Postnoon E-Paper for March 24th 2013

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

ON SUNDAY

`3

MARCH 24, 2013 HYDERABAD

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 31°C

32 PAGES

REPORT ON PG 3

PG 31

AUSSIE WICKETS TUMBLE AS WICKETSTARTS TO CRUMBLE

Australia were 89 for five intheir second innings at lunch

on the third day of the fourth andfinal Test in New Delhi today.Australia are leading India by 79runs with five wickets still inhand. India were earlier bowledout for 272.

The legal metrology departmenthas come up with unique featuresto help consumers lodge complaints on MRP discrepancies.Consumers can lodge complaintsthrough three options provided bythe department — send an SMS to09490165619, register a complaintwith the toll-free number1860425333 or e-mail the complaint to [email protected], there is no way to trackthe online complaints as yet.According to RP Thakur, controllerof legal metrology, this new driveis aimed at helping consumersvoice their complaints againstfraudulent practices.

METROLOGY GIVESCONSUMERSONLINE RELIEF

PG 4

INSPECTOR CUPID

TURNSYOUNG

LOVE’SSAVIOUR

A police inspectorperformed the marriage of one ofhis constables to hislady love in spite ofher father’s protests.And when her fathertried to lodge apolice complaint,Cupid’s arrow thwarted hisattempts.

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770,Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973CINEMAS

GreenPark, Greenlands, Begumpet

When: March 15-24,7.30pm to 11pm

Contact: (040) 6651 5151

Women in Public SpacesGoethe-Zentrum Hyderabad hadcalled for applications for a groupphotography exhibition on ‘Womenin Public Spaces.’ This is an exhibi-tion of selected entries. Where: Goethe-Zentrum,

HyderabadWhen: March 15-24,

9.30am to 5.30pmContact: (040) 2335 0443

It’s Easter!There is a special Easter brunch.Where: Seasonal Tastes,

The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace

When: March 31,noon to 4pm

Contact: (040) 6767 6888

French artist B2FaysAlliance Française of Hyderabad,Kalakriti Art Gallery and Park HyattHyderabad present French artistB2Fays. It is an exhibition of paint-ings and multimedia installations. Where: Preview: Park Hyatt

Exhibition continues at Kalakriti Art Gallery

When: Preview: March 28,

Double Easter treatThere is an exquisite seafood barbe-cue, along with Easter classics atOkra. Specially crafted Easter ham-pers are available at The HyderabadBaking Company.Where: Okra,Hyderabad Marriott

Hotel & ConventionCentre

When: March 31,12.30pm to 3.30pm

Contact: (040) 2752 2567

Innovating traditionsArtists with interest in sculpturalforms are invited to participate inthis workshop. There will be aninteractive use of techniquesbetween Nakashi art and contem-porary art practices. Where: ICONART Artist in

Residency Premises, 1672 SBI building,2nd floor,Road no12, Banjara Hills

When: OngoingContact: 98499 68797

Full moon dineDine with your loved ones underthe full moon. A special thali will beserved every full moon. Where: La CantinaWhen: March 27,

7.30pm onwardsContact: (040) 6682 4422

Daily treatsOrange is the fruit of the month atThe Westin Hyderabad Mindspace.Dishes include orange blossomcheesecake, orange creme bruleand dark chocolate orange tart.Where: Daily Treats, The Westin

Hyderabad MindspaceWhen: Up to March 31Contact: (040) 6767 6818

Holi specialAam panna, thandai, assortedpakodas and special chat plattersare some of the items on themenu. There will also be tattoo andmehendi artistes, musician andbangle seller at the venue.Where: Kailash Parbat

Above Ebony Gautier, 2nd floor, Road no. 36, Jubilee Hills

When: March 23-31Lunch: noon to 3.30pmSnacks: noon to 11.30pmDinner: 7pm to 11pm

Contact: (040) 2355 8856

Shaam-e-DeccanGreenPark is hosting RoyalHyderabadi Food Festival – Shaam-e-Deccan. There will be a spread ofvegetarian and non vegetariandelights, especially the nawabikebabs and a wide choice ofbiriyanis.Where: Once Upon a Time,

Hyderabad20 Journalist Colony,Road no. 3,Banjara Hills

When: March 24,11am onwards

Contact: gothe.de/hyderabad

The great Oxford saleDiscounts on books, magazines,stationery and gift items.Where: Oxford Bookstore,

Tresorie, The Park, 22 Raj Bhavan Road

When: Up to March 31Contact: (040) 31002959

Spring treasure saleThere is a sale of up to 50 per centoff at Taj Khazana, which showcas-es artefacts as well as a selection ofgarments, stoles, shawls and acces-sories from various Indian designers. Where: Taj Khazana,

Taj Falaknuma PalaceWhen: March 15-25Contact: (040) 6629 8600

Easter brunchThis is a family brunch. Items onmenu include beef wellington,mushroom pie, Easter eggs and hotcross buns. Where: The SquareWhen: March 31,

noon onwardsContact: (040) 6684 4422

6.30pm onwardsContact: (040) 6656 4466

Saturday sunset BBQBring your family and friends for afun barbeque evening with grilledspecialties, a variety of Kebabs anda whole lot of Asian delights.Where: The SquareWhen: Every Saturday,

7pm onwards

Thinking form and contentAn exhibition of art work by GopalNayak.Where: ICONART Gallery,

Road no. 12, Sri Ram Nagar Colony, Banjara Hills

When: Up to March 30, from 11.30 am to 7pm

Contact: 98499 68797

Easter goodiesHot cross buns, Easter Bunnies, andEaster chocolates are part of thespecial Easter menu.Where: Novotel Hyderabad

Convention CentreWhen: March 25-31

DocuSplash!Barf, 1997, Sita’s Family, 2002,Delhi Mumbai Delhi, 2006 andNaach, 2008, will be screened.Where: Goethe-Zentrum,

CITY 2SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

People gather at St Joseph Church, Abids, on Palm Sunday, that marks the beginning of Holy Week. M ANIL KUMAR

PALM SUNDAY CELEBRATIONS

CITY 3SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

Passersby had a shock of their lives when they

spotted the body of anunidentified person hanging on the

railway bridge near Bansilalpet,Secunderabad, this morning.

Said to be a male, he seems to havefallen off a train or someone pushed

him off. The police have started investigations.

A tragedy gone unnoticed

Predicting the beginning of theend of UPA government, BJPleader M Venkaiah Naidu has

asked the Congress government toquit before it is pulled down by itsallies. He said the UPA sarkar was aflop on all fronts and it does notunderstand the coalition dharma. Thegovernment is already in a minorityand it must quit, he said.

Venkaiah predicts UPA’s fall

Maoist leader Sudarshan aliasSriramulu Srinivas who alleged-ly made a bid to kill Chandra-

babu Naidu when he was CM hasbeen arrested. He will be producedbefore the court on Sunday. Sudarshanis a key accused in the murder attempton Naidu at Alipiri. He is also accusedin the murder of the then home minis-ter Madhava Reddy.

Maoist leader arrested

Aharried father of a girlhad to seek judicial helpwhen the police prevent-ed him from lodging a

complaint of abduction of hisdaughter by a constable.

The high drama happenedat the Reinbazaar police sta-tion, where a constable, bearingbuckle no. 2655, had fallen inlove with a young teacher in anearby school.

It is said that both lovedeach other and wanted to marry,but the girl’s parents did notapprove of the match and raisedobjections. Thereupon, feelingsympathetic towards his consta-ble’s woes, the circle inspectoris said to have given both of

them shelter for a while andarranged their marriage. Thishappened in the third week oflast month.

After marriage, he wasgiven leave. Both of thembelong to Vikarabad in RR dis-trict. Shocked by the develop-ment, the father of the girlapproached the Reinbazaarpolice to lodge a complaintagainst the constable.

There, he found an unhelp-ful police who appeared hostiletowards him for disapprovinglove. They raised many objec-tions to filing a case, as the girlis legally above the minimumage of consent and parents can’tforce anything on her.

He then approached thecourt stating that his daughterwas illegally detained by apoliceman and other policemenwere helping him. The judicia-ry asked for details and won-dered how the police couldbehave in this fashion.

Inspector cupid turnsyoung love’s saviour

[email protected] SUBHAN

Md [email protected]

The MIM has offered a con-tract marriage to TDP forMLA elections, causing

ripples in civic politics. It isnow learnt that TDP would gowith MIM on a cautious note of‘understanding’ before forgingany future alliance.

It is now MIM’s turn to backthe Congress candidate for theMLC seat, as it did for an MIMcandidate last term. But thesoured relationship between thetwo of late has caused the for-mer to renege on its promise;MIM has decided to send itsown candidate, for which it hassought help from TDP andYSRC. It will be a quid pro quoas MIM will help TDP in thestanding committee. The elec-tion is for one MLC seat in theHyderabad legislative council,where corporators, City MLAsand MPs elect the candidate.

Congress has, nevertheless,gone ahead and declared itscandidate: MS Prabhakar, whois a sitting MLC. According tosources, Prabhakar alreadyreceived B-Form from the party.

Handshake,no tie-up, sayMIM, TDPIndications are thatwhen the General Elections approach,the GHMC’s politicallandscape will havechanged beyondrecognition.

How their City strengthbring votes

With eight Rajya Sabha,two Lok Sabha, 32 cor-

porators, 15 MLCs, eightMLAs and four cantonmentboard members, Congresswill have 69 votes. With twoRajya Sabha, 16 corporators,two MLCs and one CB mem-ber, the TDP will have 21votes. MIM, with one LokSabha, 42 corporators, twoMLCs and seven MLAs has 52votes. The BJP, with six corpo-rators and one MLA, hasseven votes and MBT withone corporator, one vote.YSRC will become crucial as aneutral party with five votes.

One woe too many for TDPThe absence of Chandrababu Naidu has led to the party flock taking a backseat inAssembly protests, while the smaller parties, TRS and YSRC, dominated the session.Inkeshaf [email protected]

The main opposition TeluguDesam Party (TDP) seemsto be facing a tricky situa-

tion in the ongoing budget ses-sion of the AP Assembly. Whileits floor leader and party presi-dent is busy with the ongoingpadayatra, skipping the budgetsession, other leaders of theparty fail to put up a united dis-ciplined front.

Not one of the demands ofthe TDP was respected by thegovernment. Its continuousdemand to hold a detailed dis-cussion on the power crisis inthe State failed to evince anyresponse from the rulingCongress.

The latest flop show was the12-hour-long sit-in inside theHouse, which they declared onFriday. They saw themselvesevicted by marshals within anhour (pictured).

"We thought that by holdinga sit-in in the House, we couldput pressure on the governmentto take up the power situation.

But it did not happen as the rul-ing party was least concernedabout it," said TDP MLA JaipalYadav. Apart from this, thereseems to be no co-ordinationamong the party MLAs too.

These differences came topublic glare during this week'sAssembly session. Party MLAsK Dayakar Reddy, MudduKrishnama Naidu and DNarendra Kumar had heatedarguments with each other overraising a public problem. Thishad provided full entertainmentto the ruling party leaders.Commenting on this, anotherparty MLA attributed this to theabsence of Chandrababu Naidufrom the House. He said this isleading to lack of co-ordinationamong the party leaders.

RIVAL PARTIES SHINETRS, YSRC, even MIM and BJPare having a grand time in thissession. They bring up theirown issues and fail to put up aunited opposition in corneringthe government.

This gives leeway to thegovernment to manipulate thesituation.

A police inspector performed the marriage of one of his men in love. When thebride’s father approached the cops for lodging a complaint, he was shooed away.

PIC FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSE ONLY

M ANIL KUMAR

4SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

CITY

The legal metrologydepartment has come upwith features to help con-sumers lodge complaintson MRP discrepancies,

but there seems to be no way tokeep track of the complaints.

Consumers can lodge com-plaints using three options pro-vided by the department — sendan SMS to 09490165619, register acomplaint with the toll-free num-ber 1860425333 or email the com-plaint to [email protected] to RP Thakur, con-troller of legal metrology, thisdrive is aimed at helping con-sumers voice their complaintsagainst fraudulent practices,especially MRP issues.

“There are many who affixMRP price tags to the alreadyexisting price tag on many prod-ucts, which is not allowed by law.If it is a product being sold onrebate, the new price tag shouldnot be affixed on the old one,”RP Thakur said.

“On the pretext of includingVAT, many traders fool their cus-tomers into shelling out money.

Other practices are increasingthe weight of stones in jewelleryto make the entire ornamentseem heavy. Consumers shouldensure and demand that theweight of the stones be reducedas much as possible in order toget their money’s worth of jew-ellery,” RP Thakur said.

However, there is a chink in

the services being offered by thedepartment. In the event of call-ing the toll-free number or send-ing an email, the chances ofreceiving an acknowledgementnumber or receipt of the com-plaint in order to track theprogress of the case seemsabsent. When questioned aboutthis, several officers from the

legal metrology department saidefforts were being made to pro-vide CAN numbers (just likewith water tanker registrations)in order to smoothen the processof registering complaints.

It should be noted that in itsefforts to raise consumer aware-ness, Postnoon had cited theproblems of tampered meters,

fake MRP price tags and otherconsumer issues. An RTI appli-cation filed by Mahinder SReddy of ITMD highlighted thevery same issue, which now,finally, seems to have woken upthe authorities. Despite the bestefforts, the issue of providingacknowledgement for com-plaints will probably take somemore time. “Until then, one canmake use of the SMS option.That way, you will always have arecord of the complaint you hadsent,” a senior official from thedepartment said.

The legal metrology depart-ment has filed a string of courtcases on as many as 50 petrolbunks and 25 weigh bridges inthe City, following an actiondrive taken up since last month.Over 1,100 cases have beenlodged so far. Another drive onchecking the malpractices invarious business establishmentsis being planned, officials said.

M ANIL KUMAR

No way to track complaintsWhile the legal metrology department has set up an SMS service, a toll-free number and an

online complaint registration system, there is no way to keep a record of the complaint so far.

[email protected] RAMAKRISHNA

EFFORTS ARE BEINGMADE TO PROVIDECAN NUMBERS INORDER TO SMOOTHENTHE PROCESS OFREGISTERING CONSUMERCOMPLAINTS.

Prudhvi Raju [email protected]

Celebrate failures. Oftenpeople don’t step intoentrepreneurship fearing

failure. Changing this attitude ispre-requisite for not just thegrowth of an individual but alsofor the society and the country,said panelists at CII Southernannual regional meeting andconference held in the City.

Talking about the need tochange the thought process of anindividual, society and govern-ment, CK Ranganathan, chair-man and MD, CavinKare, says,“Around 90 per cent of peoplethink of getting into entre -preneurship at some point oftheir career but only four percent make it a reality. Many thinkstarting a business is associatedwith failure. Seldom do theythink, what’s wrong with takingrisks? It’s time to celebrate fail-ures than celebrating successes.

“An individual works hard inlife to get a job at a premier ITcompany and get comforts like

car, house and value in the soci-ety. Getting married or familyresponsibilities are also at timesreasons for not taking risks.Many of us believe that we arecapable of doing but resist infear of failure — What happensto my status in the society if Ilose my car, house and otherassets? This thought process ispulling people from taking risks.Parents say, ‘Why are you strug-gling?’ Entrepreneurs need enor-mous will power to stand againstthese feelings,” he says.

A potential entrepreneurshould always think that he canand will do it. Family, societyand government should nurturerisk-taking and entrepreneur-ship. “For instance, imagine asituation where banks say, noth-ing happens even if you fail. Wewill wave off the loans for thesmall ventures up to this extent.This kind of attitude will pushpeople to come out, try and besuccessful. Fosteringentrepreneurship by applaudingrisk-taking and failure will spurthe economic growth of the

country,” he said.Arun Ananth, CEO of

Kasturi and Sons, said, “We arecommitted not to ridicule thefailures in our publication,Business Line. We will cherishentrepreneurship as much aspossible.” Sachin Bansal, co-founder and CEO of FlipKart,reiterated that the challenge ofconvincing society is crucial inthe start-up phase. “I convincedmy parents saying that this isnot the end of the world andpromised my dad that there willbe a much higher income in ayear. However, I had to borrowmoney from my parents forthree years and not take anysalary to make the business sus-tain. Family support andpatience is humongous in mak-ing business successful.”

CK Ranganathan ended thediscussion on a lighter note, say-ing, “Society says, if you studywell, you will get a good job orelse you have to start a business.Fortunately, I did not study welland my father told me to start abusiness.”

Time to celebrate failureRisk-taking is an integral part of entrepreneurship, and many refrain from starting their own businesses for

fear of failure. This attitude has to change, said panelists at the CII Southern conference.

Winners allD Purandeswari, minister of state for commerce andindustry, and industrialist Adi Godrej gave away the

awards to the winners of the CII EmergingEntrepreneurs Awards 2012.

CII had received over400 nominations forthe Emerging

Entrepreneurs Awards. Themain objective of this awardis to celebrate the spirit ofentrepreneurship as well asto showcase the emergingentrepreneurs from southernstates. The winners included:n Atin Gupta, managing

director, Atin Promotionsand Advertising Pvt. Ltd,Hyderabad

n Anil Kumar S, managingdirector, Great SportsInfra Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad

n Phanindra Sama, CEOand co-founder,

RedBus.in, Karnatakan Ruchika Gupta, president,

Borderless Access PanelsPvt. Ltd., Karnataka

n Deepak Ravindran, CEO,Innoz Technologies Pvt.Ltd., Karnataka ( AbinavSree, also co-founder ofInnoz, received the awardon behalf of Ravindran.)

n Vivek Steve Francis, co-founder and COO,MobMe WirelessSolutions Pvt. Ltd., Kerala(Manu Scaria, co-founder,received the award.)

n RS Prabhakar, director,Taiyo Feed Mill Pvt. Ltd.,Chennai

WATER WATERNOWHEREThere is no escaping the water problem plaguing the State. And it is one problemthat is rankling many. While many areas complain about getting water onlytwice or thrice a week, there are others who don’t even get this meagre supply. Inresponse to Water war a distinct possibility in Hyderabad (Mar 15), our readershave raised several suggestions.

Not only our lakes but even thecatchment areas of big lakesOsmansagar and Himayat

Sagar need to be protected. Forpeople who do not know,Bombay (now Mumbai) hasbeen protecting its catchmentareas in the neighbouringThane district for more than200 years. Where is thatkind of awareness amongHyderabadis or rulers ofAndhra Pradesh? In the

name of buying peacewith rivals and making

friends happy, all

kinds of permissions and violationof rules/practices for protection ofwater bodies and their catchmentareas are being destroyed aroundHyderabad. Money making activitieslike bringing Krishna water andGodavari river waters to the twincities are being actively pursued.

M SITARAMVia e-mail

Read athttp://postnoon.com/2013/03/15/wate

r-war-a-distinct-possibility-in-hyder-abad/114212

How true. Rec ycl -ed water willsoon be co me a

reality for most of us,at least where there isno human touch likein the ac’s and toiletfl ushes. It is al re adymandatory to have anSTP (Se wageTreatment Plant) forlarge commercial

complexes, it maybec ome mandatoryfor apartment com-plexes too.

HARITAVia e-mail

Read athttp://postnoon.com/2

013/03/15/water-war-a-distinct-possibility-in-hyderabad/114212

TOP LETTER

READERS’ LETTERS 5SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

Babusexempt

fromthe

law?You know how the

government had enc -ouraged family plan-

ning and the wholeHum Do Humare Do

concept a few yearsago? However, it

seems like our babusare exempt from this.

A little privilege ofthe office, we think.

Here is what ourreaders had to say inresponse to our arti-cle Law on children

keeps Hyderabad cor-porators on edge

(Mar 20).

Kudos to theunnamedMIM cor-

porators who feelpolygamy is rare

amongst corporatorsand one of wh omsaid “This can beseen amongst the

rich, like a fewMLAs and MPs!”

This exposes the re -a son why corporat -ors see becoming a

MP or a MLA as thene xt big step in th e -

ir career. I guess pol -y gamy is just one of

the perks, for youget so rich that it do -

es not matter howmany wives – high

maintenance or not,one has.

Relying just onbirth certificates is

idiotic as one canget fudged certifi-

cates provided youare willing to shell

out some moolahand our corporators,

MPs and MLAsknow this better

than anyone else. Ifthe law chooses to

be blind to this, cananything be done?

WELINGKARVia e-mail

Read athttp://postnoon.com/2013/03/20/law-on-

children-keeps-hyder-abad-corporators-on-

edge/115117

Not too many of us seem to ha -ve the time to bother ourselveswith the rapidly disappearingspecies of flora and fauna inthe City. But the recent WorldSparrow Day seems to haveawakened the eco-lovers in us.In response to our articleFlight to extinction (Mar 20),we received some interestingresponses and suggestions.

Enjoyed the article. Readsomewhere that the thr -eat to sparrows is also

due to the rapid populationincre a se of equally tamepigeons. The bigger birdsare driving the little spar-rows out of their traditionalnesting nooks in buildings.Maybe we could promotespecially designed birdhouses for our little wingedfriends and woo them back!

Although not a true-sparrow, would have likedto see an Indian article onSparrow conservationinclude the Yellow-Throated

Sparrow, if only for the rele-vant story behind it: A 10-year-old found this injuredbird and rushed to enquirewhat it was. And thus begana lifelong love story withbirds and conservation ofour “birdman of India”.

DR SALIM ALI,VIA EMAILVia e-mail

Read athttp://postnoon.com/2013/03/20/

flight-to-extinction/115126

Rescue winged friends

What about retail fishmarkets? At presentroads and footpaths

are being indiscriminatelyused by people selling fish.And the place is being messedup, not to mention the foulsmell. Does the GHMC or CMgaru know that there arehundreds of “fish markets”

flourishing in the twin citiesright in the open and that inunhygienic conditions?

M SITARAMVia e-mail

Read athttp://postnoon.com/2013/03/

18/hyderabad-to-get-3-big-fish-markets-this-year/114762

First get water for drinking purpos-es in Hyderabad, then think ofspending money for fish markets.

K VENKATARAMAMVia e-mail

Read athttp://postnoon.com/2013/03/18/hyde

rabad-to-get-3-big-fish-markets-this-year/114762

Bone to pickThe fact that the government is planning to launch three new fish markets in the City does not hold any water with readers. In response to

our article Hyderabad to get 3 big fish markets this year (Mar 18), readers have a bone to pick with the officials.

Win `500every week

We are giving `500 to the reader whowrites in the best letter every week. So

get to work. You can e-mail us [email protected], or write to usat Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee

Casa, Rd nos 62, Jubilee Hills,Hyderabad, 500033. ALSO SEND US

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS.

It is a timelyreminder to thefuture generation

to protect the smallwinged friend at ourdoorsteps for ourbenefit in protectingthe environmentand giving goodcompany to our chil-dren and grandchil-dren.

M NATARAJANVia e-mail

Read athttp://postnoon.com

/2013/03/20/flight-to-extinction/115126


NEW DELHI: King Cobra, the world’s longest ven-omous snake, might be a threatened species globally,but according to environment ministry, it is still not on

the verge of extinction in India. A network of protectedareas such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries

has been “providing protection to the habitats,"Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said. KingCobra was included in the “Red List of Threatened

Species” by the the International Union for theConservation of Nature (IUCN) last year.

Enough cover for King Cobra: MoEFNEW DELHI: A woman, who hadalleged that she was raped and hadconsequently conceived, was allowed toabort the baby by the Delhi HC whichasked AIIMS to preserve the foetus for aDNA test. “To carry a child in her wombby a woman as a result of conceptionthrough an act of rape is extremely trau-matic, humiliating and psychologicallydevastating," the court said.

Rape victim can abort: HCETAWAH: Three pilgrims were todaykilled and 32 others injured when abus rammed into a stationary truckparked alongside a road near Bilayarvillage. The bus was carrying pilgrimsfrom Bakud (West Bengal) to Mathura-Vrindavan. While two personsdied on the spot, another person suc-cumbed to injuries in a hospital, policesaid.

3 die in mishap

NATION

NEW DELHI: DRDO is developing anultra light-weight Unmanned AerialVehicle which can be used by troops forreconnaissance of their area of opera-tion. “The Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) hasa span of 300 millimetre (mm) andweighs 300 grammes. It has beenequipped with day-light TV camera.Cruise speed is 20 knots (37 kmph) andoperational altitude is 30-100 metres,"DRDO said in Defence Ministry’s annu-al report.

The MAV can be used for close-range situational awareness by troopswithin a radius of two kilometres andit is expected to be useful in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency oper-

ations in North East and Jammu andKashmir, it said.

Earlier, the DRDO had developed a1.5 kg UAV called ‘Netra'. It was devel-oped by Pune-based Aerial Researchand Development Establishment.

‘Rustom’ is a Medium AltitudeLong Endurance (MALE) unmannedcombat air vehicle (UCAV) being devel-oped by it for the three services.

Another UAV ‘Nishant’ is taskedwith intelligence gathering over enemyterritory and also for reconnaissance,training, surveillance, target designa-tion, artillery fire correction and dam-age assessment.

PTI

DRDO developingultra-light UAVs

BARGARH (ODISHA): At least fourof a gang involved in a fake curren-cy racket were arrested in Odisha’sBargarh district and counterfeitnotes with a total face value ofRs.49,000 were seized from them,police said Sunday.

Based on a tip off, police con-ducted raids Saturday in theKendubhata area of Bargarh dis-trict. The district headquarterstown of the district is about 380 kmfrom state capital Bhubaneswar.

Police initially arrested one per-son after he was found possessingsome fake notes.

During interrogation, policefound that three others had been

helping the arrested man in theprinting of the fake notes and theircirculation in the local market,police officer Parul Gupta toldIANS. The printing unit was locatedin Khairpali, about 100 km fromKendubhata.

Police raided the printing unitand seized two computers, scan-ners, a printer and other equipmentused for producing the fake notes.The three other men involved in theracket were also arrested, the offi-cer said. The fake notes seized weremostly of Rs.100 denomination.

Police were investigating ifmore persons were involved in thecrime. IANS

4 held with fake notes

Foreign touristsplay Holi during‘Vasant Utsav2013’ at IndianMuseum inKolkata onSaturday. PTI/SWAPANMAHAPATRA

HOLIFROLIC

Jindal complains ofcyber crime

NEW DELHI: The cyber cell ofDelhi Police's EconomicOffences Wing has registeredfour cases of cyber crime in thepast two days following com-plaints, including one fromCongress MP Naveen Jindal andan AIIMS professor.

While Jindal has complainedof "derogatory" postings onFacebook and demanded itsblocking, AIIMS orthopaedicsprofessor Prakash P Kotwal isaggrieved at derogatory e-mailsand postings on social network-ing sites and blogs.

Two other complaints —harassment of a woman residingin south Delhi's Munirka andcloning of the website of

Ministry of Statistics andImplementation — have alsobeen registered in the past twodays, a senior police official said.

In his complaint, Jindal saidthat unknown persons with"ulterior motives" want to "tar-nish" his image and it has cometo his knowledge that communi-ty pages have come up in hisname in Facebook with defama-tory and abusive messages.

"There are also some mes-sages posted on the said pagesrepresenting as that having post-ed by me...I suspect that thesepages have been created withulterior motives and may be partof a larger conspiracy," heclaimed. PTI


NEW YORK: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg hasannounced a new $12 million television ad campaign

that will push senators in key states to back gun control efforts, including comprehensive backgroundchecks. Bloomberg, one of the most prominent gun

control proponents in the country, announced the adcampaign by Mayors Against Illegal Guns yesterday

just days after Senate Democrats touted strongerbackground checks while acknowledging insufficient

support to a ban assault-style weapons.

NY to spend $12 bn on anti-gun adsMORELIA (MEXICO): Authorities saythe bodies of seven men were found inplastic chairs placed along the side of astreet in the drug cartel-plaguedMexican state of Michoacan, whileanother seven were killed in neighbour-ing Guerrero. Michoacan’s AttorneyGeneral’s office said that the seven bod-ies had bullet wounds and had beenplaced in the sitting position in chairs.

14 killed in MexicoATHENS: Eleven foreign prisonersescaped from a jail in Greece during anexchange of fire with guards, Greekauthorities said. The incident, whichtook place Friday at the Trikala prison,left two prison guards injured. Policesaid the 11 foreign nationals, convictedfor robberies, were missing after astandoff with passengers of two truckswho attacked the prison entrance.

11 flee Greek prison

WORLD

DUBAI: Pakistan's former military ruler PervezMusharraf is expected to fly home on Sunday aftermore than four years in exile, defying a Taliban deaththreat to contest historic general elections.

The 69-year-old ex-dictator says he is prepared torisk any danger to stand for election on May 11, billedto mark the first democratic transition of power in thehistory of a nuclear-armed country dominated by peri-ods of military rule.

He seized power in a bloodless coup as army chiefof staff in 1999 and left the country after steppingdown in August 2008, when Asif Ali Zardari was elect-ed president after the murder of his wife, formerprime minister Benazir Bhutto. AFP

‘Curious’ Japan teenchops mum to piecesSYDNEY: A Japanese teenager who allegedly killed hismother and chopped her body into pieces has told policehe simply did not like her, and wanted to know moreabout dissection, reports have said. The 19-year-oldallegedly dismembered his mother's body in the bath-room, cutting her into at least 15 pieces using kitchenknives, the Sankei daily said, citing police sources.

The teenager, who lived with his mother in a smallapartment near Tokyo, then kept the body parts in thebathtub, which he filled with water, before starting todump it piece by piece in plastic bags, the report said.

He also said he was interested in the dissection of ahuman body, the Yomiuri and Mainichi newspapersreported. AFP

BEIJING: At least 13 people were killed and more thantwo million affected as hailstorms hit several parts ofChina, officials said.

Nine people died and over 270 were injured when ahailstorm hit Dongguan city in south China'sGuangdong province, Xinhua reported.

The hailstorm caused an economic loss of over 350million yuan (around $56 million) in the city.

Three people died and more than one million havebeen affected after hailstorms hit the central Hunanprovince.

More than 74,000 people have been evacuated fromtheir homes. Around 1,900 houses have collapsed and100,000 homes were partially damaged. IANS

13 people dead inChina hailstorms

LONDON: Police sealed off theBritish home of exiled Russianoligarch and Kremlin criticBoris Berezovsky on Sunday andsent in hazardous materialexperts following the discoveryof his body at the house.

The 67-year-old was founddead in his mansion in the well-heeled commuter town of Ascot,near London, on Saturday.

His lawyer, AlexanderDobrovinsky, said his death mayhave been suicide brought on bydepression over his debts.

But since the tycoon sur-vived one assassination attemptin 1995 and remained fearful ofother bids to kill him, his deathis bound to provoke speculation.

Police shut down the streetssurrounding the gated propertyovernight and sent in chemical,biological, radiological andnuclear (CBRN) experts to inves-tigate what they described as an“unexplained” death.

Berezovsky’s friend and fel-low Kremlin critic AlexanderLitvinenko was killed byradioactive poisoning in Londonin 2006, in what his widow hassaid was an assassination byRussian agents.

“Specially trained officersare currently at the scene,including CBRN trained officers,who are conducting a number ofsearches as a precaution,” astatement from Thames ValleyPolice said.

They were present to enablepolice officers to carry out theirwork, the statement said. Almost

10 hours after Berezovsky died,his body had still not yet beenremoved, it added.

Police superintendent StuartGreenfield said: “I would like toreassure residents that we areconfident there is no risk to thewider community.”

Berezovsky was one of ahandful of businessmen whobecame billionaires followingthe privatisation of Russianstate assets in the 1990s, but hisfortunes had slumped in recentyears. He was a confidante offormer president Boris Yeltsinbut fell out with his successor,President Vladimir Putin, flee-ing Russia in 2000 just in time toescape arrest on fraud charges.

In London, Berezovskybecame one of the Kremlin’s

most outspoken critics, leading acircle of exiled Russian criticsthat had included Litvinenkobefore his agonising death.

Paramedics were called toBerezovsky’s estate at 3.18pmand the Russian was pronounceddead at the scene, the ambulanceservice said.

“His body was found by hisbodyguard,” said a spokesmanfor Berezovsky, refusing to com-ment on media reports that hehad been found in his bath.

In 1995, Berezovsky narrowlyescaped an attempt on his life inwhich his driver was decapitat-ed, and he remained fearful ofother attacks.

His lawyer however toldRussian state television that hehad been informed by contacts

in London that Berezovsky hadkilled himself. “Berezovsky hasbeen in a terrible state as of late.He was in debt. He feltdestroyed,” said Dobrovinsky.

However, the oligarch’sfriend Demyan Kudryavtsevfirmly denied that Berezovskyhad killed himself.

“There are no external signsof a suicide,” he was quoted assaying by the Prime news agen-cy in Russia. “There are no signsthat he injected himself or swal-lowed any pills. No one knowswhy his heart stopped.”

Last year, the tycoon lost abitter multi-million pound legalbattle with Russian fellow oli-garch Roman Abramovich, theowner of Chelsea Football Club.

Berezovsky had sought morethan £3 billion in damages,accusing Abramovich of black-mail, breach of trust and breachof contract in an oil deal.

When he lost, he agreed topay Abramovich £35 million inlegal costs, although there is spec-ulation that the full fees wouldcome to far more than that.

Berezovsky's private life hasalso taken its toll. A 2011 divorcewith his second wife GalinaBesharova was dubbed thecostliest in Britain, and therehas been a more recent legalwrangle with his partner ElenaGorbunova.

Kremlin spokesman DmitryPeskov said the oligarch hadwritten to Putin a couple ofmonths ago saying he wanted togo home. AFP

Mush returns toPakistan today

Kremlin critic BorisBerezovsky dies in UK

He was aconfidante offormer presidentBoris Yeltsinbut fell outwith successorPutin.

Syrianrebelsseize keyair baseBEIRUT: Rebels fighting theregime of President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday seized a keyair base in the southern Syrianprovince of Daraa after twoweeks of fierce battles with loy-alist troops, a watchdog said.

Meanwhile, in Damascus'sancient Umayyad mosque, thou-sands of Assad supporters attend-ed the funeral of pro-regimeSunni cleric Mohamed Saeed al-Bouti and his grandson, who diedin a Thursday suicide bombingthat killed some 50 people.

“Opposition fighters loyal toAl-Nusra Front, Al-YarmukBrigade and other groups seizedair defence Base 38 near thetown of Saida, on the road link-ing Damascus to Amman, in theprovince of Daraa," said SyrianObservatory for Human Rights.

The seizure came “after 16days of fighting,” said theBritain-based group. At leastseven rebels were killed in thefinal assault, said the Obser -vatory, which documented thedeaths of at least eight regimetroops, including an officer.

“Dozens of prisoners werefreed from the base’s headquar-ters,” it said. Amateur videofilmed by rebels and distributedby the organisation showed themutilated corpse identified asMahmud Darwish, an officer.

Activists also distributedfootage showing a group of men,most bearded, being set free.

Syrian Revolution GeneralCommission, a network ofactivists, said the rebels also cap-tured a checkpoint in the Daraatown of Sahem al-Golan. AFP

COMMENT 8SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

EDITORIALS

CELEBS DESERVEno leniency

Indian celebrities have beencrying their hearts out after the

Supreme Court upheld the con-viction and jail sentence of actor

Sanjay Dutt aka Sanju Baba inthe 1993 serial blasts case. Much

has been talked about how‘unfair’ it is to hand out punish-ment to someone coming from

such a good family. The sobstory of a prodigal son who

reformed is good for a tear-jerk-er script, but not for a court oflaw. Maintaining ‘friendly ties’with India’s most wanted and

possessing AK assault rifles andammo ‘for protecting family’ is

not something the state canoverlook. If good deeds are

deciding criteria for judicial pro-ceedings, no major gangster

can be punished as they allhand out goodies to people in

their fiefdoms. After Dutt, it’snow the turn of Salman Khan

and Saif Ali Khan to face musicin a 15-year-old black buckpoaching case. The special

treatment that is being handedout to reel stars for real life

transgressions is a disgrace toour system. If the poacher was atribal man, he would have spentyears in prison as undertrial, his

children would have droppedout of school (if they could

afford one in the first place) andwife forced into prostitution —all because he tried a shortcut

out of grinding poverty. When abunch of rich spoilt stars and

starlets indulge in the sameoffence, for kicks, they are

offered every loophole and pro-cedural flexibility to go about

their lives without hassles. Lawshould not discriminate betweenpeople based on their social sta-

tus. Crime is crime whether theperpetrator was born in a hut ora mansion. There should be no

leniency for the on-screen goodguys because there is nothinggood about what they did to

break the law.

As the country debatesthe jail sentence foractor Sanjay Dutt inthe coming four weekswithin which he has to

surrender for his role in the 1993Mumbai blasts, I’m imprisoned in thoughts of interesting jail instances of late.

As the following data sug-gests, behind bars is where allthe drama lies in India and forIndians of late.n Two Maharashtra MLAs,

Kshitij Thakur of BahujanVikas Agadhi and MNS' RamKadam, accused of assaultinga police officer, will have tospend at least three days in jailafter a court on Fridayreserved its order on their bailplea.

n Eight pro-Telangana activists,including Telangana JointAction Committee (TJAC)chairman M Kodandaram,TRS MLAs Etela Rajender andJupalli Krishna Rao, wereshifted to the District Jail inMahbubnagar on Thursdayevening for violating pro-

hibitory orders and damagingpublic property during a'Sadak Bandh'.

n Bitti Mohanty, sentenced toseven years' imprisonment forraping a German tourist andabsconding after he wasreleased on parole in 2006 tomeet his ailing mother inOrissa, was arrested in Keralaon March 9.

n Delhi gang-rape accused RamSingh was found hanging inTihar jail on March 11.

n Lashkar-e-Toiba terroristAjmal Kasab was hanged atthe Yerwada Central Prison onNovember 21, 2012.

n In a top secret operation onFebruary 8 this year, the 2001Parliament attack convictMohammed Afzal Guru washanged and buried inside theTihar Jail complex.

n A court in Norway sentencedan Indian couple — the fatherChandrasekhar Vallabhaneni,a software professional fromAP, for 18 months and his wifeAnupama for 15 months inprison — guilty of 'repeatedmaltreatment' of their child inDecember 2012.

n Former counsel for the Italianmarines in Kerala fishermenkillings case, Harish Salvemaintains that the ItalianEnvoy can be sent to jail as he

does not enjoy legal immunity.Dutt’s jail stint is not new to

Bollywood. Salman Khan, ShineyAhuja, Saif Ali Khan, JohnAbraham, Fardeen Khan,Monica Bedi, MadhurBhandarkar and evenMadhubala have all been sen-tenced to jail terms for differentoffences.

Earlier, a jail sentence, partic-ularly during India’s freedomstruggle, was something to beproud of but today it is corrup-tion that is sending most of ourpoliticians to cool their heels.

A Raja, Suresh Kalmadi, MKKanimozhi, Katta SubramanyaNaidu, Janardhan Reddy, AmarSingh, BS Yeddyurappa, BangaruLaxman, Sukh Ram, Bibi JagirKaur, P Balakrishna Pillai, YSJagan Mohan Reddy and manyother politicians are jail stars.Many jailbirds have won elec-tions, some with a thumpingmajority.

Abdul Karim Telgi, serving ajail sentence in the `30-billionfake stamp paper scam, paidmore income tax in 2008 thanbusiness magnates MukeshAmbani, Azim Premji andNarayana Murthy.

Outside India, we might haveheard of Linsday Lohan, ParisHilton, Al Pacino, Nicole Richie,Mischa Barton, Macaulay

Culkin, Mel Gibson, YasmineBleeth, Vince Vaughn, MickJagger, Bobby Brown and HughGrant go to jail for varying peri-ods of time but interestingly, sohave Bill Gates, 50 Cent, RobertMitchum, Tim Allen and DonKing spent time behind barsbefore they became famous.

While Indians in Pakistanijails make more news than theircounterparts here, according toreports, there are over 20 mental-ly retarded convicts hailing fromPakistan lodged in Indian jailseven after completing their jailterm as they are unaware oftheir family whereabouts.According to the 2011 NationalCrime Records Bureau statistics,there were 5,621 foreigners inIndian jails.

Books like Gregory DavidRoberts’ Shantaram have paintedhellish pictures of Mumbai’sinfamous lice-ridden crammedArthur Road Prison where hedescribed being chained to a walland tortured by the “bloody lac-erating bite of lathis”.

Neil Nitin Mukesh, whoappeared nude in the 2009Madhur Bhandarkar film Jail,depicted the cruel realities faced by prisoners in Indian jails.

Of course, all this does notapply to the celebrity jail birds oftoday!

From the hipSYED SHOAIB

Former military ruler PervezMusharraf’s return has definitely

ruffled some feathers inPakistan. The General has

already angered people in themilitary, the ISI and top political

parties with his rather candidinterviews in Britain. Maybe thecancelling of permission for his

rally in Karachi is just the begin-ning of his troubles.

IT WON’T BE Acakewalk for Mush

JAIL IS WHERE ALLTHE ACTION IS

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

Coal India Ltd and its seven subsidiarieswere detected evading excise duty for

two years and made to cough upabout Rs 750 crore in duty, revenue officials

say. Acting on intelligence, the officials ofDirectorate General of Central Excise

Intelligence began a probe last month againstCIL and its coal producing allied firms andfound that they were evading payment of

excise duty, official sources said.

CIL, subsidiaries fined `750 cr

Adidas is stepping up expansionfor its sports fashion and lifestylebrand ‘Adidas Originals’ in India

with plans to have up to 20 exclusivestores by the end of the year. The com-pany is toying with the idea of bringingone of its global brand ambassadorsout of footballer David Beckham,singers Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj toIndia to push the label.

Adidas eyes expansion

Power generation in the last monthfell short of target by 6,000 millionunits in the country mainly due to

drop in thermal and hydro power pro-duction. Power generation in thecountry was to the tune of 68,474.92million units in February this yearagainst the target of 74,532 millionunits, the data by the CentralElectricity Authority showed.

Power output misses target

BUSINESS 9

Olivia [email protected]

Anew rivalry betweenthe world’s biggestplanemakers is heat-ing up in Indonesia

after a record deal for Airbusin a market with huge poten-tial that until now has been a“fortress” for Boeing.

The European companyin the past consistently lostcontracts to its US rival inSoutheast Asia’s top econo-my, but budget carrier LionAir’s 18.4-billion-euro ($23.8billion) order last week for234 medium-haul Airbus jetsmay be a game-changer inthe feud for market share.

“This is a major deal forAirbus because, generally,Indonesia has been a fortressfor Boeing,” RaviMadavaram, an aerospaceanalyst for Frost & Sullivanin Kuala Lumpur, told AFP.

“I think the momentAirbus comes into the pic-ture, more and more low-costcarriers will want an AirbusA320. Then it becomes chal-lenging for Boeing to catchup.”

Lion Air’s A320 deal withAirbus announced in Parison Monday was the mostvaluable commercial orderbooked in history. The sec-ond-biggest was also made byLion Air in 2011, in a $22.4

billion order for 230 Boeingjets.

The two planemakershave a duopoly over thelarge-airliner market andcompetition between them isfierce, with each regularlyaccusing the other of anti-competitive behaviour.

Boeing last year overtookAirbus as the world’s biggestplanemaker in terms of air-craft delivered for the firsttime in 10 years.

“Lion Air was in fact oneof the few airlines in theregion that had neverordered an aircraft fromAirbus. But we never gaveup,” Jean-Francois Laval,executive vice president ofsales for Airbus Asia, toldAFP.

“We have not exactlybeen absent from Indonesia.The new order from Lion Airwill significantly increaseour presence in the impor-tant Indonesian market.”

But Boeing says theAirbus deal has not ruffledits feathers as it works todeliver more than 300 jetsordered from Lion Air andits offshoot carriers.

“Lion Air has ambitiousgrowth plans and no one air-plane manufacturer can meetits needs,” Boeingspokesman Ken Morton toldAFP.

While slow growth in

Western economies is hittingthe aviation industry, Asiancountries are booming withan emerging middle classkeen to take to the air.

“There are three billionpeople in Asia, there are 300million people in America.

America has about threetimes more planes right nowthan Asia,” Tony Fernandes,founder and CEO ofMalaysia-based AirAsia,Asia’s biggest budget carrier,said recently in an interview

with Bloomberg Television.Indonesians are increas-

ingly relying on air travel tolink the archipelago of17,000-odd islands, with up to900 new planes set to bedelivered to Indonesia in thenext decade, according to thegovernment.

The potential is massive— only six percent ofIndonesians have travelledby air, according to officials,in a nation of 240 millionpeople that has consistentlyclocked annual economicgrowth above six percent.

By 2021, some 180 millionpassengers are expected tofly domestically in Indonesia,triple the 2011 number,according to the CAPACentre for Aviation.

But in their rush to meetthat latent demand, airlinesrisk buying too many newplanes, CAPA chief analystBrendan Sobie said.

“In some markets you’llsee over-capacity,” he said,

warning that carriers willfind it hard to turn a profit.

Lion Air, Indonesia’sbiggest private carrier, hasordered more than 460 planesin just 16 months, a dramaticexpansion that has raiseddoubts about how it will findthe financing, pilots andlanding slots.

The airline is bannedfrom the European Unionand United States over safetyconcerns. But it says it plansto broaden its regional hori-zons, and observers think itwants to take on AirAsia.

It now operates 92 planes— all Boeings except for oneolder McDonnell Douglas —to 72 destinations, mostly inIndonesia. The furthest itflies is to Saudi Arabia, aroute packed with domesticworkers and constructionlabourers. In a rare interviewwith The Star in Malaysia inlate 2012, Lion Air’s rags-to-riches founder Rusdi Kiranasaid that Indonesians in themiddle-income bracket werealready flying to neighbour-ing Singapore and Malaysia.

“This group will laterthink of Hong Kong or evenCanton (Guangzhou, insouthern China). And whenthey have more money theywill want to travel to Japan,Korea, north China orAustralia,” he said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Airbus-Boeing dogfightshifts to Indonesia

LION AIR HASORDERED MORE THAN460 PLANES IN 6MONTHS, AN EXPAN-SION THAT HAS RAISEDDOUBTS ABOUT HOWIT WILL FIND THEFINANCING, PILOTSAND LANDING SLOTS.

The two planemakers have a duopoly over the large-airliner market and competition isfierce, with each regularly accusing the other of anti-competitive behaviour.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 201310INTERVIEW

Vidya Shankar is a womanwho dons many hats. Butshe is, first and foremost, achild rights activist. In 1998,

she set up an NGO called ReliefFoundation, to find rehabilitationsolutions for children in distressand in institutional care. From2001-2005, she held importantportfolios within the government,as a chairperson of the juvenilewelfare board, Chennai, and mem-ber magistrate of the juvenile jus-tice board. She is now the hon-orary project head and trustee ofShriram Foundation and the hon-orary chief of Project GIVELIFE. Atpresent, she is actively engaged instrengthening rural educationusing Teacher’s Lab, a programmedesigned to channelise youth withcommitted hearts and intelligentminds, into becoming change-mak-ers who will work towards servingrural schools after a period ofintense training. Through its vari-ous projects, her foundation reach-es over 10,000 children and familiesevery year. Vidya Shankar gets talk-ing with Postnoon about herincredible journey.

Tell us a little bit about yourbackground. I started my career as a chemicalengineer in 1986 after graduatingwith a BTech degree in chemistry.

After a four-year stint in the indus-try, subsequent to marriage andtwo children, I started an NGO in1998 called Relief Foundationbecause I felt that there was a bigneed for new kind of thinking anddirection in many areas related toadoption, child welfare and juvenilejustice.

But how did you come to beassociated with women andchild rights movements? Adopting a child was my first expe-rience that evoked feelings andthoughts beyond my family. Fromthere, when my children grew up, Istarted Relief Foundation andmoved into locations where chil-dren were rescued and housed ingovernment homes. In time, I gotcompletely involved in the rehabili-tation and restoration of childreninto their families, which threw up ahost of issues that revealed realneeds of children and families in crisis.

You have essayed various roles,that of a judge, an activist, anauthor, a social entrepreneur andmore. Which among these haveyou enjoyed the most and why? Working directly with children iswhat I love to do the most, and Icherish my times with children inthe juvenile homes who taught mea lot in life. Now, after the AMIMontessori International Diplomaand with my involvement in ruraleducation, I long for time I canspend with children, telling themmagnificent tales of the worldaround them, and to see their eyes

pop out in wonder as they listen.

Where are we lacking in provid-ing for and safeguarding children in India? What shouldbe done?

Priorities have been on paper mostof the time. Budgets, systems ingovernments and NGOs alone donot ensure safety for children. Even today, there is a debate onwho decides the best interest ofthe child as per Article 3 ofUNCRC. Leaders with children’ssafety in the centre of all their dis-cussions and actions need to holdpositions of power with responsi-bility. Reforms in this sector havehappened because of such peo-ple. We need updating of chil-dren’s needs as of today. Manyschemes offered by NGOs andgovernments are still outdated —like orphanages are still in exis-tence hijacking public sympathy inour country where adoption andfoster-care is now a law.

Likewise, women’s safety isbeing talked about a lot in themedia and social platformstoday. Do you think the coreproblems are adequatelyaddressed in these discussions? Unless the level of volatility amongyouth and people (who have haddeprivation and bad upbringing astheir baggage) is addressed bymultiple means with a singularfocus and agenda by people inpower, nothing will change for thebetter even 10 years from now.Women must be permitted to intro-spect on their strengths and giventhe freedom to exercise choicesthat safeguard her own nature —motherhood, even if she is not abirth-giving mother. These choicesin family building and good familial

relationships will ensure spread ofgoodwill which alone can lessenthe risk of transgression and depri-vation. Though this may soundphilosophical, it is a tangible out-come in many families in my experience.

How, do you think, a layman canhelp improve the system in ourcountry?To think of one’s own family andexpounding energies into bringingin sanity of relationships and stabili-ty from within the family is the wayto go. Eschewing violence andexercising patience and faith withinis a huge effort thanks to multitudeof bombardments families and chil-dren receive these days.

What would you say has beenyour greatest achievement andyour greatest challenge? My greatest achievement is that Ihave been able to discover lifetruths early, and get clarity on mycosmic purpose of existence.Trustworthy associates join me fromsomewhere and pledge their life-time to a mission that seems to betheirs. I am still eager to learn andam learning from children.

The challenge has been to beobjective when I see misery that Ihave no influence to change.

Going forward, what will beyour areas of focus? Providing access to excellent edu-cation to all segments of childrenand making parents aware on howto help their children grow into pro-ductive and happy citizens.

[email protected] C

Loving anextendedFAMILY

Chennai-basedVidya Shankaris out tochange thecourse of thefuture. Onechild at a time.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 201311WELLNESS

PICK YOUR

@

Stores Across Twin Cities

TAKE A BREAK!A day at the salon — a much-awaited treat and something that always seems long

overdue — is what we women desperately need but rarely place on top of our priority list.Studio 11 seems a good place to start.

You see, there is always ajob to keep up with, ahouse to run and peopleand their problems to dealwith. But a day at the

salon is a must. An entire day ofothers at your service, doing every-thing they can to please you, whileyou relax on those giant soft chairsis certainly not much to ask for. Sowhen we spotted a new salon andspa in the City, called Studio 11, wedecided to check it out.

While it is true that thosescenes from chick flicks, when aPlain Jane walks out of the salonafter her makeover and there is asong about how cool it is to be awoman in the background, and herhair is flying and swaying whileshe walks like she has just steppedout of a Vogue cover, almost neverhappens in real life, you still expectto walk out feeling satisfied and

well, pleased. Honestly, Studio 11disappointed me in that aspect.

There is no denying of howpolite they were, there is also noshying away from how they coulddo a better service. The salon, inits decor and faculty, is just perfectwith subtle hues on walls and thatsoft lighting which quietly pushesinto a carefree mode. I started witha slight chopping of my hair, fol-lowed by a hair spa. I cannot saythe spa did wonders for my hairbecause nothing can change in justone session but the massage as apart of its routine is something tolook forward to. The pressure wasjust right but I wish it lasted muchlonger than it did.

Basic services of waxing andthreading here also are just a littlebelow my fancy salon expectations.If you can come to terms with hotwax dripping on you every nowand then, you can try them here. Ialso went for a brightening and de-tan pedicure, which demanded ofme to demand less from a pedicure.The de-tan pack was itchy as it hadbleach in it, and my legs got noneof the long massage they were duewhile undergoing a pedicure. Also,

they forgot to come back and paintmy nails and I didn’t have thepatience to ask anymore.

There are some other interest-ing services on the menu for whichwe could not spare time. I particu-larly fancied their Blueberry DetoxClean-up for `600. They also have aVitamin C clean-up for tanned skinand Calm and Soothe for sensitiveskin. You might want to try FourMiracle and Rose Cool Peel-offmasks or their oxy-herbal and re-balancing facial for oily and combi-nation skin for `1,600 and `1,700,respectively. Hair cuts here rangefrom `300 to `1,500, mostly depend-ing on the length.

They also have a spa that offersmassages such as Balinese,Swedish, Deep Tissue, AromaRelax, De-Stress and Studio 11Signature massage which is for`2,500. The salon also offers small to elaborate bridal packagesranging from `3,000 to `25,000.

Studio 11 is one of those goodlooking places which is priced onpar with its competitors but if youcan lower your expectations by adozen, you will probably have agood time here.

[email protected] AGARWAL

S BALAKRISHNA

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 201312ART AND CULTURE

Tennessee Williams oncesaid, “Life is all memory,except for the one presentmoment that goes by you

so quickly you hardly catch itgoing.”

Williams should know. Hisethereal memory play, The GlassMenagerie, catapulted him tofame and fortune, making himone of the best known Americanplaywrights. Nearly 70 yearslater, the play has found its wayto Hyderabad, thanks to the the-atre group Manch.

Manch, whose members areall techies from Infosys, hasstaged several adaptations ofcritically acclaimed plays sinceits inception in 2004, but this isthe first play it is adapting to anIndian context. In this, thetroupe were also influenced byAkale, a Malayalam movie thatbrought Williams' play to life ina small town in Goa. “We usual-ly pick up productions that havebeen done on Broadway and stayfaithful to the original. We hadstaged Doubt and God of

Carnage, both award-winningplays, and made no changes tothe story or the setting.

“When it came to The GlassMenagerie, we spoke toShyamaprasad (the director ofAkale) while adapting the play.We were inspired by the movieand the play also seemed to be agood fit to be set in India. We

have basically changed the timeand place setting of the play —the play is set in 1970s Goa (theoriginal is set in St Louis in the1930s),” said Riyaz Usman, thedirector of the play.

The original play versions ofThe Glass Menagerie wereknown for the projection ofimages or words on the back-drop to reinforce the emotion ortheme that the actors are por-traying. Usman says, “We'reusing a couple of different meth-ods to show it is a memory play.We plan to use live projections

as part of the play. Instead ofjust projecting the image orword, we plan to use actors toenact the memory projections.”

Music also plays an integralpart of the play. In this adapta-tion, Alok Kesarwani will becomposing the music. Theyhaven't used the music tradition-ally accompanying the play, butinstead have composed originalmusic. “Since the setting hasbeen changed, Alok has createdmusic according to this shift. Itkeeps in tone with the 70s Goafeel.”

Manch has been praised fortheir adaptations; when can wesee an original play from them?“First we need someone who iscapable of writing a play,” saysUsman, laughing. “We have per-formed a few short pieces thatare original works but not a full-length play as yet.” And if youstill need reasons to catch theplay, Usman sums it up. “It is thefirst time a memory play isbeing staged in Hyderabad, com-plete with live projections andoriginal music. The subject ofthe play, too, is rather unusual.”

A new multimedia exhibition aboutDavid Bowie at London's Victoria

and Albert Museum is the fastest sellerin the institution's history, with 50,000

advance tickets sold. The "DavidBowie Is" exhibition, which opens

Saturday, marks the first time Britain'sleading museum of decorative arts

and design has devoted a show to apop star.

Celebrating David Bowie

Arare portrait of the wife of HenriMatisse by artist Andre Derain and

a monumental work by Jackson Pollockcould each sell for $20 million or morein spring auctions in New York, auctionhouses said on Friday. Christie's willoffer Madame Matisse, a vibrant 1905oil canvas with a pre-sale estimate ofas much as $20 million, at its sale ofImpressionist and modern art.

Weiwei and the serpent

Britain's Royal Opera House appoint-ed a figure from one of the coun-

try's most prominent art galleries as itsnew head on Tuesday, filling a post left

open when the last opera chief left tohead the scandal-hit state broadcaster.Alex Beard, 49, deputy director of Tate,a family of four art galleries, was a sur-

prise appointment as he has neverworked in the performing arts.

Tate man in Royal Opera

Animals oncanvasses

AROUND THE CITY

Lines &coloursKalakriti Art Gallery, Park Hyatt

Hyderabad and Alliance Francaise arepresenting Via Presence - B2Fays, multi-media installation and paintings. Theopening preview will held at Park Hyatt onMarch 28 at 6.30pm. The paintings will beon display at Kalakriti Art Gallery fromMarch 29 to April 9 from 11 am to 7 pm.

Via Presence — B2FaysWhere: Kalakriti Art GalleryWhen: On till April 9 Timings: 11am-7pm

Pradosh Swain, Suchismita Sahoo

Where: Aalankritha Art GalleryWhen: From March 30 to April 10.

Timings: 11am to 7 pm

Artists Pradosh Swain and SuchismitaSahoo will be showcasing their art-

work at Alankritha Art Gallery from March 30to April 10. The works on display will be

revolving the theme of animals and birds.

Remember the timeTheatre group Manch brings

Tennessee Williams' memory playThe Glass Menagerie to life in a

uniquely Indian setting.

[email protected] NAMBIAR

Directed by Riyaz UsmanStarring Nimisha Gupta,Snehal Hattikudur, DebrajSarkar, Phani KumarVenue: NIFT, Madhapur.Date: March 24, 7.30pm

The Glass Menagerie


The US government is being sued bya coalition of beekeepers, conser-vation and food campaigners over

pesticides linked to serious harm inbees.The lawsuit accuses the

Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) of failing to protect the insects –

which pollinate three-quarters of allfood crops – from nerve agents that it

says should be suspended from use.

Pesticides linked to bee harm

The world’s largest living species,native to California’s Sierra

Nevada, faces a two-pronged riskfrom declining snowpack and risingtemperatures. The threat to sequoias mirrors a growing danger to treesworldwide, with some scientists saying rapid warming this centurycould wipe out many of the planet’sold trees.

Giant Sequoias in danger

Using modelling data focused onthe conditions in which hurricanes

form, a group of internationalresearchers based at Beijing NormalUniversity found that for every 1.8ºF(1ºC) rise of the Earth’s temperature,the number of hurricanes in theAtlantic that are as strong or strongerthan Hurricane Katrina will increasetwo-fold to sevenfold.

More Katrinas in the offing

ENVIRONMENT

evolves into springboardfor wideraction

From Sydney HarbourBridge, BuckinghamPalace and theBrandenburg Gate to the

Burj Khalifa tower, the EmpireState Building, the Taj Mahaland Table Mountain, some ofthe world’s greatest landmarksbriefly darkened on Saturdaynight for Earth Hour, a cam-paign now becoming a broadervehicle for green activism.

Earth Hour originated inSydney in 2007 with an appealto people and businesses toturn off their lights for anhour to heighten awarenessabout climate change, drivenby carbon-emitting fossil fuels.

The annual switch-off isnow being followed in loca-tions in three-quarters of theworld’s nations and has thepotential to touch hundreds ofmillions of lives, say its organ-isers.

Promoted through socialmedia, Earth Hour has alsomutated in some countriesinto a potent tool to lobby onlocal issues unconnected withglobal warming, they add.

Switch-off events at thelocal time of 8.30 pm areplanned in more than 150

countries, including for thefirst time the Palestinian terri-tories, Tunisia, Galapagos,Suriname, French Guiana, St.Helena and Rwanda.

Newcomers to the cam-paign include Copenhagen’sLittle Mermaid, the Statue ofDavid in Florence and CapeTown’s Table Mountain, whichin 2011 joined a list of the“New Seven Wonders ofNature".

“Last year, Earth Hour wasfollowed in 7,000 communities,an increase of about 30 percent over 2011," said AndyRidley, co-founder of the pro-ject launched by WWF. “Thebiggest area of growth hasbeen the Asia-Pacific, the eco-nomic engine of the planet,where wherever you go now,people are living with theproblems of environmentaldamage," Ridley said in aphone interview fromSingapore.

“If you’re in a big city inChina, you may well be goingto work wearing a face mask,or if you are in thePhilippines, you and your fam-ily may well have been affectedby a super-typhoon."

Ridley added: “What weare finding is that environ-ment issues may be perceiveddifferently in the big cities ofAsia compared with how theyare perceived in Europe or theStates. They may not be per-ceived as exclusively green

issues. They are seen as issuesthat are damaging yourlifestyle and potentially threat-ening your family."

In Japan, where floodlightswere turned off on Saturday atthe capital’s signature TokyoTower, campaigners are inter-twining Earth Hour withremembrance of the March2011 mega-quake and tsunami,which unleashed a nuclear dis-aster at Fukushima.

In Russia, activists lastyear harnessed the success ofEarth Hour to secure 100,000signatures for a petition for alaw to protect sea areas aroundoil exploration sites, saysWWF. Uganda created the first“Earth Hour forest” of 2,700hectares (10.4 square miles) ofcleared land, which greensplan to fill with half a milliontrees. Campaigners inArgentina are hoping that thisyear’s event will provide trac-tion to protect a 3.4-million-hectare marine zone.

As it grows in visibility,Earth Hour is also becoming atarget, with critics saying it islittle more than token, encour-ages smugness about combat-ing climate change and ignores

the needs of development.“India observes on average

eight Earth hours a day," tweet-ed VictorTango@airkatana, areference to our notoriouspower outages. More than 400million Indians still lackaccess to mains electricity,according to the World Bank.Ridley said no figures existedfor the overall amount of ener-gy saved by Earth Hour. Butthe brief switch-off, he argued,encouraged many people to domore to curb waste and thinkof the environment. LeadingFrench climate scientist JeanJouzel said Earth Hour at leastreminded people of the crisisposed by carbon emissions,which each year scale newpeaks while UN talks for curb-ing them mark time.

“Does Earth Hour encour-age self-satisfaction? Are itsresults limited? I would say‘yes’ to both," Jouzel said.

“But if it’s a toss-upbetween doing nothing anddoing something that is notperfect but is still somethingvery visible, I think the answeris: do something. In fact, weneed more action of this kind."

AFP

Earth Hour is alsobecoming a target,with critics saying itis little more thantoken, encouragessmugness aboutcombating climatechange and ignoresthe needs of development.

‘EARTH HOUR’

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 201314FOOD

This Easter weekend, March 30, your kids willget an opportunity to learn the art of mak-

ing lovely Easter Eggs. This unique workshopwill be conducted by The Park’s Executive

Chef Mandaar Sukhtankar who has lined up awhole lot of activities for the kids.

A special treasure hunt will also be organised,keeping in mind the festive tradition.

Registrations are on at The Park and are opentill March 29.

Be prepared for an Easter weekend

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt &Sprungli is investing close to EUR70m

over the next two years in increasingproduction capacity at its sole Frenchplant. Expansion is largely a result of"the strong development" of the Lindtbrand in France, where it says it is mar-ket leader for chocolate bars. Around 50new jobs will be created at the factory inOloron Sainte-Marie in France.

Lindt to boost production

Most people don't need an excuseto eat chocolate — its creamy

texture and delicious taste are reasonenough. Yet, here is another com-pelling reason to savour chocolate: ithelps your brain work better. A studyat the University of L'Aquila in Italyestablished a connection betweenheightened cognitive ability and theconsumption of chocolate.

‘Reason’ to eat chocolate

Blended to perfectionThe ambience,

the selection,and the

delicioussnacks makePark Hyatt’sOriental Bar

and Kitchen aperfect place todrink at. With

Buddha Bar-ishmusic in the

air, it’s easy toforget the

hustle andbustle of city

life and enjoy asingle maltpeacefully.

If you’re in the mood for adrink with that specialsomeone, Park Hyatt’sOriental Bar and Kitchen

is your best bet. Tuckedaway in a corner on the firstfloor of the hotel, the barboasts a character of itsown. The dim lighting andwell-spaced seating areaaround the beautiful bar atthe Oriental Bar and Kitchenwould get anyone’s moodgoing — it’s a promise.

The five-star bar housesan envious selection of sin-gle malts and blendedwhiskies. Among singlemalts, Glenfiddich (12, 15and 18 years) and Glenlivet(12 and 15 years) are themost popular. The bar hasmuch more in store if you’rein the mood to go beyond theregulars.

Their costliest singlemalt — a 30-year-old Taliskerat `8,000 per 60ml — isamong one of the finest fromthe selection. On the otherhand, their most affordablesingle malt is the 10-year-oldLaphroaig at `1,000 per60ml. “We have the SuntoryYamazaki — a single maltfrom Japan. The OrientalBar and Kitchen is ideal for

those who are looking forgood single malts,” saysVinod Addanki, assistantdirector, food and beverage.Among the blendedwhiskies, Johnnie WalkerKing George V, at `12,000 per60ml, is the costliest avail-able. “We got the whiskey afew months ago,” saysAddanki. From the entireJohnnie Walker range toJack Daniels, even the blend-ed whiskey section, whichthe bar clearly banks on,deserves a pat on theback.

“The objectiveof the bar is toallow people towalk in after aday’s work andenjoy a couple ofdrinks. We havefocused on ourblended whiskey andsingle malt selectionimmensely because of theirpopularity in the City,” saysAddanki. The concept ofheading to a bar after work— a very Western concept —almost immediately makesyou think that the bar catersto expats. “We have morelocals coming in to enjoy adrink than expats. In fact,including in-house guests atthe Park Hyatt, expats onlymake for 40 per cent of thevisitors at the bar whilelocals make 60 per cent,”says Addanki.

The Southeast-Asian baralso boasts a luxurious selec-

tion of cognacs andbrandies. From the ever-so-famous Remy Martin toTorres, the cognac andbrandy selection is sure tolure you into a differentworld too. The bar also hous-es a special selection ofcigars for those who liketheir cognacs Churchillstyle. “We have a well-spacedoutdoor seating for thosewho want to indulge insmoking a cigar along with

cognac,” says Addanki.However, smoking a

cigar or a cigaretteoutdoors would bebest during thewinters.

With the clearidea of giving anOriental feel to

the bar, the cock-tails and food menu

has been carefullychalked out to tingle

your taste buds. Priced at`750, cocktails under the‘Oriental Mix’ subhead aresimply sinful. Whether it’sthe Watermelon Man (vodka,pineapple juice, watermelonjuice) or the Kiwi Margarita(tequila, kiwi juice, limejuice), they‘re all delightfullyflavourful. However, anevening at the Oriental Barand Kitchen without theLychee Martini (vodka, ver-mouth, lychee juice) and theLemongrass Mojito (lightrum, lime juice, mint, lemon-grass) would be an absolutewaste.

The starters on the foodmenu, which smoothly blendwith the hotel’s signaturecocktails, are indulgencesone must sample. The ChaoTom Shrimp on Sugarcane,Asian Pan Fried Fish,Lemongrass Chicken Satayand the Malaysian SeafoodDumpling are a few must-haves from the starters’ list.Apart from the food blendingwith the drinks perfectly, itis also kept bite-sized. “Mostof the food on the menu isbite-sized so that it doesn’tinterrupt one’s drinking.However, we still have aselection of food for excep-tional cases,” says Addanki.

To conclude, the OrientalBar and Kitchen warrants atleast one visit. We guarantee,you’ll visit again. Cheers!

Where: Oriental Bar and Kitchen,

Park HyattMust-have:

Lychee Martini, LemongrassMojito

Bottoms up

[email protected] BHUSHAN

CHEERS

TOA GOOD TIM

E

The Louis XIII de Remy Martin,which costs around `4 lakh, isa collector’s item that the barproudly displays.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 201315FOOD

Noor’s KitchenNOOR JAFRI

Haleem Rotiyani

Contact us @ Noor kitchen -Mobile + 91 9441282318

Residence + 91 40 23356947Like us @ https://www.face-

book.com/Noorkitchen

Ingredients Quantity n Lamb shoulder pieces 500 gmsn Medium-sized left over whole

wheat chapatis 10 to 12n Chana dal 100 gmsn Curds 1 cupn Red chilli powder 2 tspn Dhania powder 2 tspn Haldi 1 tspn Garam masala 2 tspn Ginger garlic paste 1 tbspn Oil 100 mln Ghee 50 mln Ginger julienne 1 tbspn Chopped green chillies 1 tspn Golden fried crispy onions 1 cupn Salt to tasten Lemon wedges for garnishing

PreparationFor Korma / gravyn Wash clean and cut the lamb shoulder

into large pieces.n Heat the oil and ghee mixture and fry

the onion slices, till crispy brown.n Remove half of the oil and onions, and

keep them separately for garnishing.n In the remaining oil add ginger garlic

paste, mirchi, haldi, dhania powder, saltand half of the garam masala.

n Cook it along with the lamb pieces forsome time.

n Add curds and cover it, till it is driedand bhunoed.

n Lastly pour 2 1/2 to 3 cups of waterand pressure cook it for 20 minutes.

For roti mixture n In a separate vessel, boil chana dal with

little haldi, ginger paste and with oneto two cups of water.

n Break the roti into small pieces andleave it soaked, along with cookedchana dal till it gets tender.

n Blend the cooked dal and roti mix, withthe boneless mutton from the gravyinto a rough haleem like consistency.

n Heat and mix the mixture thoroughly,adding the remaining gravy.

n Taste the salt and add the remaininggaram masala powder.

n Serve hot, garnished with oil and gheemixture, with green coriander, gingerjulienne, fried crispy onions and lemonwedges.

Chef’s Note:n Hot,spicy and delicious preparation,

which can be done quickly.n It’s a complete dish in itself and is

served with lots of toppings of kormaand crispy onions.

Haleem made with leftover rotis

Postnoon [email protected]

Little has changed in ayear at Taj Banjara’sChai Shop. Nostalgiastill rules — the glassjars with candy and

‘biskuts’ still line theshelves, classic Bollywoodnumbers set the tone and themenu is as comfortinglyfamiliar as when it firstopened.

Last year we loved every-thing about the cosy littlefive-star cafe that is as warmand welcoming as age-oldIrani cafe down the road.The affordable prices, theexcellent service and aboveall, the absolutely amazingfood. So when we heardabout the new menu, wecouldn’t resist checking itout. One of the things wemost liked about Chai Shopwas that, unlike most placeswith booklets for menus, ithas a carefully curated selec-tion of all-time favouritesand then some signaturedishes of the chefs thatdidn’t need you looking formore options.

The minor tweaks to themenu only reflect the lengthsto which the chefs havegone to ensure a noveldining experiencewhile retaining theclassics. The teas

remain the same — stapleslike adraki chai and khadechamach ki chai jostle withmodern offerings like choco-lati chai. Chai Shop’s funkybeer concoctions also stayput, a testimony to their popularity.

If you want to play safe,opt for kala namak ka nimbupani or LLB, a deliciouslypink drink. But summer’shere, so cooling sherbets arethe way to go. The restau-rant offers a mind-bogglingvariety of natural sherbets,including badam, kesari andkhus. Our pick would be thebrilliant green khus sherbet,with a delicate kick of limeat the end. The lassi is not asthick or sweet as you wouldexpect it to be, and comes ina number of flavours.

The main change in thenew menu is that it nowoffers as much in terms ofmain course as it does instarters. Still, however, let’sstart at the start. If you arefeeling particularlyHyderabadi, choose among

the many favourites likelukh-

mi, tootak, irani haleem orpatti samosas. But we lostour hearts to the perfectlygolden-fried garlay, acrunchy and beautifullyflavoured aloo (or kheema)starter served with greenchutney and the deliciousstuffed mirchi bajjis. If youare up for something hatke,try the dahi ke kebab, soft,succulent patties filled witha hung curd stuffing anddeep fried. The dish, remi-niscent of hummus, wouldaccompany a spicy dish toperfection as it is rathermild in itself.

Non-vegetarians could gofor the kheema paratha, allgolden and crisp. An all-timefavourite is the roti pe boti,which has succulent chunksof meat on a flaky roti. Youcan’t really go wrong withthe Irani haleem either — ifyou’re a fan of the dish, thatis. It’s richer and heavierthan the otherofferings, butit isserved

with freshly baked bread tomop your plate up.

Another new addition tothe menu is one that willmake the vegetarians happy.Chaawal ke saath mein is ameal in itself, with a bowl ofhot steaming rice servedwith a choice of curry ordal, with papad and pickleon the side. We choose thepakora kadi and it didn’t dis-appoint. Specify to the staffif you like your kadi spicy asthis is rather mild but thepakora, oh the pakora, is soperfectly made, you wishthey served that as a sepa-rate item on the menu.

Finally, the desserts. Ifyou had place only for one,we say choose the chocolategulab jamun. Impossibly softrounds of brown floatinglightly in golden syrup witha core of molten chocolateoff set with a surprisinglynot-so-sweet khoya, do weneed to say more?

One yeardown the

line, werevisit TajBanjara’s

Chai Shop tosee if it’s still

all that weremember.

A YEAR OF

NOSTALGIA

M ANIL KUMAR

18HISTORYSUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

March 251967: Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. leads amarch of 5,000 anti-war demonstrators inChicago. King declared that the Vietnam Warwas "a blasphemy against all that America standsfor". King first began speaking out againstAmerican involvement in Vietnam.

March 262008: The Ford Motor Company announces thesale of its Jaguar and Land Rover divisions to theTata Group, one of India's oldest and largestbusiness conglomerates, for some $2.3 billion —less than half of what Ford originally paid for thebrands.

March 261979: In a ceremony at the White House,Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat and IsraeliPrime Minister Menachem Begin sign a historicpeace agreement, ending three decades of hos-tilities between Egypt and Israel and establishingdiplomatic and commercial ties.

March 262000: Billy Crystal hosts the 72nd annualAcademy Awards ceremony at the ShrineAuditorium in Los Angeles. An Oscar crisis hadbeen narrowly averted a week earlier when 52gold-plated Oscar statuettes were found afterthey were stolen from a loading dock.

March 281979: At 4am, the worst accident in the history ofthe United States nuclear power industry beginswhen a pressure valve in the Unit-2 reactor atThree Mile Island fails to close. Cooling water, contaminated with radiation, drained fromthe open valve into adjoining buildings, and thecore began to dangerously overheat.

March 292006: Queen Elizabeth II makes Welsh singingsensation Tom Jones — now Sir Tom Jones — aKnight Commander of the Most Excellent Orderof the British Empire. He is best known for hissongs Delilah and It’s Not Unusual.

March 301981: President Ronald Reagan is shot in thechest outside a Washington DC hotel by aderanged drifter named John Hinckley Jr. Thepresident had just finished addressing a labor

meeting at the Washington Hilton Hotel andwas walking with his entourage when

Hinckley, standing among agroup of reporters, fired six

shots at the president, hittingReagan.

March 311889: The Eiffel Tower is dedicated inParis in a ceremony presided over byGustave Eiffel, the tower's designer,

and attended by French PrimeMinister Pierre Tirard, a handful of

other dignitaries, and 200 construc-tion workers.

March 271973: Marlon Brando declines the AcademyAward for Best Actor for his performance in TheGodfather. Native American actress SacheenLittlefeather stated that the actor could notaccept the award, as he was protestingHollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans in film.

March 291982: The combination of an earthquake and avolcanic eruption at El Chichon in southernMexico converts a hill into a crater, killing thou-sands of people and destroying acres of farm-land. The eruptions, which continued for over aweek, caught many of the area residents unawareand unprepared.

Flair for businessEmerging Entrepreneurs Awards

was organised byEntrepreneurs — Catalysts of

Growth at Taj Krishna onSaturday. Spotted were ministers

Dr D Purandeswari, Dr KChiranjeevi and others.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 201319SPOTLIGHT

Taking it forwardFounder and Chairman of Akash Educational ServicesLtd. (AESL) inaugurated a new branch of AESL in the

City.

Splash of colourLepakshi Handicrafts Exhibition organised by AP

Handicrafts Development Corporation began waslaunched at TTD Kalyana Mandapam.

All smilesStudents of Jain Toddlers celebrated Graduation Day instyle at State Art Gallery on Saturday.

Dr D Purandeswari

Pinky Reddy

Shobhana Kamineni 1

2

3

1

2

3


CINEMA 20

Dude, Where’smy Ganesha?

Swamy Ra Ra is a well-conceived crime comedyabout an antique Ganesha idol which has everyoneclamouring for its ownership, before all hell breaks

loose. Although it starts off on a promising note,the film loses its steam towards the end.

Swamy Ra Ra is a far cryfrom the kind of filmsNikhil has been doing overthe past few years. His per-formance is subdued and

never once throughout the filmdoes he bring out the ‘next RaviTeja’ angle of his onscreen image,a trait which was commonplace inhis past few films. While thatcomes as a big surprise, the filmtruly belongs to its technical teamespecially music director Sunny,cinematographer Richard Prasadand debutant director SudheerVarma. The film is a crime comedywhich revolves around a stolenGanesha idol and the aforemen-tioned trio treat the theme withsuch panache that it actually givesa reason to look beyond the frailtyin its narration. We are told that arare Lord Ganesha’s idol is stolenfrom Padmanabhaswamy temple inThiruvananthapuram and afterchanging a lot of hands, its valueshoots through the roof. Finally, anaspiring politician Durga Prasad(Ravi Babu) sends one of hishenchmen to buy the idol from aChennai-based businessman.However, the deal goes wrong andthe idol goes missing. Elsewhere,Surya (Nikhil) and two of hisfriends, who are pickpockets, meetSwati (Swati) in Hyderabad. Shedoesn’t know what Surya does butshe takes a liking to him instantly.One day, Durga Prasad comes toSwati’s house and demands hisGanesha idol. Swati has no clueabout the issue, but Surya and hisfriends understand the gravity ofthe situation and they go on a mis-sion to correct their mistake. Thefilm is a sum of series of coinci-dences as far the possession ofGanesh’s idol is concerned, but theentire track is written so well thatit doesn’t seem awkward at all. It’s

interesting to note how quickly andeasily the idol changes hands andhow luck plays an important rolein shaping the destinies of all itscharacters. Debutant directorSudheer Varma leaves ample hintsthat Swamy Ra Ra is, in a way,influenced by the works of RGV,Quentin Tarantino and GuyRitchie among few other directors,although the film isn’t as ambitiousas the other directors. The story isquite simple and despite its run ofjust over two hours, the second halfin particular feels way too long.After a promising start whereSudheer Varma establishes themodus operandi of Surya’s gangand Surya’s relationship withSwathi, the freshness in the scripttakes a backseat and most part ofthe second half is almost like a webwhich goes haywire. There areplenty of chase sequences as Suryagoes on a mission to find the idol,but the film never hits an emotion-al high in the third act. However,Sudheer Varma does show a greatspark in writing interesting char-acterisations and some of theactors like Ravi Babu, PoojaRamachandran and both the actorswho play Nikhil’s friend and RaviBabu’s sidekick show greatpromise. Swati is a revelation inthe film and her onscreen chem-istry with Nikhil is palpable. Twopeople who shine the most in thefilm are its music director Sunnyand cinematographer RichardPrasad. The music and backgroundscore is an interesting mix of jazz,rock, blues, dubstep and also partlyinfluenced by European stylewhereas Richard Prasad gives theentire film a distinct colour palettethat almost every frame looks gor-geous, although the slow motionshots are overdone. In the end,Swamy Ra Ra is like a goodattempt which nearly breaks themould but never flies high.Considering how bad some of therecent films have been, this isalmost like a whiff of fresh air.

Movie: Swamy Ra RaCast: Nikhil, Swati, Pooja,Ravi BabuDirected by: Sudheer VarmaRating:

HEMANTH KUMAR

[email protected]

Ram Charan’s upcom-ing film Yevaduis expected to hit

the screens on June14, which happensto be the weddinganniversary ofRam Charan andUpasana. Directedby VamshiPaidipally, the filmalso stars ShrutiHaasan, AmyJackson in leadroles whereas AlluArjun and Kajal Aggarwal havebeen roped in to play importantroles. Of late, the film’s shootinghas been happening in and aroundHyderabad. The film’s first look isgoing to be unveiled on March 27on the eve of Ram Charan’sbirthday and the music isgoing to be launched onMay 9. Devi Sri Prasadhas scored themusic.

YEVADU to rele asein June

Brahmanandam’s much await-ed film Jaffa will finallyrelease on March 29. Vennela

Kishore has directed the film andit has Brahmanandam playingthe lead role as a convict whoescapes from prison to prove hisinnocence. Over the years, Jaffahas become one of the most popu-lar words in contemporaryTelugu cinema and it has becomea trademark dialogue ofBrahmanandam. Although it’s afull-length comedy film, in thepast, Vennela Kishore has equat-ed it to a cult film likeShawshank Redemption sinceboth the films are based on thetheme of prison break. The film’sfirst look was launched last yearand the theatrical release hasbeen delayed for a long time now.Jaffa is Vennela Kishore’s secondfilm as a director post Vennela 11/2. Apart from Jaffa,Brahmanandam will also be play-ing the lead role in another filmtitled Bangkok Brahmanandam.

BRAHMANANDAMis back!


CINEMA 21

Action in Bollywood films was ofthe dhishoom, dhishoom varietytill the 1990s, but advanced tech-nology and increased use ofspecial effects brought in a new

twist.“Action is not easier (with better tech-

nology). Maybe it is safer,” the actor said.Hrithik has done films like Mission

Kashmir, Krrish, Dhoom 2 and Agneepath,all of which gave him ample scope todemonstrate the daredevilry that has wonhim so many fans. He recently wrapped upthe action-packed Krrish 3, and evenjumped off a cliff in Bali for an ad forMountain Dew.

In his view, actors and filmmakers whodabble in action have many advantagesnow, especially with the boom in demandfor films like Rowdy Rathore, Dabangg,Don: The Chase Begins Again and RA.One.

“There is a lot more that you can visu-alise now than before. There is a lot morescope for you to think out of the box, andthings which were unimaginable a fewyears back are now possible.

“In that regard you can say, yes (tech-nology has made action easier). When itcomes down to doing them, there is alwayssome adrenaline pumping and there isnervousness,” said Hrithik, who is fit asthe proverbial fiddle.

At 39, and after over a decade of mak-ing his way to the A-listers of Bollywood,Hrithik, son of veteran actor-filmmakerRakesh Roshan, believes successcomes when “dreams turn tochallenges”.

“Once you live enough of life, yourealise that all those dreams that you areafraid of are only challenges. So, I callthem challenges and it will make you ner-vous, which is full of good energy. Theanxiety and nervousness is good for you.

“It is all of this thathas got mewhere I amtoday. Ihave

reached this place only with this kind ofphilosophy,” said the actor, who used tostammer once upon a time.

Hrithik, now a father of two, made ablockbuster debut with Kaho Naa...PyaarHai in 2000. He then cemented his spot inthe industry with projects like “KabhiKhushi Kabhie Gham, Koi...Mil Gaya,Dhoom 2, Jodhaa Akbar, Zindagi NaMilegi Dobara and Agneepath.

A dancer par excellence, the actoradmits his only aim in life is still about“putting in my best to find out my truepotential”.

“I am on a mission to make this thebest life, come what may, and every dayis a step forward in finding out my true

potential,” he said.That holds true for his

brand associations too.After endorsing brands

like Hide & Seek, RelianceMobiles and Liberty Footwear,

the actor is promoting MountainDew, the slogan for which reads:

“Darr se Mat Daro, Darr Ke AageJeet Hai”. It translates to - ‘Don’t fear

your fears, victory lies ahead of them’.Hrithik feels it is “one of the best

fits” for him.“The brand has taken the philoso-

phy of my life and put it on the bill-board, as well as visually expressed itthrough various channels to the people.

The basic principle of my life hasalways been that way,” he

said. IANS

TECHNOLOGY MAKES ACTIONSAFER, NOT EASIER:

Actors Mandira Bedi andKaran Wahi will take cen-

trestage as co-hosts of theupcoming Indian Idol Junior, tobe judged by singer ShreyaGhoshal and composer duoVishal-Shekhar.

This isn’t the first time thatMandira and Karan are hostinga reality show.

The upcoming season will bethe first time that the singingshow has opened its doors toyoung singers between the agegroup of 5 to 15.

The judges — Shreya, VishalDadlani and Shekhar Ravijani —will travel across the country toscout the best talents.

Talking about the new for-mat, Sneha Rajani, senior execu-tive vice president and businesshead, Sony, said: “The idea wasto give the show a fresh perspec-tive as well as discovering newertalent horizons.” IANS

MandiraBedi,KaranWahi toco-host‘IndianIdol Junior’

Model-turned-actor SidharthMalhotra, who displayed hischiselled physique in his

debut film Student Of The Year,says he hits the field for some foot-ball to burn any extra calories,rather than eating healthy.

“I’m a true sports lover. I havebeen in love with football since mychildhood. I also prefer the game toworking out in the closed environ-ment of a gym. I used to participatein inter-college matches while I wasin college,” said Sidharth.

Even in Student Of The Year,Sidharth was seen playing football,and indulging in other sports-basedactivities.

“Sports teaches you a lot aboutlife in general,” he said.

Sidharth, who started as amodel in Delhi, says he prefershome-cooked food. “I follow a sim-ple diet consisting of organic andhome-cooked food with less artifi-cial products and sugar. My mealsare high in protein and I also drink

a lot of water and eat at regularintervals.”

The actor admits it can bedaunting to maintain a six-pack thewhole year round, and said: “Itrequires a change oflifestyle with regularworkouts and strict dieting. Butwith correct guidance, it isnot impossible.”

His next film istitled TheVillain.

IANS


CINEMA 22

COURT REFUSES TO STAYTV RELEASE OF RACE 2, DABANGG 2

The Delhi HighCourt Fridayrefused to stay thetelevision releaseof films Race 2 and

Dabangg 2 and slammedthe censor board.

A division bench ofChief Justice D Murugesanand Justice VK Jain,declining to stay the releaseof DVDs and TV telecast ofSalman Khan-starrerDabangg 2 and Saif AliKhan-starrer Race 2, said ithad not seen the films andwithout watching them,stay could not be granted.

The bench, however,

told the petitioners toapproach the court if theyapprehend the telecast ofthese films on TV channels.

“We are not experts andhave not seen the movies.How can we stay the filmson the basis of photographswe saw here,” the court toldthe petitioner, who hadmoved the court allegingthat Race 2 showed nudescenes.

The counsel, appearingfor the petitioner, said TVtelecast of these filmsshould be stayed as thesecould be released on chan-nels during Holi. IANS

FOOTBALL FITNESSSIDHARTH MALHOTRA’S Priyadarshan accepts

Gangnam Style songFilmmaker Priyadarshan

is not much into itemsongs. When an item

song was brought into hislast Hindi release Tezz, hehad rebelled against theproducer, Ratan Jain, anddisowned the product. It issurprising then how heagreed to include an itemsong in his new filmRangrezz. It was only afterinitial reservations that hewas okay with the desi ver-sion of Gangnam Style to bepart of the Vashu Bhagnaniproduction, which featuresthe producer’s son Jackkyin the lead.

“Look, I don’t want tocome across as the party-pooper every time. I don’twant to get the reputationof a director, who comes inthe way of songs and musicin every film,” saidPriyadarshan. IANS


CINEMA 23


CINEMA 24


CINEMA 25

Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet has beencast in upcoming film Divergent. Divergent,based on the first of a trilogy of novels byVeronica Roth, is set in a society that is dividedinto five factions that define how a person lives

his life, reported E! online.Film studio Summit Entertainment said that Winslet, 37,

will play the cold and unlikeable Jeanine Matthews in thefilm set in a dystopian future.

The studio had previously announced the casting of ris-ing star Shailene Woodley, 21, and British newcomer TheoJames, 28 in the film. Divergent, due for release in March2014, is the latest young adult novel to be translated to thebig screen following the conclusion of lucrative fran-chise The Twilight Saga and the success last year ofThe Hunger Games. PTI

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ROBERT, KRISTEN CELEBRATE WITH PERRY Eva Mendes

wore fakeglasses

Actress Eva Mendessays she was so des-perate to wear glass-

es as a child, she stared atthe sun in an effort todamage her eyesight. The39-year-old actress startedneeding prescription spec-tacles two years ago, andsaid she has harboured alife-long desire to wearglasses in a bid to looksmart, reported Daily Star.

“I was obsessed withlooking smart. Two yearsago I just started needingthem. I think wearingglasses adds and instantquirk and elegance,”Mendes said. PTI

Twilight co-stars and real life loversRobert Pattinson and KristenStewart were spotted dining out

with Katy Perry to celebrate thesinger’s assistant’s birthday. In a shortvideo posted on YouTube, Stewart, whois good friends with the birthday girlTamra Natisin, was seen standing nextto Pattinson, while Perry placed thecake and started singing “HappyBirthday”, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Perry seemed to be in a good mood con-sidering she has just split withboyfriend John Mayer after a seven-month romance. The Twilight actorshad briefly split last summer afterStewart was caught cheating with mar-ried film director Rupert Sanders.News of the pair’s reunion becamepublic Tuesday at a karaoke bar in LosAngeles, and a lucky fan even managedto get a photo with the duo. IANS

CHAI TIME 26SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

ACROSS1 Seismic uplift6 Giggle (hyph.)11 Chew the scenery16 Intolerant person21 Filmmaker -- Kurosawa22 Give an address23 Dawdle along24 Snapshot25 Mist or fog26 Boat made of skins27 Berry-patch hazard28 Reject29 Swiss cheese hole30 Implied32 Bilko’s nickname34 Epoch of the mam-

mals36 FICA numbers38 Rajahs’ wives40 Bulletin --42 Drop-kicks43 Carnivore’s delight

(hyph.)45 Rustic abode47 Caustic49 Horror-flick sounds52 Suite provider53 Vast54 Noncom57 Saffron dish58 Author Eudora --59 Hibernian60 Mountain range near

China61 -- -ski wear62 Rice field63 Arrowhead rock64 Wildlife staple65 Tijuana “Mrs.”66 Plant lice68 Weeping over69 Overlook70 After-dinner candy72 Hayworth of “Gilda”73 Mountain lions74 Acted moody75 Complains bitterly77 Stopped a squeak78 Piggy bank stash79 Nielsen stats82 Towels off83 Now, to Caesar84 Luncheon salad88 Royal decrees89 Harmful things90 Forty winks92 Exclude93 Fishing floats94 Yellow parts95 -- -dovey96 Frighten98 Heavy hydrogen dis-

coverer99 Power units100 Steel rod101 Deli staple102 John Wayne’s “--

River”103 Airport booth leaser104 Fringed item105 Mold contents106 Urban dwelling107 Slur together108 Viscous109 “The French Chef”111 Connoisseur

113 UCLA athlete115 Overcharge, slangily119 Appetizer tray item121 Languishes123 Kind of fund125 Score big126 Doled out127 Tip over129 Refrain from131 Car-wash step133 Puccini work134 Broad comedy135 Purplish flower136 Astaire sister137 Topsy-turvy138 Pilot139 Zoo barriers140 Matterhorn echo

DOWN1 Wealthy folk2 Gives thumbs-up3 Age, as cheese4 Sellout notice of yore5 Dainty pastry6 Big-beaked birds7 Wintry weasel8 Caribbean nation9 Depot info10 Blondie’s shrieks11 Drag into a fight

12 -- Freeman of films13 Basket-maker’s twig14 Crumpet companion15 Bronte heroine Jane --16 Doggie treat17 Threaten or menace18 Too thin19 Hideous monsters20 First-down yardage31 Savory smell33 Friar’s home35 Talk-show name37 Archaeology find39 Bawls out41 Intrepid44 Ultralight wood46 Lawyer, briefly48 -- la vie!49 Involuntary jerk50 Blue Grotto site51 Aired again52 Ibsen’s -- Gabler53 Toothy smiles54 Sign of rain55 Do a grammar task56 Like some jackets58 Hangs around59 Old war story60 Buttonhole62 Collins and Silvers63 Sulks angrily

64 Dendrite’s partner67 Goody-goodies68 Decrees69 Susan Lucci vamp71 Fraught with pitfalls73 Gas mains74 Like a fair lass76 Cookout intruders77 Moo companions78 More winsome79 Keep happening80 Love81 Bushed82 Music from Strauss83 Type of blockade85 WWII movie staple

(hyph.)86 Supermodel --

Campbell87 Alan or Adam of films89 Underside90 Gauzy trap91 Church reading94 Measure of length95 Go first97 Frolics99 Makes one’s way100 Lorelei’s river101 Fishing net103 Time off104 Willowy

105 Light aircraft106 Mulled quaffs107 Show clearly108 Hollywood boulevard109 Crinkled fabric110 Finds intolerable112 Silly behavior114 Gaucho’s rope116 Bought117 Usher’s beat

118 Bow down120 Snit122 Ponzi scheme124 Cavity detector

(hyph.)126 Family member128 Crony130 That, to Pedro132 Familiar vow (2 wds.)

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SUNDAY CROSSWORD

CHAI TIME 27SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

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Two of Pentacles –The commute fromhome to office is tak-ing a lot of your pre-cious time and youneed to learn tomake better use ofthis time.

Six of Swords –Spending excesstime on the internetmay not be such abad thing. It may begiving you ideas toapproach a work-related problem.

Ace of Wands – Areyou being too pos-sessive about some-one? Learn to makeroom for yourselfand a loved one oryou risk losing yourpartner.

ARIESAccept your mistakes when yourspouse tells you and correct yourself— it will lead to a happy situation.Avoid misunderstanding with anyoneand be cordial with relatives.

CANCER

LIBRAYou will fulfill the wishes of your chil-dren and encourage them. Thoughfinancial inflow is good, you will haveto spend a part of your savings too forsome important issue.

CAPRICORNSudden inflow of money likely whichwill keep your financial position strong.Businessmen will add new and pros-perous customers with their innovativeschemes.

TAURUSAs unexpected fortune is likely, you willbe able to clear your debts. Goodnews from blood relatives will makeyou happy. Businessmen will march for-ward with their bold, wise decisions.

LEODelayed marriage talks will resume andprogress towards finalisation. Avoidtaking hurried decisions in governmentrelated issues. Try to be in your limitswhen advising friends on their issues.

SCORPIOYou will feel happy and proud becauseof your children’s achievements. Closefriends and relatives will extend theirwholehearted support. Your hiddenskills will come to the fore.

AQUARIUSNever feel let down by failures and dis-appointments and march ahead withconfidence and renewed vigour.Sudden trips might frustrate you. Keepyour cool always.

GEMINIMoney will come from expectedsources, which will solve your deficitfinancial situation. Friendship circlewill expand. You will work sincerelywith determination and speed.

VIRGOHouse renovation work will be takenup and completed successfully. Spousewill be more affectionate towards you.You will solve the important issueswisely and diplomatically.

SAGITTARIUSYou will command good respect fromall while attending functions or anyget-together. You will be able tojudge your friends and relatives per-fectly and act accordingly.

PISCESThough a few works might getdelayed, major portion will end suc-cessfully. Children will co-operate. Youwill feel cheerful as long pendingworks will get completed.

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The Magician –Take care of yourhealth. Summerheat is especiallygetting to you. Stayhydrated and drinklots of fresh juicesand water.

Ace of Cups – Goodtime to plan a vaca-tion and take timeoff. Switch off yourphone. Better still,leave it at home andenjoy the personaltime.

Three of Cups – Thequality of your workhas improved in thelast few weeks andyour bosses arenoticing your talent.When you let loose,the ideas flow.

Ten of Cups – Afamily memberneeds personal care.It could be an elderwho needs medicalhelp or a youngsterwho needs emotion-al support. Be there.

The Emperor –Finances need atten-tion. Plan this yearwell and make sureyou’re investing. Paya good advisorinstead of trying todo it all yourself.

Four of Swords –Though you love sta-bility, there are manypossibilities toexplore careeroptions. You don’thave to be stuck inone place.

Nine of Swords – Thebudget is tight andall your luxury shop-ping needs may notfit in that budget.Cut corners andunderstand what youcan do without.

Six of Wands –Something’s brewingthat may not be toyour advantage.Your past is catchingup and you need tofigure out how tomanage people.

Ace of Pentacles –Your strength lies inmastering routine.You may be missingout on that excite-ment and surge inenergy when you findsomething you love.

STAR POWER SUMAA TEKURtarotreadhyd@gmail. com

THIRUVAIKUMARthiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in

040-27177230 / 9949870449

Some are likely to go abroad on a newand promising assignment. Misunder -standing at home and with friends willbe over. All your long pending expec-tations will be fulfilled.

Date 25-3-2013 Date 25-3-2013

Farmer Joe was in an accidentwith a truck and decided hisinjuries were serious enough totake the trucking companyresponsible to court. In court,the trucking company’s lawyerwas questioning Joe. “Didn’tyou say, at the scene of theaccident, ‘I’m fine.’”

Joe responded, “Well I hadjust loaded my mule Bessie intothe....” “I didn’t ask for anydetails,” the lawyer interrupted.

But the judge was interest-ed in Joe’s answer and said,“I’d like to hear what he has tosay about his mule Bessie.”

Joe said, “Well I had just

loaded Bessie into the trailerand was driving when this hugesemi-truck ran the stop sign andsmacked my truck. I was thrownin one ditch and Bessie wasthrown in the other.

“I was hurting real bad. Icould hear old Bessie moaningand groaning. A highwaypatrolman came on the scene.After he looked at Bessie, hetook out his gun and shot herbetween the eyes. Then hecame across the road with hisgun in his hand and looked atme. He said, ‘Your mule was insuch bad shape I had to shoother. How are you feeling?’’’

10 laws of computing

Vol: 2, No 247 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by himat Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

As per Hindu panchang

CAPRICORN AQUARIUS PISCES

SAGITTARIUSSCORPIOLIBRA

CANCER

ARIES TAURUS GEMINI

LEO VIRGO


CINEMA 28

wild time shootingSpider-Man 2

EMMASTONE'S

Actress Emma Stonesays she has been hav-ing a 'wild' time shoot-ing The Amazing

Spider-Man 2 with herboyfriend Andrew Garfield.

The 24-year-old star hasreprised her role as GwenStacy for the film, and isenjoying shooting it thanks toits wonderful script and herboyfriend, who portrays thetitular character, reportedDaily Mirror.

"It's wild to be back asGwen Stacy. I love her and thescript is just wonderful,"Stone said. Besides finding thefilm fantastic, the blonde beau-ty has a great chemistry withGarfield, who she has datedfor more than a year. "There'sno rhyme or reason to it. Ithink you just have to click. Idon't think you should try toexplain the chemistry betweentwo people — it's either thereor it isn't," she added. PTI

Miley Cyrus has organised arally to save horses. She hastaken to micro-blogging site

Twitter for the cause. Cyrus voicedher support for a petition to ban allhorse-drawn carriages in New York.She tweeted a link to petition online,at the suggestion of her mother, whowas the first to get behind the ban."Cyrus grew up around animals andwith all our horses growing up, so sheis very passionate about protectingall animals," contactmusic.comquoted Cyrus' mum Tish Cyrusas saying. "Cyrus' fans havebeen amazing," said Tish.IANS

Save horses, urgesMILEYCYRUS

Fred Savage todirect Charlize

TheronFred Savage, the child star-

turned-prolific TV director,has been tapped by

Skydance Productions to helmtheir upcoming comedy LadiesNight, starring CharlizeTheron.

Since moving on from hisactor days when he played thewide-eyed grandson in ThePrincess Bride and Kevin onThe Wonder Years, Savage hasdirected over 120 TV episodesfor shows such as ModernFamily, It’s Always Sunny inPhiladelphia, and Boy MeetsWorld, but the Skydance project

will be his second directorialendeavor for the big screen. Hisfirst time directing a film wasDaddy Day Camp.

Ladies Night will starTheron as a woman who, whenconfronted with her longtimeboyfriend’s inability to commit,decides to have one last nighton the town with her girlfriendsbefore uprooting her life andmoving to New York.

The script is written byDavid Caspe, the showrunner ofABC’s Happy Endings — anoth-er series Savage has directed.Theron will also produce.


SPORTS 29

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt, testinghimself again over 400 meters, clocked46.44secs on Saturday in a runner-up

finish to Nicholas Maithland at the Univers -ity of West Indies Invitational. It was thethird 400m of the young season for Bolt,better known as the back-to-back Olympicchampion in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m.Bolt, who also raced the 400m at the low-key Camperdown Classic and competed inthe 4x400m relay at the Gibson Relays.

Bolt beaten over 400m

AAmittrajit Ghosh, driving a MitsubishiCedia, with co-driver Ashwin Naik sc -rambled into lead after front-running

Arjun Rao and his navigator Satish Rajagop -al conceded lead following a broken driveshaft to drop to overall sixth on the openingday of AVT Premium South India Rally onSaturday. In the first round of the FMSCI In -dian National Rally Championship, Gaura vGill and his partner Musa Sherif of team Ma -hindra Adventure topped the time charts.

Ghosh surges into lead

Arjun Atwal moved into the overdrivewith a six-under 30 on the secondnine to climb to second spot in the

Chitimacha Louisiana Open. At 10-under132, he is one shot behind Darron Stiles (64)at the midway stage of the tournament,which is the first domestic stop on the 2013Web.com Tour schedule. Atwal closed withthree consecutive birdies and four in his finalfive after an eagle-3 at the first, which cameimmediately after a double-bogey at No. 18.

Atwal at second spot

A3 division one dayZinda 227 for 7(Hussain 31,Azharuddin 70, Ehtesham 30,Abhista Rao 3/36) bt CrownCC 219/8 (Bharadwaj 35,

Yaseen 54, Rohit 30)A institution one dayMCH 89 (Jatin Mehta 3/19, BSatyanarayana 4/24) bt IAC 78(R Krishna 30, Balchander6/15).

PARIS: World champion JorgeLorenzo was fastest in Saturda -y's rain-hit testing at Jerez inSpain, the final weekend sessionbefore the season-openingMotoGP in Qatar on April 7.

Yamaha rider Lorenzo wasmore than a second quicker thanHonda duo, Dani Pedrosa andMarc Marquez after completing39 laps on the first day of thethree-day session where ridersstruggled with the overcast con-ditions and water-logged track.

"We stayed on the track thewhole day in the wet conditionsand it was good to see how thebike performed," said Lorenzo,who clocked 1min 47.423sec. Weare quite good in the wet here in

Jerez. It's the first time we are inthese conditions so it's impor-tant to understand what our lev-els are. It's important to be com-petitive in this situation."

Teammate Valentino Rossiwas sixth fastest with a best lapof 1min 49.443sec.

"The conditions today werevery bad so we had to work onthe wet," said the former worldchampion Italian, who put in 36laps.”

“The feeling with the bikewas not so bad but we had someproblems with the life of thetyre, after some laps we startedto spin a lot. It will be hard in awet race to do 27 laps in a row,”he said. AFP

VALLS, SPAIN: AustralianSimon Gerrans won the sixthstage of the Tour of Cataloniaon Saturday as Ireland's DanielMartin retained his lead at thetop of the overall standings. Ger -rans, who rides for Orica-Green -EDGE, prevailed in a sprint fin-ish to the penultimate day's178.7km run from Almacelles toValls, beating Belgian GianniMeersman, already a double sta -ge winner of the race, and Dan -iele Ratto of Italy. Race leader

Martin extended his advantageover Joaquim Rodriguez by thr -ee seconds to 17sec with a 45secgap back to Nairo Quintana.

The sixth stage was punctu-ated by an eight-man breakaway,eventually caught by the pelotonfour kilometres from the end.

Sunday's seventh and finalstage is a 122.2km ride from ElVendrell to Barcelona, with thefinish up the slopes of Montjuicwhere Rodriguez will be aimingto attack Martin. AFP

DENVER, COLORADO: TheDenver Nuggets stretched theirNBA winning streak to 15 gameson Saturday with a 101-95 victo-ry over the Sacramento Kings.

Danilo Gallinari led theNuggets with 19 points and eightrebounds as Denver matchedtheir club record winningstreak.

They haven't won 15 straightsince the 1969-1970 season, andmanaged to match the featdespite the absence of startingguard Ty Lawson.

Lawson missed a secondstraight game with bruised heel,while Wilson Chandler was alsosidelined with a shoulder injury.

Kenneth Faried contributed17 points and nine rebounds,Andre Iguodala added 15 pointswith eight assists and Denverhad 11 points apiece from AndreMiller and JaVale McGee.

The Kings' brief two-gamewinning streak was snapped.DeMarcus Cousins scored agame-high 24 points with 15rebounds for Sacramento, whileJohn Salmons had 18 points inthe defeat.

Salmons drained a three-pointer with 16 seconds remain-ing to pull Sacramento withinfour points at 99-95, but Millermade two free throws to rebuildDenver's lead.

The Nuggets have already

clinched a playoff berth for the10th straight season. AFP

Danilo Gallinari #8 of the DenverNuggets goes up for the layup ver-sus DeMarcus Cousins #15 of theSacramento Kings on Saturday atthe Pepsi Center in Denver,Colorado. Denver deteated Nuggetsto win the match 101-95, in the pro-cess, stretching their win streak to15. AFP/NBAE GARRETT W. ELLWOOD

‘We lost our way’Talek Harris

SEPANG: McLaren team pri -ncipal Martin Whitmarshsidestepped questions abouthis future Saturday but ad -mitted "we lost our way"with a new car design aftertheir early season woes con-tinued at the MalaysianGrand Prix.

Whitmarsh, under fireafter failing to win a worldtitle in four years at the hel -m, conceded 2009 championJenson Button and SergioPerez had little chance ofvictory in Sunday's race af -ter they qualified just eight -h and tenth respectively.

And Whitmarsh, whowatched his drivers finishninth and 11th at last wee -k's season-opener in Austr -alia, did not rule out the ra -dical option of scrapping th -e car and returning to lastyear's model. "Clearly welost our way in developingthis car. Formula One is arelentless and unforgiving

environment for

mistakes," he said. "The factis we took too long to reali -se that. We are respondingnow. This weekend and lastweekend have been incredi-bly difficult for the team.

"People expect us to beat the front, we expect to beat the front. And every timethe car left the garage it wa -s an experiment in process.And the car has a long wayto go." The poor start to theye ar has set off a clamourfor the return of successfulformer team principal RonDe nnis, now McLaren'schairman. Whitmarsh saidthat would be a decision forthe shareholders — and jok -ed that fans like Dennis "be -ca use he's warm and cud-dly".

McLaren lost Lewis Ha -milton to Mercedes last sea-son, with technical directorPaddy Lowe now headed inthe same direction. New tec -hnical chief Tim Goss is su -ch a recent appointment th -at his name, on a sticker, ispasted over Lowe's in theMalaysian GP me dia guide.

Whitmarsh said it wasnot his decision to take the"risk" with the new car, hi -nting that Lowe was instru-mental. And he said "all thi -ngs are options" when askedif McLaren would return tothe 2012 model, which wonthe last two races of theseason.

"All things are options.We've not ruled anythingout but we've made progresshere," he said. "We want tomake this car into a win-ning car... but I recognisewe haven't given them agood enough car to givethem the comfortable

option of winning therace tomorrow."

Lorenzo fastest1. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yam -aha) 1min 47.423sec, 2. DaniPedrosa (ESP/Honda) at1.051, 3. Marc Marquez(ESP/Honda) 1.101, 4. AndreaIannone (ITA/Ducati Pramac)1.561, 5. Michele Pirro(ITA/Ducati) 1.869, 6. Valenti -no Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 2.020,7. Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati)2.220, 8. Cal Crutchlow(GBR/Yamaha Tech3) 2.269, 9.Stefan Bradl (GER/HondaLCR) 2.367, 10. AndreaDovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 2.843.

Leading times:

Gerrans wins 6thstage, Martin in lead

Nuggets down Kingsfor 15th straight win

League Cricket


SPORTS 30

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA:Spain’s Beatriz Recari had aneagle and one birdie in a three-under par 69 on Saturday to str -etch her lead in the LPGA KiaClassic to two strokes. Recari,seeking to add a second LPGATour title to the LPGA Challengecrown she won in 2010, had a 54-hole total of 11-under par 205 an -d a two-stroke lead over Aus tra -lian Hall of Famer Karrie Webb.

Webb had six birdies, but herfour bogeys included two to capher round at 17 and 18. Her two-under 70 left her on 207, onestroke in front of South Korea’sI.K. Kim and American PaulaCreamer. Kim had five birdiesand three bogeys in her 70, whileCreamer notched four birdiesand three bogeys in a 71.

Stacy Lewis, playing her firsttournament since taking overthe world No. 1 ranking, cardeda three-under 69 to move into atie for fifth place with fellowAmericans Lizette Salas (70) andCristie Kerr (71), on 209.

“The last time I was in thelead heading into the fourthround was when I won, so itfeels good,” said Recari, who hada one-shot overnight lead overWebb and Creamer. AFP

MIAMI: World No. 1 SerenaWilliams was rolling Saturday,even before she got to her third-round match against AyumiMorita at the Miami ATP Mastersand WTA hardcourt tournament.The American, seeking a recordsixth Miami WTA crown, resortedto some unfamiliar transportation-- a bicycle -- to beat the traffic intoKey Biscayne and make her match.“The traffic was crazy and every-one was like, I have been here for

an hour and I’m stayinglike eight minutes away,”Williams said. “Theywere in the traffic for anhour. I’m like, ‘OK, I’m

not going to make mymatch if I don’t get there.’”

She asked hotel staff for a golf

cart, but they didn’t have one,offering a motor bike instead. “I’mlike, ‘I don’t do motor bikes,’”Williams said. She was slightlyless reluctant to try the bicycle,which she said turned out to befun. “It was probably one of mybest memories I think ever, ridinga bike to a match. That’s prettycool,” said Williams, who waspleased to be told that tennis greatMartina Navratilova sometimesrode a bike to Wimbledon. “Yeah?”Williams said. “Honestly, I hear alot of players do that, but I neverdid that. So, check.”

Maybe the unfamiliar exerciseaccounted for her slow startagainst Japan’s Morita, who brokeWilliams in the second game enroute to a 3-0 lead. AFP

MIAMI: Britain’s second-seededAndy Murray mastered the tric -ky conditions to make short wo -rk of Australian Bernard Tomicon Saturday to reach the thirdround of the Miami ATP Mas -ters and WTA tournament.

Tomic managed to win only10 points in the final set of a 56-minute match dominated by thereigning Olympic and US Openchampion, who has a trainingbase in Miami. “It’s very toughconditions,” Murray said of hisdetermination to get off to aquick start in his opening matchafter enjoying a first-round bye.

“You’re never going to feelgreat your first match, especiallywhen it’s tricky conditions andwith his game style, too,” addedthe Scot. “I don’t know if he wastired or struggling with thehumidity, but he was playingpretty low-percentage tennis.That played into my hands.”

World No. 3 Murray wasn’tsure that Tomic deserved thejeers he heard from fans as hefaded in the second set.

“You know, it is tough whenyou’re going behind and makingquite a lot of mistakes,” Murraysaid. “I have done it before whenmy head has gone down and youstill want to win, but it doesn’talways appear that way.”

Murray, next faces GrigorDimitrov, who won the first setagainst Simone Bolelli with thesecond set level at 1-1 when theItalian retired with a wristinjury. AFP

MIAMI: Bernard Tomic quic -kly put aside a 6-3, 6-1 loss onSaturday to second seed AndyMurray at the ATP MiamiMasters as the excitement ofa Davis Cup return builds forthe Australian number one.

Tomic, ranked 45th, wasunable to maintain early mo -mentum against Murray inthe heat of a steamy Floridaafternoon, blaming exposureto too much air-conditioningfor a troublesome virus.

“I didn’t play very good inthe second set,” acknowledgedTomic, who is also teamingwith Davis Cup teammate Ll -eyton Hewitt in doubles in

Miami. “I didn’t feel at 100 percent, I tried my best but it wa snot good enough.” “I’ve hadsome sort of flu for the lastfew days, I can’t breath throu -gh my nose and I lose energyquickly on court,” he said.

“I felt good in my firstround, but I must have sleptunder too much A/C. Thematch was played in very hotconditions, and I was soonstruggling. After losing thefirst set it was going to bereally difficult to come backfrom a set down.”

Although Tomic offeredlittle resistance in the secondset, Murray wasn’t sure that

he deserved the jeers he heardfrom the crowd.

“I obviously just try toconcentrate on my side of thecourt,” Murray said. “The onething I would say is that if yo -u aren’t used to playing in th -ese conditions, it is extremelyhot and tough to play. It is to -ugh when you’re going behindand making quite a lot of mi -stakes... So I don’t know. Thecrowd, the y’re free to do what-ever they want.”

Tomic heads next to Mun -ich when his doubles run isdone to train with the Austr -alian team for the Davis Cuptie against Uzbekistan. AFP

Beatriz Recari of Spain studies thegreen during Round Three of theLPGA 2013 Kia Classic in Carlsbad,California on Saturday.

AFP/DONALD MIRALLE

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Venus Williamswithdrew from the WTA and ATPMasters Miami hardcourt tournamenton Saturday with a lower back injury.The US 19th seed was to have faced16th-seeded compatriot SloaneStephens in a third-round match atthe $8.5 million event. Williams hadopened by defeating Japan’s KimikoDate-Krum 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-4 but saidshe could not be sure if the toughmatch played a role in forcing herout of the tournament. “Yesterday Iwas having some pain, and then justwanted to see how I felt in thewarmup -- just not able to playtoday,” Williams said. AFP

Serena rolls into round 4Injured Venus

withdraws from Miami

Spain’s RecaristretchesLPGA lead

Tomic eyes Davis CupMurray ripsBernard

ORLANDO, FLORIDA:Tiger Woods, set to returnto the World No. 1 rankingwith a victory, fired a six-under par 66 Saturday toseize a two-shot lead afterthe third round of the USPGA Arnold PalmerInvitational.

Defending championWoods sank 17 of 18 puttswithin 20 feet of the cup tofinish 54 holes at Bay Hill,where he already has wonseven titles, on 11-underpar 205.

“I played actually hal -fway decent, hit a lot of go -od shots,” Woods said. “M -ade a few putts. That wasthe key today. I was verypleased with how I playe -d.” Woods made five bird -ies, a bogey and an eagle atthe par-5 16th to grab thelead, with England’s JustinRose and Americans RickieFowler and John Huh shar-ing second on 207.

Woods, who has won 50times in 54 tries whenholding the lead enteringthe final round, seeks his77th career PGA triumph --

five shy of matching SamSnead’s all-time record -- inhis final tuneup event fornext month’s Masters.

Five days after reveal-ing that he is dating US skistar Lindsey Vonn, the 37-year-old American puthimself in position to over-

take top-ranked RoryMcIlroy by capturing the$6.2 million event.

Woods, a 14-time majorchampion chasing the all-time record of 18 majorswon by Jack Nicklaus, hasspent a record 623 weeksatop the world rankings.

But Woods has notpaced the rankings sinceOctober of 2010 afterinjuries and an infamoussex scandal saw him stum-ble from the top 50.

Woods has won fivetitles in the past 12months, a run that beganat Palmer’s event last yearwhen he won his first PGAtitle since the sex scandal.This year, Woods hasalready collected triumphsat Torrey Pines and Doral.

Woods would becomethe first player to win thesame PGA event eighttimes with a triumph onSunday. He is already thefirst to win eight times atthe same course afterseven PGA titles and the2008 US Open crown atTorrey Pines. AFP

Tiger seizes lead

Tiger Woods celebrates after heholes a putt for eagle at the par5, 16th hole on Saturday.

AFP/DAVID CANNON


SPORTS 31

AUCKLAND: New Zealand imp -loded at the start of their secondinnings as they set out to buildon a huge 239-run first inni ngslead on the third day of the finalTest against England on Sunday.

At stumps at Eden Park inthe series-deciding final Test,New Zealand were three for 35,leading by 274 after dismissingEngland for 204. Opener PeterFulton, who scored his maidenTest century in the first innings,was unbeaten on 14 whichincluded three boundaries, withDean Brownlie on 13.

In a chaotic final session, eig -ht wickets fell for 39 ru ns as theEngland tail collapsed and theNew Zealand top order followedsuit, increasing the ch ances of adecision in the deadlockedseries. The rain-abb revi ated firsttwo Tests were dr awn but onlyfine weather is fo recast forAuckland over the next two days.

New Zealand decided not toenforce the follow on after rip-ping out the England tail aftertea as they gambled on bowlinglast on a deteriorating wicket.

But the strategy appeared tobackfire as Hamish Rutherfordfell on the third ball he faced to

start a collapse that reducedNew Zealand to eight for threeafter eight overs before Fultonand Brownlie steered them

through to stumps.The New Zealand batting

failure came after their strikebowlers Tim Southee and TrentBoult had ripped through theEngland tail, taking the last fivewickets for 31 runs.

The eight dismissals aftertea occurred in the space of 18overs as the wicket which sup-ported the New Zealand batsmento a first innings 443 began toshow assistance for the bowlers.

For New Zealand, left-armerBoult produced his best Test fig-ures of six for 68 while Southeefinished with three for 44.

Broad had the remarkablefigures of two for seven fromseven overs for England.

He removed Rutherford for aduck with a rising delivery thatwas flicked to Ian Bell in thegully and trapped Ross Taylor(three) leg before wicket.

Kane Williamson had scoredone run from 11 balls when hechopped a wayward deliveryfrom James Anderson on to thestumps. England, who startedthe day at 50 for two, staged twocollapses in an innings that wasboosted by the single partner-ship of Matt Prior and Joe Root.

HAMBANTOTA, SRI LANKA:Tillakaratne Dilshan ham-mered an unbeaten 113 tofire Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win over Bangladeshin the first one-dayer,marked by a power failureand bees’ invasion onSaturday.

The opener hit 11 foursin his 15th one-day centuryas Sri Lanka, chasing arevised target of 238 in 41overs following the outage,won the day-night match inHambantota with 32 balls tospare for a 1-0 lead in thethree-match series.

Dilshan also upstagedBangladesh’s Tamim Iqbalwho scored an impressive112 for his fourth one-dayton to prop up the innings,briefly halted by a swarm ofbees in the afternoon thatforced some of the playersto lie on the ground.

The play was held up formore than 90 minutes dueto the power failure, firstduring the Bangladeshiinnings and then before thestart of Sri Lanka’s chase.

The organisers apolo-gised for the power failures,saying an investigation willsoon be launched. AFP

Dilshanpowers SLto victory

Confident ofbeing fit forAshes: PupSYDNEY: Australian Testcaptain Michael Clarkesaid Sunday it was unlikelyhis back and hamstringissues would keep him outof the Ashes tour toEngland later this year.

Clarke returned homeearly from Australia’s seri -es in India after being rule -d out of the fourth and fin -al Test in Delhi. It was thefirst time in his 92-matchTest career stretching morethan eight years that injuryhad forced him out of theAustralian team.

Clarke, has had a longstanding problem withback-related issues. “It wastaken out of my hands onceI was unavailable for selec-tion,” he told reporters atSydney airport on hisarrival home.

“The medical staff fromCricket Australia wanted toget me home ASAP to havescans and try and get me asfit again as soon as possibleas well. So it was a bit of‘do as you’re told’, when itcame to flying out.” Clarkesaid he was positive abouthis chances of recoveringwell in time for Australia’sAshes tour to England,which begins in late June.

ScorecardNew Zealand, 1st inn 443England, 1st inn (overnight 50/2)N. Compton lbw Southee 13I. Bell lbw Southee 17J. Root b Southee 45Baristow lbw Boult 3M. Prior c Rutherford b Neil 73S. Broad c Rutherford b Boult 16S. Finn c Taylor b Boult 0Anderson c Watling b Boult 4Panesar not out 0Extras (w 2) 2Total (all out) 204Bowling: Boult 25-9-68-6, Southee23.2-9-44-3, Wagner 15-3-36-1,Martin 26-10-56-0New Zealand 2nd inningsP. Fulton not out 14H. Rutherford c Bell b Broad 0Williamson b Anderson 1Taylor lbw Broad 3Brownlie not out 13Extras (lb 4) 4Total (3 wickets) 35Bowling: Anderson 9-6-11-1, Broad7-4-7-2, Finn 4-1-9-0, Panesar 2-2-0-0, Trott 1-0-4-0

New Zealand’s Trent Boult cele-brates the wicket of England’sSteven Finn on Sunday. AFP

NZ implode after skittling England

Whitewash looms largeWith the Oz batsmen falling like a pack of cards in their second innings, aclean sweep for the hosts, for the Boder-Gavaskar Trophy looks very likely.

NEW DELHI: Understandingfully well that every run theymanage to score in the last twowickets they have in the firstinnings here at the FerozshahKotla Ground on Sunday, thethird day of the fourth Test,Bhuvaneshwar Kumar had anextended batting practice beforethe start of play.

Ishant Sharma, too, wasenthusiastic to get to the crease;so much so that he had to bereminded by Australian captainShane Watson that he was jump-ing the gun. Enthusiasm alonedoes not make a good batsman,certainly not on this pitch.Sharma realised that soonenough as he was bowledthrough a gap between bat andpad to a Nathan Lyon deliverythat turned in sharply.

Lyon got next man inPragyan Ojha in the very nextdelivery, trapped in front of thewicket. India’s first innings totalof 272 meant that they had man-aged a lead of 10 runs over theAussies’ first innings score. IfIndia managed to get a psycho-logical advantage with the 10-run lead, Australia can takesolace in that it is the home sidethat is going to be batting last onthis fast-deteriorating pitch.

The Aussies decided to take

the bull by its horns, scorequickly and give themselves agood chance of redeeming somegrace in the tour, which hasbeen nothing short of a night-mare for them: Glenn Maxwell,it was who walked in to open theinnings along with DavidWarner.

For India, since the pitch isall about the dominance of spin-ners on it, it was RavichandranAshwin who bowled the secondover after Bhuvaneshwar tookthe new ball, with four close-in

fielders breathing down the bats-men.

Ravindra Jadeja came in forBhuvaneshwar after he hadbowled just two overs and imme-diately snared Maxwell with aball that reared up from goodlength to knock back the stumps.Australia had just about wipedout the deficit at that point.

In his next over, Jadeja gotlucky when he got a favourableleg-before-wicket decision fromumpire RA Kettleborough. Theball had come a long way from

outside the off stump to catchWarner in front.

Ashwin too got into the act,trapping Phillip Hughes in front;the umpires seem keen on get-ting the match over with, thistime Aleem Dar.

When Shane Watson fell toOjha after scoring only five runs,and was followed by Ed Cowan,who scored 23 runs, it was obvi-ous that the visitors were goingto have enough time seeingaround this historic city.

Australia went into lunch at89 for five, 79 ahead with fivewickets and a real fight at hand.

SYED SHOAIBIn New Delhi

ScoreboardAustralia 1st innings 262India 1st innings 272Australia 2nd innings DA Warner lbw b Jadeja 8GJ Maxwell b Jadeja 8EJM Cowan lbw b Jadeja 24PJ Hughes lbw b Ashwin 6SR Watson* b Ojha 5SPD Smith not out 17MS Wade† not out 16Extras (b 4, lb 1) 5Total (5 wickets) 89Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-20, 3-41,4-51, 5-53Bowling O M R WB Kumar 2 0 9 0R Ashwin 10 1 35 1RA Jadeja 11 2 28 3PP Ojha 8 2 12 1

Indian players rush to congratulate Ravindra Jadeja after he claimed thewicket of Australia’s David Warner during day three of the fourth Test at theFerozeshah Kotla Ground in New Delhi on Sunday. SRINIVAS SETTY


SPORTS 32

Andy Scott

PARIS: Spain may be the reign-ing European and world champi-ons, but they will arrive in Parisfor Tuesday’s crucial World Cupqualifier against France withmore than a few nagging doubts.

Friday’s 1-1 draw with GroupI’s bottom side Finland, coupledwith a 3-1 win for France againstGeorgia, left them two pointsadrift of Didier Deschamps’ menin the section.

It may be a little soon to startpanicking, but Spain can illafford to lose at the Stade deFrance — do so and they will befive points off top spot with justone automatic berth at nextyear’s finals in Brazil up forgrabs.

Indeed, some in Spain areeven beginning to entertain thepossibility that a defeat on

Tuesday could lead to themmissing out on a play-off place.

Only the eight best runners-up will get a second chance toqualify in the two-legged play-offs, with the poorest performingrunner-up missing out.

Such a scenario seems high-ly unlikely, but it is no exaggera-tion to say that things have notbeen this bad for Spain in a longtime.

Having won three consecu-tive major international tourna-ments, Spain have become accus-tomed to winning, so failing tobeat opponents as limited asFinland calls into question themethods that have worked sowell in recent years.

Spain utterly dominated pos-session against the Finns atGijon, with even their centraldefensive pairing of GerardPique and Sergio Ramos spend-

ing most of the evening in theopposition half of the field.

But they lacked the imagina-tion and the width required tobreak down the visitors’ defen-sive wall, and were too oftenrestricted to shots from long

range.Coach Vicente Del Bosque

tried several permutations inattack, from Cesc Fabregas inthe role of a false nine, to Cescand David Villa together and theintroductions of burly Sevilla

striker Alvaro Negredo andChelsea’s Juan Mata.

They couldn’t kill the gameoff after Ramos’ headed openerearly in the second half andwere made to pay when TeemuPukki equalised late on.

Following last October’s 1-1draw with France in Madrid,Spain have now gone two succes-sive competitive home gameswithout winning for the firsttime since the 1982 World Cupfinals, a statistic that conjuresmemories of older, far less glori-ous times.

“Teams have found a way ofplaying against them,” observedFrance midfielder BlaiseMatuidi. The prevailing opinionin the Spanish media is that DelBosque’s team were over-confi-dent and allowed thoughts todrift towards France beforeFinland had been put to bed.

SAN JOSE: Costa Rica reactedwith outrage on Saturday follow-ing their country’s World Cupqualifying defeat to the UnitedStates, angrily claiming the snow-hit match should have been calledoff.

Amid farcical scenes in Denveron Friday, Costa Rica slumped to a1-0 defeat to their CONCACAFrivals in a match which saw bothsides labour through a blizzard ona pitch blanketed in thick snow.

Salvadoran referee JoelAguilar briefly halted the game inthe 55th minute before allowingthe match to conclude.

However Costa Rica’s pressslammed the decision on Saturday.“Outrageous! We were forced toplay in caveman conditions,” theAl Dia newspaper wailed on itsfront page.

“It was the only way they couldbeat us — the USA froze us inDenver. Why was the game allowedto go ahead?” the paper added. LaNacion newspaper agreed. “Snowwas the United States’ bestweapon. Costa Rica were frozenout by the poor condition of thepitch,” it commented.

Costa Rica’s coach Jorge LuisPinto meanwhile branded the deci-sion to go ahead with the game asshameful.

“It’s embarrassing for footballand embarrassing for fair play. It’sdisrespectful to FIFA, the fans, theplayers and spectacle,” Pinto wasquoted as saying in the Extranewspaper.

Manager Rodolfo Villalobossaid snow was at least “five inch-es” deep in parts of the field.

Costa Rica furyover ‘snow game’

Hart warns of‘tough fight’

England could be either one point clearor five points behind Montenegro .

SERRAVALLE, SANMARINO: Goalkeeper JoeHart said England “mustperform” when they faceleaders Montenegro in aEuropean zone Group HWorld Cup qualifier inPodgorica on Tuesday.

England could be eitherone point clear or fivepoints behind Montenegrodepending on the outcomeof Tuesday’s match andHart, reduced to a spectatorin Friday’s 8-0 thrashing ofminnows San Marino, said:“Tuesday is big, an excitinggame for us. We are gettingcloser to the World Cupfinals.

“We’ve got to perform.”England let a two-goal

lead slip in a Euro 2012qualifier againstMontenegro in Podgorica

17 months ago, the hostsrecovering to a 2-2 draw ina match where visitingstriker Wayne Rooney wassent off.

“Maybe we could beaccused of taking our footoff the pedal as we let a 2-0advantage slip away lasttime against them when weneeded just a point,” Hartsaid.

“That is not going to bethe case this time. We’vegot a job on our hands inan intimidating arena, butwe’ve definitely got thecapabilities.

“We go there with theintention of doing wellagainst a good nation.

“Brazil is a long wayoff, and I’m not going to getcarried away thinkingabout that.”

Spain keep faith in styleFriday’s 1-1 draw with Group I’s bottom side Finland, coupled with a 3-1 win for France against Georgia, left

them two points adrift of Didier Deschamps’ men in the section.

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Postnoon E-Paper for March 24th 2013