Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2016 i India Today

MILE-HIGH THREADS Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s passion for khadi is only too well known. He exhorted people to buy khadi products in his first Mann ki baat two years ago, a move that generated fresh demand for the fabric, with the Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) becoming a hub of activity again. Now, the PM’s fondness for khadi is set to scale new heights. The cabin crew of Air India One, the official aircraft which flies the PM and the President, will be outfitted in khadi. Air India is seeking fashion designers to adorn its VVIP crew with desi threads. ADMIRAL SHELTERS Naval officials in Delhi are speculating over the likely inhabitants of two suites in the navy’s Varuna Officers’ Mess near the domestic airport. Work started recently on…

TRIANGULAR TUSSLE AIUDF MAY EMERGE AS KINGMAKER AS BOTH CONGRESS AND BJP GRAPPLE FOR A MAJORITY THE CONGRESS CM candidate TARUN GOGOI Despite talks of a tacit understanding with the AIUDF, the Congress is going solo contesting 126 seats. It faces strong anti-incumbency after three consecutive terms in power. With a pan-Assam presence, the party can never be ruled out here as even in 1985, when the Asom Gana Parishad wave swept the state and Congress leaders were treated as pariah, the party managed to win 35 seats. BJP AND ALLIANCE (MITRAJOT) CM candidate SARBANANDA SONOWAL The BJP has teamed up with the AGP, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and other tribal groups such as Tiwa, Karbi and Rabha. The BJP will contest 90 seats, the AGP will fight in…

For the second time over the course of 12 completely unpredictable months, things finally appear to be looking up in Jammu & Kashmir. The people of India’s most troubled frontline state, deeply fissured along religious, political and ideological lines, prepare for yet another historic tryst with their collective destiny. Twelve months after her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed cobbled together an arduous alliance—variously described as ‘antithetical’, an ‘impossible-to-sustain coming toge t her of magnetic opposites’ or ‘a coalition between the north and the south’— with the Bharatiya Janata Party, 56-year-old Mehbooba Mufti, firebrand chief of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), assumes the mantle as J&K’s chief minister. Happily, she is the first woman to land the top job in the state’s long and troubled history. And though this comes her way…

A group of 20 people from Pakharsangvi, a village of some 15,000 people on the outskirts of Latur, has queued up at a public water valve to get perhaps a handa (pot) of drinking water. The valve gets water directly from the Dhanegaon dam, the lone water supplier for Latur city. They wait for close to six hours in the scorching heat, but in vain. The valve emits only hot air, no water. Around 200 metres behind them stands White Field, the under-construction residence of local legislator Amit Deshmukh, son of the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, twice chief minister of Maharashtra, first between 1999 and 2002 and then between 2004 and 2008. Ironically, there is no dearth of water inside White Field where outsiders are not even allowed to peep in.…

An Indian general who visited China for a military demonstration a few years ago recounted how he felt sheepish towards the culmination of the display when a PLA officer strode up to the dais where he sat with his Chinese counterpart. The officer then saluted and shouted that all the weapons on display were made in China. This is not an affirmation many Indian military demonstrations can hope to match anytime in the near future. India has had the dubious distinction of being the world’s largest arms importer for three years in a row now, with nearly 60 per cent of its military hardware coming from suppliers as diverse as the US, Russia, Israel and France. Apart from dependence on foreign suppliers for spares through the lifecycle of the equipment,…

“The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else.” 1. UMBERTO ECO 1932-2016 Italian writer and philosopher who explored the intricacies of human behaviour, known for his novel The Name of the Rose, released in 1980 “I always dream of a pen that would be a syringe.” 2. JACQUES DERRIDA 1930-2004 Notoriously di culttounderstand philosopher, celebrated as the principal exponent of ‘deconstruction’ “Truth has the structure of a fiction.” 3. JACQUES LACAN 1901-81 The most influential figure in psychiatry and a figure of controversy, who abolished the Freudian School of Paris “When power changes, knowledge changes, and truth changes.” 4. MICHEL FOUCAULT 1926-54 French historian, philosopher, social critic and one of the most influential yet controversial scholars of the postWorld War…

Cinnamon basil, giant aconcagua pepper—if these are names you haven't heard before, here's your chance of adding to your 'seed knowledge' while you take a break. The farm cultivates and propagates heirloom and heritage seeds. “I first bought the farm in 2002 and have since tested as many as 560 desi varieties. Of these, 140 are grown here and include 40 types of edible leaves,” says Prabhakar Rao, 59, a PhD in plant breeding. Hariyalee Seeds holds periodic day-long workshops that offer you a full farm experience and an introductions to heirloom seeds. The workshops begin with a walk around the farm where you not just see but can pick fresh produce in a little basket. These veggies and leaves will then go into your own salad lunch. Sessions on…

There are two health food myths that Chef Saurav Banerjee is happy to bust; that health food must be bland and if not, it needs to be made with fancy, inaccessible products like quinoa or kale. He then asks us to take the humble sorghum for example. “Colloquially known as jowar, we cook it like a risotto by slow-cooking it, which helps fill it with flavour. It also has the added benefit of being gluten free,” says Banerjee. If you thought all risottos must be fattening think again, 100g of this humble grain is about 329 calories. Like quinoa it has both carbohydrates and protein and is also rich in B vitamins, niacin, thiamin iron and manganese. Another grain that is featured in the wellness menu at The Oberoi Grand…

The Idol Jatinder Mauhar (Punjabi filmmaker) Besides Filmmaking Sketching and painting When cinema gets on the nerves Backpacking to the Himalayas If not an artist? A Farmer Dreaming on 35mm Tarsem Singh Sidhu (30), filmmaker, Bathinda THE CALLING “It was only during my time at the Government College of Art, from where I graduated in 2010, that I realised that I wanted to be a filmmaker. Coming from Bathinda, I had very little exposure to cinema. It was in Chandigarh that I saw movies by documentary filmmakers like Anand Patwardhan, that precipitated me towards this art form. The years spent in Shantiniketan, from where I completed my Masters in Fine Arts in 2012, made my resolve stronger. I started shooting short films with my mobile camera there. In fact, I…

YUAN-CLASS TYPE 039A SUBMARINE Cost $300-400 million History Commissioned in 2006, an upgrade of the diesel-electric powered Song-class which was China’s first home-grown sub. Carries six torpedo tubes, anti-ship missiles. Buyers Pakistan has ordered eight, Thailand three, while Bangladesh has bought two of the older Ming-class variants Competing platforms Russia’s Kilo class, Japan’s Soryu class On September 3 last year, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), for the first time, showcased some of its newest hardware in a grand display of muscle-flexing, presided over by President Xi Jinping in Tiananmen Square. The military parade, ironically held to mark the end of World War II and dubbed by China as a ‘parade for peace’, turned the heads of defence analysts. Seen for the first time was the DF-26 medium-range ballistic missile, a…

YOUTH LIFELINE BE ONLINE Here’s what today’s youth say they can’t live without online Source: Defy 2016 Acumen Report viral video Ben Affeck’s reaction after being told Batman vs Superman was getting negative reviews made 15 million chuckle A hydraulic press crushing stacks of coins mesmerised over 1 million A prank featuring a dinosaur let loose in a car park wowed over 2 million web wow Gaining Acceptance Thousands of netizens have shared the story of Justine Rae Mellocastro, a 25-yearold Mumbai-based freelance hairstylist. Her video for 101 India describes how she came out as bisexual to her friends and family. It particularly focuses on her mother who was initially shocked but finally accepts her daughter for who she is. web win Sweeping Hearts A photo posted by G.M.B. Akash,…

Two of 2016’s biggest hits, Airlift and Neerja, had one thing in common: they were based on true events. For his biopic on the fearless flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, director Ram Madhvani was certain that he didn’t want the 250 passengers on the PanAm flight to be seen as mere extras. “They are not my background, but my foreground. That’s where the eye will go,” said Madhvani. “I have no shallow focus as a human being.” So, his casting director Kanika Berry tested over a thousand actors to get the most compelling faces to reflect panic. His associate director Vinod Rawat held workshops and even assigned backstories to a few of the passengers. To bring out germane performances, the passengers were made to board the plane, built in Borivali, a…

If there’s one thing we never doubted at the country’s smallest restaurant, it was its food. What else explains three wildly popular branches of theirs in town? Smally’s, our favourite neighborhood resto-cafe with its delicious juicy burgers has taken the next big step and added to its kitty a three-floored European cafe located strategically in the Central Business District, with close proximity to popular pubs. Done up in Greek style, with white walls (never mind the Eiffel tower replicas on the tables) and pretty turquoise furniture, 38 Castle Street serves more than a quick bite unlike Smally’s. It has an extensive breakfast menu and the temporary lunch menu lists everything from pastas and risottos to pizzas and soups. We even spotted Greek Moussaka and Goan Chorizo. A wood-fired Mac and…

One doesn’t have to join a circus to become a juggler. Ritu Agarwal has been adept in juggling the pressures of a job and family life (she’s a mom to an 18-year-old) while keeping up a high standard in grooming and fitness. This led to the launch of Rush Lifestyle in 2013. “For most women be it homemakers or working professionals, there is a short window of time before you head to work and after you send the children to school. For me I found it the best time to exercise,” she says. Today, Rush Fitness has five studios in the city. “Any of our gyms is bound to be close to either your place of work or home and it’s easy to manage a quick workout, a shower and…

T.G.I. FRIDAY’S PUB GRUB The idea of another chain restaurant in Kolkata’s oldest mall may not sound exciting, but then you can’t ignore the iconic American restro pub that first introduced us to the LIT (Long Island Iced Tea). Interestingly, TGI Friday’s has made its entry into the city, nearly a decade after it first started in Delhi, but it still manages to raise the bar with its great service and hearty food. The casual dining restaurant serves a heady mix of delicious grub, tasty drinks and peppy music in a contemporary ambience. The restaurant sticks to the global TGIF template, with cosy booths, high tables and warm wood interiors. We started our meal with the TGIF classics, Loaded Potato Skins and LIT, which was great. Next, on the menu…

The Idol Actor Priyanka Chopra Besides Theatre Dancing When cinema gets on the nerves Shopping If not a theatre artist Psychologist THE CALLING “I have been participating in school plays ever since I was in grade III. Of course, at that time, it was all about fun and getting a chance to spend loads of time with friends during rehearsals. However, participating in the college youth festivals, I realised what the medium was doing to me—lending me an identity, encouraging me to question, granting a chance to read texts from around the world and exhorting me to question things around.” ONLY THIS “Considering the fact that this medium allows me to interact with new people, explore novel ideas and expose myself to diverse ideologies, I just cannot think of doing…

And you thought goodlooking women had it easy. “I can’t crack jokes on myself, the audience will see through me. I just can’t go below the belt. Now, how do I make people laugh? That’s why I stick to musical comedy and seldom digress from that. And frankly that has always worked for me,” says standup comedian, actor and singer Sugandha Mishra. Coming from a family of musicians, this 27-year-old, who hails from Jalandhar, admits that she never thought that she would become popular as a comedian. “My family is quite traditional. They wanted me to concentrate on classical music. However, for me it was important to explore different facets of my personality and decide for myself what made me truly happy,” says Mishra who makes it a point to…

For nearly six months, he played hard to get before declaring that the kingmaker yearns to become king. Finally, on March 23, actorpolitician ‘Captain’ Vijayakanth’s DMDK joined hands with the four-party People Welfare Front steered by V. Gopalaswamy (Vaiko) of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK). This was after they all agreed to present him as their chief ministerial face. This is the greatest gamble of his political career—the poll outcome will reveal the real strength of the DMDK in the face of doughty traditional rivals like the AIADMK and the DMK. Vijayakanth is eager to break their half-century-old grip on the state, but lacks support. The DMDK, in its most impressive performance so far, has managed a vote share of only 10.08 per cent. This was in the 2009…

Pakistan struck a big propaganda blow against India in a crowded hour-long militarycivil press conference in Islamabad on March 29. There, officials released a ‘confession’ video of what they alleged was an Indian spy in their custody. In the six-minute video, Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, 46, ‘confessed’ to launching covert operations against Pakistan’s Balochistan province from Chabahar port in Iran. Jadhav claimed he had been arrested inside Pakistan on March 2. There was good reason why the press conference overshadowed a deadly Easter Sunday suicide bomb attack by the Pakistani Taliban at a public park in Lahore which killed 69 persons just two days earlier. This was going to be Pakistan’s riposte against decades of Indian public outrage at its neighbour’s state sponsorship of terror— recounted in graphic detail over the…

TRAINING DAY Sumana Dutta Burman, 30, Crossfit and Kettlebell trainer The most common excuse that Sumana Dutta Burman, hears from the sedentary living city slicker is ‘lack of time’. The good news is that she has found a way around it. “All I ask is for half an hour,” says Burman, adding, “If you don’t have time at all, be active, take the stairs, do bodyweight training for ten minutes; get your heart pumping and that adrenaline rushing.” Most people get busy as the day progresses, which is why it’s best to exercise first thing in the morning. “I suggest you wake up and dedicate the first half hour to yourself and your body,” she says. Burman believes that personalised training offers the best benefits. “One is bound to be…

He swears by two fitness mantras. First, fitness should be fun; and secondly, and more importantly, you should be able to exercise everyday. “I believe if you can eat everyday you should be able to workout everyday. Of course that should be done with caution,” says Soilen Tudu in a soft British accent that he picked while pursuing a sports diploma in Hartpury College in England. Growing up in rural Bankura, miles away from the city life, Not surprisingly, Tudu loves working out in the lap of nature. His morning classes are mostly held in the maidan, a vast open field, often referred to as the lungs of Kolkata. The best part? You don’t need fancy equipment or air conditioning for the class. Tudu believes that everyday items that one…

“I am impressed.” One would think this is a natural reaction after a two-day boot camp with an eight-time world Salsa champion, Oliver Pineda. However, this is what the champ had to say about the workshop participants in Kolkata. “There is amazing talent in the city, especially the children. In no other Indian city have I met children dancing the salsa and doing it so well.” For those who associate salsa as an adult dance form should think again. “Sensuality is just one aspect of Latin dance. In Cuba or other Latin American countries, this is a part of our lives and culture. Daughters dance the salsa with their fathers, brothers with sisters, mothers with sons and friends with friends. It is a vibrant connection with another human being that…

The idol None Besides photography Gardening When photography gets on the nerves Travelling and reading If not a photographer? Landscape designer THE CALLING “Though I had been pursuing photography even before the digital revolution hit this art form, it was five years ago, when I was doing my MSc in Fashion Technology from a Punjab Technical University (PTU) centre in Chandigarh that I bought a digital camera. There has been no looking back ever since. Considering my background in costume designing for theatre, visuals have always held a special fascination for me. Without focusing on the technical aspect of this art, I have always concentrated on the conceptual side, with a special interest in taking photographs of plays. My effort has always been to lend a new dimension to the…

1 Mexican Grub Located in Chandigarh’s Elante Mall, Riliberto’s Fresh Mexican Food is not just about grub but also hanging out and lot of conversations. Leave aside the fact that the chefs here have developed special recipes for the Indian market where Mexican food boasts of several Indian flavours, the cozy environs of the restaurant and the near-perfect lighting ensures that you feel completely relaxed as the warm ambience engulfs you. When it comes to the menu, there are choices so varied that you have to take time to decide which one to settle for even though there is a digitized TV menu with little glimpse showing how the food is prepared. Right from anytime snacks to breakfast, lunch and dinner, there are separate menus. If you decide to settle…