A Traveller's Diary
A Home Away From Home
Tanveer Ahmad
Zamanabad to Muzaffarabad
Monday, May 18, 2009
Not only did I pass Kohalla (The intersection of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir enroute to Muzaffarabad) last night, I made it to Zamanabad...more commonly referred to as 5 mile or Paanch Meel in inference to being 5 miles in from the intersection cited above.
As warned by the doctor yesterday, the pain in my bones in the morning is almost unbearable. It's just as well that I took advice in eating eggs last night which were duly cooked by my host who happened to be the owner of the restaurant that I stayed in last night. His kindness streched to the extent of providing me a bed to stay the night and a hearty breakfast in the morning before seeing me off.
Muzaffarabad was now only 28 kilometres away and the road ahead was pretty straight. I continued receiving suggestions of using a motorbike, that the road ahead was difficult, why don't I put myself and my cycle on a wagon? I was in no mood to entertain such thoughts and had to politely brush such advice away each time I saw it coming.
As I edged closer to my destination, it seemed as if the wind was pushing ever more firmly in my direction. Even when travelling downhill, I had to peddle vigorously in order to keep the bicycle in motion.
As has been normal upon entering previous cities of Azad Kashmir, everybody appears to be doing their own thing with only as much as a quick glance here or there upon the unusual sight of a cyclist with rucksack in tow.
Despite the cool breeze emanating from the River Jhelum (which begins it's journey from the Vale of Kashmir, flowing through Srinagar), the mid-day sun appears to beat down on me like never before and with just a few kilometres before the finishing line, I decide to break for Zuhr (afternoon prayers).
Tired, bruised and jaded: yet the shopkeeper and his friends near the mosque insist on joining them for lunch. As I narrate my story over a meal of scrambled eggs (I couldn't have asked for anything more apt), their reaction confirms that I made the right decision of this most ardous of journeys.
I explain that I can't wait to get to my destination in the city and that I would bear the pain for that little bit longer. I assured them that my first destination would involve meeting a doctor friend of my fathers, upon whose medical advice I shall act promptly upon.
I learn of the gruesome murder of Hoshiyar Singh and his family in Samba (near Jammu) last year, via Kashmir Times Online. This terrible event of the 11th of May takes away another broad-minded thinker from our midst.
A blow for Kashmir and a blow for humanity.
Muzaffarabad, Day 1
May 22, 2009
Tis my first full day.
What I regret not doing yesterday is going straight to the Chief Secretary's office which is based adjacent to the Azad Kashmir Prime Minister's Secretariat. As I'm looking to create some sort of impact in a hardened world of dare I utter it...criminals, I feel I need to make it clear to these people, what pains one has to undergo to live a straight, within the rule of law if not a meritorious existence in this system which appears to favour the opposite.
I keep focussed nevertheless and the Chief Secretary's office is startled at my approach. His personal secretary (PSO) assures me that I can expect a response to the following letter by the 26th.
Copy of Letter:
To: Chief Secretary (Representing the State of Pakistan in Azad Jammu & Kashmir)
Date: 19/05/09
Dear Sir,
I can confidently assert that the world is unanimous in accepting that nation states have (amongst others) 3 basic duties to their citizens:
1) To provide justice without favour, bias or linkage.
2) To provide security to all citizens viz. life, property and dignity.
3) To facilitate economic activity (via employment or self-employment) failing which a minimum amount of social security should be provided to each citizen so they can subsist.
Having been in Pakistan for about 3 years and in Azad Kashmir for just over a year (uninterrupted since April 2005) I am saddened to point out that none of the above exists in Pakistan. Furthermore, the people of Kashmir (on either side of the divide) do not have unhindered access to basic human necessities such as travel, trade and an independent thought process.
Before I came here, I was enjoying a productive and successful career in journalism. I had broadcasted and wrote for the BBC in Iraq, been the editorial writer and news editor for a national weekly newspaper (The Muslim Weekly), reported from Afghanistan and had other lucrative offers in the pipeline.
I gave everything up in the UK to concentrate on understanding the relationship between India and Pakistan, judging that as a critical background to devising a solution for the people of Kashmir (Who have, let's face it, suffered and continue to suffer, face un-natural restrictions.just because India and Pakistan cannot reconcile between each other).
Despite using all practical and creative means at my disposal, I failed to gain even an inch in attempting to play a positive role in improving the relationship between India and Pakistan. No bilateral organisation/NGO was willing to accept me on board, no media or academic institution was willing to give me any space, to the extent that when I conducted a cycle ride from Torkhem to Wagah in July/August 2007, to promote peace and the importance of movement (ref. www.sahaafi.blogspot.com), I was forcibly evicted from Wagah for the crime of participating in the joy and happiness of India and Pakistan's 60th anniversary.
I'm sure you'll agree that if somebody wishes to do good for society/humanity, they devise principles for themselves. One of my principles has been that I confine myself to the rule of law, (that meant not paying any inducements to police or other government officials). At great risk to my existence and as great a societal handicap as one can imagine, I initiated an effort to reclaim 90 lakh rupees for my uncle who had been been stung by a common fraudster since 1992. Despite my principled stance, the legal framework in Pakistan has favoured him at every step as he wobbled and weaved through the legal process.
Even though he happens to be in Adiala Jail since December the 16th, my sources tell me he is quite comfortable there, obtaining all his creature comforts at will. My estimation is that he's just biding his time before he can access another legal loophole that will pull him through. I'd just like to put a few points on record about this gentleman Bashir (ref. www.yughayar.net):
-He has been considered as a major expert in the property business.
-He has been instrumental in "washing" a lot of black money that has been earned through drugs in Europe and elsewhere.
-He has many commercial as well as residential properties (registered in the name of others).
-He has acted as an entertainment pimp for the likes of Sheikh Rasheed and has relations with Chaudary Shujaat (who may have been instrumental in his Rahwali Sugar Mill scam).
-He has put out a contract to kill me, this prevents me from traveling to Pakistan indefinitely.
- At the outset, the claim was only for 90 lakhs, the minimum amount. Yet all his ducking and weaving over the past few years has been at great cost to me and my family. He was forewarned of additional costs should he act 'smart'.
The minimum that he has made from my uncle and his numerous friends since 1992 is 12 Crore rupees. That is what I seek; given the weakness of the judicial system and my protestations to a Pakistan foreign Office official a couple of years back, this matter can only be solved via political means (the Pakistani Chief Justice Issue is a perfect example).
-I do not seek this money to go and spend in a Monte Carlo Casino, rather that I wish to utilise the bulk of it for the development of Kashmir, Pakistan. India and Bangladesh, so that the 3 basic duties of the nation state (as mentioned at the outset) can be performed. I aim to invest in media, education, preservation of the environment and administrative/legal reform.
-A final note on this Bashir issue: There are ample examples of where Arabs, Europeans or Americans have been cheated in Pakistan. They didn't have to be humiliated via the legal system. The Government of Pakistan solved their issues promptly and directly.
Moving gradually away from the personal and back to the collective; I have completed a 17-day cycle tour of Azad Kashmir, starting from my home village of Kokoi to Muzaffarabad (ref. www.tanveerandkashmir.blogspot.com). I found that the people of Azad Kashmir are particularly disturbed at how political/military events are panning out in Pakistan. They feel harshly done by the economic arrangement between Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. In the year 2009, there is yet no linkage with the outside world viz. no international airport. People are forced to accept goods from Pakistan; the rate of essentials is crippling people, the quality of flour is pathetic and the rate exploitative. The list of grievances in this modern age of communication technology is endless and Pakistan needs to get a grasp on the rapid changes that are taking place throughout the world. The Kashmiri people are tired of marginalisation.
Just as I've maintained the importance of the rule of law, in equal measure I maintain the necessity of seeking positive change through peaceful means. If you fail to respond to my plea for justice in the next three days, I will have no option but to engage in civil disobedience. Remember, the eyes of the world are firmly on Pakistan. Is it not constructive for you to provide examples of where your country recognises sincere commitments to the betterment of society, which in turn may provide the desperately needed credibility that you seek?
If anything untoward were to happen to me, I would hold you and your citizen Bashir responsible. The over 500,000 strong UK-based Azad Kashmiri community will not show blind faith in you for much longer. If Nelson Mandela could defeat the colonial settlers on the basis of principles, there's no reason why I can't do the same with you.
Yours truly,
Tanveer Ahmed (Journalist, Consultant, Activist)
May 22/
I'm behind in my writing, at times I'm overwhelmed by people who have taken an interest in what I've been doing and am trying to do.
I decide that I must try and sit in the hotel room today and update myself. I know I'm not writing as concisely as I should and all the ancillary web-related work is suffering too. For example, apart from the first two video clips on (ref. www.zorpia.com/sahaafi) zorpia, I'm yet to post the dozens of video clips that I've generated so far on my journey. The bandwidth provided by my internet service provider is just too narrow to facilitate uploading. I realise the urgent need to source a broadband internet connection somewhere in Muzaffarabad soon.
The past year has admittedly been a pretty lazy one on my part and there are times every day, when I rue not keeping myself organised and up to date during this period. I'm constantly having to play catch-up with the work at hand.
My day gets slightly complicated when a relation of mine who was dismissed from the police force in 2006, turns up on a promise that I made to him in assisting his re-instatement (subject to the rule of law of course).
This marginally affects my expenditure burden but it's important that I maintain the spirit of social welfare that I've set for myself.
While I'm writing this, it persistently dawns on me that Azad Kashmir is effectively a lawless territory, without the slightest hint of accountability. This fact has been repeated to me so often during my cycle journey, if not since April 2005.
A common example of how the legal system operates is as follows: two disputing parties take their mutual issue to court. The police (if appropriate) and the judiciary at every step, milk each party for whatever they're worth. After a few years (as is usually the case) both paries tire of the judicial system and decide to settle out of court. Even then, the authorities may or may not feel satisfied that they've been fed enough: In which case, they pursue each party to clear their dues. After all, a "settlement" has been reached!
When I look at the amount of luxury 4x4 vehicles with government number plates that litter Muzaffarabad, I wonder at the extent of cold-blooded corruption that pervades this city.
Some people talk of the negative fallout on the city of the October 2005 earthquake. That it split families, greed took control of those that were able to source access to funds. Those who were weak, less resourceful or even less selfish missed out. It's a well-known fact that despite Pakistan's afffirmation to be accountable for the use of earthquake donations, no transparency has emerged thus far. Tens or even hundreds of millions (equivalent pounds) have not been accounted for.
Kokoi, Muzaffarabad
May 23
My 3 year old daughter wakes up with a persistent cough every morning. Hotel food with it's abundance of inferior ghee and questionable hygiene is taking it's toll on my family and me. Yes, it is grossly unfair of me to put my family through the pain and torture of what I am going through. This is providing the drive for me to become efficient and more focussed at the job at hand. I am doing what I am doing because the living standards for most people in this region are dire. I would feel even more guilty if I were to transport my family and I to the UK to live a selfish existence.
In particular, I need the support of the Azad Kashmiri community in the UK to help me in my endeavours. If they took interest, my work would be a lot more effective and they would be involved in positive change, that would ultimately benefit them too. Coming "home" to a society that had a robust public infrastructure, where education was more in tune with global standards, where law and order was visible and where economic opportunity for the locals took away the burden on "British" visitors to "help out"; surely they understood the need for a sincere, concerted and disciplined effort to produce all these human requirements, rather more than the "locals".
As my cousin (the dismissed police constable) and I take the long walk to the Capital's administrative hub, he lauds my determination but I sense he wonders why I'm putting myself through such agony.
I make a point of re-visiting the chief secretary's office. Though they gave me a tentative date of the 26th, I wanted to ensure that my letter had been read and registered with the Chief.
I was urged to meet the additional secretary (presumably, the chief's number 2). Upon reading my letter, he felt that this was an issue above his jurisdiction and that the chief (Pakistan's de facto governor in Azad Kashmir) himself was the only person competent enough to address the contents of my letter. A date of the 27th has now been given to me. No guarantee of course; I reminded the chief's personal secretary of the seriousness of the issues at hand. His reply was that he was doing his job in the best manner possible and that he shouldn't be held responsible for the supposed crimes of others. A familiar bureaucratic lament, synonymous with the sub-continent.
I learn that my attempts to procure a place of residence for my family is still probably a day away. It would be unwise for me to make them endure hotel life any longer than they have. Reluctant though I feel, I decide that spending a few days back in the village will refresh and re-invigorate me and my family. I shall come back on the 27th and in the meantime my Muzaffarabad residence, financial replenishment (if I'm fortunate) and an opportunity to make up for wasted time seemed sufficient reason to take my foot off the pedal for a few days.
I miss my Naani too.
-(To be continued)

Savile Row Never Goes Out Of Style
Emma Ross
Savile Row is the shopping street in Mayfair- central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The short street is termed the "golden mile of tailoring", where customers have included Winston Churchill, Lord Nelson, Prince Charles, and Napoleon III.
The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row, when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers. In the UK, good ready-to-wear suits costs about œ800 (Rs 64,000). A category up would be "personally tailored", where individual measurements are turned into a suit in a factory. However, the English "bespoke suit", which is handcrafted by elderly men at the basement workshops in Savile Row will not cost less than œ4,500 (Rs 3.6 lakh).
What is the meaning of the word 'Bespoke' so sacred to the Savile Row establishment? In the words of one of the doyens in the street". The term "bespoke" originated more than a century ago on Savile Row-because after customers chose the bolt of cloth from which they wanted a suit made, the fabric was said to "be spoken for." Once the personal measurements are taken in the old fashioned way, they are entered into our system which connects to our cutting machines, automatically adjusting them to ensure exact pattern replication., True, the suits require about 12 weeks to make. The tailor takes up to 35 measurements before a pattern is even drawn up, and as the suit comes together, there can be as many as four fittings to ensure that, in the end, the garment "fits like the proverbial glove." The hand-tailored articles are designed to last a lifetime, but that doesn't mean the tailors remain locked in the past: now a days the firms frequently makes jackets with a special pocket for mobile phones and even once for chopsticks! But if a Savile Row tailor took your measurements to fax them overseas for someone to make up a completed suit it would not be "bespoke" tailoring. Bespoke is "handcrafted something exceptional that has taken many hours of observation and skills".
Such are the characteristics, which ensure that the discerning customers of Savile Row tailors, who are happy to pay starting prices of British pounds 4,500 (Rs. 3.6 lakhs) for a hand tailored suit. And if the customer wants to be really choosey about the cloth the base line price for a suit can be as much as British pounds 15,000 (Rs. 12 lakhs) says Andrew Ramroop, managing director of Maurice Sedwell ltd. He explains that one of the more unusual cloths from among his stocks of more than 12,000 fabrics is a pin stripe in which the contrasting stripe is actually 22 carat gold!
Of the 19 firms in this street (half the 38 that were here 30 years ago), Henry Poole & Co at number 15 is the oldest established tailors. In 1806 James Poole came to London from Shropshire and joined an army volunteer corps who had to make their own equipment. By the battle of Waterloo, he and his wife were doing such good business sewing military tunics that they opened a shop on adjoining Old Burlington Street. Having dressed Charles Dickens in tails for his dramatic readings, Sir Winston Churchill in his black jacket and striped trousers for public life, and Charles de Gaulle in uniformed splendor to save France, Henry Poole continues to be a tailor of choice for the powerful.
The first of the new breed to move in was designer Richard James in 1998, whose style is characterized by vibrant, eye-popping colour. But he says that he is still on probation even after 11 years. "God!" he says. "I think it would take about 150 years to be considered part of the establishment. When we first came here, Savile Row tailors looked intimidating, like a club - it certainly didn't look like you could just wander in and have a browse."
But Savile Row seems to be gradually assimilating the new and foreign boys. Ozwald Boateng an African from Ghana set up shop at the south end of the Row on Vigo Street in 1995 and Japanese rare clothing specialists Oki-Ni have their hi-tech shop in The Row, Andrew Ramroop, a Indian black immigrant from the Caribbean island of Trinidad, owns and runs Maurice Sedwell, a leading shop on the Row and in 2007, he was chosen by his peers to chair the Master Craftsmen's Association, the ultimate accolade for a tailor.
Though the patrons of Savile Row read like a who's who of British celebrity-from Prince Charles to Sir Lawrence Olivier to Jude Law-the street has taken its share of knocks in recent years. Armani caused a furor in 2007 summer, prior to the launch of his own service, attacking the tailors on the row as a "bad English comedy." And escalating rents have forced many of the smaller players to relocate. Worst of the problems was when in 2008, Sartoriani, a men's wear company described its suits as "bespoke"! The Savile Row Bespoken Association representing the Savile Row complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of Britain on the grounds that suits made after initial measurements and then machine-cut abroad did not merit the description. They claimed that a bespoke suit is crafted to a pattern devised uniquely for a specific individual, refined during a succession of fittings and hand-stitched. It has been defined as "cut by an individual, for an individual".
To their shock, The ASA rejected their complaint and today the word Bespoke is no longer the complete preserve of Savile Row. This ruling threatens the very existence of the shops on the street. There is already a plan to build a multi-storeyed complex at the location driving away the shops. But Mark Henderson, the chairman of the Savile Row Bespoke Association says they will to continue to fight: "We'd like to see whether courts might like to stand behind Savile Row Bespoke, in the same way as the French courts have consistently protected the French champagne industry".
But despite these problems, the Row continues to be a mecca for men around the world who want the very best of tailoring, The idle window-shoppers who throng neighboring Bond and Regent Streets do not come here. Yet, compared to the Row of 30 years ago, the scene today is one of quiet emancipation.
-(Maharaja Features)
By arrangement with Albion Features of U.K.

Soaps and Skin
Banalata Bipani
Let us concede, that the most important constituent of our fashion, is the way we have to maintain the health of our skin, especially when it comes to our face. But one finds that the fashionistas, who rave about the new type of moisturisers/ facials, do not pay that much attention to the basic attributes of the soap, the basic cosmetic we used for cleaning our skin. Further It becomes confusing, what to use, from so many soaps available in the market, all of them claiming maximum benefits. As such we have to find out, as to which soap matches with our skin requirements, as it is very necessary to match the nature of our skin with the particular quality of the soap, that will ensure that the natural suppleness is maintained. For this, first you must know the nature of your skin and then the type of soap suitable for it.
There are five major types of skin:
Normal skin: This type of skin looks healthy as there is a right balance between oil and moisture content. The normal skin appears smooth, clear and toned, without spots or blemishes and reflects good health.
Oily skin: This type of skin appears greasy. Dirt and dust gets attracted by the excessive oil on the skin leading to black heads, white heads, pimples and spots.
Dry skin: This type of skin appears parched and flaky due to a lack of moisture caused by inadequate secretions of the sebaceous glands.
Combination skin: This type of skin appears dry at the cheeks and areas around the mouth and eyes and appears oily at the central panel (forehead, nose and chin). Hence, it is known as combination skin.
Sensitive skin: This type of skin has a fine texture and is sensitive to climatic changes and chemical ingredients present in perfumes, dyes and other cosmetic products.
How to determine your skin type?
As you wake up in the morning check for the grease/oil on your face. Wipe your face with a tissue. If you observe oil on the tissue then your skin is the greasy type.
If you observe grease or oil only on the center panel or the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin), then it would be combination skin. If you do not observe any grease/oil on the tissue, then it is either normal or dry skin. Dry skin feels too tight, parched and stretched whereas a normal skin feels smooth, elastic and supple.
Before you go searching for the correct type of soap for your skin, you must know the basic facts about soaps in general. The term pH is the approximate measure of acidity of a substance and is represented by a number. Seven is considered neutral, whereas less than seven is acidic. The higher numbers denote alkalinity. Our skin is mildly acidic. Most of the ordinary soaps available in the market are alkaline. They react with the acidity of the skin and kill some superficial cells. These cells putrefy and cause more bad odor. More alkaline, and cheap is the soap, more damage will be done to the skin. Search for neutral pH soap for best results. Further before buying a toilet soap, you have to ensure that it is having an index called TFM (Total Fatty Matter) above 70%.TFM-index is the basic standard to evaluate the quality of any toilet soap. A product with less than 60% TFM can not be sold as 'soap'. And look for a TFM fairly above 70. Generally soaps with TFM more than 80 are said to be of Grade 1, and those soaps with TFM more than 65 and below 80 are said to be Grade 2 Further a good soap should contain the fat or oil that it is made from, good examples being coconut or palm oils, water, a water softener to enable the soap to cleanse the skin properly, a moisturizer such as glycerine or lanolin and possibly a perfume derived from natural sources. Salt is also frequently used, and is a good bactericide. Wherever possible, you should choose a natural soap containing antioxidants The antioxidants help to protect your skin from the ravages of pollution and the effects of the sun's rays, both of which generate free radicals that can accelerate the aging and wrinkling of your skin. Choosing a Soap: For a cleansing procedure to be effective, soap has to perform three important functions:
* Remove surface grime
* Cleanse without disturbing the normal balance
* Keep the skin surface free from dead cells
If you have normal skin, choose Regular/traditional soaps: These soaps are fine for normal skin, but may be irritating for dry skins.
Oily and problem skins require a medicated cleanser/soap.. Transparent soaps: These are the best option for sensitive but oily skin.
Combination skin Should be cleansed according to the dry skin procedure for the dry areas on the face and oily skin procedure for the oily areas. In other words, the two areas of the face have to be treated differently.
Normal to dry skins:
Clean your skin twice a day using a glycerine soap For dry skin, use a soap that contains aloe vera which cleans without disturbing the normal PH balance.
Shower soaps: These have been recently introduced,
If you have dry skin, these are the cleansing agents you should choose from:
Moisturizing or super fatted soaps: These are good for those who have dry skin as they contain fatty ingredients and are pH neutral. Specialized kinds of soaps Deodorant soaps: Avoid using these on your face as the antiseptics can cause reactions.
Medicated soaps: These can cause dryness, especially when used for long periods of time. Under no circumstances should you use a medicated soap for more than two months at a stretch.
General rules for better skin care with soaps.1. Use different soaps for the face and body, as the ones for the face are milder and contain fewer chemicals.2. Using too much soap drives out excess oils from the skin making it dry and lustreless. So, use soaps just to remove extra oils, not everything from the skin.
 Do a patch test by first applying the soap on a small area of your body to check if the ingredients in the soap suit.
Note If you use heavy makeup:
Clean your face with cleansing milk as soap, water and face wash are not good to remove make-up. After the make-up is removed, wash your face with soap.
-(Maharaja Features)

My Personal Life Is Different From My
Professional Life: Deepika Padukone
V. Ananth
"My journey as an actress right from the time I had made my debut with the Kannada film Aishwarya, has indeed been very wonderful. What I like best about my nascent career till date is that the way, the approach and the style of each and every film, that I have acted till now has been different and two out of the four films in which I have acted-Om Shanti Om and Love Aaj Kal have been produced by my co-stars themselves", quips Deepika Padukone and adds. "I could identify with her role as Meera in Love Aaj Kal because it is a character which is a lot like myself. It will undoubtedly go down as one of the most special films for me as an actress"
Talking about Saif Ali Khan, Deepika goes gaga. "If Saif Ali Khan compares me with an actress of the calibre of Rani Mukerjee, I think he is only being extremely polite, kind and sweet towards me. I should say that I have learnt a lot from him as a co-actor. What I like about Saif is that he is so natural. I will unabashedly state that I have been a huge fan of his right from the time I liked watching him in Dil Chahta Hai. Saif is extremely proper and polite, may be because he is called the chote nawab by the film industry guys. It is beautiful to watch him perform, because he is very natural. In should say I had a great chemistry with Saif. In any case, I like to believe that I have great chemistry as a co-actor with all my co-actors" and adds "I feel great and honored. Both Saif and I were extremely professional and did not have any time to indulge in pranks on the sets because it is not the kind of a film where you could afford to get distracted on the sets".
Deepika asserts that she was never conscious of the age difference between Shah Rukh and her, in Om Shanti Om or Akshay Kumar and her in Chandni Chowk to China or for that matter Saif and her in Love Aaj Kal. "On the contrary, I feel secure because all my co-actors are very experienced. It is nice to be around people like these, especially for a girl like me who has absolutely no filmi background at all".
Deepika confesses that contrary to the public notion, Kareena was never on the sets even once when she was shooting with Saif. "In any case, I do not at all think that she is the type of girl who is insecure about her man. Kareena knows that she is brilliant as an actress. If I was in her place, and I was not cast in my boy friend's film, even I would have felt the same like Kareena, if she felt that she should have been the leading lady opposite Saif in Love Aaj Kal and not anybody else".
Deepika says that she could identify with her real life a lot with the character of her reel life Meera that she has played in Love Aaj Kal, because, like her, Meera too is today's girl. "She is very grounded, sensitive and practical. In fact, I even kept on teasing Imtiaz Ali that in spite of his hectic schedule as a film maker he may have kept on following me around in order to etch a character like that of Meera for me in Love Aaj Kal, which is totally ME".
The message that the film sets out to drive home, is that relationships are quite different these days unlike what it used to be during her parent's younger days. "Love Aaj Kal deals with love, which is a beautiful emotion. Different people react to love in different ways. Today's generation sends sms, e mails etc to express their love for one another whereas the earlier generation used to write love letters. All kinds of technological innovations keep you connected these days. Today we sit in coffee shops and gaze at each other over a cup of coffee, whereas the earlier generation did not get as many opportunities to be with one another and indulge in courtship though they used to sneak out for a cup of tea once in a while".
Deepika does not mind calling a spade a spade. "I am not a prude, though I am still conservative enough not to be in favor of getting into a love in relationship. I have never ever denied that I am into a relationship. I feel it is nice to have that one person with whom you can share everything in your life. Just because I am into a steady relationship with Ranbir, it does not mean that I am against doing any kissing or intimate scenes with any of my co-actors. I am a through professional. You do a scene some times because you feel you should do it and it is right. As an actress, I see to it that I am able to separate my personal life from my professional life."
-(Maharaja Features)

Prof. Ram Nath Shastri : A Legend-XVI
'Rendezvous' with creative realm
As a mark of tribute to Prof. Ram Nath Shastri, who passed away on March 8, 2009, we're republishing his interview conducted by our correspondent published in series in 'The Kashmir Times' in 2001.
Shuchismita
Thick clouds ascend, in whose capacious womb,
A vapoury deluge lies to snow congealed,
Heavy they roll their fleecy world along,
And the sky saddens with the gathered story;
Through the hushed air the whitening shower descends,
At first thin wavering; till at last the flakes
Fall broad and wide and fast,
Dimming the day with a continual flow....
And thus the waves of memories were rolling in to be the part of the lake of present as he was recounting the days of yore. "Des Raj, my class-mate would start abusing all those who used to show disrespect to the 'Gurus' (teachers). Obviously he would earn the wrath of those students and they would always try to beat him up. Whenever such an incident happened, we would not attend college for two or three days to get the passions subside. After attending our classes of 'Only English' in the college we used to visit Raghunath temple (where our alma-mater i.e., Raghunath Sanskrit Pathshala was also situated) to offer prayers. It was in 1937 when I had joined Pathshala, an incident changed the course of my life. In the temple, after offering prayers, we would have 'Prasad', 'Charnamrit' and 'Pradakshina' out of faith yet, never we dared to check out the 'life style' of those who preach the people the lesson of moral values while posing to be intermediary between people and the God and weigh their own morality standards. It just happened incidentally that we came to know about the 'misdeeds' of moral preachers. We being the 'idealist souls' were simply stunned to find out the 'ugly truth' that those moral preachers would not only booze up but would also indulge in wrongdoings, all kinds of practices which would not fit in the bill of moral standards anyway. This was certainly a shocking revelation for us particularly for me. Since we used to study in Pathshala, I got an opportunity to give a vent to my 'hurt' faith and which I did in an article which was published in the college magazine 'Tawi'. That was my first article in Hindi - my first-ever attempt in the realm of written words entitled 'Sharabi Ka Updesh'. I tried to find out that issue of 'Tawi' afterwards but in vain. Later even I made a futile attempt to reproduce it but whatever is written for the first time that is the original thing which you can't recreate in the same form later even if you wish so. Then I committed one more 'Himakat' (blunder) which now I think, I should not have done. I sent one of the copies of that particular 'Tawi' issue to the 'person in question' too. Now the person is no more. As we had family relations so I never divulged about the identity of that person. His family is still in the town. Though I had mentioned about the incident in a book yet the direct reference I intentionally avoided. So the person read that article and the reaction was as per the expected lines. This was interesting to note that although I had not mentioned his name anywhere, but the picture depicted by words was so vivid that one (at least 'the person in question' certainly) could easily identify himself. No doubt, the writing style was simple, devoid of 'diplomatic knack.' Not just we the students at Pathshala but even our 'Gurus' (teachers) there would pay him respects by touching his feet. But he was simply a rogue, a characterless mortal. After reading the article, he summoned my father and complained about my 'defiant, contemptuous' attitude. His room is etched in my memory for its particular aroma enveloping the surroundings. The whole discussion took place in a hushed tone. This all I came to know later from my father who when entered the house that day was not in his usual spirits. We were living that time in the same rented accommodation at Parade in the neighbourhood of KC family. Unlike his routine, he did not recite 'Ram Charit Manas' that day. As a matter of rule, I was in the habit to seek his permission whenever I had to move outside the house or to do anything. That was somewhat unusual day for us, my father seemed to be a little bit disturbed, despondent. In the evening he straightaway went to his room to change and offer prayers. There after he used to recite 'Ram Charit Manas' in his room and I along with my mother and other members of the family would listen to him as he had a very melodious voice. But that day he skipped the recitation of 'Ramayana'. My mother asked him, 'Won't you recite Ramayana today? 'No, not today. Tomorrow I will,' father replied. As I was about to leave his room along with my mother, he stopped me and asked me to sit there. Then he quizzed me, 'Have you written any book?' The question was puzzling actually he had no idea of magazine or article. I said, 'How could I? I am still studying in 'Pathshala'. 'But you've written something. Are you contributing for some newspapers?,' he further inquired. I got the clue and replied, 'I have contributed in my college magazine 'Tawi'. He asked about the title. 'Sharabi Ka Updesh' was my single-liner. 'Sharabi Updesh Dete Hain? (Whether the boozers preach?), he enquired. I maintained, 'It was just a figment of imagination. It has nothing to do with the reality. An idea struck me and I wrote it.' 'You know your 'idea' has created havoc there. And perhaps you only sent the copy of 'Tawi' to the person against whom you'd written,' he scolded. 'Yes, that blunder I have committed,' I admitted. Now my father's stance somewhat softened, 'Dear, I can't tell you exactly what I've faced today. That person made me sit for hours discussing his 'might' comprising money and muscle power. His message was simple and clear-My son had committed a blunder and I should warn him against pursuing this 'path'. It is just my goodwill that has prevented him from taking any drastic steps against my son in spite of the fact that he has many persons who could finish the boy with in seconds. It is not at all a difficult job for them. He (the person in question) read out the whole article for me. I was wonder aghast, you have completely exposed him. The revelations were so startling that many of the facts were not even known to me.'
I took it as a compliment and added, 'I am still a naive person. It's your teachings that provoked me to write about what I found was immoral.' In a thoughtful posture he nodded and asked me to leave. Yet I was very pleased as my mission had been accomplished. I was successful to convey the message to the concerned quarters. The person had got the desired prick afterall he had 'hurt' our faith, our sentiments with which we used to go to temple to offer prayers. And that was my maiden attempt in the creative realm although with a purpose.
--To be continued

Mum's Holiday Homework
Qurratul-Ain Haider
Karen Gupta, 45, snatches a few minutes from her household chores. But it's not prime time TV that pulls her away from adding the finishing touches to the family dinner. It's the Internet. More precisely a website on the functions of the internal organs of the human body.
Meghna Sareen, 38, has missed four sessions of her power yoga classes just so that she can meet up with a few other mums and snip newspaper cuttings on global warming.
Meher Abidi, 34, glances at her watch. It's been a long day at work but she still has plenty of paper work at home - sticking images on her daughter's colouring sheet to create a story, before the family leaves for its summer vacation two days later.
Karen, Meghna and Meher are just a few of the hundreds of women with school-going children, who are rushing to complete the long list of projects, assignments and reports that make up the portfolio of holiday homework their children have brought home.
For most mothers, the summer holidays can stretch on like a piece of painfully un-detachable Hubba Bubba chewed gum. Yet, what makes the agony worse is not the heat wave and power failures that package the long vacation but the insurmountable amount of 'creative' homework children need to complete before school reopens.
With the unwritten code that homework is to be attended to under parental guidance - like some near-adult film - the summer holidays end up bringing out the best in mothers ('worst' is the term kids would use!), as they surf the Internet, make charts, spiral-bind projects and rummage through mounds of old newspapers for clippings on topics such as the swine flu. Despite their own pressing chores and careers, mothers conscientiously grapple with 'their' deadlines, before schools re-open. "It has taken me a fortnight to gather information on water bodies... and that includes two days of casual leave to download pictures and burn a CD - a first for me," complains Gupta, whose son is in Class IV at a leading school in Delhi's Vasant Kunj.
However, going by the rather organised manner in which schools have disseminated homework, the assignments shouldn't be much of a problem to deliver. Most have given subject-wise assignments - around three at least per subject - with the tasks printed or uploaded on their websites.
But if that's the case, what is all the fuss about - and the need for this rather heart-felt article now in your hands? Well, the crux of the issue is the explosive cocktail of an overdose of assignments; stress on decorative and packaged projects; and the maternal sentiment that children should have time to enjoy their summer break.
Neena Mehta, 39, runs a busy salon in Mayur Vihar in East Delhi. Between offering the best haircuts in the neighbourhood, to looking after her family of four, she has very little time to spare. However, most of her evenings are now spent supervising her daughter, as she attempts to complete her homework. "Ours is a nuclear family. My husband travels on work. This means I am the only one Meha, who is in Class VII, can approach for help. After the many worksheets of Maths and Science, she still had a 'nazam' (poem) to pen in Urdu. This is her first year of learning the new language and I don't know the language at all, so I have asked a Muslim friend to write it for us."
So does that mean the pressure to complete homework compels mothers to cross the fine line between mere supervision and complete ownership? Shivani Mittal, whose daughters Brinda and Aditi study in Class X and IV, respectively, of Carmel Convent, New Delhi, firmly believes in only supervision. Mothers should encourage children to "explore their creativity" though the holiday assignments, she says and adds, "I don't put pressure on them. It has to be their own work." So little Aditi has had to ask the local chemist on her own on what to include in a first aid kit, and also browse through the magazines for images on classical Indian dance forms.
But Sangeeta Bhatnagar whose son studies at Delhi Public School (DPS), Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, knows the agony of pending homework. She has spent one summer trying to make a three-dimensional model on earth pollution. "My kindergarten-going son was too young to do anything. Those few days, we survived on bread and omelette for meals as most of my time was devoted to the project. Fortunately, for mothers like her, the school's principal responded favourably to the parents' feedback. The children now have manageable homework that is course-related, such as reading the works of Rabindranath Tagore.
Richa Shukla, whose son Aditya is in Class VII at Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi, feels that while creative homework is interesting - she is assisting Aditya in making an ideal dummy Hindi newspaper by pasting newspaper articles on A3 sheets - course-related work has more to offer. Compared to the story that he had to string together with his limited vocabulary of Sanskrit, Richa feels that children get more out of projects like the one on rotational symmetry (Maths). A working mother, she has already charted out a schedule, as she wants the homework to be completed before the family leaves for their outstation trip.
While innovative projects do help children evolve as they learn to source and sift though information, it is the working models that can throw mothers into a tizzy, with some describing them as "useless". Alka Mitta, mother of Rohan, a Class VIII student of DPS, Mathura Road, New Delhi, believes that holiday homework should encourage children to learn new things that they otherwise would have no time for." I know of a student doing a survey on electronic waste disposal, which I thought was quite thought provoking." However, she fails to find the justification for handwritten projects in an age of computers.
Then again, is there any justification for holiday homework at all? At a time when children would like to simply "chill out", "hang out" or "stay out", why give any tasks at all. Says Shamama Baqar, Vice Principal, City Montessori School, Chowk Branch, Lucknow, "Holiday homework keeps children constructively engaged, preventing them from whiling away their time on Facebook (online social networking site) and with their I-pods and the television - in the absence of outdoor activities." Baqar, however, says that homework should encourage learning and the ability to read and gather information rather than focussing on the decorating of projects and charts.
But for the many mothers traumatised by the amount of homework, there is relief in the form of professional 'homeworkers', who offer to make that working model of the solar heater - complete with water and copper pipes or the thermacol volcano or the CD on endangered species - all for a fee that seems more affordable, even though unethical, when translated into the currency of stressful labour.
Says South Delhi-based Gurpeet Kohli, who has been churning out homework projects for over a decade, "Basically, mothers find sourcing the material and apparatus needed to put together a project difficult. I have a team of 12 people - from a carpenter to two artists to the local fridge mechanic - who I tap to put together projects. I have over 3,000 concepts to offer students. From charts to spiral-bound assignments to working models - nothing is a problem."
Seems like strong words of reassurance for mothers, even though the basic purpose behind honest, creative holiday assignments may have just got lost behind the layers of glue, paper and maternal anxiety.
-(Women's Feature Service)

Rahat Ghar Ray Of Hope For Traumatised Children
Gautam Sen
The Guild of Service, under the leadership of Dr V Mohini Giri, former Chairperson for National Commission of Women, has been rendering yeoman service to the society in various parts of India. One of the projects of Guild of Service is Rahaat Ghar at Srinagar; to take care of conflict affected women and children. This is the shelter home for widows and orphaned children of state.
Rahaat Ghar has been functioning for the last eight years. It was initially set up at Handwara in Kupwara district in 2001. Now it is functioning in the present premises at Zakura near Hazaratbal area at Srinagar after having changed location in the city six times. Rahaat Ghar serves as a refuge for conflict affected women and children. It houses, clothes them and provides them basic facilities for education and also imparts vocational training to enable them to be economically independent.
This institution is supported by the Swadhar scheme of Government of India. Some financial support is also given by the individual well-wishers from various strata of society. Some programmes of Rahaat Ghar are financially supported in a limited way through civic action programmes of various agencies of Government of India.
Any one visiting Rahaat Ghar can feel its lively environment and also vivacity of the children who are presently living there. There are now 55 children, of them 45 are girls and 10 are boys in the age group of 5 years-19 years.
The children at Rahaat Ghar are being educated virtually from the primary to the school-leaving stage that is up to class 12. A visit to the complex would make one feel as if one is among a joint family home. There is always their Miss Jaya Iyer, a lady from distant Kerala and who has spent a large part of her life in West Bengal and now a full time companion of the Rahaat Ghar children.
While the children at Rahaat Ghar feel totally at home there, from morning till night, they nevertheless have to do their normal schooling. The children attend schools in different localities of Srinagar, travel by city transport, some accompanied by their Rahaat Ghar colleagues and return to their present home in the afternoon. There has not been any case of child of this home going missing.
The children at this institution though being brought up in a caring environment at Srinagar are not allowed to be detached from their surviving parents or relatives, for a long period. Every year during the vocations and even in the mid-way they go home. The parents and relatives of the children have to come necessarily and meet their children at Rahaat Ghar from time to time so that, a feeling does not develop that they do not care for their young ones and are totally free of their responsibility towards their children. The linkages of the children to their backgrounds are maintained.
At Rahaat Ghar, the children, apart from doing their studies and other activities at the Ghar are allowed to offer their prayers to the religion they belong to which is Islam for most of them. Devotion to spirituality in their own simple way, is allowed and supported.
Organisations like Amnesty International while highlighting cases of human misery caused by violence or otherwise, always keep their own agenda in view. In the case of Guild of Service there is no such motive at work for the welfare activities undertaken through set ups like Rahaat Ghar. There has not been any hostile activity or feeling among the common people against functioning of this institution. Moreover, the Guild has received all round support from district administration of J&K government.
The present need is to improve the living conditions of the widows, mothers of the children at Rahaat Ghar, by bringing them in a position where they work for earning their livelihood though their children are looked after by the institutions like Rahaat Ghar. The affected persons may not be in a position to look after the children in the places where they live and also give them skills to be self sustaining and suitable for gainful employment in the society in a reasonable manner. Committed efforts are needed with the assistance of Women and Children Department of Government of India, Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Social Welfare Board of the state as well as from people who can contribute with their efforts for betterment of the living conditions of both the widows as well as children to the extent feasible on their part.
It is the replication of the institutions like Rahaat Ghar which is necessary, in the far flung disturbed areas of J&K and also in urban areas like Srinagar.
*(The author is a Civil Services Officer.)

The Mono-Rail Of Patiala A Century Ago
Chandravadan Oza
Today all the metros of India are competing to get the monorail transport system, which ensures maximum traffic usage in minimum space, as real estate prices are prohibitively costly. But it will be a news to many, that 102 years ago, in the Punjab in 1907, sponsored by the then Maharaja of Patiala, , India had a monorail system powered by donkeys and bullocks? .
Till the year 1962, there was little interest or little information about the Patiala State Monorail Tramway (PSMT) and it was the world's most obscure railway... That year one British railway enthusiast by name Mike Satow stumbled on the railway during his visit to India. He was saddened by the fact, that one of the very first mono railway systems in the world, which had carried goods (mainly wheat) and passengers had been relegated to history. Going through old railway magazines he found that that it had been briefly been mentioned in an article by Mr. H.A. Robinson in 1936. Thereafter Mr. J.R. Day and Mr. B. G. Wilson mentioned PSMT in detail in their book "Unusual railways" in 1957 and followed sit up in another article that appeared in Railway World, 1962. Then in February 1969 another enthusiast Mr. H.R. Ambler did extensive research on the PSMT and his researches appeared in the Railway Magazine of February 1969. Mr.Ambler had found out the address of the chief engineer of the PMTC, Mr. Bowles who was still alive in 1966 at the ripe age of 90. But before Ambler could meet him, Bowles passed away on thus making it impossible to know all the minute details of the PMTC.
It appears that in 1907, the flamboyant Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh came into contact with Bowles (1876-1966), who was a senior engineer of the Bengal Nagpur Railway. The maharaja struck up great friendship with the Britisher and mentioned that he had as many as 560 mules from the transport section of the Patiala army idle and if these could be used as the motive force for some type of mechanical transport, it would be of great help. Mr.Bowles knew that there was a system of monorails, known as Ewing system, which could of the harnessed to mules. At that time he was engineer in charge of the construction of the Kharagpur Workshops of the Bengal - Nagpur Railway and was using the Ewing monorail system for handling materials on the building site. He also knew that in the Nilgiri hills of southern India, an Ewing System line was built in 1902 to handle the tea harvest as well as other freight and passengers.
Soon Bowles left the services of the railway and joined as the Chief Railway Engineer of the Patiala state. He utilized his knowledge of the Ewing system to create the Patiala State Monorail Tramway and instead of steam railway engines, used the mules of the Patiala army to pull the carriages containing mainly wheat and passengers.
The total distance covered by PSMT was 50 miles (80km). PSMT was run on two unconnected lines. One ran 15ÿmiles (24ÿkm) from Sirhind to Morinda. Apart from mules, bullocks were also used to haul the monorail before introduction of steam engine on the route of PSMT. One picture above from a 1920's book shows individual cars being pulled by teams of bullocks. The Sirhind - Morinda line with one exception was entirely animal powered. It was proposed to extend this line to Ropar but since Ropar was already connected by a railway line, this idea was abandoned.
The other line ran 35 miles (56 km) from Patiala city to Sunam and steam engines were also used in this line. There were four German built steam engines in the PSMT and the wagons were small normally 8 feet long by 6 feet wide (2.4 by 1.8 m). The passenger coaches were open sided wagons. In 1908, there were total of 75 coaches for carrying goods and 15 passenger coaches. According to a memorandum dated October 2, 1908, found amongst l Bowles papers, PSMT carried 20,000 passengers in a month on Sirhand - Morinda line. There are no details of the quantity of goods carried. The fare is stated to be 1« annas (modern ten paise) for the entire route of 24 kilometres.. The rate for carrying goods is mentioned to be 1 anna (modern six paise) per maund (80 lb). But the purchasing power of one anna in 1907 was equivalent to that of 16 rupees of 2009!
But the advent of automobile transport with its transport buses and goods carrying trucks made the railway uneconomical. In 1927 the line was closed and till Mike Satow came searching for the PSMTC in 1962, nothing was heard of this unique railway and the engines and carriages were gradually corroding in the open yards.
Ultimately inspired by Mike Satow and others, one derelict PSMT locomotive was restored by Indian Railways along with Chief Engineer's private inspection car (this coach was rebuilt on original frame as a normal passenger coach). Both of these are on display at the Indian National Railway Museum, New Delhi. After being restored, this PSMT engine and coach has become one of the star attractions at National Rail Museum. It is regularly steamed up and runs on Sundays as well as by special booking in advance.
PSMT was nearly a century ahead of its times and could have been forerunner of mass transit system in urban areas in India. Its model still holds good for introducing mass transit system in congested urban areas, where laying of train/tram tracks is not possible due to space constraint.
-(Maharaja Features)