Awaited Justice - Finally

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the conviction and life imprisonment awarded to Manu Sharma, son of senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Venod Sharma, in the 1999 Jessica Lall murder case.

"The prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the presence of Manu Sharma at the site of the offence," a Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and Swatanter Kumar said, upholding the Delhi High Court verdict.

The apex court also upheld the conviction as well as sentence of four years jail term of Vikas Yadav, son of controversial Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav and, Amarjeet Singh Gill, an MNC executive, for the destruction of evidence.

"The Delhi High Court has given cogent and adequate reasons for reversal of acquittal given by the trial court," the bench said.

"The presence of accused is proved by ocular evidence of prosecution witnesses," the Bench said while pronouncing the verdict.

Reply of an accused father, in an opinionistic article

In response to http://www.indiblogger.in/forum/topic.php?id=4485

Firstly, I must appreciate your writing skills. But it is my pleasure to inform you that I am highly disappointed by the way you perceived my visit to the college.
I came to meet the principal, only after hearing that your “friend’s” father made his visit first and complained to the principal.
I saw you in front of the office and talked to you and your friend, to resolve the matter (which in my opinion is different) instead of going to the principal. I also apologized humbly to your friend, in an attempt to end the issue, considering her my own daughter.

But I’m glad you made me realize my mistake.

With regards &
Best wishes.

Brushing the Bruises

“One who does not understand the anatomy of a woman, is far far behind those who do,” opines Assamese painter and poet Partha Sarthi Dutta. Most of his paintings in an art exhibition in All India Fine Arts and Crafts society (AIFACS) overtly express his deep understanding of a woman, and his concerns about their omnipresent suppression. “A woman is multifaceted. With them, what one sees is not what is necessarily true. It is the depth of their psyche and emotions that appeal to me.”

The three prominent dimensions of the exhibited paintings are agony of womenfolk, political criticism, and landscapes. “A woman is the giver of life. Her importance, though inextricable in our lives, is scarcely acknowledged.” In some of his paintings, he goes on to compare women with fishes and balloons, signifying the continuity in life.

The paintings depicting political criticism unambiguously arise out of his disillusionment in war and bloodshed essentially taking place in Assam, also portraying his appurtenance with his soil. The material he uses for his collages are headlines from Assamese and Bengali newspapers, burnt jute, and bandage, and are reminiscent of the repeated terrorist attacks in the country and the government’s failure in curbing them, which have left irredeemable sorrow in his heart. Although his paintings are a surreal portrayal of hard realism, he maintains that he is not a pessimist. “The critics like to disagree, but realism is not always pessimistic. I am still hopeful that someday, things would change.”

Dutta’s paintings predominantly include shades of blue, green and yellow, nostalgic of Assam. “In Assam, one finds these colours everywhere. The clear blue of the sky. The greenery giving an essence of tranquillity. The greenery which has been brutally shattered amidst the violent streak enormously emerging in the current arena.” Interestingly, most of his paintings which involve heave craftwork have been finished in one sitting taking approximately three hours.

Partha Sarthi is a government school teacher by profession. To him, poetry and art are a medium of expressing his innermost thoughts. He has been exhibiting his paintings since 1992, and has had five anthologies of his poems. He is not one of those who would violent retaliate to such abhorrent catastrophes. He’d rather keep silent, and allow his nibs and brushes do the talking

Carousing with Colours!

"Geometry in Colours" formed the theme for the paintings in an exhibition in progress at All India Fine Arts & Craft Society ( AIFACS ), from 1st to 7th July 2009. The artist has experimented purely with resplendent colours and shapes, and has brought out immaculate paintings through various permutations and combinations. An extrusive theme that runs through most of the paintings is conservation of nature, as the painter has subtly depicted the plight that the flora and fauna is facing owing to insensible rapid urbanisation.
The paintings are reflective of the predominantly alleviating, nature friendly and a refreshingly soothing essence embedded in the surroundings. He believes that the psychological state of the generation is sensitive, tenacious and self centered. "The youth today has lost the sensitivity that it once upheld.
However much the technology may aid the developments in diverse visual fields such as graphics, computer design, photography, video-graphy, camcorders or any other visual medium, the traditional use of canvas and paint will never fade or become unpopular with artists. "A painting can be, simply, an exploration of colour and form, an arrangement of paint on canvas, to evoke a feeling, a mood in the mind of the viewer, without seeking to represent them as real-life images" said B. Narayanan, expressing his views on art as an expression. He is an amateur artist, who has been teasing the canvas with myriad hues since the last seven years. He is an officer of the 1990 batch of the Indian Information Service, he is currently posted as Director (IEC) in the Ministry of Rural Development.
He remarks, "I paint to distress and take my mind off the busy schedule that I follow. Painting is the only thing that saves my soul from dying". Indulging in the world of abstraction and its accompanying freedom of interpretations, B. Narayanan claims to be deaf to symbolism . "there is nothing more than what you see in these pictures.I believe in the ideology of less is more" , having said so he has successfully managed to pull off this one with ease.
Like an old proverb goes ‘Good painting is like good cooking, it can be tasted not explained’, B. Narayanan’s nebulous concepts related to the prodigious piece work produced by him gave him contentment.

An Ode to the ostracised

Millions of hearts still croon over Rekha’s kindling expressions in “inn ankhon ki masti mein”, or Madhubala’s graceful movements in “mohe panghat pe nandlaal”. But that beautiful, scintillating dance form, which attracted the aristocrats, the Nawabs, and the Jahanpanahs of the Mughal kingdom to the evening mehfils of the courtesans, is now on the verge of extinction. Fortunately, there are a few like Manjari Chaturvedi, who are making ceaseless efforts to keep the typically Mughal dance form of Darbari Kathak alive.

Manjari Chaturvedi, a leading exponent of the Indian Classical dance form of Kathak, recently rendered some beautifully choreographed compositions in the Darbari Kathak style, in Kamani Auditorium. ‘Nazo: An Ode to the Courtesan’ was conceptualised, choreographed, and performed by her, as an effort to keep the dying art form alive. She was accompanied by some notable musicians on stage, which included Radhika Chopra, a highly appreciated Ghazal singer from Delhi, and Zareena Beghum, the last alive Court singer, from Bilhera in Awadh. Also accompanying her were Qawwal Noor ul Hasan and team from Awadh, and instrumentalists from Delhi and Lucknow. “The gayiki of Classical Kathak and Darbari Kathak is very different. Darbari gayiki is much lighter, as it was mainly to appease the courtiers. Accordingly, the dance steps are kept simpler, devoid of the complexities intrinsic to Hindustani Shastriya nritya,” says Zareena Beghum.

Having received training in Classical Kathak from the age of thirteen, Manjari has traveled across the globe and delivered innumerable concerts. She incorporated the dance styles of various countries of Central Asia in her own, and carved a new dance form called Sufi Kathak. “I traveled all over the ‘Sufi Belt’, which begins from Turkey, Persia and stretches to India – Pakistan, studying their folk dance froms. I interacted with various artists and tried to learn about those traditions which are not documented, but are passed on only through the word of mouth,” Manjari said. “Sufism is the worship of the formless God. Deriving from that, Sufi Kathak is devoid of the mudras and forms, like the form of Krishna, or the form of Rama, which are inextricable to Kathak.”

Apart from training new dancers in Sufi and Darbari Kathak, Manjari is delivering as many concerts as possible to popularize these drowning traditions. “All my efforts are directed towards evoking in my audiences an interest in our heritage.” And the efforts are admirable. While `our folk and classical cultures are receiving considerable appreciation, one hopes the likes of Manjari would succeed in rescuing the flame of courtly traditions from being extinguished forever.

CONTRADICTING OWN CONSTITUTION: BRINGING INEQUALITY IN NAME OF SOCIAL WELFARE and RESERVATIONS

From 6 th standard a child is taught civics as a subject and is inspired to feel proud about our longest living and evolving constitution. Moreover most of the nations have changed their constitution more than once but ours is continuing from 1950 and amendments are made continuously.Last year, after giving my class 12 exams I, realized that the greatest thing about our constitution is that every law and policy contradicts .For instance constitution says that WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:JUSTICE, social, economic and political;LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION . But this applies only if you belong to SC, ST or OBC category. If I call an sc a "sc" I would be arrested. Contradicting if someone calls Brahmin a pundit or ridicules him on his choti he would be set free. This has happened too. Popular slogan of a caste based party said that tilak, tarajo, talwaar joote maro inko char. But leaders of that party are free till now because they are from reserved category.Reservations are also exclusive examples for this. A general category child might be a topper in his class 10 th or class 12 th but his seat is not reserved in prestigious college. But reserved category students are free of tension as their seat is reserved. Constitution asked government to implement reservation almost for 20 years. But they still continue because if these 20 years got over, parties will lose one agenda.If you today end up in a fight with your neighbour who is an 'sc' and you are not aware of his caste, you would be sent to jail under SC act. Is this justified? Law must not be same for everyone as constitution says??Moreover constitution said no party would be formed on lines of religion, caste or creed. Contradicting truth is that only such parties are successful today. There is no need to quote examples for it. Everyone is aware about this known fact. This time, fortunately mandate was against such divisive parties. UPA won the election but we have to see whether it caters to the need of general category talented and skillful students or it also prefers reserving seats for so called weaker sections that are now better to do than several general category students. Is a caste only criterion to judge backwardness? Indian government is only responsible for SCs, STs and OBCs? Today several general category people are living in conditions worse than refugee camp conditions. This is the phase of economic development we boast of. Reservation is fine but is it justified that EK GHAR ME CHULHA JALANE KE LIYE DOSRE GHAR KA CHULHA BOOJHA DO? This is mockery of constitution. I as a Brahmin, the learned class cannot tolerate these injustices. So all those who cannot bear more injustices come on, rise up and destroy the malaise of reservation.

Admission of an ancient vitriol : Inelucable agrarian crisis

Agrarian crisis is the biggest problem facing the world just after global warming. India is an agrarian nation where by a majority of India’s GDP comes from the agricultural sector. This makes the problem graver for our country. This issue is an overall representation of the plight of the Indian farmers which is often overlooked and hardly been a matter of discussion.
According to the various surveys held across the nation in villages it was seen that the numbers of farmer suicides were increasing at a very drastic rate. Yavatmal District of Maharashtra being one of the highest suicide prone areas. Under this a major 70% suicides were due to lack of money to do farming. Factors like infrastructure, credit availability, literacy rate were very poor. Although India might have become an IT czar but the agricultural sector is still very down-trodden. Inspite of the various loan waiver programmes launched by the government, the condition of the farmers continues to be abortive, for instance the government of India launched a Rs. 30000 cr loan waiver programme in order to relieve the farmers from repaying the loans back. It not only obfuscated but in addition caused prodigal inflation to creep in the economy. The biggest reason for inefficiency and abominable state of agricultural sector is the lack of implementation of government policies, rules and regulations. Tax-Relieves, Subsidies, Annual Grants, Loans at low interest rates etc are proponent by the government each year on paper. But the effect of these policies is apocryphal because the intermediaries in the system pocket all the money and use it for their own demands. It is said that, “with great power comes great responsibility”, and that’s precisely what lacks. Bureaucrats and officials who have power in their hands use it for their own benefit and don’t feel morally responsible for their actions and the adverse effects it leaves on the society. This whole crisis is inextricable to corruption, inefficient government and illiteracy. In the interior parts of our country basic amenities of life aren’t available like food, water, electricity. The government insouciantly invests money in these areas and if at all they do they don’t reach the farmers. So the problem is much at the root level. Agrarian crisis is not only because of the government. Citizens of the country are equally responsible. When it is the time for elections, the time to choose the right people for the right places and at the right time, people prefer to sit back in their homes in order to avoid the scorching heat. This results in accentuating the corruption with intrepid nature. During the election campaigns political parties go to the interior parts and make false promises in their election manifestos. They give them money for supporting them and also give alcohol in order to get the votes. These methods are ethically, morally wrong but because the people are illiterate and are in majority they come in their trap and support them.
Financial help or credit availability is very poor in villages. Corrupt money lenders lend money to these poor farmers at very high interest rates thus increasing the risk of default on the part of the farmers. And when these farmers are unable to pay back the loans they have to part with their immovable assets like land hence adding to their misery and compelling them to commit suicides. There are very few public sector banks that are serving in these areas. So it can be seen that each and every factor is inter-related to each other and are affecting the agricultural sector.
Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata is just a fraction of the whole country in terms of the land size. So the development in these certain areas doesn’t mean that the whole country is developing and progressing. Before the recession India has touched 21000 point mark on the Sensex, there might be billions of dollars of FIIs and FDIs coming into the country, there might be global giants like Wal-Mart touching the Indian shores but still they are very small in comparison to the majority of the country which is still deprived of the basic amenities such as paani, bijli, roti, kapda and a makaan.
The times are surely changing. The importance of elections is finally getting its dues. People are really making an effort to come out of their comfortable houses in the sweltering heat to the polling booths to vote. Youth is being given a chance to lead the country with a very fresh, energetic and a dynamic outlook. Politicians like Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, and Jyotiraditya Scindia are the hope of 1 billion people of the Republic Of India. They will bring changes at the grass root level. Appoint competent and sincere and responsible people at the pivotal positions and jointly work for the betterment of the country. It’s not only government’s job. It also requires equal amount of effort on the part of the citizens. They should become responsible, they should stand for the right causes, follow the rules, sincerely and jointly work with the government in taking India to new heights. It’s definitely time to trenchantly LEAD INDIA!

Shopper's soul - GK M Block market

Greater Kailash Part I is home to one of the busiest markets in New Delhi, the famous M block market is an elite shopper’s paradise. It is a very affluent, upmarket and an exclusive area of South Delhi. Among the trendiest shops in Delhi, Greater Kailash boasts of housing a large number of these.
Gk is one of South Delhi's most fashionable neighborhoods. M Block has a branch of many of the world's well-known retail and restaurant chains, including a two-level Benetton, , Levis, UCB, Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Esprit, L’ Affaire , Mascot Studio, Gorgy, Lords, Chunmum, Miss Jo, Pizza Hut, Subway, Yo China, and so on offering everything from books, home decor to imported crystal and high-end jewelry. But what makes this market universal for shopping is the range & variety one gets in the stores and outside them in small veiled concaves selling cheap costume jewelry, snacks and inexpensive clothing items. The famous golguppa shop sells golguppas in mineral water!! These smaller setups have pretty decent stuff & definitely worth a look. For instance you can get sunglasses from the branded stores for as much as Rs. 20,000 and pretty good cheap knock offs for anywhere around 200 bucks at the outside stall. Young Delhi-ites can be seen strolling the posh area having lunch or spending their hefty allowances.
While Sarojini is great for bargains, Khan Market for the foreigner-type of-mal, M Block has the best of both. Luxury goods, branded clothes, Indian handcrafted paper products, shoes and so on.
M block is a must for those who like high style without the chaos of local markets. The market is especially popular amongst women due to a large number of boutiques and shoe stores that it avidly bolster. Evening brings with it the hip-and-happening and an overtly boisterous crowd. The timings remain from 11 am to 8 pm, Tuesdays being closed.. Also, the association of this market is commendable which could clearly be seen during the unprecedented catastrophe- bomb blasts, where the loss was negligible. The CCTV surveillance cameras are veiled in the security system accentuating the prestige of the area.
Along with the shopping, you can have a quick bite at – Café Coffee Day, Barista or Costa Coffee. With so much choice, there’s not a scintilla of doubt why M block is a hot favourite among the youth, the socialites and also the drivers, who can’t but resist a pan from the famous Prince Paan Shop which has been there for decades.

Greater Kailash Part I is plagued with problems of bad traffic, and often, there is a very huge traffic jam in the market.Though there are ample mini parking lots, all around M block, but one must be prepared to not find a spot if you come in rush hour. Recommended option is a chauffeur driven, whom you can call once you are done. Also, that there is not enough space to roam about freely, the loitering pathways are too narrow for a two way walk.
Inspite of such meager glitches, GK, continues to uphold the luster attached with it, not for the clothes or the accessories but more for unique ‘fashion-parade’ by people who wander around in the market. The M-Block market is unique mainly because it has something for everyone in terms of variety and prices and is a ‘must’ for a shopper’s soul.

Munirka Market- residents' haven

At the confluence of Munirka DDA flats and Munirka village, is located the Munirka market. The market can be easily reached through the road that follows the second main entrance of the DDA flats.

The market has all facilities to cater to the needs of the youngsters, children, housewives and the elderly. It boasts of a considerable number of food vendors, where delicacies like Chholey Bhaturey, Chaat, pav bhaji, momos, etc are available to tickle the taste buds of the young and the elderly alike, at reasonably affordable prices. The Udipi restaurant has been a prime attraction past 25 years with delicious south- Indian being its specialty.
“I open from 5 to 10 pm. There is a huge rush in the evening for momos. Usually people prefer non- veg over veg items. I make great sale here” said one of the momo seller in Munirka.

The market also houses a plethora of coaching institutes, attracting an impressive number of engineering/medical aspirants and school children, especially the renowned Manocha study centre which has been a major crowd puller from far- flung areas.

A large variety of garment stores with coruscating clothes cover a handsome proportion of the market, woolen shops (Punjab Woolens) selling their specialties (Handmade and selective brands) are open throughout the year with minimal prices and reasonably appreciative quality.

The market has shops catering to myriads of household daily needs. The prodigious variety includes, to name a few, an enormous furniture market, grocery stores, electronic appliances showrooms, mobile phone and accessory shops, jewellery shops, optical clinics, boutiques, clothing outlets, stationary shops, cyber cafes, etc.
Amongst the visitors who frequent the market, a substantial number is comprised of housewives and the elderly.

Apart from these, clinics with efficient doctors are overtly spread, well assisted by chemist facility.

However, the infrastructure of the place is not too impressive, with a single, narrow road to the market, which often leads to congestion. To make it worse, the roads are scarred with potholes, which prove to be a nightmare for the residents during the monsoons. Despite complaints by the residents, the authorities have not taken adequate measures to rectify this problem.
Renu Sahai, 46, a resident, was quoted as saying, “the doctor and chemist facility is commendable, but I would have really appreciated if something could be done to improve the condition of the road.”

British cheerleaders accused by the "n" sigma !

One of the two black British cheerleaders, who were allegedly prevented from performing at an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match last month, says they were called by the “N word”, a tabloid newspaper reported Thursday.
A number of British newspapers Thursday carried the story about dancers Ellesha Newton, 22, and Sherinne Anderson, 25, claiming they were stopped from going on stage by organisers ahead of a match involving Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.
Newton told The Sun newspaper: “An organiser pulled us away. He said the people here don’t want to see dark people.
“The ‘n’ word was used and they said they only wanted beautiful white girls. We were crying. I could understand if it were the crowd but they were very receptive.”
Anderson, 25, added: “This kind of thing has never happened to us - not in Europe, not here, nowhere.
“We were offended. This shouldn’t be happening - especially after they made such a fuss over Big Brother.”
British celebrity Jade Goody was accused of making racist remarks about Indian film actress Shilpa Shetty in the reality show Celebrity Big Brother last year, causing outrage in India.
Organisers Wizcraft International Entertainment deny any knowledge of the incident.
A spokesman for Wizcraft said: “Our employees are trained to deal with our international clients. If there had been any racial discrimination, I would have received a complaint. But I know nothing of it.”
The girls had been hired by Fierce Performance Productions which has offices in London and Mumbai.
Director Jorge Aldana said the girls were eventually allowed to take part as cheerleaders after he intervened with the local officials.