02-10-14

NEWS NATIONAL

NEW DELHI, October 2, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 08:34 IST

Clean India from today, pledge for nation

8.20: Schoolchildren, dressed in white with tricoloured balloons, are lined up down the whole of

Rajpath

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a five-year Clean India campaign, or Swachh Bharat

Mission, on Thursday morning, most likely by wielding the broom himself. The campaign will

culminate on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019.

The national campaign will be formally launched at the Boat Club here with the Prime Minister

administering a cleanliness oath to the nation.

In the hours after the launch with a series of events, including a visit by Mr. Modi to Valmiki Basti

and a walkathon, Union government employees will gather in their offices to take the oath, which

will be administered by the respective Ministers or administrative heads. They are expected to clean

up their work spaces and put in 100 hours a year to keep their home and office surroundings clean.

In his message to the nation on the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi, President Pranab Mukherjee urged

everyone to make the mission a success.

NATIONAL KERALA

KOCHI, October 2, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 08:19 IST

Kerala scores poorly in sanitation rating

Exposing the poor sanitary conditions in schools, only 134 CBSE schools from the State figure in the

list of 2,721 educational institutions that are listed under the national school sanitation rating.

Schools are rated as per its sanitation status in five colour categories pertaining to infrastructure,

institutional sustainability, environmental sustainability, health and hygiene and pedagogic aspects.

The rating is part of the boards National School Sanitation Initiative (NSSI) that emphasises the

provision of safe water and appropriate sanitation facilities as the first step in the creation of a

healthy learning environment.

As per NSSIs website, only 30 schools in Ernakulam had received the rating followed by Thrissur

(16), Kannur (11) and Palakkad (10). The remaining districts could not even touch the two-digit mark

in the number of schools that had applied for the sanitation rating.

About 1,360 schools are affiliated to CBSE in Kerala up to July this year, of which 130 are in

Ernakulam.The Hindu has learnt that many schools were yet to apply for these ratings in view of the

serious shortcomings in sanitation conditions that needs to be in tune with the guidelines prescribed

in the National School Sanitation Manual.

CBSE has also not made the ratings mandatory allowing the erring managements to go scot-free.

A principal of a city school that received blue rating, which means it complied with 75 per cent to 90

per cent of the norms, pointed out that they were asked to provide answers to nearly 100 questions

online as part of the rating process. CBSE officials later visited the campus to ascertain the facilities

before awarding the rating, she said.

The National School Sanitation Manual recommends one toilet for every 80 students, taking in to

consideration queuing time, peak hours (lunch/break time) and strength of the school.

For day schools, it recommends one toilet for 40 girls and a female teacher with one urinal for 20

girls. Schools must have one disabled-friendly unit in each toilet block. There should be one wash tap

in each toilet and one hand wash tap per 20 students. The manual says there should be one recessed

niche in the wall in every girls toilet to keep sanitary napkins and a minimum of two hand wash

dispensers in every toilet block or one soap per two wash taps. Schools should have water storage of

500 litres for 100 children.

NATIONAL ANDHRA PRADESH

VISAKHAPATNAM, October 2, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 02:53 IST

Vizag figures smart on Modis agenda

He managed to enlist U.S. support in the initiative

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced during his election campaign here that he would

ensure that the city got its rightful recognition as a gateway for international trade. Keeping his

promise, he has managed to get the United States take the lead role in building it into a smart city.

The city and its future figured in the two-hour discussion Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with

U.S. President Barack Obama, following which America declared that it would take the lead role in

making Ajmer, Allahabad and Visakhapatnam smart cities, an upbeat member of Parliament from

Visakhapatnam and Andhra Pradesh president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kambhampati

Haribabu said.

Visakhapatnam is the only city south of the Vindhyas to feature in the proposal for smart cities

underscoring the importance of the city in the national geo-political scenario.

This should put to rest all the talk of the doomsayers who have been trying to portray the decision to

set up political capital of the State in Vijayawada as the end of the road for the city, Mr. Haribabu

said. The city was on the priority list of both Mr. Modi and Union Minister for Urban Development

Venkaiah Naidu, and both had many things planned for its future, he said.

The city is also the headquarters of the premier operational command of the Indian Navy and is a

strategic centre in the nations Look-East Policy both in defence and commerce.

It is the gateway for the vast hinterland of Central India and is set to grow exponentially due to

inherent advantages such as location and a conducive socio-economic climate.

Efforts lauded

The behind-the-scene efforts of Mr. Haribabu were visible in the city getting its due share in the

Centres scheme of things, member of the National Executive of the Builders Association of India Ch.

Ramakotaiah said.

NATIONAL ANDHRA PRADESH

VIJAYAWADA, October 2, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 02:52 IST

Naidu to launch four flagship programmes

He will

also unveil his vision for Make in A.P campaign

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has lined up four flagship programmes for launching here on

October 2 as part of his commitment to attach more importance to the Capital city.

The programmes are Janmabhoomi-Ma Vooru, NTR Sujala Sravanthi, NTR Bharosa and Clean

Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister will also unveil his vision for the Make in A.P campaign which

is aimed at attracting investments in the manufacturing sector.

Mr. Naidu will participate in a Padayatra from Prakash Nagar to sensitize people about the

governments initiatives, along with other peoples representatives.

Chief Secretary I.Y.R. Krishna Rao and other top officials will be taking part in the programmes. He

will visit the districts before Janmabhoomi-Ma Vooru programme concludes on Oct. 20.

The district collectors have been instructed to appoint nodal officers at the mandal-level to ensure

proper implementation of the programmes. Officials of the Revenue and various departments are

already on the job of preparing action plans for improving basic amenities and identifying

beneficiaries under NTR Bharosa and other schemes.

The Chief Minister will reach Vijayawada in a special aircraft at 10 a.m. and launch NTR Sujala

Sravanthi scheme at Dabakottu Centre and NTR Bharosa at Makineni Basavapunnaiah stadium,

where he will address a public meeting before breaking for lunch at the State guesthouse between

1.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. He will embark on his return journey at 3.45 p.m.

Police Commissioner A.B. Venkateswara Rao reviewed arrangements made for the Chief Ministers

visit which comes on the penultimate day of Dasara festivities atop Indrakeeladri which is receiving

heavy influx of devotees from Tuesday.

Special Correspondent adds from Hyderabad: The Congress has asked its workers to confront

officials on the failure of the Andhra Pradesh government to implement its promises when the latter

visited villages as part of the Janmabhoomi programme from Thursday.

The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Raghuveera Reddy and former Minister S.

Sailajanath told a press conference that the Congress workers would protest in Gandhian style to

voice the demands of the people during the grama sabhas as part of Janmabhoomi.

Mr. Reddy said the government lacked conviction to include the demands of the Congress in the

minutes of the programme circulated to the Collectors. Out of a feeling of guilt that the government

did not keep its election promises, the ruling Telugu Desam Party even removed the manifesto from

its website. Among the failures, Mr. Reddy highlighted the delay in waiving loans of farmers and

issuing notification for recruitment of teachers. The notification was promised by Teachers Day on

Sept. 5.

NEWS NATIONAL


SkyMet, IMD differ on drought forecast

There is no uniform definition for drought, says IMD chief

This years rainfall has been below average and 2014 qualifies as a meteorological drought year,

private weather analysis firm SkyMet announced here on Wednesday, though the government

appears to be in denial.

SkyMet CEO Jatin Singh said this years South-West monsoon was 12 per cent below the 130-year

average of 89 centimetres. The firm had predicted a 60 per cent probability of a drought in July.

This is the fourth drought since 2000, the last being in 2009. Total kharif production has fallen by

6.9 per cent and the acreage by 2.4 per cent. This is in line with the trend as this was an El Nino

[heating of the Pacific Ocean] year and 71 per cent of droughts since 1951 have occurred during these

years, Mr. Singh told reporters here.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which is yet to release this years monsoon report,

however, refused to term it drought. The departments broad definition of an all-India

meteorological drought is a national rainfall deficit of more than 10 per cent from June 1 to

September 30, with more than a fifth of Indian territory affected.

IMD Director-General L.S. Rathore told The Hindu, Drought is a controversial subject. There is no

uniform definition and we do not declare them, the States do it in consultation with the Agriculture

Ministry.

NEWS NATIONAL

JAMMU, October 2, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 02:13 IST

Pakistan violates ceasefire, India retaliates

Pakistani troops on Wednesday violated ceasefire after over a month-long lull, and resorted to heavy

firing and mortar shelling in three sub-sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and

Kashmir, drawing retaliation from Indian forces.

Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing and mortar shelling in three forward areas along the

LoC in Jammu and Kashmir today, a senior Army officer told PTI.

While Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing and shelling of 81 mm mortar bombs in two forward

sub-sector of Sabzian and Mandi in Poonch district since 1840 hours, they also resorted to firing in a

forward belt in the Kashmir Valley. It was unprovoked firing and ceasefire violation by Pakistan, he

added.

There was reported firing from small arms and automatic weapons, besides mortar shelling.

Due to the provocation, Indian troops responded appropriately, a Defence spokesman said, adding

that firing exchanges have been going on intermittently since.

Keywords: LoC tensions, Pakistan ceasefire violations

NEWS NATIONAL

WASHINGTON, October 2, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 02:39 IST

Modi signs off with Thank you, U.S.

Describes his

five-day visit as very successful and satisfactory

After establishing a personal rapport with President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi

described his five-day visit to the United States as very successful and satisfactory and wound it up

with a Thank You, America.

He arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday night.

The two sides found commonalities on a range of issues including strategic partnership and trade.

In his talks with President Obama, the concerns of the private sector, particularly over the nuclear

logjam, were brought up. The Indo-U.S. joint statement spoke of advancing the civil nuclear

dialogue, mentioning by name two private companies, Westinghouse and GE-Hitachi, whose issues

with implementation would be addressed.

In a speech to the private sector at the U.S. India Business Council, Mr. Modi promised to replace

red tape with a red carpet for U.S. investors who have been shying away from India because of

procedural hassles and bureaucratic delays. On Monday, Mr. Modi was briefed on the concerns of

several multinationals at his high-powered breakfast with the top CEOs including those of Pepsico,

GE, Boeing and IBM. Come soon, Mr. Modi exhorted the USIBC gathering. Else the queue may be

too long too soon.

The only dollar-figure announcement made, in contrast to recent meetings with the leaders of Japan

and China, came from the field of renewable energy, with the U.S. Exim Bank authorised to disburse

$1 billion towards the purchase of clean energy technology, particularly for solar energy, which was

welcomed by solar power major First Solar as a win-win initiative. Hope, with more realistic

lowered expectations, seemed to mark the reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Washington

visit.

Modi moves closer to U.S., but differences persist, ran the headline of an article in The Wall Street

Journal that front-paged a photograph of the Prime Minister the morning after his departure. Other

papers reflected a similar attention, without the pictorial detail, marking that it came short of the

expected outcomes.

The New York Times, for example, referred to it as get-to-know-you visit emerging with

expressions of goodwill but little in the way of concrete deals. All papers also remarked on the

absence of any agreement from India to join the anti-ISIS coalition, but spoke of intelligence sharing

and a front to curb Chinas aggression in the South China Sea through maritime cooperation.

Speaking after the USIBC event, former diplomat and analyst Ashley Tellis said, What is important

is whether the policies India and the U.S. now match the process they have outlined. The record so

far does not inspire confidence.

The most thoughtful moment of Mr. Modis visit packed with engagements came at the very end

perhaps, as he and Mr. Obama visited the Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington. Mr. Modi

invoked Mahatma Gandhi repeatedly during this visit. According to one agency, the moment,

especially when Mr. Modi rode with Mr. Obama in his car to the event, marked the official clearing

of the air between the two countries after a year of bad relations.

NEWS NATIONAL


First offshore wind power project to come up in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modis message in the US was loud and clear that renewable

energy is the way to go, Goyal said.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Wednesday said it has signed a memorandum

of understanding to form a joint venture (JV) company for setting up a 100 MW offshore wind power

project off the Gujarat coast.

The MoU was signed between MNRE, National Institute of Wind Energy and a consortium of

partners consisting of NTPC, Power Grid Corp, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency,

Power Finance Corp, Power Trading Corp and Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd.

Considering the countrys 7,600 km coast line, opportunities for scaling up offshore wind power

projects are humongous, said Power and MNRE Minister Piyush Goyal, who was present on the

occasion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis message in the US was loud and clear that renewable energy is the

way to go, Goyal said.

It dovetails the worlds concerns about climate change and it clearly enhances Indias energy

security, he added.

The minister also suggested building partnerships with defence, coast guard and shipping to ensure

seamless and time bound approval process.

The JV will undertake a detailed feasibility study to set up the first planned demonstration off shore

wind project.

It has been proposed to provide subsidy for setting up of evacuation and transmission infrastructure

of the project to the mainland, an official release said.

With more than 22 giga-watt (GW) installed capacity in onshore wind power, it is currently the

fastest growing renewable energy option in the country, the statement added.

INTERNATIONAL WORLD

BEIJING, October 1, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 00:44 IST

'India would not join anti-China coalition led by U.S.'

Taking stock of the big picture, following Prime Minister Narendra Modis high-profile visit to the

United States, China has arrived at the conclusion that India would not join Japan, Australia and the

Philippines in an anti-Beijing coalition led by Washington.

An article that appeared in the Peoples Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese government,

cited three reasons to conclude why New Delhi would not partner a U.S-led rebalancing strategy in

the Asia-Pacific that targets China.

Also called the Washingtons Pivot to Asia a coinage first detailed by former U.S. Secretary of

State, Hillary Clinton - the mantra anchors a decision to expand Washingtons military profile in the

Asia-Pacific, including swathes of the Indian Ocean, by beefing up military capabilities of countries

on the periphery of China, including Japan, Australia and the Philippines.

The daily pointed out that rooted in its non-aligned culture, India will not develop its ties with the

U.S. at Chinas expense. India adheres to an all-round foreign policy strategy. Not only does India

give priority to the India-U.S. relationship, it also attaches great importance to Sino-India

relationships, the daily observed.

Besides, both countries have vowed to forge a closer development partnership during President

Xis visit to India. The article reiterated that the unsolved territorial disputes will not affect the

development of Sino-India relations. The comment coincides with an agreement on the pull back by

forces of both sides to their original position, thus ending the recent flare up in Ladakh.

From a Chinese perspective, the core of the rebalancing doctrine would unfold in Japan, where

40,000 U.S. troops would be positioned and in South Korea, where 28, 500 American servicemen

were to be stationed. A U.S. Congressional Research Service report had earlier stated that

Washington would post 2,500 troops in Darwin, Australia, and discussions were underway to allow

U.S. Navy greater access in Perth.

Referring to the economic aspect of the rebalancing doctrine, the newspaper pointed out that India

was not even in the frame in the formation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was at the

heart of the approach to restrain Chinas economic rise. The countries participating in the TPP

include Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

On the contrary, India was focused inwards, seeking foreign investments to bolster its domestic

economy. India has established an economic and financial partnership with America. One of (Mr.)

Modi's tasks during his visit is to promote an Indian economic recovery plan. The Indian government

has therefore arranged a set of joint activities with American business elite for their Prime Minister

Modi in order to attract more American investment, the newspaper observed.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BRUSSELS, October 2, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 00:52 IST

New NATO head takes over

At a time of daunting geopolitical crises, NATO is undergoing its own version of regime change, with

the arrival of a new chief official who has the blessing, at least temporarily, of one of the Wests

biggest adversaries Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former two-term Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg started work on Wednesday as

NATOs Secretary-General, the 13th in the trans-Atlantic organisations 65-year existence.

And the key question is whether his consensus-building style will be more effective in tamping down

the Ukraine conflict and other flashpoints than the hard talk of his predecessor, Anders Fogh

Rasmussen.

Mr. Stoltenberg (55) was unanimously chosen as by NATOs policy-making North Atlantic Council in

March, a pick that won swift if tentative approval from Mr. Putin, who had dealt with him when he

headed a left-of-centre government in Norway.

INTERNATIONAL SOUTH ASIA

DHAKA, October 2, 2014 Updated: October 2, 2014 00:53 IST

Bangladesh Minister faces expulsion over comments

A senior Bangladesh Minister is almost set to lose his job for his explosive comments on Haj, Prophet

Muhammad and Tablighi Jamaat.

Following Telecommunications Minister Abdul Latif Siddiques comments in New York on Sunday,

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the decision to drop him from the Cabinet, top party sources

confirmed.

The sacking will take place when Ms. Hasina returns home on Friday after attending the 69th U.N.

General Assembly, sources said. The Minister accompanied the Premier.

Meanwhile a Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered the Minister to appear before it on October 28,

hours after a case was filed against him for hurting Muslims religious sentiments.

Six separate cases were filed against Mr. Siddique for his comments on Haj, Prophet Muhammad,

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and Tablighi Jamaat in New York that

sparked protests at home and abroad.

NEWS NATIONAL

WASHINGTON, October 1, 2014 Updated: October 1, 2014 17:13 IST

Thank you America: Modi says before leaving for India

Winding up his whirlwind five-day U.S. visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked America for

what he said was a highly successful and satisfactory trip to the country.

Thank You America, Mr. Modi said as he concluded his last official engagement at an event

organised by the US Indian Business Council (USIBC) on Tuesday. After that he directly left for the

Andrews Air Force Base, from where his Air India One took off for New Delhi.

My visit has been very successful. From here I am going to airport directly, Mr. Modi said. On

Tuesday Mr. Modi met U.S. President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House, at the

end of which the two leaders issued a joint statement that promised to take the India-U.S.

relationship to new heights.

Mr. Modi was seen off at the Andrews Air Force Base by the Indian Ambassador to the U.S. S.

Jaishankar and the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal. When

he arrived at the Air Force Base a day earlier, he was received by the Deputy Secretary of State,

William Burns both being unusual for a working visit like this.

On Monday evening, Mr. Obama hosted Mr. Modi for a official private working dinner and on

Tuesday the two met for nearly two hours at the Oval Office, following which the U.S. President and

the Prime Minister together went to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Mr. Obama, it is understood, decided to join Mr. Modi on this visit which many analysts said

reflected the close bonding the two leaders have established among themselves in such a close time.

Later in the day, Mr. Modi was hosted for lunch by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State

John Kerry at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, following which he drove

down to the Capitol Hill for a tea hosted in his honour by Joe Boehner, Speaker of the U.S. House of

Representatives. (Pictured is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's note in the White House visitor's

book.)

In the first leg of his five-day U.S. trip, Mr. Modi spent four days in New York, where he addressed

the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, and stormed the

Indian American community by addressing the diaspora with a packed Madison Square Garden in

the Big Apple on September 28.

In New York, Mr. Modi held meetings with a host of top American businessmen including breakfast

with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, while top American leaders like Bill and Hillary Clinton, and

former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

In all he met more than 50 top U.S. lawmakers and three Governors including South Carolinas Nikki

Haley.

During his trip, Mr. Modi visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York and the Gandhi Statue in

Washington D.C.

He held a series of meetings with the Indian diaspora, including the dinner that was hosted in his

honour wherein he stood for nearly two hours to get photographed with more than 700 Indian-

Americans.

BUSINESS INDUSTRY

HYDERABAD, October 1, 2014 Updated: October 1, 2014 23:43 IST

Health Canada issues import ban on Apotex India, IPCA

Last Month, Health Canada asked IPCA Laboratories to voluntarily stop shipment of

products to Canada based on a review of a recent good manufacturing practices

(GMP) inspection report by the FDA.

Health Canada has imposed an import ban on the products manufactured by Apotex Pharmachem

India Pvt Ltd (APIPL), Apotex Research Pvt. Ltd. (ARPL) and IPCA Laboratories in India, raising

concerns over reliability of data on safety and quality issues.

According to a statement issued by the Canadian health regulator on Tuesday, the action applies to

finished products from ARPL, as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and products

made with APIs from APIPL and IPCA.

The department has ordered an import ban after it received new information on Tuesday from the

United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). This latest information puts into question

Health Canadas trust in the reliability of data that all three plants are required by law to provide to

demonstrate safety and quality of their products, Canadian Health Minister Rona Ambrose said in a

separate statement.

She , however, said the ban was a precautionary step and Health Canada had received no evidence

that the products posed an immediate risk.

Like the FDA, Health Canada does not feel that a recall of any products made at these plants is

required at this time.

Last Month, Health Canada asked IPCA Laboratories to voluntarily stop shipment of products to

Canada based on a review of a recent good manufacturing practices (GMP) inspection report by the

FDA.

The U.S. regulator identified falsification and manipulation of data issues at the companys facility

in Madhya Pradesh.

The Canadian regulator said IPCA had not disputed the FDA findings with Health Canada even as

the FDA had not issued a recall of any of the affected products.

Health Canada further said it continued to gather information about the situation at these three sites

from trusted regulatory partners, including the FDA. PT

BUSINESS ECONOMY

MUMBAI, October 1, 2014 Updated: October 1, 2014 19:37 IST

Indias gold imports may go up to 75 tonnes per month

Gold imports by India, the worlds second-largest user jumped substantially in recent

months after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed more banks and traders to buy

bullion overseas, widening the nations trade deficit to an 11-month high.

The countrys gold imports are likely to rise to about 70-75 tonnes per month against the present

average of 50-60 tonnes, a senior industry official said.

The gold and jewellery trade in the country is now brimming with confidence that gold imports into

the country would rise to about 70 to 75 tonnes per month against the present average of 50 to 60

tonnes, India Bullion & Jewellery Association (IBJA) spokesperson Harmesh Arora said in a

statement here.

Gold imports by India, the worlds second-largest user jumped substantially in recent months after

the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed more banks and traders to buy bullion overseas, widening

the nations trade deficit to an 11-month high.

The optimism stems from the fact that the trend over the past five years has been encouraging-total

demand averaging 800 tonnes per year, and this year will not be an exception, Arora said.

Short-term fluctuations are considered common in this sector, which are determined by the

prevailing economic scenario and customer sentiments. Now that festive season is round the corner

and with a stable government at the Centre, the next couple of years are predicted to be strong, Arora

said.

IBJA is hosting the India International Bullion Summit 2014 on October 4 and 5 in Mumbai. The

event will be attended by experts from India and other countries, who will be deliberating on

relevant topics such as FDI investment in bullion and jewellery industry, changes needed in gold

policy, among others.

Eminent personalities including P R Somsundaram, Managing Director & Alistair Hewitt, Market

Intelligence from World Gold Council, Motilal Oswal, Chairman & Managing Director, Motilal Oswal

Financial Service Ltd, Surender Kumar Jindal, Director, Jindal Group, and Rajesh Khosla, Managing

Director, MMTC-PAMP India Pvt Ltd, will speak on various issues.

S & T HEALTH

October 1, 2014 Updated: October 1, 2014 23:36 IST

Coverage of antenatal care in India has to be increased: WHO

''Antenatal care is very important for health workers to detect mothers with obesity or

diabetes... both specific risks during pregnancy," says Dr. Flavia Bustreo, Assistant

Director General at WHO.

In 2013, globally, preterm birth complications were responsible for 15 per cent (0.96 million) of

deaths in children under five years of age. It is a leading cause of death in neonates (0-27 days after

birth). According to WHO, about 15 million babies are born preterm (before 37 completed weeks of

gestation) every year. Such births are seen both in the developed and developing countries.

India ranks first in the list of 10 countries that account for 60 per cent of all preterm births; the U.S.

is ranked sixth in the list.

India has little more than 50 per cent of antenatal care coverage. So in order to face the issue of

premature births, low birth weight babies and stillbirths, the first aspect is to increase the coverage

of antenatal care, Dr. Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director General at WHO told this Correspondent.

During antenatal care, health workers can detect whether progress of foetal growth is happening

normally, pregnant mothers nutrition is good or look out for any other complications.

What is evident in the latest data is that across the world, nearly 30 per cent of maternal deaths are

linked to indirect causes like gestational diabetes and obesity especially among young mothers,

and the influence of communicable diseases on maternal deaths.

So antenatal care is very important as health workers can detect mothers who are obese or have

diabetes. These are specific risks during pregnancy and should be given particular care, Dr. Bustreo

said. This is not happening in India. India has to particularly care for mothers for what we call as

pre-existing conditions.

Pregnant mothers who have diabetes, are obese or have preeclampsia (high blood pressure) are less

likely to complete full term and babies will be born with low birth weight. Therefore, antenatal care

becomes all the more important.

Of course, babies who are born before full term can still survive as simple interventions and

treatments are available. For instance, corticosteroid given to mothers before delivery can greatly

facilitate the development of the babies lungs. It can also be given to babies soon after their birth in

cases when delivery takes place even before the steroid can be given to pregnant mothers. The

steroid greatly reduce the possibility of neonatal deaths. Similarly, kangaroo mother care can go a

long way in keeping babies warm and improve their chances of survival.

More to do

India has to still progress. What is available as special care facilities for babies that are low birth

weight and premature are not sufficient in number. What I have seen happening is that some of the

facilities in private hospitals have moved very fast especially in the cities. But when you come to rural

areas in North India, this is something that is still missing, Dr. Bustreo said. So this leads to loss of

babies who are born too early or born too small. This is part of Indias challenge.

Within reach

While being critical of the shortcoming of the Indian government, she is still very optimistic. Our

latest data show that India is just an inch away from reaching the MDG4 (child morality) and MDG5

(maternal mortality) targets. [The current under-five mortality rate is 56 and should reach 42 before

December 2015. The MMR is 190 and should drop to 140 before the end of next year.] Its just a

matter of the curve accelerating a little bit. I am hopeful that if the new government concentrates

constructively on the challenges and focuses on the strengths of immunisation programme then

India can achieve the MDG4 target, she stressed.

One big challenge that stares the country in the face is the reach of antenatal care. According to the

2014 data, antenatal care in rural areas is about 50 per cent for more than one visit and about 10 per

cent for more than four visits. The availability of skilled attendant at the time of delivery is only

about 20 per cent in rural areas.

Yet, Dr. Bustreo remains confident. These data are retrospect. We dont measure them in real time.

I can tell you some countries that have seen huge progress when they applied themselves to the task.

For example, in the case of child mortality, we have seen annual rate of reduction of seven per cent,

nine per cent and even 10 per cent in the case of Ethiopia, Rwanda and Malawi, she said. So if India

applies specific measures, I am quite confident that it would really come close to meeting the goals

and it would surprise everybody.

Talking about the huge number of adolescent marriages and womens role in the society and

education, she noted that positive results can be obtained despite certain determinants that impact

on maternal and child mortality taking a long time to change.

What we are arguing at this juncture is that India can strengthen the provision of care so even if you

have a young adolescent pregnant mother or if a pregnant mother is affected by gestational diabetes

or is biologically not matured and delivers a preterm baby, she and the baby can be saved, she

noted. Some determinants will take a generation to change but providing critical care will not take a

generation.

(The Correspondent participated in the events surrounding the United Nations General Assembly,

New York as a Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Scholarship Journalist at the

invitation of PMNCH, Geneva)

S & T HEALTH


Preterm birth and pneumonia kill most children under five years in India

Of the 6.3 million deaths in children under the age of five years, nearly 44 per cent of deaths during

2000-2013 occurred during the neonatal period (0-27 days after birth). Preterm birth complications,

pneumonia and intrapartum-related complications have been found to be the three main causes of

death in children globally.

The results are published today (October 1) in the journal The Lancet. According to Li Liu from the

Institute of International Programs and the first author of the paper, there will be 4.4 million deaths

in children younger than five years even in 2030 if the present trend continues.

In 2013, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and China together accounted

for half of deaths in the world in children aged under five years, and 52.5 per cent of all neonatal

deaths. In the case of India and Pakistan, the three leading causes were preterm birth complications,

pneumonia and intrapartum-related complications, in that order. In the case of China, the order was

different intrapartum-related complications, preterm births complications and pneumonia were

the three leading causes.

Globally, preterm birth complications caused 15 per cent (0.96 million) of child deaths in 2013. This

was closely followed by pneumonia. While pneumonia caused only 0.14 million deaths in neonates,

at 0.8 million, it was the second major cause of death across the world in children aged 1-59 months.

The two periods together accounted for 0.93 million deaths caused by pneumonia in children aged

under five years. As expected, diarrhoea killed more children after the neonatal period 0.02

million during the neonatal period and nearly 0.59 million during the period 1-59 months.

Case management of pneumonia and diarrhoea can be easily implemented and large number of

deaths can be prevented with minimum intervention at little cost. Use of antibiotics to treat

pneumonia and timely oral rehydration therapy in the case of diarrhoea can prevent deaths in

children under five years.

Deaths due to pneumonia and diarrhoea can be reduced in India. The coverage [of antibiotics and

oral rehydration therapy] is not wide enough in India ... its not sufficient, Prof. Robert E. Black

from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Corresponding author of the

paper told this Correspondent. Pneumonia [occurs] during and after neonatal period and diarrhoea

[occurs] mainly after neonatal period.

For pneumonia less than 30 per cent of children in India receive antibiotics, and over 600 million

defecate in the open and have very poor access to clean drinking water resulting in most cases of

diarrhoea.

Compared to managing premature babies which involves sometimes months of intensive care,

complex medical treatments and follow-ups, treatment for pneumonia (early diagnosis and three-

day antibiotic treatment costing about Rs.25) and diarrhoea (oral rehydration therapy) are relatively

straight forward and will save a lot more lives in the short term, Dr Nicholas Furtado Attending

Paediatrician, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago said in an email to

this Correspondent. Dr. Furtado was not involved in the study.

In the long term, prevention of pneumonia by immunisation, acute diarrhoea by improving water

supply and sanitation, and decreasing prematurity through quality care before, during and after birth

would be the most important ways to decreased under five mortality rate, Dr. Furtado noted.

Explaining why pneumonia cases are more common than diarrhoea, Dr. Furtado said: During the

neonatal period the lungs are immature and more prone to infection.

Simple measures like exclusive breastfeeding for six months can further cut the number of diarrhoeal

episodes and deaths in children. However, only about 46 per cent of children in India were

exclusively breastfed for six months during 2005-2006.

It is to be noted that reduction in pneumonia, diarrhoea and measles during the period 2000-2013

has led to nearly 50 per cent decrease in deaths in children under five years.

Preterm births

India is one of the 10 countries with an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 preterm births in 2010.

Preterm births cause about 50 per cent of neonatal mortality. The causes of preterm births are not

known. Conditions like high blood pressure in pregnant mothers and infections during pregnancy

are some of the reasons. In a majority of cases no cause can be attributed. Its hard to prevent

preterm births, said Prof. Black.

Preterm birth complications will probably remain the leading cause of neonatal and under five

deaths, the paper notes.

But measures like supported infections control, kangaroo care (skin to skin contact of the baby with

the mother to keep the baby warm) and use of incubators will go a long way in preventing deaths

even when the baby is preterm. We cant prevent preterm births but can treat them and prevent

most of the deaths, Prof. Black said.

In this analysis we didnt include small for [gestational] age as a risk factor, he said. Most small-

for-gestational-age infants are born in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.

A July 2013 Comment piece in The Lancet notes: In 2010, an estimated 324 million infants were

born [at term but] small for gestational age in low- and middle-income countries (27 per cent of live

births).

S & T SCIENCE


Mangalyaan launch as a teaching aid

Starting from the very first home built Aryabhata satellite, launched from Russia in

April 1975, we have come a long way

Mangalyaan, formally known as the Mars Orbiter Mission or MOM, is an absolutely glorious success,

accomplished with clockwork precision. Prior to this was Chandrayaan, where our spacecraft

circumnavigated the moon and the instruments that were put in it detected, among other things,

traces of water in our moon.

These are two success stories that have made India sit on the high table of technologically advanced

nations. Starting from the very first home built Aryabhata satellite, launched from the Volgograd

launch station in Russia in April 1975, we have come a long way, and during these 40 years, we have

launched over 50 such spacecrafts. Of these, over 35 satellites were launched by us from India for

other countries including France, Germany, Canada, Israel and Singapore. As Dr Ajay Lele of the

Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, Delhi, points out, success of MOM will boost such

commercial ventures for our Indian Space Research Organization or ISRO. And within India, ISRO

has offered contracts to private and public sector companies, big and small, for its specific needs,

thus promoting local technology development and employment opportunities.

When Doubting Thomases both from within and outside India talked about the needs and the costs

involved in such space efforts, ISRO has been able to respond with each one of its satellites and their

uses, not only to the hi-tech watchers, but how these have been used for helping the Aam

Admi through remote sensing to weather forecasts, agricultural and fisheries production analysis,

and to the school and college children through its distance education programmes through EduSat.

Capacity building, and self reliance in high technologies have grown through such ISRO

programmes, not just in defence and communications but also in everyday life thus becoming a

space technology-capable country.

There is another angle to this advancing science and technology and engaging and enticing

youngsters in schools and colleges and their parents, and promoting their career options. Recall that

ISRO and the Space Commission have started doing this by broadcasting the inserting of the

spacecraft into the orbit of Mars using Edusat TV. They have also started the Indian Institute of

Space Science and Technology at Valiamala, near Thiruvananthapuram, equipping undergraduate

and postgraduate students in space education and research, along the lines of the IITs and IISERs.

This is also an appropriate moment for ISRO to organise regular sessions in schools across the

country. These should be informal, in all languages, explaining how every aspect of space launch is

an application of the law of sciences. Having parents present in such lecture- demonstrations would

be valuable, since they too would like to know and to send their children to careers in science and

technology.

Such lectures should be in everyday language, given by all, including the big bosses of ISRO and

Space Commission, give away models, tools and kits, freebies like T-shirts, and offer field trips and to

launch pads. They should start at the middle/ high school level and explain simple concepts such as

1) why do spacecraft and even planets take not a circular but elliptical path? Note Kepler in 1571

discovered this and how Newtons laws explain this, 2) why did our Polar satellite Launch vehicle

(PSLV) make Mangalyaan go around the earth for three weeks before it was allowed to escape the

earth? Could we not have made and used a better launch vehicle? 3) Why was Chandrayaan looking

for water in the moon and Mangalyaan for methane? 4) How does one detect these from space

without taking samples from the moon or Mars, as students do by handling samples in science

classes? Note how the French astronomer camped near Guntur on a total solar eclipse day (August

18, 1868) discovered helium gas in our sun, sitting and watching and analysing the light rays coming

from the eclipsed sun.

These are simple questions and answers for secondary school children. As such sessions and

interactions grow, more complex ideas can be discussed and answered, with students from higher

classes, colleges and technology institutes.

MOM has shown us yes, we can. And fresh on its success, the time is ripe. After all, every mom

teaches her children and cares for their future, assisting them in every way. So why should ISROs

MOM not do so for all children across India?

Finally, Weekend Business Standard of September 27 reports on the offer made by Mr Leland Melsin

of Spaceship Earth Grants (or SEG) of California, USA, who operates a privately operated sub-

orbital spacecraft.

He wants people to apply for a spaceflight by writing a short summary of how they will use the

experience to better themselves, their community or our planet. This should be followed by a 90

second video. SEG will award one spaceflight for every 50,000 applicants. So, hurry before the

deadline date of December 31, by accessing www.spaceshipearthgrants.com.

Good Luck !!

CITIES KOZHIKODE

PALAKKAD, October 1, 2014 Updated: October 1, 2014 11:46 IST

Neelakurinji blooms in Attappady hills

Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) flowers have bloomed in vast stretches in Kinnakkara and

Ooradam hills, near Attappady, which shares border with the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

Both the hills are located 4,000 ft above the mean sea level (msl) in the Attappady Forest Range of

the Mannarkkad Forest Division. Local people said that the flowers had bloomed after a gap of 12

years.

They said though neelakurinji had flowered in some other parts of Attappady in small patches some

years ago, this was for the first time it was found in vast areas of the two hills.

The flowered plants were identified as Strobilanthes kunthiana of the Kurinji family.

It is a beautiful sight to see the two small hills fully covered with the flowers, said Ummer Nazeer, a

nature enthusiast from Palakkad.

Local people said the spectacle would last till November end.

OPINION LEAD


Dangers of imperious impatience

Celebrities and their lawyers need to guard against excesses. When imprisoned,

celebrities need to persuade their fans not to turn fanatic; any breakdown in law and

order would only further postpone the bail hearing

After her conviction on September 27, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaas bail

application came up for hearing on September 30 before the High Court of Karnataka. It was

adjourned by the vacation bench of the Bangalore High Court to October 7 so that the regular bench

may hear it when the court resumes functioning after the vacation.

Her lawyers moved the Chief Justice to advance the hearing to October 1. The same vacation judge

reiterated her earlier order of listing it on October 6. Some lawyers, who may or may not be

appearing in the matter, now have taken it upon themselves to stage a protest on the premises of the

High Court of Karnataka. Television news channels have been showing her supporters vehemently

condemning the tardiness of the process by which their leader has been ordered to remain behind

bars pending hearing of her appeal. Members of the film fraternity have also come out in support of

her, after she was convicted. Dark hints have been thrown about that somehow Karnataka and its

government are complicit in ensuring payback for the hitherto uneasy relationship with Tamil Nadu

over the question of sharing Cauvery waters.

Transfer of cases

It is pertinent to note that the State of Karnataka has never sought any role in this prosecution. It

was the Supreme Court that transferred the prosecution of Ms. Jayalalithaa in 2003, when a fair trial

did not seem possible in Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court had similarly transferred the cases of M.K.

Azhagiri, son of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M. Karunanidhi, and Jayendra Saraswathi, the

seer of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, outside Tamil Nadu. In recent times, it transferred the Gujarat

riot cases and some cases involving Amit Shah from Gujarat to Maharashtra. The transfer of

Jayalalithaas case to Karnataka can be ascribed to no one but to the Supreme Courts effort to secure

a fair trial.

Issue of bail

The present custody of Ms. Jayalalithaa and her co-accused Sasikala Natarajan, V. Sudhakaran

and J. Elavarasi in Bangalore central prison is a painful but necessary burden imposed upon

Karnataka by judicial diktat. In private conversations, officials involved in Karnatakas

administration say that a speedy grant of bail pending appeal would not be unwelcome. However, the

administration neither directs nor controls the judiciary. It is duty bound to faithfully execute every

verdict until interdicted by a superior court.

For the moment, the shrillness of her supporters will not help Ms. Jayalalithaas cause. For her well-

wishers, this is the time for restraint, not competitive breast beating. A person sentenced to four

years imprisonment on charges of corruption cannot command the legal system to take her case out

of turn. From prime minister to policeman, from cobbler to caliph, the gaze of law falls equally on

everyone. However high may you be, the law is always above you.

The Supreme Court attracted tremendous criticism in the 1980s when the then Chief Justice E.S.

Venkatramaiah was woken up at midnight and he proceeded to grant bail to industrialist L.M.

Thapar. Thapar had been arrested on the basis of a Reserve Bank of India complaint that several

companies run by him had violated the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA). However, the

court received praise when it recently stepped in at 2 a.m. to prevent the possible execution of

Surinder Kohli, who was convicted for the Nithari murders. While judges do have judicial powers to

act beyond normal court hours, they can be persuaded to act thus only in cases of extreme urgency.

Given the current situation in which Ms. Jayalalithaa is, she has in her favour not only her gender,

age and illness, but also the fact that an appeals court cannot possibly speedily hear and dispose of a

gargantuan judgment of 1,136 pages.

An appeals court may also in the back of its mind, consider the human cost of her continued

incarceration and the frenzied supporters who unnecessarily harm themselves and others. Already

several incidents of her supporters resorting to suicide or indulging in acts of violence or protests

have been reported from parts of Tamil Nadu.

But even though a court granting bail might consider all the preceding factors, it is also bound to

consider the message that a speedy release is likely to convey. When bail under the Prevention of

Corruption Act is routinely denied in cases where the sentence period is six months and the bribe

amount is Rs.500, a hasty release in this case may be viewed with suspicion. So her lawyers will have

to work hard at emphasising the positive and diminishing the negative aspects of her case.

A court can only be persuaded to grant bail; it cannot be coerced or overawed into doing so. The first

rule of oral advocacy is Go where the judge wants you to go. When the vacation judge had shown

her reluctance to have the matter heard out of turn, the persistence with which the lawyer sought

advancement only came across as obdurate.

Patience pays

In such situations, it would only be wise to wait out a few more days. Suffering when patiently borne

has its own persuasive effect. On the other hand, an impetuous, imperious impatience with

procedures can irk those who are charged with judging the case.

I have often thought that Sanjay Dutts fate was sealed when his lawyers, in 1993, approached the

Supreme Courts vacation bench when Justice Jeevan Reddy was on it. He was a stern judge, of a

leftist orientation and not someone who would countenance laxity of any kind. His continued

presence on the case saw almost all of Mr. Dutts plausible defences at the trial being destroyed by

premature disclosure at an interlocutory stage in the Supreme Court.

Celebrities and their lawyers need to guard against excesses. A lawyers rule, like that of a physician,

must be first do no harm. Lawyers, for fabulous fees or otherwise, must not be rushed into filing

petitions and applications that cannot realistically be granted. Celebrities also need to guard against

their celebrity status working against them. Lastly, they need to persuade their fans not to turn

fanatic. Any breakdown in law and order might only cause a further postponement of the hearing.

As far as the case of Ms. Jayalalithaas imprisonment is concerned, the question is not whether bail

will be granted or not. More accurately, it is a question of when it would be granted and on what

terms. If the appeals court has some inkling about the time frame when the appeal can be finally

heard, that will possibly be the decisive factor in its interlocutory decision on bail.

To all those who anxiously await developments in this case, Hamlet can provide some answers: If it

be now, tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the

readiness is all.

OPINION EDITORIAL


Afghanistans change of guard

Compounding the difficulties is the tenuous political agreement between Mr. Ghani

and Mr. Abdullah that ended the post-election deadlock.

The new President of Afghanistan, Ashraff Ghani, and Abdullah Abdullah, the countrys chief

executive officer a new post that is to evolve into a prime ministership in two years have their

work cut out. Their swearing-in was billed as the first peaceful transition of power in Afghanistans

history, but there is little peace. Two suicide attacks in Kabul claimed seven lives on Wednesday; a

suicide bomber struck near Kabul airport on the day of the swearing-in; and, just a week ago the

Taliban, more confident as U.S and NATO troops withdraw, launched a fierce assault not far from

the capital, in Ghazni province. The peace process that began under the presidency of Hamid Karzai

has stalled. The Taliban want to rule Afghanistan; they are hardly interested in negotiating power-

sharing deals to participate in a government they consider imposed by the West. The main challenge

before Mr. Ghani, a former World Bank executive and one-time Finance Minister in the Karzai

government, is nothing less than to ensure peace in a country with a raging insurgency, repair an

economy that is dependent on international aid, even as he crafts a foreign policy that has to take

into account the demands of half a dozen regional powers, including Pakistan, and countries beyond.

Mr. Karzai, eager towards the end of his term to get rid of the pro-West tag that was attached to him,

had been reluctant to sign an agreement allowing some U.S. troops to stay on after the drawdown by

end-2014. Mr. Ghani has quickly drawn the line under the previous government among his first

actions as President was to ink the long pending Bilateral Security Agreement and Status of Forces

Agreement.

Compounding the difficulties is the tenuous political agreement between Mr. Ghani and Mr.

Abdullah that ended the post-election deadlock. Mr. Abdullah had refused to accept his defeat in the

presidential run-off against Mr. Ghani, accusing him of electoral fraud. After nearly six months of

bitter negotiations, Mr. Ghani agreed to share power with Mr. Abdullah in a U.S.-brokered deal that

has brought together two leaders of opposed ethnicities Mr. Ghani is Pashtun while Mr. Abdullah

is Tajik. New Delhi, which was rightly wary of Mr. Karzais overtures to the Taliban, must support

and encourage Afghanistans new leadership, but in truth it is Pakistan, with its continuing lifeline to

the Taliban, which holds the key to the stability and survival of the new political arrangement. That

in turn is crucial to achieving long-term peace in Afghanistan and ensuring the regions security.

Unfortunately, both will be elusive until Pakistan, especially its security establishment, is able to

draw the right lessons from its own pathetic internal security situation to realise that an unstable

Afghanistan goes against its own interests.

OPINION EDITORIAL


Deepening relationship

The fact that India and the US issued a vision document, Modi and Obama penned a

joint op-ed, and then a comprehensive Joint Statement, speaks volumes for the breadth

of discussions between them.

After a hectic, often frenetic five days in the United States, it is time to take stock of the achievements

of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit. To begin with, the welcome he received, both in New York

and in Washington, has firmly closed the door on a most awkward situation in bilateral ties: that of

India voting in a leader proscribed by the U.S. Mr. Modi has been received at every level in the U.S.,

and if the Obama administration didnt revoke the visa order, the gesture of President Obama right

at the end to accompany Mr. Modi to the Martin Luther King Memorial came as a poignant signal

that the U.S. genuinely wants to move ahead with Indias newly elected leader. Secondly, U.S.

business, clearly disaffected by the difficulties they face in doing business with India, have also

signalled its desire to renew investments. The fact that the two countries issued a vision document,

the two leaders penned a joint op-ed, and then came out with a comprehensive 3,500-word Joint

Statement, speaks volumes for the breadth of discussions between them in a short period. Yet, while

the three documents contain all the parts of the relationship, they fail to convey the whole.

On issues where the countries agree, such as defence and energy, they show only incremental

progress, without any big announcements. On issues where the countries differ, like the nuclear deal,

trade and WTO, they seem to have deferred negotiations, indicating that no progress was made in

resolving them. In that context, even the renewal of the strategic partnership, and reference to joint

and concerted efforts to dismantle terror groups including al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e Taiba, Jaish-e-

Mohammad, the D-Company, and the Haqqanis do not indicate any particularly new action or

formulation. The statements seem most opaque when it comes to spelling out a shared worldview for

India and the U.S.: while referring obliquely to Chinas aggression in the South China Sea, global

crises like the situations in Iraq and Syria, and cooperation in Afghanistan, and a confounding, long

reference to North Korea (DPRK), they list no action or step that the two countries hope to take

together. And while both sides made it clear ahead of the talks that the U.S. would request, and India

would discuss, the possibility of joining the anti-ISIS coalition, there is silence on where those

discussions led. On all fronts of the comprehensive dialogue, that is, eight issues including energy,

health, space, womens empowerment, trade, skills, strategy and security, Mr. Modis visit

successfully brought India-U.S. ties, that were faltering for a few years, back on track. But in order to

reach the finish line, Mr. Modi and Mr. Obama will need a clearer enunciation of their shared vision

for the road ahead.

OPINION COMMENT


I have tried to add a reporters sense of realism to Haider: Basharat Peer

Journalist Basharat Peer talks of his experience in writing the script for Vishal

Bhardwajs Haider a modern-day adaptation of Hamlet set in Kashmir

When asked to adapt a Shakespearean play to a film set in Jammu and Kashmir, Hamlet was

Basharat Peers first choice. Journalist and author Mr. Peer, who hails from the State, feels that

Hamlets central idea of a young mans life being destroyed by fate resonates in insurgency-hit

Kashmir.

Mr. Peer has written the script of Vishal Bhardwajs latest film Haider which is based on Hamlet

and is set in Kashmir in the mid-1990s. After Omkara and Maqbool, this is the third of Mr.

Bhardwajs films that are based on Shakespearean dramas.

In the Arab world countries with serious political conflicts Hamlet had been looked at

seriously and adapted several times. I did not want it in a depoliticised setting with an imaginary

princely state and palace intrigue. I wanted it in a real situation of political conflict which was at its

peak in Kashmir in 1995-1996, says Mr. Peer.

Mr. Peer had read Margaret Litvins Hamlets Arab Journey: Shakespeares Prince and Nassers

Ghost. Before writing the script, he studied the scripts of The Battle of Algiers, Welcome to

Sarajevo, No Mans Land, Milk, Syriana and other films.

It was my first time writing fiction although it is informed by reality. I have tried to add a reporters

sense of realism to it. By writing a film script, I was breaking the glass mould of reportage and non-

fiction that I could not come out of earlier, he explains.

Pushing the boundaries

The challenge for Mr. Bhardwaj and Mr. Peer was to go where other filmmakers fear to tread. Most

films made on Kashmir veer towards state propaganda. Bombay filmmakers have failed to truthfully

represent difficult political and social stories in India. Producers are shackled for political and

commercial reasons and there is a lot of self-censorship, says Mr. Peer. It is a difficulty faced in

both cinema and the press.

King Hamlet in the film is a physician played by Narendra Jha who treats victims of violence. His

son, the protagonist Haider played by Shahid Kapoor, a student of Aligarh Muslim University

(AMU), searches for him. This brings him in conflict with his uncle, a lawyer (K.K. Menon), who is

linked to Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen paramilitaries.

Haider holds Mr. Menons character, which is based on Claudius, responsible for his fathers

disappearance. He suspects his mother (Tabu) of conniving with his uncle. Tabu was reportedly Mr.

Bhardwajs only choice for the film, as he had worked with her in Maqbool.

For me the good doctors who ignored their personal lives and families to save common people are

the greatest heroes of the conflict. Those were the years when Kashmir turned upon itself and the

government-backed Ikhwan, a notorious counter-insurgency militia, committed indiscriminate

atrocities that are hard to describe, Mr. Peer says.

King Hamlets Ghosts (Irrfan Khan) lines in the play Murder most foul, as in the best it is. But

this most foul, strange and unnatural instantly reminded him of Ikhwans actions. These are

described in Mr. Peers award-winning book Curfewed Night. Like the character Haider, Mr. Peer

too studied at AMU in the 90s when guns blazed in the valley and affluent families sent their

children to residential schools in safer places.

When I was a student at AMU, the most popular film for Kashmiris was Maachis. This was one

Bollywood film we could relate to as it depicted the emotional conflict and the dilemma youth faced

in places with insurgencies, he says. Gulzars 1996 cult film Maachis depicted the transformation

of boys into terrorists during the Punjab unrest in the 80s. Mr. Bhardwaj had composed the music

for the film; the soundtrack became an anthem for the politically restive college youth of the day.

Mr. Peer admits that the process of production was a give and take between him and Mr. Bhardwaj,

but coming this far for the latter is a big step for mainstream Bollywood cinema.

We have to work within the limits of the system. India does not seem ready to deal with realist and

political cinema the way audiences in West Asia or Europe do. We have a lot to learn from Iranian,

Palestinian and Bosnian cinema, he explains. Mr. Peer adds that it is the moral duty of artistes

whom he calls a privileged minority to speak up despite prejudices in society.

Forty one scenes in the movie have been cut including those on custodial torture and showing

corpses. Of these, 35 were made by Mr. Bhardwaj to reduce the length of the film and the rest were

ordered by the Central Board of Film Certification in order to grant a UA (Unrestricted Public

Exhibition, but with Parental Guidance) certificate.

Although apprehensive of negative repercussions of making a political critique so close to home,

especially when right wing forces are on the ascent, Mr. Peer hopes that the common man will be

able to connect with the portrayal of the vulnerability of citizens from the state.

The power of a beautiful story is that at times it forces you to step into a world that is not your own.

Even if three people come out from the cinema hall thinking that may be the world is more complex

than they assumed it was, then the film is a success, he opines.

Most of Kashmir, however, may not be able to see the film in the first week as floods have ravaged

the State.

Mr. Peer is currently working on a non-fiction title on religion and politics in South Asia. He is keen

to try his hand at scriptwriting again to adapt his favourite Shakespearean play The Merchant of

Venice to a film.

[email protected]

OPINION COMMENT


Legally weak, politically strong

It seems unlikely that Jayalalithaa will contest the 2016 Assembly elections in Tamil

Nadu, but her political career cannot be written off

There is no substitute for demonstrable loyalty and it is an art the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra

Kazhagam has mastered. It was visible in abundant measure soon after the conviction and

incarceration of its General Secretary Jayalalithaa on September 27. The crying during the oath

taking of her replacement and a resolution by a city corporation against special judge John Michael

Cunha who delivered the verdict, were all part of the act.

In the AIADMK, it is the season for every person to show his or her loyalty to the leader, and many

bureaucrats and police officers would not want to be left behind. One such case seems to be the filing

of an FIR against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M.Karunanidhi, and his son M.K.

Stalin, for charges of rioting, at the Royapettah police station in Chennai.

Fighting an old battle

While the FIR itself cannot set off alarm bells, it assumes significance in the backdrop of the virulent

personal battle between the two leaders. This battle has manifested itself in witch hunts, such as

the midnight arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi in 2001.

It is true that the disproportionate assets case, in which Jayalalithaa was convicted, was a case the

DMK had worked on rigorously over the last 18 years and that her conviction and jail sentence will

be celebrated by the party as a victory. The DMK is also expected to make repeated attempts at

provoking the anger of the administration by celebrating the verdict and instigate retaliatory action

that could help it mobilise a political campaign.

In the past, Jayalalithaa herself has been known for outbursts. With her administration trying to

prove its loyalty to her, the real test this time is to see if she has learnt from her earlier mistakes. Any

retaliatory action against her political rivals would only open her flank further and give a platform to

the opposition.

In the present context, the legal situation of the AIADMK supremo must be clearly delinked from her

political situation. Legally, she is on a weak wicket and will have to face a protracted and difficult

court battle. Her best hope is to seek bail and a stay on the sentence from the Karnataka High Court

and let the legal battle play out. At the moment it seems unlikely that she will contest the 2016

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

Politically, however, Jayalalithaa has never been on a stronger wicket. The AIADMKs near clean

sweep victory of 37 out of 39 seats in the parliamentary elections in May, without an alliance with

any party, underlined her position, leaving the opposition flabbergasted.

Unlike her earlier two terms as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006 her third

time since 2011 has been much more circumspect. She has avoided or skirted controversies better

than she has done in the past while the DMK has been at its lowest ebb.

Even if she cannot contest the 2016 Assembly polls, she will be the partys Chief Minister in spirit as

the AIADMK has revolved around her and it is not in its DNA to challenge her authority. The verdict

will not impact her authority, control over the party or the sycophancy it displays towards her; it may

only increase all of it, despite her not holding constitutional office.

The question is whether she will be satisfied being the remote control the way Bal Thackeray

controlled the Shiv Sena government and ensure that the administration runs smoothly and

efficiently as she fights a long legal battle.

The DMK has its own set of land mines to cross before the 2016 State elections as the verdict in the

2G case, in which Mr. Karunanidhis daughter Kanimozhi is an accused, is expected. And the party is

not in a position to turn Jayalalithaas conviction in a corruption case into a major political or

electoral issue.

What lies ahead

Analysts in New Delhi seem to suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party may scent a chance and work

with its Tamil Nadu allies and take advantage. This is, at best, wishful thinking. The 2014 Lok Sabha

poll results suggest that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance could only split the opposition

vote and add to the tally of the winning Dravidian party.

Ultimately, in politics, one fundamental rule is to never write off a politician, no matter how bleak

their future may seem. This is especially true in Jayalalithaas case. She has managed to recover from

worse situations in the past, especially after a complete rout in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections

after presiding over a blatantly corrupt administration between 1991 and 1996.

The key this time is not so much the verdict itself or what happens in the courts, but her actions as a

politician and as a remote control Chief Minister.

02-10-14

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