kick-off as the home crowd paid an emotional tribute to former national keeper Miguel Calero, who died in December aged 41 after suffering a blood clot. Colombia took the lead on 20 , when Torres tucked away a cross from Juan Cuadrado, fortunate not to be ruled offside. Colombia doubled their lead shortly after half-time when Bolivia failed to clear a knockdown from Abel Aguilar, which Valdez prodded home. Gutierrez then made the game safe on 62 minutes, latching onto a through ball from Torres before steering past Bolivia’s substitute keeper Sergio Galarza for 3-0. Falcao and Armero comAFP pleted the rate late on.

WC Euro qualifying results P W D L G Ga Pt Group A Belgium Croatia Wales Serbia Macedonia Scotland Group B Italy Bulgaria Denmark Czech Rep Armenia Malta GroupC Germany Sweden Austria Ireland Kazakhstan Faroe Island Group D Netherlands Hungary Romania Turkey Estonia Andorra Group E Switzerland Albania Iceland Norway Cyprus Slovenia Group F Russia Israel Portugal N Ireland Azerbaijan Luxembourg Group G Bosnia Greece Slovakia Lithuania Latvia Liechtenstein Group H Montenegro England Ukraine Poland Moldova San Marino Group I France Spain Georgia Belarus Finland

5 5 5 5 5 5

4 4 2 1 1 0

1 1 0 1 1 2

0 0 3 3 3 3

10 8 5 6 3 3

1 2 12 7 6 7

13 13 6 4 4 2

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1 3 2 2 0 0

0 0 1 1 2 4

10 10 5 3 2 1

4 3 4 4 4 12

10 9 5 5 3 0

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4 2 2 2 0 0

1 2 1 1 1 0

0 0 1 1 4 4

18 8 11 7 1 2

6 5 2 8 11 15

13 8 7 7 1 0

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5 3 3 2 1 0

0 1 1 0 0 0

0 1 1 3 4 5

16 12 10 6 1 0

2 7 6 6 9 15

15 10 10 6 3 0

4 5 5 5 4 5

3 3 3 2 1 1

1 0 0 1 0 0

0 2 2 2 3 4

7 6 6 6 4 4

1 5 5 6 8 8

10 9 9 7 3 3

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0 2 2 3 3 2

0 1 1 1 2 3

8 13 9 3 2 2

0 8 6 5 6 12

12 8 8 3 3 2

5 5 5 5 5 5

4 3 2 1 1 0

1 1 2 2 1 1

0 1 1 2 3 4

18 6 6 4 6 2

3 4 4 7 9 15

13 10 8 5 4 1

5 5 4 4 5 5

4 3 1 1 1 0

1 2 2 2 1 0

0 0 1 1 3 5

13 20 4 6 2 0

2 2 3 6 8 24

13 11 5 5 4 0

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3 2 1 1 0

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3 2 7 8 3

10 8 4 3 2

Vettel quickest in final practice SEPANG, MALAYSIA: efending world champion Sebastian Vettel (right) grabbed a psychological boost ahead of Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday when he topped the timings in final free practice. The Red Bull star, 25, has led complaints about Formula One's new, fast-disintegrating tyres but he left his rivals trailing with an unbettered time of 1min 36.435sec late in the session. Lewis Hamilton, embarking on his second race for Mercedes after his switch from McLaren, led for much of the one-hour practice until Vettel's flier, but he ended it with rubber flapping from his tyres after a long run on mediums. The British driver was second quickest, 0.13sec behind Vettel, with Force India's Adrian Sutil third followed by Red Bull's Mark Webber and Lotus pilot Kimi

Final practice timings

Raikkonen, who won last week's seasonopener in Melbourne. Paul di Resta, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10, with McLaren's new recruit Sergio Perez AFP 12th.

1. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull Racing 1:36.435, 2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1:36.568, 3. Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1:36.588, 4. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull Racing 1:36.613, 5. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1:36.806, 6. Paul di Resta (GBR) Force India 1:36.807, 7. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren Mercedes 1:36.822, 8. Felipe Massa (BRA) Scuderia Ferrari 1:36.946, 9. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1:36.949, 10. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Scuderia Ferrari 1:37.302, 11. Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams 1:37.359,

12. Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren Mercedes 1:37.538, 13. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sauber 1:37.685, 14. Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1:37.690, 15. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams 1:37.936, 16. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Sauber 1:38.294, 17. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:38.376, 18. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:38.425, 19. Charles Pic (FRA) Caterham 1:38.995, 20. Jules Bianchi (FRA) Marussia 1:39.717, 21. Giedo van der Garde (NED) Caterham 1:40.209, 22. Max Chilton (GBR) Marussia 1:40.495.

SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013

India take control of Test Scoreboard

SYED SHOAIB

In New Delhi

James Pattinson departs after being caught by Virat Kohli off Pragyan Ojha on the second day of the fourth Test match between India and Australia on Saturday at the Ferozeshah Kotla Ground in New Delhi. SRINIVAS SETTY evening. The Australian first innings finally came to an end when Pragyan Ojha had Pattinson caught in the slips by Virat Kohli for a defiant 30. In scoring 262 runs before being all out, the Aussies had occupied the wicket for one full day and nearly an hour on the second day. Cheteshwar Pujara opened

AUCKLAND: Fast bowler Steven Finn equalled his career best Test figures of six for 125 as England fought their way back into the deciding third Test against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday. At stumps on the second day, England were 50 for two, 393 runs in arrears after dismissing New Zealand for 443 soon after tea. Finn, who in the mor ning session claimed the prized New Zealand scalp of Peter Fulton for 136, ripped out the tail taking the final four wickets in the space of 21 balls. England made an uncomfortable start to their reply when Alastair Cook was snapped up down the leg side by wicketkeeper BJ Watling off Trent Boult for four at the start of the third over. Jonathan Trott reached 27 before he followed Cook back to the pavilion when Boult beat him off the pitch to be leg before wicket and England were two for 44. Nick Compton (12 not out) and Ian Bell (six not out) then took a no risk approach through to stumps with only six runs scored in the final nine overs.

England’s Steven Finn (R) celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Peter Fulton’s (L) for 136 during day two of the third Test in Auckland on Saturday. AFP/MICHAEL BRADLEY

Brief Score New Zealand, 1st innings 443 (152.3 overs) P. Fulton 136, Williamson 91, T. Southee 44, McCullum 38 (Finn 6/125, Anderson 2/79) England, 1st innings 50/2 (25 overs) Trott 27, Compton not out 12 (Boult 2/26) While New Zealand had reason to feel satisfied with their bowling, it was a disappointing end to the innings after resuming the day at 250 for one. The overnight pair of Fulton and Kane

Williamson added a further 10 runs before the final nine wickets fell for 183 on a placid wicket as Finn equalled his best figures of six for 125 set against Australia at Brisbane in 2010. Matt Prior was the other standout performer for England, taking five catches behind the stumps, including a spectacular one-handed diving effort to remove Fulton. Fulton, who posted his maiden Test century, was in the middle for nearly eight hours and featured in a 181-run stand for the second wicket with Williamson (91).

51 30 8 12 262 W 0 2 5 1 2 23 28 8 59 W 0 0 0

scoring rate, off 56 deliveries. India went to lunch with the scoreboard reading 59 without loss off 14 overs, Pujara unbeaten on 28 and Murali, also unconquered after scoring 23 runs, raising hopes of a 4-0 whitewash in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

West Indies rout Zimbabwe ROSEAU: Spinner Shane

former fast bowler Courtney Walsh in New Zealand in 1995. He also became only the eighth Caribbean cricketer to capture 10 wickets in a Test match on two or more occasions. All of those landmarks were celebrated with gusto by his home fans, even as the hapless Zimbabweans capitulated. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be enjoying this success and being mentioned among some of our former greats,” said

Shillingford claimed his second 10-wicket haul at Windsor Park in less than a year as the West Indies cruised to a crushing innings and 65-run victory over Zimbabwe in the second Test Friday. Facing a huge deficit of 206 runs after skipper Darren Sammy declared his team’s first innings at the overnight position of 381 for eight, the visitors were brushed aside for 141 in their second turn at the crease in less than 43 overs. Shillingford claimed five for 34 to finish with match figures of 10 for 93 as the home side wrapped up the game on the afternoon of the third day. He was the unanimous choice as both man of the match and man of the series following on his figures of nine for 107 in the first Test in Barbados. By taking 19 wickets in the brief series, the off-spinner shattered the West Indies record for the most wickets in a two-test series, 16, which was set by

SOLUTIONS

Shillingford. “There was a bit of pressure of expectation on me coming into the match, but once we got on the field all of that was put aside and everything fell into place for me and the team.” West Indies skipper Darren Sammy was delighted by Shillingford’s efforts. “Shane’s performance here has been tremendous but throughout the games different people have been called upon and they executed properly,” said Sammy.

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Suduko

Boult strikes twice

the Indian innings along with Murali Vijay in the absence of the injured Shikhar Dhawan. Vigilant batting by the two on a pitch with uneven bounce ensured that India took the honours in the first session of the second day of play. The first-wicket partnership clipped 50 runs off the Australian score at a healthy

Number game

longer than the first seven did. Night watchman of the Mohali Test Nathan Lyon who walked in last here, showed he was no bunny with the bat, taking the Australian score to 250 in the 105th over in the company of number ten James Pattinson, a score that seemed beyond them after they were seven down for 136 in the 54th over yesterday

Scrabble

NEW DELHI: With spinners beginning the bowling attack from both ends on just the second day of the fourth Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla Ground here, an increased spectator attendance on Saturday got a glimpse of what to expect over the rest of this match between India and Australia. After getting to his fifty without a fuss in the first over bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin, Peter Siddle was bowled by him off the first delivery of the fifth over of the day, giving Ashwin his fifth wicket of the innings. Siddle’s 51 may be considered invaluable, for not only was it the team’s highest, the batsman came in at number nine and held the tail together, taking Australia, in the process, to a fighting total. More importantly, he occupied the wicket for close on three hours, which would count big in the final outcome of the match. The last three wickets, interestingly, have occupied the wicket

Australia 1st innings (overnight 231/8) PM Siddle b Ashwin JL Pattinson c Kohli b Ojha NM Lyon not out Extras (b 5, lb 7) Total (all out 112.1overs) Bowling O M R B Kumar 9 1 43 Ishant Sharma 14 3 35 R Ashwin 34 18 57 Pragyan Ojha 26.1 6 75 Ravindra Jadeja 29 8 40 India 1st innings M Vijay not out CA Pujara not out Extras (b 4, lb 4) Total (0 wickets, 14 overs) Bowling O M R Johnson 6 0 28 Pattinson 4 1 18 Siddle 4 2 5