If it wasn’t for Tushar Sir, Rahul would have surely missed the view of his lifetime. So he felt. Perhaps he was not wrong, for when I saw the news in today’s paper, I felt the same way. Tushar Sir was going to his North Bengal home on an urgent call, so he asked Rahul to come early morning to take some sample questions. A bit late was he, for this was not the time when Rahul usually ventured out. A swing at the rear door of the private bus that travels across Howrah Bridge and off he was to his destination. Awhile later, the bus was crawling, the bridge still some distance off. “What’s the matter?”, he asked himself, peering outside. A traffic jam alright, so he decided to step off and walk the distance till the traffic looked clear. But that was not to be. Agitated words like “giant fish”, “..as big as a man” came wafting to him. Though undecided as to where he would head to, Rahul nevertheless proceeded to the source of melee, which was what was causing the traffic jam.
Live fish in a city market – Waiting to be 'gulped' (Picture source)
As the crowd became thick, he found himself jostling his way inside the Howrah fish market. So there it was, he thought, whatever it was. Things were now clear to him, someone had caught a giant fish, a size no one seemed to have seen before. It was a giant fish alright. Fishermen who knew the type said it was a cross between Koi and Bhola. Koi is desi variety of tilapiya fish and bhola is the sea-equivalent of bhekti. The fish was indeed a monstrous one, measuring 5 ft in length and 2 ft in width. It weighed all of 200 kg and was caught in the sea off Kakdwip, south of Diamond Harbor. Mingling among curious onlookers, Rahul thanked his luck that he chose to come here instead of Tushar Sir’s home. The rush in the market was too heavy to do any decent business, so the fish dealers thought it wise to close their shops, lest free-takers loot their stock.
Rohu – Look no further (Picture source)
Howrah’s wholesale fish market is one of the biggest in eastern India, where the daily turnover runs into several lakhs. Today however was not any other day. An hour later, the giant fish came under hammer and the wholesaler Niren Majumdar sold it for Rs.2100 to fish-seller Subrata Ghosh from the city. Labels: City Life, Oh Really
Perhaps mine is lone odd voice in the matter. Lots of dust have been stirred over the issue, and perhaps not all of that have settled yet. So, sticking my neck out may not be a good idea after all. Yet I believe this must be told, whatever the odds. But before you start branding me for or against, let me say that the incident at Schiphol airport at Amsterdam has 2 sides to it. One is spontaneous, the other deliberate. First the spontaneous. A general consensus among air travelers is that Indians who travel abroad – specially in economy class – cut a very sorry figure. They tend to think that the mid-air airline staff are all theirs to be served and demand more than what is permissible – drinks for example – and also manage to irk co-passengers in no time. If you happen to seat next to one of them, you’ll shortly be at your wit’s end, praying all the while for an early end to the ordeal. If you think I’m imagining too much, just refer to Sunanda Datta Ray’s classic article in 26 August’s The Telegraph.
Schiphol Airport – Gateway to trouble? (Picture source)
It is not difficult to imagine that something of this sort happened in the ill-fated Northwest’s Amsterdam-Mumbai flight. News reports suggest that the Indian passengers in question have been passing around their mobile phones, cutting jokes aloud and – to the horror of co-passengers – walking up and down the aisle as if it was the verandah of their homes. But of course all these were spontaneous without any ill motive, because – as mentioned above – their collective habits thought nothing of anything else. What happened next has been reported widely. The Dutch erred here since they already believed that the 12 people they detained were suspects and proceeded to treat them as such. Handcuffing them was nothing less than an affront to liberal values and therefore a gross mistake. Had they simply led them away for questioning and informed their families without the elaborate notion of arrests, much of the brouhaha won’t have taken place. In the end, the lesson is that cutting a sorry figure hardly helps, specially in the present supercharged atmosphere. Even if it is granted that the Indians’ mid-air behavior is hardly going to change in a hurry, gaffes such as this on the part of airlines and authorities will not go well to serve their or overall interests in fighting the menace of terrorism. In the whole episode, the silver lining perhaps is that Indians may now learn to behave responsibly in air journeys. Let’s hope so. Labels: What Else
The prized showpiece of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) before it became part of North-east Frontier Railway (NFR) was the narrow-gauge joy-ride between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The journey still continues though the old-world charm is clearly lost forever. Many stories, many films have been woven centering on the marvel of this wonderful journey, that are etched in the memories of old-timers who are lucky to have enjoyed its charm in the past.
Toy train - unforgettable joy ride. (Picture source)
125 years back have passed since the first ride from Siliguri to Tindharia was inaugurated by Lord Lytton in March 1880. To the innumerable tourists who throng the place every year, a joy ride in the toy train is still a must. As it climbs the hill, criss-crossing Hill Cart Road (it's in fact a highway) every then and now, surprise awaits at every turn. Looking out, the green is too enchanting to keep your eyes off from it. At places where the climb is steep, it'll not be uncommon to find people walking faster than the train. So, hopping in and out of it is a game you'll find hard to give a miss. Darjeeling is no longer the picturesque town it once used to be. There was a time when you could view the magnificent Kanchenjunga from any nook and corner of the town. Not anymore. Unplanned buildings and roadside shanties block your view and you'll not be blamed if you think that all these together harm the potential of tourism, which is an irony because nearly everyone and everything here depend on tourism to survive and thrive. Despite all that cry out for care and attention, there is no respite from commemorating events. On Aug 23, Siliguri station was the scene to celebrate 125 years of toy train. It is the only station in India where there co-exist narrow-gauge, meter-gauge and broad-gauge tracks. What better way to mark the occasion than to flag off trains on the 3 tracks together, as the picture below shows!
(Picture source)
Labels: Travel
Tuesday’s (Aug 22) The Telegraph’s report by Richard Owen says that the Pope Benedict XVI feels that excessive working in office can lead to ‘hardness of heart and suffering of the spirit’. People in government offices in India will feel elated by this holy approval, eager as they are anyway to skirt delivering even the minimum ‘statutory’ responsibility.
Who says office is all work? (Picture source)
But not all can be happy. As an adjoining TT report of the same day says, US workers are either too ambitious or terrified to take holidays. Being ambitious carries the extra luggage of missing the upward ladder if your are on leave. That may still be better, but suppose you discover after a long absence that your place is no longer yours, but someone else’s, it’s more than a nightmare coming true. Seems Pope’s advice is reserved for office-goers. What about housewives, or for that matter, househusbands? Any concern there? Yes, if you’ve seen the ‘salary.com’ website of late. Its Mom Salary Wizard informs that while wholetime stay-at-home moms earn a not-to-be-seen salary of $134,121 annually, their part-time colleagues’ (those who go out for work) home earnings would be $85,876 for a year. Work-at-home dads may not fret and fume. Salary.com has a Dad Salary Wizard as well, only that there’re no readymade estimates given. This probably means work-at-home dads are a rarity. Any thoughts?
(Picture source)
Labels: Oh Really, What Else
 (picture source)Do you know Durga Puja is just 38 days away? If you don’t, you cannot be blamed. The usual signals are still amiss. The buying spree is hardly there, pandals yet to block roads, puja chadas not yet collected. On the flip side, it’s still raining everyday, potholes are still gaping, school exams very much in vogue.  Early off the block! (picture source)Yet for all that we care for, the Puja is not far off. If you’re an avid watcher of Star Ananda, you cannot miss noticing Ma Durga’s face at the top left of your screen, alternating with the number of days left to the grand event. Festivals come and go, but very few can compare with Durga Puja in terms of scale, festivity and an acute eagerness to take part. If any Indian festival can claim to cut across all barriers, it must be Durga Puja. Here’s my grand welcome to the most-awaited celebration of all! Labels: Celebration, City Life, Culture
About 2 months back, when the ever-smiling CEO of GE came calling to India, Jeffrey Immelt gave an interview on NDTV. He heads one of the largest US multinationals, which has its fingers in almost every business pie one can conceive of, and so justifiably his account on doing business in India was worth listening to. GE is hopeful of substantially furthering its business in India, similar to what it is already doing in China, and Immelt is quick to point out that among other things while India is rich in human resource, it sorely lacks world-class infrastructure that can lure western money-baggers to invest. He points out that the roads and ports in India must improve so that materials of all types can move faster from place to place and from India to other countries. We all know that after second world war, America’s ravaged economy got a robust start after huge investments flowed into improving the rail and road connections. So much so that retail giants like WalMart wouldn’t mind setting up their mammoth selling points at the outskirts of big cities because people won’t mind traveling extra distance to buy their purchases because the roads appeared too enticing to cruise their vehicles on. In fact, some economists say that the smooth-as-silk road network in US post-WW2 is the primary reason behind the great car boom, and indeed the country’s economy.
This is in Oakland, US. How much will it be in Kolkata? (Picture source)
Cut it to Kolkata, a city of millions that promises to usher in a new era of industrial revolution. The less said about its roads, the better. The city has very few new roads in several decades, and even the old roads lack maintenance at many places. It is said that the people responsible for the upkeep of the roads eagerly await the onslaught of monsoon, because it is then that patchworks can be done in quick successions with the guarantee that the last one will be washed out pretty soon. A common ailment among many of us is a refusal to rise above petty interests even if they harm larger sections of society. Nowhere is this more evident than the propensity to keep alive the poor conditions of Kolkata roads. Can we ever imagine having dream roads like the ones below?
Good road, better commuting, rider's dream, world class.
Picture source: top, bottom
Labels: City Life, Retail
It’s a fascinating rearguard action by The Telegraph. Its Sunday edition (Aug 20) has the main front-page story titled, “Faith proves sweeter than filth”, referring to Mahim’s story of sweet sea-water. Obviously, it didn’t expect a second miracle in the form of Ganesha drinking milk in less than 24 hours. So, this morning’s paper almost omitted the god-controlled events except a very brief mention of milk miracle. To me, TT’s volte-face is like eating its own humble pie.
Mahim sea-front, faith on display (picture source)
Most of the time, it’s the media that chases and glorifies perfect non-events only to throw them aside after the juice has been sucked out. Mahim creek’s sweetened sea-water is a case in point. That the water tasted sweet was evident, which surely has perfect explanation, but people are in great hurry to feel ‘divine intervention’. Quick came the riposte from the other side. This time, it’s the turn of gods and goddesses to feel thirsty for endless supply of milk, a repetition of similar happenings in September 1995. A succinct narration of events that unfolded then is provided in this small article, The Hindu Milk Miracle.
Paul Sood at Leicester, UK feeds milk to his deity (Sep '95) (picture source).
Today morning, Star Ananda (TV) reported that a group of youth is performing puja at Digha sea-shore to exhort the unknown sea-god to make its water sweet. Clearly, absurd things do happen every then and now, only the time and place change. Perhaps the people in action are plain crazy for footage, perhaps some ulterior designs are at play, or perhaps faith reigns supreme. Who knows..! Labels: Oh Really, What Else
Bangalore can claim several firsts to its credit. It is India’s first infotech city. Companies like Infosys and Wipro are household names today and have spawned an unprecedented success, which has seen India occupying top position in the world in knowledge industry. It is also a cosmopolitan city of an old-world charm and a laidback attitude that makes a newcomer feel at ease in no time. But much of its charm is now lost in favor of monstrous one-upmanship so typical of a big metropolis in the making. Bangalore has been known as garden city, not without reason. Its sprawling gardens and a congenial climate have ensured that people love the city for what it is till recent past. Today the road space is all but eaten up by endless traffic that often results into frayed tempers and inordinate delays. It would seem from all accounts that the city is not prepared to embrace the necessities that are demanded on its amenities, which means that the once-beautiful city is slowly degenerating into an urban chaos. Yet, for all its recently acquired ills, I continue to get enthralled by this great city each time I happen to set foot there, which in any case is rare these days. Perhaps the weather plays magic on me, or may be I love to savor a place that hogs media limelight ever so often. Here are some pictures to share with my readers (none is mine though, loaned as they are from the net). Happy Bangalore (whatever that means)!
The Bangalore Marathon (picture source),
a plastic monkey collecting rubbish in Lalbagh (picture source),
Infosys’ edifice (picture source),
planned expressway connecting Mysore (picture source),
watery woes (picture source), and finally
Dr. Ramachandra Guha, whose writings in The Telegraph I enjoy (picture source).
Labels: Elsewhere
 Who would want a free net service? If I’m to ask this question in a net-hungry class, all hands will be raised, no doubt about that. Anything free is always welcome, well almost always. Free net service is however always always welcome. This becomes apparent from overwhelming response from the residents of Google’s hometown at Mountain View, northern California. "It worked smashingly," Chris Sacca, Google's head of special initiatives, told AFP. "We have really been looking forward to this day. The citizens have embraced it as their network." A 'smaller-than-peanut amount' of $1 million from Google’s coffers has gone to make a high-quality network that lets Mountain View residents from anywhere inside the city’s 12 square miles area to link to the internet with wireless-enabled computers and other devices including telephones. Google says the cost of running the system is ‘phenomenally cheap’. That’s a good news! What about a similar service in Kolkata! I’m way too optimistic, you might say. So I’m. After all, what’s the harm in dreaming the improbable! Google has a place everywhere as the picture above shows. Why not in the hearts of Kolkattans!! [ The picture above is from http://amiel.typepad.com/] Labels: Life on Web, Oh Really
 Promoted by the TOI group, Radio Mirchi (RM) is hot on the trail of grabbing maximum ad revenues. And you know who are its likely competitors? The print media. Surprised! Better not. Yesterday’s ET sports a quarter-page ad on the front page that pits RM against the formidable and well-entrenched ABP group. Agreed RM and ET belong to same owner, and so a massive ad may not have cost RM anything. But then, let’s see what the ad says. RM proclaims it is Kolkata’s ‘largest newspaper’ and puts a small stat. Here it is (the first table is about radio stations, the next about newspapers / TV): Radio Mirchi (Listenership): 27.7 lakhs Red FM (-do-): 7.4 lakhs Amar (-do-): 5.2 lakhs Power (-do-): 1.4 lakhs Ananda Bazar Patrika (Readership): 27.2 lakhs The Telegraph (-do-): 7.23 lakhs ETV Bangla (Viewership): 12.52 lakhs Star Plus (-do-): 10.96 lakhs It’s a clever ploy on RM’ part, but something that may not do the trick. Each media has its own reach and using criteria. To imagine that RM will belt out matrimonial ads is stretching it too far. Perhaps the ABP group doyen will feel a trifle disturbed by an enfant terrible, and then suppress a yawn to proceed as before.
Inside RM's Delhi studio, eager performers.
Picture source : http://www.stringsonline.net/web/gallery/updates/400/02.JPG.
Let the reader not think that RM ads do not serve purpose. It has a 10-city presence and a phenomenal fan-following. In the west and north of India, RM is spectacularly successful. So if any reader of this blog is inclined to test waters with RM’s ads, do send Nipun Bhardwaj email at nipun.bhardwaj@timesgroup.com. Labels: City Life, Oh Really
      
Anyone who learns Bengali from early school days, has to be familiar with this gem from Pundit Iswarchandra Vidyasagar. Barna Parichay stands for learning the alphabets (Bengali alphabets here). Once the first barrier is crossed, the next course is a series of easy learners, Sahaj Path, created by Rabindranath Tagore. Without these preliminaries (or at least the Barna Parichay), no matter how hard you try, it’ll be difficult to learn Bengali. This however is not a discourse on Vidyasagar’s immortal creation. Barnaparichay – the two words together – is proposed to be the name of a swanky mall planned at the premises where College Street market now stands. It will be a book mall, said to be the first in the country, with the redoubtable Hafeez Contractor taking charge as the lead-architect of the project. It may as well be, because College Street boipara – though in shambles today – is reminiscent of Bengal’s extraordinary literary and cultural past, what with memories of luminaries walking down the streets opposite Calcutta University still alive among old-timers.
College Street book market – shadows of past.
Picture source : http://www.kolkataweb.com/picture/calcutta/college_st.jpg.
Barnaparichay will be a half-a-million square feet of edifice that will blend books with art and culture, shopping, food and entertainment. A museum of rare books and an auction house are also planned in the mall, and of course parking space for 2800 cars. Before I end, here’s a small information. If you want to learn Bengali in earnest, you may download Arnab Bhattacharya’s Barna Parichay in both PDF and PS formats. Proceed here. Labels: City Life, Cityscape
This week many schools in Assam have declared holidays because of heat wave. Heat wave in Assam? You might say I’m joking. But it’s true. Why only Assam? The entire north-east and North Bengal have had very scanty rains this season. Which is quite unusual to say the least. Not a season passes without Assam not having floods in the valleys. Almost same goes for North Bengal. Teesta, Torsa, Brahmaputra are all mighty rivers that turn fearsome during monsoon, with Brahmaputra easily taking the pole position in its fury and ability to cause devastation. This year is different and that’s really a wonder. It’s a big surprise too to see arid Gujarat as well as vast stretches of Maharashtra and MP unable to cope with prolonged floods, having to experience pounding rains for days without end.
Surat’s plight, never-ending nightmare.
Picture source : http://www.cbsnews.com/images/2006/08/09/imageHYD10108090644.jpg.
It is said the engineers at Ukai dam on the river Tapi could not promptly gauge the rising water level – unexpected as it was for them – and when the time ultimately came for releasing massive amount of water, it swept the Surat city and adjoining petrochem nerve center, Hazira. Mumbai’s condition is equally worse. It’s a harsh way to come to terms with flooded locales as the scene repeats last year’s debacle. Skeptics argue that the changed weather phenomena have everything to do with global warming. Perhaps there is a ring of truth there.
Mumbai’s watery thoroughfare – hassles of living.
Picture source : http://www.dancewithshadows.com/suma/images/rain1.jpg.
Labels: City Life
Kolkata has for long remained a geographically constrained metropolis. Life centered around a few downtown destinations, and anything beyond is simply not favored. Lack of growth severely curtailed its claim to be counted among top Indian metros. So much so that a few years back, there even was a government plan to downgrade Kolkata’s rating a notch or 2 below the two glamorous elites, Mumbai and New Delhi. Much water has flown down the Hooghly since. Today, Kolkata is spreading its wings at a frenetic pace, unseen ever in this part of the country. The mammoth township of New Town is a case in point. New Town (NT) is expected to accommodate nearly half-a-million residents in 2 years flat, though all you now see is vast stretches of barren land with a few dots of construction activities.
Uniworld’s swanky apartments planned in NT.
Picture source : http://www.axiomestates.com/img/heights_elev.jpg.
The state housing minister says NT is better in terms of infrastructural amenities than Gurgaon or Noida. Having been to all these places, my own guess is what he says may well be true. Yet, unless brick-and-mortars come up and people start inhabiting the place, nothing can be said for sure.
Eight 26-floor towers, Rosedale Gardens, NT.
Picture from : http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=1973492.
To government’s credit, it is not sitting idle after NT. Several gigantic townships are being planned (some even dwarf anything anywhere in India of comparable scale) that together have the distinct potential to leapfrog Kolkata to the league of super-cities of the world. Labels: City Life, Cityscape
Mergers and acquisitions are nothing new in business. In fact M&As are most visible in sunrise sectors that hold promise in the medium to long term. India’s domestic courier sector is one such. It comes as no surprise that DHL, the world’s no.1 express giant now based in Germany, has decided to gobble up Blue Dart, the bluest of blue private sector courier/cargo company of India. Effective October, 2002, DHL already has incrementally acquired controlling stake in Blue Dart (68% in 2004), which its Singapore subsidiary now plans to hike by purchasing all the latter’s publicly-held shares. This will make Blue Dart another wholly-owned subsidiary of DHL.
Now, a new suitor.
Picture source : http://www.naukri.com/gpw/bluedart/images/pic.jpg.
For a long time, foreign courier majors have eyed India’s domestic business with skepticism. With good reasons. Most of India’s internal courier traffic is in unorganized hands, many of whom charge less than half of what Blue Dart charges. Conceivably, their service is erratic and there usually is no proper way to redress grievances. That Blue Dart and a few notables like Gati, DTDC, etc. could chalk out a niche for themselves despite the omnipresent Speed Post and other less worthies, indicates that India’s domestic courier market is indeed very large. As it matures further, one may look forward to improved services and multiple options like same-day delivery, overnight delivery, weekend delivery and so on. It will be then that the rough edges of courier service will become more smoother and less prickly. Labels: What Else
I couldn't help but reproduce this nice graphics on this solemn occasion from Kailash Nadh's blog-site. Thanks Kailash.
Labels: What Else
When Arun Lal and Ravi Shastri floated a cricket players' association, there was hype and perhaps some hope that it will succeed. It didn't, presumably because the purse-string is irrevocably controlled by BCCI. Whatever that failed the association, not many tears were shed. It wasn't to serve larger interests of Indian sports if only for the reason that our cricketing heroes are so rich that it would be beyond their super-inflated esteems to help other associations. Seen in this backdrop, when Bhaichung Bhutia took lead to form football players' association yesterday, ordinary football lovers felt sceptical. Will they succeed, will they not? Bhaichung is hopeful, though cautious not to overstep. He is one of the directors of FPAI, 3 others are Raman Vijayan, S Venkatesh and Deepak Mondal. The former Indian goalkeeper, Sumit Mukherjee is the CEO. Mohun Bagan's star recruit this season, Jose Barreto is very effusive and promises to join FPAI.
The unstoppable Bhaichung. When will Indian football become so?
Picture source : http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/xp/20060222/i/1051534678.jpg.
A fresh breeze is blowing across Maidan, the home to Kolkata football (and indeed Indian football's). East Bengal has recruited a foreign coach, Carlos Roberto Da Pereira, a Brazilian. So too has Eveready who has signed the Belgian, Philippe de Ridder, the erstwhile East Bengal coach. The Indian national side too has Bob Houghton as the new coach. There are sincere efforts on the part of IFA and AIFF to improve the standard of football in India. Ardent fans of the game like me are willing to wait to see it reviving bit by bit. We very dearly need football to bloom, and since it has grassroots-reach in our country, it has the potential to radically transform India's overall sports-scene. Labels: Sports-n-Games
Next week, 2 holidays come together, 15th and 16th. My school-going son, who is a rare movie buff, ardently feels there is no better way to ‘celebrate’ the 2 days than seeing KANK. Seeing what, I’m perplexed. He smiles indulgently, declaring it’s Karan Johar’s latest blockbuster, Kabhie Albida Na Kehna, KANK in short. I withdraw with a sheepish grin to the old world of newspaper editorials.
The powerful Karan. Also makes blockbusters.
Picture source : http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/06/14/images/2005061400110403.jpg.
My son huddles into frenetic consultations with his mobile-carrying friends on his cell. Awhile later, he looks grim, excitement webbing at a fast pace. I look up inquiringly. Appears the tickets are alarmingly expensive (I later find the asking rate is as high as 250 rupees in some Kolkata ‘plexes), and so my son and his friends are not interested. Here is a point. Karan Johar has quickly acclimatized to creating mammoth tear-jerkers – I’ve a small stat below from ‘ insanities.indivibes.net’ that tells it all – that carry very little message than what is already told a million times by his fellow bollywood film-makers. He takes shelter in a multi-starrer like KANK and succeeds in creating a lot of hype (high ticket prices for example), hoping it would fetch him pots of money. My own take, based on recent trends and profiles of movie-goers, is that KANK will just about bring his money back and will not probably be what you call a ‘hit’.
A pride of place for Karan Johar.
Picture source : http://insanities.indivibes.net/upload/crykaranjohar.jpg.
I remember sometime back HT Brunch featured him on the cover. He comes across as a super-rich, suave, smooth-talking, sympathy-evoking single man, who also happens to be a film director and who pityingly looks for a plot for his next movie. With the amount of money and influence he has at his disposal, I only hope he churns out interesting things to watch, or better still, hire a competent director who can put his resources to good use. Labels: City Life, Showbiz
Newspapers have to appeal to wide cross-sections of people to remain viable. It is not uncommon to find big foreign newspapers and tabloids running into more than 30 pages even on weekdays. In India, metro editions are comparatively thicker than non-metro publications. This may be because of large number of concentrated readership located in metros, whose tastes vary a lot. The onus is therefore to find 'greater common multiples' while producing newspaper contents. Among many newspapers that publish from Kolkata, I’m partial to 2 ABP publications, The Telegraph and the vernacular Ananda Bazar Patrika. I also read The Economic Times, but this is usually the last one I pick up. Among the English mainstream dailies, The Telegraph must rank ahead of the pack, and in my opinion, the only other comparable paper is the southern daily, The Hindu, which unfortunately does not have a Kolkata edition.
The Telegraph's this graphic says it all.
Picture source : http://www.reed.edu/~reyn/CalcuttaAdd.jpg.
The reason I find The Telegraph and The Hindu invigorating is because both serve solid news and in-depth analyses. Both have very strong editorial backup, which is quintessentially important to retain readers, and both have dedicated foreign correspondents, who provide critical insights on happenings elsewhere. To my mind, quality speaks when it is persistent. It is one thing to follow the hot trails, which everyone does, quite another to masterly deal on seemingly unimportant issues. In the end, what is important is to find a perfect match between reader-satisfaction and serving the greater interests of society. It needs much more than simple aggregation of newsworthy items to stay on top. The Telegraph and The Hindu have it in them as occupants of pole position. Here is wishing both a glorious future as India unfolds.
A typical illustrative coverage by The Telegraph.
Picture source : http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050719/images/19zzsound.jpg.
Labels: City Life
Sister Cyril is mother personified for many hapless street children in Kolkata. She is the Principal of Sealdah’s Loreto Day School, and being an educationist, she has a very clear idea about what ails our multi-layered cast-ridden society and what prevents the poorest-of-poor children to avail a modicum of basic education. Unlike most politicians, she doesn’t wear a mask, which means she is always able to do what she preaches and wants to do. Since there is no pretension, Sister Cyril Mooney comes across as an affable person to her numerous students and well-wishers, who in turn share a good amount of responsibility to help the needy children. In her missionary zeal, she has done a lot of good that remain glorious examples. Way back in 1994, she abolished admission tests for taking in kindergarten students, and instead initiated a lottery system, which the state government emulated 2 years later. This singular act continues to relieve the small children of the trauma of tests in such early age.
Sister Cyril Mooney.
Picture source : http://www.changemakers.net/journal/03october/cyril2.jpg .
But Sister Cyril is not one to rest on one or two laurels. Of the many plans she envisioned and put into action, there are one or two that appeal greatly. Since her school remains empty from late afternoon until early morning next day, she decided to let local street children – specially the girls – take shelter inside the campus during that time. Once there, the children are provided food and of course some teaching. It’s such a novel idea that no amount of praising seems sufficient. And now she has invited principals of 65 schools from across India to a workshop tomorrow and day (Aug 11, 12) after to discuss and make the scheme a success at all places. To the accusation that her organization converts (see here), she says, "Yes, I do convert. I convert you to a better Hindu or a better Protestant, or a better Jew, better Sikh, and then it's for you to what you want with God." I cannot but agree to that, for notwithstanding government efforts, in a country where 64 million children do not attend school, it is the visionary pursuance of persons like Sister Cyril Mooney that make a big difference. Labels: City Life
Getting bored is never out of fashion. There is no dearth of items to get bored of. Food, cloth, car, soap, love, spouse, relation – you name it, you have it. For sure. Forever. Whoever said, “Business thrives on boredom” deserves unequivocal praise. I’ve here some images for you that show different kinds of getting bored. If you feel getting bored is your monopoly, you’ll be sadly mistaken. Have a look at the images, and you’ll know why. But before you scroll down, I’ve a small info’ for you. This one is sourced from a survey done by UK Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), courtesy The Telegraph, Aug 8. The TDA survey lists about 15 most boring professions measured by the Workforce Boredom Index (the what? ..your guess is as good as mine!). Administrative/secretarial work scores a perfect 10 (most boring), while teaching is the least boring (surprise!), scoring just 4. Coming between them in order of more to less boring professions are manufacturing, sales, marketing, IT, science research, media, law, engineering, banking, HR, accountancy, hospitality/travel and healthcare. Well, sometimes it is not a good idea to rank high. Don’t you agree? Now, the images. Savor them.
A quick nap comes automatically.
Picture source : http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a121/t3arz_of_ic3/ijk.jpg.
Oh, the same old story! (sigh)
Picture source : http://www.claybennett.com/images/archivetoons/deficit.jpg.
When will the talk end?
Picture source : http://www.souzek.com/images/veronika/ikea_sitting_getting_bored.jpg.
Squids hung for drying in a Japanese fishing village. When will you roast us?
Picture source : http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Ridge/1120/japan5/squid.jpg.
Too big for me, you idiot. Remove this nonsense!
Picture source : http://www.erichongisto.com/ursula/Images/toyIMG_2463.jpg .
Is he gone to another woman? Hope it proves sour!
Picture source : http://xc0.xanga.com/591b9b427913247396841/b31923927.jpg.
Labels: What Else
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