Postnoon E-Paper for 28 November 2011

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Has the IT industry taken a beating due to numerous agitations? A straight answer is no. It might have affected the confidence levels, but not the business. Bandh calls are no longer threatening the industry which boasts of an export of Rs 36,000 cr from the State

IT’S FIRM REPORT ON PG 2

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Page Two

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Spirit of Twin Cities

It is a journey of 20 years for you. First it was Hysea and now it is ITsAP? How has been the journey? Why the name change?

IT industry in Hyderabad started in early ‘90s. It came to be known as IT industry since late ‘80s and early ‘90s in tune with liberalisation. This was around the same time when NASSCOM was formed in 1988. It was a new industry. Something unique happened in Andhra Pradesh in 1991. A few entrepreneurs – six of them – along with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) decided to form Hyderabad Software Exporters Association (HySEA) with an intention to network. They began to identify common issues, connectivity through earth station, technical and infrastructure requirements. It was a very small industry. The exports were worth just a few lakhs or at the most a few crores.

The HySEA was formed to address the local issues and help the Government in formulating policies. We feel proud of our association. We have done a lot and acted as a catalyst for the growth of interest in the industry among entrepreneurs. We conceptualised HiTec city. We were very closely associated with all stakeholders. We were able to work very closely with the Government, and collaborate with associations like FAPCCI, FICCI, NASSCOM, and CII. The HiTech city concept was to get all IT parks located here.

The mission included making an IT policy for AP, secure land at concessional rates, provide subsidy based on employment. We introduced hardware park as a concept. Special packages were given to small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the e-Governance projects. A 100 per cent concession was given to women entrepreneurs.

With a view to developing an animation, gaming and digital entertainment city, we are working with the Government and did a study with ISB. The journey has been challenging and rewarding.

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n

How many downturns did you see in the IT cycle in Hyderabad?

We had them twice: One was dot com bust in 2000-2001. Initially it was a dotcom boom and later it petered out. That was the first downturn after Y2K. In fact Y2K was a boom. Many small companies had to wind up. Second one was subprime crisis and economic recession in 2008-09.

The growth came to single digit due to global meltdown. The IT n

IT’S FIRM The various advisories due to agitations affected the City’s image. But at the ground level, work was still happening.

There was no major impact as of today, tells ITsAP Executive Director Brig Hari Kumar in an interview to A Saye Sekhar

industry started growing again.

Now it is growing at 12 per cent.

Eighty per cent of the industry was depending on the US. Later they migrated to other geographies from the US, limiting their exposure to Europe. n How was brand Hyderabad impacted by Telangana agitation and Ramalinga Raju’s confession of accounting fraud?

Satyam was the top exporter for several years from AP till 2008.

What happened to Satyam had its impact on the IT industry in the State. Satyam’s exports came down. It was a loss of face to the industry. It was totally unexpected from the corporate governance angle also.

The Government of India took some prompt action. That retrieved the situation to a great extent.

There was nothing wrong with the company as such. It was a bad experience for all of us.

People have learned some good lessons.

The various advisories going to several principals and clients due to bandhs, agitations and strikes, indeed, affected the City’s image. But at the ground

Our focus was always on SMEs and software products. At least 200 products were created by AP.

1

Java server for Sun Microsystems created by Pramati Technologies, Hyderabad. Jay Pullur, CEO. SDG Software, Sohaim Sheik, created AMLOCK (Anti Money Laundering Software). This is used by banks and financial institutions. The company got acquired by 3i Infotech.

Yasu Technologies – software rules engine…it became quite famous.

Wings Infonet’s accounting software. Ajay Gandhi is the MD.

2 3 4

level, work was still happening.

There was no major impact as of today. It has not slowed down the growth of the companies.

There is some loss of image for the City due to the agitation, as nobody likes uncertainty. n The State Government and leaders at the helm tried to project themselves as the pivots of growth of IT in Hyderabad? Is it true? If so, why are Bangalore, Chennai

and Noida ahead of Hyderabad always?

We are not looking at individuals. The State Government has certainly put in some very good policies with right infrastructure and right facilities. From Rs300 crore to Rs36,000 crore last year, IT exports registered a phenomenal growth. Whether it was Chandrababu Naidu or YS Rajasekhara Reddy, we got a good boost. Deloitte, Google, Cognizant and other biggies came here due to availability of good talent and support infrastructure. Both the governments had done extremely well. They supported the growth of the industry. We should give full credit to the government.

Growth of engineering colleges and getting the right candidates also boosted the activity.

We started 15 years after Bangalore and Chennai started.

Because of the faster growth, we reached the fourth position.

While domestic industry began using the services of IT companies in other cities, companies from abroad began coming in late. In fact, Andhra Pradesh should rope in industries to

Brig. Hari Kumar boost the IT industry too.

Have the government policies, especially the IT policy 2010-15, been of any use for the IT industry? What happened to the IT-SEZs? Yes. The policies helped us grow.

The 10-year sunset clause is coming to an end. We proactively got the space created. Why hasn’t it completely picked up is because of 2008-09 recession.

You can call it as an opportunity or a problem. We have space available for players to come and invest, while no other States has this. The State Government has to market it. n Has ITsAP been able to work closely with the State Government in tune with its objective?

We took many delegations along with the State Government. A consultative committee of IT consisting of IT Secretary, president of ITsAP, and other stakeholders meets every month. The Government consults the industry whenever they make a policy.

We have got at 750-plus engineering colleges established in the last 10 years. Quality of the talent is not good enough.

Industry leaders go to colleges.

We want all of them to be employable. Efforts are being made to improve the quality of the engineering students.

Academia-industry interface is being created, while the Jawahar Knowledge Centres are also doing well. Opportunities are aplenty. n Where do the exports from the State stand and where do you see them grow? How many IT employees are working in the State?

We don’t expect 30-40 per cent growth in the next three-four year. We foresee it growing. The projection is Rs40,000 crore in FY12. Approximately, three lakh IT employees are working in the State. It grows further if the talent is honed as infrastructure is already available. We are trying to attract fresh investment. The IT investment region is coming around Outer Ring Road (ORR).

There will be four or five IT hubs. n

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VVIPs nudge out ordinary inmates The increasing march of ‘Big Guns’ into the central prison has generated a space constraint and other associated problems to the jail authorities and fellow prisoners. Worse, they can’t complain U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

T

he TDP chief’s recent banter that jails in the country are not large enough to accommodate Congressmen charged with corruption is partly proving true.

Though not Congressmen, the central prison at Chanchalguda is finding it hard to accommodate the increasing strength of VVIP prisoners.

No one expected that the number could go up like it has today. The jail has the capacity to accommodate 650 inmates, but occupancy is more than 700.

Most of the new inmates happen to be high-profile ones which makes it difficult for the jailor to find appropriate cells. At present ‘A” class facility is overflowing.

Chanchalguda jail was originally built to house 1050

inmates. However, with construction activity going on for new blocks, the capacity has been reduced to 650.

Earlier B Ramalinga Raju, former chairman of Satyam, managed to get special facilities in the jail. Later Gali Janardhana Reddy and BV Srinivas Reddy after petitioning the court got the special room. Now VD Rajagopal and Koneru Prasad have also appealed to court for special rooms. If Rajagopal and Prasad are granted special class status by the court how to manage the situation is a big question. The prison sources say they will have no choice but to turn a barrack or some cells into a ‘special’ facility. Another option is constructing new cells but the space constraint proves a stumbling-block, officials hinted.

The option is to shift some of them to the Open Jail at

Cherlapally.

“But how many cells can we convert into rooms for special prisoners? We have ordinary prisoners to cater to as well,” said a prison official. “All we can do is clean up some cells, provide a bed, mattress, mosquito net, table, chair and make it “special.”

“These VIPs who are used to leading a luxurious lifestyle find it very difficult to sleep on the floor. They also mind being lodged with ordinary prisoners.

But officials and police in the jail have their own limitations,” he adds.

Special prisoners get newspapers, magazines and can order non-vegetarian food from outside as well as use a cook to make food of their choice. But they have to pay for all this.

If more cells are converted into special rooms, ordinary prisoners would have to be accommodated in other cells available. “Accommodating a few more ordinary prisoners is not a problem but turning more barracks or cells into special class facilities is difficult. There is another problem the prison officials face — VVIP visits. Gali Janardhana Reddy, for instance,

had a surprise visitor recently,” says the prison official.

The visitor was none other than minister for Law Erasu Pratap Reddy. It is learnt the minister wanted to see if some additional facilities can be created in the jail. The minister is already in talks with the officials and government about the improvement of facilities. It is reported that the minister wanted to know what would happen if more A-class inmates were added in the future.

He had enquired with the jail authorities about the facilities being provided to Gali, who has been shifted to A class barracks, which was earlier used by Ramalinga Raju.

Pratap hails from Kurnool and is close to Gali and his family. However, it is reported that the minster did not talk to Gali Janardhana Reddy.

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Mellifluous and inspiring MM Keeravani delivers a thematically fitting soundtrack for Rajanna which is melodious Indira Atluri Indira.a@postnoon.com

N

agarjuna’s upcoming film Rajanna is one of the most awaited films of the year.

Directed by Vijayendra Prasad, the film also stars Sneha, Annie and Shweta Menon in the lead roles. The film, which is set in 1952, is about a little orphaned girl, Malli who’s inspired by her father’s life as he fought against the oppression of the feudal zamindars. MM Keeravani composed music for 12 songs for the film including several bit songs and as many as five lyricists, K Sivadatta, Ananth Sriram, Suddala Ashokteja, Mettapalli Surender and Chaitanya Prasad penned the lyrics.

The album’s first song Gijigadu is undoubtedly the best of the lot. The lyrics are thought-provoking and there are several metaphors throughout the song. Sung by Sanjeev Chimmalgi and Kaala Bhairava, Gijigadu establish Rajanna’s character while maintaining an element of mystery about him.

It is a must-listen. Keeravani

follows up this with a foot-tapping number Ree Ro Rela which has been sung by Madhumita.

There is something very virginlike about her voice that we absolute love. The song is about the ‘Nela Talli’, and mentions the importance of the land from which Rajanna himself comes from.

Chittiguvva is a song about the dawn of hope. The song has an optimistic tone and narrates the life of the villagers. It mellows down in the middle, but picks up tempo towards the end which makes for an inspiring number. Sung by Shivani, Venu, Sanjeev and Ramya, it is definitely a masterpiece by MM Keeravani. So is the song Oka Kshanam, which also has a revolutionary tone to it. The song is a parade against the ‘White people’, and about how the villagers are no longer scared of death. It is about how oka kshanam (one minute) can change even the gravest of situations to the advantage of those fighting against odds. With the use of phrases like ‘Mrityu Megham’, the song is powerful.

For those who love the rusticity of village folk songs,

Kaaligajje is your pick. The song, while reminding you of the simplicity of village life, also reminds you of the good old songs of the 70s and 80s.

Melukove Chittithalli and Amma Avanee also stand out for their lyrics.

The album is a breezy change to the songs that have released in the recent past.

Kudos to all the five lyricists for penning such beautiful lyrics for a film set in the 1950s. The best part about the album is that it transports you to a bygone era. It also helps that each song conveys a different mood in the film. Despite having 12 songs, each song evokes a different tone and emotion to the listener.

(With inputs from Hemanth Kumar)

An impressionable play Shiba Minai

S

unday evening saw some of the finest theatre artistes take the City by storm when they staged the play August: Osage County, an American play directed by Lillete Dubey.

The play which was staged at N Convention saw a 1000-strong audience lap up the performances. Set in Goa, the plot revolved around a universal theme of family and conflicts

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that take place in every relationship, whether between motherdaughter, siblings or spouses.

The story line was strong with the punches of dark underlying humour. The cast which comprised of Lillete Dubey, Sandhya Mridul, Kitu Gidwani, Meeta Vashisht, Amar Talwar, Suchitra Pillai, and Ira Dubey, put up stellar performances.

However, the poor acoustics at the venue dampened the joy viewing.

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Another question raised was would a play be able to do justice to so many good actors? To which Sandhya Mridul said, “All our parts have been clearly etched and we have been appreciated quite a lot for it.” While Lillete said, “This play is an ensemble of some of the best roles.” The play was followed by a round of drinks and snacks. In the meantime, Hyderabad is hoping for more such Pulitzer winning plays.

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‘Beware of antibiotics overkill’ Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

A

buse of antibiotics was the focus of discussions at the Andhra Pradesh Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (APNA) annual convention APNACON'11 on November 27. Representatives from private hospitals discuss agendas ranging from day-today problems of hospitals, improving the medical treatment quality, reducing the cost of treatments as well as improving medical knowledge amongst doctors at the event.

Stressing on how grave the situation is, Dr RS Saluja, organiser and president, APNA said, “Taking antibiotics for the smallest of sickness is increasing by the day. Just a few years back, nobody took antibiotics unless absolutely needed.

Someone must curb it immediately. There is lack of awareness among people.”

The first priority of APNA for their next term is to bring an awareness among people about the ill-effects of the over-use of antibiotics.

There are no medical laws which prevent the sale and buying of over-the-counter antibiotics. The situation is so shoddy that pharmacists rarely ask for a prescription. In fact, many a times, the pharmacist prescribes antibiotics for common sickness such as cold and fever.

The lack of medical awareness among people also makes the situation dire. Popping pills for the illnesses ranging from a simple headache to common cold — it is all too common.

Sadly, new generation of doctors tread the same path. They prescribe multiple antibiotics.

What can frequent use of antibiotics do? “Antibiotics are used mainly to treat infections.

If used often, the bacteria that causes the infection develops resistance to the drug and the medicine will no longer serve

Dr Bhaskar Rao, director of Kims Hospital, inaugurates the Andhra Pradesh Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association annual convention, APNACON'11, on Sunday. the purpose.” said Dr Amitav Ray, neurosurgeon, Apollo Hospital.

Agrees Dr Nizar Lalani, paediatrician, ESI Hospital, “Sometimes, it can lead to a severely upset stomach as well as gastrointestinal disturbance.”

Giving an example, Dr Amitav said, “Staphylo Coccus was a common bacteria present

in the body and used to respond to penicillin. Due to it's frequent use in patients, the bacteria has become resistant to it and can no longer be treated just with that.”

Antibiotics can remain in your teeth and discolour them as well as leave a bad stain, said Dr Shuaib Razvi, dentist.

“Antibiotics such as Tetracycline can stain your

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The contestants of Mr AP 2011, who made it to the final 20, strike a pose at a light studio in Somajiguda.

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teeth and Metronidazola can leave a metallic taste in your mouth. When the body become resistant to a drug, a higher dosage must be given in order to treat the infection,” he said.

The western nations have stricter laws against the sale of antibiotics. Very few antibiotics can be sold over the counter.

“Not only is a prescription required, but also a prescription from a specific doctor dealing with such infections.

Unfortunately, the patent laws are not very strong in India and this is exploited by the pharmaceutical companies,” pointed out Dr Amitav.

“These days all doctors prescribe a lot of antibiotics, not to treat the bacteria faster, but because we live in a less sanitised environment and therefore are less immune. Even a simple viral infection demands several antibiotics. Having said that, it is a must that they be reduced to an absolute minimum,” he added.

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Celebrating life, one community at a time Postnoon News

G

one are the days when residents of colonies and apartments got together to celebrate festivals or organise events that the whole community could partake in. While almost every residential colony and apartment block has a welfare association, few of them are active.However, things are different at SMR Vinay Acropolis Apartments in Kondapur.

This residential block organises children’s events every winter as part of their society welfare programme.

This year, the event was bigger and better and saw a larger participation.

Kids of various ages participated in events like

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Even parents were not too far behind. Enthusiastic parents were seen organising and cheering on their wards from the sidelines.

“We are very happy with the response. The children are thoroughly enjoying themselves. Over the next few weeks, the events that we will conduct are not only for children, but for adults as well,” said Prakash Bodla, president of the association.

“These events will culminate into our cultural event, Harmony fest, which will be conducted soon,” said Prabha R Madhavan, associate member of the group.

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India unveiled nice and full

7

Kishenji was given three days to surrender, says Mamata KOLKATA: Claiming that slain Maoist leader Kishenji had been given three days’ time to surrender by security forces after he was tracked down, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday said the rebel leader and his associates instead opened fire, triggering a gunfight.

“There was a village close by.

The security forces did not want any collateral damage. So he was asked to surrender. Appeals were made constantly with handmikes. He was given three days’ time to surrender. However, the Maoists did not listen. They started firing,” Banerjee said at a public meeting in the city’s southern outskirts Behala.

Security forces have claimed that Maoist guerrilla commander Kishenji, whose real name was Mallojula Koteshwar Rao, was killed in a gunbattle at Burishol village of West Midnapore district on Thursday.

However, the outlawed Communist Party of India(Maoist) and its sympathisers have alleged that Kishenji was taken into custody, tortured, and then killed in cold blood in a staged gunfight.

Rallying behind the forces, after having maintained silence on the incident so long, Banerjee said Kishenji and his associates

had fired 1,000 rounds. “Had the security forces not taken any steps, 500 villagers would have been killed”.

The chief minister, who was addressing an election meeting in support of the Trinamool Congress candidate for the November 30 Kolkata South Lok Sabha by-polls, claimed she had no knowledge of the operation before it happened.

“I always let police do their job. When I got to know about the incident, I asked them why they did not ask him to surrender. It was then that the police officers told me the details.”

Banerjee also alleged that Kishenji and his men had gathered in the jungle to plot a con-

spiracy to assassinate her and other Trinamool leaders. “This I learnt from police. They were also planning a big terrorist strike on a metro railway station or a marketplace so that they can kill a couple of hundred people”.

Banerjee said she did not want anybody to die, but asked the people whether they would have pardoned her government had police been a silent spectator even after coming to know such strikes were being planned.

“Can the government sit idle if it hears sabotage attempts are on?” she said, urging the crowd to decide the route which her regime should have taken. The crowd responded vocally supporting the security forces.

Taking on the human rights organisations, which have cried foul over Kishenji’s death, Banerjee said: “I am a greater believer in human rights than these people. They should not teach me human rights. But where were these groups when poor villagers, who can hardly make both ends meet, were killed by the Maoists? Did they hold any meeting?”

“And did they hold any protest meetings when 24 Easter Frontier Rifle men were gunned down (in February last year)?”

IANS she asked.

Maoists kill 2 tribal youths in AP HYDERABAD: Accusing them of being police spies, suspected Maoists killed two tribal youth in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam district on Sunday, police said.

Police said Maoists kidnapped the two youth and hacked them to death early Sunday. The incident took place in Kampumanapakala village in Visakhapatnam district.

The deceased, identified as D Sivaprakash Koti, 35, and T Bojjibabu, 25, were reportedly

providing information to police about the movement of Maoists.

The killings took place amid an high alert sounded by police following the killing of Maoist leader Kishenji in West Bengal on Thursday.

Police, especially the elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds, have intensified combing operations in the north coastal Andhra Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram districts bordering Orissa.

6 bullet wounds on Kishenji’s body KOLKATA: There were 20 injuries, including six bullet wounds and two induced by shrapnel, on Kishenji, according to the initial autopsy report prepared by forensic experts in the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, sources said.

Kishenji had four injuries which could have led to his death.

Three of them were bullet wounds — around the cheek and jaw; in the left armpit injuring his lungs; on the right chest — as also a splinter injury in the rear part of the head.

A part of his face, jaw, left

heel and left palm were blown up by bullets and grenades, while the left knee had a deep bullet mark which could have severely limited his mobility and could not escape.

The viscera report is now awaited to determine the time of his death and whether — as claimed by the security forces — he had fired a barrage of bullets from his AK-47 assault rifle.

Security forces have claimed that Kishenji was killed after a fierce gunfight, in which CRPF and its elite anti-Maoist wing, Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) took a leading part.

Delhi goes happy & gay NEW DELHI: Donning rainbowcoloured scarves and attire and gyrating to drumbeats, hundreds of people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community created a carnival-like atmosphere on Sunday at Connaught Place as they marched in the fourth edition of the Delhi Queer Pride Parade.

The parade that commenced from Barakambha Road and culminated at Jantar Mantar caused a major stir as passersby and traffic came to a halt trying to catch a glimpse of the colourful participants.

A giant rainbow-coloured flag was the centre of attraction as many danced around and under it while posing merrily for the shutterbugs.

Like each year, free masks, rainbow coloured scarves, flags, badges, whistles, candies etc. were distributed. The

Designer Manish Arora and Vir Saghvi masks were particularly for closet gays — those who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender.

For 25-year-old Anshuman Singh, the masks were a must till last years’ parade as he was a closet gay. But after revealing his sexual preference to his family earlier this year, he has “broken the shackles”.

“I am proud of who I am and I don’t fear anyone now. I am confident and have broken the shackles of the society,” an elated Singh said.

Agreed Rene Khan, an 18-year-old lesbian who said that the society need to change its perception towards the LGBT community. “We have this one day in the year when we walk the roads wearing our sexual orientation on our sleeves. Why can’t we do this everyday?

Why can’t people leave us alone?” said an emotional Khan. Meanwhile, as per the organisers, the rally was not all about amusement and wanted to address some serious issues.

“Queers in India face violence, discrimination, forced marriages, blackmailing and do not enjoy health services. We need the government to take some serious actions,” Mohnish Malhotra of “Queer Delhi”said. IANS

India‑View

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

India unveiled nice and full

8

Singh, Sonia to attend Rahul rally Confusion prevails over venue for Hazare’s fast NEW DELHI: Confusion prevailed over Anna Hazare's protest plans today with a prominent MCD functionary saying that the civic body has not given permission for the agitation at Ramlila Maidan even as Team Anna insisted that they have got the nod.

MCD Standing Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia said no permission has been given for using the Ramlila Maidan.

However, a senior MCD official said permission has not been denied. “But permission has also not been given. They said they want the ground after the Winter Session. No dates were mentioned. If there are no bookings, they may get it,” the official said.

Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said: “We have been granted permission to use the ground from December 27 to January 5.” Team Anna sources said they have the permission from the MCD “subject to an PTI NoC" from Delhi Police.

NEW DELHI: After successfully carrying out elections for the first time in the Youth Congress, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will today address the newlyelected office bearers at the first-ever convention of the body in the national capital.

Mr Gandhi will be inaugurating the convention of the 8,000-odd elected members from across the country.

The two-day convention beginning today will also be addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia

Gandhi.

The convention titled 'Buniyaad' (foundation) is the first major programme of the party after Rahul Gandhi started playing a larger role in the organisation in the wake of his mother's illness.

The two-day convention at Japanese Park, a first of its kind in the history of the Youth Congress, comes just ahead of assembly elections in five states, including the politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh, where Mr Gandhi is leading the campaign charge.

IANS

Opposition closes ranks NEW DELHI: In a rare show of unity, a combined Opposition will seek to corner the UPA government in Parliament on Monday on its decision to allow FDI in retail.

A clear indication to this effect was given today by the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj who said BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has submitted a notice of adjournment motion on the FDI issue on behalf of the party.

“We want the House to discuss this issue by way of

adjournment motion tomorrow,” she tweeted, adding Government's decision of allowing 51 per cent FDI in retail “is not acceptable to us”.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley will move a motion to suspend Question Hour to discuss why the Government's decision on allowing FDI in retail should be revoked.

Key NDA ally JD(U) has also given a notice of an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha on Monday and efforts are on for floor coordination

among opposition parties including BJP, the Left, AIADMK, besides those supporting UPA such as BSP and SP. The Left parties and AIADMK are likely to move similar motions in both the Houses.

Added to this is the fact that some constituents of the UPA like Trinamool Congress are also opposing FDI in retail.

Opposition sources said efforts were underway to bring on board DMK besides the PTI Trinamool.

Kani bail plea to be heard today NEW DELHI: The Delhi High court will be hearing the bail plea of DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and that of 5 others accused in the 2G spectrum scam today. The arguments on the matter could not be concluded on Friday.

All six accused had approached the court after the Supreme Court granted bail to five corporate executives on November 23. The Delhi High Court had observed that just because the apex court had given bail to five accused didn't mean that there should be walk over for the other accused.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to put forward its arguments in the court on Monday. It had already conceded bail to Kanimozhi and Cineyug founder Karim Morani in the trial court.

The five others seeking bail on Monday are Karim Morani, Kalaignar TV's MD Sharath Kumar, Kusegaon directors Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal and former Telecom Secretary PTI Siddharth Behura.

India, China battle it out over Buddhism Vijay Kranti

T

he sudden decision of India and China to drop the meeting of their special representatives only a day before it was scheduled in Beijing has brought a cold war on Buddhism out in the open.

China decided to drop the meeting as New Delhi reportedly turned down its demand to keep the Dalai Lama away from a four-day Global Buddhist Congregation that began in New Delhi Sunday. This glitch automatically puts off the later defence secretary level annual dialogue of December 8-9.

Both sides have publicly

downplayed the issue but there is far more behind the scene than what meets the public eye.

The Chinese leadership is determined to make China the supreme Buddhist power. The sudden love affair with Buddhism arises more from anxieties related to the Tibetan spiritual ruler Dalai Lama, than a change in heart on religion.

China's rulers are focused at building up enough credibility in the international Buddhist community to have their way on the selection of the Dalai Lama's new incarnation before he dies. The Chinese believe that a friendly Dalai Lama will solve their Tibet knot.

It was the unexpected Tibetan uprising of 1989 that made Chinese leaders realise that a Tibetan generation who had never seen the Dalai Lama and who grew on daily staple of Communist propaganda was to blame. Following a serious review at the third 'Tibet Work Forum' in 1991, China adopted

a new policy in Tibet which accepts religion as a tool of winning hearts.

As part of this strategy, Chinese Communists have selected at least two top ranking lama incarnations of Karma Pa and Panchen Lama in 1993 and 1995 respectively. Gedhun Choeky Nyima, the six-year-old who was recognised by the Dalia Lama as the 'real' Panchen Lama, still remains under Chinese custody.

While Chinese candidate Giancin Norbu has yet to be accepted by Tibetan masses, the Karma Pa escaped to India to join the Dalia Lama in 2000.

Leaving behind Mao's dis-

taste for religion, Beijing hosted the first World Buddhist Forum in 2006 in Zhejian and the second in March 2009 in Wuxi. The latter attracted over 1,700 delegates from 50 countries. In both meetings, Giancin Norbu was paraded as the senior most representative of Buddhism.

This aggressive marketing

by China as the real Buddhist powerhouse of the world has not gone down well with India, where the Buddha attained enlightenment. New Delhi too has launched its own Buddhist conferences in Singapore, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. There will be similar shows in Nepal IANS and Vietnam.

Around the World

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Universally fresh

NATO insists it was provoked Says Pakistan border fire provoked attack even as country simmers in rage

A Pakistani security personnel stands guard beside trucks carrying supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan after Pakistani authorities suspended AFP NATO supplies yesterday

ISLAMABAD: The West is striving to limit the fallout from a deadly NATO air raid on Pakistani border troops, but reports the soldiers opened fire first on US and Afghan forces risked stoking new tensions.

Pakistan is simmering over the killings of the 24 soldiers, with fiery weekend protests denouncing the assault by NATO helicopters and fighter jets on two military posts on the Afghan border early on Saturday.

The United States, which depends on Pakistan as a vital lifeline to supply 1,30,000 foreign troops fighting in landlocked Afghanistan, on Sunday scrambled to salvage the alliance, backing a full inquiry and expressing condolences.

NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen also sought to soothe Islamabad’s

rage, but stopped short of issuing a full apology for the ‘tragic, unintended’ killings.

In retaliation for the raid, Islamabad has blocked NATO convoys from crossing into Afghanistan, ordered a review of its alliance with the US and

mulled whether to boycott a key conference on Afghanistan next month.

Hundreds of enraged Pakistanis took to the streets Sunday, burning an effigy of President Barack Obama and setting fire to US flags across the

Relatives and area residents carry the coffin of a Pakistani soldier who was killed in the NATO strike during his AFP funeral ceremony in Bhakkar district yesterday

country of 167 million where opposition to the government’s US alliance is rampant.

Pakistan says the attack was unprovoked.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar telephoned US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday to convey a ‘deep sense of rage’ as a joint funeral was held for the dead soldiers, their coffins draped in the national flag.

But a report in Monday’s Wall Street Journal — denied by Islamabad — said the NATO jets and helicopters responded to firing from a Pakistani post on the ill-defined Afghan border.

The article, which followed a similar report by Britain’s Guardian newspaper, cited three Afghan officials and one Western official as saying the air raid was called in to shield allied forces targeting Taliban fighters.

NATO and Afghan forces ‘were fired on from a Pakistani army base’, the unnamed Western official told the Wall Street Journal “It was a defensive action.”

An Afghan official in Kabul was quoted as saying “There was firing coming from the position against Afghan army soldiers who requested support and this is what happened.”

The official added that the government in Kabul believes the fire came from the Pakistani military base — and not from insurgents in the area.

There was no official US response to the report.

Egypt cheers on its blinded hero CAIRO: Ahmed Harara lost one eye in the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak, only to lose the other during protests to oust the military rulers who took power after the fall of the veteran strongman. Photos of Harara’s chiselled face — a patch on each eye — were quickly circulated on social networking sites, galvanising opinion against security forces’ brutal methods to quell the mass protests that left 42 people dead.

In spite of himself, Harara has become the latest hero of Egypt’s revolution.

“I don’t want to be a symbol.

The real symbol is Tahrir Square

and the protesters there,” said the 31-year-old dentist.

Surrounded by friends, an emotional Harara carved a path through the thick crowd of Tahrir Square — the symbolic heart of rallies that ousted Mubarak — which he can no longer see.

Everywhere he goes, he is applauded, congratulated, cheered, kissed. Behind him, a banner reads ‘We are all your eyes, Ahmed Harara’.

On January 25, Harara joined hundreds of thousands of Egyptians calling for political and economic reforms in efforts to end Mubarak’s 30-year-rule.

Three days later, during fierce

Ahmed Harara (C), is escorted by friends along a street AFP leading to Tahrir Square

9

DR Congo holds polls after clashes

Joseph Kabila KINSHASA: Tensions are high as the Democratic Republic of Congo is holding presidential and parliamentary elections right now after a campaign marred by violence, including clashes in which at least two people died.

Incumbent President Joseph Kabila, 40, in power since 2001, is tipped to win a new five-year term running for the ruling People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) against a divided opposition field of 10 challengers.

His main rival is veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, 78, running for the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS).

The two men’s supporters have clashed several times in the run-up to the vote, and the last day of campaigning on Saturday descended into chaos as police banned all rallies. They used teargas, water cannons and live ammunition to disperse Tshisekedi’s supporters.

clashes between protesters and security forces, a police shot claimed his eye.

“I was hit by birdshot in the head, the neck and the right eye.

Shrapnel damaged my retina,” Harara said. But even after losing his eye — and his job — Harara insisted on joining protesters 10 months later, this time in a bid to bring down the military council that took over when Mubarak was chased from power in February.

On November 19, when the latest round of clashes erupted between protesters and police, Harara headed into Mohammed Mahmud, the flashpoint street leading from Tahrir to the heavily fortified interior ministry. This time, a rubber bullet took out his second eye.

Around the World

Universally fresh

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Sudeshna Koka

E

ven before people had time to debate whether lovable Archie should have married Betty rather than Veronica, Archie has thrown a grenade among his millions of chums by announcing his friend’s gay marriage, that too an interracial one, at Riverdale.

The cover of the January 2012 edition of Life With Archie, in which Archie’s gay friend Kevin Keller gets married to his African American boyfriend, has just been released. It will be the first gay wedding to be depicted in an Archie comic. Readers will learn how Kevin met his fiancé, Clay Walker, in a military hospital after being wounded while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Kevin, who was introduced to readers in an issue of Veronica in September 2010, was the first openly gay character to be a part of the Riverdale gang in the 72-year history of the comic.

But how will it fare in India, where homosexuality is still a taboo — despite Delhi High Court decriminalising gay sex? One wonders if it would be prudent to expose our teenagers to a glorified gay wedding, even as a comic.

“Even a sex education has not won its war in India,” the anti-gay school of thought points out. Then where is the scope for samesex marriage?

It’s a conflict, agree peers. “As an individual, everyone has a choice and as a parent it would be difficult for one to accept his or her child’s orientation to homosexuality. However, I do see a change in the Indian mindset,” remarked Nalini Rao, principal, Unicent Child Centric School.

“But when it comes to letting my students read any content on homosexuality, I would oppose. For adults, it may be ok. But it is a big nono for primary and secondary level students. They are in a very impressionable age and a context like this will have a stronger impact,” she points out.

ARCHIE INVITES YOU TO HIS GAY FRIEND’S MARRIAGE! One of the most popular teen comics, Archie, comes out boldly in its January 2012 edition with the cover of a gay marriage and it sets off a debate among the youth on whether we are ready for such a brazen show of sexual preference

10

On the contrary, some pre-teens and those entering their adolescence believe it is all right to read such content in comic books and believe this is a sign of progression. “Archie comics are about high school students and we totally relate to them. Same sex characters getting married is completely normal and interesting,” says Manvi Khandeval, a class X student, Pallavi Model School.

However, parents feel otherwise. They feel this edition should be banned in the Indian market. “We are definitely not ready for something like this being offered to our children. It would be very utopian to accept something like this.

We should let the child figure out thing on their own as they grow up. Why feed them with these thoughts in such a young age, asks Anurag B, a parent.

However, Indian media have of late has become a lot more sensitive to covering gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender issues.

Some psychologists see this as a way to develop-

ment. “ If parents are in the view that their child is too young to be educated on sex, they are wrong. With the amount of information available today no child is in the dark. In fact it’s better if parents are open to sex education and discuss issues regarding sexual orientation with their child,” said a leading city psychologist.

However, here another sounds a caution “very young children should be kept away from this book as it may influence their developing minds”, says Dina Monteriro, a psychologist.

Business

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Matters of saving and spending

Sensex climbs 232 points at opening MUMBAI: The BSE Sensex rose by nearly 232 points in opening trade today, spurred by a firming trend in Asian markets following reports that the International Monetary Fund is working on a rescue plan for debt-stricken Italy amid the broader euro zone crisis.

The 30-share benchmark index, which lost 163.06 points in the previous session, recovered by 231.71 points, or 1.48 per cent, to 15,927.14 within minutes of the opening bell.

In a similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index moved up by 66.85 points, or 1.42 per cent, to 4,776.90. Capital goods, realty, metal and auto stocks led the rally.

Brokers said fresh buying by funds and retail investors amid a firming trend in other Asian markets mainly led to the recovery on domestic bourses. In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was up 2.27 per cent, while Japan’s Nikkei Index rose by 1.77 per cent in morning trade on Monday. The Indian rupee strengthened by

Market@noon BSE 15,977.25 NSE 4,793.70 Gold 24k : 10g Silver 1kg Dollar $ Pound £

281.82 83.65 `29.100 `55.400 `51.98 `80.60

15 paise to Rs 52.10 per US dollar in early trade on the Interbank Foreign Exchange today, tracking gains registered by the euro and other currencies against the American dollar.

Forex dealers said a higher opening in the domestic stock market and dollar losses against the euro and other currencies overseas on hopes that European leaders will

cobble together a rescue fund to ease the region’s debt problems supported the rupee sentiment. However, month-end dollar demand from importers restricted the gains, they said.

The rupee had weakened by 19 paise to close at Rs 52.25/26 against the US dollar on Friday amid fresh demand for the American currency from importers and weak equity markets. Meanwhile, the 30share BSE benchmark Sensex index rose by 231.71 points, or 1.48 per cent, to 15,927.14 in opening trade on Monday.

11

Parliament adjourned over FDI in retail NEW DELHI: Both houses of parliament were Monday adjourned till noon over the government’s decision to allow 51 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail.

Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the Lok Sabha till noon after opposition members protested the move.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi had moved an adjournment motion for suspension of Question Hour in the Lok Sabha Monday.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till noon on the same issue. BJP believes the move would adversely affect the services and manufacturing sectors of the Indian economy. The party also thinks FDI in retail would result in loss of jobs in the name of removing middlemen.

CII hails decision However, Andhra Pradesh chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) hailed the decision of the Cabinet to open multi-brand retail to FDI. It would wider choice with better quality to consumers and bring in more business opportunities for SMEs, said Jay Galla, Chairman, CII Andhra Pradesh & Managing Director, Amara Raja Batteries Ltd. As investment into retail

would increase, the quality of products was expected to improve with greater transparency and easier monitoring of adulteration, counterfeit products and traceability.

Further, with its ability to drive efficiencies and leverage scale, organized retail was expected to increase affordability for consumers.

With large investments expected in the sector, global retailers would leverage Indian manufacturing base more, once they are allowed to set up local operations here. There is stipulation of 30 per cent more buying from SMEs, particularly in India. As organized retail spreads, bulk buying from SMEs will increase thereby meaning more business for SMEs, said Mr. Y Harish Chandra Prasad, past Chairman, CII Andhra Pradesh & Chairman, Malaxmi Infra Ventures (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Record Black Friday weekend sales in US Americans WASHINGTON: shrugged off economic gloom to spend a record $52.4 billion over Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation said Sunday, as shoppers prepared for “Cyber Monday” online deals. Sales over the long holiday weekend were up 16 percent from last year, marking the biggest dollar amount ever spent over the Black Friday period, the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season, the NRF said.

“Stuffed to the brim from their holiday meals and eager to shop, more consumers than ever turned out for retailers’ Black Friday promotions, a promising sign for the economic recovery,” said NRF president Matthew Shay. “After an historic holiday weekend, retailers know the holiday season is far from over and

will continue to look for ways to excite holiday shoppers and build on the momentum we’ve seen thus far.”

The average holiday shopper — 226 million of them visiting stores and websites this weekend, according to the association’s survey — spent $398.62, up from $365.34 last year.

Consumers were likely to continue the trend on Monday, known as “Cyber Monday” for the deep discounts offered on Internet retail sites.

“We are anticipating a very strong Cyber Monday,” NRF vice president Ellen Davis told reporters in a conference call about the survey, which included figures for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and projected spending for Sunday.

Research firm comScore said

Black Friday shoppers wait in the check-out line over an hour, after waiting in line to get in and then fighting huge crowds at the Toys-R-Us store at the Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax meanwhile that 50 million Americans visited online retail sites on Black Friday alone, a 35 percent jump from last year.

Sales totaled $816 million, 26

percent more than last year.

Amazon was the most visited website, followed by Wal-Mart, electronics giant Best Buy, Target and Apple, according to

comScore.

The NRF’s Davis however warned against over-optimism, saying that similar Black Friday figures were seen in 2008 during the recession, but afterwards, “nobody shopped for the rest of the holiday season.”

Shoppers mobbed malls and went online in droves to snap up bargains late Thursday, through the night and into Friday — an annual sales ritual that marks the start to the end-of-year shopping season relied on by many retailers.

The stampede for deeply discounted goods was fed by aggressive marketing, with many stores this year moving up their sales launches to intrude on Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday, and carry on through the AFP weekend.

Play Field

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

A critical look at games and players

12

Hart saves City from first defeat Ten-man Manchester City survived a serious examination of their title credentials at Liverpool to extend their unbeaten run

H

ad it not been for goalkeeper Joe Hart, the visitors may have tasted a league defeat for the first time since May 7.

They barely had time to celebrate Vincent Kompany’s 31stminute opener before Charlie Adam’s shot was deflected in by Joleon Lescott.

In the second half, substitute Mario Balotelli lasted 18 minutes before being sent off for a second bookable offence and had England international Hart not been on top form City would have succumbed to sustained Liverpool pressure late on.

Credit must go to Liverpool who enhanced their own repu-

tation as genuine top-four contenders with a second-half performance which produced everything but a winner.

Ironically, considering the silky attacking skills at their disposal, the visitors took a 31st-minute lead from an old-fashioned corner routine.

David Silva swung in a leftfooted cross and centre-back Kompany glanced a header into the far corner after marker Dirk Kuyt and Glen Johnson got in each other’s way.

But within two minutes City found themselves pegged back.

Kompany’s weak clearance dropped to Kuyt, who squared for Adam to unleash a left-foot-

ed drive which was heading wide until Lescott tried to clear and succeeded only in diverting the ball past Hart.

The increasingly manic atmosphere hardly needed enhancing, but the arrival of Balotelli for Samir Nasri did exactly that.

Having been booked for pulling back Johnson, Balotelli was shown a second yellow card for catching Martin Skrtel across the face.

Hart kept his side in it with another good save at his near post from Luis Suarez and pulled off another brilliant onehanded effort from Andy Carroll’s header in added time.

Pascali downs Rangers Wales boss Speed Rangers saw their impressive away record come to an end after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Kilmarnock

A

lly McCoist’s men were aiming for their 15th consecutive league win on the road but Manuel Pascali grabbed the only goal late on to ensure the three points remained at Rugby Park.

The Light Blues’ last visit to the Ayrshire venue saw them claim the SPL crown with a commanding 5-1 win on the last day of last season, but this result means they remain just four points ahead of Celtic in the title race.

Sone Aluk, making his Rangers debut after completing his move to Ibrox last week, was in the thick of the action immediately when he found Steven Davis in the box, who teed up the shot for Nikica Jelavic in front of goal but the Croatian connected awkwardly and Cammy Bell was able to gather.

Jelavic then saw another effort crash off the post but the offside flag was already raised before he unleashed the shot as Rangers continued to push forward in search of the opener.

Killie had a penalty claim ignored when Gary Harkins went to ground under pressure from Ross Perry and Kirk Broadfoot but referee Alan

Muir was unimpressed.

Kilmarnock started the second half strongly and a Harkins effort trundled just past the upright and out of play after Steven Whittaker managed to get a block on the shot.

At the other end, Killie resorted to last-gasp defending when James Fowler hooked an Aluko drive off the line, before McGregor came to the rescue of Rangers with an excellent save after finding himself oneon-one with Racchi.

Aluko was again denied a goal on his maiden bow, this time by the woodwork when his shot squeezed through a congested goalmouth and struck the far post.

But he had an unwanted part to play when Kilmarnock opened the scoring with 10 minutes to go. A corner broke to Fowler and he punted into the path of Pascali who nodded into the back of the net, with Aluko coming off the line and playing the Italian onside.

found dead at home

G

ary Speed, manager of Wales’ national football team, has been found hanged at his home at the age of 42 Cheshire Police confirmed he was found dead on the outskirts of Chester, where he lived, and said there were “no suspicious circumstances”.

A spokeswoman said, “At 7.08am today, Cheshire Police was informed of a sudden death at an address in Huntington, Chester. Officers went to the scene where a 42year-old man was found dead.

The next of kin have been informed and have confirmed the identity of the man as Gary Speed.”

She continued, “There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. The family have requested that they are left in peace to grieve at this difficult time.”

Sources confirmed Speed was found hanged.

The Football Association of Wales also announced the news of Speed’s death on its website and expressed its condolences to his relatives.

It said in a statement: “The Football Association of Wales are sad to announce the death of the national team manager Gary Speed.

“We extend our sympathies

and condolences to the family.

We ask that everyone respects the family’s privacy at this very sad time.”

The former Leeds, Everton, Newcastle and Bolton footballer was appointed manager of Wales in December 2010 after retiring as a player in May last year.

He took charge of Wales for the first time in February, with his last game as manager on November 12 when the team won 4-1 in a friendly against Norway.

Play Field

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

A critical look at games and players

Roger Federer won a record sixth title at the Barclays ATP World Tour finals on Sunday evening with an enthralling 63, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the O2 Arena in London

H

aving weathered an early storm to win the first set, the 30-year-old, looked to have victory in his grasp when he served for the match at 5-4 in the second.

But back came Tsonga, levelling and then fighting from 52 down in the tie-break to level, only for his opponent to clinch the crucial break in the decider.

Federer, who also becomes the tournament’s oldest winner, previously held the record jointly with Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl, while his 70th victory in his 100th final, netted the Swiss more than £1million.

Federer, who will take a winning streak of 17 matches into next season, said: “I couldn’t be more happy and I couldn’t be more exhausted.”

Tsonga piled on the pressure early in the first set, but crucially the break did not come and in the eighth game Federer made his move, winding up his backhand to earn three break points and taking the second when his opponent netted an attempt-

Federer routs Tsonga for title

ed drop volley That left the fourth seed serving for the set and, although Tsonga saved two set points in impressive fashion, there was nothing he could do on the third.

The frustrated Frenchman then had to dig himself out of a hole when he began the third game of the second with two double faults, but dig he did, two aces on break points neatly rescuing the situation. The tables had well and truly turned, though, and Federer did clinch the break two games later with a thumping forehand return.

Tsonga was hanging on by his fingernails but he was determined not to make it easy and he fought off another break point in the seventh game with a brave drop shot. Tsonga made a last-ditch attempt with Federer serving for the match, using his power brilliantly to bring up his first three break points and tak-

ing the third.

Tsonga continued to live dangerously on his serve but hung on as into the tie-break they went. Having worked so hard to earn his chance, Tsonga gave away a cheap couple of points and at 5-2 he was staring down the barrel once more. Again he clawed back to level before an ace earned Federer his first match point, but Tsonga powered away a forehand winner. Another service winner gave him a set point and he took it with a stunning

forehand return.

In the eighth game of the decider Federer’s chance arrived. Twice Tsonga saved break points but a third arrived and this time he dumped a forehand wide.

And there were to be no more heroics, Federer sealing victory with an easy forehand volley to add to the titles he won in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2010.

Webber secures elusive win in Brazil, Force India end season on a high SAO PAULO (BRAZIL): Red Bull’s Mark Webber won his first race of the Formula One season in the Brazilian Grand Prix here on Sunday, while Force India ended the year on a high with Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta finishing sixth and eighth at the Interlagos Circuit.

Already declared World Champion Sebastian Vettel was in the lead until Lap 30 from the record pole position but a gearbox problem in his Red Bull forced him to make way for teammate Webber.

The Australian eventually crossed the checkered flag 16.9 seconds faster than Vettel.

Jenson Button got his McLaren home in third place, ensuring him a second place in the drivers’ standings with 270

13

points in 19 races.

Vettel had bagged the title in Japan but the battle for the second and third went right down

to the last race. A win for Weber here puts him third in the standings with 258 points, only one more than Ferrari’s

Fernando Alonso.

Button’s teammate Lewish Hamilton, who retired from the 71-Lap race due to a gearbox failure, rounded up the top five on 227 points.

Force India achieved their best result since their inception in 2008 by finishing sixth in the Constructor’s Championship with Sutil securing the ninth place and di Resta coming 13th in the drivers’ standings. The team finished at seventh place in 2010.

Sutil and di Resta’s impressive result from eighth and 11th grid position meant the Silverstone-based team completed a double-points finish only for the fourth time in the season after Australia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. IANS

Vikas enters final of Olympic boxing test event, Dinesh claims bronze NEW DELHI: Vikas Krishan carried his good form from the AIBA World Championships to the Olympic boxing test event in London by entering the final of the 69 kg category.

Vikas defeated Azerbaijan boxer Ismet Eynullayev 9:6 in the semifinal at the London’s Excel Centre.

Dinesh Kumar (81kg) had to settle for a bronze after losing his last four bout against Yamaguchi Florentino of Brazil.

Vikas, who bagged a bronze medal at the World Championships along with an Olympic quota, was at his destructive best as he devoured his opponent with as much brains as brawn.

Vikas, who got a bye in the quarters, started cautiously with the intent of measuring his opponent first. The score was knotted at two all at the end of the first round. In the second, the Haryana boxer opened his game and exploited his opponents’ weakness, scoring three points as opposed to Ismet’s one.

Ismet received a warning in the third round and that helped the Indian seal the bout. He will lock horns with Qiong Maimaitituersun of China in the summit clash.

Dinesh lost but the light heavy weight boxer did not go down without a fight. The 23year-old provided a brilliant account of his hard hitting and accurate punches in a bout that saw him make a stunning recovery. Dinesh was down a four point deficit after the first two rounds, but he came back strongly in the third to even things out. After the nine minutes of swashbuckling action the scores were level at 18 all. But unfortunately Dinesh lost to Florentino on count back IANS (50:57).

Whacky World

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Fun and frolic in a flat world

‘Afghan Elvis’

14

Finding Mr Right Life coach teaches Women how to find Mr Right in 90 days

makes women go gaga

KABUL: Dubbed the Afghan Elvis, Farhad Darya may be the only man in the most conservative country on earth who can reduce an audience of women in headscarves to a screaming, waving, whistling throng.

In a country where women enjoy few rights and music was banned under the Taliban until 10 years ago, Darya is an icon for millions and his popularity was clear at a rare, top-security, female-only show in Kabul.

Despite the excitement, Thursday’s gig, shrouded in secrecy due to fears it could be targeted by the Taliban, was a thousand miles away from a typical concert in many other parts of the world.

Several hundred women, from students to middle-aged mothers, swayed as Darya performed but they did not dance due to the presence of television cameras.

Women dancing in front of strange men is taboo in Afghanistan.

One even dared to shout out: “We love you!” halfway through — a standard greeting for male rock stars around the world but exceptional in a nation where female sexuality is a highly sensitive topic, even in relatively sophisticated cities like Kabul.

“I’ve always told everyone he’s my dream man — he sings so good, his personality is so high, it’s great,” said one excited fan, 18-year-old student Meetra Alokozay.

Darya, a UN goodwill ambassador described by the organisation as “one of the best role models” in Afghanistan, held the concert to spotlight a

campaign against domestic violence, which is still widespread here. It was the latest in a series of ecstatically received free performances he has given across the country.

He told AFP that he hoped the event could be an outlet for fans and help people outside the country realise there was more to Afghan women than “burqa, chador (a similar head-to-toe veil), suffering, sitting next to the kitchen.”

But he also argued that music in Afghanistan is about far more than sheer entertainment.

“There is a big problem in Afghanistan. The people responsible for politics, for government, they are not really capable of delivering,” said Darya, a 49year-old with jet black hair, piercing blue eyes and a neat goatee beard.

“Even good people, capable people, they lose themselves within the system. So what hap-

pens? What people expect to hear from them, for example from a politician or for a leader here, they don’t hear. They come to artists.”

He added: “In the West, everybody’s into their own work — the politician knows what to do, authorities know what to do, musician knows what to do and so on.

“Here, people expect a lot from artists. A musician, a singer can deliver the biggest message in this country and he can be heard big time.”

This is often reflected in the songs from his 35 albums, many of which have a strongly political, pro-peace flavour.

His song “Kabul Jaan” (Beloved Kabul) was the first song played on Afghan radio after the Taliban were ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001.

It contains lyrics like: “I’m a voice for my poor people/I’m an old rubab (a lute-like musical instrument) singing songs of sorrow to my friends.”

Although Darya moved abroad in 1990 and currently lives in the United States, he spends much of his time in Afghanistan and is alert to the threats that come from 10 years of war.

After one of his concerts last year in the western city of Herat, 13 fans were wounded by a bomb outside the venue. Darya said the blast happened next to the door through which he had been due to leave.

Nevertheless, he does not travel with security guards because he does not want to look like he is ‘afraid of people’.

9

0 days may sound like too short a time to find the perfect life partner. Liang Yali from China, believes otherwise. She claims to have hit upon a formula that will be able to help women find Mr. Right in just three months, with a money-back guarantee.

The service provided by Liang couldn’t have come at a better time. Many Chinese women are of late finding it very difficult to find a mate. In fact, the sixth national census found and reported that the unmarried men in Shanghai are far outnumbered by unmarried women. The surplus of women account for about 20% of the overall population of the city. In such a scenario, it seems impossible that any kind of service could tip the scales. After all, the numbers cannot be erased. However, Liang follows a formula of a different kind. Instead of providing regular matchmaking services, she focuses on the personalities of the women who take up her course.

Liang describes her company as an educational institution. She says that they

offer classes to help women understand themselves better and build their confidence, enabling them to be more outgoing. After this, good things, including marriage will happen once they start coming out, according to Liang. In fact, she says that 60 percent of her students from the previous year have already tied the knot. Liang is married to American Kenneth Davis, who is also the company’s executive director.

Hundreds of people signed up for the course during a promotional event in Shanghai.

The courses start with a personal interview of each client by Liang herself. She gets to understand each person, and then suggests the level and type of course they need to be attending. Apart from boosting confidence, the courses also help women on dealing with family crises, keeping in-laws happy and creating a positive atmosphere for children to grow in. At the end of the 90 days, she offers a 100% refund if the client happens to be unhappy.

Crashing turkey Turkey crashes into restuarant on Thanksgiving PENN HILLS: A wild turkey apparently flew into an Eat’n Park restaurant on — of all days — Thanksgiving.

The 15-pound turkey was found among a pile of shattered glass on the carpet near some booth tables around 3 pm.

Nobody was inside the restaurant on Frankstown Road, which was closed for the holiday.

Penn Hills police Officer Bernard Sestili responded when the build-

ing’s alarm went off. He said the turkey flew into the window and was not thrown in.

“Fighting back, on Thanksgiving,how ironic.”Sestili said.

Brave New World

From the world of science & research

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

15

Rover to scout for Mars’ habitability Will start at crater supposed to be once wet with water

Without dads boys go wild, girls unaffected A

dolescent boys are likely to turn to delinquency if they do not have a father figure in their lives. However, the presence or absence of fathers does not seem to affect adolescent girls, says a new study.

It found the presence of a father figure during adolescence was most likely to have a preventive effect on whether male youths engage in risk-taking and deviant behaviour.

“The sense of security generated by the presence of a male role model in a youth’s life has protective effects for a child...,” said Melbourne University professor Deborah Cobb-Clark, who led the study.

“Fathers provide children with male role models and can influence children’s preferences, values and attitudes while giving them a sense of security and boosting their self-esteem,” said Cobb-Clark, according to a Melbourne statement.

“They also increase the degree of adult supervision at home which may lead to a direct reduction of delinquent behaviour,” added Cobb-Clark, also director at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.

Researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, US. Additionally, higher family incomes were found to have little effect on solving the problems associated with youth IANS delinquency.

A

nuclear-powered US rover was launched to help assess Mars’ habitability. The car-sized rover, atop an Atlas V rocket, blasted off at 10.02 am on Saturday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Xinhua reported.

“Liftoff of the Atlas V with Curiosity, seeking clues to the planetary puzzle about life on Mars,” said NASA commentator George Diller as the white rocket soared skyward.

The rover, nicknamed Curiosity, will journey for over eight months, covering 556 million kilometres, before touching down on Mars in August 2012. “A signal from the spacecraft... has been received by officials on the ground,” NASA announced an hour after liftoff.

At nearly a tonne, the six-wheeled vehicle, also known as the Mars Science Laboratory, dwarfs all previous robots sent to the surface of the planet. It is about twice as long and more than five times as heavy as any previous Mars rover.

Its 10 science instru-

ments include two for ingesting and analysing samples of powdered rock delivered by the rover’s robotic arm.

During a prime mission lasting one Martian year — nearly two Earth years — researchers will use the rover’s tools to study whether the landing region has had environmental conditions favourable for supporting microbial life and favourable for preserving clues about whether life existed.

Curiosity is the first instrument of its kind, and largest, most scientifically capable spacecraft ever destined for the surface of another planet.

It is equipped with a generator that converts heat from the natural decay of non-weapons-grade plutonium into electricity.

The electricity will power rover systems and keep it warm in an environment where average temperatures are minus 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

The $2.5-billion project “is an incredibly important flagship mission for this agency... as important as

Hubble (space telescope),” observed Doug McCuistion, NASA’s Mars exploration programme director.

Its launch comes at a time when NASA — still struggling to find its way after the retirement of America’s iconic shuttle fleet — is anxious to exhibit its technological competence and prowess.

Curiosity will land near the base of a layered mountain five kilometres high inside the Gale Crater on Mars. The crater spans an area as large as Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

Planetary geologists are intrigued because data from the US Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter suggest the low-lying crater floor once was wet with water.

Scientists also think the site might be rife with ‘organics’ — carbonaceous compounds that are key chemical building blocks for life. Life on Earth emerges when liquid water is combined with a source of energy, such as sunlight, and carbon comIANS pounds.

Spiders to help make pesticides C

hemical that repels invading ants is added by the arachnids while making cobwebs Golden orb web spiders know how to protect their web silk from invading ants — they just add a chemical to repel the latter. The properties of the chemical could pave the way to new pesticides.

Spider silk is known to be very strong, elastic and adhesive. The study was led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Melbourne, the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B reports.

Daiqin Li, associate professor in biological sciences from the National University of Singapore, intrigued why ants avoided orb web spiders, set out to discover the reason with associates from the University of Melbourne.

“We found that large Golden orb web spiders add a defensive alkaloid chemical onto the silk, which stops the ants from walking onto the web when they come into contact with it,” said Li, according to a Melbourne statement.

“The type of chemical deterrent found in the spider silk is known as a pyrrolidine alkaloid, which acts as a predator deterrent in many species of ants, moths and caterpillars,” Elgar said.

The Golden orb web spider is typically found in the forests of Australia, Asia, IANS Africa and America.

H‑Factor

O

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

ver the past few years, I’ve been driven to despair by my teeth. My fillings and crowns fell out, my teeth broke and shattered. I developed decay under my fillings. My bottom teeth looked like crackle-glazed tiles, and the pricey veneers on my top teeth cracked. My jaws ached and my neck was stiff.

I put it all down to bad luck and weak enamel. However, a visit to my dentist Uchenna Okoye, revealed the true cause: I have worn my teeth away by my unconscious habit of tooth grinding (bruxism).

I’m far from alone, as studies indicate about 60 per cent of us grind our teeth at some point. “I have probably seen a 50 per cent increase in the number of patients grinding their teeth, and the damage caused can be extensive,” says Okoye.

Many tooth grinders don’t realise they’re doing it. “While people do clench their teeth during the day, most grinding happens when you are asleep,” says Okoye, “so you aren’t aware of it and can’t control it.”

Tell-tale signs can include teeth becoming shorter or more sensitive, jaw and neck pain and headaches. Teeth can crack and fillings be ground loose. London dentist Joe Oliver points out that some people wear down their teeth because their teeth are badly aligned so they slide as they meet, and he does a “bite analysis” to check for this. But for most grinders the cause is simple: stress.

As a freelance writer on short deadlines and with two young children and no childcare, I’m a typical stressed-out bruxist. Ironically, our attempts to reduce stress may make things worse.

That half-bottle of sauvignon over dinner reduces our deep sleep, making grinding more likely.

Also, Andrew Eder, a professor of restorative dentistry and clinical director of the London Tooth Wear Centre, warns that acid drinks such as wine (especially white), soften enamel so it is easily worn away by grinding, leaving the core of dentine exposed and vulnerable to decay. “When teeth are very damaged by grinding, there are usually other contributing factors, such as an acidic or abrasive diet,” says Professor Eder.

Bruxism can make you look older and plainer.

According to Dr Nick

The daily grind: how to protect your teeth

18

Take care of diet in cancer

Dr P Raghu Ram

Mohindra, who created the Dental Facelift and Oralift device, loss of lower facial height due to teeth wearing down can give faces a collapsed look that a British Medical Journal study found made people look up to 20 years older. Many grinders also develop a lantern jaw due to overuse of the muscles.

It’s a depressing prospect.

But you can reduce grinding and protect your precious teeth. One surprising treatment comes in the form of Botox injections. Dentist Dr Bob Khanna says: “Botox injections in the overactive jaw muscles take just 10 minutes, and dramatically reduce grinding for up to six months.”

This treatment can also give a

kind of facelift as the overdeveloped masseter muscles in the jaw slim down, restoring the face to an oval. He adds that after several treatments, patients often lose the habit of grinding.

Professor Eder says traditional soft plastic mouthguards, which can be bought over the counter, can actually increase grinding. “It’s like having a chewy sweet in your mouth; you won’t be able to resist gnawing on it. I prescribe dental guards made of hard plastic that are custom-fitted to your mouth.” The downside? They can cost up to £700.

If stress is causing your grinding, try Mindfulness meditation, a type of relaxation and body awareness training which

can help reduce stress. Deep sleep can also minimise grinding. Mindfulness expert Dr Tamara Russell advises not looking at TV or computer screens in the hour before sleep, keeping lights low and doing a type of meditation in which you lie down and concentrate on relaxing each part of your body from head to toe.

For the ultimate in facial relaxation, Paolo Lai practises facial reflexology at Neville Hair and Beauty in Knightsbridge(nevillehairandbeauty.net). “Many of my clients carry a lot of tension in their jaws. Regular treatments can help break the clenching habit,” he says.

For me, the process of breaking the grinding habit and restoring my smile will be a long and expensive one. As well as signing up for stress reduction classes, I now have a mouthguard, courtesy of Professor Eder, and Okoye has devised a treatment programme involving a number of crowns and veneers.

My advice? If the daily grind is getting you down, get treated before your teeth turn into a costly nightmare.

EVENING STANDARD

Do patients with breast cancer need to follow a special diet?

Some people find they put on weight during and after treatment, which can be distressing.

This may be due to: n less exercise than normal n eating more when anxious n side effects of some drugs n body retaining fluid n menopause (if treatment has caused your periods to stop) which makes people more likely to put on weight.

It is not usually a good idea to follow strict diets and lose too much weight during treatment.

However, it is beneficial to try to eat healthy and exercise regularly Bone health Bone health is important throughout life, and more so as one grows older. Some treatments including those which can lead to early menopause (chemotherapy) or hormone therapies can affect bone health. These treatments affect the level of oestrogen in the body.

Oestrogen plays an important part in keeping bones strong.

A well-balanced diet will help obtaining all the vitamins and minerals one needs to maintain strong, healthy bones. It is particularly important to get enough calcium and vitamin D. Alcohol Some studies suggest that women who drink large amounts of alcohol may be at an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

It is important to: n eat a variety of foods and the right amount n eat plenty of foods rich in fibre n limit foods that contain fat n limit sugary foods and drinks and lower salt intake n drink around two litres of fluids a day (The writer is director and consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon at KIMS-USHALAKSHMI Centre for Breast Diseases)

F‑Folio

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

From mundane to luxury look

19

TREND SETTERS

T

his season, the battle for attention is a two-horse race; all that’s left to decide is whose side you’re on — after all, red and green should never be seen.

In the red corner, gowns matched the carpet at the Emmy awards in LA, with actress Kerry Washington headlining in a scarlet strapless gown by Zuhair Murad, teamed with a red lip and clutch bag, while Raising Hope star Marta Plimpton killed in a figure-hugging crimson fishtail evening dress by Zac Posen.

Another strong contender was Victoria’s Secret model Lindsay Ellingson, who swapped the lingerie for a cherry red wrap minidress at the A-list after-party, while catwalk designers Diane Von Furstenberg and Elie Saab backed sequin shades of postbox red and cranberry for their autumn/winter offerings.

Hitting back in the green corner, the English rose actress Andrea Riseborough shone in a Dolce & Gabbana shift dress at a recent premiere, teamed with a simple black clutch bag and

patent heels that matched her tumbling curls, while blonde bombshell Gwyneth Paltrow was a knockout in an emerald dress with a plunging neckline for an awards ceremony in Germany earlier this month.

At the Latin Grammy awards in Las Vegas, Zoe Saldana joined the contest in a fresh lime long column dress, belted at the waist from Elie Saab’s spring/summer collection, while last year’s Strictly Come Dancing champion, Kara Tointon, reprised her dance-floor days by donning top-to-toe sequins in a rich forest green. On the catwalk, Emilio Pucci delivered a bout of enviable green dresses, ranging from a patterned multi-tonal shift dress through to a Grecian jersey and sequin gown, slashed at the neck and thigh.

While the battle is yet to be won, my bets are on Lady Gaga as a late challenger to the title. As she once famously declared: “I’m just trying to change the world one sequin at a time” and as a seasoned traffic-stopper, I’ve no doubt she will.

EMMA McCARTHY

When dressing to impress, there’s one absolute benchmark of success — can your outfit stop traffic? While that is one we all secretly aspire to, it seems the fashion collective have taken matters into their own hands by frocking up in a series of shining sequin dresses in stop-sign red and go-light green

STOP-GO

SEQUINS

Living Room

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

A peep into the lives of cityʼs stars and achievers

H

I believe in n

Faith

n Integrity n Postmillenarian

Personification of positivity Asadulla Pasha applies a simple formula in life. He believes that every experience is an opportunity to learn, which rules out the word `bad’ from his dictionary A son’s icon Omar, the youngest of Asadulla’s four children absolutely dotes on his dad.

He is all praise for the way he conducts his life. “My dad is an idol to me. He is incredible the way he manages everything — right from family to friends. I definitely follow his footsteps, and one day, I aspire to be like him,” he says.

e belongs to the illustrious Pasha family in Hyderabad. Born to Anwarulla and Fatima Pasha, Asadulla Pasha is the oldest of four siblings.

Asadulla is married to Mala Pasha, a theater enthusiast and the founder of one of the oldest theater groups Torn Curtains.

They have four children, Aida who is a barrister and settled in Toronto, Anjum, who is the Principal of the Pasha Public School in Neredmet, Amera and Omar who like their dad, are lawyers by profession.

Asad’s childhood is a story one reads in fairy tale books. He recalls with great excitement, “I had a wonderful childhood. All of us siblings went to school together and had many fun outings. Ours is a large family, and there are lots of cousins from both my mother and father’s side. So we had more adventures than we can remember. I particularly remember our holidays during summer, the season of mangoes. All us brothers and sisters would go to the farm, and eat as many mangoes as we could, at a stretch,” he recalls smiling. Asked on how he became a lawyer, Asad is quick to say, “It runs in the family.

Amin Jung Bahadur, my father’s grandfather was a lawyer from Madras who settled in Hyderabad and became a minister in the Nizam’s cabinet, he represented Hyderabad State in the 1930 Round Table Conference. My grandfather Abdulla Pasha was the Advocate General of the erstwhile state of Hyderabad and my father Anwarulla Pasha was the legal advisor of the VII Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, so it was natural that I became one too.”

Asad recalls with pride on being one of the youngest drivers of his time. Says he, “I was only 10 at the time I drove my grandfather in his Hillman Minx. It was a sight for people to see and talk about!” Asad’s adventures also extended to hunting. He shot his first deer when he was just 11 years old.

We asked him about what makes him the enthusiastic person that he is, he says that its an open secret.

“It is very simple – I never look at anything in a negative manner. What one may find unpleasant now, could actually turn out to be a teacher wanting you to learn from it.

So, I am never negative about anything in life.”

20

Which is perhaps what answers the fact that despite having lost the elections for the candidature of the presidency of the Secunderabad Club, Asad won it the third time. He cherishes the two years of presidency as the best years in his career, and takes immense pride in the feedback from his peers when they say he was one of the best presidents the club has had.

Asad shares his love story with Mala, his wife. “I saw her at one of her plays, and wanted to talk to her. So after the play, I did just that and before we knew it, we were in love. There was of course, an initial hesita-

tion on the part of both our families, but they agreed to the marriage.” Asad is a proud man when he talks about his family.

Says he, “While my sister and brother-in-law have moved to the US, my youngest brother, who was in Saudi for many years, has now moved back to Hyderabad. My second brother Ahsan who was in England for 40 years has retired and come back, we spend a lot of time at our farm. My house is open.

Everyone is welcome to come.

My wife Mala makes sure it remains that way.

We have an Educational Trust which runs a lot of educational institutions like the Pasha Institute of Insurance & Management Training that trains insurance agents, a degree and PG College, a B.Ed college, and a school in Neredmet that takes away a lot of my time,but we always make sure that evenings are reserved for us as a family.

We travel whenever we get the time, but otherwise, for now it is our home that gives us our best adventures!”

The Pashas have two great danes, Shore and Lalla and two persian cats, Charlie and Sheena.

Magic Screen

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

21

My voice is God’s gift Tochi Raina who burst onto the Indian music scene with his hit song Pardesi from Dev D is now ready with his first solo album

Taniya Talukdar taniya.t@postnoon.com

T

here is something distinct about songs like Gal Mithi Mithi Bol from Aisha, Iktara from Wake Up Sid and Dilli from No One Killed Jessica. These songs mesmerise and haunt you, while the music is no doubt outstanding, a lot of the credit should go to the haunting voice behind all these songs and this voice belongs to the indomitable Tochi Raina. The 46year-old who is now making waves in the Indian music scene entered Bollywood quite late, though his tryst with music started quite early.

Tochi is now releasing his first solo album called Sona Sajan in association with artistaloud.com, the lyrics of which have been written by his wife. Talking more about his album, Tochi says, “It is a new presentation of sufi music with a dash of jazz and rock in it.”

That Tochi was different from the rest of the worshipers of music, was noticed by his guruji, Pt Vinod Kumar quite early in life and it was

his guruji who encouraged Tochi to follow his intuition.

“My guruji used to guide me as he thought I could carry forward the tradition,” says Tochi about his mentor and he goes on to talk about his singing, “My voice changes every time, I always sing from my heart and since it is pure, it touches the heart of people. If you listen to my songs carefully, you will notice that there is a yearning in my voice and my voice is always supported by a second. It is very difficult to hold your breathe the way I do, this is a gift of God and I use it to make people happy.”

Tochi came to Mumbai a few years back as he wanted to be a part of Bollywood and also in the process understand the people here. “People come here and they struggle and make films and become famous, I wanted to know about them and so I came here and devoted myself to music,” shares the singer who has a great understanding of not only music but also about the mecha-

nism of the chakras. “You need to know about the chakras if you want to excel in music, you need to be aware of what is resting on each of the chakras. Sans the knowledge of the chakras, you will be able to sing, but you will lack the soul and power,” informs Tochi who also uses this knowledge to heal people.

“It is all done through meditation,”clarifies Tochi going on to add, “I initially experimented with my body, working on the muscles which are like pipes in your body. I use this to treat people who suffer from asthma, the most important thing here is the breathing. This is a technique which is used to get rid of the pollution in the body.” This down-to-earth singer is in touch with his roots still and despite meeting with so much success, he remains grounded. “What I have is a gift of God and our body needs to be in touch with the earth, the body needs to touch the dust.

There should be a power in the air which should help people connect,”offers Tochi who also emphasises the knowledge of

the chakras to learn Sufi music. He says, “Without the knowledge of chakras, you will not be able to sing sufiyana. You need to connect with God.” He goes on to add, “Either

Without the knowledge of chakras, you will not be able to sing sufiyana. You need to connect with God you earn money using your talent or you connect with God. Money will come anyway, use your talents for the higher purpose.”

Tochi dons many hats apart from being a singer, and his favourite is that of a teacher, “I enjoy teaching music and I also learn a lot from the student I am teaching. I get to see different faces and since music is my passion and runs in my blood, I enjoy it all the more,” quips the passionate teacher. The song Pardesi remains the closest to his heart since it got him the fame that he commands now.

Magic Screen

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

Sky projected so villainously: Pooja Bedi W

Big B plans charity for cops’ families

M

egastar Amitabh Bachchan, who lent his baritone voice for the album Sounds of Peace, is planning a charity concert to raise funds to help the families of police officials killed while serving the country.

“There will be a concert in a couple of months and all those that contributed to the album Sounds of Peace shall perform for the charity,” the 69-year-old posted on microblogging site Twitter.

“The charity shall be for all those police families that lost loved ones, who have no means of existence ignored and forgotten. Men from the forces, who sacrificed their lives so we could live peacefully. Tremendous courage and duty towards

their vocation,” he said. “...And our thoughts and prayers go for all those families of the force who gave up their lives so we could live in peace,” he posted.

On the third anniversary of the 26/11, music composer Aadesh Srivastava launched his album that talks about peace and co-existence of all communities. Akon, Ustad Rashid Khan and Wyclef Jean have been roped in to lent their voices for the album. “...It is quite remarkable that Aadesh has been able to convince stalwarts such as Akon and VanCleef and the London Philharmonic Orchestra to lend support and talent and creativity to this music concept,” Big B posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

hat is shown of Big Boss 5 on TV is 45 minutes of structured editing, which results in some of the nicest people, including Akashdeep Sehgal (Sky) being projected in a negative light, says Pooja Bedi after being evicted from the house. The 40-yearold, who became good friends with Juhi and Sky, says that they are the nicest of them all.

“Juhi and Sky were the nicest people in there and my best friends! I don’t differentiate between genders in friendship.. Sad so many oppose it,” she posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. “Also... For the record...Sky is a super nice guy and fab friend! He’s strong enough 2 take on fights & expose the awful manipulators in there. Startled to see sky projected so villainously!,” she further posted. Mehek is one person who always looks out for fights, claims Pooja.

“Mehek Chahel is non-stop negative energy! The vulture who hungers and hankers for fights constantly! thrives on it for sympathy! does it show?” she further posted. IANS

22

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@akshaykumar Renowned sarangi player and singer Ustad Sultan Khan passed away today.

This has not been a good year what with so ... say.ly/nwx13f7

@SrBachchan T 572 -My fathers Birth Anniversay today, 27th Nov ..

In prayer and in thoughts with him ..a great human, great mind, and a great Father !!

@imarshadwarsi By default working on 3 films at a time, it's a bad idea, it takes up all ur time n energy... Desperately need time out...

@NeilNMukesh Shooting a song for " shortcut romeo" super song by Himesh Reshamiya. Now let's hope we step up to the groove

@priyankachopra Good morning world...2nd day on kunals film..Come on guys.. Suggest some names for the title of the movie and if we like it..hmmm..surprise!

@RGVzoomin For most people the only thing which is more sweeter than their own success is some one else`s failure

IANS

Luthria undeterred by ‘A’ certificate for Dirty Picture F

ilmmaker Milan Luthria, who has high hopes from his film The Dirty Picture, is undeterred by the censor board’s decision to give it an ‘A’ certificate. He is more relieved that the film didn’t had to undergo any major cuts.

“We don’t mind that the film was given A certificate. In fact while making this film we didn’t want children to accompany their parents to see the movie.

But what we are happy about is that there are no further cuts in the movie and it has been liked,” Luthria.

Vidya Balan, who will be seen shedding inhibitions to ooze oomph, to Naseeruddin Shah, who is casted as a lecherous actor. Emraan Hashmi as an impatient lover and Tusshar Kapoor as a wicked, but innocent character.The film is out IANS on Dec 2.

@sonakshisinha Going to miss working out with @YasminBodyImage, who has just joined twitter, so follow on for great fitness tips :)

@iamsrk Marathon over...loved this airtel friends idea of togetherness...into the plane and homeward bound,,,dying to play with kids

Magic Screen

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

A

C

M INE

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Magic Screen

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

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Magic Screen

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

Gomez set to become big sister

When Gaga posed nude for Tony Bennett

P

Singer Selena Gomez is very excited because her mother is expecting a baby. The 19-yearold star is thrilled that she will finally be a big sister as her mom Mandy and stepfather Brian Teefey are expecting their first child together, reports a website. “Momma and Brian are finally letting me share the news... My mommys carrying my baby brother or sister :) I’m the happiest girl in the world!,” she posted on Twitter.IANS

Dannii Minogue to make music again

A

ustralian singer Dannii Minogue has admitted she is considering returning to her music career.

The Australia’s Got Talent judge hasn’t released a

record since 2007’s Club Disco because she has been too busy with other work, reports a website.

“I just heard two really good demos the other day and got excited. It isn’t out of the question

but it just hasn’t been possible because there have been so many Dannii’s running around - fashion designer, author, judge, mum. There wasn’t room for Disco Dannii,” she IANS said.

George Michael cancels all tour dates

S

inger George Michael has cancelled the remaining dates of his 2011 tour as he battles pneumonia, says representative.

The Faith hitmaker, 48, was hospitalised in Vienna, Austria Wednesday and was diagnosed with the potentially deadly lung infection, reports a website.

He scrapped a string of European shows on his Symphonica tour to allow him time to fight the illness, but on Friday, his representative announced that all of Michael’s live commitments had been put on hold for the rest of the year.

“All Britain dates have been postponed.

He has pneumonia. Any other speculation about his illness is unfounded and untrue.

He is receiving excellent medical care and is responding to treatment and is slowly recovering,” said his representative.

The Symphonica tour was due to make stops in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London, and in Glasgow, Scotland throughout November and December this year.

The dates are expected to be IANS rescheduled.

op singer Lady Gaga has revealed she had posed nude for American singer Tony Bennett so that he could sketch her. “I walked in and said, ‘Well Tony here we are,’ and I dropped my robe and I got into position. I felt shy and thought, ‘It’s Tony Bennett, why am I naked?” a website quoted Gaga as saying.

The pictures that Bennett sketched of Gaga, 25, will be published in Vanity Fair magazine IANS next year.

25

Magic Screen

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

26

Robin Williams mistaken for Bono S

SEAL LOVES KLUM’S COSTUMES S

inger Seal enjoys his wife Heidi Klum having fun with fancy dress costumes.

The 48-year-old singer who raises children Leni, seven, Henri, six, Johan, five, and two-year-old Lou with his wife, insists he still finds his spouse attractive when she dons fancy dress costumes, reports a website.

"Heidi was the sexiest ape ever. I'm never keen on my outfits, but I really liked Heidi's last year when she went as an android and wore stilts.

She looked fantastic, but I spent the whole evening trying to keep her upright," he said.

"Of course I fancy her just as much on the red carpet as I do as an android but, more than anything, it's just a lot of fun. Heidi's always been up for a party," he added.

IANS

inger Robin Williams claims drunk fans often mistake him for U2 frontman Bono. The 60-year-old actor was recently approached by a man in Paris who thought he was the 51-year-old U2 singer, reports a website.

"I had a guy come up to me in Paris saying, 'Are you Bono?' Then he said, 'Oh no, you're not, you're Robert Windsor'," he said.

"I only really get mistaken for Bono by people who are really hammered.I suppose when I put on the glasses I look a bit like him. It's usually from a distance and by people who've had a lot of medication," he added.

IANS

RONSON’S OLYMPIC SONG WORRIES S

cottish rocker Mark Ronson is taking his own sweet time to make the theme song of London Olympics because he doesn't want British people to be embarrassed by his efforts.

The producer has collaborated with Katy B to produce a track which will become the theme to the 2012 London games, reports a website.

"It's taking a lot of time.

You've got to represent your town. If you make something that's bad, that's a couple of million people that you're embarrassing," he said.

The Bang Bang Bang hitmaker also explained the track is taking so long because he's gone to great lengths to get the sound of athletes in training for the song. - IANS

Magic Screen

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

T

elugu cinema’s tryst with violence is once again in the limelight thanks to RGV’s upcoming production Bezawada. The film is said to be inspired from real events which occurred in ‘80s and ‘90s in Vijayawada. Last year, Raktha Charithra made news for glorifying violence. After a public outcry in Anantapur, RGV was quick enough to brush aside allegations of glorifying violence and said that it was all part of the film which is based on real stories.

RGV is not alone in this league of filmmakers who are often questioned about the level of violence in their films. Other filmmakers too have had their heroes killing villains, in the bloodiest possible manner.

Except for handful of films, there seems to be a reversal in this trend.

Ever since themes like factionism slowly crept away from our screens, the amount of violence has considerably gone down. Back in 1997, Venkatesh starrer Preminchukundham Raa kickstarted the trend of faction films which swept Telugu cinema for more than seven years. Balakrishna, Chiranjeevi, NTR and several other heroes starred in such faction films which gave them a license to kill.

When the winds of change favoured romcoms and family dramas, most of the A-list stars slowly moved away from faction films. “Action films work only when there’s a big star; however, most of the stars are opting for family dramas, comedy films and romantic comedies these days.

Even the censor board has become quite strict now.

Take Badrinath for example. There were too many

Telugu cinema’s tryst with violence is a decadelong story. Surprisingly, filmmakers opine that violence has been toned down considerably

Tracking the

blood trail

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

27

cuts in the film since the censor board felt that the film had lot of violence,” opines Gopi Mohan, writer of Dookudu.

Of late, the censor board has made it a point to give an A certificate to most of the action films and due to this the filmmakers are forced to accept several cuts or tone down the violence and sexual content to get at least a U/A certificate from the censor board. “Family audience is extremely important for the commercial success of our films,” says Nandini Reddy, the director of Ala Modalaindi and adds, ”I don’t think Telugu films are that violent compared to Tamil films. Our action sequences are highly dramatized and in a way our films are insulated from real life. It’s not like films are the only medium where violence is glorified. Violence has become part of our lives and since cinema is a reflection of our lives, you see bloodshed and violence on screen.” Another filmmaker, Madhura Sreedhar points out, “No filmmaker intentionally glorifies violence. It’s usually part of the story.

Except for few films, these days there’s not much violence in our films. In fact, I thought RGV’s Shiva was more violent than most of the films being made today.”

Despite these claims by some of the filmmakers, Katti Mahesh Kumar, a film scholar, begs to differ. “Violence in Telugu films has increased considerably since 2005-06. Most of the films are given A certificate primarily due to graphic violence and not sexual content. Sociologically, there’s so much violence on TV that audience themselves have become numb to the bloodshed and they expect more from films. Sometimes, the hero doesn’t what he has to do to be a hero. In Simha, the protagonist goes on a killing spree, despite being a doctor and justifies it by saying that he’s doing a good deed for the benefit of the society. Today, filmmakers seem to be looking for excuses to validate meaningless violence,” he says.

Magic Screen

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

Nippu shoot in Saudi Arabia

@ramsayz Mornin ppl..off 2 shoot for #EP ...hv a gr8 day

@tashu_02 Just landed in Miami....missed my morning flight so got into the next one n finally here I am....so now time to see #Miami... :-)

Romancing four heroines

V

ikram’s upcoming film Veedinthe has four heroines, although only one of them is playing the lead role. Vikram plays the role of a gym trainer in the film and the buzz is that he interacts and trains quite a few celebrities in the film as a part of his character. Suseendran, who is directing the film, convinced Reemma Sen, Shriya Saran to do a cameo in the film and both of them will be seen in a song. Apart from this, Saloni has done a hot item number for the film. The film has been originally made in Tamil as Rajapattai and it is being dubbed in Telugu.

Deeksha Seth is playing the lead role in the film and the film marks her debut in Tamil.

Veedinthe will simultaneously release in Telugu and Tamil on December 16.

Richa Gangopadhyay

is on cloud nine R

icha Gangopadhyay, who has been missing in action from Telugu cinema, is on cloud nine these days. Her debut film in Tamil, Mayakkam Enna, where she stars opposite Dhanush, has opened to rave reviews and her performance is being appreciated by the audience and critics alike. Over the past few days, there was a major confusion about the date of release of Selva Raghavan’s film and naturally the actress was quite tensed about her debut release. After getting a hang of the overwhelming response for her performance in the film, she stated that the film will always remain the most important in her career. Next week, she’ll be seen romancing Simbu in Osthi,which is a remake of Dabangg. Apart from these two films, Richa is looking forward to her fourth Telugu film where she’s paired up with Prabhas.

28

T-TOWN TWEETIES

R

avi Teja’s upcoming film Nippu is going to be shot in Saudi Arabia for ten days starting December 10. This is perhaps the first Telugu film in recent years which will be shot in Saudi Arabia, although in the last few years, Dubai and Oman have emerged as popular locales in the MiddleEast for Telugu films.

Gunasekhar is directing the film and he is going to complete the film in record time.

Deeksha Seth is the heroine and YVS Chowdary has produced the film. The film is slated for release on January 13, 2012.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

@richyricha Can't stop retweeting ur wonderful compliments for #ME. Am humbled and blown away w ur words.

Thank u soooo much.

@LakshmiManchu Just watched lillete dubey's Production of August:Osage county. Brilliant cast, performances and direction. Soul happys. Theatre is my fav.

@shrutihaasan had a sunday off after aages!a day of reflection realisation pancakes and lots of love from family and friends!gotta love a good sunday!

@PriyaWajAnand Happy Birthday 'Appa' I need not look any further for inspiration!

@shraddhadas43 I loveeee my new house,got a goan feel to it..especiallly the surroundings..life has just gotten better..

@Shriyasmiling Why is 'omg you look so fair' such a huge compliment in India?why not....' I love you tan'

Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Sri Shanidevuni Mahimalu 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Pellipandiri 2030 Edureetha 2100 Bhale Chancele 2200 CID 2300 Vasantha Kokila 2330 Alajadi 0700 Silver Screen 0730 Just For Fun 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Nava Vidha Bhakti 0900 Challenge

1400 Kalyana Tilakam 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Jeevitha Chakram 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Kannavaari Kalalu 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 No. 23, Mahalakshmi Nivasam 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Sree Mathi Sree 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0800 Vendithera 0830 24 Frames 0900 Movie 1200 Aha Emi Ruchi 1230 Maa Inti Aada Paduchu 1300 Chittemmaa 1330 Gorintaku

1400 [V] D3 Bloopers 1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Trailers 1600 [V] Zabardast Hits 1800 [V] Fresh Songs 1830 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 2100 [V] Deadly Dus 2130 [V] Trailers 2200 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 2300 [V] Humse Hai Life 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 2355 [V] Fresh Songs 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance

‘[V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance’ at 1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

1300 News Now At 1 1330 News Now 1800 6 Pm 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now At 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 The Newshour - Plus 2230 E Now 2300 News Now At 11 0800 The Morning News 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1230 News Now

‘The Game’ at 1930 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Adhire Adurs 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Paduta Teeyaga 2245 Movie 0800 Jeevana Jyothi 0830 Tollywood Time 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi 1230 Star Mahila

1400 Ardhangi 1430 Movie 1800 Veera Naari Jhansi Laxmi Bhai 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupukunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Chittam Chittam Prayaschittam 2230 Shree 2300 Bindas 2330 Latest Superhit Songs 0800 Gopuram 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 0930 Ayurveda Jeevana Vignanam 1000 Zee 70 Mm A.C

‘Business Tonight’ at 2100 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1530 Tomorrow's Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Markets Tomorrow 1800 Rush Hour 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Investor's Guide 2300 Zigwheels 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now

‘I Almost Got Away With It?’ at 1900 Hrs on DISCOVERY 1400 Man Vs Wild 1500 Man Woman Wild 1600 Perfect Disaster 1700 Discovery Showcase 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 I Almost Got Away With It? 2000 Curiosity 2100 Man Vs Wild 2200 Dual Survival 2300 Anatomical Travelogues 1000 I Almost Got Away With It? 1100 Raging Planet 1200 Dual Survival 1300 Wild Discovery

1415 Most Shocking 1510 India's Minute To Win It 1605 Got To Dance 1700 Top Chef Masters 1800 The Amazing Race 2000 Guinness World Records Smashed 2100 Wipeout 2200 Got To Dance 2330 Whacked Out Sports 0905 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Scare Tactics 0955 Infomercial/5 Min 1000 Scare Tactics 1025 Infomercial/5 Min 1030 Top Chef Masters 1130 Wipeout 1225 Got To Dance 1345 Whacked Out Sports

‘Got To Dance’ at 2200 Hrs on AXN

‘Dharampatni’ at 2130 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1500 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1600 Haar Jeet 1700 Dharampatni 1800 Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga 1830 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1900 Nach Le Ve With Saroj Khan 2000 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishn 2030 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 2100 Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga 2130 Dharampatni 2200 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 2230 Haar Jeet 2300 Dharampatni

1400 Hamari Saas Leela 1430 Hawan 1500 Veer Shivaji 1530 Uttaran 1630 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 1700 Sasural Simar Ka 1730 Uttaran 1830 Balika Vadhu 1900 Hawan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Phulwa 2130 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 2200 Uttaran 2230 Bigg Boss 2330 Balika Vadhu

‘Hawan’ at 1900 Hrs on COLORS

‘Pavitra Rishta’ at 2100 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Bhagonwali 1530 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Shobha Somnath Ki 1730 Ram Milaye Jodi 1830 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1900 Ek Nayi Choti Si Zindagi 1930 Choti Bahu 2 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milaye Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Bhagonwali 2300 Pavitra Rishta

1400 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1600 CID 1800 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1830 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1900 Crime Patrol - Dastak 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2045 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2130 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 2200 Saas Bina Sasuraal 2230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 2300 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 0900 Adaalat 1000 Crime Patrol - 1 1200 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1245 Dekha Ek Khwaab 1330 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi

‘Kuch Toh Log Kahenge’ at 2000 Hrs on SONY

29

‘I P K K N D’ at 2000 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Sapnon Se Bharey Naina 1500 Navya 1600 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 1630 Sasuraal Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1800 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 1900 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1930 Sasuraal Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 2100 Diya Aur Bati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Navya 2230 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?

MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

1400 10,000 Bc 1605 Batman Forever 1825 The Matrix 2100 Kung Fu Panda 2250 The Cave 0805 Friends 0835 Good Morning, Miami 0905 Friends 0935 New Adventures Of Old Christine 1005 You've Got Mail 1225 Kung Fu Panda

Nachle Ve With Sasural Simar Ka Saroj Khan

1400 Constantine 1635 Running Scared 1900 Charlie St. Cloud 2100 Ong Bak 3 - The Final Warrior 2300 Sex and the City 2 0705 Young Guns II 0910 Footloose 1125 Charlie St. Cloud

1400 $H*! My Dad Says 1430 Mike And Molly 1500 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 1600 The Event 1700 $H*! My Dad Says 1730 Mike And Molly 1800 E News 1900 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 2000 $H*! My Dad Says 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 20 2100 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 2200 The Event 2300 $H*! My Dad Says 2330 Mike And Molly 0800 Just For Laughs 0830 Scrubs 0900 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 1000 Pretty Little Liars 1100 America's Funniest Home Videos 20

‘Mike And Molly’ at 2330 Hrs on ZEE CAFE

Storyline - Watch the premiere episode with superstars Vidya Balan & Tushaar Kappor as they learn some cool moves from Saroj Khan on the track of their movie – The Dirty Picture.

Storyline - The entire family gets to now that Simar and Siddhants marriage was fake. Simar admitting that she had taken this step only because she wanted Prem to forget her & accept Roli.

‘Nachle Ve With Saroj Khan’ at 1900 Hrs on IMAGINE

‘Sasural Simar Ka’ at 1930 Hrs on COLORS

‘Home Improvement’ at 2330 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Masterchef USA 1500 Necessary Roughness 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 Home Improvement 1700 The Sheild 1800 Masterchef Australia Finale 1900 Love2 Hate U 2000 Rules Of Engagement 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Masterchef Australia Finale 2200 The Sheild 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Home Improvement 0700 The Big Bang Theory 0730 Home Improvement 0800 Rules Of Engagement 0830 The Simpsons 0900 Masterchef Australia Finale 1000 The Sheild 1100 Love2 Hate U

1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1430 Lapataganj 1530 Fir 1630 Don't Worry Chachu !!!

1700 Ring Wrong Ring 1730 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1900 Lapataganj 1930 Don't Worry Chachu !!!

2000 Chintu Chinky Aur Ek Badi Si Love Story 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 2100 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 2130 Mrs. Tendulkar 2200 Lapataganj 2230 Fir 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 2330 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 0800 Teleshopping 0900 Happy Housewives Club 0930 Don't Worry Chachu !!!

1000 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 1045 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma

‘Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo’ at 2100 Hrs on SAB‘

‘Masti’ at 1400 Hrs on ZOOM 1400 Movie - Masti 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 Link'D 2000 Telly Talk 2030 Letz Go! 2100 Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2011 2130 Link'D 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Business Of Bollywood 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 20 - 20 Songs 0825 Fresh Mornings 1000 20 - 20 Songs 1021 Fresh Mornings 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1300 Planet Bollywood News 1330 Page 3

‘Ong Bak 3 - The Final Warrior’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

1400 Oddities 1430 Discovery Science Classics 1530 Cosmic Collisions 1630 Mythbusters 1730 Machines!

1800 Industrial Junkies 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 What's That About?

2030 Stan Lee's Superhumans 2130 I, Videogame 2230 How Do They Do It? 2330 The New Inventors 1030 Stan Lee's Superhumans 1130 I, Videogame 1230 Best Of Discovery Science 1330 Connections

‘Jerry Springer’ at 2200 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME

‘Stan Lee's Superhumans’ at 2030 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Aspire 1600 Survivor 1700 Bellator 1800 Galileo Extreme 1900 The Defenders 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 The Defenders 2200 Jerry Springer 2300 CSI - Crime Scene Investigation 0700 Big Wheels 0730 Aspire 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Aspire 1230 Entertainment Tonight 1300 Galileo Extreme 1330 The Defenders

Chai Time

KAKURO

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.

SCRIBBLING PAD

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

30

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Up to the present time 6 Ready for use (Abbr.)

10 Door part 14 Freetown currency unit 15 Circular word 16 Worship from ___ 17 Famous institution in Rochester, Minn.

19 Name in a da Vinci masterpiece 20 Prone to spilling 21 Part of two letters 22 Had belted out 23 Anger 25 Period from request to delivery 27 Commoner, in ancient Rome 32 Original “I Love Lucy” airer 33 Humdinger 34 Hermit or horseshoe, e.g.

36 Autumn bloomer 40 Daybreak direction 41 Less forward 43 Raccoon River locale 44 Airs for pairs 46 Whiffenpoofs’ school 47 Unnamed people or things 48 Geological time division 50 Lessen 52 Blood-red 56 Bard’s “always” 57 Poetry foot 58 Free electron, e.g.

60 Senator Feinstein of California 65 Temporary home for Napoleon 66 Source of easy money 68 Jodie Foster title character 69 Extreme aversion 70 Cake topping 71 Ill-fated Biblical brother 72 Got a photo of 73 Powered by light

DOWN 1 Help for the hapless 2 Result of caulking 3 You may make it walk 4 Sonny Shroyer’s role on “The Dukes of Hazzard” 5 Computer whiz 6 Omega preceder 7 “The Fountainhead” author 8 “Silas Marner” author George 9 Type of acid or enzyme 10 Informal gathering of musicians 11 Ran ___ of the law 12 Miraculous fare 13 Fort in North Carolina 18 Song words 24 Before the deadline 26 Future exec., maybe 27 Begged 28 Roast pig repast

29 “Who ___ wants a piece of me?”

30 Turkey brand 31 Water nymph 35 Misrepresent 37 “Beloved” novelist Morrison 38 Mas that may maa 39 Reckless 42 Medical solution 45 G, in the key of C 49 Comments from horses 51 Inflamed eye problem 52 Florence neighbor 53 Moses sent him into Canaan to spy

SUDOKU

54 Walk slowly 55 Synagogue scroll 59 Multi-nation defense gp.

61 Direction to violinists 62 Execute perfectly, in slang 63 1492 ship of note 64 Abbr. for an MIT grad 67 Malamute’s medic PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Drive thy business or it will drive thee.

– Benjamin Franklin

Chai Time STAR POWER

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

Date 29-11-2011

ARIES

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118

March 20 – April 18 Financial position looks sound. Those involved in love, need to be cautious while talking; chance of misunderstand‑ ing likely. Businessmen will sign new contracts. Employees will get new work.

TAURUS

April 19 – May 19 Problems will disappear. Businessmen to work in co‑operation with partners; else troubles likely. There may be do‑ mestic issues, which might haunt you.

Realtors not to hurry finalising deals.

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

June 21 – July 21

July 22 – August 21

May 20 – June 20

You will be aggressive and effective in assignments undertaken. You will be in the limelight as you are very successful and have a good approach. Be careful with ne‑ ighbours and women as Sun is not in favour.

Your imaginations are wrong and the prob‑ lems you face are not that big as you think.

Get into the details, analyse them and you are capable to face them and solve. Consi‑ der the advises of experienced persons.

You can think aloud but don't allow any‑ one to laugh at your plans. Be assertive to study the details in full before taking a stand on any issue. Avoid postponing things and believing anyone blindly.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

October 23 – November 20

SAGITTARIUS November 21 – Dec 20

Financial position looks very strong.

Avoid argument with parents as chances of misunderstanding likely.

Chances that women may help you in developing your professional status.

Unexpected fortune likely. Artistes are favoured with good opportunities and also with increase in their income. Business‑ men can expect huge profits in certain deals. Avoid getting into illegal matters.

Businessmen will be favoured with pro‑ mising opportunities but there may be a little hard work to be put in to grab them both mentally and financially. Sp‑ ouseʼs health may be cause for concern.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

January 20 – February 18 A proper plan and carrying out jobs wholeheartedly without deviation alone can bring you success. Avoid friendship of bad persons as there are chances of getting dragged into legal problems.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

King of Pentacles – Youʼre in charge of an important project and will be expected to take crucial decisions.

Donʼt get unduly per‑ turbed by the load of expectations.

Six of Pentacles – A senior person will help you in a diffi‑ cult situation. This may be an elderly member of the fami‑ ly or a senior at the work place.

King of Swords – You donʼt like to mince words. You get to the heart of the matter and donʼt dwell on the emo‑ tional outcome of your decisions.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Knight of Swords – Youʼre feeling youthful, adventurous and in the mood to charge ahead and conquer everything on the way.

Rein in your instincts.

Queen of Swords – You may be feeling l‑ onely and are over‑ whelmed by miscon‑ ceptions people have of you. You are to bl‑ ame – thatʼs the imp‑ ression youʼve given.

Knight of Cups – There is the likeliho‑ od that you may tra‑ mple on someoneʼs fragile ego today. Wa‑ tch every step and think twice, or thrice, before you speak.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

February 19 – March 19

Avoid getting irritated if there are any dis‑ appointments in getting work done. Adopt a slow‑and‑steady policy and get things achieved. Chances are that your activities may be in for a criticism but never mind.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

The Tower – Big changes are on the way. These may relate to job or the way you perceive an important part of your life. Be flexible in your approach.

Ace of Pentacles – Money matters in focus. Youʼre up for a raise or promotion.

This increases your social standing, too.

Keep your head down and continue working.

Two of Cups – Partn‑ erships will change the way you work and ideate. It may be a business partner‑ ship or a romantic one. It teaches you to work in a team.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Queen of Cups – You wear your heart on your sleeve and your emotions are not hid from the outside world. It may not be a bad thing.

Death – Major changes in the work situation is likely to upset your plans. You may regret your previous moves but thereʼs little you can do now. Be patient.

Three of Wands – The wait is over and youʼre finally inching towards a job that youʼve always been looking for. Life has a way of working out in the end, after all.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle BLACK WHITE GREEN BEIGE CREAM

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

Dec 21 – January 19 Long‑distance business travels likely.

You will be very active today. Applying for a loan, contemplating fresh invest‑ ments are favoured. Be cautious while driving as minor accidents are certain.

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

August 22 – September21

Businessmen will be on a prosperous path.

Your creative power is active and there will be lot of good ideas that, if implement‑ ed, can bring good results. Be careful with blood relatives; one will take you for a ride.

September 22 – October 22

TAROT READ

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Vol: 1, No. 135 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: Prahlad Rao – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

Spotlight

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

A fashionable B’day bash

PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

Kiran cuts the cake

Kiran of Suchir India recently ushered in his birthday with his friends and well wishers at Cuba in GVK One mall. A scintillating fashion show followed by a round of dancing got the guests in the groove.

A model walks the ramp

Kiran shakes a leg with his pals

Models strike a pose

Saikumar, Kiran, RP Patnaik Venkat

Dancers perform at the do

A dancer strikes a pose

Fashion designer Sumanth

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Raj