james lawton
LONDON, 26 JUNE: Maybe there was no easy way to re-occupy all that astonishing terrain left empty by the disappearance of Rafa Nadal but, if you had to pick a man for the job, who better than Novak Djokovic?
It is no disrespect to the venerable icon Roger Federer or the increasingly authentic challenger Andy Murray to say that he brought a unique aura to the Centre Court yesterday.
Rafa has to re-make himself once again after the shock of his defeat by the obscure Belgian Steve Darcis. Federer once more has to ransack the last of his resources in pursuit of his 18th Grand Slam title. Murray, for all the progress that now includes the US Open title and an Olympic gold medal, still has only one foot among the men who have shaped arguably the most compelling era the game has known.
It meant that there were moments in the bright sunshine yesterday when it was impossible not to believe that Djokovic suddenly held the whole of the game in the palm of one witheringly powerful hand.
Aged 26, the man from Serbia is neither advancing nor regressing. He is not thrusting for a new position, not fighting a slide. He simply inhabits the prime of his competitive life, this owner of six Grand Slam titles — it would have been seven and a full set if Nadal had not produced his astounding comeback in Paris a few weeks ago — and yesterday we saw precisely the force of both his current mood and a nature which has been ferocious since the cradle. The day after Nadal fell, Djokovic near faultlessly eased himself back on to the Centre Court grass and afterwards he was quick to point out that the man he had beaten, the 29-year-old German Florian Mayer, could not be seen as just another piece of first round fodder routinely fed to the marquee names who command the huge television audiences in the second week of the great tournament.
Mayer, a Bavarian from the town of Bayreuth which famously celebrates the thunderous music of Richard Wanger, has certainly played a few boisterous tunes on his racket. He has twice made it to the Wimbledon quarter-finals, last year against Djokovic. He is currently ranked 34th in the world after reaching a career high of 18th.
One of the claims Mayer brought to the Centre Court was ownership of an elaborately deceitful drop shot and a startling back-lift on both the fore and backhand.
He was not a man to discount, Djokovic suggested, as you fought to make yourself at home again on the green grass of SW19. You do not, after all, stumble your way to career winnings of more than $4m. Mayer was a man to respect and, more pertinently, to destroy. This Djokovic did with accelerating confidence over one hour and 56 minutes, winning eventually as a champion might toy with an utterly outmatched opponent. The score was 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, but the details do not begin to describe how it was when Djokovic decided it was time to move his game on to another dimension.  the independent

statesman news service
MUMBAI, 26 JUNE: The partially convertible rupee today sank to an all-time low of 60.66 in trade with the American dollar on the inter-bank foreign exchange market sending panic waves in the currency market.
Experts say this was on account of huge mismatch between demand and supply of the US currency. They also blamed the macro-economic mismanagement ~ particularly the handling of yawning current account of deficit ~ for the persisting sharp depreciation of the rupee.
At the end of today’s business, the badly mauled domestic currency closed at 60.72 a dollar, down 1.76 per cent or Rs 1.05. It has been the biggest intra-day fall for any currency among emerging markets, analysts say.
Around 59.98 a dollar, the Reserve Bank of India did intervene through state-run banks by selling dollars to stop the rupee sliding beyond the 60-mark but failed to prop up the local unit as the demand for dollars far exceeded the supply. Forex dealers also pointed out that as banks’ stop loss triggered ~ unable to quench dollar demand ~ the rupee plummeted to new depths.
The finance ministry once again played down the crisis in the money market saying "the panic created by the rupee fall is unwarranted." Forex dealers also say the RBI may not freely sell dollars to save the rupee considering the current modest forex reserve position which was $297 billion in the first week of June. They recall the central bank’s bitter experience of November-December 2012 when it sold more than $4 billion to salvage the rupee but without much success. The reserves are more precious in view of uncomfortable CAD situation.
However, a noted expert on foreign currency deals Mr Jamal Mecklai described the situation as: "Close to crisis. Nothing anybody does is materially going to control the fall, which is a global play." All emerging market currencies suffered losses as the dollar gained strength over the past seven sessions. However, the rupee came out as the worst performing Asian currency.
Experts say the rupee is likely to sink further since the US Federal Reserve’s statement that the economic recovery is picking up and the economy can do without more stimuli by the end of 2013. This has been pushing the dollar up in global money markets crushing weaker currencies like the rupee.
The rupee resumed today at 59.74 a dollar and was trading within a small band. The sudden pressure of dollar demand piled up around 3.20 p.m. sending it hurtling down to an all-time low of 60.66. The domestic unit failed to recover to end the disastrous day at its lowest-ever exchange rate with the dollar.
Bank of America analysts say the rupee may crash beyond 62 in due course unless the central bank announces immediate interest rate cut to slow down flight of capital from share markets. Foreign buyers are wary of shrinking profit-making opportunities in the capital market irrespective or unconvincing sops and soothing assurance from the government.
The rupee had lost more than 12 per cent since 1 May and seven per cent so far in June. Once again feeble measures to lessen the burden of current account deficit ~ which stands at 7.8 per cent of the GDP or $20.1 billion for May ~ came under sharp focus of finance ministry’s critics.
Several bankers off the record blame excessive dependence on foreign funds to cover the CAD. The share markets are also set to suffer as foreign investors have been withdrawing by hammering Indian equities.

agence france-presse
LONDON, 26 JUNE: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum insists he is relishing the prospect of going up against Kevin Pietersen in the second Twenty20 international at the Oval on Thursday, saying the "game’s better" when the star batsman is involved.
Pietersen hasn’t played for England since leaving the tour of New Zealand in March with a knee injury that sidelined him from all cricket until last week.
But the South Africa-born shotmaker returned to action in spectacular style by making an unbeaten 177 for Surrey in their County Championship match away to Yorkshire, an innings featuring 17 fours and seven sixes.
It was a heartening innings for England ahead of next month’s Ashes defence against Australia and Pietersen was specifically named as being available for Thursday’s fixture when England named their T20 squad last week. England could have done with some extra batting firepower at the Oval on Tuesday.
They lost the first of two T20s by five runs — exactly the same margin of defeat as England suffered against India in a Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on Sunday reduced by rain from 50 to 20 overs per side.
McCullum, no slouch with the bat himself as he proved in top-scoring Tuesday with 68 off 48 balls, said he looked forward to facing Pietersen.
Tuesday’s clash turned on a second-wicket stand of 114 between McCullum and left-handed opener Hamish Rutherford (in photo above), made after New Zealand were one for one when James Franklin was caught behind off England debutant Boyd Rankin. Left-handed opener Rutherford, one six players out for nought as Essex were dismissed for just 20 by Lancashire in a County Championship match earlier this month, kept his cool during a fine 62 off just 35 balls, including six fours and four sixes.
"Hamish Rutherford was outstanding, the way he struck the ball," said McCullum. "Boyd Rankin was getting steep bounce and to see Hamish strike the ball so well settled the whole batting line-up." One consolation for England that this defeat was not as painful as the loss to India where, despite needing 20 runs to win off 16 balls with six wickets standing, they still missed out on what would have been their first major one-day international title.
"It’s not as frustrating as against India," said Morgan, one of four survivors in the England team that played Tuesday from Sunday’s side.
"That was an opportunity missed but this was a great effort and we can take a lot of positives."
One of those was the form of Morgan’s fellow ex-Ireland international Rankin, now with county side Warwickshire, who took one for 24 for his adopted country. "Boyd Rankin was fantastic but it doesn’t come as a surprise for me to see him bowl with great pace and bounce," said Morgan.

With the recent demise of a cornerstone in Hindi playback music, ac tuli pays tribute to Shamshad Begum
PLAYBACK singer Shamshad Begum recently passed away at the ripe old age of 94. She was one of the earliest of her genre. Film music buffs were surprised to see her name on the 2009 list of Padma Bhushan award winners because to them she was an unknown entity. However, most of her ardent admirers in the Indian subcontinent felt that the recognition of her talent came a little too late in her life. Anyhow, she indeed deserved it.
Shamshad Begum was born in 1919 and had an innate talent for singing since childhood and wanted to become a radio singer. Her conservative family, however, was against her singing on the radio. But one of her uncles influenced her father and succeeded in persuading him to permit his daughter to sing on the radio. When she was around 12 years old, her uncle took her to Xenophon Music Company in Lahore to audition for music composer Ghulam Haider. Shamshad sang a ghazal by Bahadur Shah Zafar. Haider was tremendously impressed by her voice and she henceforth sang many songs in the 1930s under a contract with the company. In 1937, when she was around 18 years old, she became a regular radio singer for the Lahore and Peshawar radio stations.
Shamshad first sang for a film under Ghulam Haider&’s music direction. It was a Punjabi film called Yamla Jatt (1940) which was produced by Pancholi Arts Production, a filmmaking company based in Lahore. It was only when she came to sing under Ghulam Haider for Pancholi&’s first Hindi film, Khazanchi (1941), that she became an overnight sensation. She sang a number of songs for this film, but the ones that became popular were her Solos ek kali naazon ki pali, Naino ke baan ki reet nirali, and the chorus, Sawan ke nazarre hain.
When Haider shifted to Bombay in 1943, he brought Shamshad Begum along as part of his team in order to promote her as a singer in Bollywood films. Her first assignment in Bombay was for the Mehboob Khan film Taqdeer (1943), in which Nargis made her debut as the heroine. Very soon Begum&’s melodious voice fascinated other music directors. Among them was Naushad, who made the most of her voice for a number of films in the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1948 film Mela, for which Naushad composed the music, the heroine, Nargis, lip-synced all the songs that were voiced by Begum. The songs in Mela became chartbusters that year. The ones that are remembered even today are Mohan ki muraliya baaje, Sun thes jiya pe more laage, Pardesi balam tum jao gey, Kaho meri kasam kab aao gey’ and the duet with Mukesh, Mera dil todne wale mere dil ki dawa lena.
The late 1940s and 1950s were the most prolific periods of her life as a playback singer. She sang under Naushad&’s baton for films like Dard (1947), Anokhi Ada (1948), Andaaz (1949), Dulari (1949), Dillagi (1949), Babul (1950), Chandni Raat (1950), Jadoo (1950), Deedar (1951), Udan Khatola (1955), Mother India (1957) and Mughal-e-Azam (1960).
Her songs from Babul are remembered even today. The ones that have never lost their popularity are Chhod babul ka ghar, Mohe pee ke nagar aaj jana pada and the evergreen duet she sang with Talat Mahmood, Milte hi aankhen dil hua diwana kisi ka, afsana mera ban gaya afsana kisi ka.
In Deedar, the songs sung by Shamshad Begum were lip-synced by Nargis in the film while those that were sung by Lata Mangeshkar were lip-synced by Nimmi. Two songs in this film rendered by Shamshad Begum are unforgettable — Chaman mein reh ke veerana, mera dil hota jata hai, khushi mein aajkal kuch gham bhi shaamil hota jata hai and her duet with Lata, Ho bachpan ke din bhula na dena.
Apart from Naushad,, other music directors under whom Shamshad Begum sang memorable songs in the late 1940s and early 1950s were Khemchand Prakash, C Ramchandra, Anil Biswas, SD Burman, Ghulam Mohammad, Madan Mohan, Roshan, Hansraj Behl and Bulo C Rani. All the songs that Vyjayanthimala lip-synced in her debut Hindi film Bahar (1951) were voiced by Shamshad Begum under music director SD Burman. Two songs in this film are still fresh in the memory of film buffs — Saiyan dil mein aana re, aake phir na jana re, chhum chhuma chum chum, raja ban ke aana re and Duniya ka mazza le lo duniya tumhari hai.
At a time when Western music had perhaps the least influence on Hindi film music, C Ramchandra was the first composer who made Shamshad Begum sing the comic song Aana meri jaan meri jaan, Sunday ke Sunday in a Western style in Shehnai (1947). It became a craze among movie lovers those days.
Shamshad Begum sang duets with practically every male and female playback singer of Bollywood. There are duets she sang with Mukesh, Mohammad Rafi, Talat Mahmood, GM Durrani, C Ramchander, Kishore Kumar, Mohinder Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhonsle.
In the 1950s, the magic of Lata Mangeshkar&’s voice was so powerful that most music directors preferred her over other female singers for their songs . Even while facing stiff competition from Lata, Shamshad Begum remained in the field and was quite active as a playback singer. Luckily, she had found a staunch patron in music director OP Nayyar whom she knew from her Lahore days.
Nayyar, who had risen to the top as a music director without recording a single song using Lata Mangeshkar&’s voice, used Begum&’s voice for many songs. For the 1954 film Aar Paar that starred Guru Dutt and Shyama, Nayyar made Begum sing some thrilling songs. Among these, the most popular was Kabhi aar kabhi paar, laaga teer-e-nazar, saiyan ghayal kiya re tu ne mora jigar. But it was in the 1956 film CID that Nayyar composed evergreen songs. The songs Shamshad Begum rendered under Nayyar&’s baton for CID were Le ke pehla pehla pyar bhar ke aankhon mein khumaar jadoo nagri se aaya hai koee jadoogar, Bhooj mera kya naam re nadi kinare ghaam re peeple jhoome more aangna thandi thandi chhaon re and the saucy Kahin pe nighahen kahin pe nishaana.
In 1957 came Mother India and it had some of Begum&’s best songs, such as Holi aayee re kanhayi rang barse suna de zara bansuri, Pee ke ghar aaj pyari dulhaniya chali royen mata pita jin ki duniya chali, O gaadi wale gaadi dheere haank re jiya uda jaye lade aankh re.
The last song she sang with Lata Mangeshkar under the direction of Naushad was the famous qawwali, Teri mehfil kismet aazma kar hum bhi dekhen ge from Mughal-e-Azam. By 1970, Shamshad Begum&’s career as a playback singer was almost over. New singers had emerged on the film scene, she was not keen on staying in the rat race and decided to retire from the industry.
Shamshad Begum had married Ganpat Lal Batto, a lawyer, when she was a mere 15-year- old. It was a love marriage, against her parents’ approval, and she had a daughter from this marriage. Her husband died in an accident in 1955 and since then she had been living with her daughter and son-in-law, Usha Ratra and Yog Ratra respectively. Apart from singing Hindi film songs, she sang in Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali and Punjabi.
Such, indeed, is the magic of her voice that even the present generation loves jigging and swaying to the rhythm and beat of her old songs — of course, in their remixed forms, as is the fashion today.
 

Artistes honoured by the Sangeet Natak Akademi played true to form, writes  tapati chowdhurie
TH VINAYAKRAM, ghatam vidwan has been honoured with the Fellowship of the Sangeet Natak Akademi for 2012 for his contribution to Indian music. In a unique performance at Meghdoot Theatre III, he presented the Tanjore style of ghatam playing.  He displayed a highly individualistic spirit within the framework of tradition. A master of improvisation, he has accompanied stalwarts with his stunning complex rhythms and is well known for his crisp playing among musicians of both the West and East. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award as well as a Grammy Award, he is an asthana vidwan of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
   Carnatic vocalist OS Thiagrajan and mridangam artiste KV Prasad received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for their contribution in their respective fields of Carnatic music. At Meghdoot Theatre III, three, Thiagrajan sang two ragas — Panthuvarali and Keerwani — to a highly appreciative audience and was accompanied on the mridangam by Prasad. Both are trained in the Thanjavur style, which is the mecca of Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam.
   Vocalist Rajshekhar Mansur also received the Akademi Award for his contribution to Hindustani music. Son of illustrious vocalist Mallikarjun Mansur of the Jaipur Attauli gharana, he is a name and impressed the audience by first singing Sawan Nat and then Meghabali. He was accompanied by Vinod Lele on the tabla and Vinay Mishra on the harmonium.
Sabir Khan was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to tabla music.
   Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry, an awardee of 2012 and trained by eminent gurus, is now a bright star in the Kuchipudi firmament. He presented Keechakudu Vadam — the killing of Keechaka by Bhima, during the last year of exile of the five Pandava brothers along with their consort, Draupadi. The 13th year of their exile had to be spent in agyatbas — in hiding. The kingdom of Virat was where they decided to spend their year of disguise. Keechaka, the brother of the queen of Birat, had taken a fancy to Sairandhry-Draupadi — the queen&’s companion. When Draupadi could not stop his advances, she took the aid of Bhima to annihilate him. Sastry was in the powerful role of Keechaka. His display of felony roused the emotion of disgust in the audience, soon to be replaced by mockery and laughter when he was duped and tricked by Bhima into thinking that Draupadi was awaiting his love advances under the veil of her female attire.
   Shyama Sasidharan as Draupadi proved her dancing mettle. Her slim and agile body moved like the breeze, swirling and swaying to get out of the clutches of her pursuer. Nattuvanar Vedantam Venkata Durga Bhavani helped the movement of the drama. Bala Tripurari Sundari as the queen was authentic.
   Jay Narayan Samal got the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, 2012, for his contribution to Chhau dance. Sangeet Natak Akademi&’s Chhau Project started simultaneously at Seraikela and Delhi in 1998 with Guru Lingaraj Acharya at the helm of affairs at Seraikela and his son, Sashadhar Acharya, manning the Delhi fort. With the passing away of the senior guru at Seraikela in 2003, veteran Jay Narayan Samal was elevated to the position of project head at Seraikela. The creative Sashadhar Acharya followed his father&’s footsteps and brought in a lot of changes to present Chhau in the proscenium stage. He rechoreographed most of the pieces for stage presentations. An admiring group of connoisseurs witnessed three pieces of rare dances in Meghdoot III. The Chhau evening started with the traditional Jatraghar – paying obeisance to God through music, while the dancers folded their hands in prayer offstage. This was in raga Desh and a 16-matra tal.
“Siva Parvaty” was the first dance, the main emotion of this being “sringar ras”. The amorous couple resort to a six-matra tal in Shyamakalyan and Bairagya ragas, before the birth of Kartikeya, their son. The Radha-Krishna dance performed had a rare angle. Radha is jealous of Krishna&’s flute, which he holds with both hands and adorns his lips. Radha is desirous of learning to be a flautist. The dance was beautiful and saw the divine couple in dalliance as they both fade from the stage holding on to the bansuri.
Shashadhar Acharya reconstructed the old numbers and polished them to be of lasting value. “Hansa” was the symbolic representation of the swan –hansa. The dance was of a seven-matra tal in raga Jogiya. It imitated the movements of the swan in as realistic a manner as possible.
Shashadhar Acharya himself played the dhol along with Sapan Kumar Acharya, and repeated the tal patterns with great gusto. Ranjit Kumar Acharya played the nagada while Vikas Babu and Siddharth Dalbehra were on the shenai and flute respectively.
PV Vijaykumar of the International Kathakali Centre was accredited with the Sangit Natak Akademi Award in Kathakali for 2012. He and Amaljith enacted the roles of Narakasura and his wife with clarity. Narakasura, though a son of Vishnu, is the most feared demon, blessed with a long life. He sees the condition of his sister Nakrathundi at the hands of Jayantha, son of Indra — the god of heaven — and promises to avenge her insult, but ends up losing his life.
Using the typical Kathakali language, PV Vijaykumar unfolded the story in a monologue. Using elaborate hand gestures and a highly stylised language, he was able to take the story forward.
Nearer home, Kalamandalam Kolkata presented “Paschime Robi” — the influence of Western tunes on Rabindranath Tagore — to an august audience at Rabindra Sadan. The poet was not bound by barriers of rigidity and his creative mind was ever soaring. It is well known that songs like “Alo aamar alo” and “Hare rere” have the stamp of Western music. Songs such as “Aha Aji ae Basante” — influenced by 19th century Irish poet Thomas Moore –“Kali kali balore aaj”, “Phule phuledhole dhole”, “Purano sei diner katha”, that were chosen, had the influences of Western tunes. Malabika Sen and Pedro S Kundu choreographed suitable dance pieces to these popular songs and enthralled the audience.
 

meena banerjee appreciated the blend for a noble cause
Expressive ragas
WE live in an era which believes in showmanship that abhors risky innovative ventures. That is why fast food, readymade clothes, guided tours, masala films, etc, are such hits now. Even classical concerts are no exception. Most pundits choose to entertain their listeners with tried and tested recipes. One, therefore, gets to hear a few familiar ragas, with a considerably broad canvas, doing the rounds. An event organised by the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture at Vivekananda Hall on 1 June was different from the usual rung as sarod exponent Joydeep Ghosh, the artiste of the evening who belongs to the Shahjahanpur gharana, chose a rarely heard but beautiful raga Sajgiri as his first choice. This actually is a trait of his gharana, which boasts of such pundits like Radhika Mohan Maitra, Buddhadev Dasgupta and several others.
   According to an anecdote, legendary sitar maestro Vilayat Khan was so awestruck by the intriguing beauty of Radhubabu&’s Sajgiri (Sanjhgiri for some) rendition that he, despite his daunting lineage, learnt it from him. Belonging to Marwa Thhaat, this not-so-old or untraditional evening melody is a blend of Puria and Poorvi ragas and sports Komal Rishabh, both Madhyams and both Dhaivats. All these notes give it a complex gait, making it difficult for its presenter to etch its character.
   The longer than usual alap by Ghosh delved deep into the lower octave with the help of gliding phrases. His occasional perch on Shuddh Madhyam evoked peace while passages with komal Dhaivat imprinted shades of pathos. The jod segment, replete with different taan patterns, chose phrases to highlight different notes. The same result was achieved by mukam-based jhala. As a result, the uncommon and unpredictable traits of this raga&’s persona got neatly portrayed by the time he chose to play slow teental gatkari, aided by Parimal Chakraborty&’s tabla.
  The gat-bandish and its treatment remained faithful to the raagroop. For faster gatkari, Ghosh switched to raga Nand (Anandi Kalyan). A very brief aochar before the medium teental gat suddenly changed the mood. The lighthearted mix of the super-hit and immortal film song, “Tu jahan-jahan chalega, mera saaya saathh  hoga” (Lata-Madan Mohan) added zing to the recital. The jhala stretched a bit too much. Also, when the evening began with a wonderful, long introduction by the compere, Ghosh could show some polite interest by keeping away his nailfile for a few seconds at least! This, too, was too long for comfort.

Orissi for a cause
Inner Wheel Club of Calcutta Midtown (Dist 329) organised a colourful evening of Orissi dance at the Satyajit Ray Auditorium (ICCR) on 3 June. Dr Sudha Dutta, daughter of Padma Bhushan-winner Dr Girija Devi, disciple of the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and founder of Devi Partidhwani, presented her students. As is usual, the recital began with a traditional Mangalacharan offered through well-choreographed group dance by Sreeparna Das, Mithu Sen, Snigdha Sengupta, Gargi Saha and Anisha Bhowmick. This was followed by “Dashavatar” by Kaberi Kunti, a National Scholarship-holder and disciple of Dr Dutta. Next was Vasant Pallavi, neatly presented by three dancers. After these traditional dance items, accompanied by traditional music, the presentation moved towards items with modern music as their background scores.
   Madhuram could do without the eight-beat based unconventionally light music as the lyrics “Mdhur murati manohara ati” demanded a six-beat lilt. “Raas”, based on Surdas-pada, came up as a gorgeous presentation at the end. Earlier, the evening began with the Inner Wheel prayer followed by their president&’s address and handing over of sewing machines to women aspiring to be self-employed. This fundraising event also aimed at spreading general awareness related to the selfless services rendered by this organisation, essentially nurtured by ladies. An impressive list of their community service, educational help for the needy and/or physically challenged students, environmental help, eye and blood donation, medical assistance, etc, also includes their latest project: Ramkrishna Ashram Nimpith Diagnostic Centre, with a mother and childcare unit. This unit, meant for every strata of society in the Sundarbans region of West Bengal, is dedicated to the fond memory of the late Paresh Rajda, who was an active member of the Inner Wheel Club.
         
Green revolution
Ever since its inception in 2009, Chinton has carved a special niche for itself in the cultural world of Kolkata simply because this brainchild of classical vocalist Sounak Chatterjee comes up with innovative concepts — always. Its latest was “Shyamalo Sukhero Dhara” (Green Earth), a multimedia production apparently aimed at educating people for a greener tomorrow based on the works of Rabindranath Tagore. It was organised at Birla Sabhagar (8 June) and the full house proved that for Chinton it was another feather in its cap.
   Apart from the captivating audiovisuals, the evening featured luminaries like Soumitra Chatterjee, Bratati Bandopadhyay, Barun Chanda and Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee for narration and recitation, popular singers Lopamudra and Rupankar Bagchi for oft-heard Tagorean oeuvres, while Sounak himself sang classical-based Rabindrasangeet (dhrupad-based “Darao mana ananta bramhando rajye”, kirtan-based eight-beat-version of “Ei to tomar prem ogo”, “Keno re tor jabar twara”, etc.).
Choreographer Sandip Mallick infused drama by making his group of dancers enter from the back door and cross the auditorium to step on stage. These dancers represented Bharatanatyam, Orissi, Kathakali, Kathak and Manipuri — all of which had influenced the graceful style of Rabindrik Nritya.
   The concept and script by Sounak ventured to highlight the multifaceted persona of Tagore as a farsighted environmentalist who warned the world about its impending doom due to man&’s insensitivity towards Mother Nature. This event took off with a highly impressive introduction, penned and read by renowned compere Biplab Ganguly.
   Unfortunately, this lovely yet informative piece came right after the prolonged, unwarranted ad-like speeches by dignitaries representing the sponsors and, therefore, an exasperated spectator, eager to “see” a star-studded stage and evidently unable to grasp the significance of this prelude, lost patience. Such behavior was a rude shock for lovers of Tagore, no doubt.

‘Cause’ing fusion
Calcutta Rescue, an NGO working for the less privileged for more than 30 years to provide education and holistic care to for the less privileged citizens of this metro, believes that every individual has the power to change the world every day; especially by engaging in life and from the moments that are created out of empathy. Calcutta Rescue, therefore, looks forward to the people of Kolkata joining hands and continuing its crusade against poverty, ignorance and apathy. On this note, some of the best artistes from the cultural milieu joined hands for the noble cause of promoting the contribution of Calcutta Rescue through a musical performance at Tollygunge Club (7 June).
The evening witnessed Rishabh Dhar, brand ambassador of Calcutta Rescue, along with his band Fingerprints, who set the stage alight with a lively performance that blended Indian classical ragas with jazz, blues and flamenco. He was accompanied by renowned classical singer Sounak Chatterjee, who enthralled all with his vocal renditions, especially ragas. Since the language of music knows no boundaries, this was the best way to further the NGO&’s work. This initiative was to create awareness through active and interesting melodic participation in order to make the world a better place. In Kolkata and areas of rural Bengal itself, almost four million people live below the poverty line and some 2.5 million live on the streets and slums scattered across the city. Thus, Calcutta Rescue was established to meet the most basic needs of these poor and downtrodden people, providing free medical care, education, benefits and vocational training for increasing income-generating opportunities. The programme rounded off with a short performance by the children of Calcutta Rescue.
Coming up
22-23 June: Sangeet Milon (Lucknow), supported by the State Bank of India and ITC SRA, organises “Classical Voice of India” competition. Kolkata venue: ITC SRA Hall, 1, NSC Bose Road, Tollygunge; 10 am onwards daily; local winners’ recital after award ceremony; 23 June; 4 pm onwards; entry free.
29 June: The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture presents classical music featuring Professor Asit Kumar De (vocal) and Saket Sahu (violin); 6 pm; entry by cards, available at venue.
5 July: Kolkata Music Forum presents young maestros Sarwar Hussain (sarangi solo), Kumar Mardur (vocal) and Subhranil Sarkar (sitar); Birla Academy; 6 pm; entry free.
 

debameeta bhattacharya catches up with Karanvir Bohra, bad man of the small screen and Jhalak Dikhlaja 6 contestant
ONE of India&’s most popular reality shows on dance is back again with a bang and the celebrities lined up promise some mesmerising moves. Whether it’s the big screen’s Aarti Chhabria or singer-host Shaan or popular television stars — just name it and you’ll find it all. Talking about television stars, one can’t overlook Karanvir Bohra, the bad man of the small screen industry. Excerpts from an interview:

I’ve read a few interviews of yours where you’ve said you’re “scared to be hated by people”. How do you cope with the resemblance with all the negative characters you play?
   Initially, I did have a little difficulty as a person but then reading a lot about negative characters helped me to a great extent. The next step was to work on personality — dressing style, my looks, my body language, which I did and all my hard work did bear fruit and I was eventually accepted by the audience. They could finally differentiate between Viraj Dobriyal (my reel life) and Karanvir Bohra, which earned me a huge fan following. I always believe that an actor needs to diversify his potential and present himself as a commodity — which I believe I can.
 
You are participating in Season 6 of Jhalak Dikhlaja on Colors; how has the journey been so far?
   Jhalak Dikhlaja is a platform that I always had wished to be a part of. The journey so far has been good but a little shaky since it’s all so completely unpredictable. We are working very hard and rehearsing day and night and paving our way into the audience&’s hearts.

You also did a cameo in Season 5 with Salman Khan and Isha Sharvani in Teen ka tadka, and you had scored a perfect 30. Is this the reason why you choose to participate this year?
   Yes, in Season 5 I had performed with two of the best dancers then and scored a perfect 30. Being a trained Kathak dancer, it was a challenge for me to attempt other forms on Jhalak&’s stage, as it&’s a lot more than just dance. This time when the producers made the offer, I thought it was a golden opportunity to reconnect with my audience and this time through dance.

Your profile says you are a trained dancer. What’s your speciality?
   Yes, I am a trained Kathak dancer and have learnt the art from my guru, Pandit Birju Maharaj. Kathak is a very expressive form but I am super excited to try other forms too and Jhalak is giving me the platform. I also specialise in picking up dance forms in the shortest time span — two reasons: hard work and my choreographer, Sneha.

All social networking sites are talking about your new venture, Love You Soniye, with your wife. Tell us a little about that.
   Love You Soniye is an amalgamation of action, comic, dance, music and romance — a complete Punjabi film where my wife Teejay and I are playing lead roles.
 
And finally, any message for your fans?
   Well, all I want to say is a big thank you to all my fans who have always supported me, be it the negative characters that I’ve played or otherwise. Acting is in my genes and the one thing that I thoroughly enjoy doing is entertaining people and my shift and journey at Jhalak Dikhlaja will also be an effort towards this end.
 

A  clichéd exhibition of little comfort
A GROUP of 16 artists of the Hoogly Chinsurah Art Forum are showcasing an exhibition of paintings and sculpture at the Central Gallery, Academy of Fine Arts. While some of the paintings are ordinary, most are below average and juts one or two worth the mention. There&’s no work on display that one could tag as “new” or “unseen”. Of course, one can’t really call them repetitions in the literal sense (which is quite common these days) but most of the exhibits — done in acrylic, watercolour, ink on paper and mixed media – are very clichéd and boring.
   Suvendu Ghosh&’s ink on paper is something one must have come across more than twice in the Academy&’s gallery. He needs to break free from the stereotype Madhubani pattern on ink and pen element.
   Amlan Dutta&’s black-and-white Landscape in watercolour on paper is worth appreciation and Tapan Pal&’s Allenation, which is mixed media on canvas, is bright and colourful. Jiban Burman&’s Digha series in watercolour is another appreciable sight.
   As for the sculpture… The least said the better.
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The exhibition is on till 26 June

Ecowatch ~ Bittu Sahgal
‘A woman has to work harder to be taken seriously by men (journalists and wildlifers) who are uncomfortable with independent-minded women. But consistent and determined purpose tends to sort out this problem. Then there is that other handicap ~ I do not fear wild animals, but meeting the wrong kind of people when I am out alone sometimes does scare me
Prerna Bindra is the quintessential woman in a man’s world. A dogged wildlife journalist, she was presented with the Sanctuary-ABN AMRO Wildlife Service Award in 2007 for her contribution to the protection of wild animals, including the tiger. Born in Ahmedabad, her father was part of the Indian Police Service and her mother, a teacher.
They gifted her with an ethical streak that has stood her in good stead all her life.
She speaks to Bittu Sahgal about her passion for wildlife and her frustration with a system that seems unwilling to protect the natural heritage she holds so close to her heart.

A personal one. You have chosen to remain single. Is that because of the nature of your job as a journalist on the move?
It’s a difficult one to answer. It takes a fine man to understand my concerns, passion and imperatives, particularly my need to travel to remote places at the drop of a hat, or the smell of a story. However, this just accentuates my need for roots, an anchor. So, the day I find him, the status might change!

Has being a woman been a disadvantage in a man’s arena?
To a certain extent. A woman has to work harder to be taken seriously by men (journalists and wildlifers) who are uncomfortable with independent-minded women. But consistent and determined purpose tends to sort out this problem. Then there is that other handicap – I do not fear wild animals, but meeting the wrong kind of people when I am out alone sometimes does scare me. And with good reason… I know this from bitter personal experience. Let’s leave it at that.

Let’s leave that, though I wish this were a nicer world. What got you involved with wildlife?
I wish I knew. As a kid, I would doctor birds and small animals and gained a reputation (mistakenly or otherwise!) as an ‘animal doctor’.  It might have been the lion I saw when I was nine years old. This was in Gir, and its majesty and power still live with me.
Much later, when I saw a photograph of a royal Bengal tiger – alive, belly side up, trussed up and spreas tied to the bars of its iron cage, waiting to be disembodied by men who stood by, laughing, it tipped the balance in my head.

So it was anger that got you hooked?
I was disgusted; ashamed to be human. I swore I would protect the tiger for as long as I lived.

And now it is love that draws you?
Some might describe it as love, but I am just instinctively protective of wild animals. I think humans do them far too much wrong, with deadly persistence. I believe from my soul that they have as much right to live in dignity as any human being does.
They were born free. They should live free. It is to this proposition that my entire life is devoted.

Shall we shift focus? You must have had dozens of unforgettable wildlife experiences?
Yes. Luckily for me, literally too many to narrate, and none of them life-threatening. In fact, I marvel at the fiction that shikar writers so unashamedly infuse into their stories. I walk unarmed in forests with the faith that if you know and respect the jungle, you are safer here than you are in any big city. You must respect the comfort zone of animals and not invade their personal space.
Having said this, I have indeed witnessed mock charges by both elephants and, very recently in Kaziranga, a mating rhino! But I am here and telling the tale, so obviously they never really intended to do me any harm.

If you don’t know your wildlife, you could die walking in an Indian jungle.
I could not agree more. I remember, when I was around 15 years old, I instinctively picked up a snake that was being beaten to death. I put it in a bag and took it to a forest officer who nearly had a cardiac arrest. It was a cobra. In that instance, ignorance was bliss! 
Down the years, I have had my share of scares, which include almost falling off a panicky elephant right next to a mating pair of tigers and walking back to camp in the dark and hearing the sawing sound of a leopard much too close for comfort. But it is this Bittu, these experiences that make it all so worthwhile, that I live for.
 
What in your view is the role of a wildlife journalist~to report events or to affect the course of events?
Wildlife journalists are themselves an endangered lot. This is because media today has next to no column space (nor the budget) for serious, in-depth wildlife reports. Speaking for myself, I want to affect the course of events and not just report fait accomplis. We have access to information before it becomes public and often, how you use that information determines whether you stop environmental crime or merely report it. Having said this, environmental reporting requires much more accuracy and homework than regular journalism. Misinterpreting or even poor reporting can do more harm than good. The pen – and in today’s age – the camera as well, are hardcore conservation tools and journalists must use them to engage people, influence public opinion, and expose crooks who are often policy makers.

Who are your heroes? Who has influenced you most?
Apart from my mother, who taught me to do my best and never give up, it was through James Herriot’s books that I grew to love dogs and other animals. I realised then, the power of words, and that one must write from the heart. Gerald Durrell, F. W. Champion, EHA, Ashok Kumar, who nurtured my interest in wildlife, P.K. Sen, Valmik Thapar, Mike Pandey,  Belinda Wright… so many heroes. Also those brave forest officers (yes, there are some) who work within a killing system. And forest guards who work in abysmal conditions, and against all odds.

Have the people you have written about ever directed any aggression at you?
That is par for the course for any journalist. When I broke the story on the ivory trade in Gujarat, believe me, the traders involved were less than polite. Ditto with the bird traders who gheroed (surrounded) me when I next visited the bird market. Then there were the people at Jama Masjid, Delhi who had two or three tame blackbucks. Once, I saw the rough side of American officialdom when I wrote that you could gift a tiger to your macho boyfriend or hunt a tiger in the backwoods of Texas in the United States.

Any regrets?
Loads. The blackbucks I mentioned earlier? Neither the police nor the forest officials acted in time, everyone kept telling me about the potential communal backlash. And in the meanwhile, to get rid of the evidence, the animals were reportedly killed and dumped. All I could think of were the blackbucks, and the fact that it was my story that killed them.
I regret not being able to impress upon a retinue of editors that reporting on wildlife issues is of national importance. I regret vital stories still waiting to see the light of day; of not keeping a dairy of all my travels. Also that as a journalist, I have been unable to fight the fact that the people of my country are so fixated on their television sets and cell phones that they are not even aware that their natural treasures are being destroyed.

Bittu Sahgal is the editor of Sanctuary Magazine
Sanctuary Features
146, Pragati Industrial Estate, N.M. Joshi Marg
Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 011
Tel: 022 23016848/49 Fax: 022 23074102

Lessons From Uttarakhand
saumitra mohan
THE recent cloud burst in Uttarakhand and subsequent natural disaster in the form of massive inundation should make many of us sit up and take notice. It is true that notwithstanding all disaster management plans, man is helpless against the vagaries of nature as also borne out by the regular loss of lives and property from tsunami, tornados, typhoons and hurricanes in the developed countries like USA and Japan. However, we can definitely be better prepared to face any such contingency for minimizing losses and damages. The clichéd but hoary dictum rightly says, ‘prevention is always better than cure’.
Darjeeling, which was ravaged by major earthquakes in 1898 (known as Darjeeling disaster) and then again in September 2011, falls under seismic zone-IV (on a scale of I to V, in order of increasing proneness to earthquakes) near the boundary of the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates. It also needs better planning and better marshaling of resources and logistics to be well-equipped for any such natural calamity. Like any other region, Darjeeling also has a contingency plan and relevant paraphernalia to face up to a natural disaster, however there is still a lot which could be done for better mitigation and minimization of the losses accruing from such sudden natural vehemence.
First and foremost, there is a need for dividing the entire region into suitable eco-sensitive zones for better planning of the relevant developmental works, which are usually carried out without any concerns to the geo-physical nature of the local terrain and topography. It is due to this that Darjeeling hills are subject to frequent landslides and land subsidence, often throwing normal human life out of gear. The rampant and reckless felling of trees during the first Statehood agitation in Darjeeling during the better part of 1980s has left large tracts of the Darjeeling Himalayas denuded of any vegetation, making them further prone to ecological disasters like landslides.
The unregulated and unabated building constructions and callous mountain cutting have further endangered the local ecology and human life. The development of human habitations in almost every part of the hills and the subsequent interference with the forces of nature has further distressed an already fragile ecosystem.
Hence, it is quite imperative that the all the agencies concerned with development and disaster planning in this eco-sensitive region synergize their action to save the Queen of Hills from any natural catastrophe waiting to happen. The regulatory framework relating to building constructions and other developmental activities, as already in vogue, ought to be strictly enforced. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabha (the rule and policy making body in Darjeeling hills) in one of its meetings has already resolved to issue directives to the local municipal and rural bodies to ensure enforcement of the building rules and laws while also making it mandatory to have a water-harvesting plan for every proposed building plan in the private and public sector. Now, it should be ensured that the same is implemented with due earnestness.
The integrated watershed management plan (IWMP) is another flagship government programme which, if properly implemented, has potential to turn things around for the local ecology. There is not only a need for massive afforestation with due contour-wise green micro-planning, there is also a need for a well-designed drainage system so as to suitably channel the waters of hill springs and drains (called dhara and jhora  in local parlance) to preempt and reduce the chances of further landslides. There is a further need for undertaking massive preemptive protection works including construction of protection walls, gully plugging, planned check dams, contour bunding, a zone-wise solid waste management plan, hill-sensitive water harvesting structures and irrigation channels to stem and minimalize such landslides.
It should be ensured that no major development works including construction of roads, buildings and hydro power plants are executed without first studying their environmental implications through an ‘environment impact assessment (EIA)’ as made mandatory by the extant laws and decrees of the government. As per the studies carried out by the Geographical Survey of India (GSI) and National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), large tracts of Darjeeling hills have developed into sinking zones in the aftermath of the last earthquake and massive human activities, making the local ecology further fragile.
If we don’t put in place the requisite regulatory framework, then landslides shall soon become order of the day. Illegal mining of minor and major minerals in the lower reaches of the Himalayas is another area of concern, which needs attention. And more than the regulatory enforcement, there is need for a political consensus to stop these, otherwise landslides as big as one at Tindharia in Kurseong sub-division of Darjeeling shall keep repeating themselves with a lot of damage to the life and property of the native population.
After we have done the necessary homework with regards to the preventive and regulatory works, we should target our guns at popular awareness, which is abysmally low, to say the least. The native communities need to be made aware and sensitized to the pitfalls of ignoring and violating the relevant rules and laws as relating to various developmental activities as this has serious implications for their day-to-day life. So, there is a urgent need for massive awareness drives and capacity building exercises of the local populace. The civil defense training relating to various aspects of disaster management and personal safety need to be undertaken in more and more parts of the region, more so for the local youths.
It has been a personal experience that more than anything else it is the flow of information and communication during a particular disaster which matters a lot. So, even after we have a state-of-the-art early warning system as put in place by the Meteorological and Disaster Management Departments, the flow of information to the right people at right time is what proves crucial to any disaster management exercise. The real time coordination and communication among all the concerned departments at information and resource sharing to provide succor and relief to the affected people is what is most important to face any natural calamity or anthropogenic (read man-made) disaster successfully. The rescue and relief work becomes easier with already trained ‘quick response teams’ (QRTs) and relatively better aware, trained and sensitized civil society members.
A well-coordinated initiative of the state government, local self-governments and local administration in coordination with the involved non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is already underway and trying to work on the above-mentioned aspects to make the same a reality. However, the same needs to be done in right earnest by all the stakeholders concerned. The diagnosis and remedial measures suggested above for Darjeeling ipso facto, with some minor alterations, apply to any and every part of the country.
The writer is District Magistrate, Darjeeling. The views expressed are his own

A BOND WEAKENED
The British as they really are
IT isn’t time yet to be sanguine about the reported assurance of a member of Prime Minister David Cameron&’s Cabinet that the proposal of a 3000-pound bond from short-term Indian visitors to Britain “has not been considered” by Whitehall. It is hearsay, actually double-hearsay because we hear of it from Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, who was told by the Liberal-Democratic British Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, who in turn was reportedly told so by the Conservative Home Secretary. To us it seems rather a roundabout way of saying that a proposal has been shelved. Perhaps and before not very long, the British will formally announce that it has indeed been abandoned. If that happens, the dust will settle for some time; if it doesn’t it will be in our faces again. But in the cacophony of furious reactions not just in India, or within the Indian community in Britain but also in five other countries similarly described as “high-risk”, some obvious facts must not be lost sight of.
First, the British must have done their homework before determining that short-term visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Nigeria have a tendency to overstay. Second, the British must have realised the diplomatic implications of targeting six former colonies to the exclusion of others in a step that can only be deemed discriminatory. Third, implicit in the proposal must be acceptance that the elaborate system of screening visa applicants ~ outsourced in many countries and seeking personal details that ought ordinarily to be confidential ~ has only been a limited success, notwithstanding the huge cost levied on visa applicants. Fourth, Whitehall must have realised that diplomacy works on the principle of reciprocity and it is as easy for the targeted countries to lay down humiliating conditions as it is for the British to do so. Fifth, notwithstanding the country&’s highly intrusive policing, relatively miniscule size and the collection of biometric and facial data from visa applicants, the UK Border Agency and local authorities in Britain lack the wherewithal to prevent visitors from overstaying. Sixth, there appears to be some amount of political consensus in Britain on the need to crack down on visitors who overstay; in other words, even if the bond proposal is given up some other way will be found to make a visit to London a less than edifying prospect.
There is one more fact we must not lose sight of. In spite of having ruled, pillaged, divided, on occasion starved, and often desecrated a country (now three of the six countries targeted), the British through a contrived feat of diplomacy managed to convince us for more than six decades that we retained an emotional bond with our former rulers. For a fine of 3000 pounds, the British seem determined to weaken that bond, and we must not grudge them their right to do so if only because it allows us to see them as they really are, and perhaps always were, and not as they pretend to be.

BRAGGING RIGHTS
Going wrong for Modi
POLITICIANS’ “clarifications” are almost always hypocritical attempts at damage control ~ attempting to dilute the fall-out of a previous action. While it may not always be correct that first impressions are the correct ones, “gut feelings” do tend to stick. All that, maybe more, must be borne in mind when considering Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray&’s bid to underplay the thrust of an editorial in his party&’s mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ that flayed the BJP&’s “campaign face” for controversial claims on relief for the Uttarakhand victims. Thackeray is the editor of Saamna, and while admittedly an editor does not write/read every word of a publication before it goes into print, it is difficult to accept that a party organ ~ unlike an independent newspaper ~ will comment in strains very different from the party line: an editor who seeks to disassociate himself from an editorial comment hardly merits that designation. The subject under focus, however, is not the editorial integrity of the publication, but to cite that now-diluted commentary as evidence of how the Narendra Modi “style” is proving an embarrassment even to the BJP&’s allies: does whatever remains of the NDA actually deserve projection as an alliance? The most valid aspect of that commentary is its articulation of the larger point that Modi&’s way of doing things militates against the BJP securing the support of other parties in an electoral construct in which no single party is expected to form a government. Modi may not have personally claimed to have delivered 15,000 Gujaratis to safety, but neither did he “clarify” what his media managers churned out.
Apart from that claim being factually difficult to sustain, it confirmed that an aspirant to the prime minister&’s office has not outgrown a parochial mindset; and raised questions about a “national” party placing so much stock in a man so obviously politically-blinkered. Modi&’s advocates have frequently contended that his thrust on development (let&’s not digress into the validity of that claim) “cancels out” the negatives that accrued from 2002: yet his reputation for being autocratic has been reinforced ever since he stepped up from the state to the national plate. He made a belated token effort to make peace with party stalwart L K Advani, indicated he gave a damn at the JD(U) opting out, and does not even pretend to be reaching out in any direction. Are other so-called saffron stalwarts with a broader perspective so marginalised that they remain hunkered down?

ROT IN GARO HILLS            
Need for drastic action
IT is about time the Meghalaya government took immediate steps to tighten its seemingly loosening grip on the law and order situation in the Garo Hills. Over the past two years or so, there had been an abnormal rise in the incidence of crime against women and wanton killings of policemen and civilians, clearly revealing the ineffectiveness of the law enforcing agency. Last month, Garo militants gunned down five coal miners. Last Sunday, some miscreants brutally murdered eight labourers, mostly migrants from Assam&’s Goalpara and Dhubri working in various coal quarries, and escaped with Rs 80,000. Since the assailants are yet to be identified or their true motives ascertained, it will be premature to blame any local militant outfit. According to agency reports, following a rumour that a miner raped a mentally-challenged girl in Tura two days ago, an irate mob went berserk killing a man and setting fire to some vehicles.  
Already, there are reports of a mass exodus from the Garo Hills, the consequences of which should not be lost on both Shillong and Dispur. They must ensure that the sudden turn of events does  not kindle ethnic fires and communal disharmony. Quite obviously, nothing short of a drastic clean-up will arrest the rot in the Garo Hills. New Delhi has shown pragmatism by accepting Meghalaya chief minister, Mukul Sangma&’s request for paramilitary forces. But these forces must be used judiciously to regain a grip on the situation.

between the lines

kuldip nayar

Not long ago, a disaster in any part of the country would elicit a national response. People would go door-to-door to collect money, clothes, utensils, medicines and many other things of daily use to transmit through agencies that were voluntarily engaged in relief and rehabilitation work. The attitude has changed in the last few years. People are, no doubt, concerned and sympathetic. But there is no countrywide effort to organise help. The atmosphere is no more animated with the zeal that I recall used to be there.
Take the example of Uttarakhand. There has been massive devastation. More than 5,000 people have reportedly died and the material loss runs into hundreds of crores of rupees. Yet, the reaction has been tepid. Efforts are visible on an individual scale. But the nation as such is not concerned. Particularly, the states in the south and the east have shown less involvement.
Governments, both in the hilly state of Uttarakhand and at the Centre, were too late to respond and had no clue about what to do. Even after 10 days of the disaster, 20,000 people were stranded at different places. What dominated the discussion was not the scale of assistance but whether the disaster was man-made or caused by nature&’s fury. Of course, it was man-made. The reasons are obvious.
Trees were cut to accommodate the ever-growing bureaucracy. The de-silting of rivers is out of any government&’s agenda.
The National Disaster Management Board was tried for the first time and found wanting. Political parties have done nothing concrete except politicising the tragedy. The official appeal to contribute to the Prime Minister&’s Relief fund has been issued as a matter of routine.
Surprisingly, no foreign country has offered help to evacuate the stranded people, much less any material assistance. Pakistan has missed a golden opportunity to befriend the common Indian. Islamabad should have sent trucks of food and medicines to the Wagah border. New Delhi would have lost face if it had stopped the aid.
If one were to analyse the tragedy, one would come to the conclusion that the nation has lost sensitivity. Different states have over the years become islands by themselves and there is hardly any tragedy which transcends the border. When it came to rescuing the victims, states like West Bengal and Gujarat preferred to evacuate the inhabitants of their own area.
The absence of national feeling may well be the reason why every state is constructing dams in catchment areas. They think that the consequential loss is to other states not to them. And so many dams have come up that they are counterproductive. Of course, the money spent has enough leeway for corruption at political and official levels. The land and timber mafias have played havoc at the expense of the nation.
Countrywide coordination is possible at the level of environment ministry. It can also ensure that the ecology is not disturbed. But the ministry is so much under pressure from different lobbies and state governments that it has become only a signing authority. The area around Uttarakhand is so fragile that the Central government did not want to disturb the ecology. But both political parties, the Congress and the BJP, joined hands to have the proposal scuttled.
And the behaviour of the people in Uttarakhand itself was inhuman. There are instances of shopkeepers charging exorbitant prices for things of daily use ~ a biscuit packet was sold for Rs 200; a loaf of bread was priced at Rs 100. There are instances of looting and even molesting of women ~ one woman required medical help, but her gold chain was pulled off her neck and she was left bleeding. Even sadhus and sants made most of the situation, robbing money and ornaments from the deceased.  The only bright side is the work done by the Army and the Air Force. They evacuated thousands of people stuck at different places.
The survivors in fact narrated the difference between the government, which did not do anything, and the Army and Air Force, which rescued them and gave food and shelter.
One Air Force helicopter, engaged in rescue operation, crashed because of bad weather. Twenty lives were lost.
India is a heartless state. Over the years, it has deteriorated in values. There is not a semblance of idealism left to talk about social justice or to lift the lower half to the level where it can lead a viable life.
Poverty, unemployment and malnutrition, signs of a decaying society, are increasing day by day. We are, almost back to the Hindu growth rate of 4 per cent. A dollar fetches Rs 60. In fact, the rupee is in shambles.
Today&’s spectacle of poor growth and the dismal future is because political parties have catered to their fiefdoms without keeping before them the picture of India on the whole or the growth of every sector or every area. Unfortunately, the parties have not realised that their politics may feather their nests but would not take the country forward.
The Congress and the BJP, the two main parties are to blame the most. They have seen to it that they do not compromise even though a bit of cooperation would have done wonders. Parliament has been more or less at a standstill.
No business has been transacted session after session, creating a new record of inactivity. The parties admit this and some leading members have no hesitation in saying so in private. Yet, they do not cross the line even word-wise in the House, lest it should harm them.
India does not have much leeway. The speed with which we are going down the hill indicates a ruin of great magnitude.
There is every reason why the two main parties should come together to take the country further. They should at least have a joint action plan on the rehabilitation of victims. But that would require a stand above party line.
In today&’s approach to occupy the kursi, it is difficult to imagine any political party placing national interest first. Even several disasters like the one in Uttarakhand cannot change the thinking of political parties. It is tragic, but true.

The writer is a veteran
journalist and commentator

agencies
LONDON, 25 JUNE: Pakistan&’s Asad Rauf (in photo right), who is being investigated in the Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal, and long-serving New Zealander Billy Bowden  (in photo left) were today dropped from the International Cricket Council’s elite panel of umpires after annual reviews of the duo’s performances.
Rauf, who is being probed for allegedly taking expensive gifts from suspected bookies, and Bowden have been replaced by former Test cricketers Richard Illingworth and Paul Reiffel.
“The selection panel considered the overall performances of the umpires over the past 12 months when deciding which umpires would be offered contracts for 2013-4. In Asad’s case, it is important to emphasise that the recent speculation linking his name to the IPL spot-fixing investigation was not considered during the selectors’ deliberations,” said Geoff Allardice, chairman of the ICC umpires selection panel.
Rauf, who has denied any wrongdoing, was earlier withdrawn from officiating in the Champions Trophy here.
“It is exciting to see Richard and Paul promoted to the elite panel, but it is also important to acknowledge and appreciate the outstanding contributions of Asad and Billy over a long period of time,” said Allardice.
Illingworth and Reiffel have joined Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Steve Davis, Marais Erasmus, Ian Gould, Tony Hill, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford and Rod Tucker on the panel for the 2013-2014 season, starting on 1 July, 2013. Illingworth has been umpiring in international cricket since July 2010 and has so far stood in four Tests, 16 One-Day Internationals and seven Twenty20 Internationals.
Reiffel, who made his international umpiring debut in January 2009, has officiated in four Tests, 30 ODIs and nine Twenty20 Internationals.
The elite panel was selected by the ICC’s umpires selection panel consisting of Allardice, the ICC’s general manager (cricket), chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle, ex-England player and coach and umpire, David Lloyd, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, the former India captain and international umpire.Bowden was included in the elite panel in 2003 and umpired in 75 Tests, 181 ODIs and 19 Twenty20 Internationals.
Rauf stood in 47 Tests, 98 ODIs and 23 Twenty20 Internationals and was a member of the elite panel since 2006.

Srinivasan yet to decide
CHENNAI, 25 JUNE: Embattled Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan, who stepped aside after the Indian Premier League’s spot-fixing scandal, has not yet made up his mind about attending the International Cricket Council’s annual conference in London and will decide on it closer to the date of sub-committee meetings. The conference started today and would continue till 29 June. There is intense speculation on whether conference would be attended by Srinivasan, who stepped aside as BCCI president after his son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested for alleged betting and spot-fixing. If he travels to London, Srinivasan will attend three ICC sub-committee meetings, including the one relevant to finance and commercial affairs. Jagmohan Dalmiya, looking after the BCCI’s everyday affairs since Srinivasan stepped aside, will represent India at the ICC board meeting. BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel will attend the chief executives’ meeting, while IPL chief executive officer Sundar Raman will attend the working group meeting of CEOs. agencies

sns & agencies
MUMBAI, 25 JUNE: Senior Board of Control for Cricket in India official Ratnakar Shetty has been summoned to a meeting here tomorrow of the Mumbai Cricket Association committee probing the mystery of unsold tickets during the 2011 World Cup final at Wankhede Stadium.
“I have received an e-mail which also mentions four other people: Lalchand Rajput, Pradeep Zaveri, Shripad Halbe and Ganesh Iyer. I haven’t decided if I will be attending it,” Shetty said today.
Shetty, currently the BCCI’s general manager (game development), was the tournament director of the showpiece event.
The MCA has summoned Shetty, former MCA vice-president and treasurer, along with former joint secretary Rajput, current managing committee member Iyer, former managing committee member Halbe and Zaveri, to appear before the four-member inquiry panel.
“I don’t know why they have called me but, going by their letter, I have been asked to brief the committee on World Cup final tickets. I will attend,” Halbe said. 
It has been said that Rajput and Iyer are unlikely to attend the meeting and that Shetty asked for the committee’s terms of reference.
More than 400 tickets of the India-Sri Lanka final, won by the hosts, were left unsold though "sold-out" notice boards had been put up at ticket counters, prompting the MCA to form the four-member special committee to look into the matter.
The MCA’s losses totalled more than Rs 70 lakh as a result.
‘Not yet ready’
Delhi Police today opined that the time is not ripe for legalising betting in sports in India as it could not be established at this stage that such an action will bring down match-fixing.
In the light of incidents of match and spot fixing in the recently concluded Indian Premier League in India, many stakeholders are advocating creation of a new stricter legal framework and legalisation of sports betting to keep a check on match and spot fixing.

Bristol (UK),  25 June: Darren Lehmann (in photo) insisted it was still possible for Australia to win the Ashes despite the upheaval that led to his appointment as the new head coach of the national side.
Lehmann was brought in after South African Mickey Arthur, the first non-Australian to coach the team, was sensationally sacked 16 days before the first Test in Nottingham after several high-profile on and off-field embarrassments for the team.
These included ‘homework gate’, where four players were dropped from the team during Australia’s 4-0 Test series loss in India this year and, more recently, the suspension of opening batsman David Warner until the first Ashes Test for a Birmingham bar-room attack on England’s Joe Root following the Aussies’ loss to their old foes in the Champions Trophy.
Even prior to these incidents many pundits made England, bidding for a third straight Test series win over Australia, favourites for the Ashes.
But despite everything that has happened in recent weeks, Lehmann — who took charge with immediate effect ahead of the tour match against Somerset — was in bullish mood when asked if Australia could still regain the Ashes.
“Yes definitely, It is a challenge for all the playing group and everyone involved with Cricket Australia.
“We are going to play an aggressive brand of cricket that entertains people and fans and gets the job done on and off the field.
“I am excited by the challenge.” Lehmann said he was keen to join forces with Australia captain and star batsman Michael Clarke, currently sidelined by a back injury. “I am looking forward to working with Michael closely,” said Lehmann.
Earlier CA chief executive James Sutherland praised Lehmann, appointed on a two-year deal, as the “obvious choice to replace Mickey”.
“As a cricketer and a coach he has an outstanding record,” said Sutherland. “His performances recently as coach of Queensland and the Brisbane Heat have seen him win titles in all three formats of the game.”
Meanwhile former England captain Michael Vaughan, who played alongside Lehmann at Yorkshire, tweeted: “For the 1st time in Months I am worried about Australia… If Darren Lehmann is the coach he will get them right.”
That led Clarke, appearing with Lehmann at a Bristol news conference on Monday, to joke: “Has someone hacked his account?     ”Surely he did not say anything positive. Playing for Australia is enough to galvanise the team. When you get that Baggy Green cap in your hand that is enough. We don’t need anything else.”
Meanwhile Lehmann, asked if he was an ‘old-school’ coach, said: “It’s important to talk about the game whether it’s with a beer or a Diet Coke, I don’t care.”
Australia leg-spin great Shane Warne, now working as a television commentator, has been suggested as someone Lehmann could bring on board. “We would love him in the room,” the 43-year-old Lehmann, who played 27 Tests, said.
“You don’t have a guy take 700 Test wickets and not use him if he is around the place. If he is around, and I know he is commentating with Sky all the time, then we will certainly use him.”
But Lehmann knows his tenure won’t be defined by the people he consults but by Australia’s results on the field. “If Michael gets some runs I will be ok. But if we don’t win I will go.
“That is what happens in professional sport. You are the head coach. You have to get results. If you don’t, you see what happens,” Lehmann said. agencies

the independent & agencies
Playing in the Ashes meant everything to Nick Compton (in photo right) and everything, of course, was too much for him to bear. That Wednesday in the second week of July came to dominate his existence. It was as though he had lived for that moment.
When he made consecutive Test hundreds in Dunedin (which saved the match) and Wellington on the tour of New Zealand following an unforgettable England tour of India in which he played an important part, it seemed his place was nailed on. But he started the English summer in a state of batting reticence so grave that his thoughts seemed easy to read.
`Mustn’t get out, concentrate, mustn’t get out, don’t do anything daft, mustn’t get out.’ The upshot was that he got out, never more poignantly than in his first Test innings at Lord’s when he skipped down the pitch to the New Zealand left arm spinner, Bruce Martin, essayed a grotesque attacking shot which swirled into the air and was caught.
It showed a tortured soul and it was never to be bright, youthful summer in Compton’s Test batting career again.
Perhaps, too, he could never escape the shadow of his illustrious grandfather Denis, one of the brightest stars ever to have shone in the English firmament. Nick was his own man but Denis’s raffish, buccaneering image was never far away in every forward prop he executed.
At bottom sport should be about enjoyment and it was obvious that poor, worried Nick was not enjoying it. If only he could make Trent Bridge on 10 July then it might change.
In the background there was Joe Root, the 22-year-old Yorkshireman, who had seemed custom designed for international cricket. Many were surprised when Compton was preferred to Root at the start of the series in India. When Root was finally given his chance in Test cricket in Nagpur (a surprise choice at number six at the time) it was pretty clear immediately that it was the start of a beautiful friendship. Compo, sensitive and thoughtful, might have sensed it deep down. It probably explained his irredeemable diffidence at the crease afterwards. What almost certainly did for him in the end was the way in which Root and his fellow Yorkshireman, Jonny Bairstow, shared a partnership of 124 in the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley. There was a freedom and joy about their work which stirred the soul.Andy Flower, the England coach, offered some consolatory words to Compton about getting runs in county cricket. He did, too, 166 of them against Durham but they took 324 balls. Root, meanwhile, had the elusive secret of making the game look easy, even it if it jolly well wasn’t.The selectors had to make their call in picking the team for the warm-up match against Essex where there may be easy runs to be had. Compton was eliminated from a squad of 14 players, which included the Irish fast bowler, Boyd Rankin.
New Zealand score 201/4
Hamish Rutherford&’s brilliant half-century helped New Zealand post a fordidable total of 201/4 in a T20 international at The Oval against hosts England. Rutherford scored 62 and was ably supported by Brendon McCullum who scored a vital 68 which was also the highest score of the innings.

Patients suffer due to loophole in Medical Act
gurvinder singh
KOLKATA, 25 JUNE: A century-old Act has turned into a liability for the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) and a cause of agony for hapless people demanding justice against wrong or negligent treatment by doctors.
The law in question is the Bengal Medical Act,1914 that doesn’t make registration with the state medical council mandatory for doctors coming from other states to practice here.
The result: Several hundreds of doctors engaged with private hospitals in the city fill up their pockets, but escape scot-free when the patient party accuses them of incorrect diagnosis.
"We receive substantial complaints of negligent treatment every month against the doctors but are unable to act against the non-members," said Dr D K Ghosh, Registrar of the council. 
"The time has come when the century-old rule needs to be amended as the delay would only add to the sufferings of the people,” he added.
"A doctor registered under Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 can practise anywhere in the country, but the Bengal Act, if amended, would help to keep a check on the medicos at the local level practising in the various states of the country,” added a senior office-bearer with the state council. “A few states such as Karnataka, Tripura and Maharashtra have made the registrations with the state councils mandatory, for the outsiders, but others are yet to do so," Dr Ghosh added.
"The fear of getting caught on account of negligence makes the doctor reluctant to come under the umbrella of the state medical council," said another senior officer on request of anonymity.
The state council also wants an amendment to the membership clauses.  
There are around 40,000 live members registered with the council, but most of them do not renew their qualification status which makes it difficult to determine the exact number of specialists in the various health streams in the state.  
The teachers in government medical colleges need to inform the council about the changes in educational qualification but the government doctors do not bother to do so, said the registrar. 
"We want the doctors to inform about their recent qualifications, say after every three or five years, to the council," he added. 
The council plans to write to the government seeking the amendments after the polls of the state medical council gets over. 
"The amendments if done would make the doctors, especially the private practitioners answerable to the people and help the victims get justice, he added.