postnoon e-paper for 25 december 2011

FLAS

H

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

`2SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 HYDERABAD WWW.POSTNOON.COM WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 19°C 32 PAGES

PREZ IN CITY FOR A 10-DAY STAYPresident of India Pratibha Patil arrived in Hyderabad today for herannual winter retreat at Rastrapathi Nilayam in Bollarum.Peace, love

& harmonyThe spirit of Christmas was alive and well in theCity, as people from all religions came together tocelebrate a day that has become the epitome ofsecular harmony and peaceful integration. We hopeyou had a great day, if not... there’s always tonight

HYPERCOVERAGE: PG 4, 5, 8

REPORT ON PG 2

Pedalling into a greener futureIn a sterling initiative, the Hyderabad Bicycle Club has launched the City's maiden Bike Station where you can

hire a bicycle and get around without tearing your hair out in frustration at traffic jams.

PIC

: N S

HIV

A K

UM

AR

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 2Page Two Spirit of Twin Cities

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770,Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973CINEMAS

Christmas brunchAny celebration is incomplete withoutgood food. Ista’s Collage is offering ascrumptious Christmas brunch. Thebrunch will include authentic delicaciesin both vegetarian and non-vegetariancategories.

Where: Ista, GachibowliWhen: December 25, noon - 3pmContact: (040) 44508888

Poolside brunchChristmas isthe day of celebration and atime to feast with family and friendsover a lavish spread. Aqua will feature aspecial festive Sunday brunch by thepoolside.

Where: The Park, SomajigudaWhen: December 25, noonContact: (040) 23456789

Movie timeJoyeux Noel(MerryChristmas) willbe screened atMy Cafe Latte.The movie dealswith World WarI Christmas truceof December1914, throughthe eyes ofScottish, Frenchand German soldiers

Where: My Cafe Latte, MadhapurWhen: December 25, 7 to 9pmContact: (040) 23456789

As you like itA hindi play Ji Jaisi Aapki Marzi will bepresented as a part of the UdaanTheatre Festival. It is a monologue offour womentalking of their life in amale-dominated society.

Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: December 25, 7.30pmContact: 9703178886

Different strokesAn exhibition presenting paintingsand drawings by various artists willbe held at Gallery Space fromDecember 24.

Where: Gallery Space, Banjara HillsWhen: Ongoing,

11am to 7pmContact: (040) 65541836

Interactive artAn interactive exhibition Via presence byB2FAYS is being presented by Alliancefrançaise Hyderabad along withKalakriti Art gallery.

Where: Kalakriti, Banjara HillsWhen: Ongoing, 11am to 7pm

Contact: (040) 66564467

Synchronicity An exhibition of paintings and sculp-tures by Seema Kohli’s titled

Synchronicity will be on at Shrishti ArtGallery.

Where: Shrishti, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 11am to 7pmContact: (040) 23607151

Martini ‘n musicEnjoy the winter evenings with greygoose martinis with crooner Kelly dish-ing out your favourite numbers.

Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara HillsWhen: Every EveningContact: (040) 66662323

Visual artAn exhibition cum sale of paintings byHari Srinivas. The Exhibition is on dis-play till 30 January 2012.

Where: :VSL Visual Art Gallery, Plot no 100, AP Text Book Colony, Gun Rock Enclave

When: Ongoing

Contact: 9247175135

Voice is my strengthA lecture demonstration by MimicrySrinivas is being Organized by VooyalaCommunications Tyagaraya Ganasabha.for the 50th Birthday of MimicrySrinivas — The one and only SoundIllusionist from India.

Where: Tyagaraya Ganasabha, Chikkadapally

When: December 25

Sunday spaOhri's 1857 offers a Spa Brunch onevery Sundays, with good live music byBlues band, foot & hand massage andunlimited food and drink.

Where: Ohri’s 1857, Necklace RoadWhen: December 25, noon - 4 pmContact: (040) 64543333

Bollywood sundayHead to 10D for Bollywood nights withDJ’S Rahul and Preet.

Where: 10 Downing Street,Begumpet

When: December 25, 8pmContact: (040) 66662001

Christmas treatIt’s Christmas time, NovotelHyderabad’s Le Café celebrates the fes-tive season with a gingerbread house.You can view this marvel and buy vari-ous Christmas goodies such as cookiesand moulded chocolate that are avail-able on site.Come and relish the festiveseason.

Where: Novotel, Hi Tech CityWhen: Ongoing, 11am to 11pmContact: (040) 66824422

Turkey feastSweet Nirvana is offering a ChristmasRoast Turkey Buffet Lunch.

Where: Sweet Nirvana, MadhapurWhen: December 25, noon to 4pmContact: (040) 42414343

THE HYDERABADI HALF NELSON

Around the city: Your guide to the Twin Cities

Beat that traffic, get on a bicycleAnubha K [email protected]

Are you tired of traffic snarls in the City?Do you want to experience somethingnew and adventurous? How many timeshave you wished that you had a bicycle?Well now your wish has come true, justdrop in to the new Bike Station atBegumpet.

The first Bike Station in the city is nowlocated at Shri Shakti College inBegumpet. DV Manohar, president ofthe Hyderabad Bicycling Club (HBC)said, “I am happy with the kind ofresponse we are getting. Our target is tolaunch 12 similar stations across the Citywithin one year.

“Each Bike Station will have 10 bicy-cles and all that one needs to do is justproduce ID proof and HBC membershipcard to hire one.”

Rita CH, an MNC Employee says,"Think of the City with Bike Stations atshort distances, where you could hire a

bicycle, finish of your work in the vicini-ty and return them. It's a good initiativewhich will not only reduce traffic snarls,but also reduce the pollution levels.”

However, the cycles are for recreation-al purpose only and will have to bereturned in a couple of hours. Seeing theresponse the organisers may laterincrease the rental period.

To avail the bicycles all you have to dois spend a couple of minutes online toregister on the HBC official website. Anymember of the club is entitled to use thebicycles.

If you are not an Internet user justdrop into the college, fill out the formsand get a membership card.

"It’s a welcome move by theHyderabad Bicycling Club at least forHyderabadi’s who suffer continuoustraffic jams every day, especially duringpeak hours and on weekends. I am look-ing forward to a ride and give myself abit of exercise too," said Sougat Roy, anMNC employee.

Devi Singh (AP) defeated Ramchandra (Delhi) at Hind Kesari at LB Stadium on SaturdayPIC: N SHIVA KUMAR

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 3Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin CitiesHyper Local

D. Sree Charan

Four persons died andnearly 25 suffered

severe injuries after a vanin which they were travel-ling fell into a roadside pitat Kulcharam in Medak dis-trict early this morning.The deceased are MdChand Pasha(30), MoulaniBee(60), Abeda (30) andSabina Beegum(30), all res-idents of Narsapur village.

According to Medakinspector K Rama Krishna,nearly 30 people fromNarsapur village on Fridaywent to attend the weddingof Shabana Begum andSheik Mastan. After themarriage proceedings wereover, they went to

Yellareddy to attend the'valima' on Saturday night.After the 'valima' theybegan return journey in aDCM.

Around 1.30 am onSunday early morning,while nearing Kulcharamthe driver lost control ofthe vehicle and it tumbledinto a 10 feet pit. The driv-er escaped with minorinjuries and fled from thespot. The injured personsalerted the 108 service andMedak police reached thespot first and shifted themto a hospital. Six of theinjured were shifted toGandhi hospital for bettertreatment. Medak policeregistered a case and areinvestigating.

Early morning mishapclaims four lives in Medak

Blast you UPA, TDP cries foul on quotaHYDERABAD: The TDP isshocked at the Congress-led UPAgovernment’s proposal toinclude 4.5 percent reservationfor minority communities in theOBC quota.

Leader of Opposition in theLegislative Council DadiVeerabhadra Rao and TDP polit-buro member Yanamala RamaKrishnudu have, in a statement,called the move atrocious. “It’ssurprising that the Congress-ledUPA government has reduced

the quota of BCs to accommo-date minorities at a time whenthe TDP, BC associations andother organizations weredemanding that their quota beincreased from 27 percent to 52percent on the basis of 2011 cen-sus. It was unjust that the Uniongovernment reduced their quotafrom 27 percent to 22.5 percent,they added.

The TDP leaders stated thatthe Congress was doing greatinjustice to the BCs, who form a

majority of the population andthe economically backward,whenever it came to power eitherin the State or at the Centre.

They said that their party’sdemand for providing separatebudgetary allocations for the BCson the lines of the SC and ST sub-plan was also being ignored bythe Congress government. Theyhave demanded that the reserva-tions for the BCs should beincreased to 52 percent and aseparate provision was made to

the Muslim minorities. Meanwhile, BC Mitrulu, a

federation of various BC Casteassociations, has blasted thequota proposal that eats into the27 percent OBC reservations.

State convener K KondalaRao, said that the sudden moveby the Congress government atthe Centre on the eve of electionsin five States, was done to lurethe Muslim votes. He said thatthe Centre’s decision was uncon-stitutional, illegal and works

against the interests of OBCsconstituting the highest popula-tion in the country.

Kondala Rao demanded thatvarious political parties todeclare their stand on the deci-sion of the Central Cabinet. Healso warned that they woulddeclare the political leaders asenemies of the interests of non-minority OBCs, if they failed tosupport their justified demands.The Weavers United Front tooopposed the move. AGENCY

Inkeshaf [email protected]

HYDERABAD: With just fourdays left for the crucial mayoralelections in GHMC, the partychoosing the probables, AIMIM, isstruggling to keep its cards close toits chest.

The trick the MIM camp adoptsto throw you off scent is to floataround half a dozen probablenames. But Postnoon found outthat corporators Zulfeqar Ali andJaffer Hussain have emerged as themost probable contenders. Thereason is that these corporatorshave the support of other membersin GHMC and party MLAs.

Zulfeqar Ali, has the advantageof having experience since he wasthe mayor 20 years ago. On theother hand, deputy mayor JafferHussain has discharged yeoman’s

services for the party and public asthe first deputy mayor of the corpo-ration.

Both these candidates are saidto be very close to party presidentAsaduddin Owaisi and have a goodname in the party circles. ZulfeqarAli told Postnoon the party presi-dent will decide and hardlyrevealed anything more. But boththe leaders seem optimistic abouttheir chances to become the firstmayor of GHMC from their party.

Congress party is indilemmaMeanwhile, the ruling alliance ofMIM, the Congress party is still in adilemma over the selection of partycandidate for deputy mayor's post.GHMC political circles are rife withthe news that state cabinet minis-ters belonging to Hyderabad —Danam Nagender and Mukesh

Goud — have locked horns toensure that their respective sup-porter be elected for the deputymayor post. The names ofKukatpally corporator G VengalRao, Hafeezpet corporatorJagadeeswar Goud, Congress partyfloor leader K Venkatesh andKhairatabad corporator Sharif aredoing the rounds for the deputymayor's position.

The nomination, elections anddeclaration of results would bedone on December 30 itself.

ElectorsCorporators 150MPs 05MP (RS) 11MLAs 25MLCs 25

Guessing game continues

This image wascaptured early morning

from the summit ofJubilee Hills. It gives a

hazy view of theGolconda Fort and the

seven mosques

PIC: SRINIVAS SETTY

A NEW

DAWNBREAKS OVERTWIN CITIES

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011

GAS BOOKING IVRS NO:HP 9666023456Indane 9848824365

BSNL Complaints 198HMWS & SB Complaints 155313

POLICE CONTROL ROOM:Hyderabad 27852435Traffic Control Room 27852482DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499FPollution Control Board 23887500

ELECTRICITY:General Complaints 155333Breakdown Section 23431178

23431179Street Light 155304MUNICIPAL CORPORATION:

Commissioner & Spl Officer 2326226624166666R

ENC 23225267Engineering 23220418MCH Tankbund 23225397Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842MCH Circle III 24736912MCH Circle IV 23326975MCH Circle V 23326976MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100Head Office 23225397

IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRYPHONE NUMBERS(TRAIN & RESERVATION)RAILWAYSRail Nilayam 27833150Railway Information 131Reservations 135Recorded Information 1345Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

WATER SUPPLY:Complaint Cell 155313Sewerage Complaint 23307328Hyd. Water Supply 23313163

HOSPITAL:General Hospital, Sec-bad 27505566Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills 23314095NIMS, Director, Punjagutta 23390933Osmania General Hospital 24600146Railway Hospital, Lalaguda 27001134Apollo, Jubilee Hills 23607777Care Hospital, Banjara Hills 30418888Care Hospital, Nampally 30417777Care Hospitals, Musheerabad 30419000Care Hospital, Sec-bad 30416666Kamineni Hospital,

LB Nagar 39879999

BLOOD BANKS:Blood Bank,Narayaguda 27567892Chiranjeevi Blood Bank 23559555Blood Bank Mediton Goal 23226624Red Cross, Vidyanagar 27633087ADRM Blood Bank 27035588Mythri Charitable Trust 27550238NTR Memorial Trust 30799999Care Banjara Hills 30418296

30417445

AMBULANCESApollo 23548888, 23607777Kamineni 24022222Medwin 23202902, 23204616Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979Red Cross 27627973Niloufer Hospital 23314095Gandhi 23320332

AIRLINESAirport Director 27903785, 27906001For Air India Flight Information Toll free(from any network) for IC Flights18001801407And for All Flights: 1800227722Air India has revised its flight timings.For more information call (Toll free)18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from otherlines and mobile Website;www.airindia.in

TOURISM OFFICESAP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54Sec’bad 27893100Dept of Tourism 23453110India Tourism 23261360AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999

UK Visa Office

VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A,Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills-34. Working hours are from 8 AM to1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM.

MUSEUMSSalar Jung Museum 24523211AP State Museum 232431300/7641Nizams Museum 24521029

Helpline

Readers’ viewsWe invite you to write to us

comments, suggestions, viewpointor just about anything to

[email protected] or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road

No 62, Jubilee Hills,Hyderabad – 500 033

or even by way ofa call on 4067 2222

4

PIC

S: A

SU

DH

EER

RED

DY

Holy night

‘Twas a night whenHyderabadis across the

city descended on thecity’s churches to bring

in Christmas Day.Dressed to the nines,the crowd cut across

boundaries of race,colour and creed. Allthat mattered was a

sense of belongingon one of the year’s

holiest nights.

6 Months` 149/-

1 Year` 299/-

040 - 4067 [email protected]

Hyderabad’s first afternoon newspaper

Subscribe

TODAY!Special Offer

5SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011

PIC

S: A

SU

DH

EER

RED

DY

At Secunderabad Club, revellersbrought in Christmas by tripping thelight fantastic to some groovy tunes. Whetheryou were young or gold, it didn’t matter,as everyone hit the dance floor with equal zest.

FABRICATION

PACKERS &MOVERS

HOUSE FORRENT

9 Bedrooms, 3 Storey, 7000Sq. Ft, Rd. No 2, SagarSociety,Banjara Hills.Contact:Suresh9912552738

CLASSIFIEDS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 6Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin CitiesHyper Local

Osama [email protected]

According to a recent studyconducted by the govern-ment of Andhra Pradesh

37,000 children in the State don’tgo to school. Alarmingly, this yearthe literacy rate in the State waslower than the national average— a fact we definitely cannot beproud of. However, governmentofficials insist that the introduc-tion of Right to Education (RTE)Act in April 2010, has slowly yetsteadily improved the condition.

According to statistics nearly30 per cent of the kids in the Citydon’t go to school, however, childlabour had decreased substantial-ly. But if you look deep enough,you’ll realise that children are stillforced to work due to parentalpressure and the added responsi-bility of supporting the family.

But the introduction of theRight to Education Act promisesto change things. “The Act aimsto provide free and compulsoryeducation to all. Ever since it wasimplemented, there have beenmore enrolments in schools,”

says Chandana Khan, principalsecretary to government, primaryeducation department and SarvaShiksha Abhiyan. “The govern-ment is reaching out to people tospread awareness about theimportance of education and howtheir lives can transform due to it.Our officers constantly interactfor community mobilisation andhighlight the importance of edu-

cating their children,” she said. Dr PV Ramesh, principal sec-

retary to government, Health,Medical and Family WelfareDepartment says that implement-ing the RTE is the fundamentalresponsibility of the government.“Investments have been made toimprove the quality of education.But there’s a lot more that stillneeds to be done,” he said.

Agrees MS Chandra, founder,Centre for Action Research andPeople’s Development, “The gov-ernment was supposed to imple-ment schemes in schools andfailing to do so has made chil-dren, especially girls drop out ofschool, thus worsening the situa-tion.”

“The Supreme Court hasissued guidelines to the govern-ment here to make toilets in allschools by the end of Novemberand that hasn’t happened so far.This is the main reason why thedropout rate of girls hasincreased from last year’s 63 percent to 64 per cent this year.Corporal punishment too is a rea-son for the RTE going bust,” con-tinued Chandra.

Educating the children willonly improve the living condi-tions not just for the family, butthe community as well. “Theirparents didn’t get the opportuni-ties their children now have andthey belong to a brave new worldwhere education is a priority.They should not be deprived ofthe basic right to education,”concluded Chandana Khan.

Tool to turn society aroundPICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

Crime in the guise of beggaryD. Sree [email protected]

According to the governmentstatistics there are about48,000 beggars in the greater

Hyderabad including 10,000 chil-dren. In a recent survey conductedby the Andhra Pradesh BalalaHakkula Sangham along with otherNGOs, it is revealed that 70 per centof the children begging in the city aregirls aged below 14 years. Nearly 40per cent of the beggars in the cityhave come from other states and 50per cent are from neighbouring dis-tricts, only 10 per cent of thembelong to Hyderabad. Of the 48,000,28,800 have turned beggars becausethey are either physically handi-capped or have attained an elderlyage. And the remaining beggars aremembers of organised begging rack-ets in the city.

Organised begging in cityAccording to reliable sources, thereare six organised begging gangs inthe city. Each gang its own jurisdic-tion, customs and ways of begging.These gangs are maintained by 20ring leaders, who are helped directlyor indirectly by some auto drivers inthe city by providing them with shel-ter or transport facilities. These ringleaders also maintain contacts withthe other leaders of begging racketsin other states.

“Their co-ordination is such thatif a leader in Hyderabad finds a miss-

ing child, then he immediately takeshim to the other state and hands himover to the leader and in returnbrings a child belonging to thatplace. This is done mainly to escapefrom the police. Some gang mem-bers even roam in crowded templeslike Tirupathi and Srisailam in searchof missing children. They also keep intouch with the lower lever trafficpolice and keep them happy by giv-ing them their share of Rs1,200 permonth. Traffic police teams with theleaders as they seek co-operationfrom them in getting away from thejunction when a VIP passes throughthat point,” said Andhra PradeshBala Sangam, president, AchyuthRao.

Ring leaders increase their gang’sstrength by identifying those in needof financial assistance and hire themas beggars. These beggars earn Rs150to Rs200 per day and at the end of theday they should deposit the amountswith their caretakers. They are givenRs75–100 depending on their aver-age earnings. However, the beggarscan retain their presents like clothes,food and other gifts distributed bygeneral public. Ever wondered whythose kids who are carried by thewomen don’t cry and always looksleepy. It is because of a medicinecalled ‘nalla mandu’ an extract ofgasala flower given to them by thegang members. This is given to chil-dren in large doses so as to controltheir hunger and to stop them forcrying frequently.

Further gang members keep acheck on their recruits’ earnings andmovements (to prevent them fromrunning away) by appointing agentswho under the guise of salesmenselling mosquito bats, car cleaningnapkins and toys near traffic signalskeep a tab on them. However, noteveryone selling wares at traffic sig-nals are gang members.

They are provided shelter bytheir leaders. Some areas where theyare densely populated areMekalabanda in Secunderabad,Dhoolpet, Borabanda, Mehbub-ki-Mehindi in Old City and some partsin Uppal. There is a peculiar waythey choose an area for their resi-dence. They normally prefer an areathat is huge to accommodate a seriesof huts and specifically look for open

areas those with a narrow entrance.This is mainly done to restrict out-siders and police raids, as they alsoorganise prostitution in theirdwellings. Apart from the begging,they are also involved in several

other criminal activities, mainlyprostitution and burglaries. Theysend young girls with customerswho mostly take them toYadagirigutta and exploit them sex-ually.

“Almost 35 per cent of beggarsare addicted to drugs, smoking andother vices and 10 per cent of thechild beggars are involved in crimeslike thefts. Nearly 48 per cent of thegirls are sent to red light areas inother states after attaining certainage. General perception is that theyare sent to Mumbai.

Traffic policeteams with

the leaders asthey seek co-

operationfrom them ingetting away

from the junc-tion when a

VIP passesthrough that

point

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 7India unveiled India‑View

NEW DELHI: A list of vexedissues awaits the Prime MinisterManmohan Singh at Chennai ashis two- day visit to the Statebegins today.

The Mullaperiyar Dam row,the stalled Koodankulam project,financial assistance and addi-tional power to the state are someof the knotty problems Singh andChief Minister Jayalalithaa willhave to sort out.

DMK president MKarunanidhi told reportersSaturday that he will be meetingManmohan Singh Monday anddiscuss the Mullaperiyar issue.

He said he will discuss theattacks on Tamils in Kerala andthe raising of storage levels in theDam to 142 ft.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu havebeen at loggerheads over thedam — located in Kerala, but

under the control of Tamil Naduand serving the state.

Tamil Nadu is stongly object-ing to Kerala’s demand of a new

dam and reduction in storagelevel to 120 ft till a new dam isbuilt.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa isalso likely to meet the prime min-ister Sunday though it has notbeen confirmed one.

This is the first timeManmohan Singh is visitingTamil Nadu after the AIADMKcame to power in May. He camehere in January to inaugurate theIndian Science Congress.

Jayalalithaa is sore at the cen-tral government for not heedingher requests for financial assis-tance, additional power andkerosene allocation to the state.

Then there is the matter ofthe Koodankulam project.

India’s nuclear power plantoperator Nuclear PowerCorporation of India Ltd (NPCIL)is building two 1,000mw atomic

power reactors at Koodankulamin Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli dis-trict, around 650km fromChennai, at an outlay of Rs13,171crore.

The first unit was slated to becommissioned in December.However villagers, citing fears fortheir lives and safety, started theiragitation in August and broughtall the project-related activities toa standstill.

Tamil Nadu cabinet haspassed a resolution urging thecentral government to stop allworks at the project site till thefears are allayed. (Agencies)

Manmohan Singh’s com-ments during his recent Russianvisit that the first reactor atKundankulam would be opera-tionalised in two weekstime didnot go down well withJayalalithaa.

NEW DELHI: The Indian estab-lishment had prior informationthat US journalist Seymour Hersh,who alleged that former PrimeMinister Morarji Desai was a CIAmole, had actually contactedsome Indian officials before mak-ing such serious charges in hisbook.

However, the then ForeignMinister PV Narasimha Rao toldParliament in 1983 that Hersh hadnever contacted any Indian officialbefore making the serious allega-tions against Desai in his book ThePrice of Power: Kissinger in theNixon White House, according torecently declassified MEA files.

The documents also show thatIndian diplomats had even point-ed out to Hersh that he had madean error by describing Desai as amember of Prime Minister IndiraGandhi’s Cabinet in 1971.

In his book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist had allegedthat Desai was the “most impor-tant” informer of CIA and was paidUSD 20,000 yearly by the agency topass information during the Indo-Pak war in 1971.

“Hersh has, however, been intouch with the embassy since it isa common practice for embassiesin the United States to keep in con-tact with prominent journalists. Insuch informal contacts, the sub-stance of the said allegations wasmentioned to some of our officerswho pointed out that during theperiod (1971), Shri Morarji Desaiwas not even in the Cabinet,” saysa note on the controversy in theMEA files.

It was part of a “note for sup-plementaries” as a homework for aparliamentary discussion on theissue, which was to be held onAugust 18, 1983. This paragraph ismarked “for the FM’s informationonly” which Narasimha Raoreportedly did not reveal to theHouse. PTI

MEA filesdetail Morarji‘mole’ charge

Dam, N-plant top PM agenda With Kerala looking over their shoulders, Manmohan Singh and Jayalalithaa have begundiscussions on solving the knotty problem of Mullaperiyar Dam and Koodankulam project

Congress forced to firefight

Sunil Gatade

NEW DELHI: The baggage of arash of scams and the civil soci-ety campaign besmirched theimage of the Congress and thegovernment at the Centre thatboth of them were forced to dofirefighting during most of 2011

that saw the government un -able to push reforms.

Congress chief SoniaGandhi’s health — she was outof the country for almost twomonths for treatment of anunstated ailment — was acause of concern but by theyear-end she showed signs offighting back politically.

A four-member committeeof senior leaders, including Ra -hul Gandhi, was put in chargeof the affairs of the party in thepresident’s absence. By the endof the year, Rahul Gandhi wasin-charge of the Congress elec-tion campaign in Uttar Pradeshwhere the party hopes to puton a good show and turn thetide in the new year after a yearof bad tidings. PTI

HC: Keep out officer whoallowed arms in ‘93 blastsMUMBAI: The Bombay HighCourt has set aside an order ofCentral Administrative Tribunal(CAT), which had reinstated Cus -toms Inspector SM Padwal aftergiving a finding that his removalfrom service was not proper.

Padwal was removed after adepartmental probe, which heldthat he was guilty of accepting abribe of Rs4.5 lakh from 1993bomb blast accused MohammedDossa and Uttam Potdar for giv-ing safe passage to arms whichlanded in Dighy coast in nearbyRaigad district prior to serialexplosions in Mumbai.

The CAT had ruled thatPadwal’s removal from servicewas not proper. Being aggrieved,the Union Government filed an

appeal in the High Court, whichlast week quashed the CAT’sorder. Justice D G Deshmukh andJustice Anoop Mohata found theofficer’s removal from service “fitand proper”.

After the 1993 serial blasts inwhich several persons werekilled, the role of the officer wasunearthed following confessionsgiven by Dossa and Potdar duringthe trial. Padwal contended thatthe confessions of the twoaccused, recorded underTADA(P) Act, were used againsthim in the departmental inquiryand this was not proper. He saidthe confessions could only beused in that case under TADA(P)Act and not against him in thedepartmental inquiry. PTI

NEW DELHI: Sikhs are likely tohave a separate marriage lawsoon with the Ministry of HomeAffairs planning to move theUnion Cabinet in this regard.

Ahead of the Punjab Assemblypolls, the Centre has decided toaccede to the long-standingdemand of the Sikh communityfor enacting a separate AnandMarriage Act, giving legal sanctityto the marriages under Sikh reli-gion, official sources said.

So far, Sikh marriages aresolemnised under Hindu Mar -riage Act after the annulment ofthe Sikh Marriage Act in 1955.

Prior to Independence, mar-riages among Sikhs were heldunder the Anand Marriage Act inthe presence of Guru GranthSahib and the practice continuedtill 1955 when the Sikh MarriageAct was replaced and included inthe Hindu Marriage Act, clubbingfour communities together —Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain.

The sources said after theCabinet clears the proposal, a billin this effect will be tabled inParliament and once it getsapproval, Sikhs can marry underthe new law.

However, it is not clear

whether the bill would be tabledin the current session ofParliament, they said.

Several political, religiousgroups and individuals, includingformer Punjab Chief MinisterAmarinder Singh and Congressleader R S Jaura, have appealed toPrime Minister Manmohan Singhand Home Minister PChidambaram for enactment of aseparate law for solemnising Sikhmarriages.

Earlier, a ParliamentaryStanding Committee had unani-mously approved the creation ofthe marriage law for Sikhs. PTI

Sikhs to have separate marriage law soon

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 8Christmas around the world

Across the world,bells were ringing

A man has his picture taken in front of the Bishop's House lit with Christmas decorations in Washington, DC. The display ofthousands of lights adorned the Tudor-style mini castle and grounds occupied by the leader of the DC-based United House ofPrayer for All People AFP/JEWEL SAMAD

(RIGHT) People stand around the Christmas tree on Orchard street inSingapore's famous shopping district. AFP/SIMIN WANG

An Egyptian-Armenian mother holds her child, who wears a Santa Claushat, during Christmas eve mass at St Therese Christian Armenian churchin Cairo. AFP/FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

(LEFT) Pope Benedict XVI lights a candle in his private window, atthe end of the unveiling ceremony of the crib in St Peter's Square atthe Vatican, on December 24. Pope Benedict XVI celebrated lateChristmas night holy mass at St Peter's Basilica to mark the nativityof Jesus Christ. AFP/ANDREAS SOLARO

(ABOVE) Pakistani Christians attend Christmas prayers at the StPeter's church in the Pakistani city of Karachi. The newly built StPeter's Church which accommodates up to 5,000 worshipers at atime is Pakistan's biggest church and opened to the public on itsfirst mass held at midnight on Christmas Day. The church is built inthe heart of Azam Basti, a shanty settlement where approximately8,000 Christians families live. AFP/ASIF HASSAN


INDIA VS AUSTRALIA 10

India will play Australia as they bid to win their first series Down Under starting on Monday atthe Melbourne Cricket Ground and do away with the ‘poor travellers’ tag. The Indians,

ranked second in Test cricket, two places above Australia, have failed to win aseries Down Under in nine previous tours over 64 years; but there is no bettertime than now to rewrite history as they take on a home team in the throes

of a painful transition. This is India’s first away Test series since losing all four matches in England in July/August that cost

MS Dhoni's men their number one ranking.

In Australia:Highest scores:

Australia 674(1947-48)

India 705 for 7(2003-04)

Aus won 7 Ind won 2Indian cricketing superstarSachin Tendulkar isfavoured to bring up his100th international centuryin the first Test againstAustralia in Melbourne,according to one Australianbookmaker.

Online bookmakersportsbet.com.auhas installed theBoxing Day Test asthe most likelyvenue for the his-toric milestone atodds of 9/4.

Poised on 99 internationalcenturies across Test andone-day matches,Tendulkar retired on 92 inthe tourists' final day of atwo-day tour matchagainst the Chairman's XIin Canberra last week.

"He is in good form with a 90-odd against the Chairman's XIalready under his belt sincearriving in Australia and he's avery good chance to achievethe phenomenal milestone dur-ing the Boxing Day Test," thefirm's Ben Hawes said.

"And if not, he cantake some respitein the fact that thenext game is at theSCG where he haspummelledAustralia on sever-al occasions."

The Sydney CricketGround is the secondchance favourite withpunters, with odds at3/1, followed by thethird Test at Perth at5/1 and the fourth Testat Adelaide 7/1.

Ricky Ponting (AUS)

257(2003-04)

S Tendulkar (IND)

241 no (2003-04)

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORE BEST BOWLING (INNINGS) HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP

MCG head-to-head record

TEST OFNUMBERS

India are bidding towin their first-everseries Down Under.India have toured

Australia 9 times. Onthe last tour in 2007-2008 they lost 2-1.

In 36 Tests inAustralia, the hometeam have won 22

with India winning 5and 9 drawn.

BIGGEST WINS: Australia

INNINGS AND226 RUNS(1947-48), Australia

337 RUNS(2007-08);

IndiaINNINGS AND

2 RUNS(1977-78),

India222 RUNS(1977-78)

Mike Whitney (Aus)

7-27 (1991-92)

Kapil Dev (IND)

8-106 (1985-86)

Steve Waugh-Ricky Ponting (AUS)

235 5th wkt (1999 - 2000)

Sachin Tendulkar-VVS Laxman (IND)

353 4th wkt (2003 - 2004)

Drawn 1Played 10

ALL EYESON

SACHIN


INDIA VS AUSTRALIA 11

India’s fortunes against AustraliaDown Under may literally rest ona blade of grass. Earlier in thesummer, the New Zealanderswere treated to grassy pitches

which swung, swerved and bounced.Hobart turned out to be an Australianhorror story.

Melbourne, Sydney, Perth andAdelaide will able much easier to bat on.But there will be a temptation to leavejust that little bit of grass if things are notgoing so well for the home team in theTest series.

India will be tested, no doubt.Weaknesses against moving ball and theshort-pitched stuff were exposed inEngland.

Australian critics have already begunhighlighting this point. And that Indiado not play well abroad.

India must keep focus and rememberthat this Australian side is but a paleshadow of the champion team a fewyears ago.

Admittedly, Michael Clarke hasbought enthusiasm into the Aussiessince taking over the helm from the rud-derless Ricky Ponting. There is muchhope that the Australians will slowlyclimb up the ladder again.

The selectors have also shown gutsand brought in a new breed of playerswho are not haunted by the recent Ashesnightmares.

The bowling from both teams willprove vital. Australia’s James Pattinsonand Peter Siddle exploited the condi-tions well against the Kiwis and will doso again.

Unlike the Kiwis, India boasts ofbatsmen who have tons of runs againsttheir name.

However, India’s bowling has beensuspect of late. There is this inability tostrike at crucial junctures and constanttrouble in cleaning up the tail.

Then tendency to bang in shortrepeatedly on helpful pitches hasbecome an annoying habit.

The Australian wickets will have somelife, particularly in the morning sessions.Brain must take over from brawn, aspitching the ball up will always payunder all conditions.

The Australians are vulnerable. Thereare two new openers at the top and thetail is long.

Star players Ricky Ponting andMichael Hussey are not at their best.Only Clarke will be starting the serieswith some confidence.

Ponting’s wooden-footed approach atthe start of his innings must be exploit-ed, as he is the champion player.

With the leaner and meaner ZaheerKhan back as the front man with hope-fully Ishant Sharma behind him, Indiashould not hope for the best, but go forthe kill.

And the Australians may well underes-timate Umesh Yadav which could be tohis advantage.

Thankfully, India’s star batsmen aregetting into the groove. Long layoffs andinjuries have kept them a bit out of tune.

The worry will be Gautam Gambhir.He seems to be getting starts but notcapitalising fully. Hopefully an in-formVirendra Sehwag will spur him on.

The wickets will suit Sehwag and all he

needs to do is evade the short stuff on thebody which has been promised for him.

If the openers do their bit, then VVSLaxman will be inking in another greatAustralian summer.

Laxman simply loves the Australians.A last hurrah will seal it up.

Rahul Dravid has found his touchagain and those clean strokes are onshow again.

Sachin Tendulkar stuttered a bitagainst the West Indians but the end ofthe series began to find his feet again.The 100th hundred may well be hissooner than later.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni finally has hisbest side for the Melbourne Test afterquite a while so there is no room forcomplaint. Letting winning situationsslip away, as it happened in Chennairecently, won’t do.

Only winning will count. Forget theverbal barrage and body assault. Justanswer the aggression in kind.

Then the grass will definitely be green-er on India’s side.

Australia will hope to grassIndia’s plans to make hay

Twelfth ManBabu Kalyanpur

Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke (R) laughs as coach Mickey Arthur looks on during training in Melbourne. Australia namedDan Christian and Ben Hilfenhaus in their squad and dropped batsmen Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja as Australia prepares totake on India in the first Test match starting on Monday in Melbourne

Mahendra Singh Dhoni finally has his best sidefor the Melbourne Testafter quite a while sothere is no room forcomplaint. Letting winning situations slipaway, as it happenedin Chennairecently, won’t do

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201112The games people playPlaying Field

Brad Haddin has saidAustralia have mentallyrecovered from the

defeat to New Zealand, and areprepared to face India, report-ed Espncricinfo.

"I think we're in a very goodspace," he said on the eve ofthe Boxing Day Test. "We'vehad a week to prepare. Wecouldn't be more prepared andmore looking forward to thegame. Boxing Day is a greatoccasion to walk out on theMCG. As a sportsman it's ahighlight to come out in frontof sometimes 60-70 thousand.We've had a very good coupleof days at our batting campand we're ready for this."

Haddin has had an ordinaryyear with the bat, with twohalf-centuries in 14 innings,

although both of themset up wins for the

side. At the battingcamp in the lead-upto the match, hesaid, he workedmore on the men-

tal side of things."From my

point of

view it's not the swinging ball,"he said. "It's just making suremy mindset is just playing atthe tempo I play at, don't try totake the game forward tooquick and just react to thegame."

Similarly the three seniorbatsmen in the line-up, RickyPonting, Michael Clarke andMichael Hussey, have beenunder pressure, especially witha total experience of five Tests

among the top three."I think it'simportant thatwe all standup," Haddin

said. "Afterour series

against New Zealand we arevery much looking forward tothis. You talk about our inexpe-rienced top three, I think we'vegot a very in-form top three,which is good, and if we'regoing to do any good in thisseries it's going to be from oneto seven with the bat. We've allgot to perform. We've got tomake sure we've got our gameheads on and ready to go."

One of those top three isdebutant Ed Cowan,Australia's 10th new Test capthis year. "He's very excitedlike we all are," Haddin said.

South Africa will remainfavourites but Sri Lanka canexpect less treacherous batting

conditions in the second Test start-ing at Kingsmead on Monday.

Sri Lanka were swept aside by aninnings and 81 runs before tea onthe third day in the first Test atCenturion, where their batsmenwere unable to combat the homeside's fast bowlers on a pitch withuneven bounce and extravagantsideways movement.

Shaun Pollock, a former SouthAfrican captain and a resident ofthis Indian Ocean city, was amongcritics who felt the pitch atCenturion was loaded unfairly infavour of the bowlers and it seemslikely that the surface at Kingsmeadwill offer a more even contest.

Pollock said he could under-stand South Africa's eagerness towin a home series, but with tours toNew Zealand, England andAustralia coming up in 2012, headded: "I'm more concerned withus honing the skills we will surelyneed over the next year."

Pollock said pitches like that atCenturion did not benefit the SouthAfrican team in the long term.

"I don't believe these conditionshelp with the development of ourcricketers ... as a South African sup-porter I feel we can compete withthe best teams in the world on qual-ity surfaces." The Kingsmead pitchis still likely to help the fast bowlers,because it offers pace and bounce,but the bowlers will probably haveto work harder for their wickets.

Sri Lanka were outclassed in thefirst Test but will be hoping to endwhat has been a winless year in Testcricket on a positive note.

With batsmen of the calibre ofKumar Sangakkara, MahelaJayawardene and captainTillekeratne Dilshan, they have thepotential to post a competitive total.

Sri Lanka's bowling, though,lacks penetration following theretirement of off-spinner MuttiahMuralitharan and it is doubtfulwhether the call-up of fast bowlingreserves in the form of DhammikaPrasad and Kanishka Alvitigala willmake a significant difference. TheLankans can take heart from recenthistory, however, because SouthAfrica have lost their three mostrecent Tests at Kingsmead —against Australia, England andIndia. AFP

Lankans mayexpect lesstricky battingconditions

Ricky sends SOSto Sheffield coachto iron out flaws

His career at the crossroadsafter a prolonged slump inform, embattled Ricky

Ponting has revealed that he hadsought help from his first SheffieldShield coach Greg Shipperd in aneffort to regain his mojo back.

Ponting was Tasmania'syoungest Shield player when hemade his debut

19 years ago, just after his17th birthday, under Shipperd whohad also coached IPL side DelhiDaredevils. Ponting said thisweek's much talked about battingcamp in Melbourne had beengood for the entire team and hehad asked Shipperd for advice.

"I got Greg Shipperd, my firststate coach, to come down andfeed me some balls on themachine, so that he could have abit of a look at what I was doing.He knows my game very well, andI knew the areas I needed to workon and the things I needed to fix,"Ponting said. "But just to have adifferent set of eyes and a differ-ent set of ears outside of the usualguys was helpful. Just to get hereand have another three days oftraining under our belt has beengreat." PTI

Teams gear upWE COULDN'T BE MORE PREPARED: HADDIN

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201113The games people playPlaying Field

LIVERPOOL: Kenny Dalglishhas leapt to the defence ofBlackburn manager Steve Keanas Liverpool’s Luis Suarez pre-pares for his first Anfield gamesince receiving an eight-matchban from the FootballAssociation.

Suarez, who is set to appealthe suspension for racially abus-ing Manchester United defenderPatrice Evra, is still eligible toplay as his ban has yet to comeinto force.

The Uruguay striker featuredin the goalless stalemate withWigan on Wednesday — the dayafter the suspension wasannounced — and is again set toplay against Blackburn, thePremier League’s bottom club,on Monday.

But there will be just as muchattention on beleaguered Keanas there will be on Suarez after adreadful run of form which has

left Blackburn fans calling everlouder for the manager to besacked.

Earlier in the season Keansaid he was willing to meet dis-gruntled fans to outline his plansfor the future.

But the Scot now believes his

safety could be at risk if such ameeting took place.

Liverpool manager Dalglish,who masterminded Blackburn’sPremier League title success in1995, admits the situation at hisformer club is ‘sad’ but believesKean needs support — not

abuse.“They are under a lot of pres-

sure and the frustration isunderstandable in many ways,”said Dalglish. “But I don’t think itis helpful and I think it is sadreally that it has come to that,but that is the way it is.

“I think it is unfortunate thatas a manager you know thatresults are going to count and ifyou don’t get them then you arerunning the risk of getting yourP45 (sacked).

“Results aren’t purely downto what the manager does, heneeds support from the players,owners and certainly the crowd.”Having dropped points at lowlyWigan in midweek, Dalglish isdemanding his side return towinning ways as Liverpool seekto keep their hopes of qualifyingfor next season’s ChampionsLeague alive.

AFP

LONDON: Chelsea goalkeep-er Petr Cech has warned histeam-mates against compla-cency as they prepare to face ashellshocked Fulham side in aBoxing Day derby on Monday.

The Blues could not havepicked a better time to face theCottagers, who are reeling aftersuffering their heaviest everhome defeat last week, a 5-0thrashing by ManchesterUnited.

Yet Cech has urged histeam-mates to disregardFulham’s recent problems asAndre Villas-Boas’s men look to

pick up three points in order tostay in touch with the leagueleaders.

“We can’t look too much atthe table, we need to keepgoing step by step, try to winour games and try to catch upas many points as we can,”Cech said.

“We depend on everybodyelse, so it’s up to them how theyare going to do but we just needto keep winning our games.Fulham will be a difficult gamebecause they lost 5-0 at homein their last game.”

AFP

LONDON: Sir Alex Ferguson haspaid tribute to the “incredible”contribution of Ryan Giggs asManchester United look to keepthe pressure on Premier Leagueleaders Manchester City onMonday.

After a series of flat perfor-mances following their 6-1 maul-ing by City in October, United haverecently recovered some of theirformer swagger, scoring 11 goalsin three consecutive victories.

That run of results included a5-0 demolition of Fulham atCraven Cottage last week, a matchwhere the 38-year-old Giggsextended his remarkable feat ofscoring a goal in every PremierLeague season.

Ferguson singled out Giggs forpraise as United look to maintaintheir momentum with whatshould be a relatively straightfor-ward assignment against strug-gling Wigan on Boxing Day.

“He was unbelievable onWednesday,” Ferguson said ofGiggs’ display against Fulham. “Hecontrolled the midfield. I sawDanny Murphy bellowing to theforwards to come back because hewas finding it hard. We know he isincredible. It is an establishedfact.” AFP

Giggs leads ManUtd resurgence

Victor Cruz set two franchisereceiving records, andAhmad Bradshaw ran for

two touchdowns as the Giantskept their playoff hopes alive bywinning the New York-area brag-ging rights with a 29-14 victoryover the Jets on Saturday.

After a week of trash talkabout who ruled the city, neitherteam did much to boast about.But the Giants (8-7) did morethan the Jets (8-7) and can winthe NFC East with a victory nextweek against Dallas.

The Jets’ playoff hopes took a

serious hit, and they will need towin at Miami next week and gethelp from several other teams.

Cruz, who had three catchesfor 164 yards, broke AmaniToomer’s single-season mark foryards receiving — and the team’srecord for longest touchdownreception, a 99-yarder that gavethe Giants the lead for good in thesecond quarter.

PATRIOTS 27, DOLPHINS 24Tom Brady ran for two touch-downs and threw for another andNew England rallied to clinch a

playoff bye.The Patriots trailed 17-0 at

halftime then scored on their firstfive possessions in the secondhalf. The Dolphins helped whenMatt Moore lost a fumble at his38-yard line then threw an inter-ception that Devin McCourtypicked off at the Patriots 2.

Other scores:RAIDERS 16, CHIEFS 13; BENGALS 23, CARDINALS 16;VIKINGS 33, REDSKINS 26;PANTHERS 48, BUCCANEERS 16;STEELERS 27, RAMS 0.

Giants down Jets, keep playoff hopes up

Cech warns mates against complacencyWe still haveChelsea, United,Tottenham andLiverpool to come tothe Etihad Stadium,but we need to winaway games as well,and we have onlyone point from ourlast two.

Robert ManciniMan City coach

Suarez, Kean in spotlight

TALK BACKPolitical farceIt is nothing but ridiculous when leadersresort to theatrics to gather attention. TDPleaders M Narasimhulu’s andErrabilli Dayakar’s stunt beforethe Assembly threatening tocommit suicide and invitingTRS leader K ChandrasekharRao to join them only help tomake them appear frivolous.After all KCR did fast and forcethe Central government to formthe Srikrishna Commission thatstudied the pros and cons of aseparate state formation. The rest justtalked. People are tired of this brouhaha.

Ram NarayanHimayatnagar

Say no to liquor shopsWhat is the government doing when winesellers are making absurd demands? While

there was a time when the veryneed of a wine store in an edu-cated community was beingdebated, today, we seem to bebowing to irrational demandsof a few people who, for theirmonetary gains, are not con-cerned of the ill-effectsliquor has on homes. Pleasedo not encourage this soci-

etal menace, and certainly do not extendtheir timings.

Shyama RaoMotinagar

Billboard scourgeWhen will we come to accept that bill-boards are a nuisance in more than oneway? Whether they are pleasant or not,they certainly are a distraction to motoristsand at times block their view at turnings.Not only do they cause accidents, they arean eyesore too. The GHMC has not beenvery strict on this problem, which hasencouraged popping up of banners andbillboards anywhere and anytime. It’s timethe GHMC pulled up their socks and didsomething about this. Perhaps the ElectionCommission could take action against polit-ical parties for their ‘contribution’.

Suman SinghHyderabad

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201114Fair, free and forthrightComment

The sound of the bells breaking thesilence of the frosty winter air, themelodious music of the Brassensembles performing Christmascarols in a star-studded winter sky,

the wafting aroma of various types of ginger-bread, delicious cakes, cookies, and the hotmulled wine, is a perfect setting for strollingacross the winter wonderland. Welcome tothe Weihnachtsmarkt or Christkindlmarkt,popularly called the Christmas Market.

What started in Germany as a medievalpractice of traders setting up small huts to selltheir products—handicrafts, food and mulledwine during the winter has, over the years,become an important part of the German cul-ture and history. Today, the Christmas mar-kets are world-famous, luring many visitorsand giving up a much needed, year-end boostto the local economy. The markets are notonly confined to the German-speaking coun-tries like Austria and Switzerland, but thepractice has spread to many European coun-tries, North America and even to Japan.

The stalls set up by the local handicraft arti-sans are quite popular. “Some artisans workall the year to sell their products at these mar-kets,” says Andrea Matzinger, a resident ofVienna who is a great fan of the Christmasmarkets. She especially likes the hand-paint-ed glass bulbs, an important part of theChristmas tree decoration as well as thecolourful beads and necklaces, which are afavourite of numerous visitors. Many peoplebuy their Christmas gifts at the markets.Famous decorative handicrafts include repli-cas of illuminated town halls from variouscities, tiny Ferris-wheels set in the backdropof snow-clad mountains with a tiny traingoing through the snow.

The markets are illuminated with colourfullights, the trees are decorated with lights ofvarious shapes and the musicians, dressed up

in red and white, perform around the hugeChristmas tree, which is another attraction.The cities have many Christmas markets—both large and small. The towns all across thecountry usually have one central market, cozyand charming.

A major attraction that draws many visitorsis the hot mulled wine—called the Glühwein.Prepared usually with red wine, it is mixedwith cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves,citrus fruit and sugar. Served in customisedmugs with motifs of that particular market,the mulled wine seems to be the perfect drinkto beat the cold winter. “The best way to catchup with your friends and colleagues after a

long day, is to enjoy a sip of the Glühwein withthem at the Christmas market,” opines PaulJapek, an Engineer.

Another important drink is the Punsch-amixture of strong tea, alcohol, sugar, lemonand spices. There are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions and come in a wide varietyof flavours. Perhaps this is a major Indiancontribution to the Christmas markets--thedrink originated in India and the word comesfrom the Hindi word Paanch, as five differentingredients are used in its preparation.

Thus, a visit to this winter wonderland isnot only an unforgettable experience, but alsomakes one yearn for the next.

The WandererJayaraj Manepalli

Editorials Strolling through awinter Wonderland

Readers’ viewsWe invite you to write to us

comments, suggestions, view-point or just about anything to

[email protected] or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa,

Road No 62, Jubilee Hills,Hyderabad – 500 033

or even by way ofa call on 4067 2222

LOOK TO MUMBAI, not Bangalore

Awidely heard complaintabout Hyderabad is

that it “goes to sleepearly”. We hear people who donightshifts complain how hard

it is to find a decent place toeat after 11 pm. There are

places which serve late into thenight, but with shutters down,

giving eating out late in thenight a “dark shade”.

Authorities counter those ask-ing for a ‘longer’ night with the

argument that the crime ratewould climb. But this only

speaks of the inability of ourpolice force to curb crime. Take

for example Bangalore andMumbai: despite an early clo-sure time for shops, at 11pm,Bangalore reports the highest

incidence of crime, whileMumbai comes second thoughbars, eateries and restaurants

remain open late into the night.It is high time we took cuefrom Mumbai and do away

with the unreasonable argu-ment that later closing hours

leads to crime.

WHY WE LOVE...Prince Philip

Prince Philip is recuperatingafter undergoing a heart

surgery. We wish himgood health, for he is one of the

many who made racism a hottopic. With his innumerable

gaffes, he reminded the worldthe importance of tackling thissocial menace. There is even abook which lists the royal faux

pas — Duke of Hazard: The Witand Wisdom of Prince Philip.

Once he saw a poorly wired fusebox. “It looks as though it was

put in by an Indian,” heremarked. Long live the Prince:you are our beacon in the fight

against racism.

CORRECTIONSCLARIFICATIONS&nIn our Seekers of Redemption feature onPg 12, Dale Steyn’s picture was used in aninfo piece on Shaun Marsh. The error isregretted and the person responsible hasbeen told that wishful thinking has noplace in the paper.

nIn our Afford a home and happiness fea-ture on page 18 we mentioned that theprice of Rajiv Swagruha flats ranged from`6.5 laks to `3.5 lakhs. The latter figureshould have read `35 lakhs. The error isregretted.

It is Postnoon’s policy to correcterrors swiftly and fairly

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201115Of business & politicsSunday Soup

“In the US and afew other coun-tries, severalvehicles were

recalled. Very fortu-nately, India operations were notimpacted. Of course, we have receivedsome enquiries or questioning fromcustomers on one issue or the other.But we sincerely replied that theirvehicles are okay,” Hiroshi Nakagawa,Managing Director of Toyota KirloskarMotor Pvt Ltd (TKM) told us.

Nakagawa was in the City in con-nection with a campaign on road safe-ty at Oakridge Public School early thisweek. Whether he had an inkling of theimpeding recall in India remains a mil-

lion-dollar question. Nakagawa wasn’t sure if the lack of

recalls in India was due to the typicalIndian complacency which was ‘takenfor granted’ or really the machines soldhere were immaculate in their manu-facturing.

But, as the clock made two full cir-cles, TKM took every-one, especially itsManaging Director,by surprise by recall-ing 41,000 ToyotaEtios and Liva mod-els to replace thefaulty petrol inlet.

Toyota is close tothe Indian hearts,

thanks to its numerous variants ofcoupes beginning with Qualis, Innova,Fortuner, Corolla, Camry, and the aris-tocratic Prado Land Cruiser.

When recalls happened in differentcountries, several buyers were appre-hensive about the quality of Indian ver-sions too. Some owners had a doubt ifeverything was fine with their vehicles.

Now, the recall perched Toyota on apar with Maruti, Honda and the likesin Indian auto market. After all,nobody is indispensable.

Omnipresent BotsaAleading south Indian English

newspaper shares a few things incommon with the Congress party. Itused to give cars as a perk to its seniorstaffers, but invariably without apower steering. The words transmit-ted through the deed were that thestaffers are ‘powerless’, literally andfiguratively too, and that they couldnever arrogate the shapeless andodourless power to themselves.

The Congress party shares not onlyits vintage withthe newspaperbut a few othertraits too. Justto prove apoint to itsr e g i o n a lsatraps thatthey cannotstay away fromthe party har-ness, co-ordi-nators are ap -pointed tosuper vise, aid, and advise; if not tocause conflicts.

Constitution of a coordination com-mittee by the Congress to ensure sync(read rift) between the party and theadministration, with Ghulam NabiAzad as its head, is a step in that direc-tion. This time, it’s seen more as a ges-ture to comfort a sulking Chirnajeevi,who lent the ‘ventilator support’ toresuscitate the Kiran Kumar Reddyregime. But in the Congress’ realityshow, Botsa had the last laugh. For, headroitly hit upon a hat-trick of being aminister, the president of the APCCand also member of the coordinationcommittee — all at a time. He attainedthe status of being all-pervasive andomnipresent.

Can the eccentric minister ShankerRao ever become a floor leader

anywhere? Yes, no, don’t know/can’tsay. But he chose to become one lit-erally the other day. He called for areview meeting with senior bureau-crats of his department at his new H-Block office in the State secretariat.He found his new chamber wasunfurnished.

Shanker Rao doesn’t throw in thetowel so easily. The officials were infor a surprise when they were madeto sit in rows on white sheets of clothspread on the tiled-floor and the min-ister himself squatted on the floor.

The pyrrhic victory of KiranKumar Reddy in the recent no-confi-dence motion made the ChiefMinister himself wary of his future,but his detractors are sharpeningtheir saws. Shanker Rao endearedhimself to the Congress high com-mand with his missile missive to theState High Court against YSJaganmohan Redy. Later, his no-holds-barred war against his own col-leagues, the latest being the demandto sack Home Minister Sabitha IndraReddy from the Cabinet, distancedhim from the Chief Minister.

Floor leader

There is no dearth of patriotismamong our industrialists and busi-ness leaders. They became global

citizens, by all means, expanding theirbusinesses across the earth. If Tata buysCorus Steels, or LN Mittal makes it big insteel, or Padmasree Warrior becomes tophoncho in Cisco or when our very own DrReddy’s Labs or GVK spreads their foot-print in several countries, we celebratethose occasions as our own triumphsamid trials and tribulations.

But the business heads are alwayssceptical of the populist policies of politi-cians.

A couple of days ago, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh expressed his anguishover the corporate criticism of theGovernment policies. The government isactually sandwiched between the corpo-rate compulsions, communist convul-sions, and right wing retailing.

Amidst 2G, Anna Hazare, Lokpal,falling rupee, spiralling inflation and

upcoming elections in five states,Manmohan Singh, who is leading thereformist government with multitudes ofcontradictions, has been looking forsome solace.

And, the much needed succour camefrom none other than the country’s rich-est business honcho who presides overan immutable business empire, RelianceIndustries Ltd.

Mukesh Ambani cleared his throatand asserted, "Sir, I don't share the gloomand pessimism on India. I plan to investRs70,000 crore in India over the next twoyears. To me, India remains the bestinvestment destination."

This brought a glee in the face of thehead of the government. He was quotedas saying, "Very good! I hope others alsofollow your example."

The prime minister’s response natu-rally evoked not only applause butenthusiasm among business tycoons ofIndia Inc, — Ratan Tata, Suni Mittal andthe likes — to vow their commitment tothe nation. So one more round of invest-ment bounty is in the offing in India,whatever happens to the drying up gasreserves off the Kakinada coast.

PatriotMukesh

Recall value

SundaySoup

A Saye Sekhar


BOOK: Through MyEyes: A Quarterback'sJourney Author: ZondervanISBN: 0310723450 Publisher: Zondervan

Tim Tebow grew upplaying every sport imaginable, but

football was his true passion. Evenfrom an early age, Tim has always hadthe drive to be the best player andperson that he could be. Through hishard work, he established himself asone of the greatest quarterbacks in thehistory of college football and as a topprospect in the NFL. A journey of aquarterback and behind the scenesdetails of his life on and off the foot-ball field. His faith on Christianity, fam-ily values and the reason for the ath-lete he is today.

BOOK: DC Dead (StoneBarrington)Author: Stuart WoodsISBN: 0399157662 Publisher: PutnamAdult

After a shocking loss,Stone Barrington is at

loose ends, unsure if hewants to stay in NewYork and continue his work as a part-ner at Woodman & Weld. It comes asa welcome relief when he's sum-moned to Washington, DC, byPresident Will Lee. The president has aspecial operation that calls for Stone'sunique skill set, and it's a missionthat will reunite him with his formerpartner in crime and in bed, HollyBarker.

BOOK: American Sniper: TheAutobiography of the MostLethal Sniper in U.S.Military HistoryAuthor: Chris Kyle,Scott McEwen , JimDeFeliceISBN: 0062082353Publisher: WilliamMorrow

He is the deadliest American sniperever. From 1999 to 2009, US Navy

SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the mostcareer sniper kills in United States mili-tary history. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyleso much they named him al-Shaitan(the devil) and placed a bounty on hishead. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’smasterful account of his extraordinarybattlefield experiences ranks as one ofthe great war memoirs ever.

BOOK: Weight Watchers One PotCookbook Author: Weight WatchersISBN: 1118038126Publisher: Wiley

With every day so busy,wouldn't you just

love to throw everything inone pot and have dinnerready? With WeightWatchers One PotCookbook, you'll find 300super-tasty and healthy one-dishrecipes that the whole family will love.These no-fuss recipes are more thanjust easy — they are healthy and nutri-tious, as they come from the culinaryexperts at Weight Watchers. You'll findover 300 delicious one-pot recipes thatinclude casseroles, pastas, soups andstews, light stir-fries here.

BOOK: Spirit Bound Author: Christine Feehan ISBN: 051514956XPublisher: Jove

Lethally sexy under-cover agent Stefan

Prakenskii knows athousand ways to kill aman-and twice as manyways to pleasure awoman. So he's looking forward tohis new mission: arrive in the coastaltown of Sea Haven and insinuatehimself in the life of JudithHenderson, an ethereal beauty withties to the crime lord he's determinedto trap. New York Times bestsellingauthor Christine Feehan has over 40novels published, including fourseries. Her debut novel received 3 ofthe 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards.

Turning pages Explore a world without borders

At your nearest bookstore...

Rajesh [email protected]

Ever met a soldier who is a poly-glot, a polymath, and a cynicwho believes war is all a bit of

silliness? Meet John ‘Doc’ Holliday,the protagonist in The Sword of theTemplars, the first of the Templarseries by Paul Christopher.

Holliday, who has seen action inmany countries, is leading a calmerlife teaching recruits at the US StatesMilitary Academy, West Point, whenhis uncle Henry passes away.

He inherits, jointly with hiscousin Peggy Blackstock, his uncle’shouse and all of its mysteries includ-ing a sword wrapped in Adolf Hitler’sbattle standard hidden in the house,hidden by his uncle.

Holliday recognises the sword tobe from the time of Crusades ownedby a knight of the Order of the

Templars. The mystery deepenswhen someone burns down thehouse, apparently to steal the swordand leaves no clues. Holliday andPeggy then set out after the perpetrators to unravel the secret ofthe sword and their uncle’s connection with it.

The cousins’ start in Canadamaking their way all the way toIreland, Paris, Germany, and thenJerusalem in the search for truth.During their trip they encounter andescape attempts on their lives bymembers of various murderoussecret societies and finally unravelthe mystery of the sword and thecode it withholds to the treasure ofthe Templars.

Apart from the book’s attempt to‘thrill’ us, it has interesting triviaabout the places Holliday and Peggyvisit. It gives us a different insightinto the Crusades and the KnightsTemplars — Holliday describes someof them as mercenaries —“killers,plain and simple”.

Though the book seems adrag at a few places, it’s strictly aone-time read trying to get acrossthe message that all treasures arenot gold and gems.

Postnoon [email protected]

Nineteen year old Cayla Bannock isthe heir-in-waiting to the Bannock

Oil Corporation, one of the world'sleading oil producers. While cruisingthe Indian Ocean, her yacht is hijackedby a Somalian pirate outfit that callsthemselves ‘Flowers of Islam’.

After much suspense, the piratesdemand an unbelievable twenty-bil-lion-dollar ransom for her release. Dueto the US’ “no negotiations with ter-rorists policy,” the government is inca-

pable of any diplomatic intervention. Meanwhile, everyday there is

more evidence of the horrific tortureto which Cayla is being subjected.Pushed for choices, her mother Hazel,calls upon the dashing chief of secu-rity Hector Cross to help her rescueher daughter. Now racing againsttime, how Hazel and Hector takematters into their own hands andrescue Cayla from the clutches of theterrorists forms the crux of the story.

Those in Peril is fast-paced withhigh-octane action sequences, plentyof twists and turns. But that’s

expected from Wilbur Smith. That said, don’t expect too much

from this book. The climax is pre-dictable and the dialogue is largelycorny. The characters challenge allbounds of reason. But most disturbingare the graphic sex scenes during thecourse of the book, so be warned, itsnot for the faint hearted. Also, be pre-pared for a whole lot of cliches aboutthe Sharia law. In fact it raised someflak from the readers who consideredit thinly veiled racism towards theSomalians.

For first-time readers of Smith,Those in Peril will fail to impress. And,for long-time readers and fans, Thosein Peril will not make it to thefavourites list.

When you pick up a Wilbur Smith novel, you will get exactly what you bargained for – action and adventure, sex and violence, onan exciting journey across some parts of Africa. His latest thriller Those in Peril is just that, with nothing more and nothing less

Wilbur SmithMacmillan386 pages

Those in doubt, refrain

The first in the Templar series, The Sword of the Templars is a thriller, aone-time read which reveals to us that all treasures are not gold and gems.

A sword’s story

The Sword of the TemplarsPaul ChristopherPages: 233Publisher: Signet Novel

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201119Holistic view of mind, body and soulH‑Factor

Ranjani [email protected]

Who would havethought that a sim-ple cold or coughcould ever blow

into a potentially fatal condi-tion — and all because you’vechosen to dismiss them withself-medication and stayingaway from your doctor? And ina country like ours where self-medication and sharing of pre-scriptions are the norm, peoplemight want to learn a lessonfrom George Michael. TheCareless Whispers singer, whorecently recovered from a severebout of pneumonia, learntthings the hard way.

The singer, who was touringAustria for his shows, fell ill inNovember and was rushed to ahospital where he was diag-nosed with streptococcal pneu-monia. So severely was heaffected that it took doctorsnearly three weeks to stabilisehis condition. In fact, the singerwas said to have been on thebrink of death. At a press con-ference he held recently, thesinger said, “I would say it wastouch and go to be honest — weplayed it down because we real-

ly didn’t want to worry the fans.I spent the last 10 days since Iwoke up thanking people forsaving my life — which is some-thing I never want to do again.”

Despite the severity of hiscondition, George Michaelmanaged to pull through butaccording to his doctors therecovery process will take sever-al months. While he may havebeen fortunate enough to havegot the best possible treatment,not everyone is so lucky. Afterall half the people don’t realisethe gravity of the situation till

it’s too late. And it’s people whoare immuno suppressed likechildren, the elderly, peoplewith HIV, diabetics and cancerpatients who are at a greaterrisk of getting pneumonia —especially if they’ve been ignor-ing those sniffles for too long.

“Pneumonia is a bacterialinfection of the lungs. It cansometimes also occur due toviruses and this specially occursin people who are immuno sup-pressed,” says Dr PradyutWaghray, senior consultantchest specialist, adding, “If

you’ve had a cough that’s beenlingering for more than fivedays it’s best to consult a doctorto rule out pneumonia.” Signsto watch out for would be spu-tum that is yellow or greencoloured, high fever, chills, rig-ors, chest pain on deep breath-ing and breathlessness.

Some common and poten-tially life threatening complica-tions that a bout of pneumoniacan throw up are collection offluid in the lungs and sepsis (aninfection of the blood if the bac-teria enters the blood stream).People who smoke, have aller-gies and are prone to respirato-ry ailments like bronchitis andasthma are at greater risk.

“People who are prone tosuch ailments or are above65 years of age couldconsider taking thepneumococcal vaccine(usually administeredonce in five years) toguard against pneumo-nia,” says Dr VK Bhargava,senior physician at ApolloHospital. “They should,however, avoid exposure tocold as it is a major triggerfor all their problems. Alsoit is extremely essential toavoid self-medication and seek

medical help instead,” he adds.“While treatment for pneu-

monia lasts for two weeks, mostpeople tend to stop medicationonce they notice clinicalimprovement. However, thismeans the pneumonia canrecur and this time with com-plications. It is important thatthe entire course of treatmentbe completed,” explains

Dr Waghray.

People who love to turn to grandma’s home remedy for a common cold or cough might want to do arethink. You could be inviting trouble by putting yourself at risk of pneumonia

DON’T TURN

TO SNIFFLES

BLIND

Shiba [email protected]

Why are prunesbecoming such arage? Geetaexplains, “Prunes,

as we already know, are con-sidered super-fruits becausethey have unique phytochemi-cals not found in other fruitsand that translates to keyhealth benefits. Prunes are asource of important vitamins,minerals, antioxidants andfibre. These form a web of vitalfunctions that help supportand promote good heart, boneand digestive health, and sup-port the immune systemamong other healthfulattributes that can help regu-late, support and promoteoptimal health overall.” Shegoes on to add, “Prunes areone of the best natural consti-pation remedies. A serving offour to five prunes packs threefull grams of fibre. About halfof that is insoluble, whichhelps speed food through thedigestive tract. The other halfis slow-moving soluble fibre,good for enhancing satiety,lowering cholesterol and regu-lating blood-sugar levels.”

Why have prunes been so

popular in the west and not inIndia? Geeta clarifies, “Prunesare not grown in India andwere not available for sale dueto import restrictions till a fewyears back. Initially pruneswere only available in modernretail stores. The awareness ofthe nutritional benefits ofprunes among consumers inIndia is low. In the West,research has shown thatprunes are an energy-packedsuper snack offering a host ofhealth benefits when con-sumed daily.” She adds,“However, I have seen a sea-change in trends and thisseems to be very popular,especially in the metros.”

What kind of people mustconsume prunes, and is itgood for any particular ail-ment? Geeta says, “Prunes aregood for everyone from youngchildren to the elderly.Pregnant women need fluidsto carry nutrients through thebody and to wash away wasteproducts. Nursing mothersalso need fluids to aid in pro-ducing milk. Nutrient-rich nat-ural prunes serve as an idealsource for fluids —there’s nothingartificialand

no added sugar.” She adds,“Prunes can actually help inreversing bone loss in post-menopausal women withosteoporosis or osteoarthritis.It also helps in preventingbone loss in men. Prunes mayplay a role in preventing andtreating Type 2 Diabetes. Fibrenormalises blood-sugar levels,slowing the body’s consump-tion of glucose or sugar. Also,prunes have a low glycaemicindex of 29 so it can be easilyincluded by diabetics in theirdaily meals.” For all of youwho don’t want to pile on extracalories, Geeta adds, “Pruneshelp to fight cellulite as theyare rich source of fibre and lowin fat. They help to maintainweight and also bring aboutweight loss by replacing high-fat snacks.”

What has she done topropagate awareness? Geetasays, “I myself take 3-4 prunes

every dayto

include enough antioxidantsin my diet. I promote prunesthrough my clinic by includingit in diet plans of my patientsand also sometimes give themsmall samples so that they caninclude it in their diet. Also, bygiving talks on the nutritionalbenefits of prunes, I can tellpeople about the variousresearch studies regardingtheir health benefits ofprunes. I always carry prunesin my bag and also encouragemy family members, patientsand my colleagues to do so.”

Lastly, are they any dishesthat can be made withprunes? Geeta gladly answersthis question, “Prunes areoften eaten right from thepackage as a convenient,portable, nutritious snack.They can also be added tobreakfast cereals to replacesugar and included in justabout any dish. They makegreat additions to cakes andmuffins. Research has alsoshown that prune puréecould function as a fat substi-

tute in baking and as amoisture and taste

enhancer in meatapplications from

hamburgers andbeyond.”

20Body & Soul SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011

Asuper-fruit that

is extremely

popular in theWest, prunes

have nowbegun tobecome

popular inIndia. Prunes

are sweet andjuicy. They

have very highsugar contentthat enablesthem to be

dried without fermenting.

Postnoon talksto GeetaAmarnani,

a well knownnutritionist andfood consultantof India, aboutthis rising trend

Prunes arethe way to

go!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201121Potpourri


The alarm buzzes;Anjaneylu Rao wakes up,makes his own tea, gets

ready and reaches the schoolby 8.45am. He holds his brushand enhances the creativity of6-year olds for an hour and 7-year olds for the next hour. Asthe day progresses, so does hisstudents’ age.

By 2pm, his last hour, with11-year olds would releasehim, to go back to the world,that is his — being an artistwho can paint. Anjaneylu, isnot the only artist in the citywho is torn apart between hiscommitments and passion.

He is a passionate artistwho has been trying to pursuehis creative dreams for the lastsix years. He stays in Vizag

with a meager salary of fivethousand that does not evenmeasure up to pay his bills.But as he says, “I know oneday my talent will be recog-nised. Painting is as importantas breathing for me. I can’timagine myself doing any-thing else, but paint.”

He continues, in a sad tonethat has no signs of regret,“Although I always wanted topaint and wanted the world torecognise it, I am yet toachieve that. In the meantime,I still get to paint and honethe artist in my students.”What are the real challengesfaced by artists who are strug-gling to make a mark in theworld of art?

Jay Prakash, a full-timeartist of Hyderabad, for thelast 10 years says, “My fatherwas also an artist so it seemed

like art was in my genes. WhenI started, I realised that it wasa tough fight, so I started onordinary canvas, with ordinarymaterial.”

He continues, “Those daysmy paintings were bought forvery low prices, but after along struggle, my paintingsare seen in most of the exhibi-tions. Although the cost ofpaintings vary between 20,000to 40,000 for each painting, itstill does not mean I have aregular income.”

He adds, “Thankfully I amnot married yet, so I have noresponsibilities. Neither do Isee myself getting married inthe near future, as I am notstable yet.”

Is there not some kind ofsupport group or organisationthat helps budding artists?

Anand Baigwath says,“Not really. The only advan-tage is that none of the artgalleries of Hyderabad refuseto exhibit our paintings, likein Mumbai where only verywellknown artists can show-case their talent!”

He continues, “We neverget any bank loans and nei-

ther does anyone want to helpus financially because of thenature of our job. There is nostability in the way we earn.On lucky days, 2-3 paintingsget sold and sometimes I don’thave a single sale.”

Anand is married, we askhow he manages, to which hereplies, “This is my onlysource of income. Until a fewmonths back my wife had ajob, but now with a kid she isat home. Sometime the pres-sure is too much to even beable to paint or produce new

and good work.” He adds, “I feel I am slight-

ly lucky as my themes are usu-ally nature based, and mostart-lovers are fond of scenicimages. But that still leavesme at the mercy of fate andchance.”

When there is pressure, iteffects work. What keepsartists going?

Jay Prakash replies,“Personally, even when I amtensed, frustrated or low, Ipaint my mood on the canvas.I think it helps in bringing outa different genre of paintingsfrom me.”

To that Anand adds, “Ofcourse we have our low times,but the fact that someday wewill be recognised, keeps ustruly motivated. Sometimes Ialso remind myself of a gen-uine compliment, whichmakes me smile and acts asmy stress buster.

What is most important isthe support extended by thefamily. It’s tougher on the fam-ily as they have to fight a con-stant battle, only, to live mydream.”

PORTRAIT OFTHE ARTIST ASA POOR MAN

They believe in their art, yet struggle to make a living from their chosen profession. Their’s is a life fraught with obstacles and

disillusionment, yet they persevere. We set out to meet some of theCity’s struggling artists, and found a community sticking to their

ideals against all odds


You hear a lot of cheers, hoots, screams

and whistles. You are surrounded byconstant cricket commentary in highdecibels, thanks to the theatre system

or the enhanced speakers for ‘better cricketviewing quality’. Not to forget the ‘cheers’ or thehowls added by your husband/boyfriend. Is thisthe phenomena you are dreading? Are you wor-

ried how the cricket season is going to hamperyour ‘time together’ and how it is going to be

the biggest obstacle in the functionality of yourrelationship? If all of this is true, then welcome

to the club of cricket widows. You can be restassured that you are not alone!

How does this impact one’s relationshipwith their spouse, Celina Menon, an IT profes-

sional says, “My husband has been a cricket fanfor the longest time ever. Me and my son haveto forget that my husband exists as long as the

cricket season is on.” She adds, “The sad part isits not like he will watch cricket the usual ‘TV’

hours. He will wake up as early as 2am, take hisshower so he does not miss the match in the

morning and uses every minute till he goes towork. Which means I will be woken up to give

him his ironed shirt, or find his socks or find hiskeys etc. As if that is not enough torture, we

have a home theatre system, which can blastthe neighbourhood. It’s obvious I can’t sleep

because of all the noise I am surrounded with.His life is convenient, as he is off to sleep as

soon as he is back from office. Even I work, sothat leaves me all by myself to manage all the

household work after coming back from work.And guess what, I will be disturbed by 3am

again the next morning,” she continues, “Forthe next three months, either I go stay with my

parents or may be run away.” She laughs!Harini Vadlamani, an IT professional shares

her experience, “My husband worships cricket.Every time there is a cricket season, he eitherexhausts a major chunk of leaves in travellingto watch cricket, and even if he stays back in

the city, it’s a living hell for me!” She goes ontonarrate her misery, “If it requires him to wake

up as early as 3am he will, if he has to stayawake till 2am he will. Just imagine, your

woken either by cricket commentary or hissudden ouuttttttt! Now because he has woken

that early, when he returns from work, he isexhausted, will not even spend time with either

me, his parents or the kid.” She adds, “That’snot all; since we don’t have a full-time servant,me and my husband, usually split our house-

hold chores, like he gets the daily grocery, paysbills and gets the clothes ironed at the dhobi.

But once he is inflicted with his disease ofcricket, it is the end of our otherwise

harmonious life.”Is there a solution to this kind of cricket

frenzy? Family counsellor Farhana Shaik says,“Like I have always said, anything of too much

is too bad! Yes, we are a cricket crazy country,but it’s important that we learnt that cricketshould be categorised as a ‘hobby.’ The best

way is, to plan your week in advance, and chalkout how much time you would spend at work,

your hobby, your family and your ‘me time’. Shecontinues to caution, “Women must also

understand that men must be given a certainlevy, and spend time with what they love most.

However, between the partners it must beclearly communicated and demarcated, as to

how much is too much for each of them. Itsimportant that both the partners stretch a little

and come to a common consensus withoutfeeling the pinch of compromising.”

So, my dear cricket fans, whilst you enjoyyour cricket, it definitely must not be at the cost

of your loved ones or creating a havoc in yourlives. Please ensure you strike a balance —

happy cricketing!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 22Exploring complexitiesRelationshipsTomorrow India takes on Australia in

the series of the year. All across thenation wives and husbands are gear-

ing up to tackle their cricket-lovingspouses and their timetable-shatter-

ing passion. For the next two months,you’re on your own

Are youready to

be acricket

widow?

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@shahidkapoor Hey guys, Download thePioneer Mixtrax software andbe a DJ in your car mixtrax-global.com/en/index.html.Enjoy!

@priyankachopra Merry Xmas guys...may we allbe blessed with peace andcontentment..n the happinessto live and love..and beloved..Thank u all for lovin me

@kjohar25 Merry christmas and happyholidays to all of you!!! Its theseason to forgive...toforget...to skip regret...to liveand let....

@imarshadwarsi From a mere Christmas lunchit's become a Christmas Lunchprepared by a chef@mariagorettiz from an insti-tute affiliated with GordanRansey

@arbaazSkhan Merry Xmas to all. Wish you allGood health and happiness.

@rampalarjun Merry Xmas, be free, be alive,be in love, be yourself, becauseeveryone is beautiful. Love uall.

@reddysameera So glad I could be in Mumbaitoday! Full on festive spirit inthe air! And it's truly a merryChristmas! Have a great oneyou guys! Hugs :)

@RGVzoomin "@Bboyzclub: Everybodywants THE TRUTH but nobodywants to be HONEST."

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 23The glamour behind the glitzMagic Screen

Celebrating singing legendMohammad Rafi’s 87thbirth anniversarySaturday, fans in Mumbai

will participate in 10 public showsacross the city. Different groups ofRafi fans are celebrating the day intheir own way.

“With his vocals transcendingall human barriers and frontiers,Rafi-ians, as we like to call our-selves, based in Mumbai haveformed the Rafi Foundation since2007 and strive to bring Rafi sahab’smusic on a common platform,” saidBinu Nair, the founder of the foun-dation.

Nair said that a group of fanshas already offered flowers at theMohammad Rafi Chowk in Bandrain northwest Mumbai.

“We will go to his residencewhere his three daughters and a sonlive and cut a cake in his honour,”he said.

“We have also organised a musi-cal evening in his honour wherenearly 3,000 fans will enjoy theevening amidst Rafi songs played bya 60-piece orchestra,” he added.

Nair said at least 10 publicshows have been organised in Rafi’sfond memory across Mumbai.

“We have lost count of the pri-vate gatherings at residences of Rafi

fans in his memory,” he said.Another big celebration is slated

at Rang Sharda auditorium inBandra organised by BharatiyaJanta Party (BJP) leader AshishShelar.

“We have been rememberingRafi sahab on his birth and deathanniversaries and have been organ-ising musical evenings since manyyears now. This is a small way toacknowledge his legendary contri-bution in the field of Indian music,”Shelar said.

Rafi gave Indian cinema 40golden years of haunting melodieslike Chaudhvin ka chand, Teriaankhon ke siva and Tum jo milgaye ho.

Born in Punjab, he began histryst with music by chanting thenotes that a fakir (Muslim seer)sang in his village. The family latermoved to Lahore.

Rafi trained under Ustad BadeGhulam Ali Khan, Ustad AbdulWahid Khan, Pandit Jiwanlal Mattoand Firoze Nizami. He sang with KLSaigal at a concert for the first timeat the age of 13. That was the turn-ing point in his life.

He was honoured with thePadma Shri in 1967. He died of aheart attack in Mumbai July 31,1981, at the age of 56.

Rafi’s Mumbai celebrates

87th birth anniversary

Bips’‘Bobby

Doll’!All girls like Barbie

dolls, butBipasha Basu

has a ‘Bobby Doll’! Theactress has revealed shecalls her Players co-star

Bobby Deol by thatname, while he has forev-

er called her Bipshaw.“For all those who

don’t know I call Bobby,‘Bobby Doll’! Like a term

of endearment! And hecalls me ‘Bipshaw’ for

years!” Bipasha postedon Twitter.

Bipasha, who is oth-erwise lovingly called

Bips, says she has anoth-er nickname too.

“Another nicknamethat I have is given by

@juniorbachchan is‘Bippy’! @sikandarbk

calls me Bippy too!,” sheadded.

Abhishek Bachchan, busy in thepromotions of his forthcoming

film Players, went down memorylane when he visited one of his oldschools in Mumbai, and met hisfirst drama teacher.

“It’s been a very long day.Started at 7am by visiting one of myold schools in Mumbai (JamnabaiNarsee) as chief guest for theirsports day. Sports day for the espe-cially abled. Amazing to see the kidscompete and excel. Then wentaround the school after god knowshow many years,” Abhishek postedon micro-blogging site TwitterFriday night.

“So many memories! Was therewhen I was seven or eight. Highpoint was meeting my first everdrama teacher. Amazing what amemory teachers have. She stillremembers me as a student,” addedthe 35-year-old, who became fatherof a baby girl last month.

Abhishek goesback to school!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201124Magic Screen

` 150 sq. cm

For Further DetailsPlease

Contact

Abhinay 9989399972

Nandlal 9951467988

Ravi Chander8106039919

DISPLAYA

DS

RATE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201125The glamour behind the glitzMagic Screen

Cricketersto watchDon 2

The Indian cricketteam is biting itsnails in

Melbourne over theBoxing Day cricketTest match, whichstarts Monday.Nothing like aBollywood film likeDon 2: The King IsBack to brighten upthat tense evening onthe weekend beforethe big match.

A special screeningof the film has beenarranged for Sundayevening in Melbourneby filmmakers RiteshSidhwani and FarhanAkhtar, to help theteam relax.

“Farhan spoke toSachin Tendulkar’swife Anjali and I spoketo (Virender) Sehwag.We’ve orga nised ashow for the team.The Ind ian cricketteam will be seeing thefilm at the HyottsDirectors Lounge atMelbourne CentralHyotts Dire ctorsLounge along with themanagers and otherpeople.

Katrina Kaif can move, and how!The Britain-born actress mighthave taken time in perfecting

her Hindi accent, but Bollywood’slatka-jhatkas is something she hasmastered, and proves with her latestitem song Chikni chameli. Industrymembers are smitten with the song.They feel it will definitely be a USP ofKaran Johar’s remake of his father’s

classic Agneepath, and overshadowMunni, Sheila, Shalu and Jalebi baiitem numbers.

Composed by national award-winning duo Ajay-Atul, the spicysong, sung by Shreya Ghoshal, is theHindi version of their own Marathi hitKombadi palali. The lyrics of thenumber, penned by AmitabhBhattacharya, are as cheesy as theycould get, but the rhythm is extreme-ly peppy and catchy. And Katrina’svigourous moves and sensual expres-sions, choreographed by GaneshAcharya, go in total sync. The 26-year-old had set a benchmark withSheila ki jawaani last year, but withthis song, she has surpassed it withher killer desi look. Agneepath direc-tor Karan Malhotra is all smiles.

Move over Sheila,Chikni chameli is here

26The glamour behind the glitzMagic Screen SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011

It might be more expen-sive, but sometimes itreally pays to buy a

name-brand. French luxu-ry brand Louis Vuitton hasfiled a lawsuit againstWarner Bros. over the useof a Louis Vuitton knock-off bag in The Hangover:Part II.

According to the suit,filed in the US DistrictCourt in New York onThursday, an airport scenein the film makes use of acounterfeit bag made by acompany named Diophy,which is currently beingsued by Louis Vuitton fortrademark infringement.

During the scene, ZachGalifianakis’ character,Alan, warns the characterStu (played by Ed Helms),“Careful, that is ... that is aLouis Vuitton.” The Frenchcompany objects to boththe movies use of its trade-mark, and the characteri-zation of the bag as a realLouis Vuitton. According tothe suit, Warner Bros. is“explicitly misleading thepublic about the source ofthe Diophy Bag” and

undermining the compa-ny’s enforcement effortsagainst counterfeits of itsproduct.

According to the suit(which can be read here),Louis Vuitton objected toWarner’s after the film’sopening, but the companystill released the film onDVD with the offendingfootage included.

Citing a previous law-suit over the film — duringwhich Warner’s said it wasconsidering altering ascene that featured a tattoothat might have violated acopyright — Louis Vuittonargues that altering the air-port scene to eliminate thecompany’s trademarkeddesign would have been aneasy fix.

In the suit, the Frenchcompany is asking that thecourt permanently enjoinWarner’s from using itsmarks in any way, and

order the company to sur-render all copies of the filmcontaining the marks. It isalso asking for triple dam-ages on all profits thatWarner Bros. may haveamassed from usingVuitton’s marks, plus attor-neys’ fees and court costs.

This is far from the onlylawsuit that The HangoverPart II — a huge hit that hasamassed a worldwide takeof more than $500 million— has sparked. In additionto the tattoo lawsuit, whichwas settled in June, thecompany was sued inOctober by an aspiringactor who claims that theplot was stolen from his lifeexperiences.

De Niroand wife

welcomebaby girl

Mel’s ex’ssweet revenge

Mel Gibson is now legal-ly single after hisdivorce was finalised

Friday in a Los Angeles court-room, but bachelorhood cameat a heavy price.

Robyn, his ex-wife ofnearly 30 years and the moth-er of their seven children, iswalking away with half hisfortune, once estimated to beas high as $850 million(according to the Los AngelesBusiness Journal in 2006) inwhat is considered thebiggest divorce payout inHollywood history.

Robert De Niro and hiswife, Grace Highto -

wer De Niro, havewelcomed a daughter, his rep

said to a popular magazine.Helen Grace, born via surro-gate, weighed in at 7lbs, 2oz.

She is the second child for thecouple, who first met back in

1987 in London and arealready parents to son Elliot,

13. The Academy Award win-ning actor, 68, also has four

other children; daughterDrena, 40, and son Raphael,

35, with former wife DiahnneAbbott, as well as 16-year-old

twin sons Julian and Aaron,born via surrogate with ex-girl-

friend Toukie Smith.

Etta James’ longtimemanager says theterminally ill blues

singer has been hospi-talised after experiencingdifficulty breathing. LupeDe Leon says James’ fami-ly is with her at aSouthern California hos-pital where she was takenearlier this week.

De Leon, who hasbeen James’ manager for30 years, says the singer is“in pretty bad shape” butit remains unknown

whether she will be ableto be released. He saysJames was taken to the

hospital on Wednesdayevening and is on abreathing apparatus.

James’ doctor recentlyannounced that the At Lastsinger has been diagnosedwith terminal leukemia.The Grammy-winner andRock-and-Roll Hall of Famemember is also sufferingfrom dementia. She hasbeen receiving mostly at-home care.

A judge on Monday setaside $350,000 for James’treatment.

LOUIS VUITTON ENRAGEDOVER WARNER’S

Etta James hospitalised


SPIELBERG SEEKS ‘OLD-FASHIONED’

SPECTACLE IN WAR

Leila Macor

Steven Spielberg’s newfilm War Horse isalmost deliberatelyold-fashioned, pittingnoble beast against the

horrors of war, with sweeping,emotional set pieces — anddividing critics as Hollywood’sawards season looms. Themovie, which got a GoldenGlobe nomination this monthahead of its Christmas Dayrelease in the United States, iseven made on good old cellu-loid in a snub to the digital rev-olution.

“I think that movies likethat don’t get made much anymore, you know the kind ofepic sweeping historical dramathat were used to be madequite a bit 30, 40 years ago,”producer Kathleen Kennedytold AFP. “It’s what makes themovie a little old-fashionedbut at the same time mod-

ern,” she added.The movie tells the story of

Joey, a horse raised in a bucolicEnglish countryside who istorn away from his home —and stable lad Albert — andsent to France to the battle-fields of World War I. To asoundtrack heavy on violins,the moviegoer is swept into theepic struggle Albert has in find-ing his equine partner amidthe blood, mud and misery ofthe Great War.

“World War I was the lasthurrah for the horse (in) war-fare,” three-times Oscar winnerSpielberg — who also has his3D Adventures of Tintin: Secretof the Unicorn out for the holi-

days —toldindus-trydaily

Variety.“It was a time when the

technological revolution,mainly in the implementationof new technologies to killmore efficiently and more cru-elly, were supplanting the use-fulness of the horse, which hadbrought terror into the heartsof standing armies for cen-turies,” Spielberg said.

“And after World War I, thatwas over and the horse wentback to a more bucolic andsane way of life. So it’s reallymore of a story about courageand connections and less of astory about combat.” WarHorse, which is on the shortlistfor the best dramatic filmGolden Globe, is based on a1982 children’s book of thesame name by British writerMichael Morpurgo, and theplay adapted for the stage byNick Stafford.

Almost two years ago,Kennedy was on vacation in

London and went see thestage version of thestory with her daugh-

ters. “When I got home I talkedto Steven (Spielberg) about itand told him what the play wasabout and he said ‘Wow, thatsounds like a story, it wouldmake a wonderful movie’,” shetold AFP.

The most difficult thing,said the producer — whoworked with Spielberg on clas-sic movies including ET,Indiana Jones and Schindler’sList,” was the use of “so manyanimals,” she said. “Wheneveryou are using animals in amovie you have to takeextraordinary care, I mean, youdo that to the people as well,but when you have innocentanimals, it requires that every-body involved being speciallycareful.”

Joey, the real hero of themovie, was played by around adozen horses from all fromaround the world, notablySpain. Stable boy Albert isplayed by 21-year-old Britishactor Jeremy Irvine, who hadpreviously only worked in TV.“Steven felt that he wanted to

make a discovery, he wanted tobring a young actor to the rolewho hadn’t necessarily done alot of things in the movies,”said Kennedy.

Most critics so far havebeen broadly positive,although some have ques-tioned Spielberg’s approach,like the Guardian’s newspapercritic Andrew Pulver, who saidthe director “can’t seem tosnap out of a now-habitualmode of vitality-erasing, dewy-eyed affectation.”

Todd McCarthy of theHollywood Reporter said thefilm “possesses a simplicitythat is both its greateststrength and an ultimate liability.

“Whatever its missteps, thisis a film that kids, middle-agedadults and grandparents canall see — together or separately— and get something out of intheir own ways,” he wrote.

“There are precious fewfilms that fit this descriptiontoday, and hats off to Spielbergfor making one.” AFP

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@shrutihaasanHad a lovely christmas evewith friends,and now beginsmy epic new years plans :):)yay so excited to begin thenew year

@devakattaAlmost all the toon moviesreleasing on christmas eveend up grossing over $250mln irrespective of d reviews !

@themohanbabuMerry Christmas to all myfriends. Happiness and peaceto you and your families

@_HansikaMerry Christmas -lets forgiven forget .bygones arebygones,our future is bright nour 2012 will be shinning :)happy holidays people xoxo

@sneha_ullalMy doggies shud be arrestedfor being so damncute..uffffff..

@AlwayscharanMerry christmas !! Hav a grtday..

@me_sushanthWe wish you a merryChristmas, we wish you amerry Xmas, we wish you amerry Xmas and a Haaappynew yeaaaaaar! miss thissong from school :)

@shazahn-padamseeMerrrrryyyyCwistmassssss!!!!!!


“Iam tired of people thinking that I amapt only for glamorous roles,” saysSurabhi Prabhu, who is making her

debut in a film titled Ila Aithe Ela? Veterandirector PC Reddy chose Surabhi after an audi-tion in Mumbai. The film narrates the story of amarried woman whose marital life is in jeop-ardy after she commits infidelity. “The film hadquite a few bold scenes. But it doesn’t look vul-gar at all. I can be elegant even while doingbold or intimate scenes,” she says. Born andbrought up in Udaipur, she eventually movedto Mumbai where she began modeling fornumber of brands like Onida, Pepe Jeans,Provogue, Cygnus Diamonds, Kiah Diamondsand Reliance. “I want to work with only sen-sible filmmakers who know the art of filmmaking. I have had a stint in theatrebefore I made my debut in films and Iknow that I can pull off any role if I amconvinced. More than a glam doll, Iwant to be known as a good actress,”she signs off.

“I want tobe knownas a goodactress,”says

SURABHI

Abhimanyu Singhis slowly emerg-ing as one of the

most sought actors toplay villainous roles.After impressing thecritics and audiencealike in RGV’s RakhtaCharithra, he was lastseen in Bezawada.Now, we hear that he’sgoing to play the vil-lain’s role in PawanKalyan’s upcoming filmGabbar Singh. The filmis the official remake ofSalman Khan’sDabangg andAbhimanyu Singh isgoing to reprise SonuSood’s role in theTelugu version. Initially,Sonu Sood wasapproached to play thisrole; however, hepolitely turned it downsince he was alreadydoing the same role inthe Tamil version of thefilm. Gabbar Singh isgoing to be AbhimanyuSingh’s first big ticketfilm in Telugu. HarishShankar is directing thefilm and Shruti Haasanis playing the lead roleopposite PawanKalyan.

Ravi Teja’s Nippu heatsup Sankranthi BO race

Ravi Teja’s upcomingfilm Nippu is all set forrelease on January 13.

Directed by Gunasekhar, thefilm has Ravi Teja, DeekshaSeth and Rajendra Prasad inlead roles. Recently, the filmwas shot in Turkey and withthis the entire film’s shootinghas been completed. Fewdays ago, except for MaheshBabu’s Businessman, therewas still some confusionabout the release dates ofother films to be released on

Sankranthi. Now, Busin -essman, Bodyguard, Nippuand Poola Rangadu are goi -ng to release on consecutivedays. With Mahesh Babu,Venkatesh and Ravi Teja infray, the audience will surelybe spoilt for choice this Sa -nk ranthi. What rem ains to beseen is how many theatreseach of these films get sincethe producers of all thesefilms are trying their best toget the maximum possiblescreens for their films.

AbhimanyuSingh in

Gabbar Singh

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201129Telly sitcoms, news and movie listingsChai Time

1200 Movie - Athadu 1530 Movie - Vikramarkudu1900 Movie - Badrinath2330 Comedy Junction0800 Ayurvedam 0900 Challenge1100 CID1200 Maa Voori Vanta

1230 Movie - Manmadhudu1530 Movie - Chintakayala Ravi1800 Movie - Komaram Puli2130 Business Man Audio

Release0800 Gemini Talkies0830 Movie - Yuva1130 Aha Emi Ruchi 1200 Comedy Kick

1300 Movie - Mastari Kapuram1600 Movie - Ong Bak - Enter

The New Dragon1800 Movie - Kondapalli Raja2100 Etv News2130 Paripoorna Mahila2230 Movie - Pandanti

Jeevitham

1300 Movie - Ye Maya Chesave1730 Luckku Kickku1800 Comedy Club1900 Movie - Ala Modalaindi2230 Magadheera2330 Latest Songs0800 Gopuram0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 1030 Gadasariatta

Sogasarikodalu

‘Falling Skies’ at 2200 Hrson AXN

1400 Top Chef - Just Desserts 1600 Live To Dance1800 The X Factor2000 Live To Dance2200 Falling Skies2355 Sony Lifestyle TV

Magazine 0700 Infomercial0725 Sky Teleshopping0840 Infomercial0905 Sky Teleshopping0930 Whacked Out Sports 0955 Infomercial1000 Whacked Out Sports 1025 Infomercial1030 Falling Skies1215 The X Factor

‘Raja Babu’ at 2000 Hrs onIMAGINE1430 Nachle Ve With Saroj Khan 1730 Beendh Banunga Ghodi

Chadhunga1800 Nachle Ve With Saroj Khan 2000 Movie - Raja Babu2330 Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo0800 Teleshopping0900 Box Office India0930 Mahima Shani Dev Ki1030 Haar Jeet1100 Nachle Ve With Saroj Khan 1200 Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo1230 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan

Shri Krishna1300 Saware Sabke Sapne -

Preeto 1330 Beendh Banunga Ghodi

Chadhunga ‘CID’ at 1200 Hrs on SONY

1200 CID2000 Adaalat2100 Comedy Circus Ka Naya

Daur - Grand Finale2330 Comedy Circus Ka Naya

Daur0700 Telebrands0730 WWS Sky Shop0900 Adaalat1000 Crime Patrol - Dastak 1130 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge1230 Comedy Circus Ka Naya

Daur

‘[V] Steal Ur Girlfriend’ at1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

1400 [V] Steal UR Girlfriend1500 [V] Spot1530 [V] Trailers1555 [V] Fresh Songs1600 Gladrags Megamodel

Manhunt 20111700 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance1900 [V] Steal UR Girlfriend2000 [V] Vignettes2100 Love 2 Hate U2155 [V] Fresh Songs2200 [V] Trailers2230 [V] Behind The Sins2300 [V] Steal UR Girlfriend2355 [V] Fresh Songs0700 [V] Trailers0730 [V] Zabardast Hits0800 [V] Mind Blasting

Mornings1100 [V] Fresh Songs1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance1230 [V] Humse Hai Life

‘Et Insight’ at 2100 Hrsonly on ET NOW1400 Bollywood This Week1430 Et Insight1500 The Market Makers1530 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra1600 Technoholik1630 Your Trades1700 Zigwheels1730 Market Summit 20111830 The Market Makers1900 Investor's Guide1930 Starting Up2000 Zigwheels2030 Talking Technicals2100 Et Insight2130 Your Trades2200 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra2230 Brand Equity2300 The Market Makers0900 First Trades1000 Hot Stocks1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The

Stock Game1130 Buy Now Sell Now1200 Market Sense1300 Business Day1330 Markets Now

‘D S H T G S C’ at 2000 Hrsonly on BIG CBS PRIME

1300 Movie - Dr. Seuss' How TheGrinch Stole Christmas

1500 Big Wheels1530 Galileo Extreme 1600 How To Be A Gentleman 1630 Aspire 1700 Survivor1800 The Defenders 1900 Lucha Libre 2000 Movie - Dr. Seuss' How The

Grinch Stole Christmas2200 Christmas Special 2300 Aspire 2330 Big Wheels

‘Whats Your Raashee’ at1400 Hrs on ZOOM1400 Movie - Whats Your

Raashee1830 Letz Go!1900 Planet Bollywood News1930 Business Of Bollywood2000 Bollywood Big Story2030 Just For Love2300 Bollywood Bonanza0700 Fresh Mornings0800 Red Carpet0805 20 - 20 Songs0825 Fresh Mornings0900 Zoom Barabar Jhoom Top

201000 Fresh Mornings1100 Zoom Box1200 Garma Garam1300 Planet Bollywood News1330 Business Of Bollywood

‘Californication’ at 2200Hrs on ZEE CAFE

1400 Cougar Town1500 The Big Bang Theory1600 Californication1700 Scrubs1800 Body Of Proof2000 The Big Bang Theory2100 Private Practice2200 Californication2300 Scrubs0800 Keeping Up With The

Kardashians0900 Parenthood1000 Scrubs1030 Just For Laughs 1100 Keeping Up With The

Kardashians1200 Parenthood1300 Slot1330 America's Funniest Home

Videos

‘Combat Hospital’ at 2200Hrs on STAR WORLD1400 Friends 1700 The Simpsons 1830 How I Met Your Mother 1930 Two And A Half Men 2000 The Dewarists2100 Love2 Hate U 2200 Combat Hospital 2300 Dexter 0700 Masterchef Usa 0800 Las Vegas 0900 Masterchef Usa 1000 The Sheild 1100 Love2 Hate U 1200 Two And A Half Men 1230 The Simpsons 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends

‘Ajab Prem Ki GhazabKahani!’ at 1630 Hrs onCOLORS

1230 Movie - Ghost Rider1430 Movie - Jurassic Park1630 Movie - Ajab Prem Ki

Ghazab Kahani 1930 Colors Golden Petal

Awards - Red Carpet 2000 Colors Golden Petal

Awards 2300 Bigg Boss - Undekha

Action0800 Veer Shivaji0830 Sasural Simar Ka0900 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi

Kay Sapno Ka0930 Bigg Boss 1000 Havan1100 Balika Vadhu - Kacchi

Umar Ke Pakke Rishte1200 Bigg Boss - Aapka Farman

‘Daag’ at 2000 Hrs on SABTV1430 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya1700 Gutur Gu1730 FIR2000 Movie - Daag2300 F.I.R.0800 Teleshopping0900 Lapataganj1200 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah

Chashmah

‘Gold Rush - Alaska’ at2200 Hrs on DISCOVERYCHANNEL

1200 Swords - Life On The Line1300 Killing For A Living1400 Curiosity1500 Man Vs. Wild1600 Dual Survival1700 Powering The Future1800 Animals - The Inside Story1900 Sturgis - Motorcycle Mania2000 The Supernaturalist2100 Man Vs. Wild2200 Gold Rush - Alaska2300 Curiosity0800 Blue Planet0900 Factory Made0930 Destroyed In Seconds1000 Rampage!1100 How Do They Do It?1130 Feast India1200 Gold Rush - Alaska1300 Life

MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

‘Zindagi Na MilegiDobara’ at 1300 Hrs onSTAR PLUS1300 Movie - Zindagi Na Milegi

Dobara 1600 Survivor India - Pehli

Jhalak1700 Ruk Jana Nahi - Ab Tak Ka

Safar1800 Movie - Singham 2100 Masterchef India 2200 Masterchef India -

Zaykebaazon Ka Safar0800 Superstar Preview0830 Ruk Jana Nahi0900 Diya Aur Baati Hum0930 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri

Behna Hain1030 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam

Doon?

Dance IndiaDanceStoryline - More than 2000young dancers of the cityand nearby places throngedthe audition venue toimpress Mentors, Remo DSouza and Terence Lewis.

‘Dance India Dance’ at 2030 Hrs onZEE TV

Storyline - Tonight Colorspresents to you for the firsttime ever The Colors GoldenPetal Awards to recognizeoutstanding talent fromtheir shows and their contri-bution to Colors sucess.

‘Colors Golden Petal Awards’ at2000 Hrs on COLORS

Colors GoldenPetal Awards

‘The New Inventors’ at2200 Hrs on DISCOVERYSCIENCE

‘The Foodie’ at 1830 Hrsonly on TIMES NOW

1300 News Now At 11330 Total Recall1400 News Now1430 Enow Spice1500 News Now1530 Times Now Sport Weekend1600 News Now1630 Times Drive1700 News Now1730 Amazing Indians1800 Versus1900 News Now2000 Total Recall2100 9 PM2130 Total Recall2200 News Now2230 Times Now Sport Weekend2300 News Now Overnight0800 The Morning News0900 News Now1200 Live Report1230 News Now1300 News Now At 1

1330 What's That About?1430 Mummy Autopsy1530 Bone Detectives1630 I, Videogame1730 G.I. Factory1830 Best Of Discovery Science1930 Investigation X2030 Treasure Quest2130 How It's Made2200 The New Inventors2230 Weaponology2330 The New Inventors0700 How It's Made0730 Investigation X0830 Against The Elements0930 Weaponology1030 Treasure Quest1130 How It's Made1200 The New Inventors1330 Catalyst 10

1453 Inkheart 1702 The Lord Of The Rings - The

Return Of The King 2100 Kung Fu Panda 2254 Batman Forever0800 Friends 0830 Good Morning, Miami 0900 The Invasion 1055 Kung Fu Panda 1240 Outsourced

1405 Legend Of The Fist - The ReturnOf Chen Zhen

1630 Red 1900 Four Christmases 2100 The Back-Up Plan2320 The King Of Fighters0800 Four Christmases 0945 The King Of Fighters1140 Platoon

‘Sholay’ at 1230 Hrs onZEE TV1230 Movie - Sholay1700 Dance India Dance 1900 Apka Sapna Hamara Apna1930 Shobha Somnath Ki2030 Dance India Dance 2330 Jalsa - Music For Soul0800 Teleshopping0900 Bhagonwali 0930 Afsar Bitiya1000 Choti Bahu 1030 Yahan Main Ghar Ghar

Kheli1100 Ram Milaayi Jodi1130 Hitler Didi1200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch

Bahuein1230 Afsar Bitiya1300 Choti Bahu 1330 Pavitra Rishta

‘The Back-Up Plan’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

‘Komaram Puli’ at 1800Hrs on GEMINI TV

‘Ala Modalaindi’ at 1900Hrs on ZEE TELUGU

‘Ong Bak’ at 1600 Hrs onETV‘Badrinath’ at 1900 Hrs

on MAA TV

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 201130Chai Time Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

ACROSS1 Entertainer Abdul6 - Khan11 Ancient calculators16 “Grand Canyon Suite”

composer21 Strong-arm22 Whales like Shamu23 Ponytail sites24 Make void25 Prickly pear26 Go-between27 Broadside (hyph.)28 Has status29 Plausible31 Just fine (hyph.)33 Math course35 “The Greatest”36 Adventurer, often37 McNally’s partner39 Entertainer Della 41 Oval43 Wall paintings46 Travel book48 Actor Howard49 Time to be in52 Ugh!54 Fence crossover56 Advise against60 Stockpiled62 Interstate64 Elegant wrap66 Worst possible score67 Checkbook amt.68 Ash or maple70 Huh?72 Quick drives74 A real swine75 Cuba, to Castro77 Safecracker79 Piggy-bank feature81 Spectacles part83 “Bye Bye Bye” band85 Massage deeply87 Uh-huh89 Earliest90 Pronounce92 Vaccines94 Mumble96 Costello or Gehrig97 Gridiron pass101 Today’s paper103 Musical symbol105 Snitch109 Intimidated111 Frat letters113 Bagpiper’s wear115 Prefix for “trillion”116 Fictional collie117 Michener bestseller119 Bellow121 Informal refusals123 Encyclopedia bk.124 Resort near Venice126 Sand formations128 Where Anna taught130 Tell in advance132 Twice as tricky134 Hot coffee hazard136 Short slant138 Purple flowers139 Labor org.141 Grinding material143 Import taxes145 Teased149 Garden starters151 Crow’s-nest locale152 Dwarf buffalo

156 - Palmas157 Tie-dyed garments159 Harem head161 Boat passengers163 Muscat citizen165 Pang167 Inbox filler (hyph.)169 Storage bins170 Old Portuguese colony in

India171 “The Sons of - Elder”

(Wayne film)172 Waned173 Salsa singer Cruz174 Teen lingo175 Political position176 Outlaw pursuers177 Peevish

DOWN1 Bit of salt2 Love in a gondola3 Kind of berth4 Starts5 That’s - - know!6 Eucalyptus diners7 Imperativeness8 Before yr. 19 Actress Turner10 Fur-trading name11 Hercules out-wrestled him

12 Minds a kid (hyph.)13 GI address14 Bronze coin15 Grenoble’s river16 Used mouthwash17 Single-strand molecule18 Pub sign (2 wds.)19 Coal and gas20 Borden cow30 Suds source32 Barbecue extra34 Genre38 Active sort40 Touches up42 Don Juan’s mother44 Take a break45 Flat-bottomed boat47 Marry in haste49 Log home50 Amherst sch.51 Come back to win53 Derisive snorts55 Inventor Howe57 Cheyenne abode58 Ambler and Sevareid59 Thesaurus name61 Forest browser63 Actress Tyne 65 Register69 They’re often inflated71 Be on your -!

73 Lampoon76 Goose genus78 Singer Campbell80 Bath powder82 Mukluk wearer84 Gem measure86 Worry88 Green superhero91 Wobbled, as a rocket93 Out of town95 Bronco “brake”97 Sprawls out98 Be of benefit99 Lingerie buy100 Luxury car102 Drags into court104 Move up and down106 Denims107 “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”

singer108 Quits marching110 Waltz or polka112 Lost traction114 Frugal118 Stitched edges120 Cafe au -122 Bond servant125 Monsieur’s egg127 Stays abed (2 wds.)129 Polite address131 Argue

133 White-water sport135 Had a nightmare137 Meat juices140 Barely visible142 Fabric meas.144 Tristan’s love145 Clumps of dirt146 Patna porter147 Honshu volcano148 Office furniture

150 Wool givers153 Simon and Young154 Planet’s course155 Ore analysis158 Petty quarrel160 Lectern162 Checkbook no.164 A Bobbsey twin166 - - premium168 Exercise targets

SUNDAY CROSSWORD

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

31Chai TimeC

OM

ICS

Fred

Bas

set

Ston

e so

up

TAROT READ

King of Wands – Sp ‑end time with fa mi ly.You need to re newyo ur ties with closefriends and fa mily.Th ey provide the mu ‑ch needed su pportand encouragement.

The Tower – Remindyourself of all yourpriorities and whichparts of your lifeneed attention.Changing or realign‑ing your prioritiesmay be required.

The Sun – Some nav‑igation of a difficultproblem may requireyour immediateattention and time.These are the chal‑lenges that keep youengaged in your job.

ARIES TAURUS GEMINIARIESYou will spend happy time with family,which will cheer everyone. You will ge ‑n erously help those who seek helpand get praises from all. Day to under‑take self‑analysis; take corrective steps.

CANCER

LIBRAHurdles will be blown over with yourhard work. Your self‑confidence andcourage are set to increase. You will beambitious and plan effectively to achi ‑eve growth. Decide on new projects.

CAPRICORNAvoid undertaking journies. Chances th ‑at enemies are trying to defame you butremain calm and avoid getting em o tio ‑nal; your wise actions will make th emin active. Some bad news may upset you.

TAURUSAvoid getting into disputes as it mightlead to humiliation. Postpone taking im ‑portant decisions and journey to an un ‑known place. Health problem likely; ta ‑ke care. Keep away from bad company.

LEOTake good care of your siblings andfulfill their wishes. A good day to planyour future plans and take a decision.Self‑confidence and skills are set toincrease. Hard work will be recognised.

SCORPIOAvoid getting irritated. Businessmen ne ‑ed to be extra alert while doing tran s ac ‑tions as there are chances of incurringloss. Neighbours will be cordial an d youwill spend happy time with family.

AQUARIUSSurprise financial gain in the offing. Becordial with blood relatives and fri ends.You will receive good support from allpeople. Health is fine and chances ofreceiving a good news are high.

GEMINIUnexpected financial gains on thecards. Businessmen need to be cau‑tious with partners. You will lookcheerful today and spend happiermoments with family members.

VIRGOAvoid keeping unwanted apprehensionsin mind. Be careful while driving andduring travel. Tensions possible butkeep patience and resolve them peace‑fully. Yoga and meditation will help.

SAGITTARIUSYou may be over sensitive today. Keepyour emotions under control to avoidgetting upset on your own. Financialgains are likely. You like to remain inthe company of like‑minded persons.

PISCESYour advises and decisions will gainimportance today. Employees will befavoured with promotion. You will beappreciated for the praiseworthy achi ‑evements. Father's health needs care.

For B

ette

r or f

or W

orse

Ink

pen

Ten of Pentacles –Finances are welltaken care of andyouʼve done amaz‑ingly well with or g ‑a nising your mo n eyand putting aw aycash for a rainy day.

Three of Wands –Your ideas may seema bit far‑fetched toyour coworkers. Butyou can convincethem that whackyideas do work, attimes.

Judgement – Aninternational trip ispossible in the nextfew weeks. Donʼt getyour hopes up toohigh. It may be ashort trip with littledown time.

CANCER LEO VIRGO

Page of Pentacles –This is an ideal timeto launch new pro‑jects and start off onideas youʼve alwayswanted to. An entre ‑p reneurship projectworks wonders.

Two of Wands – Yo ‑uʼre exhausted wi t hthe daily drill and wa ‑nt something to spiceup your dai ly routine.Only you ca n helpyourself find innova‑tive ways to do that.

Ace of Wands – Aplan may need to beabandoned midwayif itʼs going in thewrong direction.Donʼt hesitate to dothat if it means youcan start afresh.

LIBRA SCORPIO SAGITTARIUS

The Hermit – If yougo with the attitudethat you will neverfind what youʼre look‑ing for, you never will!A positive outlooktakes you halfway toyour destination.

Five of Pentacles –Yo u may have to getto the bottom of a pr ‑oblem before you thi ‑nk of solutions. Ther ‑eʼs much you ca n notsee at this point. Op e ‑n your eyes and ears.

The World – Thereʼsgoing to be a bit ofhavoc in the next fewdays. Prepare foruncertainty althoughlittle is likely to be inyour control.

CAPRICORN AQUARIUS PISCES

STAR POWER SUMAA [email protected]

[email protected]

040-27177230 / 9949870449

Enemies might come closer to you butavoid sharing secrets with them. Becareful while driving and also at work‑place as chances of getting hurt. Agood day to repay your debts.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot

Date 26-12-2011

It was 2.00am and a CaliforniaHighway Patrol officer was sitting

behind a billboard, eating a donutand watching his radar gun.Suddenly WHOOOOOM! A carspeeds past him topping out at 104 miles per hour. The cop jumpsin his car and chases after the reckless driver.

He sees the speeding car weavingall over the road, and when the copput on his siren, the driver panickedand drove into the oncoming trafficlane. He zoomed past cars and trucks,all frantically skidding and honkingtheir horns. Somehow the cop wasable to keep pace with the guy, and

the driver did a 180 and drove in theopposite direction. The cop did a U-Turn and followed the car, andwatched the guy break through aguard rail, over a cliff and land safelyon the road below, only to have thecar engine start smoking and die.

The cop scrambled down the cliffto find the driver staggering out of hiscar, obviously drunk.

“Are you drunk or something?” hescreamed at the driver.

”Of course,” replied the guy, “Youthink I’d ride this scary roller-coastersober?”

The police chase

Vol: 1, No. 162 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No. 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 and printed by himat Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad–500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: [email protected] and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

As per Hindu panchang

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2011 32Spotlight

Hamsa Nandini

The Miss Dabur Gulabari Miss Rose Glow 2011Grand Finale was held at the ITC GrandKakatiya. (L to R) Dabur Gulabari Miss RoseGlow 2011, Rithu Varma (1st Runner Up),Nansi (Winner), and Tejasvi (2nd Runner Up)

Oliver Sean and his bandperformed at Aqua at the Parkon Christmas eve. The crowdshook a leg to his special themesong, Hyderabad

THE GLOWINGQUEENS

PICS: N SHIVA KUMAR

Ankita

postnoon e-paper for 25 december 2011

Documents