The Observer An IIJNM publication
Vol. 21, Issue 12
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Greetings on National Press Day! The Press Council of India started functioning on November 16, 1966, to monitor the quality of journalism of the Indian press. For decades, the Press Council has been working to protect democracy through free and fair journalism
Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy; it is democracy. - Walter Cronkite, an American journalist
By Tina Freese
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engaluru has registered a high crime rate of harassment of women. It competes with Ahmedabad, Delhi and Hyderabad in crimes against women, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). According to the NCRB 2020 report, Bengaluru has a crime rate of 0.5 in cases pertaining to outraging the modesty of women, and of 13.8 in cases of assault on women with intent to outraging the woman’s modesty. Women in Bengaluru face unpleasant situations when they go about their normal lives. Sandra Cruz, 21, a Mount Caramel College student, informed The Observer: “It happened right in front of my college. A man was there standing and flashing his
High cab fares a drain on money, say students
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tudents are facing trouble because of high cab fares in Bengaluru, reports Simran Sharma. A big part of their monthly expenditure is on travel by cabs. Many have to ask their parents for extra money. In April, the Karnataka Transport Department increased the base fares for cabs.Most students want cab operators companies to offer them some concessions in the fares. Cab drivers agree the students are facing a problem, but say they are not in a position to help them. Experts say that as the country has opened up, the demand for crude oil is increasing. Alongside, fuel prices are rising. They also believe that cab operators do not share the money they receive fairly with the drivers. They feel the government should reduce taxes on motorfuels for the economy to grow faster. ►Details on page 3
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%HQJDOXUX &KHQQDL 'HOKL 6RXUFH 1&5% UHSRUW private parts. I was with my cently moved to the city, had a friend. We silently walked away similar story. She was terrified because it’s not like every day you when a middle-aged man started encounter such a situation. It following her near Shanti Nagar. took us a few seconds to realize “I was in a bus, and he followed what we saw… and when we me there. I got off the bus and he turned back, to see again the man got off too. Luckily, I saw some had already dissapeared,” cops near Bangalore Café and Utkarsha Muley, 21, who re- asked for their help, she shared.
Muley’s mother, Aarti, who is worried about her daughter’s safety, said: “I always ask her to share her live location with me whenever she is out in the city. When such things happen, I understand the importance of teaching our girls self-defence, which my daughter never got to learn.” Groping and stalking are among the various forms of harassment that women face on a daily basis. Tanisha Kannan, student, 21, said: “In 2019, I was waiting for taxi outside the building where I was an intern. As I was waiting, a car pulled over and (a man inside it) started pestering me. He asked to go for a drink with me, and harassed me verbally. I asked him to leave me alone and went inside the building.” A 21-year-old student said: “I was in an auto near the Deepanjalinagar Metro station and told the driver the OTP. Just then, a man leaned into the auto rickshaw and groped my breasts. I shouted and he walked away as if nothing has happened ” ►Continued on page 3
Well-read Karnataka’s capital has few spaces for Kannada readers By Shristi Achar A
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engaluru has very few reading clubs that have Kannada readers, with most reading English books alone, says book clubs. According to the 2017 Amazon Reading Trends Report, Bengaluru is the most well-read city in the enitre country, with Mumbai and Delhi ranking second and third in the list respectively. Bengaluru is home to several popular reading clubs as well as popular bookstores. However, very few of them have Kannada as their preferred language or even a substantial amount of readers who suggest reading books written in Kannada. Himavarshith S from Under the Lamp, a book club, informed The Observer: “Our base is primarily English. Our members usually
Despite many Kannada readers, clubs are rare in the city | Credit: Shristi Achar A vote on a book to be read for the month. Since not a lot of our readers know how to read Kannada, we haven’t tried it (reading Kannada books) yet. We did once do a reading of the Kannada play Tughlaq by Girish Karnad.” Asked if there are any Kannada readers in his club, Perry Men-
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The inaugural issue of India’s first paper
Bengaluru among top cities in cases of women’s harassment Most victims do not go to cops as offenders escape
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zies, owner of Urban Solace book club, said: “The books we read are purely written in English. Ours is a serious club where highly educated people come and read books. (they) have serious opinions on reading, and discuss authors and even socio-economic factors about the writings.” While the reality is the same for most clubs in the city, few have different formats that allow for more vernacular book reading. Abhiram R of Broke Bibliophiles Bangalore said: “Unlike other clubs, we actually just get together to discuss the books that we have individually read. When we meet up, the members talk about the books they have read; the rest listen. While the books we read are majorly English, we have had quite a few Kannada readers with us as well.” ►Continued on page 3
News briefs PM opens Rs 22,500-crore expressway in UP Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated a 340km highway in Uttar Pradesh built at a cost of Rs 22,500 crore. His Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft landed on the Purvanchal Expressway.
India reports lowest Covid cases in 287 days India logged 8,865 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 287 days, taking the country’s tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,44,56,401. The active cases settled at 1,30,793, the lowest in 525 days, according to Union Health Ministry data.
Singapore to open door for fully vaccinated Indians Singapore is set to scrap quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated Indians from November 29 under the Vaccinated Travel Lane. Singapore will begin accepting Vaccinated Travel Pass applications from Indian travellers from November 22.
Kane Williamson to miss India T20Is New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson will miss this week’s three-game T20I series against India as he prioritises preparing for the Test series starting on November 25 in Kanpur. Tim Southee will captain the T20 side for their first T20I clash against India on Wednesday.
Terrorist, 3 others killed in J&K gunbattle Four persons were killed in a gunbattle between security forces and terrorists in Hyderpora, J&K, on Tuesday. The dead include a foreign militant and his local associate. The police laid a cordon based on an input about the presence of militants.
CBI conducts searches in 14 states for child abuse In a major crackdown on child sex abuse, the CBI is carrying out searches at 76 locations in 14 states. Twenty-three cases were filed on Sunday by the probe agency against 83 people for online child sex abuse.
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ART & CULTURE
Korean restaurants sprout as popularity of K-culture rises
‘Korean cuisine tastes like Indian food’ By Saumyangi Yadav
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orean restaurants in Bengaluru have been witnessing increased footfalls with the rising popularity of Korean pop culture and food in the city. A large number of new Korean restaurants have sprung up in the city within the past few years. Nirmal Tamang, the manager of Hae Kum Gang, a Korean restaurant in Ashok Nagar, informed The Observer: “We opened our restaurant in 2004. At that time, Hae Kum Gang was one of the first Korean restaurants in the city. But recently so many new restaurants have opened up.” Dofu is one such restaurant in Indiranagar. It opened in December 2019. In a very short time, these restaurants have gained a loyal customer base. Marina K H, the owner of Dofu, restaurant explained: “I think the reason is very evident. Korean cuisine tastes very similar to Indian cuisine.” She added that there’s the same boom of flavour, a lot of drama in the cuisine. “Another reason is, of course, that exposure to Korean culture is very high today. The world has become global in terms of lifestyle and culture. You need not visit a place physically. Just by watch-
Around the city Mannat The Band, Live, Tiger Tiger Brewhouse, lake 14, near Sunny Brooks Community, Bellandur, Nov 17, 7-10 pm. Pottery Workshop, Lahe Lahe Pottery, No. 2906, 2907, 80 Feet Road, HAL 2nd stage, Kodihalli, Nov 13- Nov 28, 9 am- 11 am; 11 am- 1 pm. Free Walking Tour Bangalore, Cafe Coffee Day, Vittal Mallya Rd, near Cubbon Park, Ashok Nagar. Nov 17, 9 am. Vaccinated Jokes, Café Azzure, 13th Cross Road, 27th Main Road, 1st sector, HSR Layout. Nov 18, 1 am.
Quiz 1. On which planet was the Soul Stone in Infinity War? 2. Black Panther is set in which fictional country? 3. What is the name of unit that Captain America fights in during World War II? 4. Who is the first Guardian of the Galaxy to be seen in Avengers: Endgame? 5. What is the name of Tony Stark's second AI? 6. Which terrorist organisation had kidnapped Tony Stark in Iron Man? ►Answers on page 3
Bengalureans accept Korean culture and their cuisine with an open heart | Credit: Saumyangi Yadav ing something on television or listening to their music can give you a taste of it,” she added. Ashana Mehta, a college student, shared: “I discovered Korean food after I started watching K-dramas. In most of these dramas, you get to see all this Korean food like jjajangmyeon, bibimbap, tteokbokki and of course kimchi.” However, there aren’t many cheap options available when it comes to Korean cuisine. The food that is available in the these Korean restaurants is usually quite expensive . Another drawback of Korean cuisine is that it does not cater to
the vegetarian population. Anjali Shrivastava, a vegetarian, said: “I wanted to try Korean cuisine because of all its hype. But I could not find many vegetarian options in that. Even veg ramyeon had egg in it.” Many Korean restaurants have recently seen a rise in their sales because of the ‘Korean wave’. Shashwat Kumar, the manager of Himalayan Korean Restaurant in Koramangala, said: “Our restaurant opened in the year 2017 but for the past two years, our sales have started to increase as more and more local people are willing to try Korean food.”
Eeshani Joshi, Korean food and culture enthusiast, said: “It is definitely because of the Korean wave that these restaurants are getting so popular. Some of the small Korean food places are solely dedicated to K-pop and Kdrama artistes. There is always K-pop music playing in restaurants. That is why people like me always go back to such places.” Roaf Mir, a professor of cultural studies at Jain University, Bengaluru, explained: “We call it cultivation theory. Basically, if you watch or engage with a particular kind of media for a very long time, you start to cultivate their culture as well. You start to develop the same perspectives as them. That is the reason why these Korean dramas and their music have impacted our culture so much in today’s time.” “Another thing is that culture, history, food, language are things that we call soft power. These are considered ways that shape someone’s ideas and preferences through attraction. Cultural dominance among countries is as important as political dominance, and in this area, Korea is clearly winning,” he further added. The Korean wave had started in India in the late 1990s or early 2000s, especially in northeast India. Today, the Korean influence has expanded to the entire country.A recent Netflix study, in India, shows a 370 percent increase in the number of Indians watching Korean dramas. saumyangi.y@iijnm.org
The Observer Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Citizen’s Voice One-sided media coverage on killing of Maoists The killing of 26 Maoists in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra has again highlighted one-sided coverage by media houses. With news media presenting the story only from the government angle, my discomfort over biased coverage of Maoist attacks over the years remains the same. Jinit Parmar
Govt cut fuel prices due to BJP’s poor bypoll show It is clear that the government was forced to reconsider fuel prices after the setbacks the party received in the October bypolls. The high fuel prices not only punched a hole in citizens’ pockets but also fuelled inflation Souptik Datta
Resuming pre-primary classes is a bad call Because experts think a third Covid wave is unlikely, the Karnataka government decided to resume physical pre-primary classes. Children are not yet vaccinated. The question of the hour is: Despite the fear of a lingering third wave, what is more important: Life or education? Simran Sharma
One must learn to have inner peace and stability Much of what we do is our choice, and therefore sanity lies buried within the self. Keeping a check on our thoughts is the most effective way to counter attacks on one’s peace . Isha Rautela
Amid pandemic, digital art businesses thrive By Swarali Bodas
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ausam Gala was delighted on her 22nd birthday when she received a digitally illustrated frame from her best friends as a present. “It's very personalized and affordable. Digital art became popular because of social media. I didn’t know we could make such designs before this social media trend,” a marketing associate from Mumbai told The Observer. Mayuri Dhamecha, a graphic design professor from Mumbai, said: “Graphic designing is an art by which you can design something which can later be printed on Tshirts, wedding cards, etc. Due to lockdowns, everything has become digital. The demand for graphic designers has increased during the pandemic time.” . LinkedIn and Naukri.com have 256 and 16,307 job openings respectively for digital artists like story board artists, illustrators and page layout artists.Illustators worked from their homes and delivered wide range of products. Bibin K., operations head at Bengaluru’s Asian Institute of Design, said: “We got a lot of enquiries for graphic designing in
A digitally created logo of feliciaillustations | Courtesy: Saloni Ved our institute during this and last academic year. Normally, we get 50-80 enquiries a year, but last time they increased to 100-130. We only take 15 students, though.”For them quality matters over quantity, he added. Jinisha Patel, who has a degree in sociology, started jini.mini.art, a business that sells digital art illustrations on Instagram. “I used to make paintings and digital artwork for my friends. One day one of them asked me, ‘Why don't you
sell your art?’ and I thought I have the talent, I have the resources, why not make a living out of it? Starting my small business made me grow in my art and as a person,” she shared. Aditi Pathare, a psychology student, bought an illustration of herself from Jinisha to support her friend’s small business. An article in the The Economic Times said millennials connect with digital art more than any traditional form of art. Sanskruti a customer of jini.mini.art, said: “I think millennials tend to go more with the trend.Digital art is the trend. If tomorrow the traditional art forms start to trend, we will connect with them.” Instagram handle feliciaillustrations is a small business run by illustrator Saloni Ved. She started it on an impulse, she said.. “Initially I was expecting one to two orders a week, but since the idea of gifting a customized illustration is liked by so many people, there was an increase in the number of orders I got,” Ved said. Asked how she promotes it, she said: “Posting trendy reels and high-quality videoson social media helps me. Another key to promoting my busisnes word of
mouth, the traditional way.” Pratik Bhanushali, an automotive journalist from Mumbai, gifted a personalized, digitally illustrated phone cover to his mother. “I would probably not buy it from a well known store simply because ofthe high price. It is affordable. Also, the fact that there is someone who'll acknowledge if something goes wrong is not seen in big stores,” he said. Chandan Saika, a graphic design teacher at MAAC institute, said the demand for people in the field of digital marketing is rising. Artsymomo by Tavleen Rajpal is a small business of digital art illustrations on Instagram. “The business started in September 2020 when, as a birthday gift, I created a digital illustration and decided to laminate it and then make it a keychain. Two months later, I started my full-fledged busines and added different products to it," she said. Her friends and acquaintances supported her buisness throughout the time. Besides art illustrations businesses, people have also started bakeries, jewellery stores, gift shops and other businesses from their homes during the pandemic swarali.b@iijnm.org
CITY
The Observer Tuesday, November 16, 2021
High Ola, Uber cab fares leave a big hole in students’ pockets Students unable to use cabs for daily commute By Simran Sharma
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tudents with limited budgets are finding it tough to hire cabs because of their high fares. Many want cab companies to give them concessions. Bhagya Nair, a biotechnology graduate from Kristu Jayanti College, informed The Observer: “Ola and Uber cabs are most commonly used by students to travel to their college. Just for 4-5 km, they charge Rs 150-200 , whereas it should be Rs 50-60. None of the above services provide any concession.” She further added that by the end of the month she spends most of her money on cabs. The fare is usually higher after 6 pm. Many students have to ask their parents for extra money. P. Nayantara Nair, a psychology student at Kristu Jayanti College, said: “As students, we live on a specific budget, and it’s really difficult to save money with high fares of cabs. For a 10km ride, it takes Rs 200-300. There have been times when I had to ask my parents for money because of a shortage. This is something I don’t like, but I am bound by my circumstances.” She suggested the cab operators provide concessions to students.
Quiz answers 1. Vormir 2. Wakanda. 3. The Howling Commandos 4. Rocket 5. Friday 6. The Ten Rings .
Twitterati Talk @VPSecretariat Media must always uphold cardinal principles of journalism & avoid sensationalism. An informed & vigilant citizenry is vital to strengthen democracy and dispassionate dissemination of news is all the more important in this context. #NationalPressDay @AmitShah In a major decision, that will benefit large numbers of Sikh pilgrims, PM @Narendramodi govt has decided to re-open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from tomorrow, Nov 17. This decision reflects the immense reverence of Modi govt towards Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and our Sikh community. @LgbtqIndia Milestone for gay rights: SC Collegium picks gay advocate Saurabh Kirpal for Delhi High Court. If appointed, he will be India’s first openly gay judge.
Most of the students’ savings are spent on high cab fares; cab drivers agree but say they cannot do anything about it | Courtesy: KPN Shradha S, a student at Mount Carmel College, said most of her savings go towards paying for cabs. “Apps like Ola and Uber have helped to an extent, but there are times when drivers of these companies refuse to give us a ride if we don’t pay them in cash or don’t give them extra money. Local cabs charge triple the amount than normal. For students like me, unexpected cab
rides are a nightmare.” The Observer talked to a few cab drivers in Bengaluru to obtain their side of the story. Azeem Shariff, a cab driver, agreed that the high fares of the cabs are a problem for the students, but said there is nothing that they can do about it. He suggested that students talk to authorities about it. Cab drivers are not satisfied
English language is highly read due to its functionality ►Continued from page 1 nyone can read any book and talk about it. “It gives the rest of us an opportunity to know about other languages, and maybe read translated versions ,” he added. The Observer tried to find Kannada book clubs but couldn’t. Kiran Singh, administrative officer at Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara, said: “We do not have idea about such reading clubs. We only sell Kannada books at low prices to increase readership among people here in the city.” Similarly, Bhagya, an employee at Book Brahma, a global Kannada literary platform, said though they are involved in Kannada literature they do not know about any such clubs. Vishweshwar Bhat, Editor-inChief, Vishwavani newspaper, said: “Yes, there are some reading clubs in the city, but little is known about how active they are. I had been called to one or two of them as guests, but I don’t know if they exist anymore.” Vivek Shanbhag, a prominent Kannada author, however, doesn’t think this is worrisome.
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“I knew one club called Abhyasa some time ago, but don’t know any other. But it is OK… reading clubs are not exactly a part of the reading culture here. Maybe that is why the clubs have a more English-reading attendance. So you may not find them for Kannada books in the city. But you do have readers going to libraries, attending book launches and reading them individually in the city.” T. Govindraju, an ex-Kannada professor who also worked for the Kannada Development Authority, said it is essentially a result of how much functionality a language offers to people. “Students in the city mostly study Kannada as a second or third language. Their medium of instruction is majorly English. This is because the language you study and the kind of employment you take up have a connection. And since English is a major commercial language, it finds major patronage. So you won’t find maximum readers in Kannada. The readers in Kannada will only be those who have an explicit interest in the language.” shristi.a@iijnm.org
with the money they are paid. Muthuraj, who drives for a cab service, shared that they only get 25 percent of the total fare charged, and it is not sufficient. S.R. Keshava, an economics professor at Bengaluru University, said: “As soon as more companies come up, this monopoly or duopoly will be affected and prices will come down. These companies should provide a proper share to the drivers. On the other hand, the Karnataka government should realize that for the economy to revive faster, taxes on fuel need to be reduced.” Prof. M.N. Sreehari, the Karnataka government’s Traffic Adviser and Transport Infrastructure Consultant, said: “Cab fares are rising because of rising fuel prices. Students face a problem… because they are not earners. They are helpless in a way, but they can use public transport. These companies are private. The government can propose ideas to them, but cannot control their decisions.” The Karnataka transport department revised the fares of application based taxis in April this year. The minimum fare for the first 4 km has been increased to Rs 75 from Rs 44 and Rs 150 from Rs 80 for small and luxury cabs respectively, TOI reported. This decision came after a cab driver self-immolated near the Kempegowda International Airport because of a financial crisis due to high fuel prices. simran.s@iijnm.org
3 This day that year The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was formed on 16 November 1945 in London, United Kingdom. UNESCO has 195 Members and 8 Associate Members and is governed by the General Conference and the Executive Board. The Secretariat, headed by the Director-General, implements the decisions of these two bodies. It’s headquarters are at World Heritage Centre at Paris, France.
Quote of the day "Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way" - Jane Austen
Weather Maximum Temp: 25°C Minimum Temp: 19°C Precipitation: 50% Humidity: 79% Wind: 13 Km/h Forecast: Cloudy most of the time with scattered thunderstorms later in the day.
Women across country face sexual harassment ►Continued from page 1 ot many women file complaints as in most cases the offender runs away. Neither Cruz, nor Kannan nor the 21-year-old victim of groping went to the police. “We couldn’t file a complaint because the man was gone. We didn’t even tell our family members because then they would worry and debar us from going to such areas,” Cruz said. Basavanthraya Patil, a head constable at the Basvanagudi women’s police station, feels that cases of harassment are under-reported. Since the offender runs away in many cases, women tend to not file a complaint. At least 34 complaints are filed daily. “We go to the place, look if there are any CCTV cameras to identify the accused. It is very difficult to do that in many cases as the accused runs away and is hard to identify him,” Patil added. Harassment can have a traumatizing effect on the psyche of the victim. Trina Banerjee, a clinical psychologist in Bengaluru, said : “Harassment, be it sexual or of any other kind, has a deep effect
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In most cases of sexual assault, victims think it is their fault Courtesy: pexels.com on the psychology of the victim. It is an invasion of privacy..It leads to a lot of pain and emotional turmoil. The effects are long-lasting, they keep coming back to the victim. It makes the victim vigilant. They live in fear.” Many times victims try to ignore the incident. “Talking to a friend or a family member about it and filing a complaint against the accused usually help. One essential thing is that the victim should never feel that it was her mistake which happens in many cases.” Women in not just Bengaluru but across the country face this problem. An offender can be punished with one year under Section 509 and up to three years under Section 354 along with a fine. tina.f@iijnm.org
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The Observer Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Pricey Adobe apps Covid-19 lockdown fueled drive freelancers India’s metal bands to pirated versions Open-source alternatives popular too
By Shristi Achar A
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raphic designers in Bengaluru and Mumbai prefer to use pirated or opensource alternatives to Adobe applications to paying for them. According to the India Design Report by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai have the largest number of designers in the country, having roughly 65 percent of all designers. Of these, only 13 percent are self-employed. According to a 2015 Business Standard report, companies like Adobe lose $1 billion annually to piracy. According to a 2018 report by the Business Software Al-
Subscription pricing models might reduce piracy |Credit: Shristi Achar liance, 56 percent of the installed software in India was pirated. Shree N, a freelancer from Mumbai, said the reason for this is the high software costs involved. “I think the users of the cracked versions of applications are more in number; it is way too expensive. Just subscribing to the Photoshop app would cost me more than Rs 40,000 a year. I earn around Rs 500-600 per project. That would get expensive for me as well as my clients.” The situation is the same for students of design courses. Tanay A, a now-employed designer from Bengaluru, said: “I used the pirated ones when I was a student. Though the college had the licensed version of the software, it would get difficult to use them because of the classes. So when we had to work from home, it would be through cracked pro-
grams. Our student fee itself runs into lakhs, so it gets difficult for us to pay for the software too.” Kavita Singh, an account executive at RuderFinn, which handles communications for Adobe Incorporated, in a response to piracy concerns, told The Observer: “Piracy doesn’t matter to us now as Adobe is a subscription business (not boxed software) and we are ensuring a mix of affordable and free tools for users from hobbyists to C-Pros.” The high cost of Adobe apps has led people to use open-source alternative applications as well. “Being employed in a company, most of the software I use is paid for, since Adobe is the industry standard. So my need for applications is only for minor stuff, which I can easily get it done on free alternatives like Inkscape and RawTherapee,” Tanay said. Anujay Ghosh, a freelancer from Mumbai, finds it better to use a licensed version instead. “I used pirated versions as a student, but now that I have clients, I go for a licensed version. It feels ethical to pay for it.” Asked about open-source alternatives, he said: “They aren’t good enough. Also, I work on a graphic tablet, whose shortcuts are specifically for Adobe applications.” Dr Arpita Pradhan, assistant professor of graphic design at St Xaviers College, Kolkata, thinks this is a time for people to change their mindset towards the issue. “Adobe provides multiple options for subscriptions which enable us to explore licensed versions wisely. Freelancers were inclined to use pirated versions before; but now one can avail it as per one’s budget,” she said. Swapna Sunder, an intellectual property attorney, said though many designers use the pirated versions, companies like Adobe won’t often go after them. “These companies can detect when their software are being downloaded illegally. However, as long as your fpractice is small, they don’t file a case. This is because the cost of the prosecution would be much larger than the return they get after suing. However, once you cross a team of ten people or a turnover of Rs 10-15 lakhs, they will reach out,” she said. In India, software piracy comes under the Indian Copyright Act, 1957. Under the law, the accused person can be tried under both civil and criminal laws. shristi.a@iijnm.org
Band members of Bevar Sea, Kryptos, Inner Sanctum, and Demonic Resurrection tell their lockdown tales, writes Jinit Parmar
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he pandemic brought in a catastrophic time for everyone, limiting their movements to their homes. As people ran out of businesses and industries witnessed their worst phase in decades, the times were tough for any and everyone. With lockdowns and regular restrictions still in place, these metal bands spent time at home with family and pets and creating some head banging music. One of the things that many had with them was an ample amount of time. Several Indian metal bands utilized this time to introduce more diversity in their music, to produce new grooves, write new material and entertain their fans via social media platforms like Instagram. Bevar Sea, which was originally called Dirt Bucket, is a stoner and doom metal band based out of Bangalore. The band was named the ‘Best Emerging Act’ at the Rolling Stone Metal Awards India 2013 and has been one of the flag bearers of stoner and doom metal genre in India. The band worked together during the Covid-19 pandemic and launched their third album this year – The Timeless Zone. Ganesh Krishnaswamy, the vocalist of the bands describes the new album as a more dedicated attempt towards their hardcore fans. “Every band member had to learn and step up to record themselves from their home, work via email for arrangements, music demos, and turn up one by one to do the final recording. This album is us enhancing and experiencing the ‘2021 way’ of making music while also managing our time at home with our families, and dying to be able to play this new music to our fans live someday,” Kryptos, an-old school heavy metal band from Bengaluru has been able to break down barriers and become heroes for young metalheads in India, even dur-
Inner Sanctum band members (left to right): Chintan Chinnappa, Gaurav Basu, ArjunMulky,Narayan Shrouthy and Abhinav Yogesh Courtesy: Inner Sanctum ing Covid-19.The band's new album ‘Force Of Danger’' displays a fiercer Kryptos than ever before, their reputation will only become bigger and more positive and cheering the sad time of the pandemic with new music. Frontman Nolan Lewis talks about the pandemic and recording the album during the pandemic and added that the pandemic did not do much to our recording as we had scheduled
Music Supplement sessions with the studio. “In the first few days of March 2021, things opened up for some days and that is when we decided to meet and discuss our album’s schedule, release, etc. We did some things in a rush but yes, we have a great album in place for our fans. We had to book the studio for days and even weeks because you never know when the government will impose another lockdown or some other thing,” said Lewis. Inner Sanctum, a Bengaluru based death and thrash metal
Team Observer Editor: Saumyangi Yadav Reporters: Saumyangi Yadav, Shristi Achar, Simran Sharma, Swarali Bodas and Tina Freese Copy editors: Shristi Achar, Simran Sharma, Swarali Bodas and Tina Freese Photo editors: Shristi Achar,
Simran Sharma, Swarali Bodas and Tina Freese Page layout: Shristi Achar, Simran Sharma, Swarali Bodas and Tina Freese Supplement story: Jinit Parmar
Bevar Sea band members (left to right): Micheal Taneja, Avinash Ramchander,Ganesh Krishnaswamy, Billy Anderson and Srikanth Panaman | Courtesy: Bevar Sea
band misses the studio sessions, studio live shows and more. Guitarist Chintan Chinnappa describes himself as a lawyer by day, rock star by night. He said he has been missing the live shows but would explore on how to make music during Covid. “We miss the adrenaline of live shows. But we need to stay busy and creative using the time in hand,” said Chinnappa. “It’s been very difficult for bands to survive during the tough times of the pandemic but the only advantage is that we have more time to cultivate our fan base and keep working, on to make our music more great,” he added. Inner Sanctum released their single “Divided by Hate” in December 2020. “Most of the band members are salaried individuals and hence, we need to keep our passion for music alive and Covid has given us the opportunity to explore more,” he added. Demonic Resurrection, formed in 2000, is the flag bearer of the metal scene in India and is regarded as one of the finest metal bands of the country. Sahil Makhija, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Demonic Resurrection, from Mumbai, said the band released the music video of their song ‘Parashurama -The Axe Wielder’ in July. “I always want to write songs that connect with people, and resonate with people. The kind of music that people love to listen to,” said Makhija. He added he always wanted to create music that shows the bigger picture. The metal scene in India is rising but it is yet to see global domination. While Indian fans are waiting for more head banging music from the Indian bands, the bands in turn are waiting for the pandemic to set off and return to studios and perform live shows and performances. jinit.p@iijnm.org