thegulfindian.
com
ISSUE NO. 53 • SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2015 • DUBAI - UAE
Timeshare: Cost effective
vacations in India Pg 7
Sexual violence against
women in India
Until there isn’t a
shift in attitudes
towards women
in the country, it’s
hard to see how the
number of sexual
violence cases
against women will
come down
Sannam Ahmad
CONSULTING EDITOR
W
ith the recent
death of gang
rape survivor and
anti-rape activist Suzette
Jordan, who succumbed to
meningoencephalitis at the
age of 40, and the shocking
gang rape of a septuagenar-
ian nun in West Bengal, TGI
wanted to address the issue
of sexual violence against
women in India.
‘Nirbhaya’
Since 2012’s ‘Nirbhaya’
(‘Fearless One’) case, in
which six men (one of whom
was later convicted as a ju-
venile) gang-raped and beat
a 23-year-old female phys-
iotherapy intern on a private
bus in Delhi, who would
later die from the brutal in-
juries inflicted on her during
the attack, rape and sexual
violence against women
and girls in India have been
put under the domestic and
international spotlight. The
crime triggered widespread
protests in New Delhi and
many major Indian cities.
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Anti-rape protests were held in New Delhi and other cities following the ‘Nirbhaya’ case
Suzette Jordan, a gang rape
survivor, recently passed away
It also led the Lok Sabha
to pass the Criminal Law
(Amendment) Ordinance
2013, under which, new
laws were passed and six
fast-track courts were set up,
specifically for rape cases.
Post-Nirbhaya
But, how much has changed
under the new measures?
Despite the fact that more
victims of rape seem to be
willing to come forward to
file crime reports—a defi-
nite improvement in a coun-
try where there has been
long-standing concern that
rapes are severely under-
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girls across many sections of decision to ban British film-
Indian society. maker Leslie Udwin’s docu-
We need to explore what mentary, India’s Daughter,
exactly these attitudes which looks at the 2012
are and then, tackle them Nirbhaya case, is rather baf-
through sustained, system- fling and frustrating. Prior
atic efforts to educate chil- to the scheduled release,
dren from a young age that excerpts of the documentary
men and women are equal were made public, including
and should be treated as footage from an interview
such, that women deserve as with one of the convicted
much respect as their male rapists, Mukesh Singh, in
counterparts and that con- which, not only did Singh
sent is not optional—it is express no remorse for the
obligatory, in every sense. crime, he also revealed his
belief that: “A girl is far
‘India’s Daughter’ more responsible for a rape
The Indian government’s >> Continued on Page 3
reported—the legal system
continues to be slow in the
hearing and prosecution of
many rape cases. What’s
worse, incidents of rape, in-
cluding gang rape, and other
forms of sexual violence in
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with us and
Hit the bulls eye.
India are making headlines
almost daily.
If we don’t accept that
sexual violence against
women and girls in India is
widespread enough for it to
constitute a very real, seri-
ous and frightening prob-
lem, the number of sexual
assaults and rapes is unlike-
ly to fall.
Many convicted rapists,
and others, including some
powerful public figures, are
justifying sexual assaults
or apportioning varying de-
It’s analytical. It’s exhaustive. It’s credible. And
grees of blame to the victims it’s sharply focused at NRIs in the UAE. It
(‘victim blaming’). This is potentially promises a massive reach.
especially worrying and And it achieves penetration levels
seems to speak to a monu- that will pleasantly surprise you.
mental problem at the core— Put your message across to the
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Stay connected.
Page 5) P.O. Box 54217, Dubai - UAE. , Tel: +971 4 354 6288, Fax: +971 4 354 6285, E-mail: info@thegulfindian.com
 UAE THIS WEEK W E E K L Y

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2015

3

India-Pakistan series to Man on Dubai-Mumbai

come to the UAE this year? flight tries to smuggle
4.5 kg of gold
Cricket fans in the UAE might be in for a real treat, as there’s a chance that an
India-Pakistan series will come to the Emirates at the end of this year
TGI Reporter Pakistan played in a bilat- TGI Reporter
DUBAI eral series was December DUBAI

I
2012-January 2013, when

n an exciting develop-
ment for cricket fans,
archrivals India and
Pakistan might reestablish
bilateral cricketing ties this
year. According to the Paki-
stan Higher Commissioner
to India, Abdul Basit, Paki-
stan and India could face off
in a bilateral series in De-
cember 2015.
At the time of writing,
it’s unclear whether the two
sides will take to the field in
India or in the UAE, which
hosts matches that would
normally be played in Paki-
stan, due to security con-
cerns.
The UAE has been a
stand-in for Pakistan for
the latter’s cricket matches,
since the Lahore attacks
Indian skipper MS Dhoni & Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq in
Chennai in 2012, during the last Indo-Pak bilateral series
on the Sri Lankan national
cricket team in 2009. (Dur-
ing the incident, a bus car-
rying Sri Lankan cricketers
was fired upon by 12 gun-
men. Six members of the Sri
Lankan cricket team were
injured and six Pakistani
policemen and two civilians
were killed).
On March 17, Basit, dur-
ing a visit to India, said, “We
are working very hard on
that (reestablishing bilateral
India-Pakistan cricket ties);
it will be happening after a
long gap.”
The announcement came
a week after the PCB (Paki-
stan Cricket Board) head,
Shaharyar Khan, met new
BCCI (Board of Control for
Cricket in India) secretary
Anurag Thakur, during a
five-day visit to India.
The last time India and
Pakistan toured India.
PCB and BCCI have
reportedly signed agree-
ments under which India
and Pakistan will play 12
Test matches, 20 ODIs (One
Day Internationals) and 11
T20 Internationals over six
years.
The UAE’s major crick-
et venues are the Sharjah
Cricket Stadium, the Dubai
International Stadium and
the Sheikh Zayed Stadium
in Abu Dhabi. So, if the
series comes to the UAE,
it will likely be played in
all three emirates. There’s
also a chance that the UAE
cricket team might get to
play against Team India and
Team Pakistan, if the series
comes here.
T
he Customs
Department
in Mumbai
recently arrested a
man for attempt-
ing to smuggle 4.5 kg of gold, worth an estimated $
160,000. The gold was stuffed under the passenger
seat of an aircraft.
The smuggling attempt was carried out during an
Air India flight travelling from Dubai to Mumbai,
and then on to Goa. Officials checked the plane
and recovered the gold, after it landed in Mum-
bai, on March 9. They were acting on a tip-off that
they had received. The Customs officials report-
edly discovered 37 bars of gold during the check.
Once the gold was recovered, officials arrested
passenger Rahmatullah Mohammed Ali Farid,
who was also carrying 200 g of jewellery.
It’s unclear if the gold was to be retrieved during
the Mumbai-Goa sector by another passenger, who
would have booked the same seat, or by a crew
member.

Sexual violence against women in India

<< Continued from Page 1
than a boy” and “A decent
girl won’t roam around at
nine o’clock at night”. The
filmmaker has denied alle-
gations that Singh was paid
for the interview.
Further, defence lawyer
AP Singh was shown saying
that, if his daughter or sister
“disgraced” herself by en-
gaging in “premarital activi-
ties”: “I would most certain-
ly take this sort of sister or
daughter to my farmhouse
and, in front of my entire
family, I would put petrol on
her and set her alight.”
Is it not important for the
public to be presented these
opinions, which reveal a
mentality that seems to be
shared by significant num-
bers of people? Why should
we care about the national-
ity of the filmmaker—her
nationality makes the state-
ments she’s obtained no less
valuable and no less worthy
of study and reflection.
Though some have ap-
plauded the ban on the
documentary, a lot of people
have spoken out against the
ban. A furious Javed Akhtar
(renowned lyricist, poet and
scriptwriter) made a pas-
Kirron Kher and Javed Akhtar delivered passionate speeches in
Parliament, calling for a change in attitudes towards women
sionate speech in Parlia-
ment on the issue. Akhtar
said that people are angry
over the contents of Mukesh
Singh’s comments and over
the fact that an Indian rap-
ist’s abhorrent comments
are being broadcast all over
the world, but that he had
heard the very same senti-
ments echoed in comments
made in the very House in
which he was speaking i.e.
if a woman wears certain
clothes or stays out late,
that, then, she is “invit-
ing trouble”. He went on
to say that it was good that
the documentary was made,
because it has, according to
him, revealed to crores of
men in India that they pos-
sess similar thinking to that
of a rapist and that if they
feel bad about this, then,
they should change their
thinking. Akhtar was livid.
Actress and BJP member
Kirron Kher also spoke in
Parliament about the issue.
She called on people to fo-
cus on what Mukesh Singh
and others had said in the
documentary, rather than fo-
cusing on whether the docu-
mentary should have been
made and whether you can
effectively ban something in
the age of social media. She
also said, “We have to tackle
this problem, right from
the grassroots, where the
mindset becomes such that
you insult women, that you
do not understand that they
(are the ones who) give con-
sent…”. Kher went on to re-
ject restrictive gender roles,
which are often implement-
ed from a young age, and
called for programmes in
the education system and for
efforts to reach out to village
elders to change the way
people think about women
and girls in the country.
Attitudes towards
women
There’s no consensus on
what motivates sexual vio-
lence. The list of possible
motivating factors includes:
power, anger, sadism, sexual
gratification, socioeconomic
dynamics, family ‘honour’
and attitudes towards the
victim(s). In sexual assaults
that are committed by men
against women, another po-
tential motivating factor is
male entitlement. With gang
rape, specifically, some have
suggested that the rapists
draw a link between sexu-
ally aggressive behaviour
and manhood. Others have
suggested that many perpe-
trators of gang rape seek to
punish what they perceive
as immorality in women
(and thus, they view the
crime as justified).
Perhaps, not every con-
ceivable motivating factor
in this sprawling list can be
successfully tackled. But,
the one thing that we can
do, is to try and improve
attitudes towards women.
We need to challenge and
change widespread beliefs
that women are inferior to
men. Not every man that re-
gards a woman as less than
him will commit sexual vio-
lence, but, the prevalence of
such an attitude is almost
certainly playing a part in
fuelling rape culture.
We must inculcate in chil-
dren and young adults the
idea of a woman as an inde-
pendent figure. By suggest-
ing that would-be-rapists
ought to regard a woman as
someone’s daughter, sister
or mother, we reinforce the
stereotype that a woman is
defined solely through oth-
ers and we help perpetuate
a view in which women are
regarded more readily as
objects and property rather
than equals.
We also have to teach chil-
dren and young people that
nothing justifies rape and
sexual violence. No mat-
ter what time of day it is,
what the location is or how
a woman is dressed, lack of
consent is still lack of con-
sent. The questioning of the
so-called ‘morality’ of the
victim; an insistence that a
victim adhere to traditional,
restrictive definitions of fem-
ininity; and the accompanied
victim blaming must stop.
And, we need to steer
away from framing conver-
sations in terms of security
and safety of women to the
value placed on women in
our society (the latter being
an issue that speaks more to
the heart of the matter).
Sexual violence is not
unique to India. But, that
doesn’t mean that we
shouldn’t discuss the issue
of sexual violence in India
and examine closely the atti-
tudes that might be fuelling
acts, and acceptance, of sex-
ual violence in the country.
 thegulfindian.com

ISSUE NO. 80 • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 • DUBAI - UAE /thegulfindian @thegulfindian thegulfindian
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Insurance: Protect loved ones Obesity and treatment options Lata Mangeshkar: A voice that
but don’t use it to save Pg 06 in India Pg 14 has enthralled millions Pg 16

Remembering Bapu
In honour of Gandhi Jayanti, we take a look at the first-class train ticket to Jo-
hannesburg, he was seated
extraordinary legacy of non-violence that the ‘Father of the in a first-class car. A fellow
Nation’ has left behind passenger, who seemed to
take offence at the presence
Sannam Ahmad
CONSULTING EDITOR of a ‘coloured’ person rid-
ing in first-class, left the car,
first big success with non-
violence. In Champaran,
Bihar, tens of thousands of
peasantry were being forced
to grow indigo and other
profitable crops instead of
the food crops that they bad-
tually lifted its ban against
Gandhi being there.
Along with supporters
and volunteers, he organ-
ised a painstakingly detailed
survey of affected villages,
including statements of the

G
andhi Jayanti is cel-
ebrated across India
every October 2,
in honour of the man who
is widely referred to as the
‘Father of the Nation’—Ma-
hatma Gandhi.
Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi was born on October
2 in 1869. He has left behind
a legacy that is celebrated
not just by Indians, but also
by people all over the world.
In India, Gandhi Jayanti is
one of only three official
national holidays (the others
are Independence Day and
Republic Day). Internation-
ally, Gandhi’s greatest lega-
cy—that of non-violence—
has been celebrated on
October 2 since 2007, when
the United Nations General
Assembly declared the day
as the ‘International Day of
Non-Violence’.
To pay tribute to this
iconic figure, we wanted to
explore his pursuit of non-
violent civil disobedience,
which went on to inspire
some of the 20th century’s
greatest leaders, including
Martin Luther King Jr and
Nelson Mandela.
Gandhi did not create the
idea of non-violence. In
his own words, which are
carved into a wall of the
Satyagraha Ashram that he
founded in Ahmedabad: “I
have nothing new to teach
the world. Truth and non-
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violence are as old as the
hills.” But, while he did
not found the idea of non-
violent resistance, Gandhi’s
political application of the
principle was unquestion-
ably revolutionary.
After all, it was his pursuit
of non-violence and civil
resistance, that proved to be
too powerful for the Brit-
ish to defeat, while earlier
attempts at achieving inde-
pendence through violent
means—the most signifi-
cant of which was India’s
First War of Independence
of 1857 (referred to, by
the British, as ‘The Indian
Rebellion of 1857’)— had
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been decisively quashed.
Seeds sown: South
Africa
The seeds for Gandhi’s
non-violent resistance were
sown, not in India, but in
South Africa. As a young
man, Gandhi went to South
Africa to work as a legal
representative for an Indian
firm. Here, the discrimina-
tion that he encountered
seemed to awaken him to the
social injustices all around.
One such incident, which
had a profound impact on
him, occurred about a week
after his arrival in South
Africa. Equipped with a
Stay connected.
Page 5)
only to return with two of- ly needed to survive, in the difficulties villagers were
ficials, who ordered Gandhi midst of a famine. What’s facing. At the same time,
to move to the “van com- more, their goods were be- he helped establish schools
partment”. Gandhi refused, ing purchased at negligible and clinics for the villagers
on the grounds that he had prices, on top of which, the and began a sanitation cam-
a first-class ticket and was, British were imposing a paign.
therefore, entitled to sit in a heavy tax. The situation es- He was arrested by the po-
first-class seat. He was forc- calated, with two separate lice on the charge of creating
ibly thrown off the train by a instances of failed revolts, unrest and ordered to leave
police constable, along with after which Gandhi was ap- Bihar. But, by then, sup-
his baggage. proached. port for him had burgeoned
A series of incidents that He arrived in Champaran and hundreds of thousands
followed, in which he ex- with a team of lawyers in of protestors demanded his
perienced or observed dis- April 1917 and proposed a release, which the court
crimination in South Africa, ‘Satyagraha’ (‘truth force’) ordered. Afterwards, he
seemed to swiftly shape his (non-violent mass civil led continued protests and
political views and social disobedience), only to be strikes against the landlords,
activism. As he began to served a notice ordering him which culminated in greater
question his place in soci- to leave. He defied the order compensation for farmers in
ety, he also started thinking and the government even- >> Continued on Page 3
about the position of Indians
in the British Empire.
He came to the belief that
British rule would collapse Follow your favourite
if Indians stopped coop-
erating, saying: “For even
segments on our website:
the most powerful cannot
rule without the coopera- www.thegulfindian.com
tion of the ruled”. In ‘Hind
Swaraj’ (a book he wrote in
1909), he went as far as to
say: “The English have not
taken India; we have given
it to them”.
With these ideas in mind,
Gandhi returned to India in
1915. He explained in his
autobiography, ‘The Story
Of My Experiments With
Truth’: “I felt that my work
was no longer in South Af-
rica but in India.”
The beginnings
of the non-violent
resistance Now available for sale
movement in India
at leading Hyper & Super Markets.
Upon his return, he joined
the Indian National Con-
gress and a tussle with the
Brits followed, over the next
P.O. Box: 54217, Dubai - UAE., Tel: +971 4 354 6288, Fax: +971 4 354
three decades.
6285, E-mail: info@thegulfindian.com
1917-1918 saw Gandhi’s
 UAE THIS WEEK W E E K L Y

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2015

3

India offers Carnatic musicians to perform

at Navarathri Mandapam
condolences on Sangeethotsavam
death of Sheikh
Rashid
TGI Reporter
dubai

F
ollowing the untimely passing of
Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, son of His
Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,
condolences have poured in from around
the world.
Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed, who was
the eldest son of Sheikh Mohammed and Pic/WAM TGI Reporter fully follows the traditional cal students and artists are
Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al and the people of UAE. The people of In- SHARJAH elements of the famous scheduled to perform during

Maktoum, passed away at the age of 33 of
a heart attack on September 19, 2015. He
was known for his sporting achievements,
including two gold medals in equestrian
endurance races at the 2006 Asian Games.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
expressed his sympathies to Sheikh Mo-
hammed, saying: “I am deeply saddened
to learn about the sudden and untimely
demise of your worthy son, His Highness
Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Mak-
toum. With his passing away, a promising
public career has been tragically cut short.
In this hour of personal grief, our thoughts
and prayers are with you, your family
E
dia join their UAE brothers and sisters in Thiruvananthapuram Na- the nine days of festivities.
mourning this irreparable loss.” kata (a Sharjah-based varathri Mandapam. Students who are interested
On Monday, September 21, 2015, The social and cultural This year, the event will in showcasing their musical
Ambassador of India to the UAE, TP organisation for Non- take place at the Marhaba or dance talents can register
Seetharam, and the Consul General of In- Resident Keralites) recently Resort Auditorium, Sharjah, online, by September 30, at
dia to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, announced the fourth edition between October 14 and 22. www.ekatagroup.org.
Anurag Bhushan, met HH Sheikh Moham- of the Ekata Navarathri Man- Renowned Carnatic mu- Additionally, the or-
med at Zabeel Palace to pay their respects dapam Sangeethotsavam, to sicians such as KG Jayan, ganisation is also organ-
and to convey condolences on behalf of celebrate the upcoming Na- Kavalam Srikumar, Nedu- ising ‘Ezhuthiniruthu’ or
the Government and people of India. varathri festival. mangad Sivanandan, Ku- ‘Vidyarambham’, a tradi-
Sheikh Rashid was laid to rest on the The festival will feature zhalmannam Ramakrishnan tional ceremony intended
evening of the 19th at Umm Hurair Cem- musical performances on and Tripunithura N Rad- to initiate children to ‘the
etery, following funeral prayers at Zabeel each evening of the nine hakrishnan will perform world of knowledge’, on
mosque and a funeral procession in Bur days of Navarathri. Ekata during the festival. Vijayadasami Day (Friday,
Dubai’s Al Fahidi area. says that their festival faith- Plus, more than 150 lo- October 23, 2015).

Remembering Bapu
<< Continued from Page 1
the region and a cancelling
of the revenue hikes and col-
lections, for the duration of
the famine.
It was during this incident,
goods and the promotion
of domestic products. He
endorsed the idea of self-
reliance, by encouraging
Indians to wear khadi, rather
than expensive British-made
widely regarded as the de-
fining moment of India’s
non-violent freedom strug-
gle… The ‘Salt March’.
The ‘Salt March’:
tices being faced by Indians
in their native land.
Gandhi broke the salt laws
on the morning of April 6,
1930. It was this incident
that sparked the beginning
of the nationwide civil dis-
obedience movement and
forced the British to recon-
sider their attitude towards
Gandhi joined by supporters on his historic Salt March

that people first began calling
Gandhi, ‘Bapu’ and ‘Mahat-
ma’. In his autobiography, he
highlighted the importance
of the Champaran affair, say-
ing: “The country thus had
its first direct object-lesson in
Civil Disobedience.” Similar
success followed in Kheda,
Gujarat, with Sardar Vallah-
bhbhai Patel playing a key
role.
The ‘Swadeshi’
movement:
non-cooperation
in the early 1920s
Soon after, Gandhi’s non-vi-
olent non-cooperation took
on a more political agenda.
He buoyed the ‘Swadeshi’
movement, which encour-
aged the boycott of foreign-
made, particularly British,
clothes (many of which
were made by buying cot-
ton from India at low prices
and re-selling the finished
products to Indians at high
prices). He famously spun
his own clothes and even
invented a portable spinning
wheel. He also encouraged
supporters to boycott British
institutions, like education
institutes, courts and gov-
ernment employment.
His non-cooperation
movement gained wide-
spread support. Although
he called off the campaign,
following the Chauri Chau-
ra incident, in which a large
group of people participat-
ing in the non-cooperation
movement turned to vio-
lence, he brought it back
some years later, in what is
civil disobedience
in the early 1930s
As part of a Satyagraha
against the tax on salt, Gan-
dhi led the famous Salt March
from his Satyagraha Ashram
base in the Sabarmati sub-
urb of Ahmedabad to Dandi,
from March 12 to April 6,
1930. The British had a salt
monopoly in India at the time
and the protest march aimed
to give Indians the right to
produce salt on their own,
without paying tax.
Thousands of supporters
joined him on his march
to the sea, where he was to
make salt himself. News of
the protesters being beaten
by British police made inter-
national headlines and drew
sympathy from around the
world, for the social injus-
Indian independence.
Gandhi continued to make
salt along the coast and was
arrested overnight, on May
4-5, 1930. But, the cam-
paign against the salt tax
continued. Almost a year
later, Gandhi was released
from jail. Some 80,000 In-
dians had been jailed for
their participation in the Salt
Satyagraha. Although the
campaign failed to win the
concessions it was aiming
for, it galvanised the move-
ment that would ultimately
lead to Indian independence.
The salt tax was an ideal
choice of protest, because
salt was something that was
used by almost all Indians
and thus, a fight against the
salt tax was able to capture
the interest of virtually ev-
ery Indian. Gandhi high-
lighted its importance, say-
ing, “Next to air and water,
salt is perhaps the greatest
necessity of life.”
So, despite its ostensible
failure, the protest against
the salt tax served as a
catalyst in India’s freedom
struggle. It showed Indi-
ans that if millions resisted,
without violence, the coun-
try’s liberation from colo-
nial rule was within reach.
A legacy
It is easy, today, to take for
granted that Indian indepen-
dence was achieved through
non-violent means and to
underrate the significance of
this extraordinary feat.
Put into context, however,
the movement that Gandhi
began and its end-results are
simply awe-inspiring. They
illustrate the idea of ‘people
power’—the idea that the
voice of a people cannot be
ignored—while, simultane-
ously, serving as a precedent
for the plausibility of blood-
less revolution.
Perhaps the power of non-
violence is best explained
by Gandhi’s own words:
“Non-violence is the great-
est force at the disposal of
mankind. It is mightier than
the mightiest weapon of de-
struction devised by the in-
genuity of man.”
It is this message that we
hope continues to inspire
those around the world who
are being oppressed and
subjugated, in their fight for
freedom.

ISSUE NO. 43 SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2015
Dubai creates history with the
‘Dubai Celebration Chain’ Pg 5
2014: A Year In Review
TGI looks back at
some of the main
stories that made
headlines in India
in 2014
Sannam Ahmad
Consulting Editor
W
ith 2014 firmly
behind us, we
thought we’d
take a look back at some of
the year’s major develop-
ments in India.
Aam Aadmi Party’s
Kejriwal quits
In a surprising turn of events,
on February 14, 2014, the
Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s)
Arvind Kejriwal quit as
Delhi’s Chief Minister, after
just 49 days in office. Some
have speculated that Kejri-
wal’s decision to resign after
such a short time in power,
might have hurt the party’s
image and chances in the
elections that followed. Ke-
jriwal stepped down after an
anti-corruption bill failed to
pass in the state assembly.
Following his resignation
as CM, although Kejriwal
initially said that he would
not contest a seat in the 2014
elections, on March 25, he
announced that he would
run against Narendra Modi
from Varanasi. Kejriwal
bagged an impressive 2-plus
lakh votes and was well
ahead of Congress’ Ajay Rai
and many other candidates,
but, as expected, Narendra
Modi won. He beat Kejri-
wal by a margin of more
than 3.7 lakh votes. Some
have criticised Kejriwal for
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AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal made headlines early on in 2014, by stepping
down as CM of Delhi and contesting in the elections from Varanasi
squandering AAP’s momen-
tum by contesting Varanasi,
especially since the rise of
AAP, which had only been
formed in November 2012,
had been rather remarkable.
As for Delhi, the CM of-
fice is still vacant; a Presi-
dent’s rule has been in place
in Delhi since Kejriwal’s
resignation.
India becomes
‘polio-free’
In good news, the World
Health Organization (WHO)
officially declared India to
be “polio-free” on March
27, 2014. The certification
came after no incidences of
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bolster support for the cam-
paign, everyone from reli-
gious leaders to Bollywood
celebs and cricketers spoke
out about the importance of
immunisation.
The Indian General
Election: BJP routs
Congress
From April 7 to May 12, a 66.38% turnout of an astounding. The Bharatiya
Indians headed to the polls eligible 814.5 million vot- Janata Party (BJP), on its
in what would be a his- ers. Some 8,251 candidates own, took home 282 seats
toric election. India’s lon- stood for the 543 Lok Sabha (51.9%) and won 31% of
gest election was carried seats. all votes. It marked the first
out in nine phases and saw The results were truly >> Continued on Page 3
polio had been reported in
India for more than three
years. The last recorded case
is of a young girl from West
Bengal in January 2011.
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2014: A Year In Review
<< Continued from Page 1
time since the 1984 general
elections that one party in
India had won enough seats
to govern without added
support. BJP’s tally added
to those of the other parties
of the National Democratic
Alliance, gave the NDA a
landslide victory, with 336
seats.
The Indian National Con-
gress suffered its worst de-
feat in history—securing
just 19.3% of all votes and
44 seats. Congress’ seat total
combined with other parties
under the United Progres-
sive Alliance, gave the UPA
just 60 seats.
Political pundits have
speculated, both, on wheth-
er the elections were a re-
sounding ‘No’ vote against
Congress and on the ex-
traordinary rise of Nar-
endra Modi. Modi faced
significant opposition, for
example, from senior BJP
figures like LK Advani,
before securing his party’s
PM candidature in late
2013. Critics had opposed
his leadership due to his
controversial reign as Gu-
jarat’s Chief Minister, dur-
ing which, more than 1,000
people, mostly Muslims,
were killed during riots in
2002. Modi has always de-
nied that he did little to stop
the violence. His advocates,
on the other hand, champi-
oned his economic accom-
plishments in Gujarat and
much of the campaigning
that was to follow focused
on the issue of ‘develop-
ment.’ All said and done,
Modi was sworn in as In-
dia’s 15th Prime Minister
on May 26, 2014.
India’s 29th state
It was years in the making.
The restive southern state
of Andhra Pradesh was fi-
nally divided on June 2,
2014, to create India’s 29th
state—Telangana. The state
is India’s 12th largest and is
made up of 10 former north-
western Andhra Pradesh dis-
UAE THIS WEEK
tricts. The city of Hyderabad
will serve as the joint capital
of both Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana over the next 10
years.
Movements that had been
calling for the separation
of Telangana from Andhra
Pradesh for decades, gath-
ered momentum, leading
the government, on Decem-
ber 9, 2009, to announce
that Telangana would be
formed. The announcement
met with violent protests
and the decision had to be
held. But, demands for sep-
aration continued through
strikes, protests, political
resignations and other dis-
turbances. Eventually, in the
summer of 2013, the Con-
gress Working Committee
unanimously passed a reso-
lution recommending the
formation of Telangana. In
February 2014, the Andhra
Pradesh Reorganisation Act,
2014 was passed by Parlia-
ment. It received President
Pranab Mukherjee’s assent
and the UPA issued a gazette
notification for it, on March
1, 2014.
On June 2, 2014, K. Chan-
drashekar Rao was sworn in
as Telangana’s first Chief
Minister. Rao had been a
key figure in the separate
statehood movement for
years. He formed the Telan-
gana Rashtra Samithi party
in 2001 to campaign for the
cause.
The creation of Telan-
gana has been a polarising
decision. While those in the
newly formed state celebrat-
ed, there is ongoing disap-
pointment among people in
Andhra Pradesh.
Kashmir floods
In September 2014, torren-
tial rainfall caused devastat-
ing floods in Kashmir. More
than 280 people were killed
on either side (in Indian-ad-
ministered and in Pakistani
Kashmir).
Heavy rain began to fall
on September 2, leading
to flooding and landslides.
Rivers in the region sur-
passed the ‘danger mark’
and started spilling over into
the streets.
India’s Home Ministry has
said that thousands of vil-
lages in Indian-administered
Kashmir have been affected
and that 390 villages had
been completely submerged,
at the time. The floods have
affected a staggering 1.2
million people and damaged
180,000 homes in Indian-
administered Kashmir. They
were the worst floods to hit
the region in over a century.
Extraordinary scenes were
broadcast across Indian TV
news channels. The images
showed people on rooftops
waiting to be rescued.
The Indian Armed Forces,
using some 82 aircraft, 10
Border Security Force bat-
talions, 329 Indian Army
columns and 300 boats,
were deployed in a massive
search-and-rescue opera-
tion. Food, water, medicines
and other supplies were
flown in. The Armed Forc-
es rescued around 200,000
people, but tens of thousands
remained stranded for days.
The local population, espe-
cially young people, whom
the army commended, made
immense efforts. Some have
criticised the media for not
paying enough attention to
local efforts.
Thousands of people are
still displaced; many are liv-
ing in temporary shelters.
There have also been accu-
sations on aid being unfairly
distributed and many Kash-
miris say that they have not
yet been compensated. The
situation has been exacer-
bated by a bitterly cold win-
ter.
Mangalyaan: The
Mars Orbiter
Mission
In a more cheery devel-
opment, the Mars Orbiter
Mission, also known as
Mangalyaan, which is a
spacecraft that was launched
by India on November 5,
2013, began orbiting Mars
on September 24, 2014.
(If you’re trying to do the
Math… It took Mangalyaan
298 days in transit to reach
Mars.)
Mangalyaan’s feat made
India the first country to
send a spacecraft into orbit
around Mars on its first at-
tempt and the Indian Space
Research Organisation
(ISRO), the fourth space
agency to reach Mars (after
NASA, the Soviet and Euro-
pean space agencies).
The news was greeted
with widespread jubilation.
ISRO won many domestic
accolades for the achieve-
ment. And, famously, the
PM hailed the mission a
success, boasting that it
cost less than the Holly-
wood blockbuster Gravity.
To put that into perspec-
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W E E K L Y
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2015
tive, the Mars mission cost
USD $73 million, while the
film Gravity cost USD $100
million. The low cost of the
Mars mission has been at-
tributed by ISRO’s head to a
variety of factors, including
a ‘modular approach’ and
long working hours for the
scientists involved.
India’s Mangalyaan suc-
cessfully completed 100
days of its Martian orbit on
January 1, 2015.
Nobel win
In another positive devel-
opment, on December 10,
2014, Indian child rights
campaigner Kailash Saty-
arthi received the Nobel
Peace Prize along with Paki-
stani education activist Ma-
lala Yousafzai.
Though many of us had
not heard of him before
3
the Nobel announcement,
Satyarthi has been a tire-
less campaigner for child
rights—he’s spent more
than thirty years working
to protect the rights of chil-
dren. He founded his Bach-
pan Bachao Andolan (Save
the Childhood Movement)
in 1980, through which
tens of thousands of chil-
dren have been freed from
bonded labour across India.
The 60-year-old Satyarthi’s
determined efforts have also
been lauded as a key reason
for the International Labour
Organization’s adopting
Convention No. 182, which
outlaws the ‘worst forms of
child labour.’
Satyarthi, who became the
second Indian ever to win
the Nobel Peace Prize (the
first was Mother Teresa in
1979), dedicated his award
to the 16 crore children who
remain stuck in child labour
across the world.
 16
Balraj Sahni: A forgotten
SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2016
gem of Indian cinema
TGI pays tribute to acting giant Balraj
Sahni in a three-part series
Sannam Ahmad
CONSULTING EDITOR
R
ecently, Javed
Akhtar said that he
doesn’t believe there
is an actor of the calibre
of Dilip Kumar, Amitabh
Bachchan or Balraj Sahni
among today’s generation.
While the first two names
are commonly held in high
esteem by fans of Bolly-
wood, Balraj Sahni’s name
might come as a surprise to
some. We take a look at this
often overlooked acting ti-
tan, in a three-part series.
Balraj Sahni was a man
of prolific talent. He was
an actor (both on stage and
in film); writer and poet (in
multiple languages); teacher;
radio announcer and activist.
Of all the professional roles
he played, acting is what he’s
most remembered for.
Born in 1913 in pre-parti-
tion India, Sahni developed
a love for the cinema (Indi-
an, Hollywood, British and
later Russian), early on. In
his autobiography, he notes
with joy how a bicycle he
was gifted “brought all the
cinema houses” of Rawal-
pindi within “easy reach!”
But, for years, Sahni strug-
gled to make a proper start
in acting. In no small part,
due to his parents’ view that
film acting was not fit for a
The superlative actor elevated Do Bigha Zamin from ordinary to
compelling drama, through a realistic performance
W E E K L Y
gentleman.
University gave him his
first taste of the theatre,
as he performed in plays
staged by the Dramatic So-
ciety at Lahore’s Govern-
ment College. He credits
his professor Ahmed Shah
Bukhari for helping him
develop a “realism”-driven
acting style.
This foundation was to
serve him well in later years,
as he delivered some of the
most mesmerising, moving
and powerful performances
in Indian cinematic history.
In our tribute to this ti-
tan of thespianism, we will
look at three groundbreak-
ing films that Sahni acted
in: Do Bigha Zamin (Two
Hectares Of Land) (1953)
(note: a bigha is a unit of
measurement that varies re-
gionally in India; this film
refers to about two-thirds of
an acre of land); Kabuliwala
(The Kabuli Man) (1961);
and Garm Hava (Scorching
Winds) (1973).
The 1950s saw a spate of
idealistic, nation-building-
centred films, precipitated
by post-Independence zeal.
In the midst of such films,
a new genre of filmmaking
emerged—the so-called ‘so-
cials’—that offered starker
representations of the new-
ly-conceived nation.
KA Abbas’ Dharti Ke
BOLLYWOOD ROUND-UP
Diversely talented, Balraj Sahni was a noted writer, conviction-led
political figure and acclaimed actor
realistic Indian film” (by
writer Yves Thoraval).
The story depicts the ef-
forts of a poor farmer,
Shambhu Mehto, in a ten-
der, nuanced performance by
Balraj Sahni, who, in an ef-
fort to retain his small ances-
tral (seven generation-old)
plot of land is forced to move
to the city and engage in hard
labour as a rickshaw-puller.
The crisis is triggered by
Lal (Children of the Earth) the village zamindar (land-
(1946), through its trenchant owner), Thakhur Harnam
depiction of the Bengal fam- Singh, who wants to set up
ine of 1943 (a movie that, a mill in the village, but re-
coincidentally, starred Bal- alises that he first needs to
raj Sahni), served as a pro- acquire Shambhu’s plot of
totype for the socials. Film- land. Shambhu had earlier
makers like Raj Kapoor and taken a loan from the zamin-
Bimal Roy started making dar, which he has been slow-
films with similar sensibili- ly repaying. The remainder
ties, depicting the harsh re- due is disputed. Shambhu
alities of new India. believes he owes 65 rupees,
Arguably, the most well- which he somehow manages
known example of this to raise. But, it seems he’s
movement was Roy’s Hindi- been duped, largely owing
language feature, Do Bigha to his illiteracy. He’d, earlier,
Zamin, which won the In- unwittingly given his thumb-
ternational Critics’ Prize print against a far greater
at Cannes in 1954 and has sum. Shambhu begs the za-
been called the “first great mindar for more time to pay
this fabricated amount, but
the Thakur does not relent
and the matter goes to court.
The ruling stipulates that
Shambhu must pay 235 ru-
pees and 50 paisa (an exorbi-
tant amount for a poor farm-
er, at the time) within three
months, or else the land will
be auctioned off and part of
the proceeds will be awarded
to the zamindar.
The court scene perfectly
represents the naturalistic
performance that Sahni de-
livers throughout the film.
When the preliminaries in
the ruling are being read out,
we see nervousness etched
on Sahni’s face. His brow
is furrowed; eyes, widened
in anticipation; mouth, tense
and ajar; his hands slowly
come together, and nervous-
ly clasp the shawl hanging
on his shoulder. As soon as
he hears the first part of the
verdict—that the zamindar
will not be allowed to im-
mediately seize his land—
his face is transformed into
a wide grin. He believes he
has won. He turns to look at
one of the zamindar’s men
to confirm this. Shortly after,
as soon as the word “but” is
read out, his face contorts
into anxious confusion.
At the end of the scene,
after the ruling has been an-
nounced in full, and people
are filing out, a helpless
Shambhu rushes to the front
of the courtroom. Visibly
distraught, with his hands
outstretched in a pleading
manner, and then constantly
clasping and letting go of
his shawl, through mount-
ing sobs, he tries to explain
how implausible it would be
for him to achieve what the
court is asking for. He tries
to reason (without realising
that the ruling is final) that
he has an elderly father and
a young son; that they’ll all
go hungry; he asks how will
he be able to raise so much
money in such little time.
He then explains, “Is zamin
ke siva mere paas kuch bhi
nahee hai, Huzoor” (“With-
out this land, I have abso-
lutely nothing, Sir”), and
breaks down, burying his
face into his shawl, and has
to be led away.
Sahni’s performance
doesn’t, for a second, betray
his own vast knowledge and
exposure to the world. That
the man playing Shambhu
had taught at a university or
had been a radio announcer
in London during the war
years seems incredible. His
mannerisms convincingly
mirror those of a simple
farmer from a small village.
Indeed, it’s this ability of
Sahni’s to convey Shamb-
hu’s straightforwardness,
which makes us sympathise
with the character and be
moved by his plight.
Shambhu decides to move
to the city. His son, Kanhai-
ya, secretly boards the train.
When the two arrive in Cal-
cutta, they struggle to find a
footing in the big city and to
understand its ways. At one
point, Shambhu exclaims,
“Wah reh, Calcutta shehere,
kam tho kya, puchne par,
koi baat ka jawab nahee de
ta!” (“Wow, Calcutta city,
forget about being able to
get work, nobody even re-
plies when you ask them a
question, here!”). The father
and son’s belongings are
stolen and they’re literally
left penniless, on the streets.
Through a stroke of luck,
they’re able to secure ac-
commodation and Shambhu
manages to earn a little by,
informally, working as a
coolie. Eventually, in what
begins as an attempt to help
out an elderly neighbour, he
begins pulling a rickshaw.
Now, this isn’t an auto-
rickshaw or a cycle-rick-
shaw. This is the most la-
bour-intensive of the lot…
A pulled-rickshaw, in which
a man has to run in order to
draw a cart carrying passen-
gers. In many scenes, Sahni
is shown pulling a rickshaw.
In order to prepare for this,
before filming began, Sahni
pulled rickshaws on the
streets of Calcutta and spent
time with some rickshawal-
las. His brother, Bhisham
Sahni, who was a noted
writer, translator and profes-
>> Continued to Page17
 BOLLYWOOD ROUND-UP W E E K L Y

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2016

17

Balraj Sahni: A forgotten gem of Indian cinema

<< Continued from Page16

*SPOILER ALERT – Don’t read on if you haven’t seen the film!*

A scene from Waqt, in which Sahni’s character professes his love
for his wife in the iconic song ‘Ae meri zohra jabeen’
sor, said that during this time,
Balraj met a rickshaw-puller,
who was in a similar pre-
dicament to Shambhu. This,
Bhisham Sahni says, in-
spired his brother to forsake
the acting rules he’d normal-
ly follow and to, instead, fa-
vour life as his source mate-
rial. In this way, Balraj Sahni
was ‘method’, before being
‘method’ was really a thing
in Indian cinema.
All in all, Do Bigha Za-
min is a moving portrayal
of the struggle and hard-
ships endured by Shambhu
and his family, replete with
gritty depictions of the daily
lives of Calcutta’s poor. It’s
impossible not to read into
the urban versus rural sub-
text. And, into the effects of
modernisation, which Bimal
Roy characterises as, both,
inescapable and brutal. The
film explores exploitation,
oppression and injustice.
It’s particularly sad to see
that, more than 60 years
on, much of Roy’s critique
on the treatment of India’s
poor, their disenfranchise-
ment and the struggles that
they face, is still very much
applicable today.
Roy’s direction and Sahni’s Sahni (his posture embody- camera cuts to an extreme The family is then shown
performance are what dis- ing Shambhu’s defeat), close-up of Shambhu’s walking into the distance,
tinguish Do Bigha Zamin weakly responds: “Kuch hand, as he releases the soil, into an unknown, but al-
and elevate it from mere nahee, Bhai. Kuch nahee.” over a banishing “Dut!” most certainly grim, future,
melodrama. This is, per- (“Nothing, brother. Noth- from the worker, who then carrying the few belong-
haps, most notable in the ing.”). The construction orders them to leave. The ings they have left on their
film’s final scenes. The worker accuses Shambhu image of Shambhu’s hand backs, until they are but
movie ends on a deftly of being a thief and thrusts being forced to let go of silhouettes on the horizon.
crafted and poignantly act- his hand through the the last link to his land, They turn around once,
ed note, when, after shots fence, grabbing a hold of serves as a powerful re- right before the credits, for
of the imposing alien struc- Shambhu’s shirt, and de- capitulation of the film’s a final glimpse at their con-
tures of the mill that’s be- mands, again, to see what’s themes. It is simply heart- fiscated land; a symbol of
ing constructed, the family in Shambhu’s hand. The breaking. their former lives.
is shown peering through
a caged fence, at what was
once their land.
As they are about to
leave, a wretched Shambhu
slowly turns back around.
He bends to pick up a hand-
ful of soil; inferably, to
serve as a small reminder
of their happy past and the
land he once owned. As he
bends, a man from the con-
struction site demeaningly
yells: “Aye, aye! Kya utha
tha hai? Dikha, kya uthaya
hai!” (“Oye! What are you
picking up? Show me what
you’ve picked up!”). In The poignant performance delivered by Sahni in the final scenes of Do Bigha Zamin is
a shaky voice, a stooped heart-wrenching and unforgettable

FILMYchakkar Aamir makes young boy’s

dream come true
Sadhana passes away at 74 Dreams really do come true. Case in point… 14-year-old Nihal Bitla, who has a rare genetic disorder, pro-
geria (remember Big B in Paa?). People with progeria exhibit symptoms of aging from a very young age.
Yesteryear actress Nihal had posted on Facebook that he wanted to meet Aamir Khan and thank him for the 2007 movie
Sadhana Shivdasani Taare Zameen Par, which Nihal said gave him a lot of courage.
passed away on De- When Aamir learnt about Nihal’s wish, he, too, expressed a desire to meet his special fan. And so, a meet-
cember 25, at the age ing was arranged! Aamir came along with a bagful of goodies and spent some quality time with Nihal. For
of 74, at a hospital in his part, Nihal gifted Aamir a drawing of Lord Ganesha that he had made.
Mumbai. Although Afterwards, Team Nihal Bitla’s Facebook page shared a bunch of pics from the special meeting. The page
some reports have also posted a message, in which Nihal thanked the actor: “Thank you Aamir uncle for making my dream
suggested that the ac- come true. Your Taare Zameen Par always inspired me to face adverse situations and I always knew that
tress was suffering one day I will meet you.”
from cancer, a number Nihal added, “I am feeling very optimistic and positive
of her friends have de- about life. I am sure you will help spread the
nied this. word for the Progeria Research Foundation
A top actress and to identify 60 more kids like me in India, so
style icon of the ’60s that they can get the right treatment. Thanks
and early ’70s, Sad- again for making the time available for me
hana was popularly known as the ‘Fringe Girl’, courtesy her and my family so quickly.”
haircut, which came to be known as the ‘Sadhana Cut’. Aamir was quick to respond. The ac-
She debuted as a child actor in Raj Kapoor’s 1955 film, Shree tor thanked Nihal, saying, “It was lovely
420, in a small role. Sadhana rose to fame with her perfor- meeting you Nihal, along with your fa-
mances in movies like Love in Shimla (1960), Parakh (1960), ther Srinivas and your sister Vaishna-
Hum Dono (1961), Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962), Asli-Naqli vi. The beautiful Ganesh drawing you
(1962), Mere Mehboob (1963), Woh Kaun Thi (1964), Rajku- made has been sent for framing and
mar (1964), Waqt (1965), Arzoo (1965), Mera Saaya (1966), will be up in my room. I will look at
Gaban (1966) and Ek Phool Do Mali (1969), before choosing it and remember you everyday. Lots
to retire in 1994. of love. a”.
Several celebrities, including Asha Parekh, Raza Murad, Now, who says all news is bad
Waheeda Rahman, Ali Khan, Yash Johar, Helen, Salim Khan news?! We wish Nihal a very happy
and Shaina NC, paid their last respects to the veteran actress at and bright future. Kudos to Aamir for
her Santacruz residence. taking the time to make a youngster’s
dream a reality.
 24 W E E K L Y
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2014
Kaaka Muttai (The Crow’s Egg)
During the Dubai International Film Festival, TGI checked out some of the Indian films that were screened. Last week. we
reviewed Chotoder Chobi and this week, we’re reviewing Kaaka Muttai for you...
Sannam Ahmad
CONSULTING EDITOR
Writer/Director/Cinematographer: M.
Manikandan
Cast: Ramesh, Ramesh Thilaganathan, Vi-
gnesh, Aishwarya Rajesh
Producers: Dhanush, Vetrimaaran
Language: Tamil (subtitles: English)
Run time: 99 minutes
Rating:
The Crow’s Egg, which was part of the
Dubai International Film Festival’s ‘Cin-
ema for Children’ category, is the first fea-
ture-length film by M. Manikandan, who
wrote, directed and shot it.
The energetic film tells the story of two
young brothers, who live in a slum in
Chennai with their mother and grandmoth-
er. The children embark on a lengthy quest,
filled with lots of twists and turns (mostly
humorous, but sometimes poignant and so-
bering), to get their first taste of pizza.
I’d like to go into more detail about
the plot, but, there are so many develop-
ments in this fast-paced tale, that they’re
best reserved for cinema-viewing. All I’ll
say is that the plot keeps the audience
engaged throughout and that the child
actors, as well as their respective charac-
ters, are endearing. You cheer them on at
every turn and applaud their remarkable
resourcefulness, while questioning the
skewed distribution of wealth that would
force two children to fight their way to
get something that anyone reading this
would see as commonplace—a slice of
pizza. Though it’s light-hearted for the
most part, The Crow’s Egg does make
you reflect on how unfair it is that some
of us have so much while others have so
little. In fact, some critics might object
to just how overstated its illumination of
class distinctions is. But, perhaps, high-
lighting this point was motivated by the
fact that many Indians from the middle
and upper classes have become desensi-
tized to poverty.
The film will undoubtedly draw compar-
isons with Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Mil-
lionaire (2008), which I don’t think is fair.
The Crow’s Egg has its own vision and
stylistic choices, the majority of which are
rooted in an unmistakably Indian context.
The handling of urban poverty is much
lighter than one would expect—the slum
dwellers are portrayed as upbeat and posi-
tive. There’s a reason for this. Manikandan
said the first draft of the script had a more
DIFF 2014: SPECIAL COVERAGE
serious tone and contained more sad and
melancholy elements, but that, when he
went to the slums to write the second draft:
“I realised that people in the slum are gen-
erally happy and lively.”
The film focuses on the indomitable spir-
it and innocence of children. The brothers,
known only as Little Crow Egg and Big
Crow Egg, namesakes based on their pen-
chant for consuming crows’ eggs—the
filmmaker said that many children came
up to him in the slum and said that they eat
crows’ eggs to “become strong and tall”—
are resourceful and generally happy. We’re
shown childhood innocence is universal.
These boys don’t fully understand where
they fall on the wealth scale, yet, and what
limitations poverty can impose.
The charm of The Crow’s Egg ultimately
lies in the performances by the two boys in
the lead roles. They lend a sense of magic
and naturalism to the film. The wide smiles
and knowing glances that they exchange
with each other are especially endearing.
Manikandan says, initially, he cast profes-
sional child actors, but felt he wasn’t get-
ting “natural” enough performances from
them. He then asked the production com-
pany for two months to train two children,
Ramesh and Ramesh Thilaganathan, who
were from the slums. The film is all the
richer for their inclusion.
There are plenty of moments that’ll
make you laugh, smile or cheer on the
boys. There’s a particularly sweet and
funny scene in which the grandmother,
who always encourages and supports her
grandsons, tries to make a pizza—with a
dosa base!—from just a picture on a menu.
At one point, the children are denied en-
try to the pizza parlour they’ve been saving
up to visit (through a string of odd jobs),
because they don’t fit the bill of what pa-
trons should look like. When they go to
buy new clothes, to look the part, Little
Crow Egg, staring up at the imposing mall
structure, jokes that the mall security will
definitely not let them in, here! This makes
you think about how discriminatory our
society can be and the vicious cycle of
poverty this creates.
The actor Balraj Sahni once described
an experience in which he was refused
service, because he was dressed as a rick-
shawala, while shooting 1953’s Do Bigha
Zamin, saying: “It is a special characteris-
tic of our country that a poor man may be
turned away from a shop, even if he should
have money to buy things!” More than 60
years on, little seems to have changed.
The film urges us to consider the effects
of globalization, as well. Why do we glo-
rify Western food items like pizza, which
is depicted in countless ads on Indian TV
screens and billboards, far more than we
do Indian cuisine? What about the rise of
consumerism and the increasing divide be-
tween the rich and the poor? The boys have
a rich friend (of sorts), whom they speak to
through a fence. Little Crow Egg, having
seen the rich boy’s watch, later picks up a
tattered toy watch and, thrilled, straps it on
his wrist, without realising that it isn’t the
real deal.
I think these themes are quite personal
to Manikandan. When asked about how
he came up with the idea for the film, he
explained that, a couple of years ago, his
then five-year-old son wanted pizza, and
“I couldn’t afford a pizza at that time and
I kept wondering, what’s so great about
pizza; why does he want it?” The film-
maker said he noticed that when his son
was bought pizza, he’d never eat all of it.
That led Manikandan to wonder whether
his son really just wanted to go to a pizza
parlour because of the environment, the
air-conditioning, the way he was treated
there and the advertising.
The Crow’s Egg falls somewhere in be-
tween India’s art and commercial cinemas.
It’s the sort of middle cinema that touches
on serious issues—like, the poverty di-
vide in India, the effects of globalisation,
consumerism, exploitation by politicians,
sensationalism by Indian television news
channels, corruption and more—mostly
through comedy. Seen from this lens, one
is able to overlook the sometimes unwieldy
plot and the persistently bright outlook.
If you leave any expectations of art cin-
ema at the door, The Crow’s Egg is heart-
warming, engaging and enjoyable. And,
though it doesn’t rouse our anger against
inequalities that exist in India as deeply as
it could (because of its feel-good tone), it
does raise pertinent questions.
It’s worth pointing out that, during the
screening of The Crow’s Egg at Mall of
the Emirates, the audience (made up of
various nationalities) broke into applause
several times during the movie, as well as
after. The film is a crowd-pleaser. I hope
it does well when it hits Indian cinema
screens in early 2015.

A case of the ‘happies’…
A few simple activities can really brighten things up and make life feel a little less humdrum…
Sannam Ahmad
CONSULTING EDITOR
I
t’s so easy to get caught up in the daily
grind and feel like you’re just going
through the motions. This week, TGI
brings you some simple tips on how to in-
fuse a little bit of joy into your life.
Bubble it up!
Tap into your inner child and… Blow some
bubbles! You’ll be surprised at how good
it’ll make you feel to catch the colours of
the rainbow on the surfaces of those bub-
bles! This is a simple, affordable pick-me-
up that’s sure to add a bit of fun to any day.
Dust off and don the
cook’s hat
If you’re like me, just the thought of step-
ping into the kitchen or preparing a meal
is such a bore! But, even I have to admit,
once you get in there and start experiment-
ing, it can be rather fun. It’s relaxing for a
lot of people—some of my friends go as far
as swearing that it’s therapeutic for them.
Even if you don’t find it relaxing, chances
are, you’ll be really proud and satisfied
when you see something you’ve taken the
time to prepare, gracing your plate. Stud-
ies suggest eating homemade food, by and
large, is far healthier than eating out. You
know what you’ve put in, you know that
you’ve prepared it hygienically (at least
we hope so!) and you’re more likely to
use fresher and less processed ingredients
than restaurants. If you feel completely
lost, pick up a beginner’s cookbook. It’ll
be one of the best investments you’ll ever
make. Beginner or expert, try one new dish
a week to keep things fresh!
LIFESTYLE
Get ’er done!
So many of us give into procrastination,
nowadays. Why not surprise yourself by
trying to complete a long overdue task or
chore, twice a week, rather than putting it
off? I know it sounds lame, but, the sense
of accomplishment we gain from getting
things done is pretty cool. It’s a great feel-
ing, when you can strike off an item from
your to-do list! The more pending stuff
that gets done, the more in-control you’ll
feel about things in your life and the less
stressed out you’ll be about all that you
have to do. So, just twice a week, don’t
give into procrastination and see how much
of a difference it can make.
Express yourself
And, not just because Madonna told you
to, back in the ’80s! Tap into your passion
or revive a long-forgotten hobby. Espe-
cially if you’ve gotten so caught up in the
W E E K L Y
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2015
daily grind, that you’re not making time
for other things. Write, paint, sing, dance,
take pictures, do whatever you feel like!
Even if it’s something that you’ve never
attempted before, go for it! It’s exciting
to explore new territory. Just get some ba-
sic supplies, if needed, and dive right in.
It’s a real joy to be able to express your-
self through an artistic medium. You can
always download useful apps or get tips
from the Internet to improve your skills.
Or, for the more social, join a club for
your particular passion. It’s so easy to fall
into patterns that are receptive, at home
(binge-watching favourite TV shows, any-
one?). By regularly devoting time to cre-
ating something, you’ll derive a sense of
enjoyment that might have been missing
from your life, for years.
Spruce up your living
space
Our environment can really make a dif-
ference to our mood. It’s so easy to get
used to dull or cluttered surroundings.
Take some time out to eliminate eyesores.
Add pops of colour. Go on the search for
a work of art by a UAE-based painter,
sculptor or photographer. Just the search,
alone, will open your eyes to a cultural
15
scene that might otherwise have passed
you by. Scented candles are great addi-
tions to any home. It’s not all about looks
and fragrances—invest in nicer bedding,
like sheets with a higher thread count.
It’s surprising how a few little tweaks can
make you feel a whole lot better. Try and
stick to the following advice from now on:
Buy only what you love and won’t want to
discard. Surrounding yourself with things
that you love will not only brighten your
surroundings, but will also make you feel
like you’re valuing yourself more.
Read more
It seems like, in our fast-paced lives,
we’ve really taken to a ‘fast food’ culture.
Sadly, this has led to so many of us los-
ing the wonderful habit of regular reading.
Remember what it felt like to completely
lose yourself in an amazing novel? Browse
titles and synopses in a bookstore or on-
line (if that’s your thing)—if you don’t
know where to start, try looking up lists
of ‘greatest books’ online. It’ll be difficult
not to get excited by all the interesting
stories out there. Once you’ve browsed,
select and buy three books by different au-
thors and if possible, from different genres
and/or time periods. Once the books are in
your home, try to read five days a week.
Whether you read one page or 100 pages,
make an effort to stick to this pattern, until
you’re back into the swing of reading reg-
ularly. Reading is such a beautiful thing.
It encourages your imagination to take
flight, offers you a new perspective and,
when it comes to great books, it can pro-
foundly move you. Every person reading
this must have had at least one experience
where finishing a book made you feel sad,
because you’d become so invested in it.
That really is quite something.
 LIFESTYLE W E E K L Y 15

Tips for a brighter smile

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015

Sannam Ahmad
Consulting Editor

A
smile can go a long way in creat-
ing a positive first impression; it’s
just one of those things that people
tend to notice about you straightaway. It’s
no surprise then, that white teeth have al-
ways been in vogue. So, how do you get
your pearlies looking as bright as possible?
Sure, you can opt for something like (fairly
expensive) laser bleaching sessions at the
dentist’s, for dazzling results, or home
bleaching kits (pick gel trays over strips, if
you try these), but, for a little boost, there
are a tonne of things you can do at home to
brighten your smile.
This week, we bring you some of our
best tips for a brighter smile, beyond obvi-
ous suggestions like make sure you brush
your teeth twice or thrice a day and that
you change your toothbrush every three
months or so. If you have braces or dental
problems, it’s best to check with your den-
tist before trying any of these out.

Avoid staining foods and

drinks or use water after
you consume them
First off, identify food and drink that can
stain your teeth easily. Try to curb your
intake of these. Dark teas and juices, red
wine, coffee, blueberries, soy sauce, mari-
nara sauce, dishes prepared with turmeric
and even smoking cigarettes or cigars can
stain your teeth. Some dentists recom-
mend brushing your teeth immediately
after eating or drinking staining things. If
that sounds like something you’re unlikely
to do, try rinsing out your mouth, instead.
Failing which, it’s a good idea to take a big
sip of water, swirling it around your mouth
for a bit, and then swallowing. Another tip
is drinking staining liquids through a straw
rather than straight from a glass. Also, if
you consume highly acidic food or drink,
like oranges or white wine, make sure to
rinse your mouth out with water, as the
acid they contain can erode tooth enamel,
which can make your teeth more suscep-
tible to staining.
Baking soda
You can brush your teeth with baking soda
to remove stains and get your teeth gleam-
ing, again. Just use the baking soda, as
you would do toothpaste, or, add it to the
glob of toothpaste on your toothbrush. But,
make sure you rinse thoroughly afterwards
and that you don’t use baking soda more
than once a week, as it can be abrasive.
Eat raw fruits and veggies
Certain raw fruits, vegetables and other
crunchy foods—especially fibrous ones—
are great for a bright smile. Try munching
on raw carrots, apples, celery or cauliflow-
This week, TGI
brings you some
home remedies to get
your pearly whites
looking more white
again…
er. These foods help you produce more
saliva, which can remove surface stains.
Another way you can increase saliva pro-
duction is by chewing gum. Try out a sug-
arless kind.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar seems to be one of
those magical ingredients that have a
seemingly endless list of benefits. Try
rinsing with a solution made of one part
apple cider vinegar and two parts vinegar.
Swish around the solution in your mouth
for about a minute and spit it out. As with
other brightening tips, don’t overdo this,
as it can cause abrasion. If you want to
rinse with apple cider vinegar more fre-
quently, use just one teaspoon of it in a
glass of water.
Strawberries
Who woulda thought?! In addition to being
high in Vitamin C, which can help remove
plaque, strawberries contain malic acid,
which can remove surface stains. So, for
a yummy solution, eat more strawberries!
Some people advocate rubbing a cut straw-
berry over the teeth or applying a mashed
strawberry to them for a minute and then
rinsing. Don’t do this more than once in
7-10 days, though.
Coconut Oil
‘Oil pulling’ has become a bit of a craze,
lately. It actually has its roots in old
Ayurvedic traditions. Practitioners swear
by it. The lauric acid in coconut oil can
help remove the bacteria found in plaque
that can make teeth yellow. Plus, us-
ing coconut oil is supposed to keep your
gums healthy and freshen your breath.
This remedy takes patience and discipline.
Before eating anything or brushing your
teeth in the morning, scoop up some co-
conut oil (around one tablespoon), pop it
in your month and keep swishing—more
like pushing and pulling—it for 10 to 15
minutes. Spit it out, rinse with water and
brush your teeth as you normally would.
Ayurvedic practitioners believe oil pulling
helps remove toxins from the body and can
help alleviate a range of health problems
including sinus troubles!
Hydrogen Peroxide
If you want to try out this long-touted teeth
brightening remedy: buy a bottle of hydro-
gen peroxide (3 per cent solution) from a
pharmacy; mix it in a 50:50 ratio solution
with water; swish the solution for some-
time and then spit it out; rinse your mouth
and brush your teeth. Like with other teeth
whitening remedies, don’t do this too of-
ten. You can also make a paste by mixing
hydrogen peroxide with baking soda in a
2:3 ratio and brushing your teeth with this
mixture. Follow this by… You guessed
it!... Rinsing out your mouth and brushing
your teeth with toothpaste. Don’t use the
paste method more than once in 7-10 days.
Also, you’ve got to be really careful not
to swallow any of the hydrogen peroxide.
 LIFESTYLE 21

Kaya Gold Radiance

W E E K L Y

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2015

Facial: Review
Sannam Ahmad
Consulting Editor
What: Kaya Gold Radiance
Facial
Where: Kaya Skin Clinic,
Town Centre, Jumeirah
Cost: Dhs 900
Duration: 60 minutes
lights were dimmed and
we began. After some light
stretching of the body, Sou-
haila carried out cleansing
and toning, to prep the face.
With a light, nimble touch,
she used a milk cleanser
and toner to clean the skin
and remove any dry, flaky

T
GI headed to Kaya
Clinic’s Town Cen-
tre branch to check
out their Kaya Gold Radi-
ance Facial. Kaya is a sk-
incare clinic chain, with 18
branches in the Gulf region.
We opted for the hour-long
Kaya Gold Radiance Facial,
which costs Dhs 900.
At the beginning of the
treatment, I asked my ther-
apist, Souhaila (who had
flawless skin!), to walk me
through the procedure, so,
I’d know what to expect. I
let her know that my skin
tends to be quite dry, so that
she could make any neces-
sary adjustments. She said
the treatment’s main effect
is to give the skin a real
glow, but that it also has
‘anti-aging’ effects. All the
products used in the facial
were from Kaya’s Oro Gold
24K range.
Once I’d settled in, the
patches. Next, she meticu-
lously applied a microderm-
abrasion machine, section-
by-section, over the face
and neck area to ensure that
all dead skin cells were re-
moved. This had a slight
suction effect, but was not
at all unpleasant. Following
this, Souhaila removed any
blackheads and whiteheads.
My skin’s pretty dry and
it stung a little, in parts, dur-
ing the cleansing stages, es-
pecially once the toner was
applied. But, not for too
long, because, next, Sou- While the serum was sink- ing cream was massaged me relax on my own. After the next month, for mainte-
haila applied a mixture of ing in, Souhaila focused on into the skin. It felt rich, about 10 minutes, the mask nance purposes. A bonus!
a serum and facial cleanser. the delicate eye area. She luxuriant and really hy- was removed, and she gen- The Kaya Gold Radiance
This gave my skin immedi- used an eye serum and drating and the massage tly dabbed my face and neck facial is great for most skin
ate relief. She then used an cream to gently massage, was very calming. Next, a with tissues to remove any types, but can’t be done if
Accura machine, which is and get the circulation going special gold and collagen excess moisturiser. you have lots of acne, ec-
supposed to help the serum in, the eye area, which, for mask, which is touted as the I was told afterwards to zema or extremely dry skin.
penetrate the skin deeper. most of the treatment, was mainstay of this treatment, refrain from applying any Overall, after the treat-
The tip of the applicator covered by nice, cool water- was applied. It felt cool and foundation for at least 12 ment, my skin felt much
was warm and it had a really soaked cotton pads. soothing. While it was left hours. And, I was given the more hydrated and looked
soothing effect, as Souhaila One of the most relax- to work its magic, Souhaila mask in a ziplock bag to brighter, smoother, clearer
used it in lifting, sometimes ing stages of the facial was massaged my hands with a take home and apply for 15 and tauter. There was defi-
circular, motions. when a deep day moisturis- rich hand cream and then let minutes once a week, over nitely an added glow.

How to fight fatigue

Sannam Ahmad us are getting an inadequate feeling tired? Try exercis- feeling sapped of energy,
Consulting Editor amount of sleep. Lack of ing. Physical activity can the cause of your fatigue

D
o you regularly
feel tired, low-on-
energy, rundown?
Fatigue is a common com-
plaint. First, rule out any un-
derlying health problems as
a cause, like anaemia, heart
disease, diabetes and thy-
roid disease. Next, try out
some simple measures like:
Getting enough
sleep
It may sound obvious, but,
with our fast-paced lives,
it’s no surprise that many of
sleep can substantially af-
fect your daily functioning,
energy levels and general
health. Everybody’s differ-
ent, but a good rule of thumb
is seven to eight hours of
sleep every night. Con-
sciously pay attention to the
amount of sleep you’re get-
ting and make it a priority.
Stay away from your laptop,
mobile and TV before bed-
time to drift off more easily.
Getting active
So, what if you’re getting
enough sleep but are still
help boost energy levels.
Exercise releases endor-
phins in your body, which
trigger a positive feeling.
Engaging in some physical
activity is bound to make
you feel more awake, self-
confident and robust. You
can do whatever activity
you like, from a power walk
to a basketball game with
friends. Or, even something
like yoga!
Keeping hydrated!
If you’re sleeping and exer-
cising enough, but are still
could be dehydration. Stud-
ies have shown that athletes
find it harder to workout
when they are dehydrated.
Not getting enough water
and other liquids can also
significantly reduce alert-
ness and concentration. A
good marker for whether
you’re consuming enough
water is… Urine! I know,
it’s a strange thing to ob-
serve, but, if your urine is
dark in colour, it might indi-
cate that you’re not getting take thirst for hunger. Next first, to ensure you’re not
enough water. Also, remem- time you get hunger pangs, misinterpreting your body’s
ber that we sometimes mis- try drinking some water signals.

ISSUE NO. 81 • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2015 • DUBAI - UAE
Bhopal undergoes a realty
makeover Pg 07
Breast cancer
awareness
this October
Several breast cancer awareness initiatives have been launched for
the month of October across the UAE
Sannam Ahmad
CONSULTING EDITOR
T
he iconic pink rib-
bon, which is used
as a symbol for
breast cancer awareness, is
already proudly on display
across the UAE, in honour
of Breast Cancer Awareness
Month (October).
Breast cancer is the most
common form of cancer in
women across the world, ac-
counting for about a quarter
of all cancer cases in women.
Around 1.68 million
breast cancer cases were re-
ported across the world in
2012 and 522,000 women
died from breast cancer in
the same year.
Survival rates depend on
many factors, including a
person’s age and the extent of
the disease, and vary region-
ally. North America, for in-
stance, has a survival rate (of
at least five years) of about
80 per cent. Survival rates in
developing countries tend to
be lower, as the cancer is usu-
ally detected at a late stage.
One incredibly impor-
tant way in which the sur-
vival rate can be improved
is through early detection.
This is why many of the
campaigns during October
Enter TGI's
Read ‘n’ Win contest
You could win an Ikon Android Mobile
Phone for FREE.
put an emphasis on early de-
tection and screening.
By and large, the most ef-
fective screening method for
breast cancer is mammogra-
phy. However, it can be very
expensive in developing
countries, where procedures
such as clinical breast exam-
inations are more common.
It’s important to note that,
although it can develop in
men, breast cancer is about
100 times more common in
women than in men.
The UAE and
India
According to the World
Health Organization (WHO),
in the UAE, breast cancer
accounts for about 24.1 per
cent of all cancer deaths in
women.
In India, WHO says that
breast cancer accounts for
21.5 per cent of all cancer
deaths in women. To put that
into perspective, out of In-
dia’s 326,300 cancer-related
deaths in women in 2014,
around 70,154 deaths were
due to breast cancer.
October: Spread-
ing awareness in
the UAE
The idea behind a Breast
Cancer Awareness Month
(For details, refer to our ad on
Price: AED 3
Physiotherapy: an evolved
allied health profession Pg 9
is that it can be dedicated to
raising awareness about the
disease and raising funds for
research into the different
causes, prevention methods,
diagnoses, treatment options
and potential cures. Here’s a
look at just a handful of the
many campaigns that are
currently under way in the
UAE…
BurJuman - 2015
Safe & Sound
campaign
This October, yet again, Bur-
Juman is at the forefront of
breast cancer awareness. Its
‘2015 Safe & Sound’ breast
cancer awareness campaign
is one of the region’s biggest
and most comprehensive
breast cancer initiatives.
The mall launched the first
edition of its campaign back
in 1997. Organisers say that,
in the 18 years since, it has
Stay connected.
Page 5)
thegulfindian.com
/thegulfindian @thegulfindian thegulfindian
Exploring Khajuraho
Pg 10
so many women and their
loved ones.”
He added, “With the de-
velopment of the new Safe
& Sound app, we are aim-
ing to reach even more indi-
viduals with our message of
survival through education
and early detection.”
Chairwoman Linda Ber-
lot, who is a breast cancer
survivor and a Safe & Sound
ambassador, said, “We hope
to spread awareness of this
disease and the importance
of early detection through
self-examination and reg-
ular health-checks… A
community-wide campaign
such as Safe & Sound 2015
will ultimately save lives
through education, support
and empowerment.”
Al Jalila
Foundation and
Brest Friends
The Al Jalila Foundation,
which BurJuman has tied
up with for its campaign
this year, is a medical char-
ity that was founded in 2013
>> Continued on Page 3
reached more than 25 mil-
lion people and raised more
than Dh 2.5 million for pa-
tient care and awareness ini- Follow your favourite
tiatives.
A new addition to this
segments on our website:
year’s campaign is the
launch of a ‘Safe & Sound’ www.thegulfindian.com
mobile application. The app
is available to subscribers
everywhere—not just in the
UAE. You can use it to track
your progress while running
or walking.
The app, which can be
used by individuals or or-
ganisations, also allows us-
ers to directly donate to the
Al Jalila Foundation and
Brest Friends (read on for
details).
If the total distance
walked in the app reaches
the 50,000-kilometre mark,
BurJuman has pledged to
donate an additional Dh
100,000 to the cause.
Now available for sale
at leading Hyper & Super Markets.
Leigh Regan, COO of
BurJuman said, “Now in its
nineteenth year, BurJuman
is incredibly proud to have
P.O. Box: 54217, Dubai - UAE., Tel: +971 4 354 6288, Fax: +971 4 354
been a part of an initiative
6285, E-mail: info@thegulfindian.com
that has touched the lives of

Reliance & UAE’s EDIC tie-
up on defence equipment
TGI Reporter
DUBAI
R
eliance Defence
Limited, recently
signed a pact with
the UAE’s Emirates De-
fence Industries Company
(EDIC) to collaborate in the
defence equipment field, es-
pecially on maintenance, re-
pair and overhaul of military
equipment.
Under the agreement, the
companies will also explore
opportunities for manufac-
turing in defence vehicles,
aviation, armament manu-
facturing, defence electron-
ics, other defence equip-
ment, and commercial and
naval ships.
A statement by Reliance
Group said, “The partner-
ship will aim at creating
Breast cancer awareness this October
<< Continued from Page 1
by His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Prime Minister
and Vice President of the
UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The foundation has part-
nered with Dubai’s only
breast cancer support group,
Brest Friends, for the cam-
paign.
Al Jalila Foundation’s
CEO, Dr Abdulkareem al
Olama, said, “According
to recent studies, the inci-
dence of breast cancer has
risen by 20 per cent and
women here (in the UAE)
are being diagnosed at a
younger age than in the
West. Having said that,
very little research on this
issue is done locally—in-
stead, we are obliged to rely
on resourcing from abroad,
a considerably more costly
option. By partnering with
BurJuman’s Safe & Sound
campaign, we hope to raise
funds for local breast can-
cer research, as well as in-
creasing awareness of the
disease and supporting
women as they undergo
treatment.”
Brest Friends’ Founder
and President, Dr Houriya
Kazim, said that the organ-
isation will work alongside
Al Jalila to help breast can-
cer patients, in many ways,
UAE THIS WEEK
synergy to bring down op-
erational costs and leverage
each other’s capabilities.”
The Anil Ambani-led
Reliance Defence Ltd is a
wholly-owned subsidiary
of Reliance Infrastructure
Limited and has 11 subsid-
iaries of its own, in niche
defence fields.
EDIC is one of UAE’s
leading integrated national
including providing emo-
tional and financial support.
Unicare
Unicare Medical Centre has,
once again, joined BurJu-
man’s campaign. It will run
a number of breast cancer-
related activities during Oc-
tober. These include giving
away 10,000 coupons for
free check-ups and offering
discounted mammograms at
its clinics.
Other initiatives
in the UAE
Many other initiatives are
taking place in the UAE
for breast cancer awareness
during October.
Prime Healthcare Group
is providing free screenings,
which include consulta-
tion, an ultrasound and/or a
mammogram, at its clinics.
Dr Phanipriya Garikapati,
Specialist General Sur-
defence manufacturing and
services organisations.
Cooperation between In-
dia and the UAE on defence
is aided by the fact that the
countries have several com-
mon platforms, such as Mi-
rage 2000, Hawk trainers,
Pilatus PC7, Lockhead Mar-
tin C130J and C-17.
India reportedly spends
close to Rs 8,000 crore a
geon, Prime Hospital, said,
“Through our campaign, we
aim to educate the commu-
nity and highlight the im-
portance of early detection
and diagnosis.”
With support from Dubai
Islamic Bank, Zulekha Hos-
pital is also carrying out
a breast cancer awareness
campaign. Its campaign tar-
gets women over 40, who
will be offered free mammo-
grams and specialist consul-
tations with oncologists and
surgeons.
Zulekha Hospital’s CEO,
Zanubia Shams, comment-
ed, “Many women tend
to think that breast cancer
cannot happen to them and,
as a result, develop a false
sense of security about their
risks of developing the dis-
ease. The main message
behind this campaign is to
educate and remind women
of the importance of regular
year on aircraft mainte-
nance, alone.
In early September, Re-
liance Defence Ltd had
signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with
Abu Dhabi Ship Building
(ADSB) (which specialises
in the construction, repair
and refit of naval, military
and commercial vessels), to
collaborate on the construc-
tion of naval ships, includ-
ing frigates, destroyers and
other specialised vessels.
The moves come follow-
ing a joint statement that
was issued by the UAE and
India at the conclusion of
Indian Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi’s August visit to
the UAE, which stated that
the countries would: “Coop-
erate in manufacture of de-
fence equipment in India”.
testing.”
Abu Dhabi Commercial
Bank (ADCB)’s breast can-
cer awareness campaign
runs through October and
November. It aims to edu-
cate the public about the
disease, to underline the im-
portance of early detection
and to raise funds to sup-
port breast cancer research
in the UAE. As part of the
campaign, 5-kilometre and
10-kilometre ADCB ZSC
Pink runs will be held on
October 16 and an ADCB
Pink Polo event will take
place on November 6 at the
Ghantoot Racing & Polo
Club, in conjunction with
the Abu Dhabi Health Au-
thority. Plus, ADCB ATM
users will be able to donate
Dh 1 at the end of every
transaction in October to a
breast cancer charity.
ADCB’s Head of Cor-
porate Communications,
Majdi Abdel Muhdi, said
that the bank’s campaign is
aimed at: “Spreading a mes-
sage of hope among breast
cancer patients, and encour-
aging and supporting wom-
en to take the early detection
test, through our sponsored
mobile mammogram unit
(which will be present at
all ADCB-sponsored events
during the campaign).”
Even spas are doing their
W E E K L Y
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2015
3
Sharjah’s SAIF Zone
promoted in India
TGI Reporter
Sharjah
A
delegation from the
Sharjah Airport In-
ternational Free Zone
Authority, or ‘SAIF Zone’,
recently concluded a visit to
India. The team conducted
roadshows and a business
forum in eight Indian cities.
The roadshows were held in association with the Con-
federation of Indian Industry and the Federation of In-
dian Export Organization in Kochi, Chennai, Coimbatore
and Bengaluru. The international business forum, titled
‘Taking Business Global’, was held in Mumbai, Ahmed-
abad, Baroda and Surat.
The visit was intended to highlight Sharjah as an at-
tractive investment destination.
Director of SAIF Zone, Saud Salim al Mazrouei, said,
“The overall response was overwhelming and positive. We
expect a good number of entrepreneurs and investors to
turn to SAIF Zone in the near future.” He added, “Nearly
50 per cent of our investors in SAIF Zone are from India.”
The SAIF Zone was established in 1995. Today, it
houses about 7,000 businesses from 149 countries.
bit. SensAsia Spa, for in- of Her Highness Sheikha
stance, is offering a special Jawaher bint Mohammed
‘In The Pink’ massage pack- al Qasimi, wife of Shar-
age (priced at Dh 565) dur- jah’s ruler. FOCP provides
ing October. It says that all a range of services to cancer
proceeds from the package patients, including helping
will go directly to Friends cover treatment costs in the
of Cancer Patients (FOCP), UAE and even sending pa-
which was established in tients abroad for specialised
1999, under the patronage treatment.
Some signs of breast cancer
• Lump/lumps in the breast or armpit area
• Changes in the shape or size of a breast
• Changes in the skin over the breast area (such as
dimpling or thickening)
• Changes in the nipple (such as discharge)
Risk factors for breast cancer
For most people with breast cancer, specific risk fac-
tors can’t be identified. Women who don’t have any
of the risk factors mentioned below can still develop
breast cancer. That said, it’s still worth being aware of
the risk factors:
• Personal or family history of breast cancer and oth-
er cancers
• BRCA gene mutations (responsible for a small pro-
portion of all cases)
• Reproductive issues, especially those linked to pro-
longed exposure to endogenous oestrogens (such as
an early start to menstruation, late menopause or
having your first child at a late age)
• Hormonal replacement therapy
• Exposure to ionising radiation
• Being overweight and obese (and, potentially, being
physically inactive)
• Alcohol consumption
 4 W E E K L Y
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016
Perk up your walls with prints
from a local photographer
Dubai-based photographer
Saharsh Cherian has recently set
up an online store, Pixelesque
Photography, showcasing his
diverse collections. You can
purchase reasonably-priced pieces
that provide a unique insight into
the UAE and other places…
‘Looks Like Nothing’s Going To Change’
Sannam Ahmad
CONSULTING EDITOR
W
ith big businesses
reigning supreme in
virtually every field in
the UAE, it’s nice to be able to
support local businesses, when
you get the chance.
Pixelesque Photography is one
such venture. In this online store,
you’ll find an eclectic assortment
of images by Dubai-based pho-
tographer, Saharsh Cherian. These
include shots that capture rarely
pictured sights of the UAE.
Some of the photos, like scenes
from a bullfight in Fujairah, are
‘Forgotten Fences’
styled like social documentary
photography, while others, like
‘The Social Handle’ (a beautiful
close-up of a blue shisha hose cov-
er), have more artistic hues.
You’ll find everything from en-
gaging portraits, like the black-
and-white ‘The Sales Pitch’, to
landscapes and panoramas, like
‘The Camels’ Humps are Moun-
tains Far Away’ (which could eas-
ily be mistaken for a painting, upon
first view).
There are also some impressive
architectural photographs, like
‘Lines Under The Sun’ and ‘The
Grand Between’.
A few of my favourites include
the expertly framed ‘The Keyhole
‘The Green Door’
UAE THIS WEEK
‘A Tree of Life’
‘Luminous’
Submission’, the artistic ‘A Tree of
Life’, the black-and-white ‘Forgot-
ten Fences’ and the vibrant ‘Lumi-
nous’.
Asked about what insights he’s
gained while photographing the
UAE, Cherian says, “I found that
there is a lot more to the country,
visually, than most postcards, mag-
azines or books would lead you to
believe. Driving around this tiny
country, I’ve come across pockets
that I had never heard of, nor ex-
pected. From ostrich farms to Land
Rover Defender graveyards, all the
way to Arab merchants who enjoy
old Hindi music.”
Cherian’s photography isn’t
limited to the UAE. You can buy
prints of some stunning visuals
from Vietnam and South India, for
example. He will also be uploading
‘Into The Sunset’
‘The Social Handle’
many other collections to the on-
line store, over the next few weeks.
One of the photos from his ‘The
Beautiful Country’ (Vietnam) col-
lection, titled ‘Looks Like Noth-
ing’s Going To Change’, features
a tantalising green sea with clouds
that seem to stretch on forever. It’s
an arresting, moody piece that you
could truly get lost in.
Then, there are some pictures
that find beauty where you’d least
expect it, like ‘The Green Door’,
which shows two pink plastic bags
filled with produce, hanging from a
worn-out wooden door, on which,
some of the green paint has peeled
off, in parts.
The collection, ‘The Indian
South’, includes ‘A Spot of Tea’,
which features a striking close-up
of dew-drenched tea leaves, against
‘A Spot Of Tea’
‘The Sales Pitch’
‘The Keyhole Submission’
an out-of-focus background. It’s
like a welcome burst of green that
helps quench our thirst for foliage,
out here in the desert.
The collection also contains the
tranquil pink palette-based ‘Into
The Sunset’, in which a lone man
manoeuvers his virtually silhouett-
ed boat in glistening pink-orange
waters, that appear to seamlessly
blend into the lilac-pink skies
above.
If you’ve been looking for some-
thing different to spruce up your
walls with, which also supports
a local artist, we strongly recom-
mend that you check out Cherian’s
collections. What’s more, the on-
line store offers free home delivery
for all UAE purchases.
Visit: http://www.pixelesque-
photography.com/ for more.
 16
What it takes to make
it in the world of film
Sannam Ahmad
Consulting Editor
G
auri Chadha was
born in New Delhi
in 1986, but has
largely been based in Dubai,
since she was three years
old. She discovered a pas-
sion for film while at school
and has worked hard, since,
to make her dream of film-
making become a reality.
From working as an Assis-
tant Director on various com-
mercials for brands in India
to writing, directing and pro-
ducing her own documenta-
ry, Gawah, Gauri persevered
through the years to perfect
her craft. She even served
as an Assistant Director for
Mission Impossible: Ghost
Protocol (2011) in Mumbai,
which she recalls fondly as a
project that showed her that,
with determination and hard
work, “you can be part of
anything” and that, whether
you’re working on a big-
budget Hollywood block-
buster or a labour of love
that’s sprouted from a much
smaller budget, “the form
remains the same and the
language of film remains the
same.”
Gauri moved from Dubai
to Scotland for the first year
of her IGCSEs and then re-
turned to Dubai, where she
completed her IGCSEs at
Cambridge School. Aiglon
College in Switzerland fol-
lowed, which is where she
was first struck by “the
power of cinema”. Bitten
by the film bug, she headed
to the University of Miami
to pursue a Double Ma-
jor in Motion Pictures and
Theatre Arts, but decided
to quit before completing
the course, to take up more
practical film education—
which led to a two-year stint
at London’s prestigious Met
Film School. There was no
turning back after this, for
the young filmmaker, who
moved to Mumbai to put her
education to the test.
When I asked Gauri
whether she had any favou-
rite auteurs, she said that it
was the ‘Master of Suspense’
W E E K L Y
SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015
Many young UAE-based
NRIs are making a
name for themselves in
various fields of work.
This week, we wanted
to share one such story
with our readers…
(Alfred Hitchcock), whose
work first illuminated the
power of film to her. But,
she was quick to add that her
tastes are varied. Her all-time
favourite romantic picture
is the classic, Casablanca
(1942). When we met, she
had recently seen and loved
Alejandro Gonzalez Inar-
ritu’s Oscar-nominated Ja-
vier Bardem-starrer, Biutiful
(2010). Gauri commented,
“I love stories that deal with
human emotion.” So, it’s no
surprise that she sees herself
as a “performance-based di-
rector” for whom “charac-
ters drive the story; the story
doesn’t drive the characters.”
Gawah is Gauri’s most
critically acclaimed achieve-
ment to date. The documen-
tary took her more than
three years (on-and-off) to
complete. The film looks
at the trauma endured by
those who have witnessed
acts of terrorism. It focuses
on three events that have
deeply affected Indians: the
1947 India-Pakistan parti-
tion, the 26/11 Mumbai ter-
rorist attacks (2008) and the
July 13th 2011 serial blasts
in Mumbai.
The film made the rounds
of the Indian and interna-
tional festival circuits, win-
ning numerous awards, such
as the Best Producer (All
Categories) at the Beverley
Hills Film Festival 2013,
Best Documentary Film at
LIFESTYLE
the Bhopal International
Film Festival 2013, the
Audience Choice Award at
the Mumbai Women’s In-
ternational Film Festival
2013 and Best Directing of
a Short Documentary at the
London International Film
Festival 2013.
Gauri says that she was
acutely aware of the “fragile
state” of the subjects featured
in Gawah and that this gave
her an added responsibility
to handle the material with
sensitivity. She credits the
subjects with the film’s suc-
cess, saying, without their
courage to open up and share
their stories, her vision could
never have been realised.
The team behind Gawah
actually took the completed
film back to the subjects and
showed it to them. Gauri said
that their reactions were “my
success for this film”.
Gawah was aired on the
fifth anniversary of the
26/11 Mumbai attacks on
Times Now.
When I asked Gauri where
our readers could watch the
film, she told me that, de-
spite all the accolades, the
team is still looking for dis-
tribution. Securing distribu-
tion for documentaries is
tough world-over, but, par-
ticularly so, in India, which
Gauri attributes to the fact
that there is not enough “re-
spect” for the documentary
genre in India.
Since our interview, how-
ever, I’m happy to report
that Gawah has secured dis-
tribution. It is now available
to watch on the independent
American online distribu-
tion and streaming platform,
Indieflix.
In addition to the difficul-
ties in securing distribution,
Gauri spoke about how, ear-
ly on, after having produced
and directed a series of
shorts, she discovered that
it was difficult to find a ban-
ner to put them under. This
led her to set up her own
production house, Chasing
Frames Productions.
Gauri’s most recent proj-
ect, under Chasing Frames,
is for Delhi-based NGO,
Tamana, which helps spe-
cially-abled and autistic
children. Part of the project
involved making a public
service film, ‘Even Me’,
which was released across
India on Doordarshan Na-
tional last August and is cur-
rently being played in the
NCR area before the screen-
ing of every film at a PVR
cinema. The Department of
Disability Affairs, Ministry
of Social Justice and Em-
powerment, Government of
India has endorsed the film.
Regarding the UAE’s cul-
tural scene, Gauri said, “I
think that the UAE has tre-
mendous potential. The arts
have come up a lot more than
when we were young. But, I
feel there are not enough
spaces for artists, especially
from the film fraternity, to
come together. Yes, there are
a few, but the content being
shown in them is very high-
end. We need to encourage
younger people to make
short films. Even in schools,
through things like visit-
ing workshops.” She added,
“We need more casual en-
vironments—even things as
simple as movie nights. If
there’s one thing I want to
do here in the UAE—calling
this my home—is to try and
bring people together by cre-
ating such places to encour-
age a love for film, especially
among young people.” She
added that giving UAE audi-
ences greater access to inde-
pendent cinema is essential:
“The Picturehouse is good,
but, we need more indepen-
dent cinema to be featured
in the UAE—not just block-
busters. The festivals help,
but, we need more than that.”
It’s this passion for cin-
ema that keeps Gauri work-
ing hard to live out her film-
making dream.
 26
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2014
In case you missed it...
The fastest to reach
100- and 300-wicket
hauls in test cricket
GA Lohmann of England and Dennis Lillee of Australia hold these coveted records
GA Lohmann has held the record for the fastest 100 test wickets,
now, for over 118 years
Shahid Ahmad
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
O
ur readers may not
be familiar with
most of the names
that figure on the list of the
top five bowlers who bagged
the fastest 100 wickets in test
cricket. As a matter of fact,
besides R. Ashwin of India,
the other four achieved this
feat, prior to 1931. The top
among them all was George
Alfred Lohmann of Eng-
land. He achieved this mile-
stone, while playing in what
was just his 16th test match.
In the fastest 300 wickets
in test cricket category, Den-
nis Lillee of Australia raced
to bag 300 test wickets, in
just 56 test matches. The
second on this list took two
more matches to reach the
milestone, almost 19 years
after Lillee had established
the record in 1981.
Let’s take a closer look
at the careers of these great
bowlers, especially the
top five, who reached the
100-wicket and 300-wicket
marks, in the least number of
test matches they featured in.
Fastest 100 wickets
George Lohmann is re-
garded as one of the great-
est bowlers of all time.
This right-arm medium-fast
bowler made his test debut
on July 5, 1886, for England
against Australia. It took
him only 16 matches (1896)
W E E K L Y
CRICKETING GEMS
Phillip Hughes
(1988 - 2014)
Sannam Ahmad
Consulting Editor
W
e thought it would be amiss not to address
the sad passing of Phillip Hughes in TGI,
this week.
Hughes was an Australian Test (26 matches) and
Dennis Lillee bagged 300 test wickets in only 56 test matches
ODI (25 matches) cricketer, who played domesti-
cally for South Australia and Worcestershire. The
expect famous bowling all- talented left-handed batsman made his Test debut in
FASTEST 100 WICKETS IN TEST CRICKET 2009, at the age of 20, and in his second-ever Test
rounders, such as the quartet
Milestone No. of test match, scored his first Test century. In the first innings,
Bowler/ Country reached ag. matches Year of Imran Khan, Ian Botham,
GA Lohmann Kapil Dev and Richard Hughes opened the batting and went on to score 115
of England South Africa 16 1896 Hadlee, to have achieved against South Africa, in Durban, thereby, becoming
CTB Turner this landmark. Australia’s youngest Test centurion since 1965. As if
of Australia England 17 1895 However, among the top that wasn’t enough, the young batsman came back in
SF Barnes the second innings to make 160. This earned him the
of England Australia 17 1912 five to have raced to the
300-wicket mark, only one distinction of becoming the youngest cricketer in his-
CV Grimmett
of Australia West Indies 17 1931 of these four figures is on tory to score centuries in both innings of a single Test.
R Ashwin the list—Sir Richard Hadlee The promising Hughes didn’t stop there. Last year, on
of India West Indies 18 2013 of New Zealand. The re- 11 January, he became the first Australian batsman,
maining three took a little ever, to score a century in his ODI debut, when he
FASTEST 300 WICKETS IN TEST CRICKET longer to bag 300 wickets in smashed 112 off 129 deliveries against Sri Lanka in
Milestone No. of test their respective careers. Melbourne. Adding to his growing records, during the
Bowler/ Country reached ag. matches Year Ashes last year, Hughes and debutant Ashton Agar
Dennis Lillee of Austra-
DK Lillee shared a then world record for 10th wicket partnership
of Australia Pakistan 56 1981 lia holds the distinction of
M Muralitharan taking 300 test wickets, the in a Test match, of 163.
of Sri Lanka South Africa 58 2000 fastest. It took him only 56 On 25 November, while playing a domestic Shef-
RJ Hadlee test matches to do so. The field Shield match, Hughes, who was wearing a hel-
of New Zealand Australia 61 1986 second on the list is M. met at the time, was knocked unconscious after being
MD Marshall struck on the neck by a bouncer bowled by Sean Ab-
of the West Indies Australia 61 1988 Murlitharan of Sri Lanka,
arguably, the finest off-spin- bott. He underwent emergency surgery and was put in
DW Steyn
of South Africa New Zealand 61 2013 ner the world has seen. He an induced coma, but passed away two days later, on
reached the coveted land- 27 November; just three days shy of his 26th birthday.
to reach the 100-wicket when he reached a tally mark in 58 test matches Hughes was undoubtedly a rising star and a prom-
mark—a world record that of 100 wickets, in his 18th Richard Hadlee of New ising player. His tragic death has shocked both fans
has yet to be broken, almost test. Earlier, six players had Zealand, Malcom Marshall and cricketers, alike, and tributes have poured in from
118 years on. jointly held this spot. Two of the West Indies and Da- all corners. Cricket Australia amended the scorecard
Prior to this, the record for each from the West Indies ryl Steyn of South Africa from Hughes’ final innings to state he was ’63 not out’
the fastest 100 wickets in and England, and one each all reached the 300-wicket rather than ‘retired hurt,’ after fans on social media
test cricket was held by CTB from Pakistan and South mark, while playing in their started using the line, ’63 not out forever.’ Australian
Turner of Australia, who Africa, achieved the feat in 61st test matches. Captain Michael Clarke paid a heartfelt tribute, on
had achieved the 100-wick- their 19th test matches. One might argue that what would have been Hughes’ 26th birthday. Clarke
et haul in 1895, whilst play- bowlers are the true heroes called Hughes “one of life’s true characters and gen-
ing in his 17th test match. Fastest 300 wickets in test cricket, because, for tleman” and said, “His cricketing achievements—of
Two other test players, SF Most of us will be a lot more a team to win, 20 wickets which there were many—really play second fiddle to
Barnes of England (1912) familiar with the names have to be taken. Most of the human qualities that he exhibited. Loyal to a fault,
and CV Grimmet of Austra- of the players, who have those who figure on these eternally optimistic, kind-hearted, wicked sense of hu-
lia (1931), also achieved this reached this milestone. lists have, time and again, mour, a child-like verve for life… I really could go on
landmark, in their 17th test However, many, will also be run through the batting and on.” Clarke also eulogised Hughes at his funeral,
matches. surprised to note that their line-up of their opponents, in a deeply moving tribute, on 3 December, which
In recent times, R. Ashwin favourites are missing from thereby ensuring glorious was attended by family, friends and numerous cricket-
of India sailed into the top 5 the list. For starters, fol- victories for their respective ers, including Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri.
club on November 14, 2013, lowers of the game would teams.
 UAE THIS WEEK W E E K L Y

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015

3

TGI celebrates its one-year

anniversary We hope our readers will continue to support The Gulf
Indian Weekly for years to come

Sannam Ahmad Discover India, Travel & Tour- for creating a publication of it’s actually representative of tive to keep our fellow Indians
CONSULTING EDITOR ism, Kerala This Week, Medical substance for NRIs in the UAE. India and conveys the special- connected with back home and,

T
he Gulf Indian Weekly
recently celebrated its
one-year anniversary.
The first-ever issue of TGI came
out on March 23rd, 2014.
It’s been quite a year! The
team at TGI has worked hard,
over the past 12 months, to
make The Gulf Indian Weekly
a credible, comprehensive and
informative source of news and
features for non-resident Indi-
ans (NRIs) living in the UAE.
Our core content mix remains
the same as the day we began,
with segments like UAE This
Week, Banking & Investment,
Real Estate, Higher Education,
Tourism, Bollywood and Crick-
eting Gems anchoring the pub-
lication.
To supplement these, we’ve
introduced new segments, like
the extremely popular ‘The Con-
sul General Speaks…’ column
by Anurag Bhushan, the Consul
General of India to Dubai and
the Northern Emirates.
And, the response from our
readers has been incredibly
heartening. It’s particularly en-
couraging when we receive
emails from NRIs, who have
come across the publication at
one of more than 2,500 public
distribution points spread across
all seven emirates, thanking us
We’d like to share one such
email, from Sameer Usman,
a Branch Manager of a Wall
Street Exchange Centre LLC
outlet, with you:
“Thanks to the team of ‘The
Gulf Indian Weekly’.
Because, sincerely, your
weekly newspaper literally
takes us to India, as it conveys
each and every part of what
makes news in India, across so-
cial, political, rights, property,
education, sports, entertain-
ment, tourism and a lot more
topics. Being an Indian nation-
al, I am proud of your great ef-
fort, as The Gulf Indian Weekly
speaks about our country, and
ties of our country, not only to
the Indian expatriates, but also
to all the nationalities over here
in the UAE.
May I, once again, express
my sincere thanks to your team
for the best efforts to inform
readers about the beauty of In-
dia, especially tourism.”
As The Gulf Indian Weekly’s
Founder, Managing Director
and Editor-In-Chief, Shahid Ah-
mad, puts it: “It is readers like
Sameer Usman, who keep us
inspired to cover subjects that
are of interest to our fellow non-
resident Indians, who live and
work in the UAE. Right from
the outset, it has been our objec-
we believe, we are—to a great
extent—succeeding in our en-
deavours.”
So, let us take this opportuni-
ty to thank all of our readers for
their support over the past 12
months. We hope you will con-
tinue to support The Gulf Indian
Weekly for years to come.
For those wondering what’s
next for The Gulf Indian
Weekly, watch this space. We
will be launching a new, full-
fledged website soon to compli-
ment TGI’s recently launched
Facebook (The Gulf Indian),
Twitter (@thegulfindian) and
Google Plus (THE GULF
Indian) pages.

Little to celebrate during World Water Day 2015
<< Continued from Page 1
resource is on the rise, with
no hint of supply increasing.
Water supply is, in fact, a
huge concern, with under-
ground water reserves dwin-
dling and climate change
triggering changes in rainfall
patterns.
The water scene in
India
The latest World Water
Development Report was
India-based CMI Group
make the water situation in
opens new school in Dubai
India worse, through rising
temperatures and disruption
of rainfall patterns.
A note of hope?
Judges for the prestigious
Stockholm Water Prize re-
cently announced that this
year’s recipient is India’s
own ‘Water Man’, Rajen-
dra Singh. Singh, who is a Rajendra Singh, dubbed ‘India’s Water Man’, is this year’s recipient TGI Reporter
renowned and tireless envi- of the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize DUBAI

released in India’s capital,
because India is one of the
worst affected countries in
terms of depletion of aqui-
fers.
Aquifers are underground
layers of permeable rock,
or similar materials, from
which groundwater can be
extracted via wells.
The rapid depletion of In-
dia’s aquifers is especially
troubling, as an estimated
80 per cent of people in In-
dia rely on groundwater for
drinking, because surface
waters are prone to bacteria
infestations, due to pollution
and other factors, for which
there is little accountability.
This lack of accountability
partly stems from the fact
that water use is, for the most
part, unregulated in India.
What’s more, India has a
massive agriculture industry,
which is dependent on water.
And, climate change could
ronmental campaigner, has
helped bring water to 1,000
villages in India.
He helps communities fac-
ing water crises through a
variety of techniques, such
as rainwater storage tanks
(johads), check dams and an
updated version of an ancient
Indian rainwater harvesting
technique. This technique
requires people to form low-
level banks of earth to hold
back water during monsoons
and to allow the water to seep
into the ground for later use.
His work has also helped re-
vive five rivers in Rajasthan.
Singh, who runs the NGO
‘Tarun Bharat Sangh’, which
was established in 1975, will
be presented the award by
Sweden’s King Carl XVI
Gustaf on August 26.
Looking ahead
NGO and activist efforts are
wonderful and inspiring (if
Singh, as a sole individual,
has been able to make such a
difference, then, if more in-
dividuals took up the cause,
couldn’t the water crisis be
turned around in India?).
But, we can’t rely on
NGOs and activists to do all
the work. For widespread,
impactful change to take
place, there needs to be a
genuine resolve by those in
power to make water protec-
tion a priority, by placing it
at the centre of key policies
and laws.
These laws should focus
on making more conserva-
tion and restoration efforts;
introducing more national
and community programmes
to refill water-retentive sites;
recycling more wastewater;
watershed protection; and
coming up with ways to
make water-intensive sec-
tors, like food and energy,
more efficient and less pol-
luting.
An important take-away
from this is that “develop-
ment” must not come at the
expense of water and other
environmental factors.
As for the average person,
the best thing you can do is
to be conscious about the
fact that clean, safe water is
scarce and not to take it for
granted and waste it.
Also, if you come across a
petition, campaign or other
activity that can put pressure
on governments to speedily
enact changes that will help
in water restoration efforts,
sign up!
It’s easy to become apa-
thetic, but water is some-
thing we need and it is finite.
And, with the UN predicting
that we could be facing a se-
vere water shortage within
the next 15 years—change
needs to come now rather
than later.
T
he 184-year-old CMI Group, one of India’s old-
est and most reputed education groups, has an-
nounced its entry into the UAE with the launch of
a new school, the Amled School, in Dubai.
The new school will offer the CBSE curriculum from
kindergarten to Grade 5 from the 2015-2016 academic
year and will be located in Al Khail.
The school is a joint undertaking between CMI Ra-
jagiri Province and the Amled Facilities Management
LLC, chaired by Ahmed Khaleel Khaled Al Meraikhi.
The CMI Group provides education from pre-primary
to post-doctoral levels through its 500 educational insti-
tutes. Its institutes offer courses in a variety of subjects,
including Medicine, Engineering, Management, Arts
and Social Sciences.
According to Mathew Vattathara, Director of Amled
School, this latest undertaking by the Group is a spring-
board for its ambitious plans for the UAE.
“CMI Rajagiri is keen to spread its educational foot-
print across the world and the UAE emerged as a natural
choice, due to the high number of Indian expatriates in
the country,” he said.
In addition to the teaching facilities, the school’s
campus will also contain facilities for extra-curricular,
sports and entertainment activities.
The Group also plans to launch new schools in Abu
Dhabi and Sharjah in 2017.
 UAE THIS WEEK W E E K L Y

SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015

3

TGI’s new website now online! lighter fare.

If you haven’t checked it out already, head What else can you find on
to www.thegulfindian.com , to read articles TGI’s website? If you want to
from TGI’s latest issue plus loads of get as close as possible to the
interesting features and news items from experience of reading a print
copy of TGI, online, just click
previous issues… on the READ icon on the top
left corner to read a flipbook
Sannam Ahmad Estate (Real Estate Scene), Busi- version of our latest issue. Simi-
CONSULTING EDITOR ness (Banking & Investment), larly, you can read through a

I
t’s been a great past 14
months for The Gulf Indian
Weekly, thanks to our loyal
readers.
During this time, one of the
things we’ve been working on
is putting together a new full-
fledged website.
At www.thegulfindian.com
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In addition to all the content
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UAE unveils strategic plan

for space agency
TGI Team
ABU DHABI
Always in the spot light!

T
he UAE has moved one step closer
to its aim of developing a fully-
fledged space sector, with the re-
cent launch of the Strategic Plan for the
UAE Space Agency. The Strategic Plan
was launched at the Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre on May 25. In atten-
dance were His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice
President and Prime Minister of the UAE
and Ruler of Dubai and H.H. Sheikh Ham-
dan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Rul- Space Agency are milestones for the de-
er of Dubai, along with other dignitaries. velopment of the UAE. Today, we are at
The four main objectives of the Strate- the dawn of a new era that holds the prom-
gic Plan are: to create a world-class na- ise of ambitious advancements; an era in
tional space sector that serves the UAE’s which we build our national capacity and
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20 W E E K L Y

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

A big
Thank You
to our Readers...
for your overwhelming support, encouragement and
patronage over the past 100 weeks. At TGI,
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