2nd issue final 11

An IIJNM Publication

Volume 13 Issue 15

What’s on your mind? Budget 2017 After demonetisation, people in India are eagerly waiting for the upcoming budget.

committee for which funds were not allotted before,” says SwagataMistry, an ex-banker at State of India (SBI). She adds, “SBI has already cut down its interest rate by 9 percent. Loan rates will be cut down and resultantly, deposit rates will also decrease.

Businessmen will be benefitted as they will get cheaper loans but the common people will face many troubles. They will have

Let it Pump

By Mrigakshi Dixit mrigakshi.d@iijnm.org

By Ahana Chatterjee ahana.c@iijnm.org Given the much-debated step of demonetisation on November 8, 2016 taken by Prime Minister NarendraModi, this year’s budget is going to be a significant one.

This decision had astronomical effects on India’s economy- GDP (Gross Domestic Product) point was affected, rupee fell against the U.S dollars, the interest rate and loan rate in the banks came down. PM Modi claimed thathe took this step in order to stop black money transaction, circulation of fake currency in the system and funding to terrorist organizations. Among the affected was a large population of middle class and lower middle class citizens.

This year, there have been two deviations from the tradition.

Firstly, this time the budget will be announced on February 1, instead of February 29. Secondly, after 97 years, the rail budget will be presented along with the union budget. Last year, the GDP was 7.6 percent but the IMF’s (International Monetary Fund) forecast says that India’s GDP will be down to 6.6 percent, this time.

On the other hand, Indian government said that due to an industrial slowdown, the GDP might get decelerated to 7.2 percent in this budget session. Some of the rating agencies estimated that GDP growth can be little lower than 40 points which was already the case in financial year of 2016-17.

“Demonetisation will affect this year’s budget. The government has spent a lot in printing new notes and forming

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Arun Jaitley to announce budget tomorrow at 11 am - image source: BGR.in to invest more in mutual funds.” banking services features like Mint, a business media organi- fund transfer, and merchant paysation, in one of its reports stat- ments in a single mobile applicaed that “the ratio of currency to tion, is integrated in commerce GDP in India crossed 10percent and if credit will kick into our for the first time in 2002-03 and culture or will the non- credhas remained above this level itculture continue,”he adds. since then. This ratio has averThe excise department, this aged 10.8percent in the last de- year, is not much excited about cade. There has not only been a the budget due to demonetisarelatively sharp increase in the tion and is waiting for the GST ratio of currency to GDP dur- bill which is expected to roll ing 2015-16 but a reversal of out in July. 2017’s main focus the negative trend witnessed in would be the implementation the previous three years. The in- of GST. Majority of it has been crease in this ratio could have given to the state government so persisted through the current year this year it is going to be a maas well before the demonetisa- jor step towards the economy.

The service tax which was 15 percent in the previous yearmight be increased to 17- 18 percent.ShashankMathur, Network Engineer at Fidelity National Information Services (FIS), says, “With the huge inflow of cash in banks and government treasury after demonetisation, there is an expectation of lowering the income tax slabs in this budget.While GST seems to be a good idea, abolishing all taxes, including income tax, and coming out with taxation on every transaction seems a far-fetched idea.”“With the inflation,it would be good if the government can also account for a bation of higher denomination notes sic minimum salary of private Announced on 8 November.” sector employees along with the Vargab Bakshi, Partnership new pay commission,” he adds.

“According to me the budget Head (South Asia) at ‘Shopify’, wishes to see cashless transac- this year will be pro-people as the tions being implemented and government has a lot of cash in promoted in a better manner. “I hand after this note ban. I expect am hoping the best for GST as it better income tax slabs, interest will solve numerous business is- rate cuts in home loan, educasues. Post demonetization, I am tion loan and also looking after keen to see how Unified Payment the matter of service tax,” says Interface, a system that powers Soumyajit Majumdar, an employmultiple bank accounts, several ee of a private company in Delhi.

Bengaluru: Doctors have found that people living in the cities are getting prone to lifestyle diseases more than communicable diseases. Heart problems, type II diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, strokes, cirrhosis, high and low blood pressure all these diseases comes under the category of lifestyle diseases.

“Under these lifestyle diseases people are vulnerable more to heart ailments as it is one of the organ that is both directly and indirectly affected with the exposure to any sort of risk factor,” said Dr. Mohan Kumar a city based cardiologist. He mentions, these risk factors involves, tobacco consumption, smoking, sedentary life, stress, imbalanced diet and pollution.

As a result of this dramatic change, there is an increase in the cardio vascular disease (CVD) cases in Bangalore. According to World Health Organization (WHO), heart diseases claim most of the lives in urban areas, followed by respiratory diseases and tuberculosis.

Heart is one of the most important human organs responsible for the proper functioning of the body. Heart circulates blood and supplies oxygen and nutrients throughout the body via the circulatory system.

“There are two types of heart disease - congenital and coronary diseases. Congenital diseases are present from the birth and the latter comes with passing of time, mainly due to change in lifestyle of a person,” said Dr. Shrikanth K.V a heart specialist at city’s Narayana health hospital. He adds: “Presently around 70-80 per cent of people suffer from coronary heart disease and the percentage of patients is gradually increasing with the passing time as I witness in my clinic.”

According to Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD), in Karnataka, in the year 2014, more than 32 per cent lives were claimed due to heart diseases. The heart diseases consist of angina, heart

failure, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and heart attack. In the year 2015, more than 17.3 million lives were lost across India due to the heart strokes as per World Heart Federation. Ischemic Heart disease and strokes records for 80 percent deaths caused due to Cardio vascular disease (CVD).

“Heart diseases are generally linked to complications in the critical parts of heart like, heart muscles, heart valves, arteries and heart’s electrical system (atria and ventricle). Even a small problem in any part of the heart can contribute to the weakening of heart in several ways,” said Dr. Srikanth K.V. “For the proper functioning of heart it needs a continuous pumping of blood and oxygen and lack of any of it reduces the efficiency of heart,” he added.

“Most of the heart disease is said to be a silent disease, there symptoms are not visible to the patients until they are on the advance stage of it,” said Dr Kumar.

He asserts, “Improper diet, lack of physical activity and mental stress, exposure to all these activities restricts the proper functioning of heart. It starts from mere heart pain that people ignore.”

Stress: Dr Satish at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience (NIMHANS) said people these days are exposed to lot of personal and professional stress in life.

Stress can come in many forms like work pressure, debt pressure and even the pressure

broken heart. “I was searching for a job since last two months.

Due to stress my food intake was reducing, this resulted into high heart blood. I experienced breathlessness and heart pain,” said Aparna Reddy, 25-year-old.

“Youngsters complain of heart pain, breathlessness and cough, all these symptoms may account for heart stroke or other coronary disease,” said Dr. Kumar.

Consumption of tobacco and alcohol Tobacco consumption reduces the elasticity of blood vessels making them stiff and blocks the blood flow to the coronary arteries.

“Youngsters these days are more vulnerable to heart diseases because of the consumption of tobacco and alcohol on daily basis.

Continued on Page 2

METRO

THE WEEKLY OBSERVER

Heart rules your body Continued from page 1 “Last month, during internship, the consumption of alcohol was increased to keep stress at bay. After sometime I started experiencing chest pain due to both stress and alcohol.” “Doctor warned me as it can damage both heart and liver,” said Dia, 22-year-old (name changed) “About 90 out of 100 percent heart cases we get among the youngsters are caused due to consumption of tobacco, or due to smoking or drinking,” said Dr. Kumar.

Junk Food: According to dietician expert, Dr Suguna S, the trend of fast food is gradually increasing these days among people; they prefer fast food over the home made food to easy accessibility. Specially youngsters most of them live out from their home and consume large amount of junk food on daily basis.

In her blog Dr Suguna mentions that one should avoid these 5 S’s to live a healthy life. The five S’s constitutes of sedentary life, salty snacks, sugary foods, smoking substances, and stress.

“Fast food contains lot of calories, carbohydrates, salts, saturated fats and cholesterol. In this sedentary lifestyle, the physical work is reduced. The consumption is more and activity is less.

This adds up to the less metabolism and several complications like obesity, cholesterol in the body.” She said. These all add up to the improper functioning of heart, as the blood circulation is reduced in the body.

University of Minnesota School of public research says that consuming fast food at least once a week increases the risk of dying with chronic heart disease by 20 per cent.

Dr Suguna mentions that more fast food consumption can lead high cholesterol level. The high amount of cholesterol blocks the arteries causing stroke. A balance diet is required for the proper functioning of overall body. Like large intake of sugar can give you obesity or diabetes. Consumption of more salt causes high blood pressure.

According to a research produced by the Max Neeman, in India, one person dies every second due to different types of heart diseases. In a Most of diseases related to heart occur in middle age people as they are more exposed to the exterior agents that contribute to weakening of the heart arteries.

“Heart diseases can occur to anyone irrespective of the age.

Since last few years the trend of heart disease is increasing among the youngsters. People of the age group from 22-29 are following under the burden of coronary heart disease. That is seriously concerning as they are the future generation,” said Dr. Srikanth.

Emami foundation, Sakra World Hospital and Fortis organise various campaigns on heart in the city to educate and aware people.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Cigarette dives while Tobacco thrives

By Sumukh Kadekar sumukh.k@iijnm.org Cigarette consumption in India has seen a dip of 28 percent in 30 years. It has decreased by 24 million kg’s while the overall consumption of tobacco has increased by 156 Million according to a report by the Tobacco Board. They increase in tobacco consumption is due to the dramatic increase in the consumption of other forms of tobacco which has seen an increase of 180 million Kg’s.

Only one out of 10 tobacco consumers smokes cigarettes. According the Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted by World Health Organization (WHO), cigarettes make up a mere 11 percent of India’s total tobacco consumption. Bidi -a thin, hand-rolled cigarette, accounts for another 15 percent while the rest is smokeless tobacco consumed in the form of snuff, paan or gutkha. Paan and gutkha are made by mixing tobacco with various ingredients.

This trend of smokeless tobacco consumption stems from India’s policy on taxing cigarettes and laws revolving around public consumption of tobacco. Certain laws like ‘no smoking’ in public places has led people to shift from smoking cigarettes to using smokeless tobacco products.

“I used to smoke cigarettes before, then it became too costly,” said Syed, a tea vendor on Mysore Road. “I couldn’t afford it anymore so I switched to gutkha. It is cheaper and gives a better kick.”

Cigarettes are taxed 51 times more than other tobacco products.

Cigarettes are taxed Rs. 4,159 per kilogram while other forms of tobacco are taxed at an average of Rs. 81 per kilogram, according to the Ministry of Revenue, India.

This has led to a radical increase

in the price of cigarettes while other tobacco products have seen only a gradual increase in prices.

The tax levied on tobacco is comprised of basic excise duty, national calamity contingency duty, special excise duty and the health cess, or “sin tax.”The health cess was originally levied to fund the National Rural Health Mission Revenues and continue to be a part of the consolidated fund of India, that is, in the general pool of resources rather than a specifically earmarked health-related fund.

On the other hand, Bidis are exempted from health cess.

Instead,Bidi manufacturer’s pay a surcharge known as ‘BidiWorkers Welfare Assessment’.

Some consumers and manufacturers see smokeless tobacco as a safer alternative to cigarettes and bidis. Others disagree, pointing to hire rate of oral cancer for users of smokeless tobacco.

“It’s a common misconception.

Most of the patients we have here are consumers of smokeless tobacco or both, we rarely see a case where the patient only smokes

cigarettes,” says Dr. Shekahar, a cancer specialist. ”Chewing tobacco has more serious health hazards as the nicotine then directly enters the bloodstream.”

Smokeless tobacco contains almost four times the amount of nicotine than in a cigarette, which may explain the better ‘kick’.

Additionally, smokeless tobacco products contain more than 3,000 chemicals and many carcinogenic substances like tobacco-specific nitrosamines, levels of which vary by product. The higher the level of these products, greater is the risk of cancer.According to a report by the American Cancer Association, people who switch from cigarettes or bidis to smokeless tobacco end up consuming more tobacco than before. “I was smoking about 10 to 12 cigarettes a day. Now I buy five or six packets and I am set for the whole day,” says Bholu a watchman who stays at Austin Town. “It is cheaper too,” he says as he opens a packet of gutkha and empties it in his mouth.His present consumption of gutkha is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes in a day.

That is almost twice as much

as what he consumed before.

Although smokeless tobacco poses less of a threat to nonsmokers, it is not without any harm. Paan and some other forms of tobacco need to be spit out from time to time and the spit carries all the pathogens the person carries inside his body. ”The saliva and phlegm that is spit out bytobacco chewers contains millions of pathogens that reside in them,” says Dr.Kamat, a retired cancer surgeon. “They also develop patches in their mouth which may cultivate bacterial growth,” he adds.

In India, home to the largest number of smokers after China, almost a million people die every year due to tobacco consumption either directly or indirectly, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey report. One out of six people worldwide who die due to tobacco use is an Indian.

Although taxation has caused a decrease in number of smokers in India, its discriminatory tax policies have created a surge in the use of smokeless tobacco,increasing the overall consumption.

METRO

THE WEEKLY OBSERVER

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Touchscreen has still not evaded the touch of paper in India

By Ayushee Chaudhary ayushee.c@iijnm.org With the whole wind of digitalisation taking over the world, in India it is still a non-zerosum game. Be it print or multimedia, both are embraced in the land of a million gods.

With digitalization yet to wrap our nation in its blanket, newspapers remain a preferred choice for information and a largely circulated entity unlike in developed, western countries.

Last year, The Guardian (UK) newspaper reported on falling print revenues, pointing out that declining circulation figures indicate that people are switching week-by-week from print to online platforms. The doom is palpable: It is time to recognize that the whole UK newspaper industry is heading for a cliff fallthat tipping point when there is no hope of a reversal of fortune.

Meanwhile in India, according to an Economic Times report last year, circulation of print publications, which includes newspapers and magazines, has been growing at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 5.04 percent over the past eight years, states the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). The agency attributed the growth to the launch of new titles and expansion of existing ones.

ABC is a non-profit organization which certifies and audits the circulation of major publications, including newspapers and magazines in India.

Standing at a bus stop reading the daily newspaper, 44-yearold Krishanappa, a businessman, says, “I feel newspapers are cheaper and accessible.”

The report also stated that the print medium grew and expanded in India despite stiff competition from other media such as television, radio and digital media.

This framework is not only restricted to newspapers but is reflected even in the library scenario. “Libraries have always been looked at as tremendous banks of knowledge and resources. But we need to pay more attention to these precious public spaces before they lose out entirely on their essence,” says Pallavi Sharma, a librarian at Delhi University.

In the United Kingdom, Almost 350 libraries have been shut in the last six years, with nearly 8,000 jobs lost – a quarter of the workforce, Daily Mail reported last year, adding that another 111 closures were planned for later in 2016.

Figures obtained by BBC English Regions’ news staff shows that by the end of last year, about 450 libraries would have closed since 2010.

While several hundred state-sponsored libraries were shut down in West Bengal - of the 12 libraries state-run and 2,479 state-spon-

Kindle and e-books takes over libraries in the world, but India is still thriving towards physical libraries sored libraries 327 were closed early last year, - experts still believe India’s libraries are vibrant.

Libraries have access to government support and in 2012, the National Mission on Libraries (NML) was formed by the Ministry of Culture. NML aims to upgrade libraries that are providing service to the public.

The State Central Library (SCL) in Bangalore is one example that narrates the story of a flourishing public space with efficient maintenance services being taken care of by the state. The Deputy Director of the Library said, “We have 500-700 people visiting the library every day of all age groups.”

Students appearing for competitive exams, research students, architecture students and elderly usually visit the library, she added.

Bangalore, has been visiting the library for more than 20 years.

“I still visit the library at least three times a week. I spend two to three hours there and like to read mostly travel books.”

According to the Director of State Department of Public Libraries, Malleshappa, SCL has a copy of every book published in the State after 1970.

If you are fortunate enough you are even likely to spot the long blue buses moving around the city, handing over books and reviving the excitement about moving libraries that make weekly rounds.

With the advent of e-books, with a special mention of Kindle, the readers stand divided and there are differences of opinion. Rohan, a 16-year-old, from Narayana College, Bangalore prefers

Data source: Baseline survey by Ipsos research Pvt. Ltd. The library has a collection of over two lakh books and periodicals and it continues to remain a landmark in Bangalore with its ambience, collection and the beautiful rose garden in front.

K.S. Shamanna, a 73-year-old retired scientific assistant from the Indian Institute of Science,

Kindle since it’s more accessible, can store more books and is portable. But as this group of boys from Bannerghatta Road stand outside the library with their bicycles, there is clash of opinions here as well. Naman, 14, and Apurv, 15, from the same college, say, “Even though the library is a

little far, we don’t mind cycling till here as we prefer to feel the book in our hands while we read.”

The sales of Amazon’s Kindle e-readers rose to 80 percent in India last year, according to documents filed by the US based online retail giant’s main local unit Amazon Seller Services, reported Economic Times (ET) last year in December.

Amazon also launched digital books in five Indian languages — Tamil, Marathi, Malayalam, Hindi, Gujarati - that can be read on the Kindle and is in the process of adding more. E-books have outstripped physical book sales in India on Amazon, the report added. However, Amazon did not respond to our queries.

According to the data at statista. com, India is the second largest online market with over million internet users, ranked only after China. Despite the large base of internet users, only 26 percent of the Indian population accessed internet in 2015.

“We are yet to reach the point of complete digitalization. We do not have that much accessibility and our children still depend on possessing text books in hands,” said Ratna, a government-school teacher.

One of the workers in Sapna Book Store, Gandhi Nagar, Bangalore, said, “The sales are pretty much mixed. There has been some decrement in the purchase of books since there is so much available online but we still have several students coming for text books and stationary.”

“The digital medium has several benefits like feasibility and accessibility. Even with the high rates, it’s the tangible realness of paper that I turn to for warmth and comfort. I like to stay closer to the

- Courtesy: Keyur Joshi

physical reality,” said a Pankhuri, 22-year-old freelance writer from Delhi. She also adds that one can now get fancy, customized and hand-made stationary which makes it alluring but at the same time makes it a possession of only the ones who can afford them.

Ankita, an economics student from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore and a book lover says, “I prefer reading books but we have to look at the price as well especially as students. So I usually buy second hand books from Blossoms and purchase e-books or Kindle versions of some of them when I find them at a cheaper price.”

Blossoms book house on Church Street, Bangalore, which is a three-storey second-hand book store is the favourite among book lovers of the city. Blossoms has a collection of three to four lakh books and attracts 100-150 people each day, with the number going up to 300-500 during weekends.

Blossoms contains books which are both second hand as well as the new collection. “I don’t think the number of people has decreased with the trend of e-books and e-libraries. We are rather seeing an increase in sale. From both stores combined, our monthly sales are around Rs.50 lakh to Rs.60 lakh,” says Mayi Gowda, owner of Blossoms Book House.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, launched the Digital India campaign on 1 July, 2015 which plans to connect rural areas with high speed internet networks and consists of three core components: ·1 The creation of digital infrastructure ·2 Delivery of services digitally ·3 Digital Literacy Even as the campaign is yet to touch the nation and expand its reach, print still has a long way to go and remain a resourceful entity.

METRO

THE WEEKLY OBSERVER

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

One week after taking office, Trump delivers what he promised U.S. President Donald Trump has signed four executive orders since moving into the Oval office

By Vishal Chawla vishal.c@iijnm.org Donald Trump, after becoming the 45th President of the United States of America is doing exactly what many people had feared for.

He is effective to execute all his policies early in his term which is undoubtedly great news for his followers. But the first week of Trump’s presidency has been extensively dramatic. His actions and words have disconcerted the media, the female activists, the minorities and the environmentalists.

Initially, Trump waged a war against media alleging that the media under-reported the number of people who attended his inauguration. Whereas, the new White House press secretary, ‘Sean Spencer,’ claimed that it was largest ever gathering at the presidential inauguration. On January 23rd, Trump also claimed that millions of immigrants had unlawfully voted for Hillary preventing him to win the ‘popular vote’. Although these allegations were made without citing any evidence and a draft executive order is set to initiate an investigation into his ‘voters’ fraud’ theory.

Trump also signed an executive order to discontinue funding of foreign organisations that perform, support or even provide information regarding abortion.

This move has been in congruence with the ‘pro-life’ philosophy of the Republican Party. Experts say that this can be detrimental

Executive Order of January 27 • It puts an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees until the Trump administration ensures that the security vetting is stringent enough that no terrorist can pass through.

• It puts a 120-day ban on refugees; in general, and excluding those that seek asylum in the US from religious persecution.

Executive Order - January 24 • President Trump signed two executive orders to revive the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines.

• The two oil projects that had been stopped under President Obama because of environmental damage and pollution, after years of local protest and continuous opposition from climate activists.

Donald Trump signs an executive orders in the first week of his presidency - courtesy-Bussiness-standard.com as millions of women across the globe would be deprived of proper heath guidance and may even lead to fatalities if abortions are carried out without proper medical supervision. This order would indirectly halt funding to NGOs that offer preventative information about the transmission of deadly infections, which would lead to deaths and thus nullifying

the ‘pro-life’ idea. Liberal women all over the world targeted Trump by carrying out the ‘Women’s March’ against him on the day of his inauguration in support of women’s rights, social justice and protection of environment.

Further, on January 25th, trump signed two more executive orders on immigration that collectively made things harder for illegal im-

migrants already in the United States and even more for those who attempt to cross over. Trump has commanded the Department of Homeland Security to allocate funds to commence building his promised wall against Mexico. In addition, Trump has also directed to re-open the ‘black sites’, the CIA prisons to interrogate the detainees outside the US. The 120-day ban on refu-

gees, the 90-day ban on visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries and the tightening on legal immigrants seeking jobs in America are all signs of American protectionism that Trump projected during his campaign.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is ignoring the fact that many of these immigrants arrive at US border to seek asylum from the atrocities in their homelands,

A Grand Slam final for the ages

Tennis players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal fought it out for the grand slam title of the Australian Open Men’s Single at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

By Aaditya Narayan aaditya.n@iijnm.org The Australian Open Men’s Singles final was not just a tennis match.

It was an occasion for the ages.

A group of theater students were spontaneously enacting at Lahe Lahe theater, Indiranagar, Bengaluru. Playback Diaries is a theater show wherein members in the audience request these students to act out a story or their life experiences on the spot.

Picture Courtesy: Divya R

Two of the sport’s favourite sons, nowhere near their prime, but somehow better than the rest of the field, battled it out for supremacy. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have had many battles in the past 12 years, but it would be fair to say that none of those were as heavily built up as this one.

At the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, they battled to create history. Federer winning would mean that he would have four more Grand Slam titles than any other man. Nadal winning would have meant that he would become the only man in the Open era to win every Grand Slam twice.

What followed was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Federer won the first set 6-4 and looked in complete control. But Nadal,

being Nadal, was never going This was not the same Nadal who to give up. He quickly raced to had won 14 Grand Slams before a 4-0 lead in the second set, be- that. Nor was it the same Federer. fore eventually closing it out 6-3.

About twenty minutes and four Federer straight sucwiped Nadal cessful games out of the later, Federer court in the hit a sweet third set as a forehand on one-sided pechampionriod of tennis ship point and ended with the tears of the Swiss joy emerged. master taking As always, the set 6-1. the mutual Nadal had a respect berepeat of the tween the two second set in was palpable the fourth and as Federer took it by the said that, if same score possible, he line. He also would like to quickly raced share the title to a 3-1 lead with Nadal.

Roger Federer clinched his 18th in the decider.

But, it Grand Slam title - Source: si.com Now, in normal wasn’t. In the circumstances, end, Federer one could bet on anything they won only his 12th match out have that Nadal would not let the of 35 against Nadal. But one title slip from there. But these can argue that this win was the were not normal circumstances. most important of them all.

UNWIND

THE WEEKLY OBSERVER

Think twice before you get inked In India, tattoo removal is in demand on people’s request

Tattoo making session at one of the famous city parlour on MG Road courtesy- staff

By Konica Kamra konica.k@iijnm.org Avani Bhatt regrets the tattoos she had inked on her arm and legs three years ago.

The decision, she says, came during her rebellious phase.

“I regret my tattoos. I have a seahorse on my right ankle and a sunflower on my other ankle,” said Bhatt, who is in her late20s. “Neither of them means anything to me. My favorite is a delicate butterfly on my left arm with my child’s name around it.”

Like a dog or a cat, a tattoo is for life, not just for Christmas or Valentine’s Day. When one goes wrong, it can go really wrong.

Like the time, Bhatt recalls, when her friend got boyfriend’s name tattooed on her neck. “You will regret ever doing it,” said Bhatt.

India had the largest number of tattoo removal cases – 24,209 - last year, out of 1,28,218 cases globally, according to the 2015 International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures Performed, released by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).

While tattoos have grown in popularity in India over the last decade, the number of peo-

ple having them removed is growing day in and day out.

Impulsive decisions are a big reason for regretting getting tattoos. Dr. Lakshman Phonde, a dermatologist at Alok Clinic at Panvel, said, “In 2016 there were around 600-plus cases for tattoo removal. Mostly the age group between 20-to-30 visit us.

“Laser treatment is the most preferable than tattoo removal because other methods like plastic surgery have more side effects and it is very expensive,” Phonde said.

“The minimum cost for the laser treatment is Rs 800 and the maximum limit reaches to Rs 30,000.”

Dr. Sujayas Surgi, a dermatologist in Indiranagar, said that tattoo removal can cost much more than getting the tattoo itself. “So make sure it’s something you can live with. In addition to having to shell out money, removing a tattoo takes time. Since you’ll go through multiple sessions of laser treatment, which are usually short but must be done over a period of time, it’s no easy fix and can be quite painful. Make sure you think long and hard before you tattoo your lover’s name or even a grilled cheese sandwich on yourself,” said Surgi.

“Tattooing is good, but could be addictive and if sensibly done gives you a metro sexual look,” said Pradeep, a tattoo artist at

Astron Tattoos. “But always think before getting a permanent tattoo so that you won’t regret it.”

The average time between sessions for tattoo removal process is four to six weeks, but it also depends on the complexity of the tattoo and on whether the individual suffers from side effects, said Mukul Karadayan, another tattoo artist in Murgeshpalaya.

The hottest time to get a tattoo removed? Just after Valentine’s Day. “There is a huge rush after February 14,” Zaheer Batliwala, at Mumbai Tattoos, said.

“In 2016, there were 1,000 plus cases for tattoo removal.”

“If I compare from 2015, there are huge increasing cases for tattoo removal and the most common reasons we hear from our clients as to why they want their tattoo removed are poorly executed tattoo by an amateur artist; after break ups; changing careers like if they want to join the military, or want to become an air-hostess, or want to apply for any government job where a tattoo is not professionally allowed,” said Batliwala.

According to Dr. Tina Ramachander, a dermatologist for seven years and medical director at Dr. Tina’s Skin Solution, the most common form of tattoo removal is through the use of lasers. A local anesthetic gel is applied to the tattoo area before the procedure begins. Then, a high-powered laser light is focused on the tattoo to break up its pigment and eventually dissolve it. This form of tattoo removal is effective considering that the procedure is not very invasive, said Dr. Tina Ramachander.

The drawback to laser tattoo removal is that it is not immediate and instantaneously effective.

Tattoo enthusiast Saurabh Singh said: “I’ve got a good amount of tattoos on me. I started at the age of 17 and now I am 35. I would advise people to always get work done by an experienced professional that they can easily visit.”

“I have a very small tattoo, in black ink, which I went to a laser clinic to see about having it removed,” said 28-year-old Arkish Shah, who paid about Rs. 15,000 for the tattoo; the removal was quoted right around Rs. 20,000, he said. “Of course, it depends on a myriad of variables, but they were talking about Rs. 2000 per session and 8–10 sessions. …

Removal clearly isn’t cheap.”

Another option for removing an unwanted tattoo is covering-up a tattoo by replacing it with another one.

The most important thing, tattoo enthusiasts and artists maintain, is that people should remember they are getting the tattoo for themselves and no one else. So, whether getting tattooed for self-expression, remembrance, milestones, to show your love and commitment, or for pure adornment sake, “Think before you ink!”

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Review: Entice your taste buds at Chungh Wah

Food lovers enjoying their meal at Chung Wah - Source: Staff

By Ilona Dam ilona.d@iijnm.org Away from the hustle-bustle of a forever-crowed MG Road, down the relatively quiet Residency Road, stands Chung Wah. Chung Wah has more than 19 branches all over the city and is known for its exotic preparation of chicken dragon rolls. As my friends and I climbed down the stairs to the restaurant in the basement, the friendly salutation from the doorman, the ambience, and the inviting aroma of Chinese food softly engulfed our senses.

Soothing yellow light from innumerable Chinese lanterns gave life to the wall decorations w h i c h were a bright mix o f

We learnt that dishes like Drums of Heaven, Golden Fried Prawns, Chicken Black Bean and the Chung Wah fried rice were the most oredered delicacies. We decided to go with chicken dragon rolls and Chung Wah fried rice.

The chicken dragon roll, consisting of eight pieces, is sufficient for three people. With a crispy, crunchy golden-brown crust, the roll concealed a filling of soft chicken, chilly, tomato and coriander. The filling had all the ingredients finely diced, and was well-cooked. However, the oil content was on the higher side.

The main course consisted of Chung Wah fried rice. One mouthful of the dish and our taste buds exploded with a variety of flavours.

The spices, spring oni o n , chicke n , and

egg red b e a n d c a m e golden. actors of Every a beautiful server was stage perdressed up in formance and red waist coats brought the dish and tunics which further reflected Chicken Fried rice at Chung to life. It was in- Source: staff deed, a ballet dance their emphasis onWah of flavour and taste.

Chinese culture.

To our disappointment, the desThis was enhanced by the presert specialityDarsaan with Ice ence of an antique chocolateCream, a combination of crispy brown coloured Grandfather’s clock bearing numbers in Chinese. noodle ribbons, drizzled with honThe restaurant was big enough ey and sesame seeds and topped to accommodate around 20 ta- with ice cream, wasn’t available. bles. There wasn’t any hint of a Hence, we had to make do with space crunch. A faint and con- a Casata and a Mango ice-cream. tinuous murmur in the room bore A very important element in the witness to the fact that the room Casata is the cake, which was abwas fully packed with people. sent from the dish to our immense The crowd mostly consisted surprise. After a stunning appetisof families, happily filing their er and main course, the desert tummies with food and banter. came as a huge disappointment.

The menu reflected variety, with All over, it is a place worth visita plethora of dishes ranging from ing any day. It will approximately the lamb to the duck, accompa- cost INR 1,400 for two people nied by various types of soups. and is open from 12pm to 3pm and then from 7pm to 11pm.

UNWIND

THE WEEKLY OBSERVER

Albert Bakery: Paradise for food lovers

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Little Things

By Sandra Branger sandra.b@iijnm.org

Quintessential savories like chocolate croissants, chicken roll and mayo roll at Albert Bakery - credits staff

By Yogita Chainani yogita.c@iijnm.org Nestled in the heart of Frazer Town, on the famous Mosque Road in Bangalore, 112-year-old Albert Bakery has a lot to offer in terms of food and sweets. An ancient bakery, it has managed tomaintain the brand value but also the taste and the cost value.

Being in the heart of the city, Albert Bakery is one confectionery shop were you would want to stop by and savor its famous cakes and muffins. This hotspot for food lovers is open everyday from 3 to 9 pm. The bakery starts its baking process at 8 am and each and every

product is seemingly prepared and manufactured in the bakery itself.

Speaking of the history of the bakery, Albert Bakery was established in 1902 as a godown in Sangam lane, off Kamaraj Road and was shifted to Mosque Road in 1921. From then, the quality has been maintained consistently.

The prices of the bakery products range from Rs. 7 to Rs. 95.One can easilysavor a hearty meal by spending Rs.100 at the most.

“I have been coming here regularly from past 15 years for their chicken samosa and Mawa cakes,” said Faizan Khan, a resident of HBR layout Bangalore.

Albert Bakery is known for its muffin and chicken samosas.

Their Choco lava cake and banana grapes cake is a must have.

Priced at Rs. 20, both these cakes are baked moistly and provide you with every reason to relish them.

Rakhi Nishat, who has been residing in Bangalore from six years said, “ My husband and I have been coming to this bakery from past six years and the quality has remained the same throughout.”

Apart from these things, Albert Bakery is known for their Christmas special cakes, marzipan Easter eggs on Easter Sunday, non-alcoholic plum cakes for Christmas and chicken brain puff for Ramzan festival.

Edwin Joseph, 64-year-old, never complains about waking up to the sound of chirping sparrows every day. Joseph, known to be the only man in Bengaluru who keeps sparrows as pets, is fondly called the ‘sparrow-man’.

“I appreciate these wonders of God and love to be close to Nature,” says Joseph.

Joseph is a retired BEML employee and lives at Gospel Street in St. Thomas Town. His routine involves waking up, feeding the birds, going to church and then spending some time o ff e r i n g athletic training to youngsters.

He is the president of ‘Goodwill International Association’ which provides vocational training to economically weak youth.

He wishes that those kids, especially girls, make their mark on both district and state levels.

Other than his wife Sarah and himself, their home shelters more than 200 sparrows. Joseph has been feeding sparrows for more than a decade now.“I remember how these tiny creatures built their nests in my tiled house. I

Lakme Fashion Week kick starts tomorrow

By Ayushee Chaudhary ayushee.c@iijnm.org

I

f one begins to look at the historical account of how fashion in India has evolved then the mention of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) is bound to occur. LFW, has emerged as a platform for new designers as well as a landmark for the prominent ones.

This year LFW begins in Mumbai tomorrow and will continue through February 5th to reveal its line-up of designers and creative presentations. In its 18th year, LFW promises to promote creativity and diversity – in a digital curtain raiser for its ‘Summer/Resort’ 2017 edition on its social media portals.

The fashion week will showcase creations of prominent names like Anita Dongre, -Credits

stylesglamour.com

TarunTahiliani,MonishaJaising, Ritu Kumar and Falguni Shane Peacock, amongst others. The scale of the designers’ generations is quite balanced as along with these known names; there are emerging designers such as Naushad Ali, Gaurav Khanijo, Paridhi Jaiouria and Mandeep Negito name a few.

The show organisers expect an experience of inclusivity, diversity, creativity, technology and fresh energy. The diversity is not only limited to the designers but models as well.

Also there are fresh faces shortlisted to walk the ramp which will include models like Anjali Lama, a Nepali transgender model. Petr Nitka, who is the first gender neutral model, will be a part of international talent along with Varsha Thapa, a supermodel of international fame.

Five labels will make their debut as a part of the Gen Next show at LFW, in association with International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD). LFW also provides an inventive space through its 6 Degrees Studio

segment, which will have ‘Studio’ to stress on conceptual themes in fashion such as art, sustainability, theatre and more.

The show opens with creations of Monisha Jaising on a luxury cruise liner, Costa neoclassic will be a unique display. The grand finale designer will be Anita Dongre who has created a couture line fusing a variety of styles, silhouettes and designs which are global chic and are inspired

by Lakme’s beauty statement for the season, ‘Liquid Glow’.

The event will also promote the new trend of sustainable fashion as it will pay tribute to the rich heritage of Indian hand-woven luxury as well as observe the Indian Textile Day. Where: JioGarden, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.

When: February 1st, 12 pm onwards till Februrary 5th.

For more information log on to: Lakmefashionweek.co.in You can also visit their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages for further information.

felt very comfortable with them,” Joseph recalls. Later, he shifted to a new place. But here too, his little friends arrived whenever Sarah winnowed rice in front of the house. “I didn’t want them to leave,” he said, even as he planned to build a new house.

He began to plant trees and build nests for the birds. He planted hibiscus and lemon trees that have provided shelter to the birds for the last eight years.

Joseph strongly believes in humanity. He could never refuse a person seeking his help or asking for something. Similarly, he couldn’t shoo away the creatures that came to him seeki n g shelter a n d food.

“There w e r e days when I could see hundreds of sparrows, parrots, kites and bats flying in the sky. I miss those days,” Joseph reminisces. He found a connection with these birds and now he can even understand their activities and gestures.

Besides his love for sparrows, Joseph also loves spending time with the destitute women living inold age homes.He feels good when he can spread happiness and be their friend.

Editor-In-Chief Mrigakshi Dixit Managing Editor Chhavi Nagpal Copy Editors Yogita Chainani, Aarohi Pathak Layout Editor Sumukh Kadekar Photo Editor Prabhakar Thakur Social Media Editor Ayushee Chaudhary, Konica Kamra Proof Reader Aarohi Pathak Staff Sandra Branger