Wrong
footwear increases amputation risk in
Diabetics
Dr. Jitendra Singh
 The commonest
non-traumatic cause of foot amputations
or lower limb amputations in this country
continues to be Diabetes Mellitus. It is
strange that while enormous funds are
being pumped in by international agencies
in including the World Health
Organisation (WHO) to set up artificial
limb centres and rehabilitation centres
in under-developed or developing
countries including India, little
attention is paid to the preventive
aspects of this incapacitating handicap
which could be avoided with timely care
and awareness.
George Bernard Shaw once wrote, a surgeon
gets paid more for amputating a limb than
for saving a limb. The current focus on
preventive aspects of Diabetes has
brought to light the risk of diabetes
related lower limb amputation getting
doubled or even tripled with the use of
improper footwear.
Vulnerability Factors
The risk of amputation obviously
increases with the duration of Diabetes
and the extent to which Diabetes has been
kept under control. Certain laboratory
parameters like glycosylated haemoglobin
(Hb AIC) serve as an indicator of how
well the Blood sugar levels have been
under control over a period of time and
thus could also predict the underlying
vulnerability of a Diabetic to develop
various complications including diabetic
foot that often precedes an amputation.
Available data reveals that amputations
are more likely in those Diabetics who
have a previous history of foot ulcers or
limb infections, neuropathy accompanied
with dimunition of sensation in the
extremities and peripheral vascular
disease involving narrowing of arteries
resulting in impaired blood circulation
in the limbs.
Fashion Shoes not always Safe
In the current era of consumerism with a
penchant for marketing products which are
unusual, innovative and somewhat
exclusive, the use of fashion shoes has
also come under a question mark. A report
published in one of the world's most
reputed medical journals "Diabetes
Care" states that wearing fashion
shoes may be associated with as such as
fourfold increased risk of amputation in
Diabetics.
Figures gathered from surveys among
diabetic population make some interesting
revelations. The lower limb amputation
risk was found to be nearly tripled by
going barefoot in men, doubled by wearing
sneakers regularly to work in women,
increased fourfold by wearing sneakers to
town and doubled by wearing rubber thong
sandals. In other words, high-risk
footwear seems independently associated
with 2 to 4 fold increased risk of minor
or major amputation.
Needless to reiterate, that the feet of a
Diabetes affected individual are
susceptible because of diminished
sensation unable to perceive minor trauma
or pressure effect due to inadequate
footwear. Peripheral Vascular Disease
leading to reduced blood circulation
increases the chances of a noticed or an
unnoticed sore getting complicated and
uncontrolled Blood Sugar levels
contribute to unrelenting infection at
the site. It is with this consideration
that Diabetics should be reminded to
conduct a careful daily
self-inspection/examination of their feet
and particularly look for any pressure
areas, scratches, injury marks, etc.
Significantly, some of the studies claim
that daily self-examination of feet is
associated with as much as 80% reduced
risk of amputation.
In a nutshell, a health strategy that
aims to improve footwear particularly in
those who already have diabetic foot
disease and that seeks better diabetes
education with emphasis on preventive
self-care coupled with early medical
help-seeking behaviour can certainly help
reduce the burden of lower limb
amputation among Asian Indians.
Shelf-life of
cosmetics
Shahnaz Husain
 A
good way of knowing that a cosmetic item
is past its expiry date is by the look
and smell of the product. If a
moisturizer or lipstick smells rancid, it
means that the oils may have separated.
If a mascara is dry or too sticky, it
means its time to get another one. Its
always better to be safe than sorry and
to practice strict rules of hygiene, not
just with cosmetics, but also with
applicators.
Cosmetics have a shelf life. It is also
important to know how to store cosmetics,
including make-up, because the way they
are kept can also affect shelf life.
All products have a shelf life and should
not be used beyond that, so that you do
not expose yourself to contamination and
infection. This is certainly more
important for make-up cosmetics for the
eyes. Going past shelf-life date can
affect the stability of the product. Our
Ayurvedic skin and hair care cosmetics
have a shelf life of 3 years from the
date of manufacture. Our make-up
cosmetics have a shelf life of 2 years,
but some make-up cosmetics have shorter
shelf life.
In general, in the market you make find
that many make-up items may not carry an
expiry date, so its all the more
necessary to have an idea how long a
make-up cosmetic may last. Cosmetics are
not only exposed to dust, but also mix
with the natural oils of the skin through
their applicators. This can affect the
stability of the product.
A good way of knowing that a cosmetic
item is past its expiry date is by the
look and smell of the product. If a
moisturizer or lipstick smells rancid, it
means that the oils may have separated.
If a mascara is dry or too sticky, it
means its time to get another one. Its
always better to be safe than sorry and
to practice strict rules of hygiene, not
just with cosmetics, but also with
applicators.
The Shelf Life of make-up cosmetics is as
follows:
Foundation: Water based foundations last
for a year, while cream based foundations
may last longer - for about 18 months.
Powder: Loose powder can last for two to
three years, but compact powder lasts for
two years and may sometimes become drier
even before that time.
Blushers and Eye Shadows have the same
shelf life: Powder blushers and powder
shadows last for two years, while cream
blushers and shadows last for about 18
months. If you find the colour of the
blusher or shadow has changed, it is time
to change it.
Mascara lasts for three to six months.
Actually, the pumping action of the
applicator brush of roll on mascaras is
said to make them more vulnerable to
bacteria.
Eyeliners have a shelf life of two years.
So do lip liners. If you use eye pencils,
sharpen them regularly. This keeps you
safe from contamination.
Lipsticks also last for two years, but
lip gloss lasts for less time - 12 to 18
months.
As already mentioned, if there is any
change in colour, look or fragrance of
the product, the stability of the
formulation may be affected. So its best
to stop using them.
Storing make-up, especially lipstick, is
of importance, because they can be
affected by heat and moisture. During the
hot weather, store your lipsticks in the
refrigerator. It's a good idea to put all
your lipsticks in a plastic bag and keep
it in the fridge. I have a drawer in my
dressing table, which is divided into
sections or compartments for different
items. This not only saves a lot of the
time while applying make-up, but keeps
them away from dust. At other times of
the year, when humidity and heat are not
high, lipsticks can be kept in a specific
compartment in the drawer. Sharpen your
lip pencils regularly and always keep the
lid on, so that it is protected from
dust. In fact, after using cosmetics,
make sure you have closed them properly.
Apart from being exposed to dust, a
product like a mask or a scrub may become
drier if it is exposed. If there are
natural ingredients in the formulation,
they may change colour if exposed to the
air for long.
Make-up brushes and applicators should be
washed once a week. Use warm soapy water
and add a few drops of an antiseptic
lotion. Rinse well with water and allow
the brushes to dry naturally before
keeping them away. Or, you can use a
clean cloth or tissue to dry them.
If you find your mascara has become dry
even before the use-by date, its time to
get another one. Never add water or cream
to soften it. If you have an eye
infection, throw away your eyeliner,
mascara and eye pencils, even if they are
not past their shelf life date. In fact,
if there is an eye infection, any redness
or irritation, avoid using cosmetics till
you have got over it.
Always wash your hands before applying
make-up, because we often tend to use our
finger tips to apply or blend. Needless
to say, avoid sharing make-up cosmetics.
An overview of Nagas
Lalit Gupta
 The book 'Naga Cult
and Wooden Art in India' by Dr. P.K. Kaul
is a significant contribution to the
existing literature on the subject as it
has ventured to represent a holistic
perspective on the origin and development
of Naga Cult in India from hoary past in
general and the continuing religious
practices and architecture with special
reference to Jammu region in particular.
The work has come at a time when the
topic in question seemed to have been
exhaustively dealt by stalwart scholars
like J. Ph. Vogel, Fergusson, McCrindle,
Monier William, V.S Agarwal, S.C. Ray,
B.D. Gupta, K.P. Jaiswal et al.,
But the present study by Dr. Kaul seeking
to glean afresh the historical facts from
the morass of mythology is an attempt to
re-evaluate of entire process of the
historiography and re-interpretation of
regional and sub-regional histories
especially concerning the Naga race and
the Naga Cult that were hitherto lost
under the meta-narrative of religious
history of the sub-continent.
The issue of Naga race, the cult, and its
continuing forms of worship-which stands
ingrained into question of the
socio-religious identity of a sizeable
percentage of ethnic groups that inform
the hill and highland communities in all
the three regions of Jammu and
Kashmir-found one of the first elaborate
scholarly notices in commendable critical
translation of Nilamata Purana by Prof.
Ved Kumari Ghai in early 1960's.
Nilamata Purana, offeres evidence to
prove the existence of some
serpent-worshiping people in Pre-history
India who later on were probably called
as Nagas after the serpent deities they
worshiped.
Different theories have been put forward
by scholars to trace the origin and
nature of these Nagas. Ferguson and Tod
opined that Nagas were outsiders,
Greirson identified them with Hunza
people, Pragiter took Kasyap as the
ancestor of Nagas while others related
them to Aryans.
But the views put forward by scholars
like Prof Ved Ghai, as the most plausible
suggestion was that Nagas were the
aborigines inhabiting Kashmira and other
parts of North-India before the advent of
Vedic Aryans. The Vedic Aryans fought
with Nagas as well as Pishacas and pushed
them to south, east and the west.
It is in the light of the above the
present book, almost towing the line of
the earlier scholars, presents a
comprehensive overview of the Naga Cult
in India along with special reference to
the Jammu region of the state of Jammu
and Kashmir and the wooden shrines
associated with it.
The book after introducing the physical
features of Jammu region, its inhabitants
and historical background offer an
general idea of the Serpent Worship as a
world wide phenomenon and then goes on to
enumerate the popular forms of Naga
worship in different parts of India along
with the associated rites, beliefs and
superstitions.
Dr. Kaul has extensively quoted from
literary sources such as religious texts
in Sanskrit and Pali languages and large
number of historical texts to focus on
the eminent Nagas personalities that
figure prominently therein. It is
followed by a pointed reference to the
post-Buddha state of Nagas, and relying
heavily on K.P. Jaiswal's views, their
position during the time of Christ and
especially the Navanagas and the Bhaira
Shiva Nagas and their influence in the
central and north India, especially the
Jammu Shivaliks.
The writer refering to the Sudhmahadev
Trident with Brahmi script and its
association with Nagas of the ancient
Padmavati has tried to show that the
period of early centuries of Christian
era as the period when Naga race and
their religious beliefs held sway in
north-India till the advent of Hunas
which resulted into the down fall of the
Naga worship in Kashmir and the spread of
Naga cult in contiguous region of Jammu
Shivaliks.
To take his argument further he also
analyses various local myths and tales of
Naga deities and their existing shrines
and pilgrimages in different parts of
Jammu region to show these as a case of a
lingering influence of once powerful Naga
culture in the region that centered on
the worship of Vasuki Naga and his clan
members.
Dr. Kaul by giving a detailed account of
the classification and typology and
geographical distribution of the variety
of Naga deities that today stand
interwoven into the web of aboriginal and
tribal gods and goddesses that co-exist
with classical deities succeeds in
presenting a clear spatio-religious
picture of Naga beliefs and practices
that are inextricably intertwined into
the everyday life of hill and highland
communities of Jammu region.
Other than the providing a fresh
narrative of historical and religious
evidences, the most noteworthy
contribution of Dr Kaul's present
scholarly enterprise is the exhaustive
documentation of various Naga temples and
shrines that are spread in the length and
breadth of Jammu region. The areas
covered by him include Poonch, Rajouri,
Reasi, Udhampur, Kathua, Basohli, Bani,
Doda, Kishtawar and Bhadarwah. The visual
data of Naga religious architecture along
with sculptural embellishments, their
iconography and style that figures in the
form of thirty pages of photographs at
the end of the book, provides a unique
overview of the range of Naga
architecture and art, especially
sculpture in the conventional medium of
wood that since antiquity has found favor
due to its easy availability.
The present study has tried to come in
terms with methodological problems that
include identification of the generic and
specific in historical as well as folk
traditions. The importance of this work
nonetheless is that it shall remain as a
stepping stone for future scholars to
explore the recognition in the prevalent
Naga Cult, the classical religious and
historical interventions and / or
censorship of ancient cults and beliefs,
and the transposition and/or survival of
elements of old ritual practices in
popular beliefs.
Dr. P.K. Kaul's present scholarly
enterprise which as informed by the
author in the preface has been possible
due to the Senior Fellowship granted to
him by Ministry of HRD, New Delhi, has
certainly added up to anew understanding
of the past and present religious beliefs
which so far has been either a saga of
mythical tales that weave an aura of
sacredness around the profane and
seemingly resist any attempt towards
scientific enquiry and analysis.
The Necessity of
second coming
Dr. R.N. Kaul
 A
miracle is a surprising act or event
which does not follow the known laws of
nature and is therefore thought to be
caused by God. Creation itself is a
miracle performed by the supreme miracle
player. The Suns, the stars, the planets,
the ever expanding galaxies are the
result of just a ray emitted from that
“ innermost nothingness” which
resides within nothingness.This ‘
innermost nothingness’ is diminished
by zero after every creation. When it
absorbs back its creation, only zero is
added to it. Thus this created universe
is just zero. But for us, the mortal
beings, the universe is a reality. Until
we realize that “ innermost
nothingness “ Which is the ultimate
non-dual reality of consciousness and
bliss and which resides within us too, we
have to live under the spell of duality
like other living beings. There is
duality like other living beings. There
is duality even in an atom, the smallest
particle of matter. Duality in human life
takes the form of good and evil. And when
there is imbalance in this relationship
and evil reveals against good, we need
divine intervention to restore the
balance quickly or otherwise the
suffering of humanity is prolonged.
Saints and prophets do not perform
miracles to show off their powers in
order to rule over the world. They come
to this world to held the human race to
continue with its adventure of Self
realization even though only one in a
million may reach the goal. They persuade
or compell the evil doers to change their
evil ways and restore the confidence of
the common masses in the eternal human
values of compassion, charity and respect
for life.
Lord Krishna used his divine powers to
dislodge the tyrants in order to
establish the rule of ‘Drama.
Jesus Christ performed many miracles to
convince people of the authenticity of
his divine mission. He said to the
nobleman at Capernaum: “Except ye
see signs and wonders, ye will not
believe”. The nobleman had asked him
(Christ) to save his dying son. “ Go
thy way; thy son liveth”- “John
4:46-55 (Bible)”. The son lived.
Apart from his spiritual mission, Christ
had a political mission too. With his
life and death, he saved many races from
sin and the wages of sin (extinction).
Political impact of the lives and deeds
of Guru Nanak Dev, Sant Kabir, Sant Ravi
Dass, Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer,
Lalleshawari and many other saints and
seers of India has not been fully
explored by historians.Lalleshawari the
Shaivite saint of Kashmir had nothing
directly to do with the politics of the
time. But she united the demoralized
Hindus by her very presence in the
valley. She was revered by all sections
of society and Nund Rishi (Shiekh
Nur-ud-din, whose shrine at
Charar-i-Sharief was burnt down by
terrorists who had come down from the
other side of the border praised) her
spiritual powers Lalleshwari (also called
Lal Ded ) and Nund Rishi became the
shield against growing atrocities
committed by the Sultans of that time who
were using coercive methods for
prosletization.
A Vakh uttered by Mirza Kak (popularly)
known as Kak Ji) unnerved the pathan
rulers of Kashmir in the early 19th
Century. Azeem Khan’s agents had
tried to forcible convert a discipline of
Kak Ji. Inorder to show his displeasure
to Governor Azeem Khan, Kak Ji ignored
the salutations of the Mursheed of Azeem
Khan who had come to pay his respects to
him (Kak Ji) and went on repeating the
Vakh which runs this:
Narsing Bagwan Shabad Tu Naran
Shabda-y drav Vakh, Ga- V Vak Guru
Guru Nank Pa-th Vakh Guru Sikh
Avtar Chhui Suti Sutie
The Mursheed warned Azeem Khan of dire
Consequences, and he immediately left the
valley, giving the charge of Governorship
to his brother Jabbar Khan. Pathans were
demoralized after this event and the
Sikhs of Punjab Vanquished them in the
battle of Shajimarg. This was the third
attempt by the Sikhs, while the earlier
who attempts had not succeeded. Thus
Kashmir was liberated from the tyrinical
rule of the Pathans of Afganistan.
What we are witnessing on the world’
‘stage’ today is not the clash
of civilizations as some thinkers
believe, but war between the human
civilization and the barbarous terrorism
with moral or religious overtones. The
terrorists can be and will be crushed by
the armed might of the civilized nations.
But to get rid of the scourge of
barbarous terrorism , we shall have to
pray for the Second Coming of the son of
God, Avtar or a prophet.
Punctuality begins
at home
K K Khullar
 Punctuality, like
charity, begins at home.
An officer who himself is a late-comer
cannot enforce punctuality with all the
force of law at his back. And although
there are elaborate rules to deal with
the unpunctual, the best way to solve the
problem is by personal example. The
problem, however becomes complicated when
even personal example by the supervisor
fails to motivate the employees. And
thereby hangs a tale.
Let us first see what are the rules on
the subject.
The opening time for all Central
Government offices is 9 am and the
closing time is 5.30 pm. There is an
obligatory half-an-hour lunch - break
between 1 and 1.30 pm. Autonomous bodies
open at 9.30 am and close at 6 pm with
similar half-hour lunch - break between
1.30 to 2 pm. In actual practice these
office hours are observed only in
dis-regard.
Go to any office at 9’O clock. The
chances are you may a not meet anybody
there except perhaps the Safai-Karamchari
whose office hours are different.
The Rule - Book says all employees must
be in their seats at the prescribed
opening hour. Ten minutes grace-time is
given. Thereafter the Attendence Register
has to be sent to the Branch
Officer’s room. More often that not
there is nobody to take the register to
BO’s room or the Branch Officer
himself is late.
Officers of the rank of Joint Secretaries
and above are provided staff cars to come
to office and return home after the
office work is over. Officers below them
are given a fixed transport allowance per
month. The transport allowance is exempt
from income tax. In spite of this
incentive the state of punctuality in
offices is chaotic.
There is another phenomenon called
‘Late with permission’. Ladies
are generally late with permission.
Although such permission is to be given
in exceptional circumstances and to
handicapped persons, in actual practice
almost everyone who applies for it gets
such permission.
Thus no action can be taken against those
late-comers who are late with permission.
Only habitual late-comers can be
proceeded against, if at all.
Early leavers are a class by themselves.
For punitive action they are equated with
late-comers. There is a provision that
for each late-coming upto an hour, half a
day’s casual leave may be debited to
the leave account of the government
employee. This is restricted to only two
occasions in a month and that too if the
late-coming and early-leaving is
occasioned by unavoidable and compelling
circumstances. For persistent late-coming
and habitual early-leaving there is
provision for disciplinary action.
The moment an employee is proceeded
against he withdraws all his efficiency,
whatever it may mean. In other words he
becomes a non-performer, more a hindrance
than help to the Section where he is
posted. Employees Unions are strong these
days and they take up such cases for
sympathetic treatment.
In the ACR, ie Annual Confidential
Report, there is an entry
‘Punctuality’ against which the
Reporting Officer has to give his
observations. The entry is filled blindly
and everybody’s punctuality is
certified, like ‘devotion to
duty’ and ‘integrity’. The
timidity in writing CR’s is
well-known. An adverse entry means
life-long enmity with the official
reported upon.
The craze for popularity forbids the
Reporting and the Reviewing Officers to
desist from the unpopular path. Every
care is taken to ensure that the CR be
written in such a way that it should not
be communicated to the person concerned.
As regards half-hour lunch-break one has
only to go to Boat Club, Patel Chowk,
front side of North Block and backside of
South Block to see how long is the
lunch-break. The officers who go home for
lunch in staff cars return long after.
Things improved during the Emergency but
that proved very costly and was painful.
Lack of punctuality, therefore, is a
necessary evil and has to be suffered as
such till such time a behaviourial change
takes place in the employee’s
outlook.
This can best be done by training
programmes. It is conceded that
punctuality cannot be instilled by a
lecture or a slide but case studies can
be prepared to highlights the advantages
and benefits that accure as result of
punctuality wihch no doubt leads to
discipline, efficiency, self-confidence
and a clean life.
The Ministries and Departments can
consider giving prizes to the most
punctual. It need not be a cash prize,
just a certificate or a momento. Such
case studies can be wide publicity.
Punctuality like democracy is a way of
life, it has to be cultivated over a
period of time. It is not a switch-button
process.
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Career is an
integral part of every human being which every one of us
has to have in one or the other form. From a statistical
point of view we always put our career selection outcome
to destiny/chance but if we see it from a quantum
mechanics view, we can control or decide this statistical
outcome of career in our lives to a great extent. It is
rightly said that choice, not chance determines our
destiny. Need is only to have information about choices
and then to investigate and consider alternatives when
making an informed choice. 
Madhur Bhandarkar's
last film Fashion was a hit and one won't be surprised if
he manages another national award this year. But
Bhandarkar isn't among the ones who would rest on his
past laurels. He has already started shooting for his
next film Jail and promises to offer another gripping
story. The director in conversation with Ritesh
Sharma. You seem to be happy with the success of
Fashion.
When
we, for a while close our eyes and think
what Kashmir has achieved from the advent
of democracy in the field of dramatics -
in the back drop of its rich traditions
in the past and what we have done in
Jammu region, a feeling of satisfaction
comes to stay on observing the people's
participation in the Theatre activities
both at Govt and non-Governmental level
which is otherwise an indication of
cultural consciousness among the masses.