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DLD‰‰†‰KDLD‰‰†‰DLD‰‰†‰MDLD‰‰†‰C Rolling Stone The rhythm of THE TIMES OF INDIA romances an dance sweeps Wednesday, April 2, 2003 icon,virtually! Delhi off its feet Page 7 Page 3 TO D AY S LUCKY 868 Saving grace Bakers dozen 813 87 Lucky number Bye-bye teens 819 Your Dambola Ticket available in Delhi Times on 30th March, 2003 OF INDIA Numbers already announced : 72, 77, 20, 52, 63, 34, 46, 59, 65,12, 76, 31 SUNIL KATARIA WAR GAMES CHILDREN PLAY Violence takes root in little minds as Gulf War II spawns non-stop action on TV and war-related CD ROMs for kids ANUBHA SAWHNEY ng gamers in- Explains psychiatrist San- Hussein is never mentioned by na- Times News Network creasingly se- jay Chugh, MD, ‘‘Parents me. Instead, players are going aft- ek an outlet need to understand the er a ruthless tyrant known as the t’s a long way from New Delhi to for tension feelings of their chil- ‘Desert Beast’. To add realism, Baghdad. But this hasn’t deterr- experienced dren. Getting atop a each mission is preceded by a ‘bri- Ied 11-year-old Anmol Ghai from as a result of war tank, albeit efing’ which incorporates maps of hopping onto a tank and bringing the current virtually, is an the region and actual footage from down Saddam Hussein... virtually, conflict in external expres- the first Gulf War. The designers that is. With the CD ROM market Iraq — or just sion of an inter- of the game have tried to make the booming and TV channels beami- to get a simulat- nal problem — terrain look as close as possible to ng war footage round the clock, Gu- ed piece of the anger, frustrati- images from the war footage. lf War II is slowly, but surely, mak- action. on or even fear.’’ De-sensitisation as regards the ing its mark on the minds of child- Take the ca- Games such as De- war in the Gulf is also part of the ren. Anmol derives immense pleas- se of seven-ye- sert Hammer and problem. Says Chugh, ‘‘Chances ure from his new game — the orig- ar-old Rahul the more-recent are that, if a child sees and plays inal of which he has been watching Bhatia, who Desert Storm games involving war and brutality on TV lately. But that’s not all. ‘At- just refuses are available continuously,he/she will fail to re- tack-attack’ is a favourite game wi- to let go of on the sly at alise the gravity of the situation. th all of Anmol’s friends too. his gaming co- Palika Baza- Such children are more susceptib- Cut to the past: the year 1999 saw nsole: ‘‘Lo- NEELABH ar. For the le to committing acts of violence.’’ the CD ROM Gulf War: Operation ok Mama, I PSYCHOLOGICAL SEQUEL uninitiat- Today’s children are tomorro- Desert Hammer being mass produ- killed Sad- ed, the gist w’s future. And a violent nature is ced in the market. The game enjoy- dam Hussein,’’ he says, ‘‘I just love of both games is that players are certainly not something which the ed a brief heyday and then faded war games. I kill everyone. And given the world’s most powerful ta- world would want them to inherit. away.Today, Desert Hammer, like a then I win.’’ For adult minds, this nks, which are turned loose in Ir- Otherwise, today’s games might number of military-related titles, trend is rather disturbing. And re- aq for 18 missions that bring them not be games tomorrow. is getting a new lease of life as you- quires an immediate solution. ever closer to Baghdad. Saddam [email protected] AIR TURBULENCE Feathers in fetters, yours legally ARUN KUMAR DAS ported as well as exported after obtai- When netas fly Times News Network ning due permission from the director general of fore- irst, the rules: Only 61 exo- ign trade and other auth- F tic birds are officially allo- orities.’’ off the handle... wed to be kept as pets in Del- What about the birds Times News Network hi. Next, the facts: A numb- which are smuggled into er of birds which are not on the country? Recently,the nion labour minister the ‘safe’ list nest in various enforcement wing of the U Sahib Singh recently homes within the city. wildlife department, with made news on his return fr- According to the wildlife the help of the customs om South Africa after the preservation department of department, conducted a World Cup. A flight delay the ministry of environme- seizure of certain decora- due to poor visibility was nt and forests, these exotic tive items made of exotic enough to invoke Singh’s pet birds have come to In- bird parts. All these were ONE, MOMENT WITH THE TIMES: Following the spectacular success of One: A Celebration ire. Eyewitness reports re- dia as per the Conventi- apparently marked as ‘gif- Of Colour, at which Shiamak Davar paid tribute to the rainbowesque range of The Times veal that two airline officials were allegedly on on International Tra- ts’. ‘‘It is true that we have of India, Delhi Times unplugs the upbeat mood of the dancer and choreographer at the physically assaulted and one was verbally de in Endangered Spec- seized illegal birds at both Crowne Plaza Surya (To send this photograph to a friend, log on to www.timescity.com/delhi/) abused. But this is not the first case of neta- ies (CITES), of which In- airports as well as ports. Ov- log throwing their weight around at airports. dia is a signatory. On er the years, the maximum this list are the Saras and seizures have been those of Delhi Times lists other politicos who have NEELABH caused ‘air turbulence’ in the past. red-crowned crane of Japan; large falcons, owls, black head- ■ May 2, 1994: Then Uni- blue and yellow macaws from CAGEY CLAUSE ed and spotted munias, quails on minister M Arunachal- Malaysia; the white cockatoo and hill mynahs,’’ says Thakur. APRIL FOOL BAN GAYA! am’s flight was cancelled to and Siberian crane of the US; the Amazona Adds Bipin Behari, deputy conservator of fo- parrot of Surinam; the scarlet macaw, the red- rests, ‘‘Delhi is the transit point for the illegal So you thought everything is funny as long it’s happening to someone else? Well, some of the best known fit in a chartered flight by TN CM J Jayalalitha from crested cardinal, the winged parakeet and the bird trade. Birds from within India and abroad names in the Indian humour industry would disagree. Delhi Times shares a chuckle with those who not Madurai to Chennai. Arun- golden-breasted mynah of Singapore; and the are being traded through Delhi. Though we try only tickle the funny bone with their reel performances, but also have a laugh at themselves in real life achalam was asked to trav- African grey parrot of the UK. to keep a check on this trade, we need to streng- el with Jayalalitha, who According to KN Thakur, deputy director, then our network to curb it effectively.’’ CHUNKY PANDEY (actor): Well, I’ll be honest. I am barrassed about the whole episode. But then, all’s fair argued with air personnel. Arunachalam wildlife preservation, ‘‘These birds have come Meanwhile, a little bird tells us that we hav- quite a kanjoos when it comes to sharing my pack of on April 1! left before being shown the door. to India legally and mostly been brought to be en’t heard the last of officialdom’s excuses. Sad cigarettes. On April 1, during a shooting schedule of ANUPAM KHER (actor): A prank on me? It’s invar- ■ June 21, 1994: A memb- kept as pets by the diplomatic community.Sin- as it sounds, man’s pet project has put birds on Vishwatma, I saw Sunny Deol distributing one cigar- iably the other way round! I played the biggest April er of then PM Chandrash- ce India is a signatory to CITES, certain categ- a wing and a prayer. ette to each person on the sets and eagerly stood in li- Fool prank of my life when I disguised myself as Pr- ekhar’s SPG at Hyderabad ories of exotic birds are permitted to be im- [email protected] ne for my share. Little did I realise that Sunny had abhadevi, Sridevi’s alleged twin sister, and appeared threatened a ModiLuft em- quietly picked up two of my packets and was doling on the cover of a film magazine. There was also a ma- ployee that unless five me- them out to everybody! I didn’t know ke-believe interview to substantiate mbers with him were acco- whether to laugh or cry then! WISE CRACK the cover photograph. The reaction, mmodated on the flight to NIKHIL CHINAP- even within the fi- Delhi, it would not be allo- PA (VJ): I have al- lm industry, was wed to take off. None of them travelled, as ways managed to one of absolute dis- Chandrashekhar refused to travel without fool people. While belief. his group. at school, Hindi cl- ARCHANA PUR- ■ May 12, 2000: A flight asses were always AN SINGH (actr- from Delhi to Lucknow was a drag. So, on one ess): About nine about to take off when one particular April 1, years back, I team- of the 30 MPs aboard called I prepared a conce- ed up with a film then civil aviation minister ntrated solution of magazine and feat- Sharad Yadav.The plane re- hydrogen sulphide ured on its cover turned and passengers got which, as everyone dressed in a sarong off as Yadav met the MPs.

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