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THE HINDU DELHI FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 NEWS 13 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Voters will punish divisive gang: Shah Rahul, BJP trade charges Minister says the Congress­led group disrupted peace in Delhi during protests against the CAA on Assam detention centres Special Correspondent under the leadership of the elect a BJP government to ac­ NEW DELHI Congress that is responsible celerate development works. Union Home Minister Amit for making Delhi tense. Del­ The AAP government was Congress leader will address rally in Guwahati on Saturday Shah said here on Thursday hi’s public will punish them,” trying to take credit for the that it was time to “punish” he said. work of the Modi govern­ Special Correspondent “jhoothon ka sardar (master the “ tukde tukde [splinter­ ment by issuing New Delhi of lies)”. The party said Mr. ing] gang led by the Con­ Swipe at AAP advertisements. Former Congress President Gandhi was “obfuscating” gress”, which had “disrupt­ With election to the Delhi As­ Along the lines of the Sa­ Rahul Gandhi is scheduled the fact that detention ed the peace” in Delhi sembly expected to be an­ barmati riverfront in Guja­ to address a rally in Guwaha­ camps for illegal migrants in during protests against the nounced soon, Mr. Shah hit rat, Mr. Shah said, the Centre ti — the epicentre of the na­ Assam were set up when the Citizenship (Amendment) out at the Aam Aadmi Party had decided to redevelop the tionwide protests against the Congress was in power both Act. The people of Delhi administration, accusing banks of the Yamuna in Del­ Citizenship (Amendment) at the Centre and the State. would punish them, he said Chief Minister Arvind Kejri­ hi. The first phase, covering Act — on Saturday. BJP spokesperson Sambit referring to the coming As­ wal’s government of ob­ 90 hectares, had started and His visit will coincide with Patra said at a press confe­ sembly election. structing development the second phase of 107 hec­ the foundation day of the rence at the party headquar­ Mr. Shah’s statement projects. tares would be started soon Congress. Rahul Gandhi ters in Delhi that Mr. Gandhi comes in the wake of prot­ He said the “Kejriwal jhaa- — both would be done in the Mr. Gandhi’s rally will had used objectionable lan­ ests against the Act across du [broom, the AAP’s elec­ next five years. mark a break with the past accused the Congress and its guage, but that it was too the country, including in Del­ tion symbol] government” Mr. Puri spoke about the when the party’s foundation allies of being “urban Nax­ much to ask for decency in hi, where violence broke out was the biggest obstacle be­ East Delhi Hub project being day was celebrated at its als” and spreading rumours public discourse from him. during some of the protests. fore Prime Minister Naren­ made by NBCC (India) Ltd., headquarters in Delhi and that Muslims would be sent Mr. Patra showed the offi­ When the Citizenship dra Modi and Housing and formerly National Buildings the States. to detention centres. The vi­ cial statement issued by the Amendment Bill was dis­ Urban Affairs Minister Har­ Construction Corporation In a tweet on Thursday, deo is joined with a clip from Congress­led UPA govern­ cussed in Parliament, “no deep Singh Puri’s efforts to Limited. The first transit­ Mr. Gandhi attacked Prime the BBC’s Hindi service on ment in 2011 stating that de­ one was willing to say anyth­ develop Delhi. The Centre’s oriented development (TOD) Minister Narendra Modi ov­ the detention centres in tention centres had been set ing”, but then they started Poll bugle: Amit Shah at a function to lay the foundation healthcare scheme, Ayush­ project in the country, the er his remarks that there Assam. up in Assam. “misleading” people, he said stone for a transit hub in New Delhi on Thursday.* PTI man Bharat, and the afforda­ first phase of the hub would were no detention centres in “RSS’s Prime Minister lies “Rahul Gandhi is Jhooth- at a ceremony for laying the ble housing initiative, the cost ₹1,393 crore spread over the country, alleging that to Bharat Mata,” Mr. Gandhi on ka Sardar. The three de­ foundation stone for the East peace has been disrupted. do its work, but should you Pradhan Mantri Awas Yoja­ 30 hectares. Under the TOD “RSS’s Prime Minister lies to said in the tweet in Hindi tention centres were set up Delhi Hub at Karkardooma. The Opposition has misled not bring in a government in na, had been obstructed by policy, 70% of the hub would Bharat Mata”. He posted a vi­ with the hashtag #Jhoot in Assam by his party which “Delhi has seen it after a people and disrupted the Delhi that maintains the Delhi government, he be for residential use, 20% deo clip of Mr. Modi’s ad­ Jhoot Jhoot [lies, lies, lies]. was in power both at the long time that people have peace in Delhi. I want to ask peace?... Time has come to alleged. commercial and 10% civic dress at the Ramlila Maidan The BJP responded to Mr. Centre and the State,” he come out on the streets and Delhiites, that the police will punish the tukde tukde gang He said Delhiites would amenities. last week where the PM had Gandhi’s post by calling him said. FIR filed against 1,200 U.P. DGP orders SIT probe into riots unnamed AMU students Internet suspended in five western districts; 1,113 arrested so far, say police They had taken out candlelight march Asian News International the protests,” it added. “124 Special Correspondent Lucknow/ Meerut people arrested for posting GHAZIABAD Uttar Pradesh Director­Gen­ inciting content on social The Aligarh police have eral of Police (DGP) O.P. media. 93 FIRs registered. lodged an FIR against 1,200 Singh on Thursday ordered a Action was taken on 19,409 unnamed Aligarh Muslim Special Investigation Team social media posts. 9,372 University (AMU) students (SIT) inquiry into the inci­ Twitter, 9,856 Facebook, who took out a candlelight dents of violence during the and 181 YouTube profiles Actors Swara Bhaskar and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub at a march against the Citizen­ protests against the Citizen­ blocked,” the statement said. press conference in New Delhi on Thursday. * R.V. MOORTHY ship (Amendment) Act to ship (Amendment) Act (CAA) show solidarity with the stu­ in the State. Minister sparks row dents who faced police ac­ Anticipating further trou­ U.P. Minister Kapil Dev Agar­ tion in the university and Ja­ Students taking out a march ble, Internet services were wal stoked a controversy af­ ‘Reign of terror mia Millia Islamia. on the AMU campus. suspended in Meerut, Gha­ Remains of the day: Charred motorbikes lying at a police post ter he refused to meet the fa­ Most of the participants ziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Bu­ set on fire by demonstrators in Lucknow. * REUTERS milies of two victims of the were non­resident students. university campus. landshahr and Shamli in the violence. prevailing in U.P.’ All were charged with Sec­ “Does it mean we could evening and will be resumed police in a statement said a total of 327 FIRs were “Why should I go to the tions 188 and 341 of the In­ not protest peacefully even on Friday evening, officials 1,113 people had been arrest­ lodged in connection with homes of rioters? Those who dian Penal Code for violat­ inside the campus,” asked a said. ed in different parts of the the protests and 19 people are rioting and want to in­ Activists seek SC­monitored probe ing Section 144 of the Code student who participated in Police and administration State in connection with the had lost their lives in the flame passions, how are they of Criminal Procedure. The the protest. A senior univer­ in all these districts and el­ anti­CAA protests and pre­ violence. part of society? Why should I Staff Reporter non­existence of detention FIR said students blocked a sity official said the road af­ sewhere in the region have ventive action was taken “288 policemen were in­ go there? This is not about NEW DELHI centres in the country. thoroughfare for an hour ter the Sir Syed Gate was not been placed on alert. against 5,558 others. jured, and 61 of them had re­ Hindu­Muslim,” he said. Activists on Thursday al­ He also added that the go­ and did not move out of the a thoroughfare. Earlier in the day, the U.P. The statement added that ceived bullet injuries during (With PTI inputs) leged that with the Uttar vernment could use details Pradesh government “inti­ collected through the Na­ midating” citizens who tional Population Register BJP, RSS take were protesting against the (NPR) to identify people as ATS rearrests five persons Breastfed child in distress Citizenship Amendment Act “doubtful citizens” and use out rally in and National Register of Citi­ the information for the NRC. after parents are jailed zens, a “reign of terror” was “There is so much of dis­ Bhopal prevailing in the State. trust with what the Prime in 2008 Jaipur blasts case Addressing the media, ac­ Minister is saying,” said Mr. Special Correspondent and students of the BHU and tivists demanded a Supreme Mander. “He has said that LUCKNOW the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Staff reporter Court­monitored SIT probe there are no detention Shahbaz Ahmed, acquitted in 8 cases, named in new case Support has poured in for Vidyapeeth, were arrested Bhopal into police action in the centres in the country, activist couple Ekta Singh on December 19 while tak­ A day after Madhya Pra­ State. while fact of the matter is Special Correspondent and Ravi Shekhar who were ing out a march in protest desh Chief Minister Kamal Organised under the ban­ that I have visited such JAIPUR among the more than 60 against the CAA and the Nath­led a rally, 1,000 ner of “Hum Bharat Ke Log: centres myself. This kind of The Anti­Terrorism Squad persons arrested in Varanasi NRC. The police charged members of the BJP, the National Action Against Citi­ blatant lying is unprece­ (ATS) of Rajasthan police has for protesting against the Ci­ them for rioting, unlawful RSS, the Bajrang Dal and zenship Amendment”, dented,” he contended. rearrested four persons, tizenship Amendment Act assembly, disobedience and the Yuva Morcha took out a which includes several An appeal signed by film who were sentenced to last week. assault among other charg­ rally here on Thursday. rights groups, activist Harsh personalities was also read death for the 2008 serial As both of them are in es. Associates of those Vikas Virani, BJP Bhopal Mander said the Centre was out by actors Swara Bhaskar blasts in Jaipur, as well as the jail, with the bail hearing at booked say the protests district president, said the spreading “blatant lies” es­ and Mohammed Zeeshan one who was acquitted for a sessions court expected to were peaceful, and accused Congress was indulging in pecially with regard to Ayyub, seeking a judicial in­ want of evidence, in connec­ be taken up only after Janu­ the police of excessive “vote bank politics” over Prime Minister Narendra quiry into the incidents in tion with the case registered ary 1, their friends and well­ action. the citizenship Act. Modi’s statement on the Uttar Pradesh. for a bomb which was de­ wishers have expressed con­ While the FIR alleges that fused. The five persons were cern for their 14­month­old the protesters had created a picked up from the Central breastfed child. sense of chaos and fear, Jail here on Wednesday and The 60 persons, includ­ there is no mention of any arrested as accused. ing several social activists violence. Shahbaz Ahmed, 43, who had a production warrant in minor cases, was not re­ leased after his acquittal by a special court here on De­ cember 18. All the five ac­ cused, who were produced Police van carrying the men convicted in the 2008 Jaipur in a court on Thursday, were serial blasts case earlier this month. * FILE PHOTO remanded in ATS custody for two days. was the first one to be arrest­ intervention of Chief Minis­ The case pertains to a ed three months after the ter Ashok Gehlot, who also bomb strapped to a bicycle blasts, was acquitted in all holds the Home portfolio, to parked in Chadpol Bazaar, the eight cases. He was ensure immediate release of which was defused by the charged with sending an e­ Shahbaz. She said the police police personnel before it mail which claimed respon­ had booked Shahbaz as an could explode on May 13, sibility for the blasts on be­ accused in the new case 2008. Eight other ammoni­ half of the Indian Mujahi­ with the intention to prevent um nitrate­based bombs, deen, but the court did not his release, adding that the packed with metal splinters, find evidence beyond doubt PUCL would move the NHRC went off at different loca­ to connect him with the in the matter. tions within a two­km radius crime. The ATS had claimed to in the densely populated have cracked the Jaipur Walled City, killing 71 per­ PUCL poser blasts case after arresting sons and leaving about 200 The People’s Union for Civil Shahbaz from his computer injured. Liberties questioned why and career consultancy The trial in eight cases re­ the ATS had not investigated centre in Aminabad locality gistered by the police result­ the case of the defused of Lucknow. ed in the conviction of four bomb earlier and filed its He was referred to as the persons from Uttar Pradesh, charge­sheet along with mastermind of serial blasts but the case pertaining to those for the eight other cas­ in Jaipur and elsewhere till the planting of unexploded es. “Why was this case left the controversial Batla bomb was not tried with the out? Does it not show a vin­ House encounter took place rest of the blast matters. dictive and malicious atti­ in Delhi on September 19, The four persons who tude to implicate a person 2008, and some alleged IM were awarded the death pe­ held innocent by the court?” operatives were arrested in nalty are Mohammed Saif, said PUCL­Rajasthan presi­ Mumbai and Pune. The four Mohammed Sarwar Azmi, dent Kavita Srivastava, while persons convicted with Saifur Rehman and Mo­ alleging lack of transparency death sentence were nabbed hammed Salman. Shahbaz, in the ATS. in Delhi and different towns a resident of Lucknow who Ms. Srivastava sought the in U.P. CM YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU 14 WORLD FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Violent protests rock Iraq over PM pick Russian authorities raid President says he is ready to resign rather than put forward a candidate rejected by protesters Alexei Navalny’s office Agence France-Presse wealth. The demonstrators Baghdad oppose the entire political Iraq’s President said on class and have vented their Move was linked to criminal investigation, say officials Thursday he was “ready to anger against leaders who resign” rather than put for­ are negotiating to nominate Reuters Thursday he would not de­ ward the candidate of a pro­ an establishment insider as Moscow lete the video, which has Iranian coalition for the post the next Prime Minister. Russian authorities raided been watched over 32 mil­ of Prime Minister, deepening Pro­Iranian factions have the Moscow headquarters of lion times on YouTube since the country’s political crisis. touted outgoing Higher Edu­ Opposition politician Alexei it was first posted in March Barham Saleh’s announ­ cation Minister Qusay al­Su­ Navalny on Thursday, using 2017. cement came as anti­govern­ hail for the post, later opting power tools to gain entry be­ The raid occurred a day ment protesters blocked for Mr. Aidani after the Presi­ fore dragging Mr. Navalny after Mr. Navalny said that roads and bridges in Bagh­ dent rejected Mr. Suhail’s out by force and confiscating the forcible military con­ dad. In the southern city of nomination. Both are un­ technical equipment such as scription of one of his allies Nasiriyah, demonstrators set popular choices with protes­ laptops. to a remote air base in the the provincial government ters, who also have slammed Mr. Navalny and his allies Alexei Navalny sitting Arctic amounted to kidnap­ building ablaze overnight for Mr. Aidani for crushing pre­ said the raid on his Anti­Cor­ outside his office during the ping and illegal imprison­ a second time since the prot­ vious demonstrations in Bas­ ruption Foundation (FBK) raid on Thursday. * REUTERS ment. Allies said Mr. Naval­ ests began. Protesters also ra province last year. was carried out by the Fed­ ny, who was barred from torched the new headquar­ “We don’t want Assaad eral Bailiffs Service and was anyone during the raid. running in a presidential ters of a pro­Iran militia in Sticking to their demands: Anti­government activists walking with a national flag at a make­ the Iranian!” said protesters connected to his refusal to Mr. Usmanov brought and election against Vladimir Pu­

Diwaniyah. shift roadblock in the southern city of Basra late on Wednesday. * AFP in the southern city of Kut. delete a video investigation won a defamation lawsuit tin last year, had been due to In a letter to Parliament, The protesters want a which levelled graft allega­ against Mr. Navalny in 2017. present his own show, which Mr. Saleh said he wished to “With all my respect to President”, Mr. Saleh added. hundreds dead, Parliament technocratic premier who tions against Prime Minister is critical of the authorities, guarantee the “indepen­ (Basra Province Governor) Mr. Aidani is considered is in deadlock over the selec­ has had no involvement in Dmitry Medvedev and billio­ ‘Won’t delete video’ on his online TV channel la­ dence, sovereignty, unity Mr. Assaad al­Aidani, I de­ as the candidate of Iran, tion of a replacement for pre­ the political system set up af­ naire businessman Alisher That case ended with a court ter on Thursday. and territorial integrity” of cline to put him forward” for which protesters accuse of vious Prime Minister Adel ter the U.S.­led invasion that Usmanov. ordering Mr. Navalny to de­ Mr. Navalny’s foundation, Iraq. But he cited the Consti­ the post, Mr. Saleh wrote. meddling in Iraqi affairs. Abdel Mahdi. He resigned toppled dictator Saddam The Federal Bailiffs Ser­ lete within 10 days all refe­ which specialises in publish­ tution, which obliges the As that could be seen as last month in the face of mas­ Hussein in 2003. vice said it was carrying out rences to the allegations in ing exposes on the alleged President to task the candi­ violating the Constitution, “I ‘Independent PM’ sive demonstrations over of­ “The government is hos­ investigative activities at Mr. his video, which Mr. Medve­ corruption of state officials, date put forward by Parlia­ place before members of Weeks into a protest move­ ficial corruption, economic tage to corrupt parties and Navalny’s foundation as part dev and Mr. Usmanov said is the subject of a separate ment’s biggest bloc with Parliament my readiness to ment that has rocked Bagh­ woes and poor infrastruc­ sectarian divisions”, said an of a criminal investigation. were utterly false. criminal investigation into forming a government. resign from the position of dad and Iraq’s south, leaving ture despite the country’s oil activist in Nasiriyah. It said it had not detained Mr. Navalny said on alleged money laundering. ELSEWHERE China, Russia and Iran to hold Protesters march through malls naval drills in Gulf of Oman Hong Kong govt. criticises violence, but says ‘human rights remain top priority’

Reuters patrols at shopping centers things.” The protests began ‘An attempt to deepen cooperation between the three navies’ Hong Kong on the Kowloon peninsula more than six months ago in Hundreds of protesters and in the rural New response to a now­with­ Italian coalition hit Agence France-Presse countries”, Chinese Defence rorism and piracy,” said se­ marched through Hong Territories. drawn Bill that would have as Minister quits Beijing ROME Ministry spokesman Wu nior armed forces spokes­ Kong shopping malls on “I think the purpose for us allowed extraditions to Italian Education Minister China, Russia and Iran will Qian told reporters on man Brigadier General Thursday, disrupting busi­ to come out is to... let people mainland China, where Lorenzo Fioramonti said on hold joint naval drills start­ Thursday. Aboldazl Shekarchi. ness in the Asian financial realise that so many front­ courts are controlled by the Thursday that he had ing Friday in the Gulf of Mr. Wu said the Chinese The exercise would “sta­ hub for a third day over the line protesters sacrificed Communist Party. resigned, dealing a blow to Oman, Beijing and Tehran navy would deploy its Xining bilise security” in the region festive period and prompt­ (things) for them. They They have since evolved the country’s four­month­old said, at a time of heightened guided missile destroyer — and benefit the world, state ing the riot police to close off should not forget and (simp­ into a broader pro­democra­ coalition government. Mr. tensions since the U.S. with­ nicknamed the “carrier kill­ news agency IRNA quoted a mall in a tourist district. Protesters at shopping mall ly) celebrate Christmas,” cy movement. Fioramonti, of the anti­ drew from a landmark nu­ er” for its array of anti­ship him as saying on The “shopping protests” in Hong Kong. * AP said Sandy, a young demon­ The government on establishment Five Star clear deal with Tehran. and land attack cruise mis­ Wednesday. have targeted malls across strator who wore a black Thursday criticised “unpre­ Movement, wrote on Set to take place from De­ siles — in the drills. China’s Foreign Minister the Chinese­ruled city since with shoppers and visitors. mask to hide her identity. cedented violence” by some Facebook that he resigned cember 27 to 30, the military For Iran, the drill’s pur­ said the exercises were part Christmas Eve, turning vio­ While the turnout on “We have been fighting for protesters in the city, but because his demand for a exercises aim to “deepen ex­ pose was to bolster “interna­ of “normal military coopera­ lent at times with the police Thursday was smaller than almost seven months now, said that protecting free­ minimum level of funding change and cooperation bet­ tional commerce security in tion” between the three firing tear gas to disperse de­ on the previous two days, and the Hong Kong police doms and human rights re­ had not been met. AFP ween the navies of the three the region” and “fighting ter­ countries. monstrators in areas filled the riot police stepped up have done so many bad mained a top priority. Typhoon Phanfone kills at least 16 in Philippines MANILA Typhoon Phanfone swept Netanyahu faces party Pakistan files review petition 17 civilians killed in attack across remote villages and popular tourist areas of central Philippines on leadership challenge on Yemen market: UN Christmas day claiming at in army chief’s extension case least 16 lives, authorities said Election results are expected today Third incident in same area in a month on Thursday. Tens of thousands of people in the Agence France-Presse ‘Several legal gaps in verdict, govt. wants their rectification’ Agence France-Presse vernorate, a Houthi rebel mostly Catholic nation were Jerusalem Sanaa stronghold. also forced to evacuate their Israel’s embattled premier Press Trust of India aside the earlier judgment. It Seventeen civilians were At least 12 people were homes, they added. AFP Benjamin Netanyahu faced Islamabad also requested the court to killed in an attack in a mar­ wounded, it said, without a challenge on Thursday for The Pakistan government on keep the proceedings ket in Yemen’s northern saying who was responsible Over 16,000 complaints the leadership of his Likud Thursday filed a review peti­ in­camera. Saada governorate, the Unit­ or what weaponry was filed over Afghan polls party from a longtime rival, tion against the Supreme Firdous Ashiq Awan, the ed Nations said, the third used. KABUL former Interior Minister Gi­ Court’s decision about legis­ Special Advisor to the Prime deadly assault on the same The Saudi­led coalition More than 16,000 complaints deon Saar. lation on the extension of Minister for Information and location in just over a acknowledged on Thursday have been filed to Afghan Likud’s roughly 1,16,000 service of Army chief Gener­ Broadcasting, said the re­ month. it had carried out an opera­ election authorities over the eligible voters have until 11 al Qamar Javed Bajwa. view petition was filed “be­ The attacks come despite tion in Monabbih, a Saada handling of this year’s p.m. to choose between Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu A three­member Bench cause our legal team tho­ relative calm in Yemen, district where the market is presidential polls, officials Netanyahu and Mr. Saar, headed by then Chief Justice General Qamar Javed Bajwa roughly, comprehensively, where large­scale combat located. said on Thursday, days after with the result expected by Mr. Netanyahu is Israel’s Asif Saeed Khosa on Novem­ and closely reviewed all as­ between government troops The coalition did not pro­ preliminary results gave President Ashraf Ghani a slim early Friday morning. longest serving premier but ber 28 granted a six­month nick of time as Gen. Bajwa, pects of the decision and — backed by a Saudi­led mil­ vide further details. 50.64% majority. If the A defeat for Mr. Netanya­ he has been weakened by a extension to Gen. Bajwa af­ 59, was set to retire at mid­ concluded that there are sev­ itary coalition — and the An attack on Al­Raqw numbers hold following these hu, 70, would be a shock, series of corruption indict­ ter being assured by the go­ night on November 28. eral legal gaps in the verdict. Iran­aligned Houthi rebels market on November 22 investigations, the result is but even a relatively close ments. After months of pol­ vernment that Parliament In the review petition “With due respect to the has largely subsided. killed 10 civilians, again in­ enough for Mr. Ghani to avoid result could weaken his in­ itical stalemate, he faces a will pass a legislation on the filed by Attorney General judiciary, the government The UN said 12 Ethiopian cluding Ethiopian nationals, a run­off, after he easily beat fluence over the conserva­ third general election within extension/reappointment of Anwar Mansoor, the govern­ wants rectification of the migrants were among the 17 and just days later, at least his long time rival Chief tive party he has dominated 12 months early next year — an army chief within six ment has urged the top faults and thus decided to civilians killed in the inci­ another 10 civilians were Executive Abdullah Abdullah, for 20 years. but only if he first defeats months. court to form a larger Bench file the review petition,” she dent on Tuesday at the Al­ killed and 22 wounded in a who won 39.52% votes. AFP After a decade in power, his challenger. The ruling came in the to hear the case and set said. Raqw market in Saada go­ second such incident.

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THE HINDU CROSSWORD 12817 (set by Hypatia) SUDOKU FAITH Log on to crossword.thehindu.com for more puzzles 14 Gruff Arctic dog (5) 7 Shout in Hindi, started by parliamentarian (4) Compassionate to a fault 17 Mark Twain’s plot changed show (7) 8 Resent messenger delivering The Lord is hailed as not only the abode of all auspic ious nothing (4) 19 Exactly near main tourist qualities, but also as ever free of any doshas whatsoever. If at location (4,3) all He has any dosha it might be said that it is His magnani­ 12 Is A, B...C possibly this? (5) mous nature that makes Him compassionate to a fault when 21 Supply, it can crawl without He does not see any doshas in His devotees, pointed out Ka­ support (5) 13 Dull if not drunk (5) lyanapuram Sri Aravamudhachariar in a discourse. While both the Lord and His consort are the very embodiment of 15 Charge that woman picked up 23 Place for visitors to check out? compassion, there is even a subtle competition between (9) for Japanese food (5) them and Sri is seen to be a cut above Him. For, when it 25 Curtail banter to ban fool? (7) 16 Long story about earth (5) comes to disciplining the erring jivatmas, while the Lord is stern in His dealings, Sri adopts only soft measures that 27 Walking outfit (7) 18 Plebiscite re­held suppressing would transform each one by gradually eliminating the ten­ dency to err that is inherent in beings. 30 Take out drawing tip near Joan rising dissidents (8) Miro, perhaps (8,7) Yet it is interesting to note that Periazhwar in one of his 20 Encourage boring 1 playing hymns presents an imaginary exchange between Goddess ■ DOWN ordinary broken chord (8) Sri and the Lord when she informs Him that the same Vibh­ ishana whom He accepted in His fold had cast aspersions on 1 Just softly pushed out loud 22 Say artist picked up prize (6) her. This is a reference to the Hitopadesa section in Valmiki couple (4) Ramayana when Vibhishana calls her a poisonous serpe nt 24 Chaplin didn’t finish playing Solution to puzzle 12816 Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku tied to Ravana’s neck. But the Lord justifies His act with the 2 Fight with woman's outlook (4) dictator (6) ■ ACROSS firm assertion, “My bhakta will not err or commit any mis­ take on any count,” says the azhwar. This is His firm stance 9 No actor got this kind of movie 3 What one on trial should do — 25 Wife left cereal in microwave even if Goddess Sri raises a complaint against any d evotee (8,7) lose one’s temper? (4,1,3) (4) which is only a purely hypothetical situation. In the Vishnu 10 Actively lead revolutionary 4 Feel sick, going through 26 Look before stone is Sahasra Nama, the term ‘Avignatha’ has a special signifi­ struggle before harsh doctor’s prescription? It’s a misplaced (4) cance. The literal meaning is not being aware. When applied treatment (3,4) natural reaction! (6) to jivatmas it indicates their ignorance of the true nature of 11 By and large, UK, for one, is 5 Wretched queen blamed nurses 28 Hypatia? Not otherwise keen! their Self; but when applied to the Lord it refers to His ten­ outside EU, at last (7) (8) (4) dency to not heed any fault in His bhaktas. The upkeep and 12 Spooner’s sped past packs of welfare of the universe and all beings is the prime concern Arctic animals (4,5) 6 Bear hugging river duck (6) 29 Crow over clothing (4) for the divine couple.

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THE HINDU DELHI FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 BUSINESS 15 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

market watch Oil nears $68, 26-12-2019 % CHANGE Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 41,164 ddddddddddddd-0.72 More 5G spectrum sale on anvil highest in US Dollardddddddddddddddddddd 71.31 ddddddddddddd-0.05 Gold ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 39,630 ddddddddddddddd0.29 Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd 67.56 ddddddddddddddd0.86 Telecom department to seek TRAI’s views on auction for 24.75­27.25 GHz band three months

Yuthika Bhargava GHz band. Earlier this Reuters NEW DELHI London NIFTY 50 month, the Digital Commu­ PRICE CHANGE Preparations have started to nications Commission — the Oil rose towards $68 a bar­

Adani Ports...... 363.65...... -4.95 bring in more 5G spectrum highest decision­making bo­ rel to its highest in over Asian Paints...... 1809.60...... 6.15 to be put on sale towards the dy in the DoT — gave its ap­ three months on Thursday, Axis Bank ...... 736.50...... -4.15 end of 2020, according to an proval for TRAI’s recommen­ buoyed by a report show­ Bajaj Auto ...... 3230.05...... 3.30

Bajaj Finserv...... 9350.10...... 55.25 official. dation to put 8300 MHz of ing lower U.S. crude inven­ Bajaj Finance ...... 4187.10...... 47.60 This comes in the wake of airwaves across 22 circles up tories, hopes of an end to Bharti Airtel ...... 447.55...... -9.60 the Centre’s decision to con­ for sale. About 35% of this the China­U.S. trade dis­ BPCL...... 477.20...... -0.60

Britannia Ind ...... 3062.30...... -28.75 duct auctions for more than spectrum is for 5G services. pute and OPEC­led efforts Cipla ...... 474.15...... -4.55 8,300 Mhz of spectrum, in­ to constrain supply. Coal India ...... 197.30...... -1.65 cluding those to be used to 5G trials The American Petro­ Dr Reddys Lab ...... 2865.60...... -30.35 Eicher Motors...... 22045.70. .... 177.05 offer 5G service, in March­ Asked about 5G trials, the of­ leum Institute, an oil indus­ Initial public offers GAIL (India)...... 118.10...... -1.65 April next year. ficial said the DoT had re­ try group, said that U.S. Grasim Ind ...... 736.75...... -1.75 The Department of Tele­ ceived seven applications, crude stocks fell by 7.9 mil­ HCL Tech...... 560.50...... -0.05 HDFC ...... 2414.10...... 1.35 com (DoT) will soon seek the DoT has received applications from Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia, including from players such lion barrels last week, stayed muted in 2019 HDFC Bank...... 1270.45...... -18.70 Telecom Regulatory Authori­ Huawei, ZTE and two others for 5G trials. * P.V. SIVAKUMAR as Ericsson, Samsung, No­ much more than the de­ Hero MotoCorp ...... 2438.65...... 6.00

Hindalco ...... 215.00...... -1.25 ty of India’s (TRAI ) recom­ kia, Huawei and ZTE. cline forecast by analysts. Hind Unilever ...... 1944.95...... -1.45 mendation on the auction of 27.25 GHz)... these are 5G 5G services, two of which — “The DoT will be calling Brent crude, the global Offers­for­sale, however, saw a surge ICICI Bank ...... 538.75...... -2.35 spectrum in the 24.75 to bands... This we plan to auc­ the 700 MHz and 3.4 GHz­3.6 each one of them to discuss benchmark, reached IndusInd Bank ...... 1515.40...... -6.45 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Bharti Infratel ...... 256.20...... 0.90 27.25 Ghz band, which is tion sometime late next Ghz — will be put up for sale what their plans are and $67.83 a barrel, the highest diamart Intermesh also re­ MUMBAI Infosys ...... 728.95...... -4.45 considered highly suited to year,” a senior Ministry offi­ in the upcoming auction. evaluate their needs and since Sept. 17, and by late gistered a strong response. Indian OilCorp...... 125.10...... -2.30 5G services deployment. cial said. The Cellular Operators As­ then take a call accordingly. afternoon GMT was up 39 Even as initial public offers The year saw 47 compa­ ITC ...... 236.80...... -1.95

JSW Steel...... 269.15...... 2.40 “We will soon be making a The official said currently, sociation of India has been This should be finalised in cents at $67.59. U.S. West (IPOs) stayed muted in 2019, nies — with a cumulative is­ Kotak Bank ...... 1694.25...... -17.30 reference to TRAI for millim­ three spectrum bands are requesting the government the January­March quarter,” Texas Intermediate crude significant fund­raising sue size of over ₹51,000 L&T...... 1279.30...... -21.70 eter bands (24.75 GHz to considered good for offering to seek TRAI’s views on 26 the official added. gained 14 cents to $61.25. through offers­for­sale (OFS) crore — allowing regulatory M&M ...... 528.35...... 0.85

Maruti Suzuki ...... 7240.90...... -86.90 and qualified institutional approvals to lapse even as Nestle India Ltd...... 14599.25...... 13.25 placements (QIPs) ensured such approvals by the Secur­ NTPC ...... 116.40...... 1.20 that overall mobilisation re­ ities and Exchange Board of ONGC ...... 128.00...... 2.00 mained vibrant in the year. India is valid for one year. PowerGrid Corp ...... 184.85...... -2.30 IL&FS: SEBI fines 3 rating Reliance Ind ...... 1515.40...... -31.05 Rising prices to aid Essar Steel In 2019, a total of ₹81,174 State Bank ...... 329.85...... -1.60 crore was raised through SME issues dipped Sun Pharma ...... 422.15...... -7.65 Tata Motors ...... 174.60...... -0.90 agencies ₹25 lakh each ‘U.S.­China deal to spur metals; quicker turnaround likely’ the public equity markets, Interestingly, IPOs in the Tata Steel ...... 467.90...... 4.90 which was 28% higher than segment reserved for small TCS ...... 2201.95...... -13.65 Piyush Pandey commitment to enhance the MTPA while the company the ₹63,651 crore raised in and medium enterprises Tech Mahindra ...... 770.40...... -1.65 ‘No due diligence done for rating NCDs’ MUMBAI Titan ...... 1192.50...... -11.60 capacity to 15 MTPA. was still under IBC.” calendar year 2018, accord­ (SMEs) dipped for the first UltraTech Cement...... 4062.75...... -34.60 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT stances of this case, the de­ ArcelorMittal, along with Ja­ Sanjiv Bhasin, director, ing to Prime Database. Inci­ time ever since the platform UPL...... 569.45...... 0.30 MUMBAI fault has occurred due to panese partner Nippon IIFL Securities, told The Hin- Rising market share dentally, this was about half was launched. In 2019, there Vedanta ...... 150.70...... 2.65

Wipro ...... 250.30...... -1.95 The Securities and Ex­ lethargic indifference and Steel, is likely to financially du, “Steel prices have alrea­ It also helped that, as the IBC of the all­time high of ₹1.6 were only 50 SME IPOs that YES Bank...... 48.65...... -2.55 change Board of India (SE­ needless procrastination turn around Essar Steel dy bottomed out and 2020 process was going on, the lakh crore seen in 2017. collectively raised ₹621 Zee Entertainment ...... 297.30...... 0.05 BI) has penalised rating and laxity of the Noticee... sooner than expected as will be a great year for metal firm was not liable to pay in­ In terms of IPOs, 2019 crore, much lower than last agencies India Ratings & Re­ “The brazen failure had steel prices have bottomed stocks with the trade deal terest during the moratori­ saw only 16 main board is­ year when 141 SME IPOs EXCHANGE RATES search, CARE and ICRA for clearly defeated the purpos­ out globally and are likely to between U.S. and China. um period. sues that collectively raised raised ₹2,287 crore. Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit alleged lack of proper due es of the regulations i.e. in­ improve in 2020. Globally, steel prices have “They were able to offer a ₹12,362 crore, a decline of Meanwhile, OFS saw a except yen at 4 p.m. on December 26 diligence while rating non­ vestor protection and order­ ArcelorMittal has formed started improving and the discount of about 2% com­ 60% compared with last significant jump in the year CURRENCY TT BUY TT SELL convertible debentures of ly development of the a 60:40 JV with Nippon Steel same trend is expectedin In­ pared with competition to year’s ₹30,959 crore raised with a total of ₹25,811 crore US Dollar...... 71.11...... 71.43 crisis­hit IL&FS. securities markets... the de­ to operate Essar Steel and its dia with lower imports.” enhance market share as the from 24 offers. The largest raised in 2019 against Euro ...... 78.83...... 79.19

British Pound...... 92.22...... 92.67 In three separate orders, fault is grave and the gravity immediate focus is to en­ However, the JV may find company saved around 12% IPO in 2019 was of Sterling & ₹10,672 crore in 2018 . Of Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 64.89...... 65.18 the SEBI imposed a penalty of this matter cannot be ig­ hance the operating capaci­ it difficult to ramp up capac­ on interest costs during the Wilson Solar for ₹2,850 this, the government’s div­ Chinese Yuan ...... 10.16...... 10.21 of ₹25 lakh each on them. nored.” The SEBI probe has ty of the plant to 8.5 million ity especially when the de­ moratorium period,” a per­ crore. The average deal size estment accounted for Swiss Franc ...... 72.46...... 72.79

Singapore Dollar ...... 52.49...... 52.73 “Though there is no allega­ alleged the agencies placed tonnes per annum(MTPA) in mand is yet to pick up in In­ son close to the develop­ was pegged at ₹773 crore. ₹5,871 crore, or 23% of the Canadian Dollar...... 54.06...... 54.31 tion of any mala fide on the excessive reliance on the the medium term and to 15 dia. “Selling steel in India ment said. The overall response to overall amount. The largest Malaysian Ringitt ...... 17.20...... 17.28 part of the Noticee, the fai­ submissions made by the MTPA in the long term. becomes difficult amid weak Analysts said the JV could the main board IPOs of 2019 OFS was by Axis Bank, fol­ Source:Indian Bank lure by the Noticee is blame­ IL&FS management while demand,” said an analyst. have a competitive edge over remained quite strong with lowed by SBI Life Insurance worthy and serious consi­ failing to change the rating Discussion on plans Vivek Kamra, MD of Alva­ Indian peers as it can raise two issues — IRCTC and Ujji­ and HDFC Life Insurance.

BULLION RATES CHENNAI dering the degree of or placing it under ‘watch’ The board of the JV held a rez & Marsal’s performance funds from Japan and the van Small Finance Bank — As many as 11 firms mobil­ December 26 rates in rupees with pre- responsibility bestowed even as there were reports meeting to discuss turna­ improvement and restruc­ global markets at sub­4% getting subscribed over 100 ised ₹35,238 crore via QIPs, vious rates in parentheses upon it by the statute,” said related to the slow pace of round plans. The company turing business in India, told compared with double­digit times. Others like CSB Bank, which was more than dou­

Retail Silver (1g) ...... 50.4...... (47.9) the orders. “Further, in the asset monetisation and de­ declined to offer any com­ The Hindu, “There was a interest costs paid by com­ Affle India, Polycab India, ble last year’s ₹16,587 crore 22 ct gold (1 g) ...... 3697...... (3636) peculiar facts and circum­ leveraging of the group. ment on the plans beyond its 25% rise in production to 7 petitors in India. Neogen Chemicals and In­ raised via QIPs. Greaves Care, Reliance values retail Nirmala to TVS Motor in meet PSU service tie­up arm at ₹2.4 lakh crore bank chiefs Offers 1:4 share swap to retail unit staff Special Correspondent PRESS TRUST OF INDIA CHENNAI special Correspondent employees who were allot­ NEW DELHI Greaves Care, a multi­ MUMBAI ted shares or restricted Finance Minister Nirmala brand spares and service Reliance Retail has been va­ stock units, under various Sitharaman will hold a arm of Greaves Cotton lued at ₹2.4 lakh crore, with employee stock options meeting with heads of pu­ Ltd., has entered into a its parent Reliance Indus­ schemes. blic sector banks (PSBs) on pact with TVS Motor Com­ tries Limited (RIL) offering The proposed scheme Saturday to review finan­ pany to act as an author­ one share in RIL for every will not alter the capital cial performance of the ised service centre for TVS four shares held in the retail structure of any of the lenders and their business three­wheelers. Under the arm to its employees under companies. growth, sources said. pact, about 165 Greaves a share swap scheme. “This will provide liquidi­ Given the importance of Care Centres will provide RIL shares on the BSE ty to Reliance Retail em­ the banking sector in gen­ service support in the form dipped 1.94% to ₹1,515.95 in ployees as RIL shares are erating demand and boost­ of free service and cam­ a weak Mumbai market on listed, while Reliance Re­ ing consumption, the paign­related repairs. Thursday, valuing the com­ tail’s are not,” said a source sources said the meeting “Greaves created the pany at ₹9,60,991.56 crore, in the know of the with the MDs and CEOs of multi­brand service and implying a valuation of development. PSBs ahead of the Budget spares ecosystem support ₹2,40,248 crore for its un­ RIL chairman Mukesh 2020­21 is considered for uninterrupted mobility, listed retail arm. Ambani, during the compa­ important. pan­India. The partnership This is double the valua­ ny’s annual general meet­ Ms. Sitharaman is ex­ is in line with our vision to tion of ₹1,20,388.9 crore for ing, promised to list the re­ pected to present her se­ create a robust network of Avenue Supermarts Ltd., tail and telecom arms after cond full Budget on Febru­ after­sale services for our that owns and operates the selling strategic stakes to in­ ary 1. The meeting is also customers and nurture a D­Mart retail chain in India. vestors by 2024. expected to take up discus­ long­lasting relationship,” According to a notifica­ Reliance Retail is an un­ sion on non­performing as­ said Nagesh Basavanhalli, tion on RIL’s website, the listed subsidiary of Reliance set recovery through both MD and CEO, Greaves Cot­ stock swap scheme will be Retail Ventures and an indi­ NCLT and non­NCLT ton Ltd. applicable to Reliance Retail rect subsidiary of RIL. means, the sources said. New wagon to boost cargo capacity

Volume may rise 4­fold; trials for Dedicated Freight Corridor’s wagons underway

Yuthika Bhargava The corridor, touted as Sri Madhopur one of the biggest infrastruc­ The Dedicated Freight Corri­ ture projects in the country, dor Corporation of India, will cover a 3,360­km stretch Ltd. (DFCCIL) tasked with consisting of eastern and building the over ₹81,000 western corridors. crore freight corridor in the The 1,504­km western country, on Thursday began freight corridor begins at Da­ testing a new wagon that will dri, Uttar Pradesh, and goes help boost the cargo carry­ up to India’s largest contain­ ing capacity by four times er port, Jawaharlal Nehru due to increased length of Port Trust, near Mumbai, the train, use of double­stack passing vai Haryana, Rajas­ containers and more pay­ Currently, the maximum speed of goods trains varies from 40 than and Gujarat. The 1,856­ load carrying capability. kmph to 100 kmph on Railways’ tracks. * K.PICHUMANI km eastern corridor will run “The new wagon — called from Ludhiana in Punjab to BLCS (type A & B) — is cur­ tion (RDSO) and are manu­ km/hour on a 270­km­long Dankuni near Kolkata, tra­ rently a prototype. A total of factured at the Golden Rock section of the western versing Haryana, Uttar Pra­ three such wagons have Railway Workshop in Tiru­ freight corridor from Rewari desh, Bihar and Jharkhand. been manufactured with in­ chirappalli, Tamil Nadu. to Kishangarh. Currently, Once the entire corridor puts from the industry as to These wagons will be un­ maximum speed of goods becomes operational in De­ what their requirements der trial till January 26, trains varies from 40 kmph cember 2021, the average are,” said Ved Prakash, GM 2020. If approved by the to 100 kmph on the Indian speed of the freight trains is (operations), DFCCIL. RDSO, wagons will be manu­ Railways tracks. The DFC expected to increase from The wagon — used for factured commercially as tracks are separate from the the current 26 km/hour on hauling freight — have been per industry requirements. Indian Railways tracks. Ho­ Indian Railways line to 70 tested by the Research De­ On Thursday, the trial was wever, mostly they run pa­ km/hour on the dedicated sign and Standards Organisa­ conducted at a speed of 100 rallel to each other. freight corridor. CM YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU 16 SHOWCASE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

PEOPLE Who put chicken Clay plan A weekend course will begin this weekend, at Claying in my sushi? Thoughts, a roof-top pottery studio in Noida Ranjani Rajendra Thomas Zacharias picks the top five dishes

His Instagram feed is usually filled that blew him away during his Chef On The with posts of him travelling either Road trips in 2019 through the country or abroad. His trips are typically centred around food; after all, they are the Chef On The Road trips that Tho­ mas Zacharias, executive chef and partner at The Bombay Canteen, undertakes several times a year. These trips go on to inspire his in­ novative menus at the restaurant Year in food that has gone on to be voted as (Clockwise from far one of the best in the country. left) Thomas Here, he shares the five best Zacharias with Dan foods he got to try this past year Barber; mushroom during his travels. ceviche; chicken sashimi; chhatu patra Chicken sashimi poda; wild “You just need to love mud,” says Pooja Verma, founder of I’d gone to Japan early this year, thali in Akole Claying Thoughts, as she talks of how anyone can be a and one of the dishes that com­ * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT potter. She herself worked in PR and marketing, before pletely blew me away was a chick­ turning to pottery full-time, first exploring the wheel, and en sashimi I had at a yakitori then shifting to hand-building items, setting up her terrace place in Kyoto called Kuchibashi na, where I had the chhatu patra po­ studio in 2013. “I was always inquisitive about 3D craft and Modern. da. It is basically straw mushrooms, that drew me towards pottery,” she says, adding that the They have a special breed of mustard, green chillies and onions first thing she ever crafted was a coil pot: The technique is her favourite style. Here, she talks about her journey and poultry that is bred for sashimi; that are wrapped in sal leaves and the course she has instituted. the bird is processed just before it charred. I loved the technique and is served to ensure freshness. It is the way the different flavours came typically eaten with wasabi and together. It opened my eyes to how Is pottery a sustainable practice? soy; and honestly, the dish made different Odiya food is. We potters are really connected to the earth. We don’t me rethink a lot of things about waste anything, so if something can’t be used at home, we textures and flavours. Beet steak get it to the studio because anything can be utilised there. I Until then, I had never thought In November this year, I worked at believe in sustainability, that way my expenditure on the that chicken sashimi would be so Blue Hill at Stone Barns for a week studio is minimal. If my neighbours have to throw enjoyable or that I would be while travelling to New York. something out, they ask me if I can get some use out of it. wowed by it. But it was one of Helmed by Dan Barber, it is a mod­ those dishes that I wanted to or­ ern farm­to­table restaurant. I have What has your passion for pottery taught you in life? der again. green chillies, onions and garlic. I followed Dan’s work closely and to Besides patience, I have learnt the art of detachment. Wild thali realised just how little we know of be able to work and talk to him was Making a pot is like rearing a child. You spend a lot of time Mushroom ceviche Before the monsoon season, I had local produce; it was a turning point undoubtedly the highlight of my basically looked like a candle and in preparing the clay, smoothening, designing and This one was closer home; a de­ gone with the guys from the OOO for me and also paved the way for year. Towards the end of my week we’d assumed it was part of the table perfecting the details. Then you have to send your piece for lightful mushroom ceviche creat­ Farms to Akole in the Sahyadri the evolving food at The Bombay there, the team treated me to a 30­ décor. The wax, however, was made bisque firing, where there is a good 10% chance that your ed by Chef Hussain Shahzad at O hills. Here, I met tribals and got to Canteen. It was following this trip course meal that lasted four­and­a­ of beef fat, which was then poured pot will break. Initially, I used to get very upset over not Pedro in Mumbai. It was a simple sample their cooking. They use that we hosted Taste of the Wild, a half hours! It was here that I tried into a gravy boat. The meal was a re­ receiving my art back in one piece. Eventually I learnt to enough dish with some pickled vegetables that are either foraged two­month­long exploration of ve­ the beet steak; it was one of the last look at how to achieve a balance on enjoy the process and not be focused on the results. oyster mushrooms, lima beans or locally found, like pendra, getables found in Maharashtra. savoury courses. The beet was our plates, which are usually meat and a crisp tempura. gharbandi, chai vel and mahua charred and sliced to look like steak; heavy with some starch and vegeta­ What is the course all about? However, the depth of flavour fruit. Their cooking technique it­ Chhatu patra poda it was then served with some beet bles. Here , the vegetable was the The course is for beginners to experience pottery-making the dish boasted was something self was quite simple but flavour­ During my trip to Odisha, I hap­ greens, beet purée and four slices of star and the meat a mere using handbuilding techniques. Participants will learn else. I simply loved it. ful. All they would use was some pened to dine at the home of Alka Je­ beef. The coolest part: the sauce accompaniment. foundation techniques — slab, pinch, and coil building and combine them to create some interesting clay forms. They will be given a step by step demonstration of processes and FOOD SPOT will get a chance to create an independent clay project Strictly for the epicurean (From left) Thai using their own idea or choose from the projects available. Chicken Red Curry; Dim Sums At the end of workshop, participants can take back their creation home. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Every weekend, from December 28th to January 26th at Claying Dinner on Thoughts, Noida, Sector 21; ₹5,500 for eight sessions SHUBHRA ROY

a cold night PRODUCT How to turn on the heat with food, especially dessert History on your hands

ghee. But another old favourite of mine — the fiery Andhra speciality Chicken 65—did not impress me much. I found the chicken a bit too dry and salty. The Lemon Rice was not Rahul Verma bad, but it was a wee bit dry, too. I love it when the lemon rice is moist. It was a cold and foggy night. I needed so­ The delivery services (Swiggy and Zomato) mething that would warm my soul. And my right now have the old menus, but I am told thoughts naturally turned to food. I had been they will soon include all these delightful dis­ getting calls from a delivery outfit, and decid­ bits of veggies tucked into them. The rice was The catering service has on the menu dis­ hes — Sushi Rolls, Chinese Chilli Chicken with ed I’d try their dishes out. To give away the soft, and the veggies were crunchy. The Thai hes such as the Kashmiri Rogan Josh, Crispy capsicum and onions, tempuras, Dim Sums, conclusion of my story, the food was excel­ water chestnut dim sums were not bad eith­ Palak, Nadru and Haaq as well as Punjab’s Chicken Korma, Dhaba Chjcken, Aviyal, Ve­ lent, and I had a great meal that blew the win­ er, though I think the casing could have been Sarson Ka Saag and Amritsari Fish. It has Del­ getable Chettinad et al. Jaipur Watch Company’s new limited edition series makes ter blues away. a bit thinner. But the filling was delicious, and hi’s Chaat, Shami Kababs, samosas, Bedmi To end your meal, I would suggest that you dials out of Indian postage stamps from 1937-1940. The The delivery outlet is called Heritage Food, I enjoyed their fiery chicken dim sums, too. Kachori and Rajasthan’s Lal Maas, Dal Baati get some Kheerer Singara — samosas pre­ stamps, orignally printed at the Security Printing Press in and it has two subsections: Indian Heritage Their menu is quite comprehensive and in­ Churma and Mirchi Vada. Gujarat’s Bajrey Ki pared with sweetened and thickened milk – Nashik, featured a portrait of King George VI. These and Orient Heritage. It is based in Malviya Na­ cludes everything from the Andhra Chicken Khichdi, the Parsi Dhansak and patrani from New Annapurna Sweets near Yusuf Sa­ watches come with a handmade leather strap, and a lotus gar, and delivers food to neighbourhoods in 65 to Chicken Ghee Roast, Vegetarian Chetti­ machhi— it has the choicest of dishes from rai. My brother­in­law sent some across, and I engraving much like the reverse side of the One Rupee coin south Delhi (through Swiggy and Zomato). nad, Aviyal and Thai Red Chicken Curry. I across the country, including many from Kar­ thought they were the most delicious sweets I from the same era. But it also runs a catering service, for which thoroughly enjoyed the curry, which had the nataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. had eaten in a very long time. That, to my orders have to be placed in advance. delightful flavours of galangal and lemon I love southern Indian food, so I tried out mind, was the best way to end a meal on a Upwards of ₹1,40,000; for more details about stores and ordering, The food came neatly packed in well­ grass. The gravy had been nicely thickened the Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast. The cold winter’s night. jaipur.watch sealed boxes. I enjoyed their rainbow vege­ with coconut milk, and I actually had it with chicken was soft and moist, and had soaked tarian sushi — nicely flavoured rice rolls with some flaky Malabar parottas. in the flavours of the spices and the aroma of The writer is a seasoned food critic Contact us at [email protected]

5 EVENTS WORTH YOUR WHILE

MUSIC F&B GIG DINING FILM Ghazal Winter special Pop Festive menu English classic Popular singer and composer Shakeel Ahmed will Masia, a new restaurant which specialises in The Piano Man Jazz Club presents rock, pop and Asian cuisine BOA (Best of Asia) Village has American Center, New Delhi will screen Miracle perform Rooh-e-Ghazal, an evening of music Indian and Asian cuisine, has launched a special fusion music tonight by Saptak Chatterjee. A introduced a special menu for the New Year on 34th Street, an English classic film, this celebrating the ghazals of Ustad Shayars. The menu with signature cocktails for the winter. singer-composer and producer based out of festive season. On until 31st December, the evening. Directed by George Seaton the story of presentation will highlight the work and Curated by chef Chanchal Dutta the menu has Delhi, Saptak is an independent artist, belonging special spread offers traditional favourites such this 1947 film takes place between Thanksgiving contribution of poets who were instrumental in Hanoi Lotus Root, Burmese Chili Garlic Corn, to a third generation of a Hindustani classical as, Peking Duck, Honey Glazed Salmon Steak, Day and Christmas Day in New York City. It shaping the ghazal. The evening promises some Lemongrass Chicken and Avocado, Shrimp Rolls, music family. He has already released two Chicken Katsu Sushi, Hakusai Hoso Sushi, and revolves around an elderly man Kris Kringle, who original compositions by the singer. Gosht Seekh, Gunpowder Prawn, and others. albums titled Kehsihba and Material & Mind. Blueberry Cheese Cake and Plum Cake. believeshe is Santa Claus. Venue: Amaltas Hall, India Habitat Centre Venue: Plot 102A, Sector 38, Noida Venue: B 6-7/22 Safdarjung Enclave Market, Venue: Exchange Store Building, Civil Lines Venue: American Center, 24, K. G. Marg Time: 7 p.m. Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12 midnight Time: 9 p.m. - 11:55 p.m. Time: 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. Time: 6 p.m.

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THE HINDU DELHI FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 SHOWCASE 17 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Chills and thrills Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee; a still from Ghost Stories

* ARUNANGSU ROY CHOWDHURY AND SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

ers Creepers 1. Zoya Akhtar, Anurag KJ: There are two of those? DB: I think there are three. Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee KJ: It’s a franchise! and Karan Johar talk to DB: You should see it. KJ: I will not do any such thing. MetroPlus on what scares AK: You don’t like Scream, Halloween? them in film and in real life KJ: I don’t like. ZA: Halloween is very good. AK: I Know What You Did Last Summer bhi nahin dekha? [asking Karan] KJ: I have seen this anthology like this [covers his face]. United in DB: Wahi to mazaa hai. Let’s move on to horror in real life? AK: What’s happening in the country…

That’s also your fear? [posed to all HORROR the four] AK: My biggest fear is the people I have Namrata Joshi somehow falls together. mentary, ghost is having fun. Commen­ AK: Mine is a story that crawls upon Ramsay Brothers because those are the put at risk by putting myself out there. KJ: It never seems to jump out. Themat­ tary kuchh aur hai. you. It’s atmospheric horror. What I like ones I have seen. More than [about] me, it’s people close Five years after Bombay Talkies, Zoya ically we are unified. is what I got to do. It’s a slow burn… to me, who I work with… I am inherent­ Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Ba­ Yours, Zoya? Then I can’t ask you your favourite ly a survivor, but people around me, I nerjee and Karan Johar had directed How is your horror different, AK: Hers is a ghost story. She is very Are you all admirers of horror? horror film… don’t think are equipped to be another four­film omnibus, Lust Sto- Karan? diligent. KJ: Not at all. I am not admiring of any KJ: No survivors. ries, last year for Netflix. They must KJ: Mine is a ghost story. ZA: It’s a classic ghost story. About two such thing. DB: For the 23rd time in two days [of ZA: Loss of human rights is horrific. It have liked being in each other’s compa­ AK: It’s a spookedy. women. I think it’s a bit of a feminist AK: I like horror. media interactions] The Blair Witch frightens me and it’s here, there, eve­ ny, as they have reunited again after 18 KJ: Mine is a pretty ghost story. Zoya de­ film. I don’t know how else to put it. DB: I like. Project. So many people have asked me. rywhere. It’s global. months for a quartet of scary tales, scribed it really well. She said it was a DB: When we finished watching each ZA: I also. Can I change it? The film that really AK: Power in the hands of people who Ghost Stories, that drops on Netflix on Disney horror film. other’s films, I turned to her and said scared me and also fascinated me is ac­ are so unaware. the very last day of this decade. Edited DB: It is fun. ‘heartbreaking’. So 3:1! tually a short film by [Satyajit] Ray. excerpts from a short but no­holds­ AK: There are at least two very laugh­ KJ: I don’t admire the genre at all. I Called Monihara: The Lost Jewels. It is [Turning to Johar] You dislike barred interaction with them, in which out­loud moments. And Anurag, is yours don’t watch it. I would admire it if I part of Teen Kanya. One of the stories in horror. Is that why you keep away we started off by asking the obvious KJ: Mine comes right at the end so after sledgehammer, like you are [these watched it. it. It was the original anthology that he from it for real too? question… you have got scared, mine is the relief at days]? I can’t tell you that I have admired did. It was made out of three [Rabindra­ KJ: The way I have addressed any kind the end. nath] Tagore stories if I am not mista­ of horrific situation, be it within the Why ghosts? ken. And this is a ghost story somewh­ confines of our country or anything Karan Johar: I got carried away at the What about yours, Dibakar? ere in the 20th century Bengal. else, is to do it in my way. The film I am screening of Lust Stories and decided DB: I haven’t done a ‘ghost ghost’ story ZA: There are some that are scary and making next [Takht] is a very solid film let’s jump in the deep end of the ocean. as such. I have grown up on stories that still creep me out. Rosemary’s Baby, it’s based on commentary. I don’t like to say I suggested horror and everyone really come from Indian folklore — bhoot, just an amazing film, The Shining, the these things. I think the more you state got excited. pret, pishaach, raakshas, daitya. Then first The Omen, The Exorcist. The Sixth it, the more it dilutes what it is. It’s a so­ Then I realised how stupid I was to there are lots in Bengali culture like Sense freaks me out. lid commentary film and it’s saying so­ have suggested it, because I didn’t know brahmodaittyo, shakchunni, petni. It AK: Classic horror is always good. mething very strong. if I had the ability to pull off this genre. I came somewhere from there… KJ: I remember one film I saw that I nev­ DB: Three­four years ago, when the pro­ dug my own grave but I ventured into it, er recovered from, that scared me was cess started with the clamping down of kicking and screaming. I tried very hard So yours is a sanskari ghost? Carrie. I think that’s what scarred me JNU [Jawaharlal Nehru University] and to get out of it. We have a group chat in DB: No… Is it? [wonders] when it comes to the genre. FTII [Film and Television Institute of In­ which I kept saying ‘I can’t do this, can KJ: His film will shake your foundation DB: The Brian De Palma version or the dia] and when FTII was butchered with, we think of something else’, but by then off. That’s what it did to me. I thought I new one? we did something [referring to award they had already shot their films. I was was going to have a cardiac arrest… KJ: Sissy Spacek… wapsi] and at that point I had said that it too late. AK: It is a sanskari ghost. He has made ZA: That’s Brian De Palma and it’s wasn’t a cinema industry issue. a sanskari ghost story; how dangerous superb. I said that it was an education issue. If You work independently on films, sanskari can be. AK: I like them all. I can talk about the you stop students from asking questions do not consult each other. How KJ: It is not sanskari but it is definitely a last two decades. Let The Right One In, then how will they learn? If you stop pe­ have each of you interpreted commentary­wala ghost. Midsommar, The Witch, Halloween, Us, ople from questioning then how will horror? How similar, different? AK: Most political… Get Out, The Devil’s Backbone. anyone learn anything and how will the AK: We are very different I think… But it DB: But the ghost is not doing the com­ DB: I have one schlock favourite, Jeep- society go forward?

POOCH CAFE PEANUTS

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE CALVIN AND HOBBES

TIGER THE GUARDIAN QUICK CROSSWORD-13261 moon (6) 5 Sway, as if about to fall (6) 6 Variety of plum (9) 7 Postgraduate degree (9) 11 Attacker (9) 12 Mexican state — breed of dog (9) 13 Synthetic acrylic fibre (5) 14 Fine net fabric (5) WUMO 18 Like a dead parrot? (2,4) 19 Situated (6) 22 Soft regional accent (4) 23 Spiteful — excellent (slang) (4)

6 Solution will appear on ■ Across choreographer,d. 1988 December 28, 2019. 1 Steak cut from (6) Solution No. 13260 PEARLS BEFORE SWINE between the ribs (9) 19 Predicament (6) 8 Therefore (4) 20 Blue­blooded (5) 9 Reggae singer, 21 Head (slang) — be a guitarist and songwriter, slacker (4) d. 1981 (3,6) 24 Finished (9) 10 Retained (4) 25 Native wit (4) 13 Beginning (5) 26 Toiletry product (9) 15 About 3,500,000 ■ Down square miles of Africa (6) 2 Gas — light (4) 16 Team sport, 3 City not built in a day informally (6) (4) 17 Sir Frederick __ , 4 Ring round the sun or

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DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Smith eyes ton as Australia seizes control Kohli among Wisden’s Labuschagne and Warner rally after Boult dismisses Burns first ball Cricketers­of­the­Decade NZ IN AUSTRALIA Press Trust of India featuring in the ODI XI. Dhoni, no cricketer in the London Agence France-Presse “His genius has been to world has operated under Melbourne India captain Virat Kohli rise, time and again, to the such daily pressure as Kohli.” Master batsman Steve Smith has been named in the challenge. Between the ground out an unbeaten 77 Cricketers­of­the­Decade end of the England tour in In the past decade, Kohli on Thursday as he zeroed in list alongside four others 2014 and the second Test has amassed 7,202 runs in on yet another century, put­ by Wisden Cricketers’ against Bangladesh at Tests — including 27 ting Australia in the driving Almanack. Kolkata in November, Kohli hundreds — while in the seat after the opening day of South Africans Dale averaged 63, with 21 shorter formats the Indian the second Test here against Steyn and A.B. de Villiers, hundreds and 13 fifties,” skipper has 11,125 runs in New Zealand. Australia’s Steve Smith and Wisden says. ODIs and 2,633 runs in In the Black Caps’ first women’s all­rounder Ellyse “It left him with a T20s. Boxing Day Test at the Mel­ Perry also find a place in unique set of statistics — Kohli has already bourne Cricket Ground since the list of five. the only batsman to amassed 70 international 1987, skipper Kane William­ Kohli, who has scored average at least 50 in all hundreds and is only son opted to bowl, and it 5,775 more international three international behind Ricky Ponting (71) looked to be a good decision runs than anyone else in formats. Even Steve Smith and Sachin Tendulkar with Joe Burns out first ball the last 10 years, has was moved to remark (100). and David Warner just before arguably been the best recently that there is no lunch. batsman over the last one quite like him. He is third in the list of decade. The 31­year­old “In many ways, there leading run­scorers of all Frustration for Kiwis Indian was named captain isn’t. Since the retirement time with 21,444 runs, But first Marnus Labus­ of the Wisden Test team of of Sachin Tendulkar and behind Ponting (27,483) chagne (63), the world’s lead­ the decade, while also the gradual waning of M.S. and Tendulkar (34,357). ing run­scorer for 2019, and then Smith smacked half­ centuries to seize back con­ Thunderbolt: Trent Boult rearranges Joe Burns’ stumps for a golden duck.* AP trol and leave Australia on over from Trent Boult, back outstanding one­handed mined to build a decent become Australia’s 10th high­ 257 for four, frustrating the after missing two Tests with a catch. The in­form Labus­ score. It was slow going, but est run­scorer, with David disciplined Kiwi bowlers. rib injury. After three testing chagne looked set for anoth­ he brought up his 28th Test Boon’s 7,422 his next target. Along with the fidgety balls to Warner, his fourth er big score after plundering half­century off 103 balls — As in Perth, Matthew Smith, Travis Head was not clattered into Burns’ middle his fifth consecutive 50, hav­ his first in four Tests. Wade again came under a out on 25, desperate for runs stump, with the opener out ing converted three of his Along the way he passed short­ball barrage from Neil after a lean spell. for a golden duck. previous four into centuries. Greg Chappell (7,110 runs) to Wagner. The signs are ominous for New Zealand with Smith Boult and Tim Southee But it wasn’t to be and he scoring centuries in his past found early swing and zip was out in bizarre fashion, SCOREBOARD four Tests in Melbourne, and with the ball. with a rising de Grand­ a fifth looking likely. homme ball ricocheting off Australia — 1st innings: D. overs): 257. It was a bold decision by Boos and cheers his elbow and onto the Warner c Southee b Wagner 41, Fall of wickets: 1­1, 2­61, 3­144, J. Burns b Boult 0, M. 4­216. After Burns fell, Labus­ stumps as he attempted to Williamson to bowl on a Labuschagne b de Grandhomme New Zealand bowling: Boult pitch that has traditionally chagne and Warner dug in to leave it. Smith was met with a 63, S. Smith (batting) 77, M. 20­2­60­1, Southee 21­5­63­0, been docile and favoured the wrestle back the initiative be­ mix of boos and cheers as he Wade c Watling b de Grand­ de Grandhomme 21­5­48­2, batsmen. fore a Neil Wagner delivery walked to the crease and af­ homme 38, T. Head (batting) Wagner 21­7­40­1, Santner Imperious: Virat Kohli has scored 5,775 more international runs than anyone else in the last And it appeared to pay di­ saw Warner caught at slip for ter a poor summer, by his 25; Extras (lb­11, b­1, w­1): 13; 7­1­34­0. 10 years. * FILE PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK vidends in a sizzling opening 41, with Southee taking an standards, appeared deter­ Total (for four wkts. in 90 Toss: New Zealand. Virender Sehwag to de Kock to South Africa’s rescue Ganguly, Dravid have a deliver Pataudi lecture ENGLAND IN SA SCOREBOARD ‘general meeting’ Shayan Acharya Reuters Shayan Acharya fused to conduct a fitness Mumbai CENTURION South Africa — 1st innings: D. MUMBAI test for pace ace Jasprit Quinton de Kock fell five runs Elgar c Buttler b Anderson 0, Virender Sehwag will deliver The Board of Control for Bumrah. the seventh Mansur Ali Khan short of his century after A. Markram c Bairstow b Cur­ Cricket in India (BCCI) presi­ Though it could not be Pataudi Lecture in Mumbai dragging South Africa out of ran 20, Z. Hamza c Stokes b Broad 39, F. du Plessis c Root dent Sourav Ganguly had a confirmed whether this mat­ on January 12. This was con­ early trouble to 277 for nine b Broad 29, H. van der Dussen long meeting with National ter was discussed in the firmed by BCCI president at the close on the opening c Root b Curran 6, Q. de Kock Cricket Academy (NCA) di­ meeting, it was learnt that Sourav Ganguly to Sportstar day of the first Test against c Buttler b Curran 95, D. Pre­ rector Rahul Dravid at the there were conversations on on Thursday. The BCCI England at the SuperSport torius c Root b Curran 33, V. Board’s headquarters on how to make the academy awards will also be given Park on Thursday. Philander (batting) 28, K. Ma­ Thursday. more effective in terms of away on the same day. haraj c Stokes b Archer 6, K. England took a wicket with It has been learned that injury­management. Earlier, it was speculated the opening delivery of the Rabada b Broad 12; Extras (lb­4, nb­2, w­3): 9; Total (for the duo deliberated on the Ever since taking charge that Sachin Tendulkar could four­Test series and had the roadmap for the academy in as the BCCI president in Oc­ Virender Sehwag. * FILE PHOTO nine wkts. in 82.4 overs): 277. deliver the memorial lecture, host teetering on 111 for five a two­hour long meeting. tober, Ganguly has reiterat­ Taking responsibility: Sam Curran led the way for England which is being organised augural lecture was delivered after lunch but de Kock’s bel­ Fall of wickets: 1­0, 2­32, 3­ Dravid did not take ques­ ed that he wants the NCA to by picking up four wickets. * AFP since 2013. However, with by Sunil Gavaskar in Febru­ ligerent innings brought 71, 4­97, 5­111, 6­198, 7­245, tions from the media, and be an academy of Tendulkar travelling around ary 2013 at Chennai. South Africa back into the gar, setting the tourists up for came the second bowler after 8­252, 9­277. Ganguly termed it as a ‘gen­ excellence. that time, the Board has ze­ Apart from Gavaskar, Anil match. early domination of an inex­ Anderson to take 400 Test eral meeting’, without elab­ Last week, Ganguly had roed in on Sehwag — who has Kumble, V.V.S. Laxman, Ra­ perienced home side. wickets this decade. England bowling: Anderson orating. “It was a general told reporters in Kolkata 20­4­69­1, Broad 17.4­4­ played 104 Tests, 251 ODIs hul Dravid and Farokh Engi­ First-ball wicket Sam Curran’s skilful bow­ But de Kock wrested the NCA­related meeting,” Gan­ that the Cricket Advisory and 19 T20Is for India. 52­3, Curran 19­5­57­4, neer have done the honours. James Anderson marked his ling earned him figures of initiative away from England Archer 19­4­65­1, Root 4­0­ guly told Sportstar. Committee will be formed in Established to honour the Former England player Kevin 150th cap and return to the four for 57 and Stuart Broad with an innings that com­ 26­0, Denly 3­0­4­0. The meeting happened the ‘next couple of days’. former India captain, who Pietersen had delivered the England attack with the first­ returned from illness to claim bined early aggression with days after reports surfaced But there hasn’t been a deci­ passed away in 2011, the in­ last lecture in Bengaluru. ball wicket of opener Dean El­ three for 52. Broad also be­ later circumspection. Toss: England. that the NCA allegedly re­ sion on the CAC yet. Goa comes out on top in a thriller Aubameyang saves Chennaiyin’s errors in the first half cost it dear Arsenal’s blushes ISL from as many encounters. Crivellaro and a fine left­foo­ For the first 20­odd mi­ ter by latter reduced the mar­ K. Keerthivasan nutes, even though Goa had gin for Chennaiyin. But Coro­ Kane and Alli give Spurs full points CHENNAI more ball possession, Chen­ minas hit the final nail on the naiyin clearly had the edge in coffin with a clean strike. FC Goa took ample advantage attack. of Chennaiyin FC’s laxity in Crivellaro’s curving left­ However, Goa scored first. the first session to script a footer gave a faint glimmer of A Tondonba Singh back­pass thrilling 4­3 win in the Indian hope for the host, but all found Ferran Corominas, Super League match here on went down the drain, thanks who ran past from the right to Thursday. to lethargic moments in the pass it to Hugo Boumous. The first half. The three goals conceded Frenchman then neatly in the first 45 minutes put passed it to Ahmed Jahouh Displeasure over paid to the hopes of the host and the Moroccan’s right­foo­ in the end analysis. refereeing ter gave little chance to the Chennaiyin’s co­owner Vita Trailing 3­0, Chennaiyiin ’keeper Vishal Kaith. fought well to score two quick Dani has expressed her dis­ The next two goals were in pleasure on the quality of re­ goals in the second session large part due to error in jud­ Drawing level: Harry Kane fires in Spurs’ equaliser. * AFP and one more towards the fi­ fereeing. “It was a disappoint­ gement of the host captain ing game, but the standard of nal moments of the match, Lucian Goian. First, a back­ PREMIER LEAGUE from the back to concede the but those weren’t enough. refereeing is getting poorer opening goal from Dan Gos­ pass from Edwin Vanspaul and poorer. I am sure all The contest saw 11 yellow Agence France-Presse ling. Pierre­Emerick Auba­ saw the Italian central defen­ teams are suffering from this. and two red cards being LONDON meyang again rode to the der fail to collect the ball pro­ However, I think Chennaiyin flashed. Edwin Vanspaul Mikel Arteta got off to an un­ Gunners’ rescue to equalise perly. As a result, Brandon is suffering the most from it,” (Chennaiyin) and Sergio Lob­ derwhelming start as Arsenal just after the hour mark. Fernandes had enough time she said while speaking to ero (head coach of Goa) manager with a 1­1 draw at to put it across the ’keeper. Star Sports. After the highs of victory picked up red cards. Later, Goian hardly made Bournemouth as Chelsea at Spurs, Chelsea again strug­ The result: Chennaiyin FC 3 slumped to another shock gled when faced with break­ With this win, Goa took its an effort to stop a ball from (Andre Schembri 57, Rafael Cri­ tally to 21 points from 10 the right as it landed straight vellaro 59 & 90) lost to FC Goa home reverse, losing 2­0 to ing down stubborn defensive matches to remain at the top to Hugo Boumous who con­ 4 (Ahmed Jahouh 26, Brandon Southampton, on Boxing opponents in Southampton. while Chennaiyin is in eighth verted. A header from Andre Fernandes 41, Hugo Boumous Day. The Blues have now lost to position with nine points Schembri off a corner from 45, Ferran Corominas 63). Carlo Ancelotti had a more West Ham, Bournemouth positive impact on his Ever­ and the Saints in their last ton bow as Dominic Calvert­ four home league games. Lewin’s brilliant diving head­ The result: Aston Villa 1 (Hou­ er earned a 1­0 win over rihane 64) bt Norwich 0; Bour­ Burnley. nemouth 1 (Gosling 35) drew Chelsea’s defeat allowed with Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang Tottenham to move back to 63); Chelsea 0 lost to South­ within three points of the top ampton 2 (Obafemi 31, Red­ four as it came from behind mond 73); Crystal Palace 2 to beat Brighton 2­1 thanks to (Kouyate 68, Ayew 90) bt goals from Harry Kane and West Ham 1 (Snodgrass 57); Everton 1 (Calvert­Lewin 80) Dele Alli. bt Burnley 0; Sheffield United Arteta got an early lesson 1 (Norwood 36­pen) drew with in the flaws that have blight­ Watford 1 (Deulofeu 27); Tot­ Cool finish: Brandon Fernandes of FC Goa had enough time to put one past Chennaiyin FC ed Arsenal’s season as it was tenham 2 (Kane 53, Alli 72) bt goalkeeper Vishal Kaith * R. RAGU caught out trying to play Brighton 1 (Webster 37). 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TV PICKS RANJI SCORES: ROUND 3, DAY 2 Australia v New Zealand: Ishant, Simarjeet scalp four each GROUP A Jammu: Jammu & Kashmir 2nd Test, Sony Six (SD & HD), Kolkata: Bengal 289 in 104 ov- 210/2 in 52 overs (Suryansh 5 a.m. ers (Abhishek Raman 112, Ma- Raina 73, Shubham Khajuria 87 NBA: Sony Ten 1 (SD & HD), 6 Hyderabad in dire straits after folding up for 69 noj Tiwary 46, C.V. Stephen 4/ batting) vs Assam. a.m. & 9 a.m. 78, K.V. Sasikanth 4/64) vs Jamshedpur: Haryana 285/6 in Ranji Trophy: Star Sports 2 RAKESH RAO the Hyderabad line­up look­ lb-13, nb-4, w-1) 22, Total (in Andhra. 91 overs (Ankit Kumar 53, Chai- (SD & HD), 9.30 a.m. NEW DELHI 71.4 overs) 284. New Delhi: Delhi 284 in 71.4 tanya Bishnoi 75 batting, Shi- Big Bash League: Sony Ten ing in a hurry to return Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-4, 3-49, overs (Shikhar Dhawan 140, vam Chauhan 53, Harshal Patel 3 (SD & HD), 1.30 p.m. Hyderabad was staring at its home. Ravi Kiran 4/59) vs Hyderabad 47 batting) vs Jharkhand. South Africa v England: 1st third defeat in as many out­ Briefly, Suyal made things 4-100, 5-128, 6-212, 7-276, 8- 279, 9-279. 69 in 29 overs (Ishant Sharma Pune: Maharashtra 289 in 95.4 Test, Sony Six (SD & HD), 1.30 ings in this season’s Ranji a bit challenging for Delhi 4/19, Simarjeet Singh 4/23) & overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 108, Hyderabad bowling: Siraj 19-2- p.m. Trophy after Delhi’s pace when by limping off without 20/2 in 10 overs. Vishant More 53, Veer Pratap ISL: Star Sports 2 (SD & HD), 72-2, Kiran 17.3-32-59-4, Milind duo of Ishant Sharma and Si­ completing his ninth over. He Surat: Gujarat 127 & 210 in Singh 5/80) vs Chhattisgarh 7.30 p.m. 13-1-34-1, Hasan 17.1-2-61-3, marjeet Singh made the most did not return to the field for 60.4 overs (Manprit Juneja 53, 131/3 in 47 overs (Harpreet Thyagrajan 4-1-25-0, Chaitanya Chintan Gaja 50 n.o., Singh 59 batting). of the friendly conditions at the rest of the day. After 1-0-16-0. IN BRIEF the Ferozeshah Kotla ground Suyal had taken two of the Basil Thampi 5/56) vs Cuttack: Uttarakhand Hyderabad —1st innings: Tan- Kerala 70 & 26/0 in 7 117 vs Odisha 145/6 in here on Wednesday. first three wickets, Simarjeet, may Agarwal lbw b Simarjeet 8, At stumps on the second who bowled the best on this overs. 55.2 overs (Shantanu Akshath Reddy b Suyal 0, Chai- Nagpur: Vidarbha Mishra 54 batting). day, Hyderabad was 20 for day, and Ishant took four tanya Reddy c Yadav b Suyal 3, 196/6 in 67 overs (Ga- New Delhi: Tripura 126 two in its second innings af­ wickets each. Himalay Agarwal lbw b Simar- nesh Satish 88 bat- & 16/1 in 8 overs vs ter folding up for 69 in the In the second innings, jeet 14, B. Sandeep c Chandela ting) vs Punjab. Services 173 in 53.3 ov- first. This was after taking the Kunwar Bidhuri caused the b Simarjeet 16, K. Sumanth b Si- GROUP B ers (Arjun Sharma 54, last four Delhi wickets for 15 damage and left Hyderabad marjeet 0, C. V. Milind c Rawat Mysore: Karnataka Manisankar Murasingh runs to keep the host at 284. in a lurch. b Ishant 14, Tanay Thyagarajan c 166 vs Himachal 235/7 7/63). Shorey b Ishant 6, Mehdi Hasan As things stand, Hydera­ Earlier, Ravi Kiran took in 93 overs (Priyanshu PLATE (not out) 5, Mohammad Siraj c bad trails Delhi by 195 runs the last four wickets for just Khanduri 69, Nikhil Dibrugarh: Manipur Rawat b Ishant 0, Ravi Kiran Gangta 46, Rishi Dhawan 72 196 & 80/3 in 35 overs vs Aru- with eight wickets in hand. two runs to halt Delhi’s in­ lbw Ishant 0, Extras (lb-2, nb-1) Clippers downs Lakers Two more days remain. nings. Dhawan, overnight on batting). nachal Pradesh 143 in 47 overs 3, Total (in 29 overs) 69. Indore: Tamil Nadu 149 vs (Rahul Dalal 53, Ajay Singh 4/ in LA showdown On a day when 16 wickets 137, could add just three runs Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-10, 3-24, Madhya Pradesh 281/7 in 79 23). LOS ANGELES fell in 45 overs, Hyderabad before being caught behind. 4-32, 5-38, 6-43, 7-58, 8-65, overs (Rameez Khan 87, Ven- Patna: Bihar 326 in 112 overs Kawhi Leonard (in pic) scored batsmen came a cropper. The Delhi tail did not wag for 9-69. katesh Iyer 88, Mihir Hirwani (Babul Kumar 160, Shasheem 35 points as the Clippers Though struggling to cope up long. Delhi bowling: Ishant 10-4- 54 batting, T. Natarajan 4/96). Rathour 69, Felix Alemao 4/ rallied to beat the Lakers with the cold conditions, The scores 19-4, Suyal 8.4-3-25-2, Simar- Mumbai: Mumbai 114 & 64/3 in 74) vs Goa 65/2 in 24 overs 111-106 in an all-Los Angeles Hyderabad lacked applica­ Delhi — 1st innings: Kunal jeet 10-1-23-4, Rana 22 overs vs Railways 266 in (Aditya Kaushik 44 batting). NBA showdown on tion as it scored 89 runs for 12 Chandela c Sumanth b Siraj 1, 0.2-0-0-0. 74.1 overs (Arindam Ghosh 72, Kolkata: Mizoram 73 & 30/4 in Wednesday. The Western wickets. By default, the poor Shikhar Dhawan c Sumanth b Hyderabad — 2nd innings: Tan- Karn Sharma 112 n.o., Tushar 11 overs vs Pondicherry 458/5 Conference heavyweight Kiran 140, Dhruv Shorey lbw b batting display of the visiting may Agarwal (batting) 11, Aksh- Deshpande 4/44). decl. in 86 overs (Paras Dogra clash was part of the NBA's Siraj 0, Nitish Rana c Sumanth b ath Reddy c Rawat b Bidhuri 2, team also enhanced the im­ Rajkot: Saurashtra 331 in 92.5 200, K.B. Arun Karthick 86, S. five-game Christmas Milind 25, Jonty Sidhu lbw b Chaitanya Reddy b Bidhuri 0. overs (Harvik Desai 54, Che- Suresh Kumar 103 n.o.). portance of Delhi skipper extravaganza, which saw the Hasan 15, Lalit Yadav c Hasan Himalay Agarwal (batting) 7, teshwar Pujara 57, Sheldon Bhubaneswar: Sikkim 274 vs Philadelphia 76ers make a Shikhar Dhawan’s 140. 19, Anuj Rawat lbw b Hasan 29, Total (for two wickets in 10 ov- Jackson 57, Saurabh Kumar 4/ Nagaland 45/1 in 11 overs. statement with a 121-109 Though Delhi opted to go Kunwar Bidhuri c Sumanth b Ki- ers) 20. 85) vs Uttar Pradesh 222/3 in Mangaldoi (Assam): Day 1: victory over the league- in with just three specialist ran 27, Ishant Sharma c Hasan b Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-12. 69 overs (Aryan Juyal 52, Chandigarh 168/4 in 58 overs leading Milwaukee Bucks. fast bowlers — Ishant, Simar­ Kiran 5, Simarjeet Singh c Delhi bowling: Ishant 4-1-10-0, Firing it in: Simarjeet Singh, along with senior pro Ishant Akshdeep Nath 80 batting, (Manan Vohra 90, Raman Bish- The results: Denver Nuggets jeet and Pawan Suyal — it still Thyagarajan b Kiran 0, Pawan Simarjeet 2-1-1-0, Bidhuri 3-1- Sharma, broke the back of Hyderabd batting to give Delhi a Mohammad Saif 41 batting). noi 40 batting) vs Meghalaya. 100 lost to New Orleans proved a good bargain with Suyal (not out) 1, Extras (b-4, 7-2, Rana 1-0-2-0. huge advantage. * SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR GROUP C Toss: Chandigarh. Pelicans 112; LA Clippers 111 bt LA Lakers 106; Philadelphia 76ers 121 bt Milwaukee Bucks 109; Golden State Warriors 116 bt Odisha ready to reinvent itself against Jamshedpur Houston Rockets 104; Toronto Raptors 102 lost season from Pune due to the played nine games away. We rut. It is winless in the last dez, Jerry Mawihmingthanga winning only one out of three about defence or attack. We Boston Celtics 118. AFP ISL unavailability of the Kalinga are very excited to finally play four matches and is placed and Nandakumar Sekar have games where they were make a balance in both. We Sumit Sangwan Press Trust of India Stadium. at home,” said a confident fourth on the table (13 points) looked good, but have failed ahead at half­time. know the numbers but it is Bhubaneswar suspended for failing The Spanish coach will Gombau. only because of a strong start to show consistency. The de­ Moreover, seven out of the not a big deal for us. We don’t dope test Odisha FC and Jamshedpur hope that a change of setting to the campaign. However, a fence has caused alarms for 11 goals conceded by Jam­ have the offensive players to NEW DELHI FC will be looking to end will turn its fortunes around Crucial games win on Friday will see it go le­ Gombau. Odisha has scored shedpur this season have score many goals now and we Former Asian silver medallist their indifferent run of form and give it an impetus in its “We now have three crucial vel on points with third­ joint second­lowest goals come in the second half, so­ have to improve,” said boxer Sumit Sangwan was on in the Hero Indian Super push for the playoff spots. games at home. Depending placed Bengaluru FC. from set­pieces (2) and has mething which Tiri and team Iriondo. Thursday banned for one year League when they meet at Odisha, placed seventh on on how these three games go, Odisha has been inconsis­ conceded joint­highest goals will be looking to improve on. “The essence of our foot­ by the National Anti-Doping the Kalinga Stadium here on the table (9 points), has won we will know if we have a tent in front of goal. It has from set­pieces (6). Interestingly, Odisha has ball is to have the ball for Agency (NADA) for failing a Friday. just one out of its last six chance to get into the top­ drawn blanks in four out of its Set­piece is an area that conceded more goals (10) in more time and keep it. We dope test. Sangwan, who It should make for a spec­ games and is coming off a four or not. Jamshedpur is nine matches and the attack, Jamshedpur FC will look to the second half than Jam­ will try to score more goals competed in the 2012 London tacle in Bhubaneswar as Od­ demoralising 3­0 defeat fourth in the table with 13 led by Aridane Santana, utilise and hurt Odisha FC. shedpur. Jamshedpur has al­ than the Olympics and formerly a isha FC finally make its debut against FC Goa. points. But if we beat them needs to start converting But the Men of Steel have so failed to keep a single Star striker Sergio Castel is 91-kg category boxer, was set in its home city. Josep Gom­ “Yes, there is a chance (of tomorrow, we will be just one chances if it is to make a push their own worries, especially clean sheet in its last four still doubtful for this match to appear for the Olympic bau’s side has had to play its reaching the playoffs). We point behind them.” for a top­four spot. in defence. They have strug­ matches. while Noe Acosta remains on qualifier trials. But that will previous home games of the have nine points and we have Jamshedpur FC is also in a The likes of Xisco Hernan­ gled to keep hold of leads, “In our style, we don’t care the sidelines. not be possible now as his suspension starts with immediate effect. “Sumit Sangwan banned for 1 year with immediate effect for ICC ranking is absolute consuming specified prohibited substance,” NADA DG Navin Agarwal posted on his twitter handle. PTI garbage, says Vaughan

Press Trust of India opinion, have New Zealand Melbourne as the second best Test match Former England captain Mi­ nation in the world. I think, chael Vaughan has slammed particularly over here in Aus­ the International Cricket tralia, Australia are a far bet­ Council’s ranking system, ter Test match team.” terming it as “absolute Vaughan also picked India garbage”. as the only team that can India is currently ranked trouble Australia at home. No.1 in ICC Test team rank­ “I think there are two ings, followed by New Zea­ teams, India and Australia, land, South Africa, England they are the best Test match and Australia. teams in the world, without Australia adds Swepson to The cricketer­turned­com­ question. I think there is only Sydney Test squad mentator feels New Zealand one team that can come here

SYDNEY and England don’t deserve to Michael Vaughan * GETTY IMAGES and put Australia under pres­ Australia has added leg- get the second and fourth sure, that was 12 months ago, spinner Mitchell Swepson to spot in the ICC Test rankings rankings can’t be right is that that they won here, India,” he the squad for the third and as they haven’t won enough England in Test match cricket said. final Test of the ongoing Test series in the last two are third, and England for “There was no Smith, no three-match series against years. three or four years have Warner, no (Marnus) Labus­ New Zealand. The 26-year- “I will be dead honest struggled in Test match crick­ chagne in the Australian old has played one T20I for about the ICC rankings. I et, particularly overseas,” he ranks in that series, I think Australia, against England think they are absolute gar­ said. the series later on next year, last year, and was part of the Test squad for the tours of bage,” Vaughan was quoted The 45­year­old said the when India arrive back here, India and Bangladesh in 2017, as saying by the Sydney ICC ranking is confusing. hopefully everyone will be fit. but is uncapped in the Morning Herald. “They have won series at “That Indian attack has got longest format. Swepson has “I have no idea how — New home. They have only just the pace, it has also got the been rewarded for an Zealand have won plenty of drawn the Ashes in English spin, the batting unit has got excellent showing this series over the course of the conditions, they only just all the experience. I only see summer — 12 wickets from six last two years — but for them beat Ireland. I think the rank­ only one team at this stage Sheffield Shield games at to be second, and where it ings are a little bit confusing. that can compete with Aus­ 26.58. IANS stands out for me that the “I certainly don’t, in my tralia here and that is India.” Rakesh stuns Bhag Sports Bureau BHILAI Fourth seed Rakesh Kohli beat top seed Bhag Nand Singh Negi 6­1, 6­2 in the semifinals of the over­60 age group in the ITF grade­3 seniors ten­ nis tournament on Thursday. In the final, Rakesh will play second seed Su­ rinder Mohan Sharma who outplayed third seed murthati Suresh for the loss of two games. In the over­40 age group, Dilip Mohanty beat top seed Swarandeep Singh Dhodi 6­3, 6­1. He will play the winner of the match between Kohi­ noor Govardhan and second seed Binoj Mani. The results (semifinals): Over­35: Kannan Sethu bt Vikas Agrawal 6-3, 6-0; Sa- chin Patil bt Prateek Deogirikar 6-2, 7-5. Over­40: Dilip Mohanty bt Swarandeep Singh Dhodi 6-3, 6-1. Over­45: Jagdish Tanwar bt Binu Mani 6-0, 6-0; Rohit Rawat bt Vijay Kumar 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. Over­50: Tuleswor Ssingh Thongbam bt Ravi Shankar Singh 6-1 (retd.); Gurdarshan Singh Ramana bt Tikam Singh Panwar 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. Over­55: Chanddra Bhushan bt Kranti Kumar Mandle- kar 6-0, 6-1; Nagaraj Revanasiddaiah bt Rajesh Patil 6-0, 6-4. Over­60: Rakesh Kohli bt Bhag Nand Singh Negi 6-1, 6-2; Surinder Mohan Sharmma bt Murthati Suresh 6-1, 6-1. CM YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU 20 SPORT FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Need to find specific coaching pattern: Gopi Bidhuri cries foul at Issue must be addressed with a long-term perspective, says chief National coach exclusion from trial V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM HYDERABAD terns are changing. We need Seeks Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju’s to find our path with clarity, a “Yes, it was definitely not specific programme,” he says. intervention in the matter bad. We produced a World “It is not just about the Olym­ champion in Sindhu and a pics. The problem needs to Press Trust of India World championship bronze be addressed with a long­ New Delhi medallist B. Sai Praneeth. We term perspective.” Former World Champion­ have had good results from Despite the strain of striv­ ship bronze­medallist boxer Lakshya Sen, Sourabh Verma ing tirelessly Gopi is not Gaurav Bidhuri has chal­ and in doubles from Satwik about to give up because of a lenged the selection proce­ and Chirag,” says chief Na­ faulty system. “I would still dure for the upcoming trials tional badminton coach P. love to see an Olympic medal­ for next year’s Olympic Gopi Chand in an exclusive list in Tokyo.” Qualifiers and sought Sports chat with The Hindu. So, will there be a point Minister Kiren Rijiju’s inter­ After another tough ses­ when you might just give up? vention in the matter. sion with World champion “No way. For the simple rea­ In a letter addressed to P.V. Sindhu at the Gopi Chand son, who else will do this. Rijiju, the Boxing Federa­ Gaurav Bidhuri * FILE PHOTO Academy here on Thursday, One should understand I am tion of India, and the Sports Gopi believes he has a bigger only raising relevant issues Authority of India, Bidhuri der Singh Bisht, Common­ task ahead — producing an and want answers from the has said he has been unfair­ wealth Games medal­win­ Olympic champion at next top,” he says. ly kept out of the trials to be ning duo of Mohammed year’s Tokyo Games. held on December 29 and Hussamuddin and Gaurav Not too concerned 30 in Bellary, Karnataka. Solanki, and former world Consistency factor On Sindhu, Gopi says: “Not “I have had enough of youth world champion Sa­ Are you happy with the re­ All for a cause: P. Gopi Chand with Sameer Verma, B. Sai Praneeth and K. Srikanth at the Gopi Chand Academy in Hyderabad. too concerned. Seen her go this unfair system. The me­ chin Siwach. sults in 2019? * V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM up and down, has the ability dallists from this year’s Responding to Bidhuri’s “There is a lack of consis­ to raise the bar on her day world championships were allegation, a top federation tency, but it is because of against each other to be in the like addressing the coach’s pose myself in the given Is there a need to change and she has done it at the given direct slots in the official, on condition of ano­ poor management of the in­ race for the Olympics,” Gopi role in training and deciding structure and format. Some­ the coaching style for some of Olympics and World cham­ Olympic Qualifiers. But nymity, said that the boxer’s ternational schedule. Some­ says. players’ schedule,” he avers. times, out of respect, some India’s premier shuttlers, es­ pionships.” On Saina: “Yes, when I won the world exclusion was based on times you can’t complain as “We still don’t follow a On his role, Gopi said: “It is players may listen. My advice pecially in singles? she is struggling. But, I be­ bronze in 2017, I wasn’t even performance. they (Indians) are competing clearly demarcated system, only advisory. I cannot im­ is not binding.” “Definitely, coaching pat­ lieve it is an issue of fitness.” allowed to appear for Com­ monwealth and Asian ‘No discrimination’ Games trials,” Bidhuri told “The selection policy has PTI. been in public domain for a long time. There is no dis­ Real shock for Chennai City Devang Gandhi asked to leave ‘Doesn’t make crimination as he has al­ any sense’ leged. Don’t want to get into The defending champion slips to eighth spot “At that time I was told I details, but the rankings Bengal dressing room hadn’t competed enough, have been made purely on this time I am being told I performance,” the official Move to avoid breach of anti-corruption protocol haven’t competed against said. strong opponents. Can so­ Bidhuri said the “incon­ Amitabha Das Sharma cannot enter the dressing any misconduct. mebody explain what is the sistent” policy has left him KOLKATA room without authorisation. “Mr. Devang Gandhi, be­ selection criteria here? It confused about how to ap­ National selector from East Only players and officials ing a National selector, want­ doesn’t make any sense,” he proach tournaments. Zone Devang Gandhi was in­ who have their mug­shots at ed to enter the dressing said. “Ok, I lost to Kavinder volved in an unsavoury inci­ the entrance have access to room area today when the Bidhuri wants to appear and Solanki in the league dent on Thursday when he the dressing room," Tiwary game was not in play. He was in the 57kg category trials but they were exceptionally was asked to leave the Ben­ told reporters. allowed to enter the PMO for the Qualifiers scheduled close bouts. After 2­3 (score­ gal dressing room for un­ Gandhi maintained that (players and match officials) in February in China. The line) losses to them, I at least authorised entry by the he had not broken any anti­ area as a temporary visitor world medallists exempted deserve a trial bout against BCCI anti­corruption unit at corruption protocol. "Know­ by the ACU official only after from trials are Amit Panghal them. I can’t be simply told the Eden Gardens. ing that I was having a back obtaining necessary permis­ (52kg) and Manish Kaushik that I am not good enough,” As frequent breaks owing problem Bengal coach Arun sion from the match referee. (63kg). he asserted. to bad light curtailed the Lal asked me to consult the "However, when Mr. The boxers finalised for The Sports Minister, in Ranji action between Bengal team physio. Gandhi wanted to get some the trials in the 57kg divi­ the past, has made it clear and Andhra, Gandhi wanted “Before entering the medical treatment done, he sion, on the basis of a rank­ that he cannot intervene in to get into the Bengal dress­ dressing room I took permis­ was instantly asked by the ing points system, are form­ selection matters as it would ing room to consult the team sion from the anti­corrup­ ACU officer to get it done in er world quarterfinalist and be considered a violation of physio. tion official and asked the the medical room outside Asian silver winner Kavin­ the Olympic charter. However, senior players, physio to attend to me in the the PMO area in order to including former captain CAB medical room," Gandhi maintain required protocol. Manoj Tiwary, cited anti­cor­ presented his point. Accordingly, Mr. Gandhi ruption protocol and Gandhi In the end CAB secretary moved to the medical room Railways overcomes Tussle: Danish Farooq, who opened Real Kashmir’s account, is challenged by Chennai City's was asked to leave. "We have Abhishek Dalmiya stepped forthwith to ensure there is Charles Anandraj Lourdusamy, right. * AFP to follow anti­corruption in to get the situation under no breach,” said a statement protocol. A National selector control and clear Gandhi of signed by Dalmiya. Karnataka I-LEAGUE change when Akbar Nawas head it into the top corner. named Pradison Mariyada­ Chennai City reduced the BASKETBALL nataka 78 (M. Harish 26, Anil Sports Bureau san in his starting eleven in deficit in the 48th minute. A Kumar 19, Aravind Arumugam SRINaGAR place of Bijay Chhetri. cheeky back­flick by Pravitto No harm in playing big shots: Rohit Sports Bureau 11). Real Kashmir FC registered Real Kashmir FC co­foun­ Raju generated just the right LUDHIANA Pre­quarterfinals: Kerala 63 its first win of the Hero I­ der Sandeep Chattoo com­ elevation for Jockson Dhas Railways recovered from a (Basil Philip 18, Rahul Sarath 15) Says youngsters should have the freedom to express themselves bt Uttar Pradesh 55. League this season with a mented, “It was a splendid to head it past Phurba La­ slow start to beat Karnataka thrilling 2­1 win over defend­ win. The coach and the team Press Trust of India “There is no harm in play­ ful of is, if the player is doing 93­78 in the men’s quarterfi­ Haryana 87 (Vikas Kumar 31, chenpa in the Kashmir goal Yudvir Singh 21) bt Chandigarh Mumbai ing big shots, trying to play a mistakes again and again, nals of the 70th National ing champion Chennai City ensured that every Kashmiri to bring the game right back 85 (Ravi Bhardwaj 36, Amit 20). FC at the TRC Ground here returned home smiling.” Playing flamboyant shots is flamboyant cover drive. then he needs to be told how basketball championship at in the balance. Women (quarterfinals): Mad­ on Thursday. The first goal came in the not a “crime” if they tran­ When we were growing up he should go about it the the Guru Nanak Dev Stadi­ hya Pradesh 64 (Nima Doma 22, Danish Farooq gave the 22nd minute, when an ex­ Wayward slate into results, reckons and used to play shots in the next time. I mean playing um here on Thursday. Anjali Dhasmana 14, Norzom host the lead before Bazie quisite set­piece delivery Kashmir almost scored n the batting maestro Rohit Shar­ air, we were taken out of the shots is not a crime.” Karnataka led 27­9 at the Bhutia 10) bt Delhi 59 (Aparna Armand added another goal. from Kallum Higginbotham 68th minute, but Loveday ma, who says youngsters nets, which was not right be­ Rohit emphasised that end of the first quarter, but Saini 18). Syed Suhail Pasha pulled found Hero­of­the­Match Okechukwu, who was com­ should have the freedom to cause eventually you want backing the young players is Railways bounced back to Punjab 72 (Harsimran Kaur one back for the visitors, but Danish in the box, who pletely unmarked, failed to express themselves freely. the results,” said Rohit. important to make them lead 48­41 at half­time. Sahil 23, Anmolpreet Kaur 18, Rajan­ the Snow Leopards held on made just the right contact tap in another Higginboth­ “If the guy is giving you confident about their game. top­scored with 23 points deep Kaur 18) bt Telangana 65 to bag three points. with his head, to give Real am set­piece, blasting it high Memorabale 2019 results by playing the big “I would encourage them for Railways. (Gulabsha Ali 23, Divya palani­ vel 20, Trittimol Josseph 10). Kashmir the lead. The host and wide. The 32­year­old had a mem­ shots, there is nothing to play shots if they want to, In the women’s quarterfi­ Pre­quarterfinals: Maharashtra Changes doubled the lead in the 27th The win took Kashmir to orable 2019 when he scored wrong in that. As a young but at the same time they nals, Punjab beat Telangana Coach David Robertson minute. 10 hundreds across formats, kid, growing in this genera­ need to understand that 94 (Anshika Kanojha 23, Anishi­ seventh in the standings 72­65. The Punjab girls will ra Suzanne Pinto 22, Crina Me­ made two changes to his Yet again, it was Higgin­ including five in the World tion, you want to play shots. they need to produce re­ with five points. Chennai meet the winner of the nezez 13) bt Chandigarh 67 Cup. “You want to look good sults, that’s the game. You previous line­up. Singam botham who was involved in dropped to eighth, despite match between Kerala and (Pinnri Nee Manoj 14, Aachal Subash Singh started up­ the mix. He cut inside on the the same tally on inferior Rohit shared his expe­ (while batting) but again it is score 100 off 50 balls or 200 Maharashtra in the Ahlawat 12, Neeru 12). front at the expense of left, which created some goal difference of ­2. riences of his early days as a very important what they balls, it doesn’t matter, it still semifinals. Karnataka 54 (Lopamudra Gnohere Krizo. At the back, space for him to deliver The result: Real Kashmir 2 cricketer during an interac­ think of their game and the is a hundred. These young The results: Men (quarterfi­ Thimmaiah 22, Varsha Nandinne Armand was given the nod another immaculate deliv­ (Danish Farooq 22, Bazie Ar­ tion with the young trainees understanding they have players should be allowed to nals): Railways 93 (Sahil 23, 12, G. Chandana 10) bt Rajas­ ahead of Dalraj Singh. ery into the box and Armand mand 27) bt Chennai City 1 at his own cricket academy, about the game,” he added. bat freely, that’s how they Lovneet Singh 22, Rajan Sharma than 47 (Rasi Khatani 18, Shilpy Chennai City made one was at the right place to (Syed Suhail Pasha 48). here on Thursday. “What we need to be care­ will produce results.” 13, Gagandeep Singh 10) bt Kar­ Gehlhot 12, Asha Nayak 10). Doping and over­age controversies held centrestage in the year 2019 Neeraj and Hima hampered by injuries; little to celebrate for Indian athletes except Dutee Chand’s perfomance at World University Games

Press Trust of India Games returned to haunt Sanjivani Jadhav, who won New Delhi her. a bronze at the Asian Cham­ The two biggest stars of In­ She hogged the headlines pionships, was suspended dian athletics — Neeraj Cho­ with her training stint in Eu­ provisionally for failing a pra and Hima Das — were lar­ rope, winning six gold me­ dope test. Shot­putter Man­ gely sidelined due to injuries, dals in average competitions preet Kaur was banned for leaving the sport with very in Czech Republic and Po­ four years by the National little to celebrate and mired land, creating a media frenzy Anti­Doping Agency (NADA) in doping and age­fraud con­ here. for flunking four dope tests troversies in yet another bar­ The 19­year­old “Dhing Ex­ in 2017. ren year in terms of global press” from Assam, however, Athletics also became the medals. pulled out of the Asian third dirtiest sport in the Amid the many disap­ Championships without fin­ country, behind body­build­ pointments, Dutee Chand In the record books: Dutee Chand won the 100m, becoming ishing her first 400m race. ing and weightlifting, with Neeraj Chopra. * FILE PHOTO Hima Das. * FILE PHOTO scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman athlete to clinch a gold at the World She was named in the World nearly 20 doping cases this the first Indian woman ath­ University Games. * PTI Championships team, but year. in meets in 2018 and nearly The Indians entered the fi­ lin thrower Annu Rani fin­ lete to clinch a gold at the was dropped at the last mi­ 100 were again caught for nals in three events — mixed ished a creditable eighth. World University Games, velin thrower as he grew in could not defend his Asian nute by the Athletics Federa­ Fleeing tests age­fudging during the Na­ 4x400m relay, men’s 3000m Annu became the first In­ winning the 100m event. maturity after the 2016 world Championships gold in Do­ tion of India. Rampant age­fudging also tional junior championships steeplechase and women’s dian woman to qualify for ja­ The country also booked junior record to clinch both ha. He also missed the World continued as 51 youngsters at Guntur, this year. Another javelin throw — as against velin throw finals while Avi­ 2020 Olympic Games berths the Commonwealth and Championships. Gomathi stripped of gold were found over­aged while 50 were found to be over­age one in the last edition in nash broke his own national in mixed 4x400m relay and Asian Games gold medals. As usual, doping controver­ another 169 fled to avoid ver­ during the National youth 2017. record twice in three days. the men’s 3000m steeple­ But the 22­year­old from a Hima’s back injury sies hurt athletics with the ification tests during the Na­ championships in Raipur. On the administrative chase event (Avinash Sable). village near Panipat injured Junior world champion quar­ biggest offender being half­ tional inter­district junior In the World Champion­ Annu’s creditable show front, Athletics Federation of himself during training in Pa­ termiler Hima, on the other miler Gomathi Marimuthu, meet, which was touted as ships held in Doha in Sep­ Out of the three finals, India president Adille Suma­ Neeraj’s transformation tiala and underwent surgery hand, was in action in the who was stripped of the one of the biggest talent hunt tember­October, the 27­ 3000m steeplechaser Sable riwalla was re­elected as a In 2018, India watched with on his right elbow in May this first part of the season, but Asian Championships gold programmes in the world. member Indian team per­ and the mixed 4x400m relay member of the World Athlet­ joy, the transformation of year. As a result, he re­ the lower back injury she suf­ after testing positive for More than 100 athletes formed better than expected team booked quotas for the ics Council for a second Neeraj into a world­class ja­ mained on the sidelines and fered after the 2018 Asian steroids. were found to be over­aged but did not win any medal. Tokyo Olympics, while jave­ term.

CM A ND-NDE YK Delhi • city EDITION • DECEMBER 27, 2019

Arts | Dance | Music | Movies www.thehindu.com/FridayReview Theatre | Review | History & Culture | Faith

Lasting impact (Clockwise from far left) Stills from “Article 15”; “Gully Boy”; “Leila” * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

as a saviour, but he is actually quite clueless about the system and constant­ ly relies on his partner (Aditi, played by Isha Talwar) for insights,” Solanki said. On the surface, Amazon Prime’s “The Family Man” is a tale of a middle­ class man secretly working as an intelli­ gence officer but once the officer goes to the ground zero, he confronts disturb­ ing realities such as lynching and demo­ nising Muslims because of their identity or food habits. Co­director Krishna D.K. said they wanted to bring out the “tex­ ture of India” and break the James Bond hangover. “We drew from real stories from newspapers to build the narra­ tive,” he said. The series, along with “Delhi Crime”, also shows how an upright, responsible and sensitive pol­ ice officer can still navigate through a corrupt system. A common feature among all these works is that in trying to expose the so­ cio­political reality, they don’t compro­ mise on the genre and the entertain­ ment quotient in true sense of the term. While “Article 15” and “Leila” are taut thrillers, “The Family Man” strikes a neat balance between being a suspense thriller as well as an engaging family drama with dollops of self­deprecating humour. Similarly “Gully Boy” is taut and witty and makes incisive comments through rap. Anuj Kumar CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC sion for purity to hating the ‘other’ or Interestingly, in all of them, the lead for that matter water scarcity, one could actors have been cast against type. Ran­ hile covering the Uttar easily join the dots. The violent detesta­ veer Singh who is known for his ‘highly Pradesh by­polls in Oc­ MAKING A tion for mixed marriages becomes a energetic’ characters plays a dormant tober this year, one brutal metaphor for the recent attacks volcano in “Gully Boy”. Huma Qureshi came across a branch on the plural character of the nation. is the find of “Leila” and credits the se­ of Aryavrata Bank in a In an interview with this journalist, ries for her next big film with Zack Snyd­ vWillage near Iglas town. Curious, as one Huma Qureshi, who played the feisty er. So is Shefali Chhaya in “Delhi had just watched “Leila”, the Netflix se­ mother said, the makers were only in­ Crime”. Ayushmann Khurana breaks ries set in a dystopian future when In­ POLITICAL tending to be true to the source but then his romantic boy image in “Article 15” dians live in Aryavrata, where the polit­ all “art was political.” and who would have thought Manoj Baj­ ical class is obsessed with ‘purity’, one payee would pull off a spy character discovered that the bank was formed by Critique of casteism with such élan. the amalgamation of Gramin Bank of After “Mulk”, Anubhav Sinha, who However, if you thought the cycle of Aryavart and Allahabad UP Gramin STATEMENT seems to have hit a purple patch, came stereotypes has been reversed, you are Bank in April 2019. up with another hard­hitting statement mistaken. In the election year, cinema At a time when a section of news on the state of Indian polity with “Arti­ was used to blatantly push the political channels are venturing into the realm of From “Gully Boy” to “The Family Man”, cle 15”. It denudes us of all our preten­ agenda with films such as “Prime Minis­ fiction, there are works of fiction that sions of being a state where everybody ter Narendra Modi”, “The Accidental are showing a mirror to upheavals in In­ 2019 saw films/ web series that reflected is equal before the law. Based on the Bu­ Prime Minister”, and “The Tashkent dian society. “Gully Boy”, “Leila”, “Arti­ socio­political realities of our times, daun rape case, the film is an indict­ Files”. Then there is always a “War” or a cle 15”, “The Family Man” are some of ment of everything that is wrong with “Bard of Blood” ready to roll out the the films/ series released in 2019 that re­ without sugar­coating them our behaviour towards the Dalits. good Muslim, bad Muslim trope. In flected who we are and where we are Unlike “Mulk”, Sinha’s tone is a lot “Bard of Blood”, based on Bilal Siddi­ headed in no uncertain terms. predecessors like Salim in Saeed Mirza’s ‘normal’ life like my friends.” Dangers of purity more subtle here. The journey of the su­ qui’s book, both the good Muslim (Sadiq “Salim Langde Pe Mato Ro”, Murad For once, the Muslim in the film is not Deepa Mehta’s “Leila” fills you with fear perintendent of police Ayan Ranjan, Sheikh) and bad Muslim (Mullah Khalid) Dream vs social status doesn’t go the ‘underworld’ way. just a good friend or a terror accused or because the perceptive could watch the from a Bob Dylan loving idealist to so­ are shown indulging in un­Islamic activ­ Aptly named, Murad, the protagonist of The Zoya Akhtar film doesn’t blink at a bearded fellow out to prove his loyalty lines between fiction and reality blur­ meone who decides to get literally into ities. Sadiq loves his liquor and Mullah is “Gully Boy” reflects the aspirations of showing the problems that polygamy to his country. He is just like any other ring with a disconcerting frequency. For the muck, exposes all the stakeholders a paedophile. When one asked Ribhu, Indian youth who are living on the mar­ and patriarchy bring to families. There Indian trying to make the best use of his years, we have watched Hollywood gen­ in the system. As a journalist, the most he was evasive. “We were being true to gins. Based on a real life story, it takes us is an effervescent Safeena, sporting an talent and opportunities but at the same erated dystopia from a distance, and telling comment is when SHO Brahma­ the source,” he said. into a Muslim household where the abaya, who is more than just the love in­ time not shying away from looking with­ chuckled. But watching Leila is disturb­ dutt Singh feeds dogs with glucose bis­ The silver lining is mainstream Bolly­ driver father of the aspiring rapper ad­ terest of Murad. A surgeon in the mak­ in. ing because you could easily draw paral­ cuits before a local journalist enters to wood is not easily giving up on its plural monishes him for trying to dream ing, she deftly dissects into stereotypes And yes, he might be marginalised in lels with what is happening around you. extract his pound of flesh. character of society and is giving back to beyond their status. “We are supposed that a conservative mindset perpet­ the political space, here he is leading Based on the Prayag Akbar’s book of the In an interview with Friday Review, the divisive forces. In “Lukka Chhuppi”, to keep our head low and work,” he ad­ uates. In a heart­rending scene, Safeena the narrative with good box office re­ same name, on the surface, it is a moth­ writer Girish Solanki described it as “a a romantic comedy, the Muslim friend vises, but the boy doesn’t listen, and ul­ shouts at her mother, “I wouldn’t have sults. They may have lost out in the Os­ er’s search for her daughter but as the critique of casteism”. “Ayan is not a he­ of the hero tells his father­in­law, a right­ timately proves that his dream will de­ lied to you (about her friendship with car race, Murad and Safeena will stay narrative unravels, we could gauge its ro, and he is not shown as one. It is un­ wing leader: ‘I’m simply a Muslim, not a cide his social status. Unlike, his Murad) if you had allowed me to lead a with us for a long time to come. political undertones. From the obses­ fortunate if people felt that he emerges monster.’

creative arguments behind the of melody and rhythm is the ba­ a village near the border. “Taking scenes. Manga has trained with lancing harmony between the a murki at a high pitch is not ea­ several Ustads over the years and trio, on and off stage. sy,” he shares, “but my Ustad Fuelling contemporary folk has a refined voice that traverses used to make me practise till I got the octaves smoothly. “Some­ The moorings it right, that’s why it is second na­ The Barmer Boys on how the band has stormed the international stage with their unique times, I lose track of time when I The band’s versatility is rooted ture now.” get into the alaap,” reflects Man­ in their eclectic approach. Sindhi Rais has been a fan of Ustad Za­ sound and crossover aesthetics ga. Rais, on the other hand, with influences and Gujarati garba­like kir Hussain as far back as he can his passion for percussion, is rar­ beats merge with local interpreta­ remember. “As a teenager I could SHRINKHLA SAHAI CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC ing to go deeper into high­paced tions of ghazal, qawwali and Sufi do anything to listen to a record­ musical phrases. He has experi­ kalaam. The band was formed in ing of the tabla maestro! While ressed in black jackets and mented with beat boxing and oth­ 2011 at the Amarrass Desert Music walking 12 kilometres to and fro colourful turbans, Manga, er contemporary percussion Festival in Delhi. Since their inter­ from school, I was obsessed with DMagda and Rais Khan pre­ techniques. “Long alaaps may not national debut at the Roskilde the tala and matras I had heard.” sent an image of the musical be suited to all kinds of audiences Festival in 2014, they have been For Magda, musical instru­ fringe they occupy. Accomplished and sometimes they get restless featured on MTV’s Coke Studio, ments were the toys he reminisc­ folk musicians from Rajasthan, and we need to pace up,” he BBC, NPR and at major festivals es playing with, as a child. “Since the trio are known as the Barmer quips. Just as they are about to get such as Mood Indigo, Bacardi everyone in my family used to Boys and have stormed the inter­ into a heated debate about NH7 Weekender, ZIRO Festival of sing, I would play the beats. In national stage with their unique alaaps, rhythms and audience Music, Winnipeg Folk Festival fact, when I didn’t have an instru­ sound and crossover aesthetics. choices, Magda calmly chuckles, and others. ment handy to accompany them, Performing at the ‘Musical Mé­ “It has to be balanced, we can’t Their layered music style can I would play the rhythm with my lange’ themed December edition hurry up the alaap, but we also be traced back to their early years fingers on my head!” of ‘Under the Banyan Tree on a can’t have an infinite one!” Magda of traditional training. For each Full Moon Night’ series at 1AQ in hails from a family of vocalists, one, music is a treasured inheri­ New infusions Delhi, the contemporary folk yet chose to train in playing the tance. Manga recounts the days of Audience members often join band blended traditional reper­ dholak. His adept understanding relentless riyaaz with his Ustad in them on stage to dance to the toire with groovy rhythms. compelling combination of sounds. The trio have collaborat­ Sounding out ed with musicians across the “Mostly people assume that Ra­ globe now. “Our folk melodies re­ jasthani folk music is one singular main intact,” points out Rais. “Yet category,” explains Rais, “but it the same composition sounds has a variety of styles, each one Pushing the boundaries (From left) Rais, Manga and Magda * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT fresh because we bring in elec­ with different techniques and tronic beats, new rhythms, some­ compositions.” Attempting to the urban audience is another through our unique style.” Manga dholak, complimenting Manga’s times a groovy and clubby feel. break the general public’s limited challenge altogether. “City au­ and Magda nod vehemently as we winding movement through the We want our music to have that view of Rajasthani folk, when not dience mostly know only the folk chat over chai, looking for a high notes. Rais further embel­ kind of range – from folk to rock!” on performance tours, the trio repertoire that has made its way chance to break into an im­ lishes the leisurely melody with The talent of the Barmer Boys digs deeper into traditional com­ into Bollywood. So, they ask us to promptu baithak to demonstrate his range of folk instruments — lies in mixing the contemporary positions they have learnt from play ‘Kesaria balma’ or ‘Nimboo­ Rais’ point. morchang, khartal and bhapang, rhythmic edge with an archive of the masters in their villages. da nimbooda’. But there is a They open their set with their concluding with a flourish of traditional melodies. “We have These are songs and sounds that world of folk music from Rajas­ signature ‘Nagma’. Manga’s har­ rhythm play. new ideas, and we hope the au­ are often on the verge of slipping than beyond that and we want to monium sets the tone, followed While they seem perfectly syn­ dience will be open to exploring away from the community’s col­ share those lesser­known but by his alaap. Finding the right chronised on stage, like any other folk music in a new way with us,” lective memory. To present it to equally rich compositions space, Magda joins in with the band they have their tiffs and Rais concludes. Manga and Mag­ da smile and gesture to each oth­ er to finalise the set for the next READ INSIDE performance. As they tune their instruments, they are also tuning Meena Banerjee comments on the Four artists who made a Leading filmmakers on documentaries in to what the audience wants to evolution of music in the last decade P2 splash in 2019 P3 they loved in 2019 P4 hear on a full moon night.

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Going Native In the web of gross desires Rhymed translations Standardisation of ragas, the debate over purity and the return of thumri marked the decade of synthetic music In “Nava­e Sarosh: Voices from Beyond”, Sanjiv Saraf sews up faithful translations of the ten most outstanding Delhi Meena Banerjee CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC poets lived between 1730 and 1900

t the turn of the last millennium, the term uanced but an intentional rearrange­ ‘2K’ had brought with it ment of linguistic and semantic im­ a frightening word Nport and cultural and literary convic­ ‘crash’­ albeit related to tions subvert the surface structure of the Athe cybernetic world. Ironically, text, but it simultaneously retains the charis­ down two decades, on the thresh­ ma and splendour of the original. The me­ old of welcoming the year 2020, diated version produced with resourceful in­ one realises that while the un­ ventiveness stitches up an intimate contact iverse of the Internet, rightly with creative dexterity. It hardly loses the named ‘world­wide­web’, has ‘humour’ which, according to Vladimir Na­ caught the entire human existence bokov, “is the first gift to perish in a foreign in its net, it is the value­system language." which has faced the brunt of It is what Sanjiv Saraf achieved in his as­ ‘crash’; what was slipping out of tutely produced anthology, "Nava­e Sarosh: our fingers slowly – is now falling Voices from Beyond”. The book, carrying apart with resounding repercus­ rhymed translations of ten most outstanding sions – some good, some bad, as Delhi poets lived between 1730 and 1900, is usual for every dark cloud comes published by the Penguin Enterprise with a silver lining. recently. This is a known fact that cultu­ It is impossibly daunting to hang on to ral activities (music in particular) Ghalib's much­admired wit and sense of hu­ are hopelessly intertwined with Thumri in demand Vocalist Vidya Rao performing in front of a packed house; (below) Pt Ulhas Kashalkar mour, but Sanjiv, armed with a deep under­ social, geographic, economic and * THE HINDU standing of the original, sews up faithful political changes. To admit that translation in the contemporary idiom: music world has gone through a possible to spot gold from the from the members of the Dagar between the ‘godly’ classical ar­ "Kitne Shirin Hain Tere Lab ki Raqib/ Galiyan sea change in the last decade will dross. Social media sites are flood­ clan of yore. They also rely on tistes and ‘commoners’. This is a Kha Ke Be­maza Na Hua (How honeyed are not be hyperbolic at all. The global ed with ‘riyaaz sessions’, seeking rhythm­play, clear enunciation of healthy trend that should bridge your lips, that though my enemy/ was sho­ market has been successful in fan­ comments from ‘friends’, while select Dhruva­pada, especially the gap between the two worlds. wered with abuse, is yet/in a happy state.) ning the ‘taamasi vritti’ (gross de­ traditionalists insist that riyaaz is one thrillingly speedy composi­ Ironical posturing and existentialist angst sires) of artistes to a great extent not to be shared. tion towards the end of their reci­ ‘What is pure?’ depicted in interrogative diction sums up dark/is the thing maybe that makes / be­ which alienates their art from its Streaming of live programmes tals. On the other hand, most new­ Veteran vocalist Ulhas Kashalkar Ghalib's oeuvre, and its translation is intel­ loved's mark). spirituality – the root of all Indian is on the rise which may lead to age khayal exponents have deve­ puts the change in perspective. lectually more enervating, but the translator Similarily, Dard's poetry subtly rejects the arts for ages. lesser footfalls in auditoria and loped a synthetic style that While facing the question of raga­ makes a refreshing effort to get the reader maudlin and mundane notion of love and What was to be learnt ‘seena­ change the total panorama of cul­ incorporates best of all gharanas standardisation almost a decade quite close to the experience narrated in the seeks to portray the ultimate or mystical con­ ba­seena’ (one­to­one), has given tural events. With such vast con­ according to their aptitude and ago Kashalkar had asked, “Who original: “Dair Nahi Haram Nahi Dar Nahi cern of life in a diction made up of conversa­ way to distant leaning through nectivity, innovative ideas are limits. will decide what is pure?” Aastan Nahin/ Baithe Hain Rahguzar Pe Hum tional lexicon. "Jag Mein Aa Kar Idhar Udhar skypes and streaming; what was to multiplying in leaps and bounds. The Victorian values, that deve­ Even now, after regaling listen­ Ghair Hamein Uthae Kyun" ( Neither door Dekha/ Tu Hi Aya Nazar Jidhar Dekha". (I be ‘heard’, has definitively be­ Every other musician, big or loped a love­hate relationship of ers with his tradition­bound deli­ nor threshold, nor temple nor a mosque/ came into this world and looked around/ come a show to be ‘seen’ on stage small, is trying to dish out someth­ social police with the tawaif clan neation of Kafi Kanada, he reiter­ Why should rivals bid me rise? the street’s you, manifest, in every place, I found). or on the net; looks, mannerisms, ing new in the garb of serving the who preserved the art of thumri, ates, “Music keeps changing its public domain.) Ghalib's widely admired ghazals do find and fashion statements, therefore, tradition which, unfortunately, were on the decline since classical trends like a living river, it is not an their way in the anthology. However, they are important now; what was ‘sad­ eludes most Indians – thanks to music and related genres entered object like gold which is evaluated Emotional chord have come in for non­rhymed translations; hana’ for many, has become a the persistent presence of McCau­ the living rooms of the masses. as 24 or 22 carats. A musician Urdu Ghazal continues to strike an emo­ here one comes across with renderings that mere means to earn name and ley’s education policies. The so­called erotic lyrics started needs to follow the principles and tional chord with a large number of non­Ur­ make Ghalib's unparalleled cerebral out­ fame only; what was supposed to As such ungainly fusions have radiating a new spiritual inference raagroop of his gharana as handed du speaker and Ghalib, Meer, Iqbal Faiz, Fi­ pourings tangible: "Yaa Rab Zamana Mujh ko be ‘traditional and pure’ so far, gained momentum in every walk when educated ladies adapted down to him by the guru. For ex­ raq and a couple of others are read through Mitata hai kis Liye/ Lauh­e­Jahan Pe Harf­e­ has started losing its ground. of life – just like socially accepted them in their repertoire. Legends ample, Agra gayaki ka matlab ke­ translation across the globe. Mukarrar Nahin Hun Main". (Lord! the world Driven by his passion for ‘stan­ strange bedfellows in live­in rela­ like Siddheshwari Devi, Begum val Ustad Faiyaz Khan nahin, it There are several renderings of Urdu poe­ erases me, pray, what is the cause?/ I am not dardisation of Ragas’ to arrest the tionships without any commit­ Akhtar, Girija Devi and many oth­ should have nom­tom alap, try. Still, rhymed translations are infrequent, a word, that on life's slate has been writ be­ ‘impure treatment’, Milon Deb­ ments. Even committed musi­ ers took this genre to dizzy heights rhythm­play, layakari. Jitendra and Sanjiv attempts to supplement what has fore)."Tire Vade par Jiye Ham To Ye Jaan Jhut nath of Lucknow was running cians, who used to sneer at these but groomed very few Abhisheki too belonged to Agra, been left out. Jana/Ki Khushi Se Mar na Jate Agar Etibar Ho­ from pillar to post when one intro­ ventures not long ago, tend to torchbearers. magar alag (but he is different); It is perhaps for the first time that an as­ ta". (It was your vow that made life, be not duced him to ITC SRA gurus and compromise with the intrinsic This decade saw Vinod Kapur, apne andaaz se (in his own style)!” sortment of the rhymed translations of ten thus deceived/happily my life I'd give if could several other eminent musicians character of their chosen raga and the lifeline of VSK Baithak, resusci­ “Aur dekhiye, Bhaskar Buwa prominent classical Urdu poets of the eight­ have but believed)". of Kolkata. tala to toss­up exhilarating new tating Purab Anga Gayaki in such a Bakhleji trained with three gurus een and nineteenth centuries appeared to­ Predictably, ‘impossible’ was taste. This, along with the great in­ way that almost all khayal vocal­ belonging to different schools and gether in English. Delhi has been the vibrant Distinctive features the answer from all; because each flux of artistes on the performing ists, who abhorred thumris on evolved his style. So did Ustad cultural and literary hub of the country for Saraf’s concise introduction of the poets gharana has its own way of looking arena, has inspired duets, quar­ stage earlier, have started giving Amir Khan. ‘Pure’, magar hat­ke many centuries, and Sanjiv selected ten cele­ readily acquaints the readers with the dis­ at a raga, a typical Indian ‘fluidity’ tets, and ensembles. Kolkata wit­ exclusive concerts. This gayaki in­ jab tak nahi hota, we remain copy brated poets such as Mirza Mohammad Sau­ tinctive features of the poets. Not much is that baffles ‘logic­driven’ gen­next nessed a whole night soiree based fuses elements from dhrupad, cats. Who remembers the clones da (1713­1781), Khawja Mir Dard (1721­1785), known about Shefta who was an accom­ with global vision. To solve the is­ on jugalbandis in August this year. khayal, ghazal, tappa, folk – even of Lataji or Ashaji? My music Mohammad Taqi Mir (1723­1810), Ghulam plished poet, and a disciple of Momin, and sue in his own logical way, an un­ bhajan! evolved with age; I slowed down Hamdani Mushafi (1747­1824), Bhadur Shah Sanjiv opines with a marked sense of critical daunted Debnath launched his Audience reaction Frankly, the mighty river called the tempo of Gwalior. This provid­ Zafar (1775­1862), Sheikh Mohammad Ibra­ acuity. With refinement and sophistication “Classical Voice of India” in 2011 to Heartless city culture with resul­ classical music has been fuelling ed space and peace and led to oth­ him Zauq (1790­1854), Mustafa Khan Shefta of culture running through his veins, Shefta give a ‘permanent, standardised, tant restive mindset has changed different genres, contemporary fu­ er changes. Yehi hamaara tradi­ (1809­1869), and Nawab Mirza Daagh (1831­ mastered the language and idioms of Delhi fundamental, complete raagroop the listenership which looks for sions borrow heavily from it even tion hai (this is our tradition),’ he 1905). and developed an uncompromisingly fine to the participating contestants. excitement, essentially churned now. This leads to collaborations emphasises. The central metaphor of Ghazal is unre­ taste of high poetry. He wrote Persian verse His net­savvy team has reached it out of numerical permutations. quited love and fidelity, promiscuity, aliena­ with Mirza Ghalib as a guide, but it is in Urdu to every nook and corner of India The obsession for breakneck tion and elemental human predicament in poetry where he has left a mark of his own. and in the wake of several diffe­ speed during taans and jhalas, the the backdrop of cultural context is depicted His love­affair failed him in life but powered rent music genre­based reality growing popularity of tabla­solos through the primary motif. Frequent literary him to write some of the finest lines of Love­ shows on the TV, this commenda­ and instrument ensembles prove allusions and aesthetic specifications create poetry." ble, nationwide classical music this point. Very few care for an in­ the semantic space for ghazal, and one can Another remarkable feature of the anthol­ contest gained momentum. By trospective raga elaboration. But hardly find its resonance in English. It looks ogy is an astutely drawn transliteration key 2020, the preliminary round of this is also indisputable that sever­ tempting to reconcile with fluent but off the as many non­Urdu speakers falter on this this contest will be held in the web al instrumentalists along with mark translation instead of zeroing in on the count. Sanjiv’s discerning selection and its space. dhrupad maestros Gundecha nuanced connotations. impeccable translation is destined to blaze a Brothers and Uday Bhawalkar The book betrays a strong sense of skilful new trail in the ever­increasing corpus of Net-tale know how to keep their listeners reshaping, but occasionally turgidity ob­ translation of Urdu poetry. This is but one of the innumerable glued to their alaap. scures the meaning. Creative prowess and such projects that are swarming synthesising exuberance elude Sauda's poe­ all over the Internet. With easy ac­ Change within tradition try, and Sanjiv's renderings aptly affirm: “Jis cess to digital equipment, the For this magic, the dhrupad expo­ Tirgi Se Roz hai Ushahaq Kaa Siyah/ Shayad same applies to the field of record­ nents changed the technique of Usi se Chera­e­Khuban Pe Til Bana” (the inki­ SHAFEY KIDWAI is a senior ed music – so much so that it is im­ voice­throw that is very different ness which leads each day/of lovers to be literary critic

Dedicated to dance Guru V S tan. Performances standing atop invert­ Ramamoorthy with his daughter and ed mud pots became a unique feature of A visionary turns 100 disciple Manjula Ramaswamy * KVS GIRI the repertoire of guru Ramamoorthy’s students. Winning various competitions ed in distinct productions and dance and coming out with flying colours on ballets. Going beyond Bharatanatyam, TV reality shows, became a routine for Guru V.S. Ramamoorthy has influenced generations of dancers with his Ramamoorthy trained himself in Ku- his students. rathi dance — a folk tradition of Tamil Acknowledging his dedication, re­ dedication and passion for dance Nadu. His repertoire would always gen­ nowned Bharatanatyam dancer Ananda erate a lot of interest and budding dan­ Shankar Jayanth says, “He has taught S.B. Vijaya Mary CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC dents here. moorthy to Dandayudhapani Pillai, who cers were eager to learn the new genres. generations of students with the same Born on September 20, 1920, in accepted him. Ramamoorthy was his On request from his well­wishers, Ra­ dedication. That is so rare! What is also Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, Rama­ first male disciple. A memorable occa­ mamoorthy started a dance school, Sri amazing about him is the love and hile India was celebrating its moorthy, as a young boy was charmed sion for Ramamoorthy came in the form Devi Nritya Niketan in Perambur, Ma­ warmth he has for me and my students freedom from Britain on Au­ by the tradition of katha-kalakshepam of his arangetram, held at Rasika Ranja­ dras in 1966. His second daughter Man­ — even though I’m not his student! He Wgust 15, 1947, the classical and was drawn towards the narratives ni Sabha on Independence day. jula became his first disciple. Rama­ always treated all dancers in Hyderabad dance fraternity in Mylapore, Chennai, from the Ramayana and Bhagavatam. moorthy revelled in the experience of as his children, taking pride in all our had another reason to celebrate . They He won accoaldes for enacting the role A guru emerges training a batch of students who went work and taking time to call and share were welcoming into their fold a multi­ of a grief­stricken Kausalya, after Lord His continued tryst with plays and Sri on to give their arangetram on March his appreciation for our work.” talented young man who was set to per­ Rama leaves for vanavasam. Also that Ramakrishna Kripa Amateurs Associa­ 29, 1970. Soon after, Ramamoorthy had Ananda was at the forefront of the Ar­ form his Bharatanatyam arangetram on became a turning point in his life. Des­ tion brought him laurels, specially in to move to the twin cities on job transfer tists and Arts Association that honoured that day. V.S. Ramamoorthy, at 27, was pite not having any formal training in the roles of Sita in Sita Kalyanam, as and settled down at the Defence quar­ guru Ramamoorthy in the city recently. no mere young dreamer. He was a pas­ dance or drama, Ramamoorthy suc­ Chintamani in Chintamani and Krishna ters in Mudfort, Secunderabad. He en­ “A Centenarian amongst us — one of our sionate and dedicated artiste who had cessfully imbibed the nuances of dance­ in Karna Arjuna. What perhaps took sured that his daughter continued her own gurus and an icon of our city — set out to make his illustrious guru Dan­ dramas. him to the zenith of his acting career is practice between 4 and 5 in the when we felicitate such a living guru, we dayudhapani Pillai proud, by virtue of After completing his Diploma in Elec­ Kalki Krishnamurthy’s popular Tamil morning. receive blessings. What can be more apt being his first male shishya. Now, nearly tro­technical engineering, Ramamoor­ play Sivakamyin Shapadam where he Eventually, as word spread, children, than all artistes coming together to cele­ eight decades on, at the mention of thy moved to Calcutta and then to Ban­ played the role of Sivakami that was mostly from families of defence person­ brate a doyen who has served the cause dance, V.S. Ramamoorthy’s eyes light galore to join Hindustan Aeronautics staged across the country. His prowess nel joined in the training, thus paving of arts in our city? And so a simple idea, up and his lips curl in a smile. As his fa­ Limited, as Sub­divisional Officer. In in dance enhanced his portrayal of Siva­ the path for establishing Sri Rama Nata­ got traction with every senior artiste mily, friends, disciples, dance connois­ 1942 he joined Military Engineering Ser­ kami. Soon the portrayal of female roles ka Niketan, a new name for Sri Devi Nri­ joining in enthusiastically,” she adds. seurs and cultural associations gear up vices (MES) and was posted in Madras. became his forte in drama — Kundavi in tya Niketan. By now Manjula had start­ Last month city­based Kalasagaram to celebrate his centenary year, Rama­ At the age of 22, Ramamoorthy ap­ Parthiban Kanavu, Anarkali, Sita, Kai­ ed assisting her father in running the honoured Ramamoorthy with the ‘Cen­ moorthy is a picture of poise and proached Kalasagaram Rajagopal — a keyi, Kousalya, Thilakavathy and many Ramamoorthy stood out for his impec­ dance classes. Post­ retirement, Rama­ tenarian Award’ during their annual cul­ content. sculptor­dancer at Kalakshetra — to get historical characters were enacted by cable expressions and abhinaya during moorthy focussed on choreographing tural festival. Though Ramamoorthy arrived in trained in Bharatanatyam, even if he him flawlessly. He held sway over a se­ his performances. and producing innovating ballets and For guru Ramamoorthy though, as Hyderabad/Secunderabad only in 1969, had to travel from Avadi to Mylapore af­ ries of dance­dramas that also gave him His versatility ranges from being a compositions that were gaining wide re­ his daughter Manjula Ramaswamy says, he embraced the twin cities like a se­ ter work. He also strengthened his re­ scope to portray characters that need to dancer, singer, actor, painter and also cognition. Rigorous rehearsals, disci­ happiness is when he observes his stu­ cond home and selflessly imparted Bha­ pertoire by acting in plays by Amateur dance. turning into a make­up man when re­ pline and dedication to the art became dents carry forward the dance legacy in ratanatyam training to scores of stu­ Sabha. Rajagopal introduced Rama­ A master of technique and tradition, quired.His experience in theatre result­ the hallmarks of Sri Rama Nataka Nike­ the path that’s laid by him.

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DELHI FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 FRIDAYREVIEW 3 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Soul-searching art (Clockwise from extreme left) Sachin George Sebastian’s “Custom”; Arun Pandit’s “Thinker” ; Purvai Rai’s Memory Graph; Japneet Keith’s ceramic work * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

deeply contemplative as well as immac­ ulate design frames that spoke about the enchantment of jute, yarn and cot­ ton thread in the solo of Purvai Rai at Art Alive. Purvai’s Memory Graph com­ positions contained the power of devo­ tion in design in the sequence of thread­ ing and arranging jute, yarn and cotton threads that had echoes of inner roots. The action of creating and expression both have a ritualistic focus. “Design for me is born out of imagi­ nation and quiet discipline, I have al­ ways had an interest in the chakra,” she explains. “I feel the language of Indian design came from ancient design tradi­ tions. So I play with subtle abstraction continuously created around textile­re­ lated conversations. I explore colour, texture, pattern, and aspects of ‘textile language’, and keep an eye also on knot­ ting. I use jute, yarn and cotton because it speaks of indigenous practices that go back into history. ” SPIRIT THAT er of Constantin Brancusi as well as Ram Japneet Keith: Ceramics Kinkar Baij, it is the rustic resonance in Marine rhythms, oceanic tides and his imagery and his flawless patina beaches, all came to the fore in Japneet that sets him apart as a unique Keith’s urchin series at Gallery Espace. practitioner of sculpture. A NID graduate, Japneet creates works CONQUERS Pandit says, “My sculptures that echo the transience of nature’s eter­ are not beautiful – they come un­ nal eloquence even as she celebrates der the category of challenging Darwinian perfection of the shapes of and awkward. Often the viewer her sea urchins. has to look at it from different an­ The colour tones of her works, detail­ Uma Nair CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Four artists who made a gles to understand the language ing and understanding of the zoological and the expression of the ges­ manifestations presented her as he year unveiled as a matrix splash in the sea of visual tures I use. Sculpture, for an Indian Athena in the of design innovation, creative arts in 2019 me, is about the art of world of ceramics. Her vitality and contemporary ex­ looking. I created the rip­ small spherical sea ur­ plorations. Four artists stood pled image of multiple chins have about them apart for the locus of original­ slating emotional and psychological as­ features because for me the grace and dignity iTty in their practices. It ranged from the pects of urban living. Cutting paper in it is about a way of of the whisper of the beauty of ceramics in the hands of Jap­ cubist dimensions has a spectral aura seeing. waves that wash the neet Keith from Chandigarh who even as it traces transformations in ur­ “I remember in Patna tides ashore. spends time between Australia and In­ ban living etched in dulcet dualities of where I studied I noticed Japneet shares, “Nature dia, Purvai Rai who created a silent yet light and shadow. that there was an additive pro­ is at the heart of my pottery. distinct debut with design dynamics in Sachin states, “For me my art is about cess and a multiplicity in trends – in Everything comes into motion when jute, Sachin George Sebastian from Ben­ the city and about experiences that pro­ the simple architecture of houses I saw I am at the wheel. The clay I get from galuru whose paper installations were a gress within the changes that happen. so much of a trend in likes and happen­ Australia is as important as what I am surreal statement in metamorphosis, I’m constantly thinking about humans ings.” Sculpture for Pandit is about a creating – it has a different texture and and Arun Pandit from Garhi Studio who undergoing transformations. I take ma­ others give up, and a few rise above room drama by the Lalit journey that creates dialogues that pass body qualities.” unveiled a suite of bronzes that person­ ny ideas and translate this into my little the others. In the overlap of expe­ Kala National Award Win­ through the corridors of time. “It’s Clay, for her, is both tactile and quir­ ified Ernst Friedrich Schumacher sym­ spaces. I take transformation and riences and lines that are difficult to ner Arun Pandit. “Resonance about creating a language that illus­ ky. “it moulds my thought. It is rooted in bolism of ‘small is beautiful.’ change and trace it to multiple sites lo­ draw, my work looks at that confluence. in Time” brings together a series of trates the beauty of the gravity of the environment and enriched by my cated within and without.” For me, the act of cutting with a pair of works that Pandit has created in his own bronze. The human figure is the most travels. My inspiration comes from for­ Sachin George Sebastian: Paper in- He is now for a few years been work­ scissors becomes the moment of com­ insignia of the bronze, the casting enduring. It is the foundation on which ests and mountains and tide pools and stallations ing on the notion of how a city conti­ bustion in creativity, it defines the transi­ mould and man. At the centre of his un­ I contemplate the context of life’s the sandy beaches and the rush of the A NID graduate, Sachin’s leitmotif is nually undergoes a transformation, and tory and the ephemeral.” iverse is the human figure, his images drama.” waves and the sea. A Humming Bird is the city. At Art Motif’s “Of Paper” exhi­ how even the subjects as well as the city have the mould that becomes the ped­ as vital to my rhythm as the series of sea bition, his installation in a box had itself changes. “Within the deep and ob­ Arun Pandit: Bronzes and moulds estal and the clothing and the design. Purvai Rai: Jute, yarn and cotton shell murals I create or the sea urchins. about it a Zen synergy consisting of the vious set of transitions, some people are At Art Heritage, Amal Allana designed Pandit works on the principle of expe­ A minimalist understanding of archi­ Finally, it’s about the pulse of the spirit grammar of formal engagement in tran­ able to deal with it, while some struggle, an oasis of bronzes with an air of dark­ riences and personal convictions. A lov­ tectural elements and accents ensued in that conquers.”

IN SHORTS Story of indomitable will A musical tribute to Rama Pandey’s “Lallan Ms” is a straightforward narrative of the heroic struggle of a transgender the Mahatma Diwan Singh Bajeli CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC akshminarayana Global Music Festival (LGMF), is organised n recent past, we have seen on the Del­ every year in the memory of Prof. V. Lakshminarayana, the hi stage some plays about the lives of Lfather, mentor and guru of legendary violinist Dr. L. Itransgenders living in a hostile society. Subramaniam. The LGMF 2020 tour will be held at Siri Fort By far, “Janeman”, which was presented Auditorium in Delhi on January 4. This will be followed by by the Repertory Company of National Hyderabad on January 6 at Shilpa Kala Vedika, and in Pune on School of Drama under the direction of January 8 at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. Prof. V. Lakshminarayana’s importance in eminent theatre director Waman Kendre, the music world can be seen from the fact remains the most outstanding theatrical that he was responsible for making the piece on the theme. Recently, we saw violin a solo instrument and not just an “Lallan Ms” which was presented by Ra­ accompaniment. ma Theatre Natya Vidya and Montage The festival is presently in its 29th year. Films at Shri Ram Centre based on the This year is special as LGMF is celebrating real life story of a eunuch who makes he­ the 150th birth year of Mahatma Gandhi roic struggle to bring light and hope to the with a musical tribute by Dr. L. nightmarish world of the marginalised. Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurti featuring Symphony Orchestra of Castle Written and directed by Rama Pandey, and Leon from Spain. she has her first encounter with an eu­ LGMF was started with a single­minded nuch at a red light signal. A policeman focus of bringing leading artists from cruelly treats an eunuch who begs at the different genres and cultural backgrounds red light when traffic stops for some time. on one stage. Leading artists from She is told that the policeman takes some different parts of the world showcase money by force for allowing him to beg at their unique perspectives and art, giving the time of red light, signalling drivers to the audience the rarest opportunity to experience musical styles from around the world. stop. She has another encounter with the So far, the festival has travelled to five continents, 23 countries, same eunuch when her chauffeur has to and has organised hundreds of concerts together with a wide stop the car owing to tyre­puncture. She range of international artists. has more information about the lives of eunuchs. Excited, she jots down hurriedly a script to make a documentary but her Twist in the plot A scene from “Lallan Ms”* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT boss rejected the proposal outright. After Celebrating the five a few years, she gets the chance to make eunuch. When her parents came to know occasions, especially at the time of the ma Pandey Ki Jubaani”. The chorus sings documentary on the life and mission of that she is not a male infant but a girl, birth of a male child in a prosperous fami­ it as a refrain. eunuch Lallan Ms who has opened a they threw her into the heaps of garbage. ly. There is a dance sequence set before The play ends on a tragic note. When teaching centre against heavy odds in a Someone rescued her and adopted her the house of a rich man. It is revealed that Lallan's school starts functioning effec­ elements slum area, a dingy place the marginalised and she is reading in the school Lallan Ms the couple has given birth to six daught­ tively, he faces a dreaded enemy who is and eunuch community called their has opened because she cannot effort to ers, one after the other. Every time a girl determined to remove the marginalised Artist Rita Jhunjhunwala and photographer Shreekant Somany home. The film could not be completely go to a regular school. is born, gloom pervades the family and if people from their homes as well as the collaborate to produce a show titled Shunya – A Journey that will be held at Bikaner House Art Gallery, Pandara Road, from January shot because of technical fault. But she eunuchs arrive, the family shooed them school, using musclemen. Lallan organis­ 4 to January 7. continues her conversation with “Lallan Song and dance in an angry voice. Now that a male child es a strong resistance against goons and Celebrating the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air Ms” with the passion of a filmmaker. “Lallan Ms” tells Maya about her strug­ has born the eunuchs are welcomed with sits on an indefinite hunger strike. and Ether – the show will include more than 60 works As a narrator as well as a character she gle in opening the school. Herself an illit­ open arms and offered huge money and The production remains invariably showcasing Jhunjhunwala’s mixed media works on tells the audience startling facts about a erate, she meets a kind­hearted and high­ gifts who wish the child a long life while loud, its narrative is straightforward and paper inspired by Benaras and Somany’s photographs girl child who lives in the colony of the ly cooperative lady principal of a school performing dances holding the child to the action moves on surface. The rhyth­ shot in Ladakh, Tibet and all across the Pamir. marginalised. She tells her, she is not an who guides her in organising the school. the breast. The scene illustrates the path­ mic variances are absent to reveal per­ Speaking about this show, Jhunjhunwala, 63, who More and more students started attend­ etic way patriarchal society treats a fe­ formers inner emotional and psychologi­ first visited Benaras when he was 19, says: “I have BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB been going back ever since. Even for a tourist, the ing the school but it is difficult to get male child. cal conflicts. However, there are some Rama takes us to Kashmir city is a delight for the senses. And as an artist, I have teachers to work in a school like this and Rama takes us to Kashmir where eu­ strong theatrical elements which enable never ceased to be amazed at how it makes me think where eunuchs are treated that too without pay, but some educated nuchs are treated with respect. To illus­ the audience to watch the show with keen about the cycle of birth and death every time. The with respect. To illustrate her young people start giving lessons to the trate her point, she presents a musical interest. philosophy of Benaras appeals to me because it point, she presents a musical children who have never seen school. Lal­ concert where highly sophisticated Kash­ Rama Pandey is endowed with a rich compels me to think of us as part of the much bigger lan Ms and her school have to confront an miri artists sing even as eunuchs present voice and the ability to communicate to cosmos and how minuscule we are in its comparison. concert where highly existential battle against land mafia and their art. The eunuch singing comple­ the audience with remarkable clarity. Any imagination falls short of experiencing Benaras in their blood thirsty muscle men. ments to the elegant recital of Kashmiri Shahzor Ali as Lallan Ms gives a spirited reality – the city where the panchbhutas or the five elements sophisticated Kashmiri artists conspire to assault the senses with an incredible force. That is why The production is replete with dance artists. Though Rama is the main narra­ performance. His Lallan has indomitable sing even as eunuchs present painting on the five elements was the most natural choice.” and song sequences performed by the tor, there is a chorus that sings “Suno, Su­ will and conviction to fight for the cause their art groups of men acting as eunuch at various no, Ye Duniyawalo Lallan Ki Ye Kahani Ra­ of the marginalised and the oppressed.

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DELHI 4 FRIDAYREVIEW FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

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ocumentaries have always tried to pre­ sent the socio­politi­ Not to be missed cal upheavals of the (Clockwise from far times. The genre left) Stills from wDhile mirroring concerns of so­ “Janani's Juliet”; “Oh ciety, also brings to fore touching That's Bhanu”; human stories that keep the au­ “Period, End of dience abreast with reality. Sentence”; “Tales Leading documentary film­ From Our Childhood” makers, Kamal Swaroop, Kavita * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Bahl and Nandan Saxena, Umesh Aggarwal and Prantik Basu, sug­ gest films they loved in 2019. And What Is The Summer Saying Director: Payal Kapadia “What Is The Summer Saying” is a film poem about a small vil­ lage in Maha­ rashtra and its surround­ ing forest, and it ex­ plores the in­ timate sto­ ries told by ing rooms. A sparse set, a set of the voices of actors, a director ready to explore some women. The strange smoke – in the spirit of six characters in emits from the ground like a search of a story… dream of a time gone by. The film digs into the violence What fascinates me about this unleashed in the name of “ho­ film is the way it is constructed; nour­killings” in India. As we memoirs of number of village wo­ plunge directly into the action, men are recorded, edited and la­ the film lets you draw upon your ter taken to studio and an evoca­ own lived experience in these tive dramatic voice track made. times. Supporting this voice track, a se­ The film is an exquisite perfor­ ries of fine composition of the vil­ mance within a performance – as lage, its forest and people placed we watch Pankaj craft his film with great cinematic precision. from the theatrical performanc­ Oh That’s Bhanu es– rather the “making” of the Director: R.V. Ramani play; the candid discussion bet­ On the other hand, Ramani’s, ween the ac­ “Oh That’s Bhanu”, is stylistically tors and the News” and “Jai Ho”, among others. totally different. Over the years, director – Tales From Our Childhood <> Ramani has developed his own and the testi­ Director: Mukul Haloi What fascinates me kind of mise en scene where eve­ mony of Kau­ Looking back and reflecting rything is almost a living picture. salya – whose Mirroring reality upon the various documentary about Payal’s film is the In “Oh That’s Bhanu”, Ramani ex­ parents tried films that I saw last year, two films way it is constructed; plores the life of dancer­theatre to kill her for that particularly moved and in­ memoirs of number of artiste Bhanumathi Rao, who suff­ marrying a Four leading filmmakers share their thoughts on the spired me are “Tales From Our ers from memory loss. In Rama­ boy of lower caste. They killed Childhood” by Mukul Haloi and village women are ni’s words, “Bhanumathi makes ‘Shankar’ – the boy she married. documentaries that impressed them in 2019 “The Strike and I” by Kshama recorded, edited and up stories most of the time, but The very premise of the film Padalkar. later taken to studio that’s all right. I don’t believe in that we are watching a play places In both the films, the filmmak­ and an evocative the idea of truth. I nullify it. Here, the viewer in the gallery. As the time. Why do we not know more New Delhi. One of the key characters in er meanders away from the con­ Bhanumathi (the character) nulli­ main protagonists go through about Juliet? The film underlines the condi­ the film is Sneha, a strong young ventional tropes of non­fiction dramatic voice track fies it herself. So, her memory adapting Shakespeare’s “Romeo Pankaj skilfully manages to tion of girls in Hapur, living with girl with an ambition to join pol­ and re­envisions what it truly made loss was never an issue. I started and Juliet” into the Indian context keep the tension alive between the stigma, taboo and shame as­ ice force to escape the shackles of means to engage with a subject. Kamal Swaroop this film in 2014 and two weeks of caste violence, the play trans­ the tender world of love between sociated with menstruation. Ap­ early marriage. She is amongst They do not shy away from self­ ago, we got a projector and made forms into a powerful social state­ Jack and Janani (Romeo and Ju­ parently, most of them have not key foot soldiers of sanitary pads. doubt and reflect upon the for­ almost takes the viewer by their her watch the film. At first, as ment. The film is rooted in reality liet) and the looming threat of its even heard of the word “pad”. It is through her that we realize malism of filmmaking, some­ hand to keenly observe the inter­ usual, she didn’t recognise me; through the real story of Kausalya annihilation by a dogmatic socie­ Yes, that too in a country that that the film is not merely a fight times even staging a sequence. nal, as well as the inter­personal but later, she hit me on the hand.” and Shankar. ty. boasts of more than 900 satellite for dignity but also against deep In “Tales from our Childhood”, dynamics of a four and half Kamal Swaroop, a veteran doc­ Pankaj Rishi Kumar subtly Kavita Bahl and Nandan Saxe­ television channels and all of rooted patriarchy. It’s a good film Haloi asks his friend to pose in a month long student protest at umentary filmmaker, has made keeps introducing the layers of na who have making films for over them are full of TV commercial that narrates the story of almost uniform borrowed from a dead FTII. We hear the slogans, the “Pushkar Puran” and “Battle For complexity into the film by weav­ two decades, have won National about sani­ 90% rural women in India. As an ULFA boy’s protest songs, at the same time, Benaras”, among others, and won ing­in the making of the play, Film Award for “Cotton For My tary pads. Indian, it also left me with few family in his we are made familiar with the vul­ the National Award for “Chandala”. The dialogue bet­ Shroud”, “Candles In The Wind” The film questions. And I had to find attempt to nerability of the ones who are in “Rangbhoomi” ween the theatre director and the and “I Cannot Give You My Forest”. chronicles answers. conjure up the fringes of the protest. In both Janani’s Juliet actors to adapt the play into the Period, End Of Sentence the struggle After watching the film – I was the horrid these films, the political becomes Director: Pankaj Rishi Ku- Indian context works as a Greek Director: Rayka Zehtabchi of these girls. reminded of famous couplet by memories the personal and the personal, mar chorus and keeps the viewer en­ The film which picked up the One day, a Sahir Ludhianvi – “Jinhe Naaz hai that still the political. “Janani’s Juliet”, India's official gaged. “You are Juliet’s messen­ Oscar for Best Documentary sanitary pad hind par wo kahan hain”. haunt the Prantik Basu, has been making entry to the Oscar's unsettles you. gers to me,” the director tells the (Short Subject) at the 91st Acade­ vending ma­ Umesh Aggarwal has been pro­ landscape of documentaries and short films A poetic, political exploration of women cast. As they dig deeper my Awards in 2019, is about vil­ chine is installed in the village. ducing and directing television Assam. since 2007. His film “Sakhisona” love – pitting the lovers against into their own psyche, we also lage Kathikhera in Hapur, Uttar Women learn to manufacture and shows and documentary films for The Strike and I (2016) won the Tiger Award for moribund social mores, Pankaj question – why it was all about Pradesh, which is less than 75 km market their own low cost, biode­ 20 years. His films include “The Director: Kshama Padalkar Short Films at the 46 th Rotterdam brings Shakespeare into our liv­ Romeo even in Shakespeare’s away from the national capital – gradable pads. Whistle Blowers”, “Brokering In “The Strike and I”, Padalkar IFF.

Quick Five CATCH UP Taking cinema to the grassroots Winter concert

Murtaza Ali Khan CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC for them. This year as per our rough estimates as many as 10,000 he 5th edition of the Khajura­ people have visited the festival. We The Winter Festival of Music, a two-day event begins today ho International Film Festiv­ have succeeded in providing a at C.D. Deshmukh Auditoirum, India International Tal (KIFF) concluded in Khaj­ platform to local filmmakers to Centre. The first day will feature a Rudra Veena recital by uraho earlier this week. The screen their films. Also, our mo­ Sharada Mushti and a Hindustani vocal recital by Adarsh festival’s theme this year was bile filmmaking workshop has Saxena. The second day will see a Sattriya performance by Meenakshi Medhi and a Kuchipudi recital by Vidhya S. comedy. been a huge success with the Actor Raja Bundela, founder youngsters. We have got a wonder­ Mixed-media show and chairperson of KIFF, talks ful atmosphere for film shooting Alekhya, an exhibition of painting and sculpture, about the vision behind the festiv­ and the facilities have also im­ showcases a union of al, the concept of setting up tapra proved in the recent times. Howev­ different genres of fine talkies in remote places, and his er, there is still a long way to go but arts. It showcases works of plans for the next edition of the I think we are on the right track. artists Nidhi and Mohit festival. Bhardwaj along with their Excerpts: Why did you choose comedy as mentors, Ganesh Prasad the theme this year? Sahu and Krishna Shreshtha at AIFACS Gallery, Rafi Marg. It features Nidhi’s coloured What’s the vision behind the We have reached a point that we canvases on water colour wash technique, Sahu’s fine oil Khajuraho International Film mostly get to read and watch painting on paper and the mirror work and paintings of the Festival? about things that tend to disturb Buddha articulated by Bharadwaj. I have always had a strong de­ us. Also, comedy is disappearing sire to do something for the people from cinema at an alarming rate. Tribute to musicians of Bundelkhand. It’s the place of Earlier, there was hardly any film my birth and I think I owe it the pe­ without a comedian. Scenes and ople of the region. Back in the year situations were specifically intro­ 1995, I got associated with the duced in movies to provide comic movement demanding creation of relief at regular intervals. But all a separate Bundelkhand state. La­ that is disappearing from our mo­ ter on, I realised that there are oth­ vies now. There is too much of This Sunday, at Amaltas Hall, India Habitat Centre, er ways of promoting welfare in grimness in our films these days in eminent singer and composer Runki Goswami will present the region. I have gained a lot the name of realism. So by choos­ Tujhe Mere Kale Kamli Waale ki Saun, a live concert to showcase the underline melody of ragas used to portray through my long association with Making a point Raja Bundela * R.V. MOORTHY ing comedy as a theme this year film, theatre and cinema. So, I we endeavoured to remind eve­ moods and seasons in Hindi cinema. In this show, she will pay tribute to yesteryear Bollywood music legends like thought of leveraging upon it for What prompted you to set up watchmen might drive them away. out even though we were screen­ ryone about the rich tradition of Laxmikant Pyarelal, S.D Burma, and Anand Bakshi. the benefit of the people in the re­ tapra (tent) talkies in Khajura- It was a huge challenge to over­ ing an American film as the US was comedy that our cinema has al­ gion. Now, Khajuraho had been in ho and surrounding areas as come the problem before the se­ our partner that year. The idea ways enjoyed. my mind for quite some time and part of KIFF? cond edition. It seemed impossi­ really took off. By the third year we Mirza Ghalib Festival so one day I got the idea of starting During the first year we began ble to set up theatres in such a had four tapra talkies up and run­ What are your plans for the Ghalib Memorial a film festival in Khajuraho as the by having film screenings in halls short time. Then I was reminded ning. In the fourth we had as many next year? Movement is hosting Mirza Ghalib Festival, a three- place is already known worldwide and lounges of some of the leading of the touring talkies that would as eight. It was really unbelievable For the next year, we are plan­ day event to celebrate the for its cultural heritage. My wife hotels in Khajuraho. Now, the cul­ come during our childhood days. but we did make it happen. You ning to have a Bachchan week. We life and work on Ghalib's Sushmita Mukherjee who is also tural evenings we had were really They would set up tents and see cinema is a powerful medium are already in touch with Amitabh 150th Death Anniversary from NSD backed the idea fully. successful. But we didn’t get any screen movies to the village peo­ of reaching out to the people. So Bachchan. We will also feature lit­ at India Islamic Cultural While, there was a lot of pressure audiences for the movie screen­ ple. So that’s how I decided to set it's important to make people liter­ erary works of Harivansh Rai Centre, Lodhi Road. from the authorities to host it in ings. It was a big disappointment. up tapra talkies. ate towards cinema. When noted Bachchan along with the films of Starting today, the first day event will see a Mushaira Bhopal or Indore instead, I was to­ So we did a survey in the villages. film personalities visit Khajuraho the entire Bachchan family. So, dedicated to Ghalib where eminent poets will participate. tally convinced that it had to be We learned that they were getting To what extent have you suc- it brings the entire region in the li­ other than cinema, we also intend Other events include a cultural dance programme by Dr. done in Khajuraho only. intimidated by these big hotels. ceeded in realising your vision? melight. Also, it inspires the local to include literature in our scheme Uma Sharma and group show based on Ghalib’s poetry. There is always this fear that the Our very first show was a sold people and creates opportunities of things in a big way going forth.

CM ND-ND YK