India Today - 16 July 2012

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LeT TERRORIST ZABIUDDIN ANSARI ALIAS ABU JUNDAL
THE SECRETPLOT
Ansaris arrest exposes a sinister conspiracy to deflect responsibility from Pakistan towards Indians in the Mumbai terror outrage
TO BLAME INDIA
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Editor-in-Chief: Aroon Purie Chief Executive Officer: Ashish Bagga Editorial Director: M.J. Akbar Editor: Kaveree Bamzai Managing Editor: S. Prasannarajan Deputy Editors: Damayanti Datta, Dhiraj Nayyar, Shantanu Guha Ray Senior Editors: Prachi Bhuchar, S. Sahaya Ranjit, Priya Sahgal, Sandeep Unnithan, Devesh Kumar AHMEDABAD: Uday Mahurkar HYDERABAD: Amarnath K. Menon Photo Editor: T. Narayan Associate Editors: Bhavna Vij-Aurora, Shafi Rahman THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: M.G. Radhakrishnan Assistant Editors: Abdus Salam BANGALORE: Sowmya Aji CHANDIGARH: Asit Jolly MUMBAI: Kiran Tare JAIPUR: Rohit Parihar PATNA: Amitabh Srivastava Principal Correspondent: CHENNAI: Lakshmi Kumaraswami Senior Correspondents: Shravya Jain GUWAHATI: Kaushik Deka MUMBAI: Nishat Bari Copy Desk: Archana Pande, Monalisa S. Arthur (Copy Editors), Priyadarshini Sen Photo Department: Subir Halder, Yasbant Negi, Vikram Sharma, Reuben Singh AHMEDABAD: Shailesh Raval CHENNAI: H.K. Rajashekar MUMBAI: Mandar Deodhar, Bhaskar Paul, Rashmi Hajela (Chief Photo Researcher) Infographics and Illustrations: Saurabh Singh (Chief of Graphics) Art Department: Madhu Bhaskar (Art Director), Madhumangal Singh, Vandana Nayar, Jyoti K. Singh (Deputy Art Directors), Vipin Gupta, Pushvinder Kaur, Shipra Rathoria Production Department: Surinder Hastu (Chief of Production), Harish Aggarwal, Naveen Gupta Chief of Information Bureau: Rajesh Sharma Group Business Head : Manoj Sharma Associate Publisher: Anil Fernandes (Impact) IMPACT TEAM Senior General Managers: Sonal Pandey (West and South), Kaustav Chatterjee (East), V. Somasundaram (Chennai), Jitendra Lad (West) Head (North): Dipayan Chowdhary Consumer Marketing Services: Poonam Sangha, Head - Consumer Services Sales and Operations: D.V.S. Rama Rao, Chief General Manager Vinod Das, Senior General Manager (National) Rajesh Menon, General Manager (West) Deepak Bhatt, General Manager (South) Rakesh Sharma, General Manager (Operations)
Volume XXXVII Number 29; For the week July 10-16, 2012, released on July 9
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he night of November 26 in 2008 still burns bright in national memory, as a reminder of how India survived, and at what cost, one of the biggest terrorist attacks in history. For 60 hours, as Indias iconic metropolis burned, it was jihad played out live to a stunned nation. Mumbai 26/11, which took a toll of 166 lives, exposed the innovative strategies, audacity and perseverance of the attackers. The trial of Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani survivor among the terrorists, revealed Pakistans involvement in the origin, planning and execution of the attack. The 1,522-page judgment by Justice M.L. Tahaliyani contained deadly details about Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the training of the terrorists in Pakistani camps. Later, what David Coleman Headley, the America-born LeT scout, told his interrogators further elaborated how ISI, the Pakistani intelligence, supervised the attack on India at every stage. Even as all the roads from 26/11 converged in Islamabad, Pakistan continued to obfuscate the issue despite New Delhis demands for cooperation. That said, India post-26/11 was not exactly America in the wake of 9/11. There was hardly an India united, politically and emotionally, standing up to the enemy. Even before the embers of Mumbai died down, sections of the political class and the intelligentsia were busy fabricating conspiracy theories. The killing of Hemant Karkare, chief of Maharashtras Anti-Terrorism Squad who was leading the investigations into the 2008 Malegaon blasts which implicated some Hindu extremists, was enough for them to see the hidden hand of saffron terrorism behind 26/11. The public utterances of some Congress leaders and the conspiracy-peddling by a section of the Urdu press were as ridiculousand irresponsibleas the theory that 9/11 was a Zionist plot. That is exactly what Pakistan OUR DECEMBER wanted to hear from India, and the conspiracy theorists 2008 COVER played straight into Islamabads propaganda. The recent arrest of Syed Zabiuddin Ansari, also known as Abu Jundal, an Indian who was travelling with a fake Pakistani passport, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, now confirms the Pakistani plot to put the blame for 26/11 on India. Ansari, who had been absconding from India since 2006, was on the list of 50 fugitives New Delhi wanted from Pakistan. His value has increased ever since Kasab named one Abu Jundal as one of the controllers of 26/11 operation based in Karachi. After he entered Saudi Arabia last summer, India has been using all its diplomatic skills to get him deported from the Arab kingdom, Pakistans most influential ally and benefactor. That the Saudis finally handed over Ansari to India speaks volumes about how the best of bilateral relations are no guarantee for the safety of an international terrorist, who is increasingly getting isolated everywhere except in Pakistan. Even as we go to the press, Ansari, from a safe house in Delhi, is telling his interrogators more dramatic details about how ISI collaborated with LeT on 26/11. Our cover story, written by Senior Editor Sandeep Unnithan with bureau reports, exposes how the Ansari story blows the lid off the secret Pakistani plot to make 26/11 an India-based conspiracy. It also shows how wrong it was for certain politicians and media to exploit the attack on India for short-term vote-bank benefits. The latest revelation only confirms that Pakistan is yet to come clean on its role as a protector and promoter of extraterritorial terrorism even as the two countries make the right noises about building a harmonious relationship. The ghost of 26/11 will continue to haunt us till the real culprits own up their crime.
All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only
(Aroon Purie)
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JULY 16, 2012 INDIA TODAY
10
Inside
C OV E R STO RY M U M B A I AT TAC K
N AT I O N
KARNATAKA
18
The Secret Plot to Blame India
Ansaris arrest exposes a sinister conspiracy to deflect responsibility from Pakistan towards Indians in the Mumbai terror outrage.
38 42
Y eddyurappa Pulls the Plug
Former chief minister wants his successor replaced. BJP has no choice but to agree.
N AT I O N
NIIRA RADIA
Shes Back in the Game
Controversial lobbyist Niira Radia returns to corporate PR, advises Adanis and the Sahara Group.
S P EC I A L R E P O R T
ECONOMY
CINEMA
MALAYALAM MOVIES
34
Can PM Do What Pranab Could Not?
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, now doubling as finance minister, wants to revive the animal spirits of the economy. Time and political compulsions are likely to defeat him.
60
THE BIG STORY
WAT E R C R I S I S
The Bawdy and the Beautiful
Kissing onscreen, female leads who liberally mouth the F-word, and an impotent hero. Malayalam cinema pushes the envelope.
26
02
Boiling Point
10 14 58 62
UP FRONT GLASS HOUSE CONTROVERSY GLOSSARY
The prospect of a lean monsoon is not the only worry. Depletion of groundwater and population pressure spell a grim future for India. Expect water wars ahead.
Cover concept by: DEV KABIR MALIK
INDIA TODAY JULY 16, 2012
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BYWORD
M.J. AKBAR
The Pak-Saudi relationship found its true historic moment traws dont float in the winds of international diplomacy because a sudden gust has risen on a lazy afternoon. during the 10-year Afghan war against the Soviet Union, They are sent up there to check the weather at funded by Saudis, armed by America, and conducted by various levels of a turbulent atmosphere. If a straw does President Zia-ul-Haq, who might have been put into power encounter too much friction and gets burnt out, no great from a Riyadh casting couch. When the Soviets were driven deal: It was only a straw. But if it floats and finds a destina- out in 1989, there was still the future of Afghanistan to worry tion then it becomes an asset in the construction of a bridge, about. In 1994 Pakistan launched the Taliban; by 1996 the sometimes between nations divided by a sea of differences, Taliban had taken Kabul. Pakistan had not only extended its strategic space to the rear, the perennial dream of its military rather than merely a gulf of irritations. In 1947, the Arab world watched the emergence of establishment, it had also turned this into Islamic space. Pakistan and India with wary interest. Its more vibrant parts, Pakistan, UAE and Saudi Arabia were the only three nations like Egypt, were weighed by their own dilemmas; not least of to recognise the Taliban government. The Saudi ship of state turns at a glacial pace, but the them being imposed monarchs who gave orders to Cairo and took orders from London. Indias first prime minister straws began to float with greater frequency after 9/11 zeroed Jawaharlal Nehru took an active dislike to Egypts King the war against terrorism into the AfPak region. Riyadh began Farouk, which may explain his disproportionate fondness for to praise the rising economies of China and India. I recall a Gamal Nasser, who overthrew the royals in what must surely startling statement by a Saudi minister made in Islamabad: be among the more polite coups in history. A defining moment Indian Muslims, he argued, were not a minority, but equal came in 1956 when secular Nehru supported Nasser during citizens of their nation. This would have tweaked an ear or two the Anglo-French-Israeli invasion of Suez and Islamic in the land created of the two-nation theory. In 2006 King Pakistan stood by Britain. As one Arab commentator tartly Abdullah raised the profile with his state visit to India. And yet there was a long step to the point where Saudis noted, The Pakistanis think that Islam was born in 1947. But Saudi Arabia, deeply enmeshed in the Western would hand over Syed Zabiuddin Ansari, alias Abu Jundal, embrace, had little time for left radicalism, whether genuine wanted by India for his crucial role in the planning and or pseudo. It was drawn to Pakistan by both religion and pol- operations of the Mumbai terror carnage. Ansari had gone itics, not to mention geopolitics. Pakistan positioned itself as to Saudi Arabia, with help from his Pakistani mentors, for a frontline state against Soviet communism (though not safety; he discovered that Saudi interrogators wanted to China), long before the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan did know what he knew. Only when Saudis were convinced that his Pakistani passport was fake, and indeed make it a borderline case. SAURABH SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com that he was an Indian, did they send Saudi kings are also, as rulers of him back to face trial in his own counMecca and Medina, Custodian of the try. They knew Ansari would severely Two Holy Mosques. They were atdamage Pakistans game of deflect tracted as well by Pakistans claim to and deceive over Mumbai. They chose be a fortress of the faith between to cooperate with India at the expense Hindu-dominated South Asia and of Pakistan. This is not an individual Atheist-Communist Central Asia. decision. This is policy; and therefore Few nations have been as skilful the start of a process. as Pakistan in exploiting the uses of It is facile to suggest that they did so adversity. It turned the period beunder American pressure. Riyadh is not tween two wars, of Bangladesh in a cardboard government. King Abdullah 1971 and Afghanistan in 1979, into a is convinced that such demons are as indecade of resurrection. The strategic jurious to the stability of Saudi Arabia as relationship between Saudi Arabia they are to India. He has also ripped and Pakistan was cemented to seemapart one of the great falsehoods propaingly unbreakable levels. Saudi supKing Abdullah is convinced such gated by many Muslim terrorists: That port financed the Pakistani nuclear they had the sanction of faith. They never programme, advertised then as an demons are as injurious to the Islamic bomb. Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttos stability of Saudi Arabia as they are did. They do not now. They never will. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will Lahore Islamic conference in 1974 to India. He has also ripped apart remain the closest of friends, and the was a phenomenal success, and lives the great falsehood propagated by best of allies. But the Saudis have on both in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and in symbols scattered many Muslim terrorists: That they ensured that it will not live outside the had the sanction of faith. parameters of law and world order. across Pakistani cities.
NO KINGDOM FOR KILLERS
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Mail
Messpot of Despots
J U LY 2 , 2 0 1 2
Corrupt politicians, obdurate judges and compromised journalists have driven Pakistans crumbling democracy to despair.
It is ironic that Pakistan is still called a democracy with so much of debauchery perpetrated by their politicians, the media and the judiciary.
K.C. KUMAR,
Bangalore
Future Tense
Pakistan is no stranger to constitutional crises; it has been struggling through it since 1947 (Messpot of Despots, July 2). The present controversial ruling marks another attempt of the judiciary to assert itself as an institution that towers above a weak, ineffective civilian government and an opaque, intrusive military. Pakistan today showcases a sorry spectacle in the comity of nations with its head of state the fountainhead of corruption. Asif Ali Zardari may have got away for now with the prime ministers job sacrificed in the process. Pakistan being Pakistan, this isnt the end of the story, only another chapter in its turbulent political history.
MEGHANA. A, UK
Fall of the Indian Idol

A few friendly tips to a friend have disgraced Rajat Gupta, the poster boy of the corporate world (Indian Verdict in America, July 2). The insider-trading scandal has brought the world crashing down around him. Rajat Gupta was one of the earliest Indians to bring alive the quintessential American dream and his trailblazing career had in fact paved the way for many others from the subcontinent to strike big.
KAMAL KISHORE, Patna
Given the brilliant corporate track record of Rajat Gupta and his philanthropic activities in the US, the court ought to take a lenient view of his lapses and sentence him to a lighter punishment. He doesnt seem to have gained anything through insider trading. He has only lost all the respect he had earned over the years.
RADHA MARY, Delhi
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AP PHOTO
Yousuf Raza Gilanis exit from power comes as a blow to an already besieged democratic consolidation in Pakistan. The neighbour nation once again experiences devastating consequences of politics. As the authorities withdrew security to Gilanis son contesting Multan bypoll as PPP candidate, Pakistans new prime minister, on the other hand, retained most key members of the Gilani Cabinet in the same position. The hypocrisy of governance is not easily understandable to the common man.
RAMESH SINHA, Gurgaon
An unstable Pakistan will jeopardise world peace and its immediate neighbours face the maximum danger. The Frankenstein monster created by Pakistan in the form of
Mail
terrorism is bouncing back on its creator. Its India-centric policies are ultimately working against it. One can only wish that a country like United States of America takes control of Pakistans nuclear installations and reins in the disruptive elements before the condition gets out of control.
R.K. MISHRA, www.intoday.com
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Manmohan Singhs name for president. Pranab Mukherjee has failed as finance minister. Inflation is virtually beyond control. Besides, his wrong policies are responsible for laying hurdles in the path of economic growth. The economist Prime Minister should take over as finance minister.
MAHESH KUMAR, Mumbai
very easy to fall into the trap of vices, but very difficult to come out of it. Youngsters should avoid bad company for their own sake. A casual, just-for-fun drink could turn into a nightmarish addiction and thus destroy all the possibilities of creating a noble and meaningful life in future.
V.K. TANGRI, Dehradun
YEARS AGO IN INDIA TO DAY
AUGUST 16-31, 197 7
A Start for Bigger Things?

Was Mrs Indira Gandhis threeday trip to Paunar (70 km from Nagpur) a prelude to her re-entry into active politics? Despite her statement that she did not discuss politics with Vinoba Bhave, her contradictory statements to the press and public, and her proposed country-wide tour in September, beginning with a trip to her constituency Rae Bareli, has increasingly led observers to speculate about her staging a comeback. Apparently, Mrs Gandhi went to Paunar for inspiration. This was her first officially announced trip out of New Delhi since she stepped down in March. She went to Haridwar once with her family to meet her spiritual guru Anandmai. Perhaps, Anandmai predicted that Mrs Gandhi would stage a comeback and the Paunar trip is part of a well-conceived plan to recharge her spiritual batteries for the task ahead. Whatever her intentions, she received a tumultuous welcome at Nagpur Airport by a 7,000-strong crowd on July 24. Mrs Gandhi stopped twice to give spontaneous speeches. She said in one of her speeches that she knew the people were waiting for her to move. But you should move, she said. Unless you move, no movement can succeed. I will follow. At the ashram she met Vinoba Bhave seven times. The first meeting lasted only four minutes. The others over an hour. None revealed the nature or subjects discussed.
by Vijay Phanshikar
MRS GANDHI WITH VINOBA BHAVE
Political Battle
Drastic poll reforms are necessary before the Lok Sabha elections due in the year 2014. This is crucial towards ensuring that an era of blackmail alliance politics is not possible (The Countdown Begins, July 2). The prime minister and chief ministers should be elected by secret and compulsory vote of all members of the Lower House on nominations signed by at least onethird members. Such an elected leader may be removed by the same process but with the naming of the alternate leader in the same motion mandatory. To avoid members racing for ministerial berths, the system should be such that only those persons as prime minister, chief ministers and ministers who might not have contested any election in last six years.
MADHU AGRAWAL, Delhi
Drinking Young
The increasing problem of drinking is mainly because of lack of parental guidance (Is Young India Drunk?, July 2). We have become too busy in our lives, leaving our children to fend for themselves. Teenagers resort to drinking and crimes due to poor upbringing and a callous attitude. Today, students consider drinking and late-night parties as trendy, and parents turn a blind eye to the indiscipline of their children. The answer lies in exemplary punishments, meted out fast. Schools and colleges must also play their part in ethical growth of the personality of children. The backbone of future India can be saved only by collective action.
R.D. SINGH, Haryana
Games People Play

It is very sad and unfortunate that personal egos have become greater than national pride (Double Fault, July 2). We all know that Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi remain our best bet in mens doubles tennis event at London and that is why All India Tennis Association (AITA) chose them to represent the nation but had to give in to the demands of Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna. The kind of immaturity these players have shown may have spoiled our chances of winning a medal. And it has set a very wrong example for our young players.
BAL GOVIND, Noida
Mamata Banerjee was right in recommending
The rat race for money, power and prestige has distanced parents from their wards. They have no time to see what their children are up to. It is
Tennis today smacks of an attempt to please all by compromise. It is at its lowest ebb ever. If AITA has displayed a lack of spine, our tennis players like Bhupathi and Bopanna have exhibited a shocking self-centredness.
MOTUPALLI S. PRASAD, Chennai
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UP FRONT
ABHISHEK PODDAR
The effect of our failing museums is immediately ndias growing economy, booming businesses and expanding middle class are often commented upon, but tangible, as art works are deteriorating through a lack of are these really the criteria by which we should be care and attention, and also philosophicalin the sense judging our progress? Shouldnt a country truly be able to that the study of art can instil a feeling of context, pride call itself a leading nation only when it has an enlightened and intellectual inquiry in the nation. Rather than attitude towards its art and cultural heritage, as well as encouraging us to take an interest in art and antiques, its economic development? Unless there is a drastic the current system inhibits private collectors and change in approach towards the future of our dealers through endless red tape and archaic laws which museums, we are at the risk of turning India into a dictate that complex registrations and forms be filled Potemkin Village, whereby a cultural vacuum lurks each time anything above 100 years old is bought, transferred or even transported. Without becoming a behind a glossy facade of development. Indeed, there is no shortage of glitzy shopping malls plausible place for the art trade to operate, and thus filled with relics of economic power, but when it comes to without a community of specialists, enthusiasts and spaces of true integrity, we in India fall embarrassingly professionals, the art world in India will lack the grassshort. By maintaining the status quo, we will lose not only roots foundations it needs to progress. Whilst the current state of affairs is being increasingly priceless art works, but also the wide range of cultural acknowledged, relatively few initiatives have been activity that such objects encourage and inspire. From major institutions in the capital to smaller proposed to tackle the problem. These currently focus museums around the country, the idea of preservation, around staff development and consultancy through tie-ins presentation and curating are well below international with international bodies like the British Museum and standards and seem instead to belong to another century, the Art Institute of Chicago. The impetus for such schemes when it was merely enough to put objects in cabinets, is commendable, but how much do these partner with no further thought to how to bring them to life. institutions really understand the unique challenges of Museum staff are under-qualified, uninterested and Indias government infrastructure? It is perhaps time we looked beyond the state and few in number. Acquisition budgets are either nonexistent or paralysed by red tape and visitor numbers are further towards the private sector for the future of our museumsfollowing the example of the Dr Bhau Daji Lad not even worthy of comment. The contemporary art scene may appear vibrant, but Museum in Mumbai, which rescued itself through its partthe influx of new commercial galleries is only further nership with the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. By combining propping up the faade. Without major contemporary the financial support of larger corporations with the exhibitions in non-commercial institutions, we do not passion, knowledge and networks of private individuals and foundations, these various entities have have the necessary means to attribute SAURABH SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com the unique potential to set up new muacademic meaning to current artistic seums and develop them into dynamic, outputs. Our rich past and endlessly engaging and sustainable spaces. In fascinating present should make us a other words, if the Government wont world leader in cultural production wake up to the responsibility and this is simply not the case. benefit of reforming our museums, then By comparison, museums in the perhaps it is time to leverage the power West have become the lifeblood of of Indias liberalised free-market capicities. Often referred to as the churches talism (which one normally associates of the 21st century, such places are with industry and technology) to help charged, dynamic and teeming with the country grow culturally, as well as people. Serious academic research economically. The hope being that such coexists with fun and educational initiatives will kickstart a new era of days out for the familythe study of interest in the artsinspiring, educatthe past corresponding with a celebraing and enriching the country along the tion of the cultural present. The British way. At the least, such initiatives will act Museum in London, for example, The idea of preservation, to preserve the art and heritage of our attracts nearly 6 million visitors a year presentation and curating seem past until the state system wakes up. (many of them Indian), whereas the National Museum in Delhi is one of the to belong to another century few places in the city where one can when it was merely enough to Abhishek Poddar is a Bangalore-based put objects in cabinets. actually escape the crowds. collector and promoter of art
THE ARTOFSHAME
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Where Fashion Gets Personal
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GLASS HOUSE
by KAVEREE BAMZAI
NO TIME FOR HOME

anmohan Singh represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha but only a flood or a calamity persuades him to visit the state which gave him a chance to be Prime Minister. On July 2, he, along with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, went for 140 minutes, 90 of which were spent mid-air, scanning Jorhat, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Kaziranga National Park. They did not meet a single flood-affected person. The media was luckier. The Prime Minister spent five whole minutes with them as he read out an official statement at Guwahati airport, promising assistance of Rs 500 crore.
SAURABH SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com
LANGUAGE OF POWER
YASHBANT NEGI/www.indiatodayimages.com
SONG SUNG BLUE
ut Immediately was the remark on the file by then Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to expedite the proposal of Adarsh Society. The lawyer for the prosecution thought this was enough to implicate Deshmukh, when he grilled him on June 28. But he hadnt accounted for Deshmukhs linguistic dexterity. Deshmukh said put immediately for him meant not before at least six months. Wonder what delay indefinitely means in the Deshmukh dictionary.
BADAL
n the last day of the Budget session on June 29, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal mocked the Congress as a party of singers. Congress ought to have requisitioned a full band with crooners, Badal remarked a trifle uncharitably after the Congress MLA and popular folk singer Mohammad Sadique responded with great enthusiasm to the Chief Ministers request for a song during zero hour. Poor Sadique, who had poured his heart into the song Bharat ik mundri, vich nag hai Punjab da (India is the ring in which Punjab is the diamond), said he felt like a schoolboy surrounded by bullies. They were mocking me and used me to embarrass my party, he moaned. Ashok Gehlot did on June 26 in Jaipur, while speaking on the sidelines of a function on drug abuse. If BJP has GEHLOT guts, it should bring Narendra Modi forward as its prime ministerial candidate, he said to the media. Perhaps Gehlots grasp of national politics will ensure a place for him in the Union Cabinet if he is removed before Assembly elections next year.
NAME TROUBLE
ith the accused in 26/11 Mumbai attack Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal being much in news, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) received a peculiar request from the wellknown Jindal family. MHA was requested to tell the Delhi Police and Intelligence Bureau to emphasise the difference between Jundal and Jindal. The police, however, wouldnt reveal which Jindal called.
MODI
SOFT TARGET
DESHMUKH
MANDAR DEODHAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
f youre a chief minister in trouble, how do you hope to impress Congress chief Sonia Gandhi? Simple. Attack Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Thats what Rajasthan Chief Minister
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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

.A. Sangma may be fighting a losing battle in 2012, but according to an NCP leader, he is positioning himself as the consensus candidate for 2017. What happens to his daughter in the interim? NCP chief Sharad Pawar has made it clear to Agatha that the party will take disciplinary action against her if she campaigns for her father, who is not the Government candidate. Perhaps that is why she was missing from the official delegation that accompanied Sangma to file his nomination, though she has been actively canvassing for him at social events .
AGATHA SANGMA
LOST AND FOUND

JP President Nitin Gadkari has lost 27 kg and was looking almost svelte at the wedding of son Sarang on July 2. He has, however, gained friends going by the turnout of the smartest in the city for the reception at Ashoka Hotel. Wags thought that this was the first sign of a change in government after the next polls. Delhis sycophants can smell the air.
SHEKHAR YADAV
After saying he was ready to swear in Italian Sonia Gandhi as PM, Kalam has become a laughing stock. He is now a hypocrite.
BAL THACKERAY Shiv Sena Chief
TWEET SON
A PRABHAKAR RAO/www.indiatodayimages.com
I dont regret not becoming the PM. Im repeating that Manmohan Singh is one of the finest persons to be the PM.
PRANAB MUKHERJEE Former Finance Minister
GADKARI WITH WIFE
NAIDU (LEFT) WITH LOKESH
hat do young politicians do to make an impact? Write a stirring speech for Parliament? No. Adopt a village? No. They just get on to Twitter. And hope for the best. Nara Lokesh, 29, who is doing an MBA from Stanford and is the only child of TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, 62, has begun using Twitter to communicate with party workers and young voters. He uses his iPhone4 to tweet at least twice a day. His questions range from asking tweeple what the TDP stand on the presidential race should be to defending his father as pro-farmer. Hope lies eternal in a tweet.
HOODA
WEEK
OF THE
Glad to see Geelanis imagination and ability to create fiction has not dulled with age.
The poor boy (Vishnu Vardhan) is 307 in the world and I dont even know if he has grasscourt shoes. So it is a bit of a tough one.
LEANDER PAES, on his Olympics doubles partner
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after Syed Ali Shah Geelani claimed he had information that India was conspiring to create a state within a state in Kashmir .
TENNIS TROUBLE
PAES
AP PHOTO
aryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda loves his tennis. An avid player, Hooda had kept aside time for two visits to England this summer, one to witness the ongoing Wimbledon, and the other later, to attend the Olympics. The presidential elections have ensured that he can do neither. Hooda sahib is likely to cancel his trips, a senior aide said. Bad news for officials too: They cant accompany the Chief Minister.
with KAUSHIK DEKA, ROHIT PARIHAR, KIRAN TARE, AMARNATH K. MENON, PRIYA SAHGAL, BHAVNA VIJ-AURORA
CHANDRADEEP KUMAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
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Signature
B O T T O M
DHIRAJ NAYYAR
THE RIGHTAGENDA
ts just as well for the NDA that its civil war of words on Hindutva versus secularism is playing out now, well before the next General Elections. The people of India have already settled that issue in favour of secularism, a fact that even the hard-line Narendra Modi has tacitly, if not explicitly, accepted. His relentless focus on governance issues in the decade since riotous 2002 is sufficient evidence. The fact is that the next election, whether in 2014 or earlier, will be fought, not on the issue of secularism, but on the twin issues of governance and the economy. If NDA wants a shot at power, it needs to develop a coherent alternative to what the Congress and UPA have offered. It is easy to be complacent. The UPA is paralysed in government and the economy is in a tailspin. The Opposition could quite possibly ride to power on an anti-incumbency vote alone. But that would be taking for granted a highly perceptive electorate. People want to see a coherent governance agenda that can deliver economic growth and prosperity. There certainly is room for one on the centre-right. The Congress, while it is led by the Gandhi family, will be openly populist: In favour of massive redistributive Government-spending schemes in the name of the poor and in favour of a strict leash on private enterprise. NDA must affirm its commitment to free enterprise, domestic and foreign. For this to be credible, NDA may need to support at least some reformist legislation proposed by UPA in the coming months. The NDA must also lay out a clear roadmap for Government spending, particularly subsidies. It shouldnt be too
L I N E
hard to argue the case for withdrawing all subsidies to the richa significant contributor to the fiscal deficitwhether urban (on diesel) or rural (on fertilisers). However, the more important part of the alternative agenda has to focus on rethinking government. Nobody can argue that the state has no role to play in Indias development. It does, but in a manner that facilitates growth and reduces wastage of public money. The NDA need to look no further than the two protagonists in its internal battle, Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi, to get inspiration. Modi has showed how governments in India can deliver top-class infrastructure, just like China. He has delivered 24-hour electricity to all of Gujarat even as the rest of India is blacked out. He has invested in irrigation infrastructure. Gujarats farmers have reaped the benefits of a 10 per cent per annum agricultural growth for a decade. Modi has innovated smartly in public transport to make Gujarats cities more liveable. Nitish has done his bit for road infrastructure in Bihar but his real achievements are in making government-spending programmes for the poor more efficient in outcomes. His free bicycles scheme for girls has increased female enrolment in schools. His experiment with direct cash transfers to the poor is curbing the waste and corruption of the public distribution system. Any political formation that has workable solutions to Indias infrastructure deficit, and waste in government, will appeal to voters. If NDA wants a shot at power, it needs to persuade Modi and Nitish to put down their swords. They need to pen the manifesto instead. Institutes of Technology (IITs), by the human resource development ministry on public-private partnership model. INCLUDED The eco-sensitive Western Ghats along the west coast of India, in the coveted list of the World Heritage Sites, at a meeting of the World Heritage Committee held in Russia.
SAURABH SINGH / www.indiatodayimages.com
NOBODY CAN ARGUE THAT THE STATE HAS NO ROLE TO PLAY IN INDIAS DEVELOPMENT. IT DOES, BUT IN A MANNER THAT FACILITATES GROWTH AND REDUCES WASTAGE OF PUBLIC MONEY.
S I G N P O STS
RELEASED Indian prisoner Surjeet Singh, who spent more than 30 years in Pakistani jail on charges of espionage, from Kot Lakhpat jail. He was handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah SINGH border.
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BANNED Five cricketers T.P. Sudhindra, Shalabh Srivastava, Amit Yadav, Mohnish Mishra and Abhinav Baliwho were caught in a TV sting operation in May agreeing to spot-fix matches and receiving under-the-table payments from franchises. SANCTIONED Setting up of three new Indian
DIED Guo Qinglan, wife of legendary Indian physician Dr Dwarkanath QINGLAN Shantaram Kotnis who provided medical assistance in China in the 1930s. Qinglan, 96, has been an honoured guest at many high-level diplomatic functions between China and India.
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Cover Story 26/11 MUMBAI ATTACK

DEADLY DECEPTIONS
ISI wanted to leave enough
The Secr
red herrings to implicate Indians in the 26/11 attack
Fake identities
The attackers carried ID cards of Arunodaya College, Hyderabad. The college is genuine but the ID cards were fake.
BLAME
The arrest of Zabiuddin Ansari, a Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist used by Pakistan in the execution of 26/11, exposes Islamabads agenda of turning the Mumbai attack into an Indian conspiracy
By Sandeep Unnithan
LeT plotter David Headley purchased wristbands for all 10 attackers at Mumbais Siddhivinayak temple.
Threads of distractions
Blame it on Indians
Kharak Singh from India bought the Internet calling service used by LeT handlers. His IP address was in Pakistan.
Lies on live television
Were from Hyderabad. Dont you know Hyderabad? Dont you know your country? attacker Fahadullah told a TV channel. All 10 terrorists were given mobile phones with Indian SIM cards by LeTs communications chief Zarar Shah.
Numbers game
n May 21, 2009, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the sole surviving Pakistani gunman from the 26/11 attack, was giving evidence in the court of Justice M.L. Tahaliyani at Mumbais Arthur Road prison. Suddenly, he dropped a name. The person, he said, who had been their principal guide during the 60-hour operation from a control room in Karachi was Abu Jundal. No one in India had heard this name. Some were puzzled. Prosecution lawyer Ujjwal Nikam believed it was misinformation. And, as so often, the name Abu Jundal disappeared into a file. Three years later, on June 21, 2012, Saudi Arabia bundled a wanted Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative, Syed Zabiuddin Ansari, 30, on a plane and sent him to New Delhi. Ansari had more than one alias; among them was Abu Jundal. When Kasab, from his Mumbai cell, heard that Abu Jundal had been deported by the Saudis and was a captive in India, he became, say his jailors, contemplative. The final pieces of a complex puzzle was coming together. Perhaps the most
Photo imaging by SAURABH SINGH /www.indiatodayimages.com
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et Plotto
INDIA
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OCTOBER 13, 2008 INDIA TODAY
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deceptive element in the exhaustive planning that had gone into the barbaric terrorist attack on Mumbai, conceived by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and implemented by LeT, was a poisonous sting in the tail. When the horror that took 166 lives was over, the ISI wanted to leave behind enough false trails to implicate Indians for its most spectacular offensive against India. It was a plot in which Ansari was a key protagonist. Born in Gevrai village in Maharashtras Beed district, he completed his matriculation and did an Industrial Training Institute course to become an electrician. He became an anti-India radical after the 2002 Gujarat riots and went into the shadows of terrorism, first joining the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), then the LeT. Ansari came on the police radar for another plot against India, in transporting a shipment of 43 kg of RDX, 16 AK-47 assault rifles and 50 hand grenades to Aurangabad in 2006. This shipment, meant for a terror attack, was intercepted by the Maharashtra police. Under pressure, Ansari contacted LeT and fled to Pakistan. His name entered the public domain when the Indian Government handed over a list of 50 Most Wanted Fugitives to the Pakistani authorities in March 2007. But Ansari was proving to be an invaluable asset for the LeT. A highly committed operative, he knew the layout of the land and directed terrorists during the attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008. He was involved in plotting the blast at Punes German Bakery on February 13, 2010, that killed 17 people. But still, India did not know of his role in the 26/11 attack. The
SED THE MUMBAI CONSPIRACY EXPO

Key 26/11 plotters and perpetrators say Pakistan masterminded the attack
Kasab told the Mumbai Police on November 29, 2008, that he was trained by LeT and had met its chief Hafiz Saeed as well as military commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. He also detailed the entire journey of the attack team from Karachi to Mumbai. The LeT brass asked them to kill as many people as they could, he added.
Ajmal Kasab
Headley told the National Investigation Agency in New York during questioning between June 3 and June 9, 2010, that he had been in close touch with two serving ISI officers, Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali. He said ISI had financed his stay in Mumbai and was fully involved in the 26/11 attack. All LeT leaders had an ISI handler, he added.
David Coleman Headley
Zabiuddin Ansari
Ansari told the Special Cell of Delhi Police and intelligence sleuths during questioning in New Delhi on June 21 that ISI officials and LeT supremo Hafiz Muhammad Saeed were present in the LeT control room in Karachi when the attackers laid siege to Mumbai on November 26, 2008. The control room was later destroyed.
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DESCENTINTO TERROR
Zabiuddin Ansaris journey began in Maharashtras backyard and ended in Saudi Arabia
November 13, 1981
2002
2005
Born in Gevrai town, Beed district, Maharashtra, as Syed Zabiuddin Sayed Zakiuddin Ansari.
Joins the Students Islamic Movement of India. Becomes a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) activist after the Gujarat riots.
Goes to Pakistan for training in an LeT camp. Starts plotting terror attacks from Aurangabad.
Muzaffarabad Delhi Dammam Karachi Dhaka Aurangabad Beed
May 2006
Escapes to Pakistan via Bangladesh after police intercept an LeT shipment of 43 kg of RDX, 16 AK-47 rifles and 50 hand grenades in Aurangabad.
Graphic by SAURABH SINGH /www.indiatodayimages.com
November 26, 2008
April 26, 2011
Guides and monitors the Mumbai attack from an LeT control room in Karachi.
Leaves Karachi for Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on a false Pakistani passport.
Nabbed by Saudi authorities after a tip-off from US and Indian intelligence. Deported to India from Riyadh on June 21.
May 2011
breakthrough came in May 2010 when the Delhi Police intercepted a call from an India-based terrorist, Ajmal, who was in touch with his Pakistani handler. Ajmal had planned an attack on foreigners during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi that year. He referred to his handler as Abu Jundal. The agencies tracked Jundal down inside Pakistan. He was using the alias of Riyasat Ali and shuttled between LeTs headquarters in Muridke, near Lahore, and Karachi. Then they made a stunning discovery. Jundal, Riyasat Ali and Zabiuddin Ansari were the same person. Now they waited for their target to travel out of Pakistan. n early 2011, Pakistan issued a passport to him, and sent him to Saudi Arabia to recruit potential jihadis from Indian labourers on behalf of LeT. In the oil-rich port of Dammam, Ansari ran a small taxi rental business, posing as Pakistani national Riyasat Ali. The US intelligence alerted the Saudis about Ansaris terrorist links; Riyadh put him
under surveillance. Meanwhile, New Delhi provided the Arab kingdom with proof that Riyasat Ali was Zabiuddin Ansari, an LeT operative and originally an Indian citizen. DNA samples of his relatives were sent to the Saudi government even as the home ministry provided evidence of Ansaris involvement in the Aurangabad arms haul case. Islamabad, fearing
that his deportation could explode their ploy of deniability, still maintained that he was a Pakistani citizen and wanted him back. But the Saudis interrogated Ansari and discovered that he was indeed an LeT operative. They had to take a call. Should they stand by their long-time ally Pakistan and let Ansari remain in Dammam or stand by international
PAKISTANS INTERIOR MINISTER REHMAN Malik, while defending his army and the ISI, was silent on how Zabiuddin Ansari, an Indian citizen, managed to get a Pakistani passport and a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis.
AP PHOTO
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law and hand him over to India? The Kingdom chose India. At a safe house of the Delhi Polices Special Cell in the Capitals Lodhi colony, Ansari has been telling his interrogators details of the secret plot at the core of the deadly attack on Mumbai. The intent was to land a double sucker punch. The first blow would devastate Mumbai. The second blow would, with just enough evidence, promote conspiracy theories among a section of media, opinion makers and political leaders that Hindu militants were behind the carnage. The conspiracy theorists didnt let Pakistan down. There is more to it than meets the eye, former Maharashtra chief minister Abdul Rehman Antulay said outside the Lok Sabha on December 18, 2008, about the death of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare. Karkare, Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte and Inspector Vijay Salaskar had been ambushed and killed by Ajmal Kasab and his accomplice Ismail Khan on November 26, 2008. Karkare was probing the Malegaon blasts, which had resulted in the arrests of Hindu fringe elements such as Lt-Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Swami Aseemanand. Much of the Urdu press in India placed the blame for the attack on a diabolical Zionist-RSS nexus.
HEMANT KARKARE DURING THE 26/11 ATTACK
Aziz Burney, group editor of leading Urdu newspaper Roznama Rashtriya Sahara blamed Hindu extremists. Is there any connection between the 26/11 attack and the Malegaon terror attack? screamed a headline in the daily on November 29. This is a joint terror operation by Sangh Parivar and Mossad said the Urdu Times of November 30, 2008. On December 5, Roznama Rashtriya Sahara ran another story: Who do you believe, Kasab the terrorist, or Karkare the martyr? The paper hinted that the 26/11 attack was the work of Hindu fundamentalists and an elaborate plot to silence Karkare. Hindu terrorists are behind Mumbai attacks said the Akhbare Mashriq on
December 6, 2008. In September 2009, a retired Maharashtra inspectorgeneral of police, S.M. Mushrif, in his book Who Killed Karkare?, blamed the Intelligence Bureau and Hindu extremists for 26/11. The conspiracy theory was also enthusiastically bought by politicians who wanted to mine the Muslim vote. On December 6, 2010, senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh released Burneys book 26/11RSS ki Saazish, which accused the RSS of planning and executing the 26/11 attack. Five days later, Singh claimed that Karkare had rung him up hours before he was gunned down and complained about threats and pressure from radical Hindu groups. nsaris confessions have further unravelled the secret Pakistani plot. He told interrogators of his role in teaching the 26/11 attackers Hindi. He would give them Hindi magazines and conduct conversations with them to sharpen their language skills before they left Karachi. He taught the attackers to blend into Indiagreet people with a proper namaste, maintain a low profile and be polite to women. There were other aspects to this smokescreenthe terrorists were made to wear sacred red threads bought for Rs 20 each by LeT scout David Coleman Headley from Mumbais Siddhivinayak temple. All 10 terrorists carried fake identity cards of Arunodaya College, located in Hyderabad. They also took Hindu names. Ajmal Kasab became Sameer Choudhary and Ismail Khan was Naraish Verma. An LeT operative pretended to be Kharak Singh from India and purchased Internet calling services from a US-based firm for $250 (Rs 10,000). The terrorists were told to communicate with their Karachi-based handlers using phones with Indian SIM cards. The LeT, according to Ansari, monitored the attack from a specially created military-style command and control centre in Karachi, which was visited by LeT leaders and ISI officials.
MUCH OFTHE URDU PRESS IN INDIA BLAMED Hindu extremists for the Mumbai outrage. They saw it as an elaborate plot to silence Hemant Karkare, the chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad.
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FEASTING ON THE HORROR
Conspiracy theorists who ate humble pie
THEN
NOW
December 18, 2008
A.R.ANTULAY Former Maharashtra chief minister
December 11, 2010
DIGVIJAYA SINGH Congress general secretary
CIA, Mossad, Narendra
January 12, 2009
AZIZ BURNEY Group editor, Roznama Rashtriya Sahara

The control room had multiple television sets tuned into Indian TV channels, satellite telephones and computers. The handlersSajid Mir, Abu Al Qama, Abu Qahafa and Muzzammilmaintained constant communication with the 10 terrorists. Ansari tutored two of the LeT terrorists who had stormed into Nariman House on what to tell the Indian media in Hindi. He asked them to impersonate disgruntled Muslim youth.While doing this, he used a Hindi word prashaasan (administration). Indian intelligence agencies who tapped into the conversation were intrigued by the use of a Hindi word by a Pakistani controller. Actually, Pakistans web of deceit had begun imploding with the arrest of Headley, the LeT scout, by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in June 2010. He told his Indian interrogators that the Pakistan Army and ISI were deeply involved in the 26/11 attack. He was in touch with two serving ISI officers, Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali. Headley also made the chilling revelation that every senior LeT leader was handled by an ISI operative. Ansaris interrogation brings fresh
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Modi and RSS are responsible for the attack. Mumbai Police killed Hemant Karkare with Army help. Constables fired at CST railway station.
I apologised on January 29, 2010, in the interest of the nation. But many questions remain unanswered. I still do not know why Karkare took a different route.
Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare told me hours before the terror strike that he feared for his safety from Hindu extremists. He was getting threat calls.
There is nothing more to say, I have clarified everything. I am happy that the home minister has pressed Pakistan to admit facts relating to Jundal.
There is more to it than meets the eye. There should be a probe into Hemant Karkares killing during 26/11. I have done India proud by raising the question.
That was a genuine mistake. Multiple theories were floating in the aftermath of the attack, especially the one revolving around Hemant Karkares death.
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embarrassment for Pakistan. He has revealed the presence of Pakistans ISI in the control room that the LeT set up to monitor and direct the attack. Ansari also clarified that the LeT has been unaffected by the arrest and ongoing trial of masterminds Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah at an anti-terrorist court in Rawalpindis Adiala Jail. The organisation is still plotting fresh attacks against India. The LeT is widely believed to be a proxy arm of the Pakistan Army. Its battle against India spilled out from Jammu and Kashmir to the Indian mainland. It was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US in 2001 but the Americans saw it as an international threat only after the 26/11 attack. In April this year, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a $10 million (Rs 50 crore) bounty for information leading to the arrest and capture of LeT supremo Hafiz Saeed. hat rankles Pakistan is that Ansari was arrested and deported by its closest ally, Saudi Arabia. The kingdom wields almost undiminished power over Pakistans army and political establishment. Through the deportation of Ansari, it has indicated that it will no longer provide protection for Pakistans terrorists. Another suspected terrorist, Fasih Mehmood of the Indian Mujahideen, has been detained by Saudi Arabia for his role in the twin blasts outside Bangalores Chinnaswamy stadium on April 17, 2010. He faces imminent deportation to India. Now that the conspiracy has been exposed, some of its original theorists have backtracked. Digvijaya Singh says he had already clarified about his post-26/11 comments. There is nothing more to say. I am happy that Home Minister P. Chidambaram has upped the ante on the terror issue and has pressed Pakistan to admit facts relating to Jundal having trained terrorists who attacked Mumbai, he told INDIA TODAY. Antulay called his November 27 statement a genuine mistake. Multiple theories were floating in the aftermath of the attack, especially the
Torn bythe TAINT

Families of alleged terrorists have to live with the horror of guilt by association
abiuddin Ansari, 30, was the quintessential good son. He made his father Zakiuddin, 75, an insurance salesman, quit his demanding job and rest at home the day he started earning as an electrician after completing a diploma from the Industrial Training Institute, Beed, in Maharashtra. But there is no rest for him now. Ansaris escape from India in 2006 ensures regular visits from the police at odd hours. One of his five sisters ended up getting divorced because of his terror links. Zakiuddin is now a heart patient and has already braved two paralytic attacks. His wife, Rehana, 65, hoped that her son would turn up at her daughters wedding in June. Now she can only wonKRISHNA MURARI KISHAN
der about when she can see him next. In Bihars Darbhanga district, Dr Firoj Ahmed, 61, is as clueless. His youngest son, Fasih Mehmood, last spoke to him on the phone from Saudi Arabia on May 19 six days after Saudi authorities picked up the mechanical engineer at the behest of India for allegedly being a terror agent. Fasihs cry, I am innocent, still rattles his father. The government medical officer at Benipatti in the adjoining Madhubani district is back to smoking seven cigarettes a day. Firoj owns the biggest house in his village, which Fasih had painted only last year in September when he was there for his marriage. With wife Amra Jamal in Patna to be with their daughter-in-law, Firoj cuts a lonely
ALLEGED TERRORIST FASIH MEHMOODS WIFE, NIKHAT PARVEEN (LEFT)
one revolving around the death of Karkare, he said. Antulay admitted, however, that the Hindu terror angle had momentarily deflected the nations attention from the LeT. Mushrif now refuses to comment because the 26/11 case is subjudice but says he never questioned Pakistans role in the attack. If someone wants to comment on this issue he should approach the court and seek a reinvestigation, he said.
Burneys newspaper ran a front-page apology on January 29, 2010. Burney himself is, however, unapologetic and says many questions on 26/11 remain unanswered. Film producer-director Mahesh Bhatt says there is no denying Pakistans involvement but refuses to believe the theories being floated by Indian investigators now and calls for a debate. After the 9/11 attack, people in the US raised questions on the identity of the attackers. Nobody was
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figure. Just think about what a father will feel in these circumstances, he says. Fasihs arrest has broken us, says his elder brother Sabih Mehmood, 32. Employed with a leading private bank in Dubai, he has returned to India on indefinite leave without pay to support his parents. Fasih is the fourth person from Barh Samaila, a nondescript village in the Keoti block of Darbhanga district located 155 km north-east of capital Patna, to have been picked up within a period of seven months for alleged terror links. Each of these arrests led to the next. On November 22, 2011, Qateel Ahmed Siddiqui, 27, was arrested from the Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi for allegedly being an Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative. Gauhar Azij Khomaini, 32, was arrested a day later on similar charges, also from Delhi. A Delhi Police team brought Siddiqui and Khomaini to Barh Samaila in January to interrogate them in front of their families. The police made the next arrest from the village on May 6 when a joint police team from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, who were operating unapologetic about their views, he says. Kavita Karkare, the widow of Hemant, believes recent developments have vindicated her stand that the attack was not an inside job. I have been saying since the beginning that no Hindus are involved in it. Many people floated stories for political reasons. They fell flat, she says. Pakistan, though, remains unapologetic even as it tries to distance itself from its Indian collaborator. On June
NIKHAT PARVEEN,WHO HAS FILED A HABEAS corpus plea in Supreme Court for her husband Fasih, questions the manner in which his arrest has been handled by Indian agencies.
dercover as telephone tower engineers in Barh Samaila, picked up Kafil Ahmed, 26, from his home in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast on April 17, 2010. A week later, Fasih was detained in Saudi Arabia. Kafil Ahmed, an MA (Urdu) student, taught at a public school in Darbhanga for four years. My son has poor eyesight. He cannot even read a sentence without his glasses. He cannot be a terrorist, says his septuagenarian father Abdul Salam. Kafil has been lodged in Bangalore Central Jail since the time of his arrest. Fasih, whose grandfather Mohammad Mehmood was a freedom fighter, 27, just a week after Ansaris arrival in India, Pakistans Interior Minister Rehman Malik hurriedly called for a press conference. Now things are getting clarified, Malik said. Who knows if there was a sting operation by somebody from India? Malik, while defending his army and the ISI, was silent on how Ansari, an Indian citizen, managed to get a Pakistani passport and a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis. In the run-up to the July 4-5
REUTERS
KHWAJA MOINUDDIN, ZABIUDDIN ANSARIS GRANDFATHER, IN BEED
was particular about praying five times a day. He donated Rs 50,000 for the renovation of the local mosque during his last visit in 2011. He had also sponsored the Haj trip of his parents last year before marrying Nikhat Parveen on September 7, 2011. Parveen, who is now shuttling between her parents home in Patna and Delhi where she has filed a habeas corpus plea in Supreme Court for Fasih, questions the manner in which her husbands arrest has been handled by Indian agencies. Initially, the Government repeatedly denied having got Fasih arrested when we raised questions about his whereabouts. Had the Saudis arrested him on their own, they would have convicted or freed him by now. When we stepped up the heat, the Government issued a Red Corner Notice holding Fasih responsible for the blasts at German Bakery and Chinnaswamy Stadium. They are cooking up stories, she says. After early schooling in Darbhanga, Fasih did his matriculation from Aligarh. He cleared his intermediate from Darbhanga Millat College. His mother and maternal uncle got him admitted to Anjuman Engineering College in Karnataka, recalls Firoj. The notorious Bhatkal brothers, Riyaz and Iqbal, who founded IM, are believed to have studied in the same college. Mohammad Tariq Anjum Hasan, another key IM man arrested early this year from Bihar, graduated in civil engineering from the same college. Please dont jump to conclusions, says Firoj. Please dont pronounce him guilty until proven innocent.
by Amitabh Srivastava and Krishna Kumar
foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan in New Delhi, an anonymous source in the Pakistan foreign office told the mediathat 40 Indians were involved in the Mumbai attack. Clearly, one Ansari has not dampened the spirit of the worlds most dangerous benefactor of jihad. Wait for the next round of conspiracy theories, written and sold by Islamabad.
with Shantanu Guha Ray, Kiran Tare, Bhavna Vij-Aurora and Mohammad Waqas
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The Big Story
WATER CRISIS
BOILING POINT
A
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The prospect of a lean monsoon is not the only worry. Depletion of groundwater and population pressure spell a grim future for India. Expect water wars ahead.
By Sowmya Aji
below-par monsoon is likely to set alarm bells ringing in the UPA 2 Government, already reeling under the impact of an economic downturn. Besides affecting the kharif sowing, which is certain to have a bearing on the production of rice, oilseeds and pulses, the delay in rain has the potential of pulling down both the economy and the countrys economic sentiment. Indias total rice production in 2011-12 was 103 million tonnes. If the monsoon continues to play truant through July, this years figure could dip by at least 10 million tonnes, predicts former Union agriculture secretary P.K. Basu. Its not just agrarian India thats taking a hit. As of July 1, only 16 per cent area of the country has received normal rain. Urban India is reeling from extreme temperatures and frequent power cuts. Delhi, for instance, recorded its worst summer in 33 years with
try falls under the crucial zone, where groundwater has been overexploited. And no one has bothered to set up measures for water harvesting and aquifer recharge. Policy paralysis and an appalling lack of management has turned burgeoning India into waterless, despairing India. Eight-year-old Poorni in Karnataka has decaying teeth and limbs that struggle to move due to dangerous fluoride in the groundwater. Sand contractors like Sanjay Singh Yadav, 40, make money in Bihar as the rivers dry up. Riots have broken out over borewell use, leading to death, imprisonment, deprivation and despair to families like that of Ramkumar Yadav, 60, in Chhattisgarh. Hindu Rao Hospital, one of Delhis leading municipal hospitals, cancelled 40 surgeries in a week between June 16 and June 23 due to lack of running water. Politicians, including top leaders such as
average maximum temperature in May-June at a dizzying 41.57C. Everyone blames the monsoon for Indias water woes but it isnt as simple as that. As water conservationist and Magsaysay awardee Rajendra Singh told INDIA TODAY, There is no shortage TODAY of water in terms of rainfall. We, as a country, have failed to make use of it. Groundwater all across the country is depleting. The figures are astounding: Seventy-two per cent of the coun-
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Summer of Discontent
44.6 mm (-42%)
JAMMU & KASHMIR
Only 16 per cent area of the country got normal rainfall in June. The overall rain deficiency stands at an alarming 31 per cent.
(-84%) HARYANA & DELHI

4.5 mm
9.6 mm
PUNJAB
HIMACHAL PRADESH 27.9 mm (-76%) UTTARAKHAND 75.3 mm (-62%) UPPER WEST BENGAL 629.9 mm (14%) WESTERN UTTAR PRADESH
6.8 mm
(-92%)
ASSAM & MEGHALAYA
ARUNACHAL PRADESH 560.4 mm (-1%)
602.1 mm (6%)
WEST RAJASTHAN 6.3 mm (-83%) EAST RAJASTHAN

18.4 mm
(-92%)
(-76%) GUJARAT REGION & DAMAN (-77%)
EASTERN UTTAR PRADESH 27.6 mm (-78%)
94.2 mm
BIHAR
(-53%)
EASTERN MADHYA PRADESH JHARKHAND
135.2 mm
36.7 mm
WESTERN MADHYA PRADESH 52.7 mm (-58%) VIDARBHA
66.4 mm
(-59%)
(-40%) CHHATTISGARH
167.1 mm
SAURASHTRA, KUTCH AND DIU 26.1 mm (-75%)
142.8 mm (-27%)
(-23%)
ODISHA
213.1 mm (-12%)
MARATHWADA (-41%) MADHYA MAHARASHTRA

93.5 mm
148.2 mm
GANGETIC WEST BENGAL
406.6 mm
NAGALAND, MANIPUR, MIZORAM, TRIPURA
(-46%) TELANGANA
(-10%)
95.7 mm
749.8 mm
KONKAN & GOA
(-43%) NORTH INTERIOR KARNATAKA

66.2 mm
126.2 mm (-18%)
(-9%)
(-43%)
103.3 mm
COASTALANDHRA PRADESH
Rainfall figures are based on India Meteorological Department data. Figures indicate actual rainfall in June (in mm); percentage departures of rainfall from the norm are shown in brackets RAINFALL PATTERN IN SUBDIVISIONS June 1 to July 3 Excess Normal Deficient Scanty No Rain Actual 131 Normal 189.2 0 11 15 10 0 % Departure -31
(-13%)
945.5 mm
COASTAL KARNATAKA
(-5%)
SOUTH INTERIOR KARNATAKA

88.4 mm
(-46%)
73.2 mm
RAYALASEEMA
LAKSHADWEEP 348.5 mm (-2%)
(-47%)
KERALA
524.9 mm
TAMIL NADU & PUDUCHERRY 25.7 mm (-49%)
All India Area Weighted Rainfall (mm)
(-29%)
Normal (+19% or -19%) Deficient (-20% to -59%) Scanty (-60% to -99%)

Graphic by SAURABH SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com
Map not to scale
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The Big Story WATER CRISIS

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, are accused of diverting scarce water to their constituencies in Maharashtra, leaving others to fend for themselves (see box). Asit K. Biswas, the president of the Mexico-based Third World Centre for Water Management, says political will to address the water crisis in the country is completely missing. Politicians provide lip service but nobody is serious about doing anything. Tough decisions are required. People should demand clean water as their right. Be it urban or rural India, water supply and its quality is pathetic. If 8,50,000 people in Lucknow stand in queues for five hours to get water, with 2,50,000 of them waking up at 4 a.m. to do so, Vishwambar Choudhary, who stays in Punes upscale Prabhat Road area, pays Rs 1,100 every alternate day, which works out to Rs 16,500 a month, for water supply by tankers. Bangalore gets eight hours of water supply every alternate day in one-third of its total area; the rest fend for themselves with depleting groundwater and tankers that charge Rs 5 per pot even in the slum areas. Hyderabad is even worse. Shyam Kumar Chaparala, 34, a software industry employee residing in Engineers Colony, Yellareddyguda, in the heart of Hyderabad, gets piped water every other day for about two hours from 4 a.m. All residents in the 12-apartment block pool in money to buy a 5,000-litre tanker for Rs 600 every week. But others in outlying areas, even the bustling and towering apartment blocks of techies in Madhapur and Kondapur, arent as lucky. More than 3,00,000 families residing in the newer localities of metropolitan Hyderabad are fortunate if water is supplied once in four or five days. They end up spending huge sums on tanker supply. Over-reliance on underground water has led to decline in water levels in some areas of Jaipur by five times in 15 years, from 100 ft to 500 ft. The state government, meanwhile, continues to give the go-ahead to apartments and malls in areas where there is no water supply at all. Still, urbanites at least get their water or are in a position to arm-twist and raise a ruckus against the powersthat-be. On an average, according to Water Resources Ministry statistics, an individual uses 150-200 litres of water per day in urban areas against a minuscule 20 litres a day in villages. The Union Government, however, has failed to formulate a Central water policy for more than a decade. The only debate is whether water supply should be privatised or not, with those opposing it raising the bogey of corporate interests in grabbing a large share of the water economy. Ramkumar Yadav, a widow with no income at Singhanpuri village, Mungeli district, Chhattisgarh, has seen water shortage reach such levels of desperation that it resulted in riots in her village on June 3. It was a fight to the death over the use of a borewell, in which three people were killed, and 13 people arrested. My son is now in prison, his wife in hospital and I am left to care for their three children, she says. Other villages in the area faced acute water shortages in 2006, with five-member families surviving on less than 40 litres per week. Over 500 wells and public taps have dried up since. Entire lakes have been drained out due to unplanned quarry work. We have always had a lack of adequate surface water in Mungeli. There have been days when my wife has had to use muckfilled water to cook. Many times we have had to store water in emptied-out gas lanterns. Till two years ago, my eight-year-old daughter had to walk 2 km a day with 13 litres of water balanced on her head, says Raja Thakur, 38, of Pauni village. Borewells changed that and their
Village Anjani State MAHARASHTRA

The lake, in Tasgaon taluk of Sangli district, dried up in February this year.
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Place Greater Hyderabad State ANDHRA PRADESH

New localities in Hyderabad get water only once in four-five days.
K M KISHAN
Village Bisiyat State BIHAR

The scarcity of water in the village has forced many to leave for the district headquarters.
life. With government subsidies up to Rs 20,000, villagers were able to install borewells for Rs 10,000 each. But borewells have only become sites of conflict. Conflicts over water are only going to increase in the near future. The rural and urban divide is stark as far as distribution of water is concerned, says Anil Dave, Rajya Sabha MP and member of the parliamentary committee on water resources. The one exception to water conflicts, perhaps, are the people of Madakshira in Andhra Pradesh, who say they dont mind sharing the drinking water they are getting from a 200 km pipeline with their neighbouring taluk of Pavagada in Karnataka, though the political class in both states do not seem to agree. At Chittanadaku village, the first beneficiary of the drinking water tap from the pipeline, Gurumurthy, 35, points to an already existing tubewell that supplies water from a natural tank
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The Big Story
WATER CRISIS
their waist, knees and ankles have huge deposits of fluoride, making any movement impossible. And everyone, be it age 25 or 50, complains of pain in the joints. But more than the pain, its the travails of day-to-day life that are disconcerting. Villagers laugh, shrug or shake their heads when asked about water for bathing, washing clothes and utensils. I havent had a bath for months now, says Anjamma, 28. She finds it hard enough to store water for drinking for her husband, three children and herself. If that is the story in the South, at Jalapur village, Narhat block, Nawada district in Bihar, Sanjay Singh Yadav, isnt sure if the drying up of the Tilaiya, a small tributary of the Barakar river, has left him happy or sad. Its ironic. I
nearby. We need piped drinking water, but we can do with less. The people of Pavagada should also get it, he says. This is probably because the situation at Pavagada, part of the second largest arid region in the country after the Thar desert, is similar to what Madakshira faced till it got the pipeline. Groundwater at Pavagada is available only at a depth of 1,500 ft, and this is what the entire population is drinking. All children at Palavalli village in Pavagada, part of the worst-affected Nagalamadike hobli, have lines of decay on their teeth. They are losing hair, while eminent eye hospitals like Narayana Nethralaya from Bangalore have drawn up several lists of school children going blind. Older people are unable to bend, as
PANKAJ TIWARI/www.indiatodayimages.com
Sugar Farmers Divert Water in MAHARASHTRA

Ministers ensure water meant for parched regions makes its way to their constituencies
ast swathes of Maharashtra are parched with thirst as powerful politicians divert water for their own purposes. The states second biggest dam Ujani, in Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawars Lok Sabha constituency Madha, has been providing water for the area since its inception in 1980. But of its 117 TMC (thousand million cubic metre) of water, 60 TMC is being illegally diverted to sugarcane fields, creating acute water shortage in hundreds of villages in eight taluksMadha, Pandharpur, Mohol, Mangalvedha, Malshiras, North Solapur, South Solapur, Akkalkotof Solapur district. INDIA TODAY has access to a confidential report prepared by officials at the Ujani dam in January this year which explains how the water was to be divided. According to the report, Ujanis water supply is reserved for crops like chilli, jowar, bajra, groundnut, maize, sunflower, tur, wheat, gram and vegetables. However, 51 per cent of its supply goes to six lakh hectares of sugarcane fields spread across three districts. These districts have as many as 50 sugar factories,
most of them run on a cooperative basis under which farmers are the biggest shareholders and Congress and Nationalist Congress Party politicians have controlling shares. Dam officials have repeatedly pointed out to the Maharashtra Water Resources Department about sugarcane fields owned by Rajendra Tambele, a close aide of Sharad Pawar, on more than 100 acres of the dam land at Hingangaon. These get a disproportionate share of water. On May 29, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan admitted in his presentation before Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia that water-intensive cropping pattern (read sugarcane) is the reason behind the states failure in achieving its irrigation targets. Out of 358 taluks in the state, 148 are drought-prone, he said while submitting the states annual plan of Rs 55,000 crore for 2012-13. The Nira-Deoghar dam, completed in 2007 at a cost of Rs 910 crore and with a capacity of 32 TMC water, was meant to bail out Satara farmers. Instead, it services farmers in
Baramati, the stronghold of Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister. I have never faced water shortage thanks to the canal on Nira river, says Baramati farmer Shahaji Jamdar, 35, who sells his sugarcane crop to Chhatrapati Cooperative Sugar Factory, in which Ajit Pawar holds 300 shares and Sharad Pawar 100 shares out of more than 10,000 shares. Around 120 km from Phaltan, Vishal Mali, 23, a villager of Bamni in Khanapur taluk of Sangli district, does not get water to irrigate his less-thanone-acre farm. A canal runs on the outskirts of his village. The canal, which originates from Takari, around 50 km from Bamni, was built to carry water from Krishna river. When water is discharged in the canal around 500 villages get water for farms. However, at Bamni, a sub-canal has been dug to divert much of the water towards the Udgiri Sugar Factory and Power Plant, still under construction and owned by Mohan Kadam, younger brother of Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam. Mali, who works on the construction site, says, The villages to the right of
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am happy, but I am suffering as well, says Yadav, the manager of a contractor who sells sand from the river. With the drying up of the river, the sale of sand has brought him handsome commission; but water for everyday use has become a scarce entity. Few of the hand pumps in the village still work. Some give no more than a bucket of water after an hour of pump-
District Mungeli State CHHATTISGARH

Three persons were killed in riots over water in Singhanpuri village on June 3.
ing. The water table has clearly depleted, he says. And no one knows where Jalapur village ends and Jarahiya village begins, as the river used to be the border. Santosh Kumar, 28, should be a rich man if you calculate his acres of land in Bisiyat village against the skyrocketing real-estate prices in Nawada. Kumar, however, can earn only Rs 3,000 a month working as a private medical compounder at the Nawada district headquarters, 40 km from his native village. Thats because there is no water in Bisiyat. He stays with his wife Kaushalya and their three children in a room at his maternal uncles house in Nawada. We have a real drought in Bisiyat, said Sadhu Yadav, 42, a villager. Our agriculture has died, our river in Kolhapur was expected to discharge into the Nira river in Satara and supply it to the drought-prone areas. As soon as he became chief minister in October 1999, Congresss Vilasrao Deshmukh announced a scheme to take 29 TMC of 70 TMC water from the Nira river to his constituency Latur through a canal. The result: The drought-prone taluks of SataraKhatav, Man, Phaltan and Khandalaare woefully in need of water. Former Shiv Sena MP Hindurao Nimbalkar had led an agitation against the decision. He is now in political hibernation after the Shiv Sena disowned him for opposing Deshmukh. Even Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkares home town Roha, in Raigad district, reels under water scarcity. A dam built at Sutarwadi to fulfil the water needs of Roha taluk has not helped, with water from it mostly servicing farms owned by the ministers son Aniket. I cannot be blamed if my farms are near the dam, says Tatkare. His department had announced 76 water schemes under Bharat Nirman Yojana to supply potable water. Around 41 out of these 76 schemes are still incomplete. The drought in Maharashtra is not a natural calamity but a result of the governments bad policies, says water expert Bharat Patankar.
by Kiran Tare
SHAILESH RAVAL/www.indiatodayimages.com
the canal get water but not the villages on the left. A site inspection carried out by INDIA TODAY bore this out. The lake in Home Minister R.R. Patils village Anjani, in Tasgaon taluka of Sangli district, ran dry in February. Grape is a major crop in this area. The government discharges 2 TMC water for this lake from a water scheme at Mhaisal, around 30 km from Anjani. However, farmers allege that the water does not reach the lake because Patils older brother Suresh diverts it to his
FARMERS SIT ON WHAT WAS A LAKE IN MALAD, MAHARASHTRA
farms. The diversion has affected grape fields spread over 500 hectares in Tasgaon. The water flow is controlled by a valve which is coincidentally fixed near Sureshs farms. He turns the valve off so that water supply terminates at his farms, says Subhash Mali, 45, a farmer from Savlaj, 3 km from Anjani. The previous Shiv Sena-BJP government had planned a project under which water from the Panchganga
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The Big Story WATER CRISIS
Taluk Pavagada State KARNATAKA

Groundwater is available only at a depth of 1,500 ft. Fluorosis is rife among villagers here.
SANDESH RAVIKUMAR
bodies have wilted, and the administration has turned a deaf ear. Basant Das, 45, put off the marriage of his daughter because of fears that the acute water crisis would make it impossible for him to host guests at the wedding. The Meskaur police station in Nawada district is a telling case study of how the ongoing water crisis has spared none in this part of Bihar. The five hand pumps installed in the police campus have gone dry. Policemen posted at this outpost, including the Special Auxiliary Police, have to cross a rocky undulating terrain and then walk nearly 1 km everyday to fetch water from a hand pump installed in a school. The outpost is located on the Nawada-Gaya border, a hotbed of Naxalite activity, hence the cops move in groups and carry arms on them. Our movements have become predictable, making us sitting ducks for the Maoists. But we have to take the risk for water, says a policeman. In Rajasthan, the urban situation is
itself horrendous. As per official claims, of the total 17 million urban population, seven million people dont get official water supply even once in 24 hours. Rajasthan has 220 towns of which Barmer, Balotra and Sojat get government water supply once in four days. Seventeen towns and cities in the state get water supply once in 72 hours, 60 towns once in two days and 136 towns and cities once in 24 hours. Half of the rural population relies on hand pumps as the only source of drinking water. On an average, the water table has gone down an alarming 1.5 m every year since 1990 and 199 of the 237 blocks in the state are in zones where groundwater has been declared as being over exploited. Yet, just 10 per cent of the groundwater pumped out is used for drinking. The last three decades have seen the states farmers drifting away from cattle rearing and growing fodder to highly water-intensive agriculture through drip irrigation.
This has taken a toll on water for drinking, says Purushottam Aggarwal, principal secretary, public health and engineering department, Rajasthan. Nitesh Priyadarshi, a geologist at Ranchi University, maintains that the problem with government schemes for both public water pipes and borewell construction is the lack of geological research and insight. Why arent geological specialists consulted? You cant sit in office, visit a site five times and then draft a plan. You must study the region. Is it in the rain shadow? Is the groundwater fit for drinking? Can wells and lakes be regenerated? These are questions that must be interrogated and answered by experts in the field. Only then can we plan water consumption in a judicious manner that will sustain the areas resources, he says.
with Devesh Kumar, Bhavna Vij-Aurora, Rohit Parihar, Amarnath K. Menon, Dinesh C. Sharma, Kiran Tare, Piyush Srivastava, Sonali Acharjee and Amitabh Srivastava
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Special Report
ECONOMY
CAN PM DO WHATPRANAB COULD NOT?

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, now doubling as finance minister, wants to revive the animal spirits of the economy. Time and political compulsions are likely to defeat him.
By Devesh Kumar
rime Minister Manmohan Singh will need to pass difficult legislations, kick the sloth out of ministers, and bring Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to heel to revive an economy that has slipped back to stagnation. As many as nine bills have been returned to Parliament by the standing committee on finance, which is headed by senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha. They have been pending with the Government for varying lengths of time. These include the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill, and the Insurance Bill. These would go a long way towards ushering in reforms in the taxation, pension management and insurance sectors. The last two sectors have been gasping for want of funds. There is also the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2012, which is pending before the Government after being returned by the standing committee on rural development. The legislation seeks to provide the right compensation for farmers whose land is being acquired either by the
PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH AT A FUNCTION IN DELHI IN 2011
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AP PHOTO/MANISH SWARUP
Government for wholly-owned or PPP model projects, or by private players. On most of these bills, the Government will have to build consensus within the coalition, and with the Opposition. But there seems little hope, given the atmosphere of confrontation. Relations between the Centre and Opposition-ruled states have become strained. Consensus on economic issues can emerge only when there is a political consensus. Cooperative federalism encompasses both politics and economy, argues Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and BJP leader, Arun Jaitley. To drive home his point, he cites the misuse of CBI by the Government to hobble its rivals, as in the case of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, Narendra Modi and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The problem, leaders of both the Opposition and allies of the Congress agree, is likely to be compounded by Manmohans inability to communicate with friends and negotiate with foes. Unfortunately, after Pranab Mukherjees exit, there is no consensus builder left in the Government, Yashwant Sinha contends. How will
10 THINGS PM NEEDS TO DO
1 Remove non performing ministers. Hold them accountable for not implementing the original 100-day plans. 2 Reorganise portfolios. Ensure ministers such as Kapil Sibal (IT and Telecommunications and HRD), Anand Sharma (Commerce & Industry and Textiles), or Vilasrao Deshmukh (Science & Technology and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) dont hold dual charge of key portfolios. 3 Rehabilitate Cabinet functioning. Scrap EGoMs. 4 Set deadlines for forest and environmental clearances within 300 days. Approvals should be deemed to have been given if not granted within the time frame. And once granted, there should be no retrospective re-opening. 5 Insulate bona fide (not mala fide) bureaucratic decisions from criminal investigation. Restore role of Appointments Committee of Cabinet in the posting of joint secretaries and above. 6 Execute order on FDI in multi-brand retail. Raise FDI ceiling in defence. 7 The Goods and Services Tax will be rolled out on April 1, 2013. Ensure a consensus is built among states on its implementation. 8 Build consensus on the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008. The government wants the FDI cap in the insurance sector to be raised to 49 per cent from 26 per cent. The standing committee on finance recommended status quo. 9 Build consensus on amendment of Aircraft Act of India, 1934, to allow foreign airlines to pick up 49 per cent stake in domestic airline carriers. 10 Restore investor confidence by revisiting budgetary proposals on restrospective taxation and General Anti-Avoidance Rules.
Singh assert himself on the crucial matter of governance? It will require shifting non-starter ministers. The big cats of his Government are asleep. They are the first animals that need to be revived. Key areas are not being served efficiently. The irony is that his track record as a reformer of the 1991-vintage had taken a severe knock as the head of Government in the last five years. Almost all measures to usher in sweeping changes in the economy were put in the cold storage during this period. With the Governments credibility at its lowest, the Prime Minister has no choice but to make a last-ditch effort to salvage his image, and legacy. Manmohan Singh needs to instil animal spirits into the reform process and make us forget that an anagram of reform is former, says economist Bibek Debroy. The Governments report card on almost all subjects has been anything but satisfactory. Consider this: Against the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) target of generating an additional 62,374 MW of electricity, the power ministry could only commission 32,762 MW during the period (a little over 50 per cent of the target). In 2010-11, the road transport and highways ministry awarded contracts for constructing 42,932 km of highways at total cost of Rs 5,072 crore. The actual length built was 1,781 km. The situation was worse in 2011-12, with contracts for building 60,396 km being conferred, the total distance covered at the end of the year was a mere 2,248 km. Planning Commission estimated that as of April 2011, there were 101 oil and gas discoveries under new exploration licensing policy (NELP). Only six could start production. Flip-flops by the Union ministry of Environment and Forests have slowed key investments. It stalled the $12 billion Posco iron and steel project, the largest single FDI investment in India, and Vedanta Resources plans to mine bauxite from the Niyamgiri Hills for its alu-
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ECONOMY
ship is displayed. If the Prime Minister does it, it will be good for him and for the country, adds Jaitley. After taking charge of the finance ministry, the Prime Minister has held a series of meetings with members of his core team, which include his Principal Secretary Pulok Chatterjee, Economic Advisory Council Chairman C. Rangarajan, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Economic Adviser to the finance ministry Kaushik Basu, on devising ways to reverse the trend in the economy. Meetings have been taking place almost daily in the PMO. The thrust of these meetings has been to spur the growth rate, as without growth, no money can be found for the social welfare programmes put in place by the Government, says an official from the Prime Ministers Office. These include the MGNREGA, health for all and the proposed food security law. Resources, Government managers agree, were also needed to foot the bill for the social regeneration schemes. The higher funding for social welfare programmes, or the entitlement benefits, will only be possible if there is higher growth rate, maintains Congress spokesman Manish Tewari. The Congress party is committed to the reform and modernisation of the Indian economy on a continuing basis. The economic philosophy of the Indian National Congress stands on the twin pillars of high growth and robust investment in the social sector. To achieve these twin objectives, the Government should do whatever is needed, he adds. The growth rate in the last quarter of 2011-12 fell drastically to 5.3 per cent of the GDP, setting alarm bells ringing in the Government. The economy was coasting comfortably at 9.2 per cent during the corresponding period in 2010-11. It is now or never for Government to embark on a course correction mode, says a Planning Commission official. That is why the PM borrowed a phrase from John Maynard Keynes, the father of welfare economics, to talk about reviving the animal spirits of the economy. It may well be too late.
minium plant in Odisha. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister C.P. Joshi has been in charge of the ministry since January 19, 2011, while Sushilkumar Shinde has been at the helm of the power ministry since 2006. S. Jaipal Reddy became the petroleum minister in the reshuffle effected by the Prime Minister in January 2011. Jayanthi Natarajan took over the environment and forests ministry in July 2011. Given that most of the appointments in the Union Cabinet have been made for political reasons, there is, Congress leaders agree, very little room for manoeuvre for the Prime Minister. Ministerial slots are distributed in keeping with regional sentiments, caste considerations and personal loyalty. Most of the ministers belonging to the Congress owe their allegiance to either Manmohan or the Congress president. In the case of allies, it is the leaders of alliance partners who finalise the names of their representatives. It is unlikely that there can be a large-scale readjustment at this juncture. He can only do minor tinkering in portfolios, says a Congress minister. With Pranab Mukherjee out of the finance ministry, the Prime Minister will also need to leverage his equation with RBI Governor D. Subbarao to bring down interest rates, give an impetus to investment and reverse the slide in the growth story. Mukherjee had an uncomfortable relationship with the RBI governor and, despite his constant nudging, the latter, in the past one year, consistently refused to lower interest rates. Just 10 days before he demitted office (June 26, 2012), Mukherjee dropped enough hints to suggest that he wanted a reduction in interest rates, but that did not happen in the quarterly review of the monetary policy on June 18. The RBI will have to reduce interest rates to rev up the economy. It will not be an easy decision to take, for, it risks inviting the charge that it was deliberately putting roadblocks in Mukherjees economy revival plans. To imagine that Mr Mukherjee was running the finance ministry as
The Prime Minister was privy to every decision that is being rubbished today.
YASHWANT SINHA, BJP Leader
The Congress party is committed to the reform and modernisation of the Indian economy on a continuing basis.
MANISH TEWARI, Congress Spokesman an individual fiefdom and the Prime Minister had nothing to do with its decisions would be a serious mistake. He was privy to every decision that is being rubbished today, says Sinha. Management of political economy essentially requires a capacity in decision-making. You try to bring about a consensus, first, within your own party, and then, with the Opposition. It is essential that leader-
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Nat ion KARNATAKA

Former chief minister wants his successor replaced. BJP has no choice but to agree.
By Sowmya Aji
ormer Karnataka chief minister B. S. Yeddyurappa is arm-twisting the BJP national leadership yet again, by demanding the replacement of his hand-picked successor, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, with yet another hand-picked successor, Jagadish Shettar. The national leadership will take a final call before July 16. Yeddyurappa is unhappy that Gowda has taken a strict anti-corruption line and has put a full stop to many of his former mentors activities. Gowda removed all of Yeddyurappas trusted staff from the chief ministers office and ensured there was no interference from his predecessor. BJP patriarch Lal Krishna Advani has opposed the move to remove Gowda on the ground that a sitting chief minister cannot be displaced without reason. But the rest of the party national leadership seems inclined to accept Yeddyurappas new choice. The national leadership has decided to accede to his wishes for multiple reasons, the main one being that we want to retain the Lingayat community, says a senior party ideologue. Yeddyurappa is still considered the undisputed leader of Karnatakas single largest community, which is said to comprise between 18 and 21 per cent of the states 65 million population. Yeddyurappa is furious with Gowda for not being the rubber stamp he was supposed to be. Gowda has made his own mark as a comparatively clean chief minister. He has not interfered in the criminal cases of land grabbing and bribery filed against Yeddyurappa and his family in various courts and not shielded him in any manner. Instead, Gowda has attempted to run the administration with as little corruption as possible, even in departments controlled by
SHETTAR
PTI SIPRA DAS/www.indiatodayimages.com
YEDDYURAPPA
Yeddyurappa Pulls
ministers close to Yeddyurappa. A party source pointed out: The result is that the money flow to the Yeddyurappa camp has been cut off. Naturally, they are all angry with Gowda. Sources indicate that Yeddyurappa has now worked out a compromise with Shettar in the hope that he will be more compliant. The BJP national leadership has had to accept every wish and every whim expressed by Yeddyurappa, right from 2008, when the Southern Gateway of Karnataka pushed them to power. But this time, they are backing Shettar for a different reason. The party hopes that if Shettar is made chief minister, it will help them neutralise Yeddyurappas effect. Shettar is also a Lingayat, who belongs to our primary vote bank of north Karnataka. Even if he changes his mind again, like he did about Gowda,Yeddyurappa cannot ask for Shettars replacement without alienating his own support base, the party source told INDIA TODAY. The Lingayats abandoned the Congress from 1990, when the then national party president Rajiv Gandhi summarily replaced Karnatakas ailing chief minister Veerendra Patil, a Lingayat, with S. Bangarappa. Rajiv made the announcement of the change of chief minister to mediapersons at the Bangalore airport, leaving the community furious. Since then, the Congress has made several attempts to win them back, but by and large, the Lingayats supported Patils old friend Ramakrishna Hegde despite him being a Brahmin, as he was always identified with their community. Once Hegde died and the Janata parivar disintegrated, the Lingayats shifted their loyalties to Yeddyurappa, founder member and then state president of the BJP. The communitys steady support pushed the BJP to power in 2008, with Yeddyurappa becoming one of the states most powerful chief ministers.
YEDDYURAPPA IS UNHAPPYTHAT GOWDA HAS TAKEN A STRICT ANTI-CORRUPTIONLINE AND HAS PUTA FULL STOP TO MANY OF HIS FORMER MENTORS ACTIVITIES.
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PAWAR HANGS UP
NCP chief resigns as chairman of EGoM on 2G
2G SPECTRUM
allocation to avoid unnecessary controversy

of 122 telecom operators which had bagged the 2G spectrum and directed that the airwaves be auctioned to fresh bidders. The EGoM had initially been tasked to look into three issuesto decide on the rollout obligations, to finalise the reserve price and the method of payment (whether one-time or deferred), and the amount of spectrum to be allotted to each bidder. The EGoM was also to decide on any issue
GOWDA
the Plug
MAIL TODAY
Sensing a subtle shift in the communitys thinking following Yeddyurappas ouster from power, Congress President Sonia Gandhi attempted to woo them on April 29. She flew down to visit the most influential Lingayat pontiff, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga mutt in Tumkur, praised his charity work and gave the mutt a donation of Rs 1.05 crore to mark his 105th birthday. But Shettar, considered the second-most influential Lingayat leader after Yeddyurappa, brushes it off. He told INDIA TODAY: It was a clear attempt by the Congress to dent our vote bank and woo the community, but it will not work. Just one visit by a national leader to a mutt for one function cannot change the entire atmosphere. The anti-Yeddyurappa camp is happy about the development. It is a political blunder by Yeddyurappa to seek replacement of Gowda with Shettar. He is so angry with Gowda for not being a rubber stamp that he has opted for who he thinks is the lesser evil. It will be a really interesting political game, as many ministers supporting Yeddyurappa cannot stand Shettar, a Cabinet minister said.
n July 3, a few hours before he was scheduled to chair his first meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on 2G allocation, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar opted out. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the NCP president wrote that attempts have been made to unnecessary drag me into the controversy surrounding the allocation of 2G spectrum. According to NCP General Secretary D.P. Tripathi, Pawar was merely trying to avoid unnecessary controversy. My association in the decision-making process as the chairman of the EGoM may motivate the vested elements to try to drag me into the controversy, Pawar wrote. Pawar had earlier been dragged into the 2G controversy when corporate lobbyist Niira Radia had alleged that he had vested interests in the DB Group, the company that owns Swan Telecom. Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka are co-owners of DB Realty. Pawar was said to be close to both. Pawar was appointed chairman of the EGoM on June 29 to replace Pranab Mukherjee, who resigned to contest the presidential polls. A meeting was scheduled for June 21 to decide on spectrum pricing but it was deferred as Mukherjee did not want to preside over this decision. Like Mukherjee, perhaps Pawar also has ambitions that go beyond being a Union minister. And why not? The prime ministership will be up for grabs in 2014. It is going to be a hung House, and who has more crossparty friends than Sharad Pawar? Given a choice, even Jayalalithaa would support Pawar rather than Narendra Modi, says an NCP MP. The Supreme Court has asked the EGoM to auction 2G spectrum by August 31. In its February 2 order, the court cancelled the licences
PAWAR
PTI
that may arise out of telecom regulator TRAIs recommendations including the fee payable to the auctioneer. The Government had earlier sought 400 days to complete the auction process, but later sought more time. Now there will be a further delay as the Government looks for a new person to head it.
by Priya Sahgal and Devesh Kumar
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Na tion UTTAR PRADESH

amajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is reknowned for his U-turns but now it seems he has competition from his son Akhilesh. On July 3, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister announced in the Assembly that MLAs who did not have a car of their own would be allowed to buy one using their MLA Local Area Development funds. This immediately led to a furore both on the floor of the House and outside, with indignant civil society activists and the media questioning his decision. A day later, he changed his mind, announcing: I take back the decision because the media did not interpret it in the right manner. And our MLAs also said they dont want to use their funds to buy cars. The decision comes in the wake of another controversial rollback barely a fortnight ago. On June 17, the state labour department had issued an order asking all shops and malls to close by 7 p.m. for the next fortnight in a bid to battle the power crisisthe demand for power in the state has risen to a record high of 12,500 megawatt (MW) this summer, while supply is a mere 8,000 MW. With traders up in arms, the Opposition calling it a Tughlaqi order and stalling Assembly proceedings, Akhilesh shelved the plan to save 1,500-1,800 MW power in urban areas and withdrew the order within 24 hours. SP state spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary tried to put a spin on it, saying it only shows the government is democratic. The governments indecision was evident from Day One itself. On March 15, the day Akhilesh took oath as Chief Minister, Arvind Kumar Singh Gop, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar, Aruna Kori and Rajendra Singh Rana were made ministers of state. Three days later, they were promoted to ministers of state with independent charge. A senior SP leader points out that Gop was rewarded for not deserting the party despite being close to former leader Amar Singh and being instrumental in the party doing well in Barabanki in the Assembly elections. He says Kori is the only woman minister and Gangwar the only Kurmi
AKHILESH YADAV AT AJANATA DARBAR IN LUCKNOW
REGIME OF ROLLBACKS
leader in the list of ministers and hence the promotions. But the SP leader cant explain why this logic did not apply when they were sworn in. A similar indecision is apparent in transfers and postings as well. On March 28, the government posted senior IAS officer Fateh Bahadur as principal secretary (religious affairs) and Navneet Sehgal, then secretary to the chief minister, as judicial member
MANEESH AGNIHOTRI/www.indiatodayimages.com
The Akhilesh Yadav government is fast earning a dubious reputation for going back on its decisions
in the Revenue Council, Allahabad. However, two days later the government decided to swap Bahadur and Sehgals new assignments. On March 29, senior IAS officer Sanjay Agarwal was made principal secretary in the Chief Ministers Office. But within 24 hours, Agarwal was asked to return to his earlier post of principal secretary (medical and health). The perception is fast gaining ground that the 39-year-old Chief Minister is not being allowed to make his own decisions by his uncles Shivpal Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav and senior SP leader Azam Khan. Leader of Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya rubs it in: There are three to four chief ministers in the Government. That explains these numerous U-turns.
by Ashish Misra
SAMAJWADI PARTY STATE SPOKESMAN RAJENDRA CHAUDHARY SAYS THE FREQUENT U-TURNS ONLY SHOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DEMOCRATIC.
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Keshubhai Baits Modi

he war between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, 61, and his bte noire Keshubhai Patel, 83, turned openly ugly on July 2 when Patel urged BJP workers to uproot those who believe in no-repeat theories. The reference was to Modis tendency to not repeat candidates, especially in civic polls. Only two days earlier, former Gujarat chief minister Suresh Mehta had
GUJARAT
BJP veteran quits party, urges party workers not to support the Chief Minister
Mehta and Keshubhai plan to reduce Modis strong base in urban areas as they believe he is weak in the states rural areas. Elections will be held in Gujarat in December 2013. Patel says he will not renew his primary BJP membership as his ties with the party have ended. The octogenarian leader has turned his blog into a launchpad for making vicious attacks on Modi. In June he wrote, It will be front could divide the votes to his advantage. Second, he believes his performance will speak for itself. Third, a recent survey has shown that Modi is very much ahead in the race. The survey was done in June by the Ahmedabad-based Talim Research Foundation, which is run by independent researchers. It showed that BJP will come back to power in the state with a sound majority. As many as 46 per
KESHUBHAI WROTE,IT WILL BE BETTER IF MODI GOES TO DELHI AS THAT WILL RELIEVE GUJARAT OF HIS BURDEN. MODI HAS REFRAINED FROM REACTING TO KESHUBHAIS PROVOCATIONS.
Photographs by SHAILESH RAVAL/www.indiatodayimages.com
KESHUBHAI PATEL (LEFT) AND NARENDRA MODI
hinted that they were thinking of setting up a third front under the leadership of Patel. Mehtas hint followed a June 29 meeting of Patels loyalists, which concurred that as a party BJP has lost all vigour as it has surrendered to the diktats of Modi and was not willing to listen to anything against him. Under the banner of Parivartan Lok Jagruti Abhiyan, Patel will address eight public meetings in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot, which have 50 of the states 182 constituencies.
better if Modi goes to Delhi as that will relieve Gujarat of his burden. In another diatribe, the former chief minister wrote, BJP workers have been turned into bonded labourers. They are being treated as untouchables while meetings are being held with industrialists in five-star hotels. So far, Modi has refrained from reacting to Patels provocations. He has even ensured that the Gujarat leadership of the BJP ignores the former chief ministers verbal assaults. The Chief Minister has his reasons for doing so. One, he believes that a third
cent of the respondents from 41 key constituencies supported BJP to Congresss 24 per cent. The rest said they would decide as the polls draw closer. Of the 46 per cent who wanted BJP back in government, as much as 84 per cent said Modis performance, based on good governance, was very good. State BJP Secretary Bharat Pandya says, We dont want to counteract negativity with negativity because we want to play the politics of development based on positivity. Modi could not have said it better himself.
by Uday Mahurkar
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Na tion BIHAR
QUALIFICATION NO BAR
Senior bureaucrat claims Patna Universitys vice-chancellor is ineligible for the post
rofessor Shambhu Nath Singh had an impressive resume even before Bihar Governor Devanand Konwar appointed him the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Patna University on August 1, 2011. The IGNOU websitewhere Singh had been functioning as director and professor at the School of Journalism and New Media Studies (SOJNMS) before taking over as the Patna University VC describes him as a journalist of repute for the last 25 years and someone known for his intellectual analyses and commentaries. In May-end, S. Shiv Kumar, principal secretary in the Bihar Higher Education Department wrote to the Principal Accountant General (Audit) (PAG), saying that Singh lacked the basic qualification for appointment as vice-chancellor according to the Patna University Act, 1976. Kumar, a 1987-batch IAS officer, wrote to the PAG after the auditors found that Singh was appointed in violation of university rules that require a VC candidate to have at least six years of experience in administering a university as an educationist. Alternatively, the act stipulates that a candidate having 10 years of teaching experience in a university or college as principal or head of department can also be considered for the post of the vice-chancellor. The Bihar government is convinced that the Patna University VC does not have either. I have informed the PAG about governments understanding of the issue. We need vice-chancellors who should be able to inspire students, Kumar told INDIA TODAY on June 26. The PAG, which functions under the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and audits all expenditure and revenue of the Bihar government, has ticked off Governor Konwar, maintaining that an ineligible applicant
K M KISHAN
(Singh), who knew he did not fulfil the eligibility criterion, has been able to obtain the post of vice-chancellor through the collusion of senior officials of the Governors secretariat. The PAGs office has asked the Governors principal secretary to explain why it shouldnt place the payment of Singhs salary since appointment under the audit objection book. Singh, however, is unperturbed. I dont know why I am being targeted. I fulfil all the criteria required to become the vice-chancellor. I have adequate administrative and teaching experience. Those raising questions should have asked me for my detailed resume, he told INDIA TODAY on June 26. Singh thinks he has done a good job
SHAMBHU NATH SINGH (SECOND FROM LEFT) AT THE PATNA UNIVERSITY
I fulfil all the conditions required to become the vicechancellor. I have adequate administrative and teaching experience.
SHAMBHU NATH SINGH, Vice Chancellor, Patna University
at Patna University. Patna University is now the only varsity in Bihar where the semester system has been introduced. Besides, we have also allowed students and their parents to see the answer sheets. This is to ensure transparency, he said. Konwar had appointed VCS for six universities of Bihar on August 1, 2011, which sparked off a controversy, as the Nitish Kumar government said that these were made without consulting the state government. Sources close to the Governor, however, claim that the Bihar University Act allows him (as chancellor) to appoint the VCS and Pro-VCS in consultation with the ruling government, but the rules does not warrant that he abide by the state governments suggestions. Patna Training College Principal Khagendra Kumar says he will move court to question the PAGs mandate to examine the appointment. Kumar says, Does PAG have the remit to comment on an appointment process as also the policy choices which a governor makes?
by Amitabh Srivastava
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DIAMONDS
India Shines with China

The two nations become second largest consumer of diamonds, garner 24 per cent share of global trade
ndia has, for the first time ever, become the worlds second largest consumer of diamonds, thanks to its domestic demand that is growing annually at 30 per cent. It shares the second spot with neighbour China. In 2011, India also sold diamonds worth Rs 55,000 crore in the local market and shipped abroad diamonds worth Rs 1.54 lakh crore. The burgeoning demand enabled India to import polished and rough diamonds worth $12 billion (Rs 66,000 crore) from Africa, Russia and Belgium in 2011. Chinas domestic market recorded 13 per cent growth in 2011-12. India and China now have a 24 per cent
REUTERS
WORKERS AT A DIAMOND PLANT IN SURAT
share of the world diamond market. Global diamond giant De Beers has already forecast that by 2020, the two countries will surpass the US, the worlds biggest consumer with a 40 per cent market share. The advantage lies with us. The US market has not seen any growth in the last three years, says Rajeev Jain, chairman of the Mumbai-based Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), at a global jewellery conference in Las Vegas in May. The high demand has prompted us to seek direct import opportunities the world over, Jain adds. India annually imports rough diamonds worth Rs 55,000 crore from Africa, which produces 45
per cent of the worlds diamonds. At Las Vegas and in Washington DC, which hosted meetings of the Kimberly Process (KP) in June, Indian diamond traders, supported by their Chinese counterparts, argued against a proposal floated by the US to introduce a new definition of blood diamonds. KP is an international initiative to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds. Both India and China argued the US-led move will impact their imports that largely depend on supplies from Africa, mainly Zimbabwe. The proposal was floated by the newly elected KP chair from the US, Gillian A. Milovanovic. If agreed upon, the organisations certification scheme would be modified to cover rough diamonds used to finance or otherwise directly involved with armed conflict or other situations of violence. KP itself certifies diamonds that come to India and China from Africa. So where is the need for a redefinition? asks Jain. Milovanovic wanted to include diamond-related violence in rough diamond producing and trading areas, which include India and China, to stem the flow of rough diamonds used by rebel movements in Africa. He also wanted to certify that those gems have been legally mined and sold. GJEPC Executive Director Sabyasachi Ray, who represented India at Washington, says the inclusion of the term violence in places of trading was extremely contentious. We dont have riots in Surat. Nor are there any incidents of violence in China or Dubai. The US wants to control the global diamond trade, he says. A similar proposal backed by KP was also mooted in June by members of the World Diamond Council in Vicenza, Italy. It also met with protests from India, China, African nations and Russia.
by Shantanu Guha Ray
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Na tion
HARYANA
HARYANAS HOUSE OFHORRORS

The state government drags its feet on probing the accused in a heinous sex racket
By Asit Jolly
umein nanga karke, murga bana ke, baans ke dande se marte the (They stripped us, made us bend over and beat us with bamboo sticks), two terrorstricken five-year-old boys haltingly told members of a probe committee appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on June 6. The toddlers, who narrated horrifying stories of extreme abuse including forced acts of oral sex, are among the 103 severely tormented young women and children rescued from Apna Ghar, a privately-run shelter home in Haryanas Rohtak city. Sickening and shocking, is how National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) member Vinod Kumar Tikoo, 58, described what he saw when he raided the shelter home on May 9. Testimonies recorded by Tikoo, and subsequently by Chandigarh lawyers Anil Malhotra and Sudipti Sharma on June 5 and 6, were even more appalling. Jaswanti Devi and her associates allegedly ran a veritable house of horrors barely three km from Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hoodas family home. Malhotra and Sharmas 28-page report to the high court on June 12 states, Children were physically
abused, brutally beaten, often kept naked, forced to consume liquor and regularly made to work as farm and construction labourers. They further detail how some children, aged between five and 10 years, complained of abuse in the form of oral sex. All this and more, the report says, was forced upon the inmates by Devis son-in-law Jai Bhagwan and driver Satish. Older girls and young women were routinely drugged, forced to engage in lesbian acts and sleep with policemen and outsiders. Many victims also reported sexual encounters with foreigners in local guesthouses and hotels. Whenever girls were sent out of the home with Jai Bhagwan and Satish, she (Devi) simply said, Gehun katne gayin hain (theyre out harvesting wheat), a young woman, now relocated to Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity at Panipat, told the lawyers. She added that sexual acts, including those involving
(LEFT) APNA GHAR, THE SHELTER HOME; JASWANTI OUTSIDE THE ROHTAK COURT
SOME CHILDREN, AGED BETWEEN FIVE AND 10, COMPLAINED OF SEXUALABUSE IN THE FORM OF ORAL SEX.
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children, were almost always recorded. NCPCRs report, released on June 30, says at least four of the young women rescued from Apna Ghar were found to be HIV positive. Children born to women in the shelter home were illegally sold. The NCPCR estimates that 41 inmates have gone missing from Apna Ghar over the past three years. Twenty-nine are yet to be traced. Oblivious to the goings-on at the shelter home, the Haryana government honoured Devi with the Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Puraskar on March 23; she was awarded a citation and cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. Shockingly, it took Women and Child Development Minister Geeta Bhukkal a month after the sleaze was exposed to revoke the award on June 11. Koi mera kuch nahi bigaad sakta. Main kisi se nahi darti (Nobody can harm me. I am scared of no one), Devi bragged while being escorted to the Rohtak District Court on June 16. She dared the state police to prove the charges against her. Perhaps more appalling than the horrors inside Apna Ghar is the Haryana governments lackadaisical approach. Besides arresting Devi, Jai Bhagwan, Satish and four others, the
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DIPLOMACY
Standing on Ceremony
Salman Bashir, Jaimini Bhagwati wait to officially take over as Pakistan and Indias envoys in Delhi and London
P
Photographs by MANOJ KUMAR
initial investigation team constituted under Rohtak DSP Tula Ram was dragging its feet amid reports that local policemen were involved in sexually abusing inmates. On June 6, Director-General of Police (DGP) R.S. Dalal constituted a special investigation team (SIT) under additional DGP M.S. Mann promising exemplary punishment for any policeman found involved. The SIT too proved a dud with investigators failing to recover mobile phones used by the accused or seize computers or any recording devices from Apna Ghar. Adding to this, the Haryana administration went out of its way to flout NCPCR directions in shifting the 103 rescued victims to 12 alternate shelter homes in seven towns across Haryana. This is evidently a ploy to scuttle the investigation, insists a lawyer. The state government then decided to transfer the investigation to CBI on June 15. But a fortnight on, the transfer is still stuck in bureaucratic procedures. The shocking revelations exemplify all that can go wrong in privately run shelter homes. Rising instances of abuse in childcare institutions across the country indicate a systemic rot. Just 14 states and Union territories have legislated State Commissions for protection of child rights. Haryana does not figure on the list.
akistans new envoy Salman Bashir was hoping to get a fasttrack route to credentials so he could participate in the June 4-5 India-Pakistan foreign secretary talks. But the Ministry of External Affairs politely declined, citing convention that a minimum of five envoys is required for a credentials ceremony. Outgoing President Pratibha Patil has been so busy winding up that she hasnt been able to allot time for the ceremony. India has, however, made a departure from protocol by allowing him to sit in the bilateral talks as an observer. The soft-spoken former Pakistani foreign secretary arrived in Delhi to take over as envoy from Shahid Malik. After a five-year stint in Delhi, Malik returned to Islamabad in June. Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundals arrest, and his confirmation of Pakistans hand in the 26/11 Mumbai attack, greeted Bashir, who had earlier described Indias evidence on the attack as a piece of mere literature. Without credentials, Bashir is merely high commissioner-designate and cannot host public functions, interact with the media or play the role of envoy in official talks. A similar fate has befallen Indias top man in London, Jaimini Bhagwati. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Bhagwati as high commissioner in March, but Queen Elizabeth hasnt found time to accept his credentials. India and the UK have a close relationship and diplomatic ties rarely witness any strain but the grapevine is abuzz that Buckingham Palace was not amused that the Prime Minister turned down an invitation to be at the Queens diamond jubilee celebrations in
June, citing prior commitments. A spokesperson of the British High Commission told INDIA TODAY: The new Indian high commissioners arrival has coincided with an exceptionally busy period for Her
AP PHOTO
BASHIR AT THE WAGAH BORDER IN JULY 2011
Majesty. As Buckingham Palace has said, Mr Bhagwati will be able to present his credentials at the first available opportunity. In the meantime, he is free to operate as Indias most senior diplomat in the UK, across the range of political, economic and cultural activity that is required of this prestigious role. Till then, he, like Bashir, will be standing on ceremony. by Saurabh Shukla
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SomakRaychaudhury
GUEST COLUMN
The writer is an astrophysicist at University of Birmingham, UK, soon to join Presidency University, Kolkata, as head of physics
The Hunt for God Particle

The longest and most expensive search in the history of science has a deep Indian connect. The origin of Higgs boson goes back to physicist Satyendranath Bose.
hanks, Nature. Two little words marked the end higher speeds. The only exception is the photon, the of the speech of Fabiola Gianotti, the spokesper- particles that make up light. Even in the Higgs field, the son of the ATLAS experiment, indicating the photon acquires no mass, and thus can travel at the collective sigh of relief at what is believed to be the maximum possible speed allowed by nature, which is... beginning of the end of the longest, and most expensive, youve guessed it... the speed of light. Inside the Large Hadron Collider, particles like protons search in the history of science. The discovery of the Higgs particle will lead to a new were being accelerated to near-light speeds, and hurled at understanding of the origin of matter in the Universe, which each other in the dark underground tunnels, colliding in a occurred in the smallest fraction of a second after its creation flash of energy, as electrons, quarks, and other more mas13.4 billion years ago. Indeed, it is the key to understanding sive particles emerge. If our theories are correct, a few of these particles, including the new particle announced on the existence of diversity and life in the universe. Physicists believe that the Higgs particle has been spot- July 4, will be Higgs particles. It is not clear how many kinds ted at the worlds largest and most expensive laboratory of particles make up the Higgs field. Various instruments 27 km in circumference, 100 m below ground, straddling that line the walls of the tunnel will help piece together the the border of France and Switzerland. The Large Hadron complicated jigsaw of what actually happened in the colliCollider, a multi-billion-dollar array of machines, is run by sion. The experiment will run till the end of this year, and it a pan-European organisation called CERN in Geneva. This will take a decade for scientists to analyse the data to look is where, among other things, the world-wide web was in- for and confirm the detections of possible Higgs particles. The Higgs boson was named the God particle by the vented. Now it is the scene of another ground-breaking event. The world has been waiting for over 40 years since Nobel-winning US physicist, Leon Lederman, since it is allprofessor Peter Higgs, currently at the University of pervading and omnipresent. Scientists often use the word Edinburgh, UK, predicted the existence of Higgs particle. God when they borrow one of the divine characteristics In recent years, HiggsRumors has been one of the most attributed by various religions. Apart from understanding the nature of matter, such fundamental discoveries open popular hashtags on Twitter. According to the standard theory, at the moment of the up fields of research that are hard to imagine at the time. creation of the Universe, all particles were massless, and For instance, when the electron was discovered at the dawn they all travelled at the speed of light. A trillionth of a of the 20th century, nobody imagined how today our life second after the birth of the Universe, an all-pervading would be dominated by electronic devices. Only time will tell Illustration by SAURABH SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com what the Higgs will lead us to. invisible field switched on, that Of the 6,000 scientists involved caused particles to acquire mass. in the experiments, many are This is known as the Higgs field, Indians, belonging to, among others, and its only visible manifestation is the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics the Higgs boson. in Kolkata and the Tata Institute of When I run on a track, I am at Fundamental Research in Mumbai. my fastest, but if I try to run on There is a deeper connection sand, or in water, I wont be able to with India. All elementary particles get up to the same speed, even are divided into two kinds, fermions though I might exert the same and bosons. The Higgs particle is energy. It is the medium, like air, a boson, named after the Indian sand or water, that holds me back. physicist Satyendranath Bose, If a bunch of particles is given the who, along with Albert Einstein, same amount of energy, the more first described their nature, almost massive particles travel sluggishly, a century ago. and the lighter particles travel at
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Nei ghbours
PAKISTAN
IN COURTCROSSHAIRS
ithin days of his taking oath of office on June 23, the Supreme Court on June 27 gave Pakistans new Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf a fortnight to write to Swiss authorities to reopen long-dormant corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. The court had sacked the previous incumbent, Yousuf Raza Gilani, for his failure to do so. Ashraf had also been put on notice by the apex court in March 2011 in a power rental scam, when, as power minister, he had sanctioned the purchase of electricity from private rental power plants (RPP). An immediate fallout of the scam has been that Ashraf cannot leave the country. His name is on an Exit Control List (ECL) that contains names of individuals wanted by different law enforcement agencies. The list is circulated to all immigration points to stop individuals from leaving the country. Fasih Bokhari, chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), an independent investigation agency, told INDIA TODAY that the prime ministers name was forwarded to the Ministry of Interior to be placed on the ECL in April 2011. RPPs, typically installed within four to six months, are ideal for meeting short-term electricity needs. Ashraf, who was power minister from March 2008 to February 2011, had approved the installation of 19 such plants with a collective capacity of 2,734 MW. The government, taking bank loans, had paid 21.8 billion Pakistani rupees to RPP companies but none of these plants functioned to their full capacity. They produced only 120 MW of electricity. Pakistans daily power requirement is 14,000-15,000 MW but its plants produce about 8,000-9,000 MW per day. Sources from the power ministry said that the countrys electricity demand could rise to 22,000 MW within a few years.
Pakistans new prime minister is already hobbled by charges of corruption
RAJA PERVEZ ASHRAF
ASHRAFS PARTY COLLEAGUES BELIEVE HIS POLICIES AS POWER MINISTER HAVE EFFECTIVELY PUSHED THE COUNTRY INTO A POWER CRISIS.
AP PHOTO
Allegations of kickbacks against Ashraf were made by a member of the Pakistan Peoples Partys coalition partner PML(Q) and former housing minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, and Opposition leader Khwaja Asif. Ashrafs party colleagues believe his policies as power minister have effectively pushed the country into a loadshedding crisis. The Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the allegations made by Hayat and Asif on December 15, 2011. The allegations, coupled with the failure of the power plants to deliver, prompted the Supreme Court to cancel the deal in March 2011 and initiate an inquiry against Ashraf. The contracts of RPPs are ordered to be rescinded forthwith and all the persons responsible for the same are liable to be dealt with for
civil and criminal action in accordance with law, said a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain. If found guilty, Ashraf could face disqualification from the National Assembly. Following the Supreme Courts verdict, the NAB began an investigation against Ashraf. The courts verdict also stated that prior to RPPs, the electricity generation system had sufficient potential. But instead of taking curative steps, such as enhancing the electricity generation capacity of existing dams, billions of rupees were spent on installing RPPs, which proved to be a complete failure. It is now a matter of when, not if, the prime minister will go.
by Qaswar Abbas in Islamabad
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Re ligion
CHURCH
CHURCH CHECKMATES BISHOP

Keralas largest non-Catholic church accuses one of its 33 bishops of corruption
than a century over spiritual he Jacobite Syrian matters as well as ownership of Christian Church (JSCC) physical assets and, most imhas accused one of its portantly, over the supreme bishops, Kuriackose Mar head of the church. While the Clemis, 45, of financial misapOrthodox group owes allepropriation, undue relations giance to its Catholicose based with women, and attempts to in Kottayam, the Jacobites conorganise parallel devotee sider Ignatius Zakka I as their groups. Bishop Clemis, the metsupremo. The 1.5-million ropolitan of JSCCs Idukki diostrong Jacobite faction is financese, hit back by raising serious cially and numerically less allegations against the church powerful than the Orthodox leadership. They include an group whose members include alleged attempt by church authe Kandathil family, which thorities to murder him, makruns the states largest circuing him pay Rs 3 crore to be lated Malayala Manorama ordained as bishop in 2008 and newspaper, and Chief Minister also efforts to take over assets Oommen Chandy. worth Rs 13 crore he bought for The JSCC leadership said churches under his diocese. The church leadership the differences with Clemis forcibly locked me up in a room were over the financial dealat the churchs headquarters, ings as well as unacceptable where they tried to kill me by relationships he maintained sending hoodlums on May 16. with two nuns. He was buying When I escaped and reached land after taking loans in the home, they sent the killers The church leadership locked me up in name of the church but he again on June 21. Only my a room at the churchs headquarters, was not paying back the loans. complaint made to the police He had run up a debt of saved my life, Clemis told the where they tried to kill me on May 16. Rs 4.5 crore which he admitmedia on June 24 at Kattapted to us through a signed BISHOP KURIACKOSE MAR CLEMIS pana, the headquarters of his statement, said Thambu diocese. The police confirmed that the supremo, Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I. A George Tukalan, JSCC secretary. bishop had filed a complaint about new diocese was formed with Idukki in According to Chevelier Bibi Kadaattempts to murder him. central Kerala as the base and Clemis vumbhagam, chief editor of Viswasamade its metropolitan. Since he took rakshakan, JSCCs mouthpiece, the JSCC denied all the charges although it admitted having received over, the new bishop began to renovate bishop refused to respond to repeated Rs 5 lakh from Clemis at the time of the 18 churches under his diocese notices sent to him since early 2011. ordaining him as bishop. We issued a besides buying more land. Some JSCC He was also warned against attempts receipt for it, said Joseph Mar members said the church leadership to formulate devotee groups to conduct Gregorios, JSCC synod secretary. On was initially happy with the bishops charismatic meditations and also a June 30, JSCC barred the bishop from services, until serious differences nuns sect. Before he became bishop, carrying out any church-related duty cropped up after Clemis allegedly Clemis was a highly popular leader of pending an ongoing investigation. An refused to hand over the new assets to charismatic meditations during which participants go into spiritual hysteria. eight-member commission has been JSCC and kept them in his name. constituted to decide the future course The Orthodox and Jacobite groups, The devotees he attracted in these of action against the bishop. rival factions in the 3.5-million strong sessions continued to be around him Clemis was ordained as the latest of Syrian Christian Church, Keralas even after he became a bishop, which largest non-Catholic church, have been the official church did not approve of. JSCCs 33 bishops in 2008 at its global headquarters at Antioch in Syria, by its involved in a bitter mutual war for more by M.G. Radhakrishnan
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SWIPE TO SAVE TI
By Aditi Pai
Soc iety
TRENDSETTERS
t took only a few minutes for Harsh Reddy, 18, to get admission into a college in Rampachodavaram, over 400 km from Hyderabad. Thats possibly only slightly longer than it takes to pronounce the tongue-twisting name. All thanks to Zocampus. The website by tech entrepreneur Sunil Chalamalasetty, 40, brings educational institutes from cities and far-flung towns alike, on one single platform. So, you can check the syllabus, seek admission, pay fees and even learn in an e-classroom, all by logging on to the website. I always wanted to contribute to wealth creation and education is the biggest wealth, says Hyderabad-based Chalamalasetty. In 2008, after 13 years of corporate globetrotting, he returned home to do something for the country. In a bid to contribute to public life, he contested the Lok Sabha elections on a Praja
Rajyam Party ticket in 2009, but lost. He soon found his purpose education. Using his years of technology experience, he started Zocampus in 2011, a platform where people can collaborate for educational purposes. Its like a social networking platform for education, he says. The reach of products is poor in the rural areas and some of the higher education books are not available in these places. This will bring education to all, says Chalamalasetty, who had started a successful e-commerce venture in 2001 in London called Eurocallingcards.com, a company that registered a $10 million (Rs 50 crore) turnover within two years of inception. Last year, he sold BANGALORE
Richik Nandi 31 and Garima Satija 28

Started Poshvine in 2011 in Bangalore.You can make reservations,redeem vouchers and even win special gifts on this site.
ROAD AHEAD To expand operations across India and include a fun-filled gastronomic tour of cities.
We wanted to develop a product that translates passion for food and travel into a successful business.
the company to a London-based group to concentrate on his new ventureZocampus. Like Chalamalasetty, a number of young Indians are using their interest in technology to start innovative tech ventures. Armed with international degrees and global exposure, these young people are bringing in new ideas and tweaking them to suit the needs of India. From creating educational platforms to a digital trial room and an ewallet, these entrepreneurs are setting in motion a tech revolution. After a decade-long stint in the US, UK and China, Jay Krishna, 38, decided to return to hometown Hyderabad in 2007 to start his own venture in the field of technology. The engineering graduate from BITS, Pilani, zeroed in on what he liked bestusing a phone for
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SANDESH RAVI KUMAR
ME
A shoe that guides and a wallet that transfers money. Innovative entrepreneurs are using technology to transform urban living.
HYDERABAD
Hemanth Satyanarayana 29
Came back to India from the US after working in the specialised field of Augmented & Virtual Realityto create Trialar,a digital trial room built in an augmented realityplatform.
ROAD AHEAD He hopes people can try on clothes virtuallyand shop from anywhere.
This concept will be welcome in both exclusive boutiques and malls or airports.
HYDERABAD
Anirudh Sharma 25
He gave up his well-paying job as a research consultant to design a shoe called Le Chal meant for the visuallyimpaired.It guides the user with some help from Google Maps.
ROAD AHEAD Is headed for a year-long study programme at MIT.
We are people passionate about design, accessibility, new media and innovation.
money transactions. The PayPal regular set up Digitsecure, a company that enables you to make and receive payments on your mobile phone. Even today, 85 per cent of transactions are cash-on-delivery. With mobile phones being all-pervasive, this technology will bring e-transactions to the masses and will help take cash out of the system, he says. With permissions from the Reserve Bank of India in place, he counts HDFC, American Express, SBI and ICICI among his clients. It will make purchases and transactions simpler and faster, he says. The engineerturned-tech entrepreneur is now set to launch an e-wallet, a mobile app that will enable you to buy anything from jewellery to burgers with the touch of a key. There are tremendous opportunities for growth if you bring in a new idea in technology, he says. For Hemanth Satyanarayana, 29, fashion and clothing werent even remotely on his mind when he returned to Hyderabad in May 2009 after six years of pursuing a dream career in New York. Armed with experience in the fields of virtual reality and augmented reality, he came back consciously looking for a change and decided to give his entrepreneurial dream a serious try and start Imaginate in 2011. But the desire to pick up an innovative idea and the many long and often cumbersome shopping trips with his wife inspired him to create Trialar, a digital trial room built in an augmented reality platform using image processing and computer vision technologies. So instead of trying out every dress from your selection of a dozen, simply stand in front of a digital display or an electronic mirror that you can interact with. It then instantaneously gives you an image of how you would look in a particular dress and enables you to see how you look in 20 different changes in just about a minute. A patent pending feature of this product is virtual collaboration shopping. Which means you can send an image of yourself in a dress to your boyfriend for his opinion, before making up your mind, says Satyanarayana. Trialar is awaiting an August launch and Satyanarayana is confident that the concept will be welcome in
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Soc iety
TRENDSETTERS
SRINIVAS
both exclusive boutiques and malls or airports, where it will be used instead of digital signage. People can check out a dress and see how it looks on them without actually trying them on; swipe their card to buy it while waiting at the airport or some such place. Wanting to bring convenience to the strapped-for-time urban dweller, Richik Nandi, 31, and Garima Satija, 28, started Poshvine in October 2011, a site dedicated to eating out in Bangalore. Besides helping you decide the venue, the site even allows guests to reserve tables and offers several benefits such as discounts, complimentary chefs signature dish, or loyalty points that can be redeemed for exclusive benefits. No vouchers, no explanations, no questions asked. We want to be the Lonely Planet of dining and culinary experience, says Nandi. Hes expanded the concept to recently introducing food-related experiences across the country. With Poshvine, you can go on a bicycle tour of Bangalore followed by breakfast at the popular Koshys or HYDERABAD
HYDERABAD
Sunil Chalamalasetty 40
After starting successful tech ventures such as Eurocallingcards.com in the UK,he returned to Hyderabad in 2008.He launched Zocampus,a platform for information and access to educational institutes.
ROAD AHEAD Has 70 institutes on board; plans to take the number to 500 by the year-end.
Our aim is to take good education and learning to as many students as we can.
Jay Krishna 38
Returned to India after a decade-long stint in the UK,US and China to start Digitsecure,a companythat designs technologyto enable monetarytransactions through a mobile phone.
ROAD AHEAD Is launching an e-wallet mobile app that makes purchases and money transfer easier.
peep into the kitchen secrets of the top chefs at high-end restaurants and star hotels. We want to encourage discovering of a city through its food, says Nandi, who used his experience at Microsoft to design the software for his site. While the company hasnt broken even yet, the couple is taking its operations to Chennai and Hyderabad. When Anirudh Sharma, 25, gave up his well-paying job as a research
SRINIVAS
We wanted to develop an e-money solution that works even in rural areas.
consultant at Hewlett Packard, he decided to take the non-commercial route to entrepreneurship. The graduate in informatics engineering from Rajasthan Technical University designed Le Chala shoe that guides the visually impaired. It works like this: By providing haptic feedback (a tactile feedback technology), the shoe guides users to their destination by vibrating in the front, back or sides of the shoe, to indicate straight, back, left and right. The shoe is guided by Google Maps that is connected to the users smartphone. In December 2011, he, along with business partner Krispian Lawrence, 28, started Ducere Technologies in Bangalore that specialises in innovations for the visually impaired. The main reason I left a corporate to form a startup company was because it is fun to do different things even though its not as financially secure. We had developed Le Chal and want to develop more cost-effective innovations for the visually impaired, he says. Socially conscious or profitable ventures, it is passion that fuels the dreams of these innovative entrepreneurs who are breaking norms to make everyday reality easier.
with Mona Ramavat, Ayesha Aleem and Lakshmi Kumaraswami
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HEALTH
by DAMAYANTI DATTA
YOUR BRAIN AND HOWYOU USE IT

Use it or lose it, is how the brain functions. Keep your mind supple and lifestyle active if you dont want your brain to become old before its time or lose its spark.
IS DAYDREAMING GOOD FOR YOU?

Yes, it is a critical brain process that allows us to manage ourselves in the social world, reveals an article in the July issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science. Daydreaming activates the default mode network of the brain. While some may view it as a wasted opportunity for productivity, constructive internal reflection is critical for learning from past experiences and appreciating their value for future choices. It allows us to navigate the world we live in better.
THINK AND TELL

Japanese scientists have uncovered how we predict other peoples thoughts. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and mathematical models, they show how we simulate the thoughts of others by using two signals encoded in the frontal lobes of the brain.The reward signalestimates the value of an interaction to the other person, while the action signalsimulates what the other person can do about it.The research came out in a paper published in the June 21 issue of Neuron.
WORKOUTS
Make Your Brain Smarter

Heres some good news for gym rats.Workouts dont just lift your mood, vitality, alertness and well-being, they also make your brain more agile
Increases production
of neurochemicals that promote brain cell repair. Helps in boosting decision-making skills. Lengthens the attention span of an individual.
Prompts growth of
new nerve cells as well as blood vessels. Improves multi-tasking abilities and helps you plan out things better. Improves memory.
20%
54
We use 100% of our brain, but not all at the same time. Check out the rule of thumb for the brain
of grey matter works on conscious thoughts. of the energy produced by the body is used by the brain.
20:80 RULE
80%
of the brain is devoted to processing visual information. of the brain is made of fats, especially rich in Omega-3.
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Leisure
FA S H I O N
TELEVISION
BOOKS
CINEMA
REVIEWS
E Y E C AT C H E R S
THE REGALGAZE
By Kaveree Bamzai
Royals at their bejewelled best in a collection of classic photographs
POSING FOR POSTERITY: ROYAL INDIAN PORTRAITS

byPramod Kumar KG Roli Books Price: RS 1,975 Pages: 255
BETWEEN THE COVERS One of the most unusual things about the bookis howuniversallyuglythe male royals were.And what gorgeous women theywere married to,and invariablygave birth to.
another picture which shows his substantial hand clasped around the narrow waist of his ames Waterhouse, a British Army officer corset-clad wife, Rani Kanari. We see Rani commissioned by then governor general Kanari in another photograph in an elaborate Lord Canning to photograph the more gown and hat, holding her child who is attired remarkable tribes in India, was a hunter-pho- in what looks like a white christening gown. tographer long before Federico Fellini invented One of the most unusual things about the book the term paparazzo. He knew the value of a tro- is how universally ugly the male royals were. phy photograph, and like the British press who And what gorgeous women they were married made a career of chasing Princess Diana, to, and invariably gave birth to. Theres the obligatory photograph of a young the royals were his favourite subject. In particular, the striking Sikander Begum and her Gayatri Devi in 1945which self-respecting cofdaughter Sultan Shah Jahan Begum of Bhopal. fee table book on royals is without it?but His images are sprinkled all over Posing theres also a young Vijayaraje Scindia with husfor Posterity: Royal Indian Portraits, but my band Jivajirao in 1945. She is in a French favourite photo is by a nameless photographer, chiffon with a brocade border and he is in a of the very large and the very unsightly smart suit. Padma Raje, their daughter, is Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala. One dressed in a pretty frock. Theres Princess shows him precariously balanced on his latest Khadija Hayriya Aisha Durr-I-Shahvar of Berar, acquisition, a cycle, in 1890. The caption help- in her youth as well as much older, shot at her fully informs us that he later became trim home Belle Vista in Hyderabad, by the intrepid and dapper. But theres no evidence of it in American Margaret Bourke-White. But its her 1945 picture as a young (LEFT) PRINCESS DURR-I-SHAHVAR OF BERAR, 1945; MAHARAJA JAGATJIT bride of Azam Jah, heir SINGH AND RANI KANARI OF KAPURTHALA, 1890 apparent to the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, that is arresting. There are more such stunning women in the pages of the book: A young Sushila Kumari, of Bikaner, in riding gear in 1930; Maharani Chimnabai of Baroda in 1908 in a nine-yard sari with her kill, a nine-foot tiger; and Rani Sita Devi, the youngest daughter-inlaw of Jagatjit Singh, at what is said to be Elsie de Wolfes last great party at Villa Trianon at Versailles, in the summer of 1939. Shes dressed in a glittering gown, with a long train. Down with the men, I say. Lets have a book devoted entirely to the royal women.
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NET FLUX
news now
by LAKSHMI KUMARASWAMI
ACTORS SPOOFING STAR WARS AND GOTYES SONG
app alert
Its been an exciting week on the World Wide Web Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal announced that Aakash 2, the upgraded version of the Aakash tablet, will be launched in mid-July. It will be faster and have better features. According to a study by Samsung, people in London use their smartphones to surf the Internet rather than to talk.
Top of the Lot

This weeks app round-up has something for tennis buffs, shopaholics and photographers. Make your smartphone even smarter with these apps.
viral video
This week, a video parodying Belgian-Australian singer Gotyes hit Somebody That I Used to Know, featuring Star Wars characters, an ad from the European Commission encouraging girls to pursue science, and a man in a comical Batman costume running around Cambridge, UK, have gone viral.
Star Wars parodyof Gotyes Somebody That I Used to Know
Wimbledon keeps you updated on the latest tennis action, such as live scores, results and player profiles. Yardsale helps you organise items that you would like to sell, by listing them on social networks. Kicksend helps you send 30 photos from your phone to other phones or computers.
WALKER
tweet tweet
Ruling the Roost

These headlines topped the Twitterverse on July 1: The latest episode of Satyamev Jayate dominated Twitter, with people discussing alcohol abuse and the ill-effects of drinking. Netizens wished their friends Happy Canada Day on July 1. The Euro 2012 football final was a rage on social networks. While some fans lamented Italys loss, many celebrated Spains win. People deliberately posted grammatically incorrect tweets under the theme Killer English . Poorly constructed sentences made for a good laugh on Twitter. Author Chetan Bhagat was also trending on social networks, when his columnon whether Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi was the peoples choice for prime ministerwent viral online.
#Alcohol Abuse
10,24,419
2.06 million views

The Dark Knight in real life
4,60,000 views
ScienceIts a girl thing
6,91,787 views
*Views from when videos were uploaded
web tributes
The death of American director and writer Nora Ephron, 71, known for her classic rom com When Harry Met Sally, sparked a wave of online EPHRON mourning on June 26. Celebrities tweeted condolences and actor Tom Hanks wrote a blog on the Time magazine website in tribute. Previously written pieces by the former journalist like What Ill Miss, What I Wont Missand A Few Words About Breastswent viral, reminding readers there was more to her than that faked orgasm in the restaurant.
Destinys Child
star of the week
Wonder Woman
web tips
Children now join social networking sites at an early age. Teach them the right way to socialise online: Tell them that addresses, phone numbers and credit card numbers should stay private. Encourage them to be courteous with their friends. If anything makes them feel uncomfortable, they should inform you.
#Happy Canada Day

8,12,850
#Euro 2012 Final

5,71,564
2,74,934
#Killer English
*Figures denote number of followers
#Chetan Bhagat
6,837
Laina Walker is popularly known as Overly Attached Girlfriend With her large un. blinking eyes and demented smile coupled with terrifying lyrics, the 21-year-old American has become a YouTube sensation. Her remakes of weirdonet Boyfriend by Justin Bieber and LifeProof, a US-based company that Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae makes covers for phones, launched a life Jepsen have over 8 million jacket especially designed for the iPhone views. Her latest one shows on June 30.The sturdy, bright orange her lip-syncing to songs case is buoyant and can float on water. such as Every Breath You Take by A team of Japanese science students has The Police. created a robot that can beat you at the game of Rock, Paper Scissors, by detecting your movements.
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Con troversy
PINKI PRAMANIK
VERDICTBEFORE TRIAL
AFP
Athlete accused of rape is humiliated by a leaked MMS and abuse in police custody
By Sonali Acharjee
aked on a bed with the camera zooming in on her genitals. Over 20,000 search queries have cropped up on Google in a day for the 29-second clip of Asian Games relay gold medallist Pinki Pramanik undergoing a gender test on July 2. On June 29, a district court in Barasat rejected her bail application and directed submission of Pinkis chromosome for a test in Hyderabad or Bangalore. Once hailed as Purulias Pride for her sporting achievements and campaign against social evils, the 27-year-old relay runner now sits inside Kolkatas Dum Dum Jail awaiting the courts judgment on charges of rape and gender falsification. When the courts have not yet given the verdict, how can individuals condemn her? Pinki was a simple girl. I have seen her since her school days. Sports was her life. This entire ordeal has been a nightmare for her parents and a tragedy for the young girl. The law guarantees people a level of respect which has been disregarded, says former Purulia MLA Nishikanta Mehta of Forward Bloc. Pinki was arrested on June 14 for allegedly raping her roommate Anamika Acharya. They lived together at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Hostel in Kolkata. Assumed to be a man by the police, Pramanik has not been allowed to avail of a womans cell and women police escorts. She was forced to undergo non-consensual gender tests on June 14 and subjected to abusive handling by male policemen. The West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) has directed the home, health and police departments to inquire into the alleged inhuman torture of Pinki. A complaint has been submitted alleging inhuman torture both in jail and police custody, WBHRC Chairman Justice Ashok
PRAMANIK OUTSIDE BARASAT DISTRICT COURT
PRAMANIK HAS NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO USE AWOMANS CELLAND WOMEN POLICE ESCORTS. SHE HAS BEEN FORCED TO UNDERGO NON-CONSENSUALGENDER TESTS.
Kumar Ganguly said in a letter to the three departments on July 3. Dr Laila Das, who has been the scientific officer of sports medicine at SAI, Kolkata, for 23 years, says the issue needs to be handled with care. No doctor or hospital can conduct such a test without the consent of the patient. Second, to broadcast a person undergoing any sort of testing should be a punishable offence. And last, one must remember that we are dealing with a human being, says Das. While tests for general fitness and health are performed regularly, gender testing is not part of the medical agenda at the sports authority. Gender is usually determined through chromosome and hormonal tests. It is an extremely sensitive and confidential procedure. You are questioning someones identity and sense of self, explains Tamal Kanti Ghosh, medical supervisor at SSKM Hospital, where Pramanik was tested. Pramanik comes from a tribal family based in the village of Tilakdi, 400 km from Kolkata. Despite the public humiliation, Pinkis neighbours swear by her character. Everyone in this area has a lot of respect for her and her family. We are poor people. We dont
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understand many medical terms and legal procedures. I can imagine how confused her parents must be. She was known to be a girl from birth. How is any of this her fault? says Shridharan Tutu, 45, a labourer from Tilakdi. The star athlete has had a rocky career with previous allegations of illegal gun possession and minor cases of theft during her stay at the SAI Hostel, Kolkata, in 2004. All previous chargesone for gun possession and two charges of theftwere eventually dropped. But the present scandal threatens to tarnish her sporting career beyond repair. A similar case of footballer Bandana Pal had come up in 1999. Pal, who played for the West Bengals womens football team, was found to be a man. The issue came to light when Pal was not included in the team for the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok. No formal charges were ever pressed against her. After six months of public humiliation and outcry, she gave up her career and reportedly fled to Nepal. The treatment meted out to Pramanik has attracted criticism from the sporting fraternity as well. Its a shame. I feel sad for Pinki who has earned laurels for the country. Its a case of sexual harassment, says twotime Olympian Saraswati Saha-Dey, who won the 200m gold at the Busan Asian Games. She may be accused of a particular crime, but why is she being subjected to this harassment? asks Arjuna awardee Shanti Mullick. Is there a viable solution? As far as medical controversies go, what we need is a transparent tracking system. From the day an athlete joins, a unique identification number should be generated. A complete age, sex, health and background check-up should be registered on the number. Regular tests should also be conducted. This will deter any sort of foul play and will also spare candidates from scandals at a later stage in life, says Subrata Dutta, vice-president, Indian Football Association. To have reached the pinnacle of your career and have it jeopardised is painful, he says. Ask Pinki Pramanik.
NATH (LEFT) WITH HUSSAIN
Private Lives,Public Rage

Congress MLA and her second husband accuse two ministers of stirring trouble for them
RUMEE NATH
PTI
n June 26, during a public meeting at Hailakandi in Barak Valley, Assam Public Health Engineering Minister Gautam Roy said, Why should young Hindu girls marry Muslim boys? Why should young Muslim girls marry Hindu boys? Is there any dearth of bridegrooms among co-religionists? Any young boy or girl who has an inter-religious marriage must be boycotted by the village and should be bashed up. Three days later, a mob of 100 people barged into the Nakshatra Hotel in neighbouring Karimganj district, where Congress MLA Rumee Nath, 33, and her second husband, Zakir Hussain, 29, were staying, and thrashed the couple. Nath, who represents Barkhola constituency in Cachar, another important district in Barak Valley, and Hussain locked themselves up in the bathroom, but the mob broke open the door. The police reached the spot only an hour later. Television cameras clearly showed that there was an attempt to strip Nath, who is reportedly pregnant. She was slapped and kicked on her face and abdomen. Her fault? The Hindu MLA had converted to Islam to marry her Facebook friend Jackie Zakir on April 13. She has not yet divorced her first husband Rakesh Kumar Singh, a doctor by profession. Roy, however, denies any role in this attack against Nath and claims that his statement was twisted by the
media. I was only warning parents against conversion, just to facilitate marriage. The incident happened in Karimganj, which is not my district. Rumee does not represent Karimganj. What was she doing there? the Barak Valley politician told INDIA TODAY. Roy condemned the attack, but added that it was only a reflection of public sentiment. Rumees twoyear-old daughter has been crying for her mother. But she is spending nights in hotels with another man. People dont expect such things from an MLA, he says. Hussain claims that the hotel is controlled by Minister of State for Border Development Siddique Ahmed, another Barak Valley strongman. On July 2, Karimganj Deputy Commissioner Debeswar Malakar ordered SDO (Sadar) Shanti Singh to inquire into the attack and submit a report within 14 days. The three personal security officers of Nath were suspended due to dereliction of duty. Nath now wants Congress President Sonia Gandhi to come to her rescue, as she believes her political rivals have ganged up to destroy her career. Only six persons have been arrested, even though many others could be identified from TV visuals, she says.I wont comment if these two ministers are involved in the attack or not but their comments on my second marriage have definitely created trouble for me, says Nath. by Kaushik Deka
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Cin ema
SALTNPEPPER
USP The heroine (Shweta Menon) drinks in public and mingles with male friends freely, yet is depicted not as a vamp but an affectionate character. BUDGETRs 2.15 crore. COLLECTIONS Rs 4.50 crore in four weeks.
The Bawdy and the B

Kissing onscreen, female leads who liberally mouth the F-word and an impotent hero. Malayalam cinema pushes the envelope.
By M.G. Radhakrishnan
nce known for its arthouse movies at one end of the spectrum and semi-porn fare on the other, Malayalam cinema is now experiencing a brave new wave that is challenging established social mores. And it is being lapped up by the peopleespecially the youth even as conventional films with big budgets and superstars sink without a trace one after the other. The new Malayalam cinema, like its Bollywood counterpart, is characterised by fresh and unusual themes; plots which are urban-centric and middle-class oriented; they are modestly
budgeted, shun superstars and some are entirely shot with DSLR still cameras; and they heavily use social networking sites for online marketing. Traffic (2011), by Rajesh Pillai, provides a multiple narrative of different persons from different walks of lives crossing each others paths by strange coincidences. Ashiq Abus Salt N Pepper (2011) dwells on human nature through the hilarious narrative of an unmarried, food-obsessed middle-age couple. Sameer Thahirs Chappa Kurish (2011) is a dark thriller of two protagonists from two different backgrounds whose lives get dramatically turned upside down by a mobile phone. It became better known as the first Malayalam movie to feature a kissing scene. Abus 22 Female Kottayam (2012) is a story of love, betrayal and revenge ending in the enraged heroine Tessa (Rima Kallingal) Bobbitting her cheating lover. Women are no longer pushovers. My films only reflect this change, says Abu, 33. Arun Kumar
Aravinds Ee Adutha Kalath (2012) is about six persons from diverse backgrounds whose lives get intertwined. This is the post-liberalisation generation whose films are the products of the changes Kerala underwent through the 1990s, says director B. Unnikrishnan, general secretary of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala. Their films have brought back audiences to the theatres, he adds. Most of the new-wave films are modestly budgeted between Rs 1 and3 crore each (compared to the average commercial film budget of Rs 5-6 crore) and have more than recovered their investment. I had to move heaven and earth to get Salt N Pepper released in 22 centres. 22 Female Kottayam has released in 55 centres and there is a demand for more, says Abu. While Salt N Pepper grossed twice its budget of Rs 2.10 crore, 22 Female Kottayam, with a budget of Rs 1.25 crore, is expected to rake in thrice the amount. The heroes are no more Mr Perfects
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22 FEMALE KOTTAYAM
USPHeroine (Rima Kallingal) cuts off heros (Fahadh Faasil) penis in the climax to avenge his betrayal. BUDGETRs 1.75 crore. COLLECTIONS Rs 4 crore in four weeks.
EE ADUTHAKALATH
USPThe chief male protagonist suffers from impotency. Murali Gopy took the role which was rejected by most top Malayalam actors. BUDGETRs 2.20 crore. COLLECTIONS Rs 2.75 crore in four weeks.
eautiful
or supermen. Nor do they carry even the signs of conventional masculinity. If the protagonist of Beautiful is a quadriplegic, the one in Ee Adutha Kalath is impotent, in Akam his face is charred with acid burns, in Nidra he is a paranoid. If Salt N Peppers hesitant heros only obsession is food, the one in Hey Tadiyaa is a bumbling fatso and those in Chappa Kurish and Cocktail are hopelessly unfaithful lovers. The heroine, too, has changed beyond recognition. She is no more the long-suffering Bharatiya Nari who finds her moksha in their husbands embrace. She flirts openly, drinks in public, passes lewd comments (what a bum, at a hunk passing by) and she even cuts off the heros penis to wreak vengeance for his betrayal! Malayalis also get to see kissing for the first time onscreen and listen to not just candid lines like I want to make love with you but F-words liberally mouthed even by women. The new generation of actors featuring in these movies has no hang-ups about the bold scenes. Why should we have any problem with such a beautiful act like kissing? Isnt it far better than murder on screen? asks Fahadh Faasil, 29, Chappa Kurishs hero. Says Nambisan, the heroine, The kissing scene perfects what we try to say through the film. Says Kallingal, 28, about castrating her lover in 22 Female Kottayam, I couldnt think of any other punishment than that for the cheat! While admirers of the new wave of Malayalam cinema call it the Jasmine revolution, to critics it is nothing more than a multiplex revolution. It is not right to call it a new wave. The movies have no social, cultural or political layers to them. These multiplex films are intended only for the consumerist urban middle class, says film critic B. Abubaker. There is a fetish for the visuals and form than content, says Unnikrishnan. The more serious complaint is that most films are inspired by non-Malayalam movies. If Cocktail and Chappa Kurish are unacknowledged adaptations of the Canadian flick Butterfly on a Wheel and the Korean film Handphone, Abu has acknowledged Quentin Tarantinos Kill Bill and Sriram Raghavans Ek Hasina Thi as inspirational to 22 Female Kottayam. But as director Amal Neerad, 36, who debuted with the stunningly stylish Big B in 2007, says, What is original? Havent we heard that even Romeo and Juliet was hardly an original from Shakespeare? Does it anyway lessen the value of the great bards work?
The heroes of the new wave of Malayalam cinema are no more Mr Perfects or supermen. Nor do they carry even the signs of conventional masculinity.
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61
GLOSSARY
TOUGH GIRLS WALK THE TALK

Girls toughen up and skip the makeup for the big screen. Nothing like flying kicks without cosmetics to get a true picture of the talent beneath.
Ek Tha Tiger.While she looks lean and toned in the films poster and is even said to have done some very impressive stunts alongside Salman Khan, she is training even harder to play a combat assassin in Dhoom 3, to match the films villain Aamir Khan.Thrilling.
Katrina Kaif skips the pancake for
Sonam Kapoors fashion statements

are her claim to fame. But she has let go of those designer clothes to play Farhan Akhtars wife in the biopic on Milkha Singh called Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. She had taken the dressing down route earlier in Mausam and Delhi-6, but her wardrobe has undergone yet another makeover, to suit the role of a village girl.
YOGEN SHAH
BENDRE
STUFF OF DREAMS
Sonali Bendre, 37, has joined the league of actors making a comeback to films. She is part of the ensemble cast of Ekta Kapoors Once Upon A Time Again, playing Mumtaz, Akshay Kumars wife in the film. She abandoned Bollywood years ago, after her marriage to Goldie Behl, in favour of home and hearth. Since then, she has ventured out occasionally in a handful of Telugu films, as a judge on Indian Idol and multiple seasons of Indias Got Talent. Did judging all those talent shows push her into re-testing her own skills in front of the camera? Um, we hope they have improved.
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SHAMITA SHETTY
TIME TO GROW UP
Buy one, get one free. This appears to be the case of the Shetty sisters.Where Shilpa, 37, goes, Shamita, 33, shows up.Just like she does in a new shampoo commercial on TV. She followed her into Bollywood, became the third member of an odd trio with Raj Kundra and remained glued to his side, while the elder sibling took a maternity break. Even a link-up with Harman Baweja and an interior designing course in London has been approved by Shilpa. About time the kid sister grew up.
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FOTOCORP
>>>
JOKE
WEEK
God Particle found: Scientists... Its duplicate is already available in Heera Panna, Mumbai, and Gaffar market in Delhi.
OF THE
Jaspal Bhatti
OF THE
WEEK
What a wonderful day! Interacting with a new generation of actors. So much talent, confidence, completely free and unselfconscious. Wish I was younger to be able to get an opportunity to act with this new generation of actors, and directors..! Amitabh Bachchan
Q& Take the challenge, rise to it. A Grab the bull by the horns.
In its third and final instalment, The Dark Knight is looking slicker than ever. With a host of new characters, not to mention Anne Hathaway in a catsuit, Christopher Nolans epic drama will finally have a conclusion in The Dark Night Rises. Actor Christian Bale speaks to INDIA TODAY. Q. This is your third instalment as Batman. Have you grown attached to the costume? A. I always was. I have an incredible fondness for it, despite the discomfort, the heat and the headaches. Q. The Dark Knight Rises being the final film in the trilogy, how do you feel about it? A. Take the challenge, rise to it. Dont be timid. Grab the bull by the horns and lets take those odds and go out and defeat them. Q. How do you pick your roles? A. You never consider what you have to do until you know that there is something about that story that really fascinates you. There has to be something that intrigues you in the script. Q. Why was India chosen as a location for filming? A. There was a sequence that needed to be in the middle of nowhere and an interesting foreign locale. The place we were shooting is beautiful and remote.
Esha Gupta has traded her glam doll look to play a police officer from Bhopal in Prakash Jhas political thriller Chakravyuh, alongside Arjun Rampal and Abhay Deol. She even did her own stunts, some of which involved dangling from a helicopter. Good.Anything that distracts us from her bland expression.
THE DC COMICS COVER
>>>
BLAZING TRIUMPH
India has got its own superheroine Rakshasi on a DC Comics cover, titled The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men in its tenth issue. , The blue-bodied character is described as Indias nuclear woman and sports golden headgear straight from Indian mythology. Indias officially sanctioned Firestorm also triumphs over her opponent in true Indian stylewith one foot on his chest, as she stands blazing over him on the cover.
DHARMENDRA
ANGER MANAGEMENT
Actor Esha Deol and her husband Bharat Takhtani have got a unique mementopopular online videos of Dharmendra getting angry at their reception. Brothers Sunny and Bobby could not make it to the event, and daddy lost his cool when asked why. At first he threw up his hands and walked away uttering gibberish, but the second time he got furious, and said, Aap bakwaas mat kijiye. Ouch.
by Nishat Bari and Olina Banerjee
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63
Leisure
BOOKS
FA S H I O N
T R AV E L
CINEMA
E Y E C AT C H E R S
Kiss and Tell

The kissing scene between Ranbir Kapoor and Ileana DCruz in the trailer of Barfi was meant to steal the show. Director Anurag Basu had, however, not anticipated that his lead actor would smooch him as well. Kapoor grabbed Basu for a liplock during the films promotion, in response to questions about how comfortable he was about kissing his co-star. As an actor, one has to do ones job. If you believe in the scene, you have to do it, he said. We like that.
KAPOOR KISSING BASU
STROKE OF LUCK
A breakthrough may finally be in sight for Pallavi Sharda, 25. The Indian-Australian Bharatnatyam dancer has bagged a role in Abhinav Kashyaps Besharam alongside Ranbir Kapoor. She entered the film world with a bang in 2010, with Dus Tola, opposite Manoj Bajpayee. Her Hollywood film Walkaway also released that year. However, things went downhill thereafter. Sharda had a tiny role in Love Breakups Zindagi in 2011. So she is understandably nervous. I dont want to talk about my role right now, she says.
SHARDA
NEWS, VIEWS AND THINGS THAT MATTER

LOOK OF THE WEEK
Week Wrap-up
Role Reversal
After six months of playing mommy to daughter Saira, Lara Dutta, 34, is ready for more. Thankfully, its not yet another fitness DVD, but Bejoy Nambiars trilingual David, alongside actors Vikram, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Tabu. While the director doesnt want to reveal her role, heres hoping he creates a lone spark in her otherwise forgettable film career.
PRIYANKA
YOGEN SHAH
DUTTA
French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultiers spring-summer menswear collection had models walk the ramp in turbans and beards, in typical Sikh style.
MOM OF THE WEEK
Actor Ayesha Dharker and her British husband Robert Taylor had a baby girl in June-end.
STAR OF THE WEEK
Home Sweet Home

Star wives have a way of turning into designers.Clothes,jewellery,homes,theyre game for anything.No surprise then that Vivek Oberois wife Priyanka, 30,traded her degree in business administration from the Royal Holloway University of London for a shot at doing up her family home.All she now needs is to arrange knick-knacks at a few celebrity homes.She can become a bonafide member of the star-wife interior designersclub.Sweet.
Model Lisa Haydon made it to the front row at the Dior fashion event in Paris, for Belgian fashion designer Raf Simonss debut show as creative head.
PICK OF THE WEEK
FOTOCORP
Actor Richa Chaddha for Mira Nairs short film series set across the world, along with British actor Ben Kingsley.
YOGEN SHAH
Compiled by Nishat Bari
64
Volume XXXVII Number 29; For the week July 10-16, 2012, released on July 9
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Not for sale. To be circulated free with India Today in Mumbai, Delhi & NCR, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. Supplement to India Today issue dated July 16, 2012
DCP No.: F. 2. (I - 20) Press / 2007
JULY 2012
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The re-invention of model, actor and survivor LISA RAY
ACT
SECOND
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RUBEN SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com
Editor-in-Chief: Aroon Purie Editorial Director: M J Akbar Editor: Kaveree Bamzai Assistant Editor: Sharla Bazliel Editorial Team: Olina Banerji, Humra Afroz Photo Department: T. Narayanan (Chief Photo
Brand New
Lisa Ray tells us why nothing can keep a good woman down
14
Editor) Reuben Singh, Vikram Sharma, Bhaskar Paul, Mandar Deodhar, Rashmi Hajela, (Chief Photo Researcher), Ved Pal
Art Department: Madhu Bhaskar (Art Director),
Pushvinder Kaur, Jyoti Singh Saurabh Singh (Chief of Graphics)

Production: Surinder Hastu
(Chief of Production), Harish Aggarwal, Naveen Gupta

Layout Execution: Ramesh Gusain, Ravishanker,
Rajesh Kumar Rawat

Chief Executive Officer: Ashish Bagga Group Business Head: Manoj Sharma Associate Publisher: Anil Fernandes (Impact) IMPACT TEAM SENIOR GENERAL MANAGERS: Sonal Pandey
(West & South), Kaustav Chatterjee (East), V Somasundaram (Chennai), Jitendra Lad (West)
HEAD (NORTH) : Dipayan Chowdhary PRODUCT HEAD: Preeti Sahni
32 Carb Control
Snapshots Profile Beauty Beauty Column Food Vantage Point Last Word
8 22 24 28 32 46 56
A great source of energy and the first to go when it comes to a diet. One woman documents her challenging quest towards a carb-free future.
Volume 6 Number 7; July 2012

Copyright Living Media India Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited. Printed and published by Ashish Bagga on behalf of Living Media India Ltd. Printed at Thomson Press India Ltd., 18-35 Milestone, Delhi Mathura Road, Faridabad-121007, (Haryana) and at A-9, Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, District Kancheepuram-603209, (Tamil Nadu). Published at K-9, Connaught Circus, New Delhi-110001. India Today does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited publication material.
48
Screen Presence
Actors Huma Qureshi and Tillotama Shome showcase their couture choices
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY REUBEN SINGH HAIR AND MAKEUP: SUMAN JOSEPH; STYLIST: GUL GARG; ACCESSORIES: SINTRA BY RADO
Please send your letters and suggestions to feedback.woman@intoday.com or via snail mail to India Today Woman, F14/15 Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001.
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JULY, 2012 INDIA TODAY WOMAN
50
Mens health
Digital Magazine
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TRENDS, NEWS AND GRAY MATTER
WHY DONT YOU?

RE-READ WATCH STOP
Eat. Delete. Nutritionist Pooja Makhija gives you a complete mind-body weight loss solution. Figure out not just what to eat, but also why you eat the way you do. Tackle the problem at the source and stay fit for life.
The Great Gatsby The Big B will soon make his international debut in Baz Lurhmanns film adaption of this classic. That makes it the perfect time to renew your ties with the Jazz Age in this Scott Fitzgerald masterpiece.
Paradise: Love A provocative twist on the subject of sex tourism. This awardwinning film about middleaged women looking for sex in Africa follows a 50year-old tourist whose search for love turns increasingly predatory.
Procrastinating Its time to get down to finishing all the stuff youve been putting off for months. Join the gym, visit your gynae, finish that project and make that important phone call. Tommorow may be too late.
Pill Perfect
Swiss scientists recently developed a hormone pill that boosts your motivation for exercise. The team found that when the brain hormone erythropoietin (EPO) was elevated in mice, it motivated them to run harder and faster. Besides helping you hit the gym more often, the pill might also hold a cure for those suffering from depression and even Alzheimers.
If you have five minutes check out Kimbras debut album Vows. Talented and original, shes being touted as the next big thing in pop.
Say It Proud
There was much a-do after a female lawmaker in the US was barred from speaking in the statehouse, all because she said vagina while debating an antiabortion legislation. This has led to a heated debate over sexism in politics, with women everywhere slamming the Speaker for his alleged chauvinism. Lawmakers may want to lend an ear to feminist Eve Ensler, who has famously explained that the word is not shameful and using it as part of regular conversation is like referring to your elbow as an elbow. To shy away from using vagina and substituting it with vague euphemisms means succumbing to a longstanding system of subjugating womens sexuality. Not convinced? Get your hands on a copy of Enslers play The Vagina Monologues and shed your inhibitions about your anatomy.
More Than A Feeling

We always had a gut feeling about this and now its official. Scientists at the University College Cork in Ireland have discovered that brain levels of serotonin, the happiness hormone, are regulated by the amount of bugs in your gut during the early years. So it wasnt chocolates after all.
By Sharla Bazliel
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REUBEN SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com
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The People Tree

BEING A SPORTS BUFF
With the Euro well on its way and the Olympics just round the corner, sporty is the new sexy
AAMIR KHAN SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS
When Trisha Thompson,51, vice president, CSR at Dell Inc., first invited members of the company to join the sustainability council, she wasnt sure how many would turn up. It was like throwing a party and wondering if youre popular enough. But they came and were eager to have a conversation, she says. In her two years as vice president, Thompson has pieced together an effective mechanism where different sectors of Dell can meet to tackle issues of sustainable development together. CSR as a function needs to be integrated into the working of a company. My biggest challenge was to send out a uniform message to our customers about how we could help them lead better, more sustainable lives, she says. A former lawyer, Thompson grew up across the United States and now lives in Texas. She was in Delhi to speak at the third Dell Womens Entrepreneur Network conference, held between June17-19. Thompson,who also co-founded a womens networking group, WISE, adds, Women need to find alternate networks and tap into them aggressively.
A bleeding heart narrative has become the nations favourite morning show. The sadder, the better.
If you have a minute log on to www.videobash.com to tickle your funny bone and predict which hilarious video is next in line to become a viral hit
What's
NOT
Cracked Up
A recent study by linguistics expert Judith Baxter has shown that more than 80 per cent of quips made by women in the boardroom are met with silence. The study further reveals that 70 per cent of these jokes are based on selfdeprecating humour, as women would rather laugh at themselves than crack jokes about others, and be perceived as contrived, defensive or mean. Male bosses on the other hand use humour as a team building exercise with a 90 per cent success rate. Baxter advises women to try a light, teasing banter with colleagues to overcome their awkwardness. Dont look to Liz Lemon for inspiration.
Tina Fey
TANKING ECONOMY
No reforms, no imrovement. Whats next Dr Singh?Elections?

SUNNY LEONE
Sorority Tales
Pornstar to starlet may be a long road but we neednt be posted at every turn
Margaret Thatcher, Miranda Priestly and our very own Mamata Di are what you might call Queen Bees. A term made popular in the 70s, Queen Bee Syndrome is a colloquialism for a vindictive female boss. But a recent study conducted by the non-profit organisation Catalyst calls it more a myth than reality. In a report titled High Potentials in the Pipeline: Leaders Pay it Forward, the Queen Bee myth is debunked with findings that show that 65 per cent of women who have received mentoring themselves are developing others even more than men. Not only are women helping their juniours climb the corporate ladder, they often actively fight for their female protgs career advancement.
By Olina Banerji and Aayushi Sinha
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Brand
With a successful TV show on air, cancer in remission and a big fat Indian wedding in October, Lisa Ray is having the time of her life
> COVER >
STORY
NEW
By OLINA BANERJI
ts quite obvious that Lisa Ray, 40, is used to early starts. While the rest of the Capital is still stirring awake, Ray has already wrapped up a major portion of a marathon photo shoot. Yet her face betrays no lack of sleep despite having spent the previous 24 hours promoting Rados latest collection of True Thinline watches and fielding questions from the Indian press about her October wedding to fianc Jason Denhi, an American management executive. The wedding is clearly a subject shes happy to discuss between scheduling a series of appointments with designers to plan her wedding outfits. Were going to marry in California, and have a wedding reception in India. Im so excited about the outfits that I think Ill add a few more events to the line-up, she laughs. One cant help but notice the stunning solitaire on her finger as she reaches for her third cup of coffee. Theres definitely going to be an Indian element to the festivities. Everything I do needs to be a fusion. Its a theme for how I live my life, she says while typing away furiously on her Blackberry. Rays infectious energy comes in bursts and one is never a hundred per cent sure of commanding her attention. She answers with precision though, mapping her words with an eloquence that reflects her intellectual upbringing. Born in Toronto to a Bengali father and a Polish mother, Ray was raised in a culture that mixed Tagores poetry and devout Catholic values. For the first few years of my life, Polish was my first language. My Polish grandmother was petrified Id become too Indian and used to read out news reports about how dangerous India was, says Ray. Such attempts backfired as Ray grew up proud of her mixed heritage at a time when second-generation Indian children in Canada were keen to disassociate themselves from their heritage. When I was growing up, mixed marriages werent all that common. I was a collectible, a polyglot and it made me
furious when people tried to pigeon-hole me into one particular nationality. Luckily I was able to create a third culture for myself, picking the best from both worlds, Ray explains. A precocious child, she grew up reading Roald Dahl, Thomas Mann and dreary Russian writers, and was somewhat of an academic whiz, completing five years of high school in four. A visit to India on a family holiday at the age of 16 changed her life. It was then that she was spotted by a modelling agent who insisted on getting her in front of a camera at once. Extremely photogenic is how Maureen Wadia, the owner of Gladrags magazine on whose covers Ray first appeared, remembers her. Soon a series of high profile modelling contracts followed. To those who grew up in pre-liberalised India Lisa Ray was a sensation. She was seemingly everywherein magazines wrapped in nothing but Bombay Dyeing towels and bed sheets, on billboards wearing a black swimsuit cut so high it left cultural guardians frothing at the mouth, staring out of posters, her hazel eyes hard-selling an array of soaps and cosmetics. In that tumultuous decade when Mumbai was still Bombay and models and film actors occupied very separate territories, Ray was an undisputed icon for, as she succinctly puts it, a traditional societys modern aspirations. She hopes the Gladrags red bikini cover is preserved by the Indian government as a memento of a significant cultural shift. Were almost sure shes joking. In the early 90s, modelling in India was hippie heaven, an industry still trying to find its feet and run by an eclectic array of liberal mavericks. Bollywood, on the other hand, was yet to shed its hackneyed image of bad perms and even worse scripts. We were the cool kids on the block, explains Ray in all modesty, and Bollywood was considered very down market. The same old men were making the same old stories and none of us were interested. While it was fun and
Photographs by REUBEN SINGH www.indiatodayimages.com; Styling by Gul Garg; Hair and make-up by Suman Joseph
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STORY
Printed dress by ZARA; Embroidered cuff by AMRAPALI
interesting being a trailblazer, adds Ray, she was also just a confused teenager, overwhelmed by the kind of work being offered to her. The likes of Yash Chopra and Subhash Ghai came calling for lead roles in mainstream Bollywood films. I was terrified. What if I got too used to the money and couldnt refuse? she asks in mock horror.
ts almost noon and Ray has powered through four more changes. She checks every look meticulously, commenting on hue and texture, and altering things she doesnt like. I know exactly what I want and how to get it, she says of her renewed focus in life. This definitive sense of purpose seems to have been missing during her decade in Bollywood. Ray made her cinematic debut in the Tamil film Nethaji (1994) followed soon after with a role in a Telegu film opposite Mahesh Babu. Her appearance in Nusrat Fateh Ali Khans hit video Afreen in 1996 made her a national rage once again but it was only in 2001 that she appeared in her first Bollywood feature, Vikram Bhatts thriller Kasoor. Not exactly a Yash Chopra film but Ray says she liked Bhatts sensibility as a director. I had a powerful role in the film. We were on the same page as artists, she adds. Bhatt on his part says she was perfect for the role since, she always had a very high emotional quotient and was an intelligent actor. The film was a mild success and Ray received critical acclaim, yet her weak Hindi prevented her from becoming a major star. Ray in many ways was a predecessor for current actors like Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechelin, whose struggles with the language are now overshadowed by tighter scripts, better production values and an increasingly global, evolved audience. Bollywood saw me as a conventional lead actor and I shouldve been flattered, but I wasnt ready to sell out. Had I come now, I wouldve stuck on, she says. Around this time, Ray grew disenchanted with the world of glamour and packed her bags, leaving her complex lover India behind to study acting in London. Those close to Ray in her younger days, like former mentor Wadia, claim that she couldve made it big with a bit of discipline, sincerity and better judgment. But that ship had sailed. Ahead lay a career as an indie success. Even before she graduated from her acting course, Deepa Mehta offered her the lead role of Kalyani in Water (2005). Ray had worked with Mehta in Hollywood Bollywood
16
INDIA TODAY WOMAN JULY, 2012
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The Re-invention of Ray

Five stages. Five different lives. Rays metamorphosis through the years.
FIRST LOOK Barely 16, Ray first burst on to the scene when she appeared in a Bombay Dyeing advertisement, wearing a high-cut black swimsuit. A slew of magazine covers followed, including the sensational Gladrags cover in which she wore this Baywatchinspired swimsuit. BOLLYWOOD BLITZ She returned to the limelight with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khans hit video Afreen. Her Bollywood debut soon followed in Vikram Bhatts suspense thriller Kasoor (2001). TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF Having worked together in Bollywood Hollywood in 2002, Lisa Ray and Deepa Mehta teamed up again in 2005 for the Oscar-nominated film, Water. Shes since worked in a host of international indie projects. TAKE TWO Rays most lucrative career move since her recovery has been hosting the second season of Canadas top-rated TV show Top Chef. Up next is a book about her experiences and a lifestyle brand. Not to mention a grand wedding in October.
YELLOW DIARIES It was at the screening of Cooking with Stella in 2009 that Lisa revealed she had Multiple Myeloma. She embarked on a battle against the disease, sharing her thoughts on her sharp and witty blog.
(2002) and the controversial success of Water cemented her position as a serious actor. Ray went on to star in a series of cross-over films like I Cant Think Straight and The World Unseen. She played a homosexual in both, and an IndoCanadian woman in Mehtas Cooking With Stella (2008). Kill Kill Faster Faster (2008), a noir thriller got Ray a lot of attention for her uninhibited, aesthetically shot nude scenes. I did a lot of bold stuff. I was still discovering myself as an actor. When you live in a bubble of artistic people like I did for a while, you dont bother about things like audience reception, she says. ost shoot, we sit down to an early Japanese lunch and Ray has let her guard down a bit. Sushis a clear favourite with her and she makes appreciative noises as each course is set out. She talks and eats with furious energy, taking charge of the conversation, her rich voice echoing through the empty restaurant. After I wrapped Cooking With Stella, I went on a spiritual trip to sort out some latent issues within me. Between my mothers health (she had become an invalid following a freak car accident in Toronto earlier) and searching for an identity, I needed help. I think I was building a foundation
for what was to follow, she says. In 2009 Rays life creaked to a halt. Her mother died and then in June, Ray was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells that produce antibodies. I took my mother for granted, she says in a low voice, adding, I dont regret living in different cities and the process of self-exploration I embarked upon. But I wasnt very centred in my approach, wasnt doing it the right way, she says. Her journey with cancer began with denial. Ray thought it was an inconvenience, like pneumonia, that would pass with the right medication. Her moment of reckoning occurred when a Canadian director expressed his interest in casting her in a film with Adrian Brody. I was 40 pounds heavier by then. Im not sure if he even recognised me. He looked horrified, she says. Ray walked away from that meeting dejected, yet determined to make her fight public. The choice was to lie or not, and I chose not to. There was no point, she adds. Acceptance without resignation. Her fathers motto guided Ray as she slipped into yet another role, this time for real, as a celebrity cancer survivor. Were all secretly vain. The physical fallout of the cancer, losing hair, putting on
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17
> COVER >
STORY
ance without resignation. I wasnt going to hide it from the world.
Ensemble by ZARA; Accessories by ISHARYA
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My motto for fighting cancer throughout was accept-
weight was a huge blow, but I learnt to let go and focused on the healing process instead, she says. Ray found the act of writing cathartic and her blog The Yellow Diaries was born out of a need to document what couldve been the last few months of her life. Ray posted diligently with details of her treatment and pictures of her bald head, creating a reference point for others suffering from cancer. Apart from being a bold disclosure, the blog showcased a completely new side to her as a sharp, witty writer, who took on the seriousness of her cancer with humour. She neutralised all the power, oppression and hopelessness people associate with the disease, says former co-star Rahul Khanna. n 2010 Ray announced to the world that after a successful stem cell transplant, she was cancer-free. She hasnt looked back since. In 2011 she made her comeback on television with TLCs Oh My Gold, where by her own admission, she looked nothing like a TV show host. I was still bloated from the steroids and my hair was just starting to grow back, but it was a celebration for me, says Ray. She has a renewed appetite for life, apparent by the number of courses shes polished off during lunch. Im such a foodie now that I host Top Chef Canada, she says, digging into the green tea ice cream. One of the top-rated shows in the US and Canada, Top Chef proved to be a lucrative career move for Ray. The cancer, she adds, made her reprioritise life and while two years ago she wouldve never considered television, Lisa 2.0 is game for anything. Including championing the cause of the relatively less known Multiple Myeloma to help raise funds for research. If it wasnt for the research done before I was diagnosed, the cancer wouldve killed me in a year, she says. Her advocacy for the cause has already helped set up the first research chair for Myeloma at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. Ray says she is still vulnerable to the disease, and fears its return, but is conscious of not falling into old patterns. Balance is such a luxury in this age and it shouldnt be. I strive hard to keep that balance intact, she says. Grateful for this new lease of life, and love, Ray is today busy reinventing herself as a global brand and having fun with it in the process. Be yourself because everyone else is taken, she quips. With a book and a lifestyle label in the works, it appears Ray is ticking off all the right boxes.
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> PROFILE >
Truth Be Told
Beyond media hype and Aamir Khan, Satyamev Jayate is an honest attempt at telling the truth, says head of research and co-director, Svati Chakravarthy Bhatkal
By OLINA BANERJI
wareness is the new opium of the masses and television its collective medium. Weve come a long way from the Anna Hazare media circus of last April, and all that well-intentioned hand wringing has culminated in the dazzling success of Aamir Khans latest TV offering Satyamev Jayate (SMJ). The hour-anda-half long programme that airs every Sunday morning occupies the mythical time slot of 11, and is executed in the same vein as The Oprah Winfrey Show. That said, SMJ is being lauded for going beyond the superstars image to deal with uncomfortable truths like female foeticide, dowry deaths and cases of medical malpractice. We wouldnt dare presume that the show will result in an immediate change. Ours is a humble effort to inform people, says Svati Chakravarthy Bhatkal, head of the research team that painstakingly puts together all the damning evidence. The 47-year-old mother of two travelled to remote corners of the country with her team in search of stories and voices that have been silenced for years. They are the real heroes of SMJ, she says. Bhatkal was born to north Indian parents and raised in Mumbai. An avid reader from childhood, she would borrow
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up to three books from the local library everyday and often begin reading them on the walk back home. Even though Bhatkal pursued a degree in Statistics from St Xaviers, mostly because her older brother, whom she looked up to, had done the same, her true calling lay in journalism. St Xaviers was a socially charged environment and I got involved early. This was when the communal riots of 93 happened. No one with a conscience could look away, she says. For Bhatkal, who helped arrange relief for the victims, the events proved to be an eyeopener. She realised that victims were not mere numbers but people with real lives and families. Soon after graduation, financial constraints made Bhatkal take up a job with the Free Press Journal. There she focused on
acquisitions editor with Popular Prakashan, an English and Marathi publication house, to an instructional designer with Tata Interactive Systems, to a consultant with a low-key, innovative branding agency called Cholrophyll. Few know that Bhatkal also cowrote the script of Zokkomon (2011), a childrens film which starred boy-wonder Darsheel Safary as a pocket size superhero. Ask her about these stark shifts in her life and she says, I was excited to cultivate a new talent, do a different job, even though I was well into my 40s. It was in October 2010, while she was on a sabbatical from work that Khan called Bhatkals husband Satyajit with an idea for a television show. A member of a western classical choir at the time, her career took yet
Wed never thought about policy intervention. Our attempt was only to bring these issues out in the open.
SOOTHSAYER: With Aamir Khan on the set of Satyamev Jayate the civic, education and Mantralaya beat, while pursuing a degree in law from an evening college. I joined there for a princely sum of Rs 600 a month, she laughs. Bhatkal grew as the profession did and claims the 1980s were a great time to be a journalist in India. That level of idealism and camaraderie ended with the intrusion of cash and commerce in the 90s, she adds. When she returned from a six-month maternity leave, she realised that her beloved profession had changed immensely from the time shed joined, and she reluctantly left the field in 1991. Since then, Bhatkal has taken up several roles. Shes gone from being an another turn when Satyajit asked her to head the research team. Despite a 25year-old marriage, wed never thought of working together before taking on this show. But he needed someone he could trust, she says. Bhatkal co-directs the show with Satyajit and carries out field work across the country with a handpicked team of researchers. She directs all the video footage documented as part of the stories featured and is responsible for building SMJs knowledge infrastructure. Theres even a dedicated library, she adds, where every bit of research Bhatkals team does for the show is archived. Shes turned songwriter too,
contributing lyrics for two songs that were performed in the series. The pursuit of knowledge, however, hasnt come easy. Bhatkal and her crew have often been roughed up while shooting, and once were chased by a bunch of hockey stick-wielding villagers. We had to lock ourselves into our vehicle, she says. The show then is as much about spreading awareness as it is about understanding how the two Indias co-exist and are oriented towards each other. This dichotomy has always existed because several centuries of thought now exist in one dimension. The big revelation is not that the girl child is being killed in the womb. For me, the untold story is the plight of the mothers who have to live with this pain, she says of the allegations that SMJ is old wine in a new, and extremely well-marketed, bottle. When we began conceptualising the show, there were no constraints on format or content. I often went into villages with just my camera and a single contact. We made an effort to go beyond the usual expert voices to hear from people who were directly affected by these social evils, she says. Allegations of whitewashing issues aside, the show has offered some concrete solutions. Bhatkal narrates incidents where NGOS and helplines featured on the show (and even those that werent) have been overwhelmed by calls to report abuse, adopt a disabled child or seek remedial action for domestic violence. SMJs greatest strength then is the ray of hope at the end of every episode, the exception that its makers believe should become the rule. It gives us the benefit of doubt as a society, and just enough room for redemptive action. As her work for the show draws to a close, Bhatkal is now looking forward to her sons class 10 exams, and a few months of peace and quiet. My children have been very patient through the entire process, she says of her hectic work-life balance. Next up is a book on extraordinary women and more dedicated time to music. Lifes an open book for Bhatkal, and shes waiting for good things to come her way. Lets hope theyre just as soul stirring as the search for truth.
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> BEAUTY >
Get Gorgeous
R
By HUMRA AFROZ
eal beauty is timeless, and knowing how to age gracefully is an art. While you cant control the number of candles on your birthday cake, taking good care of your skin ensures that you will never have to go under the knife. But how do you chart out the perfect skin care itinerary? Experts Simal Soin, Chytra Anand and Rashmi Shetty suggest skin care products that you should include in your daily care regime, starting as early as your 20s. Skin starts ageing at 25, as hormone development ceases at this stage and the skin cycle starts to slow down with decreased cell turnover, says Anand. You may think that all you need to do in your 20s is wash your face and that too once in a while. But you must remember what you subject your
skin to now in terms of skincare, lifestyle and nutrition will dictate what will become of your skin and what it looks like at 40 and 50, adds Shetty. As you age, the demands of your skin change accordingly. You change your diet as you age, so why should your skin care routine be any different? What works for your skin at 20 just wont do at 40 and by the time you hit 60, almost every woman needs a richer, more hydrating regime to combat the dryness that comes with ageing, says Soin. Looking gooddoesnt always have to mean botox and fillers. Follow our guide to essential products that correspond with your age and meet most of your skin requirements. Reorganise your beauty shelf every decade and look your best at every stage.
20-30YEARS
Cleanser
Although your skin requires minimal care at this stage, it is essential to cleanse it thoroughly. Try a PH balanced, soap-free facewash.
Skin at this age looks radiant, youthful and supple but you do need to take care
Sunscreen
Exposure to the sun ages the skin quicker than anything else. Dont leave home without some sunscreen. Use SPF 26 or higher for best results.
Moisturiser
Skin cells start losing their elasticity and moisture at this age. Use a moisturiser that suits your skin to minimise these effects.
Night Cream
Start using night creams with Alpha Hydroxy acid (AHA) and peptides. These ingredients boost your hydration and cell turnover.
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Photoimaging by SAURABH SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com
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> BEAUTY >

30-40YEARS
Exfoliant
Dead skin and clumped melanin make skin look dull. Exfoliate every night with a very gentle scrub. This will help slough away most dead skin cells.
These are the make-or-break years for your skin. Take the best care you can.
Hydrant
Some unwanted expression lines will now start to show on your face. Intense hydration will plump up your skin, making these lines appear less visible.
Undereye Cream
The structural fat underneath the skin starts to shift or regress now. An under eye cream with Q10 will also be beneficial to fight under-eye hollows.
Retinol Creams
Use at night to fight fine lines and wrinkles, and increase cell turnover. Or try night creams with a de-pigmenting agent like arbutane, kojic acid and licorice.
Oral Supplement
By now, hormones are also starting to play a part in the ageing process. Taking oral antioxidant supplements like Vitamin A, C and E is advisable.
40-50YEARS
Anti Ageing Serum
Estrogen levels fall in these years, so ensure you follow a strict skincare regime
Retin-A Creams
At this stage one should start the use of Retin A .05% at least twice a week. This provides hydration and increases cell turnover.
Vitamin K creams
Use serums with skin proteins and nutrients, or creams that contain hyaluronic acid, anti-oxidants, copper peptides, kinetin, coenzyme.
The structural fat underneath the skin will shift and regress now. Use under eye creams with Vitamin K which stabilizes the capillary walls.
Intense Moisturisers
As you near menopause your skin becomes dry and dehydrated. Use a heavy moisturizer that contains glycerol and ceramics.
Estrogen Creams
Diminish collagen breakdown, reduce wrinkles and tearing and bruising of skin. But ensure you consult a doctor before use.
Special Products
Use skin products containing ingredients like hydroxy acids and Vitamin B3 to enhance skin tone and texture as much as possible.
With inputs from Dr. Chytra V Anand, Cosmetic Dermatologist, Kosmoderma Skin & Laser Clinic, Bangalore, Dr. Rashmi Shetty, WorldMags.net Cosmetic Physician, Dr. Rashmi Shettys Non Surgical Cosmetic, Mumbai, and Dr. Simal Soin, Dermatologist & Cosmo Physician, Delhi.


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The diva spills the beans on her skin care regime, favourite beauty products and the secret behind being drop dead gorgeous WorldMags.net
> BEAUTY >
C O LU M N
By AAYUSHI SINHA
Being beautiful is a full time job. Yet Deepika Padukone, Bollywoods current favourite makes it look effortless. In an exclusive chat, Padukone reveals the secret behind her flawless skin and the disciplined lifestyle that keeps it that way.
on my skin. One should try to use skin products in moderation as I think the more you fiddle with your skin, the more it deteriorates. Just stick to the basics of skin care.
Q. Have you faced any recurring skin problems like acne or spots in your early years, or did you always have clear skin? A. Fortunately I have inherited clear
skin. But its important to maintain the health of your skin over the years. Apart from using gentle products, I eat healthy and work out religiously.
Q. Do you follow a particular kind of diet for your skins health? A. I drink lots of water and keep myself
hydrated. Water acts like a miracle to flush away all the toxins from the body. Im very particular about dietary proportions. A set fitness regime and a happy state of mind are a must for healthy skin.
Q. Did your mother pass down any special tips on skin care that you can share with us? A. Eat a balanced and healthy diet, dont
skip out on fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water and make sure you get adequate sleep.
Thanks to my discipline with diet, food, water and sleep, I have managed to maintain healthy and clear skin. Try and use skin products in moderation. The more you fiddle with your skin, the more it deteriorates.
Q. Would you say that youve noticed changes in the quality of your skin over the years? Has it changed in texture or hue? How do you deal with these changes? A. Considering all the taxing
experiences my skin goes through because of the constant need for makeup, thanks to my discipline with diet, food, water and sleep, I have managed to maintain healthy and clear skin. There are a host of natural products available that are very effective and definitely a better bet than those with strong chemicals. I believe in keeping it simple.
Padukone is brand ambassador, Fiama di Wills
Q. Given your hectic schedule, are you able to find time to care for your skin on a regular basis, since having beautiful skin is a very important part of your job profile? A. Yes, it is important, but the most difficult part is maintaining my skins health. Pollution, make-up, odd hours, they all take a toll. Hence a regular cleansing, moisturising and toning routine, coupled with a nutritious diet and a good nights sleep helps in maintaining good skin. Healthy skin needs mild cleansing, for which I use gentle soaps like Fiama di Wills. The product does not strip my skin of essential proteins. I also do not go for regular facials but I do indulge in clean-ups once in a while.
Q. Tell us a little about the kind of products that you use. Are there any particular skincare products that are always in your handbag? A. I dont use much make-up and stick to
the basics like moisturiser and lip balm. I firmly believe in using natural products
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> FOOD >
Some of us live to eat. We frequent old haunts and are willing to travel great distances in search of a good meal. Five women introduce us to their all-time favourite restaurants where food equals love.
By OLINA BANERJI
A Slice of Life
Rukmani Datta, 44
Senior Programme Officer, Mumbai
Caf Mondegar For Rukmini Datta, Mumbais variety as a melting pot reflects in its food culture as well. Theres something here for everyone. Its one of the very few cities in the country where a woman can eat alone without anyone batting an eyelid, she adds. The place she picks is Caf Mondegar, an iconic Mumbai landmark that she associates with her time as a college student. It was often unaffordable then and eight of us ended up sharing one pepper steak, she laughs. The
Steak Boti is her absolute favourite, as is the juke box that belts out old hits by Bryan Adams. Its an association seeped in nostalgia and delectable food. A natural choice, adds Datta, for a reunion of old college mates. Ones perception about their old haunts might change. But Mondegar has only evolved with the times, she says. The caf is, in more ways than one, a reflection of how life is lived in Mumbai, a slice of the varied microcosm of the city, topped by a pint of beer, she says.
MANDHAR DEODHAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
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Natasha Aggarwal, 29
Entrepreneur, Kolkata
Pan Asian A light eater and a fitness freak, Pan Asian at ITC Sonar is quite predictably Natasha Aggarwals favourite dining destination. I come here with my family for Sunday brunches, she says. She abhors the IndianChinese fare thats usually dished out in the restaurants of Park Street and prefers the serene and sophisticated Pan Asian for its oriental delicacies. Among Aggarwals favourites are the sushi and sashimi rolls, as well as the salmon steak in a bed of asparagus. Weve had countless family outings here and I make sure my father always foots the bill, she laughs. For Aggarwal the Sunday brunch USP is a live band that entertains guests while they gorge on an extensive buffet and sip on endless cups of jasmine tea. Besides the sumptuous food, she also enjoys the zen like atmosphere of the restaurant. Sparse yet classy, this oriental destination is the go-to place for the swish set in the city.
SUVASHIS MULLICK/www.indiatodayimages.com
Koeli Mukherjee Ghose, 45

Art Historian and Curator, Hyderabad
KRISHNENDU HALDER/www.indiatodayimages.com
Truffles Cafe From coffee to solace and inspiration, Koeli Mukherjee Ghose finds it all at Truffles Caf, a multi-level space built around rocks and trees in the area. The natural surroundings are a big draw for me, she says. Ghose knows the menu by heart and recommends the divine Dancing Cappuccino. The thin crust pizzas and pastas are wonderful too, she says, adding that her all-time favourite is the char-grilled fish. Informal and artsy, theres a cultural vibe here that Ghose enjoys, with plays being staged and even an occasional art exhibition or two.
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> FOOD >

BHASKAR PAUL/www.indiatodayimages.com
Nivedita Saboo, 32
Fashion Designer, Pune
Paasha A self-confessed foodie, Nivedita Saboos current favourite is Paasha, the 24th floor lounge-cumrestaurant at Punes Marriott Hotel. Her first visit was for its launch party a year ago. Ive been a regular ever since. It offers a brilliant view of the entire city and immediately transports you to a different world, says Saboo. The best thing about Paasha, she adds,
is that its ideal for both a quiet dinner with friends or dancing the night away. The highlight however is clearly the food here. While Saboo loves the keema and kebabs, her husband Badal feasts on the smoked bharta. They always have the most perfect mix of starters and drinks and then a delightful meal follows. Paasha is definitely my go-to place for comfort food, she says.
Lakshmi Rammohan, 29
Wedding Planner, Bangalore
SANDESH RAVI KUMAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
Happy Belly Cakes Its not often that one can mix business with pleasure, but Happy Belly Cakes in Bangalores Richards Town gives Lakshmi Rammohan the perfect excuse to do so. Her association with the bakery began when Happy Belly supplied chocolates to a wedding she had planned. Rammohan knew quality when she saw, and tasted it. Since then, its been one of her favourite haunts for coffee. The first time I
came, I wanted green tea but the owner insisted on the hot chocolate. Im glad he did because its one of the best in town, she says. Happy Belly is a quaint, cozy space in the heart of the old colonial city that lends a distinct charm to the shop. Apart from her vote, Rammohan has also given the bakery business with wedding cake orders. They taste as good as they look and they never disappoint, she says.
With inputs from Tithi Sarkar, Ayesha Aleem, Mona Ramavat and Aditi Pai
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> B O DY TA L K >
CARB CONTRO
Carbohydrates form the centerpiece of meals across the globe. While a great source of energy, theyre the first to go when it comes to a diet. One woman documents her quest towards a carb-free future. Can she last even a week?
By OLINA BANERJI
here were two reasons why I decided to go on a diet: my chair at work had really begun chafing my thighs and I enjoy a good challenge. I decided to do what former carb-addict and tragicomic writer William Leith does in his 2003 memoir The Hungry Years. Hes a sad, overweight, depressed man who relies on carbohydrates to make himself happy. A super-size version of Michael Moore (hard to imagine) Leith hatches one conspiracy theory after another about how corporations use carbs to rule over the world of food. Carbs are lies, he says, and make you fat. Leith meets diet guru Richard Atkins, gives up carbs, eats worrying amounts of steak and miraculously begins to lose weight. Even though it sounded too good to be true, I decided to test the non-starchy waters for a week. My boss threw dairy products into the mix. The game was on. What follows is a daily diary of what happened after the first five minutes, after I was done gloating about willpower. Day 1: Denial Day one is all about making resolutions, feeling self-righteous and purposeful. Like banishing carbs is the epiphany thats going to have a ripple effect on all the other maligned pieces of my life. Its about avoiding tea and coffee and the fried snacks that come around the office when the evening rumbles begin. I look away from the rice at lunchtime, from the Ceaser Salad the intern is eating, and focus instead on a report about how women bosses arent as funny as their male counterparts. I block out the hunger with boring research. I feed on the collective pity of my colleagues instead. Its at dinner where the diet begins to test my patience. My family thinks Im crazy as they suck on the last
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of the Alphonso mangoes. The carbs have already begun to feel like an ex from a bad break up. I cant look directly at them. Day 2: Turning Cranky A distinct picture looms at the back of my brain of a womans hand reaching out for a chocolate doughnut. The risk of being a writer is that youre always visualising your predicament, observing yourself like you would a stranger. I have no words for what Im feeling, only this picture of a giant doughnut and a reluctant hand. For future reference, Day 2 is when you turn cranky. So far Ive had a dissatisfying breakfast of pomegranate and green tea, a mid-morning apple and a salad for lunch. My diet chart now reads like the ones I preach about in my health stories. I feel weak and fuzzy but more importantly, I cant drink sugared tea to quell the maddening rage of a rejected story idea, a broken printer and an inefficient accounts division. At dinner I realise what the problem really is. I cant center my meals around a carb-rich food item anymore. There isnt a roti to my dal or a bread roll for my gravy. Or rice for my souls nourishment. So many of our eating habitsof dipping, breaking, chewing and mixingare carbohydrate related activities without which, meals feel incomplete and you, underfed. My mother, who gave up eating carbs long before it was faddish to do so, explains, Fried potato, potato wedges, curried potato are a big no. Jacket potato and mash are a yes. All I hear is potato. I brought back a pack of doughnuts as a test for my weakened nerves and Ive held out for three hours. Yet, the dam of resistance has perceivable cracks. Earlier at the doughnut shop with a friend, halfway through my cappuccino, I smacked my head against the faux wood surface as Id clean forgotten my no milk rule. My body had outwitted my mind. Of course it did. What the hell was my mind being nourished with anyway? Day 3: Misery The doughnuts stay untouched as I avoid the fridge. I carefully read labels for the first time and notice to my disappointment that everything, and I do mean everything, has a certain amount of carbs in its composition. I spend the day in a bad mood, ploughing through the rest of the miserable Leith saga of denial. I think the lack of sugar and carbs is making him rant deliriously. I realise that Im imitating the symptoms of a sick person be-
cause I feel Im doing something unnatural. Im eating healthy. Its amazing how much we rely on others to tell us what we already knew dieticians, the media and of late Aamir Khan on Sunday morningsthe list is endless. We need to hear whats good for us, because were so unhappy admitting the truth to ourselves. What they dont tell you is that with the truth comes an incessant light-headedness. Its not hunger, I tell myself, its enlightenment. Day 4: Reflection I prevail. Carbs lose. Well, theyre re-strategising. In the meantime, an untimely hunger pang arrests me on my way to work. I walk past a coffee shop and begin to imagine how a cold coffee would feel in the debilitating heat of Delhi. I also realise that the food-on-the-go culture is based primarily on different carbohydrate variations. Doughnuts, sandwiches, croissants, granola bars are a futuristic food group. They contribute to the zip-zap-zoom lifestyle of an urbanising nation that doesnt have time to eat a four-course breakfast and whose lunches are spent answering emails at their desk. At dinner with friends, I dont eat, drink or smoke. To distract myself from the plates of honey-glazed, crisp batter-fried chicken, I chew on the garnish and empty cans of diet Coke. Leith always speaks of a thin person living inside a fat one, trying to claw its way out. This week is making me look at myself. The mirror is all the food that I cant eat, food that I wouldve inhaled if this was any other week. Its not that I dont see the error of my carbohydrateeating ways. I dont think anyones who gained weight rapidly has been unaware of what theyre doing. The thin person inside is always talking, warning, cautioning us to reel the hunger in. The thin person behaves like a fussy snob. The fat one outside is all embracing. Day 5: Nearing Nirvana Success. I feel less woozy in the morning, less nostalgic for toast and almost warmed up to the bowl of melon and a boiled egg. Now would this be so bad on a daily basis? As long as toast exists, it would lack a certain je ne sais qua, but it would fill you up. Its a busy 45-degree day and theres hardly anytime for lunch. I cant bear the thought of consuming another bucket full of dal so I skip lunch altogether and head to an interview. On my way back, Im almost about to call and rustle up a
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> B O DY TA L K >
DIET DIARY
Day 1: A cup of green tea, a bowl of dal, an apple, grilled meatballs, hummus. Day 2: Green tea, a bowl of pomegranate, a bowl of dal, salad (without dressing), a cappuccino (because I forgot). Day 3: Green tea, a bowl of watermelon, a bowl of dal, salad (without dressing), and vegetables I usually wont touch with a bargepole. Day 4: Green tea, diet coke, vegetables from a platter of deep fried chicken, a bowl of dal. Day 5: Green tea, a bowl of melon, a boiled egg, green salad. Day 6: Green tea, a bowl of watermelon, lean chicken, several bowls of dal and salad, one handful of a soya snack before I realised it has a 40 per cent carb component. Day 7: I cheat. Green tea, watermelon, fried egg and Thai curry (without rice), one piece of dusty date cake, bowl of dal and salad.
ing hunger has overtaken me. I think about slow metabolism post seven in the evening, I think about rotting teeth. I think about looking into the mirror in the morning. The hollowness begins to subside. The trick, I tell myself, is to re-negotiate my threshold of hunger. The concept is partly psychological; you can make yourself hunger for the right things. Like greens instead of a cupcake. Day 7: The Hunger Mounts, The Dam Breaks Leith cheated. So did I. I resisted till about six in the evening, after sitting through a meal of fried lamb in sticky rice, Phad Thai and frozen strawberry yoghurt without touching a thing. I dug out little pieces of egg from the rice and dished out shameful amounts of curry instead. Thats the thing with killer dietstheyre inconvenient not just because they create in you an immortal kind of soul sucking hunger, but also put others on the spot. At a late lunch, Im starving but I grin through my hosts apologies about serving a meal made particularly out of the three things I cant eat most. How was she to know that Id invited myself over in this punishment of a week? Back home, the trickle is now a river as I reach for the box of sweets in the fridge. A weeks worth of sacrifice ends with this measly piece of crusty date cake. I hesitate for a minute, look at it with the dejection of a broken soldier, and pop it in. Leith describes this minute, right before the binge begins as the moment of frenzy, or Click. Something inside you clicks and you blank outthe binge takes over. It was this moment of chaos that got me started on the diet in the first place, because I was there, at the heart of a binge when I started reading the book. So I live to tell the tale. Will I ever do this again? Probably not if I can find less intense ways to lose weight. But then this wasnt about that. It was about judging my abstinence levels with something I love doing. The diet has built an internal alarm systemIm now acutely aware of the amount of carbs I consume in a day. I realise that being in control of my body through the food I eat is an empowering feeling. Its also softened my razor sharp tongue against those who watch their diet. Now when I map out a diet-chart I can say Ive been there. Maybe Ill even take a few pointers. But for now I will revel in the fact that my double chin is no bigger than Kareena Kapoors on a bad day.
few friends for a night-out when I realise the sheer futility of it all. Can you really socialise over tofu and green tea unless youre a hippie freak? I think not. I hang my head in dismay and buy another bottle of diet Coke. Im almost done with Leith. Hes been to hell and back and ends the book with the realisation that he over-ate not because he liked food, but because he had childhood issues. Clothes, shoes, drugs, alcohol all have a high numbing capacity against pain. But what does food do? It indulges our mixed, vitriolic feelings of self-pity and self-disgust. The point in between is perfect happiness. Day 6: Weakness Its between two and four in the small hours of Saturday, and Im still awake despite having made plans to turn in early. I know I have to stir in another two hours to leave for work and a madden42
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> VA N TA G E >
Poor Litt
POINT
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tle Rich World

t was a cold December morning, on a sunny beach, when I took the decision that would alter the path of my life. I decided to drop out of campus placement. I returned to IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) for my last semester with a clear head and a song in my heart. I had chosen to be a writer and from that point onwards, never looked back. It didnt make sense to most people. Take a day job, writing is just a hobby, they said. I smiled and shook my head, Sorry, that wont work for me. For far too long, I had done sensible things expected of me by others. I studied Economics, instead of English Literature. I had appeared for the CAT, when I already had a job waiting for me as a journalist. I spent my summer doing a survey on Surf Ultra and Ariel detergent. The only thing I learnt was that creativity is a very small part of advertising. Certainly, too small for me. As luck would have it, I got a job with a leading newspaper where I got to be both a writer and a manager. But I was young and impatient and two years later, I quit to start my own venture JAM (Just Another Magazine). For the next decade I poured all my energies into being a publisher, editor and entrepreneur. I taught the young people who worked with me the art of expressing themselves with freshness and economy of words. While I was busy running my company, writing had taken a backseat. In fact, a part of me now doubted that I could write. I would stare at a blank screen, and find I had nothing to say. Perhaps I was too old, too jaded, too over the hill? It took me two years to get out of clinical depression and begin writing with a vengeance. The funny thing was, the more I wrote the better I felt. And the better I felt, the more I wrote. Writing was both the cause and the cure for my negative state of mind. I started a blog. This new medium gave me tremendous freedom and confidence to write more. I found I could write on anything and everything under the sun. And that if I was true to myself, I naturally connected with others. I wrote my first book with that same mindset. The brief was to meet 25 entrepreneurs and share their success stories. The initial print run was 1,000 copies, to be circulated internally within IIM-A. But that hardly mattered. I treated the project as a personal learning experience.
Best-selling author Rashmi Bansal writes about how she found her true calling in life
That winter I realised that
for far too long I had done sensible things others expected of me Not anymore.
Each person I met inspired me and made it easy to convey facts with feeling. The result was Stay Hungry Stay Foolish, a book which became a runaway bestseller. The impact this book made on the lives of young people inspired me to write two more books in the series, Connect the Dots and I Have a Dream. Then I got asked,So whats your fourth book? I knew my audience expected more inspiring stories of entrepreneurs. I could easily continue down that path. But a part of me whispered, Challenge yourself. A chance visit to Dharavi ignited the idea of Poor Little Rich Slum. My friend and co-author Deepak Gandhi observed, Hollywood has made a film on Dharavi. Harvard Business School has written a case study. But what about us who live here? We see Dharavi as a dirty slum. But there is so much more to it. Over the next nine months we spent countless days tramping in and out of Dharavi. Meeting men, women, children. Social workers, entrepreneurs and politicians. Our middle-class sensibilities were jolted. Conditions are not just harsh, they are inhuman. And yet, the residents of Dharavi are vibrant and alive. They posess a can-do spirit that ensures that despite all the hardships, they will not just survive, but thrive. Entrepreneurship is not just for those of us who know what venture capital and a balance sheet is. Its the capability that exists in every human being to make something of their life. Dharavi is an economy created by a million people. The idliwallah whose wife wakes up at 4 a.m. everyday to prepare the batter. The leather exporter who was once a runaway from a village in UP, in search of a better life. The delinquent teenager who is now a social worker, making the community aware of its rights. And although we think of ourselves as Us and the slum-dwellers as Them, our lives are inextricably linked. If Dharavi were to disappear tomorrow, who would recycle all of Mumbais garbage? Where would the driver you pay a pittance to live? While there is much talk of redevelopment, the focus is on the value of the land. Not its people. That needs to change. I know my attitude changed, as we researched and wrote this book.That means there is hope. Poor Little Rich Slum is in bookstores now
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Screen Presence
By HUMRA AFROZ AND PRACHI REGE
IT
Taking an alternative route to Bollywood stardom, these actors are a breath of fresh air in an often stereotypical industry. When it comes to their personal style, they make fashion choices that are just as interesting as the roles they have selected so far. Choosing colours, trends and fabric that flatter their shape, these talented B-Town belles offer a glimpse into their personal style.
Huma Qureshi
ebuting as Mohsina in Gangs of Wasseypur (GOW), not only did the film give Huma the opportunity to work with Anurag Kashyap, it also put her on the global cine map courtesy the Cannes film festival where the film won rave reviews. For Huma Qureshi, the dream run seems to have already beguneven before the verdict on GOW was out, she was signed on for Vishal Bhardwajs next, Ek Thi Daayan. Having secured her next Bollywood stint, Qureshi lets her hair down, quite literally, as she shows us how to work the spotlight with her favourite picks for the season.
The Soiree Stunner

Peach top and neckpiece by Vero Moda, black skirt by Zara, bag by Gayatri Chopra
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Photographs by VIKRAM SHARMA/www.indiatodayimages.com
Casual Friday
Pastel green dress by Vero Moda, printed jacket by Zara, suede pumps by Aldo
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80s Glam
Printed shirt by Zara, navy blue high waist skirt by House of MISU, sling bag with tassles by Gayatri Chopra, black lace slingbacks Humas own
HUMAS hair and make-up by RENUKA PILLAI STUDIO; Styling by NITIKA SETH & MISU FASHION CONSULTANTS; Location Courtesy LODI-THE GARDEN RESTAURANT, NEW DELHI.
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IT
The Perfect Host

Latte combo dress by Kazo, accessories by Riddhika Jesrani, peep toe heels Tillotamas own
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Tillotama Shome
iding high on the success of Shanghai, Tillotama Shome or Alice from Monsoon Wedding as she is better known, is all set to light up the silver screen again, this time opposite Irrfan Khan in Qissa. Showcasing some of her favourite looks, the petite actress packs a punch in the fashion department as well, ensuring her style quotient remains just as impressive as her show reel.
PICTURES BY MANDAR DEODHAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
Dream Date
Black top and orange kitten heels Tillotamas own, elephant grey harem pants by Kazo
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TILLOTAMAS make-up by MAHESH DAROLIKAR; Styling by PRACHI REGE; Hair by SANGEETA GAIKWAD; Location Courtesy LE SUTRA, MUMBAI.
Spotlight
Light blue dress with a brown belt by Zara, accessories by Riddhika Jesrani, suede pumps Tillotamas own
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WORD
Move over starlets. The countrys most powerful women have shown how much airtime political dissent can command, even when only one of them seems to be doing all the talking.
Mamata Banerjee
THE NONVERSATION
TMC SUPREMO
Kalam was our candidate. He will be the best candidate. We want a consensus on Kalam I have not left UPA but if UPA wants, then it is their choice... The ball is with Congress I am a simple man. Mine is a small party We are firm for Kalam as presidential candidate
SUBIR HALDER/www.indiatodayimages.com
vs
Sonia Gandhi
CONGRESS CHIEF (Silence)
(Silence) (Silence)
AP PHOTO
THAT AWKWARD MOMENT

When Lady Gaga thinks you dress wierd
TWEET OF THE MONTH

Yuvraj Singh Got my blood report today! Im in good condition. So happy I can live a normal life again. Time to celebrate!
Liketurbate
Incessant liking of your own post or comment on your Facebook page
FOOD FOR THOUGHT When I started, they said boxing is not for girls. After I got married, they said I cannot win after marriage. After I have a baby, they say I cannot win after baby. So I want to prove, I want to show that I can Mary Kom make history for India.
PLAINSPEAK
Five-time world champion
Any woman who says she doesnt want to be thin is talking nonsense. Its every girls dream.
KAREENA KAPOOR ACTOR
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JULY 2012
A MONTHLY CITY MAGAZINE
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SIMPLYDELHI
Inside
COVER STORY BUZZ
Bon Apptit
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In the City
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Treat your tastebuds with our pick of the best food your city has to offer
TRENDS
A check list on where to eat and what to shop for

CELEB SPEAK
At Your Doorstep
Check out some of these great home delivery options in town
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Star Ideas
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Check out how the celebrities do it
Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie Chief Executive Officer Ashish Bagga Editorial Director M.J Akbar Assistant Editor Insiyah Vahanvaty Editorial Team Rewati Rau, Ekta Alreja, Sibi Arasu, Shilpa Mehta, Ekta Marwaha, Marcia Rodrigues Photo Editor T Narayan Photo Department Ravi S. Sahani, Reuben Singh, Vikram Sharma, Subir Halder, Sipra Das, Rashmi Hajela (Chief Photo Researcher) Design Associates Madhu Bhaskar, Vandana Nayar Production Surinder Hastu (Chief of Production), Harish Aggarwal, Naveen Gupta Layout Execution Ramesh Gusain, Ravishanker Singh, Rajesh Kumar Rawat Group Business Head Manoj Sharma Associate Publisher (Impact) Anil Fernandes IMPACT TEAM Senior General Managers: Sonal Pandey (West & South) Kaustav Chatterjee (East) V. Somasundaram (Chennai) Jitendra Lad (West) Head (North): Dipayan Chowdhary
Cover photo courtsey Getty Images Illustration by Saurabh Singh
Film fest
OUR PICK of the month
July 27- August 5 The premier film festival, Osians cinefan film festival will return to the city after a two year hiatus later this month. The 12th edition of this acclaimed film festival will showcase 200 films from more than 50 countries representing the best of Asian, Arab and Indian Cinema. The festival this year is set to have a focus on environmental issues apart from the competition, first features, animation and short films sections. Some films featured will include This is not a film by director Jafar Panahi from Iran, Romancing in thin air by Johnnie To from Hong Kong and the premier of acclaimed director, Rituparno Ghoshs new film, Chitrangada. Entry Free. Register online at cinefan.osians.com At Kila Complex, Mehrauli and Sirifort Complex Tel 41743166
Want to tell us about an event?A new store? A restaurant?People doing interesting things?Anything newsworthy? Please email us at: simplydelhi@intoday.com
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SIMPLYDELHI
BON Apptit
elhi is considered as the potboiler of national and international cuisines, with celebrated chefs whipping up everything from teppanyaki grills to lesser known Indian curries. SIMPLY DELHI takes you on a gastronomic trail to explore the best eateries to satiate your appetite.
Cover story
TREATYOUR TASTEBUDS WITH OUR PICK OFTHE BEST FOOD YOUR CITY HAS TO OFFER
Opulent interiors, soft music and dimly lit lanterns will make you forget that youre seated inside a shopping mall! The intricate jali or latice work adorning the walls recreates the magic of the Mughal era, while the chic white upholstery adds a contemporary touch to the restaurant. Brainchild of culinary maestro Marut Sikka, 43, and wife Anusuiya, 39, Kainoosh promises a treat not just your eyes but also your palate. Recently nominated for the Miele Guide 2012, which will feature Asias Top 20 restaurants (to be out in September), the restaurant offers an interesting and extensive menu comprising a host of Indian dishes which arent available anywhere else (for example the bharwan guchchi). We recommend you start your meal with the chatpata gram flour coated spinach (crispy palaak chaat); light, and crunchy, the spices will slowly explode in your mouth. At Kainoosh, vegetarians will not feel neglected as there is plenty to choose frombharwa tandoori mushroom, kurkuri awjaini bhindi, bharwa guchchi, aachari baingan and more. We recommend meat eaters to indulge in the mouth watering laal maas, or the sumptuous ghosht korma pulao. Of course desert is a must here, so try the Trio kulfi, rich and creamy, with just the perfect amount of sweetness. Delicious food, gorgeous interiors and the excellent service will turn you into a regular once youve eaten here. DONT MISS The bespoke thali, lal maas AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 2,500 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT 122-124, DLF Promenade, Ground Floor, Vasant Kunj by Ekta Marwaha TEL 9560715544
Kainoosh
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Bukhara is perhaps the only fine dining restaurant that encourages not-so-fine-dining and the sight of diners licking their fingers after a sumptuous meal is quite common here. But then food has always been the highlight at this oft-awarded restaurant which has managed to retain its iconic status for 33 years now. The ambience at this 130 cover restaurant is casual yet rustic, with cooking accessories such as copper vessels hung on the walls. There are no napkins or cutlery on the wooden tables and youre made to put on an apron before you start your meal. Their limited menu has not featured a single addition since the restaurants inception. Over the years, the delectable fare here has ensured an increasing number of patrons visiting Bukharatheir Sikandari raan (the whole leg of spring lamb, marinated in a mixture of malt vinegar, cinnamon and black cumin braised in the marinade) and
Bukhara
dal Bukhara (black lentils cooked for 14 to 16 hours) have had a loyal fan following for decades. Apart from these hot sellers, their kebab platters including the barrah kebabs (Chunks from leg of lamb and lamb chops marinated in a mixture of yoghurt and malt vinegar headed with a melange of spices char grilled over red hot embers) and tandoori salad (onions, capsicum, tomatoes, paneer and pineapple, straight from the tandoor) are must-tries. DONT MISS Dal Bukhara, reshmi kebab, murgh malai kebab and tandoori aloo AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 5,500 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT ITC Maurya, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, Sardar Patel Marg by Rewati Rau TEL 26112233
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The China Kitchen
Overlooking the pool at Hyatt Regency, huge wooden doors welcome you to The China Kitchen. Debatably the best Chinese restaurant in the city, this is also the only restaurant to serve Beijings most famous dish, the Peking duck. As you enter, an open kitchen with five sections will grab your attentionPeking Duck, Dumplings and Noodles, Steam, The Wok and The Dessert Kitchens respectively. The overhead wooden beams, earthy interiors, earthenware on the tables, and soft Oriental music recreate the feel of the Far East. At The China Kitchen, all the ingredients are imported from China, as are the chefs! The restaurant claims that 50 labourers from China were called to help build this restaurant. Start your meal here with the hot and sour soupserved in an earthen pot, the aroma of the spices will fill your senses as soonas you lift the lid. The chicken dumplings have a very thin layer of dough on them and simply melt in your mouth. When here, the Peking duck is, of course, a must try. Roasted in an old-fashioned wood oven, it is brought to your table where the chef himself carves the bird for you. The skin is crisp while the inside is tender and juicy. The service here is prompt and you can see the chefs in action while enjoying your meal. Dont forget to save room for desserttry the chocolate fondue served with fresh fruits, brownies, cookies, and ice creamits a sinful delight to end your meal. A cup of jasmine tea at the end will help digest the food. DONT MISS The Pecking duck, vegetable dumplings, chicken noodles AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 4,000 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT Hyatt Regency, Bhikaji Cama Place by Ekta Marwaha TEL 66771334
Overlooking the towering Qutab Minar, Smoke House Room scores high on style and sophistication. The latest entrant into the niche genre of molecular cuisine, it boasts of chic, all-white interiors, attention to detail and beautiful presentation. The service is impeccable and most of the ingredients at this European restaurant are imported. Every item that makes its way to your table has touches of the exotic-the olive oil served with bread is infused with orange, and the chicken is cooked in three different ways to bring out various textures. The Grand Degustation, which is a nine course set menu, includesscallops, black cod, angus, foie gras, different kinds of mushrooms and more. Priced at Rs.7,000 per person, you might want to reserve this one for a special occasion. We do, however, strongly recommend the molecular cocktails. Try the Deconstructed Watermelon Caipiroska; its chilled, fruity and beautifully mixed, with a thin slice of melon at the bottom of a long-stemmed glass. For dessert, go for the strange sounding Beet Cake. It looks and tastes just like chocolate, but is a much healthier option. SHR offers novel and perfectly cooked dishes, but the small portions might leave you craving for more! DONT MISS The signature pork belly, Ways of the chicken, a delectable chicken dish (and the only chicken dish) with mild flavours, it is cooked to perfectionfirst smoked, then braised and finally fried. Served with asparagus gremolata topped with gin AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 5,000 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT The Crescent, Lado Sarai, Aurobindo Marg by Ekta Marwaha TEL 29523838
Smoke House Room
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Hazrat Nizamuddins Dargah, considered one of the last great Sufi abodes is also a haven for carnivorous street food delights like kebabs, tikkas, nihari and more. The Dargah itself can be accessed by three alleyways, all lined with Mughlai eateries serving some of the most exquisite naharis, keema, roganjosh and of course kebabs. Stalls begin doleing out the tasty eats at around six in the evening and are open till well past midnight. While most of these hole-in-the-wall joints serve sumptuous meals, a safe, time-tested bet would be the kebab joint, Ghalibs which can seat not more than 20 people at a time at its no-fuss wooden tables and sturdy chairs. The only dcor here is the framed picture of the holy shrine at Mecca on the wall. Yet despite this, crowds flock to Ghalibs to enjoy their tikkas and kebabs, either on a sole mission to enjoy the feast here or as a stopover after a visit to the Dargah. When here, apart from the beef seekh kebabs, be sure to try their shammi kebabs as well as their mutton qorma. Another joint you shouldnt miss is the Nasr Iqbal restaurant known for its mutton qorma and generous servings of butter chicken. DONT MISS Beef tikka, Beef seekh kebab, mutton roganjosh, shammi kebabs, firni AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 200 AT Near Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, Nizamuddin
Nizamuddin Eateries
by
Sibi Arasu
There is a good reason why Karims is probably the most-written about Mughlai eatery in town. The answer to this lies neither in the restaurateurs claim that their culinary heritage can be traced back to the kitchens of the Mughal emperors, nor in the reasonable pricing of all the sumptuous offerings here. Rather it is probably mixed up somewhere amidst the exquisite coming together of spices and meat of their signature preparations like the mutton barrah or their Jahangiri qorma. Karims is more than just a good place to dine outits an eating experience. Be sure to work up a healthy appetite before you head down to this eatery. The dcor is as simple as the food is complex, with the rich tastes of the Mughal kitchens shining through in even simple preparations like their peeli dal. The seating set up is functional and fuss free, with basic wooden chairs and tables spread over three separate levels. The interiors are fairly plain, and the emphasis is not on ambience, their focus is simply the food. A downside at Karims is the waiting time, as it could take up to half hour for a table, especially during peak hours. DONT MISS Shahjahani murgh, liver and kidney curries and Akbari murgh masala AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 800 including taxes AT No 16, Gali Kababian, Jama Masjid by Sibi Arasu TEL 23269880
Karims
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SIMPLYDELHI
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a cup of cappuccino after a hard days shopping. Also try some of their other Italian specials like the cannelloni (stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese and served with tomato and cream sauce) or the Chorizo amatriciana (chorizio pork, salami, tomato sauce and chili). Highly recommended at Amici is their tiramisu, which they claim is the best in town. Perhaps theyre right. DONT MISS Farmers favourite veggie, roasted chicken pasta with sun-dried tomatoes AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 4,000 plus taxes AT F 48A, Select Citywalk Mall, Saket, New Delhi by Sibi Arasu TEL 41041468
Amici
This year-old set up at Saket is the best option in town for authentic Italian pizzas. Serving Italian cuisine with their specialty being wood-fire oven baked pizzas, they are definitely a class apart from the standard fare that is offered by American-styled pizza joints. Gourmet pizzas such as the Pepe (with parma ham, bocconcini, mozzarella, rocket leaves and parmesan) are simply delicious. The 45 seater restaurant is designed to blend in with the mall where it is located and the dcor laid out like a cafeteria, is ideal not only for sumptuous eats at any time of the day, but also for
Any true-blue Delhiite knows that the best, time-tested venue for coastal delights is the Swagath restaurant chain. With multiple outlets in the city, the joint at Hotel Janpath is dimly lit, and done up in warm tones. The food here is exquisite and among the dishes that have enthralled its clientele for many years are the Surmai koliwada or Paneer koliwadaa dish that is prepared by wrapping the fish or paneer in a bed of suji followed by deep frying it. The dish is served with a special chutney that adds to its flavour. If you wish to eat crab or lobster, then you will be asked to choose one from the live display before its cooked and served. For main course, be sure to try the chicken Malabari served with Malabar parantha. Order a plate of appam and neer dosa to accompany your main course dishes. DONT MISS Chicken Malabari, crabs seasoned in butter, pepper and garlic and Malabar Parantha AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 2,000 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT Hotel Janpath, Janpath Road; 14, Defence Colony Market, Lajpat Nagar by Marcia Rodrigues TEL 23340070
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With eye-catching posters of Hollywood classics adorning the walls and pop music playing in the background, Big Chill exudes a chilled out, laid-back vibe. A popular hub for Delhis young, cool bunch, the place serves sumptuous American-Italian fare. Indulge here with all the pasta dishes on the menu being served with generous toppings of parmesan and the desserts that are delectably sinful. While pasta and vodka make for an interesting combo, we suggest you try the spaghetti bolognese or chicken lasagna, both of which are equally appetising. However, Big Chills showstopper is their array of desserts. Take your pick from their homemade ice creams that come in a variety of flavours, from vanilla kit-kat to mint oreo. Their extra smooth cheesecakes wont disappoint either, even if the sluggish service and the waiting line outside the restaurant that doesnt take reservations do. DONT MISS Piri piri pizza, spaghetti Bolognese, Mississippi mud pie AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 1,500 plus taxes WHERE 35, Khan Market by Shilpa Mehta TEL 41757533
Big Chill
SUMEET INDER SINGH/www.indiatodayimages.com
Trishna
Delhi might be a miles and miles from the sea but that is no reason for Dilliwallahs to miss out on delicious seafood fare. And it was with this thought that the Impresario group has launched Trishna, Mumbais popular seafood restaurant here in Delhi. Located overlooking the Qutub Minar, Trishna promises not only a great view of the iconic structure, but also a fare that is as exquisite as it is alien to this part of the country. With their cuisine being an amalgamation of dishes from the coasts of the Konkan, Maharashtra, Mangalore and the Coromandel, there is no dearth of choice here. Their signature dish, crab butter pepper garlic is the highlight of the menu. With crabs, lobsters and shrimp varieties being flown in every week from Sri Lanka, authenticity is an inherent attribute here.
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MEGU
Walk into this plush, uber sophisticated space at the Leela Palace and take a moment to admire the huge fiberglass bell that hangs from the centre of the ceiling, acting as a canopy to the large transparent Buddha sculpture that sits in the centre of the room. This Buddha statue is an identical replica of the ice carved one that sits in MEGU, New York. Having recently opened its doors in India, MEGU has moved beyond the clich of sushi and sashimi, promising the Delhi foodie an experience of modern Japanese food unlike any other. Start your meal with the wonderfully delicate Yellowtail carpaccio, moving onto the luscious, melt-in-your-mouth baked Unagi and avocado. Dont forget to ask for some authentic wasabi root that the waiter will grate
fresh on a piece of shark skin, at your table. For main course, we insist that you order the MEGU Signature River Stone Grillpremium Wagyu steak, lightly seasoned and served with delectable sauces, cooked on river stones at your table. Of course, to accompany the meal, a glass of Harushika Happo Junmaishu (sparkling sake) is a must, all the more so, since MEGU is the only restaurant in Delhi that carries it. Wrap up your meal with a serving of the unusual yet delectable Wasabi cheesecake. DONT MISS Yellowtail carpaccio, MEGU signature river stone grill, Harushika happo junmaishu AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 9,000 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT The Leela Palace, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri TEL 39331234
by
Insiyah Vahanvaty
The 70 seater eatery provides the option of either dining indoors, where the interiors are done up in shades of white and radiate a suave yet casual ambience, or you can choose to dine in their terrace area overlooking the minar and set up with gazebos and low lit tables. Be sure to try some of the other house specials like prawn koliwada for starters, Pomfret kalimiri and dal Hyderabadi from their main course listings. Appam or neer dosa are excellent choices that go along with any of their main course dishes. DONT MISS Pomfret tandoori tikka, Trishna special mutton, crab butter pepper garlic AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 3,000 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT Qutub Minar Road, Mehrauli, New Delhi TEL 26645477
by
Sibi Arasu
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Its easy to work up an appetite as you trudge up the three floors to reach Gunpowder located at Hauz Khas Village. Its worth the effort though, as you get to sample some rare South Indian dishes seldom available anywhere else in town. Started three years ago, it is perhaps one of the few restaurants that has ditched the formula of the idli-dosa-sambhar meal and promises an authentic South Indian experience that is easy on the pocket too. The interiors at this 35 cover restaurant are basicplastic chairs and walls with huge black ancient switchboards. You can also grab a table outside if you want a view of the Hauz Khas Lake. The place does not yet have a liquor licence so order a buttermilk or fresh lime to go with your meal. Its best to go in for a traditional Kerala meal hereso go for some kootu paratha, the quintessential Kerala roadside snack, made from shredded parathas seasoned with egg, chicken or mutton, the toddy shop meen curry, the quintessential Kerala fish curry with grated coconut and a souring agent of fish tamarind and availEnglish vegetables cooked in grated coconut and yoghurt. Die-hard carnivores should not miss their buff fry, cooked with curry leaves, coconut and shallots. You could finish off your meal with some Kerala payasam or kheer. DONT MISS Fried pork ribs, vegetable korma with Malabar paratha and rice with gunpowder AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 800 excluding taxes AT3rd Floor, 22, Hauz Khas Village by Rewati Rau TEL 26535700
Gunpowder
Coming to us all the way from New York, serving arguably the best European food in town, one year old Le Cirque has already won itself an impressive number of loyalists. Unlike its parent restaurant in New York which was adorned with monkeys, tents and circus balls, the Indian version is an extremely sophisticated, plush, fine dining space, catering to the crme de la crme of Delhi. The restaurant features three private dining rooms including a Chefs Table where you can relish tempting delicacies straight from the chefs kitchen, a show kitchen and separate bar areas. Start your meal with one of their crowd pleasersthe tuna tartar with spiced mango and fennel dressing, perfect to get those digestive juices flowing. Follow that with a Fondant scamorza, a twice cooked ball of cheese that is softened to a consistency that literally dissolves on your tongue. Main course is a no-brainerits got to be their Wagyu steak served with foie gras, truffles, potato rossini and creamed spinach. Full of rich flavours, delicious ingredients and impeccable pairings, this one is a runaway hit. Vegetarians would do well to order the morel risottosmoky, rich, creamy and sumptuous, the dish is a delight. Dont leave without trying their signature dessert, Floating Island. A visual treat, it comes on a bed of dry ice and is a combination of meringues floating in a bowl of crme anglaise. DONT MISS Wagyu steak, Fondant Scamorza, Floating Island and tiramisu AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 9,000 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT The Leela Palace, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri by Insiyah Vahanvaty TEL 39331234
Le Cirque
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Chor Bizzare
Take a trip back in time to the swinging sixties at Chor Bizarre. Located at the Broadway Hotel, Daryaganj, its rustic ambience and quality food have made many a Delhiite return to this quirky diner, whose sister branch is set up along similar lines and located in London. The dcor here includes a versatile collection of antiques from across the country. The age old jalopy located in the middle of the floor, which is now used as a platter for the buffet starters is bound to grab your attention as soon as you enter. The food lives up to every expectation, with equal choices for vegetarians and non vegetarians. We suggest you try the Palak patta chaat, a mildly spicy special
Banarasi chaat made of spinach. Dishes like the goshtaba (meatballs served in a white gravy) take 12 hours to prepare and regulars at the restaurant swear by its authenticity. Serving mostly Wazwan (Kashmiri cuisine), Chor Bizarre is probably one of the best in this genre. The Wazwan banquet is a fine example of this. The banquet, with nine mild dishes served on a bed of rice, includes tabak maaz, roganjosh, murg roghini, haaq, rajma, mooli akhrot ki chutney and laal payaaz. An ideal way to end a sumptuous meal here is with the flavoured Kashmiri tea, kehwa. DONT MISS Tabak maas, rajma MEAL FOR TWO Rs 1,000 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT Hotel Broadway, Asaf Ali Road byMarcia Rodrigues TEL 43663600
Not the place for queasy vegetarians, this fine dining restaurant is a carnivores delight. Even their salad bar is less about leafy greens and more about sliced parma ham and slivers of smoked salmon. Done up in warm shades of wood with faux fires, boasting of friendly, impeccable service, its a great place to celebrate an occasion. Though they have an la carte menu as well as a vegetarian one, we strongly recommend their non vegetarian set menu instead, which consists of eleven kinds of barbequed and roasted meats. Following the concept of Churrascaria, made popular by old Brazilian roadside joints catering to hungry travellers, the chef comes up to your table with enormous skewers, fresh off the grill, packed with meat. Dessert is a wonderfully char grilled pineapple eaten with little balls of vanilla ice cream covered with chocolate. DONT MISS The set menu with a Caipirinha AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO Rs 3,500 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT Crowne Plaza, Sector 29, Gurgaon TEL 0124 4534000 by Insiyah Vahanvaty absolute must-try here is the pan seared sea bass with snow peas, cherry tomatoes and asparagus cream. For dessert, try the slow cooked Valhrona chocolate cake with home made hazelnut ice cream. DONT MISS Slow cooked leg of lamb, pan seared diwers king scallops with black truffles MEAL FOR TWO Rs 5,000 plus taxes (without alcohol) AT The Oberoi, Dr Zakir Husain Marg TEL 24363030
by
Wildfire
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Travertino
Travertino promises an authentic Italian meal sans the pizzas. They hold an extensive wine collection with Amarone, Chianti and Brunello being only some of the fine wines on offer. At this fine dining restaurant done up in neutral shades and lit with warm lights, the Beetroot tortellini filled with celery, gorgonzola and pappardelle with slow cooked lamb, artichoke and fresh mint are sure to get those digestive juices flowing. An
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SIMPLYDELHI
Buzz
IN THE CITY
BAKERY
Alternative indulgence
This tiny bakery, named after the Palestinian sweetmeat, Kunafa, offers alternative choices for Delhiites with a sweet tooth. Their smiling staff will offer you a complimentary flaky sweetmeat the moment you enter this three-month old bakery. With a wall covered with a painting of Kunafas outlet in Jordan, this quaint little set up is pleasant and welcoming. You
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WHATS UP
ALL THROUGH THIS MONTH
Record your appetite
might be spoilt for choice since Kunafa houses over 50 varieties of sweets and dry fruits from Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. Choose from a range of kunafas (a pastry made with fine, sweet vermicelli and cream), baklavas (a pastry made of minced dry fruits including pistachios and walnuts that are drenched in sugar syrup or honey and baked in sheets of filo pastry), stuffed dates, Turkish figs and organic honey. While you enjoy the sweet bites, make sure you also try their bitter Arabic coffees. Price Starting from Rs 1,500 per kg At Where 70 Mehar Chand Market Tel 49050644; kunafa.in
by
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Get ready for the Bagels and Brownies championship, which will require participants to either finish one one of their 100 degrees bagel sandwich or their CBI Sundae, as fast as they can. For those not in the know, the 100 degrees sandwich is a fiery Peri Peri bagel sandwich with cottage cheese or chicken while the CBI sundae consists of chocolate brownies and vanilla ice-cream topped up with large amounts of chocolate sauce. The winner will be provided a free lifetime supply of any one goodie from the store till their record is beaten by a better man,
or in this case, a better eater. The first runner up is provided a supply of free goodies once a week and the second runner up gets the same once in a month. At R-278, GK 1, Pamposh Enclave; 14/185, Main Shivalik Road, Malviya Nagar Tel 49332222
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RESTAURANT
Of baguettes and escargots
Tucked away in a crowded market, in a cosy nook lies a quaint little French bistro that takes its food rather seriously. Simple, comfortable interiors, a charming terrace which is perfect for breezy evenings and an open kitchen immediately draw your attention to the food. The menu is exotic, filled with the mention of escargots, duck, morels, champagne sauce, crepes and baguettesall French as French can be.Start your meal with the escargots (snails) in lemon butter garlic sauceonce you get over the initial apprehension of eating snails, youll begin to appreciate the faint metallic taste of the snail, offset perfectly by the acidity of the sauce and balance of the baguette. For main course, we insist you skip the Duck with Orange Sauce, and order the Filet de Beouf instead. Not only is this one of the few restaurants in Delhi that uses real beef steak (not buffalo); they also know how to cook it to pink perfection. Though perfectly acceptable, the desserts just dont live up to the rest of the meal. They are recommended only for the insatiable sweet tooth. Meal for two Rs 2,000 (without alcohol) At M-27, 2nd Floor, M Block Market, Greater Kailash Part 2 Tel 41085544
by
Insiyah Vahanvaty
ONGOING TILL AUGUST 26

MasterChefs delights
Recreating the MasterChef Australia Season 4 magic, Shiro presents eight non vegetarian Asian-inspired dishes that we have all seen being prepared on the show, handpicked by their chef as additions to their already scrumptious brunch menu. Price Rs 1,750 plus taxes At Shiro, Hotel Samrat, Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri Tel 26876310

Tofu treats
Asia Kitchen presents Asian Delights, a specially crafted tofu based menu. Tuck into dishes such as tofu on sizzlers and tofu lemon with beancurd. Meal for two Rs 1,500 plus taxes At 15 Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar Tel 26143333
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SIMPLYDELHI
Trends
At your doorstep
CHECK OUT SOME OF THESE GREAT HOME DELIVERY OPTIONS IN TOWN
BY REWATI RAU AND EKTA MARWAHA
Baked temptations
Ridhima Khannas phone never stops ringing, as orders for birthday parties, get-togethers and gifts pour in. A passionate baker, she started baking at the age of ten and there has been no looking back since. Khannas melt-in-the-mouth cupcakes with exotic toppings have become the talk of the town ever since she opened her kitchen to Delhiites two years ago. With more than 20 flavours on offer, she customises orders to create a cupcake of your choice. We particularly like her red velvet, nutella, and simply chocolate flavours. Place your order at least a day in advance. Price Rs 900 for a dozen cupcakes Tel 9953393808; facebook.com/addicted.freshlybaked
MEETA AHLAWAT
Spread it on
Fancy trying a banana rum jam? Or maybe a mango-jalapeo jam? Apeksha Jain makes these and more unusual jams and delivers them to your doorstep. Also, the jams she makes are completely natural and have no preservatives. Using mostly seasonal fruits, Jain ensures the freshness in her jams. The flavours you can choose from include apple-cinnamon-butter and kiwi-orange-whiskey among others. Place your order two to three days in advance. Price Rs 360 for 300 grams Tel 9650077622; facebook.com/thegourmetjar
The natural way
You can give your lifestyle a complete makeover by just one phone call. Heres how: Started by Daisy Malik in December 2010, The Roots organic store houses everything organic under one roof. Take your pick from alfa alfa powder, wheat grass powder and more. Also available is a wide range of baby food including mashed vegetable mixture, raagi and wheat products. Apart from the edible range, Malik
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MEETA AHLAWAT
Country kitchen
Prima Kurien, who calls herself a compulsive cook is passionate about food and that reflects in her cooking. Kurien, a Syrian Christian from Keralas Kottayam district has familiarised Delhiites with a variety of authentic Kerala dishes and this is the closest you can get to sampling home-cooked Malayali food. Among the hot sellers are her chicken and mutton biryanis, avialmixed veggies in curd and ground coconut, appam and stew among others. The only non-Malayali dish on Kuriens menu is the Goan pork and chicken vindaloo. Place your order at least 24 hours in advance. Price Rs 375 onwards per dish (Serves three) Tel 9811820074
After continuous news reports on the quality of our vegetables and the chemicals/pesticides they come with, IT proffessional Nitish Vij started his own little set up where he cultivates vegetables using bio fertilisers. He started off with a small kitchen garden, and went onto leasing a plot of land near his home in Modi Nagar. Now, Vij is supplying farm fresh vegetables to many parts of Delhi, at a price cheaper than the market and at your doorstep. Along with vegetables, you can also buy unpolished wheat, rice and barley. Future plans include dairy products. First time customers may have to wait a day or two for their order, regular customers may order anytime. Delivery is available across Delhi at no additional charge. Price Depends on the vegetable, but claims to be cheaper than the local vendors price Tel 09368216293; freshvegstore.com
Vegge delight
also stores personal care items like body washes, anti ageing oils, cleansing milk and anti wrinkle creams. If you want to flaunt organic wear, order some socks, under clothes, night suits or yoga mats from her. Malik has tied up with different companies all over India and abroad for sourcing these products which all have international certifications for being organic. Price Rs 15 onwards Tel 9811019811
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SIMPLYDELHI
Celeb Speak
STAR IDEAS
CHECK OUT HOWTHE CELEBRITIES DO IT
SHIBANI KASHYAP 35, Singer ,
The place I visit the most is Setz, a multi-cuisine haven. Their live cooking stations whip up the best of Japanese and Thai food. For succulent kebabs, it has to be Bukhara and if Im in mood for some non-fussy Italian food, I head to Tonino at MG Road. The place serves some of the best pizzas in town.
VIRAT KOHLI, 23, Cricketer
There is a platter for every palate in this cityeverything from swanky restaurants to street options has something unique to offer. A favourite for me is Shiro, which is a great place to hang out with friends as well as to indulge in their pan-Asian delights.
ROCKY SINGH, 42, Host, Highway
On My PlateAddas, NDTV Good Times
To find the best food, one should head to Old Delhi. Join the crowd at the Natraj Dahi Bhalla corner for its fluffy, light and delicious treats topped with spices and coriander. Across the road find the world famous Nem Chand Jalebi Wala, simply known as Dilliwalle ki Jalebi. You cannot miss the legendary Karimsthe kebabs here are made using the recipes of Bahadur Shah Zafars chef.
Compiled
by Shilpa Mehta
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AUGUST 2012
A MONTHLY CITY MAGAZINE
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SIMPLYCHENNAI
Inside
COVER STORY ELSEWHERE
Bon Apptit
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Out and About

Heading out? Then try these places
CELEB SPEAK
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Treat your tastebuds with our pick of the best food your city has to offer
BUZZ
In the City
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Star Ideas
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A checklist on where to eat and what to shop for
Check out how the celebrities do it
Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie Chief Executive Officer Ashish Bagga Editorial Director M J Akbar Assistant Editor Insiyah Vahanvaty Correspondent Saranya Chakrapani Editorial Team Rewati Rau, Ekta Alreja, Sibi Arasu, Shilpa Mehta, Ekta Marwaha Marcia Rodrigues Photo Editor T. Narayan Photo Department H.K. Rajashekar, Rashmi Hajela (chief photo researcher) Design Associates Madhu Bhaskar, Vandana Nayar Production Surinder Hastu (Chief of Production), Harish Aggarwal, Naveen Gupta Layout Execution Ramesh Gusain, Ravishanker, Rajesh Kumar Rawat Group Business Head Manoj Sharma Associate Publisher (Impact) Anil Fernandes IMPACT TEAM Senior General Managers: Sonal Pandey (West & South) Kaustav Chatterjee (East) V. Somasundaram (Chennai) Jitendra Lad (West) Head (North): Dipayan Chowdhary
Cover photo by Getty Images Illustration by Saurabh Singh

H.K.RAJASHEKAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
OUR PICK of the month

highly popular theatre festival showcasing plays that are ten minutes long that started in Australia in 2002 and is now held annually across 30 cities in seven different countries is coming to the city. This year, Chennai will host its second edition of the festival in which a total of 21 plays will be performed. The 10 best plays among this will make it through to the gala finals. The plays will be performed at the Alliance Francaise Auditorium in Nungambakkam. shortandsweet.org/chennai
Ten minutes to fame

July 11- July 22 Heres an opportunity for aspiring actors, writers and directors to create quality new work in professional theatre in a collaborative environment. Short and Sweet is a
Want to tell us about an event?A new store? A restaurant?People doing interesting things?Anything newsworthy? Please email us at: simplychennai@intoday.com
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SIMPLYCHENNAI
Cover story
BONAPPTIT
TREATYOUR TASTEBUDS WITH OUR PICK OFTHE BEST FOOD YOUR CITY HAS TO OFFER
BY SARANYA CHAKRAPANI
hennai is fast emerging as a potboiler of national and international cuisines, with celebrated chefs whipping up everything from teppanyaki grills to lesser known Tamilian curries. Simply Chennai takes you on a gastronomic trail to explore the best eateries to satiate your appetite.
Photographs by HK RAJASHEKHAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
Benjarong
This fine dining joint has long held the position of being the best in the city for authentic Thai cuisine. It also aces the list of luxury dining destinations in the city with its soothing interiors marked with warm domes of light, regal wooden furniture and an exquisite collection of artifacts from Thailand. Food at Benjarong is abundant with fresh herbs and soup dishes. What also makes a traditional Thai meal here healthy is the equal portion of meat and vegetables that are used in cooking. Benjarongs classic signature appetiser, the Gai Hor Baitaey is served like a piece of art with succulent morsels of chicken delicately marinated, wrapped in pandanus leaves and deep fried. Its vegetarian counterpart, Tohu Hor Baitaey (marinated bean curd wrapped in pandanus leaves and deepfried) is just as much of a treat. DONT MISS Kaeng Keow Wahn (Thai Green curry with vegetables and pea aubergines), Pla Kapong Nung Manow (steamed red snapper fish with lemon coriander sauce on a bed of lemongrass ). MEAL FOR TWO Rs 1,500 plus taxes WHERE 146, TTK Road, Alwarpet TEL 32216587
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Burgundys
Burgundys is an expansive 104 seater restaurant, set up within the premises of Somerset Greenways Serviced Residences. This all-day dining restaurant is known for its sumptuous breakfast buffet and widespread Sunday brunch. Spread over an area of 5000 square feet, Burgundys is elegantly designed with huge casement windows that are shaded with bright red blinds designed by Thai architect Khun Dang. Dang is also the creative mind
behind the elegant wood and marble furnishing and opulent dcor of Burgundys. The breakfast buffet here is open as early as 6.30 am and offers a wide selection of popular dishes from various cuisines including Mediterranean, European, PanAsian and Indian. Great picks for breakfast include rolls, flavoured yoghurts, stir-fried vegetables, Danish croissants, bacon and fried eggs. And of course, you can always go for the good old Indian breakfast. From the la carte menu, a must-try for vegetarians is the Caesar salad
made with crunchy lettuce, imported olive oils and generous portions of exotic feta cheese. Also topping the list are the vegetable patties filled with cheese and walnuts, seekh kebab, seared tenderloin steak and beer batter fried fish. DONT MISS Pumpkin and mushroom lasagne, stuffed chicken breast with ricotta cheese and French baguette baked with garlic butter MEAL FOR TWO Rs 1,500 plus taxes WHERE No. 94, Sathyadev Avenue, Somerset Greenways, Santhome TEL 49001000
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Cover story
Azzuri Bay
Rich, hot, tangy, sweet, subtlethe chutneys here are the real stars. With a fresh batch being prepared every half hour, customers are assured of freshness. A small eatery located on the busy RK Salai road, Idli Vilas charm lies in its casual, unpretentious ambience and informal, yet efficient service. This is a great place for those of you who like their popular South Indian dishes in quirky alterations; like the traditional dosa, which is served in combinations like Kambu dosai (made of millets), Chola dosai (made of corn) and Ragi dosai (made of finger millets). And dont miss their sambartheres actually a special chef whose only responsibility is to prepare the sambar. Popular dishes like the poondu podi uthapam (uthapam made out of garlic and spicy powder), mor kali (a delicious snack made out of buttermilk and rice flour) and godhuma pongal (khichdi made out of broken wheat), are prepared with the wholeness of traditional ingredients and time-tested recipes. Though barely eight months old, Idli Vilas has already become a popular choice for many, thanks to its innovative dishes and more importantly, its unbelievably cheap prices. DONT MISS Guruvayur pal payasam (a South Indian variety of kheer), vetiver lime sharbat (a cooling drink prepared with lime and fresh vetiver rootsa tad too sweet for some, but can be altered according to preference) MEAL FOR TWO Rs 200-250 WHERE No. 121, Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore TEL 28110015
Idli Vilas
Named after the Italian word for light blue, this fine-dining restaurant is located amidst placid, green surroundings, with a serene life-size Buddha in the middle of the setup at the entrance and a pleasing view of the Adyar River from its rooftop. Azzuri Bay initially opened in 2011 as a Chinese restaurant, but soon expanded to include cuisines from Far East Asia and Europe apart from traditional Indian food. Now, the restaurants menu also features exclusive Chettinad offerings, including all-time favourites of meat, beef and calamari specialities, and a sumptuous vegetarian and non-vegetarian lunch thali. For an intimate dining experience, you can opt for the private dining room, where you can relish your meal in a romantic candle-lit set up, cut off from the rest of the restaurant. A wise pick from their panAsian fare would be stir fried prawns (prawns served with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, parsley and fresh crumbs), along with crispy American corn (crispy American corn kernels, deep fried and sauted with a choice of chilly garlic coriander or black pepper). DONT MISS Thai chilly rice (rice tossed with ginger, garlic, basil and kaffir lime leaf), sambal scrunchy veggies (red pepper broccoli and baby corn tossed in black bean and sambal sauce) MEAL FOR TWO Rs 1,500 plus taxes WHERE No.13, First Crescent Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar TEL 42115253
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SIMPLYCHENNAI
Cover story
Mathsya
Mathsyas first branch opened in Egmore almost a century ago and has ever since been synonymous with the most delectable vegetarian food. A large, exquisitely crafted wood sculpture of Vishnus Mathsyavtar greets you at the entrance of the 100-yearold Egmore branch. The brightlylit setting, informal and bustling with families, sets the mood for a
time-tested and ever popular truly Chennai dining experience. The restaurant houses Udipi specialities like semmiya chitranna (a delicacy made of Indian vermicelli and mango) and Kuku Rasa Yana (a type of porridge made out of finely chopped mangoes, mango pulp, coconut milk and jaggerya tad too sweet for some palates, available in the buffet on select days). You can also choose from a wide range of
South Indian and North Indian specialities and a few continental dishes that make their way into the buffets at Mathsyas T Nagar branch. DONT MISS Chilly cheese toast and filter coffee (brought exclusively from Chikmaglur) MEAL FOR TWO Rs 500 plus taxes WHERE Halls Road, Egmore, Chennai, Thanikachalam Rd, T Nagar TEL 28191900
Anjappar
What was started as a small military hotel in Nungambakkam by Anjappar, a popular yesteryear's chef in 1964, has today become one of the most sought after destinations for authentic Chettinad food, with 15 branches in the city. Their latest branch in Porur can accommodate 250 people and is designed tastefully with wooden pillars lining the seating area and large, comfortable seats designed to accommodate big groups. Their lunch thalis have an array of meat varietieschicken, mutton and fish gravies. But the real
treat here for meat lovers are their dishes like mutton sukka varuval (mutton dry-fried with spicy masala) and naatu kozhi roast (roasted country chicken). The sea food varieties, a mark of Chettinad culture are absolutely sumptuous. The vegetarians can choose from the poondu (garlic) kuzhambu, kaara kuzhambu, and yam varuvar. DONT MISS Nattukozhi biriyani, kothu parotta and Chettinad kaikari masala MEAL FOR TWO Rs 500 plus taxes WHERE No. 211, Mount Poonamallee Road TEL 24826361
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SIMPLYCHENNAI
Cover story
Tangerine
Nestled in a quiet corner of an otherwise crowded area, Tangerine, when set up in 2002, was one of Chennais first sizzler destinations. Today, the restaurants cuisine is defined as Continental fusion. All sizzlers here are served with combinations of steamed vegetables and jacket potato or potato salad and pickled vegetablesa local tweak to the cuisine that has worked well. The mood here is leisurely, as popular rock hits from the 1970s set the tone and the cosy restaurant is furnished with chairs and tables in warm shades of brown and orange. Tangerine also plays host to art exhibitions, displaying works by upcoming artists in the city. In terms of the food it-
self, be sure to try the chicken stroganoff (chicken, mushroom and peppers cooked in an herb, butter and wine sauce and served on a bed of rice) and stir fried vegetables. Starters like crab cakes (crab cakes served with a delicious capers dip) and the restaurants specialtyLamb Cornettolight, crunchy cones filled with roast leg of mutton, sauted with mushrooms, celery and leeks are musttries. DONT MISS Chicken bellpeppers (grilled breast of chicken with three coloured peppers, served in a spicy pepper and wine sauce) and vegetable shaslik MEAL FOR TWO Rs 1,200 plus taxes WHERE No. 5, Murray's Gate Road, Alwarpet TEL 42110888
Eden
Eden is identified by its signature dishes like corn on toast and vegetable risotto and the restaurant has a loyal clientele. Apart from continental cuisine, Eden also serves local vegetarian cuisine as well as a selection of North Indian dishes. With an expansive menu comprising over 100 items, Eden breaks all myths of only scanty fares available for vegetarians beyond Indian cooking. Try their innovative dishes like grilled eggplant, tomato and milagu sevai shaslik (steamed rice noodles tossed with fresh pepper and hand-ground spices, served with a skewer of grilled farm fresh vegetables and spicy tomato curry). The dessert you shouldnt leave without trying is their The Last Time ever I saw My Waist which is a rich chocolate nut brownie covered with vanilla and chocolate ice-cream, topped with hot fudge, chocolate chips and whipped cream. The 80 cover restaurant is simple, without any frills, with warmly lit interiors and sturdy wooden seating. DONT MISS Vegetable risotto, khurmi naan and mixed veg mutarbak MEAL FOR TWO Rs 700 plus taxes WHERE Harrisons Hotel, 315, Valluvar Kottam High Road, Nungambakkam TEL 42222777 Mediterranean Chicken doner and a unique paneer bhurji cheese crepe. The recipes are authentic and the portions filling. With an open kitchen, simple, plush interiors and an inviting ambience, Spoonbill scores high on its pleasant, minimalist dcor. DONT MISS Chicken ham egg cheese crepe, peach caramel crepe and vegetarian burritos MEAL FOR TWO Rs 650 plus taxes WHERE New No. 239, Old No. 107, TTK Road, Alwarpet TEL 42064442
Spoonbill
To a city known for its distinctive variety of street food delicacies, Spoonbill brings the best of international street food options without compromising on authenticity. It is perhaps the only non-five star destination in the city to serve Mexican burritos, French crepes, Chinese dimsums, Mediterranean doners and German wurstsall under one roof. Their house specialties include the German Lamb Bradwurst, the
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SIMPLYCHENNAI
Buzz
IN THE CITY
LOUNGE BAR
HK RAJASHEKHAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
The top spot
If youre jaded by the usual clubbing scene in the city with predictable music and crowded bars, then the High at The Raintree, Anna Salai, could be your much needed respite. The view of the cityscape from this eleven floor-high sky lounge is breathtaking, with many city landmarks such as the newly built State Secretariat glimmering against the night sky. Try their cocktails such as the High Kaffir Lime Martinia signature drink with a confluence of premium vodka, kafir lime leaf, lemon juice and sugar syrup, besides international classics like Manhattan, Rob Roy and Bloody Mary while here. If you're feeling peckish, we suggest you try their mezze platter with pita, lavash, hummus, muhammarah and tabouleh or paprika spiced fish fingers with tartar sauce. Price Rs. 2,000 for two (exclusive of taxes with alcohol) At The Raintree Hotel, 636, Anna Salai Tel 28309999
WHATS UP
Mango rush
Make the most out of this mango season at Hiltons Mango Market. On offer at this 24 hour deli, Est, are a variety of mangoes on sale. Also whipped up exclusively for the occasion are lip-smacking mangobased desserts like chocolate fudge
with mango and mango basboosa. At Hilton, 124/1 JN Salai, Guindy Tel 22255555
He spent his lifetime weaving fascinating stories for thousands of children around the world, crafting their imaginations and taking them places. Seventeen collections, 14 books and one movie performance later, the veteran author Ruskin Bond tells us why books are his biggest romance ever Q. Why did you choose writing as a career? What drew you to it? A. I would read extensively as a child. I was already contributing for a Chennai-based magazine called My Magazine of India, when I was a teenager. I actually started writing my first book when I was 12. But my teacher tore it apart one day and it never became the book it could have.
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HK RAJASHEKHAR/www.indiatodayimages.com
Q& A I actually started writing my first book when I was 12. But my teacher tore it apart one day and it never became the book it could have.
The Room on the Roof was written only after I went to England after high school. Q. What were the challenges you faced to bring out The Room on the Roof? A. It actually began as a journal, about a small rented room that I shared with my friends in England. I decided to write it as a fiction book on the suggestions of friends. I was very determined; I went to a few publishers who encouraged me a great deal. I then wrote a second and third draft of the book after which it was finally taken over for publishing by Penguin. Q. How do you feel when you see your literary works being made
into movies? A. It is a good thing. I dont feel nervous about it because films are a different medium and their success or failure will not affect my book. My novel, A Flight of Pigeons, was filmed by Shyam Benegal in 1978-79. As for Saat Khoon Maaf, based on Susannas Seven Husbands, Vishal Bhardwaj asked me if I could expand it from 5 to 75 pages. He then based his script on my expanded story. Q. You surprised a lot of people with that cameo in Saat Khoon Maaf. How did that happen? A. Oh, that made me nervous. Vishal asked me if Id be interested to do a cameo in the film and I agreed to
do it for free. I appear as a bishop in the movie. I took about 7 to 8 takes before finally getting it right. Vishal almost thought I was doing it deliberately! (laughs) Q. Tell us a little about your latest workHip Hop Nature Boy and Other Poems. A. Some poems in this book are taken from my older collection and the others are new ones. These are mostly verses for children on nature. I was in Bhubaneswar when I saw a few kids dancing to hip-hop beats in the rain. I wanted to join them but I couldn't so I decided to put that moment of unbridled joy into my poem.
As
told to Saranya Chakrapani
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SIMPLYCHENNAI
GADGETS
Buzz
BMW MINI COOPER
BMWs legendary Mini Cooper Hatch, Convertible and Countryman are now available in India through dealerships in New Delhi and Mumbai. The modern Mini is as agile as it is
fashionable, all with a focus on premium quality. Despite being the first Mini with a body over four metres in length, its advanced chassis technology and Electric Power Steering ensure the Go-kart driving experience is preserved. Price 25,50,000 onwards
BOXLIGHT PROJECTOWRITE
This portable projector comes with a colour camera and I/R filter mounted on the projector which enables users to play with the projected image with the help of the wand and light pen. Price Rs 69,000 onwards
AMKETTE EVO TV
USHA HONEYWELL COOLERS

Usha International has launched a range of internationally designed evaporative room air coolers in collaboration with Honeywell International Inc. Available in 15, 25, 40 and 55 litre water tank capacities, the coolers maximise cooling efficiency, utilising a honeycomb design cooling medium in place of wood wool pads used in conventional room coolers. All models can run on inverters, and specified models come with LCD display and remote controls. Price 8,499 onwards
This is a device that makes any TV into a smart TV. This little box by your screen can give it a lot of smart features like voice control, internet connectivity through Wi-Fi, Android apps and games. The device comes with a motion sensing remote too. Price Rs 10,000
BLACKBERRY CURVE 9320

This phone has a 2.4 inch display and runs on BlackBerry 7.1. It has got a dedicated BBM key, a 3.2 MP camera with flash, built-in FM Radio, 3G, Wifi and 512 MB internal memory that is expandable to up to thirty two GB. Price Rs 15,990
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SIMPLYCHENNAI
Buzz
ACER ASPIRE TIMELINE ULTRA M3

Acer has launched more than 30 models in its Aspire ranges S, M V3, V5 and E series. Among them is the Aspire Timeline Ultra M3, which is just 20 mm thick, weighs under 2.3 kg and comes loaded with dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT640M graphics powered by the Intels 2nd Generation Core processors. The M3 is also the first 15" Ultrabook to feature an optical drive for DVD. Price Rs 51,999
PHILIPS AIRFRYER
SENNHEISER HEADSETS
The Red Dot Design award winning X320 features Sennheiser amplified stereo sound which boosts the Xbox 360s audio experience and pro-noise cancelling microphone. The dual volume control lets gamers independently adjust the games audio and voice of fellow players. Price Rs 7,990
ENVENT KEYBOARDS
Envent Worldwide has brought to India its range of computer accessories for kids. Available in pink and blue, this Tip-Tap Type keyboard has big size keys and vivid colours which help to identify vowels, consonants and punctuation separately. There is a fun mouse available too. Price Rs 1,099
Focusing on oil-free food using air, Philips has introduced its revolutionary AirFryer in the Indian market. It uses a patented Rapid Air Technology that combines hot air with a grill component to fry food. As claimed by the company, it uses 80 per cent less oil in comparison to traditional cooking methods. Price Rs 15,000
PANASONIC SMART VIERA

This new flat panel TV focuses on quality picture, networking, easy operation and design. These models range from 24 to 55 inches and have high efficiency LED backlight to reduce power consumption, wide viewing angles and built-in Wi-Fi. Price Rs 13,990 onwards Available at CROMA Tarapore Towers 826 Ground Floor, Anna Salai Tel 6458 9715; CROMA, 1, Ramakrishna Street, T Nagar Tel 64629816
GADGET REVIEWS by INDIA TODAY G&G www.gadgetsngizmos.in
ASUS ROG XONAR PHOEBUS GAMING SOUNDCARD SET

This set features technology which cuts ambient noise up to 50 percent. With its clear 118dB SNR and powerful 600 ohm headphone amplifier, it delivers lifelike immersion audio. Price 11,000
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Elsewhere
Out and About

DELHI
HEADING OUT? TRY THESE PLACES
Iskate
You will feel a sudden dip in temperature as soon as you enter this ice skating arena. Located inside Gurgaons Ambience mall, Iskate recreates the magic of skating on a frozen lake. Spread across 15,000 square feet, the floor is made of real ice and its temperature is maintained by a cooling machine thats placed beneath it. Each skating session lasts for about an hour and a half, before which one is given basic tips on ice skating. One usually starts off by holding onto the side railing, getting accustomed to the floor and then slowly skating on their own (be prepared for a few falls!). A number of instructors skate along to help amateurs, whereas children can learn to slide with the help of penguin buddiestwo feet tall penguins, which have rollers placed underneath them and act as a balancing tool to hold onto and skate. Theres a DJ who gets grooving as soon as people get onto the rink, and the tempo of the music changes as skaters pick up pace. This skating arena encompasses a visitors gallery, where one can sit and watch skaters or enjoy some grub from the food station here. Timings 10 am to 10 pm Cost Rs 300 onwards for a one and a half hour session At Ambience Mall, Gurgaon Tel 0124 4610606
Jhumroo, Kingdom of dreams
Prepare yourself for two and a half hours of ultimate Bollywood dhamaka with the Great Indian Nautanki Companys latest production, Jhumroo. With 19 Bollywood retro songs, this musical comedy is a tribute to the legendary singer Kishore Kumar. Written by Darshan Jariwalla and directed by Vikranth Pawar, this act will not let your attention waver for even a second, instead the larger than life sets and the amazingly well coordinated audio-visual effects will transport you to a dream land. Good acting, witty dialoges, and melodius songs are sure to keep you entertained throughout. Look out for actors flying down from the ceiling, popping up from beneath the stage, and many such surprise elements! Tickets Rs 750 onwards depending on the choice of seat At Kingdom of Dreams, Sector 29, Auditorium Complex, Gurgaon Tel 0124 45280000; kingdomofdreams.in
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MONA RAMAVAT
HYDERABAD Shilpa Reddy store
Model and fashion designer, Shilpa Reddy's flagship store is a chic enclosure on the ground floor of the recently launched fine dining restaurant, N Asian. Step in and the fashionable low lighting here immediately sets the mood for what is bound to be an indulgent shopping experience. Many of her creationssari blouses or anarkalis, are teamed with stylish jackets. Her wedding couture line is replete with embellished saris and with a greater focus on the rich embroidery than eyecatchy bling. You can get custom made designs as well here. Price Rs 3,800 onwards At Road No 36, Jubilee Hills Tel 23550079
PUNE
MONA RAMAVAT
Ruci and Idoni
TJs Brew
Its the perfect season for chilled beer, which is why we suggest you head to TJs Brew Works, the recently opened microbrewery in Pune.Set up by T. J. Venkateshwaran, who comes with a long history of experience in the brewing industry with SAB Miller India, the brewery currently offers four fresh brews on tap. Theres the Devils Dark with a slight chocolatey aftertaste; the Zen Weiss with hints of coriander; Pepper, a Belgian recipe and the Blonde's Brew- a pale, refreshing drink. Cost Rs.100 onwards per glass, plus taxes At Level 2, East Block, Amanora Town Centre, Hadapsar, Pune Tel 67260140
The all day dining bistro, Ruci and Idonire, launched by the Ohris group offers a great selection in continental food. The elaborate beverage menu contains many delights from around the globe. Lemonadein four flavours is served in a jar rather than a tall glass and coffee here is served with cookies and the days newspaper. Be sure to try their signature Ohri's Titanic ice cream. The dcor is casual and the bistro also boasts of an open kitchen. Average meal for two Rs 800 At Road No 10, Banjara Hills Tel 64551000
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SIMPLYCHENNAI
Celeb Speak
STAR IDEAS
CHECK OUT HOWTHE CELEBRITIES DO IT
ANDREA JEREMIAH, 27, Actress WILLI WILSON, 53, COO Food and Beverages, Burgundy Restaurant
Other than my own restaurants, I love the Chinese restaurant Stix, at Hyatt Regency. I frequent Peshawari at Chola Sheraton and Hip Asia at Vivanta by Taj where the crab salad and sushi are lovely.
I love going to Kefi, the Mediterranean restaurant at Taj Club House. Its located on the terrace by the pool, so I love its open air treatment and soothing ambience. Other than that, I love frequenting Sandys because its quick, casual and has great food. I dont have to dress up too much for it. And being a chocoholic, I love their desserts. Latitude is also one of my favourites.
KARTHIK, 32, Singer
I love the coffee shop at Taj Mount Road, I like the energy there. I frequent Dewberrys on Radhakrishnan Road where the grilled vegetables, pastas and salads are amazing. Saravana Bhavan and Ratna Caf are my all-time favourites though.
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