Delhi, friday, april 1, 2016

www.thehindu.in Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 RNI No. TNENG/2012/49940 ISSN 0971 - 751X Vol. 6 No. 78 CITY EDITION 28 Pages Rs. 8.00 ●

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Printed at Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai, Noida, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Vijayawada, Mangaluru, Tiruchirapalli, Kolkata, Hubballi, Mohali, Allahabad, Malappuram and Mumbai

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BRIEFLY

TRAGEDY AT NOON

Pakistan, Iran locked in war of words

21 killed as Kolkata flyover collapses

NEW DELHI: A war of words

broke out between Pakistan and Iran after Islamabad asked Tehran to hand over details of the arrested former Indian naval officer accused of sabotage. The Iranian statement described the reports connecting the arrested Indian with Iran as “undignified and insulting”. NEWS | PAGE 14

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SBI home, auto loan rates to come down MUMBAI: State Bank of India on

Thursday set lending rates under new rules. The bank’s home and auto loan rates will come down by 10 basis points. BUSINESS | PAGE 17

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Modi in U.S. to attend nuclear security meet WASHINGTON: PM Narendra Modi arrived here to attend the Nuclear Security Summit aimed at coordinating efforts to prevent terror outfits from acquiring nuclear weapons. The summit will have leaders from more than 50 countries and four international organisations. NEWS | PAGE 14

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Scores of people inside vehicles trapped; Army called in

Over 50 kg explosives used: Director-General PAVAN DAHAT & VIJAITA SINGH

KOLKATA BUREAU & AGENCIES KOLKATA: At least 21 people were killed and 88 injured as two parts of an under-construction 2.2-km-long Vivekananda Flyover collapsed in a congested market area in BurraBazar, north Kolkata, on Thursday afternoon. The Army was called in to help with the rescue. A 100-metre (330-ft) section of the flyover came crashing down suddenly on a crowded street around lunchtime, crushing pedestrians, cars and other vehicles under huge concrete slabs and metal. The death toll is likely to increase as scores of people inside vehicles were trapped under the collapsed bridge. An FIR has been lodged against the local oicials of the Hyderabad-based IVRCL, contracted to build the giant flyover. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said “stringent

Rescue work in progress after the under-construction flyover collapsed on Vivekananda Road in Kolkata on Thursday. — PHOTO: PTI

action” will be taken against the owners of the company. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Ms. Banerjee and ofered all Central government assistance to her. The National Disaster Re-

sponse Force deployed five of its teams. Specialist rescue teams armed with concrete and metal cutters, drilling machines, sensors and snifer dogs arrived around 2 p.m. But many of those engaged in

the rescue appeared to be ordinary people, trying to pull away concrete slabs with their bare hands. “We have deployed five columns along with a team of engineers. A medical team from the Com-

India opts not to join global terror database VIJAITA SINGH

Call drops within 2% limit, telcos tell SC NEW DELHI: Cellular operators on

Thursday questioned the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) move to penalise them with the new call drops regulations when they had never exceeded the two per cent margin for errors fixed by the telecom regulator. “Telecom service providers have never crossed the threshold limit of two per cent call drop and TRAI cannot adopt a policy of zero tolerance of penalising for every call drop.”

쐍 NEWS | PAGE 14 Education criteria for urban bodies’ polls CHANDIGARH: Any male person

desiring to contest for Urban Local Bodies in Haryana will now have to be matriculate and should have a functional toilet at home; a woman and a Scheduled Caste candidate will be required to be at least 8th standard pass. Minimum educational qualification for SC women candidates will be 5th standard pass.

쐍 REGION | PAGE 8 FRIDAY REVIEW 4 Pages

CM YK

NEW DELHI: The government

has decided not to join a U.S. maintained global terror database in the face of objections from the intelligence agencies. Unhindered access to the Americans to the database of terror suspects in India, which includes their biometric details, was opposed by both the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), a senior oicial in the security establishment said. The proposal has been stuck since it was initially proposed by the U.S. in 2012. A model text of the proposal — the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-6) — was to be discussed at a bilateral homeland security meet to be held in June this year. The HSPD-6 is an agreement for exchange of terrorist screening information between the Terrorist Screening Centre

Intel agencies concerned over sharing information as it is maintained by the U.S.

쐍 A DESPERATE SEARCH FOR LOVED ONES | PAGE 11

BINDU SHAJAN PERAPPADAN NEW DELHI: Another former em-

(TCS) of the U.S. and a selected Indian security agency. The TCS has the database of 11,000 terror suspects. As reported by The Hindu last week, the U.S. authorities while pitching for the agreement, told Indian authorities that “in the past one year two dozen people with terrorist links were arrested in Canada and Australia with the help of HSPD-6 as both countries are signatories to it.” There have been several rounds of discussions between India and the U.S. in the past one year on the issue. Both sides narrowed down their diferences on several key aspects.

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REPORT ON PAGE 19

LEGAL CORRESPONDENT

The ban on high-end diesel cars and SUVs has been extended to cut down air pollution in the city. FILE PHOTO

was to continue till March 31, 2016. The manufacturers arraigned a battery of lawyers, including senior advocates P. Chidambaram, Gopal Subramanium and Aryama Sundaram, who submitted that their cars adhered to prescribed pollution standards and there was no basis to the accusation that they pollute more than petrol vehicles. They pointed out that some SUVs like Toyota Innova and Tata Sumo with over 2000 CC engine capacity could hardly be de-

mand Hospital is also at the spot,” Ministry of Defence spokesperson Wing Commander S. S. Birdi said.

RAIPUR/NEW DELHI: Maoists could have got information about the movement of the seven CRPF jawans, who were killed in an explosion in Dantewada on Wednesday, CRPF Director-General K. Durga Prasad said. He also said Maoists could have dug a secret tunnel to plant over 50 kg of explosives under the concrete road. “A surprise movement was under way.I don’t know how the news got leaked [to Maoists]. The way the incident happened, it is clear that someone gave specific inputs [to Maoists]. We will investigate to find out what went wrong,” he told reporters after paying homage to the deceased. He told The Hindu on the phone: “The blast took place on a well-connected road, a school is barely 100 metres away. It is unlikely that the explosives were put together in a hurry. It was a well-planned and deliberate explosion. We suspect that a tunnel could have been dug to plant the ex-

Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh pays homage to the jawans in Raipur on Thursday. — PHOTO: PTI

plosives as it is a populated area and the road is a concrete one.” Mr. Prasad said that a few months ago, his troops had discovered a nine-foot-long tunnel in Bijapur district. If the tunnel theory is correct, it will be a new Maoist modus operandi to plant explosives on busy roads. Mr. Prasad, who rushed to Chhattisgarh after the incident, said the wire that presumably connected the trigger to the explosive was 120 metres long. Dinesh Pratap Upadhyay, Deputy Inspector-General of the CRPF, Dantewada Range, also pointed out that all the CRPF men had been in plainclothes.

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Third woman speaks out against Pachauri

SC extends ban on high-end diesel cars, SUVs NEW DELHI: Classifying powerful, high-end diesel private cars and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) as “vehicles used by the superrich who want to show-of”, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to lift the ban ordered on their fresh registration in the National Capital Region (NCR). Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur even snubbed the lawyers representing the car manufacturers, comparing their arguments for lifting the ban to “passionate” sales pitch, while reminding them that “this is their city too and they breathe the same air as the others”. “What class of people are buying these cars? They are super-rich people, who want to show of,” Chief Justice Thakur, who presided over a Special Bench, observed. The court had banned registration of diesel-run private cars of the capacity of 2000 CC and above and SUVs on December 16, 2015, in a bid to cut down air pollution in the city. The ban

CRPF movement leaked to Maoists

scribed as luxury cars. Putting a check on this strain of argument, Chief Justice Thakur asked whether there was any study to prove that diesel caused less pollution than petrol cars. The court further mooted the idea of making bigger car owners pay pollution charges in case the ban on fresh registration in the NCR was lifted in the future. “We can modify our order, but buyers (of bigger cars) will have to pay the cost to help the environment,” the Bench

remarked. The court, however, extended till April 30 the deadline for taxis to switch to CNG. The court had earlier ordered that all taxis, including those operating under aggregators like Ola and Uber in Delhi, plying under city permits, shall switch to CNG not later than March 1, 2016. Noting that it was sensitive about the dent the ban has caused to the economy, the Bench asked the car companies to come up with possible alternatives to curb the rising air pollution in the city. The court agreed to fix the case for a detailed hearing on a Saturday. The date of the hearing would be decided later. When a lawyer complained that fresh registration ban on high-powered diesel vehicles is being extended to trucks, Chief Justice Thakur shot back saying, “Heavens will not fall if trucks are not registered here. The city is already choked. We should be imposing a congestion charge also.”

ployee of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a foreign national, has come out and alleged “sexual harassment” by the institute’s executive vicechairman R.K. Pachauri when she was working as his secretary in 2008. This is the third complaint of sexual harassment against Mr. Pachauri, who is already facing similar charges from two former colleagues, one of whom filed a case against him last year, and the other who came forward to reveal her ordeal earlier this year. “I was 0% surprised when I first read news reports that an employee of TERI had filed a criminal complaint against R.K. Pachauri for sexually harassing her,” said the woman in an email to her lawyer. She wrote that she decided to make public the harassment she faced after the UK-based newspaper, The Guardian, published

R. K. Pachauri is already facing similar charges from two former colleagues

an article headlined “Rajendra Pachauri speaks out over sexual harassment claims” on March 26, 2016. The woman in her email also wrote about “the absurdity of his (Mr. Pachauri’s) claims of computer hacking and/or antienvironment conspiracy lie exposed”. Speaking about the case to The Hindu, one of her lawyers, Ratna Appnender, said: “In February 2015, she (the foreign national) had contacted advocate Vrinda Grover after coming to know that an FIR had been reg-

istered against Mr. Pachauri for sexually harassment. She indicated her willingness to give her statement to the police last year itself. However, we haven’t heard anything from the police so far.” Mr. Pachauri’s lawyer Ashish Dixit refused to comment and demanded to see the statement issued by the woman. “You show me the statement and then I will comment on this.” The woman in her email wrote: “I can very much relate to what the other woman wrote in her statement. When I was 19, I worked for 4 months (end of 2008) at TERI as Pachauri’s secretary. Pachauri’s claim that his computer was hacked is totally false. From my point of view, this is right in line with his character, and not a case of his computer being hacked. I think it is important for me to now make my statement public so that people know the truth about Pachauri.”

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Congress will challenge ordinance MEHBOOB JEELANI NEW DELHI: The Congress will

move court if the Centre passes an ordinance to negate the State budget of Uttarakhand that was passed on March 18 — the day when nine Congress legislators turned rebels and challenged the authority of the Harish Rawat government along with their BJP counterparts. “I want to ask the Prime Minister on what basis and under what laws have you declared through an ordinance that the Budget has not been passed in the Assembly. Is there any decision of the court?” asked senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal at a press conference here. For the Congress, the passage of the annual Budget in the Assembly on March 18 is an important piece of evidence that the Harish Rawat government is in a majority. But the Centre has been rejecting the claim saying since the Finance Bill faced a joint re-

sistance from 27 BJP legislators and nine rebel Congress leaders, Mr. Rawat and his Cabinet ceased to be in power. In that light, Mr. Sibal said, the Centre is mulling over to bring in an ordinance to take control of the State budget and also prove the Congress rule in the State under Mr. Rawat’s watch is over. As the head of the party’s legal team, Mr. Sibal said that the

Union Cabinet cannot “decide, allocate or ensure” that the Budget in the Uttrakhand Assembly is passed through an Appropriation Bill. “We are going to challenge it once the Ordinance is passed because it is completely unconstitutional,” said Mr. Sibal. Taking a jibe at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Mr. Sibal congratulated him for having “a lot of firsts to his credit.”

Uttarakhand rebels rule out return to Congress KAVITA UPADHYAY DEHRADUN: Former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, on his return from New Delhi, told the media here on Thursday that the nine Congress rebels who stood against former Chief Minister Harish Rawat on March 18 were ready for a battle with him.

“We are not standing behind Harish Rawat, we are arrayed against him,” Mr. Bahuguna said. The nine rebels voted against the Appropriation Bill in the Assembly on March 18, which finally led to the dislodging of the Harish Rawatled Congress government in the State.

쐍 DETAILS ON PAGE 14 ND-ND

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THE HINDU

‘Clean-up by mid-April impossible’

O. P. Sharma suspended for two sessions

Workers engaged in dismantling the gigantic structures put up for the Art Of Living foundation’s three-day extravaganza said that “clearing the ground was simply not possible in the NGT-assigned time frame” >> Page 4

BJP MLA O.P. Sharma has been suspended from the House for the next two Assembly sessions for passing “derogatory” remarks at AAP MLA Alka Lamba >> Page 5

Govt needs to take child rights issues seriously: Satyarthi

FILM REVIEW

Playing it safe Plenty of fun moments in the third instalment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise which is strangely also the least emotionally involving

Says he has written to the PM to introduce stricter punishments to those who employ child labourers KRITIKA SHARMA SEBASTIAN

SANKHAYAN GHOSH NEW DELHI: Nobel laureate Kai-

T

he Kung Fu Panda films have been designed like the old myths that we have seen played out in fiction and movies time and again. Star Wars, Harry Potter, you name it. It’s about an unlikely hero, stuck in the daily grind of life but destined for greatness. His journey of self-discovery begins only after he finds himself at the centre of a saga of cosmic proportions. There is the tough mentor who teaches him the art of noble fights. But it’s from the wise old man, that he learns the all-pervasive, one simple truth of the universe. There is also the villain, out for revenge, who thinks he has been wronged. He also happens to be a former student/aide of the wise old man. While the first instalment of the series, Kung Fu Panda ticked all the abovementioned boxes, introducing us to this wondrous world of “awesomeness,” the sequel deepened Po’s self-discovery by delving into his memories of his childhood. In part III, we finally have Po reunited with his longlost father Li (Bryan Cranston) and returning to his roots but strangely enough, it is the least emotional of the three movies.

Sticking to template It plays it too safe, sticking to the template of the prequels. A new antagonist with supernatural powers is introduced at the beginning of the film, its central conflict laid out neatly half an hour into it. But the mystery of

CM YK

In part III, we finally have Po reunited with his long-lost father Li and returning to his roots.

★★★★★ Kung Fu Panda III Directors: Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Yuh Nelson Voice cast: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hofman, Angelina Jolie, JK Simmons, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Kate Hudson, Randal Duk Kim Runtime: 95 mins how Po finds answers to these doesn’t unravel the way it did in the prequels that felt more than the sum of its parts. The narrative flow isn’t wholly logically satisfying

either: how for example, does the Tigress land up in the secret village after escaping the attack of Kai (JK Simmons), is one of them. Although it raises its stakes higher with the Five Masters, Shifu and the secret Panda paradise in potential danger, there is emotionally a lot less at stake here. Even the big pay-of in the climactic battle with Kai is also far less satisfying. The forgotten healing power of Pandas and their connection to the Spirit Realm is something that left me underwhelmed. Yet, the things that work in part III are also the formulaic ones. Po’s role-reversal from a student to a teacher

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

delightfully plays out in setpieces that involve a valley of Pandas training in Kung Fu while doing that one thing they love doing; example: a particular panda disrupts the enemy by hugging because that’s what he likes doing the best. The wit and playfulness of the series is intact, punctuating heavy-duty moments. Even Kai’s dangerous superpowers are undercut by his desperation to be recognised: a yak, he has both the beastly physicality of a wild bufalo and the silly grin of a donkey. Kung Fu Panda III may have the least heart-tugging moments of the series but it is still good fun.

lash Satyarthi has suggested that the central government take child labour issues seriously if it wants ‘Make in India’ to become a success and wants global investors to invest in the country. Mr. Satyarthi said he has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to take child labour issues seriously and introduce stricter punishments. “No global venture will invest in India if they know that the products they are investing in have been made by children. I have written a letter to Mr. Modi also in this regard, raising my concerns. But I have not heard anything from them,” Mr. Satyarthi told The Hindu during an interaction. “If India wants to make a good image globally, the government needs to take issues related to children with seriousness. If the Prime Minister is investing so much in the ‘Make in India’ idea, the government should also make sure that no children are employed in the industries, which

The Nobel laureate has been championing for the cause of child rights for more than 36 years. — FILE PHOTO

are being run in the name of family trade,” he added. Mr. Satyarthi has been championing for the cause of child rights for more than 36 years now with his organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), which was founded in the year 1980. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his “struggle against the

suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”. In the last two years, BBA has rescued 53,000 children working in various industries, including family-run business. Further stressing upon the fact that the best way to fight child labour is to revise the amendments in the Child La-

Pitampura), Movie Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), DT (Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj), Satyam (Patel Nagar, Janakpuri, Nehru Place), BIG (Odeon, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Noida), Wave (Raja Garden, Noida, Kaushambi), SRS Cinemas, Spice (Noida), JAM Shipra, M4U, Movie Palace, Movie Magic, Chaudhary (Ghaziabad), Movie World and Silvercity (Ghaziabad), SRS Cinemas, Galaxie, Star X (Vaishali), Inox and Silvercity (Faridabad).

(Plaza, Rivoli, Saket, Citywalk, Naraina, Vikaspuri, Prashant Vihar, EDM), M2K (Rohini, Pitampura), Movie Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), FUN (Moti Nagar, Pitampura, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma), DT (Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj), Satyam (Patel Nagar, Janakpuri, Nehru Place), BIG (Odeon, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Noida), Wave (Raja Garden, Noida, Kaushambi), Spice (Noida), M4U, JAM Shipra, Galaxie, Star X (Vaishali), Movie Palace, Movie Magic, Chaudhary (Ghaziabad), Movie World and Silvercity (Ghaziabad), Inox and Silvercity (Faridabad).

bour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill (CLPA), he said: “The amendments in CLPA are regressive and need to be revised. It is ironical that India has a law against child labour which is obsolete but also contradictory.” In early 2015, the Union Cabinet had given its approval to move oicial amendments to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012. The proposed amendments allowed children below 14 years of age to work in family enterprises or entertainment industry and the list of prohibited occupations was reduced to three from the earlier 83. “The present law prohibits the entry of children in hazardous occupations but allows them to work in family-run enterprises. Most of the industries like embroidery and garment are family-run businesses only and children are employed in them in the name of some distant relative,” he added. Mr. Satyarthi and his team have been making eforts to get the list of prohibited occupations to the earlier 83.

CINEMA ENGLISH: THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT: PVR (Priya, Saket, Prashant Vihar, Citywalk, Mahagun, Naraina), DT (Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj), Movie Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), Spice (Noida).

HINDI: KI & KA: (New Release: Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor): Delite, Golcha, Shiela, Amba, Eros One, M Cinemas, G3S (Rohini), Batra Reel, Cinemax, PVR (Plaza, Rivoli, Priya, Saket, Prashant Vihar, Citywalk, Mahagun, EDM, Opulent, Naraina), FUN (Moti Nagar, Pitampura, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma), M2K (Rohini,

KUNG FU PANDA-3: (New Release – Hindi): Delite Diamond. ROCKY HANDSOME: (John Abraham, Shruti Haasan): G3S (Rohini), Batra Reel, Cinemax, PVR

KAPOOR & SONS: (Rishi Kapoor,

Ratna Pathak, Rajat Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan, Alia Bhatt): Delite Diamond, Cinemax, PVR (Saket, Citywalk, Naraina, Vikaspuri, Prashant Vihar, EDM), M2K (Rohini, Pitampura), FUN (Moti Nagar, Pitampura, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma), Movie Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), DT (Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj), Satyam (Patel Nagar, Janakpuri, Nehru Place), Star X (Vaishali), SRS Cinemas, Spice (Noida), Galaxie. (BOOKING ENQUIRIES: PVR 51513391; Spice Gold 012043890000; Satyam Cinemas 25797385; Delite 23272903; Wave 51832222)

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Youth ‘escapes’ from police post, found dead Was picked up for harassing minor; accused's body recovered from railway tracks in Nangloi on Thursday morning SHIV SUNNY

Tale of agony

A

19-year-old youth picked up by the police for “harassing” a minor girl was found dead on the railway tracks in Nangloi on Thursday morning, hours after he allegedly “escaped” from the police post. Even as the deceased Vinod Singh’s family suspected foul play by the police, senior oicers said that that the youth seems to have committed suicide. Vikramjit Singh, DCP (Outer), dismissed any allegations of interrogators beating him up. However, no attempt was made by the police to search for Vinod after he allegedly escaped from the police CURIOUS post. His family alleged that they too CASE were not informed about his “escape” Probe on until his body was recovered from the railway tracks in Nangloi on Thursday morning. The incident took place in Outer Delhi’s Kirari area. The girl alleged that ever since she distanced herself from him, Vinod had been harassing and molesting her. “When I was returning from tuitions yesterday (Wednesday) evening, Vinod intercepted me on the way and began molesting me. So, I paid a visit to the local police post with my sister and requested the police to warn him,” the girl told The Hindu. Vinod was picked up around 8 p.m. by two policemen from a local function where he was dancing. Vi-

SHIV SUNNY NEW DELHI: An apparently hostile

Vinod’s (inset) family alleged that they were not informed about his “escape” until his body was recovered. PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

CCTV cameras at the police post could have helped, but they have not been functional for a week now nod’s friend Sunil alleged that one policeman kept slapping the accused while taking him to the local Prem Nagar police post on a motorcycle. “We were ready to register a mo-

lestation case against Vinod, but the victim herself said she did not want an FIR against him. “While we were still speaking to Vinod, he just walked out of the police station and disappeared,” said a senior police oicer. The girl, on the other hand, claimed that she saw Vinod aggressively banging his hands on the police post wall and then run out of the building around 11 p.m. Vinod’s brother Sandeep, however, suspected that police beat the deceased and said it was unlikely his brother escaped.

The CCTV cameras installed at the police post could have thrown some light on what exactly happened on Wednesday, but according to the local police they have not been functional for a week now. A private security guard first discovered it upon which Vinod’s family and the police were informed. The DCP has said that the victim was not in police “custody” at the time he “walked out” of the police post. He added that the matter is being investigated, but ruled out any use of physical violence or foul play by the investigators.

attitude of the neighbourhood residents forced the 17-year-old girl and her family to remain confined within their house on Thursday. Speaking to The Hindu, she recounted a tale of alleged mental and physical agony and blackmail. “Whenever I would be returning from tuitions, he would catch me and molest me. Sometimes he would chase me and beat me up,” the minor said. “He would threaten to harm me if he saw me speaking to another boy. He would blackmail me by threatening to harm himself,” she said. She alleged that when she discontinued her friendship with him, Vinod would slit his arms with blades and would bang his head against the wall in her presence. The alleged harassment had been reported to the police around two years ago as well. The police said that the two families had settled the issue with Vinod’s father giving a written statement that he would keep the boy in check. “I could not take it any longer and decided to approach the police so that he could be warned to keep away from me. I told the police I do not want a formal case against him,” the class XI girl said.

Plans afoot to eliminate dark spots in the Capital The force currently has access to feeds from a network of close to 1,52,815 CCTV cameras

JATIN ANAND AND SHUBHOMOY SIKDAR NEW DELHI: The issue of wom-

en’s safety brought together Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung and Police Commissioner Alok Verma here on Wednesday. It is expected to be a recurring exercise over combined eforts to make the Capital safer for women. According to a source close to Mr. Kejriwal, who made a mention of the meeting during his address on the floor of the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, plans are now afoot to prepare a detailed plan putting in place a significant CCTV surveillance infras-

DCW chief meets Rijiju

Women’s safety is a growing concern in the city. —FILE PHOTO

tructure and eliminate dark spots in the Capital. The meeting, according

to the source, was initially scheduled to take place only between the Chief Minister

and the Lieutenant-Governor. But, Mr. Kejriwal suggested that the Police Commissioner, too, be made part of its proceedings. In fact, it was last week that Mr. Verma had asked his Deputy Commissioners in charge of districts to hold meetings with all the MLAs in their respective constituencies. On Thursday, Mr. Verma confirmed to The Hindu that the meeting with the Chief

Burglar held; jewellery worth Rs. 3 lakh recovered

STAFF REPORTER STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Delhi Commission

for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday met Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju to discuss growing incidence of child rape and the issue of women’s safety in the Capital. “Maliwal briefed Rijiju on the absolute importance of the thana level committees for women’s safety, and appealed to him to help ensure the reconstitution of the same which have been scrapped by the L-G of Delhi,” a DCW statement said. “Maliwal apprised him about the need to have a high-level committee to ensure close cooperation between the Central government, State government, the Delhi Police and the Commission,” the statement said. She stressed on the need to notify the revised Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme 2015. The notification of the Scheme has been pending with the L-G for the past six months.

NEW DELHI: A notorious burglar and his accomplice who served as his chaufeur during burglaries have been arrested by the North-West district police. This is the second such arrest from Delhi in the last one week in which burglars used chaufeur-driven cars to avoid suspicion. The earlier arrest was that of a burglar from East Delhi who had broken into more than 500 flats, the police said. The latest arrests are that of Prem, 27, and his driver Ravi. “The duo was nabbed while they were out to dispose of some jewellery stolen from a residential flat in Gurgaon during the early hours of Tuesday,” said Vijay Singh, DCP (North-West). Jewellery worth Rs.3 lakh has been recovered from them. However, Prem and his associates had made away with jewellery worth Rs.25 lakh, said the police. Eforts are on to retrieve the remaining jewellery. The North-West district police had recently formed a

Second arrest in one week in which burglars used chauffeur-driven cars to avoid suspicion team to bust the gang that had gone about a series of burglaries in the posh areas of Delhi and Gurgaon. They were tipped of on Wednesday about some members of a gang arriving in Bhalswa Dairy. A trap was laid and two suspects held along with the Tata Indica car they were travelling in. The seized jewellery was also found in the car itself. One of the accused (Prem) turned out to be the alleged leader of the gang. The police said he is involved in 37 criminal cases and is notorious for breaking most locks within seconds. Prem and his gang primarily targeted posh areas and focused only on cash and jewellery so that the looted goods would not be traced back to them.

Minister had taken place but did not disclose what transpired between the two sides. He also said that the meeting was not a one-on-one and others were present there as well. The police chief also declined to comment on the road ahead as far as the relationship between his force and the State government which have been strained in the recent past. “The Delhi Police has been able to put in place a significant surveillance grip through the participation of the general public and the government is in the process of creating a similar infrastructure by the end of this financial year.

“The plan is now to seek efective implementation of an eicient grid with minimal duplication of efort,” said an oicial. In the run-up to its budget, the Public Works Department (PWD) had requested an allocation of Rs. 600 crore for the installation of CCTVs across Delhi. An additional amount of Rs. 150 crore was requested for the provision of street lights on streets and structures falling under its jurisdiction. According to a senior Delhi Police oicial, the force currently has access to feeds from a network of close to 1,52,815 CCTV cameras under an operation called Nigheban.

Police chief holds first meeting STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Delhi Police

Commissioner Alok Verma’s first meeting with journalists was little more than a photo-op with the police chief sidestepping almost all the issues raised by the scribes about access to him. The meeting was arranged a month after he took over the reins of the Delhi Police. Mr. Verma reiterated that the purpose of appointing Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Taj Hasan as the Chief Spokesperson was to streamline the flow of information and keep the media updated on important issues. The television reporters, in particular, were left disappointed when he did not provide any direct answers as to why he was shy of the cameras and avoided giving sound bytes on important issues. Even questions on his priorities for the force were ducked with the response that they were available on the website

The meeting was held a month after he took over the reins of the Delhi Police for everyone to see. When the discussion moved to topical issues, Mr. Verma was asked about incidents such as the Vikaspuri dentist murder and the rumours which spread subsequently and about his own silence on the issue. He replied that his oicers had provided enough clarity on twitter. It is no secret that Mr. Verma, unlike his predecessor B.S. Bassi, likes to keep distance from the media. On the sidelines of the meeting, Mr. Verma was asked if the digitisation eforts made by Mr. Bassi would continue. In reply, he said it was he who should be given the credit for most initiatives he had started during his last stint in the Delhi Police, as the Special CP (General Administration).

Decomposed body of woman creates panic STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Panic gripped East

Delhi’s New Ashok Nagar after the body of a woman in her mid-twenties was found stufed in a bag on Thursday morning. The victim has not been identified yet. It was early morning that passers-by spotted a bag floating in the Kondli drain and informed the police about it. A police team reached the spot and opened the bag in which the badly decomposed body of a woman was found. The body was subsequently sent for a post-mortem. The report will establish the exact cause of death. A case

A police officer said they suspect the body to be at least three to four days old of murder was registered at the New Ashok Nagar police station. A police oicer said they suspect the body to be at least three to four days old. “Prima facie it looks as if it is a case of strangulation,” said the oicer adding that the woman appears to be around 25-year-old. The police also spoke to those living in nearby areas to establish the identity but it did not lead to any clues.

DELHI TODAY Music: Hindustani vocal recitals by Snehlata Mishra and Nabanita Chowdhury. Accompanists: Pt. Jay Shankar Mishra (Tabla), Kaushik Mitra (Harmonium), Ustad Kamal Ahmed (Sarangi) at Habitat World, IHC, 7 pm Music: 69th Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival 2016: Kaushiki Chakraborty (vocal) followed by Pandit M. Venkatesh Kumar (vocal) at Kamani Auditorium, at 7 pm Dance: Bharatanatyam recital by Pavitra Bhat at Habitat World, IHC, 7 pm Art: “Chaos, Mischief-Order, Harmony” - a solo show of artworks by Jai Zharotia at Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, 11 am-7 pm Exhibition: “Scripting the PAST for the FUTURE” - an art show on ancient Indian grid structures by Dimple Bahl at Exhibition Hall, 11, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), 10 am-5:30 pm Exhibition: “Moving Landscapes” art show by Sunanda Khajuria at Art Heritage Gallery (Basement), Triveni Kala Sangam, 11 am-7 pm Screening: Parzor Film Festival: Screening of “Ferrari ki Sawaari” - Hindi film with English subtitled at C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre (IIC), 6 pm Screening: “Twinkle” - Japanese film screening with English subtitles at The Japan Foundation, 6:30 pm (Mail your listings for this column at [email protected])

Pvt schools warned against charging for books, uniform NEW DELHI: The government

has warned private schools against demanding money for providing books and uniforms to students admitted under the EWS category. The warning of “strict action” came after the government received several complaints in this regard from parents. “A number of complaints has been received from parents and stake-

holders of EWS/DG category that many of the private unaided recognised schools are refusing to provide free books, uniforms and writing materials to the children and demanding money for providing these materials which is causing great hardship to parents,” the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in a communication to principals. —Staf Reporter

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CM YK

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CITY

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

‘Clean-up by mid-April impossible’

BJP-led SDMC tells oicers to stop attending AAP’s district meetings

Workers engaged in dismantling say clearing the ground within NGT’s timeframe is not possible

DAMINI NATH NEW DELHI: Confrontation between the BJP-led South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government seems inevitable after the civic body on Thursday asked its oicials to stop attending meetings of the district development committees (DCCs). The Standing Committee of the SDMC heard complaints from councillors about MLAs, who are part of the DDCs, allegedly misbehaving with the corporation’s oicials. “They [MLAs] call our oicers to their meetings and pull them up in front of representatives of other departments and agencies.

BINDU SHAJAN PERAPPADAN

W

hen the National Green Tribunal (NGT) allowed the Art Of Living foundation to hold its three-day (March 11-13) World Culture Festival-2016 extravaganza on the ecologically sensitive Yamuna floodplains, it had directed the group to clean up the area “within a month of the event”. But a visit to the site revealed that the group may not be able to meet this deadline. Workers engaged in dismantling the gigantic structures put up for the function said that “clearing the ART OF ground was simply CLEANING not possible in the assigned time Dirty river frame”. “The massive stage – sprawled over seven acres covering 3,34,358 square feet, almost 100 feet tall and a width of 1,200 feet – will easily take till the end of April to dismantle and transport out. The target of clearing it out by mid-April doesn’t seem possible,” said a worker in the area. While the Art Of Living has already removed other temporary constructions which were put-up to accommodate seating arrangements for more than 11

The Art Of Living has till April 13 to clean up the site of the mega culture festival, which was held on the eco-sensitive Yamuna floodplains. PHOTO: R.V. MOORTHY

lakh people daily and six towering floodlight masts, they maintained that their “volunteers on the field are working to ensure compliance” with the deadline. “Most of the cleaning is complete. Only area around the stage is left, which will be done simultaneously as the stage is getting dismantled. The dismantling of the stage will be

completed by April 13,” said Gautam Vig, spokesperson of Art Of Living. Despite massive protests by environmentalists and months of litigation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art Of Living was able to secure an NGT nod for the mega event on the promise that minimal damage would be done to the area and that the group

would clean up “within a month”. “We have engaged help for housekeeping and cleaning, garbage collection and garbage removal from the venue, waste management for dustbin dissemination etc. Volunteers from are working on the ground to clean up. The volunteers will also continue participating in the clean-up work in the days to come,” the group said.

Review petition on NGT’s decision to allow mega event BINDU SHAJAN PERAPPADAN NEW DELHI: Seeking a review of the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) March 9 order allowing the cultural extravaganza by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living group on the Yamuna floodplains, a fresh plea has been filed before the court. The court had allowed the function citing delay by petitioners, but slapped a fine of Rs. five crore on the group for damaging biodiversity and aquatic life of Yamuna. The plea, filed by Manoj Misra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, has challenged the NGT order, which had dismissed his petition on the ground of “delay” by him in approaching the Tribunal. Mr.Misra’s review application states: “question of delay would apply when an applicant watches the violation and springs into action af-

ter the construction is substantially completed. That is not the case here”. He added that in this case the construction by the foundation was in violation of the Tribunal's judgment dated January 13, 2015 which was immediately brought to the notice of the Tribunal by the applicant as a vigilant person. Mr. Misra added that he had also written to the L-G of Delhi and the Delhi Development Authority pointing out that there was a legal injunction on any new construction on the floodplains. Meanwhile, the plea, filed through advocate Rahul Choudhary further said that the question of delay would not apply if the Tribunal had stayed further development on February 8, 2016. Mr. Misra said: “We are seeking a review in the interest of justice and Dismantling work in progress on the floodplains on Thursday. PHOTO: R.V. MOORTHY to prevent miscarriage of justice”.

HASHIMPURA MASSACRE

High Court asks UP govt. to submit documents MOHAMMED IQBAL NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court

on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file documents relating to the infamous Hashimpura massacre of 1987, as sought by the National Human Rights Commission, and file replies to the pending applications in connection with the case, in which 16 Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel were acquitted. Among the petitioners, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has sought further probe to ascertain the alleged role of Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who was Minister of State for Home during the massacre, which had claimed 42 lives. A Division Bench comprising Justice G.S. Sistani and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal also sought the replies of all the 16 acquitted policemen on the appeals moved by Uttar Pradesh, NHRC and some individuals, including Zulfiqar Nasir, a survivor of the massacre, against a trial court's order of March 21 last year. In his appeal challenging the

BJP's Subramanian Swamy has sought probe into the role of Congress leader P. Chidambaram trial court's March 8, 2013 decision dismissing his plea to probe the role of Mr. Chidambaram in the case, Mr. Swamy said the investigation should go into all the aspects. He also cited some newspaper reports stating that the UP government had started destroying documents relating to the case. On Mr. Swamy's plea that there should be a courtmonitored CBI probe into the matter, the court said any additional application at this stage would unnecessarily delay the case. The Bench posted the case for further hearing on May 19. Forty-two persons were killed in Hashimpura village in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh on May 22, 1987, when they were allegedly shot by the Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel and their bodies were thrown into a canal.

JNU students remember former union president STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Students of Jawa-

harlal Nehru University (JNU) organised a protest on Thursday marking the death anniversary of their former Students’ Union president Chandrashekhar Prasad. Mr. Prasad, popularly known as comrade Chandu, was a member of the Leftbacked All India Students’ Association (AISA). He was killed by Bihar leader and strongman Mohd Shahbuddin’s men in Siwan district of Bihar on March 31, 1997. His death was followed CM YK

Councillors say MLAs misbehave with officials of the corporation at the meetings

by widespread protests across the country, mobilised by JNU students and Left parties. “We will carry forward Chandu’s legacy and rise to resist the attack on our universities. The fascist attack has now reached Central University of Jharkhand where Dr. Shreya Bhattacharji has been suspended for inviting a JNU professor for an event,” JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid Shora said. An annual lecture in the name of Chandu is also organised every year in the university.

They cannot do this,” said Satender Prakash, a BJP councillor from Khanpur ward. Other councillors – from ruling-BJP and Opposition Congress – also complained about MLAs carrying out work inside SDMC parks without taking no-objection certificated from the corporation. “They are installing benches in our parks and rumble strips on our roads without getting NOCs or paying road-cutting

charges,” said Farhad Suri, the Leader of the Opposition. The BJP councillor from Janakpuri (North) ward, Shyam Sharma, added that the MLAs were “putting boards with their names on it” on the lights and benches. On hearing the complaints, Standing Committee chairperson Radhey Shyam Sharma ordered oicials to “stop attending the meetings of the DDCs” and “not to allow any work by an MLA without the nod of the head of the department”. With the AAP contesting by-polls to 13 municipal wards — likely in May — the BJP and the Congress seem to have united in trying to oppose the MLAs.

SDMC hits property tax target STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Collection of prop-

erty tax in South Delhi hit a record high in 2015-16, with the municipality achieving its target for the first time ever. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) had set Rs.650 crore as the target for property tax collection, and on Thursday it announced that the goal had been achieved. The amount is expected to go up as the SDMC is still processing payments in the last few days of the financial year. The growth of 19 per cent in property tax collection in 2015-16 is the highest ever. In 2008-09, the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi had registered a growth of 18 per cent, which was helped by an amnesty scheme and waivers. The Assessor and Collector, Ram Mohan Singh, said the increase was possible as the SDMC cracked down on commercial users. “They were paying rates of residential areas, but we sent notices and got them to pay commercial rates, which are four times the residential rates. We managed to increase our taxpayers’ base by 30,000,” said Mr. Singh.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation issued around two lakh notices, of which about 1.57 lakh were to commercial properties. At a meeting of the Standing Committee on Thursday, it was decided that the Property Tax Department would get an incentive for their performance. Radhey Shyam Sharma, the chairperson of

the Standing Committee, announced Rs.20,000, Rs.15,000, Rs.10,000 and Rs. 5,000 for officials of groups A, B, C, and D respectively. In 2016-17, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation will focus on expanding its tax base by conducting door-todoor surveys to identify defaulters and giving unique IDs to taxpayers.

CLEANING THE CAPITAL

Kejriwal launches Green Delhi initiative STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Ar-

vind Kejriwal on Thursday launched the Green Delhi programme by planting trees at the Triangular Park at the ITO Chowk. The event comes on the eve of his promise to rid the Capital’s streets of dust — a major contributor to air pollution. The initiative was launched in line with a detailed action plan submitted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to the Supreme Court after it demanded information on steps being taken to improve air quality and reduce air pollution in the Capital. Mr. Kejriwal, who had decided that roads under the PWD would be vacuum cleaned in a phased manner beginning April 1, announced that the central verges of the 1,260 kms of road maintained by the PWD will be bedded with grass and greenery in order to clean up the environment and make it dust free.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal plants a tree during inauguration of the Green Delhi initiative near Delhi Secretariat on Thursday. PHOTO: R.V. MOORTHY

The exercise will involve the greening of approximately 120 acres, which includes central verges, side

Apex Court gives breather to app-based cab services JATIN ANAND NEW DELHI: With the Supreme Court giving them another month to switch their fleets to CNG, sources in app-based cab aggregation services Ola and Uber said they would continue with the shift. The Apex Court’s directive on Thursday comes as a welcome development for the AAP government, which was apprehensive about the supposed impact of the lesser availability of vehicles being operated by these companies during the second phase of its odd-even scheme, which will begin from April 15. Sources in both companies said the senior management

was of the view that the shift to CNG was “inevitable” and that their business strategy would continue to revolve around it in the Capital despite the “grace period”. A Delhi government oicialsaid the two firms have nearly 50,000 CNG-run vehicles in their fleet. “We have added well over 11,000 CNG cars in the last five months,” Gagan Bhatia, General Manager of Uber North, said. Deep Singh, Business Head of North at Ola, said: “Ola has helped tens of thousands of driver partners purchase new CNG cars...”. It submitted that it operated a fleet of 26,000 CNG cabs in Delhi-NCR.

verges and the kutcha portion under flyovers. Pollution absorbing shrubs such as Thevetiane-

refolia (Pila Kaner), Nerium oleander (Lal Kaner), Calliandrabrevipes (Powder puf) and Bougainvilleas and trees such a Ficusinfectoria (Pilkhan), Cassia Siamea will be planted. The Public Works Department (PWD), in a statement, said the greening will be completed within three months at an estimated cost of Rs. 2 crores. Only treated water, being made available by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), will be utilised as part of the initiative. The next phase of the programme, which will cover other areas, will begin in July and shall be completed by September, 2016. “Apart from restoring greenery along the road sides and central verges of the roads, the cleaning of roads will be done by vacuum cleaners,” the Chief Minister announced, adding that the growing population of the city and increasing number of vehicles were contributing to the deterioration of the environment.

Vacuum cleaning of roads to begin on low gear JATIN ANAND NEW DELHI: The vacuum cleaning

of the Capital’s streets is going to take of on a rather humble note The Public Works Department (PWD), scheduled to begin vacuum cleaning a selected number of stretches from Thursday night, will initially execute the exercise with just four foreign-manufactured machines procured from private contractors. “We aim to increase the number of these machines over the next 10 to 15 days and are looking at reaching full strength, pegged at around 25, over the next two months,” said Sarvagya Srivastava, engineerin-chief, PWD, with additional charge of the Department as Special Secretary. Given the meagre number of machines, procured by the Department on a per kilometre basis from private service providers, visible impact of the cleaning may take a fortnight. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will preside

PWD has only four machines to vacuum its road, says it will procure more machines soon over a stock-taking meeting with several departments to chart the way forward on dustcontrol measures announced by his government in December last year. The meeting was to take place on Friday but will now be held early next week. “Representatives from the three Municipal Corporations, the Delhi Development Authority , the Environment Department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee had been directed to take action against dust pollution from construction sites and garbage burning at public places,” said a senior government oicial. “The oicials have been asked to submit compliance reports detailing the action taken, which will be reviewed at the meeting,” the oicial added.

Green tax cuts commercial traic by half Over four lakh trucks go around Delhi to avoid environment compensation charge DAMINI NATH NEW DELHI: Lakhs of commer-

cial vehicles have given Delhi a miss since an environment compensation charge (ECC) was imposed by the Supreme Court in October last year, cutting the daily traic by half. The commercial vehicles that pay toll tax at 124 border points in Delhi were asked to deposit another Rs.700 or Rs. 1,300, depending on the size, as ‘green tax’ to compensate for the air pollution they cause. Since the ECC started being collected on November 6, 2015, over four lakh commercial vehicles have been

Commercial vehicles were diverted to Haryana or UP as they were not destined for Delhi diverted to Haryana and UP, meaning that they were not destined for Delhi. The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority submitted a compliance report to the court on Thursday. As per the report, Haryana had set up 13 check-posts where about 6,300 diverted vehicles went through between January 21 and March 28. “A total of 4,29,095 vehi-

cles have been diverted in this period, as they were not destined for Delhi,” said the report. In Uttar Pradesh, there have been fewer diverted vehicles, with 2,831 vehicles from January 25 to March 28. The EPCA found that on average 8,000 vehicles pay ECC daily, but the number had reduced by 60-80 per cent since October. “But this estimate does not include the number of vehicles that are entering Delhi but are exempt from paying ECC. Therefore, the decrease in number, in EPCA’s estimation would be roughly 50-60 per cent,” said the report.

EPCA member and the director-general of the Centre for Science and Environment Sunita Narain said that the compliance with the ECC and other pollutioncontrol orders of the Supreme Court had been good. She added that the impact on air quality would be judged when data from nine border crossings where CCTV cameras have been installed is studied. As per the EPCA report, there is a “visible impact” of the ECC on the air quality of the Capital. However, it cautioned that pollution is still not under control and that further steps need to be taken. ND-ND

CITY/STATE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

Income proof must under slum rehabilitation policy Only those households which have an annual income of up to Rs. 3 lakh will be eligible SWETA GOSWAMI

T

he Delhi government has added an income clause to its “Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015”. Now, only those slum households which have an annual income of up to Rs 3 lakh will be eligible for alternative housing under the policy. Earlier, a dweller who could furnish a proof of being the resident of a jhuggi or a slum was entitled to rehabilitation and relocation. “Now, slum dwellers will have to give an aidavit showing their annual income while enrolling for the scheme,” said a government oicial. There are 675 slums and jhuggis in the Capital, and over 3 lakh dwelling units will be required to rehabilitate them. According to the Delhi government, this was one of the key comments put forward by the Ministry of Urban Development ALTERNATIVE (MoUD) while giving its nod for HOUSING the policy. “We have incorporated Exclusive the suggestions from the ministry into the policy. They wanted the income cap so that the policy is in tandem with the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna which defines the economically weaker section (EWS) as those households earning up to Rs 3 lakh per year,” added the oicial. However, sources said the government was facing serious challenges in finalising the cost it would have to incur in building each dwelling unit. Initially, the government had chalked out an expenditure of Rs 1.5 lakh per dwelling unit for its project. “The policy covers slums and JJ clusters across Delhi, irrespective of the land they are on. So, if houses are being built on Delhi government’s plots, that does not shoot out budget. But the moment we

There are 675 slums and jhuggis in the Capital, and over 3 lakh dwelling units will be required to rehabilitate them. FILE PHOTO

The income cap has been introduced so that the policy is in tandem with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna plan a housing project in, say, DDA's land, the cost of each dwelling unit shoots up to Rs 20 lakh. This is because of high circle rates of plots,” said another oicial. As a solution, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which is finalising the policy document, has proposed to use land as a resource where parcels of it will be sold and the money will be pumped into building houses for slum dwellers. For cases where land is not under the Delhi government, 40 per cent of the plot would be given to the land owning agency

for commercial revenue generation and the government shall build EWS houses on the remaining 60 per cent of the land. Another change that has been made based on the comments received from the MoUD is the cutof date for eligibility to alternate housing. The Aam Aadmi Party government had approved the cut-of date as February 14, 2015 – the day AAP formed the government in Delhi. But now it has been changed to January 1, 2015, as the ministry had stated that fresh electoral rolls are out by then. The policy also states that JJ clusters which have come up before January 1, 2006, will not be removed without rehabilitation. Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal is likely to approve the revised policy within a week.

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Prepare ‘realistic’ budget: CAG tells Delhi govt.

‘Ban on drugs a legislative action’ MOHAMMED IQBAL

MARIA AKRAM NEW DELHI: The Centre’s NEW DELHI: The Comptroller

and Auditor General of India (CAG) has asked the Delhi government to prepare “realistic” budget estimates to avoid non-utilisation of funds and supplementary provisions. In its audit report for the year 2014-15, CAG has pointed out that Rs. 6,093.85 crore remained unused. This indicates that the budget was not prepared after adequate scrutiny of projects and schemes. According to the report, which was tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Thursday, an expenditure of Rs. 31,024.14 crore was incurred against a total provision of Rs. 37,117.99 crore, resulting in savings worth Rs. 6,093.85 crore. “Scrutiny of the year 201415 showed that provision under various sub—heads under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Scheduled Caste Sub—Plans (CSS and SCSP) was made during the year but an entire provision of Rs. 265.82 crore remained unutilised, defeating the original purpose for which the budget provision was passed by the Legislative Assembly,” the report said. The main reasons for nonutilisation of funds were attributed to non-implementation of schemes, non-receipt of funds from the Centre, and release of fewer grants. “The government may consider taking up the matter with Public Account Committee Secretariat for regularisation of excess expenditure. Devise suitable mechanisms by the finance ministry to avoid rush of expenditure in last quarter/ month of the financial year,” the CAG has recommended. Delhi government oicials said the report was of 2014-15, when Delhi was under the Lieutenant Governor’s rule. “We have been saying for long that there is no planning

Dividend pinch STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: As per the

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Delhi state finances for the year 2014-15, the government had invested Rs. 17,660 crore in 23 companies, mainly statutory corporations, rural banks, joint stock companies, and cooperatives. But in return it got only Rs. 12.9 crore as dividend, 0.07 per cent of the total investment, while it paid interest at an average rate of 8.59 per cent on its borrowings during the year, when Delhi was under the Lieutenant Governor’s rule. Of the 23 companies, only five gave dividends. The Delhi government when projects/schemes are conceived. Oicials either keep files pending or don’t release funds on time. But

invested Rs. 74.3 crore in five companies— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Delhi Co-operative Housing Finance Society, Indraprastha Medical Corporation, Delhi State Civil Supply, Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, and Indraprastha Gas— and in return got Rs. 12.9 crore. Even the liabilities of the government increased from Rs. 30,140 crore in 2010-11 to Rs. 32,497 crore in 2014-15. CAG has recommended that the Delhi government increase its capital expenditure to positively impact economic growth and take effective measures to recover outstanding loans from the institutions. the new government is completing projects on time and saving money,” said an oicial.

recent decision to ban 344 fixed dose combination (FDC) drugs was a legislative action, for which it did not need to seek the advice of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board or any other expert committee, the Union government argued in the Delhi High Court on Thursday. Submitting the grounds for issuing the notification on March 10 prohibiting the sale of FDC medicines, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain said the decision was taken after considering the factors of safety, eicacy and rationality of these drugs. The initial concern was regarding licences granted to drug manufacturers, but the focus later shifted to the safety aspect. Mr. Jain contended before the Bench of Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw that Section 26-A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, gave powers to the government for regulating drugs to its satisfaction. Prohibition could be imposed if it came to light that a particular drug posed risk to human health and had no therapeutic justification. The court, hearing over 150 writ petitions moved by several pharmaceutical firms challenging the notification, asked if the exercise of setting up a panel to look into FDCs was undertaken to deal with fresh applications for licences. The court posted the matter for further hearing on April 4 and extended its interim stay on the operation of the March 10 notification till then.

MLA O.P. Sharma suspended for two sessions STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: BJP MLA O.P. Shar-

ma has been suspended from the House for the next two Assembly sessions for passing “derogatory” remarks at AAP MLA Alka Lamba. In November last year, the Ethics Committee of the Delhi Assembly had “unanimously” recommended stripping Mr Sharma of his membership for his conduct and him being ‘unrepentant’ about it. The committee, in its report, had also called Mr Sharma a “habitual ofender”. Participating in the discussion, BJP MLA Vijender Gup-

Mr. Sharma had passed “derogatory” remarks at AAP MLA Alka Lamba. FILE PHOTO

ta accused the ruling party of harassing BJP legislators, and said the Ethics Commitee comprised only AAP MLAs. “They are murdering the de-

mocracy and cannot tolerate us. We are not allowed to speak as we are not in majority,” he said. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, however, said that Sharma should be given one more chance to apologise for his remarks. He asked the Opposition to accept the mandate of the people and stop playing the victim card. “Stop saying that we are only three members. The people didn’t vote for your party. By expelling O.P. Sharma we don’t want to disrespect the mandate of the people of Delhi. We will not allow a repeat of the Arunachal Pradesh episode in the

Delhi Assembly.” On his part, Sharma said, “My intention was not to hurt Ms. Lamba as she is like my sister, but if she felt ofended I express regret over it.” However, Mr. Sharma accused Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia of signalling at the AAP MLAs to charge at him on November 24 during the session when he was speaking on the issue of homeless. Sisodia, however, clarified that the charge is completely baseless, and proposed that the BJP legislator be suspended for two subsequent sessions as he has “not apologised but only expressed regret”.

NGT notice to Railways over groundwater use STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Massive extraction

of groundwater by the Railways to clean train coaches and platforms has caught the attention of the National Green Tribunal, which on Thursday asked the national transporter to respond to a plea alleging this was being done “indiscriminately and illegally”. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to the Ministries of Railways and Environment and Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) and sought their reply within two weeks after a plea alleged that the state—run behemoth was extracting groundwater without permission from concerned

The directions came on a plea alleging that the national transporter was indiscriminately using groundwater for cleaning train coaches and platforms. FILE PHOTO

authorities. The directions came on a plea filed by NGO Society for Protection of Environment and Biodiversity and Ghaziabad resident Sush-

il Raghav seeking directions to stop “indiscriminate withdrawal” of groundwater. The plea, filed by advocate Antima A Bazaz, has sought

directions to Railways to install rainwater harvesting systems in all its 73 divisions across 16 zones. “The present application raises the issue of illegal and indiscriminate withdrawal of groundwater by the Railways for commercial and industrial uses in the notified as well as the non—notified areas (over—exploited, critical and semi—critical areas) without seeking prior permission from CGWA,” the plea said. “Railways has also failed to comply with the directions of the CGWA issued under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, making it mandatory for all industrial establishments to adopt rooftop rainwater harvesting systems on their premises,” the plea added. (With PTI inputs)

Will not allow President’s Rule in Delhi: Kejriwal STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: In the wake of Pres-

ident’s Rule being imposed in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said he would never let such an “incident” be repeated in the Capital. While noting that the Opposition should be heard by the ruling party MLAs, Mr. Kejriwal also asked the Opposition to respect the mandate of the people. Referring to the imposition of President’s Rule in CM YK

Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Mr. Kejriwal said, “Opposition should respect the mandate of Delhiites. We will never let the incident of Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand be repeated in Delhi.” On Tuesday, Kejriwal had slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the imposition of President’s Rule in Uttarakhand. He had also claimed that the Centre would try to “destabilise” the Delhi and Himachal Pradesh governments. ND-ND

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THE HINDU

EDUCATIONAL

EDUCATIONAL

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

EDUCATIONAL

EDUCATIONAL PERSONAL LOST & FOUND

PUBLIC NOTICES

TENDERS

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Ministries and institutes join hands to promote research

Beating pollution

According to the MHRD, the initiative is part of the IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology initiative have been identified under IMPRINT including healthNEW DELHI: In an initiative to care, energy, sustainable promote research, 26 gov- habitat, Nano technology ernment ministries and de- hardware, water resources partments have entered an and river systems, advanced agreement to collaborate for materials, information and technology development communication technology, covering various engineer- manufacturing, security and ing disciplines along with in- defence. “In the field of healthcare, stitutes like the IITs and Health Ministry, AYUSH NITs. According to the Ministry and various bodies like of Human Resource Devel- ICMR would participate in opment (MHRD), the initia- research initiatives and IIT tive is part of the IMPacting Kharagpur would be the coResearch INnovation and ordinating institute,” oiTechnology (IMPRINT), cials at the HRD Ministry initiative of the NDA gov- said. For technological develernment which is a multidisciplinary, multi-partner opment in defence the MoU and multi-goal oriented na- envisages involvement of Department of tional programme aimed at DRDO, technology development in- Space, Department of Atomvolving the Indian Institutes ic Energy, while IIT Madras of Technology (IITs), Indian and IIT Delhi would be the Institute of Science (IISc), coordinating bodies. For Sustainable Habitat national academies, minisand Swachh Bharat, the MoU tries etc. Ten technology domains envisages a collaboration beSTAFF REPORTER

As pollution increases in the city, a traffic personnel is seen wearing a mask at a busy intersection on Thursday.— PHOTO: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

tween Urban Development and Rural Development ministries and IIT Roorkee. The initiative, IMPRINT aims to create synergy with all the major initiatives of the Government like Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Namami Gange, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, Swachh Bharat Mission and other Ministries engaged in research covering these domains, an oicial said. For every domain area, there

shall be a Domain Expert Committee (DEC), chaired by a subject matter expert of eminence and with such members as decided by the National Coordinator. The Director IIT Kanpur has been designated as the first National Coordinator for the programme for a period of one year, HRD oicials said. Among other collaborations envisaged under the IMPRINT initiative are col-

laborations in research on environment and climate, involving ministries of Environment and Forest and Earth Sciences and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Other bodies which are part of the large scale exercise include Ministries of Textiles, Surface Transport, Steel, Railways, New and Renewable Energy, Drinking Water and Sanitation, oicials said.

Haryana’s move to transfer sectors flayed ASHOK KUMAR GURGAON: More than a month

after the Haryana government ordered transfer of 33 Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) sectors to the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG), the move has evoked strong opposition from several residents' welfare associations (RWAs). “We are shocked to know that Haryana government is transferring our Sector-52 to the MCG. But how can you transfer a sector without any civic infrastructure? There is no proper sewage system, no roads, no water supply and unauthorised encroachment on the plots. The MCG staf is good for nothing as anyone can see the condition of areas which are under the MCG. The government should revoke their decision of transferring our sector to the MCG,” said Ravi Arora, vicepresident, RWA Sector 52 Part-I. Several other RWAs have similar reservations about the transfer. With a view to ensure better maintenance of all amenities in and greater satisfaction of residents of those sectors of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) where more than five years had elapsed after completion of development works, the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal had last month approved a standard set of terms and conditions for transfer of such sectors to the concerned Municipal Corporations in the

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The government had ordered the transfer of 33 HUDA sectors to the MCG State as also the transfer of 33 such HUDA Sectors to the Municipal Corporation Gurgaon (MCG). The order specifies a threemonth window in which HUDA must complete infrastructure work in the sectors.

Besides opposition from the RWAs citing poor track record of the MCG, the corporation also faces acute staf crunch of its own, making it ill-equipped to take on the additional duties. HUDA tried to address that by transferring its staf engaged in these services to MCG but faced a backlash from the employees who went on a strike. The government has now set a deadline of April 30 by which it wants to complete the handover.

DEATH

DEATH ANNIVERSARIES

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NORTHERN REGION

Probe on into scholarship irregularities, says Nitish nical institutions outside Bihar, besides delay in money to a technical institute in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, to fund studies of 60 students from Bihar.

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nit-

ish Kumar on Thursday said a vigilance probe was on into irregularities in post-matriculation scholarship to SC/ST students of the Stater and necessary action will be taken against those involved in it. “Complaints have been received and shortcomings found in post-matriculation scholarship to SC/ST students of Bihar ... Prima facie there appears to be certain lapses,” Mr Kumar said in the State Assembly while intervening on a question by the Leader of Opposition during the Zero Hour. He said a vigilance probe was already on into the irregularities and action would be taken against those responsible. The responsibility will be fixed after taking into account both administrative and criminal aspects in the irregularities, Mr Kumar said. Large-scale irregularities have come into light with payment of scholarship money to SC/ST students pursuing technical education outside the Stater being delayed and jeopar-

Prima facie there appears to be certain lapses, said Bihar Chief Minister

dising their future. The post-matriculation scholarship to the SC/ST students is given by the SC/ST Welfare Department. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi made an expose late last year about irregularities in the scholarships given to SC/ST students to pursue technical or other higher education in and outside the State. He had charged the State government with releasing scholarship amounts to fictitious tech-

Group C recruitment Meanwhile, the Assembly on Thursday passed the ‘Bihar Police Sub-ordinate Service Commission’ Bill, 2016, for regular and timely recruitment of Group C posts in various departments. The Commission would carry out recruitment of sub-inspectors in various departments of police, forest, wireless, excise, enforcement etc. “The idea behind setting up a commission is to fast-track and regularise the recruitment process. The government’s objective is to carry out together the recruitment of all the posts of same qualification. The recruitment for these posts require physical and other tests,” Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said while replying to a debate on the Bill. He said that posts with grade pay of Rs 4,200 would be

recruited through the Commission. The recruitment for these posts were, hitherto, being done by Bihar State Staf Selection Commission which is over-burdened with work with increasing number of examinees. It would be a five-member Commission, headed by a chairman and four members. Out of the four members, one would be represented by SC/ST and another would be represented by minority community. The Assembly also passed the Bihar Tax Disputes Settlement Bill, 2016 which came out with a ‘One Time Settlement’ scheme for settlement of tax disputes of upto Rs 1 crore till 2011—12. OTS will be implemented for three months and if needed, it may be extended for further three months, Minister incharge Bijendra Prasad Yadav said in his reply during a debate on the Bill. The Minister informed the House that tax disputes upto Rs 1 crore would be settled at regional oice level. - PTI

sembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution to bring a Bill to hike the salary and allowances of MLAs. Barring Congress, whose members are not attending the session, the ruling BJP, main opposition INLD, the BSP and Independents backed the demand for hike in pay and allowances, prompting Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to say, “Today, everyone is beaming with joy, there is clapping and unprecedented unity is seen (on the issue).” Three days back, a House Committee was formed

which studied the issue seeking information from neighbouring States on pay and allowances of the legislators. The Committee prepared the report favouring hike. Resolution On the last day of the budget session of the Haryana Assembly, lone BSP member Tek Chand Sharma moved a resolution, saying salary and allowances of the MLAs should be increased. “In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Delhi and Jharkhand, there have been examples of hike in pay and allowances, re-

cently. A committee which had been formed three days back has submitted its report,” the BSP member said. He told the House that while Congress may have stayed away from attending the proceedings to protest its three MLAs’ suspension for tearing copies of the Governor’s Address, the party legislator Lalit Nagar “had quickly given his view on the salary hike and signed the report”. “This (resolution) should be passed today,” the BSP MLA said, even as there was loud thumping of the benches, both from BJP and main opposition INLD benches. - PTI

Three cops killed in car-van collision LUDHIANA: Three policemen were on Thursday killed and two students injured in a collision between a car and a school van near Raine village on Hambran road, about 25 km from here. The incident occurred when the cops -- Assistant Sub Inspector Kulbir Singh and constables Heera Singh

and Jagdish Singh -- were on way to Chandigarh in the car for appearance in a case in Punjab and Haryana High Court, SSP Ludhiana (Rural), Opinder Singh said. The driver of the car lost control over the vehicle and it hit a motorcycle, a scooter and then rammed into a school van coming from the

opposite side, he said. Two of the cops died on the spot while the third succumbed to his injuries in a nearby hospital where he was taken in a critical condition, the police said. Two school-going children received injuries but they were stated to be out of danger, the police added. -- PTI

CHANDIGARH: Any male person

desiring to contest for Urban Local Bodies in Haryana will now have to be matriculate and should have a functional toilet at home; a woman and a Scheduled Caste candidate will be required to be at least 8th standard pass. Minimum educational qualification for SC women candidates will be 5th standard pass. The minimum qualification and requirement of toilet for contesting Urban Local Bodies polls, like in the case of Panchayati Raj institutions, has been prescribed in the Haryana Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed by the Haryana Assembly on Wednesday. The Bill amends Section

Assembly nod for renaming airport after Bhagat Singh CHANDIGARH: The Haryana As-

Star martial artist and actor Jackie Chan arrives in Jodhpur on Thursday for the shoot of his movie "Kung Fu Yoga" at the Mehrangarh Fort. PHOTO: PTI

13 A of the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973 and Section 8 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994. The amendment aims at strengthening the Urban Local Bodies, the third tier of the governance and improving the eiciency, transparency and accountability by making education a necessary qualification for the office-bearers of the Urban Local Bodies, according to the government. The Bill also proposes candidates contesting the elections to Urban Local Bodies have to file a self declaration that they have the provision of a functional toilet at the residence. “Prescribing minimum standards of education will not only help in augmenting performance of the mem-

bers of Urban Local Bodies, but also reduce chances of them being misled and ensure their accountability,” according to the Bill. “In view of good literacy rate in the State, election of educated candidates for Urban Local Bodies will prove to be a catalyst for faster and sustainable development of cities,” it adds. With regard to toilets, the Bill says, “The appropriate sanitation arrangements in the residential areas of urban population is the main attention of the time and in this scenario the provision of functioning toilets in each and every house is must. “Therefore, non-provision of functional toilet at the place of residence of a candidate has been made as disqualification.” – PTI

sembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution to name Chandigarh airport after freedom struggle icon Shaheed Bhagat Singh. As soon as the Question Hour ended, Parliamentary Afairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma moved the resolution. Later, it was unanimously passed with ruling BJP and main opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLAs supporting it. Opposition Congress MLAs were not present as they have not been attending the Assembly session to protest the sixmonth suspension of their three MLAs for tearing copies of the Governor’s address. On the resolution, Mr Sharma told the House that the State government would soon write to the Union Civil Aviation ministry in this regard. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recently said that his government had no objection to the airport being named after Bhagat Singh. With the airport’s terminal building falling in Punjab’s Mohali town, the Punjab government has put up signages of ‘Mohali airport’, upsetting the Haryana government. -- PTI

Jat stir hits production of under-trials in Delhi NEW DELHI: The Haryana police

has informed a Delhi court that undertrials from the State would not be produced till the Jat agitation ends, as the cops were busy maintaining law and order. A circular issued by the oice of District and Sessions Judge (headquarters) informed judges of the Tis Hazari Courts here about the letter received from the Haryana Police. “A copy of fax letter has been received from the Superintendent of Police, District Jhajjar, Haryana with the intimation that due to Jat reservation agitation in Haryana, large number of police force has been deployed on various places to maintain law and order duties during the agitation. “Therefore, it would be diicult for the police force to produce the undertrials in the

court of law in Delhi from March 17 till the Jat reservation agitation ends,” a circular by Additional District and Sessions Judge Shail Jain said. A Bill to provide reservation to Jats and five other communities in government jobs and educational institutions was unanimously passed on March 29 by the Haryana Assembly ahead of the April 3 deadline set by the community which launched a violent quota agitation last month. At least 30 people lost their lives and more than 320 were injured in the worst ever Jat agitation witnessed in Haryana. Besides, financial loss to the tune of hundreds of crores was incurred by people whose homes and business establishments were damaged in the arson that followed the agitation leaving the State paralysed for nearly two weeks. -- PTI

Lower rank post humiliating, says Khemka

Amarinder Singh promises strong Lokpal covering CM

Centre silent on welfare of Dalits: Punia

CHANDIGARH: Senior IAS oicer Ashok Khemka has said it is “humiliating” for him to hold a “lower rank” post and he has been awaiting posting on promotion for the last three months. “Awaiting posting on promotion for last 3 months. Holding a lower rank post is humiliating. Like a Lt Gen forced to hold post of Brigadier (sic),” tweeted the senior IAS oicer, who currently holds the rank of Principal Secretary in the Haryana government. The 1991 batch oicer was promoted to the rank of Principal Secretary in January by the BJP-led Haryana government. Mr Khemka had shot into limelight in 2012 when he had cancelled the mutation of a land deal between Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-inlaw Robert Vadra’s M/s Skylight Hospitality and DLF Universal Ltd. The IAS oicer has faced over 40 transfers during his career. -- PTI

AMRITSAR:

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh has promised that the Congress government will set up a powerful Lokpal which will include the Chief Minister within its jurisdiction. “We will clean up the system from the top,” he said. The former Chief Minister said there will be “zero tolerance” towards corruption and that his government will set up a strong institution of the Lokpal. He recalled his tenure as the Chief Minister during which he had jailed then “corrupt” chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission besides dismissing 32 corrupt oicials from services. The PCC president was here to interact with the oice bearers of the Amritsar rural and urban district units to take their feedback for the Assembly elections due next year. Responding to party workers’ demand to “avenge” registration of “fabricated” cases against them, Mr Singh said those will be withdrawn the day a Congress government was

LUCKNOW: Congress leader P. L. Punia on Thursday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of “maintaining silence” over issues concerning welfare of Dalits, including reservation in promotions. “The Modi government is maintaining continued silence on bringing a bill on quota in promotions for which the previous UPA government had taken decisive steps,” said Mr Punia, who is also the Chairman of Scheduled Castes Commission. The demand for quota in private sector and judiciary is also very old but the central government is silent on these as well, he said. Charging the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh with being anti-Dalit, Mr Punia alleged that along with BSP and BJP, SP has always tried to keep the Dalits behind in the path of progress. Claiming that people are fed up with BSP, SP and BJP, the Congress leader hoped that in the State election next year, his party will put up a good show. - PTI

Punjab PCC president Amarinder Singh being received by Punjab Mahila Congress president Kittu Grewal on his arrival in Jalandhar on Thursday. PHOTO: PTI

formed and those involved will be subjected to “reciprocal” justice. The Punjab Congress chief said unlike in the past, tickets will be given only to deserving candidates based on their chances of winning the elections. The PCC president said when the Congress forms the government, it will work towards implementing the recommenda-

Western Command launches think tank ‘Gyan Chakra’ JAMMU: A think tank on Defence

and Strategic Afairs has been formed by the Army’s Western Command, aimed at providing an outlet to veterans for pursuing research on strategic and national security issues. “Western Command in a new path breaking initiative has launched a Defence and Strategic Afairs Think Tank aptly named Gyan Chakra. There are a large number of defence veterans who have settled in the Tri City,” PRO Defence Lt Col Manish Mehta said on Thursday. Lt Col Mehta said that many of these veterans are prolific writers and subject matter experts in their own domain. Despite having a wealth of experience these veterans had CM YK

THE HINDU FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

Shooting star

Haryana House to bring Bill Now education criteria for to increase salary of MLAs fighting urban bodies’ polls CHANDIGARH: The Haryana As-

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no outlet for pursuing research and intellectual activity in an organized manner. ’Gyan Chakra’ is being launched to fulfil a long-standing requirement of defence veterans though not articulated, he said. “There are a number of Strategic Afairs Think Tanks like United Service Institution, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, Centre for Land Welfare Studies, Vivekananda International Foundation, Observer Research Foundation etc active in the National Capital Region but the remaining portion of Northern India is devoid of any such institution,” he said. PRO said that the idea behind conceptualising this think tank is to attract leading strategic

thinkers, defence analysts, scholars and academicians and provide them a platform to deliberate on strategic and national security issues. ’Gyan Chakra’ will be an extension of the Khetarpal Oicers Institute (KOI), Chandimandir and will be co—located. The think tank will ofer facilities like, library, internet, research, round table discussions, lectures and seminars. The membership will be open to the veterans of the TriCity and serving oicers at nominal subscription, he said. Lt Col Mehta said that the launch of the initiative was announced by Lieutenant General K.J. Singh, Army Commander, Western Command, on March 16 this year. -- PTI

tions of the Swaminathan Commission for the welfare of farmers. He also attended a protest meeting of the Jewellers’ association here where he criticised the “insensitivity” of the central government towards the jewellers and supported their demand for withdrawal of one per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery. -- PTI

Air India to start Jammu morning flight from Delhi JAMMU: Air India will commence a morning flight from New Delhi to Jammu from April 8 to push regional connectivity. “Beginning from April 8, Air India will operate a flight in the morning from New Delhi to Jammu and back,” Union Minister of State in PMO, Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. The decision was taken on Thursday in a meeting with Union Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey after Mr Singh had proposed additional flights between Jammu and Delhi, particularly in the early morning and evening hours. “The flight will take of from New Delhi 7.45 am and

will reach Jammu at 8.45 am. After 45 minutes of halt, it will take of from Jammu at 9.30 am and will reach New Delhi at 10.30 am,” Mr Singh said. The flight will operate thrice a day and will be made daily after observing the response to it, the Union Minister said. This is the first direct flight from Jammu to Delhi in the morning time as earlier any direct flight in this sector is only around 1 pm. The Centre is also working out the evening flight from Delhi to Jammu and back as the last flight from Jammu-Delhi is at 4 pm and the last flight from Delhi to Jammu is at 2.30 pm. - PTI ND-ND

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Chemistry re-exam paper also leaked in Karnataka

File says his broadcasts were heard in Dec. 1945 & Jan. and Feb. 1946

KARNATAKA BUREAU

Angry students took to the streets across Karnataka after an embarrassed government cancelled the Pre-University chemistry re-examination following another question paper leakage. The re-examination was ordered following an earlier leakage and the second leakage resulted in an unprecedented situation causing severe problems for students. The rescheduling of the exam to April 12 — the fourth schedule so far announced — has caused anxiety among 1.74 lakh students, who are also preparing for several crucial entrance examinations starting this weekend. Earlier, the chemistry exam on March 21, which students wrote, was cancelled following a paper leakage. “We spent sleepless nights for the second time preparing for the exam. With competitive exams approaching in April/May, we will be left with very little time,” said an angry Manaswini V.A., who came to the department’s premises to protest, which later turned violent with stone-pelting incidents in which many window panes were damaged. By afternoon, the State government announced the date for re-examination and suspended 40 employees attached to the examination section of the Department of Pre-University Education. It set up a threemember committee to supervise the re-examination. Earlier, students were in for a shock as the examination was cancelled after the CID tipped of the board oicials about the paper leakage — possibly in Tumakuru and Bengaluru — early on Thursday. Sources in the CID acknowledged that they had found a question paper doing the rounds on WhatsApp.

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THE HINDU

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

‘Netaji may have survived the crash’ As countdown for ban begins, NATIONAL BUREAU

BENGALURU:

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NEW DELHI: Even as the recently declassified documents relating to the disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose do not take us any closer to finding out whether he indeed survived the August 18, 1945 air crash, they throw up many unverified Subhas Chandra Bose documents that claim he governor’s house picked outlived the crash. These often being either up three broadcasts of Neanecdotes or representa- taji ... in December 1945, tions without a name and and January and February, date — all they may do is to 1946. A note on this item keep alive, by a slender was put up before Mr. thread, the belief that Ne- Casey,” says page-11 of File No 870/11/p/16/92/Pol taji survived the crash. There is one five-page from the Prime Minister’s note in a 1992 file that sug- Oice. The “broadcasts” gests Bose may have sur- referred to show Bose sayvived the crash. ing his heart was “burning” The note has no name or for India and that freedom date attached to it and must come within two reads like a representation years though it would not be possible through nonmade to the government. “PC Kar, an oicial in the violence. The “broadcasts” also governor’s house in Bengal when RG Casey was the show him being respectful governor, claimed that the to Mahatma Gandhi. In a February 1946 monitoring service at the

‘Admired Mussolini’ An account of Netaji’s travel in Europe — before his ‘death’ following a plane crash — in Interpress (International Biographic Press Service), 1949, says he “ate a lot of beef” while travelling by train in Europe and admired both Mussolini and Stalin. About his travel from “broadcast,” he also refers to himself as a “humble son ... of Bharat Mata”. The same note also claims there was no documentary evidence of a plane crash; the cremation certificate said to be Bose’s is that of a non-staf member of the Japanese armed forces; the birth date of the deceased on it is not the same as that of Netaji, etc.

Germany to Moscow, it says: “He ... had spent a week in a comfortable room of a train taking tea, milk, vodka and a large amount of beef. This was a matter of immense mental strength for a caste Hindu ... But nothing such was improper to the superstition-less revolutionist Sri Basu.” Reacting to a query from The Hindu whether this file adds to our knowledge on Netaji's death — in the context of media reports saying so — Harvard historian and Netaji's biographer and grandnephew Sugata Bose replied to a text message with a single word: “None”. He did not respond to a mail sent regarding this.

liquor sells for a song in Bihar AMARNATH TEWARY PATNA: A day before a total ban on the sale and consumption of country-made liquor across Bihar, vendors and outlets ofered a huge discount to exhaust their stocks while guzzlers were seen rushing to the shops to replenish their stocks at home. The Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed the new Bihar Excise (Amendment) Bill 2016 and the legislators pledged to stay away from liquor. “Yes, for the first time we’ve ofered such a huge discount to exhaust our stock as from Friday these bottles will be of no use,” said Harendra Singh, a liquor vendor of Patna. At Mr. Singh’s outlet, price tags, much lower than the original cost, were pasted on diferent bottles with a display board declaring a “heavy discount.”Consumers could be seen rushing to the outlet counter. “It has never been so cheap…the

Country liquor stock being destroyed in Patna on Thursday, a day before the ban takes effect. — PHOTO: RANJEET KUMAR

bottles I usually buy for Rs. 350 are selling at Rs. 200 and Rs. 150 … it’s time to stock up”, Rajesh Kumar, a businessman, told The Hindu. In some slum areas of Patna, vendors were seen selling pouches of country-made liquor in a bucket. Consumers, mostly poor people, were buying in bulk.From Friday, in cities and towns of the State, only Indian Made Foreign Liquor will be

sold through 656 CCTV-fitted outlets run by the State Beverages Corporation Limited. No private units will be allowed to sell liquor even in urban areas. The Patna administration on Thursday destroyed over three lakh bottles of country-made liquor worth Rs. 3 crore in Danapur and women took out a ‘funeral procession’ of liquor bottles and set them on fire at the Kargil chowk of Patna.

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BLAME GAME BEGINS

Flyover project began during Left regime, says Mamata Collapse an act of god, says IVRCL

It is a blacklisted firm. We will not spare the builders, assures CM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT KOLKATA: While political par-

ties have committed themselves to refrain from politicising the collapse of the flyover, the blame game has already begun. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday directly blamed the CPI(M) for giving the contract of the central Kolkata flyover to the Hyderabadbased IVCRL. “The project began in 2008 under the CPI(M). But this mishap has happened in our time, so we will do what it takes,” Ms. Banerjee said. She also said she did not want “to make any political comments” related to the incident. Baseless, says ex-Minister Reacting to Ms. Banerjee’s observation, the former Urban Development Minister, Ashok Bhattacharya, said the allegation was “baseless.” The BJP has sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Ms. Banerjee said the government would constitute a team of experts from IIT and Jadavpur University to investigate the flyover collapse. While a First Information Report had been filed in a central Kolkata police station, Ms. Banerjee said in a written statement that the government “will not spare

Assets of NCP MLA attached

the builders.” “They are a blacklisted company. We will take stringent action,” Ms. Banerjee said. She claimed that the government had earlier “sought a complete plan of action from the builders.” But the plan did not arrive, she said. The government announced an ex gratia of Rs. 5 lakh for the deceased, Rs. 2 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs. 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. Mr. Bhattacharya said the project was started under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and the contractor was selected through competitive bidding in 2009. “The company was not blacklisted then. At that time the work did not progress beyond the construction of a few pillars due to objection of locals,” Mr. Bhattacharya told The Hindu. “Even after the Trinamool Congress came to power there was no progress for two years. The work started recently. The Chief Minister announced that that the work has to be finished before the polls and the State government continued with the same contractor. But these days, construction works in the State are being done by ‘syndicates.’ I think sub-standard construction material was used,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.

PRASHANTH CHINTALA & INDRANI DUTTA

An injured person being shifted to a hospital in Kolkata on Thursday. (Right) An anguished relative. — PHOTOS: ASHOKE CHAKRABARTY & PTI

A desperate search for loved ones KOLKATA BUREAU & AGENCIES KOLKATA: Relatives of those

who were caught in the flyover collapse in Kolkata on Thursday were desperate as the nearby Marwari Relief Society and Medical College and Hospital, where the injured and dead were taken could not provide any information about their loved ones. A junior doctor said most of the people came with injuries on their head or upper

parts of the body. Many were seen desperately looking for their injured relatives. “My brother-in-law Sujit Debnath is admitted here, but nobody can tell me how to locate him. I have been here for over one hour and still clueless about how to meet him,” he said. Several relatives of those who died did not know where the bodies were. A 24-year-old college student and local resident, Amit Bihani, was sitting in shops adjacent to the flyover, when

it collapsed. He said he heard a loud noise and the ground started shaking. Commotion “When I turned around I saw that a part of the flyover had collapsed,” he told The Hindu. When he ran up to the accident site, Mr. Bihani saw blood coming out from underneath the massive beams and those who were still alive were groaning in pain. It took a while for Mr. Bihani to recover from the initial shock but then he joined the rescue

It is stopwatch for iconic HMT

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MOHIT M. RAO

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday provisionally attached assets worth about Rs.120 crore in connection with allegations of funds misappropriation against an NCP MLA in Maharashtra and others. The attachment proceedings have been initiated on a case pursued by the Navi Mumbai CID. Among those under scrutiny were Ramesh Nagnath Kadam, a sitting MLA from Mohol in Solapur and the then chairman of the Annabhau Sathe Development Corporation. Mr. Kadam was arrested by the CID last August. Mr. Kadam, who was president of the Mumbai-based Sahityaratna Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Development Corporation Limited, colluded with some oicials of the Corporation and other suspects to misappropriate the funds meant for the uplift of the Matang community. The ED has attached equity shares and a land parcel in Mumbai — worth over Rs.100 crore — in the name of Mr. Kadam’s firm Comral Realty.

BENGALURU: Five dogs loiter

at the gates, while employees gather on a culvert near the parking lot. Above the HMT Watch Factory, a clock ticks on. Employees point to it, saying once the electricity is cut of, this symbol of a once-proud factory will also stop. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Afairs approved the closure of the HMT watch factories in Bengaluru, Tumkur, and Uttarakhand in January. HMT conveyed to its employees that March 31 would be the last working day. Very few employees have come to the factory on the final day to see the “country’s timekeeper” at Jalahalli. Barely 14 of them are present at a discussion with their union leaders. Although it is the last day to collect their relieving letters, the workers plead with the management to extend it to Saturday. Withdrawing a lump sum

and the government kept giving loans without any intention of reviving the factory. This process should have been done some time ago,” he says. M.S. Siddaraju — a worker for more than 34 years — believes the factory will live on in people’s memory through its watches. “My grandchildren may not see the factory. But the watches will still be in the market, and the demand for them will go up,” he says. Not many workers turned up on Thursday, the last working day at the HMT factory in Bengaluru. — PHOTO : SUDHAKARA JAIN

— which is more than Rs. 35 lakh for many — after the start of the new financial year will see them get tax benefits, the employees tell the management. There is mistrust and confusion, much like the processes that led the iconic factory to the path of insolvency over the past two decades. At the factory itself, there was no farewell function,

no speeches and no expression of memories from the many workers who spent more than three decades there. “In some ways, it was all our fault,” says S. Chandrashekhariah, who has worked in the factory for 32 years and is the general secretary of the workers’ union. “When the losses started, the management didn’t care,

work. “I have seen 10 bodies being pulled out from the debris,” he said. It was a close shave for 26year old Arindam Pramanik who could not comprehend the huge commotion and the dust around him near the Vidyasagar flyover. “I was under another portion of the flyover on my twowheeler, when I saw people running helter-skelter and dust billowing around…I saw that a portion of the flyover had collapsed,” he told The Hindu.

HYDERABAD/KOLKATA: IVRCL Limited, the Hyderabadbased company that is constructing the Kolkata flyover, a portion of which collapsed on Thursday, is yet to ascertain the cause for the collapse, A.G.K. Murthy, Director (Operations), has said. “It is for the first time in the history of the company that such an incident has occurred. We are unable to comprehend at this stage what could have happened. It is beyond our thinking. It is like an act of god,” he told The Hindu in Hyderabad. Mr. Murthy said the standard operating procedure had been followed, and the company had completed 76-78 per cent of the work without any untoward incident. Mr. Murthy said IVRCL Chairman and Managing Director E. Sudhir Reddy was travelling and that he was not aware of his whereabouts. Seven employees of the company were injured in the incident. The flyover at Burra Bazar, estimated to cost Rs. 166 crore, was to have been completed in 18 months. Work was delayed owing to

Mediapersons throng the IVRCL headquarters in Hyderabad after the incident.

lack of clearances because the area was “very crowded,” Mr. Murthy said. The BSE has sought a clarification from the company. In its reply to the BSE, IVRCL said the Vivekananda flyover had been designed by a reputed consultant from Kolkata. All clearances and steps to ensure quality had been taken, the company said. However, experts said an under-construction structure usually collapses due to design error or flaws in welding that leave cracks, causing the structure to collapse under the dead weight of the concrete. Dead weight is the weight of the structure without its programmed load.

Kerala jackpot for migrant beggar STAFF REPORTER THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five years ago, he came to Kerala from Andhra Pradesh following an accident, to survive as a beggar. On Thursday, he returned to his hometown Anantpur a rich man. Thirty-two-yearold Ponnaiyya won the first prize of Rs. 65 lakh when lots were drawn on Wednesday in the State-run Akshaya lottery. Ponnaiyya, who used to do masonry work, lost a leg in a work-related accident. Un-

able to do anything, he came to Kerala and took to begging. He used to sleep at the Marthandam bus stand and regularly send home the money he collected. According to the Vellarada police, Ponnaiyya used to buy more than one ticket in a series to improve his chances of winning the lottery. This time, he had bought 10 tickets and hence he also won one of the small consolation prizes. The lottery agent on seeing the winning numbers realised

that the tickets belonged to Ponnaiyya. The agent tracked him down and took him to the Vellarada police station, considering his security. The police escorted him to the Parassala branch of the State Bank of India. But it turned out that only his wife had an account with a branch in Anantpur. As the transactions could not be carried out, he stayed at the police station on Wednesday night. On Thursday, his father and brother took him home.

The last batch At the start of 2016, there were 405 workers in Tumakuru and just 49 in three units of Bengaluru. On April 2, 14 workers in Bengaluru and 264 workers in Tumakuru are to be relieved, signalling the end of HMT Watches. High-rise apartments in Jalahalli tower over the nearly 88 acres of the HMT Watch factory land. In about a decade, there will be no sign of the watch factory as the entire land is up for sale.

British Medical Journal calls for radical revamp of MCI SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: The British Medical Journal (BMJ) in its latest issue has called for a ‘radical prescription’ to reform the Medical Council of India (MCI) in order to eliminate corruption and lack of ethics in healthcare. Referring to several observations in the parliamentary standing committee report submitted in the Rajya Sabha in March, the BMJ says in its editorial to be released on Thursday that the parliamentary panel lays bare the MCI’s failure to oversee quality and integrity in health services in the country. The parliamentary standing committee in its report criticised the MCI for being a “biased” organisation, acting “against larger public health goals.” It described the Council as an “exclusive club” of medical doctors from corporate hospitals and private practice.

Kickbacks & capitation fee The committee called for extensive reforms in the MCI and removal of roadblocks to the Common Medical Entrance Test for admission to MBBS and PG courses. It stated that admission should be granted on “merit” and CM YK

It failed to create a transparent system for accrediting medical colleges, says editorial “not the ability to pay a capitation fee.” The editorial comes against the backdrop of a campaign against corruption in the health sector, launched by BMJ in 2014, that sparked global debate. The journal published articles on kickbacks for referrals from doctors, revenue targets at corporate hospitals, and capitation fees in private medical colleges in India. In the latest BMJ editorial, Dr. Samiran Nundy, Dean of Sir Ganga Ram Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education and Research states that the MCI has “failed to create a rigorous transparent system for accrediting medical colleges, leading to geographical mal-distribution and creation of ‘ghost faculties’ in private medical colleges.” The editorial has been coauthored by Sanjay Nagral, consultant surgeon at Jaslok Hospital and Anita Jain, BMJ’s research editor. The authors of the BMJ ed-

itorial laud the parliamentary committee report stating that it “is a landmark in identifying factors that have led to the current scenario and apportions equal responsibility to the Health Ministry for letting things come to this....” The MCI was established under the Indian Medical Council Act 1933 and given responsibility for maintaining standards of medical education, providing ethical oversight, maintaining the medical register, and, through amendments in 1993, sanctioning medical colleges. Dr. Nundy said the Centre, “will have to muster strong political support to act on the committee’s recommendations as this will inevitably involve hurting well entrenched and powerful interests.” “For those of us in the medical profession in India who have been despairing of the state of afairs, this report is a long awaited panacea,” they write. “And for the citizens of India strained by the dual burden of expensive and unethical healthcare, the report could be a powerful tool in their struggle to make the healthcare system deliver their needs,” the BMJ editorial says. ND-ND

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EDITORIAL

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

Lessons from Europe’s amnesia friday, april 1, 2016

Tata to Corus hen Tata Steel paid out a hefty $13.1 billion to acquire Corus in 2007, Chairman Ratan Tata described it as a defining moment for the company. It is not hard to see why he thought this may be so. It made Tata Steel’s capacity grow three times, put the company on the global map, and spread the risks of the business of making steel. The investment was made in a climate when there was a tremendous buzz about outward foreign direct investment (FDI), a time when a clutch of Indian industrialists were persuaded to see value in making foreign investments at extremely heady prices, which were sought to be justified on the basis of over-optimistic profit projections and growth forecasts for the world economy. In hindsight, it is apparent that the acquisition was a bad strategic decision, but it would have been diicult, if not well nigh impossible, to predict such things as the Eurozone’s slide into recession and the abrupt and unexpected slowdown in China. The damage was compounded by cheap Chinese steel flooding western markets. The move by Ratan Tata’s successor Cyrus Mistry to explore a sale of Tata Steel’s U.K. steelmaking business is not going to change the fortunes of the company in a hurry. It remains to be seen whether buyers can be found and if so what prices they are willing to fork out for plants operating in an industry that seems set for a protracted and severe winter. But given the circumstances, in which the Indian company’s profitability is eroded by its operations in Europe, the decision to bolster a still-lucrative core by paring the company’s debt from the Corus acquisition is probably the best course of action. It remains to be seen how the U.K. government will react to this decision. There could be an attempt to nudge the company into accepting a restructuring proposal. But given that the company’s European operations have lost almost $5 billion since 2010 and the net debt surpassed the cost of the Corus acquisition by the end of last December, it may take a lot of doing to get the company to change its mind. While the decision to divest itself of the U.K. business is a bold one, it could be said that the company took a tad longer than it should have in arriving at that decision. Arguably, foreign investments made by some Indian companies during the extended period of the commodity boom were influenced too much by the ambition or desire to scale up for the sake of doing so. For instance, the billions of dollars invested by some of the country’s industrialists in sectors such as coal at the peak of the commodity supercycle have come to no good. But it may be worth pointing out that some of the acquisitions have indeed paid of. When Ratan Tata acquired Jaguar Land Rover, there were those who wondered about the wisdom of the purchase. Still the gamble has worked, and the losses notched up at the domestic businesses of Tata Motors have been more than ofset by the profits earned by one of Britain’s most iconic carmakers.

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Belgium’s deeply divided society, its sizeable numbers of alienated Muslims, and its constant search for political compromise have contributed in large measure to its image of a ‘weak state’, and hence an easy target for terrorists

March 22 turned out to be the day of reckoning for Brussels, and Belgium, with three explosions — two at the Brussels airport at Zaventem and one in the Maelbeek subway metro M.K. NARAYANAN station, adjoining the headquarters of the European Union (EU) — which left 34 people dead and more than 300 injured. Brussels, the de facto capital of the European Union (EU) and headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and which prides itself on its European cosmopolitanism and openness, its value system, civil liberties and diversity, is yet to recover from that day’s “mass casualty attacks”. The bombings were carried out in the same coordinated fashion as the Paris terror strikes in November last year.

lice to locate Salah Abdeslam, one of the key “plotters” of the Paris terror attacks, who was living in the heart of Molenbeek, a stone’s throw from the headquarters of the EU. Muslim-majority Molenbeek has the dubious distinction of being the Salafist capital of Europe, if not the entire West, and should have been a principal target of any counterterrorist operation. It was from Molenbeek that the Paris attacks were planned. Further, in the case of the 2004 Madrid train bombings and the attack on the Jewish museum in Brussels

A vulnerable target The Islamic State (IS)-sponsored attack in Brussels should have surprised no one, though the Belgian authorities were apparently caught of guard. Belgium’s deeply divided society, sizeable numbers of alienated Muslims, and its constant search for political compromise have contributed in large measure to its image of being a “weak state” and hence an easy target for terrorists. Belgium has a multiplicity of counterterrorist and law enforcement agencies, but each of them is more reluctant than the other to share information. Belgium’s insistence on open borders further aggravates the problem of adequate security. The EU does not possess an intelligence agency of its own. Nor is there any system in place for sharing intelligence between its member countries. Belgium tends to be lackadaisical about both intelligence collection and intelligence sharing, leaving itself open to attacks like the present one. It is more intent on being seen as protecting the privacy of individuals and metadata than on ensuring citizens’ security. Hence, this was a recipe for disaster, as the March 22 terror attacks proved. If anything was needed to show up the incompetence of the Belgian authorities it was the fact that it took several months for the po-

Attitudes have changed little despite the fact that during the past year and more the threat of terror has reached the shores of Europe, with the IS carrying out a series of highprofile attacks on the continent. Some of them are the January 2015 attack on the oices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris (which killed 12), the February 2015 attack on a Copenhagen cultural centre (in which two persons were killed), and the multiple strikes in Paris (killing 130 and injuring more than 350). Attacks on European targets have also become no-

The appeal of the Islamic State is a commitment to the ‘supremacy of the faith’, more so in the context of today’s chaotic social environment. The U.S. and western bombings of IS-occupied areas have provided the necessary fig leaf of martyrdom.... in 2014, all roads led to Molenbeek. Yet, given the porosity of Belgium’s laws, the weakness of the authorities and the police as well as their unwillingness to take adequate counterterrorist measures, it was possible for Europe’s most wanted criminal to live there and evade arrest. Belgium can lay claim to another unsavoury record as well. Statistics suggest that Belgium is Europe’s per capita leading supplier of foreign fighters to the IS. Yet Belgium, even more than most other European nations, has remained blind to the threat posed by the IS — including the pernicious role of returning IS fighters, fresh from the battlefields of Syria and Iraq. No efort seems to have been made to understand the primordial pull exerted on Belgian Muslims following the announcement of the IS’s Caliphate, or the impact on them of the collapsing nation-state system in West Asia, essentially in Syria and Iraq.

ticeable. In October last year, the IS was responsible for planting a bomb on a Russian commercial flight which disintegrated while in flight over the Sinai killing 224 passengers. Europe’s disturbing nonchalance Europe’s collective and cumulative amnesia, notwithstanding the evidence on record, does constitute a threat to democratic societies elsewhere. Results of investigations into the Paris terror attacks substantiate such concerns. The probes reveal that the IS has been steadily building the machinery to mount sustained terrorist attacks across Europe. They mention that the attackers were properly trained, conversant with terror tactics and in the use of improvised explosive devices as also suicide vests, and had the capability of carrying out coordinated bombings. They used encrypted electronic communications and had resorted to false documentation to

CARTOONSCAPE

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CM YK

Behind IS’s reach Consequently, peddling wrong theories as reasons for such attacks can prove dangerous. The recent attacks have little to do with the lack of assimilation of migrant Muslim communities into Europe’s established societies; they are seldom acts of revenge against ongoing hostile actions such as the bombings in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan; nor are they a reaction to the arrests of well-known terrorists. Such reasoning only tends to obscure a fundamental truth, viz., that the IS today demonstrates an ability to carry out attacks far beyond the boundaries of Syria and Iraq. This has become possible because of a combination of causative factors. Central to it is a blind belief — anchored in puritanical religion — which, together with selfless sacrifice and cooperation among its followers, has made it possible for it to carry out terror killings on a scale unthinkable to the civilised world. The appeal of the IS is a commitment to the “supremacy of the faith”, more so in the context of today’s chaotic social environment. The U.S. and western bombings of ISoccupied areas of Syria and Iraq have provided the necessary fig leaf of martyrdom — deeply cherished by IS recruits and sympathisers as the weapon of the oppressed. All this is helping to “feed the hunger” of restive Muslim youth to join the battle for “redeeming the faith”, who are then brainwashed to regard the violence and brutality on display as an “exalted campaign of purification”. Atrocities are merely the instruments employed to achieve the ultimate goal of securing the Caliphate — an idea redolent with historical and emotive content, conjuring up visions of the Eighth Century Abbasid Caliphate. Purist militant Islam is particularly appealing in the context of today’s Europe, where religion is a somewhat degraded entity. The IS is equally at war with decadent pro-West Arab regimes, which it believes have deviated from the path of puritanical Islam. Even Saudi Arabia, despite its encouragement of Wahabi Islam, remains in the IS’s cross hairs. Looking east Little acknowledged also is the lingering impact of the Afghan jihad during the final years of the 20th Century. After centuries, the Muslim Mujahideen was able to compel a mighty western power (the Soviet Union) to retreat from Afghanistan. This has given a new impetus and confidence to the forces of militant Islam to take on and defeat the West, especially since 21st Century interventions by the West in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have proved less than successful. Building on the success of al-Qaeda and other terrorist outfits has added further grist to the IS’s ambitions. Given this, India cannot remain complacent that it will remain unafected by the IS as it is heir to a unique civilisational heritage. In December 2015, the IS issued a manifesto which claimed India as part of the Islamic Caliphate. It referred to a growing Hindu movement in the country directed against Muslims. The latest manifesto is a sequel to an earlier one, of June 2015, which had declared IS’s ambition to expand its jihad into India. This is reason enough for India to avoid the kind of amnesia that has engulfed Europe.

Rare frogs and the circle of life he new insights on the life stages of a species of dancing frog in the Western Ghats reported in the journal PLoS One serve as a reminder, if any were needed, that key features of the rainforests are vital to the survival of less-known species. As a biodiversity-rich mountainous realm of plants and animals, many of which are endemic to the region, the Western Ghats are an acknowledged hotspot. What the research on the tadpoles of the dancing frog Micrixalus herrei reveals is that such animals can complete their life cycle only if critical features of the natural landscape are preserved, and human pressure on habitats is consciously reduced. Specifically in the case of the Indian dancing frog, the availability of shallow streams with sandy depressions enables the laying of eggs and development of tadpoles, that then spend some time under the sand. Such invisible phases of the life cycle of species are often not widely known or discussed, and therefore may not find a place in rapid environment impact assessments when a project is proposed. In fact, the range of such frogs revealed by newer methods such as DNA bar coding has not been suiciently documented, as scientists from the University of Delhi, the University of Peradeniya and the Gettysburg College in the United States who studied the dancing frog point out. It is therefore vital that the habitat of amphibians in the Western Ghats, a unique part of the world that has landscapes ranging from scrub to evergreen forests, be given utmost protection as scientists document its richness. If amphibians are considered indicators of the health of ecosystems, their fate around the world is cause for worry. Of about 7,300 known species, a third are threatened and their populations are declining owing to habitat destruction, chemical pollution, climate change, disease and invasive species, among other factors. In the Western Ghats the threat level is high for an estimated 40 per cent of amphibian species, even as more are being discovered. Deficiency of data for a third of the frogs and related species here highlights the need for continuous and intensive research. In the case of the ancient purple frog from the same region, which surprised the world with its unusual appearance, colour and small size when it was described a dozen years ago, there is a persistent threat in the form of excessive hunting of tadpoles by tribals for food. Fortunately, the eforts of scientists to explain the uniqueness of such animals is beginning to yield results, and tribal communities are willing to consider alternatives to mass capture during the breeding seasons. It is this rich diversity that the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel led by Madhav Gadgil recognised, and sought, correctly, to protect from unsustainable human pressures. Frogs may not have the charismatic stature of many bigger animals, but often they are the keystones that hold together the arch of life represented by several diverse animals.

move freely between West Asia and Europe. They had also made full use of the easy facility of moving between Belgium and France. All this suggests that the arc of the IS’s growth has reached a stage where it has become a real threat to Europe.

M.K. Narayanan is a former National Security Adviser and former Governor of West Bengal.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Mallya’s settlement offer With business tycoon Vijay Mallya now ofering to pay Rs.4,000 crore as partial settlement of what he owes to a consortium of banks, the issue has reached a crucial stage (“Mallya ofers to pay Rs.4,000 cr. to banks”, March 31). The banks in question have evidently committed a series of gross blunders in extending such huge amounts to his businesses. In trying to realise these amounts, one is sure that bank oicials will have to cross a legion of legal hurdles in the courts of various countries. It is the people’s money that is at stake now and it has to be seen how the remainder of the sums due will be recovered. M. Somasekhar Prasad, Badvel, Andhra Pradesh

The ofer seems to be a last-ditch efort by the beleaguered business baron to bring things under some control. The term “compromise proposal” seems applicable to such an ofer especially when banks in question are beginning to realise that they are in no position to recover the full amount. If the industrialist has the suicient wherewithal to clear all his dues, if one considers his additional Rs.2000 crore ofer, there is no reason why banks should settle for a much lesser amount and let him of the hook. C.V. Aravind, Bengaluru

The discounted ofer is shocking and widely in contrast to the assurances of the Finance Minister that every penny due will be recovered. There should be no dangerous precedent set which will result in far-reaching consequences for the financial health of the banks that are afected. Kshirasagara Balaji Rao, Hyderabad

It is quixotic to see the Kingfisher Airlines chairman setting terms. He has no right to claim immunity from

Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.

the long arm of the law with his posturing that the atmosphere in India is too vitiated for him to return. Has he forgotten the damage he has caused to the balance sheets of many a public sector bank with his reckless borrowing? It is public money that was lent and the people have every right to know what is happening. The media should not be content with reporting this particular case alone and must bring all such cases of the wilful default of bank loans by corporate entities into the public domain. J. Anantha Padmanabhan, Tiruchi

It is unfortunate that the businessman can now sit in a foreign land and dictate terms about how much to pay back, especially when small borrowers like farmers are threatened with dire consequences when they default on payments. The way the episode has progressed shows that our banks appear to be partial towards the rich and the famous. When the big sharks are allowed to evade income tax in the crores, it is the helpless salaried class that is being targeted for the submission of returns. The media too does not highlight these glaring disparities. J. Eden Alexander, Thanjavur

Being on the right side Actor-turned-politician M.G. Ramachandran always felt that people’s welfare came before political interests. He believed that cordial relations with the Centre irrespective of party ailiation fetched dividends for the State (“Never fight with Delhi”, March 31). Such a broad-minded attitude is lacking in present-day political parties which have perfected the art of criticising the Central government for all their follies and failures. Bhanamma Aravinda Bai, Hyderabad

The way recent political events

have unfolded undermines the call for “cooperative federalism” that the Prime Minister made. First we had Governors being replaced which has then followed by certain State governments being replaced. Ironically, this year, we are about to observe the 125th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, who wanted certain Articles to be a “dead letter”. Is it too much to expect our politicians to abjure from resorting to unfair means to gain power? Arvind Singh Chauhan, Salooni, Himachal Pradesh

We all like yes-men around us. Dissent for us is dissidence. We are taught to obey the top as the boss is always right. To be in his good books is the wisest way to weather life. Feudalism is better than federalism. One only has to look at the Congress to see how “it is my way or no way” has become the motto and slogan of many a political party. State Chief Ministers who meekly toe the high command’s line survive with ease in comparison to those who stick to “vain” principles. Once when the head of the largest networked bank in India expressed his dissent over entertaining an unviable private proposal, the Minister told him, “Look, I may be in power for only another three years. But remember I can spoil your career of over thirty years.” Sivamani Vasudevan, Chennai

Discretion may be the better part of valour but the fact is that no selfrespecting Chief Minister will bow to the diktats and unreasonable demands of the Centre. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran did not take on the Centre as he wanted a fairly free run for his State. His genial nature might have helped him politically but independent-minded Chief Ministers like Jyoti Basu, Ramakrishna Hegde and N.T. Rama Rao were certainly not at the beck and call of the Centre and always held on to their views and opinions.

MGR’s logic of “never fight with Delhi” cannot be applicable to every political party. N.T. Rama Rao, incidentally a veteran actor just like MGR, focussed on the self-respect of the State and fought the Congress on many an occasion. The Telugu Desam could well be the only regional party in the south which challenged the mighty Centre.

shanty town. Is this what we want for the economic capital of our country? Third, with fast growing numbers of migrants, can we really demand that the city administration provide them health services, education, piped water, sanitation and everything else that it is barely able to provide for the existing population? It is imperative that we argue instead for slums in central areas to go and satellite towns be created so that the lakhs of people “who keep the city moving” can come into work every day. This is done efectively in cities like Tokyo.

N.S. Praveen, Vijayawada

Malathi Chidambaram, Bengaluru

The country dearly wants such Chief Ministers who command respect. C.G. Kuriakose, Kothamangalam, Kerala

Women judges and judiciary The anguish expressed by former judge of the Madras High Court Prabha Sridevan over the inadequate representation of women jurists in the Indian judiciary is understandable (“Judiciary, an old boys’ club”, March 30). As one who has served in senior positions in the banking industry, I can say that most of my women oicers have proved to be as highly responsible and diligent, if not better, as their male counterparts in executing work entrusted to them. This was especially reflected in data and numbers, the backbone of banking. I am sure that this approach to work should also apply to women jurists. Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai

On the margins While one decries the conditions in Deonar, I have a few questions for the writer (“On the margins in a city of dreams”, March 31). How does he justify rural migrants occupying prime land in Mumbai as squatters when the urban Mumbaikar in the same or adjoining areas has to shell out crores of rupees to buy land there? Second, given that there is drought and scarcity in villages, and migrants are continuously pouring in looking for work, the city is bound to turn into a vast, heaving

Our unsustainable model of development not only creates tonnes of garbage that degrade the environment but also pushes a large number of people to live in abysmal conditions. The city-centred development followed by elite India since Independence has ruined more or less sustainable village economies. The key must be to revive our villages. Sukumaran C.V., Palakkad

Employment growth The report that job growth in India is slowing down should not surprise anyone as it is the expected fallout of the policies being pursued by successive governments since the 1990s in the name of globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation (“Employment growth slows to sixyear low”, March 31). Such policies and programmes have only increased the personal wealth of a privileged few who also wield great and disproportionate influence in politics. Growth will sufer a serious setback in the absence of a solid domestic market which is dependent on spending power as well as employment. Even with limited legal protection for organised labour, employers are still able to have their way. A.G. Rajmohan, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh ND-ND

PERSPECTIVE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

HOMELAND

Nasty surprises in the sky JOSY JOSEPH

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Who will heal our drug industry? There has been little done by either the influential pharmaceutical industry or the government to improve the quality of medicines sold in less-regulated markets like India DINESH S. THAKUR

Seif Eldin Mustafa, the 59-year-old lovelorn individual who hijacked Egypt Air flight MS181 from Alexandria to Cairo early this week, may have provided a rare comical interlude to the bloody history of aircraft hijacking, which enjoys disproportionate global attention. Terrorists, political activists, and even pilots themselves have used acts of air piracy to grab global attention, ensure the release of dreaded terrorists and get their other demands met. However, the growing trend in recent years — of terrorists crashing the plane — has resulted in a new level of threat that cannot be countered fully through metal detectors and body scanners alone. The popularity of suicide terrorism among extremist movements has ensured that air travel is no longer what it once was. On September 11, 2001 when 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked American Airlines flights 11 and 77, and United Airlines flights 175 and 93, airline hijacking entered this new deadly era. The hijacking was diferent from the earlier ones for several reasons. One, the terrorists took control of the flights and flew them, unlike most other incidents in which pilots are forced to fly according to the hijackers’ demands. Two, unlike in the past when hijackers used passengers as hostages to make demands, the four planes were used as flying missiles. Only one missed the target — flight 93 that crashed to the ground when passengers and crew resisted the terrorists who probably were flying to the While House or the Capitol Hill. With the death of around 3,000 The air terrorism of people, it was not just the deadliest hijacking episode since airplanes took to the skies recent years has more than a century ago, but also changed thrown up a new the nature of hijacking itself, giving it a level of threat that deadly twist. Within years of the birth of aviation, sin- cannot be countered ister minds figured out that the act of hijacking in the air has great impact, far more fully through metal than such acts anywhere else. A couple of hundred people dying in an air crash will detectors and body grab more media and public attention than scanners alone same number dying on ground. This could well be linked to human fascination with air travel. Starting in 1931, there have been innumerable hijackings, some of them attributed to purely personal reasons. In one of the biggest mysteries, in 1971 a hijacker of a Boeing 727 flight collected a ransom of $200,000 and parachuted out of the plane, never to be arrested. Many of the hijackings were for political reasons. Of all those incidents, the memory of one endures in public imagination — that of the hijacking of an Air France plane flying from Tel Aviv to Paris in 1976. The plane was taken to the Entebbe airport in Uganda, with the hijackers demanding the release of a total of 53 pro-Palestinian prisoners. Israel began negotiations but ended it with a daring commando raid. The Israel Defence Force sent 190 commandos and 10 vehicles in four transport aircrafts, under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu, a veteran of many commando raids. He became a national hero following his death in the raid, and ultimately, his heroism helped his brother Benjamin, who is now the Israeli Prime Minister, to build a flourishing political career. Palestine militants have struck closer home, when they hijacked Pan AM flight 73 at Karachi on September 5, 1986. The hijacking ended in the death of 22 people, including Neerja Bhanot. South Asia has seen its fair share of hijacking for political reasons. One of the most bewildering of them took place on August 20, 1971, when Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman, attempting to escape Pakistan to join Bangladesh’s Liberation War, hijacked a T-33 trainer aircraft, after knocking down Pilot Oicer Rashid Minhas, still under training, on the front seat. Rahman flew towards India. Minhas regained conscious soon and fought back. The plane crashed very close the Indian border. Minhas was awarded Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military gallantry award of Pakistan and remains its only Air Force winner of the honour till date. Rahman was given Bir Sreshtha, the highest gallantry award of Bangladesh, and his remains were brought back to Dhaka in 2006 to a heroic welcome. Hijackings, however, do not always produce heroes. In 1999, Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked on December 24 and taken to Kandahar, where on December 31, India had to release three dreaded militants in exchange for the safe release of passengers. No one at that time could have imagined how long the ghost of that New Year’s Eve would haunt Indian politics. Many terror attacks — including the one the one on Pathankot airbase on January 2 — have been executed by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a terror group that Maulana Masood Azhar founded after his release. Azhar was one of the three militants released following the IC 814 hijacking. Of the other two, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh went on to kill journalist Daniel Pearl and others. Despite India’s many encounters with hijacking, airlines and airports here have recorded an impressive track record of late. There has not been a single hijacking incident in recent years. In the wake of the 1999 incident, India has taken a very tough anti-hijacking stance, averring that it will not negotiate with hijackers and making provision for the death penalty. However, given the fact that airplanes remain a crucial element of human progress and travel, and given the penchant of a new generation of terrorists to give up their lives so easily, it is time to discuss better ways of ensuring safer air travel. After all, those who want to make trouble do not even need to smuggle in weapons onboard. [email protected]

FROM THE ARCHIVES (dated April 1, 1966)

P.M. calls for liberal foreign aid India’s Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, strongly commended to the aid giving countries last night [March 30, New York] the policy of giving assistance to India on a scale that would promote an early selfgenerating growth rather than the self-defeating policy of giving too little. Addressing over 1,000 top American industrialists,

businessmen and financiers assembled at the Economic Club, the Prime Minister reiterated the Indian policy of encouraging private investment and promised to consider measures for rationalisation and simplification of procedures for operating controls. The Indian Premier was repeatedly cheered by the hardboiled American businessmen who were as much charmed by her as by her answers.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS >>“Why Chhattisgarh wants this researcher out” (March 30, 2016) erroneously said Bellamlendra village is in Sukma district. It should have been Bijapur district. It is the policy of The Hindu to correct significant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page. The Readers’ Editor’s oice can be contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday); Fax: +91-44-28552963; E-mail:[email protected] Mail: Readers’ Editor, The Hindu, Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860 Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002, India. All communication must carry the full postal address and telephone number. No personal visits. The Terms of Reference for the Readers’ Editor are on www.thehindu.com CM YK

On March 11, the Supreme Court dismissed two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) that I had filed praying for an urgent reform of India’s drug regulatory framework. Both PILs were part of an efort that I personally funded and led for the last two and a half years. The motivation for both PILs came directly from my experience as a whistleblower in the Ranbaxy case. The data fabrication and duplicity that I discovered at Ranbaxy led me to resign from the company and report the violation of law to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). That case ended with penalties of $500 million on Ranbaxy and, more importantly, led to an increased scrutiny by the USFDA and other foreign regulators. This also resulted in a heightened focus on quality-related issues within the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Unfortunately, the entire focus on improving quality has been targeted at only those manufacturing facilities that make products for export to lucrative Western markets. There has been little done by either the industry or the government to improve the quality of medicines sold in lessregulated markets like India — and its poorer neighbours in Asia and in Africa.

ILLUSTRATION: DEEPAK HARICHANDAN

What we discovered was alarming because the issue was worse than I had ever imagined. Successive reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had found an alarmingly high rate of substandard medicines being prescribed in Negative health outcomes publicly-funded programmes like the As an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), it Central Government Health Scheme alarmed me that substandard medicines (CGHS) and places like the Railway Hoswere causing negative health outcomes, pitals and the Armed Forces Medical an increasing antibiotic resistance and a Stores Depots (AFMSD). The CAG’s audit waste of public money. I initially tried ap- report of the AFMSD, which serves our proaching the government to highlight the Armed Forces Personnel and their famissues. In 2014, I managed to secure a ilies, showed the percentage of locally promeeting with the then Health Minister. He cured substandard drugs at a high 32 per appeared to be uninterested. I then spent cent in one year. A Parliamentary Standing Committee the next two years meeting or trying to meet retired and serving bureaucrats in Report in 2012 had discovered that Euthe Ministry of Health to impress upon ropean companies were selling medicines them the urgent need for reform. The uni- in India that had not been approved in formly consistent answer I received com- their home countries, or, for that matter, in prised an advice to approach the Supreme any developed country. A subsequent reCourt through a PIL. I was told that the port noted that the Ministry of Health had pharmaceutical industry is politically ve- failed to investigate the oicials who ry powerful and has used its influence in granted such ‘illegal’ approvals despite the the past to block reforms initiated by the Ministry giving a written commitment to government. As a result, I re-focussed my Parliament. The story of ignored recommendations energies on working with a team of lawyers to lay the ground work for the PILs repeated itself in the case of the Expert Committee headed by Dr. V.M. Katoch in that were heard earlier this month. This was a diicult, expensive and time- 2012 and another Expert Committee headconsuming process. There are no academ- ed by Dr. Ranjit Roy Chaudhury in 2013. ic bodies or think tanks which have re- The latter had recommended making searched the issues with focus on India’s mandatory basic quality testing such as drug regulatory framework. bioequivalence studies for all generic In the last few months, we embarked on drugs. The Drug Consultative Committee a massive research exercise, which in- (DCC) rejected the recommendation on volved trawling through numerous gov- the grounds that India apparently lacked ernment reports, filing over 125 Right to the infrastructure. In the same breath, it Information (RTI) applications and ex- encouraged such testing for exports betracting information from diferent state cause countries like the U.S. will not acregulators on the manner of enforcement cept any drug formulation which is not of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. proven bioequivalent.

The effects of such substandard drugs include a growing antibiotic resistance and the birth of deadly superbugs This consistent pattern of the government ignoring recommendations by its own experts is mirrored in the enforcement of India’s existing, already weak, drug regulations. We found that investigations conduced by drug inspectors in individual States were mostly a sham since they lacked the necessary resources to coordinate their activities across diferent States. Often, the manufacturer would be located in Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand and the substandard drug would be sold in States like Karnataka or Maharashtra. Only a minority of such cases resulted in a prosecution. Even in those cases, judges wilfully ignored the mandatory sentencing provisions of at least one year of imprisonment, preferring instead a “simple imprisonment till the rising of the court”. This allowed the convicted person to walk free as soon as the judge rose for the day. Monetary fines were in a lenient five-digit range for products worth lakhs or crores. After a comprehensive study, it was clear to us that the system was dysfunctional at every stage. What made matters worse was that even States like Tamil Nadu, where the drug inspectors are of a high calibre, could do little to stop the flooding in of substandard drugs from Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand. This is because only the governments in the respective States can cancel the licences of the erring drug manufacturers located there. We discovered that

expert committees — beginning in the year 1955 — have repeatedly recommended that licensing be made centralised. Further, two legislative eforts in 2007 and 2013 to centralise such regulations failed because of sabotage by the Indian pharmaceutical industry. The PILs I filed ofered the best chance to start with a clean slate. As we see from the arguments being profered by the industry to challenge the ban on the Fixed Dose Combinations in the Delhi High Court, it is a daunting process to reform the system. And the matter before the court is only a small slice of the bigger problem. There is complicity in the creation of this dysfunctional system amongst all levels of the oicial machinery and the current regulatory framework is riddled with holes. The efects of substandard medicines and poor drug regulations that lead to their sale are similar to the efects of climate change. They are diicult to quantify and sometimes hard to prove but this is certainly not a mere academic issue. Apart from a failure to cure diseases, the efects of such substandard drugs include growing antibiotic resistance and the birth of deathly superbugs. The long-term efects will be devastating to public health, especially to the poor and vulnerable. Keeping in mind the catastrophe substandard medicines pose to the health of my family, my friends and my fellow citizens, I approached both the government and the Supreme Court of India for justice. Unfortunately, the Honourable Court declined to hear my plea. Where do I go now to seek reforms to this dysfunctional system? Dinesh S. Thakur is the Executive Chairman of Medassure Global Compliance Corporation.

The promise of cricket’s Afghan spring Afghanistan played cricket in the World Cup that was at times brilliant. The game cannot aford to have Test-playing nations shut the door on them till the next ICC event one-day games against Nepal in the World Cricket League and one more four-day game against Afghanistan,” a crestfallen captain, Peter Borren, said later. “That is pretty much the schedule for the rest of the year. It’s three more games this year, which is Associate cricket in a nutshell.” Preston Mommsen, the Scotland captain, made a similar plea for more exposure. “Since the 2015 World Cup I have played in one ODI match… in 12 months,” he said after defeat to Zimbabwe. “So, you tell me how I’m going to improve my skills and develop as a cricketer.”

SHREEDUTTA CHIDANANDA

When they returned home from the ICC World T20 on Tuesday, Afghanistan’s cricketers were welcomed like heroes. In Kabul, large crowds gathered at the airport and along the city’s streets, waving flags, cheering and dancing. “The whole country has united behind these players,” says former India all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar, now Afghanistan’s bowling coach. “Everyone has been swept up in the excitement.” After three narrow losses in the Super 10 stage of the World T20, Afghanistan defeated the West Indies by six runs in Nagpur on Easter Sunday. It was the nation’s first victory in international cricket over a major team, a Test-playing side other than Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Number one sport Cricket has been popular for some time in Afghanistan. Its captain Asghar Stanikzai remarked two weeks ago in Kolkata that cricket is the number one sport in his country. In Second XI: Cricket In Its Outposts, published last year, Tim Wigmore writes of the celebrations following Afghanistan’s qualification for the 2015 World Cup. “One of the army commanders came to congratulate the team,” he quotes Dr. Noor Muhammad, the then chief executive of the Afghan Cricket Board, as saying. “He told me that it was the first time that both the Taliban side and our side were shooting, but not at each other. There was shooting in the air to celebrate the success of the Afghanistan national team.” But Afghanistan’s performance at the 2016 World T20 is more than just a heartwarming tale of plucky men from a troubled land; nor is it just about the win over the West Indies, an opponent that may be accused of having taken its foot of the gas at that stage. Stanikzai’s side ran Sri Lanka and England close — and with a little more refinement could have beaten both — and delivered South Africa a brief but definite scare. For a cricket team that played its first international tournament only in 2004 (the ACC Trophy in Malaysia), this is development at breakneck speed. Last month in India, the Afghans played cricket that was at times brilliant — Sta-

FORMIDABLE ASSOCIATE SIDE: Afghanistan’s players celebrate after the fall of a West Indies wicket in Nagpur, en route to a historic victory in the ICC World T20 match. For a cricket team that played its first international tournament only in 2004, the country’s performance in the series amounts to development at breakneck speed. — PHOTO: AFP

More games against the ICC’s Test teams are needed if cricket has to grow in Associate member countries like Afghanistan nikzai’s half-century against Sri Lanka and Mohammad Shahzad’s unrestrained assault on South Africa — but there was a method, a plan to things, even if the fielding was a little shabby. “Earlier, they used to play for fun,” says Prabhakar. “They were not answerable for their performances. Now they have become answerable. Inzy bhai [Inzamamul-Haq, the coach] and I wanted to ensure that.” Late last year, the Afghanistan team shifted base to Noida after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex is the team’s ‘home ground’ now; Prabhakar believes it is the start of something good.

One of the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s 38 associate members, Afghanistan has done well to get this far, but more games against the ICC’s 10 Full Member (Test-playing) teams are essential if it has to grow further. How this will be achieved is the big question. It is a question that hangs over Associate cricket as a whole. Since its first limited-overs international in April 2009, Afghanistan has played only 18 more against the “top eight”. And only six of those games have come outside World Cups and World T20s. “They haven’t got that many opportunities to play against big teams,” Inzamam said in Nagpur. “But they have talent, passion… everything.” Indeed, the format of the World T20 itself was not kind to Associate teams, who, after having played six matches in the Qualifier tournament last year, had to compete in the ‘First Round’ here for the two spots in the Super 10. In the case of the Netherlands, a year’s hard work was rendered meaningless after an eight-run defeat to Bangladesh and the abandonment of its second fixture. “We’ve got two more

Commercial considerations There are commercial considerations here, and it is not easy to get the world’s top sides, groaning under the weight of too much cricket already, to squeeze more into their calendars. It is also worthwhile to ask how much public interest there would be in a full-fledged series between, say, Australia and Scotland. Associate teams are expected to dominate competitions at their level first as Afghanistan did this last winter, winning 10 of 14 limitedovers encounters with Zimbabwe. (The failure to qualify for the main draw of the Asia Cup may be regarded as a blip.) A first step could be for Associate sides to play reserve teams of major nations on a regular basis (and not occasionally). But cricket risks stunting its own growth if an efort is not made to spread the game wider and deeper. The 2007 World Cup had 16 teams; 2011 and 2015 had 14; the next edition is slated to have 10. The World T20, thus far a biennial event, will hereafter be staged once every four years. There is an argument to be made for restricting an elite competition to the best sides, but in the absence of much bilateral cricket between Associate and top Full Member teams, such news is disheartening. Last year, Japan produced one of the greatest upsets in rugby history after stunning South Africa at the World Cup. The presence of the Japanese side had an undeniably uplifting efect on the tournament. Afghanistan’s players have accomplished something similar here, endearing themselves to Indian crowds with their earnestness and free-spirited nature. Cricket cannot aford to shut the door on them; it cannot aford to go stale. [email protected] ND-ND

NEWS

14 | FROM PAGE ONE

their way to the Bhusaras camp. He thought the attack to be the handiwork of the Katekalyan area committee of the Maoists. “It was either Maoist commander Deva or Jagdish. It’s their area. Two Maoists were in uniform and the others were in plainclothes. Around 15-20 Maoists were present on the spot. The driver of the CRPF vehicle was alive even after the explosion and was shot dead by the Maoists. We found AK-47 bullets at the spot. The CRPF men had no weapons, so the Maoists sprayed bullets,” he added. “The IED was meant either for an anti-landmine vehicle or a big truck, not for the vehicle which was targeted on Wednesday. The CRPF men were not specific targets. But the Maoists’ tactical counterofensive campaign (TCOC) is now going on, and they are desperate to reach their targets. Whether the security men were armed or not does not matter to the ultras. The TCOC targets are treated as

an inspiration for the lower Maoist cadre,” the oicer said. He was sceptical of the “surprise and secret movement” being compromised by an intelligence leak. He said the vehicle could have been “identified by many in the area and had been frequently visiting CRPF camps. You cannot keep a vehicle hidden in this area. The lapse was definitely a stop at a marketplace… Although they were in plainclothes and without any weapons, it is easy to identify the security men from their physique,” claimed the oicer. The Malewara market on the Dantewada-Sukma road has not seen any Maoist violence in the past three years. Meanwhile, the Union government said Maoist violence had significantly dropped over the last several months, and this was their first big strike in 2016. Based on oicial figures, oicials maintained that in 2015, Maoist violence was the lowest in six years.

Fresh allegations against Pachauri She added that from the beginning she “noted a big difference in the way Pachauri behaved around me, compared to how other Indian men behaved with me”. “Pachauri would put his hands on my waist repeated times, he would hug me longer than felt comfortable, kissed me on the cheek and inquired about my private life. I started feeling insecure about his motives for hiring me, and felt extremely uncomfortable being around him,” read the email. The woman also claimed

that Mr. Pachauri used to call her during non-working hours and on holidays and “and on arriving (in oice) it became evident that he had no specific task for me”. “The tipping point came when he said that I should join him in his summer house outside of the city for the weekend. It would have just been him and me there, since he made it very clear that his wife was out of town. At this point I felt genuinely scared of what his motives for inviting me over were, and I decided to speak out and set a

firm limit,” she wrote. The woman also said that when she spoke about her experience she found out from many sources that this was nothing new and Mr. Pachauri had been involved in many similar situations. “My contract, which was for a period of 1 year, was abruptly terminated after a period of just 4 months. I felt very relieved that I would not have to face Pachauri’s sexual harassment any longer. I left New Delhi a few weeks after this and returned to Europe,’’ she wrote.

India opts not to join terror database tions from Indian intelligence agencies. “It has been taken of from the agenda,” said a senior oicer privy to the development. On Tuesday, the issue of the terror database was not discussed at all during a preparatory meeting for the Homeland Security Dialogue attended by Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Depart-

ment of Homeland Security Alan Bersin and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Afairs M. Gopal Reddy. The U.S. has already finalised such agreements with 30 countries. The database includes name of the terror suspect, nationality, date of birth, photos, finger prints (if any), and passport number.

Call drops within 2% limit, telcos tell SC LEGAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Cellular operators

on Thursday questioned the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) move to penalise them with the new call drops regulations when they had never exceeded the two per cent margin for errors fixed by the telecom regulator. “Telecom service providers have never crossed the threshold limit of two per cent call drop and TRAI cannot adopt a policy of zero tolerance of penalising for every call drop. The telecom regular cannot

ED files first charge sheet in Saradha scam INDRANI DUTTA KOLKATA: Just when everyone

was wondering whether the Saradha probe was being softpedalled, the Enforcement Directorate filed its first charge sheet, four days before West Bengal goes to the polls. The ED filed a criminal complaint under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 against the former Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Srinjoy Bose, a former Minister Matang Sinh and his estranged wife and Saradha chief Sudipta Sen, besides six others. All those accused in the complaint, have either been arrested by the ED or the CBI, according to a press release. The charge sheet was filed before a designated PMLA Court here. Sudipta Sen’s wife and son have also been named in the charge sheet which has also named 11 companies that belong to the accused persons. The release said that properties with a market value of over Rs. 500 crore have been attached by the ED. These are located in West Bengal, Assam, New Delhi, U.P. and Maharashtra. CM YK

levy penalty through regulations,” senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) submitted in the Supreme Court. A Bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton Nariman is hearing a challenge posed by the COAI to TRAI's controversial Telecom Consumers Protection (9th Amendment) Regulations, 2015. The regulations make telcos liable to compensate consumers for call drops from January 2016. Mr. Sibal said the regulations were sheer “populism”

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

Focus on safeguards framework To be attended by PM Modi and U.S. President Obama, the meet will finalise five action plans VARGHESE K. GEORGE WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the U.S. capital to attend the twoday Nuclear Security Summit (NSS), an initiative of President Barack Obama to coordinate international efforts to prevent terror organisations from acquiring nuclear weapons or material. The summit will have leaders from more than 50 countries and four international organisations — the European Union, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Interpol, and the U.N. India will circulate its national progress report on nuclear security Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Indian community measures at the summit and outside his hotel in Washington on Thursday. — PHOTO: PTI Prime Minister Modi will make an intervention during the next U.S. President to other as a Nuclear Security the plenary on April 1. The convene more summits in the Contact Group. summit begins with a ban- coming years, this year’s Some experts have pointed quet hosted by Mr Obama on summit will conclude with out that the fragmentation of Thursday. the formation of five action eforts going forward may unSince the first NSS in 2010, plans on existing internation- do the gains made by these international measures have al platforms that will contin- summits. But the hope is that reduced the risk of nuclear ue with the nuclear security the annual ministerial meettheft and made the illicit eforts. ings of the IAEA that started transportation of nuclear The International Atomic last year, will make nuclear material diicult. Energy Agency (IAEA), the security part of its top agenAround 3800 kg of vulner- INTERPOL, the U.N., the da.The second IAEA minisable fissile material has been Global Partnership Against terial meeting is in December secured and 329 sea and air- the Spread of Weapons and 2016. ports around the world now Materials of Mass Destrucscan cargo for radioactivity. tion, and the Global Initiative India vulnerable But the spectre of terror- to Combat Nuclear TerrorIndia is a source of nuclear ism has only grown bigger in ism will coordinate the global material and a potential tarthe meantime as the Islamic cooperation on nuclear secu- get of nuclear terrorism. State has more resolve and rity. After this year’s summit, While India takes pride in the resources to seek a nuclear the network of sherpas, or the security of its nuclear instalweapon than Al-Qaeda ever expert oicials from diferent lations, ‘orphan sources’ i.e had. countries, who have been devices with radioactive mahelping their leaders prepare terials outside regulatory and Contact group for these summits, will con- security measures could While it will be open for tinue to coordinate with each pose serious risks. According

on the government's part. In the maiden hearing of the case on March 17, the senior advocate had argued that the very fact that the TRAI gave two percent margin for errors meant it accepted the inevitability of call drops. “So now how can they push us with these regulations?” Mr. Sibal had asked. Additional Solicitor General P.S. Narasimha, for TRAI, said he would in due course address the Bench on TRAI’s stand to the court's query as to whether the telecom regulator would consider amending the regulations.

WASHINGTON: India has a very important role to play in securing nuclear weapons and nuclear materials, said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. “India has a long record of being a leader, of being responsible,” Mr Kerry said, after a meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, at the

State Department ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the summit on Thursday and Friday. “..India has a very important role to play with respect to responsible stewardship of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials. India has a long record of being a leader, of being responsible, and it

Pakistan team wraps up its probe in India NATIONAL BUREAU NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s Joint In-

vestigation Team (JIT), which was here to probe the Pathankot terror strike, wrapped up its investigations on Thursday. The team will leave for Pakistan on Friday. On Thursday, the JIT recorded statements of 13 witnesses, including former Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh, whose vehicle was snatched by the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists to reach the Pathankot Airbase. The JIT recorded the statements of witnesses through

the National Investigation Agency (NIA). They were not allowed to directly question the witnesses, as per protocol, said an NIA oicial. The JIT had asked NIA to hand over swabs of four terrorists identified as Nasir Hussain (Punjab province), Abu Bakar, (Gujranwala), Umar Farooq and Abdul Qayum (both from Sindh). However, the Indian antiterror probe agency handed over to the visitors the DNA report of the terrorists and asked them to match those with their family members.

is particularly important right now at a time when we see in the region some choices being made that may accelerate possible arms construction, which we have serious questions about…” Mr Kerry said. “We’ve raised them with various partners in the region. So our hope is that this Nuclear Security Summit will contribute to

to a recent report by the Washington DC-based Nuclear Threat Initiative, India also has groups that want to acquire nuclear material. The report that ranked India low in nuclear security measures, cited corruption as a key reason that could compromise its nuclear facilities. The government of India does not take this report seriously, but U.S. oicials repeatedly cite it to make various points. “India’s nuclear materials’ security conditions could be improved by strengthening laws and regulations for on-site physical protection, control and accounting, and mitigating the insider threat, and ensuring protection of materials during transport is in line with IAEA guidance,” the report said.

Russian absence The strained relations between the U.S. and Russia has led to the latter skipping the summit. U.S. and Russia are two countries that have the largest nuclear stockpiles and the best experience in dealing with them. Their disagreements could limit the prospects of the international cooperation on the issue. The U.S. oicials who said they were disappointed by the Russian decision, however, pointed out that cooperation between the two countries continues despite the tension. They point to the fact that Russia took the responsibility to remove the highly enriched uranium from Iran recently, is cooperating on the New START Treaty and has removed 1,300 tons of chemical weapons from Syria in recent years.

KALLOL BHATTACHERJEE NEW DELHI: A war of words broke out between Pakistan and Iran on Thursday after Islamabad asked Tehran to hand over details of the arrested former Indian Navy oicer, accused of sabotage and terrorism by Pakistan. Pakistan’s demands from Iran follows the March 27 “video confession” by the purported Indian citizen who claimed that he was based in the Iranian port of Chabahar and wanted to disrupt the port facilities in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. On Thursday, the Pakistani media reported the Minis-

CPI(M) delegation meets minorities panel chief

KAVITA UPADHYAY

NATIONAL BUREAU

DEHRADUN: Former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, on his return from New Delhi, told the media here on Thursday that the nine Congress rebels who stood against former Chief Minister Harish Rawat on March 18 were ready for a battle with him. “We are not standing behind Harish Rawat, we are arrayed against him,” Mr. Bahuguna said. The nine rebels voted against the Appropriation Bill in the Assembly on March 18, which finally led to the dislodging of the Harish Rawatled Congress government in the State. Mr. Bahuguna and Mr. Rawat were rivals from the time the former was made Chief Minister in 2012. Mr. Rawat, after two years of trying to dislodge Mr. Bahuguna, had finally replaced him as Chief Minister in February 2013. Currently, Mr. Bahuguna is among the nine who revolted against the Rawat government. With the current political and legal issues the Congress and the BJP are facing, there was speculation on whether the nine would wish to return to the party. Clarifying the stance of the “rebels,” Mr. Ba-

NEW DELHI: A CPI(M) delega-

Rebel Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna and his colleagues addressing the media at his residence in Dehradun on Thursday. — PHOTO:PTI

tion has submitted a memorandum to the National Commission for Minorities chairperson Naseem Ahmad demanding his intervention in the recent incident of assault on three Muslim students in Ramesh Enclave, Delhi. They were reportedly forced to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans. Mr Ahmed is believed to have expressed his concern over the incident and assured the delegation members that appropriate action

would be taken. The delegation comprised CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat and two other CPI (M) leaders. Condemning the incident as a ‘hate crime’, the memorandum said a delegation of the party’s Delhi State Committee had met the three injured students. It alleged that the incident was “motivated by hostility towards minorities” and blamed leaders of the ruling BJP party at the Centre for creating an atmosphere for such crimes to occur.

jante hain [We toppled a government intentionally and we are aware of the consequences of our actions].”

Custody of Bhujbal, nephew extended till April 13

‘Single-man army’ Mr. Bahuguna said Mr. Rawat was a “single-man army.” “An obsession with power is bad and Harish Rawat has lost friends, leaders, party workers as a result of his obsession.” Stating that the nine MLAs were still deciding on their future course of action, Mr. Bahuguna said, “We stood for the betterment of Uttarakhand and when it is about Uttarakhand then relationships or political parties don’t matter.”

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT MUMBAI: The judicial custody of former Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and nephew Sameer, arrested in a money laundering case, has been extended to April 13 by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Thursday. Bhujbal, currently lodged in Arthur Road jail, deposed via video conference. He told the

everybody’s understanding about our global responsibilities and choices,” he said, in an oblique reference to Pakistan’s deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons. The U.S. has repeatedly said battlefield deployments make nuclear weapons vulnerable to theft and sabotage and has called upon Pakistan to desist from the move. Pakistan has turned down

the U.S. request. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was scheduled to participate in the summit, cancelled his visit after the Easter Sunday terror strike in Lahore. Mr Doval said Mr. Modi was “deeply interested in seeing and ensuring that the safety and security of the radioactive material must be ensured.”

Iran-Pak. spar over arrested Indian

Uttarakhand rebels rule out return to Congress party

huguna said there were no intentions of return to the Congress. “We have come too far,” he said. The nine MLAs were recently disqualified by the Uttarakhand Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal. They have appealed in the High Court against the disqualification, which they called “unconstitutional.” A hearing on it is scheduled for April 1. Stating that he was aware of the consequences of their rebellion, Mr. Bahuguna said, “We took a political step. Ek sarkar giraee hai; jaan boojh ke giraae hai, uske consequences kya hote hain ham

Security experts have identified at least four types of specific threats that terror outfits pose. These groups could acquire a nuclear SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT weapon from the arsenal of a nuclear state; they could acWASHINGTON: Indian officials have quire enough fissile material indicated that Mr. Modi would have a to construct an improvised series of bilateral meetings with other nuclear device — this knowworld leaders on the sidelines of the how exists outside governNuclear Security Summit, but only one ments too; they could acquire — with Prime Minister John Key of radioactive material from ciNew Zealand — has been announced. vilian sources such as hospiDiplomatic sources did not rule out the tals or university laboratories possibility of a bilateral meeting with that could be mixed with conPresident Obama but no details of ventional explosives to make other meetings that Mr. Modi may a radioactive dispersal device have on his first day in Washington or ‘dirty bomb.’ Terror groups were available. Mr Modi will meet could also sabotage a nuclear scientists from Laser Interferometer facility leading to large-scale Gravitational-wave Observatory also. loss of lives and destruction.

Bilateral talks on the cards

Kerry hails India’s role in securing its nuclear material SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The aim was to sign the pact in the next Homeland Security Dialogue to be attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his U.S. counterpart Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security. However, the proposed agreement has now been dropped from the agenda reportedly due to the objec-

THE HINDU

NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT

CRPF movement leaked to Maoists: Director-General “A civil vehicle was being used, not a CRPF vehicle. It was not a routine movement. Maybe, the Maoists were waiting for some other party, and this particular CRPF party came early and got hit because of some confusion,” Mr. Upadhyay said. Refuting reports of “hacking or mutilation” of the bodies by Maoists, Mr. Upadhyay said: “I have been to the spot and saw the bodies. There was no hacking or mutilation. The Maoists probably wanted to make sure that none of our men was alive so they could snatch their weapons. But there were no weapons with our men.” Mr. Prasad said one of the men “was carrying an aircooler for a CRPF dog which had fallen ill. It was the first posting for at least two of them.” Another senior oicer who has participated in antiMaoist operations in Bastar said the mistake the jawans could have made was to have stopped at a marketplace on

NOIDA/DELHI

court that he sufers from multiple ailments and should be allowed to meet his advocate, Amit Desai, inside the jail without restrictions. Desai filed an application urging the court to allow medicines, home food and a bed for his client keeping in mind the status of his health. He said Bhujbal has undergone angioplasty, has asthma, arthritis, sleep apnoea and that his blood and sugar levels have to be monitored regularly.

try of Foreign Afairs spokesperson saying that Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost has received a formal request to share details of the activities in Chabahar by the Indian and his alleged accomplice, Rakesh alias Rizwan. In response, the Iranian embassy in Islamabad has put out a strongly-worded public statement saying, “The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran believes spreading of such news items is the product of thinking which does not like further expansion of ties between the two countries.” The Iranian statement de-

scribed the reports connecting the arrested Indian with Iran as “undignified and insulting.” However, Pakistan’s spokesperson Nafees Zakaria announced the plan to carry out an international campaign with the help of the “video confession” and prove Indian involvement in terrorist acts being committed on Pakistani soil. The issue of the detained Indian also featured in the press conference addressed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Islamabad last weekend when he rejected that the issue was discussed bilaterally between Pakistan and Iran during his visit.

Bishops wait for word from Sushma to discuss abduction KALLOL BHATTACHERJEE NEW DELHI: Amidst growing uncertainties over the fate of an Indian priest kidnapped in Yemen, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) told The Hindu on Thursday that they have been waiting for five days for a personal meeting with the External Afairs Minister Sushma Sushma Swaraj Swaraj. However, the CBCI informed that a senior oicial sisting Indians stuck in diifrom the PMO has assured cult conditions abroad, has them that the government is faced criticism from Contracking the condition of the gress leader Manish Tewari priest, Father Tom Uzhun- for what he cited as a denalil, who went missing on layed government response March 4 following a brutal in the case of Father Uzhunattack by the IS on a care nalil. On Wednesday, a home run by the Missionar- Twitter row broke out beies of Charity. tween the two when Mr. Te“We are confident that the wari pointed out that the Minister will grant us an op- MEA has not done all it portunity to discuss the sta- could do to help Father Uztus of Father Tom Uzhunna- hunnalil. lil,” Joseph Chinnayyan of In response, Ms. Swaraj CBCI, told The Hindu em- tweeted, “Friends - I have phasising that they were liked some tweets. Please hopeful that Father Uzhun- judge them yourself and renalil was alive despite ru- ply to @manishtewari.” mours about his death circuThe Minister’s response lating in the Web since Good was regarded by Mr. Tewari Friday. as an invite to the governMs. Swaraj, who is known ment’s online supporters to to act promptly in case of as- defend her. ND-ND

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ASSEMBLY POLLS

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THE HINDU FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

2016

The campaign speeches of Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP’s prize catch from the Congress in Assam on election eve, are full of references to identity, land and base

Jati, Mati, Bheti, and Sarma’s invocations of war glory ABDUS SALAM

B

eing a perennial number 2 can be unnerving for many, but not for the convener of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election management committee for the Assam elections. Twenty-three years in the Congress, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s de facto second-in-command and the architect of the party’s three back-to-back victories since 2001, Himanta Biswa Sarma suddenly finds himself on the other side, playing undercard to Sarbananda Sonowal, the man the Bharatiya Janata Party has chosen as its chief ministerial face as it seeks to win Assam for the first time. Mr. Sarma joined the BJP in August 2015, followed by nine Congress MLAs, and was made the campaign committee convener in November. Four months down the line, with Mr. Sonowal having to devote part of his energies to his constituency, Majuli, which goes to the polls in the first it’s Mr. Sarma CAMPAIGN phase, that the BJP’s central TRAIL leadership and candidates are turning to hectic tour for crisis management, feedback and ear-to-the-ground counsel. He is touring first-phase constituencies extensively on a four-seat helicopter exclusively assigned to him, mostly canvassing in Upper Assam but making a few sorties into the Barak Valley as well. Even before we take of from the Khanapara Veterinary Ground, Mr. Sarma is attending a flurry of calls at his Zoo Road residence while letting young-

sters who have gathered around take selfies with him. “Those are doubtful constituencies,” he answers a call from Delhi. On the road after a short-haul flight, in hops Rupak Sharma, the candidate from the Nagaon constituency. He wants a grand rally with BJP’s central leaders, including Smriti Irani, to give his campaign a boost. Grand rallies are fine, Mr. Sarma tells him, but they do not fetch you votes; many turn up merely to see the star campaigners. Focus on the booths, hit the road, connect with as many voters as you can, he adds. “You don’t need to worry about Majuli [constituency], Sarba da,” he tells Mr. Sonowal over the phone after the Nagaon candidate got of en route another chopper ride that will take us to Dhemaji, the site of Mr. Sarma’s first rally. Contours of a speech A modest crowd — including men in dhotis or gamochas, women in mekhela-chador, and even schoolgirls in uniform — has gathered in the middle of a field as the chopper lands in an adjoining makeshift helipad. It’s a sunny morning, bordering on hot, but the crowd gets animated as Mr. Sarma steps out and is escorted to the stage. “This election is an election like no other. There is a man called Badruddin Ajmal [All India United Democratic Front chief] who wants to be CM. In Lower Assam, there are areas whose face has changed in the past 25 years. Borduwa, in Nagaon, is the birthplace of [Assamese Vaishnavite saint-reformer] Srimanta Sankardeva. There was a time when an aspiring

the advancing Mughal Army on the Brahmaputra at Saraighat in AD 1671, he says this election is the last battle of Saraighat, with the BJP, the AGP and the Bodoland People’s Front standing for jati, mati, bheti on one side and the forces of Chief Minister Gogoi, flanked on either side by Mr. Ajmal and Rockybul Hussain (the Minister for Agriculture), on the other.

Supporters greet BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sharma during an election rally in Jorhat district of Assam.— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

MLA would go to Batadrava satra [in Nagaon] to seek blessings before launching one’s campaign. Now, whoever want to be MLA, they have to ask for dua [prayers] from Ajmal. This election, we have to stop Badruddin Ajmal. We won’t let him enter Dispur [the State’s administrative capital, in Guwahati]. It is a fight for our jati, mati, bheti [identity, land and base],” he

says. He ridicules the State government’s electoral ploy of distributing xuta-kombol (thread for weaving and blankets), saying it only has sops to ofer common people while the Congress leaders turn the party into a fief of families. It’s time for competitive promises. The BJP would also ofer the people xuta-kombol, he says, but of a diferent kind. It

would ofer jobs to the unemployed youth so that they can buy their parents thread and blankets. If the Gogoi government is ofering rice at Rs. 3 a kg, the BJP government would bring rice to the doorstep at Rs. 2 a kg; if the Congress gives college-going girls bicycles, the BJP would take a leaf out of Gujarat and offer them “Scootys” (motorised, un-geared two-wheelers); if the

BJP rule in Assam will disrupt peace: Rahul DIGBOI (ASSAM): Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about bringing back black money from overseas; then why are liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL chief Lalit Modi still abroad, Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi asked on Thursday. Addressing an election meeting here, Mr. Gandhi said two or three days before his departure, Mallya met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament House. What discussion took place between them? He said the BJP government had launched “kala dhan ko safed karlo” (convert your black money into white) scheme while Mr. Modi talked about fighting black money. He was referring to the new amnesty scheme announced in the Union Budget for black money holders to come clean. “I have named it the “fair and lovely scheme” because any gangster, militant, criminal in India could convert their black money into white

bring back what prevailed in the State 15 years ago. There had only been sad news, of violence, of people dying till the Congress came and restored peace,” he said.

CM YK

SEAT-SHARING

Congress may take a call on DMK’s ofer today MEHBOOB JEELANI

TRIBAL COLOURS: Girls from Assam tribes welcome Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to a

meeting at Moran in Dibrugarh district of the State on Thursday. — PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

by just going to the government and paying a minimum tax on it. Continuing his attack on Mr. Modi, the Congress vice-

president said: “When Modi comes here he talks of development, but can there be development when an Indian is made to fight another Indian?

AASU cut up with BJP, Congress and AIUDF TEZPUR: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the students’ movement of the 1980s that gave birth to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), is unhappy with the BJP, but is more worried about the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) under Badruddin Ajmal, the face of Bengali Muslims, which has been gaining ground in successive elections. The AASU, which had been in the vanguard of a bloody movement that ended with the Assam Accord in 1985, is mifed with the government at the Centre, saying nothing came of its promised deportation of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. It is equally cut up with the Congress and is keen that the AIUDF does not win the coming elections. “The NDA government at the Centre took all anti-As-

women’s self-help groups are getting Rs. 5,000, they would under BJP rule have a seed capital of Rs. 5 lakh. The government would ofer up to Rs. 2 lakh as medical assistance and Rs. 1.5 lakh towards building pucca houses, and free education for the girl child from college through university. Invoking Lachit Borphukan, the Ahom general who defeated

The union does not directly engage in politics and has cut its ties with Asom Gana Parishad sam policies in the past 22 months. The BJP’s stand is not satisfactory. Assam did not get any positive support in the last two years,” AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said in an interview. No ties with AGP The AASU, which is directly not into politics but has some clout with young voters and students, has cut its umbilical cord with the AGP. Mr. Gogoi acknowledged that the AASU had oicially asked for a change in the leadership in Delhi during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but did not ask people to vote for a

particular party. “However, there was no change on the ground. The BJP had promised change in policies on issues like handover of Assam’s land to Bangladesh, detection and deportation of all infiltrators and stopping of construction of big dams,” Mr. Gogoi said. Asked if the AASU would advise people to vote for any particular party or candidate, Mr. Gogoi said, “No. Our appeal to people is that they should vote keeping in mind the Bangladeshi problem. Infiltrators should not gain from this poll.” Expressing apprehension over the rise of the AIUDF, the AASU chief asked all “indigenous people” in Assam to prevent Ajmal from becoming a “political decision-maker.” He made a strong appeal to the people to vote. — PTI

On the other hand, we Congress live with love with one another. This is the diference.” “BJP-AGP leaders will

‘Congress brought peace’ There was no talk of progress or development in Assam during the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) rule, he said at another election rally in Moran. “Business people here told me they are afraid that Assam will go back to those days when people were scared to step out of homes. There were kidnappings, ransom demands, extortions and families were worried about their members’ return,” Mr. Gandhi said. “The Congress came and brought peace back to Assam. It was no easy job. Without peace and brotherhood there can be no development,” he said. “The BJP creates violence in whichever State it forms government,” he said. — PTI

Tactile trial

NEW DELHI: The screening committee of the Congress is likely to meet on Friday to decide whether to accept the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s ofer of 30 seats to keep their alliance in Tamil Nadu going. The alliance talks are going through a delicate phase as the deadlock over the seatsharing agreement became harder this week. The Congress did not respond immediately to the DMK’s ofer as its president, Sonia Gandhi, and vice-president, Rahul Gandhi, were busy campaigning in Assam. In

Ban on exit polls from April 4 to May 16 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Voters participating in a mock-voting exercise organised by the Kerala Information and Public Relations Department in Kodungallur on Thursday.— PHOTO: K.K. NAJEEB

Customisation The Dhemaji speech schema is revisited in subsequent rallies through the course of the day at Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district and Behali, Biswanath Chariali, Rangapara and Borsola in Sonitpur district, with on-thespot improvisations and local customisation. Between rallies, and from one chopper and car ride to another, I ask Mr. Sarma about his transition into the BJP (“I haven’t had time to think, it was get-go with the elections from Day One”); about if the Congress knows its long-time strategist’s moves inside out (“The Congress is itself deviating from its winning strategy, which is that the campaign must have a positive message”); about how he sees the BJP alliance’s prospects (“This is my fifth election; I can sense a wave when I see one — and this is); about the BJP’s campaign message (“Identity and aspiration [for development]”); about his equation with Mr. Sonowal, originally from the AGP (“We go back a long way, I was general secretary of the Guwahati chapter when he was AASU [All Assam Students’ Union] president”); and about why the BJP is targeting Mr. Ajmal (“He represents a threat to our indigenous culture with his communal politics”). [email protected]

CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India has imposed a ban on conducting exit polls between April 4 and May 16 in the four States and one Union Territory going to the polls during the period. “According to the provisions of Section 126 A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, exit polls cannot be conducted and publicised by means of print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner starting from 7 a.m. on April 4 to 6.30 p.m. on May 16,” a press note stated. “Displaying any election matter in any electronic media, would be prohibited during 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in each of the phases.”

their absence, the members of the “screening committee” who would determine the future of this alliance could not meet. “There is no communication [with the DMK] since last Saturday,” said a senior party leader overseeing the campaigns in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Congress sources said the party president and vicepresident were scheduled to be back by Thursday evening and the committee members were likely to meet on Friday morning to figure out whether to accept the DMK’s ofer or negotiate further. Tamil Nadu Pradesh

Congress Committee president EVKS Elangovan has been summoned in Delhi to brief Mr. Gandhi about whether the DMK’s ofer would help the party gain some ground or hurt its future prospects in the State. Though confirming his arrival in Delhi, he told The Hindu that “he would have a clearer picture by the end of this week”. So far, the party has been insisting on 63 seats, the same number it got in the 2011 Assembly elections when the two parties joined hands to fight the AIADMK. The DMK, says a senior Congress leader, is willing to grant only 30 seats because the party considers Congress as a spent force.

30 candidates in Assam have criminal record NEW DELHI: Nearly six per cent

of the candidates contesting in the first phase of the Assam elections have a criminal record, an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) says. The ADR analysed the aidavits of all 539 candidates contesting in the first phase to be held on April 4. Of the 539 candidates, 30, or six per cent, have declared criminal cases against them. Twenty-five of them have serious criminal cases, including those related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crimes against women. Kushal Dowari, BJP candidate from the Thowra constituency, and Janardan Hazarika, an Independent candidate from the Amguri constituency, have declared cases related to murder. Dowari has declared another charge related to attempt to murder. Another Independ-

Twenty-five of them face serious criminal cases related to murder and other offences ent candidate, Ibungobi Singha from the Sonai Assembly constituency, has declared a charge related to assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, while the Independent candidate Abdul Ahad Choudhury faces a kidnapping case. Partywise, eight (12 per cent) of the 65 candidates are from the Congress, three of 54 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and three of 27 from the All India United Democratic Front. One each is from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and CPI (MarxistLeninist Liberation). Fourteen Independents have declared cases — IANS ND-ND

WORLD

16 |

Zuma breached Constitution: Court South Africa’s top court asks President to repay state money spent to upgrade his private home JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s top court ordered President Jacob Zuma on Thursday to pay back some of the $16 million of state money spent for upgrading his private home, in a stinging rebuke that hits the scandal-plagued leader financially and politically. The unanimous ruling by the 11-judge constitutional court, a central pillar of the democracy established at the end of apartheid, also said Mr. Zuma had failed to “uphold, defend and respect” the Constitution by ignoring Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s findings on his sprawling residence at Nkandla in rural KwaZulu-Natal. In 2014, Ms. Madonsela, a constitutionally mandated anti-corruption watchdog, identified a swimming pool, cattle enclosure, chicken run, amphitheatre and visitor centre as non-security items that Mr. Zuma must pay for. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng gave the Treasury 60 days in which to determine their “reasonable cost”, after which Mr. Zuma would have a further 45 days to pay. Early estimates of the costs were 10 million rand ($6,80,000), Ms. Madonsela said. Besides hurting Mr. Zuma, the ruling is a vindication for the soft-spoken but steely lawyer described by Justice Mogoeng as “the embodiment of the Biblical David”

fighting against the Goliath of state corruption. “The oice of the Public Protector is one of the true crusaders and champions of anti-corruption and clean governance,” Justice Mogoeng said. “Hers are indeed very wide powers that leave no lever of government power above scrutiny.” In a short statement, Mr. Zuma’s oice said it respected the ruling and would determine the appropriate action in due course. Ms. Madonsela said the ruling should help restore the shaken faith of South Africans and others, including investors, in the state of democracy in the continent’s most advanced economy. “The judgment was something that many of us as lawyers will cherish for the rest of our lives,” she said. ‘Profound lesson’ The uncompromising nature of his verdict – Justice Mogoeng said it carried a “profound lesson” for South Africa – piles more pressure on Mr. Zuma, whose second term in oice is due to end in 2019. Mr. Zuma was also ordered to pay costs. Standing outside the court in downtown Johannesburg, opposition leader Mmusi Maimane told reporters Mr. Zuma should be removed from oice and said he would

BIG WIN: South African Opposition leader Mmusi Maimane (centre) of the Democratic Alliance

celebrates the court’s damning verdict against President Jacob Zuma (bottom), which prompted immediate calls for his impeachment. — PHOTOS: AFP & AP

table a parliamentary motion to have him impeached. Mr. Zuma, a 73-year-old polygamous Zulu traditionalist, has been under intense fire since December when his abrupt sacking of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene sent the rand into a tail-spin. The rand firmed to a nearfour month high against the dollar as Justice Mogoeng delivered his ruling. The African National Congress (ANC) said it was studying the decision in detail

given the “serious nature” of its findings. Its majority in Parliament will almost certainly give President Zuma political cover against any attempt to impeach him, but the judicial rebuke may embolden anti-Zuma factions within the ruling party to mount a challenge. “It's a major decision that is going to have a significant impact on our political environment,” said Gary van Staden, political analyst at NKC African Economics. — Reuters

guered Prime Minister Najib Razak used state funds to buy luxury goods worth $15 million and pay out millions more to political figures ahead of the 2013 elections, according to a media report. The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. Najib’s brother, CIMB Group chairman Nazir Razak, confirmed he had received about $7 million from Mr. Najib for distribution to the ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional politicians. The report also claimed to have seen Malaysian investigation documents which allegedly indicate that the majority of the funds in the accounts of the 62-year-old Najib originated from state fund 1 Malaysia Development Bhd. “The entire amount was paid out in cash to various recipients according to the instructions of the ruling party [Umno] President [Najib] and the account was closed with a zero balance,” Mr. Nazir was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, news portal

Seizure of arms won’t afect demilitarisation: Colombo

Zaha Hadid, trailblazing architect, dies of heart attack

D

COLOMBO: The recent seizure of a host of arms in Jafna and Mannar of the Northern Province will not have any adverse bearing on the Sri Lankan government’s plan for demilitarising the North, according to Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi. “It [demilitarisation] will go on,” Mr. Hettiarachchi told The Hindu on Thursday. However, he hastened to add that demilitarisation is “not the right word. What we say is right-sizing and rightdeployment” of security forces.” On Wednesday, the police found at a house in Chavakachcheri a suicide kit, four claymore mines, three parcels of C4 (Composition 4) explosives and ammunition, weighing 12 kg, according to Ruwan Gunasekara, a police spokesperson. In a well in Illuppukadawai of the Mannar district, a stock of explosives, including a Rocket-Propelled Grenade

Isolated instances did not constitute threat to national security, says defence secretary launcher, was spotted. The cache was apparently used during the civil war. A 32year-old man, said to be the owner of the Chavakachcheri house, had been nabbed in the neighbouring district of Killinochchi, the spokesperson said. Asked whether the latest development came as a surprise to him, the Defence Secretary said: “Not at all. On the contrary, this only shows the eiciency of the national security system.” He explained that “isolated instances” did not constitute threat to national security. “The media and the Opposition are highlighting them, but we take them on the merit of the incident.” Already, members of the Joint Opposition, a coalition of parties and groups owing

allegiance to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa argue that the country’s security was in danger. To a query whether there was any change in the proposed visit of President Maithripala Sirisena to the North on Sunday, Mr. Hettiarachchi replied in the negative. Meanwhile, a study on the status of occupation of land by the authorities revealed that about 12,750 acres in the Northern Province are still under the military’s control. “Continued land occupation by the military and police fuels suspicion of plans to use land to efect demographic change and ultimately, impact electoral representation of the area. Such fears must be addressed if the GOSL [Government of Sri Lanka] is genuine in its commitment to reconciliation,” states the study, undertaken by the Centre for Policy Alternatives. It recommended complete implementation of the 13th constitutional amendment.

of putsch

THE HAGUE (NETHERLANDS): In a

Najib Razak spent $15 million on holidays, shopping and jewellery, according to a report. — FILE PHOTO: REUTERS

Malaysiakini said Mr. Najib spent a total of $15 million on holidays, shopping and jewellery. The spending was allegedly done at stores in the U.S., Malaysia, Italy and elsewhere between 2011 and 2014. However, 1 MDB denied paying any funds into the personal accounts of Mr. Najib. It also questioned the timing of the WSJ’s report as it came just days after 1MDB announced it had successfully completed the purchase agreement for Edra Global Energy Bhd. — PTI

Abdeslam to be sent to France BRUSSELS: Belgian authorities decided on Thursday to extradite Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam to France, as bomb-damaged Brussels airport said it was ready to reopen although flights would not immediately resume. Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect in the November terror attacks in Paris, was arrested in Brussels on March 18. Four days after his arrest, the Belgian capital was struck

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

UN court acquits Serb Turkish army ultranationalist Seselj denies talk

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s belea-

CM YK

THE HINDU

T. RAMAKRISHNAN

‘Malaysian PM spent millions on luxury goods’

ame Zaha Hadid, the world-renowned architect whose designs include the London Olympic aquatic centre, has died aged 65. The British designer, who was born in Iraq, had a heart attack on Thursday while in hospital in Miami, where she was being treated for bronchitis. Ms. Hadid’s buildings have been commissioned around the world and she was the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects gold medal. A lengthy statement released by her company said: “It is with great sadness that Zaha Hadid Architects have confirmed that Dame Zaha Hadid DBE died suddenly in Miami in the early hours of this morning. “She had contracted bronchitis earlier this week and sufered a sudden heart attack while being treated in hospital. Zaha Hadid was widely regarded to be the greatest female architect in the world today.” The London Mayor, Boris Johnson, tweeted: “So sad to hear of death of Zaha Hadid, she was an inspiration and her legacy lives on in wonderful buildings in Stratford and around the world.” Ms. Hadid, born in Bagh-

NOIDA/DELHI

by coordinated Islamic State group bombings. Abdeslam’s lawyer earlier said that his client had agreed to be transferred to France under a European arrest warrant, clearing the way for a fast-track extradition. “What Salah Abdeslam wants to make known is that he wants to cooperate with the French authorities. These are the words he wants to make known.” — AFP

sweeping defeat for UN prosecutors, the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal acquitted Serbian ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj on Thursday of all nine counts alleging that he was responsible for or incited atrocities by Serbian paramilitaries in the 1990s Balkan wars. The ruling sparked joy in Serbia and outrage in Bosnia and Croatia. Prosecutors had charged Seselj, 61, with crimes including persecution, murder and torture and had demanded a 28-year sentence. But in a majority decision, the three-judge panel said there was insuicient evidence linking the politician himself to the crimes. “Following this verdict, Vojislav Seselj is now a free man,” presiding judge JeanClaude Antonetti said at a hearing in The Hague, which Seselj did not attend. ‘Judges valued honour’ At a Belgrade news conference shortly after his acquittal, Seselj, who defended himself throughout his

ANKARA: Turkey’s military on

Vojislav Seselj

trial and did not call a single defence witness, said the decision was “the only possible one from the legal aspect.” “After so many proceedings in which innocent Serbs were given draconian punishments, this time two honest judges showed they valued honour more than political pressure,” he said. The court’s chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, questioned a number of key findings by two of the three trial judges. He almost certainly will appeal, but on Thursday said that he first has to study the100-page ruling and its dissenting opinions. — AP

Thursday angrily denied suggestions it was planning a coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Certain media outlets have carried reports speculating over the possibility of a military coup in Turkey, with Mr. Erdogan out of the country for almost a week on a visit to the United States. The Turkish military has stepped in on three occasions to oust elected governments — in 1960, 1971 and 1980 — and in 1997 also forced out Mr. Erdogan’s late mentor Necmettin Erbakan from the premiership. “Discipline, unconditional obedience and a unified chain of command are the basis of the Turkish armed forces,” the military said in a rare political statement on its website. “There can be no talk about any illegal action that is outside the command structure or which compromises it,” the statement added. The military said it would take legal action over the reports, without specifying which ones. — AFP

Baghdadi’s ex-wife wants to move to Europe STOCKHOLM: An ex-wife of Is-

lamic State group (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, with whom he had a daughter, wants to live in Europe “in freedom,” she told Swedish daily Expressen in an interview published on Thursday. “I want to live in a European country, not an Arab country,” Saja al-Dulaimi said in the interview filmed in Lebanon. A life of freedom Dulaimi was freed several months ago from a Lebanese prison, where she had been held since 2014 with her children on suspicion of links to extremist organisations.

Saja al-Dulaimi says the IS leader is a “normal family man” adored by his children “I’m branded a terrorist but I’m far from all that,” lamented Dulaimi. “I want to live in freedom,” the 28-yearold said, while praising Islamic Sharia law which she said provided “freedom and rights for women.” Her seven-year-old daughter, Hagar, said she wanted to go to Europe to “study.” A DNA test conducted by Lebanese authorities con-

firmed she was Baghdadi’s child. Born into a well-heeled Iraqi family, Dulaimi said she had been married to an Iraqi member of Saddam Hussein’s personal guard. They had twins together. Widowed, she married again in 2008, on the advice of her father, to Bagdhadi. Dulaimi described Baghdadi, who also had children from an earlier marriage, as “a normal family man” adored by his children. Baghdadi was at the time fighting in the ranks of alQaeda in Iraq, from which the Islamic State group was born. In 2010, he took over the reins of IS. — AFP

INSPIRATION TO MILLIONS: The Iraqi-British architect became the first woman to receive the Pritzker Prize, referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture, in 2004. — FILE PHOTO: AP

dad in 1950, became a revolu- groundbreaking theoretical tionary force in British archi- works. The first major build tecture even though for commission that earned her many years she struggled to international recognition win commissions in the U.K. was the Vitra Fire Station in The Iraqi government de- Weil Am Rhein, Germany scribed her (1993). ZAHA HADID death as “an She became irreplaceathe first wom(1950-2016) ble loss to an recipient of Iraq and the global the Pritzker Architecture community.” Prize in 2004. She twice won She studied mathematics the UK’s most prestigious arat the American University chitecture award, the RIBA of Beirut before launching Stirling Prize. She was reher architectural career in cently awarded the Royal InLondon at the Architectural stitute of British Architects’ Association. By 1979 she had 2016 royal gold medal, the established her own practice first woman to be awarded in London — Zaha Hadid Ar- the prestigious honour in her chitects — and gained a rep- own right. — © Guardian utation across the world for Newspapers Limited, 2016 ND-ND

THE HINDU

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

LED bulb procurement price has dropped to Rs.54.90 from Rs.310 just 20 months back

SENSEX 31-03-16 25,342 30-03-16 25,339

- PIYUSH GOYAL, Minister of State for Power

BRIEFLY External debt up by $4.9 bn at $480.2 bn NEW DELHI: India’s external debt at

the end of December stood at $480.2 billion, up by $4.9 billion over its levels at the end of March 2015, the government announced on Thursday. “The rise in external debt during the period was due to long-term external debt particularly commercial borrowings and NRI deposits. However, on a sequential basis, total external debt at endDecember 2015 declined by $ 1.2 billion from the end-September 2015 level,” the government release said. Long-term debt was $398.6 billion at the end of December, 2.3 per cent higher than its level at the end of March 2015. — Special Correspondent

Chinese returns part of Bangladesh funds stolen by hackers MANILA: A Chinese casino junket

operator on Thursday returned $4.63 million of the $81 million that hackers stole from the Bangladesh central bank’s account in the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank and laundered in Manila’s casinos, officials said. Kam Sin Wong, a longtime Manila-based businessman, surrendered the money from one of the world’s largest cyberheists to Philippine anti-money laundering officials and the Bangladeshi ambassador. — AP

RBI eases norms for diamond imports MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of

India on Thursday allowed banks to approve clean credit facility given by foreign supplier to Indian importers of rough, cut and polished diamonds, even beyond 180 days. “To ease the operational difficulties faced by importers, it has been decided, in consultation with the Government of India, to delegate the powers for permitting such clean credit for a period exceeding 180 days from the date of shipment to the AD banks,” RBI said in notification in relation to import of rough, cut and polished diamonds. At present the banks are permitted to approve clean credit to Indian importers for import of rough, cut and polished diamonds, for a period not exceeding 180 days. — PTI

Exchange Rates Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4 p.m on March 31

Currencies U.S. Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Jap Yen (100 Units) Chinese Yuan Swiss Franc Singapore Dollar Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swedish Kroner Danish Kroner New Zealand Dollar Hongkong Dollar Malaysian Ringitt Kuwaiti Dinar UAE Dirham Bahraini Dinar Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal Omani Riyal

TT TT Buying Selling 66.05 66.37 75.22 75.60 94.96 95.45 58.79 59.08 10.21 10.29 68.82 69.16 49.13 49.39 50.77 51.02 51.05 51.30 8.15 8.19 10.10 10.15 45.80 46.05 8.52 8.56 17.03 17.17 218.45 220.23 17.98 18.08 174.01 177.31 18.18 18.21 17.64 17.69 171.06 172.78

Source: Indian Bank

Bullion Rates March 31 rates in rupees with previous rates in brackets

Chennai Bar Silver (1 kg) Retail (1 g) 24 ct gold (10 g) 22 ct gold (1 g)

36,715 39.20 28,910 2,703

(36,770) (39.30) (29,100) (2,721)

Taxes raised through disinvestment transactions have helped increase the government’s receipts. On Wednesday, the government raised Rs.4,300 crore by participating in a share buyback ofer of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The same day, it garnered Rs.200 crore in a similar ofer from Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL). It also raised Rs.980 crore through the taxes it generated in these two disinvestment transactions. In fact, if the tax revenue raised in the stake sales during the year is taken into account, the government has raised a total of Rs.25,000 crore in 2015-16, Disinvestment Secretary Neeraj Gupta told The Hindu. NEW

DELHI:

CM YK

3 POINTS

GOLD 31-03-16 30-03-16

MUMBAI

28,340 28,370

State takeover not the answer in steel crisis, says British PM Closure of the steel industry will cost 40,000 jobs, including 25,000 downstream

The options before the government are few, according to industry watchers PARVATHI MENON

B

ritish Prime Minister David Cameron ruled out re-nationalisation of steel industry and said his government was “doing everything it can” to save the sector but said there were “no guarantees of success.” The country’s biggest steel producer Tata Steel announced it was selling its British operation, a move that has put 15,000 jobs at risk and exposed the government to accusations of failing to protect the industry from cheap Chinese imports. Mr. Cameron held talks with senior ministers at 10 Downing on Thursday and said he was not in favour of recalling the Parliament to discuss the crisis. Tata Steel, on its part, has not given the government any guarantee that it will keep the business running until a buyer BRITISH be found. With OPERATION could its largest plants at Port Talbot, that emtatas ploys 15,000 people, making a loss of one million pounds a day according to the company, it would seem unlikely that a buyer would be willing to invest. The closure of the steel industry will cost 40,000 jobs, the government says, which would include job losses of 25,000 downstream. Mr. Cameron cut short his vacation in the Canary Islands and returned to London. The options before the government are few, according to industry watchers. It can neither close down the industry, nor can it find a buyer at short notice. Nationalisation or even a state bailout could attract European Union sanctions. China’s steel production in just

David Cameron held talks with senior ministers on the steel crisis

2013 and 2014 was more than Britain’s entire cumulative steel output from 1870 to the present, Sky News reported, citing figures from the World Steel Association. The crisis in the steel industry has been long in the making and there were ample warning signs of an impending emergency, which the government ignored, opposition parties allege. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who visited the Talbot plant on Wednesday called upon the government to “intervene now” to protect the industry and its workforce. “If we don’t intervene to protect this steel works, and the other steel works, we will have no steel industry in Britain,” he said. Meanwhile a petition calling on the Prime Minister to recall parliament to discuss the steel crisis has got more than 100,000 signatures. Reuters reports: Mr. Cameron’s government has faced criticism over its response to

Tata’s decision, with opposition lawmakers saying it was “asleep at the wheel” when the Indian group said it was pulling out after nearly a decade in Britain. The opposition Labour party and Britain’s media said the handling of the crisis had been “chaotic” after the government rowed back on an initial suggestion from a junior minister that it could nationalise the plants for a period. “It’s absolutely extraordinary that they’ve been asleep at the wheel for this long,” Stephen Kinnock, the local member of parliament in south Wales, told Sky News. “Why is it that the prime minister seems to be reacting to this as if he didn’t see it coming. They’re in total disarray.” Steelmakers in Britain pay some of the highest energy costs and green taxes in the world, but the government maintains that the fundamental problem facing the industry is the collapse in the price of steel, caused by overcapacity in China. Mr. Cameron’s government, eager to cultivate closer ties with China, has opposed measures in Europe that could increase the tarifs paid on Chinese imports of steel, which are a fraction of the levels imposed by the U.S. Nonetheless, anti-EU campaigners said Brussels was part of the problem because rules on state aid limited the steps Britain could take to save the industry. Mr. Cameron, who does not want to stoke anti-EU sentiment ahead of a referendum on Britain’s EU membership in June, said half of the country’s steel output went into European markets and the products could face European tarifs and taxes if Britain left.

30 ₨/10gm

RUPEE 31-03-16 66.26 30-03-16 66.37

0.11 ₨/$

BRENT OIL 31-03-16 39.83 30-03-16 39.72

0.11 $/bbl

Japan to lend Rs.14,000 crore for Indian projects

SBI home, auto loans to get cheaper

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MANOJIT SAHA

NEW DELHI: The Government of

MUMBAI: State Bank of India

Japan has committed a loan of JPY 242.2 billion (around Rs.14,251 crore) for various projects across India , including Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and the North East. The Oicial Development Assistance is to be deployed for a transmission system strengthening project in Madhya Pradesh, an integrated sanitation improvement project in Odisha, a dedicated freight corridor project, a road network connectivity improvement project in the North East, and a micro drip irrigation project in Jharkhand, according to a government release on Thursday. “The Government of Japan has committed a total of JPY 390 billion in the current financial year which is the highest amount committed in a year.” India and Japan have had mutually beneficial economic development cooperation since 1958. In the last few years, economic cooperation between India and Japan has strengthened and grown into a strategic partnership.

(SBI), the country’s largest lender, has announced a new benchmark for loans. Known as marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR), this will reduce the bank’s home and auto loan rates by 10 basis points (bps). SBI has announced seven benchmark MCLR rates based on diferent tenures such as overnight, one-month, three-month, six-month, one-year, twoyear and three-year. SBI’s home and auto loans are linked to the one-year tenure, which is 9.2 per cent, its chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya told The Hindu on Thursday. “There will be a spread added to the one-year MCLR rate, which is 25 bps for home loan. So, the home loan rate will be 9.45 per cent,” Ms.Bhattacharya said. At present, SBI’s home loan rate is 9.55 per cent.

She said auto loans were also linked to the one-year benchmark. Under the MCLR regime, SBI would ofer auto loans at 9.75 per cent as compared to 9.85 per cent now. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed banks to move to this new system of loan pricing from April 1 in order to make transmission of monetary policy more efective. It was argued that the present base rate system of loan pricing was less efective as banks had brought down their loan rates by about 70 bps, though the central bank reduced its policy rate by 125 bps in the last 14 months. Apart from SBI, none of the banks has announced the new framework. “Most customers will benefit (in terms of lower interest rate) in this new framework. Some may not benefit since spreads may change,” Ms. Bhattacharya said.

Goyal unveils app to monitor in real time demand and supply of power SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Power Minister Piyush Goyal unveiled an app that provides real-time information on nationwide and state-wise prices, demand, and supply of electricity. He put the onus on the state governments to ensure the veracity of the data in such apps. In light of a report by The Hindu on the inconsistencies in the data uploaded on the ‘Garv’ app monitoring the Power Ministry’s village

The app puts the onus on state governments to ensure veracity of data electrification programme, Mr. Goyal said that measures must be taken in this app as well to ensure that the states provide authentic information. “All of this data comes from the state governments,” Mr Goyal said. “Whether the

scheme reached the village, when it reached, etc, is data the state governments provide. The Central government gives financial and moral support. The state governments have to physically implement the scheme.” The app can be downloaded on Android phones and accessed online at www.vidyutpravah.in. “This kind of probity and scrutiny is something we should all be subject to,” Mr.Goyal said.

Core sectors expand 5.7% in Feb SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Output from the eight core infrastructure industries grew at the fastest pace in 15 months, clocking a 5.7 per cent growth in February, driven by a robust growth in cement and fertilisers, according to oicial estimates released on Thursday. Analysts said these core sector numbers bode well for overall industrial output to recover from three successive months of contraction, and register a 3 per cent to 4 per cent growth in February. The core sectors constitute around 38 per cent of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). “The core sector growth number for February is encouraging at 5.7 per cent with a fairly diversified picture across: steel, electricity, refinery products and fertilisers. This high growth should hopefully translate into an IIP growth rate of 3-4 per cent for February,” Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist at Care Ratings said. However, the numbers don’t point to a full-scale revival yet as a similar growth levels needs to be sustained in the next few months, he add-

ed. While production of fertilisers and cement posted a double-digit growth of 16.3

Taxes from disinvestment help government receipts to balloon PUJA MEHRA

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The Centre plans to participate in more share buyback offers of public sector units “Including taxes, the government raised the highest amount garnered through disinvestment in a single year since 1991,” he said. In 2014-15, the Centre had raised Rs.24,348.71 crore, the maximum in a single year, through disinvestment. Mr. Gupta indicated that in 2016-17, the government plans to participate in more share buyback ofers of central public sector units (PSUs). In the Union Budget, a disinvestment target of Rs.56,500 crore has been set for the year. Of this, Rs.36,000 crore is to be raised

from sale of minority stakes in PSUs. The remaining Rs.20,500 crore is to come from strategic sales in both profit and loss-making enterprises. “The government has underlined the importance of the management of its investment in central PSUs. Capital restructuring and professional approach to capital management in these companies have assumed much larger significance.” While large-networth and low-leverage private sector companies are able to use surplus cash for buying back shares, PSUs do not opt for such capital restructuring. According to an estimate, the top 30 PSUs hold more than Rs.1.5 lakh crore as cash and bank balances. The government is now focusing on leveraging theassets of PSUs.

per cent (from fall in output by 0.4 per cent in February 2014) and 13.5 per cent (from 2.2 per cent), respectively, that of electricity rose to a five-month high of 9.2 per cent. With this, the core sectors—coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity—saw a growth of 2.3 per cent in April-February 2015-16, lower than 5 per cent growth seen in the same period of the last financial year. Among all core sector industries, only steel saw a fall in output in February, by 0.5 per cent, against a decline of 0.6 per cent in February last year. In January, the output of crude oil, natural gas and steel had declined. Aditi Nayar, senior economist at rating agency ICRA said that the poor performance of the steel sector could be attributed to weak demand from end-users as well as availability of cheaper imports. “The sole slippage was seen in growth of coal output, which moderated to 3.9 per cent in February 2016 from a high 9.1 per cent in January 2016, likely on account of build-up of inventories,” she said.

MTNL to share network with private players SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Loss-making public sector telecom firm MTNL will tap the virtual network operator route to share its network with private vendors. This is part of an attempt to monetise its assets to generate revenue of Rs.1,000 crore over the next couple of years. MTNL has been sharing its telecom towers with BSNL. It is now open to sharing them along with with private telecom competitors, ISPs and cable operators in Mumbai and Delhi. “Next month, we will talk to telecom vendors to work with them on the new virtual network operator model,” MTNL Chairman and Managing Director N. K. Yadav said. ND-ND

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India-European Union boost strategic partnership as free trade talks flounder Progress was made in bilateral cooperation in other fields — from foreign policy to counterterrorism and outer space prevention of human traicking and promoting international protection as priority areas. Points of special interest to India on the agenda are likely to be easier visa procedures for skilled workers, IT professionals, and business travellers. For now, the CAMM is a political declaration and not a legal agreement. Regarding ‘sensitive issues’ that were to be discussed at the summit, both parties have oicially expressed their confidence in the legal processes of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where the case of the Italian marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, is currently being heard. The EU also expressed a swift solution, “through due process of law” in the case of MV Seaman Guard Ohio, where 14 Estonians and six Britons were arrested in 2013 and sentenced in India.

SRIRAM LAKSHMAN

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he 13th India-EU Summit concluded in Brussels without a consensus on a bilateral free trade deal known as the BTIA (Broadbased Trade and Investment Agreement) even as progress was made in bilateral cooperation in other fields -- from foreign policy to outer space. The talks, which ended late Wednesday, were a culmination of eforts to kick-start a relationship that has been flagging for at least four years. The very fact that they occurred made them significant. While both the parties failed to set a date for the next round of trade talks, Tomasz Kozlowski, EU Ambassador to India, told The Hindu that the discussions on trade involved an expression of ambitions and degrees of flexibility from both sides. EU and India BILATERAL “[The] will continue discusPARLEYS sions on a possible FTA at a high-level,” gains Mr. Kozlowski said. India has been pushing for opening European markets for its services sector and the movement of people to deliver those services while the EU has been keen on reducing or abolishing tarifs in several sectors, including in the automobile and wine and spirits sectors. The Brussels meetings evidently did not see the closing of gaps between the two sides. “Overall, the most important thing is that the Summit put our strategic partnership back on track,” Mr. Kozlowski said in response to a question on the single most important achievement. “We really needed a strong political push and an expression of strong political commitment from both sides to define the main directions of our relations and to decide what fields of cooperation are most interesting for both sides and the most promising.” The fields of cooperation are

CM YK

The fields of cooperation are many, and defined by the EU-India Agenda for Action-2020. From left: President of European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and European Council President Donald Tusk during an EU-India Summit meeting on Wednesday. — PHOTO: AFP

many, and defined by the EU-India Agenda for Action-2020, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the presidents of the European Council and European Commission endorsed. The sectors of partnership range from foreign policy, counter terrorism and disarmament to transport and space. While at least six agenda documents and declarations were issued by the EU on their website, the extent to which they will be acted upon and not share the current fate of the BTIA, remains to be seen. There was some promise of action that would be taken in areas such as water, climate and energy, with the adoption of joint declarations on the India-EU Water Partnership and a Clean Energy and Climate Partnership. Government-to-government and business-to-business level meetings to exchange best practices in these areas, including deadlines for setting the work programmes in some instances, have been agreed. The cost of

The Brussels summit evidently did not see the closing of gaps between the two sides these programs will be borne by the parties that incur them. India is no longer eligible for development assistance from the EU. However, India will still have access to concessional loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB). India and the EIB signed the first tranche of a Euro 450million-loan at the Summit towards the construction of a metro rail line planned in Lucknow. The joint declarations and Agenda for Action suggest that the EU has specifically courted Mr. Modi on several of his pet projects including the ‘Clean India’ initiative and the ‘Ganga Rejuvenation Initiative,’ where the EU will help in developing a solution to clean up the river as well as developing legal and govern-

ance frameworks for managing the basin. The two sides agreed to cooperate in countering violent extremism, disrupt recruitment of terrorists and prevent the free passage of foreign fighters in a joint declaration on counter terrorism, which also called for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN. They have also agreed to explore the possibility of India and EUROPOL, the EU’s law enforcement agency, to share intelligence. The Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM), which was also adopted, is designed to control and organize migration – a pressing concern for the EU. Significantly for the EU, the Agenda for Action includes items on facilitating the return of irregular migrants and the possibility of exploring a ‘Readmission Agreement’ — returning visa over-stayers to their home countries. The Agenda also includes the

India, EU and human rights One of the ostensible reasons for stalled talks between the European Union (EU) and India had been the EU’s concern over human right violations in India. Several Members of the European Parliament (MEP) have, in the past, expressed concerns in this regard, Geofrey van Orden, Tory MEP from the East of England told The Hindu. A recent letter from Human Rights Watch, an international NGO, to the EU leadership brings up issues of NGO harassment and the overlooking of rights of marginal groups in development projects in India in the context of the India EU Summit. A joint statement from India and the EU yesterday reiterates the importance that both countries oicially accord human rights and the rights of women. In response to a question on where the EU stood on human rights in India and holding talks, Mr. Kozlowski said: “Human rights are very high on the EU agenda and we have such interaction with India as well. We are not going to teach anybody. We are going to discuss issues, consult each other.”

Centre extends safeguard duty on steel imports SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: The government has

extended safeguard duty on steel imports till March 2018. The move is aimed at protecting the Indian industry from cheap China steel. The 20 per cent safeguard duty will apply to import of “hot-rolled flat products of non-alloy and other alloy steel in coils of a width of 600 mm or more” till September 13, 2016. Thereafter, it will drop in a staged manner to 18 per cent between September 14, 2016 and March 13, 2017, 15 per cent from March 14, 2017 to September 13, 2017, and 10 per cent between September 14, 2017 and March 13, 2018. “GOI is committed to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders in the steel industry. Let's all work together for a stronger India,” Steel

The move is aimed at protecting the domestic industry from cheap Chinese imports Minister Narendra Singh Tomar tweeted following the announcement. China had, in the face of a domestic economic slowdown last year, increased its steel exports, which attracted duties in several markets such as India and the European Union. A Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) notification said that the Director General (Safeguards), had in September 2015, come to the conclusion that “increased imports of subject goods (steel goods) into India had caused and threatened to cause serious injury to the domestic industry.”

ISA cautions against duty circumvention SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT KOLKATA: While welcoming the government notification on safeguard duties on certain categories of hot rolled flat products, the Indian Steel Association has cautioned against circumvention of these duties. “In the wake of rising cheap imports the safeguard duties will bring significant relief to Indian steel producers against very cheap imports” Sanak Mishra secretary general of ISA and Executive Head told The Hindu. Hot rolled coils are mainly used for white goods manufacture but also for making tubes and various other engineering goods. Striking a note of caution, he said that there have been instances of importing commercial grade structural steel (excluded under safeguard duty) in the guise of API grade steel (excluded under safeguard duty) since the imposition of provisional safeguard duty in September

Imports at or under the direct minimum import price also need monitoring 2015. “This has to be prevented”, he said. Imports at or under the direct minimum import price also needed to be monitored, he said. An ISA statement said that 80 per cent of imports into India came under this category. It may be mentioned here that while the Indian steel industry was getting some duty relief against cheap imports on a provisional basis, the Central Board of Excise and Customs in its March 29 notification extended this to 2017 on a tapered basis. Imports Total steel imports are estimated at 12 million tonnes in 2015-16, which is a 20 per cent increase over the previous year.

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Maroon march in Mumbai

NO BOUNDARIES Where do sports icons stand in the hierarchy of genius?

India finds itself on the wrong side of the line thrice; Kohli’s fine knock in vain

NIRMAL SHEKAR

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We came here on a mission, we were inspired by the U-19 boys earlier this year, the ladies won earlier today, now we have two West Indies teams in the final.

In sporting context genius is a Tendulkar playing an exquisite, jawdropping cover drive

— Darren Sammy West Indies captain

ON THE RAMPAGE: Lendl Simmons played a memorable innings to put paid to India's hopes in the semifinal of the ICC World T20. — PHOTO: VIVEK BENDRE

AMOL KARHADKAR MUMBAI: It is always said that there is a thin line between winning and losing. In a format as fickle as T20, it invariably becomes thinner. And when India found itself on the wrong side of the line, not once but thrice, the fact that

its quest to lift the World T20 title came to an end was all but given. On all three occasions during India’s semifinal against the West Indies, Lendl Simmons was the beneficiary. And it was fitting that the seasoned batsman, playing his first game in this edition after coming into the squad two days ago as Andre Fletcher’s replacement, made the most of the three lives to stay on till the very end when Andre Russell hoicked Virat Kohli into the stands deep into the on-side with two balls to spare.

casion. R. Ashwin bowled one wide of of-stump; Simmons, then on 18, slashed only to top-edge it and Jasprit Bumrah, who had earlier crashed through Chris Gayle’s defence, dived in front to complete the catch. By three-fourth of his walk on the way to the dressing room, however, Simmons was told to go back by the dug-out

First slice of luck The first instance of luck going Simmons’s way came in the seventh over of West Indies’ chase of 193, not an easy ask even on a flat deck at the Wankhede Stadium, considering the magnitude of the oc-

as TV replays showed Ashwin had overstepped. Despite losing Johnson Charles — who shone despite the fall of Gayle early on in the chase — to the golden arm of Kohli, Simmons, playing at his IPL home ground, and Russell had kept the West Indies in the game. With 62 required of 31 balls in the 15th over, Hardik Pandya, who had been taken to the cleaners in his 23 balls till then, chose to change the angle for his last ball and went around the wicket. It turned out to be a full-toss but Simmons mistimed it and the ball lobbed to Ashwin who pouched it at covers. Wait, the umpires check for a no-ball and again, it turned out to be just that. Completion of trilogy As if that was not enough, the trilogy of the line belong-

ing to Simmons was completed in the 18th over. Ashish Nehra had been bowled out and Bumrah was in his last over. After the first three dot balls, Simmons went for a cross-batted heave of the fourth; the ball went flying towards the cow-corner; Ravindra Jadeja, running in from deep square caught it and released it as he was balancing over the fence and Kohli caught it. Still no luck for India! The replays showed Jadeja’s foot had touched the boundary rope, albeit, by a whisker. But that was enough for what could have been a possible dismissal being converted into a six. India was consistently ending on the wrong side of the line. But they had only themselves to blame for not handling the key moments well enough. The bowlers’ slip-ups overshadowed what was yet another magnificent display of batsmanship from Kohli. In fact, for the first time in the tournament, the Indian batting clicked as a unit, with all three pairs that batted putting on at least 50 runs. Kohli took

Virat Kohli...giving it his all. — PHOTO: AFP

the cake by smashing his second-highest individual score in T20Is. Finally, all that mattered nothing as the West Indies booked a flight to Kolkata for Sunday’s summit clash.

Retire? Who me?, Windies women fourth time lucky Britney Cooper dazzles with 61 to guide the team into its maiden summit clash asks Dhoni DEREK ABRAHAM

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MUMBAI: A jinx has been broken,

MUMBAI: Over the course of

what has been a prolonged career as batsman, wicketkeeper and India captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has developed a unique way of handling the team as well as the media. Though he had lost his cool while addressing the media after India’s win against Bangladesh earlier in the World Twenty20, in his typical jovial style, Dhoni hinted that he had no intention to retire. In fact, the limited-over captain, now retired from Tests, for the first time indicated his desire to feature in the 2019 World Cup. During Dhoni’s interaction after India’s semifinal exit from the World Twenty20, an Australian journalist asked Dhoni the inevitable question of whether he was keen to continue playing, Dhoni asked the journalist to join him on the dais to have “some fun.” It was followed by a brief interaction. Dhoni: You want me to retire? Aussie: Not that I want. That’s what I want to ask you. Dhoni: I was hoping it was an Indian media guy because I can’t really ask you if you have a son or a brother who is a wicketkeeper. Do you think I am unfit, looking at my running? Aussie: No. You’re very fast. Dhoni: Do you think I can survive till the 2019 World Cup? Aussie: You should, yes, sure. Dhoni: Then you have anCM YK

M.S. Dhoni. — PHOTO: PTI swered the question. As the scribe stepped down from the dais, Dhoni continued, “I wish it was an Indian mediaperson. “Then I would have asked if he has a son who is a wicketkeeper and ready to play. “He would have said no, then I would have said maybe a brother who is a wicketkeeper and who is ready to play. “You fired the right ammunition at the wrong time.” Perhaps the world hasn’t yet seen Dhoni in an India jersey one last time. But going by the way Indian cricket, especially Dhoni’s team, functions, we will get the answer only when India wears the blue jersey again. Let the suspense continue till then!

and how! The West Indies women turned in an utterly professional display to stun New Zealand by six runs at the Wankhede on Thursday afternoon. A compact all-round show enabled Stafanie Taylor’s boisterous outfit to ward of its infamous ICC World T20 semifinal curse at the fourth time of asking. The women in Maroon will now take on the rampaging Southern Stars from Australia in Sunday’s final at the Eden. The White Ferns from Kiwiland, like their male counterparts, won every group game but perished at the most inopportune of times. But, it was the West Indies’s day. Promoted to No. 3, Britney Cooper smashed her way to a dazzling 61 of 48 balls (5x4, 2x6) as the West Indies posted a healthy 143 for the loss of six wickets on a dry surface. Sara McGlashan (38, 39b, 2x4), Amy Satterthwaite (24,

It feels great to be in a final. We have been waiting for this. I think if we are consistent enough, we can definitely pull it off — Stafanie Taylor, West Indies skipper

OVER THE MOON: The West Indies players are ecstatic after their six-run win over New Zealand in the

semifinals. — PHOTO: VIVEK BENDRE 29b, 1x4) and their fourth-wicket stand of 59 did worry the Windies, but the duo’s departure of successive deliveries put paid to New Zealand’s hopes. Cooper came into this game with just 11 runs from three outings. Naturally, she was desperate to make amends on Thursday. The manner in which the busy 26-year-old right-hander from Trinidad took apart the Kiwi attack was simply awesome. Employing minimum risk, she negotiated both pace and spin with ease and ensured that the team had its nose in front after Morna Nielsen got rid of Hayley Matthews in the third over. In a statement of intent, Cooper hit consecutive sixes of-spinner Leigh Kasperek in the 17th over. When on 48, she

danced down the wicket and whacked the bowler over longon. The very next ball, she smashed the white cherry over long-of. Cooper stitched two crucial partnerships — 60 for the second wicket with Taylor (25, 26b, 2x4) and 44 for the next with Deandra Dottin (20, 17b, 2x4). Kasperek, the leading wicket-taker in this edition of the tournament, went wicketless but the Kiwis couldn’t stop Sophie Devine from registering career-best figures of four for 22. Devine would contribute 22 (14b, 4x4) with the bat. McGlashan and Satterthwaite rescued New Zealand from dire straits — 49 for three — but Taylor would bring her team back in the contest with her unique brand of ‘hopping’

enius is one of the most misunderstood words in the English language. It might perhaps take a man of Shakespearean genius to figure out what it actually means. For we hear of geniuses and geniuses and geniuses in every field of activity all the time that it makes us wonder if half the world’s population of seven billion deserves such exalted status. But when it comes to abuse of the word through wilful exaggeration, no area of human activity can compare to professional sport. Of course, such public naivete predictably has the support of the media and the manipulative ‘genius’ of PR professionals. This is why we common folk cannot be blamed if the contributions of Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein to mankind, and other forms of life too, are less celebrated than that of Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kolhi. The dilution of the word genius is so common and universal in sports that some of us who think that the word must be used with great care, and as rarely as possible after serious deliberation, might be dismissed as curmudgeonly cynics. These thoughts occupied my mind the other day when I was sitting in a cofee shop and heard my 79-year-old friend argue with his teenaged grandson about whether Garry Sobers and Viv Richards were more talented than Virat Kolhi. While keeping my mouth shut, it struck me that the younger man knew very little about the game’s history and his grandfather was all too willing to discount millennial talent as overrated boosterism. The point about genius is, it has no clear yardstick. After a 48-ball century by Chris Gayle and Kohli’s magnificent unbeaten half century against Australia in the world Twenty20 championship you might struggle to resist the temptation to rank the pair alongside Don Bradman and Sobers. But what we need is sobriety and sense of perspective to arrive at a fairly accurate evaluation. At the best of times, sport wonderfully enriches life; at its worst, it blinds us almost completely to reality. Quite a lot of people believe that perception changes with point of view and you might have to make minor adjustments to correct your own biases to come anywhere near a common sense view — which in many cases may turn out to be common nonsense. “Genius ain’t anything more than elegant common sense,” said Josh Billings, the 19th century American humourist and writer. Then again, E=MC2 was not the product of ordinary common sense but the discovery of a man who is among a handful of life-altering and mindboggling geniuses in the ultimate analysis. But when they disgracefully removed Albert Einstein’s brain on his death for laboratory investigation in the hope of finding something extraordinary in the great man’s grey matter, they were predictably disappointed. For Einstein’s brain weighed only 1230 grams, less than that of the common man’s! Then again, Einstein himself might not have been surprised. “The diference between stupidity and genius is that genius knows its limits” said 20th century’s most celebrated scientist. What Einstein had was, to quote Ezra Pound on genius, “the capacity to see 10 things where the ordinary man sees one”. But surely you cannot apply this logic to blithely compare Pound’s words with the capacity of a batsman to play 10 shots with that of a man who can play just three or four. If this is a common occurrence, then the sports media is partly to blame too. “The capacity of sporting journalists to wax lyrical in the face of the exceptional is only matched by the speed with which they run out of adjectives in doing so,” wrote Derek Malcolm, the English film critic and historian. In sport, there are geniuses who deserve the tag right through their long careers. Typical examples are Bradman, Sobers, Lionel Messi, Sachin Tendulkar and Muhammad Ali, to name only five. Then there are some who can be termed genius for a short phase in their careers (George Best, Jake LaMotta, known as the raging bull, and quite a number of cricketers too — men such as Vinod Kambli). Finally there are the ones who time and again flirt with genius without ever embracing it. These are the ones who seem to have a larger than life status thanks to the hyprebole. For they clearly do not deserve that status.

of-spin to have both caught in the deep when the Kiwis needed 37 of four overs with enough wickets in hand. New Zealand needed 30 of the last three, 25 of two and 19 of the final over. Windies sealed the match with another run-out to cap of a great day in the field. The resulting celebrations would have put Gayle, Bravo and the rest to shame. Probably it was the ladies’ way of telling the men, “Over to you, now.” The scores: West Indies 143 for six in 20 overs (Stafanie Taylor 25, Britney Cooper 61, Deandra Dottin 20, Sophie Devine four for 22) bt New Zealand 137 for eight in 20 overs (Sara McGlashan 38, Stafanie Taylor three for 26). Toss: New Zealand. Player-of-the-match: Britney Cooper.

Not the same In the event, all geniuses are not the same. Some are more equal than the others. “Exceptional creative or intellectual powers with great artistic abilities.” This is one of a handful of dictionary definitions of genius. But in the field of sport, historically, the term genius has come to be rather more accommodating, accepting in its hall of fame more than just the creative, original and inventive types. The peerless Muhammad Ali used the ropes as skillfully as a balletic genius uses his arms and legs to outwit the younger and stronger George Foreman in Zaire (now known as the Republic of Congo) in 1974. Sport can rarely aspire to match high art except on the rare occasion when an Ali or a Roger Federer put on display their magic. We call Shakespeare a genius; so do we in the case of Fyodor Dostoevsky or Wolfang Amadeus Mozart; can we include Ali or Federer or Sachin or Messi in the same exalted group? That would be a fallacy — both aesthetic and cognitive. For, the broader definition notwithstanding, the consistently successful employment of exceptional talent on the field of play cannot be equated to genius in the high arts. For a sportsman to be called a genius, inspired and incandescent stuf will have to pour forth from the athlete time and again. But in a purely sporting context, genius is a Federer forehand crosscourt winner, literally with his back to the wall, from way outside the court; it is a Tendulkar playing an exquisite and jaw-droppingly beautiful cover drive against a Glenn McGrath delivery that the great Australian fast bowler might have believed was a perfectly good ball. Genius is the incomparable Ali dancing in the ring, and then coming up with the legendary rope trick; It is Diego Maradona’s second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico when the enigmatic genius did a fair imitation of a Rudolf Nureyev at his best, leaving five or six defenders in his trail before scoring. But then, at the end of the day, as an everyman, there is one thing that I can say with absolute certainty on the subject. I will never, ever know what that exalted quality of genius feels like to the great performers themselves. On the other hand, I can tell you quite a lot about what being stupid feels like!

Warne blasts selectors SYDNEY: Cricket great Shane

Warne on Thursday criticised Australia’s line-ups at the World T20, saying the ‘wrong’ choices were responsible for the team crashing out in the group stages. Steve Smith’s team was knocked out by India, leaving its hopes of winning its first World T20 trophy once again

in tatters. “First of all, our selection was wrong in my opinion,” Warne told cricket.com.au. “I don’t think we got that right, we messed around with it too much rather than sticking with what’s been a proven formula and we probably didn’t play well enough, which is the brutal truth.” — AFP ND-ND

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NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

Grand double for Sachin Singha

Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei exit

A. JOSEPH ANTONY

BADMINTON / Saina and Sindhu take contrasting routes to advance

PERNEM (GOA): It was a grand dou-

ble for Sachin Singha in the first two races of the Laser Radial section in the Goa International Sailing Week that began of Morgim beach here on Thursday evening. The high tide hardly made things easier but the EME Sailing Association (EMESA) yachtsman got the better of compatriot Deelip Kumar in convincing fashion. “I found that a right of the course approach was favourable,” said the 22-year-old, who plumbed for such a path around the six-legged trapezoid format. In the first race, the port tack he took saw him fall behind. He however regained lost ground and by the first windward, he had bypassed arch rival Deelip. Singha then built up a lead on the next leg, a reach, followed by a run on the third. Without getting bogged down in the swells, he cashed in on them instead to further his cause and finish about a dozen boat lengths ahead. In the second race, a big wind shift forced a general recall, which proved a boon for Singha, who had a bad start. From the start line, he, however, ensured his place in the top fleet. Deelip nonetheless completed the upwind leg first. On the reach, both the front-runners matched each other in speed but Singha bridged the gap on the run. When circling the second windward mark, Singha, a product of the National Sailing School (NSS), Bhopal, overtook his teammate. Thereon, the army Havaldhar now stationed in Secunderabad remained vigilant to remain ahead. Although it was a closer race, when compared to the first, the muscular youth got the gun about five to eight boat lengths ahead of Deelip.

Purav Raja in quarterfinals

RAKESH RAO NEW DELHI: Two-time Olympic

champion Lin Dan and his archrival Lee Chong Wei took turns to show their lack of interest in playing in the $300,000 India Open by almost choosing to make pre-mature exits in straight games at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium here. The two great players from the badminton world, and crowd-pullers without parallel, were expected to play to their seeding and clash in the semifinals but that was not to be. It was clear that Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei lost their matches rather than their lesser-known rivals winning it. With a clear view to save their energies for the more premier events ahead of the Olympic Games qualifying cut-of date, fourth-seed Lin Dan surrendered to Korea’s Son Won Ho 13-21, 20-22, before top-seed Lee Chong Wei followed him, leaving Hong Kong’s Wei Nan with his greatest victory, the score reading 21-19, 21-19. From the Indian perspective, after the home challenge in the men’s section ended late on Wednesday night and the women’s duo of G. Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa also fell at the first hurdle, Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu took contrasting routes to reach the quarterfinals and kept the country’s interest alive. Much before Saina kept her unbeaten run intact against Nitchaon Jindapol 21-19, 21-14 in 42 minutes, Sindhu fought of a spell of inconsistency to beat another Thai girl Busanan Ong-

NEW DELHI: Purav Raja, along

CHENNAI: The Federation Cup se-

with Ruan Roelofse of South Africa, made the doubles quarterfinals of the $75,000 men’s Challenger tennis tournament in Leon, Mexico, beating Ariel Behar of Uruguay and Alessandro Motti of Italy 6-4, 6-4. The results: $75,000 Challenger men, Leon, Mexico: Doubles (prequarterfinals): Ruan Roelofse (RSA) & Purav Raja bt Ariel Behar (Uru) & Alessandro Motti (Ita) 6-4, 6-4.

nior National athletics meet to be held in New Delhi from April 20 to 23 will experiment for the first time with qualifying standards for each discipline and accept direct online entries from athletes. But the move hasn’t gone down well with a few southern States, which apparently voiced their opposition during the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) executive committee meeting in New Delhi recently.

SHILLONG: Shillong Lajong will be

seeking an elusive victory when take on Aizawl FC in front of their home fans in the ILeague here on Friday. Lajong have managed only two wins in their 11 matches which has seen them rooted to the bottom of the I-league table with 11 points. However, with four teams — including Aizawl — locked at 12 points each, a win at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will see the hosts climb to the fifth position. “Positives are the youngsters graduating and proving that they are good enough for the League. Also the team spirit is good that will help us fight and do better in the remaining 5 matches,” Lajong coach Thangboi Singto said on the the eve of the match. The coach also informed that the team has made full use of the international break. — PTI

Aimed at improving quality Speaking to The Hindu here on Wednesday, AFI secretary C.K. Valson said the decision was aimed at improving the quality of competition; it would also ensure that host associations spent significantly less on accommodation of athletes and oicials. “They (host association) can use the entry fees to provide better facilities for the cream of the athletes in terms of technical conduct of the event,” he said. Normally, hosting an event like the Federation Cup incurs an expenditure of Rs. 25 to 30 lakh. The experimental move, if it succeeds, Valson said, could persuade more cities to come forward and conduct similar events. The AFI advisory tells State Associations: “Only individual entries will be accepted and no unit will send entries for the meet.”

앫 The experimental move, if it succeeds, could persuade more cities to come forward and conduct similar events

New Zealand media rues loss to England has likened Eoin Morgan's England team to Frankenstein's monster, saying it turned the Black Caps' own game plan against them to win the World Twenty20 semifinal on Wednesday. While acknowledging England was the better team and deserved the seven-wicket win in New Delhi, Kiwi pundits said the seeds of the result were sown when the sides met in Wellington last year at the Cricket World Cup.

MADE TO SWEAT: P.V. Sindhu was far from being in her element before lifting herself up to scrape

through. — PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA

New qualifying standards to be tested in Federation Cup It further says that it is mandatory that athletes must have achieved the qualification standard in AFI-recognised meets during 2015 or 2016; moreover, an AFI technical delegate must have been present at the meet. (Valson clarified that the performance in the heats in the junior and senior Nationals between 2015 and 2016 will also be considered). The stipulation that has put coaches in a quandary pertains to electronic timings. “Our State championships haven’t had electronic timings in the past,” said Tamil Nadu coach Md. Riaz. “Young athletes who have made the qualification marks in State meets with manual timings can’t find a place in the Federation Cup, which is unfortunate. “However, if they have made the qualification mark in National School Games or National inter-university meets which have started using electronic timings recently, they can take part.” M.V. Rajasekar, the former National champion hurdler who is now a noted coach, said: “It has come as a big shock. The rules regarding electronic timings and individual entries should have been done in a phased manner, not with undue haste.” With individual entries, Ra-

CRICKET

WELLINGTON: New Zealand media

ATHLETICS

K. KEERTHIVASAN

Lajong eyes win over Aizawl

bumrungphan 17-21, 21-19, 21-16 in 76 minutes. The victory also helped Sindhu stay undefeated against Busanan. Struggling with her judgements and committing far too many unforced errors, Sindhu looked in serious danger when trailing 14-16 in the second game. But she managed to lift herself up and eventually managed to convert her second gamepoint to force the decider. Busanan kept up the pressure on Sindhu for the better part of the third game. But once Sindhu sneaked ahead at the home-stretch, Busanan cracked. The results (pre-quarterfinals): Men’s singles: Wei Nan (Hkg) bt Lee Chong Wei (Mal) 21-19, 21-19; Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) 21-18, 18-21, 21-16; Son Won Ho (Kor) bt Lin Dan (Chn) 21-13, 22-20; Tommy Sugiarto (Ina) bt Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Tha) 24-22, 21-19; Marc Zwiebler (Ger) bt Tian Houwei (Chn) 18-21, 21-19, 23-21; Xue Son (Chn) bt Jan O Jorgensen (Den) 21-15, 15-21, 21-16; Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (Den) bt Chou Tien Chen (Tpe) 21-12, 21-12; Kento Momota (Jpn) bt Ng Ka Long Angus (Hkg) 21-16, 21-11. Women’s singles: P. V. Sindhu bt Busanan Ongbumrungphan (Tha) 1721, 21-19, 21-16; Bae Yeon Ju (Kor) bt Yui Hashimoto (Jpn) 21-16, 21-10; Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Rituparna Das 21-9, 21-4; Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) bt Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) 21-16, 21-19; Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Sayaka Sato (Jpn) 19-21, 21-11, 21-14; Li Xuerui (Chn) bt Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (Tha) 17-21, 21-13, 23-21; Sung Ji Hyun (Kor) bt Pai Yu Po (Tpe) 21-16, 21-11; Saina Nehwal bt Nitchaon Jindapol (Tha) 21-19, 21-14.

jasekar said, the departments / units which sponsor or recruit athletes would move away from the sport. “When athletes run without a banner, who will come forward to support them? And how many States can aford electronic timings? This will reduce participation which is not good for the sport,” he said. Tamil Nadu Athletics Association secretary C. Latha raised another issue: “If an athlete is injured last year but is fit this year and wants to take part, how can he or she do it?” TNAA president W.I. Davaram said, however, that the new regulations were a sign of the times. “It will create problems,” he said, “but it’s okay. It will take time to adjust.” The qualification standards: Men: 100m: 11s; 200m: 22.50s; 400m: 49s; 800m: 1:54.00s; 1500m: 3:56.00; 5000m: 15:00.00; 110m Hurdles: 15.10; 400m Hurdles: 54.50; 3000m steeplechase: 9:20.00. Long jump: 7m; Triple jump: 14.80; High jump: 2.00m; Pole vault: 4.30m; Shot put: 16.00m; Discus throw: 46.00m; Hammer throw: 56.00; Javelin: 65.00; Decathlon: 5500 pts. Women: 100m: 13s; 200m: 25.80s; 400m: 58.50s; 800m: 2:18.00s; 1500m: 4:56.00; 5000m: 20:00.00s; 10000m: 40:00.00; 100m Hurdles: 15.50s; 400m Hurdles: 1:07.00; 3000m steeplechase: 12:30.00. Long jump: 5.60m; Triple jump: 11.50m; High jump: 1.50m; Pole vault: 3m; Shot put: 12.50m; Discus: 40.00; Hammer throw: 45.00; Javelin throw: 40.00; Heptathlon: 4500 pts.

East Bengal seeks positive result NEW DELHI: Shankarlal Chakra-

borty, who is standing in for suspended coach Sanjoy Sen at Mohun Bagan, says a positive result for the team is of paramount importance in the upcoming I-League derby against East Bengal. The Mariners play East Bengal in their return match at Siliguri on Saturday. “Our strategy is pretty straight and simple, give your cent percent and churn out a positive result. In our quest for the second consecutive Hero I—League trophy, we need a positive result in Siliguri,” Chakraborty, who has represented both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal after having graduated from Tata Football Academy, said. He said the defending champions’ strategy will be to not concede an early goal. “Our first priority always remains not to concede an early goal. In the early minutes of the game, we tend to focus on judging our opponents and then changing our gears according to our strengths and their limitations. When the two giants confront with each other, you can’t expect anything less than an enthralling humdinger.” Asked how is he preparing himself before his first derby as the Mariners’ coach, Chakraborty said, “I always believe that the Derby is the final frontier. Be it player or coach, you’ll always be tested on the Derby. But for us, generally, everything is planned by Sanjoy Da (Sen). “During the course of the game, we keep an eye to the movements and tweak the strategies according to the need of the game.” — PTI

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

Prompting review In that match, eventual finalist New Zealand trounced England by eight wickets, prompting Morgan's men to review the style and emulate the Black Caps' aggressive tactics. “There was an element of Frankenstein to New Zealand's departure from the Twenty20 World Cup,” Fairfax New Zealand's Duncan Johnstone wrote. “This was an England team that the Black Caps turned into a monster. And the monster came back to destroy them.” The New Zealand Herald's Andrew Alderson said England also mimicked the Black Caps by taking the emotion out of their cricket, delivering “a clinical dissection which wouldn't have looked amiss in an operating theatre”. “If the Black Caps could be deemed ‘the masters’, their apprentices trumped them,” he wrote.

He added that “England have morphed into a side with swagger and chutzpah”, since their Wellington humiliation, rating them a good chance of winning the decider on Sunday. ‘Limp’ end Johnstone said the heavy loss was a “limp” end to a campaign that saw the Black Caps cruise through the group stages undefeated, including wins over Australia, India and Pakistan. The New Zealanders have shown they can advance deep into limited-overs tournaments but are yet to reach the next level and win a 50-over or T20 World Cup. However, Kane Williamson proved himself an able captain for the post-Brendon McCullum era and the promising young spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner excelled. Exceeding expectations Former Black caps paceman Simon Doull said Williamson's men exceeded expectations, finally showing they could play in Indian conditions, and should not be judged too harshly. “We've had a good tournament and adapted to conditions really well, I don't think this is a failure,” he told Radio Sport. “Today's game will be disappointing, but if you'd told me at the start of the tournament that we'll go there and make the semifinals of the T20 World Cup on the sub-continent, I'd have said ‘no way’.” — AFP

‘Test cricket in diicult conditions gives me a kick’ S. DINAKAR CHENNAI: A champion batsman in

Tests, Murali Vijay has had his moments in the shorter versions of the game too. In this interview to The Hindu on Thursday, Vijay said, “Each has its own demands, but I am sure I can play for India in all formats. In the last ODI series I played for India in Zimbabwe this season, I was the Man of the Match in one game. I have had my successes in T20 cricket. I am confident I can do well for Kings XI Punjab this IPL season.” On the demands of being a technically pure batsman and still adapting to diferent formats, Vijay said, “You have to play with diferent mind-sets. I always wanted to be a very good Test player. I knew if I could accomplish that, I would do well in the other formats too.” Conquering peaks in Test cricket gives him immense satisfaction — such as the outstanding century he made on a fresh Gabba pitch with seam movement and bounce on day one last year. Vijay said, “These are the conditions that I crave for. It gives me a kick to play the toughest format, particularly when the conditions are diicult. It challenges me as a person and teaches a lot of things.” Most challenging bowler Ask him about the most challenging bowler he has faced and Vijay responds, “Jimmy Anderson in England. He was swinging the ball both ways. As an opener you have to be really, really sure of your of-stump.” Vijay excelled both on the

Murali Vijay. — PHOTO: PTI Test tours of England and Australia, two demanding campaigns in contrasting conditions. The opener said, “In England, the ball swings and it also seams of the wicket and you got to be sure about your feet movement. In Australia, there is more pace and bounce. The English conditions probe your technique more. Leaving a lot of deliveries outside of-stump was a conscious decision I made. In Australia, you play the horizontal bat shots, the cut and the pull.” “Sachin Tendulkar is like God, because of his balance at the crease,” he said on his idol. “Balance is the ultimate thing. Footwork is reaction to the ball but balance actually starts earlier, from your stance, your set-up to seeing the ball; that is, how still you are before the ball is being released.” Vijay spoke about his technique. “My backlift enables me to get my power. The bat has to come down in line with the ball, whatever line you are pursuing

with your eye. And my footwork helps me get into good positions.” Leaving the ball On his expertise at leaving balls outside the of-stump, Vijay said, “It depends on your guard, your stance, you watch the bowler’s hand carefully. I take the leg-stump guard against Mitchell Starc because he brings the ball in. I take the middle-and-of guard against Mitchell Johnson since he does not bring the ball in.” Playing spinners was about reading the length and using the crease, he said. “You pick the trajectory, the flight. You play on the bowlers’ mind, step out and then when he pitches it shorter, go deep and cut. You open the field as well, manipulate it according to your liking, with footwork.” Vijay, however, feels playing regularly and across formats for India would enable him stay in rhythm and evolve further.

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8 Stop Indian aircraft company's truck at first (4) 9 Doctor's personal duck (5) 10 Fatigue? Relinquish fag and develop case (4) 11 Revolutionary direction with South European food (6) 12 Noisy proposal by man (8) 13 Bear tale compilation can be appraised (8) CM YK

artist has sex appeal (8) 26 Rhythmic area in the central part of a city (8) 28 Exchange an electrical component (6) 30 She can be found around this crossword (4) 31 Language spoken by Lieutenant returning with French friend (5) 32 Primarily, say, a Red Indian garb (4)

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15 Corners of eyes seen in Tuscan thingamajigs (6) 17 He leaked a secret police agent’s circular without a hint of trickery (7) 19 Mates French and Indian objectives (7) 22 A person who causes injury and thus may lead to rheumatism (6) 24 Picture left by

18 Mutilated target around Romania showed execution device (8) 20 Trees Ali chopped up first (8) 21 My peons, oddly, are persons whose names are used to name other places or things (7) 23 Madcap has gent in aggressive clasp initially (6) 25 Railway carries light ash compound imprudently (6)

1 Party buffet (4) 27 State, “State briefly — 2 Alien care is organised Input/Output” (4) (including extraterrestrial), 29 Accountant's costly vehicle and so on (2,6) in boggy copse (4) 3 Brave toured around delta rapidly, for example (6) Solution to puzzle 11664 4 John's on the seaside structure and is more insane P R E T O R I A P O L I S H A N N N D C D E (7) G O D F A T H E R C L I P S 5 Hence, RNA may be a booster E E R E A L O I S A V O U R G O U RM E T (8) 6 Dutch (president) rebuilt a M O OV R LL A NE D J DE T S E AT range (6) I U T E O E S T R I P E E N AM E L E D 7 Rotate model vessel (4) 14 As tea may be brewed during PL I P R RE A D RT U OB R DI C a voyage (2,3) A L S R A S E C 16 Pilgrim greeting — wearing a C R U D E U N N A T U R A L N B C E E U dinner jacket initially. Quite DE E M B A T E B E G R U D G E the contrary (5)

FAITH

SU | DO | KU

A good human being In the time of Vallalar there lived a sanyasi, who, when people passed by him on the street, would observe: “There goes a snake!” Or he would say: “There goes a rat!” He could discern that those people had characteristics of the said animals. One day, he saw Vallalar, who was on his way to the Tiruvottriyur temple in Chennai, and the ascetic said: “Here goes a man!” What he meant was that among those he happened to meet, none except Vallalar qualified to be called a man. Although we are born as human beings, most of us have not shed many traits that animals possess. We are aggressive; we are competitive; we do not think before we act. But Vallalar was an evolved soul, who was beyond undesirable qualities like selfishness, said Sarala Rajagopalan, in a discourse. And that is why the sanyasi referred to him as a human being, a description that he did not use for anyone else. Tamil poet Bharati describes all the hidden qualities that we have, that make us seem more like animals than humans. There are those who are cunning like a fox. There are those who are slothful like a slender loris. There are those who remain in hiding and then launch a surprise attack on others, like a snake that comes out from its hiding place and bites its prey. There are those who are content to accept and consume what others give them, and remain grateful for this. Such people are like loyal dogs. There are those whose anger makes them resemble ferocious hunting dogs. There are those who keep saying the same things over and over again, like a parrot. Thus there remain in us many qualities that are typical of animals, and it is only a few like Vallalar who are free of such qualities.

A mind game and a puzzle that you solve with reasoning and logic. Fill in the grid with digits in such a manner that every row, every column and every 3x3 box accommodates the digits 1 to 9, without repeating any. The solution to yesterday’s puzzle is at left. ND-ND

SPORT

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

Bagan coach’s suspension reduced

BOXING

Shiva Thapa books ticket to Rio NEW DELHI: World championship

ball Federation (AIFF) on Thursday reduced the eightmatch suspension of Sanjoy Sen to four games after the Mohun Bagan coach tendered an unconditional apology to the apex body.

El Clasico fitting scene for Cruyf’s Barca tribute BARCELONA: The self-styled big-

gest game in world football takes on a diferent significance on Saturday as Barcelona pays homage to legendary former player and coach Johan Cruyf for the visit of Real Madrid in El Clasico. Over 90,000 fans will take part in a pre-match display reading “thank you Johan” ahead of Barca’s first match since the Dutch great passed away at the age of 68 last week after a short battle with lung cancer. Barca hosts Madrid 10 points clear of its eternal rival in the La Liga title race and on the verge of a sixth league title in eight years. Moreover, it is favourite to become the first side ever to retain the Champions League — a feat that would deliver a fifth European Cup in 11 years. Barca’s little more than a decade of dominance has been propelled by the brilliance of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez on the pitch and the astute coaching of Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique from the touchline. Yet, they are all united by a style and philosophy implemented by Cruyf over 20 years ago that continues to serve Barca today. — AFP

Vikram wins title CHENNAI: US-based Indian Vik-

ram Malhotra did himself proud, winning the title in the Malaysian Tour 2016 Leg I, a PSA world tour event in Malaka on Thursday. The World No. 125, who was seeded fifth, needed just 33 minutes to tame eighth seed Malaysian Eain Yow Ng 13-11, 11-9, 11-5. This is Vikram’s second PSA title since December 2015, the last being in the Florida State Open. En route the final, Vikram had got past two higher seeded players.

bronze medal-winning bantamweight boxer Shiva Thapa on Friday defeated Kairat Yeraliyev of Kazakhstan, a 2013 Worlds bronze medallist, in the semifinals to reach the AsianOceania qualifying event final in Quian’an, China, and become the first Indian boxer to book a spot in the Rio Olympics. Thapa had bagged a bronze in the World championship in Doha but lost in the box-of for an Olympic quota place in October last year. Twenty-two-year-old Thapa, a former Asian champion, put in some hard work to ensure his second Olympics appearance. “It was a long journey until I qualified this time. God’s blessings and team’s hard work has brought me to this spot and I am really happy to have booked my

Djokovic withstands back spasms to advance TENNIS / Angelique Kerber downs Madison Keys to move into the semifinals MIAMI: Top-ranked defending

champion Novak Djokovic withstood back spasms throughout the second set to defeat Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3 and reach the ATP Miami Open semifinals on Wednesday. Djokovic, trying to match Andre Agassi’s record of six Miami titles with his third in a row, will play Belgian 15th seed David Goin on Friday for a berth in Sunday’s final. The 28-year-old Serbian won his 14th consecutive match at the hardcourt event and his 28th out of 29, but needed a gritty performance after back pain began early in the second set, prompting him to have massage therapy before serving in the sixth game. “Due to windy conditions on the court, it was hard to find a good rhythm to serve,” Djokovic said. “I had a little bit of a spasm in the back but (the trainer) did a great job and I was able to finish the match.” Asked if he had any worries the spasms might become a long-term issue, Djokovic said: “No concerns. None at all.”

On the women's side, reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, the second seed from Germany, and twotime Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus advanced to a semifinal showdown. Both have finals wins over top-ranked Serena Williams this year, Kerber at the Australian Open and Azarenka at Indian Wells. Berdych loses again Berdych lost his 10th consecutive match to Djokovic, whose domination of their career rivalry reached 23-2. Berdych's last victory over Djokovic was in a 2013 Rome quarterfinal. “If you have that many headto-head, it can help, but not substantially,” Djokovic said. Djokovic blasted a crosscourt forehand winner to break Berdych for a 3-1 lead and held from there to claim the first set, in which the Czech had 21 unforced errors. Berdych surrendered a break to open the second set but Djokovic first reached for his lower back in the next game but held

Czechs to miss Kvitova, Safarova against Switzerland PRAGUE: Reigning champions

the Czech Republic will miss out-of-form Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova in the Fed Cup semi-final in Switzerland in April, team captain Petr Pala said Thursday. “We have agreed with Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova that I won't reckon with them in the nomination for the Switzerland tie” in Luzern on April 1617, Pala said on the team’s Facebook page. “If, as I firmly believe, we make it to the final, they are both ready to play,” he said, adding he would announce the oicial line-up next week. World No.7 Kvitova, the Wimbledon champion in 2011 and 2014, sacked her coach David Kotyza in January and has

been struggling so far this season. Safarova, ranked 15th, has been falling down the rankings after making the top ten late last year as she grapples with the impact of a bacterial infection from last September. Led by Kvitova and Safarova, the Czechs have won four of the last five Fed Cup editions. It beat Romania 3-2 in the first round in February as World No.14 Karolina Pliskova won both her singles — including a win over fifth-ranked Simona Halep — and added the decisive point in the doubles rubber paired with Barbora Strycova. Pliskova and Strycova are also likely to lead the Czech team in Luzern. — AFP

and broke again to end the match. “Overall, this is the best match I've played in the tournament,” Djokovic said. “I feel better than I did last year at the same stage. I'm hoping I can keep the same trajectory.” Djokovic won his 11th Grand Slam title two months ago at the Australian Open and also has crowns this year at Indian Wells and Doha. Goin matched his semifinal run from Indian Wells by downing French 18th seed Gilles Simon 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. “Feeling great,” Goin said. “Confident for the rest of the week and the season.” But he is 0-3 against Djokovic, losing in the 2013 French Open first round and at Cincinnati in 2013 and 2015. “He’s going to be very dangerous but I like my chances,” Djokovic said. Former World No. 1 Azarenka defeated British 24th seed Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-2 while Kerber cruised into the semifinals, downing US 22nd seed Madison Keys 6-3, 6-2. The German second seed, the

ticket to Rio,” Thapa told The Hindu from Quian’an. “I believe in hard work and I feel very motivated with the strong and supportive team that we have. The toughest part is when we bleed and sweat during our training and the

S. DIPAK RAGAV CHENNAI: He burst on to the scene

GEARED UP: Arjun Maini with his T-Sport car ahead of the European F3 season this weekend.

did, but results-wise I did not achieve my targets as I was looking towards a top 10 finish.” Racing for Van Amersfoort Racing, Maini had only four point finishes and finished 18th in the championship with 27 points. While the results don’t make for a great CV, it does not reflect entirely the underlying pace in races where grids had record

high entries of more than 30 cars. “There were times this season where things were working for me and I did not make use of the situation and there were times this season where I felt that I was driving really well but things were just not working out for me. “The highlights for me, results-wise, were Pau Grand Prix, Zandvoort Masters and the Macau Grand Prix.”

last of the top 12 remaining, is 1-6 lifetime against Azarenka, but won their most recent meeting in the Australian Open quarterfinals on the way to the title. “We have played some really tough matches,” Kerber said. “I know I have to play my best tennis against her. I will be ready.” Eighth-ranked Azarenka, who won the 2009 and 2011 Miami titles, will jump to fifth in the world next week. Azarenka could become only the third woman to win back-toback in Miami humidity and Indian Wells desert heat after Stei Graf in 1994 and 1996 and Kim Clijsters in 2005. Two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova meets Swiss 19th seed Timea Bacsinszky in the other semifinal. The 30-year-old Russian has won both their previous meetings. The results: Men: Quarterfinals: David Goffin bt Gilles Simon 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, Novak Djokovic bt Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3. Women: Quarterfinals: Victoria Azarenka bt Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-2, Angelique Kerber bt Madison Keys 6-3, 6-2. — AFP

Ferguson pleads for patience LONDON: Former Manchester

United manager Alex Ferguson has urged everyone connected to the club to have “some patience” as current boss Louis van Gaal tries to bring the glory days back to Old Traford. United has yet to win any silverware since Ferguson retired in 2013 after guiding the English giant to 28 trophies in 26-and-ahalf years in charge. Immediate successor David Moyes was sacked after less than a season in charge in May 2014 and this term has seen Dutch manager van Gaal come under intense pressure after United went out of the Champions League at the group stage and was knocked out of the Europa League by arch-rival Liverpool, having already been beaten in the League Cup by second-tier Middlesbrough. United, however, is now just a point of the top four and has a FA Cup semifinal replay to look forward to, but that hasn’t stopped the chorus of criticism over what many fans see as a lack of attacking football. However, Ferguson, in an interview with Sky Sports on Thursday, said: “It is dead easy to be critical. “You have to be realistic about some things — the number of injuries he (van Gaal) has had: Phil Jones has played only seven games this season, Ashley Young, (Antonio) Valencia, (Luke) Shaw, these are big losses.” Ferguson, whose career total

of 49 trophies (he won 11 while in charge of Scottish club Aberdeen) makes him British football’s most successful manager, added: “It doesn’t matter which team you are, if you have players missing of that calibre it has to have an impact on the team. “The other aspect, which is always easy to forget, is that there are also five new players in their first season at United, and two are young players in (Anthony) Martial and Memphis (Depay) and their promise is good,” the 74-year-old Scot explained. “You have to have some patience being a Manchester United fan and they have shown that over the years; in Matt Busby’s time, in my time,” said Ferguson in a reference to celebrated Scottish predecessor Matt Busby, who brought success to Old Traford in the 1950s and 1960s. “For 150 years of history it is worth having a couple of years on the quiet side of success because they will always come back and come back strong.” Sensational Rashford United’s injury crisis has seen van Gaal turn to the youth set-up for first-team players, the manager maintaining a tradition that started with the ‘Busby Babes’. Teenage striker Marcus Rashford, a locally-born 18year-old, has led the way with five goals in eight appearances. “You have to give him credit,

For 150 years of history it is worth having a couple of years on the quiet side of success because they will always come back strong he’s given nine young players their debut. I think the future is good,” Ferguson said of van Gaal. “Rashford is an example of what I think is Manchester United. They are the one club in England who will always identify a Rashford and give a young kid a chance — there is no better club in England at giving young kids a chance. “Rashford is a sensation and one of the best in years.” Meanwhile, Ferguson had a warning for incoming Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who will bid to return United’s “noisy neighbours” after guiding current club Bayern Munich and former side Barcelona to domestic and European success. “Man City have made a real coup in getting him but Pep won’t find it easy, English football is not easy,” he said of the Spaniard’s imminent arrival in the Premier League. — AFP

FORMULA ONE

GOLF

Alonso to miss Bahrain GP

New rule stretches Tiger’s wait for Hall of Fame

MANAMA: Fernando Alonso will

not take part in this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix for medical reasons following his dramatic crash at the Australian GP. “Following a decision by the FIA doctors, Fernando Alonso will not be participating in this weekend’s 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix,” McLaren said in a statement. Stofel Vandoorne, the reigning GP2 champion, will make his F1 debut in place of Alonso. FIA said: “following an examination undertaken this morning at the Bahrain International Circuit Medical Centre, it has been decided that McLaren Honda F1 Team driver Fernando Alonso should not take part in this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix”. “Two sets of chest CT scans were compared and it was decided that there was insuicient resolution of the signs to allow him to compete on safety grounds,”

Make-or-break season for Arjun Maini

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Shiva Thapa. — FILE PHOTO

Heartbreak for Mary Kom Meanwhile, London Olympics bronze medallist M.C. Mary Kom (51kg) lost to old foe Ren Cancan of China in the semifinals to miss out on an Olympic berth. In the women’s section, only the finalists will make it to Rio. Multiple Asian champion L. Sarita Devi (60kg) lost in the second round. Nevertheless, they will have another chance to make it to Rio through a qualifying event later this year.

FOOTBALL RACING AWAY: Victoria Azarenka raced past Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. — PHOTO: AFP

MOTORSPORTS

as one among the three selected by Force India in the nation-wide karting trials for its young driver academy before he lost in the final hurdle. Since then, Arjun Maini’s career has been a rollercoaster ride, with average results in karting championships in Europe to finishing second in the BRDC F4 championship in the U.K. in 2014. Last year was another trough in this ride, with a tough season in the FIA European F3 championship, an important series in the single-seater ladder. Maini will continue for a second season in European F3 which starts this weekend and it is a make or break season for the Bengaluru teenager. Speaking about his 2015 season, Maini says, “ I think it was an eventful first year in Formula 3 and I would describe it as a big rollercoaster ride with a lot of ups and downs. I was looking for experience and to learn, which I

sweetest part is when the hand is raised as the winner,” said Thapa, who will meet Thai boxer Chatchai Butdee in the final. L. Devendro Singh (49kg), who lost to Rogen Ladon of Philippines in the semifinals, will fight against Gan-Erdene Gankhuyag of Mongolia in his quest for an Olympic quota place. Three boxers in each weight will qualify for the Olympics.

Y.B. SARANGI

NEW DELHI: The All India Foot-

Derogatory statements Sen was suspended for eight matches and slapped a fine of Rs. 10 lakh earlier this month for making derogatory statements against the national federation. He had lashed out at the AIFF saying it had been “sold out” after his request for rescheduling an I-League match in January was ignored by the AIFF. “In view of the unconditional apology tendered by Mr. Sanjoy Sen, both verbally and in the form of an aidavit in addition to his undertaking that such incidents will not happen in future, the AIFF Appeals Committee, which met at Football House on March 31, 2106, unanimously decided to reduce the penalty of suspension from eight matches to four matches to be served consecutively,” the AIFF said in a statement after a meeting of its Appeals Committee. It added: “At the same time, the amount of fine has been reduced to Rs. 5 lakh instead of Rs. 10 lakh and it is to be deposited within 15 days from the date of communication.” Furthermore, on the issue of FC Goa’s fine of Rs. 50 lakh, the committee felt that it needed further clarification on the “issue of double jeopardy and jurisdiction of ISL” over this matter. — PTI

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Speaking about the main challenge he faced moving from F4 to F3, Maini says, “The main thing that I struggled with initially was using the much higher level downforce available in the F3 car. Power-wise you don’t find it that big a jump but the speed you can carry through the corners really does surprise you.” Karun Chandhok, who has been mentoring Maini for the last few years, felt one of the main reasons for the lack of results was down to the team he was racing for. “You would often see that at the start of the weekend they would be very competitive but as the weekend progressed, they slipped backwards as other people would improve the car set up and he didn’t.” So before the annual Macau GP last year, Maini made a last minute switch to T-Sport and had a very good weekend, on what is one of the most demanding and unforgiving tracks, with a tenth place finish. He will continue with the side for 2016.

FIA said. “A repeat chest scan has been requested before the Chinese GP (on April 17) and the results will be considered before allowing him to race there.” Alonso’s McLaren was sent into a terrifying barrel roll at the Australian GP after he clipped

Esteban Gutierrez’s Haas at close to 200mph. The two-time champion, 34, crawled from the wreckage before walking away from an accident FIA president Max Mosley said would surely have been fatal in a previous era. — AFP

MIAMI: Tiger Woods will have a longer wait before taking his place in the World Golf Hall of Fame after oicials announced the qualifying age for enshrinement had been raised. The Hall of Fame said in a statement that candidates for inductions must be at least 50 at the start of the year when selections are made, rather than the prior age of 40, or have not actively played for five years. That means 14-time major champion Woods, who turned 40 last December, would have been considered this year under the old rules but, provided he keeps playing, must now wait another decade for his chance. “We work very closely with our Hall of Fame Members to en-

Hamilton relishing battles ahead MANAMA: Three-time drivers World champion Lewis Hamilton says he relishes the prospect of another wheel-to-wheel scrap with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg and the Ferrari team at this weekend's Bahrain GP. The 31-year-old Briton, who finished second behind Rosberg at the season-opening Australian GP in Melbourne, has been involved in previous thrilling and close battles with the German at the Bahrain International Circuit. And, he fought back after a bad start in Australia to help Mercedes deliver a one-two at the opening race after a fight to catch and overhaul the Ferrari drivers — four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and the Finnish 2007 titlewinner Kimi Raikkonen. “I’m excited by the thought that there will be more races like Melbourne,” said Hamilton. “We know there are going to be weekends where we are a few seconds up the road ahead of the Ferrari (team), races where it's wheelto-wheel and some races where they might be ahead. “Bahrain has been very enter-

taining for the past two seasons, so more of the same would be great for everyone.” Vettel and Raikkonen made the most of slow starts by the two Mercedes men in Melbourne to take control of the race and lead for more than half the distance before they were reeled in — partly due to tyre strategy decisions — and overhauled. This weekend, Ferrari expects to be stronger still and may have a good early opportunity to break the Mercedes grip on early-season victories. Rosberg said: “Ferrari was a real threat all weekend in Melbourne and it's clear that we've got a big battle on our hands. I've had some great battles in Bahrain in the last two years, with Lewis and the Ferraris, so I'm expecting more of the same and looking forward to that...” Team boss Toto Wolf confirmed that Mercedes fears Ferrari more than ever this weekend, but added that he was as worried about the sport's image and the likelihood of another fiasco in qualifying on Saturday. A new format of ‘progressive

elimination’ in which a driver was knocked out every 90 seconds resulted in near-uproar in Melbourne when the session ended without a car on the track. An immediate unanimous decision by the teams to revert to the former system of qualifying, in three timed mini-sessions without individual eliminations, failed to gain the full support of the F1 Commission. As a result, the much-maligned new format will be used again in the hot and dry conditions at the Bahrain track at Sakhir, 30 kilometres south-west of the island capital Manama. “The teams were unanimous in their opinion of it in Melbourne — and it wasn't positive,” said Wolf. “We haven't found the right format with this change and it's hard to see how it might be more entertaining for the fans this weekend in Bahrain. “The sport is under scrutiny on this matter, so careful thought is required in order to make coordinated, intelligent steps forward from the position we are in.” — AFP

sure all aspects of the induction criteria are shrewd and judicious,” said World Golf Hall of Fame president Jack Peter. “As players continue to elevate their fitness levels and play at a high level for a longer period of time, moving the age requirement to 50 ensures that we are able to celebrate their careers at the proper time.” Woods was the main figure who inspired golf’s fitness revolution, shattering the Masters record in winning his first major in 1997, before dominating the sport for years. Jack Nicklaus, whose record 18 major wins is the milestone Woods has chased his entire career, was named a co-chairman of the Hall selection committee. — AFP

Shashikant Rajput in two finals CHANDIGARH: Shashikant Rajput

and Rishabh Sharda set up a title clash in the boys under-18 section in the AITA Championship series junior tennis tournament at the CLTA Complex on Thursday. In the girls under-18 final, Alisha Menon will be challenged by Kavya Sawhney. The results: Boys: Under-18: Semifinals: Shashikant Rajput bt Sagar Bains 6-2, 6-4; Rishabh Sharda bt Neeraj Yashpaul 6-1, 6-1. Doubles (final): Calvin Golmei & Rishabh Sharda bt Abhimanyu Rozra & Neeraj Yashpaul 6-4, 6-0. Under-16: Semifinals: Shashikant Rajput bt Bhupender Dahiya 6-3, 7-6(1); Neeraj Yashpaul bt Krishan Hooda 6-4, 6-4. Doubles (final): Bhavesh Aggarwal & Yuvraj Kooka bt Aditya & Udit Kamboj 6-4, 6-2. Girls: Under-18: Semifinals: Prinkle Singh bt Ashpreet Kaur Bajwa 6-4, 6-4; Trisha Vinod bt Kavya Sawhney 6-4, 7-6(3). Under-16: Semifinals: Alisha Menon bt Ashpreet Kaur Bajwa 7-5, 6-4; Kavya Sawhney bt Bela Tamhankar 6-0, 6-3. ND-ND

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LIFE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016

MIXED REALITY

Walk on Mars with Buzz Aldrin NASA, Microsoft team up to take people on a virtual guided tour of the Red Planet WASHINGTON: NASA and technology giant Microsoft have teamed up to create ‘Destination: Mars’, a guided tour of Mars using the HoloLens headset technology that helped scientists plan the Curiosity rover’s activities on the Red Planet. The technology will ofer people a virtual tour of an area of Mars with astronaut Buzz Aldrin in an interactive exhibit using the Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality headset. “Mixed reality” means virtual elements are merged with the user’s actual environment, creating a world in which real and virtual objects can interact. The ‘Destination: Mars’ exhibit will open at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s visitor complex in Florida, the U.S. space agency said in a statement. Guests will “visit” several sites on Mars, reconstructed using real images from NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover, which has been exploring the Red Planet since August 2012.

A Microsoft engineer wearing a HoloLens demonstrates the ‘Destination: Mars’ project. — PHOTO: AFP/TED

Aldrin, an Apollo 11 astronaut who walked on the moon in 1969, will serve as the “holographic tour guide” on the journey. Curiosity Mars rover driver Erisa Hines of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will also appear holographically, leading participants to places on Mars where scientists have made exciting discoveries and explaining what has been learnt about the planet. “This experience lets the

public explore Mars in an entirely new way. To walk through the exact landscape that Curiosity is roving across puts its achievements and discoveries into a beautiful context,” said Doug Ellison, visualisation producer at JPL. ‘Destination: Mars’ is an adaptation of OnSight, a Mars rover mission operations tool co-developed by Microsoft and JPL. A pilot group of scientists uses OnSight in their work

supporting the Curiosity Mars rover’s operations. “While freely exploring the terrain, participants learn about processes that have shaped this alien world,” Jef Norris, project manager for OnSight and ‘Destination: Mars’ said. Abigail Fraeman, a Curiosity science team member at JPL, uses OnSight to make recommendations on where the rover should go and which features it has to study. Recently, OnSight helped her identify the transition point between two Martian rock formations that they would like to study in further detail. By utilising the same technologies and datasets as OnSight, ‘Destination: Mars’ offers participants a glimpse of Mars as seen by mission scientists. “By connecting astronauts to experts on the ground, mixed reality could be transformational for scientific and engineering eforts in space,” Mr. Norris said. NASA is preparing to send humans to Mars in the 2030s. — IANS

Yoga college in China draws thousands BEIJING: The China-India Yoga College has become a huge success in China, drawing thousands of followers to its free lessons on the ancient Indian physical and spiritual practice. The country’s first yoga college was opened last November in Kunming and is based in the Yunnan Minzu (Nationalities) University. Lu Fang, Deputy Director of the college, said more than five dozen full-time students PEACE AT THE TOP: Women perform yoga on a glass suspension bridge to attract tourists in the have completed yoga sessions Henan province of China. — PHOTO: REUTERS/CHINA DAILY and nearly 3,000 people have participated in free yoga sesMr. Lu said a growing num- yoga teacher in the college, Mandiram, has spent five sions ofered by the college. ber of people wanted to learn said, “I only knew about Iyen- months giving yoga lessons. “Several companies and gov- from Indian yoga masters. gar style, but after extensive She said it was not hard to ernment oices invited our “They not only learn yoga po- learning with Indian tutors, I communicate yoga culture teachers to teach yoga during sitions, but also sutras, philos- have come to a much deeper with Chinese learners. “The Chinese Taiji (shadcelebrations such as the Inter- ophy, culture and dining hab- understanding of yoga.” Velusamy Subbulakshmi, owboxing) has a great deal of national Women’s Day,” Mr. its from the Indian tutors.” Lu told state-run Xinhua Han Mingxue, who took who went to China from In- similarity with yoga,” she exlessons and became a Chinese dia’s Krishnamacharya Yoga plained. — PTI news agency today.

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DELHI, FRIDAY | APRIL 1 | 2016

Remembering Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussein Khan, the shehnai maestro with an indomitable spirit CALENDAR

Exhibition Art Konsult presents “Magnetic Forms IV”, a group art. The participating artists include Achuthan Kudallur, Arindam Chatterjee, Biren, De Dashrath Patel, G. R. Santosh, Harshavardhan, Kalicharan Gupta and Manish Pushkale among others. Venue: Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi Date: On till April 4 Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Recital Bharatanatyam recital by Pavitra Bhat, disciple of Pandit Deepak Mazumdar. Venue: Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi Date: April 1 Time: 7 p.m.

Film In Threads Of Continuity series watch “Ferrari Ki Sawaari” directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and starring Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani and Ritvik Sahore. Venue: IIC, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi Date: April 1 Time: 6.30 p.m.

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Koodiyattam performer Margi Madhu Chakyar discusses the nuances of the ancient art form

p3

Amitabh Bachchan’s flair for comedy made “Mr. Natwarlal” memorable

p4

A jewel in the crown Padma Vibhushan Yamini Krishnamurti tells Anjana Rajan that she is planning a production that speaks through rhythm alone.

I

n an era that lacks icons there is often enough a marked debate around the conferment of the Padma awards, by which the Government of India recognises the achievements of eminent civilians in any field. But Yamini Krishnamurti is a rare icon in this world. So the great classical dancer being conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest civilian honour, can hardly give rise to a dissenting opinion. She received the award, announced in January, from the President this week. Yamini exemplifies a person immersed in the practice, development and contemplation of her art. Such immersion leaves scant room for pretence. Art may be described as an imitation or a reflection of life, but at the heart of true replication is an unquenchable, childlike honesty. Thus her joy at being named among the Padma Vibhushan recipients of the country is palpable. “Bharatastu yashovaham,” she quotes in Sanskrit, “The glory of Bharat (India) is our culture.” The veteran explains, “It was said, when talented people are recognised the country will prosper.”

The dance has nothing to do with religion. Beauty is the most powerful thing for all human beings. Z

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THE FIRE IS STILL BURNING Yamini Krishnamurti; (right) receiving the award from President Pranab Mukherjee. PHOTOS: V.V. KRISHNAN AND SANDEEP SAXENA

Talented artists have been many over the decades since independence. What marks out Yamini as a unique performer is that she made each dance form she essayed her personal expression. In the process she gained mastery over Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi. She was considered not merely a brilliant performer of Bharatanatyam, but also

largely responsible for putting Kuchipudi on the world map. Yamini has performed through the decades across the continents. Her combination of dancing energy and mythological richness has won her admirers everywhere. She was a young, fiery dancer in the early decades after independence, when India’s educated elite took pride in

rediscovering the country’s indigenous traditions, philosophies and arts. It was back in 1960 that she performed in Pakistan. The decade also saw her tour Afghanistan and Iran. Why these countries come especially to mind in today’s polluted climate is that the classical arts are often sought to be hemmed into a closed definition circumscribed by

fundamentalist views. On what is the place of classical dance in such a scenario, the maestro emphasises, “The dance has nothing to do with religion. Beauty is the most powerful thing for all human beings. Other things are not essential.” She continues, “This is my religion. When I see a beautiful tree, a beautiful lady, I go gaga! Beauty is the most essential

thing.” It is the opportunity to create and contemplate beauty that makes her particularly happy to teach dance. “I am making a lot of youngsters dance,” she notes, describing the joy of seeing that “a person who doesn't even know how to walk, walks out beautifully like a swan.” Apart from the precision of her postures, the heady speed of her compositions and the variety of themes she presented, learning from her gurus and guided by the intellectual inputs of her father Krishnamurti, she is known for her brilliance in grasping the mathematics of rhythm. Today the unparalleled dancer takes the stage relatively seldom. However,

she remains in her cosmos of light and rhythm through classes and workshops. The nature of a performing career makes it understandable if not palatable that even the greatest of artists are easily ignored once they leave centre stage. Not so for this veteran. “I see this recognition as essential for further creative inspiration of art. So I am very thankful I got this award, and it gives me great pleasure to continue my work,” she says. If life depends on breathing, says Yamini that is the quintessential rhythm. Thus, on her plans, she says, she looks forward to creating a production that speaks through rhythm alone. “That’s my inspiration,” she says. “I’m waiting for that.”

TRIBUTE

The unassuming master

Adoor returns

Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena will be remembered for his contribution to Odissi when the dance form was gaining popularity.

The National award-winning filmmaker is directing a new movie after a gap of eight years.

SUNIL KOTHARI

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DEVOTED TO DANCE Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena (1941-2016) PHOTO: AVINASH PASRICHA. CM YK

dissi Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena, 75, passed away in his village Remuna near Balasore, Odisha. He had gone to perform in a festival but unfortunately after he put on the makeup, suddenly he felt uneasy and passed away on March 26th. Jena was trained by many gurus in Odissi including Guru Gayadhar, Ramaswami, Ramgopal Misra, Raghunath Dutta, Mayadhar Raut and Kelucharan Mahapatra at Kala Vikash Kendra in Cuttack where he obtained a Master’s degree in Odissi. He was trained as a dancer and used to give several solo performances in the early ‘60s. It was Y.G Doraiswamy, an art connoisseur from Chennai, who saw his performance and suggested that he should move to Chennai to perform Odissi and teach there to local Bharatanatyam dancers, interested in learning Odissi, as the dance form was gaining popularity. Jena

taught privately in Chennai and later on in 1977 he was engaged to teach Odissi at Kalakshetra where he taught for three years till 1980. During his stay in Chennai he also taught Kshama Rau, daughter of Gyanpith Awardee author Sivaram Karanth, who contributed a lot in reviving the Yakshagana dance form of Karnataka. Jena also taught well known Bharatanatyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai. He used to perform duets with his

Later on like other senior gurus, Mayadhar Raut and Harekrishna Behra, who had migrated to New Delhi, Jena also moved to New Delhi from Cuttack and taught Odissi at Triveni Kala Sangam.

students in Chennai and had performed duets with Malavika Sarukkai. After 1980 Jena moved to Cuttack and established Kamala Kala Pith to train local young dancers and also dancers who came from abroad to study Odissi. One American dancer Madhulika came to Cuttack and took intensive training in Odissi under Jena. He was very proud of her and Madhulika wanted to take him abroad on a tour of America and Canada. He also taught at Odissi Research Centre at Bhubaneswar. Later on like other senior gurus, Mayadhar Raut and Harekrishna Behra, who had migrated to New Delhi, Jena also moved to New Delhi from Cuttack and taught Odissi at Triveni Kala Sangam. Later on he visited Japan and gave workshops at Osaka. By temperament Jena was quiet and very modest. He had received sound training under celebrated masters. During his study at Kala Vikash Kendra he was in close touch with Guru

Kelucharan Mahapatra. And followed his style. Ratikant, son of Kelubabu, recalls that when he was studying in 4th standard at Sagaddas Vidyapith School in Cuttack, Jena used to drop him at the school and pick him after the school hours . He also recalls that Jena was very polite and treated his father Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra with great respect. From among his three sons, Biswa, Annie and Rashmi, Rashmi Ranjan received thorough training under him and showed promise as an up and coming dancer. The other sons took to music. Rashmi Ranjan currently teaches at Remuna village where Jena built a Gurukul. He also used to arrange annual dance festivals there. Jena was invited to choreograph group dances for the students of various schools participating in the Republic Day parade. He also gave dance direction in many Odia films. He will be specially remembered for his contribution to Odissi when the dance form was gaining popularity.

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door Gopalakrishnan is directing a new movie after a gap of eight years. The 74-year-old director, who played a key role in revolutionising Malayalam cinema, said that the lead roles in his new movie titled “Pinneyum”, touted to be an intense love story, will be played by Dileep and Kavya Madhavan. Noted Marathi actor Subodh Bhave will also play an important role. The shooting of the film will begin on May 11 in Thiruvananthapuram. Major portions of the movie will be shot at the picturesque Sasthamkotta in Kollam district. Adoor, who last made “Oru Pennum Randaanum” in 2008 and won the Kerala State Award for it, says, “I am making a movie after a long gap, and have forgotten the process of filmmaking. For me, it is like a debut film.” Both Dileep and Kavya said it was because of their extreme luck that they could become part of a movie directed by Gopalakrishnan. “I have no words... My long-cherished dream is

going to be fulfilled...,” Dileep said. He said he had approached the filmmaker seeking a chance in his movie even after becoming a busy actor, “but luckily this time I got it”. PTI ND-X

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THE HINDU Friday, April 1, 2016

TRIBUTE: USTAD ALI AHMED HUSSEIN KHAN

MUSIC

Shining from the shadows

Straight to the heart

Meena Banerjee remembers Ali-da, the shehnai maestro with an indomitable spirit.

Sohanlal Saanghi Smriti Sangeet Samaroh in Indore saw talented artistes breathing life into ragas.

matchless shehnaiinterludes played by Ali-da. He happily shared concert platforms to play duets with eminent vocalists like Purnima Chaudhuri and sitar maestro Shahid Parvez and enthralled his listeners. It was his music which saw him on numerous prestigious concert platforms in India and abroad; as the staff artiste with the Akashwani Kolkata for almost four decades and then as a Guru (shehnai) with the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (20122015). Despite all the hurdles and later despite his debilitating illness,

Ali-da had an indomitable spirit to forge ahead. He loved to recount the success story of his Allahabad-based grandfather Ustad Wazir Ali Khan who had regaled the royal audience at Buckingham Palace with his shehnai when Pandit Motilal Nehru took him to London in 1910. His father Ustad Ali Jan Khan and his father-in-law Ustad Sajjad Hussein Khan were reputed shehnai players. Groomed by his maternal uncles Nazir Hussain Khan and Imdad Hussain Khan (Benaras Gharana), he also learnt vocal from Pandit Tansen Pandey of Senia Gharana. Ali-da remained grateful to Kolkata, his birth place, which gave him due respect despite the awesome presence of another legend. A true musician and guru, he not only groomed his sons with utmost care and lovingly inspired his little grandsons to take to shehnai, but also saw to it that the best of his disciples went to erudite masters for further knowledge. As a result he sent his dear son-disciple Hassan Haider to learn from Pandit Arvind Parikh. His family pride and sincere labour paid off when in 2002 his sons offered a fitting tribute to his grandfather by playing shehnai at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. It is heartening to note that a handful of his pupils, led by Hassan Haider, are making their presence felt on the concert platforms with a promise to continue the legacy.

richly coloured borders and red shawls. They made the gathered mass swoon with their joyful dance performed during harvest. Chakri dancers of Rajasthan danced in chakkars to the singing of a song which said, “My lord/ husband has gone to Delhi to bring me a saree and atar for my long braid, he is not home. My love has gone to Kalkatha I have given birth to my son.” Bamboo dancers of the Karen tribe who hailed from Burma, and later relocated to the Mayabunder tehsil of The Andaman and Nicober islands by the British during their penal settlements in order to clear forests, are naturally very artistic and love their dance and music. Their colourful dance in their ethnic costume was rhythmic and was the nucleus of their deep cultural heritage. Nicobari people performed in their outfits made of

banana leaves, worn round their waists over satin skirts. Their performance referred to the popular pig festival where they sing, dance and fight with the pig, before catching it and preparing a feast with its meat. The Ghasiya tribe of Baghelkhand, Madhya Pradesh performed amazing physical feats and whistled with drummers somersaulting with drums hung around their necks. The Rathwas of Gujarat performed Holi dance which is a unique dance where in they form a number of pyramids signifying the making of the temple to pray to Holi Mata. The performance culminated into a girl dressed as the Goddess being carried on camel’s back through a clever formation of dancers. It was followed by performances by Nagas and Santhals.

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hehnai maestro Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussein Khan (fondly called ‘Ali-da’ by Kolkata’s music fraternity) left for his heavenly abode at a time when the country is gearing up to celebrate the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan; whose name and shehnai are synonymous for lay listeners; so much so that any notable piece on this ‘auspicious’ instrument gets attributed to his name just like the unforgettable signature tune of Doordarshan. We grew up in an era which would start its day with that melodious refrain of “Saare Jahan Se Achchha” on Doordarshan, re-created by Pandit Ravi Shankar and improvised and played by Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussein Khan. “But without giving a second thought, the entire music-world appreciated it as Bismillah Khan Saheb’s rendition,” lamented Ali-da during a heart-to-heart chat after a recording session of a feature based on the ‘TimeScale theory’ of Hindustani classical music which was broadcaston the AIR a decade ago. “While it was a compliment, I knew that I will have to live under the shadows of this banyan tree called Ustad Bismillah Khan.” And yet, what a haunting beauty of raga Lalit he recorded that day! Quite adept at handling recordings, Ali-da was as

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MELODY LIVES ON Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussein Khan (21.3.1939 – 16.3.2016)

impressive on stage – impeccably dressed up like a court musician, steeped in sur like an ascetic and yet emanating familial bond surrounded by his worthy son-disciples as shehnai accompanists and little grandsons who loved to snuggle and lean on him while he smiled indulgently

and played! His style of playing had that same sweetness, that same unmistakable aroma of Benaras, associated with his legendary maternal uncle, Bismillah Khan. His own innovative style of playing jod-anga, gamak, baant-ki-taan, etc. further enhanced the beauty of his

“It’s a difficult instrument to pick up,” he said once, “The ‘dam-saans’ (long-breath) required to play the shehnai is not everyone’s cup of tea; moreover, shehnai is a dying art today, because artistes don’t have a secure future with it these days.”

renditions. A prolific composer, his Bhairavi and Kirwani dhuns, along with folk and modern melodies are simply matchless. Kolkata AIR’s archive is full of such inimitable shehnai pieces with which he composed the signature tune of the famous ‘Sangbad Bichitra’ (news); enriched the regular ‘Ramya-geeti’ (modern Bengali songs) or, more importantly, the annual Mahalaya broadcast before the day-break announcing the advent of Navaratris and Durga Puja. Poet-singer Kabir Suman’s homage to Bismillah Khan has

FESTIVAL

In harmony with nature NSD’s Adivasi Adivimb celebrated the tribal heritage of the subcontinent in all its hues. TAPATI CHOWDHURIE

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he National School of Drama’s endeavour in holding the three-day long festival of Tribal Dance, Music and Drama named Adivasi Adivimb in Port Blair was to celebrate the age-old heritage of the original inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent that has largely went unnoticed. It has been the mission of NSD Chairman Ratan Thiyam to protect the culture of these people by showcasing some

of their many customs of dancing, singing, crafts making and other allied practices. They tell tales of their past and hold the key which could unlock details of our parampara in the arts. Scholar Kapil Tewary speaking about ‘Janjati Sanskriti Kala’ was definite that some traces of these arts formed the source of Bharata’s “Natya Sashtra”. Referring to parampara, Vasant Nirgune, a scholar related to mythological story of Bhils of Madhya Pradesh,

traced the story of the creation of the dhol. He reiterated that sangeet is the most important part of tribal life. They live in harmony with nature. The festival gave the gathered audience glimpses of the ‘adim swarup’ of the tribal people, presenting the popular ghumura, a traditional heroic dance of Kalahandi, Odisha. The sounds created by the dancers along with the sounds of instruments like ghumura, nishan, dhol, taal

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Ratan Thiyam

and madal which excited the soldiers to jump into the war-field were shown in a very spirited dance form. Deuris of Assam performed Bihu with dancers dressed in black skirts with

EVENT

The idea of nurturing The Gnostic Centre’s seminar on ‘Evolutionary Potential of Education: Contemplative Dialogues’ was an enriching experience in more ways than one. financial or a corporate one. We've all carried a flame hat the Gnostic somewhere in our hearts, Centre’s 19th aspiring for an education anniversary seminar that can bring out the best in begins with a few minutes of a human being, an integral meditative silence is fitting. education. We begin the Outside, the centre and its yajna with our ahutis vast, expansive greenery sit (offerings) into this agni, this in scorching sunlight. Inside flame, not of ghee and the auditorium, the mood is oblations, here, but of our peaceful; the cool stone floor knowledge, aspirations, life’s drawing out the heat from work, and perhaps our our bare feet. sincerity.” The silence segues into a After short introductions measured start to the by each panellist, that covers seminar, titled Evolutionary their work and their own Potential of Education: take on the future of Contemplative Dialogues’ education, Ameeta moves on and divided in two sessions, to more detailed, in-depth one that aims to discuss the questions. Present at the future of education in light of session are Indologist the Wisdom Traditions, and Bettina Baumer, one of the another on New Experiments foremost expounders of and Experiences in Higher Kashmir Saivism , Guru Education. Moderating the Vajradhara The 12th Kentish first session, Ameeta Mehra, Tai Situpa, Buddhist master, Chairperson of the Centre, Kavita Sharma, President, begins the first session, South Asian University, invoking the metaphor of a author and expert on Indian “yajna”. “Everyone here is a folklore, Madan Gopal Singh, consciousness stakeholder in a professor at Delhi this process of education, not University, writer, composer

SWATI DAFTUAR

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and singer, as well as an expert on Sufi and Sikh traditions, Partho, educator and writer with more than 26 years in the field of education and the study of Sri Aurobindo’s Evolutionary vision and education, and Vladimir Iatsenko, who has been teaching Vedic Studies and Sanskrit in Auroville since 1993. The conversation starts with a deceptively simple question. Ameeta asks her panellists to cull out the core spiritual ideas of their traditions that can contribute towards an education that shapes the evolutionary future of society. The responses are, as one would expect them to be, diverse, and yet, uncannily similar. Beginning with the mundane, Sharma first says that “getting rid of all the board exams and annual exams will transform the education system immediately, because those are such levellers into

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ENGAGING DELIBERATION At the seminar.

mediocrity.” She goes on to speak of the four purushartha culled from the Upanishads – dharma, artha, kama and moksha. “They are based on the idea that you need money, and that there is desire, but both of these should be embedded in righteousness, in dharma, and when you earn or fulfil your desire through righteous means, which means you sustain and nurture the people and environment around you, then you get moksha, and moksha is not some heaven outside, it is equanimity, it makes you accept life with its ups and downs”. The conversation moves smoothly between each panellist, a kind of common thread developing as they go

along, that gently tugs at differences in opinions and unity of cause. In every tradition, the idea of consciousness resonates, and Singh brings in the idea of ‘conscience’, adding another layer to the discussion. At one point, Ameeta draws in a comment from Shailendra Mehta, Provost/ Vice Chancellor of Ahmedabad University and a panellist for the second session of the seminar. He asks the audience to look at the history of higher education in the world, which he estimates to be roughly 2600 years long. “For 1800 years, 6th Century B.C to 1197, India had the finest universities in the world, not one or two, but seven of them. The whole

world came to India. Then for the next 700 years, literally at the same time when the universities in India were destroyed, Oxford and Cambridge came up and Europe carried the baton for 700 years. Then, just when Europe was coming down, because of Nazis and the Second World War, America picked up the baton and has been carrying it since. We forget that India dominated for 1800 years, and we forget this was not just because of knowledge but also institutional innovations.” His contribution to the discussion leads to the next question the panellists seek to explore, one that looks at the key steps, structures and ways by which India can revive an education for the

MANJARI SINHA

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uch before the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) came into vogue, music lovers of Indore were treated to a sumptuous feast of classical music by the Sanghi family with Sanghi Sangeet Samaroh’. Lately, INTACH has also joined hands to preserve the intangible heritage of classical music fostered through this festival. The 47th edition saw musicians breathing life into ragas. The festival opened with the evening raga Shyam Kalyan rendered meticulously by Devaki Pandit. Trained under gurus like Vasantrao Kulkarni, Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki and Vidushi Kishori Amonkar; Devaki presented a slow and a medium tempo composition in vilambit and drut Ek tala composed by Pandit Ramashray Jha ‘Ramrang’, and took care not to let the shades of Shuddha Sarang, the afternoon raga creep into it. Rakesh Chaurasia, the gifted disciple of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia presented a detailed aalapjod-jhala in raga Jog followed by a medium tempo bandish in Matta tala of nine beats cycle and a drut Teen tala composition. Steeped in sur, he breathes life into his raga rendition with his deep and sustained breathing. It came to the fore again in raga Hansadhwani, the second raga he chose to present with a composition in the adha theka accompanied by Ojas Arhiya, a brilliant tabla player. Anupama Bhagwat, the young sitar exponent of the Imdadkhani Baaj, rendered the evening raga Puria Kalyan in a meditative manner next evening.

Trained under Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee, Anupama offered a seamless rendering of this Jod-raga, obviously a combination of Puria in the first half and Kalyan in the later half of the octave, with artistic insight. The systematic aalap-jodjhala followed by a traditional Masitkhani and a drut gat in Teen tala, devoid of artifice and gimmickry, instantly reached the hearts of rasikas from the very first meend, transporting them to a state of bliss . Anupama concluded with a hori in Mishra Khamaj ably accompanied by Ramendra Singh Solanki on tabla. Shubha Mudgal’s vocal recital brought the festival to its climax. There was commendable musicianship, intellectual grasp and enjoyment for herself – the greatest high an artiste can bring to one’s art. Opening her impressive recital with raga Shuddha Kalyan, she erected its architecture with all its grandeur rendering a meend-laden aalap, a vilambit khayal in Ek taal, a chhota khayal and a Ramrang composition in drut Teen tala with scholastic insight into the raga’s regal format. Then came the myriad colours of Holi in a variety of freshly minted old time thumri-style horis opening with “Rang daro na mope….”, a bandishi thumri in raga Desh, followed a Bol-Banav thumri style hori in raga Pilu and concluding with a BolBaant ki thumri in Bhairavi “Suno suno jin daro mope rang…” in her richly cultivated voice. The melodious touches of harmonium by Sudhir Nayak and the perfect tabla accompaniment by Anish Pradhan with his typical tautness, the lilting gait and the authentic laggi added extra charm.

SCHOLASTIC INSIGHT Shubha Mudgal in performance.

future, a system that takes the best of the wisdom traditions and the knowledge and the power that came with it. Singh believes that it is an emphasis on conscience that matters, while Guru Vajradhara brings up the idea of the commercialisation of education. “Nalanda, Taxila, Vikramshila, all these institutions did not sell education. It was given with devotion, compassion and dedication. This is very different from modern form of teaching.” Expanding on this idea, Sharma refers to the shift from exclusive education to mass education in the middle of the 18th Century. “Mass education led to universalisation of school education and then mass higher education.” She also clarifies that while in gurukuls and ashramas, the teacher and students did not have a transactional business with each other, there were huge endowments of land and money all given by the people, and to a certain extent, the state.” The idea that emerges suggests that as structures are set up, the spirit that lies behind their creation is lost, and what remains then is a mechanical following of rules. “What we need to find is a system that can bring these three together, the message of the Gita, of the action and faith, not in one personal god but faith in what you are doing, faith in a higher consciousness and

knowledge”. At this point, Ameeta touches upon the idea of atheism, and wonders at how it can be brought into the folds of the wisdom traditions, which do believe in some sort of divinity or higher consciousness. The question is answered succinctly by the panellists, who each echo the idea of wisdom traditions concentrating more on the faculties of consciousness (seeing, feeling, touching, being), and their development, instead of the divine. “The creation of personal god is a much later tradition, an easier one created for the average person, who might find it hard to get to abstract concepts,” says Sharma. Baumer adds that it is possible to have a conscience without religion, and Singh, an atheist himself, speaks of porous identities, laughingly calling atheists ‘creative schizophrenics’.” It is a loaded session, endless in its scope and too vast to document without leaving out threads. The question from the audience that follow bring on even more ideas to the fold – concepts of diversity, secularism and the possibility of giving a concentrated deep evolutionary education to a large mass of people. The ‘yajna’ Ameeta begun ends successfully, and the offerings have been rich indeed. ND-X

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far cry away from Kerala’s temple rituals and backdrop, sitting in an air conditioned conference room, Margi Madhu Chakyar, the renowned performer of the ancient Sanskrit drama form, Koodiyattam, reminisces and traces his path back. As a performer, choreographer and teacher, Madhu has been delivering lecture demonstrations, seminars and productions. But more than anything else, he chooses to be the story teller of the 2000-year-old art form. At the University of Chicago Center, New Delhi, for a week-long, one-of-itskind, full-scale Koodiyattam performance, Madhu speaks about the rarity of such a performance in today’s day and age, given the many constraints of life. The choreography is based on Sanskrit play “Abhisheka Natakam”, written by the legendary Bhasa, based on the Ramayana. “Thoranayudham”, as the episode is known amongst Koodiyattam artistes, is the third act of the play which begins with Hanuman destroying Ravana’s much adored and cherished Ashok Vatika. As Sankukarna reports about Hanuman’s deed, Madhu did an elaborate and exhausting description of how beautiful the garden was and how Ravana brought about the Kalpavrikshas and planted them there. The intricate expressions, eye movements and seamless mudras did not take long to catch people’s eye. “The reason why this is special is because it is for the first time that a full-scale performance is happening outside of Kerala, in its full glory. One keeps performing the most popular episodes now and then,” says Madhu. “As an art form, Koodiyattam cannot attract the masses. Nor is it meant to. It needs a rather scholarly than a

As an art form, Koodiyattam cannot attract the masses. Nor is it meant to. Z

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Keeping the tradition throbbing Seasoned Koodiyattam performer Margi Madhu Chakyar, who performed in New Delhi recently, discusses the nuances of the ancient art form with Anuradha Vellat

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AESTHETIC APPEAL Margi Madhu Chakyar in performance.

layman approach and a deeper understanding of the realm. Having said that, it does mean someone who is well-versed with Sanskrit will easily understand what is being portrayed on stage. It is the hybrid of a lot of minute expressions and actions, which is why one needs an overall understanding of the same as opposed to other dance forms like Bharatanatyam or Kuchipudi,” he adds. In 2001, the UNESCO declared Koodiyattam as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity. “Speaking of which, the recognition

gathered some much needed media attention. But it can only last so long and since the past couple of years, it has probably gone back to square one, and is in need of more funding. The foundation work needs to be done on preserving and conserving Koodiyattam and not solely focus on the interest of the audience,” says Madhu, who along with G Indu, is running the Nepathya Troupe in Kerala with five students. What makes Koodiyattam so exhausting is the very structure of its system. Nothing less than an eighthour practice is adequate.

“When a student joins, it takes about an entire year to observe and analyse her/him to figure out if they are even capable of it. More often than not, we don’t need to tell them; they realise the severity of the structure and quit on their own. Point being, it is difficult to find that dedication, mostly because of practical problems. One may actually not be able to commit a good eight hours to this alone,” remarks Madhu. “What I learnt in five years, someone would take 11 years to learn because of the various constraints today.”

Remembering what one of his gurus, the legendary Ammannoor Madhava Chakyar, once remarked, Madhu says that one could only teach so much bhava. “Bhava is central not only to Koodiyattam but also to life at large. And you cannot teach it beyond a point. For instance, I may go ahead and tell you that expressing dukha (sadness) requires you to curl your lips downward, move eyes up to down and maybe hold your breath in your chest. But this is just technical. What you do with the technical is entirely up to you,” he exclaims. Like every other dance or drama form, Koodiyattam too belonged to a different ritualistic setting, being performed in the temples solely before its recognition. “The setting here is different, they have white lights and screens and the place is air conditioned. But that does not take away one’s commitment to the character. It does not help the actor but it does not bother him either,” said Madhu. “You make the garden out of your imagination, even if you are inside such a room,” he smiles. As something that lasted for over 2,000 years, Madhu would never call Koodiyattam a dying art form. “It has sustained itself for so long, it can never perish. I always tell my students that theoretical knowledge is just not good enough for a performer. One needs a worldview of the situation. What is feminism? Who is a Dalit? If you are portraying these things on stage, you need an awareness that lies outside of books. For instance, an actor who portrays Sita questioning Rama without any knowledge of feminism and one who does so with an overview of women’s ideologies in place, function differently. The added knowledge adds to the character as well as the bhava. Koodiyattam is relevant in today’s world, more so than say 100 years ago, because we lack empathy to anything outside of us. To be able to sit and watch something for a good two to three hours and relax one’s mind and body is in itself a task,” Madhu signs off.

THEATRE

Of past, present and future

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ver the years, a large body of experimental works have been produced by theatre practitioners to reflect contemporary sensibility. We have witnessed many such experimental efforts, some of which were pretentious and some aimed to revive obscurantist feudal ideas. Viewed in this context, “Akshayambara” in Kannada presented by Dramanon as part of Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) is a tour de force. The synthesis of form and content and the unaffected gripping narrative create a theatrical piece that leaves a richer and deeper impact on the audience. Written by Sharanya Rampraksh who also directs the play, “Akshayabara” is a play within a play. It opens in the green room with a male actor preparing to play the role of Draupadi. A young woman enters the room. Engrossed in giving finishing touches to his make-up and costumes, the male actor gets angry to discover the intruder trying to dress up to play the role of Dushasana to enact the scene from the Mahabharata to disrobe Draupadi. Enraged, the male actor challenges the audacity of a woman to play the male role, a character in the Mahabharata in which women are not even allowed CM YK

to play female roles. This drama is being enacted offstage and on the stage Dushasana’s most shameful attempt at stripping Draupadi’s sari is about to be enacted. The scenes from these two plots keep on juxtaposing, exploring gender issue – the issue of Draupadi’s confrontation with maledominated society and the protest of the female performer daring to challenge a patriarchal society. The production is designed imaginatively to make visible to the audience both the offstage and onstage scenes from the Mahabharata. On one side of the down stage an elaborate orchestra and singers as part of conventional Yakshagana art form are aesthetically placed. Though Yakshagana elements are visually and aurally captivated the audience, the feminist point

The journey within With his uncanny ability to subvert what people believe, Rehman Abbas raises the art of story-telling to a new level. SHAFEY KIDWAI

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ot only does an unrelenting craving for sleeping around trigger off a string of licentious and noirish episodes but it also does bring forth a vibrant and poignant narrative of unwavering love and abiding loyalty that goes well beyond sensual appetite. Punic faith firmly grounded in human psyche enables us to explore new dimensions of the ambivalences, contradictions and subtle banalities of our personality that regales in undertaking the journey for passion and invisible journey within. Seemingly diabolical treachery provides us with a protective vault against the demon of our own personality that looks eager to declare war on what we cherish. These perceptive, ground-breaking and unsettling points are aptly discussed in the oracle set alight by a pre-eminent novelist Rehman Abbas. His glistening oracle took the shape of an eminently readable novel “Rohzin” that appeared recently. The novel immediately sparked off a pulsating debate in Urdu fiction where much of the space is filled with the insipid and pedestrian novels. Seldom do vernacular authors, especially Urdu writers get royalty but Rehman Abbas’s new novel published by Mumba book, fetched him a whopping royalty. The novel skilfully weaves an engaging story of a youngman Israr whose life is intermixed with various relationships. He never shies away from entering into relationship with strangers with a view to understanding what it means to be alone. Fashioning a unique and beguiling narrative of metaphysics, social reality, contemporary situation and

essentially creates crippling despair and panic and it sometime reduces a man to an unconscionable being and this the cardinal point which author forcefully makes while narrating a spate of gory and horrific memoir, Rehman Abbas incidents. tries to understand, not Much has been written on judge the intricate nuances prostitution and for the of a mysterious yet allpervading element of human protagonist the oldest profession of the world psyche that distorts symbolises the demise of beautiful into grotesque. fertility, creativity and The author, who is the first decline on all counts. Israr, Urdu writer to join the vociferous protest of Indian who hardly passes up any opportunity for voyeuristic writers against intolerance pleasures, lives in an area of by returning the State Urdu Mumbai that is filled with Sahitya Award which he got dirt, squalor, crime and for his third novel “Khuda almost non-existent civic Ke Saaye Mein, Ankh amenities, builds up a bridge Macholi”, (Hide and Seek between body, soul and under the Shadow of God) emotional through forging takes up a difficult task of an abiding bond with Hina. gleaning up the human Rehman Abbas has an debris that separation leaves uncanny way of subverting behind. The novel creates a what people generally sense of belonging to believe. Depicting much idiosyncrasies and skewed longed- for meeting of the perspectives concerning lovers, the narrator tells that identity, faith, personality both took pains to conceal and other socio-political their intimate feelings. reality. Similarly the novelist has a The protagonist Israr, a great power of recording of product of coarsened action in words – dialoguepopular culture, unfolds an and he uses dialogues to engrossing and heart explore emotional, physical rendering tales of violation and semantic spaces of human bodies and his through the prism of story evokes a sense of imbalance in the reader and individual sensibility of the characters. The following no holds barred, intrepid dialogues closely resemble and yet nuanced narrative leaves one awe-struck. It is a with maxims: “Literature is a melody novel of several embedded that can only be cured by the stories and each of them centres on an act of betrayal. close reading of readings of the literary texts.” In a time when people “The utterance of soul is tend to forget God, one of the always candid and frank and principal characters of the novel, Yusuf seems attracted it can never be arcane”. The author chooses an towards the teaching of Anton Szander Lavey whose acquaint expression Rohzin (Rehman insists that it is not “Satanic Rituals” (1972) be reckoned as a makes Satan an object of great reverence as Satan was combination of RoohSoul,and Huzn -Anguish) the victim of first betrayal. and portrays a life mired in Yusuf’s story proffers an promiscuity with no traces engaging debate on the role of Lucifer, God, man, and the of irascibility and at the end unwavering love emerges ephemeral world. The victorious. debate creates a new The last chapter depicting awareness about human two lovers caught in a sufferance that is not mitigated by the presence of violent sea is an unforgettable testament to several pseudo Gods men. Rehman Abbas charts out an human resilience and the novelist deserves accolades apocalyptic but sensitive for telling the story with discourse on how humans passion, fearlessness and take solace in faith. Depredation of every sort sensitivity.

delicate texture to reflect the ebb and flow of the hopes and MUSIC despair of the characters. The lighting effects by Debashis Chakraborty transform the production into a metaphor of a disillusioned world. Dyuti Ghosh as the female character and Santanu Ghosh as the youngest character bring to the fore the various emotional facets of their characters. 07/07/07 Group improvisations and elements of physical theatre with subtle lighting design create visual imagery that projects the tortured life of Reyhaneh Jabbari in jail. A young interior decorator, Jabbari meets Dr. Sarbandi on July 7, 2007 and hence the title of the play, “07/07/07”. Jabbari is full of life and a bright future is awaiting her. But the meeting with Dr. Sarbandi ruined her life. He SHAILAJA KHANNA tries to rape her and in the process he gets killed and Jabbari is imprisoned on the ne of the new charge of killing Dr. initiatives taken by Sarbandi. After a torturous the Sangeet Natak process of flawed Akademi recently is the early investigation, subjecting her morning music sessions. to heart-breaking torture in Every month, on a Sunday solitary confinement, she is morning, a judicious blend of executed by hanging in North Indian and Carnatic October 2014. Her death musicians are selected and evoked protest from human presented in different right activists. venues. Initially the venue Produced by Fats The Arts was in the Akademi Grounds Collaborative, the play is under the huge tree; it moved directed by Faezeh Jalali, to the outdoor amphitheatre transforming the entire in New Moti Bagh. Last auditorium as the stage for Sunday it was at the Akademi action. grounds. The emotionally-charged As the weather changes, group of performers move one is sure the need for an air from one space to another on conditioned space will be the stage as well as in the met. auditorium, breaking the The constant is the early concept of the fourth wall, morning timing to enable creating intricate visuals listeners to hear morning exuding the dark world of ragas which is rare these female prisoners. The days. According to the time inmates have no exit from theory of ragas practiced in this hell and condemned to the North Indian system, rot bit by bit. there are times to perform all All these images are ragas. harmonised to create an The Akademi starts its artistic whole. The fine sessions at 7-30 a.m. or latest ensemble cast and the by 8 a.m. so that one is able to synthesis of various hear all the Bhairavs, Lalits, expressive means offer the Hindols, Todis. This Sunday audience moments of searing featured all exponents from pathos. the North Indian idiom – two

Ragas for early risers

A woman playing Dushasan, tramps trying to escape to a new planet and the dark world of female prisoners – three gripping narratives from three different timelines kept the audience riveted at META. DIWAN SINGH BAJELI

GOING NATIVE

Sangeet Natak Akademi’s morning raga concert featured exponents from the North Indian idiom.

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INVIGORATING AFFAIR Scenes from “07/07/07” and “Haoai - The Eleventh Planet”.

of view formed the core in both the plots. The drama enacted in the green room is remarkable for emotional restraint which is felt with intensity. Prasad Cherkady, the male actor playing the role of Draupadi, gives an outstanding performance. His Draupadi confronts her tormentor with courage, challenging the right of her husband Yudhishthira to gamble on her. When he is out of the character of Draupadi and reacts as the male performer to the female playing the role of Dushasan, he acts with restraint, reflecting a masochistic view. Towards the end his gentle gestures and silence indicate the resolution of the conflict in a subtle manner – there is nothing superfluous in his portrait only intense concentration to bring to the fore the calm that is achieved with reconciliation and to come to terms with the changing times. Sharanya Ramprakash as the actress playing the role of Dushasan gives a riveting performance and when out of the male character she presents the feminist view in a forceful

manner. Haoai – The Eleventh Planet The absurdity of human condition and a deep urge to discover a new planet to lead a life of freedom to escape emptiness and meaninglessness of the world is the central idea of “HaoaiThe Eleventh Planet”. The play is adapted in Bengali by Ratan Das from “The Eleventh Planet” by Evald Flisar, a significant Slovenian writer. The play has only three characters and is set against the backdrop of a huge abstract painting. The action takes place in a single set. The characters – two male and one female – tend to be tramps who appear on the stage with bags containing some belongings and stay in a place with blocks. Mobile phones are their precious possessions. They keep on changing the positions of the block, giving them different shapes. They are desperate to land to the eleventh planet to enable them to live a meaningful life escaping from the absurdities of the world. They create an illusory atmosphere about them,

talking on their mobile phones to the inhabitants of the eleventh planet. They talk too much, often indulging in heated debates. The world in which they live offers them no hope, it is desolate. We have seen tramps in Samuel Brecht’s play “Waiting For Godot”, ‘an elusive tragic farce’ who keep on waiting for Godot and the play leaves a deep pessimistic impact. The characters in Haoai tend to remain in illusion of visiting their dream planet. The play is directed by Goutam Halder. It is verbose and there is little action. Dialogues are the main source of communication of the idea of the play – the metaphysical anguish of humanity. Through the brief exit and entry of the characters, their movements and the way they remove blocks from one place and put them to another, the director ensures action on the stage. The characters are motivated with a single idea – the desire to visit Haonai. The treatment of offstage music imparts the production

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Gaurav Mazumdar

instrumentalists Tarun Kalita from Assam on sarod and Gaurav Mazumdar from Delhi on sitar and two vocalists – Vidushi Sumitra Guha and Nagaraj Havaldar. All four artists represent different traditions and it was a welcome change to hear four different tabla accompanists too – Ustad Akram Khan, Utpal Ghoshal, Jagannath Roy and Akhilesh Mishra. It was interesting to hear ragas like Bairagi Bhairav and Kaushik Bhairav which are not so commonly heard nowadays. Deskar too is rarely played on an instrument and Gaurav’s first gat in adhachautaal was racy. Gurjari todi, sung by Sumitra Guha, was followed rather unusually by Bhairav by the last performer Nagarajji. According to Rita Swamy, Deputy Secretary at Sangeet Natak Akademi, even the number of artists presented is flexible. In some cases artists are presented in a session thus giving each artist about 30-40 minutes concert time which is enough in the case of folk artists like Hari Das Singh and party from Manipur who were featured in earlier concerts. ND-X

FRIDAY REVIEW

MIXED BAG P4

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU Friday, April 1, 2016

BLAST FROM THE PAST

QUICK FIVE

Mr. Natwarlal (1979)

Mika turns mentor

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his was a good con man –– singing to kids, wooing a pretty lady, fighting a tigress and a bad man and emerging a hero having exacted revenge for a tragedy from the past. There was only one person who could have played that character – Amitabh Bachchan – and he just slipped into the role with the flair that marked his career. There was a new aspect to his personality as Bachchan lent his voice for the first time. For someone who was rejected by All India Radio, he carved out a huge new set of fans with his “Mere Paas Aao Mera Dosto Ek Qissa Suno…” The song was for his kid friends and obviously it became a rage or its melodious composition and of course the presentation on screen. Bachchan clearly loved frolicking with the kids and the song was a feature of this box-office success. It actually was an experiment that contributed immensely to carry the move forward. Bachchan, spurred on by this song, went on to add some more in times to come, notably the Holi hit from “Silsila” – “Rang Barse”. The nascent phase of Hindi film history featured leading men giving their own voice to songs and Bachchan was a welcome addition to the list in the new era when parallel cinema gave the commercial field a tough time. This was an out-and-out entertainer with Bachchan pitted against the vivacious

S.M. AAMIR

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FIGHTING BEAST AND BADDIES Amitabh Bachchan’s performance made “Mr. Natwarlal” a delight to watch.

Genre: Action comedy Director: Rakesh Kumar Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Ajit, Amjad Khan, Kader Khan, Indrani Mukherjee, Satyendra Kapoor, Iftekar, Yunus Parvez, Goga Kapoor Story: Gyandev Agnihotri Screenplay: Rakesh Kumar Dialogue: Kader Khan Lyrics: Anand Bakshi Music: Rajesh Roshan Box office status: Hit

Rekha. To win her heart he takes on a tigress. Now this one is an actual tigress. Obviously there is Bachchan’s ‘double’ who enacts the action. Graphics and animations were not part of Hindi cinema and “Life Of Pi” would have remained a dream to assume the form of a movie. Those were times when animals as central figures

were not opposed by activists. “Haathi Mere Saathi” was a fine example where the elephant outshone the star of the day – Rajesh Khanna – and the film has remained a landmark movie showcasing the animal as the most popular member of the cast. Here, she gets credit too – Bharti the tigress. The tigress can’t match the skills of

Bachchan. Having escaped from the cage, she is overpowered and put in its place. In the process Bachchan wins the love of Rekha. Natwarlal is a notorious character in Indian lore. There are many stories revolving around the escapades of Natwarlal but our man is Mr. Natwarlal. He is good at heart and reaches out to the poor,

always a step ahead when pulling off heists and making a mockery of the traps laid out for him. Bachchan as the protagonist was the right choice. He was at the peak of his career, having figured in hits like “Don”, “Muqaddar Ka Sikandar”, “Trishul”, “Amar Akbar Anthony”, “Sholay”, “Mili” and “Abhiman”. The classic romantic, “Silsila” was two years away, but Bachchan and Rekha had come together in “Imaan Dharam” and “Khoon Pasina” ahead of “Mr. Natwarlal”. There was a beeline to cast them since it assured good return at the box office. “Mr. Natwarlal” was not the best they had to offer but their banter stood out. Bachchan is Natwar, who has a mission to expose Vikram (Amjad Khan), the man responsible for framing a police inspector Girdharilal (Ajit). As the

younger brother of Girdharilal, the rebellious Natwar seeks to set matters right and his pursuit to deal with Vikram is a roller-coaster path, replete with intrigue. A thief puts him on the trail of Vikram and the rest is the hero’s journey to avenge his elder brother’s ignominy with a gallantry medal, awarded to Girdharilal, the inspiring object for Natwar. Rajesh Roshan’s music was a highpoint. Apart from the Bachchan offering, a duet by Kishore and Lata – “Pardesia Yeh Sach Hai Piya” – topped the charts of the day along with a peppy Asha Bhosle number – “Tauba Tauba”, the songs carrying a distinct Rajesh Roshan stamp. “Mr. Natwarlal” was a movie to delight when it graced the screens. It continues to be so. VIJAY LOKAPALLY

CINEMA

A sprint to the screen From John Huston to Stephen Hopkins, directors over the years have been inspired by real sporting events. NAMAN RAMACHANDRAN

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ast week, I was watching the IndiaPakistan World T20 game with a bunch of people of both Indian and Pakistani origin. The venue, appropriately enough, was the tavern attached to the home of cricket, Lord’s. The atmosphere was electric and led me to wonder whether the sheer drama created by assorted men and women watching a game being played some 8000 kilometres away could ever be reproduced on screen. This, in turn, took me back to the

1980s, specifically to a tent in the middle of the Thekkinkadu Maidan that is encircled by the Swaraj Round road in the middle of Thrissur (then Trichur), Kerala. The Thrissur Pooram is the highlight of the city’s cultural life every summer, and is all about parasols and pachyderms. But it was the tent that enraptured my cousins and me as it boasted a rare colour television that, for a few paise, would show wondrous films from around the world, off VHS tapes. I don’t know whether it was a coincidence or not, but the tent programmer

revelled in putting on films related to sport. Thus, we thrilled to Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly’s martial arts in “Enter the Dragon” (1973). But the film that really captured our imagination was “Escape to Victory” (1981). I had no idea then that the film’s director, John Huston, is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, having directed several masterpieces, including “The Maltese Falcon” (1941), “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948), “The African Queen” (1951) and many more, in a career spanning 46 years. Our then-

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SHOWCASING THE LEGEND A scene from “Race”.

unencumbered young minds drank in the sight of Allied prisoners of war Pelé, Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone playing a great game of football against their German captors, while at the same time plotting their escape. I subsequently discovered that “Escape to Victory” was based on Hungarian master Zoltán Fábri’s “Two Half

Times in Hell” (1961), where on Hitler’s birthday, the Germans organise a football match against their prisoners of war. No mention of Hitler and sport is complete without Leni Riefenstahl’s “Olympia” (1938), her document of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. While unashamedly a state-funded propaganda film for Nazi Germany, the film is a

valuable document of the event, and also of black athlete Jesse Owens making history by winning four gold medals in the face of Hitler’s quest for Aryan supremacy. Over the years, I have gotten to know the British filmmaker Stephen Hopkins (“The Life and Death of Peter Sellers”, 2004), and I am keenly looking forward to watching his “Race”, a fictionalised version of Owens at the Berlin Olympics, made with the cooperation of the Jesse Owens Foundation as well as the Owens family. Sadly, some of those 1936 practices have not gone away. As the film’s producer Jean-Charles Lévy of Forecast Pictures said, “This is a very timely film, and all the subjects tackled in the film are unfortunately still very relevant. We are proud to have found a way to address this in a film that is both commercial and educative.”

ika Singh, who has a large following of music lovers, has a created a niche for himself with his unique style and voice. Besides giving Punjabi music a distinct identity he has belted out songs like “Mauja Hi Mauja”, “Dhinka Chika” and many more which continue to be popular. His new song album titled “Billo” will be released soon. The singer who has been appearing regularly on different talent shows will now be seen on Zee TV’s show- Sa Re Ga Ma Pa as a mentor. In a chat with The Hindu he throws light on his role in the show, voice modulation and the ban on Pakistani artists performing in the country. Edited excerpts Your role in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa? I am one of the mentors on the show along with Pritam Chakraborty and SajidWajid. Here I must tell that we will not be judging the contestants but will groom them. This time the channel has appointed a 30-member jury who are music maestros. I have been part of other musical reality shows, but this is the show I always wanted to be a part of. This is the most awaited music reality show. My involvement goes beyond music. For instance, there are two participants Hashmat and Sultana who come from a very poor family living in a one-room house. I have promised them to build their house so that they can train better and achieve their dreams In the past you have been associated with some songs like “Ae Ganpat” and “Sari Duniya...”, whose lyrics were found objectionable by some people. As far as the lyrics of the songs are concerned, I have got nothing to do with it and the whole credit goes to music directors Pritam Da and Sajid-Wajid. I just did my job. Here, I must tell that people like me who come from villages and small town want to get associated with

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such great music directors without looking or commenting at anything. Talking about the songs you mentioned, I must say that these songs were appreciated by the audience and they love it, but you will not find objectionable lyrics in my compositions. On singing in different voices for different actors and modulating his voice for Shahid Kapoor and Salman Khan. What happened before, they required three singers for three actors, but now I have changed this trend. I sing one song and make four actors dance on it and the voice suits all four of them, like “Aye Ganpat” and “Singh Is King”, where five actors performed. I make a strategy to make it work and it has worked so far. I had sung songs for nearly every big name in the film industry, be it Akshay Kumar or Salman Khan. I have to make some adjustments keeping in mind the persona of the actors. For example, for Salman Khan you need a powerful voice and for Shahid Kapoor a romantic soft voice is required. Why is that today’s songs do not have a long shelf life? Some three-four decades back we only had Hindi songs and everyone had to listen to them, but today we have different songs in different languages like Punjabi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Marathi and so on. The audience choose their type of songs. On cancellation of performances by Pakistani artists I feel very sad about it. Music has no language. Cricket and music are two different things. Cricket is played between countries and as far as music is concerned, anybody can listen to it anywhere in the world. I listen to Michael Jackson and I also love Bengali songs. How can anybody ban it? I am a big fan of Ghulam Ali Sahib. Whenever he is in Delhi he stays at my place. Recently I had a show in Delhi and he was there in the audience.

A STYLE HIS OWN Mika Singh

TELLING VOICES

Be assertive with yourself Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski urges us all to make decisions with integrity and objectivity without judging them on consequences, writes Sudhamahi Regunathan

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ecision making is part of the issue of assertiveness. Assertiveness can be with other people, but you have to be assertive with yourself, with personal decisions,” says Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski. This is one of his many talks available on Youtube, each one dealing with a specific subject. This one is about making decisions. Another talk on stress tells the story of how a lobster keeps moving out of the shelf where it is bred to make space for its growing body. If a lobster did not have the stress of finding new space CM YK

every time, Dr Twerski says it would never grow. But, we humans treat our stress with tablets and do not find the right impetus for growth within that stress! Talking of decisions, Dr Twerski says some decisions do not have such far reaching consequences, but, he says, “…some decisions are much greater…like the decision of whom you are going to marry, what kind of profession, you want, what kind of job you want…” The wisdom comes with the following line, “First thing we have to realise is that we are not always going to make the correct decision,

am going to make wrong decisions but my decision making has to be with integrity. If I think about whether I should operate a person or not it is not about how much I can collect for the operation, but what is the best thing for this patient. So we must realise that we are housed within a physical body that has desires, impulses etc., and they may colour our decision. We may not realize that sometimes we are bribed and the bribe is that we want things to turn out a certain way and we don’t like the decision on what is really right because we see what is really right as

what we want to be right.” What is the “really right? The Rabbi answers, “There was a great Hasidic rabbi who was asked by one of his followers, ‘How can I make good decisions?’ The rabbi said, ‘Did you ever watch a

tight pole walker? He said the way a tight rope walker keeps his balance is that when he feels himself pulled over to the one side, he over corrects by leaning to the other side. That keeps his balance.’ So when you have a desire to do

something the foremost thing you have to recognize is that most of our desires come from our animalistic traits. So the first thing you should do is to think is why you should not do it and then lean over to the other side

and make a decision.” The key is, “We have to have self confidence and make our decisions and realise that I am capable of taking decisions and there are times that I have to ask expert advice. Ultimately, the decisions are mine. I have also got to realize that not making a decision is also a decision, that I am not going to make a decision. And I have to realize that if I am not going to make decisions, other people are going to make them for me and the decisions that other people are going to make for me will actually be much worse. That will be the worst decision that I can make for myself. I have my own interest and most people know what is

good for them. Making decisions is getting the best possible information, having self confidence and it is appropriate to pray for decisions: to help me make the right decision.” The essence of the matter however is, “…not to see a decision that has poor consequences as a horrible failure on our part. Decisions are good or bad depending on how we made them not depending on the consequences.” The learning: be assertive with yourself, make your own decisions, make them with integrity and objectivity and do not judge them on the basis of how they work out. [email protected]

Web link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aDXM5H-Fuw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSD2QHXoLP0 ND-X