"Welfare State Must Not Don Realtor's Role"

CORRUPTION "Welfare State must not don realtor's role"

Former IAS officer Chaya Ratan tells Naresh Nunna how various Andhra Governments have been into the business of grabbing and selling land NARESH NUNNA | Issue Dated: April 27, 2014, New Delhi Tags : IAS officer Chaya Ratan | Aam Admi Party | Telangana | Chandra Babu Naidu | YS Rajasekhar Reddy |

Land, being a most coveted investment for ages, is now speaking volumes of politics, in politics, particularly at this time of electioneering in Andhra Pradesh. While there have been regular allegations of selling out large chunks of government land in the Telangana region, the recent assertions of the retired IAS officer Chaya Ratan, who is also an Aam Admi Party (AAP) candidate for Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, has brought back the spotlight on the murky transactions of land grabbing and selling. The revelations might not seem new, but yet are quite worrying, especially as the allegation is that the valuable resources belonging to the region are being auctioned and mortgaged indiscriminately.

“In fact, anomalies around the Telangana land and other resources are not new. When the merger of Telangana region with Andhra was mooted, one of the major demands was to safeguard the invaluable regions of Telangana. Therefore, a demand banning accession of Telangana regions to people from other regions and states was mooted,” tells Dileep K of ‘Mission Telangana’ to The Sunday Indian.

Predicting the influx of affluent and enterprising families from the fertile delta of coastal Andhra, leaders from Telangana put forth the demand, which was included in the first draft of a Gentleman’s Agreement between the two regions. But it was deleted from the final draft in 1956. One would remember that during the regimes of Chandrababu Naidu and Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (who was later killed in a chopper crash), there were many protests from leaders of Telangana on the region being allotted indiscriminately to business houses and other institutions.

“Successive governments of Chandra Babu Naidu and YS Rajasekhar Reddy have auctioned off thousands of acres of valuable areas in and around Hyderabad to their cronies. In fact, these regions were a legacy left behind by the erstwhile Nizams and rightfully belonged to our people of Hyderabad,” K Taraka Ramarao, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader and son of TRS supremo K Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR) said.

According to Mission Telangana, in YSR’s regime, thousands of acres of farmland was grabbed from hapless farmers and sold to industrialists for a profit. Even after YSR’s death, critics allege that the Congress government led by Seemandhra Chief Ministers is allegedly following the same route.

Sniffing out the possible bifurcation of the State, land transactions in the recent past, particularly during YSR rule and post-YSR regime, reached a crescendo. Using various government agencies like Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), Andhra Pradesh Housing Board (APHB), Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), the YSR government sold various regions, with an aim of generating crores of rupees. For example, one would remember that HMDA was on a spree to auction several plots in and around Hyderabad, including those in the posh and elitist areas like Nandagiri Hills near Jubilee Hills.

While the same may also have been done to ensure profitable valuation of a non-earning landmass, the state government was severely panned for the attempts to dispose the same; enraged TRS leaders like KCR had warned that the new TRS government in Telangana would take back all assigned lands, Bhoodan lands, wakf and gurukul trust lands thus given away. Chaya Ratan, who was part of the system being a special chief secretary, met up with TSI to give her insights into it.

Born on January 26, 1953, Chaya Ratan is a post-graduate in political science. During her illustrious career spanning over three and half decades, the 1977-batch IAS officer of Andhra cadre served various departments. Chaya, with an outstanding record of integrity and contributions to all the fields whereever she had worked, is credited with introducing several pioneering measures to bring about accountability, transparency, stakeholder equity, quality improvements, corruption/unethical practices removal in the government.

Generally, cash strapped governments indulge in selling of land to raise funds for developmental projects. What was unusual that made you object to the government policy?

The regions should ideally be used to set up government infrastructure and build homes for the downtrodden. Land is also essential for public amenities like parks, sports complexes etc. Land resources must be preserved for the prospects of the future generations. Land selling in and around the affluent Hyderabad was done in the YSR regime rampantly and unusually. Some funds were earmarked in budget solely for land promotion. I was very explicit to YSR and opposed the indiscriminate sale of land. He turned a deaf ear to my objections. The welfare government should not be a realtor.

The YSR government floated a government corporation named Deccan Infrastructure and Land Holdings (DILL) for acquiring and selling government land. The government- promoted company was created primarily for construction of integrated townships, leveraging on its land bank for developing integrated townships and taking up joint ventures. The corporation is right now bulging with a landbank of 7,000 acres, mostly transferred land from Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad districts.

It is alleged by some that land worth several thousands of crores was gifted to Seemandhra plutocrats at throwaway prices. What is your comment?

YSR had shone a spotlight on the crucial role played by the Congress-run government in turning realty in the state into a business worth thousands of crores of rupees.

Records of all licences granted by the government obviously convey a compelling story – a story of political alchemy in which farmland turns into gold for all those fortunate enough to acquire acreage and the permission required to undertake commercial development on it. Wherever land sales reach such peaks, corruption levels also soar to that level. So, it is not a question of to whom the lands were allocated; the basic question is on the magnitude of allocations. The truth behind the land selling must at least be revealed now. What was the market value of the land and what was the selling price? Why was it sold at throwaway prices? These are some of the questions to be probed. I agree that these regions were a legacy left behind by the erstwhile Nizams and rightfully belonged to the people of Hyderabad. The recently mooted idea of taking back all assigned land, Bhoodan lands, wakf and gurukul trust lands usurped by unscrupulous elements is also commendable.

Now you have plunged into politics. What is your aim? Would you cooperate with the future government of Telangana in probing the land deals?

After being consistently in service for 35 years, I thoroughly understood the attitude of politicians. I struggled to discharge my duties in the interests of the public. While going towards the tide, I had to fight; and I was even sidelined and humiliated.

Special allocation for the welfare of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities is highlighted in every Budget. But what really happens to these huge sums is a question. Budgets meant for SC/ST welfare have remained unspent for years in many departments. I strongly made a point to the then Chief Minister YSR to set up a special fund with the unspent money and to use it explicitly for the welfare of SCs and STs. But YSR did not relent. So I am upset and utterly disappointed. After retirement, I decided to serve the people by directly entering politics. My values match with those of the Aam Aadmi Party. The party is vehemently opposed to corruption and this is what I liked in it. AAP decided to field me from the Secunderabad constituency. ENVIRONMENT Holes in water project

As chief minister Siddaramaiah laid the foundation stone for the ambitious Yettinahole drinking water project on March 4, he didn't have an idea that the project would become a nightmare, attracting criticism and protest from both Coastal and Malenad districts. There were uproars against both the timing and feasibility of the project.

The Yettinahole project aims to provide drinking water from Yettinahole, a tributary of the Netravati, for seven districts. The union minister Veerappa Moily, who hails from the coastal belt but represents Chikballapur in the Lok Sabha, is hell bent on implementing the project as it is one of the promises he made to the people in his constituency, saying: “Only 24 tmcft of water would be used to provide drinking water to nine districts, including Kolar, Chickballapur, Tumkur and Bangalore Rural. The project had been reviewed five times. It would not have an adverse effect on the people of Dakshina Kannada.”

Critics’ term this as Moily’s card to win next election in Chikkaballapur. But, the constituency itself does not favor the project and held protest at the inauguration time. The Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya even started a campaign, distributing handbills to request people of Dakshina Kannda to use NOTA (None of the Above) vote to express their anger on how political parties have turned a blind eye towards their plea.

Major political parties of Karnataka are mum on the project as they are counting votes in the beneficiary region. Key JDS leaders who have firm hold in beneficiary region did not utter a word in favor or against it. Most of the BJP leaders are favoring the project. Congress leaders like former union minister B. Janardhana Poojary and BJP leader Vijayakumar shetty are rare faces now who were vocal earlier about their apprehension regarding the project. On his own party leader opposing the project, Veerappa Moily has claimed that the Janardhana Poojary lacks knowledge about the Yettinahole project, and that nobody should oppose drinking water projects. He appealed to people not to give the project a “political color”.

Amid protest in Dakshina Kannada, which observed a total bundh to protest the diversion of its waters, chief minister Siddaramaiah signalled of work beginning soon. The Rs12,3,912 crore Yettinahole diversion aims to provide 24 TMC drinking water to Kolar, Chikballapur, Bangalore Rural, Ramanagaram, Tumkur, Hassan and Chitradurga. Siddaramaiah said that the state was keen on solving the drinking water crisis in these districts, often parched. The project foresees the diversion of 24 TMC of water from the Gundia River to Tumkur, Kolar, Chikballapur and rural districts of Bangalore. Gundia drains into the Kumaradhara river, which is a tributary of the Netravati. Rs 1,000 crore has been set aside in this year’s state budget for the project and the Karnataka Neeravari Nigama Limited, a public sector corporation that will implement the project.

There are much talk and discussion done on economic feasibility of this project. Experts feel that government is misleading the people by saying 24 TMC of water will be diverted to five parched districts of the state. Water experts claim that not more than 9TMC can be pumped from the Yettinahole River for their benefit. “Earlier Karnartaka Power Corporation limited proposed a project in the same area. Amid protest projects are shelved or delayed. Now the same projects are looming around in the name of drinking water project, ” says activist and head of ‘Malenada Janapara Horata Samithi Kishor Kumar.

Further, what is surprising is that environment impact assessment report is not done for the project, sighting it is as a mere drinking project. But the project involves proposals for building reservoirs and other work, which need large amount of displacement, rehabilitation and deforestation. But there is no socio-economic analysis done. People who are living and having farmland right next to proposed reservoir don’t have clue about proposed project and submerging areas! Owners of these properties in the neighborhood of reservoir till today have not received an alert or even a word from government. Victims are not only the people who may get rehabilitate. When rivers dried down Dakshina Kannada district, which is depending on Netravathy River for livelihood, animals come out as a bigger prey.

As per details obtained by Kishore Kumar who had specifically asked for a ‘Detailed’ Project Report under RTI , the total cost of the project is Rs 8323 crores. But the estimate does not include many costs like rehabilitation and resettlement, complete land acquisition, construction of reservoirs on Palar Basin, pipeline to 337 tanks, Forest NPV, etc. If these are included, cost of the project will certainly go beyond Rs 10000 crores. In Karnataka Budget Part I on February 2012, Rs 200 crores had been allocated for making DPR and initial works while Rs 2670 crores were sanctioned and Rs 850 crores allocated in 2013-14 for lift works upto Harvanahalli in Sakaleshpura. All the allocations have been made without a Detailed Project Report, cost benefit assessment, options assessment or environmental and social appraisal of the scheme, or any statutory clearances.

“THERE ARE ONLY VICTIMS”

Why are you against this project?

This project is undertaken in an ecological sensitive area. As per the project report, 107 hectares of forests in the Western Ghats will have to be burned down to make way for the canals. The Sakleshpura stretch of the Western Ghats was identified as an ‘Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1’, a highly sensitive area, by Western Ghats ecology expert Panel headed by ecologist Madhav Gadgil. There are no beneficiaries, only victims.

But Government says it has assessed everything?

There has been no assessment. In the name of drinking project, they are dodging environment clearance and forest clearances. Ministry has ignored submerge of ecologically sensitive areas. They did not do environmental impact assessment. There is no social and economic assessment done.

Who do you think would benefit and who are vulnerable?

No one benefits in this project. This is meant to be providing drinking water to Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts. But, people of this region are protesting considering it as mere eyewash and believe that the project won’t solve their water woes. Experts say that Yettinahole Diversion Project will manage to divert only 9 TMC of water, instead of the proposed 24 TMC.

What are the politics behind this project?

With General Elections at peak, it is clear that they are reaping political benefits from the project. Union Minister Verrappa Moily, main force behind this project, is eyeing to get elected again from Chikkaballapur showing drinking water project. But people won’t buy the idea as there is no way a dry area turn green at the cost of Malenadu and Dakshina Kannada. There are also rumours that government itself may shelve the whole project after election.

If this project is shelved, what is the alternative for drinking project? There is always a way to rejuvenate dry areas. One may spend just half of this project cost to rejuvenate the area by harnessing the underground water. We have seen desert areas of Rajasthan dwell in to water wells revitalizing underwater.

According to you what are the social and economical impacts of this project?

Dakshina Kannada as well as Malenad will suffer as rivers get dried down slowly. This project is not cost effective. They did not do cost benefit evolution before launching the project. Though the report talks of spending Rs 8,323 crore on building the dams, it does not mention the costs of resettlement and rehabilitation which would exceed Rs 2,000 crore. The report completely overlooks the human and ecological costs of the project. Moreover, by the time the project is completed, the actual cost could be much more.

In democratic way of government, there should be public hearing and also need environment and forest clearance for projects like river diversion. But, government is terming it as drinking water project which does not require any clearances and maintains that it has got no objection certification. According to the government, Yettinahole project had received the approval of the Central Water Commission and the Union Ministry of Environment and have also done a feasibility study and a project report.

Experts who fear about the project say that the real name of Yettinahole project is ‘scheme for diversion of flood water from Sakleshpur to Kolar - Chikkaballapur’. Project report says that there is a proposal to generate about 100 Megawatt electricity. For an electricity project, which is aimed producing 50 Megawatt or more electricity, has to get environment, forest and central government clearance.

Activists also have a notion that government itself will dump the project after election, sighting protests and environment problems. There are many such projects in Sakleshpur launched earlier, may be for electricity generation or irrigation water, but none completed.

Well, that's the story with most of the environmental projects - they are not there for people, but for the interests of rich and politico. HEALTH

Asthma drug shows promise in treating diabetes, obesity

Amlexanox, a drug prescribed for asthma in Japan, also reverses obesity, diabetes and fatty liver in mice, according to a new study by US researchers.

"One of the reasons that diets are so ineffective in producing weight loss for some people is that their bodies adjust to the reduced calories by also reducing their metabolism, so that they are 'defending' their body weight," says Alan Saltiel, director of the University of Michigan's Life Sciences Institute (LSI), which conducted the study.

"Amlexanox seems to tweak the metabolic response to excessive calorie storage in mice," adds Saltiel.

Different formulations of amlexanox are currently prescribed to treat asthma in Japan and canker sores in the US, the journal Nature Medicine reports.

The study appears to confirm and extend the notion that the genes IKKE and TBK1 play a crucial role for maintaining metabolic balance, a discovery published by the Saltiel lab in 2009, according to an LSI statement.

"Amlexanox appears to work in mice by inhibiting two genes - IKKE and TBK1 - that we think together act as a sort of brake on metabolism," Saltiel said. "By releasing the brake, amlexanox seems to free the metabolic system to burn more, and possibly store less energy."

Using high-throughput chemical screening at LSI's Centre for Chemical Genomics to search for compounds that inhibit IKKE and TBK1, the researchers hit upon an approved off-patent drug: amlexanox.

They then demonstrated that amlexanox had profound beneficial effects in both genetic and dietary-induced obese mice. The chemical lowered the weight of obese mice and reversed related metabolic problems such as diabetes and fatty liver. Bitter gourd juice destroys pancreatic cancer cells

In a finding that could provide a new tool in cancer therapy, researchers have shown that the juice of bitter gourd (karela) effectively kills pancreatic cancer cells.

A University of Colorado cancer study published this week in the journal Carcinogenesis shows that bitter gourd juice restricts the ability of pancreatic cancer cells to metabolise glucose, thus cutting the cells' energy source and eventually killing them.

"Three years ago, researchers showed the effect of bitter gourd extract on breast cancer cells only in a petri dish. This study goes much, much farther. We used the juice -- people especially in Asian countries are already consuming it in quantity. We show that it affects the glucose metabolism pathway to restrict energy and kill pancreatic cancer cells," says Rajesh Agarwal, PhD, co-programme leader of Cancer Prevention and Control at the CU Cancer Center and professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Diabetes tends to presage pancreatic cancer and bitter gourd has been shown to control type-II diabetes, and has been used for centuries against diabetes in the folk medicines of China and India.

Following this line of thinking, Agarwal and colleagues wondered what would happen if they closed out the middle man of diabetes and directly explored the link between bitter gourd and pancreatic cancer, reports Science Daily.

The result, Agarwal says, is, "alteration in metabolic events in pancreatic cancer cells and an activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase, an enzyme that indicates low energy levels in the cells".

Perhaps not coincidentally, bitter gourd also regulates insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells. After studies in cell cultures, the group showed that mouse models of pancreatic cancer that were fed bitter melon juice were 60 percent less likely to develop the disease than controls.

"It's a very exciting finding," Agarwal says. "Many researchers are engineering new drugs to target cancer cells' ability to supply themselves with energy, and here we have a naturally-occurring compound that may do just that." Egg white component lowers blood pressure

AGENCIES | Washington, April 10, 2013 12:55 Tags : Blood pressure | Egg | Egg whites |

A study by American scientists presented Wednesday supports the view that a substance in egg white has the ability to lower blood pressure without negative effects.

Scientists reported that a component of egg whites, already popular as a substitute for whole eggs among health-conscious consumers concerned about cholesterol in the yolk may have another beneficial effect in reducing blood pressure, reports Science Daily.

Their study was part of the 245th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, which continues here through Thursday.

"Our research suggests that there may be another reason to call it 'the incredible, edible egg,'" said study leader Zhipeng Yu, Ph.D., of Jilin University.

"We have evidence from the laboratory that a substance in egg white -- it's a peptide, one of the building blocks of proteins -- reduces blood pressure about as much as a low dose of Captopril, a high-blood-pressure drug," Zhipeng Yu said.

Yu and colleagues, who are with Clemson University, used a peptide called RVPSL. Scientists previously discovered that the substance, like the family of medications that includes Captopril, Vasotec and Monopril, was an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.

It has a powerful ability to inhibit or block the action of ACE, a substance produced in the body that raises blood pressure.

The results of feeding the substance were positive, showing that RVPSL did not have apparent toxic effects and lowered blood pressure by amounts comparable to low doses of Captopril.

"Our results support and enhance previous findings on this topic," Yu said. "They were promising enough to move ahead with further research on the effects of the egg white peptide on human health." Egg white component lowers blood pressure

AGENCIES | Washington, April 10, 2013 12:55 Tags : Blood pressure | Egg | Egg whites |

A study by American scientists presented Wednesday supports the view that a substance in egg white has the ability to lower blood pressure without negative effects.

Their study was part of the 245th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, which continues here through Thursday.

"Our research suggests that there may be another reason to call it 'the incredible, edible egg,'" said study leader Zhipeng Yu, Ph.D., of Jilin University.

It has a powerful ability to inhibit or block the action of ACE, a substance produced in the body that raises blood pressure.

The results of feeding the substance were positive, showing that RVPSL did not have apparent toxic effects and lowered blood pressure by amounts comparable to low doses of Captopril.

AGENCIES | New Delhi, April 23, 2013 01:02 Tags : Alcohol | Taxes on alcohol | NIMHANS |

The strategy of increasing prices and taxes of alcohol and alcohol-related beverages has not lowered neither their demand or consumption in the country, leading to various health and social issues, health experts said Monday.

Speaking at a two-day national workshop "Alcohol Taxation and Multi-Sectoral Policy Interventions to Counter the Harms Associated with Alcohol Consumption", the experts said India has become a major market for alcohol companies, and that there is a policy deficit to check issues related to its consumption.

"Data of last five years have revealed that cost of all alcoholic beverages have substantially gone up, but alcohol consumption has not reduced at all. There is a huge undocumented and illicit market and trading of alcohol in the country," said Vivek Benegal, an associate professor at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).

He said it has been found that in areas where Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been implemented, use of alcohol was also more.

"Studies after studies have shown that even moderate drinking is not good for health as it gives rise to coronary heart diseases," said Benegal adding that 30 percent of youth up to 20 years age start consuming alcohol early in their life.

He also noted that there is also a significant relationship between alcohol and sexual behaviour, adding that recent cases of rape incidents in the country have also found alcohol intoxication among the accused.

Monika Arora, director (health promotion) Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), said that the country has become a lucrative market for alcohol companies, and alcohol sales have become a major revenue generator for the states.

She asserted for a need to have a national and sub-national policy on alcohol, regulation of consumption, comprehensive monitoring of advertisments and inter-sectoral strategy in the country.

"There is no uniform age cap in states. Various surrogate ads through fashion shows, cricket matches are being used by agencies for aggressive promotion. There seems to be a policy deficit," said Arora. "As the per capita income of people has increased, alcohol consumption has also increased. Alcohol shouldn't be considered as a free tradable commodity as there are many health, social and economic issues related," she noted.

Thor Norstrom, professor at Stockholm University, said there was a need for mobilizing women groups, NGOs, and advocacy groups in India to check unwanted alcohol consumption.

"In India, in about 27 percent of domestic violence there was some level of physical violence , out of which 60 percent of accused had done that in alcohol intoxication," he said.

Nostrom also said that even in the recent fatal rape cases in the country, the culprits had acted under alcohol's influence.

Stating that there countries should learn from the Swedish experience, Mats Ramstedt, associate professor at the Stockholm Forebygger Alkoholoch Drogproblem, said that alcohol consumption and related issues dipped in the Scandinavian country due to the stable cap on taxes and prices. Hypertension becoming an epidemic in India: Experts

India is home to 139 million people of uncontrolled hypertension, which makes around 14 percent of the global population. In India, according to WHO, raised blood pressure has increased from 5 pc in the 1960s to nearly 12 pc in the 1990s and further it increased to above 30 pc in 2008, among them a significant number is in their twenties. The study highlights that high blood pressure or hypertension in adults aged 25 and above was around 40pc.

Speaking on the eve of World Health Day 2013, Padma Vibhushan & Dr.B.C. Roy National awardee Dr. Purshotam Lal, Chairman & Chief Cardiologist, Metro Hospitals and Heart Institute, Noida said, “High blood pressure or hypertension is silent killer as its symptoms rarely show, most of the cases go undiagnosed. Low sodium, low sugar and high potassium diet along with weight loss solutions can be a healthy approach to treating high blood pressure.” Hypertension puts stress on the heart and blood vessels and is one of the major preventable risk factors for premature death from cardiovascular disease worldwide. It kills 7.5 million people worldwide each year — more than AIDS, road accidents, diabetes and tuberculosis put together. Discussing about the the role of interventional cardiology in the treatment of hypertension, Dr. Purushottam lal announced on the occasion that Metro Hospitals and Heart Institutes is going to introduce Radio Frequency Technique for the treatment of severe Hypertension. This technique is latest development in the treatment of Hypertension and only few medical centres in India have this facility.

As our heart beats, it forces blood through our arteries. This force is called blood pressure. If the pressure is too high, it is called hypertension. High blood pressure may mean that your heart has to work harder to pump blood. Your arteries may be narrow or stiff and the extra work puts you at risk of heart disease, stroke, and other problems. “In our clinical practice we find that about 50 per cent of those suffering from blood pressure are not aware of it and 60 per cent of those who are aware of it are not adequately controlling it. This has led to a spurt of young patients developing heart and other diseases early”, said Dr. P.T. Upasani, senior cardiologist at Metro Hospital.

Minimizing your salt intake can help significantly. Reducing your daily salt intake from 4 grams to 2.3 grams can reduce blood pressure by 5/3mm of mercury in hypertensive people.

Hypertension is an important public health problem in India. It is a modern epidemic, a silent killer; in fact, hypertension is the most prevalent chronic disease in India. Epidemiological studies show a steadily increasing trend in hypertension prevalence over the last 50 years in India contrary to the developed countries where there has been a significant decline. Over 140 million people are believed to be suffering from high blood pressure in our country and the number is expected to cross the 214 million mark in 2030. A WHO estimate in 2012 suggests that 23 per cent men and 22 per cent women above 25 years of age suffer hypertension in India.

An increasing number of healthy children and adolescents across India are being diagnosed with hypertension, which is an emerging problem that no one can afford to ignore. The evidence from studies indicates a recent increase in the prevalence of hypertension in children and young adults, says Dr. Rajesh Bansal, Senior Nephrologist at Metro Multi speciality Hospital.

‘The increase in hypertension is related to rising population-mean systolic blood pressure and is associated with escalating hypertension risk factors like sedentary lifestyle, psychosocial stress, excessive salt intake, alcohol consumption and obesity. Recent studies show that for every known person with hypertension there are two persons with either undiagnosed hypertension or pre-hypertension’, said Dr. Lal, , who is also a member of Governing Board of Medical Council of India (MCI).

“On this eve of World Health Day, when Hypertension is the theme we must not forget that to control the menace of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) we have to have an early risk identification and intervention strategy in place. And for this strategy to succeed, we need to have comprehensive health status reviews done regularly through diagnostic tests and clinical consultations,” said Dr. Lal. India, with a whopping population of 1.2 billion, accounts for one of the highest burdens of NCDs in the world. This fact has been a bane for India’s fight against poverty as well. In low-resource settings, health-care costs for cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes or chronic lung diseases can quickly drain household resources, driving families into poverty. India has a NCD death rate of 701-800 per 100,000 populations (WHO, 2008), and out of this around 400 deaths in 100,000 population are contributed by CVDs. Indians are known to have earlier onset of coronary artery disease, higher mortality, higher prevalence of truncal obesity and people with hypertension. Since CVDs are preventable in many individuals with right mix of exercise diet control and lifestyle modifications, world has seen a shift in focus - from intervention to prediction and then prevention. This becomes important because identification of risk for particular disease gives the individual a critical lead time to take precautionary measures.

Hypertension is a major public health problem worldwide and is one of the risk factors for coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease. Development of adult hypertension may start very early in life, and children maintain their position in the blood pressure distribution over time. Increased blood pressure is a high-risk condition that causes approximately 51 per cent deaths from stroke and 45 per cent from coronary artery disease in India. It is a major risk factor for cardio-vascular diseases that killed 2.7 million people in 2004 and will result in the death of over 4 million people by 2030. Hypertension or elevated blood pressure cannot be taken lightly. It can, over a period of time, wreak havoc with one's system. It increases a person's risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and even blindness. VARUN DHAWAN Is this the Graduation Year for the Student?

For you, your brother Rohit is a hero and your father a legend…

I think very early in my life when I did my first advertisement, he was the one who was there and told me how to go about it.

He wanted to be a director, so he told me what a director looks for in an actor.

When I reached Karan Johar’s office as an assistant director, because Rohit had studied films and was an assistant director himself that time, he gave me a lot of pointers and tips on how to behave as an Assistant director. The kind of things that can add value to the project.

When I did Student of the Year, the first person I shared my script with was him and he gave me a lot of tips on how to go about it.

You know, when my brother started earning money very early in life, I stopped taking money from my parents because he started giving me money.

I have a really good rapport with my father as well but my brother has always been a hero in my life. I have got an amazing equation with my father as well. For me, it was very difficult to always see my father like a stereotypical serious father figure because he is a very humorous person and a very unique personality.

I think very early in life, I became friends with my father. In fact, he always wanted to keep it like that.

If he was watching a cricket game, he would always want me to sit with him and watch the match together, or watch movies together and know my opinion of what I would like and what I wouldn’t.

He is my father, so the respect and the equation will be there but more than that, he always tries to be more of a friend and tries to find out what’s happening in my personal life.

If my friends are coming home, he would sit with them, chill with them. My father has never raised his voice or his hand on me as a kid. He has never done that.

The difficult part when I went on set with him for Main Tera Hero was that he is very strict as a director on set. He is a no nonsense guy. He has a short fuse and if things don’t go the way they are planned, he can lose it no matter who is on set.

So there were a lot of times when he screamed at me. We would have a lot of arguments which I think are very important to give birth to creative thinking.

While your brother went on your father’s footsteps and took on directing, you set foot in main stream Bollywood as an actor. How did that happen?

I think this happened with watching a lot of films. I used to watch a lot of western stand- up comedy whether it is Jim Carrey, Ben Stiller or Chris Rock. A lot of skits by Johnny Lever as well. I used to watch films but I was very intrigued by stage performances which is a live interaction. I wanted to do that.

I didn’t think that I wanted to do films but as time progressed and as I grew older and took classes, other things started being interesting to me and I got interested in drama and more serious kind of cinema as well. So I think I wanted to explore all of it.

Govinda has been a constant presence in David Dhawan’s cinema, and he happens to be your favourite too.

Oh ya! Totally. I don’t think anyone can replace Govinda or Salman, especially in my dad’s life and no one should try.

In MAIN TERA HERO, I saw the role was for a young boy and that is the way I played it.

There are two gorgeous women in the film, so it is how a boy of my age will react. When I did STUDENT OF THE YEAR, people did not say that my acting has a flavour of Salman and Govinda but in this film it may be happening because the director has worked with these people so much that his style of film making is like that.Maybe that is why you would probably see a similarity.

Back in the day, your father made films like Hero No 1, Biwi No 1… And very recently Partner was a super blockbuster. There is something timeless about him and his cinema that it works even today..

I think it is because of two things. One is his passion and second is his discipline.

He is one of the most punctual people you’ll ever meet in life.

At set, if we have to shoot at 9 o’clock when assistant directors are called at 7:30, he would be there at 7. Half an hour before all the assistant directors at the age of 60.

You can’t just have talent and say I am talented and it’ll happen. I have learnt that from him.

Have you been seduced by stardom yet?

The meaning of the term stardom has changed today. What people had earlier and what stars have today are very different.

Everything has changed from the audience to the media and the mystery about the star has vanished.  Home  Magazine  Life

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LUXURY ARTPIECES Keeping time at Baselworld

An annual pilgrimage for watch and jewellery aficionados, the Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show recently concluded in Basil. Anu Gulmohar reports on the phenomenal show. ANU GULMOHAR | Issue Dated: April 27, 2014, New Delhi Tags : Baselworld Watch | Schweizer Mustermesse Basel | Victorinox | Altanus Genève |

"BASELWORLD IS THAT MOMENT IN TIME THAT DETERMINES THE FUTURE"

Each year Basel plays host to The Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show and attracts horologists and jewellers from around the world in droves. Its exhibition halls are spread across an unprecedented 30 kms, and this year 20,000 workers took two months to build the venue designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The event attracts over 1,50,000 visitors annually, most of whom are buyers and resellers of watches, jewellery and precious stones. New products, trends and innovations are presented by leading global brands and a remarkable 80% of global sales of watches and jewellery are generated at Baselworld. This year’s edition was held from 27th March to 3rd April.

The show’s roots date back to 1917, when a section of the first Schweizer Mustermesse Basel (MUBA) was dedicated to watches and jewellery. In 1931, this grew to a devoted pavilion called the Schweizer Uhrenmesse, or Swiss Watch Show. From 1972 onwards other European nations joined the event. From 1986 countries from outside of Europe were also included and today it has developed into the epicentre of watch and jewellery trade in the world. This year witnessed 1,500 exhibitors from 40 countries. “Basel is extremely important to the pulse of the world, not just Europe or Asia. Therefore, Baselworld is, according to me, the most important jewellery venue worldwide as it attracts buyers from all markets,” said Michael Gad of Michael Gad Emeralds.

Each year watch and jewellery companies take great pride in unveiling their new products and innovations at Baselworld. CEO of Bulgari, Jean-Christophe Babin, said, “Baselworld is that moment in time that determines the future. In the course of one week, we unveil our novelties to business partners and to the press of the whole world; possibly one of the most intimate exercises of a brand, the creation. In return, we feel the emotions that our creations evoke. A capital experience for the future to continue to improve ourselves.”

Graff Diamonds unveiled a $55 million watch for the ladies named Hallucination at the exhibition. Diamond XL is a collection of patented solitaires which increase diamond visual perception by 50 percent, and consequently the perceived value of the diamond. Several watch companies introduced incredible watches, including four of the lightest watches in the world by BRM, GPS technology integrated pieces by Citizen and Seiko, and the world’s first wristwatch with time, altimeter, barometer by Breva.

This year several companies celebrated their milestone years at the exhibition. Victorinox celebrated its 25th year as a watchmaker, and launched a new rugged watch named Inox and a Titanium edition of its Dive Master 500 watch on the occasion. Altanus Genève marked its centenary with two new limited edition collections. The British watch and jewellery brand Storm introduced two special edition watches on its 25th anniversary. Hans D. Krieger Fine Jewellery celebrated its 50th year in gem design and diamond jewellery manufacture.

Itching to see the new watches and jewellery pieces revealed at Baselworld 2014? Your wait is over.

TIME-STOPPERS AT BASELWORLD

1.RG-46 by BRM

At just 44.1 gms, this is the lightest 46 mm sports watch in the world. The French manufacturer blends traditional watchmaking craftsmanship with the precision materials and techniques associated with motorsport competition. Precious metals meet composite materials like titanium carbon fibre and its colours make a bold statement.

2.Génie 01 by Breva

Génie 01 is the world’s first wristwatch with time, altimeter, barometer and power reserve indications. Jean-François Mojon/Chronode developed the proprietary movement of the Génie 01 exclusively for Breva. An osmotic Teflon membrane filters moisture from any air entering the movement, thus improving the longevity and reliability of the watch. The intricate details of the watch are visible through its sapphire crystal display back.

3.Breguet Classique ‘Grande Complication’ Tourbillon extra-thin Automatic 5377

This extra-thin watch is accentuated by the Tourbillon with a carriage in titanium. Its movement incorporates a balance spring in silicon, which has been praised widely for its anti-magnetic properties, and the escapement is crafted from silicon and anti-magnetic steel. This Classique ‘Grande Complication’ beats at 4Hz, yet thanks to the patented ‘high- energy’ barrel, the 5377 provides 90 hours of running time. Breguet’s watchmakers have placed the bi-directional platinum winding rotor on the periphery of the movement, making this automatic Tourbillon one of the world’s thinnest.

4.Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement L.M.

This new watch from Girard-Perregaux is based on the ground-breaking prototypes presented in 2008. It has taken the company five years of research and development to complete this signature movement. The Constant Escapement beats at the frequency of 3 Hz or 21,600 vibrations per hour. The movement is placed in a round 48 mm diameter case in white gold with a curved case band. Presenting a novel layout, the brand’s three iconic bridges lie under the anti-glare treated sapphire glass. Its manually wound calibre is less than 8 mm in thickness and the case measures 14.63 mm. The alligator strap and folding clasp of the watch are sewn by hand.

5.The Hamilton RailRoad Auto Chrono

The new RailRoad timepiece alludes to the brand’s repute as ‘The Watch of Railroad Accuracy’, gained in 19th century America. Hamilton has integrated styling elements such as rounded edges, vertical brushing and tapered pusher protectors typical to pocket watches of that era. It comes with a stylish stainless steel bracelet or a black leather strap with fine stitching. Against a black or slate grey backdrop, a tachymeter in contrasting chestnut-brown or blue respectively, travels outwards from the dial’s centre. The watch has elegant, sword-shaped hands, which have a sophisticated, polished finish as they move, spot on time, from one nickel-plated applied index to the next. Its main mechanism and H- 21 movement, that facilitates operation of the three counters, are visible from the back.

6.Carpe Diem by Konstantin Chaykin Manufacture

A work of art as much as a timepiece, this watch incorporates several allegoric representations of time in its mechanics and design. The creators have intended to embody the abstract idea of time using classic metaphors from the Western canon. The main character on the watch is the ancient God Chronos, who had birthed Time. The moving sand serves as the minute indicator. The patented mechanism by Konstantin Chaykin uses a few shutters to create the illusion of sand flowing through an hourglass. Hours are indicated by a hand enclosed in a miniature dial decorated with a monogram. Each day of the week is indicated by the appropriate astrological sign.

The bridges in the watch are decorated with ‘côtes de Genève’, the escapement wheel is of gold, and the barrel wheel and winding wheels are polished. The case is hand engraved; its back is made from sapphire glass.

7.Phoenix Classico Chrono by U-Boat The case of this fine jewellery watch is crafted by hand using traditional artisanal techniques, given a martellée finishing, and then partially drilled to create small cracks in the sterling silver 925 material. These small cracks are then filled by Italian craftsmen with 180 black diamonds. The strap features exclusive symbols in silver and precious stones. This precious jewellery masterpiece has an impressive dial, a sapphire glass and a calf leather strap inset with silver and black diamonds.

8.Margot by Christophe Claret

This is the first Christophe Claret complication developed for women. Inspired by the ‘He loves me… He loves me not’ game, the watch features a mechanism where a press of the pusher at 2 o’clock brings the watch to life. With each press, a petal or a pair of petals, subtly disappear under the dial. The answer appears at random in calligraphic letters (in French) on the dial at 4 o’clock: Un peu (a little)/beaucoup (a lot)/passionnément (passionately)/à la folie (madly)/pas du tout (not at all). Pressing the reset button at 4 o’clock instantly makes all petals reappear and turns the ‘sentiment’ display to an ellipsis (…).

Its natural mother of pearl dial reveals delicately engraved verses penned by Victor Hugo and holds three pear-shaped diamonds. Its steel hands have gold tips while the 12 white titanium petals are satin-lacquered.

DAZZLING JEWELS OF BASELWORLD

1.Amalfi by Al Coro

Al Coro’s new collection combines 18-carat white gold and crystal clear white diamonds in a tribute to the picturesque coastline of the Gulf of Salerno. The filigree meshwork of 18 ct. gold characterises this line and reflects the glow and shape of shining full moon. The Amalfi ring is 750 white gold and its diamonds are of 1.17 ct.

2.Sabbia Collection by Bavna

Bavna’s Sunny Jain designs modern and bold jewellery collections from his design atelier in Los Angeles, California. The Sabbia Collection features champagne diamonds in statement earrings, necklaces, cuffs, bracelets and rings. The pieces are dramatically set in 18 ct. yellow gold detailed with intricate metalwork. 3.Vitral collection by Magerit

This bold and surprising collection is inspired by Gothic architecture, particularly from the rose windows and the gargoyles. The necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and cuff links are entirely made of 18 ct white and yellow gold, diamonds, colour sapphires, colour quartzes and other precious stones.

4.The Vigneto Collection by Yoko London

The Vigneto Collection from the luxury pearl jewellery brand Yoko London transpired after the company acquired a range of rare and highly valuable freshwater pearls in unique natural shades of deep violet. These have been set with glimmering diamonds in 18 ct. white gold.

Caelograph by Caran d’Ache

The craftsmen at Caran d’Ache have worked with astronomers to produce this novel instrument that is a pen and also explores the sky and the stars. Its ingenious mechanism allows one to observe the position of the stars and the constellations, while its body features a map of the sky enhanced by midnight blue Chinese lacquer. Reproducing a flat map on the curved surface of a pen is a serious technical challenge, applied for the first time to a writing instrument. Caran d’Ache has also captured the 51 constellations and 353 stars visible from the northern hemisphere onto the small surface of the pen. The sky chart can tell the position of the stars at any given time. How pathetic is ISIS? Very pathetic — despite what you hear from the howling ideologues on America's right wing By Damon Linker | 6:08am ET 4 1

It’s hard to imagine this ragtag group of terrorists running an actual state. (Medyan Dairieh/ZUMA Press/Corbis)

ISIS has gruesomely beheaded yet another Westerner — this time, British aid worker Alan Henning. When I heard, my first reaction, as always, was to be furious at the group's barbarism. But about two seconds later, something else popped into my head: Boy, these ISIS guys sure are a bunch of pathetic losers.

That is not to minimize the horrific violence inherent in the act of beheading, or the terrible tragedy this is for Henning's friends and family. But think about the bigger picture: The United States is firing hundreds of hugely expensive, technologically sophisticated missiles at ISIS from positions of complete safety. And how does the group respond? By sending some dude in a cheap Halloween costume out onto a rocky hillside to manually slice the head off of an innocent man who came to Syria to help people in need.

That's the best they've got? We've gone from facing down Hitler's Germany, Imperial Japan, and Stalin's Soviet Union to feeling provoked by a ragtag bunch of lunatics who can only manage to hurt us one person at a time with a butcher's knife? You've got to be kidding.

After the September 11 attacks, lots of analysts fastened onto the fact that the hijackers accomplished their goals with weapons no more sophisticated than box cutters. Everyone at the time interpreted this as uniquely frightening, because it demonstrated our vulnerability: Look at how much death and destruction could be sown with minimal weaponry and the will to inflict maximal harm.

Thirteen years later, things look a little different.

Terrorism is a form of asymmetrical warfare, usually deployed by a weaker power against a stronger one. That describes September 11 perfectly. But since then? There hasn't been a single follow-up hijacking, and no bombs have been detonated on American soil. There have been a handful of attempted attacks in public places, but none has been successful. Unless you're going to count that guy who set his shoe on fire on a trans-Atlantic fight — an act that accomplished nothing more harmful than getting the TSA to require air travelers to remove their shoes at airport security checkpoints forevermore. That's a pain in the ass but hardly a deathly blow against American global hegemony or whatever it is that Islamic terrorists think they're fighting for.

And that, my friends, is pathetic. It can't even be described as asymmetrical warfare. It's more like total-fail warfare.

Now, this doesn't mean that President Obama is wrong to use military force to keep ISIS from carving out an actual state from the ruins of Syria and Iraq. If these pathetic lunatics were successful, they might use such a state as a platform from which to launch terrorist attacks against the United States, much as Osama bin Laden used Afghanistan to plan and prosecute the bombings that led up to and included September 11. I'm skeptical that ISIS would be able to get its act together enough to run an actual state, just as I doubt our air campaign will accomplish much beyond temporarily stalling the group's rampage across Mesopotamia. Still, the instinct to do what we can militarily, and within reason, to forestall the founding of a genuine Islamic State isn't obviously ridiculous.

But you know what is obviously ridiculous? The reaction of the American right to the president's latter-day hawkishness — for being insufficiently unhinged and hysterical.

Because I don't live my life in the right-wing echo chamber, I wasn't fully aware of how Obama's ISIS policy was being received by the conservative movement's media complex. Since its profits depend on demonizing Democrats, I figured there'd be criticism — though I also assumed it would be somewhat measured, since Obama had unquestioningly come around to a position much closer to what the right would prefer.

But then I began to do some research for this column by typing into Google the search terms "ISIS" and "pathetic." The results? Bill Kristol saying Obama's reaction to ISIS is pathetic. Chuck Norris calling Obama's policy against the group pathetic. Red State pronouncing on Obama's weak and pathetic speech defending our military response to ISIS. On and on and on: Mark Levin, Ralph Peters, Jeanine Pirro — all of them and many more calling the president pathetic for merely deploying American airpower (and not thousands of ground troops? not thermonuclear weapons?) against the pissant thugs of ISIS.

What a strange time in American history — when media-amplified ideologues who like to portray themselves as exemplars of unwavering confidence and courage end up staking out positions motivated primarily by cowardice. The United States possesses the most powerful military in the world by far, and yet a few thousand knife-wielding hooligans tooling around a desert 6,000 miles away from the nation's borders are enough to send these swaggering tough guys into a tizzy?

In the opening lines of the New York Times Magazine's remarkable feature on Marilynne Robinson from this past Sunday, the 70-year-old novelist remarks that "fear has, in this moment, a respectability I've never seen in my life."

Precisely.

It's always hard to know whether the right's professional demagogues really believe what they're saying — or if, instead, they're just stoking public fear and paranoia to gin up ratings. But either way, there seem to be an awful lot of people in the U.S. today who consider it a mark of moral seriousness and strength — as opposed to a sign of free- floating anxiety and misplaced panic — to treat a minor nuisance like ISIS as if it were existential threat.

Fear has its place, and it's sometimes called for. But it can also badly distort one's judgment.

And it's never something to be proud of.

KASHMIR BORDER Pak targets 40 border outposts, 3 injured PTI Story Dated: Tuesday, October 7, 2014 10:12 hrs IST

Text Size Villagers show mortar shell marks on a wall after indiscriminate firing by Pakistan Rangers at a residential area near the India-Pakistan international border in Jammu on Monday-PTI

Jammu: Breaching the ceasefire for the 17th time this month, Pakistan rangers targeted 40 border outposts and 25 border hamlets by resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing along the international Border in Jammu and Samba districts of Jammu and Kashmir, leaving three persons injured.

BSF troops gave a befitting reply to four ceasefire violations by Pakistan resulting in exchanges, which are still on in some areas.

"Pakistani Rangers again resorted to unprovoked mortar shellingand heavy firing on BSF posts along the International Border (IB) since 9pm yesterday," BSF spokesman Vinood Yadav said today.

"As many as 40 BSF border outposts were affected by the firing from Pakistan side," he said, adding that firing and shelling was targeted on areas along IB in Arnia, R.S. Pura, Kanachak and Pargwal sub-sectors along IB in Jammu and Samba districts.

Giving further details, he said almost all the BSF posts in Kanachakand Pargwal were targeted by the Pakistan Rangers.

BSF Posts in Arnia and R.S. Purasub-sectors were also also targeted by the enemy, the spokesman said.

"BSF troops at all the places gave a strong and befitting reply to firing from Pak", the spokesman said, adding that firing in some places, particularly Pargwal is still on. "There is no loss of life or damage to BSF ", he said.

Over 1000 people have been accommodated in camps overnight.

This was the 17th ceasefire violation along the Indo-Pak border in Jammuand Kashmir since October 1.

Six persons have been killed and 50 others including BSF jawans were injured in Pakistani shelling and firing along LoC and IB in Jammu and Poonch districts in the ceasefire violations this month.

MAHARASHTRA Shiv Sena hits out at Modi PTI Story Dated: Tuesday, October 7, 2014 14:20 hrs IST

Text Size Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray addresses an elections campaign rally in Solapur, Maharashtra on Monday-PTI

Mumbai: Launching a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena today said he is leaving his work in Delhi to hold rallies in Maharashtra and questioned the work done by him for the state after becoming the Prime Minister.

The Sena also told its estranged ally BJP that frequent visits of the Prime Minister for the campaign was denting the state's coffers.

"The Prime Minister is busy addressing rallies in Maharashtra leaving his work in Delhi. Modi is a tall leader of the BJP but he has been forced to campaign in the state since the BJP has no known faces in Maharashtra," the Sena said in its editorial mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

If Modi was a "superstar campaigner" as projected by the BJP, he would have appealed to people of the state to vote for his party while sitting in New Delhi, it said.

"If Modi had a mass appeal as projected by the BJP, he (Modi) instead of conducting 25- 30 campaigns in different parts of Maharashtra, would have sat in Delhi and appealed for votes and people would have definitely listened to him," the Sena organ said.

"When some rogue elements had threatened to disrupt the annual Amarnath yatra, Balasaheb Thackeray had challenged them while sitting in Mumbai. The rogue elements never dared to hurt the pilgrims then," it said.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray have been questioning Modi's obsession with Gujarat inspite of him being the Prime Minister, and they have only given words to what the Shiv Sena felt (about Modi), it further said.

"It does not suit a Prime Minister to wander from village to village asking for votes...The dignity of the PM's chair should be upheld," the editorial said.

The Sena also questioned the work done by Modi for Maharashtra after becoming the PM, and said it is ironical that they (BJP) have suddenly found love for Maratha warrior king Shivaji.

The Sena also said that the burden of the visits was falling on the state's treasury.

"Whenever the Prime Minister is invited to conduct rallies, many things need to be taken care of. His security and other arrangements need money, the burden of which finally falls on the shoulders of the state treasury. When Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh used the state machinery previously, they were severely criticised," it said

CURRENT EVENTS Water whirled Photos by Salil Bera; Text by S. Neeraj Krishna Story Dated: Monday, October 6, 2014 18:36 hrs IST After Kashmir, floods batter the northeast. THE WEEK reports from Ground Zero in Assam

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Clutching at straws: This young man, who swam against the tide and was caught in the current, was saved just in time by the local people.

Her hand was trembling. I can still feel it in mine. I do not know her name, nor her age. There was no conversation. All I could do was hold the frail, old woman's hand. She had just been pulled into the boat from muddy, neck-deep water. Water that was raging down the hills to merge with the Brahmaputra. No one spoke much on that boat, an olive green one the Air Force had given to the local people for evacuation. They were all cold, lost and worried about losing whatever they had.

“Sab kuch gaya… sab kuch gaya… [Everything is gone… everything is gone],” another aged woman who was evacuated kept muttering, as if chanting a mantra.

Things, indeed, were going, gone, in Mohmara village, Kamrup district, about 30km from Guwahati. Paddy fields became ‘riverbeds'. Plantains became lifeboats. Homes turned hopeless. Hordes turned homeless.

It was the poignant sights such as a father taking his toddlers on a plantain raft and battered families raising makeshift huts that made us stop in Mohmara, while on our 10- hour drive from the Guwahati airport to Ziro valley in Arunachal Pradesh.

We had no idea about what we were getting into. Hapless souls were wailing for help from all sides as the evacuation boat we boarded took to the ravaging waters. One young man took the risk of swimming against the tide to catch the boat.

His gasping face, while being pulled into the boat, will remained etched in our minds. So will be the fright on the face of schoolgirl Rita Das.

Suddenly, people atop a nearby bridge started shouting. They were warning us, as our boat was going in the wrong direction.

“We are caught in the strong current,” said Mahendra Jena, a college student who had volunteered to join us. We were being ruthlessly dragged downstream.

“This is it! Floody hell,” I wrote down in my rain-soaked notepad. THE WEEK's Chief Photographer Salil Bera started panicking, too. His concern, however, was not about drowning, but the safety of his cameras!

Thanks to vigorous rowing by veteran oarsmen, the boat made it to a safe zone, and we held on to partially submerged trees. Our car driver Tapan, who was atop the bridge, later told us with a smile that he sincerely prayed for our lives, as he was pretty sure that the boat stood no chance against the gushing floodwaters.

The scene back on land, too, was grim. Hundreds of displaced families squatted by the highway that runs along the Assam-Meghalaya border. At least 10 lakh people have been affected in the region. As on September 27, the death toll because of flash floods and landslides in the northeast had crossed 78.

“The Army and the National Disaster Response Force have been pressed into action. The men have been working nonstop for 48 hours,” said Dhruba Jyoti Das, the officer in charge of rescue and relief operations in Rajgarh area, Guwahati, where displaced people were mobbing a relief shed to get hold of water bottles and biscuit packets. “The situation is quite critical, unpredictable, as the meteorology department has warned that heavy rains are likely to continue across the northeast. This is the worst flood strike in recent times.” BATTLE FOR Mexican standoff By Dnyanesh Jathar Story Dated: Saturday, October 4, 2014 11:14 hrs IST

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Cub's rub: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray with son Aditya at the launch of the poll campaign after the split with the BJP. Photo by Amey Mansabdar

On September 21, a couple of hours after Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had proposed his seat sharing formula to the BJP (Sena: 151, BJP: 119, Allies: 18), deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party called one of his aides in Baramati, his constituency. The conversation, which lasted about five minutes, opened with Pawar informing his aide that “the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is over”. He then instructed his aide to find out who his likely opponents would be now that every party was fighting on its own.

Pawar certainly wasn't prophetic. But he was among the very few who were convinced that the October 15 election to the legislative assembly would be fought independently by all the parties. While others claimed to be busy in saving the alliance for a grand cause— be it Hindutva or unity of secular forces—Pawar was firm from day one that he did not want an alliance with the Congress, even if the Shiv Sena and the BJP managed to save theirs at the last minute.

Giving him company was Union minister Nitin Gadkari of the BJP, who, too, was convinced about his party contesting the elections alone. Though he could not be as precise and clinical as Pawar because he was speaking at a public function and the saffron alliance was still intact then, Gadkari told Devendra Fadnavis, the state BJP president, at a recent function in Nagpur that the state was all set to welcome a BJP government. Said an aide of Thackeray: “Gadkari and Uddhavji never got along well. He was in favour of snapping ties right from the day the BJP won majority on its own at the Centre.”

It is these two ambitious leaders who had been preparing the ground for the two most high-profile political divorces that Maharashtra has seen in recent times. In the case of the NCP, Pawar steamrolled the opposition to the breakup in his characteristic style, pointing out that the best way to counter anti-incumbency was to contest all 288 seats. He told senior party leaders that it would not be possible to do so with just 144 seats, if the Congress agreed to that figure. In the BJP, Gadkari, who chose to spend most of his time in Delhi after becoming Union minister, quietly busied himself with the task of preparing the central leadership's mindset for flying solo and firming up his network in Vidarbha, where, with 66 assembly seats, the BJP has the best chance.

The absence of the late Gopinath Munde, the only BJP leader who could have saved the alliance because of his equation with the Sena leader, was sorely felt, especially by Shiv Sena leaders, during the seat-sharing talks. Shiv Sena sources said that only his daughter Pankaja Munde was keen on keeping the alliance intact. While Fadnavis, they said, seemed confused, Eknath Khadse, leader of opposition in the assembly, was preoccupied with his chief ministerial ambitions.

The only question that loomed large was who would bell the cat and how. This dilemma was solved when it became clear to the BJP that the Shiv Sena would not allow its share of seats to fall below 151. In reality, the Shiv Sena had showed willingness to concede three more seats from its quota to allies, but with a rider that the allies would contest those seats on the Sena symbol. In an ideal situation, this should not have caused any heartburn in the BJP. In fact, had Munde been alive, in all probability the pact would have been sealed with 151 for the Shiv Sena (148+ 3 allies), 124 for the BJP, and 13 seats for the allies. The BJP, however, wanted it to be 140:130:18. That is when the core group of Maharashtra BJP leaders urged Khadse to call Thackeray and convey the party's decision to end the 25-year- old alliance.

One of the main reasons why the Shiv Sena was not willing to come below the 150 mark was Thackeray's son Aditya's Mission 150, on the lines of Narendra Modi's Mission 272. After analysing the Lok Sabha trends, Aditya realised that the saffron alliance had marched ahead of the Congress and the NCP in 230 of the 288 assembly segments. He saw this as a sign of a huge anti-incumbency and all that Shiv Sainiks had to do was to channel this anti-Congress anger and convert it into votes. That is why Sena's last proposal was 151 [148+3 allies] for itself, 130 [127+3 allies] for the BJP and seven for allies. The BJP dismissed Mission 150 as a childish whim.

Fadnavis blamed the Shiv Sena's inflexible attitude for the split. “The Shiv Sena kept the seat-sharing discussion revolving around the issue of the chief minister,” said Fadnavis. “Any proposal that they sent across was essentially about seat adjustments within the BJP's quota of seats or that of the allies. They were not willing to give away their seats and stuck to a number. So with a heavy heart, we were forced to come to a decision as we hardly had any time left.”

Recalling the phone call made by Khadse, Thackeray told his party leaders that Khadse was uncomfortable when he broke the news that the alliance was over. “So I asked him whether the task [of belling the cat] had been entrusted to him. Khadse was uncomfortable but replied in the affirmative. Then I warned him quietly, ‘You are unleashing a tiger',” he said. This was followed by a scathing editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamna, which termed the BJP as anti Maharashtra.

Within an hour of the Sena-BJP breakup, the NCP announced its decision to split from the Congress. Pawar went a step ahead and declared that his party was withdrawing the support to the Congress-led government. With that, Prithviraj Chavan resigned as the chief minister as the Congress did not have the majority and the President's rule was imposed in the state. The NCP blamed the Congress for its stubbornness and unwillingness to part with 144 seats. “We had been waiting for their proposal after we rejected their offer of 124 seats. But the chief minister went to Karad yesterday and returned today afternoon (September 25),” said former Union minister Praful Patel. Chavan blamed the monstrous ambition of some NCP leaders for the split, clearly hinting at Pawar. He also said that the real reason behind the split could be the NCP's plans to tie up with the BJP. The Shiv Sena, too, has accused the BJP of the same.

Maharashtra assembly polls is now a free-for-all contest, and defections have become the norm. Take the examples of NCP minister Uday Samant and Congress minister Sanjay Deotale. A day after the Congress-NCP split, Samant rushed to Thackeray's residence Matoshree and was rewarded with a ticket from Ratnagiri, his constituency in coastal Konkan. Deotale was denied a ticket by the Congress from Warora, a constituency he has won for four consecutive terms, reportedly because of his defeat in the Lok Sabha polls from Chandrapur. Deotale, therefore, jumped over to the BJP and will now contest against his sister-in-law from Warora.

Senior NCP leaders who have joined the BJP include former minister Babanrao Pachpute and Dr Vijaykumar Gavit. Pachpute, who was state president of the NCP a few years ago, quit the party after accusing fellow minister Madhukar Pichad of insulting him. He is seeking reelection from Shrigonda. On the other hand, Gavit joining the BJP was a foregone conclusion as his daughter Dr Heena Gavit is the BJP MP from Nandurbar. In western Maharashtra, the ruling elite from the Maratha community has been shifting towards the Shiv Sena and the BJP. Former Congress legislator Ajit Ghorpade has joined the BJP and will take on home minister R.R. Patil in Tasgaon. Similarly, Vilaskaka Jagtap, a close relative of senior NCP minister Jayant Patil, has joined the BJP and is seeking election from Jath. Another Congress legislator to join the BJP is Manikrao Kokate, a close aide of Narayan Rane, who quit the Shiv Sena to join the Congress along with him. He is seeking reelection from Sinnar. Rajan Teli, another close aide of Rane, is now the BJP's candidate in Sawantwadi. He was with the NCP for a few days but dumped the party when it denied him ticket.

Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which has put up candidates in 225 constituencies, has also witnessed some high profile desertions. MNS legislators Harshvardhan Jadhav and Ram Kadam are now seeking reelection on Shiv Sena and BJP tickets, respectively. On the other hand, former Mumbai mayor Dr Shubha Raul quit the Shiv Sena to join the MNS on the last day of filing nominations and is the latter's candidate from Charkop.

One of the most interesting fights will be in Karad South constituency, where Prithviraj Chavan is seeking election. Chavan has a tough battle at hand as outgoing Congress legislator Vilaskaka Undalkar has filed the nomination as an independent in revolt. Moreover, Ajeenkya Patil, son of Bihar Governor D.Y. Patil, has joined the Shiv Sena and is contesting against Chavan. Ajeenkya's brother Satej Patil was minister of state for home and was considered close to Chavan. Sugar baron Atul Bhosle, earlier with the NCP, has joined the BJP to take on Chavan.

Though the Congress has a tough task at hand what with the anti-incumbency, a section of the Congress is relieved that the NCP is off its back. After the rout in the Lok Sabha election, they were extremely worried about the impact the NCP's scam-tainted image would have on voters. Chavan, who had succeeded in cornering the NCP like no other chief minister, too, held a similar opinion.

“The media was regularly exposing alleged scams in the departments run by NCP ministers,” said Anant Gadgil, legislator and senior party spokesperson. “On the other hand, not a single Congress minister was accused of any wrongdoing during Chavan's tenure as chief minister. There was a growing concern in the party that the NCP's image could affect the Congress's poll prospects adversely.” Also, the breaking of the saffron alliance may have made their job a tad easier, at least that is what Congress leaders feel.

The BJP is hopeful that campaign rallies by Prime Minister Modi, who is likely to address 25 rallies in the state, will swing the vote in its favour. Barring the Shiv Sena, the other parties from the saffron alliance have decided to go with the BJP. Internal surveys by the BJP have indicated that it can easily win 100-110 seats on its own. The ground reality may not be so rosy as voters think that the Modi government has not been able to deliver much on its promises.

Former BJP MP Subhash Deshmukh, who is now contesting from the Solapur South constituency, disagrees: “People are fed up with the corrupt rule of the Congress-NCP combine. It is sad that our alliance with the Shiv Sena ended. But people are wise. They always choose a bigger tree when they seek shelter. With our government at the Centre, the BJP is obviously the bigger tree. You will see how the atmosphere will get charged once again as Modiji begins his campaign in Maharashtra.”

Deshmukh, who had defeated former home minister Sushilkumar Shinde's wife in the 2004 parliamentary elections, would not have been able to contest from Solapur South as the seat belonged to the Shiv Sena in the alliance arrangement. He is now taking on sitting Congress legislator Dilip Mane. Mane's troubles have been compounded further as Balasaheb Shelke, the former district Congress president, has jumped in the fray on a NCP ticket.

A post-split survey conducted by the Shiv Sena showed huge sympathy for the party due to the manner in which the BJP chose to dump it. The survey predicted that the Shiv Sena on its own would win 107 seats while the BJP would win 77 seats. The saffron alliance would have been successful in ousting the Congress-NCP combine, but a divided Sena and BJP is likely to end up hurting each other especially in urban pockets of Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik, where the MNS cadre is rejuvenated following the saffron split. One wonders whether the Shiv Sena and the BJP will be diving into the very grave that they were digging in order to bury the Congress-NCP combine. By going solo, the Maharashtra BJP is making its biggest gamble in recent times, but it could very well turn out to be its biggest folly.

YES, MINISTER! Low waste is in By Vijaya Pushkarna Story Dated: Monday, October 6, 2014 18:45 hrs IST

Text Size Down to earth: Harsimrat at a langar. PTI Photo

What does it take for a demure woman to turn into a tough one? Ask Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, and he may say¯an election. The fight for the Bhatinda Lok Sabha seat in 2009 did that to Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Sukhbir's wife and the Union minister for food processing industries.

Today, she is one of the three Badal ministers; father-in-law Parkash Singh Badal is chief minister of Punjab. Sukhbir, often called the de facto chief minister, is also president of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Every Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition that ruled India has had an Akali Dal member in a portfolio crucial to agriculture. In 1977, Badal Sr was Morarji Desai's agriculture minister; after him, Surjit Singh Barnala stepped in. In the third A.B. Vajpayee government, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was minister for chemicals and fertilisers. Harsimrat's turn came in the Narendra Modi government.

Given that farming today is as much about food processing and value addition, it is hardly surprising that the Akali Dal wanted Harsimrat in this portfolio rather than agriculture. “She represents the current generation, and the Akali Dal has also got modernised. Punjab needs industry, and food processing would interest people from there,” said a professor from Punjab Agriculture University. But, so far, the 48-year-old Harsimrat has done nothing that is restricted to Punjab. Though her head is always covered with her fine crepe or chiffon dupatta, she is not your run-of-the-mill sardarni. She explained her gesture to a gathering of women: “This is out of respect to those who are worthy of it. When I first visited my in-laws' village, everyone treated me like their bahu. I reciprocated with the respect that is due to them. In our culture, this is about respect. And, then, I extended it to all others.” So, in Parliament, in public and when receiving visitors at home, her dupatta is firmly in place. It can well be her fashion statement!

An alumnus of Loreto Convent School, New Delhi, Harsimrat did a diploma in textile design from the South Delhi Polytechnic for Women. She was running her own business when she reluctantly married Sukhbir. The reluctance, as she told this correspondent, was because she did not want to have anything to do with “politics and farmer-zamindars”. But, her destiny had chosen just those two for her!

Though she wanted to shun politics, her family was active in politics and social work; her father, Satyajit Singh Majithia, was deputy defence minister. Currently, her only brother, Bikram Singh Majithia, is revenue minister of Punjab; the brothers-in-law are considered to be quite tight.

After marriage, Harsimrat poured herself into social uplift projects. The most successful was Nanhi Chhaan (Little Lives), an initiative for curbing the rampant female foeticide in Punjab. She said the initiative was born because she “experienced the difference in the way boys and girls were treated”. During a presentation at the Harvard Law School, too, she, predictably, focused on her pet issues¯women's empowerment and female foeticide. She said she, too, had to battle the anti girl child sentiment when her daughters, Gurleen and Harkirat, were born. Sukhbir and she have a son, too¯Anantbir.

Another key focus is the sacrifices made by Sikhs. In her first speech in Parliament, she pointed out that 70 per cent of the freedom fighters executed by the British were Sikhs and 80 per cent of those imprisoned in the Cellular Jail were Sikhs. She also champions the cause of victims of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.

She is no political lightweight, as her opponents found out the hard way. In 2009, she took on Raninder Singh, son of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, and won. In the recent bout, she fought off Manpreet Singh Badal, Sukhbir's cousin and former finance minister of Punjab. She has mostly lived in Delhi, to educate her children, but she is very close to her father- in-law and calls him her “political mentor and role model”. Though her ministerial duties take her countrywide, she keeps her dates with her constituents. Weekends are family time, as Sukhbir is usually in Delhi then. A foodie, Harsimrat enjoys a meal at many of the fine dining joints in the capital, savouring more than the Punjabi staples.

Though she and Sukhbir are a couple, she does remind him from time to time that she is also an MP bargaining for her constituents. Sukhbir once told THE WEEK that while he had set time slots for MPs to meet him, one MP had his ear 24x7. “Why is it that you have a Rs2 crore purse for the international kabaddi tournament for men, and only Rs50 lakh for the women's event?” she famously asked him, with a hostile audience around!

Harsimrat finds her ministry exciting and challenging. “Our big challenge as a country is inflation. And, I know for sure that wastage of food is one of the reasons leading to shortage and inflation,” she said. “Eighteen per cent of the annual crop of fruits and vegetables is wasted. That is food worth Rs44,000 crore.”

To curb waste, farmers are being given affordable credit to buy agro-processing units. The ministry is also setting up investor portals to find prospective investors and to facilitate investors and entrepreneurs in the food processing sector. Mega food parks have also been planned for Bihar, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The way forward, Harsimrat said, is to explore new schemes for infrastructure and cluster development of perishables.

When PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi met Harsimrat, investment dominated the talks. Then, the mother in Harsimrat came out: “Why don't you consider healthier options, reduce sugar content in soft drinks?”

REFORMS India wields the axe on Her Majesty's 'laughable' laws Reuters Story Dated: Tuesday, October 7, 2014 14:31 hrs IST Text Size

(FILE) A lawyer holds a book as he waits to enter the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai-Reuters

New Delhi: If you happen to unearth treasure worth even as little as 10 rupees in India, don't even think of pocketing it—that's because under a law introduced by the former British colonial rulers, it still belongs to "Her Majesty".

Now, however, the Treasure Trove Act of 1878 and nearly 300 other outdated laws are set to be repealed in the largest-ever cull of rules that make India one of the most puzzling places in the world to do business.

New Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping that less regulation and faster decision- making will lift India from its ranking of 134 out of 189 countries on the World Bank's ease of doing business table into the top 50 and attract investors.

"Some of the laws on our books are laughable. Others have no place in a modern and democratic India," said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who is leading the legislative clean-up.

Previous administrations have failed to remove obscure laws dating back to the 19th century, either because of objections by government departments or simply a lack of will. But Modi's officers have identified 287 obsolete laws for scrapping in a November session of parliament.

On the chopping block along with the Treasure Trove Act is an 1838 law that says property in an area of the former imperial capital of Calcutta can only be sold to the East India Company, which laid the foundations of the British Empire but ceased to exist more than 150 years ago. An 1855 measure removing a certain tribe from the purview of local laws because it was an "uncivilised race" will also go.

Even after all these have been abolished, there will still be hundreds of clauses within other laws and thousands of regulations that are real obstacles to business. The government has started identifying these anomalies too, Prasad said.

SPITTOONS OUT, SCRAWNY INSPECTORS BACK IN

Flying kites or balloons without police permission is illegal across India as they are classified as an "aircraft" under a 1934 act, and a World War II decree outlaws the dropping of pamphlets from the air in the state of Gujarat.

Under the Motor Vehicles Act, the state of Andhra Pradesh enacted a law that a motor inspector must have a clean set of teeth and anyone with a "pigeon chest, knock knees, flat foot, hammer toes and fractured limbs" will be disqualified.

"There are instances where the entire statute is dysfunctional," said prominent economist Bibek Debroy, who advised Modi during his election campaign and has written a book on the absurdities of Indian law.

He said that obscure laws can sometimes be abused.

A swanky New Delhi hotel was threatened with a lawsuit for refusing to give water to a person who invoked an 1867 act under which a rest house must offer passers-by free drinks of water.

Factory owners have suffered at the hands of government inspectors who insist on rules requiring spittoons to be kept in the premises as well as earthen pots for drinking water. Even if factories install modern fire extinguishers, they must still have red-painted buckets with water and sand to put out a blaze.

Some have a found a way around absurd regulations.

A Post Office Act of 1898 stipulates that only the government has the right of "conveying by post, from one place to another" most letters, so courier companies get around this by calling the letters they send "documents".

NRIs Two schemes for overseas Indians to be merged IANS Story Dated: Tuesday, October 7, 2014 12:40 hrs IST Text Size

(File)- Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at the audience during a reception organised in his honour by the Indian American Community Foundation at Madison Square Garden in New York. PTI

India is working on a new scheme that will merge the People of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes, an official statement said Tuesday.

The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on consular and visa issues during his address at the Madison Square Garden in New York Sep 28, while he was on a five-day sojourn to the US.

In his address, Modi had said the government will join the PIO and OCI schemes for the diaspora and a new scheme would be announced soon.

According to a gazette notification issued Sep 30, all PIO cards are now valid for the lifetime of the card holder, instead of 15 years.

"...the ministry of home affairs has issued instructions that PIO cardholders would not be required to report to a police station even if their visit to India exceeds 180 days," the statement said. The statement added that instructions have also been issued to embassies and consulates that unless there are exceptional circumstances, visas to US nationals should normally be given for 10 years.

"Systems are in place to introduce visa on arrival for US tourists in October itself," the statement said.