PUbLICATION OF THE CONSULATE GENErAL OF INDIA IN DUbAI VOL.4 ISSUE 11 | NOVEmbEr 2012

YouTh meeTs expeRIenCePrime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh reshuffles the Cabinet, inducting freshfaces and changing certain key portfolios

The Golden era of Indian Film industry is now, says veteran actress Waheeda Rehman

The trek from the Kashmir Valley to Zanskar is a divine experience, culminating with the Chadar trek

Also

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CON

TENTS

India Matters is a monthly publication of the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Dubai. All rights reserved. No part of this journal may be produced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the CGI Dubai.

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Content and design by IANS (www.ianspublishing.com) on behalf of Consulate General of India in Dubai.Editorial Coordinator: Zarin Amrolia, Dubai

10

SUPERBRANDS

Amadeus20

ECONOMY

Aadhaar of better lifeThe Aadhaar card promises a transparent system of benefits reaching out to the poor

08

10 QUESTIONS

‘No substitute for hard work’Ramesh S. Ramakrishnan, Chairman,Transworld Group of Companies, on the reasons why Indian entrepreneurs do well

Youth meets experiencePrime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh reshuffles Cabinet,inducting 17 new faces and elevating five to Cabinet rank

18Literary festivals have become an important compo-nent of the cultural calendar of the country today

SEPTEMBER 2009 32

Dear Reader,

Hurricane Sandy spiraled in from the Atlantic and caused mayhem on the east coast of

US. Hit by cyclone Nilam, the southern coastal Andhra Pradesh is now reeling under its

after-effect. The storm has now passed; the recovery process has begun. We offer our heart-

felt sympathy to the locals, who braved the storm and we hope that their misery will soon be

little more than a receding memory.

In this issue, the cover story is about the Cabinet reshuffle, which was met with varied

responses from the Indian press. “It is a combination of youth, experience and relevance to

the portfolios that have been entrusted to the ministers. The road ahead is full of challenges.

But this is a team, which I hope will be able to meet those challenges,” noted the Prime

Minister.

As a part of our regular feature 10 Questions, Ramesh S. Ramakrishnan, the Chairman of

Transworld Group of Companies, shares his inspiration behind creating a successful ship-

ping empire.

This month, fireworks lit up the sky. Lamps and colours brought cheer to all households.

Mithais were exchanged and other delicacies made and served. We all put on some weight!

On Diwali day, life appeared more beautiful. Seasons Greeting!

Happy reading!

RADIO MATTERSThe Consulate General of India in Dubai brings to you its weekly

radio programme ‘India Matters’ on Suno 102.4 FM. The purpose ofthe show is to highlight the services provided by the Consulate and talkabout the events and news related to India and the Indian communityin UAE.

India Matters is aired every Friday between 5 and 6 pm on Suno102.4 FM and repeated every Saturday between 12 and 1 pm.

For more details visit www.cgidubai.com and www.suno1024.com

Winner of the October 2012 monthly quiz contest is

Sree Prakash S.The winner gets a gift hamper.

Sanjay Verma

BOOKS

Carnival of letters

06Key trade MoUs signed during Canadian PrimeMinister Stephen Harper’s visit

INFOCUS

Maple friendship

November 2012|IndiaMattersIndiaMatters|November 2012

CINEMA

‘Now is the golden era’Timeless actress Waheeda Rehman express-es happiness at the kind of movies beingmade today

12

COVER STORY

04

16FEATURE

God is in details Diwali is an occasion when the diverse cultures and beliefs of different regions andcommunities of the country come to the fore

14TRAVEL

Road to salvation The fascinating journey from theKashmir Valley to Zanskar givescredence to the sobriquet ‘paradiseon earth’

FROM THE CONSUL-GENERAL’S DESK

Technology and Kamal Nath got addi-tional charge of Parliamentary Affairsbesides Urban Development.

Amongst the Ministers of Statesworn in were Congress spokespersonManish Tewari, who got independentcharge of Information andBroadcasting. Telugu actorChiranjeevi, whose PRP merged withthe Congress, got independent chargeof the Tourism ministry.

Andhra Pradesh got five new facesand one elevated to the Cabinet rank.Besides Pallam Raju, there wasChiranjeevi, Kotla Jaya Surya PrakashReddy, Sarve Satyanarayana, PorikaBalram Naik and Killi Kruparani.

There were also three new facesfrom West Bengal — Adhir R.Chowdhury, Deepa Dasmunsi andA.H. Khan Chowdhury.n

Cover storY

4

Salman Khurshid took over asIndia’s new External AffairsMinister, as Prime MinisterManmohan Singh effected a

major revamp of his Council ofMinisters, inducting 17 new faces andelevating five to Cabinet rank.Congress General Secretary RahulGandhi did not join the government.

Several key portfolios changedhands, some new faces were intro-duced, some elevated to Cabinet rankand at least one old face — ShashiTharoor — was back in an exercisethat roped veterans like Ambika Soniand S.M. Krishna back into the partyorganisation.

“It is a combination of youth andexperience,” Dr. Manmohan Singhsaid after the ceremony at theRashtrapati Bhavan, where President

Pranab Mukherjee administered theoath of office.

Of the seven new ministers sworn inwith Cabinet rank, two are debutants— former Rajya Sabha DeputyChairperson K. Rahman Khan andCongress MP Chandresh KumariKatoch. The other five — Ajay Maken,M.M. Pallam Raju, Dinsha Patel,Harish Rawat and Ashwini Kumar —have been elevated to Cabinet rank.Fifteen Ministers of State were alsosworn in.

In the reshuffle of berths, Khurshidgot External Affairs. His previousministry, Law, went to AshwaniKumar. Pallam Raju was madeHuman Resource Development(HRD) Minister in place of Kapil Sibal,who retains Communication and IT.Pallam Raju’s Minister of State in

HRD is now Tharoor, who hadresigned as Minister of State forExternal Affairs in 2010.

The crucial Railways Ministry,which had long been with TrinamoolCongress, was given to P.K. Bansal.

M. Veerappa Moily was givenPetroleum, while his previous respon-sibilities of Corporate Affairs andPower were split — Sachin Pilot waselevated as Minister of State withindependent charge of CorporateAffairs and Jyotiraditya Scindia gotindependent charge of Power.

Rawat was made Water Resourcesminister and Katoch, Union CultureMinister. Maken was elevated asHousing and Poverty AlleviationMinister and Dinsha Patel as MinesMinister.

S. Jaipal Reddy got Science and

IndiaMatters|November 2012

PM reshuffles the Cabinet; Salman Khurshid is the External Affairs Minister

Youth meets experienceThe reshuffled pack: President PranabMukherjee, Vice-President M. HamidAnsari and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh with the newly-sworn-in ministers at RashtrapatiBhavan in New Delhi

portfolios to the newlY-appointed Ministers

CABINET MINISTERS1. K. Rahman Khan Minority Affairs2. Dinsha J. Patel Mines3. Ajay Maken Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation4. M.M. Pallam Raju Human Resource Development5. Ashwani Kumar Law & Justice6. Harish Rawat Water Resources7. Chandresh Kumari Katoch Culture

MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)1. Manish Tewari Information & Broadcasting2. Dr. K. Chiranjeevi Tourism

MINISTERS OF STATE1. Dr. Shashi Tharoor Human Resource Development2. Kodikunnil Suresh Labour & Employment3. Tariq Anwar Agriculture & Food Processing Industries4. K.J. Surya Prakash Reddy Railways5. Ranee Narah Tribal Affairs6. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Railways7. A.H. Khan Choudhury Health & Family Welfare8. Sarvey Sathyanarayana Road Transport & Highways9. Ninong Ering Minority Affairs10. Deepa Dasmunsi Urban Development11. Porika Balram Naik Social Justice & Empowerment12. Dr.(Smt.) Kruparani Killi Communications & Information Technology13. Lalchand Kataria Defence

CABINET MINISTERS1. M. Veerappa Moily Petroleum & Natural Gas2. S. Jaipal Reddy Science & Technology and Earth Sciences3. Kamal Nath Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs4. Vayalar Ravi Overseas Indian Affairs 5. Kapil Sibal Communications & Information Technology6. C.P. Joshi Road Transport & Highways7. Kumari Selja Social Justice & Empowerment8. Pawan Kumar Bansal Railways9. Salman Khursheed External Affairs10. Jairam Ramesh Rural Development

Change of portfolios

MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)1. Jyotiraditya Scindia Power2. K.H. Muniappa Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises3. Bharatsinh Solanki Drinking Water & Sanitation4. Sachin Pilot Corporate Affairs5. Jitendra Singh Youth Affairs & Sports

MINISTERS OF STATE 1. E. Ahamed External Affairs2. D. Purandeswari Commerce & Industry3. Jitin Prasada Defence & Human Resource Development4. Dr. S. Jagathrakshakan New & Renewable Energy5. R.P.N. Singh Home6. K.C. Venugopal Civil Aviation7. Rajeev Shukla Parliamentary Affairs & Planning

5November 2012|IndiaMatters

community, which, according to2001 figures, numbers over 850,000.

Addressing the gathering aftertalks with Harper, Dr. ManmohanSingh said: “The large Indian origincommunity in Canada and the peo-ple-to-people interaction this has fos-tered, has played a vital role instrengthening our relations. TheSocial Security Agreement that hasbeen signed today will be of enor-mous benefit to many expatriate pro-fessionals in both countries.”

An MoU on cooperation in infor-mation communication technologyand electronics was also inkedbetween India’s Ministry ofCommunications and InformationTechnology and Canada’sDepartment of Industry.

It aims to provide the necessaryframework for cooperation in theinformation communication technol-ogy and electronics (ICTE) sectorbetween the two countries for estab-lishing a strong and effective busi-ness to business partnership andcooperation.

The third MoU was betweenbetween India’s Defence Researchand Development Organisation andCanada’s York University for cooper-ation in the areas of Joint Researchand Development in Defence Scienceand Technology.

The MoU aims to establish aframework for cooperation and iden-tify opportunities for collaboration inthe areas of joint research and devel-opment in defence science and tech-nology through information and personnel exchanges.

Resumption of nuclear trade Marking a milestone in transformingbilateral ties, India and Canadaannounced the conclusion of anagreement to implement their civilnuclear deal that will allow Canadiancompanies to export uranium andatomic reactors to New Delhi after agap of 36 years.

They unveiled a host of new initia-tives, including launching a foreignministers’-level strategic dialogueand enhanced counter-terror cooper-ation, to scale up their partnership

and decided to conclude their negoti-ations for a comprehensive economiccooperation pact by next year.

Dr. Manmohan Singh held talkswith Harper to accelerate ties acrossdiverse sectors, including energy,trade and investment, agricultureand defence.

In a major step that removed thesole obstacle in accelerating bilateralties, the two sides concluded anagreement on implementing their2010 nuclear deal, reversing a 36-year-old ban when Canada froze itsuranium supplies to Indian reactorsin 1976, two years after India con-ducted nuclear tests in 1974.

“Prime Minister Harper’s visit isyet another milestone in our bilateralrelations,” said Dr. Manmohan Singhafter the talks.

The two prime ministers “wel-comed the conclusion of negotiationson Appropriate Arrangement andlooked forward to its early entry intoeffect, as well as to the inauguralmeeting of the Joint Committee cre-ated under the agreement,” said ajoint statement after the talks.

“They also recognised that Canada,with its large and high-qualityreserves of uranium, could becomean important supplier to India’snuclear power programme,” said thestatement.

India and Canada completed talkson an administrative agreement thatwill enable Canadian companies such

as Cameco Corp. (CCJ) to sell nuclearmaterials, equipment and technologyto India, said a statement fromHarper’s office.

Harper stressed that selling urani-um to India will be an important eco-nomic opportunity for Canadiancompanies.

“Being able to resolve these issuesand move forward is, we believe, areally important economic opportu-nity for an important Canadianindustry, part of the energy industry,that should pay dividends in terms ofjobs and growth for Canadians downthe road,” Harper said. “It is expectedto generate millions of dollars in newbusiness contacts between our coun-tries and to create high-quality newjobs here at home,” he added.

The nuclear pact will allowCanadian firms to export and importcontrolled nuclear materials, equip-ment and technology to and fromIndia to facilities under safeguardsapplied by the International AtomicEnergy Agency (IAEA), said thestatement from Harper’s office.

Harper, however, set no timelinefor concluding a safeguards agree-ment to implement the nuclear dealthe two countries signed in 2010.

Imparting a fresh momentum tobilateral ties, the two sides decided toscale up bilateral trade to $15 billionby 2015 and reaffirmed their resolveto conclude negotiations on aComprehensive EconomicPartnership Agreement (CEPA) bythe end of 2013.

further on itinerary Harper and his wife Laureen visitedthe Taj Mahal on November 5.Harper described the 17th centuryMughal monument as a “gift of beau-ty for all humanity”.

“This has been a real treat forLaureen and me. It is wonderful tosee how such a monument for lovefor a queen has become a gift of beau-ty for all humanity,” Harper wrote inthe Visitors’ Book.

Harper reached Chandigarh onNovember 7 on a day’s visit to Punjaband Chandigarh. He ended his tourwith a visit to Bangalore.n

In focus

6

India and Canada on November6 inked an agreement on socialsecurity, besides MoUs on cooperation in information

technology and electronics and forjoint research and developmentcooperation in defence science andtechnology.

The agreements were inked aftertalks between visiting CanadianPrime Minister Stephen Harper and

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inNew Delhi. Harper was on a six-dayvisit to India in early November.

The agreement on social security,inked between India’s Ministry ofOverseas Indian Affairs and Canada’sDepartment of Human Resourcesand Skills Development, provides foravoidance of double social securitycontributions by “detached workers”— employees who are subject to the

legislation of a country and are sentby their employers to work in anoth-er country — from the host country’slegislation.

It also provides for “portability ofcontributions” or moving the socialsecurity contribution at the time ofrelocation, and totalling the periodsof contribution for determining eligi-bility to a benefit.

Canada has a large Indian origin

IndiaMatters|November 2012 7November 2012|IndiaMatters

INDIA AND CANADAANNOUNCED THE CONCLUSION OF AN AGREEMENT TO IMPLEMENTTHEIR CIVIL NUCLEAR DEALTHAT WILL ALLOWCANADIAN COMPANIES TOEXPORT URANIUM ANDATOMIC REACTORS TO NEW DELHI AFTER A GAP OF 36 YEARS.

Gazing into a friendly future: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in New Delhi,during the latter’s six-day visit to India

Maple friendshipDuring Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to India, the two countriesink deals on social security and IT, reach agreement on nuclear trade

9November 2012|IndiaMatters8 IndiaMatters|November 2012

economy

Prime Minister Dr. ManmohanSingh recently launched thenation-wide Aadhaar-enableddirect cash transfer system to

ensure transparency in various welfare schemes.

“Our Government wants to makemaximum use of technology, IT inparticular, on a large scale to make theadministration accountable and tobring transparency. Aadhaar is a significant step in this direction,”Singh said, handing over the 21stcrore (210 millionth) Aadhaar num-ber to one Vali of Meghwalon kaMohalla, Kurawar, in Udaipur district of Rajasthan.

“Today we will be giving the 21stcrore Aadhaar number to a resident ofDudu here in Rajasthan and alsolaunch the Aadhaar Enabled ServiceDelivery across the country, so thatbenefits of various schemes reach residents,” said the Prime Minister.

Aadhaar was launched in 2010 toprovide an irrefutable proof of identi-

ty to all citizens of India, making it theworld's largest biometric-based iden-tity database.

“The first Aadhaar card was issuedat a tribal village in Maharashtraabout two years ago....now over 24crore (240 million) people are regis-tered under the project. Aadhaar hasbecome one of the biggest projects ofits kind in the entire world,” Dr. Singhtold the gathering.

The Aadhaar Enabled ServiceDelivery is the usage of the Aadhaaridentity platform to identify andauthenticate residents for delivery ofbenefits/services such as MNREGAwage payments, PDS distribution andpayment of social security benefitssuch as old-age payments.

“Cash benefits under the schemeswill be transferred to the accounts ofthe beneficiaries. On the basis ofAadhaar, we can ensure that benefit ofschemes reach genuine beneficiariesand that there is no mediator,” saidthe Prime Minister.

The project will ‘help implementthe public welfare schemes launchedby the Government in a more effectiveway. Complaints are received oftenabout gas connections, diesel, fertiliz-ers etc, which are provided on sub-sidised rates that don’t reach the peo-ple,’ the Prime Minister said. Headded that the card will help citizensopen bank accounts, get mobile phone connections, book air and rail tickets.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaramsaid, “The poor will benefit the mostfrom Aadhaar, as the Government willbe able to correctly identify beneficiar-ies of various social sector schemesbased on the Aadhaar number.”

“It is our aim that every residentshould have an Aadhaar number.”

On the occasion, the UPA chairper-son Sonia Gandhi said Aadhaar is the“world’s largest social inclusion pro-gramme”.

“This will transform lives of theaam aadmi (common man). It isbeing used as residence proof in few

states, and this will help the govern-ment transmit subsidy directly toaccounts of the beneficiary,” she said.

The Government will roll out theAadhaar Enabled Service Delivery ini-tiatives in 51 districts across the coun-try. Currently 23 crore (230 million)residents have enrolled for anAadhaar number, while 21 crore (210crore) Aadhaar numbers have beenissued. UIDAI Chairman NandanNilekani said about 60 crore (600 mil-lion) residents would be covered withAadhaar numbers by 2014.

Aadhaar awards

The Prime Minister also gave Aadhaarawards to district officials from threestates for their efforts to improvedelivery of services to people using thescheme.

Officials from Andhra Pradesh,Jharkhand and Maharashtra weregiven Aadhaar Governance andAadhaar Excellence Awards for theirefforts to improve the services deliveryto people and bring transparency ingovernance on the second anniversaryof Aadhaar at Dudu. Two officials,including one from a Government oilcompany was also awarded. TheAadhaar Enabled Service Deliverycomprises public distribution systemin East Godavari district of AndhraPradesh, social security payment inAurangabad in Maharashtra, LPGcylinder delivery in Mysore inKarnataka, MGNREGS payments inRamgarh in Jharkhand and old-agepension payments in West Tripura.

The Unique IdentificationAuthority of India is running variouspilots of Aadhaar Enabled ServiceDelivery like public distribution sys-tem in the country.n

ShIPwrecKedTHIS GAME pro-vides you theexcitement ofdiscovering thesecrets of alost island.Stranded on a forlorn island, youget the chance to explore themysterious jungle, discover hiddensecrets, and build a stunningbeach paradise, in a game ofadventure, magic, and romance. The game has the following fea-

tures: Exploring the mysteriousjungle for magical artifacts; racingto find hidden treasures; discover-ing lost civilisations; and turningyour deserted cove into a thrivingcommunity!

SmArT ToolSSMART TOOLS is a completepackage of five-app sets. Thesesets help you measure length,angle, distance, height, directionand sound with your phone. Set 1: Length, angle, slope, level,thread — Smart Ruler Pro Set 2: Distance, height, width,area — Smart Measure Pro Set 3: Compass,metal detector,GPS — SmartCompass Pro Set 4: Sound levelmeter, vibrometer— Sound Meter Pro Set 5: Flashlight, magnifier —Smart Light Pro In a nutshell, an all-in-one kit.

US$ 32.54 billion will be the value of the entertainmentand media industry in India by 2016, according to theConfederation of Indian Industry (CII) andPricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

US$ 6.66 billion worth deals were signed by the MadhyaPradesh (MP) Government with private companies during atwo-day Global Investors Summit.

US$ 14 billion is the volume of Indian investments in

Canada. Further, bilateral trade between the two countries isaround US$ 5 billion.

US$ 3.89 billion will be invested in Tamil Nadu, as theState Government will sign agreements with 12 companies, and provide direct employment to over 36,000 people.

US$ 2.60 billion is the cost of Bharat PetroleumCorporation Ltd’s expansion activities at its Kochi refinery.

BUSINESS BUZZ

fInd my frIendSFIND MY FRIENDS helps you easilylocate your friends and family from

your iPhone, iPad,or iPod touch.You can do thisby just sending arequest to seetheir location.Once your friend

accepts using the Find My Friendsapp on their device, you will beable to see their location. Andyour friends can request to seeyour location the same way.The other functions are keeping

track of your travelling compan-ions when you are on vacation, oreven checking if the kids arehome from school.

PoPulAr APPS for moBIle devIceS

IBooKSIBOOKS HELPS you download andread books in a user-friendly way,including the latest bestsellers andclassics. Download best-sellers andclassic books from the iBookstore,which has fully illustrated books,including children’s picture books,

designed art books,photo books, cookbooks, and more. There are full-

screen multi-touchbooks designed foriPad. These books

are filled with interactive features,diagrams, photos and videos. Read afree sample of any book before making it a part of your permanentcollection.

Government rolls out Aadhaar-based direct cash transfer system

A number that empowers: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi handing over the 210 millionth Aadhaar card to a resident of Meghwalon ka Mohalla, Kurawar, Udaipur district of Rajasthan

Aadhaar of better life

Ramesh S. Ramakrishnan isthe Chairman of TransworldGroup of Companies, whichis engaged in shipping and

logistics. A graduate in Commercefrom the University of Mumbai, hehas over 25 years of entrepreneurialexperience, including hands on expe-

rience in ship-owning, chartering andship management. In an Interviewwith India Matters, Ramakrishnandescribes the trading ethos in theworld today

1What does Dubai mean toyou?

Dubai means a lot to me. Our entirebusiness and the financial growththat we have achieved has stemmedfrom this region. My late father setup the business in the 1970s. Imoved to Dubai in the 1980s. Dubaiis an amazing place of rejuvenation,where the Government and people

wholeheartedly co-operate withexpats, who come from variousnationalities and cultures. There isendless room for opportunities.

2What was the inspirationand how did you create a

successful shipping empire inthe UAE?My father was my inspiration. Hedied at the untimely age of 57. But heleft behind a company with a strongfoundation and when I took over myambition was to take the organisa-tion to greater heights. At the sametime I was keen to nurture and takecare of all the people in the organisa-tion, as they are the backbone of any

organisation. Over a period of time, Iam happy to see the growth we haveachieved. Today I can confidentlysay that we have achieved thisthrough our people who haveworked with the organisation.

3There is a direct co-relationbetween global trade and

shipping. Where is global tradeheading?With the financial and banking cri-sis in the Europe, elections in the USand change of guard in India andChina, it’s very hard for one to pre-dict where global trade is heading.

4Can India become a globalplayer in shipping?

India can definitely become a globalpayer in shipping, provided theGovernment is able to support theshipping fraternity and reduce thebottlenecks being imposed to theminimum, thus allowing them tofunction smoothly.

5What, according to you, hasbeen the most significant

and far-reaching economicdecision made by India sinceIndependence? I think that economic liberalisation,with the opening up of the economyto foreign capital and investments hashelped India achieve rapid economicgrowth in the past several years.

6What, according to you,distinguishes the Indian

entrepreneur in the UAE? Indian entrepreneurs in the UAEare honest, passionate and hard-working and this allows them to cre-ate a well thought-out strategy torun their business successfully.There is no substitute for hard work,and Indian entrepreneurs have capitalised on this quality.

7Which three sectors accord-ing to you have the best

growth prospects in the com-ing decade?Logistics and supply chain manage-ment have the best prospects in thecoming decade. It is a growing areaof specialisation that is a key part ofany business

8Does CSR make economicsense or is it just a con-

science cleaner?Companies in every sector of theeconomy are practicing CSR. Thevarious activities of course differfrom region to region. With a CSRstrategy in place, you’ll have an edgeover other firms looking to gain afoothold in foreign markets.Through responsible business prac-tices, you’ll build and protect yourbrand.

9Why do you promote theIndian music and cultural

heritage in the UAE?Dubai has provided us with every-thing. It’s a place where we startedour operations and it has given backmore than what we wanted. In ourendeavour to promote the Indianculture we try to bring to Dubaimany concerts featuring Indianartists.

10And your top 3 films,songs and actors are…

Deewar, Dil Chahta Hai andZindagi Na Milegi Dobara are someof my favourite films. NasiruddinShah, Om puri and Rajesh Khannaare my favourite actors, and thesongs that I love listening to arethose by Kishore Kumar, A.R.Rahman, besides a lot of classicalmusic.

1110 IndiaMatters|November 2012 November 2012|IndiaMatters

COMPANIES IN EVERY SECTOROF THE ECONOMY ARE PRAC-TICING CSR. THE VARIOUSACTIVITIES OF COURSE DIFFERFROM REGION TO REGION.WITH A CSR STRATEGY INPLACE, YOU’LL HAVE AN EDGEOVER OTHER FIRMS LOOKINGTO GAIN A FOOTHOLD INFOREIGN MARKETS.

Ramesh S. Ramakrishnan, Chairman, Transworld Group of Companies, on the reason why Indian entrepreneurs are succeeding in the UAE

‘no substitute for hard work’

10 questions

Waheeda Rehman, thestar of ageless classicssuch as Guide andKaagaz Ke Phool, feels

the golden era of Indian cinema wasnot in her day, but now, when it isgetting global appreciation and alsoevolving in terms of subjects, per-formances and technology.

Waheeda, as charming as ever at76, also feels “sorry” for the younger

lot, who, she says, are burning outbecause of multi-tasking.

“People come up to me and saythat when I did films, that was thegolden era, but I don’t agree withthat. With our films getting appreci-ation abroad, I feel now is the gold-en era,” Waheeda said during aninterview.

“I feel actors burn out fast thesedays because they do too manythings. Other than movies, they takeup endorsements, stage perform-ances, promotions, and it takes upso much of their time. I feel sorry forthe fact that they have to do somuch.”

Before entering Hindi movies withthe 1956 release C.I.D, Waheeda hadbeen a part of successful Telugu andTamil films like Jayasimha, RojuluMarayi and Kaalam Maari Pochu.

Then came unforgettables likePyaasa, 12 O’Clock, Kaagaz KePhool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam,Chaudhvin Ka Chand, TeesriKasam and Mujhe Jeene Do — alllandmarks in Hindi cinema.

Waheeda, who has spent over fivedecades in filmdom, in what is nowcommonly known as Bollywood,feels the industry has changed forthe better since her time.

“There have been a lot of goodchanges — be it technically, or interms of subjects and performances.There are very good movies made,like The Dirty Picture, Kahaani,Black, Paan Singh Tomar andPeepli Live.”

“But there is too much of uncer-tainty too. Movies have become veryexpensive and fortunately for them,within a week they get back theirmoney. But it is not a question ofmoney; it is also about the quality ofmovie,” she said.

Waheeda also appreciates actorsfor playing all kinds of roles, some-thing that was unheard of during herheyday.

“In our times, even for a small neg-ative role, people used to be like, ‘Iam a leading lady (so) how can I saythis dialogue, or slap someone?’,” shesaid.

Waheeda never shied away fromunconventional or bold roles. Guideis a case in point. The 1965 film, inwhich she was paired with DevAnand, saw her playing a dancer,who walks out on her husband topursue her dreams to be a dancer.

“I was very different. When a scenedemanded an abuse or a slap, I usedto do it. Actors were always consciousabout their public image. They hadcomplexes those days, but now theydon’t have, which is a good thing,” she said.

Was she image conscious?“I was never conscious of this. I

thought an actor should be able to doany role with conviction and sinceri-ty. Script is the most important thingand if the script is good, then whatev-er role you are doing, it’s fine,” saidthe actress, who also excelled in char-acter roles in Mashal and NamakHalaal.n

ciNema

12

Timeless star WAHEEDA REHMAN expresses happiness about the kind of films beingmade today, in an interview to Anjuri Nayar

IndiaMatters|November 2012 13November 2012|IndiaMatters

ACTORS WERE ALWAYS CONSCIOUS ABOUT THEIRPUBLIC IMAGE. THEY HADCOMPLEXES THOSE DAYS,BUT NOW THEY DON’T HAVE,WHICH IS A GOOD THING.

Shoestring budget filmmakers‘Now is the golden era’

The next time when you feel youcan’t possibly make a film with a

few lakh rupees, take a look atnames like Srinivas Sunderrajan,Lakshmy Ramakrishnan and HemantGaba, all independent filmmakers,who have successfully made movieswith shoestring budgets.In times when multi-crore budget

films, shot with extravagance and ininternational locales are co-existingwith movies made in the country’shinterlands and within smaller budg-ets, one wonders what can be doneto take a script to screen by spend-ing the lowest possible amount.Sunderrajan, who made Hindi-

English drama-thriller The UntitledKartik Krishnan Project, spent merely `̀40,000 on the project,which was supposed to be a zerobudget film.Sunderrajan adopted the guerilla

filmmaking technique to shoot thefilm, mostly on weekends and in sev-eral locations without permission.“Most of us had day jobs and

therefore chose to shoot over theweekend. When we had to shoot onthe train, we would just go on board.We would bribe the waiters to let usin, before they started service toshoot scenes in a cafe,” he says.At any given point, the director

would work only with key characters

of the film so that he could ensurecost-cutting.Most of the editing was done on a

borrowed Macbook, while the post-production, visual effects and sounddesign were done on home computer.Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, director

of Tamil family-drama Aarohanam,which was made under `50 lakh (5 million), did most of her edit workon paper. That brought down thecosts immensely.“Since I had everything on paper,

every shot we took was used in thefilm and there was no wastage. Weknew the exact duration of the filmand how much footage we couldafford to shoot,” Ramakrishnan says.She used her contacts to get best

possible quotes on camera equip-ments and other such technicalprops. “It makes sense to get thepricing from three different peopleand decide on the best, based onquality and pricing,” she adds.Hemant Gaba, director of Hindi

comedy-drama Shuttlecock Boys,which was made on a budget of `35lakh (3.5 million), believed in keep-ing things as local as possible.“Hire equipment, crew, and cast

locally that not only gives flexibilityto shoot but can also cut down onthe travel or hotel expenses,” Gabasays.

Transcending two eras: (above) Actress Waheeda Rehman in an emotional role;(facing page) grace personified

Small is beautiful: A still from The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project

bisecting the huge lawns inside, divid-ing it into four equal parts.

The mosque was built by SultanSikandar in 1400 AD and later extend-ed by his son, Zain-ul-Abidin. Apartfrom its beautiful Indo-Saracenicarchitecture, the central hall has 378wooden deodar pillars, supporting awooden ceiling.

It was a tiring two-day journey (witha stopover at Dras, the coldest place inIndia), especially the last stretchthrough the Suru valley and over thePensi La after turning off the mainSrinagar-Kargil highway. This was thefirst road built in 1979 in Zanskar toconnect Padum with the main road.Zanskar was entirely different fromthe lush and vibrant Kashmir Valley.Not a blade of grass could be seen onthe highly serrated ridges, whilestrong wind made any outdoor stayshort. While Kashmir’s landscape waslike youth at its peak, Zanskar was likethat of a wizened old man who hadseen all ebbs and highs in life. But, likean old man’s face, it was fascinating towatch. The craggy cliffs covered thebrilliant white and red monasteries,

while the people and their attire addedmuch colour to the grey, black andbrown surroundings.

Apart from the monastery, the mainhighlight was the view of the land-

scape — I was neversatiated with it; themore I saw it, themore it fascinatedme. I did make a tripto the ZanskarRiver, but I wasquite early for thefamous Chadar Trek.

Chadar actually isthe name given to the

sheet of ice that forms inthe peak of winter over the

frozen Zanskar River. The 7-12 day trek is one of the most dif-

ficult in the world and is open onlyfor a fortnight or so. Since the trek is inthe winters, the normal route is closedbecause of the snow. You’ll have to flyto Leh and then drive two-three hoursto a small village called Chilling, fromwhere the trek begins (and ends).

The best time to complete this circuit is between the first week ofJanuary and the first week ofFebruary. In fact, the most enjoyabletime is mid-January, when the Chadaris at its best. God willing, I hope to doit next year.n

tRavel

14

It’s a sight that probably gaveKashmir Valley its sobriquet —‘Paradise on Earth’. This is whatMughal emperor Jehangir is

reported to have said when he firstlaid his eyes on the Kashmir Valleyafter crossing the Pir Panjal range. Forthe modern traveller, the Jehangirmoment comes after crossing theBanihal tunnel enroute Jammu toSrinagar. It’s a sight that is frozen inmy mind since the 1980s when myfather was posted there. Today, afterover 25 years of my last visit, the firstview of the Kashmir Valley was asmagical as it was then.

A hot cup of tea is almost mandato-ry at Qazikund, the first stop in theValley. From here, the road is on a flatland and passes through lush fields,gurgling streams and picturesque vil-lages. It was dark by the time I reachedSrinagar but the roads were still busyand shops open. I made my way toNagin Lake, the lesser known twin ofthe Dal Lake, and after a short ride inthe quintessential Kashmiri shikara,set foot on the houseboat, which wasto be my home for the next few days.

The Nagin Lake is linked with a nar-row arm to its more famous neighbourand has its own set of well-furnishedhouseboats. The view is as ethereal asfrom the Dal Lake, with the breathtak-ing snow peaks, the stately chinarsand the ubiquitous shikaras.

On my first day, I took the typicaltourist circuit of the Boulevard on theDal Lake, the Shankaracharya Templeon a hill-top overlooking the lake, andthe famous gardens of Srinagar —Chashme Shahi, Nishat and Shalimar.

My second day began with a visit tothe Neolithic site of Burzahom, theearliest settlement in the valley.

Situated about five kilometres fromthe centre of the city, Burzahom, or‘the place where birch trees grow’,transported me to a different time. Itwas built on an elevation and I wastold that earlier, when the whole valleywas under water, it was here that thefirst humans settled.

After an hour or so at Burzahom, Icrossed Srinagar’s hub Lal Chowk toreach Makhdum Sahib, the shrine ofKashmir’s most revered sufi saintKhwaja Sheikh Hamza Makhdum.The shrine lay at the foot of HariParbat and was a stately building inKashmiri style, with its typical pago-da-like pinnacle.

Makhdum Sahib is said to belong toa family of Chandravanshi Rajputsfrom Kangra, who had settled down inKashmir and had risen to high posi-tions in the court of Raja Jai Chandbefore converting to Islam.

Venturing deeper into Old Srinagar,I reached Jami Masjid — it was unlikeany mosque I had seen earlier.Looking more like a university cam-pus, it had trees planted around thecentral pool and had two pathways

IndiaMatters|November 2012

From lush landscapes to grey-brown ridges, the journey fromKashmir Valley to Zanskar is similar to the transition from youth toold age, both fascinating in their own ways, writes Himanshu Joshi

Road to salvation

The many faces ofparadise: (Facing page) travel into theheart of the scenic Dal Lake on ashikara; (top) Chadar, the name given tothe sheet of ice that forms at the peak ofwinter over the frozen Zanskar River;(above) Burzahom, the first Neolithic sitein Jammu & Kashmir

15November 2012|IndiaMatters

WHILE KASHMIR’S LANDSCAPE WAS LIKEYOUTH AT ITS PEAK,

ZANSKAR WAS LIKE THAT OF A WIZENED OLD MANWHO HAD SEEN ALL EBBSAND HIGHS IN LIFE.

ChadaR tRek

ESSENTIALS FOR THE TREK: Asleeping bag (you are going toface temperatures of about 30degrees below zero); sleepingmat; tent; waterproof ankle-highshoes (preferably with removableinners); towels; torch; a goodpair of sunglasses to preventsnow blindness.CLOTHES: Keep clothes down tothe essentials with two pairs ofthermals; waterproof and wind-resistant outer jacket; thickwool socks; and plenty of layers. FOOD: Carry all food suppliesneeded for the trek, as nothingis available on the route. Includeplenty of energy food, choco-lates and munchies for the day-time, etc. Also carry a full first-aid kit. MUST HAVE: A good qualitycamera (and plenty of batter-ies) to capture the panoramicviews! a

Food fantasies

Much of the joy on the occasion ofDiwali accrues from cooking andexchanging a range of delicacies.Every region throws up its owndelights, from chakli in Maharashtrato gooje-papdi in Delhi.

In Maharashtra, elaborate prepara-tion of chaklis, made of chickpea flour,kaanji, shakar paare and namakpaare (both made from refined flour)keeps the womenfolk of the househappily engaged for a few days leadingupto Diwali. Of course, it’s a challengekeeping the children at bay from thesepreparations, as it’s a sacrilege con-suming these goodies before thesehave been offered to Goddess Laxmiand Lord Ganesh on the Diwali day.

In Garhwal region of Uttarakhand,it’s time to indulge, as one can onlyconsume pooris fried in oil in a kad-hai, and not rotis made on tawa.

In Bihar, sweet puas and curry-riceare the special preparations, while inTamil Nadu, vada sambhar, poriyal,Mysore pak and jangri are the staplefare of the occasion.

extended affairOf course, the festivities are not limit-ed to a single day. The festive moodstarts building up across the countrysince Dussehra, and the marketsremain decked up with lighting andfestoons all this while. The festivities‘officially’ commence two days beforeDiwali, with Dhan teras, when devo-tees buy gold and silver coins and jewellery, besides utensils.

The day before Diwali is known aschaudas, i.e. the 14th day of the lunarcycle, and Marathis celebrate it asroop chaudas. They get up beforedawn, apply oil on the body and take alavish bath, in the belief that doingthis will enhance one’s beauty. Andthey mark the day after Diwali, called

padwa (i.e. first day of new moon), asa day of worshipping one’s husband.

In many parts of the country, theday after Diwali is marked as‘Govardhan’, when cows are decoratedand worshipped. Even among theMathurs of urban Delhi, devotees cre-ate a small mountain made of smallrocks and embellish it with toy treesand animals.

As the festoons and lighting arebeing packed up at the end of the five-day festivities, there’s a distinct tingeof sadness. After all, Diwali marks theend of a festive season that starts withthe festival of Teej in July end. Butthere’s a reason to rejoice, as Diwalialso heralds the brilliant winterweather.n

16 IndiaMatters|November 2012 17November 2012|IndiaMatters

Feature

Meenakshi Iyer, a homemaker, has grown updoing Diwali pooja andbursting crackers at the

break of dawn, for early morning is thetime when Tamils celebrate the auspi-cious festival of Diwali. A night before,they do all the preparations. A specialdish called marandu is made and newclothes are kept next to the deity.

On Diwali day, Tamils get up at 4.00in the morning, take an oil bath, wearthe new clothes, offer prayers, con-sume the marandu and bursts crack-ers, even before the rest of India haswoken up. The celebration is over bythe time of sunrise. This is why whenMeenakshi got married to a Punjabi,she was surprised that the day beginsmuch later in North India on Diwaliday, and that the pooja and other fes-tivities happen during evening hours.

The range of customs that charac-terises this festival, which is broadlydescribed as a festival of lights, withLaxmi and Ganesh pooja, making of

rangolis, lighting of diyas and burst-ing of crackers, is truly mesmerising.Look a little deeper and there is adelight in store, in the form of diver-sity, for instance the fact that thepeople of Garhwal make their ‘crack-ers’ by picking up tiny branches ofpine trees, tying them and puttingthem on fire.

Even within the small communityof Mathurs, a subcaste of Kayasthas,the Mathurs of Delhi do an elaboratepooja of diyas, first before lightingthem, and then after lighting them.They recite a story about howGoddess Laxmi brings prosperity tohomes. But the Mathurs of CentralIndia use this occasion to make anoffering of wheat, sugar cane andother agricultural produce, whichhas been just harvested that month.

In Patna district of Bihar, the agrar-ian influence is evident in a Diwali-daycustom of driving the devil away. Thevillagers make a long string by weav-ing together dry grass, burn it and

rush towards the agricultural fields,scaring away the devil. And from thefields, they then invite Goddess Laxmito come to their homes. The poojaceremonies continue until as late asmid-night.

In this agrarian setting, the villagerspaint their homes fresh with cowdung, draw symbols like lotus, ele-phant and fish on the walls, and lightdiyas near the cash box, the granaryand the cow shed. They also constructa small artificial hut from local materi-al, paint it with cow dung, and light adiya on it.

Similar practice prevails in theMalwa region of Western MadhyaPradesh, where a small toy hut is dec-orated, and a diya lit on it everyevening, from Dussehra till Diwali. Inthis region, which is heavily influ-enced by Maharashtrian and Gujaraticulture, making rangolis every morn-ing since Dussehra is also a custom,which is followed even today, despitechanging lifestyles.

Diwali best exemplifies the Indian reality of diversity of customs in every region and every community, writes Meha Mathur

God is in details

OF COURSE, IT’S A CHALLENGE KEEPING THECHILDREN AT BAY FROMTHESE PREPARATIONS, ASIT’S A SACRILEGE CONSUMING THESE GOODIESBEFORE THESE HAVE BEENOFFERED TO GODDESSLAXMI AND LORD GANESHON THE DIWALI DAY.

The many colours of celebration: (L-R) Fireworks on display; colourfullightwork at a home; rangoli pattern;and chaklis, made in Maharashtrianhomes

Much like film and theatrefestivals, literary festivalshave become an impor-tant component of the

cultural calendar of the country today.These are not just some secludedevents at exotic locations where thewho’s who of the literary and celebrityworld mingle. At the Jaipur LiteraryFestival in January 2012, as many as57,000 people visited the festival eachday! And while the Jaipur LiteraryFestival has come to be known asMecca of Literature in the country,such festivals are becoming a year-round feature, with events beingorganised at several locations, withIndia taking the initiative in organis-

ing the festival in neighbouring coun-ties like Nepal and Bhutan too. Thuswe have Mountain Echoes in Bhutan,the Kathmandu Literary Yatra, theGalle Literary Festival in Sri Lankaand the Karachi Literature Festival,

occasions not just for literaryexchanges but also cultural perform-ances and savouring of local customs.

The themes taken up at these festsmirror the realities of the time. At theTata Literature Live! Mumbai LitFestin early November, authors, journal-ists and other public figures wereinvited to talk on politics, sports andcinema. Among the themes were:Multi-story crisis: Has fiction failedMumbai? (Discussants: AltafTyrewala, Cyrus Mistry, Jeet Thayil,Siddharth Bhatia; Chair: NareshFernandes); Writing about Family(Discussants: Arun Shourie, JerryPinto, Sudhir Kakar; Chair: VrindaNabar); Myths and modern stories:Revivalism in Disguise? (Discussants:Amish Tripathi, Ashok Banker,Roderick Matthews; Chair: AmitavaKumar); Writing in the age of Twitter(Discussants: Peter Griffin, PritishNandy, Vir Sanghvi; Chair: SachinKalbag); Reinventing Spirituality(Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in conversa-tion with Arundhathi and AnilDharker); Vox Indica: Do we have adelusional view of our importance onthe world stage? (Shashi Tharoor inconversation with Dileep Padgaonkar;Chair: Shekhar Gupta); Still stumped:The dearth of Indian sports biogra-phies (Discussants: Ayaz Memon,Boria Majumdar, Harsha BhogleChair: Sanjay Jha); and Why don’tIndian films draw on Indian fiction?(Discussants: Anjum Rajabali, HabibFaisal, Shyam Benegal, SidharthBhatia; Chair: Bhaichand Patel).

During the well-attended LitFest,Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul surprisedthe audience when he broke downwhen asked a question about his significant literary creation A HouseFor Mr. Biswas, penned over fivedecades ago.

As author Farrukh Dhondy askedhim about the “big novel” publishedway back in 1961, and how he startedhis literary career, Naipaul, 80, firstdid not reply and then broke down. “Ihave told this story so many times, butit is very moving...,” he trailed off onthe query about the book based on thelife of father.

At the LitFest, Naipaul was con-ferred the Lifetime AchievementAward. On the occasion, he engagedin a moving discussion on the chal-lenges of travel writing, his earlystruggle as a budding author, hisexperiences and exploration of India,and the death of his pet cat Augustus.

There were book launches of IndiaBecoming by Akash Kapur, Jinnah vs.Gandhi by Roderick Matthews, Sethjiby Shobhaa De and India Grows atNight by Gurcharan Das.

There were also performances,including theatrical productionHayavadana by Black Boxers &Industrial Theatre Co and Kyun KyunLadki by Gillo Theatre Repertory, anadapted dance, movement, and livemusic performance of MahashwetaDevi’s story Why-Why Girl.

At the Kovalam Literary Festival,held in October, pediatrician-turned-social activist Binayak Sen was foundgiving his perspective on FoodSecurity Bill and the need to reviveindigenous traditions of growing andstoring food, even as Israeli womanwriters Dorit Rabinyan and SaraiShavit reflected upon the changingface of Israel’s literature, where

women have been scripting new sensi-bilities with their powerful writingand feminist narratives for the lasttwo decades, spurred by the strugglefor gender equality in society.

And now, as the schedule for theJaipur Literary Festival is announced,Indian readers can expect anotherround of intellectual potpourri thiswinter in Jaipur.

While the festival, to be held inJanuary 2013, will focus on Indianlanguage writing, there will be fairsprinkling of other elements too.

The festival will showcase diversityof writing in over 16 Indian languages,including Hindi, Urdu, Rajasthani,Tamil, Telugu, Bhojpuri, Maithili,Punjabi, Bangla, Malayalam, Gujarati,

Sindhi, Kannada and Kashmiri. A ses-sion, ‘Remembering Sunil Da’, willpay tributes to noted Bengali writer,late Sunil Gangopadhyay, who hadbefore his death agreed to attend thefestival in 2013.

The sessions will also look intoRussian literature, Jewish novel,William Shakespeare, RudyardKipling, cricket writing, the NewAfrica, Iran, and writings on contem-porary art.

Sessions on the Buddha will com-prise aspects of literature, aesthetics,philosophy and social issues, with dis-cussions by writers and practitionerslike Ranjini Obeyesekere, AniChoying, Benoy K. Behl and KanchaIlaiah.n

books

Carnival of letters

18 IndiaMatters|November 2012 19November 2012|IndiaMatters

Twitter times: Writer-politician Shashi Tharoor signing his books for readers atthe Mumbai LitFest

V.S. NAIPAUL SURPRISED THEAUDIENCE WHEN HE BROKEDOWN WHEN ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT HIS SIGNIFICANT LITERARY CREATION A HOUSE FOR MR. BISWAS...

kolkata to introduce award in Gangopadhyay’s memory

Kolkata Book Fair organiser ThePublishers and Booksellers Guild

is planning to introduce a lecture andan award in the memory of legendaryBengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyaywho passed away recently.

“Gangopadhyay was an integralpart of the Book Fair and to pay ourrespects to the great writer we areplanning to introduce an annual lec-

ture as well as an award in his memo-ry,” said Tridib Chatterjee of the Guild.

“A pavilion in his name is also onthe cards. Although the plans are inthe nascent stage, we hope to imple-ment them as soon as possible,” headded.

Gangopadhyay, who was the presi-dent of the Sahitya Akademy, playedan important role in organising the

inaugural Kolkata Literary Meet(KLM) during the 36th fair last year.

Several eminent writers, includingVikram Seth of A Suitable Boy fameparticipated in the KLM.

Gangopadhyay, 78, died followinga massive heart attack on October23. The 37th Kolkata Book Fair willbe organised in the city from January30, 2013, onwards.

Literary warrior: Author Mahashweta Devi at the Mumbai LitFest

Literary festivals are the talk of the town now, with the who’s who of Literatiappearing in full strength, providing memorable moments to the audience

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n The world’s first ticket to beissued in the 21st century wasfrom an Amadeus GDS in India

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n The Amadeus Data ProcessingCentre in Erding, Germany, hasmultiple redundancies and is con-figured to provide around-the-clock, fail-safe availability

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n Working around-the-clock,Amadeus helpdesks receive anaverage of two calls every second

(Reproduced with the permission of Superbrands India Private Limited — copyright owners)

November 2012|IndiaMatters

WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOWABOUT AMADEUS

2120

Introducing India’s

IndiaMatters|November 2012

MARKETPerhaps, nowhere more than in thetravel industry can the true meaningof globalisation be better under-stood. For it is here that cutting-edge tools such as the GlobalDistribution System (GDS) have quietly revolutionised the travel andtourism business, making the storage and retrieval of informationand conducting transactions a specialised activity. In this market of exceptional tech-

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2322

1. This personality has recently won theprestigious 2012 Hoover Medal at theGlobal Humanitarian TechnologyConference in Seattle, Washington.Name him/ her.

2. Who won the second Formula OneIndian Grand Prix, held in GreaterNOIDA, Uttar Pradesh.

3. Who is the author of the recently-released book Bhagavad Gita and theQuran through Sufi Eyes?

4. Name the car manufacturer, whichwon the prestigious Golden PeacockAward for sustainability in the automobile category.

5. Name the city in the North East, whichheld its first Fashion Week in lateOctober, aimed at giving a boost to thedesigners of the region.

6. The solar Solar Energy Policy 2012,unveiled by the chief minister of thisSouth Indian state, aims at making thesouthern state a regional solar energyhub. Name the state.

7. Name the first novel written by leg-endary Bangla writer SunilGangopadhyay, who passed awayrecently.

8. Name the author of The Folded Earth,who has won the 11th EconomistCrossword Book Award.

9 Who is the playwright of Tughlaq, aplay, which made comeback in theopen-air arena after nearly 40 years?

10.Name the Indian who has topped theForbes magazine’s list of India’s 100richest fifth-year in a row, with a networth of $21 billion.

This magazine invitescontributions fromreaders in the formof Q&As, factoids, photographs, quiznews and participationin upcoming quizevents. You can write in to indiqtive@gmail.com

ANSWERS TO THE LAST CONTEST

1. Ebrahim Alkazi 2. Gulzar 3. Zee TV 4. Odisha 5. Haqeeqat 6. Hyderabad 7. Aishwarya Raii 8. Dhrupad 9. 1975 10. 1960 11. Mahe

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Near Mamourah Police stationMumtazar RdTel: 07-2288345

KalbaKalba Indian School and Cultural Club (K.I.S.C.C)Opposite Kalba Police StationNear Bin Moosa PharmacyTel: 09-2777357

FujairahIndian Social Club Fujairah (I.S.C.E)Opposite Hilton HotelAl Fazil RoadTel: 09-2221155

KhorfakanIndian Social Club, Khorfakan (I.S.C.K)Behind Indian SchoolTel: 09-2387677

Al AinIndian Social CentreAl Saroj DistrictTel: 03-7221080

The Indian Passport and Visa services, handled by BLS International Services

Their website is www.blsindiavisa-uae and for queries you may call 04-2555530

The Passport and Visa Service Centres located at the premises of the Indian

Associations/Indian Social Centres in the different Emirates will continue

to remain functional at their existing locations.

Locations of all Indian Passport and Visa Centres:

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November 2012|IndiaMattersIndiaMatters|November 2012

THE PICTURE QUESTION

This picturesque historic town is out-post of the Vindhya mountain range,and overlooks the Narmada Valley.Rich in history, it is best-known forits medieval love-lore of its ruler BazBahadur and Rani Roopmati. Todayin complete ruins, the town stillretains its charm and is a majortourist attraction. Name it.

BAUL MUSIC, DOWN SOUTH

Art, performance and regional integration merge in the folk music of Parvathy Baul, one of the country’s top

Baul musicians from Bengal, who balances her training as an artist from Shantiniketan’s Kala Bhavan with the

devotional music of the wandering minstrels that she has carried down south to Kerala.

A Bengali Brahmin by birth, 36-year-old Parvathy bridges the cultural divide between southern India and Bengal

with her traditional folk music that draws its sustenance from Birbhum district, described as the land of red

earth and sonorous bards who sing their freedom ditties in villages along the banks of the Ajay river to invoke

the divine. Parvathy’s world, however, stretches beyond the idyllic confines of rural Bengal.

The musician, who has been living in Kerala for the last 15 years, performs live in remote villages of Kerala,

where ordinary villagers host her at soirees, she says.

Consulate General of IndiaP.O. BOX 737, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Tel: +971 4 3971222/ +971 4 3971333, Fax: +971 4 3970453

Email: cgidubai@cgidubai.com

Consulate Hotline Numbers +971 50 9433111 (For women/housemaids in distress and counseling for stress and depression)

+971 50 7347676 (For death formalities on holidays and after office hours)

Passport: 04-3070741 Visa: 04-3070743 Consular: 04-3070782 Labour: 04-3070716

Embassy of India, Abu DhabiPlot No. 10, Sector W-59/02, Diplomatic Area, Off the Airport Road

P.O. Box 4090, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Tel: +971 2 4492700, Fax: +971 2 4444685 / +971 2 4447768

Email: edu@indembassyuae.org/cons@indembassyuae.org

Indian Workers Resource CentreIndian Workers Resource Centre is a first-of-its-kind government initiative with a 24X7 toll free multilingual (Hindi, Malayalam,

Tamil, Telugu & English) helpline offering free legal, financial and psychological counseling, to the Indian Community in the UAE.

IWRC Centre, Al Jawahara, 202, Above Habib Bank AG Zurich, Bank Street, Bur Dubai

Tel : 800 (India) 46342 Fax 043559309

Email: help@iwrc-uae.com; www.iwrc-uae.com

Walk-in timing: 3-7pm