May 2012 by SpringTide

May 2012

“Grow With Us!” DID YOU DO SOMETHING NEW TODAY!

WITH MS. KIRAN MANRAL

FEATURING AN AWESOME BAND “THE LOCAL TRAIN”

CONTENTS

From the Editor – Summer of ‘12

SoundBYTE – A Personal Interview with the multitalented and very inspiring Ms. Kiran Manral

What Next!!! – “The Local Train”: A Delhi Based Band

Being Different – A Unique hang out joint started by 2 dynamic youngsters - TAPRI

Leading-Edge – “Did I do something new?”: A thought provoking poem...

Serene Souls – Black Holes: An Article on Loneliness!

Randomzzz… - Bang Bang: Someone Shot it down

Up Against – Honour Killing – A Shame for our country!

The (Un) Political Statement – The ‘War’ of the Rasthrapati Bhawan

10.

TopTenz… - Top 10 Tea Flavours you got to taste!!

This is the Fifth Issue of SPRINGTIDE MAGAZINE – India’s First Online youth Magazine. We look forward to a long journey and association with our readers – the youth across India… Feel free to contact us regarding anything by mailing us at editorial.springtide@gmail.com

And Do Visit www.springtide.in, for all updates and latest buzz…! Now you can connect to us through Facebook – www.facebook.com/springtidemag And follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/springtidemag

(We would love to hear from you…)

Summer of ‘12 The summer has set in. The sun is at its peak and scorching heat has taken its toll. But such things cannot deter our youngsters from their daily routine. We work, we party and we play just like each normal day. That is the spirit of Indian youngsters which prompted me to create a magazine dedicated entirely to the Indian Youth. Since its inception in November 2011, SpringTide has grown and expanded tremendously and we are definitely brimming with more ideas which will soon be executed. We are now a team of 8 hard working and dedicated youngsters spread across the nation who have helped SpringTide improve and upgrade with their ideas and concepts. This issue is special in its own way as it is being released on the very special day dedicated to “womanhood”. Yes, it is the Mothers’ Day and personally speaking, it has been my mother who has been there as a support in everything and anything I have done including SpringTide. However, this day is dedicated to all the mothers around the world and SpringTide salutes them – the epitome of love, sacrifice and support. To celebrate “womanhood”, we have interviewed a dynamic and inspiring lady

Ms. Kiran Manral in our second edition of the personal interview column SoundByte. Also, we feature a Delhi based band “The Local Train” in this month’s issue. Frankly, when my team mate Sneha Goswami told me that she wanted to feature this band, I asked her to go ahead but I had never heard of them before. On searching them on YouTube, I came across a song “Choo Lo” by the band. And trust me, being a music enthusiast myself, the song was so amazing that now, not a day passes when I don’t hear the song. I appeal to all my readers to listen to the songs of this talented and awesome band. Besides, the third and a very interesting thing that we feature is a new venture started by 2 youngsters in the city of Jaipur - a hang out joint, which is now one of the most popular youth joints of the city. Read on to find out the story of Tapri – a “chai” joint. Also, we dedicate this article to the fact that Tea has been declared the National Drink of our nation and for the same reason, we present before you the top 10 Tea flavour you got to try in a lifetime. There is much more in the pages ahead including the “war” of the Rashtrapati

Bhawan, an account of the dying chivalry these days, a thought provoking poem by a very talented young writer and an heart touching article on loneliness. Meanwhile, a lot is going to happen this summer. With DLF IPL finals approaching, and some very talked about movies releasing in the Bollywood town, there is a lot to look forward to. Here, I present you the 5th issue of SpringTide and thank all my readers, fans and contributors for making SpringTide what it is today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; however, there is a very long path waiting to be travelled! Adios! ď &#x160;

-Pawas Jain (Chief Editor @ SpringTide)

SpringTide, in its second edition of the interview column SOUNDBYTE, interviews a lady who defines Women Power. A woman who is the founder of an NGO, an author, has been a featured editor for leading newspapers and media houses, is the Director of an Advertising Agency, is a freelancer by choice and has been a copywriter for an Ad Agency. This is how we define multi-talented! We present you the exclusive face-off with the woman herself, the author of “The Reluctant Detective” – Ms. Kiran Manral...

1. How do we introduce you to our readers – Founder of India helps, Director at Karma Communications, the author of “The Reluctant Detective”, a freelance writer, a feature Editor for leading news publications, or a copywriter? Ans. I’d prefer a mom, a wife and a daughter. And after that, a social activist, a writer and a foodie. 2. How do you manage to do justice to so many roles in your life? Ans. I could give you the standard reply that we women are very good with multitasking, but let’s be honest, when one wants to do certain things, one does make sure one manages one’s time to get things done. 3. Who has been the most supportive and helpful in this long journey?

Ans. I would say my family. My mother, my mother in law for taking care of my son whenever I need to work. My spouse for giving me 100 per cent freedom to do whatever I felt like career wise. 4. Tell us something about your book “The Reluctant Detective”? Ans. The key word in the title is the word Reluctant. The story is about a thirtysomething housewife living in a suburban gated community in Mumbai where two murders occur in the neighbourhood. She gets curious about it and gets down to trying to unravel the murders, with some help from her friend a detective. She’s more the sidekick than the real detective in this one, and doesn’t really like the nitty gritty of the detective business. The book is primarily humour, and some might argue it is chick lit. I call it an anthropological documentation of suburban gated community life.

agendas (either religious or political) heckle down anyone with a differing opinion. 5. What are your plans with the next book? When is it coming out? Ans. I have a second book that is with the publisher now. The same protagonist is back and she will embark on another adventure. I am also working on a couple of books with different narratives, audiences and genres. Let’s see how they turn out, fingers, toes, eyes crossed. 6. Tell us about ‘India Helps’ – the motive behind it and the concept? Ans. India Helps was begun post 26/11 to form a direct hands on network to work with disaster victims in providing relief and rehabilitation to the best of our abilities. And then referring the cases for long term aid if needed to other NGOs and Trusts with better resources. We’ve worked with 26/11 and 13/7 victims. Helped with jobs, funds, groceries, money for education, training, house rents, or even just hand holding and hearing them out. Our volunteers all have day jobs and do this on weekends, sacrificing down time and family time to help out. 7. How effective do you think is social media in 21st century? Ans. Very effective if used positively. And can be counterproductive if used in a negative way. We saw social media being used effectively during the Bombay blasts to provide help to those stranded, to provide information, to spread the word about a missing person. We also see the trolling and negativity that comes on twitter with bands of trolls with single point

8. How can a common youngster contribute towards a strong nation building? Ans. To start with be a responsible citizen. Look beyond your immediate family and be involved in locality management, or even within your society complex. Be aware of civic property, be aware of the less privileged, do your best to contribute something, even if it is just a few hours a week tutoring the underprivileged. Take pride in your nation. Take pride in your culture and this I don’t mean in a manner than tars everything Western negatively, but learn about our greats--in literature, in arts, in philosophy. We have a huge wealth of youth, having the largest segment of our demographic in the youth, and nation building is now in the hands of the youth. I see a lot of awareness and anger amongst the youth today, but very short-lived. Some cause will spark off support, but it ends up fizzling out. That’s what worries me. Work consistently. Work long-term. Contribute towards society and nation building. Don’t treat your vote like a barter commodity--I vote ergo I deserve good facilities, governance, etc. Okay. I step off the soap box here. 9. What is your word of advice for budding authors of India? Ans. Write. Every single day. And read as much as you can. Across genres.

The Local Train - A Delhi-based band By: Sneha Goswami

Genre

Acoustic/Rock/Pop

Members Lead Vocals and Acoustic Guitar: Raman Negi Bass Guitar: Ramit Mehra Lead Guitars: Paras Thakur Drums/Percussions: Sahil Sarin

The Local Train are:

1. Ramit Mehra has been playing bass professionally for the last 5 years and has played with various projects all over India. Ramit started playing guitars at a very young age and from winning innumerable competitions to playing professionally, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made his mark in the Industry. He played on the COLORS TV Show IDEA ROCKS INDIA where his playing style was appreciated by Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan and Bappi

Lahiri to name a few. 2. Sahil Sarin, the drummer of the band is the prodigy who took the professional circuit by storm when he started playing professionally 7 years ago. Picking up drums at a tender age of 5 he went on to turn his passion into his dream career. Having cleared his Grade 8 Certification from Trinity College of Music, London he has

gone on to play sessions for Subhash Ghai’s Audeus Studios in Bombay and is recognized for his work all over. His working and knowledge of his instrument has been appreciated by the likes of Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter Quartet, Virgil Donati, Wolfgang Haffner, Pierre Favre and many more.

was asked to play for a gig in Hoshiarpur. But then yes, they were 'destined' to meet....everybody instantly clicked...shared a bond...AND ...the 'FAMILY' was PICTURE PERFECT. :-)

3. Raman Negi, is the vocalist of the band. His flair with words and his soulful voice are his assets which he exploits completely. A powerhouse of creative content, Raman has conceptualized various music projects on a professional level. His vocal styling have been appreciated in the Bollywood circuit and Nagesh Kukunoor adjudged his singing as the best in the Rhythms Valentine competition.

Well, there isn’t a long, philosophical history behind this peculiar name. It just HAPPENED!! And yes, they can truly, very creatively justify every possible meaning you can possible deduce out of this name. :-P

4. Paras Thakur on the lead guitars adds the final touch to The Local Train’s ensemble. Dropping out of one of the most prestigious engineering colleges of the country to pursue his passion, Paras proved his worth by being one of the select few Indians to gain admission to the MUSICIAN’S INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES, USA, one of the premier colleges of Music worldwide.

'The local train' -

The band - (inside story) You meet them and you will surely get smitten by their charm... they don’t have any 'run-of-the-mill' wannabe rock star kind of an attitude. Ego is miles away, down to earth, humble, fun-loving.... is what they are :-) they are a happy family and they make sure that you equally feel a part of it. No clashes, no fights (which disappointed me a little as I lost on my 'mirch-masala’) :-P nevertheless, MUSIC is their life , the sole reason for their existence and that is what they do--- make good music !!

How this musical journey began.... First gig and the gigs now It dates back to Raman’s college days when he started writing songs and wanted to form a band ...he met Ramit in Chandigarh and later ramit introduced him to Sahil and around 2009... Ramit, Raman and Sahil were the band members performing in gigs and shows, composing their original compositions, searching for different platforms to establish themselves. Paras joined the band later (about a year back) he

Starting off ...by performing in front of hundreds of people to a whooping leap of thousands and thousands of crazy fans ...there's a MARKED difference. As one of the member says ' when you play your songs , they mean the world to you , they are a part of you ....And when you see countless music lovers in front of you , feeling every word....singing along ....LIVING

every moment the same way...reflecting back, that is a 'feeling' which can’t be expressed' Every gig is special in its own way. they have performed across the whole country covering almost all the extremities Chandigarh, Delhi, Gurgaon, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Kanpur, Hamirpur, Patiala etc. They have their own favourites--one of them being the one at Hard Rock Cafe, Delhi. Well HRC!!! The name says it all!! But more than the name, performing there in front of their friends and colleagues, who once did not believe in them and now applauding away to glory! It’s an achievement in itself! All 4 walk on different paths...which ultimately converge and melt into ONE! -

while Sahil loves jazz. Paras on the other hand likes alternative rock. But while making music, they leave aside their own interests and compose what is the best for the band! You’ll find loads of variations in their music. Their tracks are a good mix of music from various genres keeping the language to our mother tongue - Hindi :-)

Ending my rendezvous with this amazing band, I would suggest all the readers to listen to their tracks, you'll yourself realise what you have been missing!! :-) They are soon coming up with their band album for which they are working hard day and night. It’ll be out in a few months. :-) You can reach out to them here https://www.facebook.com/TheLocalTrain

All of them have their separate music interests - Raman likes more of pop rock

(The Author of this Article, Sneha Goswami, is a 2nd Year student of Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi)

TAPRI – A Youth Venture Started by 2 youngsters in the city of Jaipur, Tapri, a tea spot is now one of the most famous and talked about hang out joint for the youngsters of the city. The uniqueness of the concept, the affordability of the eatables and the personalized ambience of the joint truly makes it different. Here is SpringTide, in direct conversation with one of two founders – Ankit Bohra.

1.) When did ‘Tapri’ start? And how did the idea originate? It was on grounds on 20th Aug, 2010 . It originated when we were asked to submit a business idea to our faculties while doing MBA course. We were discussing idea over a cup of chai at a local thadi nearby and the idea of Tapri chose us. 2.) What is the background and story of the owners of the cafe? We both did schooling and college together from Udaipur. Yes, we hail from Udaipur. “Tapri” came in picture when we were doing MBA from Chetana college, Mumbai. Sorabh worked for City bank, Mumbai for 2 years and I worked for

Kotak Mahindra bank for a year and for Crayons advertising for another year before starting Tapri. Our faculty gave us zero for the projectTapri and today we have named our Group as- Groupzero. 3.) What is unique about the venture, which makes it different from the rest? Others are café, lounge or restaurant, we are more than a thadi and less than a café, we are a perfect blend of both. And the way we are matching up with sentiment “thadibaazi” is different again. 4.) What are the expansion plans or future plans for the venture?

We shall be opening 2 more outlets in Jaipur first and its learning will enable us to plan further

6.) Do you plan to open more such places in near future? Yes.

5.) How well has it been received by the youngsters? …like they are endorsing & sharing the place with parents & faculties. Also, Tapri is there on their facebook status.

7.) What is that secret ‘X’ factor behind the success of the venture? We are not successful yet. Also, we endorse the fact “Idea of success is an illusion”

DID I DO SOMETHING NEW? By: Shreya Dhadda (In the age we are living, there are millions of questions we ask ourselves daily, million directions where we go haywire, and million lessons we can learn out of what we call our THINKING-ACTING Syndrome. The poem is just a reflection of a YOUTH-BRAIN Working! Take a read.)

Immersed in the turmoil, am I on the rise? Plethora of stories within the hive, is hiding any further surprise? Daily crusades and routine hedges, From family to society, life is narrated on the messages.

Who are we? And, where are we heading? From nobody to somebody, the quest is placed on the setting. Stories formed and resolutions passed, With an emotional setback, nothing except the coin is tossed.

Up-Down-This-That. FULL STOP is the call without any HASH. Ask yourself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;DID I DO SOMETHING NEW?â&#x20AC;? Make a new step, and let the heat brew.

Choose this or that, at least make a START. Because, the world is not supremely tart. The miseries will just get deeper, So, Bump the fear and put ON the trigger.

SUBMISS YOURSELF TO THE SCORES OFVIGOUR! ACT, WORK AND MAKE MISTAKES! Because there is no glory without any learning traits! CHEERS!

(The poetess of this beautiful creation is a CA Article from Jaipur, Rajasthan)

Black Holes By: Puneet Arora There are few things that seem no way related with each other. Like a sodium atom, the number zero, a black hole, or a lonely individual. The uncommon common fact among these is that they have it, all alone. The 11th electron of the sodium atom keeps going round and round about a group, merrily moving about a positive energy, close to each other. There might seem to be no horrifying result due to this, until the lump of sodium is thrown in water. FIRE is what you get. Even on the water. That lonely electron sets water on fire. Zero is unlucky to be sandwiched between the signed numbers. What

happens when anything is multiplied with it? The yield is null. The black hole is a perfect example to show what the fear of being alone can do. It has all the urgency to take everything into itself. And if you want more, I can tell you that a river without tributaries is merely seasonal flow. A palm tree in the desert keeps no palms, while an oasis smells of palms. And the classic example, a stick is broken, but a bunch is not. The point is that everything in existence needs some other thing to compliment it. Day follows night which is again followed by the day. Positive energy neutralises the negative. Femininity feeds masculinity. A deer alone in the

jungle is killed by fear before the lion hunts it down. Herd is all it needs. My emphasis is on the feeling of loneliness. One, of course doesn’t choose himself or herself to stay alone. But there are many who are living on one edge of the world, whereas the other edge is a world in itself. I see many people, totally alone, without any company, any peers, just roaming in the streets, sitting on the chairs of the parks as a group of chattering people pass by and that person sits unmoved as he watches the group silently, approaching him, and then maybe overhears them, as they have walked into infinity, just to get an idea about what currently goes on in that other world. It is such a wonderful experience to be the centre of universe. The eyes are not meant just to interpret the world. Eyes. They move to each and every corner of crowd just to check whether another pair of eyes are staring. This might be the reason why blind folks are so calm, whereas those with the eyes want two on the back of head as well. Perhaps just to maximise the view of the world, to

interpret more, to see more, to extract more, from the same world, that does not change, even if you have eagle eyes. Human psychology desires information about other humans. Are the lonely people not missing out whenever the gang in the classroom goes ‘woohoo’ on almost every thing happening in the radius of few metres? Wouldn’t the allayed concern make them feel out of place? I wonder how they feign the discomfort in that forceful abiding to sit among self-contained personalities with constrained ‘eyes’ that create rooms inside those rooms which leaves no room for those others sitting in that same room.. The most discomforting thing that I think sometimes for the lonely people is that they are brutally plonked anywhere the world wants to. And the thing that is to be respected is that they don’t even once scowl at the world that tries to make them do so every moment. A lonely being is slowly converted to wuss. They are people with most accurate observations, and that happens because they perceive the world with

zero biasing. Whenever I see a person sitting alone, killing time, I rush to him, sit with him, talk to him about various issues, and by doing so, I gather information about the current status of the mind of that person, and try to make him comfortable. This is what makes me satisfied the most.

I comprehend every person alone as a camouflaged volcano, seemingly quiet, ready to erupt with the softest of touch, just to let the heart out. What happens to them without the concern being shown is that they keep testing their own patience, letting it go one more time, yet another time, and then another, just to maintain the pledge not to let the secrets go. I strongly believe that those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have company might be non-social, but they can be the

most influential personalities, on account of their crystal clear familiarity about themselves, that they keep honing every day, where the outward flow might not exist, but the sinking is continuous. What a lonely person wants is nothing but a minute of heart to heart talk, a kind short conversation, a quick exchange of smiles here and then there, among the crowd a wish, just to make sure that they once again start to seek the confidence that they started lacking, afterwards which, it has been just the downfall. But if the world keeps moving at the pace and in the direction as it does, the sheer ignorance towards those left alone will not be stymied. And what would be most macabre about their death would be the blank obituary

(The Author is a 3rd Year Student of SKIT Jaipur, Rajasthan)

Bang Bang, someone shot it down By: Shreya Deora

Its 2012. The world’s changed in more ways than one. We are independent, we are successful, we strive for more and more. Oh, and there’s also the fact that our success and high incomes are a waste with the inflation, one can never really be fully independent cause our society has weird norms, that sadly, we have to follow, and we are striving for more, but there aren’t just enough opportunities. But with all that, comes another fact. As independent and open minded we are becoming, we are losing out on a very important thing, chivalry. And yes, I understand that it goes both ways, but since am a part of the fairer sex (ha-ha!), I am happily going to use this opportunity to criticize the ways of men. There was a time when men would open doors, pull out chairs for women, and so on and so forth. But that’s a whole different era, isn’t it. And the sad part is, that no one, not even me, actually ever pays attention to this dying, yet (trust me) beautiful norm. But there was this one day, I was attending a competition in a college in DU. And the whole seminar room was jam packed. So me and my friends just went to a corner and stood there. And this guy suddenly offers us his seat, saying, “There’s still

some chivalry left in this world”. Even though I declined, cause he looked like he needed to sit more than I did, it got me thinking, won’t it be nice if men still did that? And before half of you of the not-so-fair sex start to protest about it, I agree, it doesn’t apply to everyone. I do know a couple of people who fit the endangered ‘charming young man’ role perfectly well. But if you see it, majority of the male sex doesn’t really bother about it. And frankly, nor do women. And before all you feminists start hyperventilating, I am not putting women down. I am somewhat of a budding feminist too. So its not like women NEED help. They are not fragile or weak that they need someone to open doors for them, or to offer to pick up the bags they are carrying. But its in the notion of the beautiful ways of the era that existed. Its called being nice, more of a gentleman and making women realize that there is still hope ( I am sure women will agree with this one ). All the female feminists out there, there is nothing wrong with wishing to be treated nicely, you can always reject their offer you know, but you can’t deny the fact that the offer in itself, will make you smile. And all the male feminists (yes, cause they can be male too) don’t crib too

much. You still puzzle on the ways the female mind works, and no matter how much you pretend you know them, you still donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

just solved the age-long mind boggling question that men have.

So, I pen down my hope of living in a place where chivalry still exists. Because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best way to make women feel special. And there, I

(The Author is a 1st Year Student of Kamla Nehru College, New Delhi and a regular SpringTide columnist)

Honour Killing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Shame for our Country By: Abdullah Panniyankara (as written on www.civilserviceindia.com)

An honour killing or honour killing (also called a customary killing) is the murder of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief of the perpetrators (and potentially the wider community) that the victim has brought dishonour upon the family or community. Honour killings are directed mostly against women and girls. The perceived dishonour is normally the result of one of the following behaviours, or the suspicion of such behaviours: a. dressing in a manner unacceptable to the family or community, b. wanting to terminate or prevent an arranged marriage or desiring to marry by own choice, c. engaging in heterosexual sexual acts outside marriage, or even due to a

non-sexual relationship perceived as inappropriate, and d. Engaging in homosexual acts. Women and girls are killed at a much higher rate than men. Recently, there has been a spate of honour killings in the country and this has led the government to decide what laws should be put in place to stop this heinous crime. Also whether the Hindu Marriage Act should be reformed or not is being debated. So what is the definition of honour killing and what leads families to commit this heinous crime so that they can protect their family honour? Is this practice prevalent only in India or is it prevalent in other parts of the world also? What are the misconceptions regarding honour killing and what are the solutions to stop this crime from spreading? These

are the questions that society finds the answer… In my opinion Honour killing is defined as a death that is awarded to a woman of the family for marrying against the parent’s wishes, having extramarital and premarital relationships, marrying within the same gotra or outside one’s caste or marrying a cousin from a different caste. Honour killing is different from the dowry deaths that are also a very common practice in India as, in the case of dowry deaths, the perpetrators of that action claim that they have not been given enough material rewards for accepting the woman into the family. In that case there is a lot of harassment from the in-laws and more times than one, it has been noted that the wife commits suicide rather than being killed by the in-laws, though it has to be said that she has been mentally killed, if not physically. We have had a tradition of honour killing. This tradition was first viewed in its most horrible form during the Partition of the country in between the years 1947 and 1950 when many women were forcefully killed so that family honour could be preserved. Now, there are various reasons why people or family members decide to kill the daughter in the name of preserving their family honour. The most obvious reason for this practice to continue in India, albeit, at a much faster and almost daily basis, is because of the fact that the caste system continues to be at its rigid best and also because people from the rural areas refuse to change their attitude to marriage. According to them, if any daughter dares to disobey her parents on the issue of marriage and decides to marry a man of her wishes but from another gotra or outside her caste, it would bring disrepute to the family honour and hence they decide to give the ultimate sentence that is death to the daughter. Now as has

become the norm, the son-in-law is killed as well. Sociologists believe that the reason why honour killings continue to take place is because of the continued rigidity of the caste system. Hence the fear of losing their caste status through which they gain many benefits makes them commit this heinous crime. The other reason why honour killings are taking place is because the mentality of people has not changed and they just cannot accept that marriages can take place in the same gotra or outside one’s caste. The root of the cause for the increase in the number of honour killings is because the formal governance has not been able to reach the rural areas and as a result. Thus, these practices continue though it should have been removed by now. There are various misconceptions regarding the practice of honour killing. The first misconception about honour killing is that this is a practice that is limited to the rural areas. The truth is that it is spread over such a large geographical area that we cannot isolate honour killings to rural areas only, though one has to admit that majority of the killings take place in the rural areas. But it has also been seen recently that even the metropolitan cities like Delhi and Tamil Nadu are not safe from this crime because 5 honour killings were reported from Delhi and in Tamil Nadu; a daughter and son in law were killed due to marriage into the same gotra. So it can be seen clearly that honour killing is not isolated to rural areas but also to urban areas and as already pointed out, it has a very wide geographical spread. The second misconception regarding honour killing is that it has religious roots. Even if a woman commits adultery, there have to be four male witnesses with good behaviour and reputation to validate the

charge. Furthermore only the State can carry out judicial punishments, but never an individual vigilante. So, we can clearly see that there is no religious backing or religious roots for this heinous crime. What can we do to prevent such a thing from happening? Firstly, the mentality of the people has to change. And when we say that the mentality has to change, we mean to say that parents should accept their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wishes regarding marriage as it is they who have to lead a life with their life partners and if they are not satisfied with their life partner then they will lead a horrible married life which might even end in suicide. Secondly, we need to have stricter laws to tackle these kinds of killings as this is a crime which cannot be pardoned because. Humans do not have the right to write down death sentences of innocent fellow humans.

Sources: www.civilserviceindia.com Recommended Link - http://www.honourkilling.in/

The ‘War’ Of the Rashtrapati Bhawan - Analysis of the upcoming Presidential elections 2012 The battle for Rashtrapati Bhavan, the residence of India’s President, is already heating up in political circles. The ruling Congress party has been busy gathering the support of its coalition allies, especially of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress Party, which lately has opposed several government initiatives. In the meantime, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has hinted it is unlikely to back potential Congress-backed nominees. Although the President has few powers, he or she enjoys discretionary powers in deciding which party should form a

government should no single party win an absolute majority in Parliament. Here is a roundup of what some newspapers and commentators had to say about the run-up to the presidential elections. The Hindu, in an

editorial headlined “Keep Things Dignified,” criticized the BJP’s opposition to Vice President Hamid Ansari, who media reports say is a possible Congress party candidate for the office. “By all accounts, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj spoke out of turn when she voiced her views on electing the next President,” it said, adding that the BJP “not only showed its hand too soon,” but

also “lowered the level of public discourse on an important issue.”

female president – whose tenure has been marred by numerous controversies.

It added that while party has the right to debate, oppose and support the candidates it chooses to, “a sense of proportion and balance is essential.”

In an editorial headlined “The Making of a President,” the Deccan Chronicle newspaper presented the race to Rashtrapati Bhavan as a major political issue that may have repercussions on the 2014 national elections.

“Once the contestation is over, the President and the Opposition need to be able to look each other in the eye and work together,” it added. And that advice isn’t just for the BJP, but for all parties: “Even as parties weigh the merits and demerits of various candidates, they should be careful in their public pronouncements.” “The Opposition has a right to make the ruling party sweat a bit in the run up to the Presidential election. But it shouldn’t forget that the only political battle which truly matters comes two years later, in 2014,” it concluded. Similar views were shared by The Times of India, which cautioned the BJP against playing politics with presidential polls. While noting that reaching a consensus on the nominee may seem difficult, it said that “rather than play hardball, political parties should sink their differences and select a non-partisan nominee on grounds of merit. That surely will go a long way in rebuilding public confidence in our political and constitutional processes.” It argued that this would be better criteria than affirmative action. The editorial cited the example of Mrs. Patil – India’s first

The editorial said it’s going to be tough for the Congress party to “sway the outcome” since it doesn’t have the numbers in both houses of the Parliament. It won’t be easy for the BJP, either. “The BJP’s best bet might be to attach itself to a suitable nominee that may emerge from the stables of the regional parties. That indeed is the effort currently on view,” it said. “The overall picture does indeed confer on the Congress a certain situational advantage, provided the party makes a choice that will have more takers,” it added. Ultimately, the editorial argues that it is in the country’s benefit that a President comes up by way of consensus as it “becomes a reaffirmation of national unity.” “And in the coalition era a consensus President may be the best neutral umpire we may hope for.”

A Fair Analysis The names we are hearing to become the next Indian President after Prathiba Patil are,



Somnath Chatterjee

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S.Y Quraishi



Parkash Singh Badal



Mulayam Singh Yadav



Mohsina Kidwai



APJ Abdul Kalam



Sharad Yadav



Pranab Mukherjee



Vayalar Ravi



Hamid Ansari



A.K Antony



Manmohan Singh



Meira Kumar



Gopal Krishna Gandhi



Karan Singh

The Springtide View: India has recently experienced a fair amount of political turmoil, lakhs of crores of scams, corruption prone governmental running, and lots more, but Now, when the parliament has a chance of changing things around by electing a President then the right thing to do and maybe the most beneficial one would be to appoint a non-political and intellectual President who has no personal motives and is not a puppet in the hands of the Central Government. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face reality â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the President doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to exercise much of his powers in our country, but it is that post of our country which represents us internationally. We would definitely vouch for a non political person for the post!

Top 10 Tea Flavours, our Country loves...

1. White Teas White tea is the purest and least processed of all teas. This loose leaf tea has very little caffeine and brews a light colour and flavour. White teas also contain healthy antioxidants and are the best for skin and complexion. 2. Green Teas Green tea is the most popular type of tea, mainly because it is the beverage of choice in Asia. Some loose green teas are scented with flowers or mixed with fruits to create scented or flavoured teas. This tea has only 5-10% the caffeine per cup. Green teas contain healthy antioxidants. They help maintain cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range, are good for skin and teeth, and can be used as part of your diet to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

3. Oolong Teas Oolong tea, also known as wu long tea, is full-bodied with a flavourful fragrance and sweet aroma. It is semifermented, which gives it approximately 15% of the caffeine in one cup. Most people commonly recognize oolong tea as the Chinese tea served in Chinese restaurants. Oolong teas can be a healthy part of your weight loss plan. 4. Black Teas Black tea is the tea most people know since you likely grew up dipping tea bags of black tea in your cup (or enjoyed this tea from an iced tea pitcher in the South). Black tea is fully fermented, so it has approximately 20% of the caffeine in a cup. Black teas help maintain cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range, as

well as helping to maintain cardiovascular function and a healthy circulatory system. 5. Herbal Teas Herbal tea does not contain any leaves from the Camellia plant family, so it is sometimes referred to as a tisane. Herbal teas can be broken into three categories: rooibos teas, mate teas, and herbal infusions. Herbal infusions consist of pure herbs, flowers, and fruits. Herbal teas are typically caffeine-free (except Mate teas) and most are rich in vitamin C. They can be delicious hot or iced. 6. Rooibos Teas Rooibos tea, or red tea, is made from a South African red bush. This premium tea is a healthy source of vitamins and minerals; it also contains antioxidants. Naturally caffeine free, Rooibos teas help promote digestion, support your immune system, and promote healthy skin, teeth and bones. Rooibos teas can be delicious hot or iced. 7. Mate Teas Mate tea is considered the coffee lover's favourite tea. Made from the leaves and twigs of the yerba mate plant, mate teas give the same energy as coffee without the jitters. They also may curb your appetite and contain 21 vitamins and minerals. 8. Blooming Teas Also called artisan or flowering teas, these teas actually 'bloom' as they

steep. They are hand tied by tea artists and often include some type of flavour or scent along with the beautiful design. These romantic teas make a great gift for your significant other! 9. Tea Blends Tea blends often have the best of both worlds since they combine more than one type of premium tea. Mixing teas in a blend is one of the best ways to get great flavour along with great health benefits. 10. Allegria Jasmine Burst Tea It is believed that jasmine tea was first produced during the great cultural flowering of the Song Dynasty (9601279). Allegria Jasmine Burst was created as a tribute to the original producers of jasmine tea. The beautiful white tips of this artfully hand-tied "flowering tea" open up to reveal marigold, jasmine, and Arabian jasmine blossoms. The outer tea leaves serve to represent the potential of the Chinese people while the blossoms represent the cultural power unlocked during the Song Dynasty. -Compiled by the SpringTide Team (Source: Teavana)