16-22 November 2012

Vol. 2 No. 13 Pages 24 ` 7 RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319, Postal Regn. No. GRG/35/2012-2014

{Inside}

{ Abhishek Behl and Maninder Dabas / FG }

Revenue maximisation from liquor sales, even at the cost of straining

the social fabric of Gurgaon, seems to be a State priority. Hundreds of liquor shops have been opened in every nook and corner of Gurgaon, taking advantage of the ambiguity in rules and regulations – particularly those relating to the opening of these vends in the green belts. Such is the clout of the liquor lobby that, soon after the auction of these thekkas every year, no colony, commercial area, or open space in the City is safe from their intrusion. Gurgaon has become synonymous with neon lit, road-side colourful liquor vends, that remain open till midnight – while similar shops in neighbouring Delhi have to compulsorily down their shutters at 9 pm.

The indiscriminate opening of these liquor vends has no doubt brought a windfall for the businessmen and the excise department,  but it is giving nightmares to the local residents, who have to face the indecent behaviour of some of their patrons every day. In fact such behaviour, after drinking openly next to the shops, has become a norm, particularly after 6 pm, as tipplers make a beeline for these modern day ‘temples’. Their names are also borrowed from divinity! This uncontrolled flow of booze, on the road, and that too till midnight, has

Contd on p 5

Modern Temples Of Gurgaon

emboldened many a criminal. Kapoor Singh Hans, a

senior salesman at a liquor vend on National Highway 8, reveals that  software professionals, BPO employees and industry workers are regulars at his vend and the adjoining ahata. The scenario is almost the same in other parts of Gurgaon, where most of the vends are frequented by corporate and industry employees, particularly those hailing from Delhi and neighbouring areas. Kapoor says that a majority of young patrons are regulars, who visit the ahatas to party and drink beer in summers. In winters, the preferred drinks are rum and

whisky. The ‘visitors’ consider the trip to a vend as an important pit stop, particularly on weekends, he adds. Supporting his contention, a number of executives told Friday Gurgaon that they indeed visited the ahatas after work hours, but reiterated that a majority of them were not involved in any indecent behaviour. “The crimes associated with liquor, or liquor-driven crime, have no relationship with people working in MNCs. Yes we do have parties, and we love to drink, but believe me I haven’t seen any educated corporate person creating any scene in a public place after getting drunk. We have seen a lot of locals in bars, discs and ahatas who get

way out of line after getting drunk,” says Neeraj Bhardwaj, a working professional. Sachin, a salesman at a vend in New Gurgaon, points out that company executives patronising their shop are civilised, and they prefer to drink and enjoy the moment. “Seventy per cent of the people here prefer to buy and take the liquor home. Those who drink in the ahata also remain sober. It is only a small percentage that causes trouble, giving the City a bad name,” he says. Ankit Mahajan, a BPO executive, says that most staff at liquor vends are local goons hired from nearby villages, and they engage in brawls

with customers from their own areas, which disturbs the whole surrounding.

The difference in the closing time of vends between Gurgaon and Delhi has helped Gurgaon become the liquor capital of NCR. People from the National Capital, Noida, and even Ghaziabad, come here in search of the elusive bottle, when they can’t find one in their own city. This also makes the excise officials here say with pride that one can find a liquor shop within a radius of 500 metres, wherever one may be in Gurgaon City!

Sujit Lahiri, who has signed an online petition for banning liquor shops in the Green Belts of Gurgaon,

says, “Who comes to such vends? The locals? Never, or rarely. The buyer is typically a Delhiite, after 9 pm, when shops are closed in Delhi. A person who can come from Delhi to Gurgaon in search of booze is ‘desperate’. And, if they are taking back some of the liquor with them, are they not breaking the law as well? But who is bothered?” This wanton springing up of liquor shops has forced members of the civil society to approach the judiciary, for banning such vends in the City’s green belts. Concerned citizens have overwhelmingly supported the fight, and over 500 have signed a joint petition. They believe that liquor vends, in the heart of Gurgaon, not only act as eyesores, but also promote criminal behaviour – from the petty to the insane. Satinder, who lives in Palam Vihar, says that it has become difficult for women to move in the Palam Vihar Chowk after 6 pm, as many people can be seen drinking in front of the vend. “There are people with beer bottles in their hand, smoking cigarettes, standing in the open – and even sitting in cars. The vend is also in the vicinity of a private hospital. The police must ensure that people don’t drink in the open,” he asserts.

An interesting aspect of the ahatas adjoining the liquor shops in Gurgaon is revealed by Kapoor, who says that the majority of people sitting inside

FG Invites Citizens

If yes, write to us at letters@fridaygurgaon.com,

with a brief background of yourself, with contact number(s).

n Are you interested and concerned about civic and social happenings and issues around you?

n Are you motivated to do something positive for society?

n Are you interested to also write, and express what you see, hear, feel?

{ Abhishek Behl / FG }

Gurgaon is a paradox. It lives in two

unequal halves, wherein the Na-

tional Highway-8 acts as the Great

Divide – like the Berlin Wall. The core

of the City is rotting; but the new sub-

urbs shine like stars – with malls, gated

colonies, golf courses and clubs setting

a standard of life never before seen

in India.It is this flux of extreme forces that

is threatening to unravel the balance –

a balance that is natural and helpful for

great cities to evolve with; and for civili-

sations to develop and attain glory.

Gurgaon’s rotting urban core, the

concretised villages within the City,

and the vast rural hinterland that

once comprised Guru-gram, is under

threat of being submerged – under

the new identity of a Millennium

City, with its capital in ‘New Gurga-

on’.  It is here that the role of the State

comes into play; to ensure that the forces

of development touch all the populace.

Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner

P.C Meena, who is the point man of

the State Administration in the Dis-

trict, concurs that Gurgaon is much

more than the City itself. The District

includes 3 sub-divisions viz. Gurgaon

(North and South) ,and Pataudi; 5 teh-

sils (Gurgaon, Sohna, Pataudi, Farukh

Nagar, Manesar); and 210 Panchayats

that cover 291 villages.

Friday Gurgaon spent a week with

Deputy Commissioner Meena, check-

ing how the State’s will is executed –

in this historic area, that has known

some form of governance since the

time of Guru Dronacharya. Being

close to Delhi, the capital seat of power,

the District has also been influenced by

the political and social developments

taking place there.

Vol. 1 No. 28 Pages 24 ` 7 RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

2–8 March 2012

Food Take ...Pg 6

Cinema Listings & Helplines

...Pg 7

The Week That Was...Pg 7

Laughing Stock...Pg 7

Regular Features

Contd on p 6

{ Hritvick Sen / FG }

Almost every significant service worth its

salt has a telephone call-in. Whether it

is food (or liquor) delivery, information

services, bookings and reservations, civic

facilities, grievance cells... there is a line on

which people can call in. But when there

is an accident, a robbery or a fire – there

is only one type of service that people dial

in a hurry. Emergency Services.

Most people count themselves

fortunate that they haven’t had a

situation in which they had to ask for

help; but for the people who work in these

services, helping distraught people is

an everyday affair. Whether it is Police

(100), Ambulance (101), or Fire (102) –

receiving a call usually means it is a life-or-

death matter.

100 – Police Emergency LineLocation: The main Police Control

Room (PCR) in Gurgaon’s Mini-Secretar-

iat. Wireless sets chirping, phone lines

ringing as soon as they’re set down, staff

rushing about with papers – the very

air hums with activity.

Inspector Rishipal, who is the

senior in-charge of the Operations, says

seriously, “On any given day, we receive

between 2,500 to 3,000 calls.” In a

closed glass cubicle from which he can

survey all activity, he manages the day-to-

day operations of the PCR. “We have state-

of-the-art servers and equipment, and I can

safely say that Gurgaon has one of the

most advanced PCRs in the country.”

Emergency Servicemen

Ativa Auto Services has launched ‘White Xpress’,

an auto-on-call service with the support of Bajaj Auto Ltd.

The autos are available from 6.30 am to 10 pm.

Make online bookings at www.whitexpress.in or

call 0124-4811111. Autos will charge Rs. 40 for the first two kms, and

thereafter it would be Rs 8 per km.

Call: 0124-4811111

Express Service at your Doorstep

We have done so much, for so long, with so little,

we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

Prak

har

PaNd

ey

{Inside}Astrology

The third

in our

astrology series

– featuring

Libra, Scorpio

and Saggitarius. ...Pg 16

Tantric Art

We feature

Shobha

Broota, a 68-

year old ‘young’

and energetic

artist. ...Pg 17

Master Recipe

Masterchef

Top 5

Vijaylaxmi

shares a Recipe

exclusively for

FG readers....Pg 18

Let’s Be Civil

Pavan Choudhary,

Managing

Director of

Vygon, speaks

on the need

for residents to become

responsible citizens. ...Pg 21

P3For The Other Half

Contd on p 8 Please Visit Us At www.fridaygurgaon.com

Ask Your Newspaper Vendor For Friday Gurgaon.

Sweet Poison

Sampling the quality of food is now a regular

activity. However, the time taken for the test results (from Chandigarh), and the lack of follow up action, is making this a fairly futile exercise. Meanwhile the residents have already taken in all the Diwali sweets.

...Pg 7

Our Big Neighbourhood

Arguably the largest colony in Asia, Dwarka

is our nearest neighbour; and the connection will only get better with the commissioning of the Northern Peripheral Road (also called Dwarka Expressway), and the proposed Metro.

...Pg 9

A Model Railwayman

This lawyer turned railway modellist has

whole stations locked up at his home. He aspires to build the complete Kalka to Shimla rail network – of stations and tunnels, and trains and landscapes.

...Pg 17

OlD lORDS IN New BOTTleS

(Also see page 24)

This also makes the excise officials here say with pride that one can find a liquor shop within a radius of

500 metres, wherever one may be in Gurgaon City!

P3 Jit Kumar

02 Coming Up16-22 November 2012

Editor: Atul Sobti

Sr. Correspondent: Abhishek Behl

Correspondents: Maninder Dabas

Sr. Photographers: Prakhar Pandey Jit Kumar

Sr. Sub Editors: Anita Bagchi Shilpy Arora

Sr. Designer: Amit Singh

Designers: Virender Kumar

Sr. Circulation Execs.: Himanshu Vats Syed Mohd Komail

Circulation Execs.: Pankaj Yadav Sunil Yadav Manish Yadav

Accts. & Admin Mgr: Deba Datta Pati

Head – Sales & Marketing: Ankit Srivastava

Asst. Manager Media Marketing: Bhagwat Kaushik

Sr. Exec Media Marketing: Vikalp Panwar

Ad Sales Exec : Amit Agarwal

Consulting Art Editor: Qazi M. Raghib

Editorial Office213, Tower A, Spazedge, Sector 47, Sohna Road, Gurgaon 122001, HaryanaPhones: +91 124 421 9092/93

Emails:

editor@fridaygurgaon.comletters@fridaygurgaon.comcontributions@fridaygurgaon.comsubscription@fridaygurgaon.com circulation@fridaygurgaon.com adsales@fridaygurgaon.comevents@fridaygurgaon.commarketing@fridaygurgaon.com

Friday Gurgaon (Weekly) edited, published and printed by Atul Sobti on behalf of Arap Media Ventures Pvt. Ltd. from 213, Tower A, Spazedge, Sector 47, Sohna Road, Gurgaon 122018, Haryana.

Printed at Indian Express Ltd.Plot No. A8, Sector 7, Gautam Budh Nagar, NOIDA – 201301, Uttar Pradesh

The views expressed in the opinion pieces and/or the columns are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Friday Gurgaon or Arap Media Ventures Pvt. Ltd.

RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319Postal Regn. No. GRG/35/2012-2014VOL.–2 No.–13 16-22 November 2012

FG Invites Citizens

If yes, write to us at letters@fridaygurgaon.com,

with a brief background of yourself, with contact number(s).

n Are you interested and concerned about civic and social happenings and issues around you?

n Are you motivated to do something positive for society?

n Are you interested to also write, and express what you see, hear, feel?

{ Abhishek Behl / FG }

Gurgaon is a paradox. It lives in two

unequal halves, wherein the Na-

tional Highway-8 acts as the Great

Divide – like the Berlin Wall. The core

of the City is rotting; but the new sub-

urbs shine like stars – with malls, gated

colonies, golf courses and clubs setting

a standard of life never before seen

in India.It is this flux of extreme forces that

is threatening to unravel the balance –

a balance that is natural and helpful for

great cities to evolve with; and for civili-

sations to develop and attain glory.

Gurgaon’s rotting urban core, the

concretised villages within the City,

and the vast rural hinterland that

once comprised Guru-gram, is under

threat of being submerged – under

the new identity of a Millennium

City, with its capital in ‘New Gurga-

on’.  It is here that the role of the State

comes into play; to ensure that the forces

of development touch all the populace.

Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner

P.C Meena, who is the point man of

the State Administration in the Dis-

trict, concurs that Gurgaon is much

more than the City itself. The District

includes 3 sub-divisions viz. Gurgaon

(North and South) ,and Pataudi; 5 teh-

sils (Gurgaon, Sohna, Pataudi, Farukh

Nagar, Manesar); and 210 Panchayats

that cover 291 villages.

Friday Gurgaon spent a week with

Deputy Commissioner Meena, check-

ing how the State’s will is executed –

in this historic area, that has known

some form of governance since the

time of Guru Dronacharya. Being

close to Delhi, the capital seat of power,

the District has also been influenced by

the political and social developments

taking place there.

Vol. 1 No. 28 Pages 24 ` 7 RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

2–8 March 2012

Food Take ...Pg 6

Cinema Listings & Helplines

...Pg 7

The Week That Was...Pg 7

Laughing Stock...Pg 7

Regular Features

Contd on p 6

{ Hritvick Sen / FG }

Almost every significant service worth its

salt has a telephone call-in. Whether it

is food (or liquor) delivery, information

services, bookings and reservations, civic

facilities, grievance cells... there is a line on

which people can call in. But when there

is an accident, a robbery or a fire – there

is only one type of service that people dial

in a hurry. Emergency Services.

Most people count themselves

fortunate that they haven’t had a

situation in which they had to ask for

help; but for the people who work in these

services, helping distraught people is

an everyday affair. Whether it is Police

(100), Ambulance (101), or Fire (102) –

receiving a call usually means it is a life-or-

death matter.

100 – Police Emergency LineLocation: The main Police Control

Room (PCR) in Gurgaon’s Mini-Secretar-

iat. Wireless sets chirping, phone lines

ringing as soon as they’re set down, staff

rushing about with papers – the very

air hums with activity.

Inspector Rishipal, who is the

senior in-charge of the Operations, says

seriously, “On any given day, we receive

between 2,500 to 3,000 calls.” In a

closed glass cubicle from which he can

survey all activity, he manages the day-to-

day operations of the PCR. “We have state-

of-the-art servers and equipment, and I can

safely say that Gurgaon has one of the

most advanced PCRs in the country.”

Emergency Servicemen

Ativa Auto Services has launched ‘White Xpress’,

an auto-on-call service with the support of Bajaj Auto Ltd.

The autos are available from 6.30 am to 10 pm.

Make online bookings at www.whitexpress.in or

call 0124-4811111. Autos will charge Rs. 40 for the first two kms, and

thereafter it would be Rs 8 per km.

Call: 0124-4811111

Express Service at your Doorstep

We have done so much, for so long, with so little,

we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

Prak

har

PaNd

ey

{Inside}Astrology

The third

in our

astrology series

– featuring

Libra, Scorpio

and Saggitarius. ...Pg 16

Tantric Art

We feature

Shobha

Broota, a 68-

year old ‘young’

and energetic

artist. ...Pg 17

Master Recipe

Masterchef

Top 5

Vijaylaxmi

shares a Recipe

exclusively for

FG readers....Pg 18

Let’s Be Civil

Pavan Choudhary,

Managing

Director of

Vygon, speaks

on the need

for residents to become

responsible citizens. ...Pg 21

P3For The Other Half

Contd on p 8 Please Visit Us At www.fridaygurgaon.com

Ask Your Newspaper Vendor For Friday Gurgaon.

ArtArt Beat@Galaxy Hotel Spa, Sector 15Date: Up to November 24Time: 11:00 am

An Exhibition of Gond Art works by Jangarh Singh Shyam, along

with other artists – Narmada Prasad Tekam, Ram Singh Urveti, Bhuri Bai, Bhajju Shyam, Venkat Raman Singh Shyam, Japani Shyam, Gariba Singh Tekam & Rajendra Kumar Shyam.

MusicRewind @ Terrace@Vapour, 2nd Floor, MGF Megacity Mall, MG RoadDate: November 18Time: 8:00 pm onwards

Enjoy the debut gig of the band – Rewind. It promises to be an

evening of classic rock, revisited. Rewind marks the coming together of some ex-band members from vari-ous rock bands of IIT (BHU). The members of Rewind work in different cities across India, but are united by a common passion for music.

MusicSarod-Tabla Duet@Epicentre, Apparel House, Sector 44Date: November 21Time: 7:30 pm

Enjoy a mesmerising evening of a sarod-tabla duet by Sudip Kumar

Chatterjee (disciple of Pt. Shankar Ghosh) and Apurbo Banerjee (dis-ciple of Parthasarathi).

TheatreA Tribute to Ramesh Mehta@Epicentre, Apparel House, Sector 44Date: November 17 & 18Time: 7:30 pm onwards

In a tribute to Award-winning Actor, Playwright and Director Ramesh

Mehta, Katayani Arts and Three Arts

Club present a 2-day festival of sat-ires by the late playwright. The play Uljhan, to be screened on 17th, is a youthful, romantic comedy about an astute Bluffmaster who is outwitted in his own game by the attractive wom-an he falls for. Paisa Bolta Hai, to be screened on 18th, is an adaptation of Kanchanranga, a Bengali play by Shambhu Mitra.The play talks about the importance of money in our lives.

SportsRunning and Living Duathlon@ DoubleTree by HiltonDate: November 18Time: 5:30 am

Get sporty with the Gurgaon Run-ning And Living Town and Coun-

try Duathlon. The Event includes a 20km tarmac biking leg, and a 7 km cross-country run. Participate and get a certificate, medal and a t-shirt. You could also opt for the brunch at the Hotel, post the event.

FoodBest Ribs Ever@ TGI Friday’s, Metropolitan Mall, Ground Floor, Mehrauli Gurgaon RoadDate: Up to November 30Time: 11:30 am onwards

Sample hearty American-style ribs that are packed with flavour, and

feature three great new sauce ac-companiments.

FoodSunday Sabbaticals@SEN5ES, Mehrauli- Gurgaon RoadDate: November 18Time: 11:30 am to 4:00 pm

Treat yourself and your family to a perfect Sunday getaway. Choose

from a variety of international cui-

Original BookingIn Gurgaon

Special Project for Army / Central Govt. Employees

Contact: Ms. Saroj – 8800930085sarojtanya@gmail.com

sines—Italian, Asian, Arabic, Thai, Western, Japanese and Korean—served across live stations. Indulge your sweet tooth with the Grand Des-sert Buffet.

FoodMeet The Chef@ The Westin, Heritage Colony, DLF City, Phase - II Date: November 17Time: 3 pm to 6 pm

Meet The Chef is an initiative by NDTV Good Times, so you can

interact with Delhi’s popular chef Ritu Dalmia. Learn the ingredients of her ‘Perfect Recipes’, and ask her ‘foody’ questions. All you need to do is Reg-ister by SMSing: FA (Space) DEL to 56388.

WorkshopAbhivyakti Theatre Workshop@National Media Centre, Shankar ChowkDate: November 18Time: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

A Workshop with a focus on the development of Communica-

tion Skills – Emotive Expressions, Body Movements, Gestures, English Language Skills, Postures, Pronun-ciation, and a lot more. Registration closes on 17th November. Price: Rs. 8,000. For more information, call 91 99 5893 5893

WorkshopRobotic Workshop@Vardhman International, 1032 Q, Sector 38Date: Up to January 2013Time: 9:00 am onwardsAge Group: 5 to 17 years

Treat your children to the exciting world of Robotic Science. The

Workshop gives children an opportu-nity to experience this Science with fun-filled activities.

NightlifeKaraoke Night@ Spot Lounge Bar, Tower - B, Global Business Park, Mehrauli Gurgaon RoadDate: Up to November 24Time: 6:00 pm onwards

It’s time to shed your inhibitions! Head for the Karaoke Night, get

on stage, and sing your heart out. Unleash the hidden singer within you and get appreciated by the encour-aging audience. Entry is free.

WORKSHOP NIGHTLIFE EXHIBITION MUSIC ART DANCE

The Management Development Institute (MDI) hosted Imperium –

an effort to bring together some of the brightest minds from the top B-Schools

across the country. The War of The Bands was part of this Event. The

'rock stars' enjoyed the gig as much as the audience, who cheered for

their favourite band.

03Celeb Watch16-22 November 2012

Shopping on the Go! LG redefined

this statement with the launch of their innovative campaign, 'LG Lifestyle and Service on Wheels'. This campaign offers a range of lifestyle products, and services – on an LG Bus. The Bus, that is equipped with the latest products and a fully operational workbench for repairs, was flagged off by Manish Raj, Regional Manager, Greater Punjab & Haryana.

Service on Wheels

Government Girls College held their College Festival – Uttkarsh 2012.

Besides a trendy Fashion Show, the Event included traditional and modern dance performances, along with a yoga act. The students walked the ramp at the Fashion show, in true 'model' style.

Fashion Fest

Art Pilgrim recently held an Exhibition—Indian Icons—showcasing the works of talented

artistes, both established and upcoming. The Exhibition was curated by noted art critic Suneet Chopra. The Gallery was abuzz with noted personalities like Jatin Das and Shamshad Hussain. MCG Commissioner Sudhir Rajpal was also spotted admiring the Art works.

Art Icons

One of the most successful international golfers of all time,

Gary Player, was spotted at DLF Golf Academy. Player gave important tips to the young golfers present at the Course. The youngsters were very excited, as they rushed to take his autograph.

Golf Maestro

Another sporting legend—Frisbee

Champ Brodie Smith—was spotted in the City. Smith was hosting an event at a noted School. Smith spoke to the enthusiastic children, and even demonstrated a few of his winning moves.

Frisbee Champ

B-School Rock

For Advertisement, Please Contact7838003874, 9999444818, 7827233023

04 16-22 November 2012Reviews/Listings

{ Vijaya Kumar }

The doyen of Bollywood romances, Yash Chopra, bowed out with his boots on.

That's what the title of his last directorial venture—Jab Tak Hai Jaan (JTHJ)—seems to connote.

The best parts of JTHJ are those that exude romance. The songs (music by A.R Rehman and lyrics by Gulzar) blend beautifully with the movie. The settings are gorgeous, and all the actors are (as is the norm for Yash Raj Films) dressed impeccably – even the poor and jobless! Anushka Sharma is called on again to play a spunky, bindaas girl, and is easily the best performer. Shah Rukh Khan tries hard, and his best expressions probably are in the scene where Katrina rejects him. Katrina looks beautiful, but her intense romantic scenes seem to lack the passion demanded; she is at her best in the street dance sequence. Despite the entire movie hinging on their romance, the Shah Rukh-Katrina pair does not display the required chemistry.

JTHJ had the potential to be Yash Chopra's true swan song, but Aditya Chopra (the story writer) and Namrata Rao (the editor), could be held responsible for the opposite end result. Chopra has also injected so much hyperbole, that it begins to jar at several places. The romantic scenes are unable to save the movie from slipping into prolonged periods of disbelief and boredom. Rao has hardly done any editing. The end result is that JTHJ stretches for nearly three hours. A less convoluted story, and crisper trimming, could have made this movie a better watch. u

CINEMA

Needs More Jaan{ Alka Gurha }

Depression is a common malaise, but people are wary of discussing

it. Dr. Seema Hingorrany, a Mumbai-based clinical psychologist and trauma researcher, analyses the vicious cycle of negative thought patterns, in her book ‘Beating the Blues’.

The term ‘depression’ is widely and indiscriminately used in today’s world; making it difficult to notice and track its symptoms. Dr. Hingorrany says, “Depression is nothing but an overdose of unwanted information leading to data accumulation, which causes difficulties in processing, integrating and storing information.” She's obviously IT savvy!

She begins by providing the reader with specific sets of symptoms that appear over time – which can be detected as clear signs of depression. In a chapter titled, ‘Intervention’, the author anatomises common forms of dysfunctional thought patterns in detail. According to her, some people

magnify the negative details of their life and filter out the entire positive from their minds; some have ‘black and white’ thought patterns, without any shades of grey; some magnify a single negative incident, and keep thinking about it; and some always think that the worst is going to happen to them. Dr. Hingorrany categorises these thoughts, and comes up with realistic solutions.

The author narrates true life stories of her patients, making the book interesting. She also uses several statistics, and survey and research reports by various leading psychologists, to help the readers get a logical perspective of the problem.

According to Dr. Hingoranny, “Many times medication is not required. What is required is a lot of talk therapy, and working on negative beliefs.” This book is a sensible guide for those who are going through a low phase in life, but are wary of discussing their negative emotions and thoughts. u

BOOK

Not Once In A Blue Moon

BEATING THE BLUESAuthor: Seema HingorranyPublisher: Random House India/ Edbury PressPrice: Rs. 299Genre: Self-Help

Big Cinemas, Palam ViharJab Tak Hai JaanTime: 10.15 am,

11.15 am, 2.00 pm, 2.45 pm, 6.00 pm, 10.00 pmSon of SardarTime: 10.30 am, 1.30 pm, 4.30 pm, 6.15 pm, 7.30 pm, 9.10 pm, 10.30 pm

PVR: Ambience Premier Jab Tak Hai JaanTime: 10.00 am, 11.50 am, 12.45 pm, 1.40 pm, 3.30 pm, 4.25 pm, 5.20 pm, 7.10 pm, 8.05 pm, 9.00 pm, 10.50 pm, 11.45 pmSon of SardarTime: 10.00 am, 11.00 am, 1.00 pm, 2.00 pm, 4.00 pm, 5.00 pm, 7.00 pm, 8.00 pm, 10.00 pm, 10.55 pmSkyfallTime: 10.15 am

PVR: Ambience Gold Jab Tak Hai Jaan

CINEMATHIS WEEK

THE WEEKTHAT WAS♦ chief electoral officer of haryana srikant Walgad has confirmed that the date for (photo) electoral rolls has been extended to november 20th. Forms for addition of name, dele-tion, correction, and shifting within the same constituency, are available on the website of the election Dept. eligible persons can also apply online at www.ceoharyana.nic.in. information on whether one is part of the electoral roll can be checked at the website; it can also be obtained by sMs – type VoterhrY(space)Voter card no., and send to 9215156503. there is a toll free number – 1950 for checking on revision of voters’ list.

♦ chief Justice of Punjab & haryana high court, and Patron in chief of haryana legal services Authority

(hlsA), Justice AK sikri was in the city to celebrate the national legal literacy Day. legal literacy clubs in schools will now provide lessons in basic law to stu-dents as part of the curriculum, to make them aware of their legal rights.

♦ A ‘run for Women empowerment’ was organised in the leisure Valley Park area. it was flagged off by Justice s.K. Mittal. More than 3,000 women partici-pated in this ‘run’. three finalists were given mementos by the hon. Judge.

♦ Gurgaon witnessed a ‘safer’ (from fire) through more polluted Deepavali. About 30 burn incidents were reported.

♦ A police officer (Asi) is shot; his brother

and relatives are booked for the crime.chargesheet is prepared in the ree-bok fraud case – 11 people are held responsible.♦ McG will penalise hotels running commercial operations from their basements.residents protest demolition of buildings around the iAF Depot by the McG.♦ A probe is started into the workings of the Karamyogi society.♦ 116 city policemen are promoted.♦ 96 cadets graduate from the crPF Academy at Kadarpur – there are 4 women.♦ some autos offer a free ride for women on the occasion of bhai Dooj.♦ Air quality/pollution monitoring will start soon in the city, from 4 desig-nated areas.

Time: 10.55 am, 2.35 pm, 6.15 pm, 9.55 pmSon of SardarTime: 12.00 noon, 3.00 pm, 6.00 pm, 9.00 pmAddress: 3rd Floor, Ambience Mall, NH-8Website: www.pvrcinemas.com

PVR MGF: MGF MallSon of SardarTime: 10.30 am, 11.30 am, 12.30 pm, 1.30 pm, 2.30 pm, 3.30 pm, 4.30 pm, 5.30, 6.30 pm, 7.30 pm, 8.30 pm, 9.30 pm, 10.30 pm, 11.30 pmJab Tak Hai JaanTime: 10.00 am, 10.55 am, 11.50 1m, 12.45 pm, 1.40 pm, 2.35 pm, 3.30 pm, 4.25 pm, 5.20 pm, 6.15

pm, 7.10 pm, 8.05 pm, 9.00 pm, 9.55 pm, 10.50 pm, 11.45 pmSkyfallTime: 10.00 amWreck It Ralph (3D)Time: 10.15 amAddress: 3rd floor, MGF Mall, MG Road

JAB TAk HAI JAANDirecteD bY: Yash ChopracAst: Shah Rukh khan, katrina kaif, Anushka Sharma Genre: Romance, Drama

pm, 08:00 pm, 10:20 pm, 11:40 pm

DT City Centre: DLF Phase IISon of Sardar (U/A)Time: 10:15 am, 11:05 am, 01:15 pm, 02:15 pm, 04:15 pm, 05:15 pm, 08:15 pm, 11:15 pmJab Tak Hai Jaan (U/A)Time: 11:00 am, 02:40 pm, 06:20 pm, 08:00 pm, 10:00 pm, 11:40 pm

DT Star Mall: Sector 30Son of Sardar (U/A)Time: 10:00 am, 02:00 pm, 05:00 pm, 08:00 pm, 11:00 pmJab Tak Hai Jaan (U/A)Time: 10:05 am, 01:00 pm, 04:35 pm, 08:10 pm, 11:45 pmWebsite: http://dt-cinemas.com

Ph: 0124- 4530000Website: www.pvrcinemas.com

PVR Sahara: Sahara MallJab Tak Hai JaanTime: 9.40 am, 12.30 pm, 4.20 pm, 7.10 pm, 10.55 pm

Son of SardarTime: 9.30 am, 1.20 pm, 4.10 pm, 8.00 pm, 10.50 pm

DT Mega Mall: DLF Phase ISon of Sardar (U/A)Time: 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 01:00 pm, 02:00 pm, 04:00 pm, 05:00 pm, 08:15 pm, 11:15 pmJab Tak Hai Jaan (U/A)Time: 11:20 am, 03:00 pm, 06:40

05Cover Story16-22 November 2012

Contd from p 1

the permit rooms are young executives. “Most of the other people can’t afford to buy food and snacks in ahatas, and are forced to drink in the open. We can’t stop them from drinking,” he says. This is again a paradox because, as per the Excise Act, the ahatas are not allowed to sell food and snacks inside their premises; they are meant only to provide seating space.

The majority of the consumers buy lesser known brands, and hide behind ‘rehris’, and ‘pan’ kiosks, because they have nowhere to go, admits one of the salesmen. “Drinking is still taboo in Indian homes,” he says. And it is not that the police does not take action against those who are inebriated; but mostly they are let off with a warning, and after a suitable amount changes hands.

This open drinking on roads, in cars and in public spaces sends quite a wrong message, says Ratna Verdhan. “My safety and sense of security is compromised every time I drive past the innumerable liquor vends all along the Golf Course Road. The liquor vends are out in the open – flashing themselves, inviting one and all. These places almost promote liquor, and also double up as eating and drinking places. They encourage rowdy elements to hang around and lose their senses. I have never had the courage to walk past one. We cannot encourage drinking by the roadside; that is where most crimes and lawlessness originate,” she asserts.

The inability of the excise authorities and the police to

DelhiCompared to Gurgaon, neighbouring Delhi does not promote

such open sale and consumption of liquor, and the police keeps a strict vigil on these shops. In addition, most of these establishments are in permanent buildings, and do not spring up anywhere suddenly, says Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Dwarka, while sitting in one of the thekkas. The Delhi High Court has further directed this year that liquor shops should install CCTV systems to keep a watch on people outside – up to 50 metres from a shop.

Such a missive, however, has not yet been fired in Gurgaon/Haryana, thus giving a free hand to miscreants and criminals.

There is no standard for the type of construction. The Excise department rule says that a vend must be at least 150 m from any school, bus stop, college, or place of worship. When told about instances where this is not true, the official says, “I know this – but almost all such vends were there prior to the inception of that particular school, college, bus stop or place of worship.”

You would be surprised to know that the engines of the liquor industry are powered by young, urbane, middle

class corporate professionals – not the much-maligned

locals.

The Mechanism and its faultsDespite being the centre of attraction, Gurgaon is still

smaller to Delhi. Yet the City has 210 bars, and 172 Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and 145 Country Liquor (CL) vends. Such a huge liquor infrastructure is enough to make any City go crazy. This year Haryana’s target for earning from liquor was Rs. 3,000 crores, and Gurgaon contributed a fair deal in this ever-increasing aspiration.

A total of 67 ahata licences have been allotted till now, but it’s believed that the actual number out there is much higher. Ahatas, popularly known as Machans, have taken over from the bars of the City. As per the excise officials Ahatas are supposed to offer just a table and chair, that too after taking a licence, and paying the annual fee of Rs. 1 lakh. However, a majority of these ahatas have been upgraded to air-conditioned restaurants with colourful lights, with the aim to attract as many customers as possible.

Modern TeMples of GurGaon

old lords In new Bottles

JIT

KUM

AR

take effective action against those drinking in the open has shocked the local civil society. Concerned residents allege that the authorities are hand in glove with the liquor lobby, as this sector generates massive revenue for the state government. They have now approached the district court to at least put a stop on the operation of these vends from the green belts of the City.

Harish Mendiratta, a concerned citizen, says “All over Gurgaon you see long lines of cars on the road adjacent to a green belt, with a liquor shop at the far end corner. Thousands of light bulbs advertise these shops. Have you ever reasoned why only those green belts having liquor shops are beautifully maintained? It is because these areas are being landscaped by liquor shop owners, for making sit-outs for their customers, to make their business flourish!”

The condition at the Country Liquor shops is almost the same, but since the buyers here belong to the lower strata they prefer to drink quietly, as they do not have much clout with the ‘authorities’. Buyers of ‘desi daaru’ are the most peaceful of the lot, says one of the salesmen at a shop. He makes an interesting observation: the most problematic of the drinkers are those who consume Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).

Lax policing, brazenness of the vend owners, and inability of the civic authorities to assert themselves, has led to a situation where it seems that rules are meant only to be flouted. Gurgaon resident Kuldip Sharma says, “It creates a highly undesirable sight to see these liquor vends, with the accompanying ahatas, anti-social elements and vagabonds;

they pose serious law and order situations, besides making things difficult for women and children who stay or study in the vicinity. Such vends should not be permitted to be set up,” he asserts.

The fight against these vends has been initiated in the court by a group of concerned citizens led by Councillor Nisha Singh, who wants the authorities to control their spread, particularly in residential areas and green belts. The Chief Administrator HUDA has said in the past that such establishments can’t be allowed in these areas. The opponents are not against the sale of liquor in the City, but

they want the vend owners to act less brazen, set up and work as per rules, and ensure that drinking is not allowed in the open.

The police officials admit that the open sale of liquor in make-shift stalls till the late hours of the night is an open invita-tion to criminal activity. “I am not saying that if we ban li-quor shops there would be no crime, but I believe that there would be a substantial decrease of brawls, moles-tations and robberies, if we could ensure that people are not able to drink in the open, says a police official. The culprits, mainly unemployed youths, first drink, and then rob for their next drink. The Gurga-on excise officials, on their part,

are adamant that maintaining law and order is the job of the police, and that selling liquor is a legitimate business that earns massive revenue for the State. But whether it is a tussle between the two departments, or their decision to look the other way, it is the hapless Gur-gaonite who is facing all kinds of trouble. Gurgaon Excise Commissioner Aruna Singh explains, “We allot a vend by a transparent and sealed bidding procedure, and a contractor is allotted an area of about 500 m radius. He can establish his vend anywhere in that given area. Once operational, the ar-eas are strictly monitored by our excise inspectors, with the help of the police stations in that area. If somebody buys a bottle and starts drinking in the open, it is neither the contractors’ nor the departments’ responsibility to punish him. We are only lia-ble to punish the contractor if he violates the terms of the Punjab Excise Act. The police is the only competent authority to take ac-tion in this regard, and prevent all the crimes and incidents of hooliganism on the road. We also ensure that ‘flesh’ doesn’t get served by any means – be it prostitution, or even the singing and dancing by women. Recently, for such a reason, we have banned the licence of a bar which was operating in a leading Mall at MG Road.”

However, the moot question is why road-side incidents of brawls, robberies and molestations are seeing a steep rise.  A police official argues that with a vend on the road and all lit up, displaying a range of liquor, and with customers drinking on the side, it is tempting for many to enter the place. “The police is trying its best to contain drinking in public places,” he asserts, but not with much confidence.

Bhawani Shankar Tripathi, of Mission Gurgaon Development, sums it up when he says, “It reflects badly on me as a citizen...it reflects badly on the culture of the City....it reflects badly on the kind of government we have!” u

as on november 15, 2012 all prices in rs/kg.

area/vegetables

palam Vihar

sector 54

south City 1

dlf City phase 5

sector 23

safal reliance fresh

potatoes 2530 25 16 26 30 15 14

onions 20 18 20 24 20 20 20

Tomatoes 20 20 13 24 18 17 15

Cucumber 30 32 28 45 30 31 30

ladies finger 30 35 40 48 30 27 24

peas 100 95 80 100 90 99 90

radish 10 12 10 12 15 6.90 20

Cauliflower 10 12 10 20 10 13 5/piece

Beans 50 50 60 60 50 55 50

Mushroom 20 40 35 40 40 40 45

food Take

Liquor Vends

06 Civic/Social16-22 November 2012

please contact: Mr. J.P Singh +91 98 101 70678email: sunyacircle@gmail.com

For WhomEntrepreneurs, Middle Managers and Young Executives who are committed to practicing Results-Driven Leadership.

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Workshop Details Date: 4th December 2012 (Tuesday)

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Registration Fees: INR 5900 (incl. Lunch, Tea)

Early-Bird Nominations received by 20th November: INR 4900; Groups 3+ : INR 3900

Facilitated by: Jaspal Bajwa and JP Singh

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Other themes are: Authenticity-in-Action’                       : 2 day format Becoming a Global Business Leader’  : 1 day format

{ Maninder Dabas / FG }

Col (retd) Ratan Singh, the Chairman of Joint Action Forum of Residents

Association (JAFRA) is known for his fearless and never say die attitude. Being the Chairman of a social cum pressure group, he espouses Gurgaon’s problems as his own, and always tries to mitigate them by joining hands with the people. JAFRA is a social group that works for the betterment of the City, and on many occasions it has taken a firm stand not only against the Administration, but the State itself. “ JAFRA is a non-political, non-profit, and non-religious welfare organisation. It has nothing to do with political ideologies and compulsions, and our only concern is the welfare of Gurgaon City and its citizens. We are committed to raise the issues pertaining to the welfare of Gurgaon; and we believe in an ideology where the masses, along with the pressure groups, work together with the Administration. However, if felt a need, we don’t abstain ourselves from taking a stand against the government and the administration,” said Ratan Singh, who has recently been re-elected as the Chairman

For The Peopleof JAFRA. Ratan Singh has seen the odyssey of Gurgaon from a nobody to a giant, from close quarters; and he knows all the grey areas. “Gurgaon is a city standing at the crossroads of culture. One the one hand it has a modern outlook that dwarfs even big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, and on the other it’s sinking into its own rubble – where people are deprived of even the basic infrastructure and services. The multi- polarity in the Administration has further divided the City into different parts, so that it doesn't get united against the silent atrocities of the different government bodies,” added Ratan Singh. Col Singh now seems even more determined to fight against the ills of the City. “Gurgaon has many issues: like the illegal and uncalled for levying of house tax by the MCG; the pathetic and consistently crumbling civic infrastructure – that to my mind would become the prime reason for this City’s doom; and the multi-polarity in the

Administration, that allows these bureaucrats to pass the buck to one another,” pointed out Singh. “MCG is levying house tax, which is illegal and highly uncalled for. I myself had asked the Commissioner many times about the basis on which such a big amount is being collected. JAFRA has been opposing this vigorously, and would continue to do so,” added Singh. “Our main aim is to protest and raise the City’s voice against the Administration, for the negligence shown towards the City’s development. Frequent power cuts had made the City mad during the last summer; and industry, which is the backbone or perhaps the identity of the City, had also felt the pain of power paucity. Crumbling roads and overflowing sewage have become a headache for the residents, and JAFRA’s main aim to make the Administration aware of the growing impatience,” opined Ratan Singh. He also advocated the formation of an umbrella body, Gurgaon Development Authority (GDA) “There is a

serious lack of co-ordination between the different civic agencies. I believe this is a planned anomaly inflicted upon the citizens, to keep them diverted and dispersed. Gurgaon needs an umbrella body under which these different organisations can function in unison; and JAFRA has always advocated the formation of the Gurgaon Development Authority (GDA),” says Singh.

To conclude, he spoke about an issue that has been frustrating the residents for quite a while. “Look, this toll Plaza will remain as it is, no matter how hard we try to remove it. This is illegal, and we all know it, but since it has the stakes of some of the biggest people of India, it won’t get removed. I advocate for better facilities, such as the presence of an ambulance at each toll plaza, service lanes for the locals of Gurgaon – so that they don’t have to pay the toll each time they use the road, and compensation for people who meet with accidents on the express way. I believe if these measures are taken the toll plaza issue would become bearable,” signed off the veteran, who celebrated his 83rd birthday on Children’s Day. u

PRAK

HAR

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07Civic/Social16-22 November 2012

{ Abhishek Behl / FG }

By the time Gurgaonites get to know that the sweets they savoured

were adulterated or not, the festive season would be effectively over. The reason behind this anomaly is that it takes almost a fortnight for the Food Safety Laboratory in Chandigarh to come out with results of the samples taken from the City. In fact the results of the food samples taken from leading sweet shops in Gurgaon even   two months back are still not in the public domain.Food Safety analysts also opine that the modus operandi used by government officials, whereby they pick samples of food from various shops, go only half way in checking adulteration.

Udai K. Saxena, a Gurgaon based Food Safety expert, is of the opinion that the food safety officials must check the manufacturing and material handling process to prevent adulteration. “There is also need to check the hygiene being maintained in kitchens, plants, and shops, apart from checking the use of sub-standard raw material,” he says.

The Gurgaon Food Safety officials assert that they have launched a sampling drive across the City and adjoining areas to instill a sense of responsibility among the shopkeepers, and fear among the adulterants. Chief Medical Officer Pravin Kumar Garg told Friday Gurgaon that samples of sweets, food items, and other goods have been taken from small as well as prominent establishments, and those found guilty shall be punished under the law. Garg says that they have used this method effectively for the last many years to curb adulteration in the City. He also informed that the sale of spurious food items in Gurgaon is less than Delhi and other adjoining areas, as customers are more aware here. But on the results of the food samples taken a few weeks/months back, he did not comment.

Knowing that the festival season is the time when criminal elements get most active, the District Administration had launched a drive against adulteration almost two months back. Under the special drive in September, samples from popular sweet shops in the City—including Om Sweets in Sector 14, Shyam Sweets on Old Delhi Road, Bikanerwala Sweets in Sector 12, Gulab Sweets near Maharana Pratap Chowk and Park Inn Hotel—were collected by food officials. However the results of these samples are still in abeyance, and no one is commenting on them!

Mahesh, owner of a leading sweets store in Palam Vihar, says that he buys branded maida, besan and ghee to prepare sweets and other food items. “We make our own ‘mawa’, which is used as a raw material for making sweets.

Sweet Poison

Buyers can know the quality of a product just by smelling it, so customers buy from us without any fear,” he says, while welcoming the drive against those selling spurious sweets, particularly on the occasion of Diwali.

DC Gurgaon PC Meena told Friday Gurgaon that the special drive was launched after complaints regarding adulteration, especially of sweets, came to the know of authorities. Meena says that all efforts will be made to ensure  that traders comply with rules and regulations as per the Food Safety Act.

As per the Food Safety & Standard Act, a fine up to Rs 5 lakhs can be imposed on the defaulters, and in case the food item is found to be unsafe for

human consumption there is provision of imprisonment up to three years. About 25 shopkeepers have been convicted for selling adulterated food items during the last two years. Now the government has made it mandatory for the shopkeepers to get themselves registered and get licenses. As many as 150 shopkeepers have got licenses, while 182 have registered. 

Gurgaon Food Safety Officer K.K Sharma informed that, “On the day of Diwali we picked samples from Saraswati Vihar, DLF Phase II, Sohna, Ashoka Garden, Bajghera Chowk, and Sector 23. Major establishments were also covered, including Reliance Fresh, Easy Day and

Haldirams,” he informed, while adding that this exercise ensures effective deterrence across the District.

The critics, however, refute this claim, and assert that adulterators have become too smart and astute, and easily counter the official moves. Food Safety expert Saxena says that government must ensure that shopkeepers follow Schedule IV of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. “The establishments dealing in food need to obtain registration and licenses. Right from manufacturing to dispensing, the Food Safety officials need to ensure that standards are followed, so that physical, chemical and biological hazards are taken care of,” asserts Saxena. He also suggests that people should

use common sense when buying food items, and patronise only those shops that maintain hygiene. Another important advice is to obtain a bill of every transaction, as it is required when pressing charges.

The traders in Gurgaon, meanwhile, are not satisfied with the manner in which the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 has been implemented. They claim that many small vendors do not have the resources to comply with the many bureaucratic norms as specified in the Act. A sweet shop owner said that mandatory registration and licensing of even small vendors will become a source of harassment. Another bone of contention is that unlike the previous Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, the new Act clubs misbranding, adulteration, and selling sub-standard food under the same category of adulterated.

Saxena says that food is a very important component in our life, and it is important to create awareness about the various facets of Food Safety as well as the new Act. “I think the government and civil society need to create awareness, so that consumers themselves demand better quality,” he says. Subscribing to the awareness theory, the Haryana government also claims that it is doing its best to inform the public, set standards, and ensure that these are followed to the T. At the beginning of this year, the Commissioner Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Haryana, C.R Rana had said that FDA is planning to provide mobile laboratories in cities like Gurgaon. While speaking at a training programme on Food Safey & Standards Act 2006, Rana said that the new law had empowered any one from the public to take a food sample and get it tested, after following a laid out procedure. It was also revealed that the testing labs at Karnal and Panchkula have been mandatorily directed to give results within 14 days. Interestingly, the large number of bars in the City are also included under the Act.

Critics however argue that all promises made by the authorities have remained a pipedream, as neither the licensing and registration process has been made effective on the ground, nor mobile laboratories have appeared as promised. The results of the samples picked by the authorities during the festival period should be revealed urgently, so that criminals are exposed to the public, they argue.

It would not be wrong to say that right now the best hope for Gurgaon is for good sense to prevail among the traders, and common sense among the consumers – so that they can save themselves from the menace of adulteration, that can sometimes prove fatal. u

Milk and milk products are among the most adulterated items in the food basket of an average Indian. Experts reveal that salt, detergents, skimmed milk and glucose is used to increase the thickness and viscosity of milk, while starch is added to check curdling. Chemicals like Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonia, carbonates and other alkalis are used to improve the Ph value of spoiled milk. The impact of this kind of adulterated milk is not immediate, but in the long run it can damage organs, and cause cancer as well.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in a survey found that 70 per cent of the milk samples did not meet the standards, and were adulterated with skimmed powder, water, and other chemicals. In comparison to loose milk, the packaged milk fared better, and only 30 per cent samples were found contaminated.

Checks to test adulteration in milkFor Neutraliser

In 5 ml of milk add 5 ml of alcohol, followed by about five drops of rosalic acid. If the colour changes to pinkish red, the milk is adulterated with sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate, and is unfit for human consumption.

For Urea

Mix 5 ml of milk with 5 ml of paradimethyl amino benzaldehyde. If the solution turns yellow, the milk is adulterated with urea.For Hydrogen Peroxide

Add five drops of paraphenylene diamine to 5 ml milk and shake it well. Adulterated milk will turn blue.For Formalin

In a test tube containing 10 ml of milk add 5 ml of concentrated sulphuric acid from the sides, without disturbing it. A violet or blue ring will appear at the intersection of the two layers, indicating presence of formalin.For Sugar

To 10 ml of milk add 5 ml of hydrochloric acid and 0.1 g of resorcinol in a test tube. Shake it well and place the test tube in boiling water for five minutes. Adulterated milk turns red.For Starch

Boil 3 ml of milk and then cool to room temperature. Add two to three drops of 1 per cent iodine solution. Adulterated milk turns blue.For Glucose

Dip a diacetic strip in milk for about one minute. If the strip changes colour, the milk contains glucose.

Adulteration: Some Facts

AshA

PAnd

ey

Civic/Social08 16-22 November 2012

Put Your Hand Up { Shilpy Arora / FG }

A day before Di-wali, when most of the people

were busy shopping with their families, the team of ‘I am Gurgaon’ conducted a meeting at the Bio-Diversity Park. In a small shaded area, a few like-minded people, working in different fields, met and discussed crucial civ-ic issues of the City. “As most of us had a holiday that day, we decided to meet and discuss our projects,” said Latika Thukral, one of the found-ers of ‘I am Gurgaon’ (IAG) – a City-based NGO working in areas such as cleanliness, traffic man-agement, infrastructure develop-ment, civic sense, water manage-ment, environmental awareness, and greenery.

A banker by profession, Latika quit her job some four years ago and devoted herself to the cause. She says that the City has a number of NGOs who talk about making a difference to society, but no-body takes the first step. “When we started off, the idea was to bring about a change in the City. We didn't want to just sit in an air-conditioned office and com-plain about litter-ing, shortage of electricity, and bad roads. We work to bring about the change. We all are involved in cleaning the roads, planting trees, and taking up Public Private Partnerships with the Administration,” says Latika. Her single-minded initia-tive to make the City a livable place won her many followers. Today ‘I am Gurgaon’ has over 100 active members, who not only partici-pate in the events conducted by IAG, but also come up with solu-tions to the civic issues affecting their area. Then, with the help of IAG, they take up these issues with the Administration.

IAG is credited with carrying out a major tree plantation drive at the Bio-Diversity Park. This initiative has helped many Gurgaonites con-nect with nature. Now it is not diffi-cult to spot joggers, hikers, cyclists – and even rock-climbers, in the Park, thanks to the green drive of IAG. The Park was once a garbage dump-ing ground. This drive (of plant-ing over 10,000 trees in the Park) has fuelled a movement, and IAG aims to plant a million trees in the City.

Apart from environmental protec-tion, the NGO has made a worthwhile contribution in areas like sanitation,

traffic management, and cleanliness. A major success story has been the clean-up drive in Ardee City. Talking about the Project, Ambika Agarwal, one of the co-founders of IAG says, “The City might generate the most revenue for Haryana, but it has been struggling to clean up its stormwater drains. We turned ‘nullahs’ into an effective run-off drain at Ardee City. Once an illegal dumping drain for sewage and gar-bage, today it has been turned into a pedestrian green-way.”

A member of IAG, Harish Capoor, noticed that the sweepers in the City were just transferring garbage from one point to another, instead of collecting it at a common point. This led to the formation of

garbage dumps at various places in the City. “Being an active member of IAG he approached the Mu-nicipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) to install dustbins along all the stretches. His proposal was approved by the Administration,” says Swanzal Kak Kapoor, anoth-er co-founder of IAG.

As the organisation has volun-teers from different walks of life, it has been successful in getting good technical support for most of its proj-ects. For instance, one of the mem-bers, Atal Kapoor, took up the issue of traffic mismanagement around The Shri Ram School at Aravali Hills Road. An architect by profession, Atal studied a map of the area. “We identified a vacant spot nearby, which could easily be transformed into a parking lot. So we proposed the plan to the Municipal-ity, and it was approved. The project is underway, and after its comple-tion it will house around 100 cars,” says Atal.

IAG has also been able to draw in people for cultural events. Re-cently, ‘Gurgaon Utsav’ was organ-ised in the Park. It was a huge suc-

cess, and received a footfall of more than 500 guests a day. The Park is also host to The Gurga-on Circle of Drums. This group, com-prising 40 drum-mers, attracts over

300 spectators every second Sun-day, for two hours.

Role of AdministrationWhen asked about how the NGO

has been able to pull in so much sup-port from the Administration, Latika says, “We are not merely a pres-sure group. We come up with so-lutions and push the authorities to work with us. That is why they consider us an asset. We are an apolitical organisation.”

IAG is blessed to have the active in-volvement of experts from different all walks of life. “While an engineer makes a contribution by offering technical expertise, a teacher makes a contribution by drawing in kids as volunteers for the events. Each

task is assigned to a member ac-cording to the area of his/her expertise.   That is why our team manages to offer solutions that are not just based on reality, but have a professional edge,” says Lati-ka. Also, the level of commitment is very high.

The organ-isation is also getting support

from the Administration in rais-ing funds uniquely. IAG has many times made the City’s top officials, like ex-DC Rajendra Kataria and District Education Officer, Jyoti Chaudhary, walk the ramp!

What next?The IAG team aims to trans-

form the rural areas in Sikan-derpur into urban villages. La-tika says, “This Project is in its first stage, so I can’t reveal much about it. However, our motive is to invite vol-unteers to bring about development in these villages.” IAG also plans to build a cycle stand, wherein people can rent a cycle and enjoy a ride at the cycling tracks in the Bio-Diversity Park. The construc-tion of these tracks is also an IAG initiative.

IAG is passionate about making the City a more livable place. “To-day the City is home to thousands of professionals who are quite ignorant about the civic issues, especially the environment of the City. To change this attitude we have to build and embrace a culture of giving back to the City,” believes Swanzal.u

{ Atul Dev }

It may surprise many of the readers of FG to know that, contrary to general belief, the Government of Haryana is far advanced in the introduction

of IT in their people contact departments.Early in 2010 I received an email from the Dakshin

Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) advising me that I could pay my bills on line. I was most skeptical about this facility. I was not sure whether I should risk the credit card transaction. However, I did, and I have done so regularly ever since. Their online paying facility works smoothly – from the comfort of your home.

In Jan 2011 my grandchild was born, and I had to get the child’s birth registered at the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon. On reaching, I almost turned back. Parking was chaotic. There were dusty and broken pieces of furniture strewn all over the compound. Some water pipes from the only toilet in the vicinity were leaking, and water was overflowing all over the compound. I hopped, skipped and jumped over the filth, and entered the registration office. I could not believe my eyes. A clean and well-kept office greeted me. A young lady on the counter greeted me with a smile, took the paper which I had carried from the hospital, made some quick entries in the computer, asked me to pay the registration fees at the cash counter, and return to her. My visit to the cash counter was equally pleasant. Fees paid, I was back at the first counter. The girl did some quick checks and handed over a print-out of my grandchild’s birth certificate. I had been in this office for less than 10 minutes!

Two years ago I read in the papers that Haryana Tourism had started Volvo air-conditioned coach services in Haryana. Booking was promised on line. Most people I talked to spoke only of the difficulties of buying rail or bus tickets. I attempted to book my seat on a Volvo to Chandigarh. It was an easy and an effortless process to book a seat – of your choice! One just needed to carry a printout to the Bus Terminus and present it at the time of boarding. I am informed that they now do not even need a printout, and are satisfied with an inspection of the acknowledgement on your mobile. I have done over ten such trips, and have been delighted with the experience of online booking.

A week ago I had to make a police complaint for a theft case. My thoughts turned to the Police website. I explored the site and came across a proper complaint site with clear instructions. I filed my complaint, and when I visited the DCPs office the next day I was informed that they had received my emailed complaint!

Last week I got an SMS—yes, an SMS—from the office of the Election Commission in Gurgaon advising me to update my particulars in the electoral rolls. The message was short but clear. Revision of Electoral Rolls is in progress, and those that are listed are advised to update their information.

My experience of getting my driving licence in less than 40 minutes in the RTO’s office in Gurgaon has already been well documented in FG.

So, we really have an IT savvy Gurgaon – and State!

There is, however, a flip side. As the actual ‘operator’ is semi-literate, he/she does not respond on-line. Every mail is printed out and presented to the boss in a 'dak folder'. With orders inscribed on it the paper then moves from office to office, at snail’s pace. What we, perhaps need is to insist on the officers being hands on operators, and responding to emails by an email – or forwarding emails electronically for further action. Printing of all email messages reverses the very trend that the electronic mail system is designed to eliminate – paper!

Now the State Government has decided to have officers directly interact with the public via computers. HUDA has designated an Executive Engineer to respond to public messages of complaints, via email. Not the best of solutions, but certainly a good thought – and a good beginning.

One last point. Most computer operators that I noticed in offices were girls. Hope all families of Haryana will eventually see the usefulness of having girls in their families. u

(Atul Dev is a Gurgaon based senior freelance journalist)

Digital StateJIT

KUM

AR

0916-22 November 2012

{ Maninder Dabas / FG }

Dwarka was a deserted area till the late 90s, with a handful of people living

in an area that had thousands of empty flats. Dwarka is now Asia’s biggest residential colony, covering an area of 5,648 hectares (about 14,000 acres) – more than half of current Gurgaon; there are 29 sectors and more than 300 residential societies. “Dwarka dethroned Rohini as the largest residential colony of Asia; and since then it has been a roller coaster ride for this Sub-City (Suburban City) in terms of development. Although a large area is yet to be developed, it is one of the best areas to live in the whole of NCR. Dwarka is often referred as a ‘Model Township’, as it is being developed under the ‘Urban Expansion Projects’ of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA),” said Sumesh Shokeen, the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Matiyala seat, under whose area Dwarka falls. “Gurgaon, especially, has done wonders, and being a neighbour of Dwarka, it certainly inspires this Sub-City. Dwarka has uniformity of development across its areas; it is one of the most sought after destinations for affordable yet comfortable living,” added Shokeen.

The Millennium City and the Sub City

Dwarka is a part of Delhi, whereas Gurgaon was developed as a separate city. So, their comparison would be an injustice. But since both these marvels of modern living have been developed on either side of the airport, which is now playing the role of a buffer state, there is much that they can learn from each other. “Dwarka is a Sub-City developed for the sole purpose of residential living, whereas Gurgaon is a full fledged City with all sorts of arrangements – ranging from residential, commercial to industrial. Another difference is that in Gurgaon the development has taken place like a jungle fire, and there is no uniformity whatsoever; whereas Dwarka, though slower in development, has been properly planned. Gurgaon developed all the sky-touching apartments and lavish bungalows without having the basic infrastructure in place; and this is the main

reason why Gurgaon is a crumbling city today. Dwarka developed as per the plan, and it has the best civic infrastructure in the whole of NCR; it would remain steadfast even after a decade or two. At present there is 50 to 60 per cent occupancy in Dwarka,” said a retired DDA official living there. Sumesh Shokeen said, “We may not have big malls, large bungalows or an extremely lavish golf club, but we have good basic infrastructure, which is the backbone of civic life. Gurgaon has residential flats worth billions, but outside of them one encounters broken roads with an endless spree of patience-less traffic, and overflowing sewage with pigs floating on it. Gurgaon has been held to ransom by the builders, and the State is losing all its stake as well as its control. I have many friends living in Gurgaon, and almost all of them are repenting their decision to buy a home in Gurgaon. The real estate rates there are beyond the reach of a middle class Indian; whereas Dwarka not only promises a modern infrastructure, but also modern living at affordable rates,” added Shokeen.

Gurgaon offers avant-garde modern living, in front of which not only Dwarka, but any other area in the National Capital Region, would feel inadequate. “Gurgaon is a perfect city for those who have money. You get all items of your need, from a needle to a Ferrari. Of course this City has problems too – such as bad roads, frequent power cuts, lack of public transport, and the paucity of water. But most people are rich enough to buy their comfort,” said Sanjeet Kumar, an executive who lives in Sector-56. Dwarka, no matter how perfectly built, doesn’t have the means for have a lavish life. “I have been living here since 2003. Now we have Metro connectivity to the whole of NCR. We have good markets here. But the fun part

Our Big Neighbourhood

line goes up to Noida, and on the other side the Airport line touches the contours of Dwarka. The Metro has indeed done wonders for this area; now just because of the Metro it has become one of the most sought after places to live in Delhi. It has placed Dwarka as a part of mainstream Delhi; it’s no more a half-baked rural cum urban sprawl of the nation’s capital. In Gurgaon, the problems begin after one gets down from the Metro. It is pathetic, and the autos there charge exorbitantly, even for small distances,” added Babita, the artist.

Although both places have plenty of good private schools, it’s the presence of a university that makes a big difference. “Dwarka has the biggest college campus in the whole of NCR. Guru Gobind Singh Indrapratha University has opened its biggest campus in Dwarka, and hence our children need not go outside Dwarka for studying in professional courses. Gurgaon has only small campuses of various private universities,” added Shokeen.

Security, especially of women, is perhaps the biggest concern in the NCR. “Gurgaon, in the last two years or so, has seen repeated incidents of molestation, eve teasing, and rape. Dwarka is comparatively better, as we have police presence after every two traffic lights. One can see girls roaming and that too in ‘modern dresses’ even quite late in the evening in the markets,” said Anjali Wadhwa, a resident. While in Gurgaon the crime against women has become a headache for the police, Dwarka has seen far less cases of eve teasing or molestation. “We have six big thanas in Dwarka, along with small pockets, and we keep good vigil. We have kept PCRs after every two traffic lights, as also in markets and other places of public gathering. We are trying our level best to control crime here. However, there have been a few instances of road-side loot at night,” said Surajbhan, a police official in a PCR.

Does a Delhi address still matter?

Having a Delhi address has always been a matter of prestige! Well, this question might fetch many opinions today. To some, having a Delhi address is still a matter of pride and they believe that having a home in Delhi, no matter where it is, is far better than having a house in suburbs like Gurgaon and Noida. “I don’t think it’s a matter of prestige. Earlier I used to live in Gurgaon and I had no problems in admitting to that, even in my circle of professors who mostly live in Delhi. But yes, being in Delhi, no matter which part, does help in getting your work done. The Administration works better. In places like Gurgaon and Noida the babus have become too powerful. A well-functioning Administration gives you a feeling of pride, and Dwarka indeed provides me with this happiness,” added Subhash Rana. u

Dwarka: The New ChanakyapuriChanakyapuri in Delhi is known for housing the embassies

of various countries; and the presence of these embassies is why it looks better than any other place in the Capital. Soon Dwarka is going to become the next Chanakyapuri, as the government has planned to develop the embassies of many small countries in Dwarka. “New Delhi’s second diplomatic enclave, after Chanakya Puri, will come up in Sectors 26,27,28,29. The Diplomatic Enclave will house embassies of at least 39 nations, and work in this regard has already been set in motion,” said Sumesh Shokeen, the MLA.

Dwarka is a short distance from Gurgaon. It will be very well connected to Gurgaon in the future, through the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR), and the proposed Metro connection from/to Dwarka.

A simple delivery had to be carried out outside. However, as a resident I am happy staying in Dwarka, because it is in Delhi and it offers great connectivity to the whole of NCR,” said Dr. Shilpa Ghosh.

Civic infrastructure is believed to be Gurgaon Achilles heel. Dwarka, on the other hand, has met its destiny with a proper plan in hand. It has been developed from scratch, and the 14,000 acres acquired for development of this (Asia’s biggest) colony were divided and developed wisely by the planners, keeping future demands in mind. The present Dwarka City has

Sumesh Shokeen said, “Well, to my mind Gurgaon is glorious, whereas Dwarka is dependable.

Gurgaon is good for luxuries whereas Dwarka offers a range of necessities,” said Babita, an artist who has been coming to Gurgaon for quite a while now.

is missing from Dwarka. We don’t have any big malls here, we have to go to different markets to buy different things. Night life is also not very great, as there is lack of pubs and discs.

Gurgaon scores some serious brownie points over Dwarka on the health infrastructure. “I am a doctor in a private hospital in Dwarka, and I don’t have any qualms in accepting that Gurgaon has some of the country’s biggest and best hospitals. Dwarka has hospitals such as Rockland, Apollo and Artemis coming up. Till a few years back, if my grandmother had simple chest pain I used to take her to Gangaram Hospital in Delhi.

been developed assuming a population of 10 lakh people. The infrastructure has been well-maintained. “There are many flats lying vacant in each society. Dwarka’s 29 sectors were made for a population of about 30,000 each; currently about 15,000

people are there in each sector (residential),” said Vikrant Dubey, a resident of Sector-12, Dwarka. In fact Gurgaon has seen a lot of exodus to Dwarka, and people have shifted here in large numbers in the last few years. “Till a couple of years back I was a Gurgaon resident. I used to live in Palam Vihar, in my own house. I left Gurgaon because there was a serious paucity of infrastructure there. No roads, no public transport at all – it was hell for me to travel to my job. Without a car life in Gurgaon is impossible. Here in Dwarka I am living in a flat, which is not as luxurious as my house in Gurgaon; but here we have the Metro at our doorstep, and there is a continuous DTC bus service available in the whole of Dwarka. I am loving this place,” said Subash Rana, a resident, who is a lecturer in the University of Delhi.

Gurgaon is notorious for traffic, chaos, and the non-availability of public transport. “I travel to Gurgaon often, and find the connectivity poor. For Dwarka residents the Metro

PRAK

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Banyan Rangoli

An Inter-House Rangoli Competition was held at

Banyan Tree World School. The Event unveiled the creative side of many participants, as was visible in some of the unusual designs and Rangoli patterns. The festive spirit could be seen, with Diwali as a popular theme for the Rangolis. Students used stencils, flowers

and dry colours to brighten up the floors of the School.

10 Kid Corner

Compiled by Shilpy Arora, email: shilpy.arora@fridaygurgaon.com

16-22 November 2012

Little ones at Kinder Plume School attended

a session on craft and painting. Students, along with teachers, made flowers and butterflies with paper. They also participated in finger painting. The teachers taught the children about the different materials and colours. Overall, it turned out to be a fun painting session for the tiny tots.

Kinder Art

The spirit of joy, festivity, and togetherness was celebrated with great grandeur by Blue Bells

Preparatory School as it hosted an Inter-School Cultural Competition. 19 reputed schools of the City participated in this Event. An array of creative activities was showcased by the little wonders of various schools. The exciting events were – Creative Zest, Divine Attires, Magic-O-Fingers, Quiz-A-Fest, Rhythmic Beat and Rang-Umang.

Blue Bells Fest-a-Fiesta

The students of Class X Sherwood Convent Senior Secondary School held a teen camp at

the School premises. TheCamp offered a Fashion Show, dance performances and lots of other fun-filled

Sherwood Campactivities. The venue looked like a fashion shoot, as the enthusiastic young adults preened and posed with their ‘fashionable’ outfits. The teens also performed a well-choreographed dance, that had the audience asking for more.

The tiny tots of Classes I and II of Shiv Nadar School visited a farm

house and an Ostrich farm for a fun-filled educational trip. The students saw a range of farm animals – horses, cows, buffaloes, roosters, dogs and scores of pigeons. The students were delighted when one of the horses performed an impromptu jig. Many students had their first ever experience with sheds, stables, cow dung, hay stacks, elephant grass and a flock of pigeons. The visit to the Ostrich Farm was exciting, as the farm hands allowed the students to feel an ostrich egg. The kids returned to School both awed and satisfied with this outdoor experience.

Animal Farm

11Kid Corner

How often we wish for another chanceTo make a fresh beginningA chance to blot out mistakesAnd change failure into winning.

It does not take a new dayTo make a brand new startIt only takes a deep desireTo try with all our heart.To live a little betterTo be always forgivingAnd to add a little sunshineTo the world in which we’re living.

So never give up in despairAnd think that you are throughFor there’s always tomorrowAnd the hope of starting new.

Another Chance

VISHAL YADAVGrade III-B,

Swiss Cottage School

16-22 November 2012

To inculcate a healthy sporting spirit among the students, CCA School held their Annual Athletic Meet. The Event encompassed

a myriad of sporting activities. Anil Kumar Rao, Dy. Commissioner of Police (Gurgaon), graced the event as the Chief Guest. The Annual Inter-House Dance Competition was also held on the occasion. The children danced to lilting tunes in their colorful attires and entertained everyone. Events like 50M race, 200 M Race, Long Jump, 4x100M Relay Race, and High Jump were also held. Participants displayed their athletic prowess, and the spectators cheered them on with full enthusiasm and delight. Fun Races—such as Frog, Caterpillar, Balloon, and Brick—enthralled the little ones as they participated in these events. The Principal N. Yadav distributed prizes to the winners.

Literary Flourish

Sporting CCA

Scottish High International School celebrated Diwali – the festival of lights, by organising a Diwali Mela. Children, some accompanied by their parents, visited

the Mela with great enthusiasm. Besides popular food stalls, there were several game stalls that drew active participation from the visitors. Sporty activities like golf and archery were also a big hit. A special stall, hosted by the NGO Antardrishti, offered a variety of Diwali items – specially crafted by the visually impaired. The harmonious celebration by families and friends reflected the true spirit of Diwali at Scottish High.

A Diwali High

Summerfield School DLF celebrated its Silver Jubilee

celebrations by hosting a gala event – Expressions 2012. The Principal Yasmin Contractor, along with the Chief Guests Padma Bhushan awardee Ronen Sen and IAS Shailja Chandra, inaugurated the Event and felicitated the meritorious students of Class X and XII. The students entertained the audience with a mesmerising performance, that included verses of literary greats – John Milton, William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, Kalidas, Amir Khusro, Mirza Ghalib, Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and Gulzar. A medley of artistic expressions—contemporary dance, mime, dance-drama, dramatisation of a lyrical ballad, ‘Robindra-shongeet’, mushayaras and classical group dances—held the audience’s attention. A special edition of the School magazine ‘Signature Summerites’, in the form of a souvenir and a coffee table book, was also released to mark the occasion.

A Painting Exhibition was

held by Sree Arts, that showcased the paintings of over 30 young talented artists. The display ranged from water colours, crayons, inks and mix media. The children were delighted by the encouraging response of the visitors.

Summerfield Expressions

Young Talent

12 Kid CornerK

ids

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Ozzimals: Color this picture

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SolutionS

Fill in the grid so that every row, column and coloured box contains ALL the numbers from 1 to 6. Bonus clue: which number should go in the circle: 1 or 4?

Dogs of C-KennelTwo Wise Men

16-22 November 2012

1316-22 November 2012

{ Alka Gurha }

In a national daily the noted film director, producer and scriptwriter Vikram Bhatt

said, “Marriage is a defunct and outdated institution. Marriage is socially encouraged and legally accepted, and this makes the compulsion to stay in a marriage more important than being happy in a marriage.” According to him the rules of marriage have been set on unequal grounds. India has the lowest divorce rate of 1.1 per cent – the UK has about 42.6 per cent and the US and Sweden are at 55 per cent. It seems the more 'progressive' the society, the higher the divorce rate. Bhatt quotes an inebriated friend, “In a marriage, one person’s got to dish out the bullshit and another person’s got to take it, because if none of them takes it, and both dish it out, then there is just a pile of bullshit in the middle.”

I get a whiff of a Bollywood-esque, over-the-top reaction when Bhatt debunks the institution of marriage and labels it as ‘outdated’. To my mind we need to look at marriage from an angle other than that of the ‘progressive’ Bhatt prism. Undoubtedly, finding a life partner and getting married is a matter of personal choice. I have several friends who have

An Outdated Institution?

Civic/Social

Mother, Sweet Mother...At terminal C 12 of Kuala

Lumpur Airport, waiting to board our flight to

Denpasar, Bali, I see very few Indians around me – mainly newly-weds en-route to Bali for their honeymoon.

I am on a trip solely with my mother, because both of us badly needed a break from our respective stresses. We in India, and all over the world I guess, take our mothers for granted very easily. No matter what age we are and where we live, she is the first one we call – whether it is for a small thing like waking

us up in the morning, or for some big decisions of our life.

However, in our busy lives—attending meetings, conferences—we so often cut her phone calls when she wants to reach us, just to remind us to have our lunch on time. While enjoying our own youth we value all the

chosen to remain single – though their faith in the institution of marriage remains unaltered.

Marriage as a concept symbolises civilization. Since it was necessary to provide legal and acceptable norms for a sustainable society, the institution of marriage became the building block of societies all over the world. In the process, the world has become more populous, more prosperous and more educated than ever before. Over time, with the concept of contraception, coupled with a sense of individuality, people began to ponder over the functionality of marriage.

Is marriage just a piece of paper? In the world of surrogate and single mothers, do we need fathers at all? Many ‘progressive’ societies are debating such 'choices', when, ironically, their social fabric is rotting. In the US, the President, on the eve of the results, hugged his wife and said, “We are one big American family and we will face things together.” In the same ‘progressive’ nation, same sex couples are fighting to legalise their marriage, to make life long commitments. Perhaps togetherness and commitment are the key words. Marriage is all about facing the tumults of life

together. Needless to mention,

the divorce rate is higher in ‘progressive’ societies because women are becoming independent – financially and otherwise. As a result, several urban couples, wary of commitment, are opting to cohabit, minus the ‘piece of paper’. However studies have shown that cohabiters break-up at a higher rate than married couples. Also, children born out of such arrangements face legal dilemmas and insecure futures. In general, children raised in happy married households are more likely to enjoy stable marriages as adults. To quote Nobel Laureate George Akerlof, "Men settle down when they get married: If they fail to get married, they fail to settle down." There may be some who are enjoying their new found independence and abhor the yokes that a marriage entails. But who can deny that yokes also provide security.

Being a part of a modern, progressive milieu, I wonder why Bhatt believes that the rules of marriage are set on unequal grounds. Unless one endorses the khaps, I fail to understand why he feels that women have to abandon their names and their future for the sake of husband and children. Ask Kareena Khan Kapoor! She was happily living together with her partner – so what prompted her to

get married and accept 'subordination'?

Bhatt had an ‘Aha' moment when his inebriated friend dispensed pearls of wisdom. Forget marriage, any meaningful relationship is all about tolerating ‘bullshit’. In sober terms, it essentially means providing emotional support when the partner is having

an emotional outburst. On bad days giving ‘bullshit’ can be cathartic. But who will take the ‘bull shit’ unconditionally? Other than an understanding spouse or a loving mother, I can’t think of anyone else.

Psychologists say that those who think that marriage is a ‘defunct or outdated institution’ are those who have had dreadful personal experiences with marriage. Perhaps the inability to take responsibility for incompatibility compels people to look at an external locus of control. Yes, it makes sense to move on if two people are incompatible, and the relationship is beyond repair. However, to junk the institution only because some marriages have failed, is presumptuous. Debunk marriage as an institution and we may be on a slippery slope of a legal pandemonium, unhappy society, and many lonely individuals. u

Haryanvi Made Easy Get a taste of the local lingo

1. My head is hurting. Mere Sar main dard ho raa hai.

2. Give me a tablet for it. Mere tayin ek goli de diye.

3. I will not be able to go out anywhere. Main kit bhar na ja paunga.

4. Should I go to see a doctor?. Ke main dactor ne dikhan tayin jaun?

5. Will you come with me? Ke Tu Meri galla chale ga?

6. I hope I don't have dengue. Bhagwan kare mere dengu na pave.

7. Oh No! Doctor has said I have dengue Oh Teri! Dactar ne dengu bata diya.

For Subscription SMS FGYES to 8447355801

short-lived pleasures and fair-weather relationships, but tend to ignore our most valuable ‘possession’ - our parents, and their unconditional love for us.

In the peak of our health, beauty and youth we don’t realise that our parents are growing old, and hence the only craving they have is for our time, love and affection.

It’s natural that we want to avoid ‘old’ ideas, restrictions and thought processes when we are young and enjoying life to its fullest; but we should remember to treat our parents the way we would want to be treated when we ourselves grow old. It is with this realisation that I had planned a trip to Bali. It is solely for my mother, to acknowledge that she is a big part of my youthful exuberance, and that without her no relaxation or holiday would be complete.

Watching my mom intently sipping coconut water with great pleasure, after climbing a good amount of stairs to reach the terrace rice fields, I am wondering where I would have been without her. Whatever little success and standing I have would have been impossible without her struggles for me. I wholeheartedly agree with the famous adage, “Family should be at the centre of our affection – not at the border.” u

Lipi Patel

14 Bon Vivant16-22 November 2012

4

What exactly is dead skin? How can I remove it?The skin sheds dead cells. These can be removed by using a scrub. Since scrubs are grainy, they help to remove the dead skin cells and brighten the skin. Ready to use scrubs are easily available. Apply on the face once or twice a week. Rub gently on the skin with small circular movements and wash off with water.

Please suggest a good home remedy for nail discoloration.If the nail has become discoloured due to nail polish, you can get rid of the yellowish tint on the nails by scraping the surface of the nail with the finest-grain side of an emery board, so that the nail is not damaged. You can also add baking soda to water and soak your fingers in them daily for 15 minutes. You can also take pieces of lemon and rub them on the nails. Or dilute lemon juice with water and soak your hands in it for 10 minutes everyday. But, first consult a doctor to ensure that there is no fungal infection or other reason for the discolouration.

Herbal Cosmetic Queen Padma Shree Shahnaz

Husain is the CEO of the Shahnaz Husain Group –

India’s leading company in the field of natural beauty and anti-aging treatments.

Tips U4by ShahnaZ

Q.

Q.

SH

SH

WINNER

Ask the beauty expert questions on skin, hair and beauty. The best question (picked by Shahnaz Husain) will receive a gift hamper

from the Shahnaz Husain Group. Write to us at letters@fridaygurgaon.com

Manisha Kumar

Manisha Kumar

Divya Wadhwa

C o o k e r y t i p s by Vijaylaxmi Masterchef

For CurdIf you want curd to settle fast – After adding a little curd to the milk, add a green chilly which is coated with salt, to the mixture.

For Fluffy ChappatisKnead the dough, keeping it slightly loose. Knead well for 2 minutes. Roll out the chappati evenly. It's all about the kneading and rolling!

For Crisp PoorisTo make pooris crispier, add a little rice flour to the wheat flour, while kneading.

For Left-over Gravy PulavHeat oil in a pan. Add ghee. Saute chopped onion. Add left-over gravies (non-veg or veg). Add rice, salt, lemon juice. Cook till the rice is done. Serve your pulav with raita.

For Cooked BiryaniFry chopped onions in oil until crispy golden brown. Add these onions to your prepared biryani. Tightly cover the pan with a lid, and keep it on the stove on a very low flame for about 5-10 minutes. You are sure to find the Biryani tastier.

Handy Tips for cooking

{ Anita Jaswal }

Raising children in today’s uncertain and dangerous world can be a daunting

task. Children are susceptible to so many forces around them, that they can be lost in the chaos. They need a strong set of parents to guide them. Dr. Saloni Singh, a qualified life and parenting coach, feels that we make deposits in the memory banks of our children every day.  “I believe that children are formed by little scraps of wisdom.  You should instil confidence in your children, using non-violent discipline, so that they can avoid power struggles and encourage mutual respect. We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future.”

After working as a Gynaecologist for 8 years, Dr. Saloni pursued her passion and love for psychology, and the understanding of human behaviour. She qualified with distinction from Europe’s best coaching and training school, The Coaching Academy London, as a Personal Performance Executive, Youth and Parenting Coach.

She was working with parents and young children in UK for 5 years. Now settled in India, she is passionate about bringing a positive change in our society, by helping parents raise successful and resilient children. She is the founder of Active Parenting.

As a Neurostrategist, she conducts Active Parenting workshops in Gurgaon and Delhi, to empower families – by providing parents with the skills to help their children survive and thrive in our changing world.

One would ask: What is Active Parenting?, and Who is a Life Coach?

“When I think of active parenting, I think more of a proactive approach. You don’t wait for children to do something wrong, but try to instil values and morals that will be the foundation of their character as they grow up. That is what I think of as the basis and purpose of active parenting.

Face it, parenting takes a lot of energy. Active Parenting involves empowering your

Active Parentingchildren to learn survival and life skills; and although there are many skills that are involved in the raising of a family, the most salient are courage, self-esteem, responsibility, and co-operation.

Active Parenting is not easy, especially in families where both parents have to work. The amount of time we spend with our children is not always what we want it to be, but we need to make the most of what time we have. They need us and look up to us; we need to set a good example and show them how much we love and care for them,” explains Dr. Saloni.

“Leading parenting groups is a great experience. You are not just helping parents; you are helping children, teachers and other members of your community, by strengthening families. When we hear the many amazing stories of positive changes that occur after parents are given training/coaching, it is extremely gratifying! Active Parenting is a term that describes a successful parenting strategy for modern times –   being more active and conscious as a parent. It helps parents to raise responsible, co-operative children, who are able to resist negative peer pressure, and successfully face the challenges of the 21st century. 

A Life Coach is a trained professional who helps clients set and achieve personal goals. Life Coaches do this by

listening carefully, asking great questions, expanding the client’s picture of what they can achieve, and collaborating with the client to set up support structures and systems to achieve the goals,” she continues.

What does it entail being a Life Coach? What kinds of goals are we talking about?

“Although this may sound easy to do, it isn’t. Helping other people set and achieve personal goals requires a highly sophisticated set of communication skills. These skills are beyond just being a good listener, and require specialised training. Becoming an effective Life Coach also requires personal integrity - after all, how can you coach someone else on “life”, if your own life is in a shambles?

Have you ever had a BIG dream, but didn’t know how to go about achieving it? Or found yourself slacking off your fitness routine - yet again? Do you wish you could change your career into something more suited to your strengths? This is what a Life Coach might help a client with. Of course, there are other areas where a coach can also help, such as: slowing down and enjoying life, becoming more assertive, overcoming a fear, achieving work-life balance, clearing clutter, bringing harmony in relationships, or finding meaningful work! A Life Coach works one-on-one with a client to support personal growth, behaviour modification, and goal-setting. Based on the premise that most people can achieve their goals if properly guided, a Life Coach will act as a  mentor, assisting the client in the process of taking life-improving actions. While a Life Coach is a sounding board for ideas, the final work is up to the client”.

This amazing lady feels that life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation. The family should be a closely knit group. The home should be a self-contained shelter of security – a kind of school where life’s basic lessons are taught. u

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15Wellness

Health & Vitality... Naturally!

{ Jaspal Bajwa }

Gastro-Intestinal diseases usually hit a peak during the summer months. However, cases of diarrhoea,

dysentery and indigestion, along with excessive flatulence, can happen at any time of the year – especially festive times, when we indulge. If adequate care is not taken these can lead to more serious conditions. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) is a broad term for chronic or recurring immune response and inflammation of the Gastro-Intestinal tract. The immune system mistakes food and other particles as foreign substances, and attacks the cells of the intestines. In the process white blood cells amass in the lining of the intestines, producing chronic inflammation.

When looking for a remedy which might combine the qualities of controlling pathogens(harmful bodies) in the gut, and helping in the healing of ulcerated intestinal surfaces, the search points at several plant-based natural remedies. Any such plant possessing anti-viral, anthelmintic (anti-parasite), anti-spasmodic, and anti-inflammatory properties would ensure optimum functioning of the gut, and would indeed qualify as a wonder food. Some herbs which have been traditionally relied upon for this are: chamomile, fennel, psyllium , devil’s claw, golden seal, ginger, alfa alfa, turmeric and peppermint.

A traditional plant which stands out is the Bael or Wood Apple - it has been held in high respect over the centuries. In Ayurveda, the Charaka Samhita, written in the 1st century BC, describes the medicinal properties of Bael. Almost every part of the tree is considered useful, and it occupies an important role in some

To heal boils faster, make a paste of cumin seeds, along with water. Apply this paste on the boil, and

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with sugar, can alleviate stomach pain and constipation. A paste made from the leaves can help reduce swellings in the joints. Bael fruit can be stored for 2 weeks at room temperature; after that a mold can develop.

Nature’s Wonder Food of the week : Bael or Aegle marmelos or Limonia acidissima

A native plant of the Indian subcontinent , Bael has spread out over wide areas of Asia. It is also known as Wood Apple or Bael Kaitha or Kath Bel. The fruit, roots and leaves have antibiotic activity.It is a good source of proteins, iron, phosphorus, calcium, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, kerotene,

citric acid, oxalic acid and tonic acid. It provides about 140 calories per 100 gm, with a protein and carbohydrate content of 2 per cent and 31 per cent respectively.

The ripe fruit is rich in beta-carotene (precursor of Vitamin A),B vitamins (thiamine and riboflavin) and small amounts of Vitamin C. Marmelosin in the fresh, ripe pulp juice is good as a mild laxative, tonic, diuretic and digestive aid. In large doses, it lowers the rate of respiration, depresses heart action and causes sleepiness.

In Ayurveda, the ripe fruit has been used for chronic diarrhoea and dysentery; as a tonic for the heart and brain; and for boils, earaches, fevers and colds. The astringency, especially of the unripe bael, is prized for halting diarrhoea and dysentery.The roots have traditionally been used to treat melancholia, intermittent fevers, and palpitations. The leaves are good as a poultice for reducing fever, eye disorders, and

for weakness of the heart, dropsy, and beriberi. A decoction of the unripe fruit, with fennel and ginger, is considered useful for haemorrhoids.

When used as food, and in judicious amounts, Bael has no side-effects. Bael is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. The leaves can induce abortion, and can lead to sterility in women. People on blood sugar or thyroid medication should exercise caution. u

Registered Holistic Nutritionist (Canadian School of Natural Nutrition) For education purposes only; always consult a

healthcare practitioner for medical conditions

16-22 November 2012

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religious rites in the Hindu tradition. This probably explains why bael trees are so common near temples. The ripe and unripe fruit, as well as the roots, leaves and branches have all been used in traditional medicine.

Tip of the weekThe Bael or Wood Apple fruit can be

cut in half, and the pulp can be processed as nectar or squash, by adding some palm sugar or brown sugar. Mixing jaggery or honey with the pulp can help in reducing tiredness and fatigue. Adding salt and black pepper helps with constipation, and increases digestion capacity. Juice extracted from the pulp can be boiled and consumed before lunch or dinner, to remove excess heat from the body. When mixed with warm water and honey, Bael juice keeps the kidneys clean and helps purify blood. The juice from fresh Bael leaves, mixed

Balle Bael

Go Ahead – One Time{ Alka Gurha }

Festive season is all about indulgence. The temptation to eat lurks at every corner. At the

end of it all one feels guilty about having had a good time. But don’t worry, there is good news. Experts say that a single bout of over indulgence is not going to mess us up if we eat sensibly and exercise regularly the rest of the time.

Instead of feeling guilty and depriving your taste buds, here are some ways to cope with festive binging:

If there is a party later in the day, avoid skipping meals in the morning. Stick to your normal routine, so that you are not hungry as soon as you enter a party.

Keep sipping water at regular intervals, to avoid dehydration and to improve your metabolism.

Just 500 ml (half a bottle) of water can spike the metabolism by thirty per cent, for as long as an hour. Researchers say that water mobilises the sympathetic nervous system, which

stimulates metabolism. Since alcohol dehydrates your body, drinking water at room temperature will rehydrate your system and flush out the harmful toxins. A great water-based concoction is hot water and lemon juice in the morning. This increases the metabolic rate and helps burn calories too.

If you overeat at one meal or party avoid the attempt to skip your next meal.

The last thing you feel like doing after a heavy meal is to exercise. But that is exactly what one should do, to increase digestion and food absorption. Physical activity may provide the biggest boost to your ability to cope during the festive season. A brisk walk after a heavy meal can be a blessing for your metabolism. Use the stairs instead of the escalator. Minimise the digestive misery by exercising and hydrating your body at regular intervals.

Finally, laugh more and enjoy the festivities. u

FG Invites Citizens

If yes, write to us at letters@fridaygurgaon.com,

with a brief background of yourself, with contact number(s).

n Are you interested and concerned about civic and social happenings and issues around you?

n Are you motivated to do something positive for society?

n Are you interested to also write, and express what you see, hear, feel?

{ Abhishek Behl / FG }

Gurgaon is a paradox. It lives in two

unequal halves, wherein the Na-

tional Highway-8 acts as the Great

Divide – like the Berlin Wall. The core

of the City is rotting; but the new sub-

urbs shine like stars – with malls, gated

colonies, golf courses and clubs setting

a standard of life never before seen

in India.It is this flux of extreme forces that

is threatening to unravel the balance –

a balance that is natural and helpful for

great cities to evolve with; and for civili-

sations to develop and attain glory.

Gurgaon’s rotting urban core, the

concretised villages within the City,

and the vast rural hinterland that

once comprised Guru-gram, is under

threat of being submerged – under

the new identity of a Millennium

City, with its capital in ‘New Gurga-

on’.  It is here that the role of the State

comes into play; to ensure that the forces

of development touch all the populace.

Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner

P.C Meena, who is the point man of

the State Administration in the Dis-

trict, concurs that Gurgaon is much

more than the City itself. The District

includes 3 sub-divisions viz. Gurgaon

(North and South) ,and Pataudi; 5 teh-

sils (Gurgaon, Sohna, Pataudi, Farukh

Nagar, Manesar); and 210 Panchayats

that cover 291 villages.

Friday Gurgaon spent a week with

Deputy Commissioner Meena, check-

ing how the State’s will is executed –

in this historic area, that has known

some form of governance since the

time of Guru Dronacharya. Being

close to Delhi, the capital seat of power,

the District has also been influenced by

the political and social developments

taking place there.

Vol. 1 No. 28 Pages 24 ` 7 RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

2–8 March 2012

Food Take ...Pg 6

Cinema Listings & Helplines

...Pg 7

The Week That Was...Pg 7

Laughing Stock...Pg 7

Regular Features

Contd on p 6

{ Hritvick Sen / FG }

Almost every significant service worth its

salt has a telephone call-in. Whether it

is food (or liquor) delivery, information

services, bookings and reservations, civic

facilities, grievance cells... there is a line on

which people can call in. But when there

is an accident, a robbery or a fire – there

is only one type of service that people dial

in a hurry. Emergency Services.

Most people count themselves

fortunate that they haven’t had a

situation in which they had to ask for

help; but for the people who work in these

services, helping distraught people is

an everyday affair. Whether it is Police

(100), Ambulance (101), or Fire (102) –

receiving a call usually means it is a life-or-

death matter.

100 – Police Emergency LineLocation: The main Police Control

Room (PCR) in Gurgaon’s Mini-Secretar-

iat. Wireless sets chirping, phone lines

ringing as soon as they’re set down, staff

rushing about with papers – the very

air hums with activity.

Inspector Rishipal, who is the

senior in-charge of the Operations, says

seriously, “On any given day, we receive

between 2,500 to 3,000 calls.” In a

closed glass cubicle from which he can

survey all activity, he manages the day-to-

day operations of the PCR. “We have state-

of-the-art servers and equipment, and I can

safely say that Gurgaon has one of the

most advanced PCRs in the country.”

Emergency Servicemen

Ativa Auto Services has launched ‘White Xpress’,

an auto-on-call service with the support of Bajaj Auto Ltd.

The autos are available from 6.30 am to 10 pm.

Make online bookings at www.whitexpress.in or

call 0124-4811111. Autos will charge Rs. 40 for the first two kms, and

thereafter it would be Rs 8 per km.

Call: 0124-4811111

Express Service at your Doorstep

We have done so much, for so long, with so little,

we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

Prak

har

PaNd

ey

{Inside}Astrology

The third

in our

astrology series

– featuring

Libra, Scorpio

and Saggitarius. ...Pg 16

Tantric Art

We feature

Shobha

Broota, a 68-

year old ‘young’

and energetic

artist. ...Pg 17

Master Recipe

Masterchef

Top 5

Vijaylaxmi

shares a Recipe

exclusively for

FG readers....Pg 18

Let’s Be Civil

Pavan Choudhary,

Managing

Director of

Vygon, speaks

on the need

for residents to become

responsible citizens. ...Pg 21

P3For The Other Half

Contd on p 8 Please Visit Us At www.fridaygurgaon.com

Ask Your Newspaper Vendor For Friday Gurgaon.

16 Comment

Cosmo-City

16-22 November 2012

The festive season is a good time to be aspirational. Our City has been rightly castigated for poor civic infrastructure – the

‘hard’ requirements. However, maybe, given our new DNA, we can make up with the ‘soft’ side. Specifically, can we become The Cosmopolitan City of India – rather than just a Millennium City? Can we set the benchmark for the new cities that are mushrooming now, with India urbanising so fast?

Demographically it may sound simple – after all Gurgaon already is home to a very rich cross-section of India, and partly of the world. However, attitudinally it sounds 'impossible' – for only a ‘worldly’, ‘accepting’, ‘non-prejudiced’ belief, attitude and value system would truly make us cosmopolitan.

We have a solid base that we can build well on :we have residents from almost every state of

India, and many countries;we have highly educated and aware residents,

many of whom have ‘seen the world’;we have world-class schools and institutes – as

also such residences, commercial buildings and industries.

But the prejudices do show – in ‘old’ versus ‘new’ Gurgaon; in Delhiites vs Gurgaonites; in Gurgaonites vs Haryanvis; in Haryanvis vs people from other States… Fortunately, in this City, caste and religion may not play truant. Unfortunately, State parochialism might.

The first task should be to embrace ‘old’ Gurgaon and its residents, to stop it sliding – like an isolated ‘old’ Delhi. That isolation may become the source for disaffection and trouble ahead. ‘Old’ Gurgaon must see development on priority, must be the first to get water and power on tap. Then comes the more difficult part, but most necessary if we are not to see a replica of the Shiv Sena here (we are following Mumbai’s footsteps in many ways). The locals – especially the youth - need to be understood, and made an integral part of the society. There should be some form of job preference for them. And our children in local schools should learn Haryanvi – much as children learn Marathi in Mumbai. The assimilation down the years would be so much better.

We next need to set an example for national understanding/unity/integration. Unfortunately, with the Centre’s writ now running low (or being non-existent) at a pan-India level, this task has been made more difficult. Jingoism has taken root in quite a few states. Haryana also has had a running rivalry (putting it mildly) with Punjab. Can Gurgaonites show the way – to the rest of Haryana, and the country? We need to genuinely treat people from other states without prejudice. We need to accept their customs, dresses, languages, food habits, movies, movie stars – and names (it is surprising how we marvel at a South African cricketer’s Dutch name, and even try to pronounce it properly – but laugh at a fellow Indian’s name)! And yes, we even need to accept that ‘other Indians’

do perform the same religion rites differently! In fact, we not only need to understand and accept, but partake. How about participating in the Pongal celebrations come January, in traditional Tamil dress, sampling all the food – and ending the day watching a Rajnikant movie? We would come back inspired by the original ‘Yes, He can’ ! We need to further accept that Indians come in different colours, and in many different shapes and sizes. Diversity is our birthright. And yes, some look like ‘Chinese’, just like all similar looking food is all ‘Chinese’ for us. For all who come to Gurgaon, our motto should be the traditional ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. And may all those who stay back treat the new ‘guests’ better than they were themselves treated.

An innovative Gurgaon Administration can use sports and entertainment heroes/teams as symbols of integration. We can be the melting pot for a pan-India cinema/culture – and aspire to be the cultural Epicentre, the Kingdom of Dreams ! All that is missing is a mega Cosmo-Studio.

The Indian Cricket Team is a great example of pan-Indianism, and can be the mentors for Cosmopolitan Gurgaon. For becoming a pan-India sports hub we need to build a large multi-discipline stadium, and invite sportsmen to Gurgaon, to train and compete. A fresh Cricket or Football Academy, with global management and expertise, would also be a winner.

Women must clearly find better protection. This society will see women side-by-side – everywhere. It is cosmopolitan to expect so. A strong police force, feared by the wrong-doers, is the first and best insurance. Gurgaonites also need to send a message to the rest of Haryana on girls being equal.

Finally we need to tackle the very foundation of an accepting, caring, worldly society – of being civic, in sense and deed. We should pioneer a New Gurgaon (nay, New India) movement of ‘model citizens’ – in terms of driving on the roads, parking, mobile usage, water use and harvesting, garbage segregation, use of public toilets (yes, we need more), responsibility for our pets, standing in queues etc. We need to start believing that we are living in Singapore. Truly – stranger things have happened !

Of course some are here only for a few years – though many, even in jobs, are thinking of now settling down in this City (the children just hate to leave). They hopefully would become worthy ambassadors of cosmopolitanism.

Fortunately Gurgaon has an excellent mix of people who can help lead this change; there are many current and retired leaders from the corporates, bureaucracy, armed forces and the arts. They would enable the new generation to set up a new culture of cosmopolitanism in this unique City.

To go one better than Mumbai would be to truly become the Newer York cum New Hollywood.u

EDITORIALAtul Sobti

L E T T E R T O T H E E D I T O R

Friday Gurgaon has come across to be a very

informational paper which i enjoy reading a lot. I feel that it really covers what goes on in Gurgaon and is a really good read. I wish this paper the best of luck for the future.

Kaustav Sood, Class 9

Excellent newspaper. Kudos & Good luck for it

to make great progress, and reach greater height s.

Shobha Lidder

17Bon Vivant16-22 November 2012

{ Shilpy Arora / FG }

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come

alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive – said a famous American author, Howard Thurman.

So believes a 50-year-old lawyer, Ranjeev C. Dubey, who had followed his passion for Railway Modelling. He spends most of his time bringing together small plastic pieces to sculpt train models. The models are the fruit of his hard work and patience, and occupy a pride of place at his home.

Ranjeev’s fascination for train models began in 1984, when he bought a book on Railway Modelling at a roadside stall in Connaught Place. After leafing through photographs on the subject, he decided to give it a shot. Before venturing out to make railway models, he took time to understand the functioning and history of railways, electronics, and carpentry. Now, almost 3 decades later, he has built models of over six railway stations at his home.

Using items like t-shirt buttons, toothpicks, and the nail paint of his wife, he has carved out virtual replicas of the Kalka-Shimla Railway, Solan Railway Station, and a German Railway Station. His collection boasts of 1:87 or 1:160 scale models (which means his models are 87 or 160 times smaller than the real stations). “Each model consists of lakhs of plastic pieces joined together. All the parts are carefully cut, shaped, and then pasted with special material. After assembling the parts, the landscape around the railway station is painted with a brush, or with the hands. Later, with the use of electronic boards and a wireless system, I make the trains run on the tracks,” explains Ranjeev. 

One can hear the train whistle, as also the hiss of steam. The railway bridges and tunnels add to the appeal. Running parallel to his trains are the models of cars and ‘tongas’. Scaled human beings, and animals tell different stories – a guide welcoming tourists at the station, a snake chasing a rat on the rooftop of a house, and labourers loading goods into a truck.

What Does It Take?It takes a lot of patience, says

Ranjeev. It takes him more

A Model Railwaymanthan 200 hours to construct an engine, and over three years to construct the whole model. Moreover, this hobby requires a lot of space. “I made models even when I was living in a one-bedroom apartment. There used to be trains beside our bed, and on the railing of the staircase. However, maintaining small and delicate models in such a compact setting was a challenge,” says Ranjeev.  In 2003 he moved to Gurgaon in search of a spacious house, so that he could give wings to his passion.

As one has to get kits from the US or Europe, Railway Modelling is considered an expensive hobby. According to Ranjeev, he has spent lakhs of rupees to buy railway kits and other material. Besides using waste material, he buys mini-rolling tracks and

assembles them piece by piece. Interestingly, he sourced modelling kits from the UK as a barter deal. “I sourced rolling tracks and other material from the UK. Due to lack of funds I offered a barter deal to a British lady, who wanted to have some jewellery sets from India,” says Ranjeev. However, today he gets most of the stuff online.

Despite all the challenges he feels that the joy and satisfaction, after he completes a model, is unparalleled. Moreover, he takes pride in the fact that he is helping to preserve the history of Indian Railways. It is an exciting way to learn how the railways work, and should generate interest among the young generation about rail transportation.

Credit goes to...Ranjeev’s wife, Ritu Dubey,

is very supportive of his

hobby. “This hobby calls for a lot of patience and skill. I admire his determination and commitment,” Ritu pitches in. She reveals that Ranjeev is also an avid photographer and a travel writer. That is why he understands landscapes and settings of the railways quite well. “Ranjeev has spent most of his life exploring places, especially the narrow gauge railways in Himachal.  It helped him draw references for his Railway Modelling. He used to take photographs of every little thing lying in and around the station. Today, one can see that in his models – posters of movies released in the 70s, ‘tongas’ on roads; and the attire of the people,” says Ritu. Ranjeev has an enviable collection of magazines and books on Railway Modelling.

He is well read on various topics and functions. “I think anybody can do anything, provided they have the determination, and can manage time well. A friend of mine is also fond of train models. He is a garment exporter and doesn’t have any formal qualification in electronics. But after taking up this hobby he made a circuit

board on his own,” reveals Ranjeev. He also gives credit to the City, which he believes has a pool of intelligent people. “Here you can meet experts from any field. For instance, I met an expert on Helicopter Modelling here. It helped me brush up my skills about aeronautical engineering and aerial models. The City also offers a perfect residential setting, so that you can live as well as work peacefully,” feels Ranjeev. Although he runs a law firm in the City, he still finds time to pursue this unusual passion.

Future plansRevealing his future plans

Ranjeev says, “My ambition is to build the Kalka-Shimla railway network. It is challenging, as it has over 103 tunnels and 550 bridges. However, it has historical significance. Plus, the landscape is beautiful. Through my models I want to show the beauty of Indian Railways to the world.” He is also working on a garden railway project, in his apartment at Kuh in J&K.

Ranjeev wants to pass on the knowledge and skills to youngsters, but he is not very optimistic. He says, “Railway Modelling is an expensive hobby that needs a combination of skills – ranging from electrical wiring to carpentry and painting. It may not interest today’s youngsters, who normally look for instant gratification in life. However, I think the media can play a role in attracting today’s generation towards this dying hobby. Through your newspaper I want to give a message to youngsters that you just need to start with a board. Once you develop the interest, you will never let go.” u

Jit Kumar

{ Srimati Lal }

The auspicious Diwali Season opens with a vibrant group Exhi-bition by twenty-two noted Indian

artists having a "special sensibility". They have been carefully selected for this major group show entitled 'Indian Icons,' at the elegant Art Pilgrim Gallery at Sushant Lok, on display till 6 December. This rare collection of evolved artworks, by several well-known artists, includes fine pieces by Akbar Padamsee, Suhas Roy, Lalu Prosad Shaw, Vaikuntham, Sanat Kar, Ramanand Bandopadhyay, Jatin Das, Arpana Caur and Phalguni Dasgupta – as well as excel-lent representative works of younger promising artists such as Ramesh Gorjala, Bhagat Singh, Bratin Khan, Seema Kohli, Shiv Lal and Chhavi Rajpal, among oth-ers. Adding further depth and dimension to this icon-ic show, is a striking range of bronze and metal sculp-tures, by such masters as K.S Radhakrishnan and Dhananjay Singh. 

A noteworthy aspect of this Exhibition is the elegance of its precincts. Gallery Art Pil-grim extends gracefully over two floors of a quiet private bungalow, tastefully man-aged by art-collector Geeta Singh, who has been an art-afficionado for over four de-cades. Aside from showcasing the recent works of significant painters, she has also includ-ed some major works from her own private collection in this special show -- including a series of imposing Christ can-vasses and Portraits of Wom-en by Suhas Roy, and several eyecatching contemporary sculptures. In art-exhibits, the importance of careful discernment in display and selection cannot be underesti-mated. Furthermore, sufficient space is a vital aspect to the proper viewing of art. Singh's low-profile and yet accomplished gallery scores highly in such essential de-tails -- its subtly laid-out sense of space, refined ambience, state-of-the-art light-ing, efficient management, and fine-tuned displays and layouts are of an interna-tional standard.

For an artist to be meaningful on a long-term basis, the artist's work must be relevant to the immediate times and milieu, as well as possess the power to transcend the literal towards the more 'timeless' realm of eternal ideas. High Art lies hidden within moments which may appear mundane; the accomplished artist has the miraculous ability to transform such 'ordinariness' into 'icons' of timeless stature and relevance. Thus, ordinary paints and base metals are transformed into forms of exalted beauty, that con-tain permanent social significance.  In the curator, Suneet Chopra's words: "Art has the quality of taking a moment in time and giving it an eternal pres-ence. Each moment catches the art-ists' eye and awakens their inherent artistic perception, to give it a new form. The works chosen in this Exhi-bition reflect this process in a unique

16-22 November 2012

Incandescent  Indian Icons

As a figurative artist myself,I take the liberty of mentioning that I am honoured to have contributed a recent 2012 Triptych of 3 paintings as a 'Sequence' in this exhibition, entitled 'Souza Painting His Muse'. Flanked by two 'Portraits of Women in Blue and Red', I have portrayed the painter Souza as the 'Iconic' leader of India's Modern Art Movement, in a

central Oil on Canvas which actually contains three paintings.

Arpana Caur

18

way. Hence, we have dubbed this se-lection of artists 'Indian Icons', as we see them as instrumental in sharpen-ing our sensibilities and awakening the best in us."

These 'iconic' artworks embody the Indian artists' great skill in the Figu-rative idiom,  which they are able to transform masterfully into a contem-porary aesthetic language. Indian art possesses a remarkable historic legacy of unique figuration – ranging from the intricate detailing of Indian miniature painting, to the looming iconic trajec-tories of the timeless cave-frescoes and sculptures of Khajuraho, Konarak, Ajan-

ta and Sarnath. Our best contemporary art contains all the seeds of these tradi-tions, flamboyantly expressed in a height-ened contemporary mode. 

In the  Indian Icons collection  one is enthralled by the painstaking Re-naissance classicism of Suhas Roy's mysterious 60" x 30" Nude Tempera on Canvas in sepia tones. Similarly, the timeless classical lines of Lalu Prosad Shaw's Babu,  in muted midnight blues in Tempera on paper,  con-veys the best of modern Indian Figurative art. Such evolved classicists are a rare breed, deserving the highest respect. Bengal has produced a wide range of such skilful draughtsmen, including Phalguni Das-gupta, whose depictions of Radha and Ganesha in this collection charmingly combine the classical with the Indian folk idiom.

Such exalted classi-cal lines may be similarly admired in the mystical bronze sculp-tures of K S Radhakrishnan, and the metallic sculptures of Dhananjay

Singh. Radhakrishnan, trained in San-tiniketan as well as Baroda, exemplifies a high mastery of the timeless sculptural line in his finely-tuned minimalist figura-tive bronzes. With commendable matu-rity, he depicts a transcendent Christ, as if in a minimalist Sufi dance-mu-dra; while his smaller clusters of linear forms transfix the eye with their spon-taneous tribal mode. Radhakrishnan's sculptures are equally inspired by Indian classicism and folk art, like the ancient Dhokra sculptors of Bastar in Madhya Pradesh.  

Dhananjay stretches sculptural figu-ration further in his finely-strung metal-works of men and trees, composed of very finely-wrought slender metallic lines burnished in gold and silver patinas. His standing male torso in gold, radiating what seems like electrical wires, and his silver-toned tree with vein-like branches, bear an edgy, state-of the art finesse. Dhananjay's sculptures, by stepping out of conventional figuration, contain the mystery of Sci-Fi elements. Srinivas Reddy's haunting and mes-meric intricately-detailed red Fibre-glass Head, and  Ram Ramai's mod-ernist metal sculpture of a woman with flowers in her hair, adds a further quirky touch to the sculptural section. 

Rebelling against the formal parame-ters of painterly classicism, senior Indian artists such as Sanat Kar (inspired by Picasso), have created semi-abstract an-gular pastel heads in European-Cub-ist modes. And the vibrantly-exagger-ated torsos of Vaikuntham have mod-ernistically depicted traditional Tamilian

Suhas Roy

T. Vaikuntham

Lalu Prosad Shaw

Jatin Das

Akbar Padamsee

Chhavi Rajpal

Dhananjay Singh Srinivas Reddy

ern flamboyance of William Morris' Art Decoratif.   With a commendable full-spectrum palette of greens, blues, reds and oranges, he brings to life the Indian Miniature tradition in a mod-ern format. Bratin Khan also chooses to dwell on India's pastoral and floral par-adise, in his Tempera evocations of the child Krishna depicted in playful laasya-mudras with pet cows. Ramanand Ban-dopadhay, similarly, portrays modern-istic Radhikas with pet parrots; while Dharmendra Rathore paints benevo-lent Buddhas in a neutral grey-black pal-ette. Ramesh Gorjala brings alive his quintessential mythical Hanumans and Ganeshas in an enticingly Indian folk-narrative mode, while  Charan Sharma paints Krishna as 'Sri Nath Ji' in the tra-ditional Rajasthani Nathdwara style. By contrast, Shiv Lal depicts Christ's flagel-lation and abstract landscapes in graphic canvasses, while Seema Kohli paints pastoral linear gardens in simple, single-toned mixed-media drawings.

A wide range of Indian socio-cul-tural inspiration, and a great variety of the imaginative form, are thus to be found in this collection. u

Artist, Writer, & Curator

K Jagjit Singh

Phalguni Desgupta

Dharmendra Rathore

Charan Sharma

Shipra Bhattacharya

Bhagat Singh

Sanat Kar

Ramesh Gorjala

Bratin Khan

Subrata Saha

Ramanand Bandopadhyay

rural women with bold, contemporary flamboyance. Arpana Caur's figura-

tions are stylised and rigidly-simplified, in their attempt to denote an idea, rather than the literal.  The Oils and Comtes of Akbar Padamsee and Jatin Das have always conveyed Modernist linear overtones over five decades of experi-mentation. More recent Indian artists have continued such strains, such as the elongated Buddhist figures of Datta Bansode, which bring to mind the modernist exaggerations of Modigliani. 

There are also works in a semi-Abstract genre, by such artists as Jagjit Singh and Chhavi Rajpal. Jagjit Singh's repertoire -- evidently reminiscent of the master modernist Ram Kumar -- evokes the subtle geom-

etry of mountainous landscapes with a tangential angularity. Rajpal's impres-

sionistic acrylic strokes, evoking clouds and flora, convey a naive whimsicality. 

Among the younger artists, Bhagat Singh's idyllic, lyri-cal floralscapes, in luminous watercolours on paper, contain strains of the classical Mughal Garden, as well as the more mod-

K.S Radhakrishnan

19Art16-22 November 2012

20 16-22 November 2012 Bon Vivant

{ Dr. Rajesh Bhola }

The melancholic Jaques speaks the immortal monologue in William Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’:

All the world’s a stage,And all the men and women merely players;They have their exits and their entrances…Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history… Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

How do we prepare ourselves for the exit from this stage on earth? What happens to the spirit when it departs the body? There are many contributions to the research on this subject based on the near-death

Preparing For The Exitabsolute, ultimate and the best. Very ordinary people can become extraordinary. Contrary to what the Bard of Avon said, our teeth would not come out, our eyes would not fail, our appetite for food would not end and our desire for more would not diminish. The enlightened person is mature enough to enjoy life as it is. When we have the courage to live life this well grounded, then we experience a profound relaxation in our hearts. We should live by the maxim: ‘In life, seek no heaven; in death, fear no hell’. u

Dr. Rajesh Bhola is President of Spastic Society of Gurgaon and is working for the cause of children

with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities for

more than 20 years.

experiences recorded by several academic disciplines – medicine, psychology and psychiatry. Based on those researches, the exit of the spirit from the body is treated as an evidence of mind-body dualism. The physical body shuts down the systems. The spirit of the person exits from the body and its immediate environment. The spirit prepares to move from this existence into the next phase of existence. Probably human language is too poor to express the real nature of the exit of the spirit from the body. Near-death experiences hint at a broad range of sensations – including detachment from the body, feelings of levitation, total

serenity, security, warmth, the experience of absolute

dissolution, and the presence of a light.

All those who sought nirvana went through this process of birth and death. Enlightenment exists within this. ‘Birth

and death’ is reality, that leads to the freedom

of the soul. We need to be awake to the causality, and

therefore accept that the body will die. Nobody has ever been immune to this law of causality. We need to remember death every moment, and orient our priorities and energy levels to this law of causality. We need to live a happy and satisfying life here and now. It does not require belief in the

InspirationThy name is WomanWe Salute you!You nurture from the wombTo the tomb

In your laps have grownValiant menWoman you shape them, you mould them, you groom them

As Radiant Brides they walkBehind their Men sometimesStoic, loyal, fearless in strifeYet oft forgotten on Memorial Days,‘Chabbis Janwary’ or Freedom Day ParadesWhen their Men have leftFor better or for worse...

These ageing womenGrandiose, without a VoiceLike Magnificent RuinsForgotten LegendsStand alone & lonely sometimesGraceful, poised, poignantForgotten, not rememberedThese partners in history…

To such King MakersWe come to pay tributeWith flowers & words & admirations

Women of Substance,IconsYou remain Our Inspirations!

Shobha LidderWriter journalist, Teacher-Educator,

Social activist, Reiki Master

{ Archana Kapoor Nagpal }

If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another. If you wish to know that you are safe, cause another to know that they are

safe. If you wish to better understand seemingly incomprehensible things, help another to better understand. If you wish to heal your own sadness or anger, seek to heal the sadness or anger of another”. - Dalai Lama

We light candles in the church as we pray, making an offering to accompany our prayers. We close our eyes to make a wish for our family and loved ones. But I met someone who was not like one of us.

This story is inspired by Sharmishta (‘Sharmishta’ means ‘Wife of Yayati’). It is one of the names of goddess Durga. Sharmishta my mentor, died of cancer in 2009.

We met in a chat room. We rambled far and wide, and shared our common interests, and backgrounds. After many great emails and frequent chats, we decided to knot together in a coffee shop. Soon we realised that we were two sides of the same coin.

In 2009 she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery, followed by radiotherapy. I was counting on her to get through this surgery smoothly, so that we could be sitting at that same coffee shop in just a few weeks. I increased the frequency of my visits to her home. There was a fear of losing a good friend. I wondered how she could be so happy all through her treatment. She was always elegantly dressed in long chiffon dresses, and welcomed me with a smile. On every visit I would see her busy writing her diary. She never answered any of my questions about her diary. I speculated that maybe she was writing a book, or her daily experiences.

As the weeks passed, she stopped responding to the treatment. She went from her bed to a ventilator. I always found her peaceful. She was undoubtedly a saintly figure.

One day she left this world; and I lost my friend forever. When I came home I could not talk to anyone. I preferred to stay in my room, as I was completely broken inside.

As the months passed, my life got busier, due to personal and professional commitments.

Then, one day, I received an email from a

courier service saying that they had a parcel for me that I could collect from their office. They were unable to deliver it because the address mentioned was incorrect, and so they had emailed me for the same.

I was astonished to find the name ‘Sharmishta’ under the sender’s name. The parcel had been sent by Sharmishta’s mom. I was speechless when I opened the parcel,

and found Sharmishta’s dairy with a note, saying, “I know you want to read this diary. This is my gift for you – Sharmishta”.

Everyday I read a page, and thought of her. From page 1 to page 34, each page was dedicated to a different person. There was a person she met maybe on the road, or randomly saw at the mall; a person she knew just for ten minutes, but he made her laugh; a person she helped in locating an address, or a doctor’s room at the hospital.

Each page was like a prayer for someone’s well-being. She wrote to God, illustrating her meeting with the stranger, with a wish for him or her. She wrote 34 letters to God, with 34 wishes for all the 34 strangers she met in her life.

There was not a single letter addressed to God for herself. She knew about her deteriorating condition and was aware that life would be difficult for her.

I closed her diary and was silent for a while. I could now understand the silent expression of peace and calm on her face.

She left the world with 34 wishes for 34 strangers, as she believed that the more you give, the more you get. u

(The writer is the author of ‘14 Pearls Of Inspiration’, and an avid blogger)

34 Letters to God Grand Ole Dames

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21G lobal16-22 November 2012

{ Sid Astbury / Sydney / DPA }

Hands up if you thought film Director Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic

Park was near the mark, and it would soon be possible to clone extinct dinosaurs from DNA lifted from insects preserved in prehistoric amber. You were duped: it was all science fiction.

Dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago, and Australian scientists have found that getting usable DNA from a bone, even 6.5 million

years old, would be unlikely. Extracting the genetic lifeblood from dinosaur fossils is just not possible, Morten Allentoft, a DNA profiler at Perth’s Murdoch University, said in a paper published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

“The 6.8-million-year mark we calculate in the paper is a very optimistic estimate,” he said.

Jurassic Park science was Hollywood hocus-pocus

Paleontologist Alan Grant (played by Sam Neill), in a scene from the Steven Spiel-berg directed film, “Jurassic Park III”.

{ David Fischer / Berlin / DPA }

Peter stands out from the other pupils attending a class at Julia Wahl’s

“Polemotion” dance school in Germany. As Julia effortlessly does the splits, 24-year-old Kristina complains about the worst muscle ache she has ever had, and kneads her calves. On the next training mat, Ariane is checking bruises received at the last training session. They are all sweating to the latest trend sport -- pole dancing.

Later, the 53-year-old electrical engineer plays piano, and is an accomplished Tango dancer. His latest hobby is an unusual one for a man: he’s a pole dancer. “I was an A-grader in sports at school, but I’ve become a pen pusher,” says Peter. To work on his shoulders, chest, back and arms, he attends Wahl’s weekly private living-room-turned-studio, which is equipped with two aluminium poles.

Pole dance is an exhausting mix of strength training, acrobatics, exercise and dance. Popular in Australia and Britain for a few years, the fitness trend has now spilled over to Germany. The motto is, “Grit your teeth while climbing, sitting and twisting at a pole.” Dance steps have names such as the “Back

Trendy Sport: Pole Dancing

Knee Hook” – that leave many newbies with tangled legs.

Instructions are on the lines of: “Left leg inside, right leg stretched, bend the back of the knee and swing around the pole” – and all preferably in a floating movement. “Some want to learn as many tricks as possible, others consider this fitness training, or would just like to know how to pole dance,” says Trainer Wahl.

Today, Peter is first to show his moves. “I can make one swing around already,” he says. He flexes his muscles and raises his legs. His biceps tremble, strands of hair stick to his forehead, and his belly glistens through a T-shirt. Peter holds the position for two seconds,

then he suddenly slides down the pole and slumps to the floor. “This is going to toughen my skin, and make it hard,” he says, tapping his thighs.

“You need muscles, good body awareness and patience. But you get quick rewards,” says Wahl, who came first in the preliminary stages of Germany’s National Pole Dance Competition.

Growing numbers of fitness studios are offering courses, according to the German Pole Dance Association. Around 5,000 or 6,000 dancers keep fit with pole dancing.

Only a few years ago merely mentioning pole dancing created images of striptease dancers in the minds of many people, says Dance Coach Ariane Matthes. ”Today, you don’t need to justify anything. All you need to do is explain that there is a sporting element to pole dancing.”

But even if you are just aiming to firm up muscles and skin, you need great self-confidence for this acrobatic dance. “My boss finds it ridiculous, but my younger colleagues are enthusiastic,” says Peter. He will keep on doing it, and he has plans for the future. “I can imagine earning some extra money when I’m sixty.” His dream – to dance the Tango at the pole. u

Fireworks To Die For{ Sid Astbury / Sydney / DPA }

Sydney on New Year’s Eve—when fireworks light up the sky above

the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge—is a trip people around the world dream of making. This year, thanks to an enterprising Australian—offering to pack people’s ashes into fireworks, and sending them skywards in rockets—even the dead can be there among the pyrotechnics.

“We’re expecting lots of bookings for people on New Year’s Eve,” says Craig Hull, Proprietor of Ashes to Ashes – a company that scatters loved ones’ ashes in a way that is aimed at celebrating their lives.

The company’s inaugural launch will be of the ashes of a dog called Gypsy, followed later this month with the remains of the first human. “We’ll actually do anything - dogs, cat, budgerigars, even goldfish,” says Hull.

Each shell is made to order, and customers can choose colours and how loud the bang should be.

Hull, a 48-year-old professional pyrotechnician, with plenty of New Year’s Eve experience, is keen to go out with a bang himself. “I’m booked in, and I’ll be pretty big,” he says. “I was talking to my dad the other day, and he definitely wants to go up.” u

“It represents DNA preserved under ideal conditions inside a bone, and it represents the time at which the last two bases (letters) in the DNA code break from each other.” Allentoft, who worked with colleague Mike Bunce at Murdoch’s Ancient DNA Lab, and is now at Copenhagen University, said that the maximum survival of a meaningful DNA sequence would be around 1.5 million years.

They reached their conclusion after carbon-dating the bones of 158 Moa birds – a species of

horse-sized flightless birds hunted to extinction in New Zealand about 600 years ago. The oldest Moa fragment was about 8,000 years old. By comparing decay rates in the collection, they could get a fix on DNA survivability.

But there is a bit of good news for science

fiction buffs. They found that DNA decay rates can be much slower than previously thought. Allentoft explained, “Back

in the 1970s, the DNA decay rate was estimated based on DNA kept in a solution inside a lab. What we show here is that the long term DNA decay rate inside a bone is almost 400 times slower.” The reason is that the genetic material is better protected inside a bone. “The cool thing is that now we actually have an estimate of how fast it goes,” Allentoft said. u

22 G lobal16-22 November 2012

By Gautam AroraFor Chinese Classes, log on to: www.chinesedelhi.co.in

1. A guest will come at noon.- Xia wu, Yi Ge Keren Yao LaiXia wu- Shia, as in she+ aa+ Wu, as in wooYi – sound of the alphabet E, in EnglishGe – sound of g, in ‘garam’, warm in Hindi Keren – Kh, as in ‘khana’, food in Hindi+run Yao – Ya+ sound of the alphabet O Lai – La+sound of the alpahabet A

2. Offer him some tea. Gei Ta Cha Gei – K+sound of the alphabet ATa – tha, as in ‘thali’, plate in Hindi Cha – as in ‘chaach’, buttermilk in Hindi

3. Who is at the door?-Shui Zai MenkouShui – Sh+sound of the alphabet AZai – z, as in ‘darwaza’, door in Hindi+ aa+ sound of the alphabet AMenkou – Mun, like run, with an M+kh, as in ‘khana’, food in Hindi+ sound of the alphabet O 4. Open the door.- Kai MenKai – Kha, as in ‘khana’, food in Hindi+sound of the alphabet AMen – Mun, like run, with an M

By Gautam AroraFor Chinese Classes, log on to: www.chinesedelhi.co.in

{ Pauline Bugler / Berlin/Istanbul / DPA }

Two years ago, US citizens spent a total of around 4.8 billion hours in traffic,

and congestion accounted for 1.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel. One out of 126 US citizens is injured or killed in a car accident every year, and the average family spends more on transport, than on food or health.

Imagine what the figures for the Boston to Washington region—bypassed by the 650-kilometre highway I-95 to Washington DC—could be like in 2030. This burgeoning megalopolis, referred to as Boswash, is home to 53 million people. It is characterised by a sprawling network of suburbs and exurbs, the roads to which were developed separately.

“A lack of interconnectivity makes the switch from car to train, and from train to plane difficult”, Architect Eric Hoeweler explains. This prompted his Boston-based company, ‘Hoeweler + Yoon’, to develop a concept that merges individual and public transport by means of a new mobility platform called shareway, as opposed to highway. Enter the winner of the 2012 Audi Urban Future Award. The prize of 100,000 euro (130,485 dollars)—for a “concept that could revolutionize the commute between work and home in the Boswash region”—was recently presented in

{ New York / DPA }

Pablo Picasso is renowned for the amount of colour used in his paintings; but

Picasso’s Black and White at New York’s Solomon R Gug-genheim Museum explores the Spanish artist’s use of black and white throughout his career.

There is the odd hint of colour here and there, but for the most part the Exhibition— which con-sists of more than 100 artworks and runs until January 23 next year—focuses on Picasso’s re-current motif of black, white, and grey.

Reinventing the American Dream

Picasso In Black & White

Istanbul, during the first Istanbul Design Biennial.

Germany’s leading carmaker, based in Ingolstadt, invites renowned architects to compete – in an attempt to establish a dialogue on the future synergy of mobility, architecture and urban development. Space is rare in megacities and must be used efficiently. The competition is held biannually.

The winners aim to realize a “New American Dream”, founded on social consensus, and emphasising sharing rather than owning, the architects explain. The post-war American Dream can be found in suburbia, with its single-family homes complete with front lawn and two-car garage. Mobility and infrastructure are key to this dream. But in the wake

of the financial crisis, many of these housing developments have been foreclosed, and the current structures of mobility seem unaffordable and almost defunct.

A key feature of Hoeweler + Yoon’s concept is the reorganization and bundling of all systems of transport – to a highly technical, optimized and continually flowing main artery for mobility. Imagine New York’s High Line Park, built on an historic freight train line high over Manhattan’s West Side. Now, look to the future, and visualize a sci-fi train elevated approximately 30 foot above the highway, supported by steel poles. The track is a so-called shareway; what looks like a train is actually a multi-purpose centre or bundle. An operating system consisting of hardware and interface software allows you to plan trips, make suggestions, socialize or even do yoga aboard.

The shareway stretches from Boston to Washington, and connects all the cities and suburbs along the route. As the bundle enters the city, it spreads out into different directions, and disperses small electric cars to travel the “last mile” home. What was a means of mass transport a few seconds ago, is now offering you individual transport. Meanwhile, the top surface of the bundle becomes available for recreation.

While others head home,

you search for accommodation or sharestay room. Essentially timeshare, these different units vary in size and are easily accessed. Suburbia is still in the neighbourhood, but has become a temporary option. On the other hand, you may have opted to stay aboard the bundle chatting to a friend, and you suddenly realize, “Oh, it’s Granny’s 80th birthday,” and you are supposed to be at Newark airport! Now this particular granny will probably be hopping mad if you arrive late, so check out the shareway and plan your trip. Quick as a flash, you arrive in Newark. Located centrally at the confluence of port, airport and Interstate 95, the City has been transformed into a mobility capital where car, air, shipping and rail all merge into a super hub. The shareway’s interface is busy calibrating speed and transfer, and co-ordinating multiples modes of transport and allowing them to converge here.

Hoeweler points to the sheer number of flights and says, “There are 611 short haul flights a day in the Boswash region alone. “At this super hub of global and regional transport, high-speed trains would absorb many of the short haul flights – allowing them to glide effortlessly through the bundle.”

The highway is relieved of heavy traffic. You can use the regained time to access fresh produce from Baltimore, which was introduced to farm share – where vast swaths of land are being farmed. At present, America has plenty of asphalt and highways contested by motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. For this reason, the architects have proposed reinventing asphalt, turning it into a smart surface called tripanel. Depending on the time of day, this smart surface can be a motorway, a path for cyclists or joggers, a solar energy farm or a black top roadway on the same surface; the cityscape varies and is self-regulating.

The jury, which included a Berlin-based architect, and first-ever winner of the award, Juergen Mayer H., selected Boswash as the winner because, “It involves both social and technical innovation at a system-wide level; and real architectural quality is evident in its execution.”

Rupert Stadler, CEO of Audi AG says; “The winning proposals are a visionary document, setting out what is required for cities of the future.” They could be developed to create city dossiers, with instructions for remodelling a metropolitan area – tackling increasing density in the process. u

(L to R) - Curator Ana Miljacki and the winning architects, Eric Hoeweler and J. Meejin Yoon.

Audi

A view of the Shareway from the platform.

paper from 1904 to 1971, are exhibited in the astonishing building beside New York’s Central Park – a building de-signed by star architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Picasso loved colour, and is famous for his Blue and Rose Periods, but he also had an obsessive in-terest in line and form, drawing, and monochro-matic and tonal values. The artworks date from pe-riods throughout the artist’s life, and show examples of Realism, Cubism and Sur-realism, as well as sketches, oil paintings and sculptures.

The artist was influenced by the centuries-long tra-dition of Spanish masters – such as El Greco, Jose

de Ribera, Francisco de Zur-baran, Diego Velazquez, and Francisco de Goya – who also worked with minimal palettes, explained Gimenez.

The idea of managing a com-plicated composition—without having to organize contrasts of colour—can be seen in such Pi-casso masterpieces, as ‘The Milliner’s Workshop’ (1926), ‘The Charnel House’ (1944–45), and ‘The Maids of Hon-our’ (1957).

Picasso’s most famous paint-ing, ‘Guernica’, is not part of the Exhibition; but ‘Head of a Horse, Sketch for Guernica’ is included. u

According to the Guggen-heim, the colours are “evident in his Blue and Rose periods, pioneering investigations into Cubism, neoclassical figura-tive paintings, and retorts to Surrealism.” Exhibited in the museum’s pristine white inte-rior, the artworks highlight the formal structure and autonomy of form – inherent in Picasso’s art. “These wonderful works, in conjunction with this wonder-ful spiral-formed architecture, is simply perfect,” said Car-men Gimenez, Co-curator of the Exhibition.

A number of the 118 paint-ings, sculptures and works on

2316-22 November 2012

The Bright LightsJit Kumar

24 G -scape16-22 November 2012

Old Lords In New Bottles

MOderN TeMpLes Of GurGaON

Jit Kumar