Excelsior... Nation

PETA approaches Central authority for de-recognition of Assam zoo

Environment Ministry can’t save tiger, PM should act: P K

Smoking accounts for 20 pc of total deaths in men in India

Former IA flight purser seeks hefty compensation

Big B "very hurt" over Thackeray’s charge: Amar

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan is "very hurt" over the attacks on him by MNS chief Raj Thackeray, the actor’s close friend and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh said today.

Singh said that he could, on behalf of Bachchan, state that the actor would leave Mumbai if it was proved that he has not done more for Maharashtra than for UP.

"He is sentimentally very hurt. He is a very matured and dignified person and he is very hurt, particularly on these charges," Singh told NDTV.

"Let Mr Thackeray come out with a list, what all he (Bachchan) has done for UP and what all he has done for Maharashtra. If he has not done much more for Maharashtra, where he is residing, then on his behalf I am saying, he will leave Mumbai," he said.

He was responding to a query on the criticism of Bachchan by Thackeray that while living in Mumbai he is championing the cause of UP.

"You see this point is absolutely, absolutely wrong. He picks up this line ‘Chora Ganga Kinare Wala’ (from the film ‘Don’)", he said adding that if he picks up this line he could also pick up Anthony from Bandra (‘Amar, Akbar, Anthony’).

Listing Bachchan’s contributions to Maharashtra, Singh said the actor has done so much for Breach Candy Hospital, for Hinduja Hospital and for the victims of Latur earthquake.

Singh said around 2,000-3,000 Maharashtrians are employed in Bachchan’s business enterprises and "this is something no one can dispute". (PTI)

Experiment on camel milk cream for erasing wrinkles

BIKANER, Feb 13: Anti-ageing lotions may soon get tough competition from camel milk cream if experiments by the National Camel Research Centre prove the efficacy of the cream in erasing wrinkles and making the complexion fair.

Experiment are going on over 40 people divided into two groups to find the efficacy of the camel cream in containing wrinkles and making one fair.

Several cosmetic companies and scientists from abroad have also shown interest in this research and have sought details about the experiment, a release issued by the centre here said.

The experiments are being conducted under the supervision of skin specialist Dr R A Bomb, it said, claiming no chemicals has been mixed in the cream.

The research centre has also opened a parlour for selling camel milk for diabetic patients since it is thought to be effective in controlling the sugar level. (PTI)

Cop held for withdrawing Rs 14 lakh with fake ATM cards

MUZAFFARNAGAR, UP, Feb 13: A police constable was arrested here today for allegedly withdrawing Rs 14 lakh rupees from an ATM using fake cards.

P A C Vipin Choudhary was arrested for withdrawing cash from a Punjab National Bank ATM using fake cards, police said here today.

Choudhary has Rs 14 lakhs in his account, which he had withdrawn using illegal ATM cards. He was caught red handed today while withdrawing money.

Police said Choudhary later confessed to using fake cards and an investigation is on. (PTI)

Creative license ok but facts important too: Experts

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Historical films have always been in the thick of controversies and now with Ashutosh Gowarikar’s ‘Jodha Akbar’ stirring up a debate, historians and the film industry feel the directors should be given some creative license but not at the expense of facts.

"A director has his own perception and that should be respected by the audience because while making a film, a filmmaker does a lot of research and study. So he should be given that creative license," says nine-time National Award winning director Jahnu Barua.

"However, giving creative liberty doesn’t mean he should not be made accountable. Whenever, a director makes a film he should be responsible and should be able to defend what he is making," he says.

Agrees Prof Seema Alavi, Dept of History and Culture, Jamia Milia Islamia. "A director should have the creative liberty to play with the interpretative narrative but factual narrative should be retained," she says.

"If a historian can enjoy certain amount of interpretative liberty then why not the filmmaker?" she adds. However, film critics Taran Adarsh feels it is debatable.

"There are people who take this creative liberty and distort facts. Since film is a mass media it is very important to stick to facts. However, if a film is based on 800 years old history whose facts are not available then a filmmaker can use his imagination. Moreover, allowing this just because historians enjoy it, is debatable," he reasons.

Whether it is a film on Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh or Mangal Pandey, the filmmakers have always found themselves in a soup as they have been either accused of distorting history or showing the protagonist in poor light.

In 2002, during the release of Guddu Dhanoa’s ‘March 1931 -- Shaheed’ and Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Legend of Bhagat Singh’, a Delhi-based NGO had raised objections to the role of Bhagat Singh’s love interest in the films and questioned the authenticity of the films.

Similarly when ‘Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero’ directed by Shyam Benegal was released, a controversy had cropped up about the portrayal of Netaji’s relationship with Emilie Schenkl.

Films like Feroze Khan’s ‘Gandhi, My Father’, J P Dutta’s ‘Umrao Jaan’, Ketan Mehta’s ‘Mangal Pandey-The Rising’, Santosh Sivan’s ‘Ashoka’ and Deepa Mehta’s Water from time to time have been in some controversy or the other. So are these controversies inevitable?

Says Prof Dilbagh singh, centre of historial studies, JNU, "Any depiction of history will always hurt the sentiment of a certain section of people. Since the historians who wrote this history may have been affected by some factors so 100 per cent objectivity is impossible."

Sharing his viewpoint, Aparna Mohile, former chairman, Central Board of Film Censors says, "India is a land of great diversity and every section has its own perception of history so naturally when a film is made on a historical character there is bound to be a difference of opinion."

Prof Alavi gives a different perceptive. "Films are a commercial proposition and fiction cannot absolutely represent facts of history but that doesn’t mean that a film should not be made."

Controversies may be an inevitable part of historical films but does it also help to generate more revenues for the film? Well, the film fraternity feels it does.

"It does help to an extent but I don’t think it can really catapult a film to success. It can create an awareness about the film but ultimately it boils down to the content," says Adarsh.

Echoing similar views Barua says, "Some amount of controversy helps the film to do well, but it is unfortunate that in our country you need a controversy to attract audience to the theatres," says Barua.

However, Mohile feels at times it is done deliberately to disrupt the promotion of the film by people with vested interest.

"Although such controversies helps the film, it may not be propelled by the producer or director of the film. There are people who attimes indulge in such activities to disrupt the film promotional process," she says.

While such controversies give nightmares to the director and the producer of the film, it also leaves the Censor Board with some headaches. So how doe they deal with such controversies?

"The censorboard has an examination committee and an advisory panel and so when such a controversy crops up the different members of the board takes a consensus decision which helps to reduces the subjectivity, if any," Mohile says.

Moreover, if the board feels it is not self-sufficient to take the decision, it takes the advice of specialist from the different fields like historians, police, educationists etc," she adds. (PTI)

India, Russia to shortlist countries for exporting BrahMos

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: India and Russia will shortlist countries to which the BrahMos missile system, currently under production for the Indian Army and Navy, can be exported.

"Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos has completed development of the missile systems required for the Navy and Army and is currently producing the systems using Indian and Russian industries," Minister of State for Defence Production Rao Inderjit Singh has said.

In an interview to the premier journal ‘Indian Defence Review’, Singh said the Joint Supervisory Council for the project has already identified the countries to which the BrahMos missile system can be exported.

Observing that the product would be exported to "friendly countries", he said "the two Governments will shortlist the friendly countries after carefully considering the security requirements of both India and Russia and the strategic relationship with these countries."

Other similar possibilities were being explored with various countries for futuristic systems and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) "will enter into joint ventures, wherever needed and feasible".

Asked about delays in finalisation of procurements, the Minister said the Defence Procurement Procedures adopted in 2006 "would be revised to address some of these concerns."

Singh said though the process has been simplified and the time taken to finalise procurements reduced, there were concerns about delays in some areas.

He said delays were also encountered in the conduct of trials which have to be done in different environments and terrains. At times, there were problems expressed by the vendors to bring the equipment or platform to India for trials.

"In cases where trials under ‘single vendor’ situation take place, there are problems at the price negotiation state also," the Minister said.

Maintaining that all these factors have been identified, Singh said the Defence Procurement Procedure would be revised to address these concerns.

To questions on the offset policy and whether it was designed to primarily help the public sector with private sector being a "peripherial player", he said he did not agree with the perception and added that the Defence Ministry’s offset policy has provided a level-playing field to defence PSUs and the private industry.

"India has not left it to the foreign vendors to decide fields in which they wish to offer offsets. We accept only direct offsets which will strengthen the defence industry," Singh said.

However, freedom has been given to foreign vendors to decide on their Indian partners, he added.

Asked about the grant of Raksha Utpadan Ratna status to select private companies to enable them to participate in defence tenders, the Minister said a Selection Committee has been appointed by the Government to recommend Tier-one Indian industry in the private sector for granting such a status.

"The Committee has submitted its report, which is presently under examination," he said. (PTI)

Joshi for review of economic model

PATNA, Feb 13: Disputing the claim of the UPA Government at the Centre about India achieving nine per cent growth rate, senior BJP leader Dr Murali Manohar Joshi today sought a review of the present "economic model" as economic benefits have not percolated to poorer sections.

Addressing newspersons, Joshi said the Centre to undertake a review of the "economic model" so that the deprived and downtrodden sections benefit.

Charging the Centre with "not making available adequate funds" to ensure that the birth centenary of well known poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar was celebrated in "a most splendid way" across the country, Joshi demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should intervene immediately in the matter.

He expressed surprise over the Centre’s alleged silence on the issue. (PTI)

Man dupes women by promising matrimony, lands in police net

KOCHI, Feb 13: A man who promised matrimony to at least 40 women from various parts of Kerala, and later disappeared with their gold ornaments, has finally landed in the police net.

The accused, P B Prasanth alias Nandakumar (36), who was arrested here yesterday, was said to have swindled as many as 40 women by promising to get married to them and later disappearing with their valuables worth about 30 sovereigns of gold ornaments and Rs 2 lakh in cash, police said.

He was arrested following a complaint from a woman here, who had accompanied him to the temple town of Guruvayur recently for entering wedlock. A day before the wedding, he managed to give the bride a slip along with her ornaments.

His modus operandi was first advertising in matrimonial columns of various newspapers with his mobile number.

When prospective brides or her relatives contact him, he used to project himself as a person doing small business in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, an orphan and a person with no dowry demands.

Police arrested him after laying a trap. A woman contacted him on his mobile and said she was interested in getting married to him. As soon the much married groom arrived on the scene, police took him into custody. He was later produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. (PTI)

Gandhism is relevent to modern politics, life: Surendra Mohan

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: The political and social philosophy propounded by Mahatama Gandhi is still relevant to the modern way of life and could act as an antidote to terrorism and violence swamping the world, Janata Dal ideologue and former MP Surendra Mohan said.

Participating in a seminar on ‘Gandhi’s Model of Politics and Economy’ here yesterday, Mr Mohan said ills plaguing the world of today such as climate warming, terrorism, increasing poverty, economic repression and rise of the Raj Thackeray syndrome were emanating from process of power and capital centralisation.

"Gandhi pleaded for an economic model of full employment by expanding irrigation in agriculture, reconstruction of rural infrastructure, land distribution and setting up small village industries", the former MP added.

But Gandhi’s philosophy of decentralisation was given go-by with encouragement to the development of big corporations, prioritisng of industrial strategies, promoting of agri-business companies and chemicals-induced intensive agriculture, all of which resulted in increasing inequalities, big disparities in income and wealth and speculative capital global market and unfair trade practices, he said. This prepared a fertile ground for terrorism and violence stalking the day to day life now, Mr Mohan added.

He said it was wrong to argue that the Gandhian model would have led to backwardness of the economy devoid of any technological advancement. "An economy full of full employment and provision of all the necessities of life could be called backward but niether destructive of human life nor the physical environment", he added. (UNI)

PETA approaches Central authority for de-recognition of Assam zoo

GUWAHATI, Feb 13: The Assam state zoo authorities today downplayed PETA’s move to approach the Central Zoo Authority for de-recognition of the State zoo, stating that it adhered to all rules and steps were being initiated to improve further.

The State zoo faces a threat of de-recognition with the animal rights activist group People for Ethnic Treatment to Animals (PETA) approaching the Central Zoo Authority to review the safety norms in the zoo, after one visitor was mauled to death by a tiger and another hurt in a bear attack over the last two months.

Anuradha Sawney, chief functionary of PETA, in a letter to the Member Secretary of the Central Zoo Authority in New Delhi yesterday, urged the latter to re-examine the recognition of the zoo, and withdraw the recognition if it continues to function in violation of the National Zoo Policy and Recognition of Zoo Rules. Divisional Forest Officer of the state zoo Narayan Mahanta said, "PETA generally reacts on the basis of news items. They should not be of the view that the Central Zoo Authority does not inspect the facilities and conditions here."

"There were several problems previously, but we are improving and we plan to make the zoo even better," he added.

A visitor was mauled to death by a tiger’s on December 20 when the man had put in his hand into the tiger cage to click photographs from a closer range. Another visitor was injured on February 7 when the person had jumped into the bear enclosure.

PETA maintained that such incidents could reccur due to loopholes in security measures and the authorities wrong approach to educate visitors to develop empathy for the animals. "They (the zoo) teach the visitors that it is acceptable to keep animals in captivity bored, cramped, lonely and far from their natural homes, and this further leads the visitors to tease the animals for fun," the letter says.

Mr Mahanta maintained that such incidents are very few and the behaviour of few people should not be generalised as all the visitors attitude towards the animals.

He said, "North East is a treasure trove of flora and fauna and we, at the zoo, are also initiating steps to conserve these natural resources."

Over health conditions of the animals in the zoo, PETA pointed that a full grown rhino had died of anthrax on January 22 last, raising health hazards for the animals.

The organisation urged the Central Zoo Authority to investigate the matter and initiate strict action against the zoo authorities if found negligent.

(UNI)

Environment Ministry can’t save tiger, PM should act: P K

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: The disclosure in the latest Tiger Census that the number of the endangered animal had come down to almost half since 2001 prompted noted wildlife expert and former director of the Project Tiger PK Sen to appeal to the Centre to deal with the issue on a war-footing.

The Prime Minister should call an urgent meeting of experts and ask them to come out with an adequate respose to the challenge, Mr Sen told UNI reacting to the Census Report released yesterday.

Ms Sunita Narain, Chairperson of the Tiger Task Force constituted by the PMO in the wake of the Sariska crisis, refused to say much except "we now have figures, and should get our act together."

Mr Sen said "The Ministry of Environment and Forests cannot save the tiger. They don’t have the resources, knowledge and the technique to protect and conserve the animal. The task should be taken up at the PMO level."

He said the disclosure that the number of tiger had come to less than hundred had not come as a surprise, or a disclosure, as the reality was known by all, only it did not have any Government stamp.

When Project Tiger was started in 1973, the number of the endangered animal was 1800, and 35 years later now the situation has worsened with the number coming down to around 1500.

In Mr Sen’s view it did not have much meaning to say that the number had come down by half or one-third, as the previous figure were based on a method which was not very reliable.

He, however, said it would be wrong to say that the previous method used only pug marks, as except the camera trap, it used all other evidence taken into account by the new method. The difference was that the exercise was carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India which trained personnel for the purpose, and the new method took into account statistical variants, so the figures in the latest Census could be more reliable, he said

"But the moot point now is what to do. For that the issue should be taken up at the level of the Prime Minister, and at the war footing," he said.

The first and foremost step should be to strengthen anti-paoching measures to save the existing tigers, and the second was to provide space to the animal.

Mr Sen felt that the Forest Rights Act promulagted this year would deal death blow to the cause of tiger and the wild life by helping the process of forest degradation. (UNI)

Smoking accounts for 20 pc of total deaths in men in India

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Projecting a higher risk factor for Indians due to smoking than previously thought, a new WHO study shows that it accounts for five per cent of total deaths in women and 20 per cent in men in the country.

Tobacco is responsible for one in five of all male deaths and one in 20 of all female deaths in the country, the study ‘A Nationally Representative Case-Control Study of Smoking and Death in India’ said.

Claiming to be the first nationally representative study of smoking in India as a whole, it said in India smoking kills mainly through tuberculosis.

Of the 1,363 deaths due to tuberculosis studied among women, 13 per cent had smoked, while in men, out of the 3,119 deaths studied, 66 per cent had smoked.

"This is comparable to United Kingdom and China where lung cancer and cardio-vascular diseases are the major killers due to smoking," said Dr Pradeep Jha, author of the study.

Comparing again to China, Jha said while nine per cent of Chinese have quit smoking, only two per cent have done so in India.

"Stopping smoking works-but only two per cent of adults have quit in India, and often only after falling ill," he said.

In another major finding, the report showed that over half of smoking deaths are in illiterate adults.

It further goes on to show that smoking kills equally in all parts of the country and 70 per cent of smoking deaths are in middle age.

The study is probably the first of its kind which gives extensive information about women smokers in the country.

Though the percentage of women smokers in India is lesser than than that of men, the habit kills more females in this country, the study to be published by the New England Journal of Medicine said.

It showed that there is an eight-year gap in life of women who smoke and those who do not. For men, the figure is a six year gap for ‘bidi’ smokers and 10 years for cigarette smokers.

Contrary to what is generally known, bidis are less harmful than cigarettes. "Probably because of the less tobacco content in each bidi as compared to a cigarette, it has been found that the former are responsible for lesser number of deaths that the latter," Jha said.

Also the overall risks of smoking are roughly the same in the eastern and western countries.

The study predicts one million deaths per year for smokers in India from 2010 onwards.

"This study will give us another tool to advocate tobacco control," Poonam Singh of the World Health Organisation said.

The study was conducted by 900 non-medical staff who monitored 11 lakh homes for three years from 2001-03. The data has been taken from the Samples Registration System and 6,671 areas were randomly chosen across the country. (PTI)

Former IA flight purser seeks hefty compensation

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: You’ll be mistaken as a hijacker, Indian Airlines told flight purser Victor Joynath De while asking him to snip off his handlebar moustache in 1998.

When he refused to trim his moustache which he considers his "pride", 62-year-old Victor was forced to take compulsory retirement as an assistant manager of Indian Airlines, now Air India, in 2001.

Now, he is seeking a hefty compensation for all the "trauma and mental agony" he has undergone for a decade. "It should be in lakhs," Victor said over telephone from his hometown Kolkata, but was unwilling to specify the figure.

"If Sikhs are allowed to keep beard, why can’t I sport a moustache? This is a discrepancy in the service manual. I had the moustache when I joined the service as a flight steward in 1968.

"I was born in Kolkata but brought up in Benaras where sporting a moustache is a matter of pride and respect. I can’t compromise with my pride whatever it comes to. I have complete faith in judiciary," he said, hoping to come out victorious against his former employer.

Victor’s case is currently with the Supreme Court which has expressed surprise over the airlines’ action.

"How can a person with a moustache be removed? This is a democratic country," the apex court observed, while issuing notices to the central government and Air India whose own mascot, Maharaja, is a proud owner of a handlebar moustache.

In fact, when Victor had initially objected to the airlines’ directive, he was "stunned" by the response: "You will be mistaken for a hijacker with such a huge and repulsive moustache."

The story dates back to December 1998 when Indian Airlines cited its manual on crew conduct and general obligation to discipline the "errant" steward. The company asked him to neatly trim the moustache or risk action.

The manual specifies a grooming code for cabin crew. Among others, it requires stewards, except Sikhs, to maintain a cleanshaven demeanour. Those who sported a moustache were required to keep it trimmed. Sideburns were a strict no-no.

Though copies of the manual were circulated to all cabin crew members, Victor ignored it and continued to twirl his moustache, inviting action. On January 15, 1999, he was grounded, resulting in a cut in flying allowances.

In fact, he had moved the Calcutta High Court immediately after his compulsory retirement. Initially, a single bench judge had quashed Indian Airlines’ order. But, subsequently a division bench of the same court upheld the company’s decision.

But, Victor refused to give in and challenged the decision in the Supreme Court with a hope that at least the country’s highest court would come to his rescue.

He claimed that the secret to his long legal battle was constant encouragement from his family-his wife Chanda De, a former Air Hostess and his son Lionel currently pursuing a degree in engineering at Manipal University. "They are my inspiration and have been very supportive."

Asked whether he had thought of going for an out of court settlement, Victor said the management had earlier refused to do so. "That is why I moved the court."

"I have already spent Rs 10 lakh as legal costs," rued Victor but is determined to fight it out. "I have not committed any crime to be penalised like this." (PTI)