Press Trust of India
LUCKNOW, 7 JULY: In a veiled reference to reports that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had rescued 15,000 Gujaratis from Uttarakhand, Miss Mayawati today said the BSP condemns a political party whose leader seeks to become a PM candidate but talks about saving people only from his own state.
“We strongly condemn the political party, whose leader stakes claim for the post of the PM, but talks about saving people only from Gujarat,” she said.
The BSP supremo said from this, the personality of such a leader could be gauged.
“A person having such a narrow mentality cannot be the one to occupy the top post with honesty. You have to keep this in mind,” Miss Mayawati said while addressing Brahmin Bhaichara Sammelan at Ramabai Ambedkar ground here.
She said some political parties were indulging in “politics” over the calamity in Uttarakhand. “BSP requested the Centre and the state government to extend maximum possible assistance, but I am sad to say that even at this time of deep trouble, some political parties are indulging in politics,” she alleged.
She said the BSP has appealed partymen to extend maximum help to the victims and has requested the Centre to declare it a national calamity.
“We are grieved with massive loss of life and property due to incessant rain and landslide in Uttarakhand, we pray to give courage to the affected people,” she said.

Press Trust of India
RANCHI, 7 JULY: Family, friends and fans today greeted birthday boy Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who turned 32, and wished him luck for winning many more laurels for Team India.
His fans and friends cut a birthday cake and distributed sweets at a couple of places, wishing the Ranchi boy success in his cricketing exploits.
“Dhoni’s family members have celebrated the day,” the cricketer’s former coach Chanchal Bhattacharya said while wishing him on the day.
Former Central Coalfields Limited official Deval Sahay, who was instrumental in roping in the little known Dhoni in the Central Coalfields Limited cricket team in 1998, wished him more success in the future.
“I can still remember when first-class cricketers considered Dhoni as a match winner when he played for the Central Coalfields Team first time even before making his debut in tournaments. Now world class players also say he is a match winner. I feel proud,” Mr Sahay added.
Upcoming singer Rohan Deo Pathak, who sang two songs in praise of Dhoni and his team drawing huge response in the social media YouTube, said he would sing the songs at a function in the evening in his honour.
Two former deputy chief ministers, Mr Sudesh Mahato and Mr Sudhir Mahato wished Dhoni grans success in the future.

Press Trust of India
DHAKA, 7 JULY: In another poll setback to Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League, the party lost its fifth mayoral election in two months when it was routed today in its stronghold of Gazipur by the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), ahead of next year’s general elections.
Main Opposition BNP of former prime minister Khaleda Zia took the mayor seat at Gazipur, the largest corporation in the country, with a margin of 1,06,577 votes.
“I declare M A Mannan elected unofficially,” the returning officer announced the name of the winning candidate as the counting of votes was completed early today morning.
“The margin of Mannan’s victory over Awami League’s Ajmat Ullah Khan was 1,06,577 votes,” he added.
The rout in suburban Gazipur, known to be a stronghold of Awami League headed by premier Sheikh Hasina, follows the debacle in the four city corporations of Barisal, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet in June where the incumbent ruling party mayors were defeated by their BNP rivals.
Gazipur, which was declared a city corporation only recently and is holding its first mayor elections, is the largest of municipal bodies in Bangladesh with 1,026,938 registered as voters.
“This was an expected result which actually reflected the people’s mind against ruling Awami League misrule,” Mr Mannan said after winning the election.
Earlier,  Mr Khan termed the voting peaceful while Mr Mannan accused his rivals and election officials of rigging the polls even as voters queued up to exercise their franchise.
The BNP candidate won amidst an Opposition campaign to restore non-party caretaker system for election oversight, arguing that no election under the Awami League government could be free and credible.
Prime Minister Hasina has declined to accept this demand saying the general elections should not be held under a non-elected government.
“Unless the trend is bucked, the party (Awami League) that led the country’s liberation struggle and ruled Bangladesh for one-third of its time as an independent nation, may have to prepare for rejection and oblivion (in the coming general elections),” read an analysis by an Online newspaper after declaration of the election result.

Press Trust of India
BANGALORE, 7 JULY: Preparations are afoot for the upcoming “big-bang” Mars Orbiter Mission in October-November, an ambitious venture that would shed light on the possible existence of life on the planet besides boosting space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)’s brand equity.
The satellite, which would be launched on board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL), will carry compact science experiments, totalling a mass of 15 kg, according to ISRO officials. There will be five instruments to study Martian surface, atmosphere and mineralogy.
Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP) is aimed at studying the escape processes of Mars upper atmosphere through Deuterium/Hydrogen, Methane Sensor for MARS (MSM) would look to detect presence of Methane while Martian Exospheric Composition Explorer (MENCA) would study the neutral composition of the Martian upper atmosphere.
MARS Colour Camera (MCC) would undertake optical imaging and TIR imaging spectrometer (TIS) is targetted to map surface composition and mineralogy.
”Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft integration is under progress”, an Isro official said here today. “The spacecraft has to undergo qualification tests for proving space worthiness once the integration is completed”.
The mission would help Isro understand the technological challenges of such an exploration, the possible existence of life and future colonisation of Mars, which is the nearest planet which has most resemblance to earth. This would be India’s first mission to a distant planet.
Isro will launch the mission in October-November. “If launched within the launch window (21 October-19 November, 2013), the spacecraft will travel for least distance to reach Mars”, the official said. This is the immediate next available opportunity for such a mission as Earth and Mars would be coming closer then.

Associated Press
MANILA, 7 JULY: Philippine military officials say more than 100 breakaway Muslim rebels have launched attacks against army troops, sparking clashes that killed at least five soldiers and seven insurgents in a volatile southern region.
Regional army spokesman Capt Anthony Bulao says the day-long clashes involving the hardline Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters erupted yesterday in the marshy hinterlands of Datu Piang town in Maguindanao province and in a nearby village in North Cotabato province.
Army forces were firing artillery rounds against the rebels in Maguindanao today. Hundreds of villagers fled Datu Piang after the clashes broke out.
Capt Bulao says the breakaway rebels want to disrupt peace talks between the Philippine government and the main Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which resume tomorrow in Malaysia.

The book combines intensive research with astute scholarship which exposes the very heart of a city that has been the melting pot of various ideologies… A review by rv smith
Delhi has been written about so many times that most of the books coming out now sound a bit trite. Ashraf Into Middle Classes by Margrit Pernau seems to be an exception in that it combines intensive research with astute scholarship which exposes the very heart of a city that has been the melting pot of various ideologies, especially after the formation of the Delhi Sultanate. Her focus, however, is on 19th century Delhi, which “was marked by a curious mixture of political upheaval and cultural resurgence from 1803 (when Lord Lake brought it under British rule) to the end of the Khilafat movement in 1922”. A senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, she spent six years in Delhi to study the intricacies of Muslim society in relation to a changing milieu by “drawing on a wide variety of little-known sources in Urdu and Persian, apart from the more conventional British records”. This was largely due to help from distinguished Delhiwallahs like Yunus Jaffri, who had earlier guided William Dalrymple, author of the The Djinns of Delhi.
The Muslim community to some may seem to be monolithic but it is not so. Traders, landowners, lawyers, religious leaders, men and women of varied groups ~ Pathans, Rajputs, Bengalis (and now South Indians) ~ have multiple identities which to a great extent influence social behaviour. Their interaction with Hindus was described by Prof Muhammad Mujeeb as resulting in “syncretism”, a phenomenon in which “forms of religious devotion overlap” and prove that Muslims “had ceased to be foreigners in India”. An example is the tendency of people to venerate not only the living saints but also the mazars of dead ones for miracles and magic cures, which was “incompatible with the genuine belief in an omnipotent God”. Whatever one might think of these practices “bordering on superstition”, one cannot close one&’s eyes to their importance in the lives of many no matter to which religion they belong. A visit to any Sufi shrine will dispel the belief that they attract only Muslims.
When Lord Lake captured Delhi, religious preachers like Shah Abd ul Aziz wondered whether the Capital under a Nazrene British Resident was still “a dar ul Islam or abode of Islam or a dar ul harb or abode of war”. But his reaction was very circumspect. He offered the argument that only if Friday prayers were no longer held could a country become dar ul harb. And since things had not come to such a pass it was evident that the former Mughal domain remained  dar ul Islam.
The division of society into ashraf and ajlaf  “marks the (fictional) border between immigrants and converts”. Muslims who came with the invaders or the local populace that adopted Islam fell into these categories, the respectable section of society were the ashraf and the commoners were the ajlaf. Not only marriage but other close social intercourse were not permissible among them. However, human nature always surmounts such obstacles, as is evident from daily life. The Ashraf eventually became the middle class and as such the cream of society ~ the Khas as compared to the Am, something that the Mughals earlier commemorated by having a Dewan-e-Khas and a Dewan-e-Am in their Red Forts at Agra and Delhi.
The elite Ashraf (plural of Sharif) were however not above intra-communal rivalry, which led to Shia-Sunni clashes during Moharrum. But when it came to a confrontation with Hindus they were one, like in the 1 May 1807 riot (the author calls it rebellion). The rioting followed a request by a banker, Har Sukh Ray (spelt Har Sookh Raye at another place) to take out a Jain procession. The Resident, Archibald Seton, asked him to make it a modest affair but it aroused Muslim displeasure all the same and clashes broke out, with green flags fluttering all over. Har Sukh Ray was not an ordinary banker. He was also the financier of the British army in Rajputana. The violence was such that a cleric, Maulvi Rafi ud Din (spelt at another place as Moulovee Ruffee ool Deen) was exiled. But the matter didn’t end there. Akbar Shah had to be reminded by the Resident that he was emperor of both Hindus and Muslims and should not take sides.
Margrit Pernau has dug out many such half-forgotten facts and also secured information on subjects like the Sufi  silsila (orders), Urdu publications, the influence of the madrasa, literary movements, the importance of poets like Ghalib, women&’s moral reforms, the high-profile courtesans, the “rekhti” poems, which recounted “a male imagining women&’s emotions”, with “sometimes lesbian innuendos. She also delineates on the Wahabis inspired by Shah Wali- ullah, the Punjabi Muslim traders, education and the role of institutions like Delhi College and the Anglo-Arabic School of Mirza Sulaiman Jah, son of Bahadur Shah&’s samdhi (relation by marriage), Mirza Ellahi Baksh. Civil society and colonial municipal administration, the Maratha hold on the court of Shah Alam, the 1857 Mutiny and communalism and nationalism also find mention. The bibliography of 40 pages gives an idea of the vast number of sources cited.
However, there are some aberrations : Zinat ul Majid was built by Aurangzeb&’s daughter and not Shah Jahan, the troops billeted in the Jama Masjid were not all Sikhs but British Tommies too, who peeped at Zenana women from the minarets (sic). Also at places the narrative goes back and forth, with some earlier events finding mention later and not in the beginning. The account at times is not dissimilar to that given in Delhi Between Two Empires by Narayani Gupta, whose guidance, however, the author has acknowledged. To say the British conquered Delhi in 1803 and again reconquered it in 1857 is not quite apt since the Mughal emperor Shah Alam had accepted their suzerainty by signing in 1756 the Dewani of Bengal at Allahabad and staying under British protection till 1771, when the Marathas invited him to formally take over the crown in Delhi. Even in 1803 he was in regular contact through Lake with the Governor- General, Lord Wellesley, in a bid to hand over Delhi to the British. And in any case the Battle of Delhi was with the Marathas and not the Mughals. The “conquests” were actually the takeover or capture of the capital.
But otherwise we are treated to a galaxy of themes in the treatise ~ the White Mughals, Ochterlony, the Metcalfes and Fraser, Sufi qawwalis and personages like Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan, Hali, Imtiaz Ahmed, Nazir Ahmad, Ahmad Ali, the Hakims, Begum Samru, Skinner and Ashraf Ali Thanawi, the  teachings of Begum Shah Jahan of Bhopal on the grooming of pious Muslim women and the emergence of the New Woman.
All in all, a well-written book which needed more illustrations, like the one on the cover. The title is cryptic till one starts reading the text and understands the nuances of the Delhi that was (Alam Main Intikhab) as seen through friendly German eyes.
The reviewer is a former News Editor of The Statesman, Delhi
Ashraf Into Middle Classes: Muslims in 19th century Delhi
By MARGIT PERNAU
Oxford University Press, Rs. 995
 

A fast page-turner, this novel is just right to pass the time waiting at the airport for a delayed flight, or even on a train journey, says gopali bandyopadhyay
PIYUSH Jha&’s second venture into crime fiction has a somewhat lame title: Compass Box Killer. For those curious to know why, it&’s because the murderer uses an old compass box to give tantalising leads to the police investigating the case, duh. But let&’s get back to the beginning of what, how, where and why.
The first few pages are somewhat like a B-grade film, opening with a sleazy sex act. The Smooth Operator (the mysterious villain&’s secret nomenclature, wish Jha had coined something more imaginative or enigmatic) is depicted indulging in a bizarre sexual act: erotic asphyxiation. The use of rather stilted language and commonplace jargon make these pages quite out of place with the rest of the novel, which races along at a fairly interesting pace, taking the reader through the lanes, bylanes, slums and police stations of Mumbai and its suburbs. That Jha is pretty familiar with the surroundings described, including the inhabitants and their respective vernacular, adds a credible touch to an outlandish storyline.
When senior police officer, Inspector Akurle is found dead at his desk, protagonist Inspector Virkar is assigned the job of solving the case. As he sifts through the scene of crime, Virkar discovers an old rusty compass box that contains the cryptic note, “Akurle is just the first to die. To find out who is next, find me first.”
Soon a series of murders follow, each revealing an old compass box with clues to the next victim. To add to the oomph element, Jha employs staple Bollyood masala in the figure of Raashi Hunerwal, an attractive TV journalist who accompanies Virkar more to abet her ambitious nature than for his engaging company.
Jha is comfortable in handling the elements of suspense and his use of local terminology will find empathy with all Hindi/Marathi-speaking readers. There is an earthy quality to his descriptions, whether of the diverse characters or the squalid surroundings of slums or even the sleazy all-night bars with their fair share of shady people.
As Virkar races to locate the next victim before the killer acts, the reader is taken from Mumbai and through its alleys to Khandala and even to Belgaum. Jha is smart enough to realise that to hold the reader&’s attention he needs to keep up the tight pace of action, and manages with adroit proficiency.
There are some similarities with Jha&’s earlier novel Mumbaistan: the stench of Mumbai&’s slums and marshes percolates even here, as do the seamy interiors of small police stations.
He seems quite enamoured by the archetypal “hero”: a beer guzzling (Godfather brand is mentioned a tad too many times), smart, super-intelligent police inspector, but also unreasonably derisive about women (thus making him even more “macho”?), at the same time laidback and solitary by nature: in fact Virkar himself is quite an enigma to unravel.
The plot that seemed so complex and filled with secrets and suspense in the beginning turns out to be quite inane when exposed. The murders that were so far removed from each other turn out to be linked by a short sequence of erotic asphyxiation, which had gone horribly wrong. Remember the beginning? As the loose ends are tied up and the “Smooth Operator” exposed, Jha links the term with an old ’80s number by Sade with the same name. Wonder how many readers will relate to it too, and I refer to the later generation. These are the chinks, so to say, in Jha&’s armour of crime fiction.
This novel is just right to pass the time waiting at the airport for a delayed flight, or even on a train journey. A fast page-turner, you will have finished reading it before you realise it. However, one word of advice, this is a book version of a complete out-and-out Bollywood thriller. So do what you would when you watch a flick: leave your logic and reasoning aside. Just enjoy the ride.
The reviewer is Assistant Features Editor of The Statesman
Compass Box Killer
By Piyush Jha
Rupa, Rs 195

Shyama Prasad Ganguly has done research on the subject since decades, and no other person could have brought together essays from so many authors and of such a variety of topics… A review by Martin Kämpchen
The reception Rabindranath Tagore was given in Spain has two defining moments. One, from 1915, the leading Spanish poet of his time, Juan Ramón Jiménez, took it upon himself to translate from English twenty volumes of Rabindranath’s work. This is without parallel anywhere. Two, when that same poet invited Rabindranath to Spain in 1921, he agreed, made preparations, postponed the visit several times, then fixed the date ~ and scrapped the visit a day before his expected arrival. It was a triumphant reception that was not to be. The entire cultural life of Spain slumped into a depression.
These two moments also dominate the book under review. It has two sections: The first is a reprint of a special number on Tagore of the journal Hispanic Horizon published in 1986-87; the second section collects essays which emerged from the celebrations of Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary in 2011. The first section unfolds the various aspects of how Rabindranath and the Spanish cultural élite connected and formed an emotional bond based on an assumed similar mentality. It is justified that Jiménez’ wife, Zenobia Camprubí, is honoured with a full article as she, when still a mere admirer and friend of Jiménez, introduced him to Rabindranath. It was she who did the first version of each translation after which Jiménez shaped with his poetic genius. I am also delighted to read the erudite essay on "Jiménez and Tagore" by Sisir Kumar Das, that doyen of Indian Literature who remains an unsung hero. It is of course a must that Victoria Ocampo’s link with Rabindranath is examined in three essays.
The second section is introduced by a brilliant essay written by the British Tagore scholar William Radice on "How Rabindranath Tagore Became Global and Spanish". It breaks new ground with a comparison of the Spanish painter Goya with Tagore’s "dark paintings". The book is edited by Shyama Prasad Ganguly, professor emeritus of the Centre of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Latin American Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has done research on the subject since decades, and no other person could have brought together essays from so many authors and of such a variety of topics.
The reviewer is a Tagore scholar, based in Santiniketan
The Kindred Voice: Reflections on Tagore in Spain and Latin America
Edited by Shyama Prasad Ganguly
Centre of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Latin American Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 2011, 221 pp.

sudipta chatterjee
WHEN then Viceroy and Governor-General of India Lord Curzon peremptorily requested Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee to visit England so that Britons could get some glimpses of the scholars produced by British education in India, he declined. All because his mother refused to allow him to make that sea voyage. Even when Curzon decreed, “Tell your mother the Viceroy and Governor-General of India commands her son to go,” Asutosh didn’t hesitate and replied, “Then I will say that Ashutosh Mookerjee refuses to be commanded by any other person except his mother, be he Viceroy or be he somebody higher still.”
   Perhaps this instance of his characteristic defiance of the powers-that-were was based on the strength of his enormous devotion to his mother. For his distinctive uncompromising attitude towards the British government, his exemplary courage, profound self-esteem and enduring academic integrity, this celebrated Bengali academician and illustrious educator – born on 29 June 1864 — came to be dubbed the “Tiger of Bengal”.
   The Asutosh Mookerjee Memorial Institute, established in 1927, is overseeing the celebration of his sesquicentennial birth anniversary from June 2013 in collaboration with Calcutta University and the state Government. Sir Asutosh&’s massive ancestral residence — a heritage building at 77, Asutosh Mookerjee Road — presently houses the Memorial Institute under whose aegis the Asutosh Memorial Library was established in 1927 and Asutosh Memorial Hall was set up in 1935, adjacent to the library.
   One of the most dynamic entities of the evolution of Indian education, Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee (1864-1924) was of a towering personality and remarkable managerial acumen. Son of the well-known doctor, Ganga Prasad Mookerjee, founder of South Suburban School in Kolkata, and father of the famous Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, he was born in Bowbazar in the heart of the city. Brought up in an atmosphere of science and literature at home, the young Asutosh exhibited an early aptitude for mathematics.
  When he was still young, he met Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, who was a source of major inspiration. In 1879, when he was just 15, he passed the entrance exam of Calcutta University. In 1880, he was admitted to the widely famed Presidency College and had luminaries like PC Ray and Narendranath Dutta (later Swami Vivekananda) as classmates. In 1883, he came first in the BA examination at Calcutta University and was awarded the Premchand-Roychand scholarship to complete a postgraduate degree in mathematics. In 1885, he majored in mathematics and also acquired a postgraduation in physics, becoming the first student to be awarded a dual degree from Calcutta University. In 1886, he did his Masters in physical science. Rejecting a job offer in the Department of Public Instruction for the purpose of completing his Bachelor of Law degree, he found the time to publish prolific papers on issues in mathematics and physics.
   Lord Curzon&’s education mission in 1902 identified the universities, and Calcutta University especially, as centres of sedition where young people formed networks of resistance to colonial domination. The cause of this was considered to be the granting of autonomy to these universities in the 19th century. Thus, during 1905-1935, the colonial administration tried to reinstate government control of education.
   At the age of 24, Ashutosh Mookerjee had become a Fellow of Calcutta University and soon transformed it into a great teaching and research institution. He had an eye for talent and among his “discoveries” were Dr CV Raman and Dr S Radhakrishnan. He became the Indian vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta for four consecutive two-year terms (1906-1914) and a fifth two-year term (1921-23), dominating university affairs throughout his life. In 1923, however, when Lord Lytton tried to impose conditions on his reappointment as vice-chancellor, Mookerjee indignantly refused the post.
   Mookerjee was responsible for the foundation of the Bengal Technical Institute in 1906 and the Calcutta University College of Science in 1914. The Calcutta Mathematical Society was also founded by him in 1908 and he served as its founder president during 1908-1923. He was the first president of the inaugural session of the Indian Science Congress in 1914 and South Suburban College was renamed Asutosh College in 1927.
   Mookerjee had an innovative vision about the kind of education youth needed and he had the insight, tenacity and grit to wrest the requisite resources from his colonial masters. He set up several new academic graduate programmes, like comparative literature, anthropology, applied psychology, industrial chemistry, ancient Indian history and culture as well as Islamic culture. He also made arrangements for postgraduate teaching and research in Bengali, Hindi, Pali and Sanskrit. The diverse range of subjects offered by Calcutta University today is evidently the harnessing of his concerted efforts. Scholars from all over India, irrespective of race, caste and gender, came to study and teach in the university. He even persuaded European scholars to teach at his university. For his contribution to education, the government of India issued a stamp in his honour in 1964.
  Mookerjee was a member of the 1917-1919 Sadler Commission, presided over by Michael Ernest Sadler, which investigated the status of Indian education. He was three times president of the Asiatic Society and in 1910 of the Imperial (now National) Library Council. He donated his entire personal collection of 80,000 books to the library. Learned and conversant in Pali, French and Russian, he was awarded the titles of “Saraswati” and “Shastravachaspati” by the pandits of Bengal for his service to Indian education. Mookerjee was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Star of India in June 1909 and knighted in December 1911.
The fight never went out of Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, in spite of all the opposition he faced because of his innovative dreams. “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds,” Einstein had once remarked famously.
   Sir Ashutosh died suddenly in 1924 at Patna, soon after losing a fiercely contested Hindu law inheritance case to the Shia Bihari barrister, Syed Hasan Imam. The epitaph beneath his marble bust at the Ashutosh Museum of Arts at the University of Calcutta reads, “His noblest achievement, surest of them all/A place for his mother tongue — in his stepmother&’s hall”. French scholar Sylvan Levi&’s observation makes fitting conclusion, “Had this Bengal Tiger been born in France, he would have exceeded even Georges Clemenceau, the French Tiger.”
 

threety irani & nilufer babaycon
*  My college life is just going to begin and I am very excited about trying new clothes and make-up. I would like to know what minimum make-up I must carry with me for a quick do.
Aisha Sultania, Bengaluru
Yes, starting college is the beginning of a new phase of your life and so exciting. The minimum make-up you should use is a sunscreen (and not a foundation) on your face and neck. The best is to play up your eyes with a liner on the top lid and kajal on the lower lid. Use plenty of mascara. It helps to open up your eyes and make them look bigger. Use a lip-gloss and avoid dark lipsticks and blushers. Eyeshadow during the day is a definite no-no. As you do not need to carry much make-up, just take a long a lipgloss and sunscreen to reapply once or twice during the day.

*  I had an operation a few years back and am left with nasty stitch marks that refuse to fade. Is there anything I can apply to lighten the marks?
S Venkatesh, Cochin
These marks take years to fade – that is, if they do so at all. Today the scars can be removed or made to look less obvious. See a cosmetic surgeon for this problem.

* I am a young woman in my mid-20s. My hair is falling at an alarming rate. Also, it refuses to grow beyond a certain length. Is there any way I can check this problem?
Yana Chatterjee, Bhubaneshwar
First, you have to find out what the cause of loss is due to. It could be because of dandruff or that you are run down in health or have a low haemoglobin count. Stress and tension could also be the cause, so pause for a while and take a look at your lifestyle. If you are overdoing things, try to see where you can cut down on activities. Also try to learn the art of relaxing. Yoga and meditation are the things you can learn to do. If your hair is frizzy and dry, you will find that it grows at a very slow pace and these is very little you can do about it. If you have been having too many chemical treatments, such as perming, straightening or colouring, ease off for a while as they can be harmful if not done correctly. See a professional therapist or a trichologist to find out what is wrong and follow their instructions carefully.

*  I am 50 and have had dark circles around my eyes for years. I maintain a healthy diet and am quite fit for my age. Is there any remedy for this?
N Bhattacharya, Kolkata
Dark circles are quite difficult to get rid off – especially if they are due to a hereditary factor. This problem could run in families. Fortunately, there are some remedies but you will have to be persistent and patient.
Use a day cream specially formulated for the area around the eyes. Use an eye serum too – these are light and can be absorbed easily by the fine skin around the eyes. Cold cucumber or potato slices can be put on the lids for about 15-20 minutes daily. Remove and wipe the area well with moist cotton wool.
If the skin around your eyes is dry, then you will need specific eye creams to get good results. Use dark glasses when you go out in the sun.

PLANNING to renovate your home but in a muddle because of the different lifestyle brands coming up? After all, home is where one retreats to at the end of the day, so it&’s got to be a warm, comforting place. It&’s also true renovation is a very unique way of flaunting your personality among peers, colleagues and friends.
  That being the case, H&R Johnson (India) could be the solution for all your problems. From tiles, bathroom products, engineered marble and quartz to modular kitchen appliances, they have it all. Like brand ambassador Katrina Kaif says, “I’m happy to be associated with Johnson, one of the most trusted and globally renowned home lifestyle brands. My home is my personal space. It&’s my retreat and at the end of a long day at work, it always feels good to be home.”

Click it
Portronics launches its latest wireless mouse, Bean, with a micro USB dongle stored inside. It comes in three attractive dual colours — black and grey, white and blue, black and white — with exclusive four DPI settings that range between 500-1,750 and is suitable for both artists and gamers. Price: Rs 999.

Value for money
Tupperware announces the launch of its water filter that is hassle-free, portable and involves a three-layer filtration process that removes visible contaminants, chlorine, bacteria and viruses. Made of food-grade virgin plastic, it provides a unique customised cartridge that incorporates HaloPure technology. Priced at Rs 3,200, it comes with a lifetime guarantee on Tupperware plastic parts and service assurance.

No-gray guarantee
Berina has designed a new Symple hair colour cream that will not only colour but also mend damaged hair and transform it into a smooth and silky fall. Containing no ammonia, its hydrolysed collagen will cover your 100 per cent gray hair within 10-30 minutes. For both men and women, it is available in five shades in 120-gm pack at Rs 350.

Popcorn evolution
Bored of the same old plain buttered popcorn? 4700BC, India&’s first gourmet popcorn brand, brings to you more than 18 evolved flavours in cheese, caramel, chocolate and candy variants. Choose from Italian-herbed golden cheese, tex-mex salsa golden cheese and magical rainbow potpourri to nutty tuxedo choco-all-ate. All come in various packaging options such as signature bags, gift tins and baskets and corporate tins.  For details, visit www.4700BCPopcorn.com.

Easy to monitor
Paramount Surgimed Ltd has launched a digital blood pressure monitor that comes with an LCD display with fuzzy logic inflation and controlled deflation, with easy-to-read in-progress results. It measures pulse rate and detects and alerts on irregular heartbeats. It is equipped with a World Heath Organisation indicator. Price: Rs 4,200 and Rs 4,000 for the Digital BP monitor (arm and talking) respectively. The anaroid one costs Rs 1,100.

Alluring impact
Fossil’s latest timepieces, Wonderful Whites combines simplistic, easy-to-wear fashion with a refined edge in super chic white trend, for both men and women. Inspired by vintage men’s pocket watches, the chic ES3276 has a delicate white strap, paired with an oversized round dial with three hand movement. Striking, modern with oversized lugs the stark white JR1423 is a timepiece with a masculine vibe. Price: Rs 4,995 onwards, available at all leading watch retailers across the country.

Exhilarating experience
Simmtronics unveils India&’s first gaming tablet – the XPad X-Q1 — that comes with a four-in-one multiple video viewing option and Quad Core processor. It runs on android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is powered by 1.0 Ghz. Available in all stores along with e-commerce web portal snapdeal.com.
Price: Rs 15,,999.

What&’s with Madonna and her niqab, asks david wyatt
THE Queen of Pop is at it again. Madonna loves touting a gun or wearing fishnets and spandex at an age when most of us prefer to cover up. But her latest outfit is more controversial still. She has been pictured wearing a chainmail mask resembling a niqab — a face veil worn by Muslim women. The star posted a photo from her forthcoming photoshoot with Harper&’s Bazaar magazine on Instagram and Facebook, accompanied by the line, “The Revolution of Love is on… Inshallah (Arabic for “God willing”)”.
It is unclear what message Madonna, who is well known for her humanitarian work with women in developing countries and as an exponent of the Kabbalah religion, meant to send via her new look. Some fans have interpreted the chainmail mask as a message of empowerment to women, but one Instagram user said, “You think this message is empowering to women…? If this was a woman who really wanted to empower other females, she could do this in many other ways… When did gagging women make them feel good?”
Other fans have suggested that Madonna&’s chainmail mask is a direct criticism of the oppression suffered by women in some Islamic countries. Bill Paul Buttuls wrote on Facebook, “Are you saying the burqa is ‘trapping’ women?” And Ccim Le Bon commented, “Burqa covers even the eyes… and this is the NIQAB… the message is not clear… what do you mean, queen?”
While the majority of fans posted positive comments about the outfit, and the odd joke about the Queen of Pop raiding Lady Gaga&’s wardrobe, others found the photograph “disappointing” and “ reductive”.
the independent, london

pradip chatterjee
KOLKATA, 6 JULY: The state government is losing crores of rupees as revenue from land owners are not being collected as the state Land and Land Reforms Department does not have the necessary records.
Senior officials of the department said up to April 2013 out of a total of 33 lakh odd land owners, only nine lakh are paying tax in North 24-Parganas.
A key document called Register II which was maintained by the department till late 70’s was scrapped after the Left Front government took a pro-people stance and exempted some of the land owners from paying revenue. As a result, during the past few decades the government suffered huge loss in terms of revenue generation.
After coming to power, the new government stressed on revenue collection. It is now a hard task for the officials of the Land and Land Reforms Department to identify the land owners or raiyats whose revenues are pending as the department did not maintain the Register II for a long time.
The Register II gives an official a detailed idea about the names of raiyats, total amount of land owned by an individual, their revenue arrears. Officials in the department said if the raiyats voluntarily come forward to submit their revenues and other cesses, then only can the department collect the revenue. If a customer fails to produce any previous document showing that he/she had submitted a portion of the land revenue earlier, he/she has to pay revenue from the beginning. The government has no infrastructure to collect cess and revenue if they do not come forward voluntarily to submit the dues.
It has often been alleged that some bhumi sahayaks, the officials who collect revenue from the raiyats in the block level, do not maintain the necessary documents. Dwaipayan Khasnobis, general secretary, Paschim Banga Bhumi o Bhumi Sanskar Adhikarik Samiti, said: "The software to maintain land records must be upgraded so that officials can have detailed information of the raiyats. Opinions of the department officials who have vast knowledge of the field should be considered by seniors."
A senior official of the department who preferred anonymity refused to admit that Register II was not properly maintained leading to a huge loss in the revenue collection.

statesman news service
KAMDUNI (North 24-Parganas), 6 JULY: A month after the Kamduni rape and murder the victim’s family is still apprehensive of leaving home for work or to attend school apprehending a volley of “unwelcome questions”. 
The victim’s father, who is the sole bread earner of the family and works as a mason, stopped going to work from the day his only daughter was raped and murdered. As a result, the family now has to depend on relatives and neighbours. 
“Whenever I think of going back to work, faces of my co-workers asking awkward questions comes to my mind. I don’t have the strength to face the situation that may surface,” he said. 
The victim’s mother is yet to overcome the trauma and get back to a normal life. She broke into tears recollecting the days when she used to see her daughter prepare for her examinations in their one-room-home.   
The couple cried saying they won’t get their daughter back, but the culprits should be punished. 
The victim’s brother, a student in a local school, has stopped going to school since the incident. Neither the school authority nor local representatives of any political party has come forward to help the boy continue his studies. When asked, the victim’s brother said: “I feel that someone may attack me if I go out of the village to participate in the rallies demanding justice for my sister.” 
The headmaster of the school, however, passed the buck to the school’s managing committee saying no one had informed them yet about the boy’s problem and that they can’t take any steps without discussing it with members of the managing committee. 
The only silver lining in the situation is that the entire village, irrespective of their political affiliation, has joined hands to demand justice for the girl.

LONDON, 6 JULY: Immune response to the tuberculosis bacterium varies between patients of different ethnic origin, raising important implications for the development of tests to diagnose and monitor treatment for the disease.
The study, led by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London, in collaboration with the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), analysed the immune response of 128 newly-diagnosed TB patients in London who were divided by ethnicity into those of African (45), European (27), Asian (55) or mixed European/Asian (1) ancestry.
TB remains a major global health problem, responsible for nearly nine million new cases and 1.4million deaths in 2011, researchers said.
By analysing the levels of various inflammatory markers in blood samples taken before treatment, the scientists showed that immune responses of Asians and Europeans were similar to each other, but different from those of Africans.
This difference was caused by ethnic variation in the patients’ genetic make-up and was not related to the strain of TB bacterium that the patients were infected with.
“The TB bacterium has co-evolved with humans following migration to Europe and Asia some 70,000 years ago, and different strains of the TB bacterium disproportionately infect particular ethnic groups,” Dr Adrian Martineau, Reader in Respiratory Infection and Immunity at the Blizard Institute, part of Queen Mary, who led the research, said.
Experiments with white blood cells cultured in the lab have shown that different strains of the TB bacterium elicit different amounts of inflammation.
One might therefore expect that TB patients’ immune responses would differ according to the strain of TB bacterium that they are infected with.
“However our study has shown, for the first time, that it is actually ethnic differences in the patient&’s genetic make-up that cause most of this variation in immune responses    with little effect of the TB strain they are infected with, researchers said.
By analysing blood samples taken from 85 of the original cohort after an eight-week period of intensive treatment, the researchers found that ethnic variation in immune responses became even more marked.  pti

Trinamul govt symbolises failure of democracy
SIR, ~ Apropos the editorial, “Onward to polls” (4 July), the elected representatives are expected to protect the basic rights of the people.  The Trinamul government has failed on this score. It is a politically-driven administration. It symbolizes the failure of democracy. It has insulted the people&’s mandate.
It is a virtual anarchy. The government is trying to muzzle the media. Rural governance can suffer if the panchayats are not elected on time. Given the circumstances, only the judiciary can act as the guardian-cum-protector of the people.    The Supreme Court has seen through the political conspiracy. Hence the ruling on the revision petition that the elections will be held during the Ramzan. Mira Pande, the State Election Commissioner, has led from the front. Mamata Banerjee should draw a lesson from her joust with the SEC.
yours, etc. uttam k bhowmik, tamluk, 4 july.
Constitutional certitudes
SIR, ~    This refers to your editorial, “Onward to polls” (4 July). You have rightly described the Supreme Court&’s verdict as a victory of  constitutional certitudes. The Trinamul counsel&’s claim ~ “it is a victory for the state government as ultimately the panchayat poll, which the State Election Commissioner had wanted to stop, will be held” ~ is a specious argument. There is no denying that the Supreme Court&’s order is a  rebuff for the state government which has been pulled up for “dilly-dallying” on the issue. The Supreme Court has upheld the primacy of the SEC in the conduct of elections, as enshrined in the Constitution. It has accepted the commission&’s contention that it would not be possible to hold peaceful elections in the prevailing circumstances as adequate security personnel were not available.  The court has increased the number of phases from three to five. The election will be held with the support of central forces. The state police has lost its neutrality; it functions as a stooge of the ruling party.
As per constitutional provisions, the panchayat election ought to have been completed before the expiry of the tenure of the existing boards. But the Mamata-led government unnecessarily stirred a controversy over primacy, the deployment of central forces and the number of phases. This has resulted in inordinate delay. The Supreme Court verdict has ended her dream to seize the power of the panchayats with handpicked administrators.
yours, etc., s s paul, chakdaha (nadia ), 4 july.
Defective chargesheet
SIR, ~ In another jolt to the ruling party, the fast-track judge of Barasat court has faulted the chargesheet submitted by the CID in the Kamduni rape and murder case. It appears that the CID, under instructions of its political masters, had framed the  chargesheet in a manner that would ensure an escape route for the main accused, said to be a brother of a local Trinamul leader. There was also an attempt to make Saiful an approver in the case. The fact that Calcutta High Court will monitor the investigation is an endorsement of the observations of the fast-track judge. Under the circumstances, only a CBI enquiry can nail the actual culprits. The ruling party cannot subvert the Constitution and the rule of law.
yours, etc., anil kumar choudhury, kalyani, 4 july.