AUGUST 1, 2010
 

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Charge of the Indian brigade
The Indian surge in Australia can be felt in all spheres of life

By Syed Nazakat/Sydney & Melbourne

Nearly 30 years ago, Robin Chaudhury, a fresh engineering graduate, made his way to Australia and found himself an alien in Wollongong, 70km south of Sydney. A nearly empty main thoroughfare was a cultural shock for him. “Nobody’s out.   more
Truth, sex and a little malice
CONTROVERSY

With the Davidar-Rundle scandal, publishing world’s Tiger Woods moment has come

By Mandira Nayar

David Davidar, the bright star of publishing, would have recognised the potential of this as a bestseller story: A literary icon accused of sexual harassment by his “closest friend and confidante’’, the heady, almost invincible feeling of power, the inevitable scandal, the defence of a “consensual flirtatious relationship’’, betrayal in its worst forms and a marriage of 15 years.   more
War games
BIHAR

The Assembly polls will witness a direct fight between the NDA and the Lalu-Paswan combine, with the Congress trying hard to regain its lost glory

By Kanhaiah Bhelari

The forthcoming Assembly polls in Bihar will in all likelihood witness a straight fight between the National Democratic Alliance and the Lalu Prasad Yadav-Ram Vilas Paswan combine.   more
He Who Must Not Be Named
DIPLOMACY

Mention of ISI chief A.S. Pasha wrecked India-Pakistan dialogue

By R. Prasannan

Indians blaming the ISI for all the bombs going off in the country is old hat. Similarly, Pakistanis seeing RAW hands in Quetta, FATA and even Jalalabad is old turban.
But Home Secretary G.K. Pillai’s remark was no such rhetoric. When he said, on the eve of the meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, that the ISI had been “literally controlling and coordinating” the Mumbai attack “from the beginning till the end”, he was, in effect, adding a new name to the list of the accused—Ahmed Shuja Pasha.<  more
Thanks, no thanks
BIHAR

Nitish Kumar to go it alone if the BJP refuses to toe the line

By Kanhaiah Bhelari

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seems to be playing his part well in the pre-poll political drama in Bihar. The latest twist came with him returning the relief money sent by the Gujarat government for the Kosi flood victims.
Nitish’s supporters feel that the move has boosted his clout doubly among the Muslims, who constitute 16 per cent of the electorate in Bihar and are a decisive factor in 60 of 240 Assembly constituencies.   more
Bubbling dispute
CONTROVERSY

Chandrababu Naidu gets political mileage from Babhli

By Dnyanesh Jathar & Lalita Iyer  

Chandrababu Naidu’s visit to the Babhli irrigation project site in Maharashtra’s Nanded district is a classic case of how inter-state conflicts can be used by politicians to revive their sagging careers.
The Babhli barrage is being built on the Godavari, which flows from Maharashtra to Andhra Pradesh.   more
Hot potato
PRICE RISE

Food prices continue to remain high; government draws a blank

By Vijaya Pushkarna

Neena Singh neither has a large family, nor is she poor. But a few months ago, when she found her envelope with ‘cash for kitchen’ empty within two weeks instead of four, she rejigged her household budget. “I buy half the quantity of what I used to, when it comes to stuff I cannot do without,” said Neena, a housewife.   more
Sweet meet
HEALTH

A new diabetes drug that fights excess weight, too

By Gunjan Sharma/ORLANDO

Diabetes affects 285 million people worldwide and kills 3.8 million every year. No wonder then that any news of an advancement in its diagnosis, treatment or management is welcomed. One encouraging newcomer is Victoza. Introduced by Novo Nordisk at the 70th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Orlando, USA, the drug, apart from controlling blood sugar levels, promises to reduce weight.   more
The Naveen effect
POWER POINT

By Sachidananda Murthy

Naveen Patnaik and Nitish Kumar were colleagues for two years in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and sat next to each other in cabinet meetings (as dictated by alphabetical order). The tall Oriya leader left the Centre to become chief minister of Orissa in partnership with the BJP, and the bearded  Nitish achieved a similar ambition five years later.   more
Keeping Manmohan busy
POWER POINT

By Sachidananda Murthy

Manmohan Singh must have lost track of the number of all-party delegations from different states which have met him during his six-year rule. The latest was the group from Maharashtra headed by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, demanding that Belgaum and other Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka be either given to Maharashtra or dec-lared as Union territory.   more
Limelight to limestone
PARTY SNACKS
Amar Singh, it is said, is planning to visit the Bundelkhand region along with social activists Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy. The former Samajwadi Party leader is opposing indiscriminate mining for limestone and granite in the area and is talking about the impact of mining on the environment and the health of the residents. Commenting on Singh’s activist avatar, a Congress leader said: “So, from a corporate thakur, Amar Singh is turning into a jholawala.”  more
Foot rigade
POLITICS

Eyeing polls, the Congress mobilises young leaders to connect with the grassroots

By Soni Mishra

The landscape is as hostile to life as it can get, the harsh sun beating down on the rocky terrain and evaporating even the slightest hint of moisture. It is difficult to believe that the hilly Mirzapur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, crying out for water, is not too far away from the Ganga.<  more
System of open membership
Politics

INTERVIEW/HIBI EDEN, NSUI PRESIDENT

National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) president Hibi Eden has just held a meeting with his executive that comprises youngsters from different parts of the country.
Seated in his Raisina Road office, surrounded by his young team members, Eden talks about the changes taking place in the students’ wing of the Congress and how the NSUI members are playing an important role in connecting with the youth.<  more
Active member
POLITICS

Pradeep Majhi, 33, a member of Rahul Gandhi’s youth brigade in Lok Sabha, has been among the most active of the young MPs. He has asked 25 unstarred and two starred questions so far, which is far more than any other of 25 MPs in the age group of 25-35 years.
He was among the IYC members who were fielded, on an experimental basis, in the Lok Sabha elections.   more
Fortifying the fringes
POLITICS

Having grown up in a slum in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune, Manoj Kamble dreamt big, not just for himself but for the other youngsters in the area. He motivated students from the slum not to give up studies after class X. “In our slum, children would not study beyond class X,” he says. “Their families, too, felt studying up to class X was adequate.   more
Ahead of the game
POLITICS

Rahul Rao, 27, is an avid sportsman, having played cricket for Haryana in the under-19 level and a five-time state champion in ten-pin bowling. The humanities student from Rewari made a smooth transition from a sportsman to a student activist and is now the president of the NSUI in Haryana. “I am working towards motivating the students in professional courses, who have traditionally kept away from student politics, to join the NSUI,” he says.   more
I want to be a leader
POLITICS

He wanted to become a cricketer. Manmohan Katoch even participated in inter-college cricketing tournaments. His other passion, debating, took him towards students’ activism. “Public speaking came easily to me. That caught the attention of my seniors who were already in the students’ union. Soon, I was a member of the NSUI and there was no looking back,” says Katoch, who was recently appointed president of IYC, Himachal Pradesh.<  more
Green is cool
ENVIRONMENT

With global warming becoming a heated topic of debate, ?stars are taking up green issues to show that they really care

By Nikita Doval  

Imitation they say is the best form of flattery. Not that Jane Austen needs any more of the former or is in any want of the latter. But it is with a nod in the direction of the great writer that we begin with this inspired observation.   more



On collision course
CONGRESS

Jagan continues with his yatra even as Congress high command suspends Rambabu

By Lalita Iyer

The suspension of Andhra Pradesh Congress general secretary Ambatti Rambabu, for his alleged outburst against Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, was intended as a warning for Jaganmohan Reddy, the Kadapa MP, to suspend his controversial Odarpu Yatra and toe the party line.   more
The CRPF is shocked
INTERVIEW/CHHATTISGARH DGP VISHWA RANJAN

By Murali Eadezhath

Chhattisgarh Director-General of Police Vishwa Ranjan has been under fire after CRPF Special Director-General Vijay Raman castigated him in an interview with THE WEEK (July 24). Raman accused the DGP of not listening, and thereby becoming a part of the problem. He also said that ‘Operation Green Hunt’ was a creation of the DGP and the government had nothing to do with it.   more
Bittersweet moment
AIR INDIA

Following an inquiry into Kanishka bombing, victims’ kin to get compensation from Canadian government

By V. Radhika/Toronto

It was a long wait. Twenty-five years after their loved ones perished in the bombed Air India flight 182, Emperor Kanishka, the families’ fight for justice has borne fruit. An inquiry commission has recommended that the Canadian government offer an apology and compensation to the victims’ families.   more
Thanks, no thanks
BIHAR

Nitish Kumar to go it alone if the BJP refuses to toe the line

By Kanhaiah Bhelari

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seems to be playing his part well in the pre-poll political drama in Bihar. The latest twist came with him returning the relief money sent by the Gujarat government for the Kosi flood victims.
Nitish’s supporters feel that the move has boosted his clout doubly among the Muslims, who constitute 16 per cent of the electorate in Bihar and are a decisive factor in 60 of 240 Assembly constituencies.   more
Trinamool Express
WEST BENGAL

Train mishaps are minor irritants in Mamata’s race to become CM

Two successive rail mishaps have claimed more than 200 lives in less than three months in West Bengal. While one took place at Sordiha in West Midnapore district on May 28, Sainthia in Birbhum district was the scene of the other on July 19. In both cases, important events followed the accidents.   more
Rumble in the hills
DARJEELING

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha loses public support after the murder of popular leader Madan Tamang

By Rabi Banerjee

The FIFA World Cup 2010 has come as a painkiller for the people of Darjeeling who were in a shock after the brutal murder of All India Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang. A charismatic leader, an excellent orator and a businessman by profession, Tamang was hacked to death on May 21 by alleged Gorkha Janmukti Morcha activists when he was about to address a political rally in Darjeeling.   more
Friend request
DIPLOMACY

Nirupama Rao’s Pakistan visit brings about a new beginning in Indo-Pak relations

By Vijaya Pushkarna/Islamabad

The mood in Islamabad was cautious as the city waited for India’s foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, the first senior Indian diplomat to visit the Pakistan capital after the relationship between the two countries was seriously damaged by the terror attack in Mumbai.   more
Defanging the forces
SECURITY

The controversial AFSPA might soon lose its sting

By R. Prasannan & Kallol Bhattacherjee

Irom Sharmila has been fasting for nearly a decade to get it revoked from Manipur. Kashmir separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani calls it the “licence to kill”. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wants it amended and made more transparent.   more
Sticky situation
SCANDAL

National women’s hockey side gets a double whammy

The beleaguered national sport was plunged into unprecedented crisis when a member of the Indian women’s hockey team, Th. Ranjitha Devi, wrote to Hockey India (HI) president Vidya Stokes alleging sexual harassment by chief coach M.K. Kaushik. What compounded the matter was that majority of the team had signed on the back of the letter, dated July 20, supporting Ranjitha’s allegation.<  more
India is not the place to make a fast buck
POW WOW

By Lukose Mathew

Mike Nithavrianakis’s father originally hails from the island of Crete in Greece. Its most famous son goes by the name Nikos Kazantzakis. So it is not surprising that Mike has a bit of Nikos in him. Mike loves reading books and has clarity of thought like the gifted writer. However, unlike the author of celebrated works such as Zorba the Greek, Mike is not known to find his moorings in his solitude.   more
For a piece of peace
PARTY SNACKS
It is back to basics for Swami Nithyananda who was caught in a sex scandal. After his release from jail, he is busy performing pancha tapas yoga at his ashram in Bidadi near Bangalore for world peace. For the yoga, the swami sits in a ring of fire. The event has been sponsored by devotees as the ashram’s accounts have been frozen.   more
Women participation has increased
Politics

INTERVIEW/RAJIV SATAV, YOUTH CONGRESS PRESIDENT

Rajiv Satav proudly proclaims that he is the last nominated president of the Indian Youth Congress. He talks about bringing in internal democracy in the youth wing of the Congress through election and the open membership that gives every youth in the country a chance to become a member.<  more
Young turks
POLITICS

By Soni Mishra

The lieutenants of Rahul Gandhi’s field army come from varied backgrounds—a ten-pin bowling champion, a dancer, an academic and many more. They are the agents of the transformation taking place in the youth wings of the Congress.

Most of them come from non-political backgrounds and have been handpicked by Rahul.   more
Meet challenges effectively
POLITICS

Dressed casually in jeans and top, Deepika Saraswat is like any other college student. But her petite frame hides a grit that has taken her to the top of the ladder in the NSUI, in just two years.
When Deepika joined Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) a couple of years ago, little did she know that she would take to students’ activism and go on to play a crucial role in getting the NSUI a foothold on the campus that had treated the Congress with disdain.   more
Reconnect with the people
POLITICS

He was, until not so long ago, the Congress’s Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, an area that Rahul Gandhi has focused on. Pankaj Mishra, 25, is now the constituency president of the IYC in Chitrakoot, a post he was given after the talent hunt.

Mishra comes from an impoverished background; his father is a small farmer.   more
Hope for ordinary worker
POLITICS

As a young boy, Vidit Chaudhary would join political processions passing through the bylanes of Bulandshahar in western Uttar Pradesh, where he grew up, and raise slogans. When he joined college, he did the inevitable—enter student politics. “I come from a small village that is situated on the banks of the Ganga,” he says. “In a family of farmers, I turned out to be the odd one out.”  more
Wanna play?
GAMING

The gaming market in India is witnessing a phenomenal growth

By Abhinav Singh

Eric Jacob, a 23-year-old MBA student from Bangalore, is passionate about games because he gets to do things he cannot do in real life. He can control the outcome of the games, and if he goes wrong in decision making, he gets more than one chance to rectify it and try different manoeuvres.   more

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