Postnoon E-Paper for 17 September 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 HYDERABAD

TOP COPS

Becoming a police officer in real life might not hold much appeal, but these on-screen super cops leave us with no doubt that being the ultimate badass cop is not a bad thing.

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

IS METHADONE THE MIRACLE CURE?

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 26°C

32 PAGES

CLAIMING HIS FREEDOM

It has been touted as a wonder medicine for heroin users to shake off the addiction. But is methadone really that good or does it have a dark side?

In an interview, Daniel Kish, a world renowned expert in echolocation, talks about how he overcame the challenges in his life.

P19

P16&17

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HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

IT’S

ASSEMBLY TIME N SHIVA KUMAR

House

Affairs

With Opposition parties vying to outdo each other over various issues, the first day of the Monsoon Session of Assembly proved to be stillborn. Outside the House, TDP workers clashed with police.

REPORT ON P5

FLASH

IF A TREE FALLS IN PUNJAGUTTA, WHO CARES?

The GHMC and its contractors seem to think that the best tree is a felled one. In a heart-breaking scene in Punjagutta last evening, axe-wielding men chopped down a 30-year-old banyan tree because "it was sucking water from borewells!" Citizens, be afraid, tomorrow they might claim you’re breathing in too much oxygen.

A TRYST WITH ROYALTY

There’s a lot one can learn from our history before it becomes a legend and then a myth. Art, culture, food and traditions have shaped India’s rich cultural heritage, some of which is either lost or on the verge of extinction. Meet Umang Hutheesing, who’s doing his bit to preserve just that.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

city events

TREADMILL

The play Treadmill will be presented at Nift Campus, Madhapur on September 22 (6pm onwards) and September 23 (8pm onwards). Treadmill is a journey of exploring personal memories of people in towns of India.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

26°C

21°C

25°C

31°C

Cloudy with showers likely.

Cloudy with showers likely

A mix of cloud and sun

New Delhi Mumbai Max 32 Max 31 Min 25 Min 25 Scattered thunderstorms

Chennai Max 35 Min 27

Scattered thunderstorms

Bangalore Max 29 Min 19

A mix of cloud and sun

Scattered thunderstorms

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Where:Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: September 28, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

ART For art’s sake Iconart Gallery is hosting Buy Art- for Arts Sake, an affordable art show. A preview will be held on September 15 at 6.30pm. The exhibition and sale will be on till October 15. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am-7pm Contact: 98499 68797

DINING Mediterranean food fest Take a trip and experience a variety of Mediterranean delights such as bruschetta and seafood marinara pasta, bruschetta and antipasto at Truffles cafe. The fest is on till September 30. Where: Trufﬂes Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 8am onwards Contact: (040)2355 0105

A relook at art Jannis—A Relook, a collection of recent water colours by Jehangir Jani is being held at Kalakrithi. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 66564 466

Food and wine Park Hyatt brings masters of food and wine to Hyderabad from September 19 to 22 (for lunch and dinner) bringing the finest of global gourmet from Spanish 2 star Michelin chef Koldo Royo, veteran Thai chef Maitree Polboon and French cheese affineur Eric Mickael. Where: Park Hyatt, Banjara Hills, Rd No 2 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 4949 1234

Mudra in style An exhibition of paintings featuring various forms of Lord Ganesha will be held at Iconart Gallery. A preview for the exhibition was held on September 15. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am-7pm Contact: 98499 68797

SHOWS

Recent and retrospective A painting exhibition by artist Sudip Roy will be held at Kalakrithi Art Gallery from September 28.

STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE: A man dressed as Mahatma Gandhi sits by the roadside in Kurnool district. SRINIVAS SETTY

Commissioner & Spl Officer

Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints

198 155313

POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

WATER SUPPLY Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospital, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

BLOOD BANKS Blood Bank,Narayanguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills

Wordplay Qadir Ali Baig Foundation presents the next session of its Celebrating Theatre series, Wordplay: Mohammad Ali Baig and Sagar Sarhadi in an on-stage conversation on play and screen Writing. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: September 21, 7.30pm onwards

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332 AIRLINES

Play time Lamakaan will be hosting Manch Theatre’s A Plateful of Plays on October 6. This 120-minute offering is a varied and interesting collection of humorous short plays. Where: Lamkaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: October 6, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329 Life of others A German film Leben der Anderen (The life of others ) directed by Floren Henckel Von Donnersmarck wil be shown on September 21.The story revolves around a successful dramatist and a popular actress. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: September 21, 4pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443

EXHIBITION Ganesh exhibition An exclusive exhibition-cum-sale of Ganesh Idols is being organised. It will feature exclusive idols and ecofriendly clay Ganeshas. The expo is on from September 7 to 19. Handicrafts such as Kondapally toys will also be displayed. Where: Lepakshi Showroom, RTC Cross Roads, Musheerabad When: Ongoing, 10 am onwards

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

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

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

SHOULD CORPORAL PUNISHMENT BE DEALT WITH SEVERELY? 76% 24%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

DO YOU SUPPORT FDI IN RETAIL? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

At age 24, he commits 24th burglary Now that Jaganmohan Rao has been arrested, he reveals that he finds burglary more risky and tiresome than chain snatching. He has now shifted to crimes that require the least effort, and if he manages to snatch even a small chain it can tide hime over for several days. Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

Jaganmohan Rao began his career in crime a bit early in life. Beginning with small thefts, he soon graduated to bigger ones and then to the ‘specialised field’ of burglary. But soon, he found snatching a bigger gain. When the Marredpally police arrested him, they were surprised to find a large cache of gold and silver jewellery he had kept for disposal. Rao is no stranger to

the City police. He was arrested and arraigned several times. Going to jail has become second nature to him, police inspector K Shashank Reddy says. The police also recently found that he has at least 24 house burglaries to his (dis)credit with various police stations. ACP Mahankali division GP Vasu Sena, who personally interrogated him because of the queer nature of the case, said the youth is a native of Bobbli of Vijayanagaram district who came to the City for job some six years ago. He

worked with a bakery for some time and stayed in the Moulali area in a rented room. Rao is said to have

developed a taste for a ‘tipsy’ living where he needs high grade ganja, women and a peg which all call for money. No ordi-

nary job will earn him that much. So he began experimenting with small thefts. He began his ‘career’ by stealing some valuables from his employer. Having escaped blame, he was emboldened to try bigger things and succeeded for a while and then there was no looking back. Rao told the police he was mortally afraid when he was first arrested for theft a few years ago. But the second and subsequent ones lacked novelty and then it became a routine. As thefts brought no great money he began burglary

wherein he would strike rich often. But lately he found the strain for burglary too much and shifted to snatching which requires a bike and an accomplice but often got big money if the chain happens to be 2-3 tola or more. Rao has carved out a speciality for himself. In burglary he would ‘work’ only between 10am and 2pm. This is because most working people are away. Police seized 52 tola of gold ornaments from his possession which he yielded with a grudge saying his hard labour is lost.

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 LAST YEAR... HERE Call for plastic ban

ast year we had reported how citizens were demanding a proper ban on plastic bags in the City. Thanks to the GHMC’s ﬂawed scheme of charging for plastic bags, shops quickly found an easy source of money, while customers and eventually, the environment, suffered. A year on, people still shell out between `2 and `5 for a plastic bag, with no solution in sight.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

NUMEROLOGY

`335cr The amount alloted to the Abatement of Pollution in the Musi project. Meanwhile, the Musi revitalisation programme had been given `44 crore.

Kutch was one of the worst affected regions in the earthquake. I think that’s where the thought to create sustainable employment for the craftsmen began. Umang H, designer See page 8

THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.

GHMC attempts to give Musi river a facelift. That the Musi river is in a bad condition is old news. With the world’s attention on the City for CoP, the river’s condition is causing embarrassment to the government.

Don’t blame the government alone for the City’s condition. The GHMC’s beautiﬁcation initiatives have been thwarted time and again by callous citizens. Before pointing ﬁngers, we need to take a long, hard look at our own habits.

Yet another diktat to save power in ofﬁces! The chief secretary issued a directive to get government ofﬁces to save power. Only time will tell if the directive makes a difference.

Take your children to see the spruced up City zoo. The City zoo, one of the showcase venues for CoP-11, has a fresh new look. Make the best of the opportunity and check it out.

’Bringing up the FDI issue is just an eyewash.’ A senior BJP leader claims the Congress brought up the FDI issue to distract from various scams.

CIVIC

Beautifying the City — citizens’ style DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Utter lack of people’s civic sense is reflected in the shameful act of defacing City walls which GHMC is trying to beautify for the gala event of CBD. SUDESHNA KOKA sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

o much for our civic sense. Though the City is getting ready to meet the world delegates and heads of states, citizens don’t seem to care two hoots for it. In a pathetic reminder of our unhygienic style of living, the GHMC found, to its horror, that all its efforts to give the City a touch of glow before the CBD begins is being met with resistance from some people who go about dirtying civic property with abandon. Last week, those contracted by the GHMC to give the flyovers a new look painted them white. By the next day, people around had turned the colour to red — with splashes of pan spittle all over. “When I saw the flyovers in the morning, they looked white and shiny. By next morning, it had red spots all over. I felt ashamed of being a Hyderabadi,” says Vishal Arya, an IT employee. The contractors then brushed the flyovers grey to cover the stains, but soon, the new paint too had received showers of bloody marks. Now, they have painted them green

promptly deposited all sorts of rot in them! “People these days have absolutely no civic sense. They want only their homes clean and the outside may go to hell. All

People have even mistaken the red pots meant for plants for dustbins and deposited all sorts of rot in them. with a silent vow that they would now leave them to fate. Talking to Postnoon, corporator of Begumpet T Maheshwari sounded dejected. “We wanted to beautify the City but look what people are doing. Citizens have no basic civic sense. They don’t value the time and money we spend on improving the

metro.” Not just that, the pillars of the flyovers, which have been engraved and painted with craft and designs, have been defaced with political parties’ bills and notices. On the other side, throughout the City, red pots have been placed on dividers to keep small plants. People have mistaken them for dustbins and

the beautification of the City is being done with their own money but they don’t realise it,” lamented Raj Naidu, a school teacher. With less than 15 days left for the meet and more than `20 crore being spent on the makeover, it is shameful to see the treatment by our denizens.

NEWS BRIEFS Youth held for raping six-year-old girl

Energy conservation building code coming

Annual arts and crafts exhibition kicks off

Former SBH chief manager gets doctorate

youth has been arrested for sexually molesting a six-year-old girl. Mohd Asif, a resident of Pahadishareef, is charged with luring the girl, who lives next door, with chocolates and taking her to his home, where he raped her. Out of fear, the child did not tell her parents. Asif was arrested and will be produced before the court today.

s part of the drive to maximise energy efﬁciency, the government plans to have an Energy Conservation Building Code for large buildings. At a meeting convened by chief secretary Minnie Mathew, the government has decided to achieve the targeted energy savings of around 10,000 to 15,000 MU per annum.

he annual State-level Arts and Crafts Exhibition is being organized by Sri Virat Vishwakarma Yagna Mahotsava Samiti at the Exhibition Grounds between 12pm and 7pm. The exhibition will have artists and craftsmen from across the State presenting their creations. Various kinds of modern art forms will also be showcased.

yyadevara Ananthakrishna Rao, MA (English), LLB, CAIIB, was awarded a doctorate by Osmania University for his thesis on ‘Judicial System in Ancient India’. After his retirement from State Bank of Hyderabad as chief manager, he pursued his academic career. He served as ofﬁcer-director on the board of SBH from 1992 to 1998.

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

POSTNOON IMPACT

Govt wakes up to power crisis Chief secretary has asked all departments to curb unnecessary use of electricity in their offices.

TDP clashes with cops, House adjourned Opposition parties seemed bent on disrupting Assembly. N SHIVA KUMAR

INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

he first day of the Monsoon session of Assembly proved a stillborn. As soon as the House was brought to order at 9am, the BJP, TRS, YSRC, and TDP members rushed to the well and began throaty slogans, with each party raising its own demands. The TDP wanted to discuss power crisis, YSRC the fee reimbursement, TRS and BJP were asking for an adjournment

inally, the government has woken up to the need to conserve energy and minimise wastage. In a directive, chief secretary Minnie Mathew has asked all government departments to display dos and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ts on curbing unnecessary use of electricity as the State is passing through a power crisis. A Postnoon report (September 12 issue) had highlighted the rampant wastage of power in public offices and avoidable overuse of electricity in private offices and homes. The directive asks all employees to minimise the use of airconditioners (which guzzle power) and switch off all lamps and fans which are less essential during daytime. The directive asks all collectorates, superintendents of police, and district offices to display the advice on their notice boards and inform the staff about the efforts. The chief secretary has also asked officials to make use of natural light during the day as much as possible.

ASSEMBLY

The directive asks all employees to minimise the use of airconditioners and switch off all lights during daytime. During a review meeting held with officials before issuance of these directions, the chief secretary reportedly had asked the authorities to prominently display these instructions on notice boards of all government offices without fail.

Opposition armoury is full POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

House

he Assembly session that began today will continue for five days, it was decided at the business advisory committee meeting held Sunday. The issues, among others, to be taken up includes farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; issues, drought, fee reimbursement scheme and power crisis. While the T-champion, the TRS, is keeping a low pro-

file on the Telangana issue, the BJP has decided to make a high-pitched demand for a T-state. The Opposition is also bent on taking up current dominant issues such as FDI in retail and diesel price hike.

A MATTER OF SHAME Thankless! K Brahmananda Reddy, the man who laid foundation to industrial Andhra and the only Congress president who dared to expel the mighty Indira Gandhi must be turning in his grave. Vandals last night torched his statue at KBR park. A case has been registered. PIC: SRINIVAS SETTY

Affairs

motion to discuss the Telangana issue. Speaker N Manohar suggested he will not allow adjournment motion but could allow short discussions on all the issues. But it was not acceptable to party leaders, upon which the Speaker adjourned the House for an hour. When the House began again, the situation remained as confrontational as before. The Speaker again adjourned for half an hour. But the Chair found the situation not congenial for continuance of business. He then announced adjournment of the House for the day. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and his party MLAs, who came with lanterns and playing cards to the Assembly to protest power-cut and diesel price hike, clashed with security at the Secretariat gate. The police tried to seize lanterns that led to fisticuffs but they yielded to the police and were allowed to go in sans the lanterns. N Janardhan Reddy, MLA, said he would complain to the President and PM against the Speaker for locking up the Gandhi statue. The Speaker had asked for it to be locked up fearing protesters defiling the statue.

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

ENVIRONMENT

GHMC struggles to hide a slowly choking Musi river An arterial waterway like the Musi lies neglected despite more than one scheme in existence for over eight years to rejuvenate it. With the CBD about to bring hundreds of foreigners into the City, the plight of the river is bound to draw flak. M ANIL KUMAR

FILE PICS

(left) The Musi River and the Puranapul in 1880s. (above) The river has been reduced to little more than a drain with most nallahs emptying into it and rampant encroachment.

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

he GHMC and government hope that the pathetic condition of the Musi river that cradled Hyderabad for ages will escape the world’s eye when the CBD’s CoP will begin on October 1. You will find no poet writing an epitaph on the river banks as of now but civic bodies all along seem to be busy doing their best to write one. After eight years of its conception, Abatement of Pollution in the Musi (APM) and the Musi Revitalisation Project are yet to make any significant mark. APM

was given a `335 crore sanction, 70 per cent borne by the Centre and 30 per cent by the State. The Musi Revitalisation was given `44 crore. These projects were to be overseen by the Water Board and the GHMC and had started with much pomp and promises. But now years down the line, the Musi is yet to figure on the priority plans of a government that claims it is serious about its environment and biodiversity. The APM project was to originally have four sewerage treatment plants (STP), 16 Interception and diversion units alongside the 34 km sewage lines that would divert the water from the

`335cr was sanctioned for the Abatement of Pollution in the Musi project. Yet eight years later, not much has been done.

`44cr

was sanctioned for the Musi Revitalisation project, which is yet to see any fruitful change in the condition of the river.

nallahs emptying into the river. Apart from the Attapur STP, others are in full working condition. What then, has leashed our

municipal bodies from bringing back a dead tributary to life? The answers and reasons are aplenty. “Because there is no clean water flowing into the river, the dams are deflated. Otherwise, the river would have been a tourist spot. We have spent `22 crore on this project, and are now waiting for clearances for the Attapur STP,” says R Dhan Singh, chief engineer of the GHMC. Land encroachments at the Imlibun and Chaderghat areas of the river bank, farmland encroachments at Ramanthapur that were to be auctioned for the project and the dysfunctional Attapur STP — the number of problems just keep shooting up.

That, the project was to be completed by September 2012 makes for a cruel joke. But the punchline is that officials from the GHMC have admitted that the Attapur STP issue will take another six months to be resolved. J Geetha Krishnan, an environmental activist says, “It comes as no surprise that the Musi river revitalisation has not finished yet. It is a matter of shame that the importance of hosting an international conference on biodiversity has not speeded up the project.” “The river that reared the City is in a pathetic condition and nobody cares,” bemoaned an environmental scientist.

classifieds MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 ART GALLERY

HEALTH / CLINIC

EDUCATION

HOME APPLIANCES

SCAMS

‘Scam tainted UPA should step down’ BJP leader alleges that the FDI issue was bought up to divert attention from scams.

JP senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu has demanded that the Congress-led UPA government, which is neck deep in corruption, to step down immediately. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Venkaiah Naidu alleged that the UPA government brought the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) issue to the fore to divert the attention of the people from the Coalgate and other scams. He said that the UPA government has lost right to continue in power keeping the country’s welfare in view. He also opined that there was need to hold mid-term elections. Taking serious exception to the UPA government taking a decision to allow FDIs in retail business, Venkaiah said that several lakh of small businessmen will be on the roads. He also assailed the Congress government for over burdening the people by increasing diesel price and limiting number of subsidised gas cylinders to the people. He pointed out that the standing committee had recommended that the subsidy should be removed for the consumers who earn over `6 lakh per annum and those who were holding constitutional posts much

SAREES

PEST CONTROL

TRAVEL

COMPUTERS RECRUITMENT

POLITICS TDP MLA challenges Naidu critics

T HEALTH / CLINIC

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earlier. Making it clear that the BJP was not against the FDIs, Venkaiah said his party was only against the FDIs in the retail sector. He said the BJP has given a call to the people to observe Bharat Bandh on September 20 in protest against corrupt activities of the UPA government. NSS

DP MLA Revanth Reddy has thrown an open challenge to critics to prove that TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has benami assets. Speaking to the media at NTR Trust Bhavan on Sunday, Revanth Reddy said that some political leaders were deriving sadistic pleasure by making baseless allegations against Chandrababu Naidu’s assets. He said that Chandrababu was in business even during his student days and his wife Bhuvaneshwari came from a rich family. Explaining that YSRC chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s great grandfather was a national betrayer, his grand-father

He said that some leaders were deriving sadistic pleasure by making baseless allegations against Naidu. a rowdy and his father a corrupt monster, Revanth Reddy said Jagan’s family gained notoriety in the history for bad deeds. He also challenged Jagan whether he was ready to allow the media inside his building and show what was there. Chandrababu was ready to show his building and show to the media everything inside his house. NSS

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

INTERVIEW

A tryst with royalty

Meet Umang Hutheesing, a fashion consultant, revivalist, philanthropist and the scion of one of India’s most historical families. He tells Postnoon more about his family, the initiatives to preserve India’s rich cultural heritage and the legacy he has inherited from his ancestors. HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

traditions? “I believe there’s a way to generate employment in the unorganised section who specialise in weaving, stitching, crafting, tailoring. It’s a question of supply and demand. That was one of the motivations behind the Lakme Fashion Week. The idea is to club glamour and fashion and reach out to more. At the end of the day, clothing and food are the main expressions of culture. As India’s economic prowess grows in the world today, its symbols and culture will attract more people. There’s no fun in selling 200 bags of Louis Vuitton, when there’s a market of more than 1 billion people. Brands like Armani and Chanel realise that, which is why they have launched so many products which inspired what our culture has to offer,” he says. A lot of things have changed since the 50s, which according to Umang, was the beginning of contemporary fashion. So what exactly has the current generation contributed to the world of fashion? “The fashion today has become individualistic. The psyche has changed from what ‘we’ wear to what ‘I’ wear. On the other hand, youngsters are heavily influenced by media,” he points out.

here’s a lot one can learn from our history before it becomes a legend and then a myth. Art, culture, food and traditions have shaped India’s rich cultural heritage, some of which is either lost or on the verge of extinction. Meet Umang Hutheesing, who’s doing his bit to preserve just that. As he took centrestage at an event in Taj Krishna on Saturday, there was a sense of anticipation among the guests about what he was going to reveal about the evolution of fashion in India. For the next fifteen minutes, he reproduced vignettes of various styles in fashion which have inspired the West and talked in length about what Indian fashion has to offer to rest of the world. It’s nothing short of awe inspiring, despite the fact that we take the style statement of our Maharajas and Maharanis for granted. The next day when we caught up with him, he surprises us all the more by dressing in a simple kurta pajama, a far cry from his regal avatar the previous day. Umang Bhai, as he is affectionately called back home in Ahmedabad, is the scion of the Hutheesing family.

HUMBLING EXPERIENCE

HISTORICAL LINEAGE

“Our ancestors hail from Osai, Rajasthan and then in 8th century AD they left their kingship to follow the path of ahimsa. Our family had funded the Mughals and Marathas. Apart from Florence and Venice, Ahmedabad was the only city in the world to be ruled by a guild and we were the nagarsheiks,” Umang reveals. So what goes through his mind when he hears stories about his ancestors? “We were given the title Mahajan and it’s our culture that one shouldn’t live in isolation. One should give back to society as much as one takes. The virtue of simplicity is not lack of ability and humility is not lack of power.” Umang went to Babson college, USA, where he graduated with a degree in business and science, and later got a banking diploma in Japan. “I travelled across the world to learn about different cultures and 17 years

later, I came back to Ahmedabad right around the time when the tragedy struck our state,” he confesses. He’s referring to the devastating earthquake on January 26, 2001 which wreaked havoc in Gujarat. “There were so many people looking forward to our help. That’s when I decided to dedicate myself to public service and I continued doing that for the next 10 years,” Umang says.

DIVERSE INTERESTS

These days, he juggles between the world of fashion, overseeing the crucial issues at Hutheesing Visual Arts Centre and Hutheesing Design Company, apart from many other activities.

We were given the title Mahajan and it is in our culture that one should not live in isolation. One should try and give back to society as much as one takes. Umang Hutheesing fashion consultant

“In the past 10 years, I have researched a lot about cultural heritage and I am trying to revive interest in our arts. Kutch, which is a major centre for arts and crafts, was one of the worst affected regions after the earthquake. I think that’s where the thought process to create sustainable employment for the craftsmen began,” he adds.

CHANGING TRENDS

Fashion keeps changing every season, although most Indians have pretty much stuck to what they have been wearing for several decades. So is there really a necessity to leave no stone unturned to preserve our

He is 47 and has done a great deal of social work. What has been the greatest achievement? “More than achievements, I have had humbling experiences. After the earthquake, one night, I came across a couple of boys sitting under a streetlight. One of the boys told me that his father used to work as an elevator operator, but lost his job after the earthquake. Ten of them shared the room which had only one bulb. “He was writing a play. I asked him to join my visual arts centre so that he could continue writing. A few days later we staged the play. His father walked up to me and said, ‘How can I thank you? You have made my child’s dream come true.’ That was a humbling experience. This is why I call myself a revivalist,” he says. Tears trickle down as he recounts the experience. This was our moment of reckoning that behind the facade of royalty, lies a man whose heart lies in the well being of others.

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

CBD

Zoo gets a facelift for CoP With the CBD beginning on October 1, the Nehru Zoological Park gets a facelift to welcome visitors from around the world.

380

N SHIVA KUMAR

Is the area, in acres (or 150 hectares), covered by the Nehru Zoological Park

2. A gardener gets rid of weeds and other unwanted plants from the lawns at the zoological gardens. Maintaining the vast area is a time-consuming but important job.

1963

3. Golf carts are used to ferry visitors around the Zoo. These carts are eco-friendly and provide a welcome mode of transport for the elderly and the disabled.

Was the year (October 6) in which the zoo was officially opened to the public. It was established was on October 26, 1959.

4. The tree-covered avenues that criss-cross the Nehru Zoological Gardens not only provide welcome shade for visitors but also offer birds a place to rest. The zoo’s green cover is essential to keeping Hyderabad healthy.

200

Is the amount of raw beef (in kilogrammes) used every day to feed the Zoo’s carnivores.

5. Workers are in top gear as they make sure the Zoo’s facelift is completed before the first of the CBD visitors begin to arrive in the City. The Zoo will be one of the City’s showcase venues.

Is the years of the Mir Alam tank on the Zoo premises. The tank attracts 100s of bird species.

276

1. Security personnel guide a group of visiting schoolchildren on to the toy trains that circuits the zoological gardens. Children can learn a lot about biodiversity, the environment, and wildlife during guided trips to the Zoo.

3 5 4

50.5 Is the amount of bananas (in kilogrammes) used every day to feed the Zoo’s herbivores and primates.

Pick

at the

airport,

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

Business

DUBAI’S AMONG WORLD’S COSTLIEST CITIES

Housing and food prices in Dubai is similar to some of the world’s costliest cities like New York and Zurich, a Swiss study revealed Sunday. The average monthly rental prices in these cities are up to 100 percent above the global average, a UBS study.

HEALTHCARE

BAE-EADS DEAL TO FAIL?

Tapping traditional With Ayurveda emerging as a powerful alternative, the industry is all set to reap the benefits by using technology to harness its wealth. PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

yurveda industry is gaining momentum growing is at the rate of 17 per cent year-onyear. People in many countries have been turning to Ayurveda as an alternative treatment option for some of the diseases, which can deliver therapeutic benefits. The Ayurvedic industry in India has a lot of small and unorganised players. But there are also few companies that are investing heavily on research and development to ensure that only safe, effective and evidence-backed products are reaching the market. “Doctors have been recommending clinically validated herbal medicines for some of the chronic ailments. When it comes to personal care, customers are looking for safe and gentle products for their skin. Herbal skincare and hair care products are becoming the first choice,” said TL Suresh, business head, Pharmaceutical Division, The Himalaya Drug Company. Ayurveda did not limit itself to skincare but is also competing with mainstream medicine for treatment in some of the diseases. “Many doctors recommend Ayurvedic products for illnesses that require long-term treatment like diabetes, hyper-

German ofﬁcials believe a proposed tie-up of British arms maker BAE Systems and European giant EADS could fail because it does not comply with European law, a news magazine said Sunday. Spiegel, citing an unnamed source familiar with discussions at the German chancellery on the planned merger, said the potential problem focused on the issue of socalled golden shares. Under the plan, the groups would issue special golden shares in BAE Systems and EADS to each of the French, German and British governments. The French and German governments hold big stakes in EADS, while the UK has a golden share in BAE that allows it to veto deals that it perceives not to be in the public interest.

NUMEROLOGY

104

is the estimated number of mobile users by the end of fiscal year, says an economic research agency.

tension and obesity. In fact, research has revealed that the vegetable karela (bitter gourd) has a chemical referred to as ‘plant-insulin’, which helps in maintaining normal blood sugar levels. The technology is being tremendously used to develop clinically approved medicines in Ayurveda. “ Our product development process follows allopathic protocols, which includes toxicity tests, mutagen studies and clinical trials. At various stages, scientists make

use of different technologies to develop more effective drugs,” he said. On the flip side, some small companies are trying to exploit term Ayurveda and bringing in products without thorough clinical trials. “Department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) has outlined policies and guidelines for Ayurvedic firms. But, the size of the market and the presence of many unorganised players make quality control difficult.

“However, it is important to remember that a lot of herbal manufacturing SMEs compromise on the quality due to the lack of funds or knowledge. Government subsidies and tax rebates for these companies would help in improving the quality and overall raise the profile of Ayurveda,” he said. There is tremendous potential for Ayurveda. It can become an effective alternative treatment option, akin to the status enjoyed by Traditional Chinese Medicine today, he added.

AUTO SUBSIDIES

Obama to take on China at WTO

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama will launch a new WTO enforcement action against Chinese auto subsidies Monday, countering his Republican foe Mitt Romney’s accusations that he is too timid towards Beijing. Obama will leverage the political power of his office, when he makes the announcement in swing state Ohio, and argue that Chinese practices in

the auto sector put US manufacturers at a disadvantage, a White House official said. “The Obama Administration is launching an enforcement action against China at the World Trade Organization for illegally subsidizing exports in their autos and auto-parts sectors,” a White House official said. The official added, on condition of anonymity, that

GOLD `32,126 10g SILVER `64,394 1kg for

for

BSE

The announcement will be seen as highly political as Ohio is a critical state in the November 6 election. China’s actions were “putting US auto parts manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage and that is encouraging the

18,631.55 167.28

outsourcing of auto-parts production to China.” The announcement will be seen as highly political as Ohio is a critical state in the November 6 election, and the home for large numbers of workers in the auto industry. The announcement represents something of a political trump card, following days of sparring between the two campaigns. AFP

NSE

5,631.25 53.60

CREDITORS DOUBT GREECE Greece’s international creditors no longer believe Athens can achieve its ﬁnancial objectives, especially a reduction in its debt burden, the German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported. “Until now, creditors worked on the principle that Greece would achieve a sustainable level of indebtedness by 2020. This goal is no longer achievable,” the newspaper said, citing sources close to the so-called troika of creditors -the IMF, the European Union and the European Central Bank.

THUS SPAKE

The country needs to strengthen commercial engagements with emerging economies of Asia, Africa and Latin America and embrace the world through mutually beneﬁcial trade and investment linkages. ANAND SHARMA, COMMERCE MINISTER

DOLLAR`53.76 POUND `87.24

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

nation

POACHERS KILL RHINO, STEAL HORN An adult rhino was killed by suspected poachers in Kaziranga National Park. Patrolling forest guards found the carcass and some cartridges near it. Eight people suspected to be involved in the killing have been picked up for interrogation.

ECONOMY

A DIFFERENT LOOP

CRR cut by .25%, lending rates same The RBI decision will release `17,000 crore of primary liquidity into the system.

Sam Pitroda, adviser to the prime minister on public information and infrastructure, tries his hands on a spinning wheel during his visit to Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad on Sunday. PTI

CRIME

Woman critical after 2-month ‘house arrest’ NEW DELHI: A 32-year-old mother-ofthree, kept confined and starved by her in-laws for over two-and-a-half months at their house here, was rescued by police and a welfare organisation and admitted to hospital, police said. Her condition was critical. Kavita was rescued from her in-laws' Jaitpur residence in south Delhi Saturday afternoon. "Married to Deepak, a general store shop owner, in 1999, her married life began happily," Ashok, a member of the welfare association who rescued the woman, told IANS. However, around two years ago, everything changed as her husband and in-laws began harassing her to get money from her family. "Her husband and her mother-in-law tortured her for the past two years. When she fell ill, they refused to have her treated. When the washing machine broke down, they refused to have it repaired

and asked her to get the money from us," said Kavita's mother. Ashok said since the past two months, Kavita was allegedly not allowed to meet anyone, and was starved. Her mother learned of her plight and sought to intervene but was sent packing by the in-laws. Kavita's maternal uncle then approached Ashok's organisation, which sought police help. "We took help of local police in the rescue operation. We found Kavita in a bad state. She had injured her waist and was behaving like a madwoman when we barged into the room where she was confined. The whole room was stinking," said Ashok. A police officer said that she has been suffering from TB for a long time but her in-laws did not consult any doctor for her treatment. "She was unable to say a word properly. She only replies to a question with a yes or no," said the officer. IANS

MUMBAI: Taking a cautious stance, the Reserve Bank of India today cut CRR by 0.25 per cent — the percentage of deposits banks keep with Central bank — but refrained from reducing lending rates in view high inflation. The RBI decision, which comes days after a slew of measures taken by the government to push growth, will release `17,000 crore of primary liquidity into the system. The liquidity infusion, RBI said, would ensure adequate flow of credit to productive sectors of the economy. Following the cut, CRR will come down to 4.5 per cent while the repo rate, at which the

Central bank lends to the banks, would remain unchanged at 8 per cent. The reverse repo, at which it absorbs excess liquidity through borrowings from banks, remains at 7 per cent. "As inflationary tendencies have persisted, the primary focus of monetary policy remains the containment of inflation and anchoring of inflation expectations," RBI Governor D Subbarao said while announcing the midquarter review of the monetary policy. The wholesale price-based inflation for August moved up to 7.55 per cent from 6.87 per cent in the previous month. PTI

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NEWS BRIEFS Agra jeweller shot at by bikers AGRA: A prominent Agra jeweller, Anand

Agarwal, was shot at and critically wounded by unidentiﬁed assailants on a motorcycle, police said. Passers-by informed the police, and he was rushed ﬁrst to a nearby nursing home and later to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon, bordering New Delhi, where he is battling for life. The jewellers have shut their shops for a day in protest.

Disabled at par with SC/ST for varsity quota: Delhi High Court NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has held that a university here has to provide equal reservation to disabled candidates in admission as available to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates to avoid "discrimination". Practices otherwise are "discriminatory", the court ruled.

A FRESH NEW POINT OF VIEW You can also call or email us at:

040 - 4067 2222 subscription@postnoon.com

nation MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

GOVERNANCE

Akhilesh fails to impress

While he has been able to score some personal points on the burgeoning bureaucracy, his failures on communal harmony, crime, law and order as well as power situation has dented his ‘Mr Good’ image.

ix months back when Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins of Uttar Pradesh, there was hope across India’s most populous state. The son was seen as a better choice even over his experienced father. It was for this very reason that the UP electorate stunned everyone by giving a 224-seat majority to the SP, the best electoral showing since 1952, rejecting Mayawati and Rahul Gandhi also. As Akhilesh completes six months in office, his government’s report card reads like a mixed bag, with failures outweighing achievements. While he has been able to score some personal points on the burgeoning bureaucracy, his failures on communal harmony, crime, law and order as well as power situation has dented his ‘Mr Good’ image. The toast of the urban middle class till not long ago, the 39year-old is now seen as someone who has the intent but not enough maturity to take it through. “He is a very well meaning person but he trails off very fast, he is very cautious before deciding on simple issues and his attention span on major issues is pathetic,” said a senior bureaucrat close to the man. A senior SP leader agrees. He says that their hopes, nurtured by the relentless work done by “Akhilesh Bhaiyya” in the run up to the polls, was not paying

dividends. “He has become completely out of reach of well wishers, party workers, cadres and local leaders,” he said. Avadhesh Yadav, a landless labourer from his one-time parliamentary constituency Kannauj, rues that there has not been much change since BSP chief minister Mayawati lost power. A political observer is equally critical of his six-month tenure. “The chief minister has failed to get over the vicious circle of uncles,” a reference to senior ministers like Shivpal Yadav and

There have been several incidents of SP workers beating up police, abusing officials, vandalising public property and extorting money from all and sundry. Mohd Azam Khan who mostly seem to act on their own. The paradigm shift that Akhilesh Yadav wanted from the

party’s goonda (criminal) image has also suffered a blow. There have been several incidents of SP workers beating up police, abusing officials, vandalizing public property and extorting money from all and sundry. A diktat issued soon after the government was sworn in not to use party flags on cars has been done away with. Workers across the state are misusing the party flag with impunity and disregard for party discipline. On more than three occasions, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had to do some talk-

ing to set the party in order. Recently he sacked a close Akhilesh aide, Sanjay Lathar, on “serious charges”. Mulayam Yadav knows that a mess up in Uttar Pradesh could hurt his 2014 prime ministerial ambitions. He has openly chided his son for “not keeping track of people’s aspirations”. Opposition leader and BSP’s Swamy Prasad Maurya called the government a failure on all fronts. “This is the biggest blot on the state, lawlessness is prevalent all-around, mafias and goons are running the government,” he says. Laxmikant Bajpayi, state president of the BJP, too is critical of Akhilesh’s six month tenure. Dwijendra Tripathi of the Congress is vocal: “The hope Akhilesh had generated has fizzled out too soon.” The SP, however, says that the government has achieved many milestones in a short time span. “Several schemes have been undertaken and very soon they will bear fruits for the common man,” a party spokesman said. Some of these include a proposed unemployment allowance, ‘Janata Darshan’ with the chief minister and start of a Samajwadi Swasthya Yojna. But the failures are evident: seven communal riots in a short span, spiralling crime, foot-inmouth ministers, many power centres, overzealous cadre and corruption. IANS

RIGHTS

Red tape hits welfare of disabled As departments in Maharashtra government pit themselves in establishing their suzerainity over handing out welfare measures, it is the handicapped children who bear the brunt of the bureaucratic tussle.

he welfare of handicapped children in Maharashtra has been caught in bureaucratic hurdles between the state social justice and women and child welfare departments for controlling the shelter homes. Social Justice Ministry was the parent department to handle the welfare of handicapped children under the provisions of Persons With Disabilities (equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) Act, 1995. After the new department of women and child welfare was

carved out of social justice, welfare and protection of disabled children was allocated to it in the early 1990s. In May this year, during a meeting with the state finance and women and child welfare secretaries, a decision was taken by then Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad that 26 handicapped children shelter homes with the women and child welfare will be transferred to social justice department. The Union Women and Child Welfare Ministry has decided that since disabled children will be looked under provisions of

Persons with Disabilities Act, grants would not be provided under Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), sources said.

Officials said the decision was taken because women and child welfare department did not have experts to deal with issues related to disabled children, while social justice department had a separate handicapped welfare commissionerate. However, the state social justice department objected to the decision since the government resolution (GR) was issued without informing the concerned minister. The department wanted the GR to be scrapped and proposed a meeting between ministers of the two departments before tak-

ing a final decision. However, the women and child welfare ministry has said the decision had been taken with approval from Chief Minister. On the ICPS grants, officials said even though the shelter homes for handicapped children have been transferred to the social justice department, the actual implementation will take time because few policy decisions are necessary. Due to the delay in implementation, the ICPS grants from June 1 to November 30, 2012 should be given, officials demanded. PTI

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

World POWER STRUGGLE Fighting rages in Syria’s two biggest cities DAMASCUS: Fighting raged in Syria's two biggest cities on Sunday as UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi ended his first visit to the country on a peace mission a rebel commander said was doomed to fail. Iran admitted for the first time it has elite forces present in Syria and neighbouring Lebanon, where Pope Benedict XVI added his voice to calls for an end to the bloodletting, urging Arab states to propose workable solutions. A rebel FSA commander who had an Internet conference call with the envoy on Sunday said his mission would fail.

POWERFUL TYPHOON SANBA POUNDS S. KOREA Typhoon Sanba, packing winds of 155 kilometres (97 miles) per hour, slammed into South Korea Monday, bringing torrential rains across the country and shutting down flights and ferry services.

GREAT DAY FOR WARREN

TRADITIONAL WELCOME

Britain's Prince William (left) and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (centre), receive a traditionAFP/WILLIAM WEST al welcome from Island Warriors following their arrival at the airport in Honiara.

123

1 killed, 10 hurt in protests

days was the period the three-man crew who returned on Monday stayed at the International Space Station. Their Russian-made Soyuz capsule landed safely on a Kazakhstan steppe on Monday.

The clashes broke out as police tried to disperse thousands of people marching towards the US consulate in protest stop the protesters from marching towards the US consulate on the Maulvi Tameezuddin Khan Road of the city. Police fired at the protesters with tear gas, water cannons and guns as they were retreating towards the consulate, said eyewitnesses. Protesters fought back by pelting stones at police, and dozens managed to break up the barriers set up by police and reached the consulate. They set a police check post in front of the consulate on fire. Some of the protesters climbed over the walls of the consulate and dragged down the US flag over one of the gates of the consulate and hoisted their own flag. A Large contingent of paramilitary Rangers force was

50 arrested for US consulate attack TRIPOLI: Libya announced Sunday the arrest of 50 suspects over the killing of the US envoy and three other Americans, blaming the Benghazi attack on foreign extremists and claiming it was pre-planned. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said the US military did not plan to bolster its forces in the Middle East and North Africa, despite the threat of more violent protests targeting diplomatic outposts across the region. The specter of renewed unrest after a relatively peaceful weekend grew with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah calling for a week of protests across Lebanon over the anti-Islamic Internet video stirring up anger in the Muslim world.

later called in to back up the police outside the consulate. At least 13 protesters were arrested outside the consulate. Protesters agreed to leave the consulate after negotiations with the police. Organizers of the protest decided to launch a sit-in in protest against the police firing at the protesters somewhere else from the consulate. During the clashes, at least three motorbikes were torched and six police vehicles were damaged, said local media. Following the violent protest outside the US consulate in Karachi, the government has order to deploy Rangers at all the sensitive areas in the city. IANS

NEWS BRIEFS Evacuated people return Chicago teachers union to Guatemala City extends strike

2 killed, 100 injured as trains collide in Pak

US carries out naval exercise in the Gulf

GUATEMALA CITY:

ISLAMABAD: At least two people were killed and over 100 others were injured in Pakistan early Monday when two passenger trains collided. The accident took place around 4 am in Bin Qaisim town, about 50 km from Karachi, when the Shalimar Express rammed into the rear of Millat Express that was standing on the track.

WASHINGTON: A major USled naval minesweeping exercise got underway in the Gulf Sunday as tension remain high over Iran and its controversial nuclear program. The exercise kicked off on the same day the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned of retaliation against the Strait of Hormuz, Israel and nearby US bases.

Thousands of people who were evacuated Thursday because of the violent eruption of the Fuego volcano in Colombia have returned home after seismic activity diminished. The Conred emergency management agency said in a communique that evacuees have been returning home since Friday.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has completed radiation treatment for prostate cancer, according to a newspaper owned by the larger-than-life ﬁnancier. "It's a great day for me. Today I had my 44th and last day of radiation," the tycoon told executives of newspapers he recently acquired on Friday, according to a report on the website of The Omaha World-Herald. Buffett had announced in April that he had an early stage of the cancer.

NUMEROLOGY

PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD: At least one person was killed and 10 others injured in clashes between police and protesters outside the US consulate in Pakistan's port city of Karachi Sunday evening, said organisers of the protest against the controversial film allegedly insulting Islam. The clashes broke out as police tried to disperse thousands of people marching towards the US consulate in protest against the recently USmade anti-Islam film, said Allama Nasir Abbas Jafri, spokesman of Majlis Wahdat ul Muslimeen, a local religious organization which organized the protest, reported Xinhua. The peaceful protest turned out violent as police tried to

CHICAGO: The union representing Chicago's public school teachers extended a strike Sunday, forcing tens of thousands of children to stay out of class for a second week. A majority of some 800 union leaders voted to reconvene on Tuesday rather than end the strike in the nation's third-largest school system.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE? US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will seek to calm simmering tensions between Japan and China in meetings with ofﬁcials in Tokyo on Monday, amid an escalating row over territorial rights. Panetta's trip to Asia coincides with an emotionally charged feud between Beijing and Tokyo over disputed islands in the East China Sea, with thousands of Chinese demonstrating against Japan over the weekend. The Pentagon chief, who previously served as director of the CIA, met Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba on Monday.

We advise the Japanese government not to misjudge the situation. The Chinese people will never allow any country to seize even half inch of Chinese territory. People's Daily on the island row

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

Comment To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. William Shakespeare Writer

The rape of Gandipet THE HUMAN CONDITION Dean Williams

o me Gandipet is as near a perfect place to live in Hyderabad as can be found. I love the quiet; the fact that my dogs have tens of acres of open, safe land to run around in; but most of all I love the pristine beauty of the rocky outcrops, their shimmering pools and stars that glitter like diamonds embedded in the night sky. But all that may soon be coming to an end. Gandipet is slowly being swallowed by the maw of humanity. A number of gated communities are being built in the area, and the construction workers have taken to doing their morning ‘business’ under the clear blue sky with nary a care about the fact that not only are they defacing Hyderabad’s natural heritage, but are letting it all hang out for people who frankly can do without the jarring, and scarring, images. On Sundays the loutish legions descend on the area to ogle amorous couples, and get snot-flying drunk (many time while in the act of riding their motorcycles). On Monday mornings Gandipet looks like the aftermath of a particularly vicious crime: shards of glass from broken grog bottles scattered everywhere and the debris of a night on the town lies across roads and fields. The police, whenever they do decide to turn up, that is rarely, are impotent to stops the melee. We should be proud of Gandipet and its natural charms, instead we are letting it be raped by those who use ignorance as a weapon, and destruction as a means to a vile end. The writer is editor, Postnoon

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

Lewis Hamilton says he does not like driving a roadcar and does not enjoy driving off the racetrack. He compares it to driving a bus and flying a jet. He went on to say that Narain Karthikeyan could beat him on the roads here. The fact is it’s not driving that happens here: it’s driving everyone mad.

HOME SWEET HOME

HOUSE HUNTING TIPS HARD TALK

PK Surendran

ouse hunting is an education, an experience that gives you a rare glimpse of the unmasked faces of people. Neglect not this education, is my advice. When I came to Hyderabad a year and a half ago I underwent the exercise for the ninth time in my career. Having seen houseowners in various other states, I came to a surprising conclusion that houseowners are a class with a lot in common whether they belong to Jammu or Hyderabad. Shock, disbelief, hilarity, pathos, you name any human emotion, they have it. I began with a joker who came in contact online before I landed in ‘Nizamabad’. He took me for a rich cove who knows nothing about the city and a willing tool in his hand. The place he dragged me in was a tall building in Banjara Hills that was evidently growing sideways in a haphazard fashion. The owner was adding rooms as and when he wished with no proper plan whatsoever but obviously after greasing the palm of municipal building inspectors. The room on top that he found for me would cost me Rs 20,000 a month (a deposit of three months’ rent to be paid in advance). A creaky cot, a groaning fan, a broken wash basin were the furnishings, and, ha, a

kitchenette that had a hole in wall for a ventilator. Jolted, I began contacting people from classified ads. While attending to essential office works, I began the agonised journey in search of a decent accommodation for a ‘married bachelor.’ A specimen in Jubilee Hills who ‘interviewed’ me was puzzled as to why my wife is not with me. Having explained why, he wanted to know my eating habits and also a guarantor to vouch that I was who I claimed to be. I lied that I am a “grasseater” and then he asked, “Do you have a servant who will keep my place clean every day?” Well, I don’t. I told him I believed in Gandhigiri and cleaned my den myself which brought my stock down suddenly before his eyes. My guarantor (my employer, no less) assured the guy I am a genuine nuts till now. But, a fellow who cleans his house and cooks his own food is down in the social ladder — for him, at least. A ‘furnished guesthouse’ that sounded great crossed my path next. Rs 30,000 and food extra. Well, why not? He believes I have come here to labour and feed him. Well, beggars can’t be choosers. I nearly okayed it when he mentioned that next to my room was a priest. I dumped it and thought lucky when a suave IT guy from the US of A came along. He has a flat in Malayasian township. I nearly sputtered a no because I can’t commute to Mayalasia every day. “But it is in Kukatpallay, 25 km from your office.” Okay. I

went and saw the flat. It was spacious, airy but was cluttered to the roof with his things — ranging from pen to garden tool. I was told that the young man, who got married two months ago, scampered off to the Promised Land when he got an assignment, leaving behind all the things he bought like a maniac here. It is 30k. Well, I took the flat. But commuting proved to be a hell of problem. I thought all the madmen in the world assembled on the route during morning and evening hours and it sapped my energy. After two months I renewed my effort to land a smaller place, clean, safe and reasonably priced. It took three months of constant efforts and a packet of money in conveyance before fate took me to a place nearby my office. It’s small, but it’s no hole.

TAILEND

So, here are the lessons. n Treat all house-owners in any part of the country as a common genre. They speak different tongues but are same in behaviour. n Don’t let them believe you are desperate and willing to shell out anything n Don’t be too aggressive, but not too timid either n If the place is passable, try to strike a vibe with the house owner finding a common cause (like if he is a dog lover, pretend you, too, are, though you’d kick the butt of the first dog that came along) n Women house owner needs to be handled like glass — you don’t know. n And, finally, watch your stars; if forecast is pretty bad, lie low. Good luck!

EDITORIALS A puzzle for the sensible A shameful act

ome people’s reasoning is beyond reason sometimes. An Iranian foundation has raised the bounty on Salman Rushdie’s head. It says there’s no better time than now to carry out the fatwa that was issued in 1989 against the author for The Satanic Verses. The foundation members say had he been killed for blasphemy then, the antiIslam movie that’s wreaking havoc would not have come out now. Now that’s some capability for seeing the unseen, for how in the world are the two things connected? This savage satire seeking Rushdie’s blood has been going on for so long that the raising of the bounty and the fresh call to kill him fail to shock the sensible. Perhaps even Rushdie is mildly amused by it. There’s still something that’s puzzling: what about the authors of the books about the origins of Islam which gave Rushdie the idea for the book? Did they not insult Islam? Or does the fault lie only with Rushdie for throwing light on dusty tomes in libraries all over the world?

READERS’ VIEWS

t’s a mystery why vandals chose the statue of former Congress president and the tallest leader of AP, K Brahmananda Reddy, to attack. The statue that was in KBR Park (which is named after him) was put to torch last night. While some people are tempted to blame the TRS or TJAC, there is so far no evidence to support such doubts. Reddy as CM had laid the state’s industrial base and he was, in his time, a highly revered Congress leader whom even the mighty Indira Gandhi was wary of. Police must take it up as a challenge and bring the vandals to book.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

campus

HERITAGE RUN Hyderabad Heritage Marathon will be organised on September 23 from 9am to 1pm. It takes the runners through the heritage sites of the City.

CELEBRATION TIME

AMY ROSE THOMAS amyrose.t@postnoon.com

hile freshers of art colleges in the City had their share of fun and glamour with welcome parties, talent shows and Mr & Ms Fresher competitions, engineering students are still gearing up for the start of the term that will begin this week. Each college is known to have their own signature style when it comes to welcoming the newbies to their colleges. At times, it is the themes which they cater to while dressing for the freshers’ party and at other, it is the formal ragging sessions they organise in order to get the freshers to open up to the seniors. It is after the freshers’ party that the students truly become a part of the college. Shruti Chennuru, a second year student at CBIT, says, “We have been waiting for the firstyears to come for months now. I am in the second year now, so we will be throwing the party this time around. But their entry is getting delayed because the fees are being restructured. The orientation of the first-years in our college would begin from today.” In NIFT, formal ragging sessions are organised in each of the departments. Ajab Ali Akbar of NIFT says, “We have formal ragging sessions where seniors rag freshers in front of our teachers. We ask them to open up and show their

DIESEL HIKE

COLLEGE FEST

A STYLISH WELCOME With first-year students making an entry to engineering colleges today, we look at the styles followed by different colleges in the City to welcome freshers.

creative talents. We ask them to sing songs, dance or introduce themselves creatively. The college had reopened in July and the freshers’ party was organised in August. Many talent shows are lined up for the newbies and freshers’ party marks the culmination.” Other colleges, like St Francis and St Mary’s College, follow a theme and the students dress according to that. “The theme that we followed this time around was to dress like a celebrity. Girls had come in sarees dressed as their favourite celebrities. Apart from the Ms Freshers competition, we also

JNTU

Some colleges have formal ragging sessions where seniors rag freshers in front of teachers, to get them to show their talent. organised various dance and singing programmes for them,” Deepthi Sardesai, a third-yearstudent at St Francis says. The seniors, i.e. those in their second year and third year, arrange these functions from scratch. “Arranging and organising these functions help the children in the future as this is like a practical traning for crisis and event management for them,” Diksha Seth, alumni from St Francis says.

TRENDING...

Not affordable anymore

Bandhs galore

No end to hikes

I have a diesel car in which I commute to college every day. Whenever those who had petrol vehicles used to sulk about petrol prices, I used to feel safe. But not anymore. I will be shifting to a bike soon since that is more affordable for me.

This will mark the beginning of many bandhs that will be held in the City as a mark of protest and lives of the students will be majorly affected due to this. There is going to be a strike on the 20th of this month too.

I have a bike that runs on petrol and so I wouldn’t be affected much due to this diesel hike. However, these hikes seems to have no end. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more hikes that come up.

Kashyap Chawda, CMR Engineering College

COLLEGE OF THE WEEK Situated in the heart of the City at Kukatpally, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, has an ‘A’ grade accreditation by NAAC. A few collaborative programmes with international universities such as Carnegie Mellon University, Central Michigan University, Kansas State University USA, Blekinge Institute of Technology are available.

A steep rise of `5.63 has hit youngsters the hardest as they live on pocket money. We speak to some collegians and find out how they plan to survive the hike.

Paul Mohan, Sri Venkateswara College

Expressions St Francis College is all set for Expressions 2012 to be held on September 21. Events to be organised include Jam, Quiz, Kill Bill, Collage, Ad Mad, Juke Box, Word Maze, Rags to Riches, Political compass, and so on. Mr and Ms Expressions and inter-college dance competition will also be organised during the fest.

Rajarshi Mukherjee, Alumnus of Loyola College

When you want to jazz up your outﬁt, go for chunky bangles. The bangles, which come in a range of colours, are must haves in a collegian’s wardrobe. There are always options available for you — whether you like to keep it simple or edgy. You can mix and match, and wear two or three together.

Leggings is the attire of the season. This tight-fitting piece of clothing serves as an accessory to accentuate your casual outfit. And it is the favourite of girls in colleges now. They are pairing them with loose fitting, long t-shirts or at other times with kurtis and carrying the casual look in style.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

spotlight 1

THE FRUIT OF DESIGN 2

PARTY NIGHT

Dance to House & Commercial hits with Djs Stan & Phalgun at Bottles & Chimney at 8pm.

This Sunday, our city youngsters headed to Aqua at The Park to spend a day with friends, good food and a great view. With such a great ambience who would want to leave Aqua?

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

POOLSIDE FUN 6

12 1 Afreen, Manisha

CREATIVE BEST On Sunday, the mid-term fashion show 2012, a presentation by the students of Hamstech was held. Titled Measure Up, 13 marvellous collections were presented by them. The event was held at the JNAFAU auditorium at Masab Tank. 1 Mahima,

Vaishali, Prathima 2 Vaishnavi, Deepthi 3 Lachi, Nishank 4 Nilani, Saman 5 Sharon, Maria 6 Shruti, Priyanka 7 Khushboo 8 Shreya 9 Sneha 10 Kaushika 11 Suman 12 Shruthi, Shravanthi

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

2 Afsha, Clina 3 Namitha, Reshmi 4 Asma, Ankita 5 Beaty, Chanchal 6 Farha

LIFE IN REVERSE GEAR

The party people now have a new place to go to â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Avasa Hotel. On Sunday, a retro theme party was held at the hotel's banquet hall. Needless to say, the guests were only too happy to party there. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

health

ULTRASOUND HELPS DRUGS GET UNDER YOUR SKIN

Engineers have found a way of harnessing ultrasound waves for non-invasive drug delivery. Ultrasound waves with frequencies greater than the upper limit of human hearing can increase skin permeability by wearing away the top layer of the skin, an effect that is transient and pain-free.

METHADONE

Is methadone the miracle?

It has been touted to be one of the wonder medicines for heroin users to shake the addiction. But is methadone really that good or does it have its fair share of side effects? We speak to experts… RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

nce a popular drug in the 60s to battle heroin addiction, methadone now comes with its fair share of risks that put a large question mark over its use. A synthetic opioid, it was once the most popular treatment option when it came to weaning addicts off narcotics. It mimicks some of heroin’s properties by inducing euphoria and sedation; although in a lower degree. This would help addicts combat withdrawal symptoms in their battle to kick drug addiction. However, the opioid comes with its share of side effects and the risk of being used as a substitute drug by addicts when they cannot lay their hands on the real thing. According to a 2011 research by Norwegian Institute of Public Health shows that methadone affects the brain and

impairs attention of experimental animals. In general opioids are known to weaken intellectual functions such as learning, memory and attention. Apart from this some patients are known to have allergic reactions to methadone that result in hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat. Methadone is also known to have some serious side effects like shallow breathing, hallucinations or confusion, chest pain, dizziness, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeat; or feeling light-headed, feeling anxious, nervous, restless, sleep problems (insomnia), feeling weak or drowsy, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, loss of appetite; or decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm. “Methadone has the

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

same side effects as caused by any opioid. It can affect the neuro and nervous systems, cause cardiac problems, affect the respiratory system etc. It is known to have a lesser depen-

HOUSECALL

dency than drugs like heroin. While it is known to help people motivated to kick the habit by reducing withdrawal symptoms, it often fails because most addicts start using this as a substitute for heroin till they can get their hands on the narcotic once again,” says Dr VA Prasad, therapy in-charge, Hope Trust Foundation. He goes on to add that if a per-

son is determined to get rid of his drug addiction then methadone can help him. However, those who are being forced to go to rehab, methadone is nothing but a convenient substitute. “They are never chemically free. In fact, some countries have already stopped using methadone and even stopped funding related programmes. In India, the drug is not freely available. It may be used in a few rehabilitation institutions and that too with special permission from the government,” says Dr Prasad.

What is Methadone? Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance antiaddictive for use in patients with drug addiction. It was developed in Germany in 1937. Methadone was introduced into the United States in 1947 by Eli Lilly and Company. It is a synthetic painkiller that mimics the effects of heroin, but is less addictive. It is usually used by experts to help addicts kick the habit. Methadone produces feelings of euphoria and sedation like heroin does, however to a lesser degree. It is usually provided to addicts under strict medical supervision when they are trying to battle the addiction and overcome it. However, it can be addictive too, so it is strictly administered by a medical practitioner as per the patient’s medical requirements.

DID YOU KNOW?

PIONEERS

Atkins carb counter

Glomerulonephritis

Chocolate can lower BP

Fredrick Hopkins

Always wanted to keep a tab on the amount of carbs that you consume in a day? The free Atkins Carb Tracker is an app which can help provide access to such information and keep a diary of your daily carb intake and weight loss on the move. The app is available free-of-cost for both iPhone and iPad users.

Glomerulonephritis is an inﬂammation of both kidneys. The most common cause of the ailment is an over activity of the immune system. Glomerulonephritis is of seven types. Symptoms for glomerulonephritis could include swelling of the face, eyes and legs, reduction in urine, headaches and visual disturbances, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, Loss of appetite, rashes and itchy skin.

A serving of dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and improve insulin resistance. This was stated in a study conducted by Tufts University in Boston and the University of L’Aquila in Italy. The ﬁndings do not suggest that people with high BP consume dark chocolate instead of prescribed medicines.

Fredrick Hopkins was a German chemist. Due to his family background he was unable to attend medical school till the age of 28. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1929. He won the award along with Christiaan Eijkman, for their discovery of vitamins. He is also credited for having discovered the amino acid tryptophan in 1901. He was appointed President of the Royal Society from 1930 to 1935.

health MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

GENETICS

BREAKTHROUGH

Genes behind facial identity

Stem cell treatment restores hearing

One of the three of the five genes identified was reported to be involved in facial morphology in a study on children published earlier this year.

STACEY LEASCA Global Post

UK study in the journal Nature reports that deaf gerbils have had their hearing restored following a human stem cell treatment. The researchers at the University of Sheffield, aimed to replace damaged nerve cells, called spiral ganglion neurons, that are unable to convert sound waves in the air into electrical signals to your brain. Roughly one in 10 people with profound hearing loss have this auditory damage. The researchers used stem cells from a human embryo, added that to a “chemical soup,” as the BBC referred to it, that converted them into cells similar to the spiral ganglion neurons. The cells were then injected into the inner ears of 18 gerbils. Over the course of the 10 week study the gerbils’ hearing improved by an average of 45 percent. Rivolta told the BBC, “It would mean going from being so deaf that you wouldn’t be able to hear a lorry or truck in the street to the point where you would be able to hear a conversation. It is not a complete cure, they will not be able to hear a whisper, but they would certainly be able to maintain a conversation.” The researchers hope this study will spark interest in using stem cells to treat hearing loss . But stem cell research is still controversial. The AP explained that embryonic stem cells are obtained by destroying embryos, but they can be manipulated to produce any type of cell.

AMSTERDAM: Scientists have isolated genes that shape our facial form and structure, besides explaining why twins and siblings have more similar faces than unrelated people. This study, carried out on behalf of the International Visible Trait Genetics (VisiGen) Consortium, used head magnetic resonance images together with portrait photographs to map facial landmarks. Researchers from the Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, then applied a genome-wide association (GWA) approach, with independent replication, to finding DNA variants involved in facial shapes in almost 10,000 individuals, the journal Public Library of Science reports. One of the three of the five genes identified was reported to be involved in facial morphology (form and structure) in a study on children published earlier this year. The remaining two genes potentially represent completely new players in the molecular networks governing facial development, according to an Erasmus statement. Manfred Kayser, professor from the Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, who led the study, said: “These are exciting first results that mark the beginning of the genetic understanding of human facial morphology.” “Perhaps some time it will be possible to draw a phantom portrait of a person solely from his or her DNA left behind, which provides interesting applications such as in forensics. We already can predict from DNA certain eye and hair colours with quite high accuracies,” concluded Kayser. GLOBAL POST

growing pains

y husband and I have filed for divorce. We love our daughter and there is no animosity in spite of the marriage not working. We have been lying to her by saying that my husband is out of town. We are worried about till when we can continue lying. We don’t want her to become cynical about relationships. Divorce is one of the most painful events to go through in an adults life and if not handled

Dr Diana Monteiro

REASSURANCE AND SUPPORT IS THE KEY properly, the children can be significantly impacted. It is important to be sure that you are indeed going to end the relationship and divorce before you decide to tell your child about it. Once the decision is made, then make sure that you tell your child about this together. How you tell a child might depend on the age of the child, and it is helpful to tell the child

in a way that the child understands. This means for younger children, telling them that mum and dad have not be getting along and have decided to not live together anymore might be the starting point. Say something general like sometimes adults don’t get along and can’t live together but this does not mean anything about you. Be open and honest about what is

going on. Let you child know that dad is no longer going to be living here and share how and when your child will get to see the other parent. Both parents should take time to talk to the child individually and focus on their relationship with the child. In addition, both parents should stay away from involving the child in discussions about why the marriage ended and

should definitely not blame the other parent or engage in bashing the other parents. If you can provide your child with the same support and nurturance, then your child with thrive irrespective of the parents relationship. The writer is a counselling psychologist at the Hyderabad Academy of Psychology. You can write to her at askdrdiana@gmail.com

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

Entertainment

NAGARJUNA GOES TO EUROPE

Nagarjuna has joined the team of his upcoming film Love Story in Zurich, Switzerland. Nayanthara is playing the lead role and Dasarath is directing this film which will release later this year.

HECTIC YEAR AHEAD

Priya Anand couldn’t be happier about how her career is shaping up. On the eve of her birthday, Postnoon catches up with this livewire who is awaiting the release of English Vinglish, which is nothing short of a dream come true. HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

I am

GOD's Favourite CHILD

n a Sunday afternoon, as she takes a break from her hectic shoot near Rajahmundry, Priya Anand sounds as enthusiastic as she did while taking an autograph from Sridevi a few days ago in Hyderabad. “That was a moment to remember because I didn’t have the guts to ask her for an autograph on the sets of English Vinglish,” Priya Anand confesses. It’s a dream come true for Priya, who grew up watching Sridevi’s films and the sheer liveliness with which she gushes about working with Sridevi throws light on how much she admires her. So what was the biggest learning experience? “Sometimes, we keep thinking about what expressions we are going to portray in a scene and then you look at Sridevi doing everything so effortlessly. I learnt that it’s more important to concentrate on the transition of moods during a scene and that an actor should be able to deliver his or her best, no matter what happens,” she says. It’s her birthday today and it’s slightly awkward to hear her say that she doesn’t like celebrating her birthdays; after all, there are very few moments in our lives which are worth remembering. “I don’t like the attention for absolutely no reason. The last time I celebrated my birthday was when I was 10 years old. Even in India, when my friends want to meet

me on my birthday, I try to evade them saying that I am not at home, but they always catch me at the end of the day,” she laughs. Whatever the reason may be, it’s turning out to be a special birthday for her this year. A couple of weeks ago, she decided to raise funds to educate 25 children and the donations, so far, are more than enough to educate 50 underprivileged children. It’s been three years since she made her debut and currently, she’s acting in Ko Ante Koti, which is her fourth Telugu film. Incidentally, it’s also the first time in Telugu that she won’t have to share screen space with another heroine. Does it make any difference? “I didn’t have to compete with my co-stars in previous films for screen space, but more importantly, I don’t look at cinema that way. Ko Ante Koti is a very special film for me and I am sure it’ll be a big surprise for the audience,” she says, adding, “I play a fun loving girl named Satya. If I was born in a town like Rajahmundry, this is exactly what I would be.” It’s turning out to be quite a hectic year with plenty of things to do. “I must thank Jayendra for that. 180 changed my perspective about my work and since then, I have had the privilege of working with some of the finest technicians in the country like Santosh Sivan, Balki. I am lucky to be working with people who have written such nice characters for me and so that I don’t struggle too much to play my roles,” she says. The film industry can be quite ruthless if an actor isn’t riding on a success wave. Is it bad luck that none of her films so far have been big hits? “Oh no! I have worked with people like Sridevi, Sekhar Kammula, Santosh Sivan and Priyadarshan. I didn’t know anyone in the film industry before I moved to India from the US. Maybe, I am God’s favourite child,” she signs off.

CINE BYTES

A unique experiment with intervals

ennela Kishore’s upcoming film Vennela 1 ½ will feature a make-believe interval where the film runs even during the interval to hook the audience. This sort of experiment is being done for the first time in India and already it has become the talk of the town. Chaitanya Krishna and Monal Gajjar star in the film which will release on September 21.

Sudeep joins 3D film Action’s team

udeep has joined the cast of Anil Sunkara’s upcoming 3D film Action. This is the first Telugu film which Sudeep has signed after impressing everyone in Rajamouli’s Eega. Action features Allari Naresh, Shaam, Vaibhav Reddy, Raju Sundaram, Kanma Jethmalani, Neelam Upadhyaya and Sneha Ullal.

MS Narayana’s new avatar is a hit

S Narayana’s new avatar as Colonel Gaddafi in Praveen Sattaru’s upcoming film Routine Love Story has gone viral. We hear that he plays a college principal who models himself after Gaddafi and the makers insist that it’s just a spoof. The film stars Sundeep Kishan and Regina Cassandra in lead roles and it’ll hit the screens in October.

Entertainment MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 Salman gives ‘salaam’ to Priyanka’s song

alman Khan is in awe of Priyanka Chopra’s newly released single “In My City” and the actor can’t stop listening to it on loop. “OMG! Just heard Priyanka Chopra’s English track three times back to back, called ‘In My City’. It’s fabulous, outstanding! SALAAM Miss Chopra,” tweeted Salman. Priyanka unveiled her new single on Thursday night. IANS

Amy Jackson is a busy bee

ritish actress Amy Jackson, who made her Bollywood debut with Ek Deewana Tha, is busy globetrotting, thanks to back to back shooting schedules. The actress will soon leave for China for a 40day schedule soon. IANS

SRK loves bearded look for Jab Tak Hai Jaan

ollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan loved the grungy, bearded look for his role in Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan. “Had fallen in love with my beard. But it started to scratch... so ripped it out and had to let it go. That hurts too,” tweeted Shah Rukh. The 46-year-old plays an army officer in the movie. IANS

COUPLE WALKS THE RAMP

ollywood actress Esha Deol doesn’t want her businessman husband, Bharat Takhtani, to turn to acting. “I never wanted to marry a hero. He (Bharat) is a successful businessman and I hope he continues to be one. There is no need for him to become an actor,” she said after the couple walked the ramp together for jewellery brand ‘Azva’ at the India Bridal Fashion Week 2012 on Saturday. The actress has walked the ramp before but this was the first time she walked it after their wedding. Calling Bharat “a born model”, she said that she didn’t have to give him any tips on how to walk the ramp. “I didn’t give him any tips, he is a born model. He has done many ramp shows when he was in college. He is very confident,” she said. Azva’s collection was based on the seven vows of an Indian wedding and thus the couple seemed apt for the show. “The collection is unique and creative. It is a mix of traditional and modern jewellery. Even modern couples can wear these and tie the knot. It also a very emotional collection as it is based on the seven vows,” Esha added. The actress looked stunning in a pink and blue lehenga with heavy gold work. She wore a heavy neckpiece and long earrings. Bharat looked handsome in an off-white sherwani with gold work. “She grows on me every single day. She looks very beautiful today (at the show),” he said. IANS

I don’t want Bharat to become a hero, says

ESHA DEOL

Entertainment MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

FELT LEFT OUT

CINE BYTES

GERE WAS UPSET BY CHICAGO OSCAR SNUB

Cowell defends Harry’s naked snaps

usic mogul Simon Cowell says it’s normal for Prince Harry, a 27-year-old, to have naked escapades in Las Vegas. “He’s one heck of a nice guy and if I was his age, I would have ended up with a few cute girls in a hotel room with my clothes off too,” Cowell told In Touch Weekly magazine. A biography of Cowell recently revealed his own fondness for women. IANS

Winona Ryder in talks for Beetlejuice sequel

ctress Winona Ryder has revealed that she is in talks with director Tim Burton for the sequel of 1988 comedy horror Beetlejuice. “I heard (about the sequel) from journalists, that’s how I found out, but I’m seeing Tim next week, and I will let you know,” Ryder said at the Toronto International Film Festival. IANS

Keating finds new love with TV executive

ctor Richard Gere has revealed that he felt hurt when his Chicago co-stars got Oscar nominations for their roles in the film and he was left behind. The 63-year-old actor admits he never paid much attention to awards’ news, but when his friends Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah, Renee Zellweger and John C Reilly landed nominations in the run-up to the 2003 Oscars, he felt more than a little left out by the snub, reports express.co.uk. “The only time it really bothered me was in Chicago. Everyone else got nominated. I’m waiting for my name (to be read out in the nominations) and it goes right by me, like, ‘Wow, what happened?’ I have to admit, that got to me,” Gere said on a US talk show. IANS

inger Ronan Keating has reportedly fallen for a former X Factor producer. Five months after announcing the end of his 14-year marriage, Keating has grown close to TV executive Storm Uechtritz, reports mirror.co.uk. According to an insider, "things are going great" with the duo, who first met on the Australian version of music reality show "X Factor". IANS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

A wise old owl sat on an oak,the more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren't we like that wise old bird? Edward H Richards

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

SUDOKU How to play kakuro 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.

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Rental document 6 Anatomical pouch 9 Arrange, as a blind date 14 Rooms with open ceilings 15 ‘Horned’ flyer 16 ___-loading (pre-marathon activity) 17 Less hospitable 18 Geneva-based workers grp. 19 Two-tone cookies 20 Jump around on the sofa? 23 Crooner ‘King’ Cole 24 Diddly-squat 25 Flaws 27 Exceedingly large 32 One of Alcott's ‘Little Women’ 33 Strongman Ferrigno 34 Air Force Two passengers in the '90s 36 Old coin of Europe 39 Palindromic male name 41 Zenith opposite 43 Accelerator particles 44 Ulan ___ 46 Dating from birth 48 You may get it for effort 49 ‘Touching’ Olympic event 51 Any sense organ 53 Some fish fins 56 It's big, for a blowhard 57 Bone of contention 58 Laborer used for underground work? 64 A day's march 66 Word on an Uncle Sam poster 67 ‘I do’ sayer 68 Alfred who coined the phrase ‘inferiority complex’ 69 Birler's perch 70 Access a computer network 71 Casts off the skin 72 Barely achieve (with ‘out’) 73 Act like a thespian

DOWN

1 Non-clerical 2 Carve in granite 3 Covent Garden solo 4 ‘Burnt’ Crayola colour 5 Producing income 6 Agronomist's sample 7 Cobblers' tools 8 Mushroom ___ (atom bomb's wake) 9 Displayed disdain 10 A friend may lend one 11 Attire popular with private eyes 12 WWII naval menace 13 Chatroom contributions 21 ‘Bennie and the Jets’ singer John 22 Antietam soldier 26 Case with buttons and needles 27 Amorphous mass 28 Ninth Greek letter 29 Not-so-super bowl? 30 1979 hostage locale 31 Chest-maker's wood 35 Building location 37 ‘Domini’ lead-in 38 Alexandra Feodorovna's husband, for one 40 ‘Clumsy me!’ 42 Competed at Pimlico 45 Kindle buyers 47 Easily deciphered 50 ___ Lilly pharmaceuticals 52 ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ fear 53 Cherished desire 54 Achieve a personal best 55 Baroque or rococo, eg 59 Boil, broil or bake 60 See 27-Across 61 Computer acronym about faulty data 62 Spruce up, as a story 63 ‘The Son of Man’ painter Magritte 65 Astro, Scooby-Doo or Dino

Chai Time MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 18-9-2012

As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will change your attitude to attain success in all efforts. Deficit financial situation likely but you will manage the same wisely. Friendship circle will increase and benefits likely through new ones. Control food habits completely.

You will undertake challenging tasks and achieve goals. Strained relationships will resume on their own. Financial position looks strong. Keep a vigil on activities of children as they might go in a wrong direction. Businessmen will do well.

Success is certain in all assignments undertaken. Unexpected fortune likely, which will keep you comfortable and happy. Women will keep their spouse happy by fulfilling their wishes. Avoid new friends as you might get cheated.

QUICK CROSSWORD FRED BASSET

Those trying for a job will get good news. With wise steps you will achieve tasks without any problem. You will buy a vehicle in exchange of the old one. Unexpected tension and worries likely; keep your cool as the situation will change soon.

Daughter's marriage will be finalised and performed grandly Your words will be taken by close friends and relatives. Son has a promising career opportunity abroad. Avoid doubting friends as you might lose some good ones. Employees do well.

Expectation will get fulfilled without hurdles. Financial position will become strong. Children will make you proud and happy. Those planning to go abroad can step up efforts to succeed; visa formalities will get completed without hitches.

Good events to take place at home, which will cheer family members. Undertaken work will get completed without any hurdle. Close relatives and friends will seek your help. Wasteful expenditure likely, which should be curtailed.

Long-pending plans will take shape. Women will help their spouse in their work. Enemies will become inactive. Businessmen will identify the culprits who leaked business secrets and chuck them. Health problem and tension likely.

Long-pending wishes of women will get fulfilled. Financial position will be satisfactory. Children co-operate very well by accepting your instructions and advises. Govt work gets delayed. Businessmen will flourish and earn good profits.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

The World – You are about to embark on a wonderful journey of discovery. You have come across people who taught you about life. Now, you will use that learning.

LEO:

King of Pentacles – Finances are in focus. A windfall, in the form of an inheritance or a smart investment move, will force you to plan further. All will go well.

LIBRA:

STONE SOUP

Nine of Cups – Today goes like clockwork. Everything you planned will fit into place and you will be relieved that your organising skills are put to good use.

SAGITTARIUS:

Six of Cups – if you have any important appointments, make sure to reach on time. You may need to keep a buffer of a few minutes to beat traffic, etc.

TAURUS:

The Lovers – Decision time! You may need to be harsh on someone. You’ll be expected to take a tough call; it may not be the best for someone you love.

CANCER:

Ten of Wands – You are feeling burdened by emotions of someone close to you. You two, either a partner or sibling, have a karmic connection; live them.

VIRGO:

Page of Swords – You make amends with an old friend you had fallen out with. You realise that nothing is permanent. People come and go, so do emotions.

SCORPIO:

Judgment – You may be running the risk of upsetting someone close to you because of the way an issue turned out. Don’t take things too seriously.

CAPRICORN:

Knight of Pentacles – An argument with a peer can get into trouble. You may need that person’s help much more than he/she needs you; be practical.

SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Ten of Cups – You get extremely emotional about something that a family member said. It will hurt you. But you need to learn to let go and think of moving on.

NUMBER GAME

Wands – This is a time to improve your general knowledge and get into intellectual discussions. It will up your status in social meetings, too.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Nine of

INK PEN

Ancestral property will come and you will benefit from it. Some have bright chance to buy a vehicle or a house. You might be under confusion but drive it away without getting influenced. Employees advised not to be negligent at work.

for 18-9-2012

The Hierophant – This card tells you that you need to make things work if you want change. It is in your hands to allow positive things to work for you.

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Willpower and self-confidence levels will be high. All new efforts will be successful. You will be respected wherever you go. Bank loan gets sanctioned and held-up construction will resume. Avoid anger and expressing your opinion.

SUDUKO

Expected money will come, which will make you happy. Good news from a distance is on the cards. Though income is good and comfortable, it is necessary to keep expenses down. Businessmen will understand important trade secrets.

Boggle BANJO ORGAN VIOLA CELLO PIANO Vol: 2, No 62 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 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Entertainment MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

ECHOLOCATION WHIZ

CLAIMING HIS FREEDOM

In an interview, Daniel Kish, a world renowned expert in echolocation, talks about how he overcame the challenges in his life and why visually challenged people are no different than others. It’s an inspiring tale which needs to be told again and again.

HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

here’s absolutely nothing different about Daniel Kish as he begins talking about his life and work until the fact that he is blind and has inspired so many people across the world hits you like a bolt of lightning. Daniel Kish was born in 1966, with a form of cancer called retinoblastoma and to save his life, both his eyes had to removed by the time he was 13 months old. He’s 45 now and has spent most part of his adult life in popularising a method named echolocation to sense things around him. He produces a sharp click with his tongue and within seconds the echoes generated from the sound wave of gives him a deep understanding of his surroundings. Much like what bats do to navigate. The fact that he lists mountain biking and hiking as his interests is proof enough of his ability to navigate anywhere

in the world without any difficulty. One of the characters which Vikram is playing in his upcoming film Shiva Thandavam is inspired from Daniel Kish and Vikram learnt a lot of things from Daniel to prepare for his role as a visually challenged man in the film. “Vijay met me in California last September and I worked with Vikram this June in London. It was a good experience,” Daniel says. We ask him if there was ever a moment in his life where he wished he had eyes to witness a grand moment. “There might have been some occasions where I might have felt so, but there has never been a strong

They lacked sight, but had vision n Stevie Wonder n Ray Charles n Charles Monet n John Milton n Sue Townsend

urge. I gather a lot of information about my surroundings through sounds and it’s quite a unique experience. I believe beauty is quite subjective. So, the way I experience beauty is different from what you see,” he reveals. What about his dreams? How does he visualise the objects? “Wow. I haven’t been asked that question in years,” he says, pleasantly amused and adds, “Dreams represent our perception of reality. I hear sounds in my dreams, although I don’t really see things. The image is a mental construct that represents some aspect of objects. More than a 2D image, the objects in my dreams are spatial projections. It’s tough to describe, really,” he laughs. Daniel is in India after a long time. This time he is in Chennai to interact with the media about working with Vikram and AL Vijay. We ask him about his first impression of an Indian city. Is it

more difficult to navigate here since it’s a lot more chaotic? “It has its own advantages and disadvantages. Yes, it’s lot more chaotic but since the vehicles move slowly and the roads are not as wide as they are in US, it’s easy to track people and vehicles in traffic,” he says. Being visually challenged is still seen as a disability in most part of the world. It’s this aspect which bothers Daniel Kish a lot. “It’s a challenge like any other one. It’s not a disability or a handicap,” he avers. So how does he react when someone tries to show sympathy because he’s visually challenged? “I prefer to be regarded like any other person. I think, people, who show sympathy, do so because they project their own apprehensions, ignorance and fears. Everytime I meet someone like that, I see how ignorant they are and how much there is to learn.” He recalls an incident which occurred few years ago while he was hiking in a forest in Switzerland. “There were plenty of small towns and villages surrounding the forest. At 7 pm, the bells of all the churches and chapels in these towns rang and we could hear it so well. It was like standing in the ocean of sound with waves hitting you gently from all directions,” Daniel says. Sound has defined most part of his life and he’s made up his mind to take his work to newer shores. “I am currently working on a book, training more instructors and creating an army of presenters to make the public aware of our methodology,” he confesses. Echolocation is just a minute part in the grand scheme of things. “In the end, it is all about freedom and letting visually challenged people find and claim their freedom. If they wait for society to help them, they'll be waiting forever,” he signs off. And his message, much like his life, reverberates in our minds — a voice waiting to be heard.

sports

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

COCA COLA CUP

Omega Pharma win title The team, Omega Pharma, led by Tony Martin, saw off US rivals BMC by three seconds over the 53.2km course in a new event for the championships. VALKENBURG, NETHERLANDS: Belgian team Omega Pharma on Sunday won the team time trial title at the world cycling road race championships, becoming the first winners of the new event. The team, led by German individual time trial champion Tony Martin, saw off US rivals BMC by 3sec over the 53.2km course in a new event for the championships. Helping Martin to victory were Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel, Slovak Peter Velits, Belgian pair Tom Boonen and Kristof Vandewalle and Dutchman Niki Terpstra. Third place went to Australian outfit Orica - silver medalists in the women’s race earlier - who finished 47sec off the pace. “I put this victory near my biggest, along with the Classics and the Road World Championship,” Boonen said. “I didn’t expect to win a race like this, first of all because it never existed before and in the past it wasn’t our discipline. “We worked a lot and now we are there. It’s a team victory even for the staff. It’s really a change of mentality going on.” Martin believes the win was the perfect tonic ahead of the road race on Wednesday. “We fought together as a team,” Martin said. “We maintained a good pace. The team work was once again the key to the success. This victory gives me a lot of morale for Wednesday’s race.” German team Specialized won the inaugural women’s team time-trial event. The victorious team, led by

Under-16 tourney from Sept. 19 HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) will be conducting the Coca Cola under-16 cricket knock-out tournaments from the first week of October. The list of schools eligible to participate has been displayed at the HCA office at the Gymkhana Grounds in Secunderabad. The last date for the payment of the fees of Rs. 1,000 per team per tournament, is Septemebr 19.

MOIN-UD-DOWLAH

Tamil Nadu clinch final crown

Omega Pharma’s Slovak Peter Velits(C) , Belgian Tom Boonen (R) and Netherlands Niki Tepstra (L) react after winning the Men’s Team Time Trial at the UCI Road World Championships on Sunday in Valkenburg. AFP/FRANCK FIFE

Tiernan-Locke delivers home British Tour win LONDON: British cyclist Jonathan Tiernan-Locke became the first home rider in 19 years to win the Tour of Britain on Sunday. The 27-year-old started the final stage 18 seconds ahead of Austrian Nathan Haas and 23 in front of Italian Damiano Caruso. And Tiernan-Locke secured victory after finishing in the main bunch behind compatriot and world champion Mark Cavendish who took his third stage win in Guildford, south of London, on Sunday. British duo Peter Williams

and Kristian House won the sprint and king of the mountains jerseys respectively. “It’s fantastic,” TiernanLocke told the BBC. “It has not really sunk in yet. It was a tough day, a lot tougher than we thought. So I feel relief more than anything.” Cavendish added: “It was my last day in the (world champion’s) rainbow jersey and I wanted to finish it off in style. “It was absolutely incredible. The amount of people out on the road has been like the Olympic Games.” AFP

2008 world time-trial champion Amber Neben of the United States, completed the 34.2km course between Sittard/Geelen and Valkenburg in a time of 46min 31sec. Specialized finished 24 seconds ahead of Australian team Orica, who boasted the top two finishers in the 2011 individual time-trial in the form of Germany’s Judith Arndt and Linda Villumsen of New Zealand. Apart from Neben, 37, Specialized’s line-up also featured another American, Evelyn Stevens, Dutchwoman Ellen Van Dijk, and German trio Charlotte Becker, Trixi Worrack and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. AFP

HYDERABAD: Tamil Nadu defeated Delhi to clinch the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Staiudm here on Sunday. Having won the toss on the first day, Delhi elected to bat. They posted 265 in their first innings, in reply to which Tamil Nadu managed to score 243 allowing Delhi to have a lead of 22 runs. But the same performance could not be repeated by Delhi as they were restricted to 167 by Ashwin Christ, M Mohammed and M. Ashwin who claimed three wickets a piece. Chasing this target, Tamil Nadu scored 191 with four wickets in hand. RESULTS: Delhi 265 and 167 in 39.5 overs (Milind Kumar 41, Puneet Bisht 30, Ashwin Christ 3/37, M. Mohammed 3/43, M Ashwin 3/53) lost to Tamil Nadu 243 and 191/6 in 39.2 overs (B. Aparjit 72, Vijay Shanker 39 n.o., Ishant Sharma 3/46).

LEAGUE CRICKET A division three-days Day 1 Evergreen 200 (Sachin Joshi 48, Saaketh 65, Pargat 3/54, Anil 3/33) vs MP Colts.

A 4 and 11 division one-day HUCC 218/9 (Mohammed Bilal Ahmed 32, Syed Kazim Ali Mannan 61, Mohammed Azhar 50 n.o., Mohammed Mateen 30 n.o.) bt Cheerful Chums 118 (Srikanth Ambati 46, Mohammed Azhar 4/27, Shiva Bhaskaren 4/20). Kakatiya 196 (Sai 34, Ramu 44, Prasanth 33, Pritham 30, Puskhar 6/60)bt RK Puram 74 (Ravi 3/24, Praveen 4/25). Marredpally Blues 272 (Venkat Swaroop 134, Swamy 77, Hitesh

Sompura 7/40)bt United 156 (Anil 48, Shravan 55, Prabhu Kiran 4/40, T.P. Varun 3/25). Gunrock 206/9 (Rajender 59, Jaikrishna 57, Jagan 35, Kaleemuddin 3/40, Saidattatreya 5/30)bt Col K Acrylic 161 (Md. Kaleemuddin 32, G. Somasundar 54, Saidattatreya 35 n.o., Siddu 4/40, Akhil 6/30). Elegant 139 (Mod Imroze 4/61) lost to Noble 140/8 (Osama 30, Nilesh 3/23). All Saints 194/7 (Ibrhaim 30, Nishant Nair 4/72) lost to Mahaveer 195/6 (Devender Jain 69). Starlets 132/8 bt Hyd Wonderers 112 (Junaid 31, Nirup 30, T. Madhu Babu 3/29).

Concorde 156 (B. Chandrasekhar 47, Manish Srivastav 3/37) lost to Hyderabad District 157/9 (B. Chandrasekhar 3/31). Raju CC 109 (Tarun 6/49) lost HPS Ramanthapur 110/2 (Abhirath 64). Victory 211 (Babar 35, S. Riyaz 50, Sudarshan Rathore 5/49) bt HGC 76 (Mallikarjun 3/20, Fayaz 3/15). Royal CC 131 (Viqarath 58, Deepak 5/27) lost to Universal 132/5 (Parthu 36 n.o., Vikas 38 n.o.). Tarakarama 150/9 (S.K. Vikram 33, J. Saketh 35, K. Dhruv Krishna 4/45, Gaurav Kumar 3/13) bt AB Colony 107/9 (Gautam Bajpai 4/20, S.K. Vikram 4/23). LNCC 257/7 (V. Bhagath Pratap 76, M. Pratyush 54, Pranay 57 n.o., Rohit

4/43, Hemanth 3/40) bt Navjeevan Friends 195 (Pandey 39, Vijay 40, Rohit 61, Karan 4/52, Akshay 5/39). Yadav Diary 267/1 (Bharath Raj 110 n.o., D.G.J. Chaitanya 120 n.o.) bt Saint Sai 159 (Sharath 45, Vinith Reddy 7/43, Bharath Raj 3/59). International 133 (Aravind Swamy 62, A. Vijay Kumar 4/30, Ambati Sai Varun 3/28) lost to Bharath 134/5 (Vamshivardhan 31, Tarun 3/23). Manikumar 193 (Rashed 50, Malik 53, Akshay Nag 6/48) bt Shalimar 152 (Jai 50 n.o., Rashed 4/31, Ahmed 3/30). Sagar XI 226 (M. Jai Simha 57, Irfan 41, Md Osman 6/57) bt Red Hills 200 (Azman 53, Irfan 3/50, Narender 5/50)

HPS Begumpet 164 (Nikhil Parwani 52, M. Sanjay Simha 3/27, Abdul Ela Al Qureshi 4/24) lost to Boys Town 165/7 (Azmath Khan 32, Ahmed Bahmeshan 33, Md. Saleh Amoodhi 38 n.o., Partha 4/65). Dhruv XI 265/9 (Melwin Vinay 60, Manoj 54, E. Sreecharan 42, B.H. Raj 3/58, Nani 3/70) bt Lal Bahadur 239 (Akbar 40, Sharma 89, V. Santosh Kumar 7/46). Mayura 359/6 (J. Sanjay Singh 134, Harish Yadav 30, Sumit Yadav 70 n.o., K. Sanjay Reddy 3/114) bt Sungrace 176 (Shahnawaz 48, Kamal Kumar Choudhary 5/51). Shanthi XI 189/7 (Anil 50, Chandrasekhar 44, Jaber Khan 6/55) bt Golconda CC 143 (M.A. Shadaab 33, Anil 3/38, Rajan 3/19).

sports

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

TWENTY20 WORLD CUP

Sri Lankan workers carry cut outs ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in the district of Hambantota. Hambantota will host three matches, Pallekele nine and Colombo fifteen. AFP/ISHARA S.KODIKARA

A motorcyclist rides past a cut out display of Australian cricket players in Colombo. Sri Lanka will host the ICC World T20 tournament from September 18 to October 7. AFP/LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI

The cleansing process

Sri Lanka is banking on cricket to repair the damage to its blood-stained image after the brutal end to a 37-year ethnic war as it stages the biggest tourney in the nation’s post-independence history. AMAL JAYASINGHE Agence France-Presse COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is banking on cricket to repair the damage to its blood-stained image after the brutal end to a 37-year ethnic war as it stages the biggest tournament in the nation’s postindependence history. Since declaring an end in 2009 to a conflict that claimed up to 100,000 lives, President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government has had to battle accusations that its troops killed thousands of civilians as they crushed Tamil rebels in the finale. But as hosts of the World Twenty20, which begins Tuesday in Rajapakse’s hometown of Hambantota, Sri Lanka is looking to rebrand itself as an island of sun-kissed beaches and ancient Buddhist temples rather than as a hotbed of conflict. “The T20 World Cup programme will provide an excellent platform to endorse the new Sri Lanka brand during the next three weeks,” said Nivard Cabraal, the central bank governor and a key figure in promoting Sri Lanka as a sporting destination. “I am confident that this trend will continue in the future,

and those so-called international calls for (war crimes) investigation will fade away,” he told AFP. Teams from 12 nations, including those from Australia and England — two nations which have been highly critical of Sri Lanka’s government — are taking part in the World Twenty20, which will culminate in the final in Colombo on October 7. It is the first time Sri Lanka has been the sole host of such a major tournament and under-

lines its progress since the height of the conflict between government troops and the Tamil Tigers, a group notorious for audacious suicide bombings. In 1996, when Sri Lanka cohosted the 50-over World Cup with India and Pakistan, Australia and the West Indies stayed away from their qualifying games on the island for fear of attacks. Sri Lanka went on to win the trophy. It once again co-hosted last year’s 50-over World Cup with

Zimbabwe cricketers Graeme Cremer (L) and Kyle Jarvis (C) arrive in Sri Lanka for the World Cup T20 tournament in Colombo. AFP/ISHARA S.KODIKARA

India and Bangladesh, but lost the final to India in Mumbai. Sri Lankan authorities have often turned to the cricket team as an example of ethnic unity in the face of allegations that Tamils were discriminated against by the majority Sinhalese community. The country’s most famous player, record-breaking spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, is a Tamil — albeit often the only one in the team before he retired last year. Tiger rebels fought for outright independence for Tamils concentrated in the island’s northern and eastern regions, but they were eventually defeated in a no-holds-barred onslaught in May 2009. The United States led a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva earlier this year and Colombo had been given another year to come up with a road map to address accountability issues. Cabraal says economic progress in the former conflict zones are testimony to reconciliation in a country that recorded growth rates of 8.0 percent for two years running after the end of fighting. “An enormous amount of development activity is taking

place in the former conflict areas,” Cabraal said. “If there were war crimes... this type of reconciliation and progress would have never taken place.” But moderate Tamil legislator Suresh Premachandran said Sri Lanka’s emerging sporting credentials did not address the grievances of his minority community. “Some Tamil youngsters may be happy about cricket and the Twenty20 tournament, but it won’t do anything to address the core issues,” he told AFP, referring to Tamil demands for greater political autonomy. Last year, Sri Lanka also narrowly lost to Australia in its bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, but it is pitching for several other Asian tournaments as part of its drive to become a major sporting destination. Charu Lata Hogg, a Sri Lanka expert at the London-based think-tank Chatham House, believes the government will struggle to turn the spotlight off its tainted record. “Hosting an international sporting event will not deflect international attention on its core human rights responsibilities,” she told AFP.

sports

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

SWIMMING

Franklin is swimmer of the year

DAVIS CUP

Ferrer guides Spain into final

Franklin won the 100m and 200m backstroke gold and 4x200m free and 4x100m medley relay gold in London.

Spain will travel to the Czech Republic for the final on November 16-18, after the Czechs defeated Argentina. ROLAND LLOYD PARRY Agencie France-Presse

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA: Missy Franklin, the Colorado teenager whose mesmerizing Olympic debut yielded four gold medals and one bronze, has been named USA Swimming’s athlete of the year. Franklin wasn’t on hand to accept the award in person at the US Aquatic Sports Convention on Saturday, since the 17-yearold has been assiduously focusing on her final year of high school since returning from London. Last week she skipped a trip to the White House, where US Olympians and Paralympians were feted by President Barack Obama, because she didn’t want to miss school. “I really didn’t think my life could get any better,” Franklin said in a statement. “This summer, being part of the Olympic Team, was an unbelievable experience. Our team was so close, we had so much fun, and I love them all.” Her 200m back triumph and the US medley relay win came in world record times and she also claimed a 4x100m free relay bronze.

GIJON, SPAIN: Spain reached their fourth Davis Cup final in five years after David Ferrer (left) gave them a 3-1 semi-final victory over the United States by beating John Isner 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday. Unimpeded by the absence of injured Rafael Nadal, Spain will travel to the Czech Republic for the final on November 16-18, after the Czechs defeated Argentina in Buenos Aires. “This is a dream for me -another Davis Cup final,” Ferrer said after his win, which delighted the rowdy home crowd cheering for their beloved “Ferru”. “It was unbelievable, the atmosphere supported me the whole match,” he added. The United States had kept the tie alive against the five-time champions with a doubles victory by twins Bob and Mike Bryan on Saturday, but US Open semifinalist Ferrer, on his favourite red clay, prevailed over Isner, the world number 10. The six-foot, nine-inch (206centimetre) American beat

Ferrer in a tie-break in the first set but failed to cement his lead in the second. The Spaniard dominated the following three sets, powering out of sight in the fourth, his deft returns outfoxing the flagging American who had already fallen to Nicolas Almagro in a four-hour battle on Friday. “It’s disappointing. The Spanish team was just too good,” Is-

Ferrer tamed Isner’s serve and aggressive style with precision returns and passing shots and capitalised on unforced errors. ner said after the defeat to Ferrer. I had some momentum and a chance to break him and I didn’t. He raised his game quite a bit in the second set and throughout the rest of the match.” Ferrer tamed Isner’s formidable serve and aggressive style with precision returns and passing shots and capitalised on a slew of unforced errors.

BRITISH OPEN

Jiyai battles stormy weather to take Open crown With rounds of 71 and 73, the 2008 champion finished on nine under par and won the final major of the season. ELSPETH BURNSIDE Agencie France-Presse HOYLAKE, UNITED KINGDOM: South Korea’s Shin Jiyai (far right) overcame atrocious weather and survived a marathon 36-hole final day to claim a second Women’s British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club by nine shots on Sunday. With rounds of 71 and 73, the

2008 champion finished on nine under par and won the final major of the season by an outstanding margin from South Korea’s Park Inbee. It was the biggest winning margin since the Championship became a major in 2001. Park, the 2008 US Women’s Open Champion, birdied the last for a closing 76 and second place, with American Paula Creamer,

who closed birdie, eagle, par birdie, taking third on one over par after a 72. Finishing in near darkness, the victory and the £266,000 cheque completed a remarkably impressive week for 24-year-old Shin, who has now won 10 times on the LPGA Tour. Last Monday, she had needed nine extra holes to beat Creamer in a play-off for the Kingsmill

Championship on the LPGA Tour. “That was a long, long day and very tough,” said the new champion. “I have never played in such bad weather, but I managed to stay focused and now I’m just so excited. “Winning at Sunningdale four years ago was my fist big win and changed my life. Now I have even more great British Open memories.”

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

sports

NFL: GIANTS RALLY FOR WIN OVER BUCCANEERS Andre Brown ran two yards for a touchdown with 31 seconds to play as quarterback Eli Manning and the New York Giants rallied for a 41-34 NFL victory over Tampa Bay. With the dramatic victory, the Super Bowl champion bounced back from a season-opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREVIEW

Champions League group phase

TUESDAY Group A At Zagreb Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v FC Porto (POR) At Paris Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Dynamo Kiev (UKR) Group B At Montpellier, France Montpellier (FRA) v Arsenal (ENG) At Piraeus, Greece Olympiacos (GRE) v Schalke 04 (GER) Group C At Malaga, Spain Malaga (ESP) v Zenit Saint Petersburg (RUS) At Milan, Italy AC Milan (ITA) v Anderlecht (BEL) Group D At Dortmund, Germany Borussia Dortmund (GER) v Ajax (NED) At Madrid Real Madrid (ESP) v Manchester City (ENG) WEDNESDAY Group E At Donetsk, Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v Nordsjaelland (DEN) At London Chelsea (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) Group F At Lille, France Lille (FRA) v BATE Borisov (BLR) At Munich, Germany Bayern Munich (GER) v Valencia (ESP) Group G At Barcelona, Spain Barcelona (ESP) v Spartak Moscow (RUS) At Glasgow, Scotland Celtic (SCO) v Benfica (POR) Group H At Manchester, England Manchester United (ENG) v Galatasaray (TUR) At Braga, Portugal SC Braga (POR) v CFR Cluj (ROM)

HILLSBOROUGH TRAGEDY

Real Madrid to take on Man City

It is a test of the mettle of Mourinho as to how he picks his side up from the disappointment of the latest defeat. PETER SHARD Agencie France-Presse PARIS: When a club as big as Real Madrid lose two of their first four league games of the season, talk of a crisis is never far behind. So it is a major test of the mettle of their coach Jose Mourinho as to how he picks his star-studded side up from the disappointment of the latest defeat at Sevilla for Tuesday’s Champions League opener with big-spending Manchester City. Mourinho, of course, is a seasoned campaigner at this level, as one of only three men — alongside Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld — to have lifted Europe’s ultimate prize with two different clubs, Porto and Inter Milan. But expectations in Madrid are high, with the fans desperate to end their 10-year drought and finally collect their 10th European crown. Yet all is clearly not well behind the scenes at the Bernabeu, with Cristiano Ronaldo (above right) offering only the most muted of celebra-

tions for his brace against Granada and then declaring himself to be “sad”. New signing Luca Modric is slowly finding his feet, but Mesut Ozil, one of the driving forces of last season’s run to the semifinals and the league title, has looked tired and out of sorts. City, on the other hand, have

got off to a solid start in the defence of their English League title. Desperate to join Europe’s top table after years in the shadow of neighbours United, City lie in fourth place and are unbeaten in their first four games. City manager Roberto Mancini insists key striker Sergio Aguero has a chance of featuring against Real.

Arsenal look to keep up form Having endured a turbulent summer Arsene Wenger has been thrilled to see his side find their feet. TOM WILLIAMS Agencie France-Presse MONTPELLIER: After a frustrating start to the season, Arsenal appear to have hit form just in time for Tuesday’s trip to competition debutants Montpellier in their opening Champions League fixture. Held 0-0 by first Sunderland and then Stoke City in the Premier League, Arsenal kickstarted their campaign with a 2-0 win at Liverpool on September 2 before routing promoted Southampton 6-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Having endured a turbulent summer that saw captain Robin van Persie and Alex Song leave the club, Arsene Wenger has been

thrilled to see his side find their feet ahead of a testing run of fixtures in the weeks ahead. “We have a big week coming up because we go on Tuesday now to Montpellier,” said the Arsenal coach, who is bidding to lead his side into the knockout rounds for the 13th consecutive season. “On Sunday we play at Man City (in the Premier League) and we have two interesting weeks coming up because we play Chelsea as well. We will know more about our team then but there is a positive energy in this team.”

Hillsborough families want inquests LONDON: Families of those killed in the Hillsborough football stadium disaster will Monday demand new inquests into the 96 deaths, in the wake of a damning report into the tragedy. Relatives are also calling for an immediate criminal investigation after the report published Wednesday found that police attempted to cover up their failings in the aftermath of the crush on April 15, 1989. Lawyers representing the families will on Monday write to Britain’s Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions outlining their demands, the Hillsborough Families Support Group (HFSG) said after a meeting at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium on Sunday. Speaking for the group, Trevor Hicks, who lost his daughters Vicky, 15, and Sarah, 19, in the disaster, said: “This goes beyond Hillsborough. What was exposed on Wednesday was

Relatives are calling for a criminal investigation after the report found that police attempted to cover up their failings. a disgrace to the nation, not just the families.... This goes across society and it’s important for society at large not to let this rest.” The Hillsborough Independent Panel report found that senior police officers had mounted a concerted campaign to cover up their errors in the worst disaster in British football history, altering 164 police statements and removing “unfavourable” comments. The independent panel said that 41 of the 96 who died after being crushed in a trapped crowd of fans might have survived if the emergency services’ response had been better coordinated. South Yorkshire Police has said said it is reopening an investigation into its conduct. “The findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel have finally vindicated the families in their 23-year struggle to establish the truth,” relatives said. AFP