VOL: 1 ISSUE 33 PRICE Re. ONE ONLYFeb. 01, 2009

Putting Heart and Soul of your Neighbourhood

Alpha Times Subhiksha retail on virtual collapse

With the Satyam fiasco strife in the country

another major retail chain Subiksha Trading Services is on a virtual collapse.

Stating that its operations are "near standstill", retail chain Subhiksha Trading Services on Friday said it needs liquidity injection of up to Rs 300 crore to get the company back on track as it had run out of cash in October last year.

"(The company is at) a stage where operations are at near standstill. We are working with the financial stakeholders - lenders and investors - to inject liquidity and get company back on track," a company spokesperson said.

"We need a liquidity injection of up to Rs 300 crore, while we argue on whether it is debt or equity that really does not matter, the business can get back to near peak levels once this cash is available," he added.

The company's lenders, while supportive, were also unable to extend further lines unless the equity was raised. Net net it became a chicken and egg story with the company running out of cash by October, he said. "We never took serious credit from suppliers, most purchases were on limited or nil credit. When we could

not pay for fresh buying, the trade cycle collapsed in October and that is what brought us to a standstill," the spokesperson added.

H e , h o w e v e r , insisted that the company was not closing shop. "No, we are in pain but we are no t shu t t i ng down . " Despite the issues of large employment at risk and a sound business model it is taking time to get the pieces closed as al l stakeholders have to come to agreement and it is stressed time for many of them as well, he said.

The company is now engaging in getting the restart plan approved b y t h e f i n a n c i a l stakeholders and then get the liquidity so that it can continue from where it left, he said.

I n a b l u n t admission of its troubles, the company said it has

been unable to pay staff salaries, vendors and rent since August-September last year.

"Since August-September, when we started having trouble, we ensured that we keep the financial creditors -- banks etc --- paid as much as we could and also tried to keep sales happening as much as we could. This led to employee payments and rentals and some such payments getting delayed. This got into a spiral and really blew up on all of us," he said.

Highlighting the struggle to manage 1,600 stores with over 15,000 employees, the spokesperson said, "when we get into delays (it) is a nightmare and a tragedy...once we got into pain it became a vicious cycle. The pain meant that it stopped all ability to tap fresh funds that could have cut the Gordian knot."

The inability to raise fresh funds cost the company dear, he said, adding "we have lost a year in this process. We could have reached our 2,300 store and Rs 4,300 crore

turnover target this year. I guess we will do it next year now."

The spokesperson denied there was an 'exodus' of senior management from the company, but said "the stress in the situation has caused some movements as well one would guess". He also said the company will not be sold out and there was no reason to exit the business if it got the backing of financial investors and banks.

Explaining why the crisis began in the summer of 2008, the company said: “We could not trade as we ran out of cash. When we could not pay for fresh buying, the trade cycle collapsed in October and that is what brought us to a standstill.”

The promoters have been trying to raise Rs 300 crore, needed to bring the company back on its feet. They held negotiations with at least two retail chains for selling equity, but no deal has happened so far. Last year, Wipro promoter Azim Premji bought 10% stake in Subhiksha for Rs 230 crore from ICICI Venture. The promoters currently hold 59% in the company.

- S. Raghunathan with inputs from Agencies.

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God or His Name is the sole strength in living against all odds and uncertainties. If one is not at cross purposes with Him, one finds His manifestation in every happening. But, one has to bear with patience

the onrush of the forces one has let loose. Yoke yourself unto Him and He will bear the brunt.

Take refuge in none but Him. Dependence on Him makes one fearless. Human beings will enjoy three-fourths of life and one-fourth they will suffer. But, we lose our patience and do not accept even that one-fourth of sorrows given by Him.

Do not be obsessed with any wish. Shake off sadness. Unhappiness is part of the ego. Beyond it, no such thing exists. That you have forgotten Truth (that God is within) is the root cause of your misery. A painful blow becomes bearable to a great extent by His remembrance. As He inflicts blows on you, so also He gives you the capacity for bearing the suffering. As one tolerates unbearable situations with patience, a time comes when He resolves all problems. Whenever you have tumults in mind, try to remember this very often. You can do this. The key is with Him. Truth wins. He is your shield. Destiny still comes but He eases the suffering.

When you have the shelter of Satyanarayan (God within), He will test you in various ways. Your duty is not to get agitated when these sorts of events hurt you. There is a saying of Baba, "You look to Me, I look to you. Even then, if they do not leave Me and still seek Me, I then become their humble servant." The smiles and frowns of life are His tokens of love. Bear them with loving patience, you have to forsake nothing. Neither indulge, nor restrain.

If you have devotion, you need fear nothing. Devotion is never devoid of strength. So many varied problems and hindrances must come, otherwise people will not understand and realize how and why He is the best of all friends and companions. He is the Dearest One, who keeps us protected in all calamities and adversities, which are unpredictable. People falter in life and suffer by discarding Him. But, they can't do anything without Him. Have faith in Him, unflinching faith. Love Him. Hazards take care of themselves. Remembering and depending on Him make one fearless in life, whatever may happen.

He gives us jolts so that we can be ready to taste real happiness with Him, to make us free of maya, or mind and attachments. We do not know His Will, so we grieve over all He does, but He always does everything for the best. Do not worry. Never try to understand. Only accept as a gift whatever He gives, take it as His blessing. When one feels, "I am helpless, my strength fails" He comes to hold the rudder. Being always in the midst of people with their selfishness, jealousy and hatred, the mind is afflicted with pain. These afflictions are shaken off like dust through devotion and remembrance of God's Name within.

He, the Almighty, by His wish and touch takes away the worldly attractions gradually to bring one to a blissful, peaceful state. A person cannot realize this state on his or her own due to the intensity of illusory worldly desire. You do everything, see everything, listen to everything, but do not get so deeply involved as to invite sufferings through them. Of course, He will ensure this, you don't have to make any effort for it. Just keep Him in your remembrance.

Feb. 01, 2009

A combust Mars makes you allergic to others' good advice. Don't have blind faith in your potential

For the week Feb. 01- 7, 2009

An exalted Venus makes it a splendid period to take a break. Bank upon genuine and sincere persons. Friday is a jovial day for you.

Mercury in the house of expenditure will make you harsh with people without reason. Keep your cool. Wednesday is irksome day.

A lustreless moon accompanied by malefic stars may make you extravagant. A spurt in spending could harm your economy. Monday is expensive day.

Sun, in your sign, will lighten up your mood and shed lethargy. Creative Leos will find a new way to rejoice.

Your travel plans may switch from long to short term. Success ahead in interviews or other important meetings on your agenda.

Despite a hectic schedule, you will remain a conscientious professional who means business. Your opponents will be impressed by your equilibrium.

Mars, being combust and exalted, predicts a mixed outcome. Despite meeting exorbitant demands of others, no serious crunch ahead.

A boom period for service-oriented Sagittarians. Your ties with elders will improve. Ample monetary luck during the end part. You will win friends and dispel enemies.

Don't try to win over a Leo or Scorpio as it is not wise. Patch up with Virgoans and Librans who will stand by you.

Saturday-born Aquarians, with their wisdom, will solve problems. For Tuesday-born, it is a negative phase. They should be cautious.

VOL : 1 ISSUE 33 Feb. 01 2009

[ July 23 to Aug 22 ]

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Why do we suffer?

Whichever way one looks at it, Ramaswami Venkataraman rates among the better Presidents that the country has had. His death at the age of 98 marks a break with the past that goes back to the advent of the 20th century and the freedom struggle. The values that he imbibed during the Gandhi-Nehru era remained with him all his life and he was acknowledged as a stickler for rules. He had been associated in various capacities with all the country's Prime Ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh. But by the time he became the country's eighth President in 1987, there had been considerable erosion in values in public life. The coalition era had also dawned, which he personally disproved of. But it goes to his credit that he gave sage advice to all the Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi, V P Singh, Chandra Shekhar and PV Narasimha Rao. To that extent he was a copybook President.

But the pulls and pressure of coalition politics were taking their toll on the country and as a remedy, he floated the idea of a national government. Since it did not suit the conflicting ambitions of some politicians, it could never get off the ground. During his presidential years, which he later recounted in a book of that name, he had to bring all his administrative acumen and sense of fairplay into operation while deciding on such a tricky situation created by the Sri Lankan crisis, the Bofors gun deal, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the stocks scam and the Defamation Bill.

He had left his mark on the national scene earlier also, be it in his capacity as the Vice-President or while holding important portfolios such as industry, finance and defence. He also had a major role to play in the industrialisation of Tamil Nadu. It is this efficiency which brought him to Delhi and he made his mark as Planning Commission Member and President of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal. A lawyer by profession, he was an excellent speaker and impressed everyone during his three Lok Sabha terms. Even after demitting office he remained actively associated with various music associations and the institutions of Shankaracharyas. The regulated life that he led helped him remain active right till the ripe age of 98.

R. Venkataraman led the country during tricky times

The Mahakumbabishekam of Paarvatiamba sameda Sri Kalakandeswaraswami temple and Sri Varadarajaswami temple at Adayabalam village near Arani will take place on February 8, 8.30-10 a.m. Mandala puja will go on up to March 19.

The 500-year old temples were built by Sri Appayya Dikshitar with the gift that Chinnabomma Maharaja gave him. The kumbabishekam in 1960 was held in the presence of Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati and Sri Jayendra Saraswati. Consecration has been held three times since.

Sri Appayya Dikshitar Trust, under the care of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Math, took up the renovation of both the temples, estimated at Rs. 8 lakhs. Donations in the form of cheques and demand drafts drawn in favour of Sri Appayya Dikshitar Private Trust or Sri Kamakoti Ghatikasrmam Trust (exempt from income tax) may be sent to Sujatha Narayana, 19/10, Mahalingapuram Main Road, Mahalingapuram, Chennai 600034.

Consecration

Prathista Dina Mahotsavam will be celebrated at Shringeri Mutt premises located at Kripasankari Street.West Mambalam on Feb.02.: The programme begins at 7.15 a.m with Sree Ganapathy Homam, 8.00 a.m Mahanyasa Ekadhasa Rudhra Japam. 9.00 a.m Abhishegam for Sree Vinayakar, Goddess Sharadhambal and Sree Naveneetha Krishnar.12.30 p.m Sree Rudhra Homam, Poornahuthi,12.45 p.m Kalasabhishegam, Deeparadhanai 6.30 p.m Procession of Deities through the near by streets. Feb. 03 6.30. p.m Procession of Deities through the near by Streets. All are welcome.

Prathista Dina Mahotsavam With Jupiter on the back track, avoid brash

attitude. Don't grumble when others call the shots. Take it as a challenge.

Feb. 01, 2009

The Science City will organise 'Chennai Science Festival 2009' from February 5 to 9 at Anna University.

The festival is aimed at creating awareness among the student community and public of science in everyday life, organisers said.

It would be open to the public between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the five days.

One of the main features of the festival would be an exhibition covering topics in 12 major disciplines of science. Scientists would exhibit scientific models in over 100 stalls. Several disciplines of science such as astronomy, bio-sciences, chemistry, earth and energy, environment, fabric science, food and agriculture, mathematics, medical and veterinary sciences, ocean and water, physics and urban sciences including transport, green building, water and sanitation would be covered.

The festival would also feature lectures by eminent scientists, panel discussions among senior academicians and practitioners, and competitions.

Awards would be presented to women scientists and children excelling in the field of science.

Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy would inaugurate the festival and present awards to recipients on February 5 at Vivekananda Auditorium, Anna University, at 10 a.m., according to a release.

'Chennai Science Festival 2009' from February 5

New cardholders, having one liquefied petroleum gas or no gas connection will get three litres of kerosene for February also, according to an official release.

Kerosene supply for cardholders

The British Council will organise the 'Education UK exhibition' here on February 11 and 12.

Representatives from nearly 60 universities in the United Kingdom will be present at the exhibition, to be held at Hotel Taj Coromandel, Nungambakkam, between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Interested candidates could interact with representatives from schools, colleges and universities to know about the courses, admission requirements, facilities and services offered. Students could register online ( www.educationuk-in.org) or at the venue. Entry is free.

Visitors could attend seminars conducted by academics on topics such as student visas, studying for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, engineering and business degrees.

Among the universities participating are the University of Sheffield, Queen's University Belfast, Middlesex University, the University of Manchester, London Metropolitan University, the University of Leeds, the University of Greenwich (London), the University of Edinburgh, Cardiff University and Kingston University.

The exhibition will also be held in Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Pune.

Education UK expo from February 11

The Stenographers' Guild, T.Nagar, has proposed to conduct a one day workshop on Facing Examination on Sunday, Feb. 01 from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm with lunch break of one hour.

This workshop will focus on how to prepare for the exam, how to concentrate on studies, how to acquire more marks in the subjects and how to overcome the exam fear. The registration fee for the workshop is Rs.100/-.

This workshop will be useful to students of class X and XII appearing for the Board examination. The registration will be first-come-first-served basis and is subject to a maximum of 50.

For more details contact Guild Office at No.1, Guild st, T.Nagar, Chennai -600 017. Phone: 24342421,24337387, 99621-63122. Fax:42867859. Email: stenold@vsnl.com .

Workshop on ‘How to face examination’

Sri Ram Samaj, West Mambalam, will celebrate the music festival dedicated to Sadguru Tyagaraja from February 2 to 7, at Ayodhya Mandapam, West Mambalam. Vocal concerts will be featured daily at 7 p.m as per schedule given below

The aradhana will be inaugurated by A Subramanian, Exectuive Director, Indian Bank at 6.00 pm and will unveil the portrait of Saint Tyagaraja. Dr. Pappu Venugopal Rao, Secretary, Music Academy will speak on “Saint Tyagaraja's contribution to Carnatic music in praise of Lord Rama”.

Feb. 02: O.S. Thyagarajan - Vocal, S. Kannan- Violin, R. Narayanan- Mrudangam, Aniruth Aathreya- Kanchira.

Feb. 03: S. Sowmiya - Vocal, Mysore V. Shreekanth- Violin, N. Manojsiva- Mrudangam, Dr. S. Karthic- Ghatam.

Feb. 04: Gayathri Venkatraghavan - Vocal, Shree V.Sanjeev- Violin, B. Ganapathiraman- Mrudangam, G. Hariharasharma- Kanchira.Feb. 05 Neyveli R. Santhanagopalan - Vocal, R.K. S h r e e R a m k u m a r - V i o l i n , T h i r u v a r u r M Bakthavathsalam- Mrudangam, E.M. Subramaniyam Ghatam

Feb. 06: Kunnakkudy M. Balamuralikrishna - Vocal, Kumari Akkarai S. Subbulakshmi - Violin, Thirusur C. Narendran- Mrudangam, N. Govindarajan- Ghatam,.

Pancharatna kritis will be rendered by musicians lead by Sangeetha Kalanidhi Madurai T N Seshagopalan on February 7 at 8.30 a.m.

Tyagaraja Aradhana at Sri Ram Samaj

Sri Purandaradasar Bhakta Samajam conducted the aradhana of the composer at Kotta Srinivasayya Ramanuja Kootam, T. Nagar, on January 25.

Mus i c ians rende red the k r i t i s o f Purandaradasa from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Three senior musicians were honoured on the occasion.

The title, 'Dasa Seva Rathna,' was conferred on harmonium expert, Palladam Venkatramana Rao, vocalist N.C. Soundaravalli, and mridanga vidwan Kumbakonam R.N. Ganesan.

M u s i c i a n a n d m u s i c o l o g i s t T. R . S u b r a m a n i a m a n d v i o l i n e x p o n e n t M . Chandrasekharan felicitated the stalwarts.

The curtain came down with an excellent harmonium recital of Palladam Venkatramana Rao.

Purandaradasa Day celebrated

The Nation's 60 th Republic day was celebrated at Kalamandir Mat. Hr. Sec. School, West Mambalam, with patriotic fervour. ,Rtn PHF T.R. Nandakumar, President Rotary Club of Madras Mount was the chief guest and unfurled the Tricolour flag . Ln. S.J. Sharma, Secretary of the school presided over the function.

In his address the chief guest insisted the students to work for the Nation's Pride. The students gave speech and sang patriotic songs and mimred on National development themes. The winners in the State level Kabbadi championship and Inter school tournament runners were given prizes and certificates.

Republic Day at Kalamandir

An Interschool Chess Tournament is being organised by Sri Ahobila Math Oriental Higher Secondary School, West Mambalam, Chennai – 33 on Sunday Feb. 08. The tournament will be held at the school premises.

The entry fees is Rs. 50/- per player. Entry is free for blind and physcially challenged students. Entries close on Feb. 6 at 3.00 pm. Players from all Districts can take part. For further details contact – R. Muralikrishnan, 23712654, 9444781586.

Inter school Chess Tournament

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With the Pulse Polio day announced on Feburary 1, health ministry officials got together to dispel rumours and the c o n t r o v e r s y t h a t surrounded the death of a c h i l d f o l l o w i n g a n i m m u n i s a t i o n a t Sathyamanagalam in

December 2008 This time, a panel of experts has urged parents of children under five years old, to make sure their children received two drops of OPV on Sunday, the Feb. 01.

As many as 40,399 booths across the state wi l l offer the vaccine, and at least 178,000 health workers will be involved in the drive.

“No child can die because of the polio v a c c i n e , a n d i t i s

absolutely safe,” said Dr Jacob John, chairman of the India Expert Advisory Committee on Universal Immunisation.

“ W h i l e w e aimed to reach 70 lakh children across Tamil

Nadu, at least 1.5 lakh to 3 lakh children failed to receive the vaccine due to the rumours,” Dr Jacob said. This time, the health minister has announced that anyone spreading rumours about the OPV would be booked under

the National Security Act. The aggressive

immunisation drives are directed at maintaining Tamil Nadu’s track record of being poliofree since 2005.

“Three cases

Pulse polio day on Feb 1reported over 2003-2004 were ‘imported cases’. Migrant workers from Bihar and UP, from where 96 per cent of the country’s polio cases are reported, are a great worry,” said Dr G. K. Durairaj, joint director of immunisation, DPH.

Educating the general public Dr. Vijaya, District Family welfare M e d i c a l O f f i c e r , C o r p o r a t i o n o f Chennaisaid the second phase of the statewide pulse polio immunisation drive is scheduled for February 1, and parents still doubtful about the safety, or potency of the vaccine can check the ‘vaccine vial monitor’ on the label.

“There is a grey circle, around a white square, on the label of the OPV vial. If the colour of the square turns grey, and merges into the circle, the vaccine is unfit for use, and should be discarded.”

While Dr. Jacob John said that the batch samples are tested by

the Drug Regulatory Authority of India and t h e n r e l e a s e d f o r consumption and the vaccines that is used in the regular immunisation programme are the same used in the pulso polio progreamme. There is n o s i d e e f f e c t s . Dispelling the rumours of death he said "it is like some one saying that the death occured due to butterfly bite."

Earlier Rotary District Governor A Subramaniam welcomed the gathering and Rotary past president K C Vijayan proposed a vote of thanks.

In T Nagar and West Mambalam the booths are: T.Nagar

C o r p o r a t i o n H o s p i t a l , N o . 4 , S i vagnanam Road : Corpora t ion Midd le School, New Boag Road; Kollapuriamman Kovil, R a j a p i l l a i t h o t t a m ; Kamaraj Colony; Round Table Night School, No.

rd7, Thukkaram 3 Street; A.E. Office Siva Vishnu

Temple, South Usman Road; A.E. Office Opp. Vivek & Co. Buzzullaha Road; Saradha Madam, No. 4 Ragavaiah Road; Corporation Dispensary, R a m a k a m a t h u p u r a m ; Corporation Middle School, Dharmapuram. West Mambalam

Kumaran Nagar H e a l t h P o s t N o . 1 Govindan Road; ICDS , Adhikesava Perumal Kovil S t r e e t ; P e r i n b a ChristianSchool, No: 60, Pushpavathi Ammal Street; ICDS Vazhaithoppu, No. 5 Padavattamman Kovi l Street; CMS Mettupalayam School, 21, Perumal Kovil Street; Anna Poorani School, Old Mambalam Road; Malligaswari N.H, Sadayappan Street; C.M. School, New Street; Karani Garden Main Street ; D i s p e n s a r y P e r i a r Ramasamy Street; Pillayar Kovil Street; Annai Therasa School, Thirvalluvar Street.

Mobile booths with also be stationed at T.Nagar Bus s ta ted , M a m b a l a m R a i l w a y stat ion, Ranganathan Street- Near Saravana Selvarathnam Stores, Pothys, and also Near Balaji bhavan Hotel, Pondy Bazaar.

Feb. 01, 2009

Students urged to dedicate for 'Vision - 2020' It is a success

for the commerc ia l establishements to put up illegal structures in T Nagar commercial hub t h o u g h C h e n n a i Corporation and Chennai M e t r o p o l i t a n Development Authority

(CMDA) are using all their might to put an end t o u n a u t h o r i s e d construction in this area.

I t w a s encroachement in this area that was giving nightmares to shoppers

Novel way to put up illegal structures

SRM Nightingale Mat. Hr. Sec. School, West Mambalam, celebrated our country's 60th Republic Day

at the school campus A. Annamalai, Director, Gandhi Study Centre, an ardent follower of Gandhian principles was the chief guest.

After unfurling the flag, the chief guest in his address urged the youth to be dedicated and strive to fulfill our former President's dream- Vision 2020 and take India to the fore front in all fields. The Chief guest inaugurated the Art and Craft Exhibition and applauded the students for their interest and talent. On this occasion, he gave away the Role Model Award to C. Aishwarya of Std V and congratulated her parents and teachers for having groomed her with great care.

The parent of C.Aishwarya thanked the Management for the award and stressed that every student should aspire to win the award. The School Principal Mrs. Shanthi Sukumar in her speech emphasized that parents and teachers should join hands to strengthen the self-confidence of the children by teaching them the basic ethics and moral values. Students presented cultural programmes with a patriotic fervour. The programme came to an end with singing of the National Anthem.

Earlier T.S. Sriraman, Vice-Principal welcomed the gathering and advised everyone to involve themselves in serving the nation in the true spirit like our great leaders. Mrs. Usha Kannan proposed a vote of thanks.

andtraffic managers and now these visible legally illegal structures.

C e r t a i n c o m m e r c i a l establishments in the region have come up with innovat ive ideas to

hoodwink the authorities.O n e g l a r i n g

instance is the bag shop attached to the wall of `Fathima Jewellers' on Ramaswamy Street in T Nagar. One can neither f i n d a n y c o n c r e t e

structure supporting the newly-opened bag shop nor any part of the shop protruding on to the road.

This makeshift structure is well within the owner's premises, thus raising little doubt

about any unauthorised construction.

Then, where is the compound wall? It is this question that makes people take a deep look into the construction of this `makeshift' edifice

adjacent to the street.``Earlier, there

was a concrete structure. About three months ago, it was knocked down, when the authorities started taking ser ious act ion against illegal construction in T Nagar,'' said Ashokan a resident of T Nagar.

The new structure is supported by the wall of Fathima Jewellers on one side and four iron pillars on the other side. A few asbestos sheets are used as the roof. Moreover, a few g l a s s s u p p o r t s a r e embedded into the wall to be used as racks in the bag shop.

It is said the new 'makeshift' structure was constructed by the owners of Fathima Jewellers and was rented out to the people running the bag shop. ``In fact, there is no compound wall.

The four pillars of the shop stand in place of the wall,” added Ashokan.

B o t h F a t h i m a Jewellers and the bag shop refused to comment on the construction of the building stating that the person concerned who could speak on the issue is not available.

The School Education Department has announced that third phase counselling for middle school teachers on the list for promotion to Tamil teachers will be held on February 4. Those with registration numbers from 601 to 720 have been asked to come to the PTA Building, Chennai-600006 at 10 a.m.

Counselling for middle school teachers

Can-Stop, a cancer support group, will organise a get-together for survivors, support groups and organisations working on cancer care at Rajarathinam Stadium, Egmore, on February 8 between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. A fun fair that includes music, drama, games, folk performances and informative programmes on cancer will mark the event. Can-Stop helpline number is 26284256.

Get-together planned

Feb. 01, 2009

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V e t e r a n comedian Nagesh, who carved a niche for himself in the Tamil film industry both in humorous and character roles, died here on Saturday after a brief illness, family sources said.

Born as Gundu Rao to a Kannada Brahmin family in 1933, Nagesh was the most sought-after actor in the MGR-Sivaji era of Tamil cinema in the 1960s and mid-seventies, and was a regular feature in the movies of these late superstars.

Nagesh, who was suffering from prolonged illness, breathed his last at his residence.

A 1 0 0 0 - f i l m veteran, Nagesh was known for his timing and intonation that had the audience in splits. Even in serious movies, his roles were well-appreciated.

N a g e s h h a s played some memorable characters. His role in ' T h i r u v i l a i y a d a l ' a s Dharumi, a poet struggling to make ends meet and who comes face-to-face with Lord Shiva, and as aspiring director Chellappa in 'Kadhalikka Neramillai,' are still remembered by Tamil movie-goers.

The actor also proved his mettle with serious roles in films like ' E t h i r n e e c h a l ' a n d 'Neerkumizhi,' besides playing the villain in Kamal Hassan starrer 'Apoorva Sagotharargal,' dubbed in Hindi as 'Appu Raja.'

N a g e s h i s survived by his wife and three sons. One of his

Cinema

Veteran comedian Nagesh dead

sons, Anand Babu, is also an actor.

T a m i l f i l m director K Balachander, was responsible for Nagesh coming into movies from the theatre.

Nagesh's first

f i l m w a s ' S e r v e r Sundaram' in 1964 which was a b lockbuster. Nagesh acted in films starring screen-legends M G R a n d ' S i v a j i ' Ganesan, holding his own aga ins t these superstars.

A recipient of several awards including the s ta te-confer red 'Kalaimamani,' Nagesh acted in films of other languages including Telugu.

S t a r t i n g h i s career in drama troupes, Nagesh went on to play many roles and was p a i r e d o p p o s i t e Manorama in several films. He was also a good dancer.

T h e a c t o r ' s serious roles in films like 'Ethirneechal,' where he played a bright but poor student dependent on others for a livelihood and that of a cancer patient in 'Neerkumizhi' were well-received.

N a g e s h h a s s t a r r e d w i t h t h r e e generations of actors. Beginning with MGR and Sivaji, he acted with Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan and later went on to share screen space with current heartthrobs Vijay and Ajit Kumar.

He was most recently seen in the

Kamal Hassan starrer, "Dasavatharam."

N a g e s h i s survived by three sons Anand Babu, Ramesh Babu and Rajesh Babu. Anand Babu has acted in many films . The mortal remains of Nagesh will be cremated on Sunday at the Besant Nagar c r e m a t i o n g r o u n d according to family sources.

Feb. 01, 2009

Language Arts

- S. Raghunathan

Towards clear communication in written English

What is it that is responsible for making us vague and ambiguous, or worst still, making us complete ly misunderstood in our wr i t ten communication? The answer lies in the following faults that are recurrent in writings that fail to get their message across to their readers:

(1) Illegibly written work(2) Faulty sentence structure(3) Punctuation and spelling errors(4) Inappropriate choice of words(5) Casually written responsesTo begin with, when it comes to handwritten

assignments what works in your favour the most is a neat and orderly presentation in well formed letters. See to it that each letter in your work clearly stands for what you mean it to be and is not mistaken for some other letter of the alphabet. Therefore, if you are in the habit of forming your 'n' like a 'u' or your 'm' like a 'w', and your 'r' looks like an 's' or vice versa, or you are fond of adding tails to your y, g, h, or t, you are only multiplying problems for your bewildered readers. Remember the best definition of a clear handwriting is that all its lines are straight and all its curves are well rounded. Just stick to this simple formula and your ideas are bound to get across to your readers in totality.

Another important requirement of a written document is that its sentences have a proper structure, namely they make a complete sense, they are not ambiguous or confusing in their meaning, and their word order is correct. Examples:

When we were just about to reach there. (sense is incomplete)

When we were just about to reach there we remembered our bags that we had left behind. (makes complete sense)

Mrs Aslam had her grandson for lunch on Saturday. (a confusing statement)

Mrs Aslam had lunch with her grandson on Saturday. (a clear statement)

I often visit my favourite country, China. (incorrect word order)

I often visit China, my favourite country. (correct word order)

It is also necessary to pay close attention to the punctuation marks and spelling of words in your writing. Communication can get badly mauled if the attitude of the writer is careless. A few examples are stated to bring home this point to our readers:

The boys' club and the womens' club have opened their membership again. (misplaced punctuation mark)

The boys' club and the women's club have opened their membership again. (no punctuation error)

The people went there money right now. (spelling error)

The people want their money right now. (no spelling error)

It was definately not going to be a good day, my mothers' ancient vehical had a flat tyre. (spelling and punctuation errors)

It was definitely not going to be a good day. My mother's ancient vehicle had a flat tyre. (no spelling or punctuation error)

Though the above examples carry errors in spelling and punctuation their meanings are in no doubt. However, such mistakes if they are persistent and recurrent in one's work the meaning start to disappear.Example:

My aunt is 50 years old, she is very complesive and dislikes people who deaf ear to make a decision. She like to collect stamps and stay occupied in her garden. is a serious woman.

You will agree that in the above example although some sense emerges there are several areas where we are not quite sure what is being said. For example, what does 'complesive' mean? Did she dislike deaf people and turn a deaf ear to them? There are other confusing bits as well. The important thing to remember is that whatever you write should be carefully scanned by you for spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors first. At the same time pay close attention to sentence construction that you are not writing in a note form (Example: 'is a serious woman').

Carelessness also leads to writings that are hazy and incomprehensible in their content. Lastly, if what you are writing is in response to a query, read the question slowly and attentively in order to be accurate and sensible in your response. Remember the answer always lies in the question.

- S R

It was my cousin's wedding. I was so excited because all the cousins had gathered and we really had a fun time. All was smooth and I was enjoying it all greatly when came those ugly scenes. We were all sitting in the hall and dinner was to be served at the end of the ceremony. Suddenly I saw the whole crowd rise and dash towards a certain direction. I was surprised rather shocked and worried thinking whatever has happened to them all. I turned back and realised the reason of the whole commotion. It was the dinner's tocsin! And I couldn't help but sigh with deep grief!

I wonder why it happens to us all when it comes to food-time in ceremonies. Each of us rushes towards the 'target' as if it's the first and the last time we're going to devour it. Moments earlier, we are all civilised, mannered species sitting honourably at our seats, dressed nicely and talking decently. And then it's time for food and we become uncivilised beings, grabbing every bit of food we can lay our hands on before our brethren. Struggle for survival, eh?

And not only is it the grab-before-em-all struggle, it's also the pile-it-all effort. You'll see those who won't even eat more than half a plate of rice or nothing more than a few ounces of food, piling each and everything available on the table as if they're there for some who-eats-the-most competition. And surprisingly, they do it all despite knowing they won't be able to bottle it all down, even with those three or four bottles of soft drinks they have cleverly got hold off, the result: You see half-empty bottles and plates at the end of each such ceremony as a shameful demonstration of our dining etiquettes.

I have tried to find the reason of this whole strange psyche of ours when it comes to eating at ceremonies and though I didn't really hit the nail, I am positive that I at least spotted it. It goes back to those days when country-culture prevailed and weddings were considered a real grand function in fact the only function where sweets, savories and other extravagant items were served. And thence, people would eat a lot, savouring some items they were to eat only once in a year or so. Times changed, things changed, people became modern, claiming-to-be-more-civilised creed but few things remained the same and among them was the dine-style of ceremonies. In fact, since modern beings have a lack of time, the fact added an additional rush to the dine-style and it eventually evolved into how we see it today.

Leaving it aside, let's talk about the useful thing: how to eliminate this pathetic practice from our social ceremonies? It has so seeped in our society's roots that even the 'dignitaries' practise it when the moment comes. 'Seize the moment' is the sole slogan at such occasions, it appears.

The best way to deal with it, simply, is to present an example in your own. Just sit calmly when the food is announced at such occasions and take a calm bite as the scene clears. Don't worry food's always ample! Your friends, cousins or other people you know will surely notice this practice of yours and then out of embarrassment or a likeness for it, they're going to follow in your footsteps. Believe me it surely is going to work. That comes from my personal experience.

So, the next time you are attending the wedding of some cousin of yours or some other social gathering with a 'food time' in the list of 'activities', take a chill pill and show them all you're mannered also when it coming to eating!

Eating etiquettes

Fuel price cut by the government has raised fears of deflation with economists expecting an overall decline in the prices early next fiscal.

"Oil price cut would bring down inflation sharply in the next 15 days. By end of March, it could reach below two per cent. In a month of so from there, we might see decrease in the price level, that is deflation," Crisil principal economist D K Joshi said.

The government recently slashed prices of petrol by Rs 5 a litre, diesel by Rs 2 per litre and cooking gas (LPG) by Rs 25 per cylinder.

Expressing fears of deflation hitting India in the next three to four months, HDFC Bank chief economist Abheek Barua said, "The fuel price hike could have a 40 basis point impact on inflation. I expect it to fall to 1-1.5 per cent by March. By April-May, we might see deflation,"

Having declined for the 10 consecutive weeks, the inflation for the second week in a row rose to 5.64 per cent for the week ended January 17.

Earlier, it touched a peak of 12.91 per cent in August last year. Thereafter inflation, measured by movement in wholesale price index, continued the downward march and dipped to below the double-digit mark in November.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Finance P K Bansal has also said the cut in petroleum prices will bring down inflation by more than one percentage point.

Global financial firm Citi too said that inflation was likely to fall to two per cent by March end.

"Given that petrol, diesel and LPG together have a weight of 4.75 per cent in the whole price index, the fuel price hike would have a 40 bps impact on inflation. This will result in headline inflation falling to two per cent by end-March," Citi said.

According to Citi, the "negative patch in whole price index that was expected in the June-September quarter could occur earlier."

Expressing a similar view, Yes Bank chief economist Shubhada Rao said inflation is likely to fall to 2 per cent by the end of March.

"We could see inflation in a negative territory in the second quarter of next fiscal," she added.

Falling inflation, Rao added, would provide scope for the Reserve Bank to slash key policy rates further.

"I expect RBI to slash short-term lending (repo) rate and short term borrowing (reverse repo) rate further by 50 basis points in the current fiscal," she said.

Crisil's Joshi and HDFC Bank's Barua also expect 50 basis points reduction in the repo rate and reverse repo rate in the coming days.

Earlier, the RBI has cut key policy rates and ratios making provision for Rs 3.80 lakh crore of liquidity and signalling softening of interest rates to boost economy.

Besides, the government came up with two fiscal stimulus packages to boost demand and promote industrial growth. The steps taken by the government include 4 per cent cut in excise duty.

All these initiatives are having a benign impact on inflation which has been continuing its downward march.

Fuel price cut raises fears of deflation, say economists

A new Group of Ministers, which will look into the 3G issues pertaining to the number of operators per circle and reserve price, is likely to be formed by the first week of February.

Sources in know of the development said, the Cabinet Secretariat could issue the notification for the GoM by February 6.

T h e n a m e o f External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is doing rounds for heading the GoM. Mukherjee already heads over 50 GoMs and is currently looking at the

functions of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is indisposed due to surgery.

The terms of reference of the GoM would be to look at the twin issue of number of 3G slots and the reserve price for the radio frequency.

The GoM will comprise members from ministries of Telecom, Agriculture, Law, Finance, Home, Commerce, Steel and Railways.

It now looks little difficult for 3G services to be possible in UPA regime, admitted a DoT official.

New GoM on 3G may be set up by first week of Feb

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Feb. 01, 2009

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