LONDON (TIP): A 24-year-old Indian-origin taxi driver, who is also a bhangra singer, has been jailed for nine months for a sex attack on a passenger in the English town of Nottingham. Dhanraj Singh was taking a young woman home when he kissed and touched her. Singh was told he breached his passenger’s trust because she was in his care and had been drinking.
Nottingham Crown Court heard that Singh was a bhangra singer and was due to fly to Mumbai to film a music video after topping the Asian music charts. But instead, the father-of-two was sent to prison for nine months on Tuesday after being found guilty earlier this month of sexual assault. “You are a talented, award-winning musician. You have put all of that in jeopardy. You were responsible for her safety and well-being. You took advantage of a lone female passenger who had been drinking,” Judge Gregory Dickinson said in his ruling. The judge said the effect on the victim had been “very serious” and the court was told that the woman had made a statement saying she was “still raw” and was having ongoing counselling.
She had lost weight as a result of the attack on April 1, which had also affected her studies and left her feeling “vulnerable”, the local ‘Nottingham Post’ daily reported. Defence lawyer Mark Achurch told the court: “He is a family man with two children who had been working anti-social hours to support his family. “It was a short-lived incident. He lost his taxi driver’s licence immediately and has been out of work and on benefits since.” The case comes less than two weeks after another Nottingham taxi driver was jailed for sexually assaulting a 17- year-old girl in the back of his cab. Jamil Ahmed, chairman of Nottingham Licensed Taxi Owners’ and Drivers’ Association, said steps were being taken to keep passengers safe.
Year: 2014
-
INDIAN-ORIGIN TAXI DRIVER JAILED FOR SEX ATTACK IN UK
-
Iraqi Kurdish forces enter Syria to fight Islamic State
SURUC, TURKEY/BEIRUT (TIP): A first group of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters entered the besieged Syrian town of Kobani on Thursday to help push back Islamic State militants who have defied US air strikes and threatened to massacre its Kurdish defenders. Kobani, on the border with Turkey, has been encircled by the Sunni Muslim insurgents for more than 40 days.
Weeks of US-led air strikes have failed to break their stranglehold, and Kurds are hoping the arrival of the peshmerga will turn the tide. The siege of Kobani – known in Arabic as Ayn al-Arab – has become a test of the US-led coalition’s ability to stop Islamic State’s advance, and Washington has welcomed the peshmerga’s deployment. A first contingent of about 10 peshmerga fighters crossed into Kobani from Turkey, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Kurdish and Turkish officials said a larger deployment was expected within hours.
“That initial group, I was told, is here to carry out the planning for our strategy going forward,” said Meryem Kobane, a commander with the YPG, the main Syrian Kurdish armed group defending the town. “They need to make preparations so the peshmerga will be positioned according to our needs,” she told Reuters. Around 100 peshmerga fighters arrived by plane in southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, joined later that night by a land convoy of vehicles carrying heavy weapons including a cannon and truck-mounted highcalibre machine guns. In a compound protected by Turkish security forces near the border town of Suruc, the fighters were donning combat fatigues and preparing their weapons, a Reuters correspondent said.
Syria condemned Turkey for allowing foreign fighters and “terrorists” to enter Syria in a violation of its sovereignty. Its foreign ministry described the move as a “disgraceful act”. More troops possible Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani said his region was prepared to deploy more forces to Kobani if asked. “Whenever the situation on the ground necessitates and more forces are requested from us and there is passage for them, we will send more forces to protect Kobani and defeat terrorists in Western Kurdistan,” he said in a statement. Islamic State has caused international alarm by capturing large expanses of Iraq and Syria, declaring an Islamic “caliphate” that has erased borders between the two.
Its fighters have slaughtered or driven away Shi’ite Muslims, Christians and other communities who do not share their ultra-radical brand of Sunni Islam. In Iraq, the bodies of 150 members of a Sunni tribe which fought Islamic State have been found in a mass grave, security officials said on Thursday. Islamic State militants took the men from their villages to the city of Ramadi and killed them on Wednesday night. The United States and its allies in the coalition have made clear they do not plan to send troops to fight Islamic State in Syria or Iraq, but they need fighters on the ground to capitalise on their air strikes.
Syrian Kurds have called for the international community to provide them with heavier weapons and munitions and they have received an air drop from the United States. But Turkey accuses Kurdish groups in Kobani of links to the militant PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), which has fought a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state and is regarded as a terrorist group by Ankara, Washington and the European Union. Ankara fears Syria’s Kurds will exploit the chaos by following their brethren in Iraq and seeking to carve out an independent state in northern Syria, emboldening PKK militants in Turkey and derailing a fragile peace process. -
CHITRANGADA TURNS PRODUCER
Biopics on sportspersons have become common in Bollywood. After the success of Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag on the Flying Sikh and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Mary Kom on the boxing legend, Chitrangada Singh has turned producer with a film on Sandeep Singh. She has bought the rights to his life story. The hockey whiz-kid confirmed the news, saying, “It feels great that I will watch my life unveil on celluloid soon. I have known Chitrangada for years, she is a friend.” The former captain of the Indian national team, a penalty corner specialist, was injured on August 22, 2006. He was felled by an accidental gunshot while on his way to join the national team that was flying out to Germany for the World Cup two days later. He was on the wheelchair for two years but not only recovered but rejoined the team too. The director is yet to be finalised.Chitrangada is definite that she will not act in her debut production.
-
Huma Qureshi has turned item girl
Huma Qureshi, who usually chooses roles with gravitas, has been bitten by the item number bug. She has reportedly agreed to doing a special appearance in the Freida Pinto-starrer ‘Trishna’ and will be seen in a jazzy avatar gyrating to the number ‘Sada Vada High Maintenance’. When contacted, Ajay Dhama, one of the co-producers, confirmed the development.
-
Happy New Year
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood, Vivaan Shah, Jackie Shroff
Direction: Farah Khan
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 59 minutes
STORY: Six losers in an international dance championship, with an ulterior motive. An elaborate diamond robbery.
REVIEW: It’s ‘Happy New Year’ time. So, Happy Diwali! And it’s all about everything happy, happy. So let’s stick to being ‘slap happy’. Hence, the good things first. The extra Happy Ending, with the cutest scene in the movie being producers, Gauri and SRK’s beautiful baby Abram looking angelic. And an appearance by director Farah Khan’s terrific triplets.
Throw in Abhishek Bachchan’s tapori snake dance and bouts of ‘Englis’ speaking. Add on Shah Rukh’s dimpled charm (unmissable greased fababs – gets a lot of close-ups); and yes, Deepika’s glossy, massy ‘Lovely’ dance number. But hold on, review abhi baki hai mere dost. Charlie (SRK), with his suave English and blonde streak (but Indiawaale heart) has devised a heist. He gathers his team of Charlie’s Angels, with Jag (Sood), the ex-military, muscle man (he beats Charlie on the abshow). Tammy (Irani), a safe-cracker who gets occasional epileptic attacks of 30 seconds.
Mohini (Padukone), a bar-dancer, obsessed with angrezi speaking men; so she falls in love with Charlie (obviously). And Nandu Bhide (dimaag mein keede), the boisterous bewda who dishes out the best laughs in the film. And Rohan (Shah) the nerd hacker who cracks the codes. The gameplan is to participate in the World Dance Championship, on New Year’s eve; but the ultimate goal is to break into the Shalimar vault (mera pyaar Shalimar) to rob diamonds, from the closed fist of Charan Grover (Shroff).
The story is simple, perched on a lavish canvas – glitzy, glamorous, gorgeous bodies (read: male torso) and with self-deprecating humour which stands out and entertains in parts (a recap of moments from SRK’s own films!). The first half spends too much time setting a plot that’s fairly uncomplicated. It’s not a film about an ingenious heist (far from ‘Oceans Eleven’) or dance, it’s a film about everything genuinely Bollywood – where logic gets a ‘fit’, gloss covers up the glitches, cameos creep in without a warning; and the rest of the plot finds comfort in the hero’s hot-bod (anything from 6 to 8 packs – take your pick!) and outstretched arms. The cast pulls off their acts well; and leave you with some feel-good moments, but not enough to last three long hours. -
AMANDA BYNES TO SPEND ANOTHER MONTH IN PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY
Troubled actress Amanda Bynes will spend at least another month receiving psychiatric care. According to reports, doctors treating the onetime child star approached the judge about extending the stay, explaining they do not think she is well enough to be discharged. Bynes first entered a facility on Oct 10, following a driving under the influence (DUI) arrest, a shoplifting incident and a series of worrisome tweets. The initial 72-hour hold was extended for two weeks Oct 13, and she would have been eligible for release on Monday if her doctors had not approached the judge. This is not Bynes’s first time in a psychiatric facility. She was forcibly hospitalised in July 2013 following a string of troublesome behaviour, including starting a small fire in a driveway.
-
ANNE HATHAWAY WASN’T PREPARED FOR MARRIAGE
Actress Anne Hathaway says she “wasn’t prepared” for a change in her relationship status when she got married. The Interstellar star,who exchanged wedding vows with Adam Shulman in September 2012, says she fell more in love with him than ever after they became man and wife, reports telegraph.co.uk. “When we got married, I thought it was a great party. I honestly thought we were doing it more for tradition. I wasn’t prepared for the radical shift my heart was going to have,” said the 31-year-old. Hathaway is relieved that the jewellery designer, 33, is able to travel with her a lot because he can take his work on the road. “I’m very fortunate that my husband has a job that allows him to travel and kind of make his own schedule. So, he travels with me whenever possible.We have a rule that we aren’t apart for more than two weeks,” she said.
-
The Best of Me
Cast: Michelle Monaghan, James Marsden, Luke Bracey,Liana Liberato, Gerald McRaney
Direction: Michael Hoffman
Genre: Romance
Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes
Review: Like The Notebook, the narrative plays out in two time-frames. It oscillates between the past and present. Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato play the younger Dawson and Amanda respectively. Amanda, the spirited rich girl, falls in love with the quintessential good boy Dawson. Since he comes from a family of thugs, the two are forced to part ways.
But destiny ensures they meet 20 years later. The film is based on Nicholas Sparks’ book, and if you like his concept of an idealistic romance set against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes with dollops of melodrama thrown in, The Best of Me is for you. But if you don’t like his ‘typical’ love stories, the film may offend your sensibility for being unabashedly cheesy, formulaic and painfully predictable.
As far as casting is concerned, much to our surprise, the younger actors do not resemble James and Michelle at all. Wonder if Luke was cast keeping the late Paul Walker (original choice) in mind, but even that seems weird as he looks a lot like Heath Ledger instead. However, in spite of the flaws and the too-good-to-betrue concept, The Best of Me manages to strike a chord, thanks to Michelle Monaghan and Gerald McRaney’s heartrending performances. Michelle’s emotional outburst towards the end and McRaney’s portrayal of Tuck is tear-evoking.
The actress beautifully depicts the emotional upheaval of her character. While Marsden too renders a mature act, it’s Michelle who steals the show. We are yet to see the best of you, James! Beautiful visuals are another asset. A scene shot in a lake where the actress is shown to be rotating and floating in water is liberating – a metaphor for letting go of fixed notions and following your heart. The film has a lot of hidden messages like these, which unfortunately get overshadowed by an overdose of mush and superficial love scenes that get massive footage. -
THE RAMAYANA
contined from vol 8 issue 41
Words of brother’s deep devotion Rama heard with grateful heart,
And with Sita and with Lakshman for the woods prepared to part: Part we then from loving kinsmen, arms and mighty weapons bring, Bows of war which Lord VARUNA rendered to Videha’s king,
Coats of mail to sword impervious, quivers which can never fail, And the rapiers bright as sunshine, goldenhilted, tempered wen,
Safely rest these goodly weapons in our great preceptor’s hall,
Seekand bring them, faithful brother, for me thinks we need them all!” Rama spake; his valiant brother then the wondrous weapons brought, Wreathed with fresh and fragrant garlands and with gold and jewels wrought,
“Welcome, brother,” uttered Rama, “stronger thus to woods we go,
Wealth and gold and useless treasure to the holy priests bestow,
To the son of saint Vasishtha, to each sage is honour due, Then we leave our father’s mansions, to our father’s mandate true!”
MOTHER’S BLESSINGS
Tears of sorrow and of suffering flowed from Queen Kausalya’s eye,
As she saw departing Sita for her blessings drawing nigh, And she clasped the gentle Sits, and she kissed her moistened head,
And her tears like summer tempest choked the loving words she said: “Part we,
dear devoted daughter,
to thy husband ever true, With a woman’s whole affection render love to husband’s due! False are women loved and cherished, gentle in their speech and word, When misfortune’s shadows gather,
who are faithless to their lord, Who through years of sunny splendour smile and pass the livelong day,
When misfortune’s darkness thickens, from their husband turn away,
Who with changeful fortune changing oft ignore the plighted word,
And forget a woman’s duty, woman’s faith to wedded lord,
Who to holy love inconstant from their wedded consort part, Manly deed nor manly virtue wins the changeful woman’s heart! But the true and righteous woman, loving, spouse and changeless wife,
Faithful to her lord and consort holds him dearer than her life,
Ever true and righteous Sita, follow still my godlike son,
Like a God to thee is Rama in the woods or on the throne!” “I shall do my duty, mother,” said the wife with wifely pride, “Like a God to me is Rama,
Sita shall not leave his side, From the Moon will part his lustre ere I part from wedded lord,
Ere from faithful wife’s devotion falter in my deed or word, For the stringless lute is silent, idle is the wheel-less car, And no wife the loveless consort,
inauspicious is her star! Small the measure of affection which the sire and brother prove, Measureless to wedded woman is her lord and husband’s love,
True to Law and true to Scriptures, true to woman’s plighted word,
Can I ever be, my mother, faithless, loveless to my lord?” Tears of joy and mingled sorrow filled the Queen Kausalya’s eye, As she marked the faithful Sita true in heart, in virtue high,
And she wept the tears of sadness when with sweet obeisance due,
Spake with hands in meekness folded Rama ever good and true: “Sorrow not, my loving mother, trust in virtue’s changeless beam, Swift will fly the years of exile like a brief and transient dream,
Girt by faithful friends and forces,
blest by righteous Gods above, Thou shalt see thy son returning to thy bosom and thy love! Unto all the royal ladies Rama his obeisance paid, For his failings unremembered,
blessings and forgiveness prayed, And his words were soft and gentle, and they wept to see him go, Like the piercing cry of curlew rose the piercing voice of woe,
And in halls where drum and tabor rose in joy and regal pride, Voice of grief and lamentation sounded far and sounded wide! Then the true and faithful Lakshman parted from each weeping dame,
And to sorrowing Queen Sumitra with his due obeisance came, And he bowed to Queen Sumitra and his mother kissed his head,
Stilled her anguish-laden bosom and in trembling accents said: Dear devoted duteous Lakshman,
ever to thy elder true, When thy elder wends to forest, forest-life to thee is due,
Thou hast served him true and faithful in his glory and his fame,
This is Law for true and righteous,—serve him in his woe and shame,
This is Law for race of Raghu known on earth for holy might, Bounteous in their sacred duty,
brave and warlike in the fight! Therefore tend him as thy father, as thy mother tend his wife,
And to thee, like fair Ayodhya be thy humble forest life, Go, my son, the voice of Duty bids my gallant Lakshman go, Serve thy elder with devotion and with valour meet thy foe
CITIZENS’ LAMENT
Spake Sumantra chariot-driver waiting by the royal car, “Haste thee, mighty-destined Rama,
for we wander long and far, Fourteen years in Dandak’s forest shall the righteous Rama stray, Such is Dasa-ratha’s mandate, haste thee Rama and obey.” Queenly Sita bright-apparelled,
with a strong and trusting heart, Mounted on the car of splendour for the pathless woods to part,
And the king for needs providing gave her robes and precious store,
For the many years of exile in a far and unknown shore, And a wealth of warlike weapons to the exiled princes gave, Bow and dart and linkéd armour,
sword and shield and lances brave. Then the gallant brothers mounted on the gold-emblazoned car, For unending was the journey and the wilderness was far, Skilled Sumantra saw them seated,
urged the swiftly-flying steed, Faster than the speed of tempest was the noble coursers’ speed.
And they parted for the forest; like a long unending night,
Gloomy shades of grief and sadness deepened on the city’s might,
Mute and dumb but conscious creatures felt the woe the city bore, Horses neighed and shook their bright bells,
elephants returned a roar! Man and boy and maid and matron followed Rama with their eye, As the thirsty seek the water when the parchéd fields are dry, Clinging to the rapid chariot,
by its side, before, behind,
TO BE CONTINUED -
SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB
CONTD FROM Vol 8 ISSUE 42
|| 1 || So what should I say to this crazy mind, which is affectionately attached to them? The Lord is the Master of the meek, the Destroyer of all fears, and I have forgotten to praise Him. || 2 || Like a dog’s tail, which will never straighten out, the mind will not change, no matter how many things are tried. Says Nanak, please, Lord, uphold the honor of Your innate nature; I chant Your Name.
|| 3 || 9 || SORAT’H, NINTH MEHL: O mind, you have not accepted the Guru’s Teachings. What is the use of shaving your head, and wearing saffron robes? || 1 || Pause || Abandoning Truth, you cling to falsehood; your life is uselessly wasting away. Practicing hypocrisy, you fill your belly, and then sleep like an animal. || 1 || You do not know the Way of the Lord’s meditation; you have sold yourself into Maya’s hands. The madman remains entangled in vice and corruption; he has forgotten the jewel of the Naam.
|| 2 || He remains thoughtless, not thinking of the Lord of the Universe; his life is uselessly passing away. Says Nanak, O Lord, please, confirm your innate nature; this mortal is continually making mistakes. || 3 || 10 || SORAT’H, NINTH MEHL: That man, who in the midst of pain, does not feel pain, who is not affected by pleasure, affection or fear, and who looks alike upon gold and dust;
|| 1 || Pause || Who is not swayed by either slander or praise, nor affected by greed, attachment or pride; who remains unaffected by joy and sorrow, honor and dishonor; || 1 || who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desireless in the world; who is not touched by sexual desire or anger – within his heart, God dwells. || 2 || That man, blessed by Guru’s Grace, understands this way. O Nanak, he merges with the Lord of the Universe, like water with water.
|| 3 || 11 || SORAT’H, NINTH MEHL: O dear friend, know this in your mind. The world is entangled in its own pleasures; no one is for anyone else. || 1 || Pause || In good times, many come and sit together, surrounding you on all four sides. But when hard times come, they all leave, and no one comes near you. || 1 || Your wife, whom you love so much, and who has remained ever attached to you, runs away crying, “Ghost! Ghost!”, as soon as the swan-soul leaves this body.
|| 2 || This is the way they act – those whom we love so much. At the very last moment, O Nanak, no one is any use at all, except the Dear Lord. || 3 || 12 || 139 || SORAT’H, FIRST MEHL, FIRST HOUSE, ASHTAPADEES, CHAU-TUKAS: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: I am not torn by duality, because I do not worship any other than the Lord; I do not visit tombs or crematoriums. I do not enter the houses of strangers, engrossed in desire. The Naam, the Name of the Lord, has satisfied my desires. Deep within my heart, the Guru has shown me the home of my being, and my mind is imbued with peace and poise, O Siblings of Destiny. You Yourself are all-knowing, and You Yourself are all-seeing; You alone bestow intelligence, O Lord.
|| 1 || My mind is detached, imbued with detachment; the Word of the Shabad has pierced my mind, O my mother. God’s Light shines continually within the nucleus of my deepest self; I am lovingly attached to the Bani, the Word of the True Lord Master. || Pause || Countless detached renunciates talk of detachment and renunciation, but he alone is a true renunciate, who is pleasing to the Lord Master. The Word of the Shabad is ever in his heart; he is absorbed in the Fear of God, and he works to serve the Guru. He remembers the One Lord, his mind does not waver, and he restrains its wanderings. He is intoxicated with celestial bliss, and is ever imbued with the Lord’s Love; he sings the Glorious Praises of the True Lord.
|| 2 || The mind is like the wind, but if it comes to rest in peace, even for an instant, then he shall abide in the peace of the Name, O Siblings of Destiny. His tongue, eyes and ears are imbued with Truth; O Lord, You quench the fires of desire. In hope, the renunciate remains free of hopes; in the home of his own inner self, he is absorbed in the trance of deep meditation. He remains content, satisfied with the charity of the Naam; he drinks in the Ambrosial Amrit with ease.
|| 3 || There is no renunciation in duality, as long as there is even a particle of duality. The whole world is Yours, Lord; You alone are the Giver. There is not any other, O Siblings of Destiny. The self-willed manmukh dwells in misery forever, while the Lord bestows greatness upon the Gurmukh. God is infinite, endless, inaccessible and unfathomable; His worth cannot be described.
|| 4 || The consciousness in deep Samaadhi, the Supreme Being, the Lord of the three worlds – these are Your Names, Lord. The creatures born into this world have their destiny inscribed upon their foreheads; they experience according to their destinies. The Lord Himself causes them to do good and bad deeds; He Himself makes them steadfast in devotional worship. The filth of their mind and mouth is washed off when they live in the Fear of God; the inaccessible Lord Himself blesses them with spiritual wisdom.
|| 5 || Only those who taste it know its sweet taste, like the mute, who eats the candy, and only smiles. How can I describe the indescribable, O Siblings of Destiny? I shall follow His Will forever. If one meets with the Guru, the Generous Giver, then he understands; those who have no Guru cannot understand this. As the Lord causes us to act, so do we act, O Siblings of Destiny. What other clever tricks can anyone try?
|| 6 || Some are deluded by doubt, while others are imbued with devotional worship; Your play is infinite and endless. As You engage them, they receive the fruits of their rewards; You alone are the One who issues Your Commands. I would serve You, if anything were my own; my soul and body are Yours. One who meets with the True Guru, by His Grace, takes the Support of the Ambrosial Naam.
|| 7 || He dwells in the heavenly realms, and his virtues radiantly shine forth; meditation and spiritual wisdom are found in virtue. The Naam is pleasing to his mind; he speaks it, and causes others to speak it as well. He speaks the essential essence of wisdom. The Word of the Shabad is his Guru and spiritual teacher, profound and unfathomable; without the Shabad, the world is insane. He is a perfect renunciate, naturally at ease, O Nanak, whose mind is pleased with the True Lord.
|| 8 || 1 || SORAT’H, FIRST MEHL, TI-TUKAS: Hope and desire are entrapments, O Siblings of Destiny. Religious rituals and ceremonies are traps. Because of good and bad deeds, one is born into the world, O Siblings of Destiny; forgetting the Naam, the Name of the Lord, he is ruined. This Maya is the enticer of the world, O Siblings of Destiny; all such actions are corrupt.
|| 1 || Listen, O ritualistic Pandit: that religious ritual which produces happiness, O Siblings of Destiny, is contemplation of the essence of the soul. || Pause || You may stand and recite the Shaastras and the Vedas, O Siblings of Destiny, but these are just worldly actions. Filth cannot be washed away by hypocrisy, O Siblings of Destiny; the filth of corruption and sin is within you. This is how the spider is destroyed, O Siblings of Destiny, by falling head-long in its own web.
|| 2 || So many are destroyed by their own evil-mindedness, O Siblings of Destiny; in the love of duality, they are ruined.Without the True Guru, the Name is not obtained, O Siblings of Destiny; without the Name, doubt does not depart. If one serves the True Guru, then he obtains peace, O Siblings of Destiny; his comings and goings are ended.
|| 3 || True celestial peace comes from the Guru, O Siblings of Destiny; the immaculate mind is absorbed into the True Lord. One who serves the Guru, understands, O Siblings of Destiny; without the Guru, the way is not found. What can anyone do, with greed within? O Siblings of Destiny, by telling lies, they eat poison.
|| 4 || O Pandit, by churning cream, butter is produced. By churning water, you shall only see water, O Siblings of Destiny; this world is like that. Without the Guru, he is ruined by doubt, O Siblings of Destiny; the unseen Divine Lord is in each and every heart.
|| 5 || This world is like a thread of cotton, O Siblings of Destiny, which Maya has tied on all ten sides.Without the Guru, the knots cannot be untied, O Siblings of Destiny; I am so tired of religious rituals. This world is deluded by doubt, O Siblings of Destiny; no one can say anything about it.
|| 6 || Meeting with the Guru, the Fear of God comes to abide in the mind; to die in the Fear of God is one’s true destiny. In the Court of the Lord, the Naam is far superior to ritualistic cleansing baths, charity and good deeds, O Siblings of Destiny. One who implants the Naam within himself, through the Guru’s halter – O Siblings of Destiny, the Lord dwells in his mind, and he is free of hypocrisy.
|| 7 || This body is the jeweller’s shop, O Siblings of Destiny; the incomparable Naam is the merchandise. The merchant secures this merchandise, O Siblings of Destiny, by contemplating the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. Blessed is the merchant, O Nanak, who meets the Guru, and engages in this trade.
|| 8 || 2 || SORAT’H, FIRST MEHL: Those who serve the True Guru, O Beloved, their companions are saved as well. No one blocks their way, O Beloved, and the Lord’s Ambrosial Nectar is on their tongue.Without the Fear of God, they are so heavy that they sink and drown, O Beloved; but the Lord, casting His Glance of Grace, carries them across. || 1 || I ever praise You, O Beloved, I ever sing Your Praises. Without the boat, one is drowned in the sea of fear, O Beloved; how can I reach the distant shore?
|| 1 || Pause || I praise the Praiseworthy Lord, O Beloved; there is no other one to praise. Those who praise my God are good, O Beloved; they are imbued with the Word of the Shabad, and His Love. If I join them, O Beloved, I can churn the essence and so find joy.
|| 2 || The gateway to honor is Truth, O Beloved; it bears the Insignia of the True Name of the Lord.We come into the world, and we depart, with our destiny written and preordained, O Beloved; realize the Command of the Commander.Without the Guru, this Command is not understood, O Beloved; True is the Power of the True Lord.
|| 3 || By His Command, we are conceived, O Beloved, and by His Command, we grow in the womb. By His Command, we are born, O Beloved, head-first, and upside-down. The Gurmukh is honored in the Court of the Lord, O Beloved; he departs after resolving his affairs.
|| 4 || By His Command, one comes into the world, O Beloved, and by His Will, he goes. By His Will, some are bound and gagged and driven away, O Beloved; the self-willed manmukhs suffer their punishment. By His Command, the Word of the Shabad, is realized, O Beloved, and one goes to the Court of the Lord robed in honor.
|| 5 || By His Command, some accounts are accounted for, O Beloved; by His Command, some suffer in egotism and duality. By His Command, one wanders in reincarnation, O Beloved; deceived by sins and demerits, he cries out in his suffering.
TO BE CONTINUED -
WAYS TO MAKE YOUR ROOM LOOK BIGGER
From optical illusion to colour schemes and fine art, there are plenty of ideas to dig into for a more spacious-looking living space
Don’t clutter with furniture
“People tend to have too much furniture in their house in a bid to show off their taste. This doesn’t give a feeling of lightness, but only creates clutter and makes your room look smaller than it already is,” says interior designer Shehzad Khan. Conversely, spacing your furniture out and resting it flat against the wall is a fool’s errand. It doesn’t ensure a bigger room, instead your room ends up looking sparse. The trick is to angle it right. For instance, you can place a small console behind the sofa to create a sense of space. You can do the same thing with your bed and a side table in the bedroom.
Don’t use too many small paintings
Fine art lends aesthetics and a sense of timelessness to your home. However, scattering small paintings or prints all over the walls will make a shoebox-sized home look smaller and more congested than it already is. Instead, invest in one life-size threedimensional scenic painting on canvas, the keywords here being lifesize and scenic. “Use wall cladding on the chosen surface and install the 3D canvas on it,” says Gogia. Scenery gives a lot of depth to the wall. A DIY option is to paint the wall yourself. This way, you get to express and show off your creativity too. The market is also flooded with readymade wallpapers of scenic pictures that can be directly purchased and applied to one wall.
Do install French windows
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows is how the French won the West over, at least when it comes to decor. French windows automatically give spaciousness to the room. There are two reasons for this. They provide more natural light to stream into your room. Also, instead of an opaque wall, you have glass and openness extending beyond it.
Do have a white floor or ceiling
This may sound too stark for us Indians, since we love colour and all things vibrant. Having a stark white ceiling or floor is an international trend that is catching on in India. The easiest option for a white floor is marble. There is a variety available out there, so feel free to experiment. For a bit of warmth, lay out a soft rug. As for the ceiling, white is usually right. Says Girish Gogia, former interior decorator, “A milk white ceiling doesn’t feel heavy on the head.” Pure and pristine, white is the best colour to instill a sense of airiness. Choose from ghost white, eggshell, pearl, cream or the popular ‘off white’.
Do invest in multi-functional decor
Streamline your room with multifunctional pieces. For instance, a dining table that folds into a coffee table or seater. A trunk or an ottoman with built-in storage to keep your reading material in. In the mood to splurge? A number of decor labels are now available in India. For a DIY approach, look up the internet to design your own functional pieces. -
Survival guide for introverts
If you’re introspective by nature and have been called shy, reserved or withdrawn at various points in life, you belong to the quiet tribe of introverts. They are people-loving folk who also like their solitude. They recharge their batteries with quality alone-time and usually keep their opinions to themselves. Life can be tough for an introvert, since emotional sensitivity is part of the territory and a heightened perception for the feelings of others comes naturally. Here’s how to cope when people and situations threaten to cramp your wellbeing.
Schedule some cave time
Set aside at least three to four hours a week, either on a single day or over a span of a few days to ‘hang out’ by yourself. When parties beckon, it will be tough to explain cave time to your friends. Do this for a few weeks, however, and you’ll realise its importance in recharging your batteries and peace of mind.
Avoid FOMO
Decide on the precious activities for cave time. It’s easy to get wrapped up in FOMO (fear of missing out) if all you do in cave time is go through the wall posts and travel pictures of your social media friends. If you’re planning on cooking, decide exactly what will be on the menu. Ditto for watching movies and discovering new music. Pin it down to make it stick! Introverts with a creative streak would do well to paint, sketch, write, even knit.
Make people time count
Do you feel tired after attending a gathering? Introverts are attuned to the emotions of people around them, the ones they have a close relationship with. This level of passive attentiveness can get emotionally draining. So, be selective about the people you spend time with, ensure they are positive, happy people.
Avoid social burnout
Being introverted doesn’t have to mean being afraid of people. Take Hollywood actress Helen Hunt, for instance. “I’m a weird combination of deeply introverted and very daring,” she says. So socialising is great as long as you don’t overdo it. Social burnout is a top motivation killer for introverts. So, design your social life in such a way that you enjoy it and look forward to meeting people. -
MINERALS THAT KEEP YOU GOING
Together, minerals make up a mere four per cent of your body, but their role in its effective functioning is crucial. Girgaum based family physician, Dr Krishnakant Dhebri sees five patients with mineral deficiency every day (vegetarians are worse hit) defines essential minerals as “keystones to our health”. It’s a fitting label considering they help carry out crucial functions, and a deficiency leads to worrying symptoms. “A poor diet is often the key reason for mineral deficiency,” says Dhebri, adding, “Commonly, patients are found deficient in iron, iodine and
calcium
The right diet plays a key role here since the body doesn’t produce minerals naturally, which means we must rely on what we eat to acquire them in the right quantity. A diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, eggs, and seven hours of sleep are a must if your body is to be replenished adequately. Calcium Recommended daily allowance: 1,000 mg/day (women), 1,200 mg/day (men) Function: Builds and maintains strong bones and teeth; helps with muscle function; controls cell function, communication and signalling. Cause and effect: Low levels make you prone to osteoporosis and easy fracture. More of it leads to uneasiness, high BP, kidney and gall bladder stone. Sources: Almonds, figs, carrots, raisins, brown rice, garlic, dates, spinach, sesame, cashew, papaya, celery.
Potassium
Recommended dietary allowance: 2,000 mg/day (men and women) Function: Essential for nerve function, muscle contraction, maintaining BP and a healthy balance of water in blood and body tissues. Cause and effect: Deficiency can cause anxiety, fatigue and decreased heart rate. Excess of potassium causes hypertension. Sources: Oranges, bananas, peanuts, beans, coconut water, spinach.
Selenium
Recommended dietary allowance: 70 mcg (men), 55 mcg (women) Function: Helps in sperm formation, protects cells from damage and regulates thyroid function. Cuts risk of prostate, lung and colorectal cancer. Cause and effect: A deficiency can cause muscle weakness, cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) and immune dysfunction. Sources: Organ meats, tuna, crabs, grains, spices.
Sodium
Recommended dietary allowance: 1,500 mg (men), 1,300 mg (women). Function: Helps regulate water in blood and tissue. Cause and effect: Low levels lead to fatigue, a feeling of indifference, mental confusion, nausea and muscle cramps. Sources: Table salt, papad, lime juice and dairy products.
Zinc
Recommended dietary allowance: 15 mg (men), 12 mg (women) Function: Boosts immunity (especially against lower respiratory tract infection, cold and cough), reproduction and the nervous system. Useful in blood clotting. Cause and effect: Deficiency leads to dermatitis, abnormal pregnancy and poor eyesight, abnormal sense of taste and smell. Sources: Red meat, almonds, peanuts, chickpeas, soy foods, dairy products, mushrooms, liver and sunflower seeds. -
HAIR DISORDER COULD SIGNAL DENTAL DECAY
If you are experiencing hair fall problems, your teeth may require extra care as researchers have found that hair disorder could increase risk of dental decay. Keratins, proteins associated with strong hair, are important for tooth enamel, the findings showed.
Individuals with mutations in hair keratin genes are prone to cavities, the findings showed. The researchers found that tooth enamel from individuals with keratin mutations had abnormal structure that resulted in weakness. “Our results identify a genetic locus that influences enamel structure and establishes a connection between hair disorders and susceptibility to dental caries,” said Maria Morasso from National Institutes of Health in the US. Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body and has a unique combination of hardness and fracture toughness that protects teeth from dental caries, the most common chronic disease worldwide.
“Epithelial hair keratins, which are crucial for maintaining the integrity of the sheaths that support the hair shaft, are expressed in the enamel organ and are essential organic components of mature enamel,” the researchers said. The study involved genetic and intraoral examination data from 386 children and 706 adults. The researchers found that individuals harbouring known hair disorder-associated polymorphisms in the gene encoding keratin 75 (KRT75), KRT75A161T and KRT75E337K, are prone to increased dental caries. A functional keratin network is required for the mechanical stability of tooth enamel, the findings showed. -
BENEFITS OF SURYA NAMASKARA
Suryanamaskar or the Indian ritual of saluting the sun comprises a rhythmic combination of yogic postures and breathing exercises. The complete series includes 12 basic postures performed in cyclical pattern to benefit all three levels of human consciousness: Physical, mental and spiritual. However, for beginners to understand the true significance and impact of each position, the entire series should be broken down and practiced one posture at a time. We list out health benefits of this whole body workout aasan. Pranam Asana: This pose induces a state of concentration and calmness.
This is a pose where one meditates to the Sun God. Hastautthan Asana: It helps in stretching the whole body. It helps correct the spinal arch and also improves the integrity of the spine. Try and reach as high as you can to get a better stretch. Padahasta Asana: This asana helps in reducing excess weight in the abdominal region. Helps in eliminating bloating, improves digestion and helps to remove constipation. Practicing this asana improves blood circulation, makes spine supple and tones spiral nerves. This asana helps inculcate the bhava (attitude) of humility.
Ashwa-sanchalan Asana: This asana improves the overall health of the body and strengthens the back, abdomen and thigh muscles. Promotes mobility of the knee joints, strengthens the body to maintain good posture and prevent back problems. As there is a stretch on the neck , it is also beneficial to the functioning of the thyroid gland. Adho Mukha Svanasana: This asana helps in boosting one’s self confidence. Because of the increased blood flow to the upper body and the shoulder stand it helps in improving brain function and reduce anxiety and depression. Strengthens and tones the arms and legs.
Also helps in lengthening the spine. Ashtang Namaskar: This pose besides strengthening the leg and arm muscles develops the chest and gives flexibility to the region of spine between the shoulder blades. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana: This pose keeps the spine supple, improving circulation in the back region and toning the spinal nerves. It tones and stimulates the abdominal muscles and organs. Stretches muscles of the chest and shoulder. Also increases lung capacity and relieves asthma. -
AVOID SITTING FOR LONG HOURS, IT’S NOT HEALTHY
Watch out! Sitting has been regarded akin to something as harmful as smoking and having hardly any physical activity is said to be a health hazard. It can lead to painful neck and back aches, decreased insulin sensitivity and increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. What the study said: As per reports, a study revealed that lessening the sitting hours could can help people in protecting the aging of DNA and even possibly extend their lifespan.
It was found that reducing sedentary activity appeared to lengthen telomeres, which sit on the end of chromosomes, the DNA storage units in each cell and longevity and a healthy lifestyle have been linked to telomere length. What can help: Lunch hour workouts are in big demand abroad where employees squeeze in some time in their lunch break to do light exercises. From office yoga, do doing half an hour on a cross trainer and balancing on an exercise ball, there’s a lot you can do. If nothing else, take a walk around the block or try the Stairwell Climb, where ascend and descend the stairs a few times (if you have knee troubles, avoid this). -
1984 SIKH MASSACRE: AN ENDLESS WAIT FOR JUSTICE
Nearly 3,000 members of India’s Sikh community were massacred after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards on 31 October 1984. The wave of ethnic cleansing which raged unhindered across the country, especially in Delhi, after Mrs Gandhi was shot dead ended only with her cremation on 2 November. During these three days, droves of Sikhs were determinedly hunted down by Hindu mobs from their homes, corralled and slaughtered like animals.
The trigger for Mrs Gandhi’s killing was the storming of the Golden Temple in Sikhism’s holy city Amritsar four months earlier to flush out Sikh militants fighting for an independent homeland of Khalistan or Land of the Pure. The heavily-armed militants – many of them former soldiers – had barricaded themselves inside the temple and were dislodged only after three days of bitter fighting. Some 1,000 people, including women and children pilgrims and about 157 soldiers, died.
Tanks too were employed to end the siege, leaving Sikhs highly aggrieved. The eventual and possibly avoidable storming of the Golden Temple generated a wave of violence leading to Mrs Gandhi’s assassination, the anti-Sikh riots and a vicious insurgency across Punjab that was eventually stamped out by the military around 1993, although not without widespread human rights abuses.
But, the 1984 Delhi riots rocked the world, more so for the state’s direct involvement and public justification of the blood-letting. Reacting to the continuing Sikh killings in Delhi and other places, newly appointed Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi declared at a massive rally in the capital that “once a mighty tree falls, it is only natural that the earth around it shakes”. One of the worst massacres took place in two narrow alleys in the city’s poor Trilokpuri colony where some 350 Sikhs, including women and children, were casually butchered over 72 hours.
The charred and hacked remains of the hundreds that perished in Trilokpuri’s Block 32 on the smoky and dank evening of 2 November 1984 were stark testimony to the unimpeded and seemingly endless massacre. Soon after news of Mrs Gandhi’s killing by her Sikh bodyguards spread, Hindu mobs swung into action – like they did elsewhere in the city armed with voters’ lists – in Trilokpuri against the low caste Sikhs inhabiting oneroomed tenements on either side of two narrow alleyways barely 150 yards long.
With local police connivance they blocked entry to the neighborhood with massive concrete water pipes and stationed guards armed with sticks atop them. For the next three days marauding groups armed with cleavers, scythes, kitchen knives and scissors took breaks to eat and regroup in between executing their bloodthirsty mission. No one spoke and nothing, except the bizarre, dancing shadows moved during this surrealistic interlude. The police arrived in Trilokpuri 24 hours later when a newspaper revealed the horrific massacre. Sadly, there were no Sikhs left to protect.
Tragic stories
BHAGWANI KAUR, RIOT VICTIM On November 1 morning, there was stone-pelting between both parties (Sikhs and non-Sikhs) in Trilokpuri area. When the police came, they first cordoned off the area and then indicated the non-Sikhs to go ahead. Rioters barged into our homes, pulled out utensils and other goods and looted our homes. The men were dragged out by their hair and killed. On the third day, trucks were brought in, the bodies were taken away and dumped in the Yamuna.
‘They threw my father from top floor’ Paramjeet Kaur, lost her father and three uncles in riots I was just 11 years old in 1984. My father, three of my uncles, a brother-in-law and a cousin were killed in the riots. One of my cousins tried to hide on the windowsill but he couldn’t escape. The rioters burnt him alive. I still remember the ghastly scene. My father was thrown from the top floor. His head was smashed. My younger brothers were made to wear girls’ dresses to escape. The women, my two sisters and 3-4 other women, had a horrific time.
‘When will we get justice?’
HUKM SINGH, lost his two toddler sons, a brotherI lost my two sons — four and two-and-a-half years — and a brother at Jagatpuri during the three-day rioting in 1984. They were among the 11 people from three families in our building to be killed. My landlord and his family were killed. My plyboard factory in Radhapuri was set afire.
Timeline of events
November 1984: Sikhs were killed in the riots following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi Oct 31, 1984.
Feb 8, 2005: Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission appointed to look into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, submits its report.
October 2005: A case is registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the recommendation of the Nanawati Commission.
Feb 1, 2010: Court issues summons against Sajjan Kumar and seven other accused — Balwan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal, Kishan Khokkar, Captain Bhagmal, Maha Singh and Santosh Rani. Six accused are alive and facing trial.
Feb 8, 2010: Delhi High court appoints special public prosecutor R.S. Cheema to conduct the trial on a daily basis so that the proceedings can be concluded in six months.
Feb 15, 2010: Sajjan Kumar’s anticipatory bail rejected by additional sessions judge.
Feb 17, 2010: Non-bailable warrants issued against Sajjan Kumar
Feb 23, 2010: Sajjan Kumar untraceable.
Feb 26, 2010: Anticipatory bail granted to Sajjan Kumar by the Delhi High Court.
July 1, 2010: Prosecution produces 17 witnesses.Witnesses Jagdish Kaur, Jagsher Singh and Nirpreet Kaur identify Sajjan Kumar in court and depose against him.
June 2011: Prosecution evidence ends.
August 2011: Defence prosecution starts. They produce 17 witnesses, of whom six are officials from Delhi Police who depose in favour of Sajjan Kumar.
April 2012: Prosecution concludes its arguments
January 2013: Defence concludes its arguments and a judgment is pronounced.
April 30: District and sessions court acquits Sajjan Kumar, convicts former councillor Balwan Khokkar, former legislator Mahender Yadav, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal.
VICTIMS TO GET ADDITIONAL RS 5 LAKH NEW DELHI (TIP):
As the nation prepares to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the government has said it would offer Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the 3,325 victims. This amount would be additional to whatever compensations they have received so far. The Union Home Ministry has also approved a proposal to substantially increase compensations to civilians falling victim to communal, Maoist or terrorist violence from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Compensation to the anti-Sikh riot victims, which would cost the exchequer an additional Rs 166.25 crore, will be dispersed soon. The riots were triggered after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh guards. The decision to disperse additional compensation follows petitions by several Sikh organisations to the NDA government. The previous UPA government announced an Rs 717 crore package for the Sikh victims, including financial compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed, but it could only spend Rs 517 crore due to dispute over claimants.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also decided to increase compensation for victims of communal, Maoist and terrorist violence at a high-level meeting where the issue came up. “Till now the next of kin of persons killed or civilians who suffered permanent incapacitation as a result of violence were paid Rs 3,00,000 as per provisions of the Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims of Terrorist/Communal/Naxal violence since 2008,” an official statement said.
Families of victims are eligible for the assistance irrespective of previous compensations. Official figures reveal that the government had dispersed Rs 6.12 crore as compensation to civilian victims in 204 incidents of terrorist, communal and naxal violence in 2011-12 and Rs 3.99 crore in 133 incidents in 2012-13. However, no compensations could be given in 2013-14 and 2014-15 (till July) since state governments have not mooted the proposals. -
E-VISA SYSTEM LIKELY TO BE ROLLED OUT NEXT
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Government will roll out by next week the muchawaited electronic-visa system for tourists from select countries including US and Japan. Home minister Rajnath Singh along with tourism minister Sripad Naik will unveil the first phase of e-visa system for tourists from two dozens countries including US and Japan at a function here shortly, a senior Tourism Ministry official said.
While Australia is likely to be accorded the e-visa facility during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit Down Under, some countries belonging to BRICS and African region are likely to be announced in the first phase. The e-visa is expected to give a big boost to the foreign tourist arrivals in the country. While in January about 4.95 lakh foreign tourists arrived in India, there were a total of 51.79 lakh during January-September this year. All the arrangements including the software for this system is ready now and will be operational at nine international airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Goa.
The official said though there are certain issues yet to be resolved for the Goa Airport, the Government has decided in principle to extend it to Goa as well. According to the official, about 25 countries including the 13 countries which are currently having the Visaon- Arrival (VoA) facility in India to be covered under e-visa regime. US, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore are among the countries which will be given e-visa facility in the first phase. Barring a few countries like Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia, all 180 countries will be covered under e-visa regime in phases, the official said.
He said China is definitely on the list of countries to be provided e-visa facility, but not in the first list. China is a big-thrust market for India and Tourism Ministry has taken various steps to woo maximum Chinese tourists. While the Incredible India website is being translated into the Chinese language and an infoline will also be established in that language. Besides guides are being trained in Chinese language to help tourists from that country. In order to get e-visa, one would need to apply in the designated website along the required fees. They would be granted an electronic version of the visa within 96 hours. -
INDIA’S UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE ROLLOUT TO COST $26 BILLION
NEW DELHI (TIP): India’s universal health plan that aims to offer guaranteed benefits to a sixth of the world’s population will cost an estimated 1.6 trillion rupees ($26 billion) over the next four years, a senior health ministry official said. Under the National Health Assurance Mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government would provide all citizens with free drugs and diagnostic treatment, as well as insurance cover to treat serious ailments.
The proposed plan would be rolled out in phases from April 2015 and will cover the entire population by March 2019, CK Mishra, an additional secretary at the health ministry, told Reuters. When the entire population is covered, it would cost an estimated $11.4 billion annually. “If you want to deliver the service, that is what it will take,” Mishra said, disclosing for the first time an expert group’s cost estimates that will be considered by the finance ministry for inclusion in the government’s spending plans. Healthcare experts caution that it could take decades before India’s 1.2 billion people are adequately covered and that the costs of provision could face significant upward pressure.
If approved, India would need to drastically raise its healthcare spending. In the current financial year, the federal budget allocated about $5 billion to healthcare. “We are not in a position to implement it across the regions, states (right now). It’s impossible. So we are choosing number of districts each year,” said Mishra. Despite rapid economic growth in the last 20 years, the Indian government spends only about 1 percent of gross domestic product on healthcare.
That compares to 3 percent in China and 8.3 percent in the United States. More newborns die in India than in poorer neighbours such as Bangladesh, and preventable illnesses such as diarrhoea kill more than a million children every year. Government hospitals are overcrowded and lack resources to meet the growing demand, while access to basic health services in rural areas and smaller towns remains poor. “I can say that you are covered, but your closest facilities are 100 kilometres away. You are limited by that fact,” said Rana Mehta, leader of healthcare at consultants PwC India. “To build infrastructure and then provide care over a period of time would obviously take decades.” A 2012 study by Indian business lobby FICCI and consultants EY estimated that universal health cover in India was feasible in a decade and would require government health spending to rise to 3.7-4.5 percent of GDP.
PLAN STRUCTURE
The new plan will focus on improving preventive healthcare services by ensuring adequate availability of medical practitioners in rural areas, while new infrastructure will be created under existing welfare programmes, Mishra said. Tertiary care services would be provided through an insurance-based model and the government will offer more than 50 drugs free to all its citizens. Along with the drugs, about 12-15 diagnostic treatments will be offered in the package. Mishra said states will be encouraged to enter into outsourcing agreements for the provision of treatment.
In recent years, thousands of small private hospitals and test centres have flourished, betting on high demand created by lack of adequate public facilities. Such providers opened 80 percent of India’s new hospital beds during 2002-2012, according to a PwCNatHealth report. While private players will be involved in the ambitious programme, the government will need to ensure speedy payments for the partnership to work, said Harish Pillai, chief operating officer at private healthcare group Indus Health. -
JAPAN’S TOP STEELMAKER SAYS HALF-YEAR PROFIT DOWN 2.9 PER CENT
TOKYO (TIP): Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, one of the world’s biggest steelmakers, said its half-year profit slipped 2.9 percent, as it pointed to still-high production by Chinese mills. The firm’s net profit in the April-September period fell to 112.2 billion yen (USD 1.0 billion), saying its net profit a year earlier was lifted by a one-time investment gain. Sales rose 3.9 per cent to 2.78 trillion yen, while its operating profit fell 2.7 percent to 135.5 billion yen, it added.
“Steel exports were generally solid on the back of a gradual recovery in the global economy, but international steel market conditions continued to require caution because of such factors as the continued high level of production output at Chinese steelmakers,” Nippon Steel said in a statement. The company said it was on track for a net profit of 250 billion yen on sales of 5.65 trillion yen for the full year through March. It also kept unchanged an earlier pre-tax profit forecast of 400 billion yen, despite the impact of recent explosions at a domestic plant. “The company intends to steadily respond to strong demand trends, particularly in Japan, and seek to improve cost effectiveness while overcoming the impact of… (the) fire accident at the Nagoya Works and other adversities,” it said. At least 15 people were injured in September after an explosion at the firm’s steel plant in central Japan, the latest in a series of accidents at the site. -
Volkswagen recalls 270,000 cars in China to fix airbags
BEIJING (TIP): Volkswagen and a Chinese partner are recalling 270,000 cars in China to repair a software problem that might prevent air bags from activating properly, the government said. The recall by FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co. applies to 265,943 Audi A4L cars made in China and 4,692 imported Audi A4 allroad cars, according to the Administration for Quality Inspection, Supervision and Quarantine. In a collision at some angles the front air bags might fail to open, the agency said. It did not identify the supplier of the air bags but gave no indication they were linked to Japan’s Takata Corp. More than 12 million cars that use Takata air bags have been recalled because the airbags can explode, possibly injuring drivers and passengers. Volkswagen and FAW announced another recall two weeks ago of some 570,000 vehicles to repair a possible suspension defect.
-
Now, an app to monitor tweets to spot suicidal pals
Suicide prevention charity Samaritans has launched a service to help people spot whether their friends could be at risk of taking their own lives. Users of Twitter can set up Samaritans Radar to monitor their friends’ tweets for signs that they may be struggling to cope. The app uses an algorithm that detects specific keywords and phrases including “hate myself”, “tired of being alone”, “depressed”, “help me” and “need someone to talk to” in friends’ tweets. When trigge8red, it alerts the person who has installed it and offers guidance on the best way of reaching out and providing support to the person who could be at risk.
The Samaritans Radar app was developed by digital agency Jam using Twitter’s API, which allows third-party applications to easily interface with the service. Joe Ferns, executive director of policy, research & development at Samaritans, indicated that app would continue to be updated as more data became available. “We know that people struggling to cope often go online looking for support, however, there is still so much we need to learn about why this happens and how we can make the online environment safer for vulnerable people,” he said. “By not addressing this issue we run the risk of shutting these discussions down and driving them underground. Instead we need to use tools such as Samaritans Radar to encourage people to look out for one another online, helping them to reach out and offer support.” The charity showed a link between the rate of tweeting and risk of suicide as inspiration for development of the application. -
TOP INTERNATIONAL HONOUR FOR INDIAN NAVIGATION SCIENTIST
HYDERABAD (TIP): Dr G Satheesh Reddy, eminent scientist and Director of DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat, has been conferred the prestigious fellowship of the Royal Aeronautical Society, London for his outstanding contributions in the field of aeronautics and aerospace engineering. The society, a professional body dedicated to the aerospace community, has nearly 2,780 fellows elected and inducted from all over the world and Reddy is one of the only five from India, according to DRDO. Reddy is presently leading the design and development of avionics technologies in critical areas of inertial systems, embedded computers, control, real time software and simulation, power supplies, seekers and flight instrumentation for various defence applications. As a top navigation scientist in the country, he holds the distinction of being conferred with the full member diploma from the Russian Academy of Navigation and Motion Control and has been inducted into it as a foreign member. He is also one of the youngest recipients of Homi J Bhabha Memorial Award, it added.
-
AIR FRESHENERS MAY POISON INDOOR AIR
WASHINGTON (TIP): Cleaning products and air fresheners, which provide a pleasant smell to your house, may also spike indoor aerosol levels and hamper the quality of air, a new study has warned. “Some of the same chemical reactions that occur in the atmosphere as a result of smog and ozone are actually taking place in your house while you are cleaning,” researchers said.
In a new study, researchers took a closer look at these reactions, which involve an organic compound – called limonene – that provides the pleasant smell of cleaning products and air fresheners. The research helps determine what byproducts these sweet-smelling compounds are adding to the air while we are using them to remove germs and odours. Secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) are microscopic particles created when ozone reacts with volatile organic gases such as limonene – the chemical name for the smell of oranges – or its cousin alpha-pinene, which is part of the smell of pine trees.
“SOAs can come from ozone reactions with numerous sources, especially with compounds called terpenes that produce the scents we associate with cleaners, pine, lavender, and oranges,” Michael Waring, an assistant professor in Drexel University’s College of Engineering, said. Waring and his team used an air testing chamber that they specifically designed to study the reactive behaviour of air in an indoor environment. By adjusting elements of the test, such as the air exchange rate, which is the number of times per hour indoor air is replaced by outdoor air, as well as the concentrations of terpene and ozone in the chamber, the group was able to ascertain how those variables each affected the formation of secondary organic aerosols.
“We found that one of the biggest factors contributing to SOA formation by limonene ozonolysis was the air exchange rate,” Waring said. “This is because certain chemical reactions that form SOAs take longer than others. If the air is exchanged before these reactions can take place then the SOA production is weaker indoors,” said Waring. With 18 different scenarios tested, the team calculated a range of peak formation of secondary organic aerosols when typical concentrations of limonene were introduced to ozone-rich environments with a range of air exchange rates.
“Our findings show a significant enough range of SOA formation to warrant more in depth public health studies,” Waring said. “This research is particularly necessary in order to understand health impacts on people who use significant amounts of cleaning products such as house-cleaners or custodians,” said Waring. The resulting mass concentration of secondary organic aerosols was roughly between five and 100 microgrammes per cubic metre. -
POPULATION EXPLOSION IS UNSTOPPABLE, SAY SCIENTISTS
LONDON (TIP): Not even a third world war or a lethal pandemic, leave alone a one child policy globally, will be able to slow down the planet’s rocketing population rise, scientists say. New multi-scenario modeling of world human population has concluded that even stringent fertility restrictions or a catastrophic mass mortality would not bring about large enough change this century to solve issues of global sustainability.
Scientists concluded that even a world-wide one-child policy like China’s, implemented over the coming century would still likely result in 5-10 billion people by 2100. There are currently about 7.1 billion people on earth, and demographers estimate that this number could rise to about 9 billion by 2050. Professor Corey Bradshaw and Professor Barry Brook from the University of Adelaide’s Environment Institute said that the locked-in population growth means the world must focus on policies and technologies that reverse rising consumption of natural resources and enhance recycling. Fertility reduction efforts, however, through increased family-planning assistance and education, should still be pursued, as this will lead to hundreds of millions fewer people to feed by mid-century.
