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Steiner based pre-nursery school celebrates its 30th anniversary

Sport P 4Rajsthans jour-ney in Ranji

by Atikh, Anmol andArun

Review PAGE 4Turning 30

Democracyintrudes atribalheartlandPAGE 2

THANK YOU

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BAISHNABI MONGER

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 17

As the metro grinds to a haltin Jahangirpuri, a different

world takes over, a far cryfrom the glitzy surroundings of themetro; a dumping ground for

waste and 20,000 people who wereevacuated from various parts ofthe city, ten years ago. A typicalslum ; heaps of waste, filthy roads,

pigs and people sharing the sameshelter. What makes Balaswa dif-ferent are a group of illiterate

woman armed with the RTI and awill to fight for their rights.

Spearheading the move-ment is RTI activist Pushpa on amission to end poverty. I startedthis lok shakti manch independentlyon September 2008, I have beenteaching the people to file RTI togive them a tool against inequality,says Pushpa.

Since the launch of the move-ment the people of Balaswa have

begun to seek answers through theRTI. The RTIs that they have filedmostly pertain to the PDS (PublicDistribution System) on the rationsthat the BPL (Below Poverty Line)people receive.

Their efforts seem to be bearingfruit. Pushpa recalls that during therenewal process of the ration cardsin 2007, around 1,70000 ration cards

were cancelled. As most of the cards

belonged to the Balaswa commu-nity, they initially filed 300 appli-cations to the civil supply depart-ment but no action was taken.Therefore in 2009 they collec-tively gathered the previous 300applications and filed an RTI forthe problem. They got theirreplies and within months hadtheir cards renewed.

Most of the slum residents donot have access to LPG. The ra-

tion shops had denied 114 house-holds the kerosine oil that the

BPL families are entitled to, which isused for cooking. So initiallyRoshannara had filed an RTI in2008 to address the issue but no sat-isfactory reply was given, so she filedan appeal with the CIC (central In-formation Commission), the CICthen took action and immediately areport was given on 17 April 2010. Now at least 63 households have re-ceived approval for this particularappeal, but what to do it has takenmore than two and a half years to

get what we wanted. said Roshan-nara, adding to the narration.

While most of the RTI's filed con-cern the PDS, RTI's have also beenfiled to various departments rang-ing from the Judicial departmentregarding the welfare of primaryschools to issues regarding resettle-ment and lack of electricity. In thepast 2 years the women of Balaswahave filed more than 300 RTI's.

What is particularly striking is

that the woman are taking efforts tospread the movement to otherslums in the city. Sheetal, anotherresident and member of the LokShakti Manch says, On 1st Janu-ary we trained 25 women in Ho-lambi Kala to file RTI and how touse this as an effective tool againstinequality.

While the RTI may have em-powered the women, much like theother parts of the country it has hadit's pitfalls. I've been threatenedmany times but it doesnt deter me.We will fight on, says Pushpa.

Armed with the RTI a group of uneducated women from a Delhi slum take onthe government, in a bid to improve their lives

An activist of Lok Shakti Manch works with women

Gaza activists giveaid, bring back hope

DIPANKAR GHOSE


It was an unbelievable experi-ence, and hopefully we ac-complished something, said

Feroze Mithiborwalla, cofounder of the Asian People'sSolidarity for Palestine. Mithi-borwalla was amongst a 50 mem-ber strong delegation that hadembarked on a road caravan toGaza in support of the Palestin-ian movement which had set offon December 2. The expeditiontraveled across Pakistan, Iran,Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordanand Egypt, entering Gaza-Pales-

tine through the Rafah Crossing.Having returned to India on Jan-uary 8, Mithiborwalla and therest of the group seem encour-aged by the results of their expedi-tion.

We've always been looking at

the conflict from afar and eventhen it had affected us all verydeeply. The feeling when wereached Gaza on the 3rd of Janu-ary was intense. We were stand-ing on the land that has been cen-tral to the geopolitics of the worldfor a while now. And I think wemade a difference, saidPradyumna Jairam, a participanton the expedition.

Jairam went on to explain,This is one of the most complex,brutal and long standing conflictsin history. Israel's occupation is inclear violation of internationallaw. And as citizens of the world

we cannot just sit back and say-this is their problem. We need tostand up for what's right. So all wedid was basically give the peopleof Gaza some medical aid, butmore importantly we let themknow that they are not alone. Wetold them that the people of Asiaare with them in the struggle forfreedom and we helped makethem smile.

When asked about whetherthey suggested a solution to theproblem to the Palestinians,Mithiborwalla said, We talkedabout it but I think it would be alittle presumptuous to tell them

what they need to do. They'vebeen living in the middle of astorm for decades now and sev-eral treaties have come and

failed. A solution they will haveto come up with themselves. Wedid take the message of Gandhi-giri across to them though. Ahuge problem of the Israel-Pales-tine conflict has been the massiveloss of life and property, so we

suggested to them the ways ofGandhi. Guerilla warfare will not

work against the military might ofthe Israelis, maybe Ahimsa willdo better.

While the expedition did comeacross its fair share of hurdlesalong the way, it was interestingto see the the amount of impor-tance was given by the countriesthe expedition passed through.We did have problem with secu-rity. Governments especially Pak-istan were largely suspicious of alarge contingent on their way toGaza. We had intended to reachGaza on December 28 but weonly got there on January the 3rd.But the exposure we got was un-believable. President Ahmediji-nad came to address us when we

were in Iran, said Mithibor-walla. Overall the response wegot was fantastic, enough to tellus that this will not be our last at-tempt to lend our voices to themovement.

Guerilla warfare will notwork against the militarymight of the Israelis, maybeAhimsa will do better.

PRAKR0ITI BOSE

NEW DELHI , JANUARY 17

W

hen the Norwegian PrimeMinister was asked What

did Waldorf education do foryou?, Jens Stoltenberg replied, It en-couraged me to always strive to become abetter human being.

Celebrating Waldorf , a distinct way ofeducation -an approach that combinesanalytical as well as imaginativethinking,The Study a pre nursey schoolin the east of kailash celeberated its 30thanniversery with a sense of pride and opti-mism in the generations of students andteachers it has inspired over the years.

Hemant Pasrich, principal of The

Study remminiscing the golden past says,With all history behind us, I must admitthat the 30th anniversary is an emotionalevent, not only on the account of my asso-ciation with The Study as a Director butalso as a parent...and now as a grand par-

ent several Studyites have come back tous with their own children and may besome day we will have the third genera-tion. I for my part feel privileged to seethe confidance of two generations in theschool.

Amongst the renowned pre nurseryschools like Mothers pride, Children'sWorld and Kangaroo Kids, The Study isthe oldest and the most valued kindergar-den school from the yesteryear's. With nofrills and advertisements masking the cityit exudes its own charm and recipe of es-

tablishing a broad based foundation forthe child by providing a rich experienceof activities.

The Study's method of teaching is di s-tinct as they follow a combination ofFroebal method of teaching( according

to which each student has a unique capa-bility and need) descending from well es-tablished schools in U.K and Canada,Montessori equipment along with some

values that have been incorporated fromWaldorf Steiner's humanistic approachto teaching. Waldorf education is basedupon Anthroposophy, a movemnetfounded by Austrian philosopher RudolfSteiner in the early twentieth century, ac-cording to which humans possess an in-nate spirit which prepares itself for rein-carnation and the task of the teacher is to

help each child's soul and spirit grow.What is interesting about the approach

of The Study is the absence of blackboardteaching , inclusion of sports like golf withemphasis being laid on speech and instill-ing self confidence in children.

Establsihed in 139 Golf Links on the5th of January1972 with a batch of a fewstudents that included Parmeet and Sim-ran Sawhney, Amar Khosla and RajeshThadani The Study has also been thefoundation ground for Congress Gen-eral Secretary, Rahul Gandhi andPriyanka Vadra.'The association with theGandhi family continued for a long timeand Mrs Indira Gandhi graced our smallschool's Annual Concert on more thanone occasion, said Hemant Pasrich. Wealso had the blessings of President

Fakhruddin Ahmed and his wife BegumAbida Ahmed, she added.

What adds a feather to their cap is theloyalty of the staff as well as the serviceoffered by them. Many of them have de-

voted fifteen to twenty years of valuable

service providing the children with asense of compassion as well as disciplinewhich today education as an institute hasfailed to equip students with.

In these times when the need of thehour is qualitative education, let us hopethat the three magical remedies, accord-ing to Steiner, which lie in the soul of ed-ucation and teacher- reverence, enthusi-asm and a sense of guardianship getsacknowledged and celebrated by teach-ers and students alike.

The ambit of Xerox copies grows; introducing PhokatcopyBAISHNABI MONGER

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 17The Xerox machines turn out

plain photostat papers inside theIIT-Delhi campus. It shrivels up thepaper as it reproduces the paperentered. Please give me your pa-pers, I am running short since yes-terday, cries Ramesh Kumar, whoruns the photostat machines in thecampus. He is shouting instructionsat a group of people who havestarted the lucrative business ofproviding photostat for free.Hence, the name Phokatcopy.

Phokatcopy is an enterprisestarted by IITians in Delhi. Itsfounder Harsh Narang, a final yearstudent in IIT Delhi conceptu-alised the concept of providing free

photocopies to the studentcommunity in 2009. Narangsays, The concept emerged

when I participated in Vishist,a business plan competitionin the campus and it gave meimpetus to start the business.The primary goal of the enter-prise is to generate revenuesfrom advertising companiesand provide photostats at asubsidized rate for the collegestudents. The Phokatcopy pa-pers that are used for xerox,contain advertisements fromdifferent companies on one pageand the other page is used for pho-tocopying any material required.

Sidhak V, a business develop-ment manager with Phokatcopy

said, We have worked with com-panies like Ecko, Vodafone, FastTrack, Apple and many more. Wefocus on providing 'call to action'advertisement for the companies.

Every student requires xe-rox copies for exams, there-fore the advertisement pro-

vided on one side of thepaper will be noticed andremembered by everyone

while flipping through thepages.

The students in IIT-Delhi and other collegesare enjoying the free ser-

vices that are being pro-vided. The plan is simpleand conducive to the stu-dents grins Priyankar

Agrawal, another business devel-opment manager. He further adds,A student gets a scratch card

worth Rs 8 for twenty pages that hephotocopies. We charge 40 paisa

for a side which adds up to Rs 8 for20 pages. They get the scratch cardnumber and the students punch itin our website along with theirnames. Their points get accumu-lated and at the end they can reim-burse it with a recharge voucher.

Suman Kasana, a student fromSRCC said, The photocopies thatthey provide is for free which i s ex-citing and convenient. But I hopethey start using recycled papers infuture, as I am concerned about theenvironment too.

However, the ink that is used inthe papers is biodegradable andthe papers can be sent for recycling.The concept is environmentfriendly, say the phokatcopy teamcollectively.

Muslim men offered Friday Prayers at the same place where the Noor masjid stood before it was demolished by DDA afterthe HIgh Court orders. The Waqf Board claims that the land belongs to it. EXPRESS PHOTOS

Pradyumna Jairam with Palestinian activists in Turkeyenroute to Gaza

Phokatcopy team ;Aspiring engineers turn entrepreneurs

Rudolf Steiner, founder of theanthrophosophy, believedlearning is interdisciplinary,integrating practical and artisticapproach

RTI empowers illiterates

&

Mr. Prabal Mandal

NewDelhi, January 17 Page 4


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BAISHNABI MONGER


THE Raddiwala's (scrapcollectors) usually take care ofoffice waste and dump therefuse in some landfill, is aconvenient answer to give

when a corporate firm isasked about its disposal mech-anism. This process howeverneglects the larger need forthe gradual reduction of land-fills in Delhi that are fastreaching unhygienic propor-tions. In light of this,Greenobin Pvt Ltd. hasemerged with an environmen-tal friendly method to recycleand reuse the waste accumu-lated in offices every day.

This enterprise was startedby Nitin Goel a young aspiringentreprenur, in 2009. Thisconcept came about after con-stantly using paper and thenrealising the worth of paper

wasted at work said Goel. Hesaid, Our objective is to recy-cle and reuse the scrap col-lected from offices and at thesame time to improve the re-covery rates from the wasteand not to compete with any

raddiwala's or scrap dealers inthe city. Office waste usuallycontains degradable items likeprintouts, letters and en-

velopes, vending cups, news-papers, paper packaging, andtissue paper that can be recy-cled and further used.

With the increased aware-ness on environmental con-cerns the Greenobin teamcollects waste material fromcorporate firms using anexchange system.Sunaina Shenoy,a part time

contribu-tor tothefirm

said,In-stead ofcash we re-pay the corpo-

rate firms with re-cycled paper productslike copier paper, handmade

recycled paper products andpaper body pens. The sta-

tionery is produced by JanSewa Ashram, their associatepartners, she added.

We have worked with cor-porate firms like GE, Stan-

dard Chartered, AppoloTyres, Microsoft, KPMG andmany more. said Mr Goel.He further added that themarket potential of this busi-ness is humungous with only

25-30 % of the annual con-sumption of paper being

recovered by smallscrap dealers and

other waste pa-per traders.

WhileGreenobincurrentlyoperateswith the

corpo-ratefirms inthe city,they arelikely toexpand

their busi-ness in the

near futurewith their

residential ser-vice. On trial

currently, the ser-vice aims to engage

the household sector

into thinking and actinggreen.

Scrap is Useful; AGreenobin initiative

Hindu college set to host International event

DIPANKAR GHOSE


IN one of the most awaited events inthe Delhi University College circuit, theHindu College Debating Society will hostthe annual Premchand Memorial Inter-national Parliamentary Debate from the

17th to the 20th of January. The debatewill see the participation of close to 40teams from 20 colleges with teams fromall over the country, with 8 teams fromPakistan also coming in.

Explaining why the Parliamentary de-bate format is so popular with students,Neelakshi Tewari, President of the HinduCollege Debating Society said, This isthe only format which ensures true de-bates and arguments. Its a two on two for-mat, where the two teams get the motionon the spot and then get twenty minutes toprepare. The debate carries on for nearly

an hour and a half over 6 speeches and aninterrogation session so it gives the teamstime to really thrash an issue out.

With the growing interest has alsocome increasing professionalism.Overthe years, debates have become more andmore organized. The amount of prizemoney is getting bigger, which is reflectedin the kind of sponsors college debates

are attracting, said Ritwik Agrawal,Chief Adjudicator of the event. The bud-get for this years Premchand debate isclose to 4 lakhs with the main sponsor ofthe event being Microsoft.

The innovations that various collegesare resorting to in order to gain popularityare also growing by the minute. This

year, we have made a website for theevent. This will help show sponsors in thefuture we are a professionally run event.The website is

www.premchanddebates.in. Please gocheck it out, said Tewari.

Speaking about the organization thatgoes into an large scale event such as this,Devika Dutt General Secretary of theDebating Society Hindu College said,There's a lot that goes into it. From theplanning stage like sponsorship meetings,to the arrangement of hundred of bottlesof water on debating days. The toughestpart is getting the visas for the interna-

tional participants especially since theyare from Pakistan. Those need detailed

work till the last minute. The difficult bit isthat a lot of work has to happen while ex-ams are on, but we manage. This is impor-tant and well, its fun.

All of this effort will result in what will bean intriguing four days for participants

with fierce competition. Premchand isone of the biggest debates of the year. Theprize money is great, the motions are fan-tastic usually. It is going to be fantastic,said Aditya Sareen, a debater from Ram-

jas College.

ARUN SUBRAMANIAN

KERALA, JANUARY 17

Amidst the savannah grass-lands, below the mist cov-ered mountain ranges thatencompass South India's

highest peak, Anaimudi, a narrow trailleads into the dense Shola forests below. Anervous herd of the endangered NilgiriTahr gaze curiously at the intruders.

Four hours later, the weary path leads tothe first signs of habitation. Barking dogsand roosters signal the arrival of out-siders. Hidden among the foliage inThenparakudy( tribal settlement), part ofa cluster of 28 tribal settlements thatmake up Edamalakudy, Kerala's firsttribal grama panchayat.

Earlier, the 12th ward of the MunnarGrama Panchayat, Edamalakudy wasmade a separate panchayat for these elec-tions. With 1,412 voters spread across 656households Edamalakudy has been di-

vided into 13 wards with the presidents

post reserved for a woman. Edamalakudyis populated mainly by the Muthuvantribe, considered the most reclusive foresttribe in the state. While there are othertribal settlements in the district likeLakham kudy, Edamalakudy stands outbecause of its inaccessibility and relativebackwardness.

Edamalakudy is inaccessibleand most backward when compared tothe other tribal settlements in the region.The other tribal settlements have easy ac-cess to the roads and thus have benefitedfrom development. We urged the govern-ment to set up a separate panchayat,said S Rajendran,CPI(M) MLA of De-

vikulam constituency in Idukki district,explaining the need for a separate pan-chayat for Edamalakudy.

Its the opposition in the state, how-ever, that has made the maximum gains

in the recent panchayat elections. Nearly26 years after bullets from her body-guards felled her, the Congress-ledUnited Democratic Front (UDF) has In-dira Gandhi to thank for gaining an ab-solute majority in Kerala's first tribal pan-chayat. The UDF captured 9 seats whilethe CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front(LDF) won the remaining 4. IndiraGandhi granted us this area in 1951. Weare indebted to her. I will always vote forthe congress, said Nagappan, a tribalfrom Thenpara Kudi. Even the youngergeneration seem enamoured by the de-

ceased Congress matriarch. I don'tknow much about Indira Gandhi but myelders tell us there is no leader like her to-day. I voted for the hand.(Congress),said Ganapathy,24, a tribal from Anda-

vanKudy.While Edamalakudy is generally

considered a Congress bastion other par-ties are beginning to make inroads. In-fighting and lack of development seems tobe the main causes for the loss of support.In fact the LDF won the Edamalakudyseat the last time it was part of theMunnar grama Panchayat after a split inthe UDF. Earlier if one didn't vote forthe Congress the individual would be os-tracised. Things have changed now. TheCongress doesn't take care of us now.Even the BJP fielded candidates, saysGaneshan, a tribal congress party worker.

Nearly 2 months after the elections,that is the least of the worries of the Con-gress members of the Edamalakudy pan-chayat under president Kaniammal, a

tribal woman from Puthukudy. Top of

the agenda is drinking water, building aroad and thwarting crop raiding ele-phants. Wild elephants are such a nui-sance. They damage the cardamom cropsand are a threat. We need ways to controlthem, said Lakshman of Pathumkudy.Its not an exaggerated claim as 2 yearsago the tribal settlement at Yelapara wasdemolished and the inhabitants had to beshifted to other areas after wild elephantsconstantly targeted the settlement.

In a region rife with problems the

members of the new Panchayat have theirtask cut out. We've met thrice so far. Its

just the beginning. We discussed waterschemes and about building houses ,said Silambai, a tribal elected from Wardnumber 8. Most of the members electedare illiterate with the most educated hav-ing studied till Std 10. That does not seemto dampen their spirits. I havent studiedmuch but I know the problems afflictingthe people and hopefully we can do goodthings, said Chinnan, an elected mem-ber from ward number 4. We read thedocuments before we sign them and help

each other out, he went on to add.The new panchayat has also

managed to bridge the party divide. Even though we dont have majority , I'mreally pleased we have a panchayat. We

willing to do whatever it takes to bringsome development, says Madhan aCPI(I) member of the panchayat from

Ambalakudy and former member ofEdamalakudy Panchayat when it was partof the Munnar Grama Panchayat. Ear-lier funds meant for tribals had to beshared with the other settlements andEdamalakudy got a paltry sum and wecouldnt do much. Now things will changefor the better, he went on to add.

The tribals are also optimisticthat with the creation of a new panchayattheir concerns will be addressed. We arelike the lost children. Everyone seems toforget us and our problems. Hopefullythis will change things, said Ganeshanreferring to the new panchayat. Echoinghis sentiments is another tribal fromPuthukudy, Thangarasu, Everyonetalks of tribal rights but they send usscraps. There is no education or evenproper drinking water. Atleast now some-thing will change.

While democracy may usher inthe changes, for now atleast the tribalshold on to their customs. Candidates

were chosen after council meetings withall tribals from a particular hamlet pre-

sent. The hamlet chose me to stand forelections. I had the blessings of the el-ders, said Silambai.

Even the Headman of the tribals don't

see a threat to their system of governance. The Kani ( tribal headman) will not losehis power. Even the elected members askfor us for advice. They respect our views,said Viboshanan, headman of Shed-dukudy whose daughter is an electedmember.

With a plethora of problems fromacute poverty( NREGA being the mainsource of income) to lack of educationand drinking water to handle, the mem-bers of Kerala's first tribal panchayat em-bark on a journey to usher in change.

Baishnabi Monger, Atikh Rashid


AT the beginning of this new year,when the mercury was likely to staybelow 4 degrees; 40 youngsters were ex-posed to the extreme cold. It was 10 atnight when the youth entered the shiver-ing streets of old Delhi. The plight of thehomeless was unbearable, the pavementdid not provide any warmth with somehalf asleep and the others struggling.Moved, the youngsters from varied back-grounds came together to distributeblankets to the sufferers of this dreadful

winter. The youths were united by an or-ganization called Jamghat, for an aware-ness programme called 'Night Walk'.

Jamghat is an NGO established by agroup of street children in 2003 pio-neered by Amit Sinha, a trained theatreartist, who started this NGO after he washanded the responsibility of performing a

street play for Prince Charles visit to Indiain 2003 by Action Aid India, an NGO.He brought together 14 street childrenand theatre artists. The play was such asuccess that it traveled to various partsof India and as well as outside the countryin the next 3 months after performingfor Prince Charles. Jamghat is all aboutbringing street children together for a bet-ter life and empowering their lives, to nur-ture self confidence in them, says Amit

Sinha. Despite the lack of funds initially,they were determined to stay togetherand start Jamghat, a lively gathering.

After these humble beginningsJamghat today runs a home for 15 boys

who previously used to live on the streetswhere these children receive basic ameni-ties, healthcare and counseling along witheducation and vocational training. They

are also active in street theatre. It alsoruns an outdoor programme by running adaycare centre for 50 street children pro-

viding them basic amenities and coun-selling. Irfan who became a part ofJamghat, when Amit approached him on

the streets of Connaught Place in 2003is an example of a success story andnow handles the outdoor pro-grammes. He says, I ensure that thestreet children are bathed, fed, edu-cated and happy. I also coordinate ac-tivities for them and I feel pleasure do-ing this.

It also conducts awareness pro-grammes such as 'Night walk', amonthly programme. The walk is usu-ally a four hour long walk aimed tosensitize public to the needs, dangersand fun of being a street child. It alsoorganizes theatre workshops inschools, colleges and organizations tobuild understanding of self and soci-

ety. Priyanka, a student of DU and avolunteer with the Jamghat adds, Ihave been associated with this organi-zations for two years now, and I am in-

volved with the various activities re-lated to this organization. The goal ofJamghat is to build respect for street

children within society until the streetidentity is removed and the children areactive participants in a world that previ-ously chose to ignore them.

Jamghat is all aboutbringing in street childrentogether for a betterlife,empowering theirlives, to nurture selfconfidence in them.

AMIT SINHA, FOUNDERJAMGHAT

We are like the lost children.Everyone seems to forget usand our problems. Hopefullythis will change things.

Jamghat- alively gathering

of streetchildren

Creating home for the homeless.

Deep in the western ghats, bordering Tamil Nadu, Keralas firsttribal grama panchayat comes to terms with democracy

Vibhoshanan- the head man ofSheddukudy. Arun

A typical Muthuvan tribal settlement, this one at Edelipara. Arun

Silambai, Panchayat memberfrom ward 8. Arun

Long forgotten :a welcome intrusion

From top right-Nitin Goel, CEO Greenobin, recycled folders and pens made bytheir associate partnerJan Sewa Ashram. GREENOBIN

Jamghat removes the stigma of being a streetkid and helps build respect for street children.

EXPRESS INSTITUTE OF MEDIA STUDIES

THE SOURCENEW DELHI MONDAY JANUARY 17 2011

Page 2

Over 40 teams including colleges from Pakistan to compete in the 8th Premchand International Debate


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GAZEBONEW DELHI I MONDAY I DECEMBER 13 I 2010

page3EXPRESS INSTITUTE OF MEDIA STUDIES

THE SOURCE

Driven from heart,

art on wheels

ATIKH RASHID


In Dhaula Kuan rape case, one ofthe most critical clues that helpedpolice nab the criminals was surpris-ngly the name 'MUSKAN,' writtenon the rear guard of the tempo usedfor abducting the girl on the fatefulnight. Decorating of vehicles espe-cially trucks, tempos and rickshaws

with colorful designs, quotes and

names is an age old practice in India.We live in a country obsessed withcolours and intricate designs as dis-played in forts, palaces and temples.Color and designs are involved in al-most every aspect of our lives. Atruck provides a large surface as acanvas to express the philosophy ofthe owners life as well as the things helongs for. While it is a fixed pattern inthe trucks, it differs in its manifesta-tion from region to region and also

varies based on faith of the owner.The nature and extent of colour-

ing depends on the individualschoice and financial constraints. Alotus flower on the rear guard is aregular occurrence. Along with a co-conut kept on the pot, the symbol ofthe swastik, peacocks and KumbhKalash offer an insight into the own-ers likes. Trucks are also decorated

with ribbons, suspended chains andincreasingly now a lustrous ribbon atthe front glass.

Mr Tegi Painter, a truck artist who

has been painting trucks, lorries andrickshaws for 30 years now, says, Itdoesn't matter if they are believersor not everybody wants to paintsome religious symbols on the vehi-cle. He charges Rs 300-400 for each

vehicle which includes a package ofpainting a scenery, quote, vehiclenumber on four sides and names onthe front glass.

Its not only the outer surfacewhich is worked upon but also theinterior of the truck. The seats andthe roof are made smooth withglossy covering material that pro-

vides for a matching ambiance andsupplements the music.

'Horn Ok Please' is one of thepopular phrases with the owner,some other popular quotes are ,'Dekho Magar Pyar Se' (see but withlove), 'Ghar Kab Aaoge'(and thelegendary 'Boori Nazar Waale TeraMoonh Kala'(sinner be condemnedto disgrace) that you would find onalmost every other truck. The rearside of these trucks have almost allthe wisdom of life. The truck driverstravel with shipments for weeks and

sometimes for several months. So'Ghar kab aaoge?' is one of the mostcommon themes accompanied bythe picture of a woman awaiting herhusband. Some of the enthusiastsdon't stop with a sentence and givefull expression to there feelings withcomplete paras like Samay se pahleaur bhagya se jyada kabhi nahimilta.' or 'chalti hai gadi udti haidhool, jalte hai dushman to khiltehai phool'. These quotes even talk ofthe religion of the owner of thetruck, Hindu trucks will commonlysport a 'Shubh-Labh' and the pictureof Swastika with Kalash Kumbh

while Muslims trucks will have '786'on the hood or a 'Masha allah'.

Pakistani truck art is way ahead ofits Indian counterpart. In Pakistan,owners spend as high as Rs12 lakh. inmaking bodies of their lorries. Theydecorate there trucks like brides andgive special focus to the long andelongated hood. Recently the maga-zine 'Granta' had recognized this

trend by publishing articles and ded-icating its cover to this creative phe-nomena. Indian trucks, it appears,are following the trend. BiswasGaud, the driver of a beautifully dec-orated truck comments, We relyupon the truck for our livelihood.Shouldn't we take as much care of itas we can? Its my companion, homeand temple.

A Yellow Brick Road to somenews and delightful food

ANMOL ARORA


As you enter the Yellow Brick Road,talking on your smart phone, the vi-brant colors of the place immediately arrest

your attention. The light green chairs, yellowtables and playful panoply of shades re-minds one of the smearing water colors atthe festival of Holi. So it comes as a surprise

when the waiter offers a black and whitenewspaper.

On further reading it turns out that the12 page newspaper in hand is in fact themenu of the restaurant cum coffee shop.The dishes are written in white color overa black background. The only sign of colorbeing the red and and green dots under asquare- the first of which denotes veg andthe second non-veg dishes. But the odditydoesn't end there, the menu contains aplethora of information, facts and interest-ing stories that help devour the usually diffi-cult phase of anticipation of food. Details onthe aroma of coffee beans, facts like chewing

gum while peeling onions keeps you fromcrying and a one of its kind chef column in

which the head chef of the hotel gives awayone of his coveted recipes.

Our menu was a crucial part of changewe wanted to bring in the way Delhi ap-proached dining, says Varun Bharadwaj,the man responsible for sales and marketingof YBR. In September 15 of 1997 whenthis restaurant was inaugurated, eating out

was a formal and sophisticated experience.Through YBR we tried to make this moreintimate, he adds.

The entire menu is refashioned every 6

month looking at events and needs of thecustomer. The facts and stories are col-

lected by the hotel staff, selecting from var-ious journals, books and newspapers. Aspecial font called Vedanta is used speciallyfor this menu. Designing work is taken careof by a local designer. The restaurant incursa cost Rs 10 on each menu and orders 500-700 copies semi-annually. The entireprocess involves one month of meticulous

work and brainstorming. The last menuwas dedicated to the CommonwealthGames and detailed the development tak-ing place in Delhi, routes to be taken andinstructions on essential items to carry onan outing. Making an exception to the hotelpolicy of not revealing their clients, this re-porter was told that the English Common-

wealth Organising Committee, were so im-pressed by the menu that they tucked it inthere bags for further reading.

We play hosts to many guests who travelalone, by adding these features to the menu

we provided them information and enter-

tainment that leaves more than a goodtaste. a beaming waiter said. A condensed

map of Delhi in the menu turned out to be ablessing in disguise as foreign guests startedto carry the menu with them as a guide andinteresting read. The map at the backhelps find my way around the city, the menuis more than just food, Steffy Keifer, aGerman customer said.

Over the years this menu has been per-fected to meet the tastes and needs of thecustomers. Earlier the menu contained afull page of facts and quotes but with theproliferation of good quotes and funnyfacts websites we have discontinued thispractice.

On the hint of any foreseeable changeinto a more conventional hard bound menufor the sake of financial feasibility the man-ager shakes his head and says this is a tradi-tion we are more than willing to keep. Be-lieve me, any change would lead to abacklash.

VRISHALI SARAOGI


The Collective' is a WorldJazz ensemble which waspresented by a group of tal-ented musicians from countriesacross the globe at the IndiaHabitat Center. The music andthe titles reflected the youthand the vigor of the musicians, abunch of Berkely graduates

who expressed their imagina-tion through the genre 'Jazz'.

Classical, Rock, Techno andHip-hop are the popular tunesin Indian Music CD's. But forsomeone who has little knowl-edge about Jazz Music, 'TheCollective' definitely redefinedthe beauty of Jazz Music. Theyused selective instruments suchas a guitar, a bass guitar, a pi-ano, and a drum and the classicpart was that each instrumentstune was distinctly defined inthe 'ear panels'. The groupproved that they were young

and fresh by getting in differentnames for their compositionsand significantly, their music triesto connect with the world and

their titles are a strong example.Jazz music, usually concieved asslow and serious expected a cer-tain age group of people in theband only to surprise peoplemore when a group of collegepass-outs entered the stage toperform.

Aditya Balani was the leadcomposer and his composition'Prarthana' ( Prayer for peace)

was one of the finest. He playedthree different guitars in the con-cert for various tunes. All com-

positions used the four instru-ments, at times the iano anddrum being the center of attrac-tion and the guitarist stringing inlater. The best performance wasthat of Tarun Balan ( the drum-mer), whose passion for Jazz re-flected in his composition 'Belief'and ' Some beautiful definitionsof life' in which there were strongbeats highlighting the meaning of'belief' and soft beats with melodi-ous piano tunes blending withthe latter.

Each musician had a composi-tion of their own which high-lighted the areas of their talent.The composition by SharikHasan( the pianist) named 'Noc-turnal' engripped the audience

with the story of the 'darkestnight of his life in Paris' whenHasan got mugged and lost his i-pod which he never found. Hiscomposition has a lot of fast andslow piano tunes, and soft drumbeats and reflects how each oneof them have tried to connect

with the emotions of people.All their compositions are an

exciting blend of the spontaneityand harmonic interplay of Jazz

with the sheer intensity ofmelodies and rhythms influ-enced by Indian Classical/FolkMusic, and various other musicaltraditions of the world. Thegroup has had four perfor-mances in India even thoughthey started playing internation-ally in the 2008.

'The Collective' rendered jazz

with a whole new meaning andvision. Fortunately, for all thosewho thought jazz was synony-mous with slow pace and bore-dome, 'The Collective provedquite the contrary- jazz can beslow yet omnipresent. Moreover,their youth was not confined totheir age or attire but was re-flected in eve rything from the

way they interacted, theirthoughts and the passion with

which they tuned their composi-tions.

The

Collective

A jazz band

that soothedthe audience

with its rythms

PRIYA TALWAR


Is the new 30 in womens lives-35 or 40? Or is it that 30 is a merenumber and life goes on irrespec-tive of your age? For Naina(played by Gul Panang), a cre-ative director in an advertisementagency, turning 30 is a synonym

for a 'settled' life. Unfortunately,four days before her 30th birth-day, things begin to fall apart

when her lover dumps her for arich girl to save his parents' busi-ness and as she faces the risk ofunemployment during the 2009economic meltdown.

The movie takes us throughNainas breakup, the growinganxiety about her age and her

body and her attempts to copewith the consequent loneliness.Amidst this instability it is onlywhen she embraces and acknowl-edges the chaos of her life thatshe decides to fight back.

Turning 30 is exceptional in itsportrayal of gender role reversals-it is not the woman who marriesa rich man for financial stability,

not the woman who looks foremotional commitment but aman. And it is the woman who ispromiscuous and demanding inbed wanting to satisfy her physi-cal needs sometimes even over-looking the feelings of the man.

Surprisingly, Turning 30 is not amovie meant only for middleaged women. The story has

strong male characters too- Mr. Iam not your post break up sextoy, commitment phobes, thebaddies who steal corporateideas and take the credit them-selves, the tall dark handsomeguy who has no idea what he

wants for himself and others whogenuinely sympathize withNainas misery.

Gul Panang convinces us ofNainas inability to deal with aheart break way better than therecent performances by PriyankaChopra in Anjaana Anjaani andKareena Kapoor in Jab We Met.But the star of the movie is notGul.

Just like Love, Sex aur Dhoka,Turning 30, rests on the shouldersof all the new actors who bring

the story alive. Purab as Jai, theguy who needs emotional com-mitment as much as sexual, is apleasure to watch as he moves be-

yond his cute image of a dimpledVJ. Jeneva Talwar, TillotamaShome, Anita Kanwar as Naina'sfriends are representative charac-ters yet seem to be one of us.Moreover, the story is not merely

about Naina. The sub plots- thecoming out narrative of a bisex-ual, about contemporary lifechoices- of having to choose be-tween family and career areequally relevant.

Unlike most mainstream Hindimovies, the director takes a realis-tic approach towards scenes ofphysical intimacy and tries to rep-resent the new Indian woman

who is increasingly asserting herright to be sexually satisfied. Kac-chawa(camera) righly uses ex-treme close ups and middle shotsenhancing the complex emo-tional and rational dilemma thatNaina goes through.The movie isgood as far as the characteriza-tion and plot goes but is unforgiv-able for its bad editing ( for about

3 seconds in the movie the screenis blank) and also for its lack ofappropriate background musicand improper dubbing.

Though the movie fails to en-tertain the audience throughoutthe time frame, it is a commend-able approach towards depictingthe changing gender dynamics ofour society and is a one time

watch for sure.

A menu from the Taj hotel that speaks out to the customer needs

Decoding the myth of mid-life crisisA rural scene embelished on the rear of the truck Agency

YellowB rick Road after the renovation agency

Kaminey, Ishquia, Anjaana Anjaani dealt with shy men and demanding women, Turning 30 continues with the new trend of gender role reversal Agency

Aditya Balani the lead guitarist and composer Vrishali

Rear side of trucks haveall the wisdom one needsin life

Composition by Sharik Hasan'

engripped the audience with

story of the 'darkest night of

his life in Paris


4/4

FINAL

The trophy came by the smallest

of margins with 33 run first inning

lead against Baroda

A SPORTING TALENEW DELHI I MONDAY I DECEMBER 13 I 2010

page4THE SOURCE

From Nadir to ZenithOnce a team distracted by mangement conflicts , lack of confidence and sense of identity, Rajasthan has surpassed its own expectation winning the Ranji trophy - in the process

becoming the first team in the history of Indian Cricket to take the quantum leap from plate division to the elite and finishing as itseventual winner. Their 10 previous attempts in

the final did not yie ld success and last they came close to the glory was 27 years ago. The Source looks at catalyst of this turnaround and how the likes of like H. Kanitkar and

Aakash Chopra mentored the potential of youngsters like Ashok Maneria, Deepak Chahar to see Rajasthan past the boundary line.

The former Maharashtra skipper proved an able leader to the Rajsthan team, taking them from the bottom of Plate division to the t op of Elite division.

His confident stride forward and back to back centuries in the quarters and semi-finals provided the base for Rajasthan to build upon.

Delhi discarded him. Rajasthan picked him. Delhi didnt make the

knockout. Rajsthan won the Ranji Trophy. Says volumes about the

resurrection of the former Indian opner.

The left handed, Ashok Maneria former U-19 Indian captain joined the party only in

the knock out stages but made his presence felt with centuries in the quarters,

semis and the finals.

With the emergence of the 18 year old, Deepak Chahar and the experienced Pankaj

Singh(top)Rajasthan found pace & swing in their opening bowling attack. Chahar

destroyed Hyderabad, taking 18 wickets on his debut and announced himself as one for

the future.

After beating fancied Mumbai, there nemesis in many previous attemps, Rajsthan showed that it

was no flash in the pan by defeating a strong contender Tamilnadu in the semis.

SEMI

FINALDefeated Tamil Nadu with

help of a 167runlead.

QUARTER

FINALBeat Mumbai by virtue of a maa-

sive first inning total of 589 runs

New Delhi, January 17

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