Daily Excelsior... Editorial

EDITORIAL

By Samuel Baid
Once former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said Pakistan was ruled by three "As". The three As stand for Army, America and Allah. The Army control ....more

Akademi awards a
national recognition

By Ashok K Choudhury
Sahitya Akademi, the National Acad-emy of Letters, announced its 47th awards for books in 22 languages following a Board meeting presided over ...more

Taliban in a new name?

By Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri
When a group of former Taliban officials decided to rerevive an Afghan political party, they held a news conference in Islamabad on 12 December. . .more

HERE AND THERE
Older men make better lovers

By B L Kak
A British psychologist has triggered animated discussions with his interesting finding on the striking capability of older men. Older men are better lovers and have fewer impotence problems than their younger counterparts, with the 'male menopause' a....more

EDITORIAL

Migrant voting

This State, which is to go to polls in a matter of months, faces a peculiar problem in that at least five lakh people, from as many as sixty constituencies are actually displaced from their homes. The majority of these are the internally displaced people from the Valley of Kashmir, so-called Migrants, who have been living outside their constituencies and the division for the last thirteen years. There are thousands of people who have been forced out of their homes due to rising militancy in the hilly areas of Jammu division. Even though they got a court order to be treated 'migrant's and accorded the amenities, they normally do not pass off as migrants. Most of them are 'silent migrants' who have shifted from their homes and hearths to 'safer' areas. Then, there are thousands of people, the 'border migrants' who have been forced out of their normal areas of residence due to Pak firing across the border. A near lakh of these people have been living in the adjoining areas of Akhnoor for the last three years or more.

There are yet other thousands who have been forced out recently from all along the border with Pakistan a tensions mounted after the attack on Parliament, and the army buildup on the borders. All these people live away from their habitations and places where they are registered as voters. It can be said that they are so hard pressed for eking out a living and fending against their day-to-day problems that voting is far from their minds. But that is no reason to deny them the right to vote. The border migrants in Hiranagar, Bishnah and Akhnoor areas are mostly within the bounds of their constituencies. In most cases whole villages are located together, living in the same camps. Arrangements for their voting can be made easily with a little ingenuity. It will need a wider effort to enable the voters from farther areas like Chhamb etc. Here, the election commission shall have to come up with viable proposals to extend the voting facility and ease. Postal ballots, which is the usual remedy in such cases is both cumbersome and ineffective. Setting up temporary booths in the camps is a better alternative that would ensure that the voters do actually participate and vote.

Perhaps the trickiest case is that of migrants from Kashmir. They have been away from their homes for years. During the three last elections, an adaptation of postal ballot was used allow them to vote. The device has practically failed, as the procedure is tedious, twisted and unwieldy. Casting a vote involves at least three visits to the election/returning officer's office, attestations and the final visit for posting or depositing the vote. After all that the votes do not reach in time for counting. It has been more of an excuse than an arrangement. A more feasible way would be to have actual polling booths, one or two for each constituency at each of the five major migrant camps and the half a dozen or so main clusters of migrant populations like Bohri, Muthi, Janipur, Bantalab/Barnai, Gangyal etc. Since the polling is likely to be held in a phased manner it would not require too much effort or expense. Besides, the migrant employees who have experience of conducting polling are available to man the booths. The arrangement would enable the migrants to vote for their respective constituencies in sizeable numbers and to exercise this most basic of the democratic rights. The election commission must make real, practically suitable arrangements and not token gestures in the direction. And well in time, too.

Lady police

Opinions may differ whether it was prudent or politic to arrest JKLF Chief Yasin Malik for involvement in the case of foreign funds for terrorist activities. But, the case has given a graphic illustration, in design and dollar, of how monies for outside are being pumped in to finance disruptive activities in the State. This is, probably, the first case where money in actual transit has been detected. Though many allegations of the foreign funds being received and used by the Hurriyat leaders and other supporters of subversive acts have been made, these ended up being cleverly denied. But this catch is undeniable. And, the credit for it goes to the lady cop Sunita who after one frisking called Shazia back and searched her again. It is also said that the couple carrying the dollars got as far as Kud because of a virtual absence of the lady cops at different locations enroute from Lakhanpur onwards. As it is, the terrorists are quick to exploit every single loophole in the inspection procedure and manning. The dearth of lady cops is one factor. Adequate presence and availability of lady police would plug much of this leakage.

But there are other reasons for increasing the component of women in the police establishment of the State. It is very first, it would give a much-needed opening to the female half of the populace. They being half of the population, police encounters women at all places whether it is terrorist organizations, smuggling outfits, or common offenders. It is necessary that there be adequate numbers of lady cops as well as officers to deal with them. Then there are the increasing offences against women, which can be better deal with by lady police. But even more important is the positive contribution that enhanced female segment would bring to the whole police establishment. Police, in this as in other States, is generally seen as a brash force who bid gentility a goodbye at their entry into the force. Corruption within the police force is seen as a disease that is afflicting a whole range of social and governmental activities. Lay as well as expert opinion holds that many of the evils bedeviling police would vanish if women were present in the force in sizeable numbers. The impetuous and overbearing manner of the police would definitely improve. And, people would have more good to expect of the police. The force itself would become a friend to be approached not a fiend to be avoided.

Musharraf's referendum

By Samuel Baid

Once former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said Pakistan was ruled by three "As". The three As stand for Army, America and Allah. The Army control Pakistan and America is a very powerful indirect force. Ms Bhutto perhaps mentioned Allah because His name has been most exploited in Pakistan by opportunists for political gains. Exploiters of Allah's name have always been hand in glove with the first "A" i.e. the Army. In other words, the first two "As" and not the will of the people determine by whom and how Pakistan should be ruled.

Thus, whether Gen Pervez Musharraf chooses the referendum route to Presidency for the five years or does without this fig leaf to stick to his present post or rather posts, is really irrelevant. What is important in the present reality is that America and its international allies in the fight against global terrorism need his shoulders for an unspecified period of time to shoot Taliban, Al Qaeda activists and anti-US jehadis at home. No wonder that Gen Musharraf chose the soil of the United States to announce this definite plan to continue as the President for five years after the promised October elections. At home he claimed this decision was necessary for the continuity of his socio-economic reforms. Ayub and Zia, too, had given this very same reasoning for continuing in power indefinitely. And the fact was they were needed by the United States and its allies to carry on their own agenda against the communist world.

Referendum have been resented in the past by the people of Pakistan who consider it as an extra constitutional method. In 1977, when then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was facing a serious challenge to his Government from the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) after the March elections, which his antagonists said were massively rigged, he decided to hold a referendum. This decision was shelved in the face of stiff opposition. Subsequently, Bhutto had to go because the second "A" (United States) was unhappy with his nuclear ambitions.

Gen. Zia-ul-Haq, who deposed and executed Bhutto, became indispensable for the US and its allies in their fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Zia created conditions for the ouster of then President Fazle Elahi and became the President in December 1984 through a referendum. It was a unique referendum. It asked the voters if they supported the Islamisation measures initiated by Zia. A Yes vote was taken to mean that the voter wanted Zia to be the President. District Councillors were told to use official vehicles to bring voters to polling booths where sumptuous breakfast waited for them. But the voters refused to come out of their houses. Then the police was pressed into service. The police collected children to stuff ballot boxes. It is said each child cast about 50 votes. Thus, it is estimated 15 per cent votes were cast. Then chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Ms Nusrat Bhutto said only 7 per cent votes were cast. But the Election Commission said 65 per cent votes were cast and of these 97 per cent were Yes votes. Gen Zia's referendum was as brazen fraud. But he could get away with it because the second "A" was totally with him. His clandestine nuclear programme and involvement in drug-running were also ignored.

Musharraf's announcement that he would stay in power for five years at once ignited speculations that he had a Zia-like referendum up his sleeves. His Ministers laboriously denied them as rumours. One recalls Zia first set "rumours" about his referendum plan afloat, denied them and ultimately held it. Rumours given currency through word of mouth and media are a way of gauging public opinion about a would-be action. Musharraf used his meeting with editors and columnists on March 30 to reply to the questions that were raised in the course of the public debate on the "rumoured" referendum.

The most important question related to the constitutional aspect of referendum. There is no provision for referendum in the constitution. The constitution proves that the President is elected by both House of Parliament (National Assembly and the Senate) and by the four Provisional Assemblies. But Gen Musharraf does not want to depend on this provision of the constitution because (1) he may not be very confident about the dependability of the post-election Assembled and (2) the constitution provides only for a figurehead President while he wants to have executive powers. His reply to those, who call referendum an unconstitutional exercise, is that the Supreme Court had given (in 2000) him the option to hold a referendum on his continuation as President. Nobody in Pakistan knows the basis of this interpretation of the Supreme Court verdict, which allowed him to rule until elections by October 2002.

Gen Musharraf is also making sure that the Assemblies that result from the October elections are meekly subservient to him. He has decided to paralyse the two main political parties -- the Muslim League and the Pakistan Peoples Party - keeping chiefs in exile and their second line of leaders in jail on charges of corruption. The Assemblies so produced will not only be subservient to Gen Musharraf will also their freedom curtailed by the National Security Council, which works as a super - body - actually as a representative of the First."A"

Thanks to terrorism, Gen Musharraf will not earn the international condemnation, as did Robert Mughabe afer holding elections in Zambabwe. Robert is not second "A's" ally in its fight against global terrorism.

Akademi awards a national recognition

By Ashok K Choudhury

Sahitya Akademi, the National Acad-emy of Letters, announced its 47th awards for books in 22 languages following a Board meeting presided over by its president, Mr Ramakanta Rath, These awards were formally given to eminent litterateurs-22 writers from different language during the 'Festival of Letters 2001' on 19 February 2002 in New Delhi by presenting them a casket containing an inscribed copper plaque and a cheque for Rs 40,000.

What a true writer requires is not wealth or fame. It is appreciation. And appreciation not just of his or her specific work as much as of his or her artistic integrity. This is what Sahitya Akademi set out to do. This is what the Annual Awards are all about. One of the main objectives of the Sahitya Akademi is to work actively for the development of Indian literature and to set up high literary standards. In fulfillment of this objective, the Akademi awards are given to the most outstanding books of literary merit in each of the languages recognised by it.

The awards are meant essentially for writers having achieved unrivalled eminence in Indian literature. Before the establishment of the Sahitya akademi, the Government of India had been considering measures ''to encourage the development of creative literature in the different Indian languages.'' Some of the state governments had schemes in this respect. One way was to award prize or other distinctions to writers of merit. In 1953, the Government of India had announced prizes worth Rs 5000 each to the most outstanding books prescribed during the previous three years in each of the 14 languages recognised by the Indian Constitution on the basis of recommendations by the Akademi.

The Akademi recommended that the scope of the award should be extended to cover books published since Independence as also books written in English by Indian nationals. The Government agreed and accordingly the Akademi recommended twelve books for awards in 1955. Since then, every year, the awards have been declared and given by the Akademi itself for outstanding books published during the preceding five years.

Earlier, the awards were confined to books published in the languages enumerated in the 8th schedule of the Constitution: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Later, books published in other languages recognised by the Sahitya Akademi were also declared eligible: English, Sindhi (Later included in the schedule of the Constitution) Maithili, Dogri, Rajasthani, Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani. Since 1977, however, the recognises books in twenty-two languages; fifteen included the Constitution of India and seven other independent modern literary languages of the counry. The award amount which was Rs 5,000 earlier was raised to Rs 10,000 in 1983, Rs 25,000 in 1998 and now it is Rs 40,000.

In Assamese the prestigious award for the year 2001 went to eminent Assamese writer, Mahim Bora, for his novel, Edhani Mahir Hanhi, which revolves around a woman with a deep sense of joy and grief, hailing from the rural Assam of yesteryears, using the technique of portraying the mindscape of the protagonist. The language is amazingly evocative and poetic. Winner of Assam Sahitya Sabha Award, Assam Publication Board Award, Bora was the president of Assam Sahitya Sabha. At presently he is the chief editor of Purbanchal Jagaran, a weekly magazine.

Atin Bandayopadhyaya, the Bengali fiction writer, received the Award in Bengali for his collection of fifty short stories, Panchashati Galpa. The stories, woven intricately around human life and its struggle, provide us with an insight into the working of human emotions. Recipient of several awards and honours, his classic novel, Nilakatha Pankhir Khoj, has been translated into twelve Indian languages by the National Book Trust.

In Dogri, the award went to Verinder Kesar, a recipient of Vikal award, for his work Nighe Hang, a collection of ghazals, which bears witness to the poets command over the language, especially his mastery of rhymed, flowing words.

In English, the eminent historian, biographer, politician and social commentator, and former Rajya Sabha member, Prof Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was honoured with the Akademi Award for his biography Rajaji: A Life which is brilliant, rich and highly readable. It has created a whole gallery of wonderful portraits, giving a rare literary stature to biography and suggesting the possibility of a literary narrative that has the authenticity of a document and the concreteness of social portrayal.

This year's award in Hindi went to Dr Alka Sarogi nee Kejriwal, a full-time writer and recipient of Srikant Verma award, for her novel, Kali Katha; Via Bypass. The work reflects the trimmed culture of modern society. The keyword of the novel 'Byepass' is a symbol, which is a meaningful comment on the 'short-cutting' culture prevalent in the present society. The work has been translated into Indian and French, and is being translated into English, Bengali and Tamil.

L S Seshagiri Rao, a seasoned writer, awarded for his literary history, English Sahitya Charite in Kannada, is a Master in English literature, and the first chairman of the Kannada Book Authority. This is a unique work in Kannada in that it not only centres around milestones in English literature but also provides reliable information regarding the historical and cultural milieu in which important English writers lived.

The Akademi posthumously awarded Ghulam Mohiud-din Gowhar, well versed in Kashmiri, Urdu, English, Persian, Hindi, for his poetry collection in Kashmiri, Rikhah. It contains poems written in free verse depicting delicate and intricate experiences, expressing the suffocation of his era through properly devised symbols, original metaphors and meticulously articulated, fresh similes.

Madhav Borcar, a post-graduate in English and Aesthetics and winner of Konkani Bhasa Mandal award, Goa Kala Akademi award (Twice), V M Salgaoncar Foundation award, and Dr TMA Pai Foundation award, is the winner of this year's award for Konkani, for his poetry collection, Yaman. It is an invaluable contribution to Indian poetry in Konkani for qualities like brevity, simplicity and depth.

In Maithili, Ayurvedacharya, Jyotishacharya and Sahityacharya Babuajee Jha 'Ajnat' was posthumously awarded the prize for his epic in eleven cantos, based on the 'Sabha Parva' of Mahabharat Pratijna Pandav. The poet has very vividly described the forebodings of war and advocated the need for peace, national integrity and morality.

Eminent poet and translator and winner of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award and Translation prize, and Sahitya akademi Translation Prize, Attoor Ravi Varma received the award in Malayalam for Attoor Ravi Varmayute Kavitakal, an anthology of poems. It contains the entire poetic oeuvre of the stalwarts of moernism in Malayalam poetry.

Author of four short-story collections, Ningombam Sunita was awarded the prize in Manipuri for her anthology of fifteen short stories, Khongji Makhol- describing the simple life of women in rural areas of Manipur. The award in Marathi was presented to Dr Rajan Ganpati Gavasa. The novel portrays the caste realities prevailing in the Indian rural society.

A seasoned writer from Nepal, Prof (Dr) Lakhi Devi Sundas, a post-graduate in philosophy and Nepali, Sahitya Ratna (Hindi) and winner of many national and international awards, was presented the award in Nepali for his short-story collection, Aahat Anubhuti. The stories are noted for the vivid portrayal of realities and the psychological depth they present.

In Oriya, the award went to Prof Pratibha Satpathy for her path-breaking work. Tanmaya Dhuli, an anthology of thirtysix poems, noted for a distinct poetic vision and quest for the self in relation to Time and Divinity. Prof. Pratibha Satapathy, well versed in Oriya, English, Hindi and Bengali, is also the recipient of Vishubha Award, the Orissa Sahitya Akademi Award, Sarala Award and the Saraswati National Award.

A painter of repute and author of six books in Punjabi, Sri Dev was honoured for his poetry collection, Shabdant, which is an important landmark in contemporary Punjabi poetry.

The thematic structure based on the Indian diaspora and his innovative poetic style is distinctive and significant.

Abdul Vaheed Kamal, winner of Nehru Bal Sahitya Puraskar, Shivchand Bharatiya Puraskar, Mahendra Jajodiya Sahitya Puraskar, Allahajilaibal Mand Sansthan award, was conferred the award in Rajasthani for his novel, Gharano, envisaging a harmony among different religions. The central theme of the novel is the killing of a newborn girl-child in the feudal set-up of Rajasthani society.

The award in Sanskrit was given to Prof (Dr) P Sri Ramachandrudu, a specialist in Shastras, and Master in English, Hindi, Sanskrit and author of 80 books and 50 research papers, and recipient of several honours and awards, for his work Ko Vai Rasah. The awarded title is a collection of essas on aesthetics, literary criticism and Indian thought. Bhagat, an anthology of poems, which speaks of the new sensibility and style put forward by Prem Prakash, got the award for Sindhi. A Ph. D in the Arts and Sindhi drama, Sahitya Visharad in Hindi, well-versed in Gujarati, Urdu and Sindhi, Prem Prakash is the author of 4 plays, 3 one-act plays, 2 short story collection, one poetry collection, 2 critical essays, and 2 translations.

Another writer posthumously honoured was late C S Chellapa for his novel, Sudanthira Daagam in Tamil. The novel gives a cohesive, artistic description of the Indian freedom struggle during the period 1927-34 in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, the work was given the Best Novel of the Year Award in 1997.

Vidwan, Prabhakar, Ayurveda Bhushana, freedom-fighter, Acharya T Ramachandra, well-versed in Telugu, Prakrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, English and author of 27 works in Sanskrit, one in Hindi, 24 translations, and winner of several awards and honours, got the Akademi award in Telugu for his autobiography, Hampi Nuchi Harappa Daka. It reflects the social, political and cultural history of contemporary India and the struggles and tribulations the great personality underwent.

Urdu fiction writer, Prof. Nayyar Masood, was conferred the award for his short story collection, Taoos Chaman Ki Maina. An author of 10 books and two translations, Masood is a Ph. D in Persian and D. Phil in Urdu. Masood creates an eminence of his own through elements of personal experiences, history, legend and a dreamlike play of imagination. Prior to the institution of the Akademi Awards, there was nothing to bring an all-India recognition to writers in various languages of the country. But the establishment of the Akademi Awards has filled this gap and made them known throughout India.- CNF

Taliban in a new name?

By Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri

When a group of former Taliban officials decided to rerevive an Afghan political party, they held a news conference in Islamabad on 12 December. Their choice of a venue for the December announcement highlighted the presence of many ex-Taliban leaders who not only had sought refuge in Pakistan but also intended to resume political activities. To many analysts, the group's public presence in Pakistan understood this country's long history of support for the Taliban and Islamabad's uneasiness about the makeup of the new Afghan Government.

A number of top Taliban officials dissociated themselves from the movement in December, after the fall of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, the last Taliban stronghold. The disidents quickly announced that they planned to revive an old political party called Jamiat Khudamul Furgan, or Association of the servants of the Quran. The party had merged with the Taliban after the latter swept into power in 1996.

The defectors, including three ex-Taliban deputy ministers and several top diplomats, describe themselves as moderates and say they support the United Nations-led peace process in Afghanistan and the Government of interim Prime Minister Hamid Karzai. But many in Pakistan and in the new Afghan Government are highly sceptical of the defectors, because they are operating out of Pakistan, which was the Taliban's Prime backer until the 11 September terrorist attacks on the United States.

"If they want to form a new party, they should do it on Afghan soil, not in Pakistan," said Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani author and expert on the Taliban. "There is a whole grid of support for them here in Pakistan, but the question is: do they have support in Afghanistan?

"It's extremely dangerous to keep a second-tier level of Taliban leaders on Pakistani soil, who could at some point could be reactivated and cause serious problems for Pakistan and Afghanistan," Rashid said.

American officials say the group could pose a serious challenge to Karzai's Government, which assumed power in Kabul on 22 December and is struggling to exert its influence on parts of the country in its six-month mandate. "The new Government is very wary of them, and I doubt that it will see them as anything other than Taliban," said a US diplomat.

Leaders of the group said they support Karzai and want a voice in a future Afghan Government which will be determined by a loya jirga, or grand council of tribal elders and political figures. The Pushtuns, composing 40 per cent of the country's 22 mn people, formed the core support for the Taliban. "This is not an attempt to revive the Taliban," said Abdul Hakeem Mujahid, he Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan and one of the party's executive committee members. "We support Karzai but we want to have a say in the new Government and to represent the interests of Pushtuns."

At the news conference announcing the party’s revival, leaders criticised the Bonn conference that led to the formation of the interim Government. Although they did not single out Karzai, who is a Pushtun, they argued that ethnic Taziks and Uzbeks-minority groups that joined the victorious Northern Alliance - are over-represented in the new administration. "This cannot be allowed to continue," they warned. This warning echoed Pakistan’s concerns about the new Afghan Government. Since 7 October, Pakistan! Leaders have been arguing that in any new Government in ‘Afghanistan the Pushtuns must play the dominant role. Pakistani officials were also highly auspicious of the Northern Alliance, which received military assistance from India - Pakistan arch rival.

Founded in 1966, Jamiat Khudamul Furqan was one of the first Islamic movement in Afghanistan which changed its name - Taliban - after entering into alliance with other groups during the guerrilla war against the Soviet Union during the 1980s. Among the party top leadership, only Ahmad Amin Mujadadi, an Islamic cleric, who was in Pakistan since the 1980s, was not associated with the Taliban. Mujadadi, who is the president of the group formed in December, acknowledged the historical links of the new party to the Taliban. "Most of the members of our party are former Taliban and many more are in close contact with us."

The group’s other leaders include former Taliban deputy information minister Abdul Refrrani, deputy education minister Arsala Rahmani, ex-deputy minister of refuge rehabilitation Rahman Wahid Yar, ex-deputy chief justice Abdul Sattar Siddique and former ambassador to Saudi Arabia ‘Habibullah Fawzi.

"The group will have a difficult time shedding its association with the Taliban. In fact, the group is Taliban in a new name. The World will never accept any group which consists of former Taliban officials. No matter how moderate views it professes, it is going to be guilty by association," says a professor of strategic studies at Quaid-I-Azam University in Islamabad.

Every member of the new group knows that ‘Taliban, is now a dirty word and this word must be eschewed in order to fulfil their aim to recapture power in Afghanistan. It is no longer a secret that after the decision of the Bonn conference, intensive negotiations are under way between the country's new Prime Minister Hamid Karzai and the spiritual leader of the Taliban Mullah Muhammed Omar who believes that he is the man chosen to be Afghanistan’s supreme leader. What is at issue between their negotiations are not known.

"I have been in discussions with very senior, the senior-most Taliban officials," said Karzai in a recent satellite telephone call. "I have received a message from Mullah Omar asking for amnesty for himself and some senior Taliban officials."

A senior Taliban official who is now in Peshwar is acting as an intermediary between Karzai and Omar. "I'm working on the peaceful transfer of power after the term of the six-month interim Government is over. I hope the transfer of power will be peaceful." Such optimism, however, is very unlikely, given frequently irreconcilable personal, tribal and religious interests. But the Taliban leaders, under the cover of a new name, is determined to return to power in Afghanistan.

Although Karzai is willing to provide amnesty for regular Taliban fighters that would let them return to their homes, the Bush Administration has expressed strong opposition to any deal which would permit any follower of Omar or bin Laden to walk free. In such a fluid and chaotic situation, the future of Afghanistan is far from certain.

PTI Feature

HERE AND THERE
Older men make better lovers

By B L Kak

A British psychologist has triggered animated discussions with his interesting finding on the striking capability of older men. Older men are better lovers and have fewer impotence problems than their younger counterparts, with the 'male menopause' a myth pedalled by drug companies to sell their products.

Dr Lorraine Boule, who is from Sheffield University in northern England, told the British Psychological Society conference recently that men became more skilled sexually as they get older. British newspaper, Daily Mail, has quoted her as saying : ''Older men sustain erections for longer, are longer coming to orgasm, and satisfy women better''.

Her assessment: Sexual activity does diminish with age, but the quality should get better. Her conclusions were based on a survey of 185 married professional men aged 30 to 60. While 22 per cent of men under 46 suffered erectile problems, only 16 per cent of those over 46 did.

Dr Lorraine Boule has dismissed as nonsense the idea that men needed testosterone as a hormone replacement therapy in the same way that some women take oestrogen to ease the effects of menopause. The male menopause, was a myth spready by drug firms to boost the multimillion-dollar market for impotence treatments, she said.

Equally thought-provoking is the finding from Hamburg-based Professor Hans-Helmut Decker-Voigt: The right kind of music gets under the skin and has a much stronger impact than words or images. But what really counts is the individual musical taste. Only the right choice of music can make itself felt in the legs, heart and circulatory system and influence the depth and pace of the breath and tautening of the muscles.

Rhythm and melody, according to Prof Decker Voigt, have the ability to open avenues to mental and physical wellbeing. They can be applied to allay stress, fear and pain or to promote activity for stroke victims, in elderly people, for autistic children as well as for people who cannot speak and for people with psychological problems. Media reports have quoted Prof Decker Voigt as saying: ''The curiosity the counselling professions show in the methods of music therapy is huge''.

Prof. Decker Voigt has compiled a new collection of works entitled 'School of Music Therapy'. He tells of his experiences and knowledge of the subject of which there are 11 schools, including one oriented in psycho-analysis, anthroposophy and developmental psychology. Prof. Herman Rauhe, president of the College of Music and Theatre in Hamburg, has been reproted to have said: ''Music therapy as an artistic form of psychotherapy and music medicine as a conventional form of medical treatment in all medical fields complement each other to form holistic approach. This is in keeping with the holistic view of the patient and his ailment.''

He spent two decades researching musical perception and effects in an attempt to find out which rhythmic, melodic, harmonious and formal elements of sound stimulate or help someone relax. There is evidence of the close relationship between music and the art of healing going back more than a thousand years.

The oldest proof is a mammoth skull found in the Ukraine, which had been used as a drum at healing ceremonies. All advanced civilisations have provided similar proof and documents. Professor Ralf Spintge from Luedenscheid in western Germany reports in his collected work on his experience of music therapy: ''Stress hormone levels in the blood, perception of pain, central nervous control of vital physical functions and motor behaviour as well as the medicine required for anaesthesia and fighting pain show the superiority of the musical medical approach unlike those patients who do not receive music therapy.

Now over to Sri Lanka, A media report received from Colombo said that 150 Sri Lankan cooks cracked 2,000 coconuts and boiled more than one tonne of rice to work up a mammoth dish of traditional milk rice. They hope that their creation, a massive 610 foot-long and 2.5 foot-wide milk rice dish, would be recognised as the world's largest of its kind by the Guinness Book of World Records.

The effort was undertaken to mark the eighth anniversary of Sirasa FM, a local radio station of Sri Lanka. The culinary endeavour was monitored by the Sports Ministry. Milk rice is a delicacy cooked for special occasions in Sri Lanka and is eaten with a chilli and onion side dish.