Excelsior... Nation

Artist wedded to
Ganesha paintings

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: From medium-sized paintings in bright yellowish-orange colours to smallish ones dense with the.....more

Security tightened
in Assam

GUWAHATI, Nov 19: A massive security blanket has been thrown around the capital town ahead of Prime Minister......more

Nation pays homage
to Indira Gandhi on
87th birth anniversary

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: The nation paid homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 87th birth anniversary.....more

Kanchi Seer should
resign:Jagatguru

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: Jagatguru Shankaracharya of the ‘Prayag Peeth’ Swami Madhvanand Saraswati today said Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswati should abdicate his ‘position’ until proved innocent in the alleged......more

Recognise women’s role in fighting terrorism: AIDWA

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 19: CPI(M) women’s wing the All India Democratic Women’s.....more

Better civic amenities
to make delhi world
class: Sonia

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: National Advisory Council chairperson Sonia Gandhi today called........more

‘Visa restrictions
should be lifted to
improve Indo-Pak relations’

JALANDHAR, Nov 19: A famous Pakistani novelist and former minister Fakhar Zaman today said that both India.......more

AASU postpones
protest programme
during PM visit

GUWAHATI, Nov 19: In a significant development the All Assam Students Union today said it has decided......more

Artist wedded to Ganesha paintings

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: From medium-sized paintings in bright yellowish-orange colours to smallish ones dense with the shades of black, his oil-on-canvas works revel in just one motif: Ganesha.

Over the last couple of years, the elephant-headed God has become such an intense obsession for Mani Lal R that he happily concedes inability to try any other theme in his artistic pursuit.

"I will paint only Ganesha. I am working on completing 1001 such paintings," says the Hyderabad-based Malayali artist whose 45 select works are currently on a ten-day display at Hotel Ashok in the capital.

Predictably, fixing the theme on Ganesha alone has prompted Manilal, a biology teacher till five years ago, to try different genres of painting. From figurative to semi-realistic to abstract.

What’s more, Ganesha is portrayed in a wide range of contexts -as extractions from the puranas, as a master of arts and literature, bearer of deep philosophical messages and as amusing visuals of the artist’s own imagination.

Middle-aged Manilal traces his love for Ganesha to his Sylvan village in the south-central Kerala district of Pathanamthitta. "My native place, close to (the famous hill shrine of) Sabarimala, is a wet and rugged region with lots of elephants moving around. Right from childhood I have seen them in the woods and temples," the balding and bespectacled artist, sporting a french beard, recalls about his early years in Perunnadu near Ranni.

As a schoolboy, he took a fancy for Ganesha. Sketching had been Manilal’s favourite pastime but the elephant-headed God seldom found space in his drawing paper.

It took more than three decades for Manilal to break this dichotomy. Early last year, he happened to do an abstract Ganesha painting based on a famous Sloka from the Bhagawad Gita. The response from his close friends was very encouraging, so much so that manilal decided to engage himself as a full-time artist. And more importantly, with Ganesha always as the central idea.

Even earlier, Manilal had been reading a lot of Ganesha literature, listening to spiritual speeches about the pot-bellied God and watching related programmes on the television. "Above all these, I interact with poor people. I somehow end up linking their stories of travails with my works on Ganesha, helping my paintings attain a higher plane," he said.

Manilal, who is settled in the Andhra Pradesh capital since 1999 after an eleven-year teaching spell at a Bhutan school, regrets that not much is known about the life and concept of Ganesha, despite being popularly worshipped among the Hindus. "My paintings are also an attempt to enlighten people more on Ganesha."

Manilal finds Ganesha "interestingly contrasting." He notes that stories about his birth and life stem from wide-rainging plots. "While one Purana says Ganesh was born to Siva and Parvati during their stint as playful elephants in the jungle, another story says he was moulded from the dirt of Parvati. There are as well divergent theories on how he got one of his tusks broken."

He relates these to a "paradox" about the elephant itself. "On the one hand it is so serene and languid, while on the other there is lot of strength and violence in it.

"In any case, its huge size itself is a matter of beauty. Like the sea, you know."

Such nuggets of knowledge and observation find place in Manilal’s paintings. While some of the works are rooted on a style as realistic as smooth-lined calendar pictures, a few others are a bit patchy and typically abstract. Invariably, they carry familiar themes to postures of Ganesha seated on less-familiar ‘Vahans’ like snake, tortoise, lion and peacock (other than the more well known rat).

"It sometimes takes me only an hour to complete one such painting. Nonetheless, it would have been the culmination of an idea that was groomed over two or three months."

There are also paintings with Ganesha in the backdrop of wildlife. With his favourite laddus depicted as nuts of a plant and the ‘vehicle’ rodent as just another creature in the woods, the God in the work looks more like an elephant.

Curiously, Manilal has experimented with depicting Ganesha the way they are seen sculpted as granite idols. There are also paintings like the elephant-headed God picturised as an extension of the coconut — its husk flowing down as the trunk.

"Coconut is important in the concept of Ganesha, because breaking it in front of the idol is symbolic of clearing the hurdles ahead," he points out.

And adds with a smile, "not because Ganesha is eager to consume coconuts. That’s a wrong notion." (UNI)

Security tightened in Assam

GUWAHATI, Nov 19: A massive security blanket has been thrown around the capital town ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s two-day visit to the city from November 21.

The Prime Minister has a busy schedule here and extra security personnel were being arranged to reinforce the existing strength. An spg team visited the proposed venues of the Prime Minister’s programme.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was personally supervising the security aspect. He held a high level meeting with senior police and intelligence officials. Dr Singh is scheduled to flag off the Indo-ASEAN mega car rally, 2004, on November 22.

DGP P V Sumanth told UNI that elaborate security arrangements had been made in and around the Raj Bhavan, hotel Brahamaputra Ashok, the ground from where the car rally would be flagged off and other places to prevent any untoward incident.

Speaking at a press conference here yesterday, Superintendent of Police Hiren Nath said more than 3000 policemen would be deployed in the city to ensure foolproof security, particularly keeping in mind the incident that happened in Srinagar during the PM,s visit.

"We are keeping watch over every nook and corner, highrise buildings and hill tops near the stadium," he added.

Official sources said besides the Prime Minister, some ministers from abroad, including one each from Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, and High Commissioners from Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia are likely to be present here for the car rally.

Mr Gogoi told newsmen here today that he hoped that the rally would open up many opportunities of socio-economic development, not only for Assam, but for the whole north east.

The rally would be formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister at Nehru stadium and flagged off by the Chief Minister at Judges’ field in the city on November 23.

Meanwhile, the All Assam Students Union had decided to register a peaceful protest during the Prime Minister’s visit to protest the Congress-led UPA Government’s decision to retain the IMDT Act in the state.

The Prime Minister would inaugurate the newly built capital complex at Dispur on November 21 and attend the Srimanta Sankardev award function at the Pragjyotika cultural complex in Machkhowa.

On November 22, he would inaugurate the car rally. The Prime Minister also has three other engagements. (UNI)

Nation pays homage to Indira Gandhi on
87th birth anniversary

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: The nation paid homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 87th birth anniversary today.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson and daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi Ms Sonia Gandhi paid floral tributes to the former Prime Minister at her Samadhi Shakti Sthal this morning and her portrait at the central hall of Parliament House.

A large number of Union Ministers, MPs, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her cabinet colleagues were among those who paid homage to the late leader at Shakti Sthal.

School children sang patriotic songs on the occasion. An all religion prayer meeting was also held. Colourful baloons carrying posters of Indira Gandhi were released on this occasion.

Dr Singh, Ms Gandhi, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and a number of MPs from various parties paid floral tributes at the portrait of the former Prime Minister at the Parliament House.

A function was held at the Indira Gandhi memorial at Safdarjung road in which the Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson participated. The former Premier was gunned down at her residence in 1984 by her security guards.

The Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit launched a typhoid vaccine programme in the capital to mark the occasion. She also gave away the prizes to the meritorious students and teachers to promote better education among the children.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma launched a fruit distribution at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where needy patients and other people were given fruits.

The occasion is also being celebrated as the Quami Ekta week and the national integration pledge was taken by the Central Reserve Police Force personnel at CRPF headquarters.

CRPF additional Director General S K Mehra administered the pledge and urged the officers and men of the force to preserve and strengthen the freedom and integrity of the nation with dedication. (UNI)

Kanchi Seer should resign:Jagatguru

Addressing a media conference here, the pontiff said the case should be expedited and finished at the earliest to prevent communal passions being aroused as it concerns the faith of millions.

"Jayendraji should leave the post for the sake of its inherent ‘Maryada’ and let his successor take over until the law proves him ‘not guilty’. This would be a great service to the high position he holds, the Mutt and to his followers worldwide."

The ‘Maryada’ of the post was more important than the Shankaracharya as a person himself. By sticking to it, its repution is being unduly soiled. ‘Dharma’ is more important than the ‘Dharmacharaya’, he said. "He should prove himself innocent."

However, the Shankaracharya in the same breath lambasted ‘certain parties’ trying to derive political mileage out of it, saying using the issue for political gains was deplorable.

The Swami also said if the Kanchi Seer was guilty the law should take its course and punishment meted out to him. "For a crime like murder the guilty should be hanged and as a religious head the shankaracharya should be hanged thrice."

On whether he supported the detained Seer, the ‘Prayag Peeth’ Shankaracharya said that he would support him if he is proved innocent, adding that we would support the demand of his ‘trial’ being conducted outside Tamil Nadu if any proposal comes to this effect.

"It would be in the interest of fair dealing, justice, impartiality and equal opportunity."

Besides, in view of his high position the Kanchi Seer should be provided with an assistant to serve him in his daily chores and ‘puja’. "He is not a guilty yet and as a religious head needs to be given his due."

Chiding those ‘Hindu organisations’ who were trying to exploit the situation, he said deriving political mileage in the name of religion has ceased to be ‘issues’.

"If anyone now wants to achieve political power they will have to serve the people and stop harping on religious issues," he added. (UNI)

Recognise women’s role in fighting terrorism: AIDWA

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 19: CPI(M) women’s wing the All India Democratic Women’s Associtation (AIDWA) today demanded that the UPA Government at the Centre recognise the role of women in fighting terrorism and use their experience in curbing insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and the north eastern states.

"The role of women in fighting terrorism has been ignored by Government policies. It is their experience, however, which should be used to make the peace process achievable," AIDWA secretary Brinda Karat said here today.

Pointing out that in many cases, the terrorist groups had support bases among women, she said this was because the causes of militancy related to discriminations were often not addressed.

"This requires political initiative backed by administrative steps. We demand that the border with Bangladesh be sealed and troops be sent to the Tripura border. We also need to take initiative in kashmir by ensuring greater autonomy for the state and take strong action against state personnel guilty of custodial rape," she said.

The laws that gave ‘untrammled rights’ to the armed forces also needed review, Karat said.

Presenting her report at the ongoing four-day AIDWA meet beginning yesterday, Karat urged the Centre to implement gender budgeting policies and the Planning Commission recommendation of one-third allocation of resources for women.

"There is a whole army of women looking for work. The Planning Commission has not recognised this emerging issue of migration of women. This needs to be addressed immediately," Karat said.

Despite the implementation of the Minimum Wages Act, women were invariably paid at least one third less than men, who were also denied the minimum wage, the AIDWA said in its report.

The body demanded an employment guarantee act designed to secure women’s access to work and redesigning of all employment generation projects with minimum 40 per cent women beneficiaries.

Karat said AIDWA had also sought lifting of the ban on recruitment for Government and public sector jobs, reduction of interest rates on loans to self help groups and a raise in the quantum of rural credit. (PTI)

Better civic amenities to make delhi world class: Sonia

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: National Advisory Council chairperson Sonia Gandhi today called upon the civic agencies in the capital to provide better amenities to make Delhi a world class city.

"PWD, DJB Aur Sthaniye Aekiyon Ko Awaas Aur Nagrik Suvidhayan Dene Mein Koi Kami Nahin Karni Chaihiye (civic agencies should leave no stone unturned to provide housing and better amenities to the people)," Ms Gandhi said after dedicating to the nation the Priyadarshini Setu, Dhaula Kuan flyover, on the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi.

Efforts should also be made to keep the environment cleaner, she said. "Some hard decisions have to be taken."

Pointing out that education, employment and civic amenities were the basic neccesities of life, she said whatever planning was to be done should keep the future generation in mind.

She also called for giving an admirable leadership to the youths to give them a proper direction.

"We should be a source of inspiration for them," she said.

Ms Gandhi said Delhi was not only a centre of political activity, but also a model of growth and development.

"The progress on the development front should continue for Delhi to be an example for other states."

Recalling the contribution of Indira Gandhi to nation building, she said the late leader worked for the poor and the downtrodden. "This is what makes a leader great."

About the flyover, she said it was perhaps the only focal point through which people from various parts of the country and the world passed as it linked the ring road and the airport.

It is the biggest signal free flyover in the capital and the only one to get iso certificate for design and quality of construction.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the flyover was part of her Government’s effort to make Delhi free from traffic hassles before the 2010 Common Wealth Games.

"We want to make Delhi a clean, beautiful and world class city before the Commom Wealth games."

She said it was the first flyover to provide separate lane for cyclists and pedestrians.

She announced that three escalator foot over bridges would come up at the site in the next 4-5 months.

She said a study had been commissioned for building elevated roads to decongest the capital which had become a transit point for vehicles from Noida and Gurgaon.

Among those present were Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC general secretary incharge of Delhi Ashok Gehlot, Lt Governor B L Joshi, Delhi Finance Minister A K Wali and DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma. (UNI)

‘Visa restrictions should be lifted to
improve Indo-Pak relations’

JALANDHAR, Nov 19: A famous Pakistani novelist and former minister Fakhar Zaman today said that both India and Pakistani should lift visa restrictions to develope more people to people contact to bring peace and improve bilaterial relations.

‘To bring total normalcy, instead of visa, permits should be issued to the citizens of both the countries and in case the visa is must, it should be a multiple one and there should be no restrictions in visiting any of the city of the country+ zaman, who came here as part of Pakistani delegation to participate in Indo-Pak cultural festival ‘Sanjh Dilan Di’ told reporters here today.

While welcoming the peace efforts initiated by both the countries, Zaman said that only cultural exchange between the two countries could not serve the purpose and now the concentration should be given to open the economic ties also.

‘If the money, which both the countries spending on the security, spent on the development, it will be benefitted for both India and Pakistan’, he added.

As both the countries were facing the common problems of poverty, unemployment and illitracy, let us join hands to deal with such problems, he advocated.

‘Currently extra money was being spent for export through Dubai to India and vice versa, if trade borders will be opened, the economic development of both the countries will be excellerated extra ordinarily’, he said.

‘Now the time is ripe that people of both India and Pakistan should influence and force their respective Governments to bring total normalcy in this sub-continent’ Zaman said adding that intellectual, writers and journalists classes of the society should take control over the peace process to speed it up.

Amid Akhtar, veteran journalist of Pakistan, said ‘we have already witnessed fight and tension for the last over 56 years and now must understand that friendship is the only way out to tackle any issue’.

Akhtar, who was close friend of late Sahir Ludhianvi and originally hails from a small village near Ludhiana, said that after coming to Punjab today his old memories got refreshed. (PTI)

AASU postpones protest programme during PM visit

GUWAHATI, Nov 19: In a significant development the All Assam Students Union today said it has decided to postpone it’s protest programme against the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 21.

The decision was taken after a written assurance from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that a tripartite meeting of the student body, State Government and the Centre would be convened at the level of the Prime Minister within a month on the implementation of the Assam Accord, AASU president Prabin Boro and Advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattarcharya told a press conference here.

AASU had also received a fax message from the PMO that a tripartite meeting will be convened within a month and so the programme against Singh’s visit had been withdrawn, he said.

Bhattacharya said Gogoi had invited the students body for discussion, which centred on implementation of the accord, whose progress would be reviewed periodically.

The AASU had threatened to disrupt the visit of the Prime Minister after the Centre decided to retain the act. (PTI)