Postnoon E-Paper for 14 July 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

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JULY 14, 2012 HYDERABAD

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PAGE TWO SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

A VERY CLOSE SHAVE

Kanchi collection A saree exhibition by Kanchi weavers will be held on July 19 and July 20. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 19 and 20, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939

N SHIVA KUMAR

Pochampally mela Head to the Pochampally mela for handmade bed and home linen, dress materials, silk and cotton sarees. Where: Sathya Sai Nigamagamam, Srinagar Colony When: Ongoing, 10am onwards Contact: (040) 2374 1450

Documentary time A documentary screening will be held at Lamakaan on July 14. The two documentaries being screened are Call Cutta by Anjan Dutt and There is something in the air by Iram Ghufran. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 14, 7pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

Theatre festival The seventh edition of the multitlingual theatre festival -Abhinaya National Theatre Festival will be held from August 16 to August 19. Where: Ravindra Bharati, Saifabad When: August 16 onwards 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245

Park drama A Hindi play dealing with three men trying to find peace of mind in a park is being presented by Sifar. The play is written by Manav Kaul and directed by Feroz. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 22, 5pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

Stand-up act Head to Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre on July 18 for a fun filled evening with a live standup act by Dan Nainan. Where: Novotel and HICC Complex, Madhapur, Hitec City When: July 18, 8.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

CINEMAS

An bulker that crashed into a divider in Masab Tank on Saturday morning. No injuries were reported.

Art works A painting exhibition featuring the new works of artistes Laxma Goud, Vaikuntam Thota and Ramesh Gorjala is being held. Where: Gallery Space, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6554 1836

Musical evening Boondhon ka Paigam, a yearly monsoon musical event will be held on July 12. The event being held at HICC will feature performances by Kavita Seth and Jaswinder Singh. Where: Hyderabad Marriott and convention centre, Tank Bund When: July 12, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Parantha festival Haldi at Novotel Airport is hosting a parantha festival titled Parantha Overload. The parantha festival on till August 15, offers a variety of paranthas in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian combinations.

Where: Novotel Airport, Shamshabad When: Ongoing, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6625 0000

A double life Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation presents A Double Life: An Evening with Alyque. Catch Mohammad Ali Baig in conversation with Alyque Padamsee. The event will be held on July 15. Where: HICC, Hitec City When: July 15, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6616 3000

Art-de-konj A painting exhibition depicting artist Aiyudha Pooja Kapurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for horses is on display at Muse Art Gallery till July 20. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

French film The French film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort will be screened at

Alliance Francaise. The film deals with the life of two young women. Where: Alliance Francaise, Marredpally When: July 20, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2770 0734

Living with the masters An exhibition of paintings by artistes such as Akbar Padamsee, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Ganesh Pyne, Jagdish Swaminathan, K G Subramanyan, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, S H Raza, Tyeb Mehta is being held at Kalakriti Art Gallery. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: July 18 onwards, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

Kuchipudi performance A Kuchipudi dance performance will be presented by Dr. Kamala Reddy and Soumya Rajupet on July 31 at Ravindra Bharathi. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: July 18, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 44767777, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973

CITY SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

House burgled

Home guard run over

City home guard, P David Livingstone, 48, who was walking back home after duty was knocked down last night by unidentified vehicles on the footpath of Puranapul under the Kulsumpura police station area. As he lay bleeding a passerby informed the police who rushed him to the Osmania Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

CM launches Indira Baata

urglars cleaned out the home of one Mohd Masood, a Citybased cloth merchant, situated at Madina building crossroads in Charminar area last night. The thieves broke open the lock of the first floor house and gained entry. They picked up all the valuables including gold ornaments, cash and some antique things. Investigation has begun.

M Kiran Kumar Reddy left this morning to launch Indiramma Baata in Gokavaram of East Godavari district. He visited a primary health center and interacted with the staff about the services rendered. Meanwhile, TDP activists staged a dharna, but the police foiled their attempts and arrested former minister G Surya Rao and other party leaders.

Hookah centres stir trouble MOHD SUBHAN

mohd.s@postnoon.com

he City police higherup has placed the police stations of West Zone under the scanner for their failure to contain proliferation of hookah centres which are proving to be a hub of criminal gangs, sources said. Allegations against the police are that the hookah centres are patronised by police stations for obvious reasons. The issue came up after

SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS ARE UNHAPPY AT THE UNSAVOURY ELEMENTS GETTING POLICE COOPERATION. HISTORY-SHEETS OF KALEEM ARE BEING DRAWN UP TO PRESENT A TOUGH POSTURE. the police arrested four — Shaik Abdul Kaleem, his brother Shaik Abdul Khader, his associates Akber, and Saif — in connection with the recent illegal detention and

torture of one Deepak. Shaik Abdul Kaleem is a resident of Moosarambagh of Malakpet and a student of law from Mahatma Gandhi college situated at LB Nagar and he was arrested with some others by the City police a few years back in connection with the blast in Macca Masjid. They were charged with terrorism. Kaleem was acquitted later. But the question as to how a person charged with terrorist activity even though acquitted got the permission to run a hookah centre is stonewalled. When we contacted the inspector of Banjara Hills police station, E Chandra-

shekar Goud pleaded he was new to this area and he didn’t quite know about the hookah centres or Kaleem’s status. However, DCP West Zone M. Stephen Raveendra told Postnoon that Kaleem was running an illegal hookah centre and the police will

take action. Meanwhile, the police have closed the hookah centre run by Kaleem on Banjara Hills Road No 3. As senior police officers are unhappy at the unsavoury elements getting police cooperation, history-sheets of Kaleem and some others are being drawn up to present a tough posture.

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CITY SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Novel ways to evade tax

It’s not often that authorities are flummoxed. But a clever ploy used by vehicle owners to escape paying road tax in Hyderabad, has the RTA bewildered. But not for much longer ANUBHA K SINGH

anubha.k@postnoon.com

elocating is a pre-requisite for upward mobility of professionals. It involves heavy expenses, upstaging the moorings, but of all the most painful is perhaps the atrocious amount one has to shell out to take one’s vehicle to the new place of posting. In Andhra Pradesh, road tax is calculated as per the cost in the invoice which was generated years ago without taking into account the current depreciated value of the car. So you end up paying a heavy amount that you have already paid to the state where you got the vehicle registered. The big money owners are asked to cough up could be anything between `30,000 and `50,000 for a car and `4,000 to `8,000 for a bike. With such a big amount you either would like to sell your old car and buy a new one here or just pay the heavy road tax. But you could do better, as many ingenious ones have found out. That is based on the universal law that every law has a loophole, every action has a reaction, and so in vehicle tax too. Many who have come from the neighbouring states and towns like Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, have a covert option available. It hinges on the rule that you get three months to pay up in the new station. And, what is the proof ? The pollution checks slip or the toll receipt. Well, how? Simple. Drive to your

hometown or to your old station, meet up with friends, unwind for a couple of days and come after getting your vehicle checked for pollution. The date gives you another three months; and repeat this ad infinitum and sing on the way! Arun Yadav, a software employee in the City, who had shifted a year back to Hyderabad from Pune is one among them. “My company transferred me from Pune to Hyderabad a year ago. Before shifting I never knew about road tax but very soon it came as a shock to me that I need to get a NOC from RTA Hyderabad to transfer and drive my vehicle in the City, and more shocking was that I need to pay `50,000 as my vehicle was new.

Thanks to my colleagues who gave me the idea of pollution check and it was easy for me as Pune is my home town so every three months I go there, get my PUC certificate and I am happy!” Arun’s other colleague who hails from Jaipur who has been working in Hyderabad from the last six months gets his PUC certificate couriered from Jaipur in every three month and gets away with the road tax. So is Mustaq from Bangalore. He was horrified when told that he has to pay up additional `20,000 to Hyderabad RTA for his Swift. "Why the hell? he asked, “and, the answer came from several of my techie friends: Go to the Garden City every three months. The rest

n n n n n n

Vehicle Population in Greater Hyderabad limits: 27 lakhs Floating Vehicle Population: 6 Lakhs Cost of Road tax: Car- 14 per cent on the cost of the vehicle Bike- 9 per cent on the cost of the vehicle Time span to pay the tax: One-three months.

was done.” When contacted the Road Transport Authority Officials evinced surprise at the ingenuity of the violators. “Thanks to Postnoon for bringing this to our notice We never

thought of this angle. Our enforcement department will surely come out with a solution very soon. We will keep an eye on vehicles plying in the City without paying road tax. With more and more people shifting here tax evasion is becoming more common these days in the City but they will not be able to get away with this for long. We will deploy our staffs at various locations to flag down such vehicles,” said RTA joint transport commissioner G Panduranga Rao. Well, last heard, some friends were berating this correspondent for spoiling their fun. But as officials point out, every vehicle user is getting the infrastructure and one has to pay for its maintenance, hasn’t one?

Political frenzy after T-JAC call Md Inkeshaf Ahmed Ahmed.m@postnoon.com

he open letter written by the Political Joint Action Committee of Telangana (T-JAC) to MLA and MPs of various political parties to use the presidential elections as a weapon seems to have pushed them to a corner. While the ruling Congress MLAs and MPs are not serious about the call by the T-JAC, the pressure seems to be more on the champion of the Telangana cause — the TRS. There is a valid reason for this. The call of the T-JAC is not shorter than a shock for the party as its president K Chandrasekhar Rao has been making statements that he has received indication from the cen-

WHILE THE RULING CONGRESS MLAS AND MPS ARE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT THE CALL BY THE T-JAC, THE PRESSURE SEEMS TO BE MORE ON THE CHAMPION OF THE TELANGANA CAUSE — THE TRS. tre on creation of a separate Telangana state and gave indirect indications that the party will vote for Pranab during the Presidential elections. He even went a step ahead and asked the T-JAC leaders to postpone their proposed agita-

tion till the conclusion of president and vice-president elections. But the T-JAC, not only rejected KCR's request, but also asked the public representatives from the Telangana to utilise the presidential elections to raise the demand for a separate state. "The T-JAC call has definitely put us in confusion. We cannot ignore it. The party will take a decision accordingly in the next few days," TRS senior MLA K. Eeswar said. There is an interesting discussion going on in the main opposition TDP on the TJAC's call. The Telangana TDP Forum MLAs are seriously mulling over utilising the opportunity to raise the Telangana issue during the president elections .But there seems to be differences of opinion among these

leaders. While a section of leaders feel that the forum cannot take any decision on the issue as the ball lies in the court of party president N Chandra Babu Naidu, the other section is of the opinion the compliance with the call of T-JAC would help the party shed its image as an opponent to a separate Telangana in the eyes of people. "This is a great opportunity for us. Even though we are not part of T-JAC, its call would help us increase our reputation as a proTelangana party among the people," TDP MLA G Kamalakar told Postnoon. The leaders are scared that if the party high command decides to vote for NDA candidate PA Sangma, then they will lose a great opportunity.

CITY SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Treasure hunt to begin anew Gold diggers have returned with their pick-axes and spades but the issue still simmers. Does a treasure trove exist beneath the playground of Vidyaranya school? N SHIVA KUMAR

OFFICIALS WHISPER

THAT IT MAY NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE PRESSURE IS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO SUSPEND THE EXPLORATION SINCE IT STANDS ON THE FOYER OF A PRIVATE PROPERTY

SUDESHNA KOKA

sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

old, money, treasure were all speculated after nine people, who claimed to have knowledge of a buried treasure at the foothills of Naubat Pahad, filed a petition last February . The decision was surprisingly quick. Preliminary examination by the State archaeology department began soon after. The high-voltage exploration lasted three days with the help of NMDC. But the process was suspended as quick as it began and the director of AP Archaeology, P Chenna Reddy moved out. As the possible treasure lay buried, the issue has been relegated to the archives. But it’s sought to be revived and the process will restart in September with the consent of the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology

(CABA), New Delhi. “Soon after the explorations we formed a committee and conducted a meeting. The meeting included members from NMDC, ASI. We studied the case and concluded that 16 to 17 meters deep there may be some treasure and further probe is needed. “We have asked CABA to give us permission. We will most probably get it in September,”

said Ram Krishna, deputy director, AP archaeology department. “The NMDC team carried out differential studies namely geological studies, topographic survey, ground resistivity survey-vertical electrical sounding method (VES) and ground magnetic survey. NMDC found anomalies in the shear zone at multiples points VES-6 and VES7. Topographic survey, magnetic

profiles and technical studies reveal linear magnetic anomalies which could be due to presence of a shallow magnetic object/construction/iron sheet cavity. These anomalies could be situated at a depth of approximate 20 feet. “The technical studies establish the existence of a structure at the depth of 18-20 feet on the hill area. This surely means that further excavation is needed but the ASI is not giving us the permission due to external pressure. Also, the explored site needs police protection but no

one is bothered,” said an official. Officials at AP Archaeology whisper that it may not happen because pressure has been brought on the government to suspend the exploration since it stands on the foyer of a private property — Vidyaranya school. However, few members from the department state that due to official pressure, the ASI is not giving the permission. Chenna Reddy said, “We have conducted meetings and conclude that a further probe is needed. I wonder what’s stopping the ASI from giving permission. The process will cost less than `30,000, and I don’t see any hitch in the excavation.” The school property is not an archaeology site but for such activities permission from the department is necessary. “We do suspect that something might be there but until September nothing can be done. Until now we were not sure of the dates but now we know that in September we will know,” said Krishna.

NATION SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

SC slams government

Ghaziabad school shuts

he Ghaziabad school outside which a four-year-old boy drowned on Thursday in a drain, shut shop and its management was absconding after police registered a case against it. On Thursday, four-yearold Ganesh’s body was found floating in the drain outside the Holy Mother Public School in the Vasundhara area by his father after a frantic search.

Sardar Patel’s land ‘sold off’

AHMEDABAD: District collector of Kheda has ordered an inquiry into a case, in which a piece of land belonging to India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was allegedly sold off by forging documents. The land concerned is located in Gadwa village of Mehamadabad taluka in Kheda. “Land belonging to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was sold off by forging documents. An FIR has been filed in Mehamadabad town of the district in the case,” district collector MV Parghi said. Deputy collector Munir Vohra has been directed to conduct an inquiry, Parghi added.

Militant hideout busted

he Supreme Court on Friday told the central and MP governments to act fast and put in place an agreement with German firm GIZ for disposal of 350 MT of toxic waste from the Union Carbide site in Bhopal or the court would end the proceedings. In an expression of their disapproval, the court said that it was not inclined to give more time after this.

ecurity forces busted a major militant hideout in Jammu and Kashmir, recovering a huge quantity of automatic rifles, ammunitions, grenades and powerful explosives, an army official said Saturday. After receiving intelligence inputs about the hideout in the forests of Marmat area, a joint team of 10 Rashtriya Rifles and police conducted the raid on Friday.

A new Parliament house? NEW DELHI: Parliament may have a

Union minister of State for Mines Dinsha Patel had filed an application with the district collector alleging that a piece of land (1.39 hectares), which was in his name owned Sardar Patel’s name as per the revenue records of the district collectorate till 2010, was sold off to one Bhupendra Dabhi by land grabbers. The minister said that while the cost of land is around `25 lakh presently, it was sold off for `2.5 lakh. In place of Patel, an aged man’s photograph was shown as the owner of the land. A thumb print was given on the sale deed registered on the non-judicial stamp of `5,000 in March 2010. PTI

new building in place of the existing 85year-old heritage structure with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar giving approval for setting up a high-powered committee to suggest an alternative. Lok Sabha secretary general TK Viswanathan said that the speaker had given an “in principle” approval to set up a committee to go into questions such as the site of alternate complex to house the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and how it will be constructed. He said there was need for an alternate complex as the existing building was heavily used and cannot take the strain. “Foofalls are increasing... Its heritage character should be preserved.... (There is need to) plan for the future,” he said. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) had said Thursday that the parliament building needs renovation as there were apprehensions of loosening of

small ceiling tiles. Viswanathan said composition of the committee will be decided in the next few days but it was likely to be headed by a leading public figure. The committee is likely to have representation from the IANS urban development ministry.

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Sharad Pawar watches as frontrunner for the post of President, Pranab Mukherjee listens to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray at the latter’s residence in Mumbai on July 13, 2012. AFP

KF pilots on strike NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Several flights of Kingfisher were cancelled today due to a strike by pilots to protest non-payment of wages for almost five months. Three flights from Mumbai and several across the airline’s entire network were cancelled. An airlines spokesperson said, “A certain section of employees have decided to stay away from duties due to salary payments not being credited to the bank accounts of all employees by Friday. Kingfisher wishes to state that more than 75 per cent of employees have actually received their promised salaries on Friday.” “We have further promised that the balance of our employees will receive their salaries by Monday,” the

spokesman said. The passengers booked on these flights have either been re-booked or given refunds, he said. This is the third time in the last 12 days that the pilots have struck work. The earlier strike on July 11 saw 12 flights getting cancelled. The strike on July 2 was called off after a few hours with the management promising to pay some sections of staff from July 6. Kingfisher is, at present, carrying out truncated domestic and international operations with about 15 aircraft, in place of 64. A large number of its flight engineers have reportedly quit over the past five months, primarily due to delayed payments. PTI

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WORLD SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

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I am no threat to the US, says Chavez CARACAS:

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President Hugo Chavez said on Friday that Venezuela was not a threat to the United States, after Mitt Romney blasted President Obama for downplaying the risk posed by the longtime US foe. “I think Obama, if you remove the title, is a good guy — if you isolate yourself from the context, as a person,” Chavez, said in an interview on local television.“We are not a threat to the US government,” he added. AFP

Stallone’s son found dead

Edu min’s office burgled

ylvester Stallone was described as “devastated” on Friday after his 36-year-old son Sage, was found dead. Sage Moonblood Stallone, was found dead at his Hollywood home, media reports said. TMZ cited unidentified sources as saying that he had died of an overdose of pills, adding that authorities were trying to establish the cause.

gang suspected of high-profile robberies in Russia’s southwestern region of Ingushetia included three police officers, the Russian interior ministry said. One of the gang members was killed and four arrested in a police manhunt in Ekazhevo village after the gang broke into the house of the regional education minister.

‘SC must act on Syria’ UNITED NATIONS: UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Friday demanded that the UN Security Council act on the Syria conflict, warning that any failure would be giving “a license for further massacres”. Ban joined with UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to express outrage at the mass killings in the Syrian village of Treimsa and to make an “urgent call” for pressure on President Bashar al-Assad. Annan said Security Council resolutions had been “flouted”. “I call upon all member States to take collective and decisive action to immediately and fully stop the tragedy unfolding in Syria. Inaction becomes a license for further massacres,” Ban said in a statement. The massacre of at least 150 people in Treimsa has added new urgency to deadlocked Security Council negotiations on a Syria resolution. Russia has rejected western demands for non-military sanctions to be threatened to back Annan’s peace efforts. Ban expressed outrage at the “horrific” killings in Treimsa on Thursday, which he said cast “serious doubt” on Assad’s commitment to an international peace plan. The UN leader strongly condemned “the indiscriminate use of heavy artillery and shelling of populated areas, including by firing from helicopters.” Annan said in a letter to the Security Council that the use of artillery, tanks and

Copters, tanks used for Tremseh killing

Relatives of Syrian Abu Ismail, who was allegedly killed by a governAFP ment sniper, mourn over his body during a funeral procession.

I call upon all member States to take collective and decisive action to immediately and fully stop the tragedy unfolding in Syria. Inaction becomes a license for further massacres Ban Ki-moon helicopters was “a violation of the Syrian government’s obligations and commitment to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centers.” “Tragically, we now have another grim reminder that the council’s resolutions continue to be flouted,” Annan said in the letter.

The council passed two resolutions in April which set up the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) and demanded that Assad carry out the six-point peace plan he agreed with Annan. The agreement included a halt to the use of weapons. Annan reaffirmed his call for the council to “send a message to all that there will be consequences for non-compliance” with his plan. UN envoys held more talks Friday in a bid to break their deadlock on a Security Council resolution to renew the UN mission. A vote must be held by July 20 when the mission’s mandate ends. A resolution proposed by Britain, France, United States, Germany and Portugal would give Assad 10 days to stop the use of heavy weapons, in line with the Annan plan, or face sancAFP tions.

he head of the UN monitoring mission in Syria has said that helicopters and tanks were used to shell a town in the centre of the country before a massacre that killed more than 140 people on Thursday. General Robert Mood, who has led the UN presence in Syria since April, said his members were ready to enter the town of Tremseh if a truce took hold. AFP

Military backs down from previous claim ANKARA: The Turkish military has backed down from its previous claim that its fighter jet was downed last month. “The actual cause of the incident will be established after the plane wreckage is raised from the seabed,” the staff of the armed forces said. “No traces of explosives or flammable products were found on the debris,” it said. AFP

Storms in China claim 12 lives

Letterman spills Bat beans on his show

Silvio plans for comeback

BEIJING: At least 12 people have died and more than three million affected in storms that hit China over the past few days, officials said. In eastern province of Shandong, four people have died, and more than 100,000 forced to evacuate from low lying areas, Xinhua reported. Floods have inundated crops, damaged houses and killed livestock. The disaster has caused an economic loss of more than 1.5 billion yuan. Over the past days, rain and thunderstorms have battered several parts of Guizhou, affecting 200,000 people. Storms have swept across 15 counties, causing floods and landslides.

LOS ANGELES: US talk show host David

ROME: Former Italian prime minister

Letterman triggered online wrath from movie fans Friday, after apparently giving away a key plot twist in the new Dark Knight movie. Fans of the Batman-based franchise were enraged after the Thursday night spoiler. Letterman was interviewing actress Anne Hathaway about the third and final film, The Dark Knight Rises — out next weekend in the United States — when he stunned her by apparently revealing the dramatic plot twist. After a startled pause, Hathaway admonished him saying “Daaaave..!” at which point Letterman scrambled to backtrack.

Silvio Berlusconi, who was forced to quit over rising debt and a sex scandal, has taken to jogging and studying issues in preparation for a fresh run for the premiership, AKI news agency reported. The 75year-old three-time prime minister was spotted recently jogging in a park in Rome, probably in a bid to get fit for an election campaign that will culminate in national elections in 2013. Italian news reports said that the billionaire media tycoon will run unopposed for the candidacy of his People of Freedom Party.

COMMENT SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Go solar is what I say

Trust the experts

propos In the shadow of Fukushima. Brainwashing by the media has unfortunately led many to believe that nuclear power is the answer to the world’s energy needs. A country with as much sun as India is in a prime position for investing in solar energy. Elaine Bevan Via email

It is sad that innocent children are being brainwashed by pseudo activists who seem to have ulterior motives. Taking refuge in religious buildings and protesting by fasting does not legitimise a protest. Experts in the field have given assurance on their safety.Accept it and move on. Prasanth Valsan K Via email

EDITORIALS Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033

Viva Eega!

propos Rajamouli’s Eega soars high. This is a very good review. I liked the movie very much, the effects are so real that I almost forgot that I was watching an eega made with graphics. I almost took it to be real. Never thought an eega could become a hero and a star in a movie. Surya Kiran Via email

EDITORIALS WILL OUR WOMEN ever feel safe? The recent incident of a girl being molested by a gang of over 20 men in Guwahati might have sparked off a debate on the issue of safety of women in our country. But how much is really being done to change anything? Five days ago when this unsuspecting girl celebrated a friend’s birthday, little did she know what she was inviting upon herself. She got into a tiff with someone who passed a comment on her and that sparked off an evening of horror. But weren’t we taught to stand up for our rights? Now is this incident to teach us that we cannot protest when some shameless guy passes an obscene comment? Worse still, the entire incident was videotaped not just by the media but even by bystanders. Did nobody have the guts to speak up, intervene, maybe help the girl? Agreed two people cannot take on a mob, but surely a group of outraged onlookers can. The incident is now a talking point, but it won’t help. Something concrete needs to be done to curb such incidents in the future. There is no point simply talking about it. The dust will settle and soon there’ll be a similar outrageous incident and the cycle will continue.

YOU ARE LOSING IT, Letterman It was a slip of the tongue from David Letterman when he gave out the climax of perhaps the most eagerly awaited movie of this year, Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. One who watches the Late Night Show will understand that that’s the way Dave carries on a conversation about films. But he should have been careful when he was talking about a movie whose plot was one of Hollywood’s best kept secrets.

You’ve got new m@il Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR

’m writing this column from a small café near home, which provides free wi-fi but only for half an hour at a time. The candid manager told me that they asked the café’s internet service provider to switch off wi-fi every half hour and switch it back on after 10-15 minutes. He decided to share with me the part about the internet connection coming back on because apparently I didn’t look like the free-loaders they often have to ward off. These net users order one coffee and use the café’s wi-fi for as long as 10-12 hours, he said. He was clearly displeased that the café’s guests could take advantage of them in this fashion. Confession time! I was at the café because my internet data card had not been working for about two weeks. My most

reliable data card (so reliable that I didn’t even feel the need to get a back-up home broadband connection) gave up on me and innumerable phone calls and emails from my BlackBerry phone did not yield results. So here I was, at this small, quaint café, hoping to spend the day tapping away on my laptop using their wi-fi. It did work, too. This column got sent from the café’s wi-fi. It has been a distressing couple of weeks. Yes, lack of internet connectivity can be hugely distressing for people who begin their day by sitting up in bed and opening the laptop on their, well, laps, and only after powering on the device, getting up to make coffee. I’m not a smoker nor am I an alcohol addict. I don’t have any other weird addictions. The only time I experienced what are called “withdrawal symptoms” was a few weeks back when I stepped out of the plane in Minneapolis. I had been on two very-longhaul flights. I transited Paris but my flight into Paris was delayed. So I had to literally

THE MORE I TRIED TO FORCE THINGS TO WORK MY WAY, THE MORE THEY WOULD GO WRONG. WE’RE ALL ALLOWED A FEW WEAKNESSES. sprint across the Charles De Gaulle airport to make my next flight. I didn’t mind the run at all. It gave my body some good exercise. What bothered me more was the extended disconnection from the digital world. I didn’t have any time to switch on my phone or connect to the internet. I was frazzled, felt disoriented, which I can partly also blame on jetlag. During the flights, I survived with the rush of energy surging through my body every time I touched the tiny screen of the in-flight entertainment system. The device reacted and that had a positive reaction on my body and mind. Switching my phone on during the taxi ride to the hotel

made me feel better. I started to feel even better when I reached my room and could power up my laptop and connect to the web. All was well until I got back to India and my data card gave up a couple of weeks back. I searched high and low for a temporary office space I could use for a few days – all I needed was internet connectivity and a place to sit (I could manage fine even without the latter). I was repeatedly hitting roadblocks because all the cyber cafes and internet browsing parlours in the city had either shut down or had turned into sleazy, dingy joints conducive for surfing porn. Our hyper-lives are increasingly dependent on one thing or other. Ironically, our fragmented lives are aiming higher for freedom and independence. The more I tried to force things to work my way, the more they would go wrong. We’re all allowed a few weaknesses. I just faced mine by laying it bare before you. What I’m not going to do, however, is to force this weakness out of me. Not just yet. The internet’s back on again.

COMMENT SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

It’s time you and I became superheroes Quirky-side-Up ARPITA BHAWAL

hen I was growing up in the 1970’s along with a bunch of young kids between the ages of four and eight in Kolkata, life was magical. It was made up of an eclectic mix of cultures, habits, food, and super heroes – all of which resided in the apartment building called Karnani Estate! I was just about four years old when Raj Kapoor’s iconic film Bobby got released. As Dimple Kapadia made her debut with Rishi Kapoor, our mothers perked up our wardrobes with Bobby dresses, Bobby shoes, and even Bobby ribbons for our hair. Listening to the song’s lyrics, “Jhoot Bole, Kauya

Kaate…” (Loosely translated: If you tell a lie, the crow will bite), we all became terrified of the crows. We imagined that the drop-dead gorgeous chocolate hero, Rishi Kapoor was probably good at scaring off the crows. I remember the modest Parsi family, Medhoras, who resided on the same floor as us in the building. They were rather modest and preferred to be “gentlemanly” about the apartment’s frequent water and electrical problems. However, it was evident that they frequently hobnobbed with the Mehtas, another Parsi family residing on the same floor as ours. This made them quite visible because the Mehtas were a much loved couple, with adult sons and daughters, all of them married and away in various parts of the world. I was particularly fond of Mr Medhora. He was a thorough super-hero, always leaving behind chocolates, LPs and

warm words of encouragement for us during the weekends when he took Mrs Medhora to the Parsi Club or for some Navjote or the other. His two lovely daughters, Behroze and Meher, were equally warm and caring like their father, and ever willing to share their toys, home, food, and music. Besides Dhansak and bread pudding, the Medhora’s had an enviable collection of LP records. We used to stare at the handsome pictures of Feroz Khan, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar and Meena Kumari on the covers of those records and to us, superheroes were right where we lived — in our homes! Much later as we grew up, Indrajal Comics introduced us to Phantom, Mandrake and Lothar… and then the world of Amar Chitra Katha where even the ordinary man was a superhero because of his noble deeds. Needless to say, the love for

THE VAGARIES OF OUR YOUTH AND MIDDLE-AGE HAVE NOT STOLEN THE THUNDER FROM THAT MAGICAL WORD “SUPER” ONLY BECAUSE IT IS FILLED WITH HOPE. superheroes began then – and continues for some of us until this day. But more importantly, what continues with that is hope! The vagaries of our youth and middle-age have not stolen the thunder from that magical word “super” only because it is filled with hope. Dara Singh, the He-Man of the black & white films’ era who passed away a couple of days ago was a superhero in real life and reel life. He was super because along with a body of steel, he had a heart of gold. But, what is the “super” part

in the heroes of our lives today? Can we call a common man “super” even if he dresses or expresses his emotions like a hero of a film? Do we think our police officers or lawmakers are superheroes with lots of “super” in them? Going by the state of our country, maybe not. After all, they are not giving us anything to hope for – certainly not with a scamster going to watch the Olympics at London, and a teenage girl being molested and stripped of her clothes and dignity by 30 people in Assam. Maybe we should ask the FBI or Interpol to help our CBI to hunt down the “super” and return them to our “Heroes”. If in a democracy, that can’t happen, then it must be time for people like you and me to don capes, fix claws, learn how to somersault and break a leg. That is super. (The writer can be reached at www.arpitabhawal. wordpress.com)

BUSINESS SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Big B endorses jewellery

Apple rejoins EPEAT

pple said Friday it was rejoining a programme to certify its products as environmentally friendly after a controversy that could have dented sales of its popular gadgets. The California company said it was reversing its decision to quit the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) global registry.

Visa, Master to pay $6 bn

mitabh Bachchan has become the brand ambassador of jewellery retail chain, Kalyan Jewellers. “Signing on Bachchan is a strong step towards the evolution of the Kalyan brand and in line with our brand philosophy of trust and credibility,” said TS Kalyanaraman, MD. The `9,473 crore size company is expecting to touch 100 stores by 2014.

redit card giants Visa and MasterCard agreed to pay more than $6 billion to merchants who had sued them for allegedly fixing card-use fees. In a negotiated settlement to resolve the seven-year-old case, Visa agreed to pay $4.03 billion to settle the class-action lawsuit while MasterCard and banks that were also part of the suit will pay $2.02 billion.

Simplifying education Nobody understands the struggle of an engineering aspirant as well as Mirik Gogri, Nitesh Salvi and Vivek Gupta. Which is why the trio came up with a business model designed to help students prepare for entrance exams at a fraction of the cost charged by coaching institutes PRUDHVI RAJU K

prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

n today’s rat race being on top is very important, especially for aspiring engineers. And nobody can understand the struggle and hard work that goes into securing a seat at a top college as well as Mirik Gogri, Nitesh Salvi and Vivek Gupta, fourth year IIT Mumbai students themselves. It was with this in mind that the trio launched Plancess Edu-solutions, an elearning company that aims to take engineering entrance and boards exam preparations beyond coaching classes. Talking about the business idea, Vivek Gupta, says, “IIT coaching classes have been becoming over priced. Due to which, the quality of coaching is being compromised upon in rural areas resulting in the people staying in urban areas to receive better quality of coaching/training.” The idea was to develop affordable and innovative products for students preparing for their engineering entrance. “Since we have recently appeared for these exams ourselves,

we can incorporate our personal experiences while developing the products. Although the idea was generated in 2009, we started working on it from February 2011 with an initial investment of `5 lakh,” explains Vivek. Juggling academics and a full time business is no easy task. But for these buddies, it was no reason to compromise on studies. “Initially, to devote time to studies we only worked for four hours each day and made up for that by working for eight to 10 hours on weekends. On holidays and during vacations we worked for close to 12 to 14 hours. Apart from our time and efforts, our major investment in terms of funding came from Aarti Industries,”said Nitesh. However, not everything was a smooth sailing. Turning the idea into reality and managing time was a challenge. Moreover, research and producing content itself took 18 months. “Although we started our company 1.5 years ago, we were testing the market. Product sale only began in January 2012. So far the response has been good and we are hoping to expand our business in the near future,” he said.

Our mission is to enable every engineering aspirant to get through the most competitive entrance examinations. We are not here to make money but are here to make engineers. Mirik Gogri, co-founder, Plancess When asked about mission of the company, Mirik says, “Our mission is to support and enable every engineering aspirant to get through the most competitive entrance examinations of the country. We are not here to make money but are here to make engineers.” The cost of traditional coaching for a two years is a whopping `1.5 lakh.

“We on the other hand, provide the complete study material at only 10 per cent of this cost for a mere `15,000. The best part about this method is that one can view these lectures at one’s convenience. One can listen to the lectures again to revise the concept. We also provide mentors to help students plan their studies,” adds Mirik. Talking about the e-learning industry, Vivek said, “In the past, the country has been slow in embracing e-learning but trends now point towards a surge in growth. Indian youth are technology-driven and find elearning appealing. For young working professionals e-learning is convenient as they can pursue their degrees in their own space and time. “Increasing internet penetration, low existing coverage and rising demands are expected to develop this market further in the future. This sector has attracted large investments and is slated to lead to strong growth opportunities for the edu-

(left to right) Vivek, Nitesh and Mirik, co-founders Plancess Edu-solutions

cation sector. The e-learning market in India was valued at `18.41 trillion in 2010-11 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20 per cent, whereas computer based training (CBT) market size is around $150 million and is expected to grow to $750 million.” The company has invested around `70 lakh for the growth of business. On future plans, Nitesh says, “One of the new products that we are planning to bring is a tablet which will assist engineering aspirants by providing them complete solutions to problems. This will mean that the student is investing a mere `20,000 for a phone, tablet and video lectures. The second product is a series of self-evaluation tests, wherein students will be able to test themselves to check if they are thoroughly prepared for any kind of engineering entrance exam. In these tests the students compete with themselves, which we believe brings out the true competitive spirit.” Apart from the 50 IITians associated with different IITs. The company that has 10 permanent employees and are expected to add more employees. The company is expecting a breakeven by the end of the year and has already made revenues of `10 lakh within a few months of the product launch.

MOTORING SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

GM to launch two new cars

eneral Motors India will launch two new vehicles this year despite a “sluggish” market, a top company official said. Even though the market is sluggish due to high interest rates and soaring petrol prices, GM will launch a new Chevrolet during September-October, and a new multi-purpose vehicle by the end of this year.

The Bentley SUV

entley has received more than 2,000 expressions of interest in a production version of its EXP 9 F SUV concept. It is understood that the Bentley presented the case to the Volkswagen Group board last week about progressing the project beyond the concept stage, and the high amount of interest it has received from potential customers has been a key part of Bentley’s persuasions.

Car sales on right track

ndia’s market outlook is of vital importance to global automakers from GM to Toyota which have been steering to India and China with their billion-plus populations to boost sales and counter sluggish demand in developed nations. India’s car sales jumped by 8.3 per cent in June from a year earlier. Car sales should rise by nine to 11 per cent for the year thanks to expected interest rate cuts that would reduce vehicle loan costs and spur demand, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said. “We’re hoping car demand will bounce back, possibly around the (religious) festival time” that begins in September when it is considered an auspicious time to buy, SIAM director general Vishnu Mathur said. India is the sixthlargest car market globally and is expected to be third behind China and the US by the end of the decade, consulting firm McKinsey says. Some 155,763 cars were

sold in June in India, up from 143,851 a year earlier, powered by market-leader Maruti Suzuki, according to SIAM. The June jump was driven by hefty price discounts and a surge in demand for diesel models whose fuel is heavily subsidised by the government. SIAM’s car sales forecast for the year to March 2013 was down slightly from its April projection of 10 to 12 per cent annual growth, which the industry body blamed on a sharply slowing economy. “Considering the huge potential of India’s market, this projection is not very bullish at all,” he said, noting just 10 or 11 people per 1,000 in India own cars compared with over 500 per 1,000 in the United States. While hundreds of millions still live in abject poverty in India, previous years of breakneck economic growth have minted millions of new middle-class families who have been trading up to cars from two-wheelers. AFP

Mahindra’s new loader

ahindra South Africa announced the unveiling of a new pick-up vehicle, which has been primarily developed for this nation. This vehicle is likely to help the company give stiff competition in the pick-up vehicle market. The new Loader comes with the price tag of nearly `10 lakh. This vehicle is powered by the 2.5-litre NEF turbo-diesel engine.

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK www.graphwords.com ake learning new words a walk in the park, by showing you the meaning of the word visually. It connects words with similar meanings with lines. This allows you to analyse the word.

MOBILE GAME REVIEW

APP OF THE WEEK

AMAZING ALEX

7 Little Words

f you enjoy crossword puzzles, word finds, and anagram games, you're going to love 7 Little Words! Each bite-size puzzle consists of 7 clues, 7 mystery words, and 20 letter groups. Find the mystery words by deciphering the clues.

Square Enix is here!

The famous Japanese game development company Square Enix is setting up an office in India, raising a lot of hopes. We see what the noise is all about

The latest game by Angry Birds developer, Amazing Alex is as simple, intuitive and fun as the original. In the game, you are required to move objects around to clear obstacles or to capture stars. Available for iOS and Android devices.

A tough nut to crack A good one for Ferrari fans across the world

NT BALANARAYAN

balanarayan.nt@postnoon.com

s part of a talent hunt, Square Enix has launched a game development contest in India and in future the company plans to collaborate with the best studios in the country to release titles for Android or iOS devices and also a few browser-based games. Japanese game developer Square Enix, renowned for titles such as Final Fantasy, is setting up base in India though they are yet to decide on the location They have already received

hundreds of applications from various groups and individuals for the contest which runs till September. The contest is a first of its kind in India as it offers cash prizes of up to `10 lakh to the winner and `3 lakh and `1.5 lakh for second and third place winners respectively. However developers will have to create games for mobile platforms or browser-based games as standalone PC and console games are not allowed in the competition. “The contest will help us find the best talent in the country and the finalists and winners will get an opportunity to work with Square Enix in the near future,” India regional manager Square Enix, Mayank Mathur, said. This is vastly different from the approach by Electronic Arts,

From the Square Enix stable n n n n n

Final Fantasy Dragon Quest Just Cause Space Invaders Deus Ex: Human Revolution

which set up a full-fledged studio in the city. EA Hyderabad mostly works on mobile games and also creates cross platform ports for some of their titles. Mathur has been part of game development community in India for a while. He was the Business Development Manager in Japan for Hyderbad-based Gameshastra and at Tata Elxsi before he took

up the position with Square Enix. According to him the quality and number of game developers in India have improved over the years. “There are a lot of studios which undertake and outsource work for a lot of titles and such work has given a shot in the arm for the developers here. The only way to learn is through failures and with bigger companies setting up base in India, these developers get to learn from the mistakes these companies made in the past. The indie gaming scene is also picking up and games made by Indian indie game developers are doing well on mobile app stores,” he added. If you’re interested in participating in the contest head over to http://india.squareenix.com/Home.

errari definitely has the most colourful history among automobile racing companies and this game lets you drive every single one of the cars that came out of its stable. The game has 51 cars, but most of them can only be unlocked as you progress through the campaign mode, which turns out is a pain. The cars are difficult to handle, so if you are accustomed to NFS style of racing games, better ignore this one. The campaign is divided into three eras — golden, silver, and modern — and each era includes anywhere from 53 events to over 100 for you to complete. Most of the races are extremely difficult. You won't be eased into the game as you'll be required to be good at what you do from the get go much like professional drivers.This issue aside, the game is brilliant. The cars and the environment look gorgeous. The competitors are quite realistic, which by the way is what makes these races difficult. The game is a simulator and a damn good one at that for Ferrari fans across the world. Once you have unlocked your favourite cars you can head into quick race and race against ghost cars to set best times. You could also head online and race against other enthusiasts in 8-car races.

GAME: Ferrari Racing Legends Available: Xbox 360 Developer: Atari

ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

PET NEWS Earth’s magnetism

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Sockeye Salmon

almon, turtles and many birds migrate up to thousands of miles at a time, presumably by sensing the Earth's magnetic field. Now, scientists have identified cells in the nose of trout that respond to magnetism, offering a biological explanation for their migration.

Know your dog

ewer sockeye salmon are making it back to their freshwater mating grounds compared to a few decades ago, and that’s seriously affecting their population. The discovery suggests that changing ocean conditions may be making life harder for them.

he German Spitz can grow very attached to its owner, becoming slightly suspicious of strangers. This not only makes for a loyal, tried-and-true companion, it makes for a superb watchdog. They are fairly easy to groom, needing just a good brushing several times.

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

Following the buzz

SS Rajamouli's recent film Eega might have made the fly more endearing than ever before, but they have a completely different story to tell. Surprisingly, it doesn't include reincarnation or revenge against anyone Compiled by Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

IT’S

NOT HARMLESS !

Flies don’t bite like mosquitoes or bees, but that doesn’t make them entire harmless either. It’s the most commonly found insect in the world and house flies account for over 91 per cent of all the flies in the world. It’s a pest which carries bacteria resulting in diseases like typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, yaws, anthrax, leprosy and tuberculosis. Houseflies don’t have teeth but they feed on liquid or semi-liquid substances after the solid material is softened by its saliva or vomit. Researchers have found that on an average, flies carry around 2 million bacteria on their body which makes them extremely dangerous.

LIFE CYCLE

Female flies lay about 500-3000 eggs in their lifetime and it takes less than a day for the eggs to hatch, which explains why they multiply so fast. Males live for 15 days and females up to 26 days if they have access to sugar, milk and water. Most flies live near their breeding ground, but they can sometimes fly up to 20 miles in search of food.

HOW

TO KILL A FLY ?

Despite having 4,000 lenses in each of their eyes, they can’t see anything beyond 36 inches; however, they detect movement of objects to compensate for their poor eyesight. We’ll leave it to you to decide how to take a stealth approach to swat a fly. They love flocking together which explains why they end up flying right towards the fly zapper.

DID

YOU KNOW ?

Flies have only two wings whereas all other insects have four wings. The average speed in flight is about 4.5 mph and it can beat its wings 200 times a second which the primary reason why you hear the buzz whey they approach you. Despite inhabiting habitats for millions of years, human beings haven’t found a way to domesticate houseflies or have they been able to find any use for having them around.

FAST FACTS n

n n n

Flies are the only insect to have two wings — all others have four Houseflies’ feet are 10 million times more sensitive to the taste of sugar than the human tongue The favourite colour of houseflies is red, followed by orange, black, violet, green, blue, white and yellow Flies defecate every four-five minutes Flies don’t bite or sting … they stab A single garbage can, if not

emptied, can be the breeding ground for 30,000 flies. Houseflies are also known for their unique ability to hang from the ceiling.

HOW

TO PREVENT A HOUSEFLY INFESTATION

n n

Keep your home clean. Remove kitchen trash every day and keep kitchen counters clean. n Immediately remove rotting food from your home. n Get a fly zapper if nothing else works.

Flies in popular culture Kurt Neumann's The Fly, an adaptation of George Langelaan's short story of the same name, was a hugely popular horror film. It narrates the story of a scientist who transforms into a hybrid of a man and a fly after one of his experiements goes wrong. The success of the film spawned two more sequels and David Cronenberg's film of the same name, which released in 1986, was a remake of this film.

S S Rajamouli's Eega is perhaps the first film to depict a fly in a positive light. The film, which was made on a budget of `30 crore, narrates the story of a fly which avenges its death in the previous birth. No wonder, the film is a big hit with the audience but this fly will definitely be the odd one out had it been left in the wilderness!

INSPIRED LIVING P

ark Hyatt Hyderabad is one of the premier luxury hotels among the Hyatt line of hotels. Their new property in the city is taking luxury living to the next level. Nestled between the prime areas of Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills, the hotel has placed itself in the perfect location. The modern architecture, impeccable hospitality and fine cuisine make it a unique experience for each and every guest. The interiors of the hotel are painted in tones of black, white and grey with marble floors, and paintings by Arundati. The hotel consists of eight floors with a total of 185 rooms, 24 opulent suites, and 42 fully-serviced apartments that are mainly meant for long time renters. . Apart from exquisite living spaces, the hotel also boasts of a pillarless ballroom and seven meeting rooms for a variety of events; a spa specialising in Swedish massages and body treatments, a salon, a fitness center with personal trainers and a swimming pool that’s accessible all day. Natural elements and modern luxuries blend seamlessly in every one of their rooms. Each room is equipped with high-speed internet access, a 42-inch flat screen television, and technology all customised to serve its most exclusive business

travellers. The hotel’s ballroom contains state-of-the-art audio-visual and communications technology and an experienced events and services team that helps design events according to the taste of their clients. From the most exquisite food to the finest décor Park Hyatt is meant specifically to cater to premier events. The hotel also offers a selection of restaurants and bars offering the choicest of food and wine. There are three main restaurants starting with “The Dining Room” which is a 24hour culinary hub that serves European and authentic Indian comfort food, the Tre-Forni Bar and Restaurant which specialises in authentic Italian cuisine, the Oriental Kitchen and Bar which boasts of a wide variety of exclusive single malt whiskies and wines carefully selected from around the world. Apart from its world-class cuisine, the hotel also hosts various promotional food and wine events. There is one food and wine event that takes place every Thursday, which offers a complete spread of the most exclusive wines and cheeses they have in stock. With an unmatched array of facilities, highly customized service, best of food and wine, Park Hyatt is luxury living at its finest.

Located in Banjara Hills, Park Hyatt is hospitality at its best. The hotel offers its guests world-class comfort, an unparalleled dining experience, a luxurious ambience and memories to last a lifetime. Swathi Chilukuri gives you a tour

An advertising initiative

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

SRINIVAS SETTY

A year in style

Designer Sahil Gulati celebrated his brithday with a party at Syn, Taj Deccan on Friday. The birthday boy was surrounded by friends and wellwishers on this happy occasion. 2

1 Sahil Gulati & Priyanaka Sridher 3 Laila Kakade & Firoz Sunny & Kashish 5 Gavin & Abhiram 6 DJ Piyush & Tina 2

Stars for a day

St Francis College hosted the Annual Freshers Welcome on Friday. This year the theme for the event was ‘Hall of Fame’ where the students had to dress up like their favourite celebrity.

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our first birthday...enjoy!

Anniversary Edition SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

May 2, 2012 Hyper Local

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

PADMINI C 6

N SHIVA KUMAR

SARAS, a noble initiative, has no saviour today. The inmates — children and the aged, are left to live in semi-darkness as power supply is snapped due to non-payment of dues. They survive on the leftover food from a college mess.

Home of hope in dire straits PLEA Sudeshna Koka Sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

s one drives down to Shamirpet Lake area, one will enjoy the wide roads, tall trees and rows of defence colonies. In the midst of this beauty, one will hardly notice a seemingly lifeless small Dhaba (Mess). It is a depressing reﬂection of harsh reality. Walk inside, you will be surprised to see 52 children below 15 years of age playing in semi darkness and 50 old people with health problems and physical disabilities sitting and groaning in pain . Save All Reach All Society (SARAS) which has so far run this charity home was started in 2008 by V Suvartha. After running successfully for few years the home

decided to adopt orphaned children and since then it became an old age home as well an orphanage. Ironically, this one move backﬁred. “We were living in a big resort near the lake but after these children came the owner had a problem and asked us to leave, ever since then were are living in this Dhaba,” recalls Sri Ram, one of the inmates. He has been the caretaker of the house since the inception. With limited fund and resources SARA is unable to perform its noble task. Donors are not forthcoming. Since the last two months there has been no electricity as they do not have money to pay an outstanding due of `3,000. Small children and senior citizens have been sitting in the heat all day long. “The other home was better; here we have no electricity since the last two months. Day time is better

than the nights when our condition is worse, there are so many mosquitoes. We fall down several times on our way to the bathroom. What can we do? We don’t have a choice,” laments Ramulu Ammma, who has been living here ever since her husband died. She says, “if I had children may be they would have preserved our family business but our cruel relatives stole all my wealth and I am here empty handed.” Just like her, some came here on their own will and some others were sent by their village heads. “People often take advantage of young women who wander in the village, our Amma goes and gets them here,” said Jyothi, a mother of two young children who after the death of her husband, was sent to SARAS by the village pastor. Seeing the plight of these 110 people living in misery, BITS Hyderabad students who stay

just a few kilometers away from the home have been supplying them with leftover mess food. “One of the students came with the idea and we got the required permissions from the college authorities. 1,300 students have registered in our mess but only 800 to 900 come to eat so the remaining food we give it to SARAS after 3pm,” says Srikar Akula, student mess council member. Not only BITS students but the auto mandal union is also helping them by delivering food from campus to the home free of cost. Students fear that their campus will be closed for the next two months and how will the home manage their food crisis. “We will have to do something and make arrangements especially to protect ourselves from the rains. The next two months are going to be difﬁcult says Budha Amma, Naglonda dis-

trict. Students here go to Ever Green Public School. The tuition fee is paid by a local MLA but they do not have uniform and other required facilities. “I have enrolled them in a good school but ever since they shifted they did not give me any notiﬁcation. I have no clue about their new place, if told I will surely help them,” says Kitchannagari Lakshma Reddy, local MLA. Meanwhile M Reddy Babu and P Sahadev who came from Chittoor district in search of job have stayed back due to unemployment. They teach students and are a major support for the organisation. Young girls like Mange M studying pharmacy had left her home as her parents refused to educate her and Vaishali who has no idea how she landed here, takes care of the old men and women who need help.

A revelation about work

padmini.c@postnoon.com

ne of the first, and among the hardest things, you learn as a cub reporter is to find that elusive balance between objectivity and insensitivity. The trick, you’re told, is to keep enough distance from the subject so you can see clearly and report objectively but not so far removed they become just fodder for your story. A lot many of us don’t find it. After a

THE POWER OF ONE

Feeling the pain year, we are not shocked by any catastrophe, not outraged at any inhumanity, not saddened by any tragedy. It’s just another day at work. That's how we cope, our defense mechanism. But just when you thought you were numb comes this one story which changes it all. Putting Children First, our campaign on child labour, was that for me. I did a lot of ground-

work — spent countless hours in offices of government officials, pored through tonnes of unreadable reports, talked to ground-level workers, child protection officers and children themselves. I thought I was ready for the worst but the horror stories kept coming. Families being sold off as cattle for a few thousands? Entire villages being emptied to go

work in brick kilns? Nineyear-olds whose faces were bitten off by their employers? Children scavenging for dead bodies in railway stations? As a journalist, you believe that it’s your job to tell a story. And hope that your story will make enough noise to compel the powers-that-be to take action. Our campaign might have done no such thing. But what it did do was to make me angry and outraged, and hyper aware of the issue at hand. Even if all the people who read it know

SUDESHNA KOKA

sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

famous journalist once said ‘Media has killed itself.‘ Precisely the situation in Andhra Pradesh with more than 30 news houses. Breaking news and exclusivity is the mantra for survival. However, for me news is definitely about giving information and creating awareness but its complete only once it makes an impact or makes a difference. In this one year there have been many such articles but what remains very special is the article on Saras, an orphanage and an old age home. After being thrown out from their homes the 60 senior citizens and 40 children started living in a closed road side dhaba. They had no electricity, no food, no money and no toilets. Some senior citizens who could not bear the heat died. This is when we intervened and wrote an article on their condition and how the local MLA played with their fate. It was overwhelming when readers who read the article wanted to contribute. A leading company donated `50,000 and another UK-based company is in talks to sponsor them. What I realised then was that there are people who care and are compassionate. It surprised me when my own colleagues donated and we paid their outstanding electricity bill. Now I know why they say the pen is mightier than the sword.

N SHIVA KUMAR

Stars shine down I t was a night when Loi Krathong came to Hyderabad. An enchanting evening in which thousands gathered to light the skies, this is the picture of the sky-lantern festival that they took home with them.

June 3, 2012 Manhole covers just don’t make for good pictures. So this stock image of manhole covers with shoe-prints on them seemed too good to pass up in a story about pedestrians’ rights. The strip display on Baku above the masthead balances the page.

July 4, 2012

BEST DESIGNED FRONT PAGES

Once again, the incorporation of the masthead into the skybar picture has worked wonders. That coupled with the display strip showcasing our centrsepread on American Indepen dence Day highlight the Hot L design ethos in a rather unique way.

June 10, 2012 4

CITY SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 2012

Cry them a river

Making children work is condemnable. But the worst forms of child labour reflect a depravity in our society that needs attention. Our development is really the saga of sweat, blood and tears of invisible children

PADMINI C

padmini.c@postnoon.com

“M

any things can wait, the child cannot. Now is the time his bones are being formed, his mind is being developed. To him, we cannot say tomorrow; his name is today,” Gabriela Mistral, Nobel Laureate, had said. From December to June of each year, there is no sign of life in Western Orissa. There are no children playing, no women going about their household chores, no men going to work in these poor districts of Koratpur, Bolangir and Kalahandi. In fact, the only proof that there ever existed any habitation in these areas, is a recurring sight of the old and the infirm. Where are their young and their children? Here. In the towns of cities of our State, as the sweat and blood that make up our brick kiln industry. These people have been leased as “units” by their sardars, for six months. A “unit” being a family of husband, wife and young child(ren), for whom the going price is anywhere between `8,000 to `10,000. Paid and bought for by their employers here — the owners of the 250 or more brick kilns in Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medak and Nalgonda districts. Child welfare NGOs put the number of those who are traded across the border each year at 1,00,000 and 2,00,000 people. These workers possess a specific skill-set and an invaluable asset — their children, whose light-weight and nimble hands are vital to the drying of bricks. The industry is seasonal, the targets deadly. Each family has to make 20,000 to 25,000 bricks each week. Last season, ‘units’ were paid `180 to `200 for every 1,000 bricks, a far cry from the `367 which is the minimum wage. Amounting to a measly `8,000 for a month’s work of 14-15 hours a day. “They are ideal because they are destitute and afraid, unable to speak the language and unaware of their rights. They live in 5 feet x 5 feet huts, with no access to even basic health and sanitation facilities, education or nutrition. Almost all of these children suffer from acute malnutrition, eye-ailments, skinallergies and some even lung cancer due to the inhalation of coal fumes. They don’t make minimum wages, have no one to fight for them and so they live and die within the boundary line drawn by their employers. This

Postnoon’s Stand

he ILO global campaign to eliminate the worst forms of child labour by 2016 is an impossible dream for India. Even in this day and age, children are routinely being bought and sold as if they were cattle. Employers are owners, of their bodies, their souls and their futures. Most cases booked against them are for violation of minimum wages. That is ridiculous. The children should not be working in the first place. There should be no negotiation. Offenders should be treated as criminals and prosecutions against them should set precedents in a way that evokes mortal fear among anyone who engages in the practice. Our indifference towards children, especially orphans and migrants, is bound to cost us heavily. After all, as Karl Menniger said, “Whats done to children, they will do to society.”

is, without exception, the story of every brick-kiln in the State,” says programme co-ordinator A Kishan, who has been for the past three years, studying interstate migration for the NGO — Prayas Centre for Labour Research & Action. All these facts are common knowledge among the powers that be. In fact, those who matter know about it much too well. Rajiv Vidya Mission under the Sarvya Siksha Abhiyan, even has Special Residential Bridge Courses for these children, and yet there is no action by the Labour or any other department, against these employers. “They send nine and 10 year olds to these courses as a compromise but keep the older ones because they are much too valuable at the kilns. No cases are filed against the brick mafia because they have political affiliations

and power. Every time anyone asks questions and demands answers, they are attacked, harassed and threatened with death. So now little is done about it,” says Kishan, matter-offactly. For their part, ofﬁcials are mostly defensive. “I wouldn’t say its eliminated, but child labour has practically reduced in the factories due to awareness among employers. It exists mostly only in seasonal factories,” G Balakishore, director of factories said. Meanwhile, according to ILO, there are over 2 million children in the country toiling away in hazardous industries. A report compiled by MV Foundation from various sources such as the UNICEF and the Human Rights Watch, too paints a shocking picture. It reveals, 53 per cent of 15.60 crore

enrolled children in school dropout and a majority of them join in agriculture. More shockingly, it states that while the government of India estimates the bonded labour in the country at 353,000 adults and children, NGOs put the figure anywhere from 2.6 million (adult and child) workers to 15 million bonded child farm workers. In the State, children constitute 88 per cent of total labour force in cotton-seed production. Working 10-13 hours a day exposed to poisonous pesticides have the children complain of headaches, weakness, disorientation, convulsions and respiratory problems, symptoms of their nervous systems being compromised. “If you think about it, the thing that aam aadmi struggles for all his life — roti (agriculture), kapda (cotton-seed) aur makaan (construction) — are the sweat, blood and tears of children. What can be more tragic than that?”asks Venkat Reddy, national convenor of the NGO, MV Foundation. While these epic scale horror stories are more easier to identify, the more telling tales are the untold sagas of every day life violence and abuse towards children. Which is why all NGOs and those engaged in child protection are increasingly protesting to the classification of hazardous and non-hazardous labour. “All child labour is hazardous. We recently rescued several children from a bakery which was a complete eye-opener for us. We couldn’t enter because it was so hot and small children were standing shirtless in this blistering heat, working on huge battis (tandoori ovens). If they tipped and fell over, you wouldn’t even find their bones. That’s how pathetic their working conditions are. They fought tooth and nail insisting that these were their own children. We didn’t relent. We found out that they were orphans that the employers had brought from Tamil Nadu and therefore prosecuted the employers. But these cases, as are domestic-labour cases, are many and are extremely hard to identify,” says P Padmavati of Child Welfare Committee, Rangareddy. With all its loopholes, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 stands clear on the issue. No child under the age of 14 shall be employed in hazardous work. More over, the Right to Education Act further states that all children between 6-14 will have free and compulsory education making it obvious that a child’s place is at school. But laws seem to make little difference in lieu of the absence of political will and public conscience.

what I now know and felt a little bit of what I did, they will do their part too. And, that's when I call it a day.

Anniversary Edition

THE POWER OF ONE

SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

INKESHAF AHMED

inkeshaf.a@postnoon.com

n my year-long stint as a staff reporter at Postnoon, I wrote on many issues. Many of my reports had an impact on the common man, but when asked to pick up one, I vote for the story of 74-year-old Sri Ramulu Patel for the pathos, fun, and thrill involved in reporting it. A resident of Patelnagar, Patel was

Pistol Patel’s saga one night confronted with a Hobson's choice. He could either allow a marauder to enter and harm him or open fire with his licensed revolver. He chose the latter and the intruder was severely injured. Next day, the media reported it and everybody praised him for his courage. But later, he began to face the music. There was a string of inquiries and the police

January 12, 2012 Hyper Local

MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Pistol Patel’s quarry is a displaced farmer PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR

CRIME Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

t’s the sad story of a farmer who was left to his fate by the government and the society. Tirupataiah, 40, who broke into the house of Sriramulu Patel in Patel Nagar last week and got shot in the bargain, tells Postnoon that he came with his family to Hyderabad in search of a livelihood. But Thirupataiah could not grapple with the pace and problems of a metro city. He did odd jobs as a hired hand for menial works, sewer cleaner, watchman and so on, but along the way he picked up the habit of drinking away whatever he earned, leaving his wife and three children to fend for themselves.

Tirupataiah is currently undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital His wife Venkatamma who also works earns a meagre `150 a day. For their daughter’s wedding she took a loan of `4 lakhs. Tirupataiah’s elder son Vishnu, 15, works to supplement the

family income while his youngest son Saidulu, 12, is studying in class VI. “Whatever he earns, he spends it on alcohol. This has been his routine for the last six

years,” said Venkatamma whose downcast face reﬂects the trouble and trauma of getting along with a hard life. He is a native of Raichede village in Uppunutala Mandal of Achampeta assembly constituency in Mahbubnagar. Tirupataiah has a two acre land in his native village. According to Venkatamma, Tirupataiah has two favorite spots: hooch seller Ellamaiah’s house and Shivajinagar where he boozes every day. But despite everything she ﬁnds it hard to believe that he would steal. “I don’t know why he entered that house. He never did it earlier,” she said with tears in her eyes. Her siblings had once beaten up Tirupataiah thinking that a thrashing would mend him but he continued his ways. He is now in Gandhi Hospital undergoing treatment for two bullet injuries.

CRIME REPORT Man charred to death in godown fire

ne person was burnt alive when an iron scrap godown caught fire on the City outskirts in the early hours of Monday. According to the police, a scrap godown caught fire killing a worker, Kiran, on the spot, while another person suffered severe burns at BN Reddy Colony in Cherlapally. The injured was shifted to a nearby hospital. The police are investigating the case and the reasons for the fire are yet to be established.

15 arrested for betting on cock fights

he Cyberabad police arrested 15 people on charges of betting and cock fight on Sankranti after they raided a farm house. All the accused hail from Kukatpally and Mehdipatnam areas. Meanwhile, leaders of several political parties, movie artistes and industrialists participated in cock fights organised in Godavari district. Several leaders from Telangana went to take part in Sankranti celebrations. TDP leader Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, who went to West Godavari to see a cock fight, said it should not be treated as an offence and that it was a once a year event enjoyed by many.

served him notice. An old sickly person, he was summoned several times to the police station as if he were a hardened criminal. Finally, he found himself deprived of his only weapon. I followed the series of events. The story may not have had a great impact but it raised a valid question. Who was to decide what is self defense? A senior citizen alone at

August 6, 2011 home, if attacked by someone who wants to rob him, can use his licensed weapon, can't he? But the law also has its problems with such a solution. Suppose if such an instance is taken at face value, what about the villains who would twist the law for selfish reasons? The police too were divided on the issue. The local police looked at Patel’s case sympathetically, but the commissioner asked them to register a case.

Retro revival as Royal Enﬁeld bikes take off P22

Priyamaniʼs swinging sticks

Moonʼs mountains made by slow‑motion crash P15

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LOVE AT SIXTY Love knows no bound. Here’s one exhilarating story of two seniors who found bliss in companionship REPORT ON PG 4

PIC FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY

RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

A not-so-filmy love story

N SHIVA KUMAR

Maha Bonalu

his time each year, the festival of Bonalu, invoking the goddess of Kali, is celebrated with great aplomb in the city. The expressions of these godmen captivate, as they depict the colour, sheer energy and essence of the festivities.

December 26, 2011 There’s nothing like a Boxing Day Test Match Down Under to really get that sporting blood flowing. India’s three bowlers were stars of the first day’s play and we felt it would be apt to lead with them. Great visuals and a classic triptych design.

February 26, 2012

BEST DESIGNED FRONT PAGES

The Monda Market tragedy was a case of criminal negligence and we decided that’s exactly what we wanted to say. A great photograph made the designer’s life much easier because it encapsulated the tragedy as well as the human toil to sift through the debris.

ho doesn’t like a good love story? One where boy meets girl, they fall in love and decide to get married and lo! The family opposes their relationship and the couple fight against all odds to be with each other. Which is why, if there’s one article that I look back on fondly, it is that of Nageshwar Rao and Vijaya. The two were madly in love and from different religious backgrounds — he a Hindu and she a Christian. Despite stiff opposition from their families, they went ahead and got married. There was, however, a twist in this tale — Nageshwar is 62 and Vijaya, 60. And it was their children who played party-poopers in this love story. The two senior citizens had both lost their spouses earlier. They knew they needed companionship and that is when they heard about Thodu Needa, a programme that allows single senior citizens to meet and give love a second chance. Nageshwar and Vijaya met and took a liking to each other. But trouble reared its head in the form of opposition from Vijaya’s children, to the extent that they wouldn’t let her step out of the house. After much persuasion, the children gave in and the couple found their happily ever after. The couple live in a humble two-room abode, but their happiness stems from being together. I came away feeling elated, a believer in love.

Anniversary Edition SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

July 8, 2012 11

GOLDEN YEARS SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

No city for the aged

According to reports, by 2050 India will have the largest elderly population in the world. Yet care for the aged seems the youngest of our causes DEEPAK DESHPANDE

SYED SHOAIB

shoaib.s@postnoon.com

E Fleme Varkey fleme.v@postnoon.com

ow can cities, which primarily cater to a youth-driven population fail to spare a thought to the aged population? Their failure to accommodate their citizens 60 years and above is proving to be quite a black mark. While most policies by the state and the centre target women, children and the youth, they fail to notice that they have conveniently ignored an essential chunk of the population who are in need of help. We are faced with a society that is becoming materialistic day by day. Earlier the common complaint was that children are losing out on open spaces to play, but did anyone think that even the senior citizens in the community need space. Already space for them within their homes is dwindling, if they are faced with the same predicament outside then whom do they have to turn to. Retired professor Amit Bannerjee who has come to the city to live with his children

says, “The city seems very hostile to my and wife and me. I would not consider this city a place where senior citizens like us can survive. It’s too rude and unfeeling. My experience with the transport in the city at least, has taught me this.” Amit is the not the only to complain about transport in the city. Seventy-six-year-old Kusuma Kumari, is not one of those to be easily bogged down by problems but occasionally the conditions in the city do get to her. “The only thing I am thankful for to the government here, is the good medical services. Apart from that there is nothing good about the city. Here nobody cares about the senior citizens. Nobody even bothers to help you cross the road or gets up to offer a seat on the bus,” she rues. Her list does not end there. “Transport is one of the biggest problems. Since autorickshaw drivers know old people prefer to travel by auto and not by crowded buses, they charge exorbitantly and some even abuse, if you try and reason with them. Nida Mahmood, an octogenerian in the city also seems to

The only thing I am thankful for to the government here, is the good medical services. Apart from that there is nothing good about the city. Here nobody cares about the senior citizens. Nobody even bothers to help you cross the road or gets up to offer a seat on the bus Kusuma Kumari have had a bitter experience but she says, the police was what saved her. She was taking a walk in the park close to her house and suddenly some organisation people barged in saying that they were having some sort of a meeting there, so they would have to move to out. Despite others and her trying to reason with them the men started get-

ting abusive. Finally the police intervened and chased them out. Unfortunately, a majority of the senior citizens are faced with similar situations in the city. Be it be at railway stations, public places or for that matter even government ofﬁces. Getting their pensions according to most is proving to be quite a harrowing task with no one to help them. Rajeshwari, founder of Thodu Needa, a self-empowered association for the welfare of the aged in the city, says, “We are negotiating with the government currently on concessions for senior citizens on public transport, especially weekends.” However, she says that people should not hope and wait for the government to listen and instead should form self-help groups of aged citizens that will ultimately help each other in need, monetarily as well as emotionally. Judging by the experiences of the senior citizens in the city, one does get a feeling that a lot needs to be done for their welfare and also that the city needs to learn some manners.

Make your golden years truly golden

Find a part-time job to stay busy. Not only do you now have the freedom to work anywhere you want, but you can pick a job that is fitted to your interests and hobbies. Use your nest egg. Book those wonderful trips you've been dreaming about all your life. Go travel the world, see those seven wonders. Give free coaching in the subject in which you are comfortable to the needy. Join volunteer groups, or help out with organisations you feel are worth your time or play some golf. Get in touch with your spiritual side.

3 4 5

Old age is a time to be celebrated as much as any other time in the full cycle of life. wikihow

FLEME VARKEY

fleme.v@postnoon.com

Down but not out I truly love my profession, this declaration is not to earn me some brownie points but rather the true state of affairs. Being a sub-editor means being confined to the desk…Wrong! It means learning every single moment. My job allows me the flexibility to read and this is something that I absolutely love. My favourite part of working here at Postnoon is being able to review books. Good books, bad books, thin books, fat books— you name it and I have tried my hand at every size. But that’s not all, I happen to do a stray story once in a while. The story which had my attention was on old age. What the old need from the city. Now usually, the old are rejected as senile, stubborn and very irritating. On speaking to a couple of people from the city, I realised that though the city may be willing to ignore the aged population, the senior citizens here are not ones to be sidelined as trash. Their spirit is what surprised me. On talking to them I got a totally different side of the city- the unfeeling, inhuman city. One that will happily go about their work while an old and needy person struggles to cross the road. Beyond the four walls of my office room and the pages of bestsellers, I got a story which is even more poignant than a 300-page saga of an orphaned child. The youth maybe the future of the city but the past is where it all begins.

veryone in the newspaper industry knows and agrees that the sub-editor is the unsung hero of a daily. Recognition of a person’s work is probably the biggest motivating factor for that person to come back to face the drudgery of the following day, every day. So when a sub is offered a chance of

THE POWER OF ONE

From zero to hero recognition by way of a byline, he is going to grab it, which is precisely what I did. Partly because I believed in my writing capabilities, partly because I was tired of cleaning copies, and mostly because you ‘never miss an opportunity’, I sat down to make the best of the offered chance. I had, mind you, for days, nay, months on end, mentally

scoffed at the stuff routed through me. This made my job tough, for a pot couldn’t possibly call a kettle black. But I was not going to chicken out for the fear of ending up with a blackened face! My job was made easy too — I was given the story idea. And all I had to do was, narrate a chapter from my life; a darker one, or so I thought, till I summoned

January 21, 2012 Comment

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

When fate does a pleasant turnaround

the courage to put it down on paper. The fingers hammered away on the keyboard at a speed that surprised even me and the end product, because the first impression is the best, landed me a permanent slot on no less than the Comment page of our daily, on a Sunday at that. Not just that... I developed respect for

From the hip Syed Shoaib

Urban sketches

hen a boy leaves home in pursuit of adventure and carefree living, he is not only inviting untold miseries, he is also exposing himself to the rough and tumble the outside world will relentlessly put him through — quite the opposite of the protective upbringing of the home. If the boy is an 11-year-old, very obviously, consequences of this quest for freedom do not strike the mind. Core values engrained during his brief stay at home do stand in good stead but may not be enough to withstand the world’s harsh reality. While the first week or so goes by relishing newfound independence, continuous exposure to outdoor weather and expenses take their toll. Whichever of the two may have been the stronger reason, he is forced to write to home to be picked up from the streets of his adopted city, Hyderabad. But as fate would have it, he gets the address of his home wrong, even if by a single digit. When fate wears the garb of a neighbour, and a postman of all things, who does not show enough responsibility to reach a letter to its valid address 10 houses away, you know it is working against you. Not hearing from his parents, as he did, the little boy understood it as doors of his home shut on him for life. He had to fend for himself. Time healed the illeffects of living on the streets and a job in an Irani restaurant earned him a living. Days go by; six months at that, until the very same fate, did a turnabout, coming as it did, this time around in the form of an angel. Gouse Mohiuddin Saba, who worked in an office across the road and who frequented the restaurant often, took a liking for the boy who earnestly served him. He was convinced from the minute he saw the boy that he did not belong where he was. Glimpses of the convent education probably showed through even from under a borrowed identity. When during one of his visits, Samaritan Saba did not see the boy around, he asked after him, only to be told the boy was sick. His interest in the boy did not stop at just enquiring of his wellbeing. He climbed up to the attic, where he was told the boy was resting, and discovered that the boy was running a high temperature and looked malnourished. The sight moved him immensely. He took the boy home, showing him to a doctor en route. While he was happy to have another son, he knew that somewhere there was another man grieving the loss of one. So he took it upon himself to find out the true identity of the elf, who he realised had heaped untold misery on his biological father and the rest of the family. What he did not account for was the challenge that getting the truth out of the boy was going to be — him working with the CBI notwithstanding. He succeeded in his endeavour, even if it took him longer than getting confessions out of hardened criminals in his office did. The confession was extracted discreetly; what if he were to vanish from this house too, out of fear of being tracked by his family, a possibility after he had blurted out the truth. The boy only realised he had spilled the beans when one fine day he saw his dad walk into his new home. Joy quickly replaced apprehension when his father embraced him. Let’s all be compassionate like GM Saba. There are many boys and for that matter, even girls languishing out there in this very difficult world for want of a guardian. The little boy he picked up from the streets and induced new life into could well have grown up into anyone of us — maybe me!

Viswaprasad Raju

TDP’s first family up in arms against each other Polytricks A Saye Sekhar

embers of the first family in the Telugu Desam Party are once again crossing swords. But none of the party members dares take sides. Chandrababu Naidu, the boss, is, of late, cut up with his maverick brotherin-law Harikrishna and his actor-son Jr NTR, who is also called as ‘young tiger’ by his fans. Naidu and Harikrishna enjoy a perennial love-hate relationship, thanks to the antics and angularities of each other towards each other. Naidu dumped Harikrishna — not once, but time and again. Harikrishna’s son, Jr NTR, who was meted out many a humiliation in the patriarch’s family on more than one occasion, was roped in to the party activity in 2009. Chandrababu Naidu, for whom filmy firmament is the in-laws’ house, literally and figuratively, always rubbed shoulders with film personalities. He marshalled the kinematic strengths of his brother-in-law Balakrishna and Jr NTR and fielded them only for the party campaign without offering them any political

position. The gullible duo toed the line of the Machiavellian politician Naidu. People still remember Jr NTR’s articulation, diction, knowledge of popular grievances and his spellbinding speeches. In fact, Jr NTR shone in contrast on all these counts compared to Balakrishna and Naidu. The engagement of Jr NTR with Lakshmi Pranathi, daughter of Chandrababu Naidu’s niece, gave an impression to the people that the bondage among the families is cemented once and for all. But the relations between Naidu and NTR Jr

apparently strained by the time of the marriage. The TV channel, owned by Jr NTR’s father-in-law Narne Srinivasa Rao, used to be managed by Nara Lokesh, the only son of Chandrababu Naidu. But a few months ago, Srinivasa Rao took over the reins of the channel himself, obviously to eject Lokesh out of it. Harikrishna did not like the surreptitious projection of Lokesh as the heir apparent. He wants Jr NTR to succeed Naidu in the party. However, It is not known whether Jr NTR is nursing political ambitions immediately or at least in 2014. Considering the manoeuvring abilities of Naidu, one shouldn’t be taken by surprise even if he manages to rope in Harikrishna and Jr NTR into his party fold using symbiotic relationship of one uncle or an aunt to buttress the young tiger’s support by election time. For, if the TDP doesn’t come to power in 2014, it will be relegated to the Opposition permanently akin to the Communists. To be on the safe side, Naidu is grooming his younger brother Ramamurthy Naidu’s elder son Rohit as an actor for pitting him as a star campaigner on behalf of his party, and younger son Gireesh as a political heir-apparent to regain the stranglehold over Chandragiri Assembly constituency.

myself. A long hop indeed, for someone who had rechristened himself Gabbar Singh!

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

The King Khan S

RK had hearts fluttering, and grown men giggling when he came to the city earlier this year to promote Don 2. Here, he is caught at his charming best.

July 11, 2012 A perfectly balanced page. The mosquito would be overwhelming if it wasn’t for the eye towering over the masthead. Anne Hathaway reclining at the bottom of the page adds a solid base and holds the design together.

April 13, 2012

BEST DESIGNED FRONT PAGES

Mugshots can really destroy a front page (or any page for that matter). But here SRK and the City’s mayor form a perfect duo. The picture of three men on a bike in the pouring rain makes the page pop. The use of subtle colours lends a sense of gravitas too.

Landmarks: OLD AND NEW

Anniversary Edition

THE POWER OF ONE

SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

PRUDHVI RAJU K

prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

usiness reporting is always dominated by financial figures, revenues and profits. But I believe business can be inspirational and glamorous too. That is why I liked reporting about Gopi Krishna, co-founder of Wignite Software. Think of Warren Buffet, one of world’s richest men, who gave most of his money to charity. Can we think of a bigger

A gentle businessman inspiration? An IIT-ian who had a plum job, Gopi quit to enter the volatile world of business with just `10 lakh in 2010. Making a mark in business was not easy. But with perseverance, he did it. He brought technology for a social cause and thus was born citizensocial.com. It was not business alone; people’s lives and their welfare too were business for him.

May 1, 2012 17,318.81 131.47

5,248.15 39.15

BSE

NSE

Business

10g= `29,500

GOLD

1kg= `55,600

SILVER

` 52.73

DOLLAR

LONDON: Britain’s High Court has ordered the country’s internet service providers to block file-sharing website The Pirate Bay, the UK’s main music industry association said today. A High Court judge told Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media on Friday to prevent access to the Swedish site, which helps millions of people download copyrighted music, movies and computer games. Music industry group BPI welcomed the order by justice Richard Arnold that the service providers block the site within the next few weeks. BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said sites like The Pirate Bay “destroy jobs in the UK and undermine investment in new British artists.” The service providers said they would comply with the order. A sixth provider, BT, has been given several weeks to consider its position, but BPI said it expected BT would also block the website. Providers who refuse could find themselves in breach of a court order, which can carry a large fine or jail time. Today’s announcement follows a February ruling by the same judge that the operators and users of The Pirate Bay have “a common design to infringe” the copyright of music companies. In 2010, a Swedish appeals court upheld the copyright infringement convictions of three men behind the site, but it remains in operation. The website, which has more than 20 million users around the world, does not host copyright-protected material itself, but provides a forum for its users to download content through so-called torrent files. PTI

Pursuing passion to make a difference SAIRAM REDDY

Gopi Krishna, co-founder and CEO, Wignite Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

usiness doesn’t need to be only for proﬁts. It can be actually a platform to innovate new ideas, concepts that can make difference to people lives. Gopi Krishna, an IIT Mumbai alumnus, gave up his well paid job at Microsoft for a passion to do business that can actually make a difference to people’s lives. He did not quit the job after planning. He says, “I ﬁgured out that as long as I am in a nice job that will take care of everything I need, I might not push myself to start something on my own. I quit the job in 2009 and started looking at various ideas. The idea had to relate with my passion. I have co-founded a Wignite Software product company with Prasanna Krishnamoorthy with an investment of `10 lakh in 2010.” Talking about the business idea, he says “ I have seen technological changes around the world in terms of social media and at the same, the civic prob-

lems that we were facing in the country. I related both of these ideas and created a citizensocial.com, a social media platform where the individual can raise his civic issues and can get together with the people who are all facing the same problem. They all can jointly work together for achieving the solution for the problem” Gopi had faced many challenges in the way. “The business took more time than I envisaged. There is misconception that people are not proactive in raising the civic issues. It cannot be generalised and applied to every one. They are around 10 per cent of the people who are seriously working to solve the civic issues. The aim is to bring this people together and make their voice heard to the government. “I am trying to connect these people with the problems with the respective corporations and councils. But, few government ofﬁcials I approached are not quite open to work in that front. However, I got huge support from Lok Satta party in Kukatpally. They are trying to

answer to the problems that people raise in the constituency. They frequently notify where different issues stand and also communicate to the people who raise their civic problems,” says Gopi. Talking about revenues, he says, “The revenues can be generated through advertising and selling it as a tool for councils and corporations. The tool can actually extract all the specific issues that are related to the council. In turn, they council can intercommunicate to solve the issue. It may take little time but the government will be adopting such technology once they see how people are absorbing it.” People used Citizen Social as a tool and solved eight civic problems like encroachment, dumping of garbage, fixing the roads. There is huge success in the communication front, the people in Kukatpally raised around 80 civic issues and got them answered from the ruling officials (Lok Satta). The company has developed Wisiplan, a software application for various colleges in UK, by which the individual academic needs of the student are taken care by the respective tutors. This brings together personal tutors, managers, instructors to a common platform and helps in improving the performance of the each student. Almost 5,000 students in different colleges are using it as an application. Wignite is also developing Wisisocial, a social media tool to attract students to the colleges in the UK, by creating a conversation between students and applicants (potential students). The company got break even in last fiscal. It is expecting to grow at 100 per cent this financial year.

AI, Asiana ink code share deal Woodside sells gas biz stake A

ir India and Asiana Airways have recently entered into a code share agreement. As per the deal, which would be finalised at the earliest, both Air India and Asiana Airways would share the operation of flights with each other in India and Seoul. This agreement would benefit Air India passengers, allowing them to fly between India and Seoul even on flights operated with Asiana Airways.

Asiana Airways has shown interest in exploring opportunities to a few destinations in India, subject to approval from the regulatory authorities. Air India, has proposed to expand the agreement to freely include additional sectors on each other’s network, based on connectivity and necessary approvals from regulatory authorities. Air India is also in the process of entering into similar agreements with other airlines.

` 85.40

POUND 9

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

Matters of saving and spending

UK court bans Pirate Bay services

ustralia’s Woodside Petroleum has sold a minority stake of 14.7 per cent in its proposed Browse gas export project in Australia to Japan Australia LNG (a joint venture of Mitsui and Mitsubishi) for $2 billion. Woodside said that it is on the verge of striking a longterm sales and purchase deal with the Japanese venture, known as MIMI, for 1.5 million tonnes per year from the

Browse project. Under the deal, Woodside and MIMI would jointly market LNG from Browse to Asian customers, primarily within Japan. Japanese banks have indicated their willingness to finance the project. The parties had also entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding allowing potential collaboration and alliance on other opportunities globally.

NUMEROLOGY

`100

is the MRP set by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for a minimum of 100 Free to Air (FTA) channels provided by cable operators.

THUS SPAKE “India has lifted ban on cotton exports. A decision has been taken to remove the suspension of cotton export registration and fresh registration will be allowed,” Anand Sharma Trade minister

SPAIN IN RED Official data has confirmed that Spain has toppled back into recession. According to a data report from the National Statistics Institute, Spain’s GDP shrank by 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2012, which equals the slump in the final quarter of 2011. The recession has returned barely two years after Spain emerged from its last downturn.

BIG DEAL On monday, Microsoft invested $300 million in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary with regards to a venture aimed at grabbing a bigger share of the rapidly growing market for electronic books. The deal is focusing on B & N’s Nook tablet, and its college businesses. The move has ended a long patent dispute between the two firms.

SBH REVISES RATES State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) has revised interest rates on Non-Resident External (NRE) deposits from May 1, 2012. The interest rates on the NRE deposits for a period of one year to less than two years had been revised from existing 9.40 per cent to 9.25 per cent. However bank did not make any changes on the interest rates for NRE deposits from two years to 10 years.

“I am trying to connect these people with problems with the respective corporations and councils. But the few government officials I approached are not quite open to work in that front. However, I got a lot of support from the Lok Satta party in Kukatpally,” recalled Gopi. Lack of support fromgovernment officials did not hinder the business. Gopi successfully made it

a platform to raise civic issues and helped many in filing RTI queries and even got answers for many civic problems from ruling officials in Kukatpally. Success is relative; for some it is profits, for some others it may be popularity, but for me, it is a implementation of a business idea that can make a better society. According to me, Gopi Krishna is one of the most successful entrepreneurs with a social conscience and I enjoyed reporting about him.

May 17, 2012 Hyper Local

THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

A HERO FOR THE HOMELESS

Inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Rajesh Kothwal is working towards living his life with dignity. He runs an ashram where he provides medical treatment to the poor and destitute

INSPIRATION Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

hile we walk down a street many of us notice beggars or disabled destitutes lying on the pavements but not many of us notice that they are in need of help. One of the brutal truths of today’s society is the lack of humanity. Despite noticing them, we never turn up to their rescue but thankfully Rajesh Kothwal is not one among us. Rajesh is striving hard to rescue these people and make their life better. From the age of 14, Rajesh started social work. He used to volunteer for NGOs. In 2009, he started his own organisation in his mother’s name — Bharathi Memorial Foundation. Rajesh was recently featured on CNN IBN India Positive show for his work. Rajesh has been responsible for saving the lives of several destitutes in the twin cities. In addition to providing medical facility he also provides them shelter and food. The ashram is now home for nearly 70 destitutes including 14 children who are infected with HIV, leukemia and other disorders. “My parents were government school teachers and they always followed the teachings of Vivekananda they use to give me preachings of Swami Vivekananda. I am inspired by his teachings and my aim is to lead a life with some dignity. Time to time, I visit various temples, bus stops and railway station to check if anyone is in need of treatment and bring them to the ashram to provide the best medical treatment,” says Rajesh Kothwal. “The irony is that we are only two people even after placing so many advertisements no one comes forward to help us. I am ready to pay `8,000-`10,000 as salary but still no one is ready.

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MOST OF THE INMATES SUFFER FROM DISEASES LIKE

AIDS, EPILEPSY, POLIO, TUBERCULOSIS, CANCER AND HEART AILMENTS. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING THE BEST TREATMENT TO THOSE INMATES, HE ON MANY OCCASIONS, HAS PERFORMED LAST RITES TOO.

Even after placing so many advertisements no one comes forward to help us. I am ready to pay `8,000-`10,000 as salary. Many of them think this work is unhygienic.

Rajesh Kothwal assisting the inmates

Rajesh Kothwal Many of them thinks this work is unhygienic. Sometimes it becomes tough for me to visit my patients admitted in City hospitals. Many of my patients are been treated in Gandhi, Osmania, NIMS and AP Chest Hospital. Depending on the condition of the destitute we shift them to these hospitals for better treatment. It becomes tough to manage time between the ashram and hospitals alone,” he adds. Most of the inmates of the ashram suffer from diseases like Aids, epilepsy, polio, tuberculosis, cancer and heart ailments. In addition to providing the best treatments to those inmates many a times he also performs the last rites of inmates who die and it is

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done according to one’s individual religious practices. Recalling his journey he says, “Prior to the ashram I was an attender to 15 patients in different City hospitals around 14 years ago. I use to maintain their body

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hygiene and serve food and medicine to them, but as the number of patients increased my work became more difﬁcult. Then I built a shed next to my house as a temporary shelter and use to treat most of my patients there. But my

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neighbours were against the idea as they were afraid of the spread of the infection. Adding to woes my mother K Bharathi, a government school teacher, died of a heart attack, and that’s when the idea to start an ashram named after her came to be.” But paying doctor’s fees and medical bills was one big problem for him and that’s the reason he took up a male nurse training course from the Indian Red Cross Society for a year. He then obtained legal permission to inject or dress their wounds. However, Rajesh makes sure that he doesn't get infected while treating them. He takes all kinds of vaccinations. Bharathi Memorial Foundation has become Rajesh’s mission. He utilises his parents’ pension to meet the ashram’s medical expenses. He might lack ﬁnancial support but this obstacle has not deterred him from his mission.

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Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222

ANUBHA K SINGH

anubha.k@postnoon.com

Learning the meaning of life

M ANIL KUMAR

Sweet threads

young boy busy managing rows of hand-made seviyan, (vermicelli) for making the traditional sheer khorma during Ramazan. Like a lone soldier guarding the fort, he was immersed in his job, oblivious to his surroundings.

July 1, 2012 Our coverage of Euro 2012 was extensive, and the designer’s idea to use the masthead as the backdrop in our final preview package was inspired. The beauty is that it does not detract from the lead below it.

April 19, 2012

BEST DESIGNED FRONT PAGES

We were a bit worried about the picture for the lead on CFL bulbs. But this just goes to show that type can also be used brilliantly to create a front page display. The ‘O’ is replaced by the bulb in question. Great impact to a great story.

ow many times have we paused to spare a thought for the destitute and disabled seeking alms? The brutal truth is that the society we live in lacks sensibilities, but thankfully, Rajesh Kothwal is not one of us. Rajesh is striving to do his bit to bring about a positive change through his ashram — Bharathi Memorial Foundation — by giving shelter to the destitute on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Currently, he faces financial troubles but this has not deterred him from his life’s mission. Children like Ramesh, who has a hole in his heart, Sravanthi, who has cancer and five-year-old Radha, who is HIV positive, have now made the ashram their home. Rajesh is their real-life hero. After meeting Rajesh, I learned the true meaning of the Swami Vivekananda’s quote “If at least for a day you can take the sorrow of others, it will add meaning to your life and the rest is a waste”. One wishes that those who are engaged in snatching the poor people’s bread and shelter paused a while to ponder over this! Despite opposition by his neighbours, Rajesh continues his work through the ashram. More and more people are coming forward to help him financially. Many are also joining him as volunteers at the ashram. I was very happy after visiting Rajesh and writing about his work, hence I chose this as my best piece of the year.

Anniversary Edition SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Making ripples, if not waves

MOHD SUBHAN

mohd.s@postnoon.com

Amil’s harem and I

he story of 24 wives and numerous kids of sorcerer Amil (Sammah Bin Masroor) I reported on March 7, 2012, gets my vote as the one I enjoyed doing the most, though there are many other works as a crime reporter that I did which saddened or shocked me. The man amazed me. While most of us are struggling with one wife and a kid, here’s one who goes like a trainer in a circus! He was unable to count his progeny, saying, “Har galli mein mere bache hai” (every lane in this city has a kid of mine). The amazing thing is that his vast family tree is doing well and seems to be fond of its head. Amil believes he is doing a public service saving a lot of lost souls but police think otherwise. It was sheer delight. When one of his wives, tired of the crowd, disappeared with another, he threatened the stealer of his wife, “I will make a crow of you (with magic)”. People were agog, will it happen? He’s yet to do that feat! It gave me great satisfaction that several people relished the story and congratulated me. A journalist’s greatest reward is when people appreciate his work. After the report when I visited him once again with my former senior colleague Ameer Hussain, Amil’s aide offered me `1,000 for my conveyance back to office! I politely turned down saying my office pays me well but thank you anyway.

March 7, 2012 Hyper Local

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2012

RIME 24 wives, numerous kids, CEXCLUSIVE Amil amasses wives apart from money through sorcery. The police recount a hair-raising story of a black magician who held sway in his heyday but today his wives and children form a massive family tree. Many VIPs had visited him in the past

sorcerer rules part of City the doctors can’t. They are called in and after the maiden meeting they call them to various places on the pretext of treatment and seek favour in cash and sex.

A charitable man

File photo of Amil with cricketer-turned-politician Azharuddin Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

he arrests of several black magicians in the City brought out many dark stories of which the incredible tale of Sammah Bin Masroor alias Sammah Chawush is the most astonishing one. It says how he, now in his 60s, has ofﬁcially married thrice but has

in all 24 wives and an uncertain number of children and grandchildren spread across the City. Known as Amil (magician) Sammah’s two sons and one wife were held during the drive against black magic following several complaints of victims who say they were ﬁnancially and sexually exploited. Amil has his ‘treatment centre’ at Moghulpura near Asra

Hospital. Based on a recent complaint by Rubia, 38, Moghulpura police inspector Syed Faiyaz Ahmed arrested Sammah’s two sons, Arrar and Aqueel and one daughter-in-law by name Saﬁya for indulging in black magic and cheating. However, it is said that Sammah senior managed to slip away and got an anticipatory bail. Inspector Faiyaz Ahmed found out that Sammah runs his

Double murder stirs up Yousufguda CRIME

Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

eople of Lakshmi Nrasimha Nagar in Yousufguda woke up this morning with a start as screaming and wailing of sirens filled the air. As they all rushed out to enquire, they found a platoon of police and ambulance people rushing in and out of the house of Prabhavathy. They went benumbed with the news that a double murder has just taken place and the murderer happens to be a 28-year-old man. N Prabhavathy, 30, a divorced woman with two kids and her brother N Kiran were the victims. Brutally killing them was Mastaan Vali, who is said to have developed an illicit relationship with Prabhavathy who tried to shake him off but could not.

Prabhavathy, Kiran, her kids and their mother belong to Prakasham Kandukur village of Nalgonda. Three years ago, the family decided to migrate to the City, after Prabha’s marriage with one Venkateshwarulu hit the rocks. She was working as a tailor when she happened to meet Mastaan who works as a driver. Banjara Hills ACP L Shankar Reddy told Postnoon that Kiran and his mother had strong objections to the man, whose antecedent was not known, developing relationship with Prabhavathy. She too had realised her folly but the man had stuck with her like a leech. Today morning Mastaan went to their home, hiding a knife in his shirt, and demanded to see Prabhavathy. However, Kiran came out and said he couldn’t meet his sister. An argument ensued and Mastaan in a fit of rage whipped out the knife and stabbed Kiran. Hearing his screams the family, including the kids, came out and started wailing for help. In the melee, Mastaan attacked Prabhavathy as well. Soon people from the neighbourhood summoned the police. However, when the cops came, Mastaan did not try to escape but confessed to his crime. Neighbours told the police that the family had been living peacefully till Mastaan came into the scene, after which the household was fraught with quarrels and arguments.

treating shop in his old house and everyday hundreds of people come. His clerk or munshi issues a slip and charges `20 ﬁrst for saying the duah (invoking divine blessing). Treatment costs are usually extra. Complainants, mostly women, said Amil in his younger days and his sons now take extra interest in women ‘patients’ who believe the magician can do what

THE POWER OF ONE

Sammah has also kept a façade of charity. The Moghulpura police found that Sammah was a healthy, good looking footballer in his heyday. He was popular with girls. Gradually he found black magic to be a paying proposition. Now, after he grew old, one of his wives, Saﬁya has opened a ‘women’s wing’ for treatment and Amil takes care of the males. He runs a welfare society for poor girls! Police have seized many incriminating things and documents from Amil’s place which included lashes, nails, josssticks, dry coconuts used in tantra, photocopies of some passports and land deals besides some pictures showing Amil with VIPs which included a top cricketer from Hyderabad.

P K SURENDRAN

surendran.pk@postnoon.com

o be left forlorn in the evening of one’s life is a scary experience. The young will not understand this; they will, one day. The misery is more for the women who end up alone and destitute at the dusk of their life. For ages, society has

strangely ignored this aspect of societal life. But today it is not so. Awareness that there is life after prime-time is recognized the world over. But in India it’s still a grey area and efforts are few and far between to bond the lives that are left behind by their dear ones. One such gutsy woman is Rajeshwari, who founded thodu needa that brings lonely senior souls together.

Meeting her and knowing her struggles in life, her conviction, her gumption and the society’s warped mind had been enlightening (Postnoon February 19, 2012). I pick this piece of all my efforts not because it is a great literary piece but it gave her a feeling that someone is out there who cares. She continues to do her work despite being saddled with a sick mother, and scores of ageing men

and women who find themselves discarded by their wards are bonded in marriage. I believe journalists should strive to make some impact with their efforts though it is not easy in this racy, crazy world where events overtake one another with gun-fire rapidity. Still, one can try and I feel gratified that I could make a ripple among the well-meaning, if not waves.

SRINIVAS SETTY

Toil & trouble

photographer’s life is not all glamour and glitz. For most part, we see people toiling in difficult conditions and try to tell their stories through our pictures. (Left) A ragpicker walks through heaps of garbage from the twin cities to collect plastic bags at the Jawahar Nagar dumping yard. (Right) A child in Nalgonda had to walk two km everyday to collect drinking water due to the water scarcity in her village. These are our pictures; these are their lives.

Daring, different and setting trends ARUN KOSHY PHILIP

arun.k@postnoon.com

ostnoon brought a whiff of freshness to Hyderabad, which was tired of the stagnant content dished out by the morning dailies. Our stories dug deep; found interesting elements; explored angles that were ignored by the rest as trivial and above all, struck a chord with

the denizens. Understanding the pulse of a metro that had evolved beyond the cliché descriptions, we bring out stories that capture the essence of all things good, bad and ugly. Never to straddle the fence on sensitive issues, we have boldly come out in support of rights and advocated scientific temper. If there were inconvenient truths and matters shrugged of as ‘what’s the big deal about it’, we gave them

a human face through our special features and campaigns. Refusing to be inward-looking, as typical of ‘localisation’, we have established a truly cosmopolitan identity wherein potholes in Basheerbagh and drug cartels in Bogota find space on our pages. For Postnoon, a spade is always a spade, no matter what the powers that be make out of it. From pulsating high life parties

of Banjara Hills to the bootlegging hubs in the dark alleys of Dhoolpet, from sprawling landscaped gated communities to sprawling slums, we have our eyes and ears – and news space – open to Hyderabad of all hues. We do not follow footsteps or stay in the shadows of entrenched players; we set the bar higher with each milestone in our journey and choose to set trends rather than follow them.

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA

rahul.r@postnoon.com

A sham and a shame

hen the editor asked me to pick a piece that I thought was the best of my works last year that was worth mentioning again in the anniversary issue of Postnoon, I was at a loss for a moment. But I remembered that I wrote about the sham auto pollution check which stands out for shock value, if nothing else (Naive hands employed in vehicle pollution check, March 7, 2012). The report is about semi-literate boys handling important work — checking auto pollution which chokes this city of eight million. None of the operators who were engaged to check pollution showed signs of awareness about the Bharat Stage Emission standards that form the guidelines of any vehicular pollution test. This lack of basic knowledge is evidence that these operators have developed a rhetorical procedure of fitting pipes and printing data. For all they know, they could be checking the air of an automobile! RTA authorities did not agree, at least not initially, but you, the vehicle owners, know well that these boys do this check perfunctorily and give the PASSED label to any vehicle once you give the fee. The City is ranked one of the most polluted in the country because the authorities are not committed and, I’m sure, are not aware of the issue. The report, I hope, has had some effect on those who read it.

March 7, 2012 Hyper Local CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Naive hands employed in vehicle pollution check N SHIVA KUMAR

ENVIRONMENT Rahul Ramakrishna

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‘Congress stronger now’

CC president Botsa Satyanarayana has commented that the strength of Congress has increased in the five states where elections were held. Commenting on the results, he said that the increased number of seats was a pointer to this.

ollution check certificates are mandatory for every vehicle. Once in every six months, a vehicle is expected to undergo a pollution test and get a PUC (Pollution under Check) certificate. A total of 155 PUCs operate in the City with 98 units being mobile PUCs and the remainder stationary. But guess who declares your vehicle environmentally fit or unfit? Mallesh and Naresh, two class X students work with a mobile unit at the KBR Park. “Naresh drives the vehicle and I conduct the tests,” says Mallesh. “We handle about 20 to 25 vehicles a day. We often switch roles and work.” MJ Ahmed, who operates a PUC van at Banjara Hills, says, “I have been working as an operator for three years. I was trained by my superior (whose name he refuses to divulge) at Mehdipatnam in one of these vans for a week.” It takes two to work a unit. “One works as the driver and the other handles the pollution work,” he says. Ask a few questions about the equipment in the mobile vans, they are blank. They simply refer to their instruments as the smoke box, the pipe, the computer and the printer. On further questioning, none of the operators show any signs of awareness about the Bharat Stage Emission standards that form the guidelines of any vehicular pollution test. This lack of basic knowledge is evidence enough that these operators have developed a rhetorical procedure of fitting pipes and printing data.

Pandu Ranga Rao, joint commissioner of the RTA for the twin cities, explains, “Each testing centre is equipped with a gas analyser and a smoke analyser that examine diesel and petrol engine emissions respectively. These units are operated by people whose jobs have been outsourced by the RTA to Manatec, Natal and AVM. Every class of vehicle has its own emission standards depending on the date of manufacture and so forth. The software used in the PUCs are constantly upgraded to these emission standards thereby keeping pollution under check,” he said.

THE FACES OF HYDERABAD MJ Lakshmi, Pharmacist, Jubilee Hills

oft spoken Lakshmi has been working as a pharmacist since 2009. Ask her what exactly pulled her into this ﬁeld and she says that she has always been interested in medicines and dispensary. Every day from 9am to 7pm she works in the pharmacy, quietly dispensing prescribed drugs to customers. She is presently pursuing her M.Pharmacy and says that working in a medical store is part of the course curriculum.

Aishwarya Yerra A city is defined by the people who live and work in it. Here we take a look at the human threads that make up our urban tapestry

Her job requires her to have an indepth knowledge about medicines and know the speciﬁc purpose and use of each drug. It is not as easy as it looks to be a pharmacist. But she says she loves what she is doing. Lakshmi says her aim is to get into the research ﬁeld. She wants to do her PHD in clinical research. So she says once she completes her M.Pharma course she will be going to London to pursue her doctorate dreams.

Fact file

he specifics of a pollution check depend on the standards prescribed under CMV Rules 1989, with the Bharat Stage Emissions forming four categories Stage 1 and 2: Mostly for vehicles manufactured on or before 1998. Stage 3: Transport and three wheeler vehicles. Stage 4: Stage 4 is for vehicles manufactured from 2010. These emission standards also vary with the make of the engine ie; petrol, gas or diesel. And also for heavy duty construction machinery, generators, agricultural vehicles etc. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

New house numbers by March 2014 T

he allotment of new house numbers in all the circles in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits would be completed by March 2014. This was stated by the minister for Municipal Administration M Mah Qeedhar Reddy in the State Assembly on Tuesday while replying to a question by Congress members D Sudheer Reddy and K Srisailam Goud. The minister explained that an amount of `1.20 crores was allotted for the purpose in 201112 and `3 crores for 2012-13. The new numbering programme was started in 2004 in 18 circles in GHMC limits as per the directive of the Government of India. While the GHMC staff have taken up the job in four circles, private agencies were entrusted with the work in six circles. In the remaining eight circles, the tenders have been called and works would be allotted shortly, he explained. Sudheer Reddy pointed out that due to lack of proper house numbers, it has become a Herculean task for people to locate house in many localities. Moreover, the numbers were allotted erratically resulting in one number found in one lane and the next number in another. He urged that the numbers be allotted in every lane and locality according to serial order.

Cops suspended for not checking minister’s vehicle

ellore district superintendent of police BV Ramana Kumar has said that he had suspended police sub inspector Sekhar Babu and assistant sub inspector Chennaiah for not checking the vehicle of Finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and his convoy at the check-post, during the election campaigning in the Kovuru constituency of the district. Talking to the media here on Tuesday, he said that apart from suspending the two policemen, he had also issued notices to other policemen in the incident. The SP said that the police had seized `81.54 lakhs in cash and 150 liquor bottles, during checks at different check-posts. The district collector said that booth-level officials would go from door-to-door and distribute the voter slips. He said that a mock poll would be conducted on March 12, to check the preparedness of the election authorities for the poll scheduled for March 18.

WOMEN SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

APPS OF THE WEEK DishPal: At first blush, DishPal doesn’t seem very different from other recipe-sharing apps, but its key feature, the “mobile potluck party,” is a game changer in the foodapp scene.

ClockIn: If you’re a freelancer paid by the hour or do work that requires you to track how much time you spend with individual clients, ClockIn can help.

Work+: Although the idea of a telecommuter suggests someone who isn’t actively interested in leaving the house to go to work, there are certain times when you just need to get in a new space for a bit.

Making a difference

Vasundhara, who started a school for underprivileged children in Jubilee Hills, has proved through her work that actions speak louder than words SRINIVAS SETTY

SUDESHNA KOKA

sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

n a place like Jubilee Hills, which is studded with international schools with plush facilities, resides another school which is indeed special and different. Nachiketa Tapovana School is a school for underprivileged children and is on par with the other schools in terms of facilities and faculty. For principal Vasundhara, the phrase ‘To change the system, one should be a part of the system’ is something she truly believes. She is of the opinion that instead of complaining, one should get out of their comfort zone and do something concrete. This passion to make a difference has helped create a beautiful path for over 100 underprivileged children. A few years ago, Vasundhara came across the stone-cutting labourer community at Varada basti. She noticed that when the parents were working, the children were left on the roads all day long. As they were not living in good conditions, she decided to conduct a retreat camp for them twice a week. Overwhelmed by the response, she built a hut and started teaching children. “I extended my hand first and realised that thousands of people are waiting for me and my service. When I started the school, I did not expect so many children would come. Seeing the positive response within six months, I constructed this school and today, we have 120 students studying here,” she says. All the students at Nachiketa Tapovana are from BPL families, and all the teachers here are volunteers. Painting, drawing, banking, art and craft, candle making, science fairs; all these activities are conducted here on a regular basis. Each student here has a bank account. A fund-raising programme is also conducted and the money collected is deposited in the students’ accounts. Often, even the

parents deposit their earnings in this account. “Sometimes I see a few children who are not interested in studying, but I insist they stay here. At least they are not on the roads. The conditions in which these children are brought up are not very positive. Some parents beat the children, while some come home drunk. Hence, educating them and inculcating good values is extremely important,” Vasundhara says. Vasundhara, who is fondly called amma or akka by the children as well as the staff, believes the education system needs to be changed. “Our education system is in a bad shape. These days, schools don’t give importance to our values and ethics. In fact, moral science, which is a very important subject, is removed from our curriculum. Students should study for knowledge and not for

The CV First Job: My block printing business Last book: Spiritualty book on Sri Ram Krishna Last movie: 3 Idiots Biggest influence: Swami Nachiketanjali Your mantra: Don’t spend all your life planning, rather act. Practice what you think is correct marks,” she firmly believes. The mediator and yoga practitioner not only educates children but also their parents. She organises health camps, deaddiction and awareness camps for parents in the school. Inspired by her success in Hyderabad, she has also opened another school in Mahmood

Nagar, primarily for Lambani tribe children. From her experience, she says that it’s not difficult to educate first-generation children. In fact, she has a strong faith in the government school system, but wishes that the accountability is better. “If we can do it, I am sure other government schools can to do it too. They have the best of the best teachers who are highly qualified. They also have good infrastructure. But no accountability, hence everything is laid back. If this is fixed, then the problem of dropouts from school can be fixed,” she says. When asked how she balances home and work, she said, “There is no difference. This is home too.” She signs off saying, “We don’t know what life has in store for us, hence we should wake up and do something for society right now.”

DULY SERVED All About Eve

PADMINI C

“A

s an Indian woman belonging to the 21st century, what I find disillusioning is the humiliating manner in which I was put up as a bait to try and pacify one of the disgruntled stalwarts of Indian tennis. While I feel honoured and privileged to have been chosen to partner Leander Paes, the manner and timing of the announcement wreaks of male chauvinism where a two time Grand Slam champion, who has been India’s number 1 women’s tennis player for almost a decade in singles and doubles is offered in compensation to partner one of the feuding champions purely in order to lure him into accepting to play with a men’s player he does not wish to play with!” wrote Sania Mirza in a scathing letter to AITA. It raised more than a few eyebrows when the letter was made public. But none were more shocked than the top brass at the Tennis Association. They hadn’t accounted for this.. this outrage. After all, she was supposed to be a silent pawn, quietly bartered to whichever side that needed pandering. They seem to have forgotten that this was no female Olympic gold medalist, who will fade away once the games were done. No, this is still the same spunky girl who once wore her mind her on her tshirts, except she is now grown up and raging mad. She is the face of modern tennis in India and she’s demanded her due. And there’s one thing women across the country are saying and that is “go girl!” For the longest time, Sania has given me little reason to cheer for her. Her non-existent first serves and her eternal second round exits have me wonder what about her was supposed to be an inspiration for young women or aspiring tennis players. But today, the only other grand-slam champion from India proves her mettle off court. Her professionalism, her commitment and above all, her quiet dignity are all traits of a world-class athlete, traits that our leading men should learn a thing or two about.

BOOKS SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

SHORT READS Title: Bared to You Author: Sylvia Day Publisher: Berkley Trade I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private worlds...and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that our pasts didn't tear us apart...

Title: Beautiful Ruins Author: Jess Walter Publisher: Harper On a rocky patch of the sundrenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks out over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying.

Title: Mission to Paris Author: Alan Furst Publisher: Random House Hollywood film star Fredric Stahl is on his way to Paris to make a movie for Paramount France. The Nazis know he’s coming—a secret bureau within the Reich Foreign Ministry has for years been waging political warfare against France, using bribery, intimidation, and corrupt newspapers to degrade France’s will to defend herself.

Title: The Next Best Thing Author: Jennifer Weiner Publisher: Atria Books Set against the fascinating backdrop of Los Angeles show business culture, with an insider’s ear for writer’s room showdowns and an eye for bad backstage behaviour and set politics, Weiner’s new novel is a heartfelt story about what it’s like for a young woman to love, and lose, in the land where dreams come true.

Punching below its weight Is it love or lust that brings people together? Penny Vincenzi’s characters seem to ask the very same question

FLEME VARKEY

fleme.v@postnoon.com

enny Vincenzi's 857-page door-stopper, begins: ''Eliza was in the middle of curtseying to the Queen, when she decided it was time she lost her virginity.'' Well, this is just the beginning. Vincenzi has made a page-turner full of the sexual exploits and emotional upheavals of a pair of siblings. For all those who are demotivated by the size of the book, I would suggest you give it a skip, for some 800-odd pages of affairs and betrayals and the fashion world can give anyone a headache. That said, for all those who enjoy Vincenzi and cannot do without their daily dose of romance and mush, The Decision is just for you. Vincenzi’s characters are from all walks of life, the luxuried upper class, the working class and the middle class. Often any book cover that has a champagne glass, a string of pearls or a girl in stilettos is dismissed immediately as chick lit or rather something that is least exciting to the intellect. Stories of female misadventure might not qualify as good literature but

they sell. Very, very well. The novel is not bereft of its share of history, she has sprinkled generous doses of it throughout, like Winston Churchill’s death, the JFK assas-

Ranjani Rajendra

Finding W answers

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

Though not your typical racy thriller, Let Her Rest Now is a page-turner of sorts simply because it has that element of curiosity

hat do you do when you’re torn between your need to find your mother’s killer, get a few answers from the man who you think is your father and suspicion that your best friend could probably have been responsible for your mother’s death? That is exactly what Neha, the protagonist in Vijay Nair’s Let Her Rest Now, grapples with. For a long time after her mother’s brutal murder, Neha is still trying to come to terms with it and is angry with her mother, convinced it was her scheming ways that caused her death. But then a distress call from Samir’s mother takes her to scenic Coonoor. Her best friend has been implicated in

sination and more as the novel starts in 1950s and ends in 1970s. Elizabeth Fullerton Clark is a go-getter and a name to reckon with in the fashion world, she is all this and much more until she the murder of his lover’s paramour and he refuses to speak to anyone but Neha. Upon reaching the hills, Neha learns that the murder bore an uncanny resemblance to the way her own mother was killed, causing her to suspect Samir. Even as she is grappling with her suspicion and loyalty towards her friend, she comes across the mysterious Sujala, Samir’s lover, and now Neha’s object of affection. Sujala and her husband Kabir, the newest inmates of Coonoor are not popular and are held responsible by the town for ruining the young artist Samir’s life. But to complicate matters, Neha falls for Sujala. How Neha works her way through all these twists and turns and whether she can find her mother’s killer forms the crux of the plot.

falls for Matt. Matt is a property dealer who believes women should sit at home looking after children and the hearth. While she tries her best to do so, Eliza’s penchant for fashion and the good life draws her back into the fashion world, much to her husband’s dismay. The marriage spirals out of control and ends in what one could call a messy divorce with a child having to rough it out between them. Apart from this there are a host of other characters like Charles Fullerton Clark, Eliza’s brother who has a terrible first marriage, Scarlett, Matt’s sister for whom relationships is a task; Louise, Matt’s co-worker who is trying hard to make it into property world on her capabilities, tired of having the men think of her as just another babe; Heather, Eliza’s not-so-well-off friend; Mariella, Eliza’s high-flying Italian friend and Jeremy, Eliza’s former flame. In an interview with an Australian paper Vincenzi says, “The Decision it is about marital breakdown and a bitter custody dispute. I write to entertain my readers and hopefully make their lives just a little better, not to win prizes.” That’s an honest take. The book tackled a lot of very serious issues as well, parThrow in a bit about different sexual orientations, a psychopathic step-father and nosy neighbours, Vijay Nair has the perfect thriller in a small town.

ticularly women’s rights and the role of a mother through the various relationships she shows. But that said they ultimately need the male appreciation to become stronger. Another thing that might put some readers off, as it did me was the listing of characters at the beginning of the novel. So it means a lot of page turning literally.

Name The Decision Author Penny Vincenzi Pages 857 Publisher Hachette India Though not your typical racy thriller, it is a page turner of sorts simply because it has that element of curiosity. Through its many strange and disturbing twists the plot looks at how we become the very people we once despised. Nair’s writing style is clean and that makes for an easy read. However, I found the plot a bit loosely strung together. For a novel that revolves around three murders and clandestine love affairs, it lacks pace.

Name Let Her Rest Now Author Vijay Nair Pages 256 Publisher Hachette India

BOOKS SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Grey area no more

MUST READS A MILLION LITTLE PIECES, JAMES FREY

The news is out; women like pleasure and they’re not afraid to ask for it. EL James’s debut novel 50 Shades of Grey, for all the snide remarks about poor writing and anti-woman sentiment, has put female sexuality firmly in the spotlight. One hopes that with the popularity of James’s trilogy, books like this get their due among the general populace as well. All in all, you’d have to be living under a rock to avoid the influence of the 50 Shades trilogy. Now if only it was better written…

JYOTSNA NAMBIAR

jyotsna.n@postnoon.com

ames’s trilogy is not really revolutionary; for most part, the books are just regular romance novels served with lashings of sado-masochistic sexual games (pun not intended). What is unusual is the way the world has reacted to the novel. Over 20 million copies of the series have been sold so far, making them the fastest selling paperbacks of all time. The largest demographic buying the books was believed to be married women over 30 (whose teenaged children were no doubt reading it in secret), causing some critics to dub the books as ‘mommy porn’. The 50 Shades books neither have an extraordinary plotline nor are they written with great flair. In fact, the books adhere almost fanatically to the guidelines laid down by romance novel publishers like Harlequin and Mills and Boon. James herself declares in an interview, “It is a fantasy. It takes you away from doing the dishes and the laundry. I think of this as a contemporary romance rather than erotic fiction.” However, 50 Shades… wins out in that crucial area where most romance novels fail; the readers aren’t squeamish about talking about the book. The popularity of romance novels in India is a well-known fact; this is what prompted Mills and Boon to set up an exclusive India chapter in 2008.

However, for most part, these books were considered to be guilty pleasures, to be read furtively in private. Most women flatly denied reading the books even if there was one lying on their bedside – “A friend left it here!” or “Someone gifted it to me as a joke!” The increase in popularity of e-readers and online bookstores is believed to have contributed to the sales of the book. Instead of worrying about being judged for reading books with lurid covers, readers could hide behind the anonymity of an e-reader. Downloading the book online also meant that one did not have to contend with smirking bookstore employees. However, sales of the book in the US seem to be almost equally divided between physical and digital copies. The cover of the 50 Shades of Grey can hardly be seen as lurid, though the image of a tie viewed in the context of the book imbues it with a more risqué meaning. Even if the purchases were made in private through the impersonal Internet, the discussions that followed were most certainly public. Though the story

involves the virginal female protagonist agreeing to be submissive to the domineering male, many women say the book encourages women to explore their sexuality on their own terms. If nothing else, it certainly has released women from the shame of reading erotica. As one publisher Gillian Green of Ebury puts it, “(James) is the acceptable face of saucy fiction.” In India, erotica has already entered serious territory with publishers like Zubaan and Tranquebar Press releasing anthologies of erotica from the subcontinent.

James Frey wakes up on a plane, with no memory of the preceding two weeks. His face is cut and his body is covered with bruises. He has no wallet and no idea of his destination. He has abused alcohol and every drug he can lay his hands on for a decade -- and he is only twenty-three. What happens next is one of the most powerful and extreme stories ever told.

M ANY LIVES, M ANY M ASTERS, BRIAN WEISS Dr Brian Weiss is a highly respected psychiatrist from the mainstream of the medical establishment. Catherine is one of his most difficult cases, a twenty-seven year old woman racked by phobias and anxieties. In the course of Catherine's treatment, Dr. Weiss makes a startling discovery. Under hypnosis, she recollects, in vivid detail, events from past lives ranging from the prehistoric times and ancient Egypt to the 20th Century and the fires of World War II. Encouraging Catherine to relive her most painful experience even her moments of death Dr. Weiss steers her toward recovery, while his own life is dramatically changed forever.

ATONEMENT, IAN MCEWAN On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’ s incomplete grasp of adult motives–together with her precocious literary gifts–brings about a crime that will change all their lives.

WHAT’S SELLING Walden’s best in fiction

Oxford bookstore’s best in non-fiction

New York Times’ best in fiction

New York Times’ best in non-fiction

n Sins Of The Father by Jeffrey Archer

n Connect to Dots by Rashmi Bansal n Leaders who can change the world by James Macgregor

n Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

n Wild by Cheryl Strayed

n Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich

n The Amateur by Edward Klein

n The Magic by Rhonda Byrnei

n Bloodline by James Rollins

n The Monk who Sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma

n Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

n Fifty Shades Of Grey by EL James n The Innocent by David Baldacci n Secret Of The Nagas by Amish Tripati n Tainted Throne by Alex Rutherford

n Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford

n The Mission to Paris by Alan Furst

n Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand n An American Son by Marco Rubio n Cowards by Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe

RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

I AM ALL EARS

am a married man. I keep very late hours owing to my work and Sunday is the only day I have for myself, which I ususally like to spend with my parents and wife. But my wife has become very demanding and has now even resorted to threating me to move out if I do not spend time with her. Please help.

Dear workaholic, Well, I would be surprised that she did not threaten to leave you earlier. You clearly come across as a person married to his work. You must understand she is not ornamental decoration at home and would like to spend time with you apart from the bed. On Sundays if you would make an extra effort to appease her compliants , I think it would do you good. Or change your job, which will be even better.

ood and sex are some of the most rewarding parts of life, but how do they affect each other and which one weighs in as more enjoyable or important? In a poll done by TODAY.com and the popular dating site match.com, 39 per cent of single female subjects, and 16 per cent of the single men said that they would rather give up sex for a year than give up their favourite food.

A knotty question Marriage is a promise of togetherness and a happy forever after. And one can only step into it if they believe they are ready. But what do parents consider to be the right age for marriage?

PRIYANKA SURESH

feedback@postnoon.com

“A

man wanting to be a nanny is like a girl wanting to be... king?” replies Ross at a fail attempt at defense in an argument with Rachel in the popular television series Friends. But, the truth is, women these days are on par with their male counterparts, with a significant contribution to every field in the global scenario. They strut with stilettos on with just as much confidence as they climb the social ladder. Then why is there pressure to get married and start a family, as early as 21? “Indian tradition demands that girls be married at an appropriate age such as 21 as they are young enough to adapt

25-26 years seems to be the right time as you are old enough to know who you are and what you want. You need to establish yourself properly before starting a family Kavya Reddy, student of Nalsar themselves to the needs of their partner and yet mature enough to start sharing a life,” says Sharada Bhaskar, a mother of two girls. The dating scene contributes to the idea of early marriages as the older generation thinks it is better to make it legal as soon as possible. “With kids finding their part-

ners at a young age, why wait for later?” she adds. That said, the girls these days seem to be nowhere close to interested in tying the knot before making a name for their own selves and being in a financially stable position to support a family. “25-26 years seems to be the right time as you are old enough to know who you are and what you want. You need to establish yourself properly before starting a family,” says Kavya Reddy, a student of Nalsar. While some are worried about their careers, others just want to make the most of life without being tied down with responsibilities that early. “One has to wait until they have matured emotionally, spiritually and physically enough to be able to handle the ups and

downs of marriage,” says Suji Augustine of St. Francis Degree College. “Twenty-four seems like the right age. We are done with our studies and young enough to enjoy the happiness of married life,” concurs Namrata Logishetty, a student at the University of Illinois. In some cases, age does not play a major role as there are things more important, like the person you are to spend your life with and the right mindset to step into marriage. “Age is really not the criterion as long as you have found the one you are meant to be with. If you know you want the same

things from life and are ready to begin that journey together, is all that matters,” believes S Rajee, a 24-year-old from Honeywell. “The older the girls are, more the demands they have from life,” is a well known notion prevalent with the older generations. And while some girls do not disagree to the statement, they find nothing wrong in wanting the best from life. While the increasing generation gap makes it difficult to agree on a certain age to get married, we find common ground in the idea that all parties involved must be ready to accept the lifestyle changes and understand that marriage is a big deal. It is a promise of togetherness and a happy forever after. And one can only step into it if they believe they are ready for the institution of marriage.

CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

T-TOWN TWEETIES @tashu_02

@Actor_Siddharth

@pnavdeep26

@prakashraaj

“We can’t control everything... Sometimes we just need to relax & have faith that things will work out for the best.”

Midnights Children releases worldwide (except India & some other countries) at the end of the year... an unforgettable experience!

My obsession with forests takes me to darling @RanaDaggubati’s shoot at Palakkad forests... gonna sit n chill while he does d fights.

Country side in tanukku. Listening to monsoon whispering around trees, fields, ponds... Sheer joy!!

@actor_Nikhil

@taapsee

@shrutihaasan

@RanaDaggubati

Vry happy that MY director Chinni Krishna who made Veedu Theda has been signed to direct @actor_nithiin.

1st time ever gave an autograph on a galaxy notepad! Hhahahaha. N dat guy had collection of a few autographs in thr!

Billa 2 has officially taken over all tweets bb status msgs pics and face book updates. Phew!

Fun night with the always entertaining @pnavdeep26. Thanks for swinging by buddy :-)) see u on set soon.

Taapsee heads to Ladakh

aapsee is all set to fly to Ladakh to join the shooting of Chandrasekhar Yeleti's upcoming action adventure film. Gopichand is playing the lead role in the film and it's reportedly the story of a common man who goes on an extra-ordinary journey to find a treasure. “Now leaving for the most adventurous schedule of my career so far to ladakh. Yeleti sir is yet again ready to awe u by somethng different! (sic),” Taapsee posted on Twitter. Few days ago, she was in news for no fault of hers when two of her friends, Manchu Manoj and Mahat Raghavendra indulged in a fight. The actress had to clarify that she had nothing to do the fight and all the hullabaloo came to an end when both the actors agreed to resolve the dispute in an amicable manner. We also hear that Taapsee has signed her first endorsement deal and she revealed that she'll be the brand ambassador of Bommarillu Real Estate Group.

Eega's dream run continues

ega is turning out to be a box office monster both in AP and the US. We hear that the film collected $725,000 in the first five days of its release and the film is expect to breach the $1 million mark pretty soon. The exhibitors in US are quite amused with the buzz which this film has generated. Despite releasing in less number of screens compared to most other big budget Telugu films, Eega has managed to match the box office figures

David Billa is a big letdown The film is unbearably boring and the lacklustre screenplay makes it all the worse to appreciate the rise of David Billa HEMANTH KUMAR

hemanth.k@postnoon.com

here's absolutely no denying that Ajith has good screen presence. His intensity, profound dialogues and the style quotient make up for the lack of ease in his body language. However, none of this comes in handy in Chakri Toleti's David Billa. The film is so boring and dull that it doesn't take too long to lose interest in how the life of David Billa unfolds. David Billa (Ajith) is a Sri Lankan refugee, who comes to India after everything he ever owned is destroyed back home. Within no time he makes the right contacts which enables him to rub shoulders with some of the biggest gangsters in the region. From smuggling diamonds to drugs,

David Billa proves that he has the guts to be a trusted aide while dealing with gangsters. One fine day, he helps Abbasi (Sudhanshu Pandey) retrieve a consignment of weapons which belong to Dimitri (Vidyut). Impressed with his bravado, Abbasi sends him to meet Dimitri in Georgia. What happens next and how David Billa goes on to become the most wanted gangster forms the rest of the story. The film unfolds like a school play where everyone remembers their dialogues well, dresses in stylish clothes with absolutely no consideration for emoting. Except for Ajith, and perhaps Vidyut, almost every other character in the film is a glorified extra. It's still a million dollar question what the dames Parvathy Omanakuttan and Bruna Abdullah were doing in the film. The subplot of

Sudhanshu Pandey, who plays Abbasi, begins on a promising note but then it was so obvious that he would be knocked out by Billa. That's the biggest problem with the film; it's extremely predictable. No wonder, it's tough to empathise with Billa as he climbs the ladder to become the most wanted gangster. Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score and RD Rajasekhar's cinematography are noteworthy. Despite all the resources available, Chakri Toleti, who directed the film, fails to come up with a gripping tale of one man's rise to power. David Billa is a big letdown.

Movie: David Billa Cast: Ajith, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Bruna Abdullah, Vidyut Directed by: Chakri Toleti Rating:

and this week, the film is going to be released in 20 more centres in the US. Back in AP, the film has already made more than`7 crore in Nizam which is humoungous considering that there was no big hero in the film. Meanwhile, the entire team of Eega, except Samantha, had gone on a success tour to interact with the audience in the state. Director SS Rajamouli was stunned by the response he has been getting from the audience and the film fraternity.

CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

B-TOWN TWEETIES @SrBachchan

@bipsluvurself

@ActorMadhavan

@shreyaghoshal

T 804 - A presentation by a Robotics firm totally fascinating... humans shall eventually create their substitute... and regret perhaps?

Guwahati molestation of a 1yr-old girl fr 29 mins on the road! Shameful! These monsters have to be punished!

Social change in mindset has to be enforced.”Social Awareness” is still giving these jerks an option. It has to be enforced.

I had a salad for dinner. No. I don’t want your sympathies!

@RahulBose1

@udaychopra

@V1SH4L

@NeilNMukesh

How much more violence against women must we see before we realise it will end civilisation as we know it.

Funny thing about interludes…they can only exist in between something. I mean I’ve never seen just a “lude” all by itself ever.

The people who killed Keenan and Reuben, the people who molested this innocent girl in Guwahati... You WILL pay!!

“@theanilkhanna: @NeilNMukesh it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness” I likeeeeee :D. This is my motto !

Quite a heady mix of flavours A celebration of life that gets too sloppy to handle

he film has a lot at stake. Can Adajania be the next rom-com king? After Being Cyrus, which was quite dark, he brings to the audience Cocktail, a heady mixture of love and friendship. The pairing he has in this film — Saif and Deepika has already worked its magic with Love Aaj Kal and Arakshan, the new ingredient here is Diana Penty. Looking at the rushes of the film one does get reminded of Saif ’s other films like Hum Tum, Salaam Namaste and the likes, but the similarity ends there. Cocktail is the story of Gautam, Veronica and Meera and their bond of love and friendship. But when a love triangle forms between them their friendship is put to test. Nothing new, but Adajania tries to add some tadka to this stale storyline. Gautam has a thing for the wild and flirty Veronica (Deepika) while the dainty Meera(Diana) too has his heart in knots. The three have an awesome time roaming the beaches, singing songs willynilly, but tragedy strikes when Gautam has to decide between the two. He moves out of their lives. Enter the second-half of

Movie: Cocktail Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Diana Penty, Dimple Kapadi, Boman Irani Directed by: Homi Adajania the film. What was fun now becomes drag, and sloppy, save for the endearing performances by Dimple Kapadia and Boman Irani as Gautam’s parents. Saif has decided to play the flirt in almost all his movies, so other than looking oh-so-old, nothing new about Gautam. Deepika should probably think about getting typecast as the sexy bombshell whom every guy loves to have around while having a good time. It’s time she chooses other characters. Well, coming to Diana Penty, she plays the model to the notch, waif-like figure, sparkling eyes and a smile that would melt hearts instantly. Diana has a lot to look forward too. Adajania’s vision of a modern love story seems a bit outdated. It is devoid of any commitment, fickle and yet plays to the galleries using every trick in the book which ultimately ends up at love aaj kal.

Farah turns item girl!

he has choreographed quite a few hit dance numbers and now choreographer-director-actor Farah Khan will be seen grooving to an item number in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, which marks her acting debut.Talking about the item number, Farah tweeted: “Have woken up 1 hour earlier than alarm in xcitemnt. ‘Joker’ ad out n I’m shootng an item song 4 Shirin Farhad... bt this time I’m dancing! surreal (sic).” Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi also stars Boman Irani and is the story of a 40-plus unmarried man and a woman. The film hits theatres on August 24. Farah is the name behind item numbers like Chhaiya chhaiya, Munni badnaam, Sheila ki jawani, Anarkali disco chali and the soon to be out Kaafirana from her husband Shirish Kunder’s movie, Joker. IANS

I like taking risks: Sushant S

ushant Singh Rajput has proved himself as a dancer, a theatre artiste and TV actor. Now he is ready to take on the big screen, and feels taking risks has been fruitful for him.Sushant shot to fame with TV show Pavitra Rishta, his fans were shocked when he decided to quit at the peak of his career.”I am the kind of person who likes taking risks. I quit Pavitra Rishta because I wanted to go abroad and study films, but that did not happen,” he said.”I wanted to go ahead and pursue my dream because I realised that I love performing on stage and being on camera,” Sushant said.The 26-year-old is all set to begin his journey on the silver screen IANS with Kai Po Che.

CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

TAKE YOUR PICK

Who was the youngest Indian test cricket captain? A. Gundappa Viswanath B. Mansoor Ali Khan ‘Tiger’ Pataudi C. Vinoo Mankad D. Virender Sehwag

giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames? 8. Which dam is located in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River? 9. What links Folkestone and Coquelles? 10. Last week researchers announced they found the

Higgs Boson. Under which countries’ borders is the supercollider located? 11. The CEO of which company resigned last week over an interest rate-fixing scandal ? 12. Nelson Mandela’s daughter was appointed South Africa’s ambassador to which country ?

Answers

name mean? 4. What new tool is the U.S. Navy deploying to the Persian Gulf? 5. Who is buying the Italian fashion house Valentino? 6.What name was given to the kitten that survived a freightcontainer Pacific crossing? 7. What is the name of the

1.Access to contraception. 2. Tonga 3.Cursed Mountain 4. Underwater Drones 5. The royal family of Qatar 6. “Ni hao”, which means “hello” in Mandarin. (The kitten set sail from Shanghai). 7. The London Eye 8.Hoover Dam 9. The Channel Tunnel.10. Switzerland and France 11. Barclays 12. Argentina

1. The Gates Foundation announced a major companion to provide more of what for women worldwide? 2. In what island nation did a Crown Prince marry his second cousin? 3. This week 9 climbers died on the French peak “Mont Maudit.” What does the

NAME THEM

IDENTIFY THESE SINGERS

WHO DIRECTED THESE MOVIES?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Dial M for murder

Citizen Kane

India is considered to be the largest producer and consumer of black tea in the world. Which country is the largest exporter of black tea in the world?

Stagecoach

Angels and Demons

Bringing up baby

A. China B. India C. Kenya D. Sri Lanka

La Dolce Vita

Where can you find the highest inhabited village on Earth with electricity and motorable roads ? A. Jammu & Kashmir B. Sikkim C. Nepal D. Himachal Pradesh

Fantastic Mr Fox

Rules of the game

The Man who would be king

Answers: 1.B 2. C 3.D Alfred Hitchcock 2. Orson Welles 3. John Ford 4. Ron Howard 5. Howard Hawks 6. Federico Fellini 7. Wes Andersen 8. Jean Renoir 9. John Houston 10. Robert Altman

Which state is famous for the Chanderi style of weaving?

with Santosh Ghule Who is dreaming of this vase?

WHO AM I? I was popularly known as Rustam-e-Hind. Wrestler, T.V star, actor, producer, politician I donned many a hats during my lifetime. They also call me Punjab’s favourite son. Who am I?

Answer : Dara Singh

Where was tabla maestro Zakir Hussain born?

Answer for 23:

Who was the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha?

PICTURE PUZZLE 24

A lady of course!

As of 2011, which Indian state has the most number of tigers?

4. Sonu Nigam

How many sites in India are on the UNESCO World Heritage list ?

Answer: 1. Raghu Dixit 2. Adele 3. Beyonce Knowles

1 2 3 4 5

Answer:

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY

1. 29 2.Karnataka 3.Meira Kumar 4.Mumbai 5. Madhya Pradesh

Answers

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

SOLUTION ON PAGE 32

SUDOKU

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.

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Small bone of the middle ear 6 Depict biasedly 10 Burn the midnight oil studying 14 Below, in poetry 15 "3 ___ the wild blue yonder" 16 Act the nomad 17 Kind of common stock 18 Word that is an example of itself 19 Turkish title (Var.) 20 Be visibly frightened 23 Moo ___ pork (Chinese dish) 25 Bench in a nave 26 Lack of muscle tone 27 Plymouth was one 29 Archaeological-dig sites 32 Clearly flabbergasted 33 "No U-___" 34 "At First Sight" star Kilmer 37 Venomous attack 41 Dir. from Memphis to Nashville 42 Banshee's sound 43 "Buena ___ Social Club" 44 Authoritarian 46 Bag handler 47 Plant like a plantain 50 Avarice or lust, e.g. 51 Uneaten morsel 52 British Invasion group 57 "The Wizard of Oz" family name 58 "The potted physician" 59 Force out of the flat 62 Candidate for rehab 63 "3 ___, whatever will be, will be" 64 Gourdlike instrument 65 Volcano that blew its stack in 2002 66 Achilles' weak point 67 How to palm a card DOWN 1 Where there was no room 2 "New" prefix

3 Enclosed in a case, as seeds 4 "Industry" is its motto 5 Hand grenade hazard 6 Resilient strength 7 Be in the loop 8 Case for pins and needles 9 "___ Get Fooled Again" (The Who) 10 Arts and ___ 11 Juliet's beloved 12 To do with birds 13 It comes before Christmas 21 ___ Largo 22 "Star Wars" pilot Solo 23 Heart-pounding episode 24 Hulk in the ring 28 ___ out (withdraw) 29 Altercation 30 Asian border range 31 Calligrapher's buy

with Gates 33 Alexandra's 50 Baseball theft? Nicholas, for one 34 Resistance of a liquid 53 Writer Ogden 54 Choral singer's club to shear forces 55 Achy 35 Essential flower oil 56 Worse than bad 36 Acted impulsively 60 Word after no or low 38 Animal that sounds 61 Word repeated exactly like you? before "again" 39 Quality of uniformity 40 Auction offer PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 44 White outer coat of the eye 45 "Chi" leadin 46 "Blame it on ___" (Caine film) 47 Disagree vocally 48 Blow one's own horn 49 He cofounded Microsoft

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Three of Wands

The World

Four of Swords

Nine of Cups

Ten of Cups

Four of Pentacles

ork – You’ve been working in familiar territory for some time now. Challenge yourself by signing up for new tasks. Romance – Playing the lover boy/girl comes easily to you. Don’t get too carried away by the empty promises one makes. Stay practical. Health – You may need to change your perception about taking care of your health. Ensure that you’re doing enough to maintain good health. Money – Educate yourself on the new kinds of schemes and plans that are in the market. You will be surprised at all the investment options before you. Tarot message – You’re up for new challenges and to play new roles. Just don’t have expectations that you’ll get returns immediately.

ork – Your intellect is put to the test and you pass this test with flying colours. Your suggestions are taken into account by seniors. Romance – Set aside some time each week to be with your partner and do whatever you feel like. Let it be time together without an agenda. Health – Increase your intake of natural food whenever possible. Don’t rely on supplements too much if you can avoid it. Money – All is well on the money front. Just check those shopping and eating-out bills and you’ll know where to cut down if you want to save more. Tarot message – Your head is ruling your heart right now. You need to work at a better balance of the two.

ork – Your dream job may just have landed in your lap, or you will get a job that makes you test your skills even better. Romance – Sensuality is high. You feel great about your emotions. They’re sending positive vibes all around. Spend more time doing things you like. Health – Your weighing scale may be showing the results of all the indulgence on food and drink. This is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you’re happy. Money – Where you put your money is important. You make the right decisions and also reap benefits. Tarot message – Your wishes are about to come true, even if you didn’t know that it was good for you.

ork – Don’t sweat the small stuff. You may also have some trust issues – you may trust too easily. Be on your guard and know that people do everything for a reason. Romance – If you’re missing the passion in your love life, only you are to blame. Romantic partnerships only go that far on chemistry. You need to keep working at it. Health – Bring in variations in your exercise and fool your body into believing it is getting a new routine that challenges it. Money – There is no problem on the finances front. Spend a holiday afternoon just organizing all your papers into neat files so you find them easily. Tarot message – Go with the flow but also plan a little.

ork – You may be getting too emotional about what a colleague says about you. There is no office without back-biting and gossip. Accept that you will be the subject of that gossip at times. Romance – Family life is going good. You have your hands full and have lots of things to do around the house. Health – You’re feeling great, and this is having a positive impact on your health. Those with illnesses can rely on their family for support during recovery. Money – Joint ventures work well, if you’re thinking on those lines. The vibes you share with your business partners are more important than the business plan. Tarot message – Sharing and bonding with people who care, and people you care about, are highlighted.

ork – There’s a rhythm and routine to your job, which you enjoy. You don’t want anything to disturb that rhythm, at least for the moment. Romance – There are opportunities to better your prospects on the romance front. Weigh your options before making a deep commitment. Health – Your mental stability comes from being secure in the knowledge that every other part of your life is well taken care of. Money – You have enough stored away for a rainy day, and this gives you the confidence to take some rash decisions with the money kept aside for investment. Tarot message – Don’t get too comfortable with financial security. Do things that interest you.

SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

Libra

Scorpio

King of Cups

Knight of Swords

ork – You get adventurous, especially if your job allows for creative pursuits. You’re bored of doing the same job in the same way and you seek change. Romance – A formulaic route to romance may or may not click with your partner. There will always be trouble if things seem more obligatory and less romantic. Health – Adrenaline rush can make you work only so much. You need to relax and pace yourself in everything you do. Money – There is enough for all your needs but if you’re greedy for more, you need to try out new ways of doing things. Tarot message – Try the new and push the limits of your own thinking. Get creative.

ork – There are leaders who don’t show their emotion and those who do. You belong to the latter. It’s good because your team will know your human side, too. Romance – You want to wield power in a relationship. Maybe you need to understand that the biggest power in love is to give the other person power over you. Health – If you’re hypertensive, take steps to effective treatment. There’s no point ignoring the problem and seeing it grow. Money – There is no dearth of any money for your needs. However, there is no end to your shopping and entertainment demands. Tarot message – Your emotions are ruling at the moment. Allow your head also to make practical decisions at times.

Sagittarius Page of Pentacles

ork –Work – Your hard work and experience don’t go waste. If you’re looking for a job, these come to your rescue. Keep expectations low. Romance – You cannot behave immature anymore. Take responsibility and do what’s needed to gain security in the relationship. Health – Take charge of your health. Start an exercise routine, which you can maintain without a problem. Money – You have an upper hand in matters related to money. The ball is in your court and you need to take active steps to make it work for you. Tarot message – There will be many changes in the coming days. Take these in your stride. Don’t get too emotional or be stuck on things from the past. Move on.

Capricorn

Date 15-7-2012

Aquarius

Eight of Cups

Queen of Pentacles

ork – There will be issues at the office when it comes to work allotment. Fight for your pound of flesh. You don’t have to play dirty. Just convey your point. Romance – You’re intuitive and that’s a good place to be, while in a relationship. Pay attention to your partner’s needs. Health – Anxiety and worry about the immediate future is giving you sleepless nights. Calm yourself down. Don’t resort to alcohol or other artificial substances. Money – Inflation is high. Take into account this rate as well when you’re accounting for the household budget. Price rise will cause a dent. Tarot message – Planning is important. You need to stay grounded to get a clear view of things.

ork – There are some missing links in your job and you need to act fast to fill these. You are a relationship builder and hard worker. Protect your own interests. Romance – For those of you in relationships, you’re happy but missing something. You wish you had more, but you’re not sure what that could be. Health – Create a holistic health plan so you have it covered from all angles. There is no point doing more of one thing when it should be supplemented by others. Money – Real estate deals go well. You will be in a position to put away money in the right way to see it grow. Tarot message – Aim for holistic approach to everything that you do.

Pisces Ace of Swords

ork – Try to take the middle path and not get too carried away by your own idea of how things ought to work. Romance – You may come across as too cold or too indulgent depending on your mood. Your partner will be confused. Health – There will be problems with the way you are approaching specific health issues. It could be weight loss or tackling a chronic headache. Approach it holistically. Money – If you can take a home loan to increase tax savings you must seriously consider that option. Consult an expert for other such measures. Tarot message – You’re either in this extreme or that. Try to balance your life in such a way that you enjoy it to the fullest.

Vol: 1, No 362 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

2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

60 59 58 57 56

DID YOU KNOW...? n High jump shoes are different from most other track shoes in that they have much thicker soles than ordinary “sprint spikes” - in order to provide stability and comfort at take-off - and there are an additional four holes in the heel of the takeoff shoe, where the user can insert spikes for increased traction.

LEGENDS OF THE SPORT

SCISSOR KICK

53 52

49 48 47

HIGH JUMP: In n Javier Sotomayor from Cuba is the current men’s record holder with a jump of 2.45 metres set in 1993, the longest standing record in the history of the men’s high jump. n Stefka Kostadinova from Bulgaria has held the women’s long jump world record at a height of 2.09 metres since 1987. This also happens to be the longest-held record in the event.

46 45 44 42 41

TALLY 2008

39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31

the High Jump competition, athletes take a run-up before jumping over a four-metre wide bar resting on supports. The athlete must take off from one foot only and the bar must remain on its supports. Athletes may begin jumping at any height or may pass, at their own discretion. If they fail three consecutive jumps, at any height or combination of heights, they are eliminated. Once each height has been completed or passed, the bar is raised, and the next set of jumps begin and the same process continues.

COMPETITION

Javier Sotomayor (born October 13, 1967) is a Cuban former track and field athlete, who specialized in the high jump and is the current world record holder. The 1992 Olympic champion, he was the dominant high jumper of the 1990s; he is the only person ever to have cleared 8 feet (2.44 meters). He is widely regarded as the best high jumper of all time. He also won the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Rosemarie Ackermann (born April 4, 1952) is the first female high jumper ever to clear the height of 2.00 m. This took place on 26 August 1977 in Berlin. She took part for East Germany in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and finished seventh. The peak of her career came two years later, when she won the gold medal for high jump at the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal in Canada.

DAYS TO GO

SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

USA 7 RUSSIA 6 JAMAICA 6

9 5 3

7 7 2

The medals are for all the athletic events at the 2008 Games

MEDAL EVENTS August 7 Men’s High Jump August 11 Women’s High Jump

FORMAT

Athletes start with a qualifying round. Jumping in turn, each athlete attempts to achieve the qualifying height. If they fail at three jumps in a row, they are eliminated. After a successful jump, they receive three more attempts to achieve the next height. Once all jumps have been completed, all athletes who have achieved the qualifying height go through to the final. If fewer than 12 athletes achieve the qualifying standard, the best 12 athletes go through. In the final, as in qualifying, athletes are eliminated if they fail at

THE LINGO The Eastern cut-off is a style used in the athletics event of High Jump. It can be used as an intermediate progression from the simpler Scissors-Jump technique towards performance of the Fosbury Flop technique. The approach in the Eastern cut-off can be the same as that of the Scissors-Jump: a straight line at 30 to 50 degrees to the bar, jumping over the lowest point of the bar which is usually the centre.

three attempts in a row. The athlete who completes the highest jump is the winner. At the end of the competition, any ties are broken in favour of the athlete with fewest failures at the final height. If still tied, the athlete with the fewest total failures wins, and if still tied after that the tie stands, other than for first place, which is normally resolved by a jumpoff.

KEYS

TO SUCCESS

For an athlete to achieve the

maximum possible height, every aspect of the jump must be perfect and this includes the run-up. Athletes take great care in working out the exact position that they must start from, ensuring that it suits their stride pattern and provides them with the best possible takeoff.

BREAKING

THE RULES

The brush of a trailing leg or foot can dislodge the bar and ruin an otherwise perfect jump.

HISTORY OF THE HIGH JUMP

he first recorded high jump event took place in Scotland in the 19th century. Early jumpers used either an elaborate straight-on approach or a scissors technique. In the latter, the bar was approached diagonally, and the jumper threw first the in-

side leg and then the other over the bar in a scissoring motion. Around the turn of the 20th century, techniques began to modernise, starting with the IrishAmerican Michael Sweeney’s Eastern cut-off. By taking off like the scissors, but extending his back

and flattening out over the bar, Sweeney achieved a more economic clearance and raised the world record to 6 feet 5.625 inches in 1895. Another American, George Horine, developed an even more efficient technique, the Western roll. In this style,

the bar again is approached on a diagonal, but the inner leg is used for the take-off, while the outer leg is thrust up to lead the body sideways over the bar. Horine increased the world standard to 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) in 1912.

SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

37 1

DAYS TO GO

NOTHING BUT GOLD SYDNEY: Sally Pearson is the world 100 metres hurdles champion, has a bulging trophy cabinet and owns this year’s fastest time -- and she simply won’t hear of settling for silver again at the Olympics. The Australian was edged out by America’s Dawn Harper in the Beijing 2008 final but since then she has become the pre-eminent women’s sprint hurdler, earning the honour of IAAF female athlete of the year in 2011. Pearson, 25, had a phenomenal season last year, winning 15 of 16 races with her only blemish coming when she clipped a hurdle and fell in the final Diamond League race in Brussels. Among her 2011 victories was the world title in Daegu in the fourth-fastest time in history (12.28secs), and in March this year she claimed the world 60m hurdles indoor crown in Istanbul. Her 12.49 at the Australian Olympic trials, also in March, is the year’s fastest — and she equalled it in June with a dominant performance over some of her London rivals at the Diamond League meet in Oslo. She subsequently posted a fast 11.20secs in winning the 100m and was just 0.03secs shy of her own world lead in winning the 100m hurdles in Nivelles, Belgium, in late June.

But Pearson’s Olympic silver medal, which had been a great source of pride at Beijing, has now become merely a reminder of what she has left to achieve in London. “Everyone thinks about my silver medal at Beijing,” Pearson said. “But you have to remember that I won the world championships last year, the Commonwealth Games before that and won a world indoor title this year. “I am (have) every chance. I am not going out there to get silver. I am out there to get gold.” Pearson believes she is a more confident hurdler since becoming world champion, and is adamant she will handle the daunting

Everyone thinks about my silver medal at Beijing. I am (have) every chance. I’m not going there to get silver. I am out there to get gold. Sally Pearson, US Sprinter pressure as the gold medal favourite at the London Games. “It (the pressure) doesn’t get to me, especially if I am confident within myself,” she said. “I felt a lot of pressure after (winning silver at) the Olympics in Beijing going

into 2009 but that was when I didn’t know how to handle it. “I didn’t know what to expect and I just let my body get injured. This time around I can handle it, I understand what’s going on.” Pearson beat home Americans Danielle Carruthers and Harper to win in Daegu in world championship record time, with Britain’s Tiffany Porter fourth. The world title is one thing, but for Pearson winning an Olympic gold medal is on another level. “It actually feels like the world title was a lifetime ago as I had to get over it pretty quickly because for me this is the year that I really wanted,” she said. AFP

US uniforms to be made in USA LOS ANGELES: It’s too late for London, but US Olympians in 2014 will be clad in Ralph Lauren-designed uniforms (left) made in the United States, the fashion firm and the US Olympic Committee said on Friday. The announcement comes in the wake of bitter criticism from US lawmakers over the fact that the uniforms that US Olympians will wear at the opening and closing ceremonies in London are made in China. “With athletes having already arrived in London, and the apparel dis-

tribution process beginning this weekend, we are unfortunately not able to make a change for London,” USOC chief executive officer Scott Blackmun said. “We are absolutely committed, however, to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed. To that end, Ralph Lauren has agreed to domestically manufacture USA’s apparel for Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.” The USOC bore the brunt of the criticism from Capitol Hill, where lawmakers often bicker over ways to keep US jobs.

Kenya look to repeat exploits of 2008 Games PARIS: Kenya will be bidding to once again better east African rivals Ethiopia with another dominant display on the track at the London Olympics. The two traditional powerhouses of middle and long-distance running have enjoyed a spectacular rivalry in recent years, but it is the Kenyan team which is now firmly in the ascendancy. Kenya finished third in Beijing in 2008 behind heavyweights USA and Russia, with six golds, four silver and four bronze for a medal tally of 14. Ethiopia were in fifth after the Usain Bolt-led Jamaica, with four golds, one silver and two bronzes. It was Kenya’s best ever Olympic performance and featured golds for Pamela Jelimo and Wilfred Bungei in both 800m races. The 1500m also went the way of Kenya, with Nancy Lagat and Asbel Kiprop claiming golds, while the now-deceased Samuel Wanjiru won the men’s marathon and Brimin Kipruto brought home the seventh straight gold medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase for Kenya, a record stretching back to the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

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Lavillenie to fly French flag for athletics team PARIS: Renaud Lavillenie has been left flying the French flag for his country’s athletics team at the Olympic Games, the pole vaulter arriving in London in the form of his life and oddson favourite to claim gold. After claiming a disappointing bronze at last year’s World Championships in Daegu, Lavillenie underwent an operation on a hand he broke when a pole broke in AFP training in December.

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SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Pietersen ponders one-day U-turn

LONDON: Kevin Pietersen’s

Pietersen, who still harbours hopes of helping England defend their World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka in September, having been man of the tournament in the Caribbean two years ago, insisted once more that the team’s packed schedule was a major barrier to a one-day return. “I’ve said before that, if the schedule was right, if they could sort my schedule out, I would love to play for another three or four years in all forms of cricket,” said Pietersen. “But the schedule at the moment is a nightmare. I hope something can be sorted out.” If Pietersen is to play in the World Twenty20, England will have to move fast as the International Cricket Council deadline for naming initial 30man squads is July 18. “I’ve always said I want to play in Twenty20,” said Pietersen. “But I needed to get away from the schedule. I cannot keep playing every single day’s cricket. I’ve never been looked after. I cannot keep playing every warm-up game, I cannot keep practising every single day. “There comes a time when I know what I need to do to be successful. I’ve got a young family and I cannot be on the treadmill AFP all day, every day.”

retirement from one-day internationals could yet prove to be a brief interlude after he said Friday he would “love to play for another three or four years in all forms of cricket”. Pietersen, speaking after warming-up for next week’s first Test against his native South Africa with a superb unbeaten 234 for Surrey against county champions Lancashire, added he had held talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about ending his limited overs retirement. The 32-year-old, arguably England’s most talented batsman, quit white ball internationals for his adopted country after team management refused him his wish to appear in Twenty20 matches while opting out of 50over games. However, the terms of an ECB central contract prevent players picking and choosing formats and team management held firm, fearing an exodus of leading names from the one-day side if they gave Pietersen his head. As it happened, in Pietersen’s absence England beat the West Indies 2-0 and thrashed Australia 4-0 to make it 10 one-day international wins in a row.

Tahir hopes Proteas will be lucky at Oval

Isner, Harrison advance to semis

LONDON,: South Africa spin-

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND:

ner Imran Tahir hopes The Oval proves a happy hunting ground when the Proteas take on England at the London venue during next week’s first Test. Victory of any sort in the three-match series will see the tourists replace England as the world’s top-ranked Test side and in Pakistan-born leg-spinner Tahir, a naturalised South African, they could have a trump card. He has played for four English counties, notably Hampshire, took four for 31 as South Africa dismissed Kent for 210 on the first day of their three-day warm-up game at

Defending champion John Isner (right) hammered 12 aces to defeat Izak van der Merwe 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) and reach the semi-finals of the ATP Tour’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on Friday. Top seeded Isner will square off against fellow American Ryan Harrison who was leading 6-4, 3-0 in his quarter-final when Benjamin Becker, of Germany, retired with an injury. “He mixed up the serve and volleys more than I anticipated. I thought he was going to do it every time, so that

Canterbury, south-east of London, on Friday. “I’m confident when my time comes; I’m really up for it,” said Tahir, whose 18 wickets in seven Tests to date have come at an AFP average of 37.05 apiece.

State Ranking Table Tennis tournament results INTER SCHOOL FINALS - BOYS n

Bharti Vidya Bhavan ‘A’ bt Bharti Vidya Bhavan “B’ - 3-1

INTER SCHOOL FINALS - GIRLS n

Rosary Convent bt Bharti Vidya Bhavan ‘Sainikpuri’ - 3-1

CADET BOYS QUALFIERS

(1) P Jaisurya (2) Prateek (AWA) (3) Mitul (SCOWA) (4) Dakshith (YMCA) (5) Ajay (SPS) (6) D. Eshwar (VSKP) (7) Samay Jain (SPSTTA) (8) Md Ali (LBS) (9) K. Chakradhar (WG) (10) Karthik (AWA) (11) Shubham (SCOWA) (12) N Chaitanya (GSM) (13) Karthik (PGTTA) (14) Yash (YMCA) (15) Kaithikeya (ACE) (16) Ruthvik (YMCA) CADET GIRLS QUALIFIERS

(1) V Sasya (AWA) (2) Sai Shritha (VJA) (3) Meghna (ACE) (4) D Shrishti (GSM) (5) S Mahitha (VJA) (6) Vinichitra (SPSTTA) (7) N Anjali (GSM) (8) Anvitha (YMCA) (9) Tanmayee (YMCA) (10) Diya N Vola (SPSTTA) (11) Palak Shah (SPSTTA)

threw me off a little bit,” said Isner. “When good servers meet on a court like that, it’s not necessarily going to be so pretty. It was the sort of match I expected. I’m sure I could have played better, and more aggressive, but all in all I’m very happy with the result.”

(12) G Ayushi (GSM) (13) Tejaswani (YMCA) (14) P Kajol (VJA) (15) Aishwarya Jain (GIS) (16) V Laasya (AWA)

SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Terry ‘not guilty’, but FA could take action

The trial related to an incident involving Terry and Queens Park Rangers defender Ferdinand during a Premier League match on October 23 last year. Julian Guyer

LONDON: John Terry could yet face disciplinary action from the Football Association (FA) despite his acquittal on a racism charge, analysts said. Chelsea captain Terry was found not guilty of racially abusing rival player Anton Ferdinand at the end of a fiveday trial at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Friday But Simon Boyes, senior lecturer at Nottingham Law School, said the FA still had “wiggle room” to act against Terry and that, far from hindering them, a criminal trial could help their deliberations. The trial related to an incident involving Terry and Queens Park Rangers defender Ferdinand during a Premier League match on October 23 last year. Terry was stripped of the England captaincy in February over the allegations. As a consequence, Fabio Capello resigned as England manager, just months before England, defender Terry included, competed in the 2012 European Championships. Meanwhile the FA put their own disciplinary process on hold so as not to prejudice the trial. But English football’s governing body reacted to Friday’s

“Very interesting verdict. Say no more about the UK justice system then. May as well go behave how we want, people. May as well go rob a bank and when I get caught just say was only banter and they started it by calling me names.” Stoke City striker, Cameron Jerome

verdict by saying: “The FA notes the decision in the John Terry case and will now seek to conclude its own enquiries. The FA will make no further comment at this time.” Boyes, author of the textbook Sports Law, said the FA needn’t be constrained by the court ruling. “The FA have got quite a bit

of wiggle room,” he told AFP in a telephone call after Friday’s verdict had been announced. “They have different charges — such as bringing the game into disrepute — which require a different standard of proof. “It may well be the criminal trial is helpful to them as they can use the evidence from AFP that,” Boyes added.

If the FA don’t act on the facts, and find Terry guilty of bringing the game into disrepute, many are saying that there’s no point in getting involved in the game at a senior level. If the FA does nothing, on the evidence it has, then the impact on the game will reverberate for years to come. Garth Crooks, former Tottenham footballer

Troy hangs on to lead SILVIS, ILLINOIS: Troy Matteson carded a three-under par 68 on Friday to hang on to a one-shot lead midway through the US PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic. Matteson’s 13-under par total of 129 gave him a onestroke lead over Jeff Maggert and Brian Harman. Maggert climbed up the leaderboard with a bogey-free round of nine-under 62, matching his career-low round. He capped his effort with a 13-foot

birdie putt at the ninth. Harman notched his second straight 65 to join Maggert on 130. “I saw the putts better today,” Maggert said. “But I’m going to be aggressive tomorrow. I feel I need another really low round Saturday or Sunday, seven- or eight-under, to be in contention.” J.J. Henry (64), England’s Gary Christian (66), Robert Garrigus (66) and Ricky Barnes (67) were tied on 131.

A trio of players on 10under 132 included three-time defending champion Steve Stricker, who stayed within striking distance with a fourunder 67. “I like the spot I’m in,” Stricker said. “I’d rather kind of be there at this point. “I’m hitting better putts,” Stricker said. “I feel my confidence coming back. I’m standing over putts thinking I’ve got a good opportunity to make them, even from 20 to 30 feet.”

Schumi hopes to star in swan song Tim Collings

LONDON: Michael Schumacher hopes that he can give his fans something special to celebrate in next weekend’s German Grand Prix when he makes what may be his final appearance as an F1 racer on home soil. The 43-year-old seven times champion believes he and his Mercedes team have this season demonstrated the potential to challenge at the front and he hinted this week that he hopes to deliver a podium finish. A good result might also help both Schumacher and Mercedes sort out a contract extension to ensure he remains with the team beyond the expiry of his current deal at the end of this year. Team boss Ross Brawn this week said he wanted to finalise Schumacher’s future and hoped to have it sorted out by the end of F1’s summer break in August. Schumacher, who has made no definite comments about his future plans, was clear that whatever he decides to do, he still feels he has plenty to offer both the team and a packed Hockenheim next weekend. “This year is the first time that our Mercedes works team has been capable of racing right at the front and, because of that, we’re hoping for lots of support from the fans and to reward them with our performance,” said Schumacher. “Hopefully we will see a lot of Mercedes colleagues in the grandstands and we want to do particularly well for them. We have set ourselves the clear target of giving everybody a reason to celebrate next weekend.” Schumacher’s optimism is built on his resurgent recent form that saw him finish on the podium in third place at the European Grand Prix at Valencia and claim a grid spot of third last weekend for the British Grand Prix. Brawn said he felt that the most important thing for Mercedes is to regain consistency after an ultimately disappointing performance at Silverstone. “Our performance has been up and down recently, ranging from podiums to lower points finishes, and we need to work hard to improve our level of consistency and ability to challenge at the front AFP of the field,” he said.

SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

Goss docked points

ANNONAY, FRANCE: Australian

Matthew Goss’s green jersey bid suffered a blow Friday after he was docked 30 points by Tour de France officials for an irregular sprint at the end of the 226 km 12th stage. Goss is green jersey holder Peter Sagan’s biggest rival in the points competition, and got the better of the Slovakian at the intermediate sprint to begin closing his 27-point overnight deficit. After some solid work by his Orica-GreenEdge team, Goss beat Sagan at the finish again, but was later sanctioned for coming out of his sprint line and blocking Sagan as the Liquigas rider attempted to pass. Goss’s move, which came around eight minutes after Britain’s David Millar had claimed the stage win, prompted Sagan to gesture angrily in protest. It was later upheld by race director Jean-Francois Pescheux, who explained: “He didn’t stay in his line. He changed his line then made quite a big mistake, it’s clear to see. “He has been relegated to last place on

the stage.” The sanction means Goss keeps the points he won on the day but is hit with a 30-point penalty. He now has 198 points, 56 shy of Sagan’s 254.

Even before the ruling, Goss appeared to be anticipating a penalty. “Whatever happens, happens,” said the Tasmanian. “Sometimes it just depends on who’s making the decision. Some commissaires are more lenient than others. “It doesn’t really matter. The rules are set out from the start. I’m not going to worry about it, I’m just going to focus on tomorrow.” After hearing of his penalty, Goss deemed the decision unfair on a post on his Twitter: “First relegation of my career...bit over the top I think. Especially the 30pts. Sorry for my @Orica_GreenEDGE team mates who worked all day.” Australian teammate Baden Cooke was sympathetic: “I must say @mattgoss1986 has handled himself with class after such an over the top, unfair call by the judges.” Sagan didn’t see it that way, however: “If he had beaten me normally, I would have accepted it. I wouldn’t have been happy, but I would have AFP accepted it.

Error-prone Bartoli knocked out STANFORD, CALIFORNIA: Yanina Wickmayer pounced on nine double-faults from Marion Bartoli to knock the French second seed out of the quarter-finals of the WTA hardcourt tournament in Stanford on Friday. Belgium’s Wickmayer, seeded fifth, ousted Bartoli 6-3, 6-2 to advance to a semifinal clash with American Coco Vandeweghe. Vandeweghe reached the first WTA-level semi-final of her career with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Poland’s

PERU CHILE BRAZIL BOLIVIA ECUADOR

Suduko

Boggle Number game

Scrabble

SOLUTIONS

Urszula Radwanska. Serena Williams, playing the week after capturing her fifth Wimbledon title, was due on court later against South African Chanelle Scheepers. Waiting for the winner of that contest will be Sorana Cirstea she roared back to upset Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-0. Cirstea coped with a bevy of incorrect line calls, but won six Hawk-eye challenges confirmed by the electronic line AFP calling system.

Tour standings 12th Stage Points: 1. Peter Sagan (SVK/LIQ) 254 pts 2. Matthew Goss (AUS/GEC) 198 3. André Greipel (GER/LTB) 181

Team overall: 1. RadioShack 163h56:13. 2. Sky at 12:38. 3. Astana 24:33.