Take A Leave

Is Mamata Banerjee herself sure of what she was actually upto in the Lok Sabha on Thursday 4th? She should consider taking a leave from politics for some time and return with a saner approach to the parliamentary proceedings. It is a sinister sign for her that the number of those to venerate her as ‘Didi’ is also recording an all-time low. In any case, she has to chalk out concrete and reasonable plans to regain her dwindling popularity in the West Bengal political scenario.

On A High

Sania Mirza's recent upwardly mobile performance graph only goes to show that she has her feet well grounded in reality, and her recent spurt of glamour assignments has in no way hampered her game. In fact, she is oozing with confidence, and surging ahead to take on the very best with remarkable ease and exceptional composure. She seems to be a thorough professional with her eyes well fixed on her professional goals. Her on-court exploits should inspire young Indians to take up tennis as a career.

Not Among The Best Of Asia

The exclusion of Sourav Ganguly from the Asia one-day squad is not entirely unexpected. His recent form in international matches has been far from flattering. If he delivers the goods in the ongoing Sri Lanka tri-series, he can probably be considered for a berth in the continental squad. In any case, it is never a big deal when it comes to the matter of being selected in such squads.

Campus Chaos

Preventing outsiders from entering a college campus is not a full-proof solution to the law and order problems in colleges. Agitating students and members of staff may also lead to disruption of normal college activities. Breach of law and order inside a college campus may also be the result of purely personal disputes among students. However, it is always worthwhile not to allow casual outsiders, to enter a college. In any case, the students and the members of staff, as well as the outsiders, without any specific business, should themselves try to stick to law and order and not hesitate to prevent anarchy in the college.

Disaster Education

School geography and physics syllabi may include interpretations of regular topics from a disaster management angle. A separate disaster management subject may be included only at the undergraduate college level.

Junk Fat

Though there are a handful of benefits in accumulating fat, it is certainly not advisable to seek to get obese. Especially, it is always recommended by the specialists not to go in for junk food, which, it must be admitted, enjoy bumper sales, mostly among the teenagers, if not always for their taste, then certainly for aggressive marketing. But unfortunately, the government, bathing in the glory of economic liberalisation, seems to be blissfully unaware of this looming health problem. Is Dr. Ramadoss still behind the smoke screen?

College Of Scandal

The incident of alleged molestation of a female student at the Shyamaprasad Colege premises by an intruder is alarming and shameful. If the political capital is very much the 'rape capital' as well of the country, Kolkata should not be vying for the spot of the country's 'molestation capital'. The top cops should sit with the Kolkata college principals to chalk out a comprehensive blue-print to prevent such crimes. They are certain to have their work cut out in view of lack of uniform attire for students in almost all of the city' colleges, making it easier for the intruders to slip into the colleges and indulge in sexual harassment of the female students.

Slipping On Oil, Burning In Fire

The Mumbai High fire only goes to underline the lack of fire safety measures adopted by ONGC in its oil wells. The ONGC Videsh is going great guns in exploring oil abroad, but its big brother back home is still clinging on to outdated fire prevention techniques. It is a matter of basic economics to leave no holes unplugged when it comes to investing in safety measures in such a high-risk business as that of crude oil production. The faster the ONGC understands it and acts accordingly, the better.

Upliftment And Adaptation

The International Cricket Council (ICC)'s reduction of the ban on Sourav Ganguly may come as a pleasant surprize to the man himself. But considering the scope for subjective interpretations of some of the ICC regulations, the verdict was perhaps expected. However, it remains to be seen how fast the former Team India skipper is able to adapt to playing in the national side under someone else's leadership. The message for him is loud and clear: Deliver the goods or drop out. With the likes of the new guns like J.P. Yadav, Suresh Raina and Yalaka Venugopal Rao in the ranks and the old warrior, V.V.S. Laxman still breathing on his neck, not to forget of Dinesh Mongia, ever in the fringes, Ganguly is certain to have his work cut out.

Rowdy Campuses

Certain people are known to take colleges as happy hunting grounds for quick satisfaction of their sickly sexual urges. And since most colleges do not have a full-proof security system, incidents of sexual harassment by intruders are frequent in co-education colleges, where it is easy to disappear in the crowd.

Tulip Blossoms

Tulip Joshi has really returned with a bang in 'Mathrubhoomi' after she failed to get noticed in 'Meri Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai' and got washed out without a whimper in 'Dil Maange More'. However, it remains to be seen how this cute girl next-door can adapt to the glamdoll image. Only time can tell whether Tulip can weather the heat of Dhupia and the mayhem called Mallika.

Black-N’-White Mosaic For Tricolor

Chess has always been India's forte. Since chess requires mainly mental skills, and not much of capital investment, the parents should encourage their kids to take up this game, which is no less interesting than computer combats. The country's sports authorities should persuade the International Olympic Committee to include chess in the list of Olympic events. In any case, chess, unlike say, kabadi, is very much a global game since long.

Clogged Lines

The way Mumbai is coping with the rain disaster, which it is not accustomed to, is laudable. But the stampede following an unwarranted rumour that led to people losing lives, was unfortunate. And then again, one fails to understand why, in spite of the high-sounding commitments made every now and then by the telephone service providers, both the landline and the mobile services were disrupted for a considerable length of time in the city which happens to be the country's financial capital. In any case, after all, it only rained heavily. It was a not a case of tsunami, and not even flood, actually.

Secure Campuses

In view of the recent swing towards alleged maltreatment of female students in some colleges, security has to be tightened in such institutions, even if that amounts to enhanced expenses on the administrators' part and hassles for those having some genuine business in the colleges.

Violence In Industrial Hub

The way the police literally beat up the protesting and agitating workers at Gurgaon was shameful for the largest democracy, boasting of the most exhaustive constitution, seeking to protect the rights of all in every capacity. However, the law has to find out why at all the protectors of law and order became that violent, as reported in and shown by the media. The image of a peaceful Gurgaon being a prime management and information technology hub has to restored with the utmost immediacy.

Fit-N’-Fast

To arrive at the phenomenal physiology of Lance Armstrong ('Extreme Athleticism', July 25), first and foremost, one needs to have the discipline that the ace cyclist imposes on himself. His dedication towards self-improvement is exemplary. He is the living example for everyone to emulate, when it comes to professionalism and keeping oneself fit and fine, which makes a deadly cancer flee in no time. To add to the wonder, he has continued be at the top in his profession.

Hard Times

The Egypt bomb blasts did not occur out of the blue. They may be regarded as developments of terrorist activities directed against people of those 'western' nations which have expressed their protest against Islamic extremism in a violent manner. The most alarming aspect of such ruthless allegedly 'terrorist' attacks is the failure of the defence personnel to ward of such acts of violence. Time and again these alleged 'terrorists' are being able to break through the security fortification, causing massive damage to life and property. And the rapidly upward-moving success graph of such violence only act as premonitions of harder times to come.

Crime Patrol

When a gang of robbers can continue burglary in four addresses one after the other in a the Salt Lake area of Kolkata and then allegedly rape a minor girl, with the police in dark, one can safely conclude that the city is in the grip of crime. Leaving alone private professional security measures and the inmates of the buildings affected, how come the police allow such crimes to continue unabated in the city? Also, the common citizens themselves should be doing more to prevent such crimes, especially when both public and private security measures are proving unreliable.

Leading The Way

Rahul Dravid has been in the first class international arena for around ten years now. Time and again he has proved the worth of his unflinching dedication towards the game as a whole and his team in particular. So, team India should fare well under his captaincy and he himself has everything to gain from this added responsibility.

Bangla Music Getting Global

It is nice to see a healthy competition developing among the three Bengali music channels. By virtue of these efficient media having wide reach, Bangla music is all set to rock the international arena.

Campus Security

It is alarming to know that a student was molested in the premises of a Kolkata college by an outsider. A college is hardly a private place and especially during admissions, almost anyone can enter a college campus. Perhaps the college authorities need to arrange for security measures as in some high-definition corporate offices. But then again, when the college administrations cry foul over paucity of funds hampering upgradation of education infrastructure, it is perhaps too much to expect colleges to overhaul campus security network. In such a situation, only the police can provide assistance, which, however, may not be a long-term solution.

Timely Exposure

No way can the Salman Khan tapes be genuine. Had they been genuine, they should have been disclosed much earlier, and not specifically just before the release of a movie featuring the actor in a lead role.

Captaincy Calling

The Team India selectors have done the right thing in going for Rahul Dravid as the skipper for the upcoming tri-series at Sri Lanka. There is no certainty as to whether the International Cricket Council (ICC) will lift the suspension on Sourav Ganguly. Moreover, though the latter has been fairly successful in the English County tournaments, one can hardly bank on his batting form at the highest level, considering his indifferent outings at the crease in the last international matches where he featured. So, it is a good move on the part of the selectors to relieve him from the added responsibility of captaincy, so that that he can concentrate more on his batting and take on the opposition with all guns blazing, and hopefully, earn back the position of the captain of Team India in the process.

Tram Traffic

There is hardly any justification for undertaking the repair and relaying of certain portions of the Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy Road tramlines in the Maniktala area in the rainy season. Judging by the visible amount of work left to be done, it is almost certain that the job would not be finished before the rains arrive in full blast. And once that happens, the road, though wide, is supposed to get muddy, adding to the traffic snarls. The only remedy is to speed up the work, so that rains do not get the opportunity to play spoilsport with the traffic flow.

New Coach, New Ways

Tom Moody with his experience of being a part of the Aussie winning machine, as also his long English county experience to bank upon, should be able to guide the Sri Lankan lions towards achieving noteworthy and long-lasting success overseas. He needs to have a pool of fit faster bowlers to continue the good work that Chaminda Vaas usually does with the new ball. After all, spin wizard, Muttiah Muralitharan cannot be expected to run through the opposition innings in overseas seeming wickets as well. Sri Lanka probably needs to recall physio Alex Contouri to keep the likes of Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Ferveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga and Prabath Nissanka to share the workload of swing and seam bowling with old warhorse, Chaminda Vaas, who hardly shows signs of burnout.

New Team India

Finally, the Team India selectors have thought it wise to bank on the genuine all-round abilities of Jai Prakash Yadav, who has been delivering the goods consistently at the domestic level, both with the bat and the ball. And though the two new faces in the squad, Suresh Raina and Yalaka Venugopal Rao are primarily batsmen, they are nonetheless, basically utility cricketers - ideal to fit into the limited over scenario. But, Dinesh Mongia, a consistent performer both at the Indian and the English domestic circuits, has all the reasons to feel frustrated, especially since he has added reliability to his batting and guile to his bowling. The exclusion of Ajit Agarkar from the squad should send the signal to him that Team India, with its eyes firmly set on the World Cup 2007, is looking beyond erratic bowling and inconsistent batting. V.V.S. Laxman deserves all the kudos for clawing his way back into the limited-over squad by virtue of his recent form with the bat. However, it is alarming that India is yet to find a reasonable long-term replacement for Anil Kumble. The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) should take the help of veterans like Srinivas Venktaraghavan, Erapalli Prasanna and Bishen Singh Bedi to train spinners and churn out new talents in the art of spin, which unfortunately, somehow, is becoming a declining art in India.

Batting Responsibility

The Team India selectors have done the right thing in going for Rahul Dravid as the skipper for the upcoming tri-series at Sri Lanka. There is no certainty as to whether the International Cricket Council (ICC)will lift the suspension on Sourav Ganguly. Moreover, though the latter has been fairly successful in the English County tournaments, one can hardly bank on his batting form at the highest level, considering his indifferent outings at the crease in the last international matches he featured in. So, it is a good move on the part of the selectors to relieve him from the added responsibility of captaincy, so that that he can concentrate more on his batting and take on the opposition with all guns blazing, and hopefully, earn back the position of the captain of Team India in the process.

Search For Energy

The government should really look for diversification of the upstream oil companies into the exploitation of the non-conventional energy sources and likewise, put the downstream oil companies into the marketing of such energy. India, as it is, is not rich in fossil fuels. So, it is high time the India banked on and cashed in on the non-conventional, non-pollutant energy resources with sustained seriousness for the dual benefit of the economy and the environment.

Techies Hacked

In the modern age of application of highly complex technology in cracking down hidden criminal tracks, the terrorists are all set to take up the e-vigilance challenge. In fact, they are well on the way outwitting the cops in their mission of spreading worldwide terror. The way the terrorists are brainwashing the young technology experts and utilising their skills to their benefit and the detriment of mankind, is certainly a cause for alarm. This is a chilling case in point of new-age brain drain, that has to be checked at any cost.

Going Places

This year's IIFA Awards in Amsterdam really did create more than just the odd ripple. It has become the icon of the globalisation of Bollywood. It has created a niche of its own in the crowd of Bollywood's annual movie awards. Perhaps, next year the Bollywood buffs will be treated to a grand cricket carnival with the Bollywood stars taking on the Aussie cricketers to kick start the event.

In The Right Circuit

Arshad Warsi has found a firm footing in the Bollywood circuit. Though he had a successful debut in 'Tere Mere Sapne', he made a heavy weather of his career in eminently forgettable movies like 'Betabi' and 'Hero Hindustani'. He has rediscovered himself in 'Munnabhai MBBS' and has really risen expectations for its sequel. He appears to be a striking 'character' actor in the making.

Sports Bug

On the one hand, there is China looking to conquer the cricket world within the next two decades, and the other, sports in their south and south-western neighbour are languishing in the quagmire of deep-seated corruption. However, it is still a healthy sign for Indian sports that the Prime Minster himself has decided to look into the present state of affairs at the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The honourable PM should understand that the sports administration in the country needs a complete overhauling. A modestly desirable model to emulate is not far to seek; a cue in this regard can certainly be taken from the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).

Sleek Sleaze

The mobile phone sleaze episode is experiencing a phenomenal frequency of repeat telecasts. This is certainly aided by the remarkable increase in the (mis)use of the internet, the storehouse and sharing medium of an incredible amount of pornography. The need of the hour is to strengthen the Information Technology Act with the help of expert and experienced software professionals. Also, at the grass-root level, the parents should think twice before handing camera mobile phones to their adolescent children, who are the easiest targets and victims of such sleaze.

Artistic Beauty Of Love

It should be absolutely clear to one and all that the Taj Mahal is collectively owned by the citizens of India through the machinery of the democratic state. In no way can it be handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, for the sake of a lapsed imperial decree. The Taj Mahal, an artistic creation par excellence and an icon of love, cannot be allowed to be reduced to the status of merely a grave.

Lurking Law Looming Large

Just when Salman Khan looked all set to finally struggle out of his notorious reputation of hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons, his definite connections with the underworld has been revealed with remarkable clarity. Now, if he is really guilty of being involved in the illegal underworld activities, he should find himself in the firm grasp of law. No matter how good a performer he is, he has got to find himself behind the bars, if he deserves that. But above all, the lesson ringing loud and clear, for some time now, is that the Mumbai underworld has to be obliterated. Otherwise, a number of such 'tragic heroes' as Salman Khan may very well be in the making.

In The Line Of Attack

The Kolkata underground railway is hardly immune to potential terrorist attacks. Passengers hardly care to pass through the metal detector gates and even if such gates signal the presence of metal, the security personnel are not be found to conduct a search. If people do not abide by the rules themselves, the same should be enforced with sustained seriousness and sincerity. But unfortunately, it requires a series of blasts in London to for the revival of such good sense, and it remains to be seen for what length such good sense gets the better of laziness on the part of the security personnel and busyness on the part of the passengers.

Gambling With Parkinson

If it is scientifically proved that the drug, 'Mirapex', used to treat Parkinson's disease, promotes gambling tendencies among the patients, it has to be banned. Before a suitable alternative is found out, moderate doses of the drug has to be given with due precaution. The lurking question is that why such drugs are not tested for all possible side-effects, even in this era of phenomenal advancement of medical sciences.

Cold Tea

It is a pity that the fate of West Bengal's major cash crop industry is caught in doldrums. India is gradually losing its ground to cheaper producers of tea, like Sri Lanka, Kenya and Tanzania. On the other hand, the tea garden labourers in north Bengal have gone on strike in demand of enhanced wage rates. West Bengal being a prime tea producer in India, the deadlock is certain to adversely affect the country's domestic tea market as well as her already waning competitiveness at the international market. The Central Government must join hands with the State Government for quick solution of the issue for the benefit of all concerned.

Open Skies

It is a healthy sign for West Bengal's aviation scenario that a number of foreign airlines are going to bring Kolkata into their list of flight destinations. With these airlines vying for capturing the Kolkata civil aviation market, the flight services are destined to improve significantly, with fares being the most competitive. Cheap air travel will certainly boost the industrialisation of the state, transport being a key infrastructural requirement for any industry to prosper and flourish.

Avoid The Hat-trick

There is no point in having a public examination for class 11, when there are such examinations for class 10 and class 12. Internal school exams are there for serving the purpose of evaluation at the class 11 level.

Malady Of Mind

Mentally retarded children are a challenge to medical sciences. It is a sad thing that medical sciences have still remained by and large a failure when it comes to the matter of preventing or healing such inborn ailments, which pose fatal threats to nascent lives. The problem is all the more acute in the economically backward countries, where mothers and kids often suffer from malnutrition and where the parents often are not able to bear the expenses of curing a mentally retarded child.

In A Comic Vein

After a long hiatus, a man in his later middle ages was given the role of a Hindi movie protagonist in 'Aks' and the trend has continued since then with fair amount of success. Amitabh Bachchan has hogged the limelight most often in such roles. But some mention has also to be made of Paresh Rawal, who leaving behind his usual villainous roles, has given memorable performances in comic roles in such movies as 'Hera Pheri', 'Aanken' and 'Awara Pagal Deewana' casting aside the usual 'heroes' and even Amitabh Bachchan, in 'Aakhen'.

Bunty And Chhote Sarkar To Dhoom Up

Finally, Abhishek Bachchan is getting out of the shadows of his illustrious father. With back-to-back hits, 'Bunty Aur Babli' and 'Sarkar', where he steals the limelight in spite of the towering presence of Amitabh Bachchan, to go with the immensely popular 'Dhoom' last year, Abhishek Bachchan has shown that he can be the USP of a movie.

Blast Their Way Through

The 7/7 London blasts only go to show that terrorism is well and truly alive and the US-led aggressions in Afghanistan and Iraq have only added fuel to the terrorists' rage. Whatever additional security measures are put to practice all the world over in the wake of these attacks, should be sustained in order to give onself any chance to prevent such instances of planned violence to recur.

Astrologic

There is no reason why astrology programmes on television should be banned. Such programmes have a sizeable audience. Actually, it has to be left to the viewers to judge for themselves how far, if at all, they are going to believe in the predictions. If people are not willing to make a fool of themselves, no television programme, attractively packaged and strikingly presented, can take their wisdom for a ride.

Insecurity

The Ayodhya blast goes to show no matter how tight security arrangements are it is only next to impossible to sustain the intensity of the security procedure, and trained terrorists strike hard during such lapses. Though at Ayodhya the culprits could not strike inside the garbha griha, they have managed to deal a severe blow to the Indian administration. Lord Rama and Babur, the great rulers they were, would have found it difficult to deal with such situations. One reason behind the cropping up of such loopholes in the security system may be the lack of people's cooperation when it comes to the matter of sticking to what are commonly denounced as 'security formalities'.

Whodunit

In the heat of the moment the Karnataka government had announced a prize money to be awarded to those responsible for the death of Veerappan. But now it is finding it increasingly difficult to single out the potential awardees. The tussle among the policemen in this regard is disgraceful on professional grounds, but justified on humanitarian grounds, nonetheless. It remains to be seen in what way and how fast the authority is able to untangle this issue. This should be a lesson at not making hasty and over-excited commitments.

End’s Well

It is a great news for one and all that the impasse in Jadavpur University, celebrating its golden jubilee this year, is over at long last, with reportedly little grudge against each other left in the University administrators and the students. This solution to the deadlock shows what wonders can be achieved by plain and simple face to face discussion on a troublesome issue.

Grin In Green

Line at least the roads named 'Avenue' with trees in concordance with the lexical meaning of the word and paint the flyovers and the malls green to make Kolkata greener.

Dam Across Unrest

As the old saying goes, better late than never, the Narmada dam should be now utilized to its full capacity. The enormity of the Gujarat floods this season could have been lessened had the Sardar Sarovar dam project as originally conceived been allowed to be materialised which would then have allowed the dam system to divert some quantity of the excess water to the parched areas and the rest stored in reservoirs for future use. The administration should learn to discriminate the genuine, rational agitations from the over-enthusiastic, baseless ones, as the latter, if heeded to, leads to waste of valuable resources.

Root Out ULFA

There is no reason why the ULFA should be allowed spread its wings any further. Time and again, it has proved itself to be a militant outfit, willing to stretch all boundaries of civilised humanity, and that too, just for achieving their narrow ends, which are remotely based on mass opinion. They are acting as corrupt middlemen, dissociated form both the administration and the people and willing to harm both for some selfish gains. It is high time that the administration took worthwhile notice of the developments and uproot it at the earliest.

On The Move

The concept of biogas train is innovative. If the concept can be put to practice, it is supposed to decrease the fuel cost for running trains, and perhaps more importantly, will reduce air pollution. But in any case, the experts should find a way out to increase the passenger capacity of such a train. Otherwise, it can hardly be a viable replacement for diesel or electric trains.

Entry Into Administration

It is unfortunate that the IISWBM IAS coaching centre will have to be closed for want of students. Most of the aspirants from this part of the state over the years have found it a Herculean task to crack even the prelims. Young people make a beeline for institutions offering management entrance test coaching, even though the process is hugely expensive and the entrance examinations, similarly, if not more, painstaking. But then again, most of the management entrance test coaching centres are highly methodical, disciplined and professional in their approach, always trying to enhance the skills of the aspirants. But reportedly, the IISWBM IAS coaching centre lacks in infrastructure, the importance of which can never be undermined, especially in the modern world of fierce competition right from the word 'go'.

Hillslide

The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in general and Subhash Ghising in particular are obstinately clinging on to their plea for Darjeeling to be declared a state separate from West Bengal. When the interests of the Darjeeling people in this issue are showing definite signs of fading out, Mr. Ghising is trying to leave no stones unturned, but in vain. After all, there is no reason why Darjeeling should stick to its long-drawn demand of being declared a separate state. West Bengal is well and truly a cosmopolitan state, with people from different corners of the country settling here peacefully and happily for various purposes since long. No way, the Gorkha and Nepali cultures are under threat from the other cultural groups found in the state. So, why continue to harp on the issue of separate statehood and disturb the socio-political and economic stability of the district?

Dress Un-coded

There is no reason why students, no matter whether they are boys or girls, should not be allowed to wear what they are comfortable with, at the campus. The students are wise enough to judge for themselves what they should wear and what not, at the campus. Those who feel perturbed by the changing trend of students' attire should be trying to adjust their way of looking at things accordingly. Either there should be a uniform or no written dress code, the latter to be left in good faith to the discretion of the students.

Delicacies On The Way

The effect of globalization in the form of capital intensive production and suave and aggressive techniques, may not be a boon for the roadside dhabas. The seasoned dhaba owners should understand that it is better for such a business to run in small scale, especially in the matter of maintaining the food quality and the homely ambience.

Fall From Grace

Gautam Goswami has finally surrendered, much to the relief and also shame, of the police. If he is at all proved guilty of misusing the money allocated for flood relief, it will be the citizens' individual and collective responsibility to comprehend the real reason behind the fall of the IAS officer who had not long back, set striking examples of competence.

Debugging Cyber Crime

The new Prevention of Money Laundering Act is expected to face an acid test at the hands of people who seek to use the internet for misappropriation and defulcation of money. The threat of cyber crime is looming large in India with the boom in the country's information technology and allied industries. Sometimes such criminal practices are resorted to only for fun, but the outcome is disastrous. The performance of the protectors of law in the country in the matter of tracking down such 'casual criminals' have thus far left much to be desired of them.

Teach The Lawmakers

The Imrana episode leaves a lot to be desired from Indian law. How can a law-framing authority, in this case, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board(AIMPLB), allegedly threaten to endanger the life of the lady raped by her father-in-law, if she continues to live with her husband, instead of with her father-in-law, as directed by the country's Muslim lawmakers? Such dogmatic and despotic lawmakers need to undergo a crash course in basic human morality before they can pass on such inhuman judgements.

Radio Now

It is an inspirational move on the part of the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry to free the airwaves for its easier utilisation by foreign radio channels. Radio, which was not long back left relegated to virtual oblivion, is now undergoing a boom. It is opening new vistas for the entertainment industry to explore and exploit, to provide complete consumer satisfaction. It thus also means plenty to cheer about for young people who wish join these channels as programme anchors, especially since radio anchors are these days elevated to the status of youth icons.

Cumbersome Clothing

Students dress up to colleges in attires they are comfortable in, girls being no exception. A dress code for girls will only demand added vigilance on the part of the seemingly already overburdened members of college office staff, apart from intruding into the freedom at the personal level, of the concerned students.

Strike Off

CITU, a politically-backed labour organisation, called a transport strike in West Bengal in protest of the Central Government's recent hike in petroleum prices. The strike was successful in bringing normal work to a standstill. But is it not sheerly hypocritical on the part of the Left Front government in the state to undertake such economic reforms like privatisation of the Great Eastern Hotel on one hand, and support such regressive moves like strikes on the other?

Bridge On The River Hoogly

The river Hoogly flanks Kolkata on the western side. That makes the Howrah Bridge Kolkata's link to the western world. Also the bridge bridges the natural breach between the sister cities of Howrah and Kolkata.

Take The Lead

In order to avail of any legal remedy, one has to seek the help of law. One has to approach law and it is hardly ever the other way round. And it is precisely here where the crux of the problem lies when it comes to the prevention of domestic atrocities against women. NGOs can be of help in a big way in taking the otherwise unheard of tormented homemakers to the court of law for justice.

Got Stuck

The sailor of the barge that got stuck underneath the Howrah Bridge should have gauged that it was dangerous to try to sail on that route. One wonders why he did not try to stop the vessel, when he could see the bridge low enough not to allow its easy passage. The concerned authorities should see to it that the damaged portion is fully repaired, without resorting to stop-gap economical arrangements. And the river traffic regulating authority should be more cautious so as avert such untoward incidents in future.

Sing-song Comedy

It remains to be seen when and how far Shekhar Suman is able to utilize his new-found fascination for classical music in the realm of comedy. The remarkable ease at which he brings elements from all topics into the matter of making all laugh in unison, is without parallel. His comic muse combines elements from both the slapstick genre and the brain-spun wit, which makes him acceptable to one and all.

Food Fun

Modern Indian's appetite reflects the increasing consumerism of the Indian people and their positive response to the sunnier aspects of globalisation. Especially with the boom in the hotel industry, there has been an unprecedented rise in the inflow of foreign food items and preparations and the food-loving Indian is only too happy to oblige his appetite for delicious cuisine.

Tigers Flayed

The term, 'consistency' seems to be incompatible with Bangladesh cricket. One day they demolish an attack spearheaded by the likes of Gillespie and McGrath and in the following match, they are grounded by a part-time bowler like Andrew Symonds. Coach Whatmore must be wondering what more he can do to restore sanity to the erratic Bangladeshi boys.

Have A Ball

The Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) should do well not to pay too much heed to skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq's advise not to send raw Pakistani quick bowlers for training at the MRF Pace Foundation. There is no doubt about the fast bowling skills of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis but Dennis Lillee and his team of coaches at the Chennai fast bowler training centre have proved their acumen at guiding raw fast bowlers time and again. Pakistan would do well to utilize this opportunity provided by its eastern neighbour.

Tame The Animal Within

Enforcing a dress code in the university is not the solution to bring a halt to sexual harassment of female students in and out of the campus. Mumbai University Vice-chancellor, Vijay Khole should be able to understand that it ultimately boils down to whether or not men actually restrain themselves before sexually abusing any lady. Women must not be forced to go against their liking only for the sake of curbing the animal instincts of a handful of men. Men should be able to curb their evil desires on their own.

Ironing Out Unemployment

The recently concluded Posco deal should usher a new era in the history of iron and steel industry in India as also in the realm of foreign investments in the country's basic industries. The Rs. 52,000 deal with its potential for generating 48,000 direct and indirect employments, should be particularly beneficial for Orissa and the Indian employment scenario in general. People from all quarters should support the implementation of the mega project, instead of deliberating on non-issues and demonstrating agitations against it.

In A Patriotic Stance

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Babulal Gaur's decision of mandatorily having all government employees singing the national song in unison at office as his latest move for instilling patriotism into people, is stirring, as is his other move of setting a uniform for the government employees. One can wait a while to observe whether or not such rules are actually implemented, and if implemented, how far they are followed, and abiding by such rules, ensured. There is no reason to bring the question of religion into whether or not all should be made to sing the national song. The real issue is how far such compulsion, especially in the matter of singing the national song, constitutional? How can a person who glorifies child marriage, talk in such 'ethical' and 'moral' terms as 'patriotism' and 'equality'?

Protect The Sufferers

Considering the number of lives heat and cold waves tend to account for in India, such vagaries of nature can very well be termed as natural calamities in India. The government can actually arrange for extra medical and para-medical manpower in the worst-affected areas, who can treat people in mobile health clinics as well as in the health centres. Adequate supply of drinking water has to be ensured at any cost all over the country during summer. Similarly, warm clothes can be distributed for free in the areas worst affected by cold. Implementations of these measures require huge sums of money and a better public distribution infrastructure. But if those at the helm of affairs are for once humane enough not to engage themselves in defulcation and misappropriation of public funds, the obvious ends of a welfare state can be achieved.

Talk Sense, Make Sense

On Tuesday, June 21, 2005, there was a seminar on 'Congenial Environment for Women at Night Shift Work', organised by 'Pragati', the ladies wing of Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the chamber's premises in Kolkata. Unfortunately, but as usual, very little concrete came out of the interaction. The same platitudinal 'women's empowerment', 'separate and clean toilet facilities for women at work', 'self-restraint on the part of men', 'employers not wishing to take the risk' were harped upon. Such observations and suggestions are obvious and the deliberations on the issue, if deprived of the oratorial skills of the speakers were virtually 'airy nothings'. Such talks should be arranged only if on prior consultation with the approached speakers, the organisers feel something innovative and more importantly, worthwhile, can actually come out of the discussions.

Crown Of Folly

Most of the motorcyclists as well as the pillion riders do wear helmets these days. But that is only a part of the real picture. Often these helmets are the cricket helmets which are only a shade better than showpieces while speeding down the roads on two-wheelers. It is true that the traffic cops, perhaps mainly out of sheer lethargy, do not always care to catch hold of those who care to flout the traffic norms. But, then again, are people not supposed to take due care of their own safety?

Quota Continues

When cries are being raised from different quarters to abolish the quota system, it is certainly a regressive move on the part of the Andhra Pradesh government to introduce a five per cent job quota for the Muslims. Instead of such allowing such protection at the employment level, the government should look at extending educational facilities in a bigger and better way right from the grass-root level to the thus far deprived people, irrespective of identities acquired by birth.

Vote In Peace

The hue and cry regarding the Kolkata municipal polls has been unprecedented this time. So has been the ingenuity of rigging. Although the security personnel has somehow, for some reason or the other, managed to hit the headlines by beating up a current Lok Sabha MP and a close aide of the state's previous Chief Minister, manipulation of the polling process has gone largely unabated even with the voting process going electronic. Perhaps even in an otherwise peaceful Kolkata, elections are to be conducted under military vigilance.

Free Rule

It is nice to find the strife between the Ambani siblings finally being solved. But, still, perhaps it would have been better had the Reliance empire remained intact. However, since the rift could not be mended, it is still better that the brothers have parted considering the interests of the shareholders. It remains to be seen how far the two brothers are now able to manage their individual stakes. One thing is eminently noticeable. In spite of the late Dhirubhai Ambani's honest efforts, 'Reliance' was never a hugely popular brandname, even after the house being the title sponsor of the 1987 edition of the ICC World Cup. But things changed almost overnight with the advent of Reliance Infocom when Reliance India Mobile was launched by the founder Ambani's two sons. So the prospects of the Reliance fragments are likely to be still far from being bleak.

Ball Of Contention

It is amazing that so much skill and time goes into the making of a cricket ball. The red ball usually lasts longer than the white one, the prime problem with the latter being its ready susceptibility to discoloration, especially in the subcontinent, where the pitch is often dusty and the outfield, uneven, to go with the serious pounding it usually receives from the belligerent batsmen. Also, white balls are till date meant only for the one-dayers, whether or not played under lights. The International Cricket Council(ICC) should sit with the ball manufacturers to solve the problem of changing balls in almost every alternate one-day innings. The ICC, always in the look-out to eradicate stoppages in the play, can very well make it compulsory to use red balls in day One-day matches, even if the players wear coloured clothes.

Comic Timing

There is an oozing streak of humour in Navjot Singh Sidhu. If he doesn't agree to feature in 'Tusi Great Ho Paji', Bollywood buffs are certain to miss out on a handsome dose of rib-tickling entertainment. It remains to be seen however, how far he is able to shine in speeches written by others.

Dare To Bare

Mediapersons like Max Clifford may appear to be "a sleaze ball" or "the Sultan of Sleaze" to the ordinary eye, but they are among those few who dare to bring to bring out the real picture to people. It is gross injustice to the noble job of news production, to dub such expositions as 'yellow journalism'.

Mines In Troubled Waters

The Saunda mine disaster in Hazaribagh leads the question of mining safety in our country to crop up yet again. In a thickly populated country like India where it is largely undesirable to go in for complete mechanisation of mines, safety first should be the catchline for all concerned with mining. But it seems that this thumb rule is sought to be thrown out of the windows in India. A blast inside a portion of a mine where the outer portion of the roof forms the bed of a waterbody will, in all probality, cause the roof to cave in, allowing water to gush in and fatally trap those inside. Those at the helm of affairs concerning mining in the country should be stricter in their vigilance over how basic mining principles are adhered to in the country. Otherwise such disasters would only multiply.

Foreign Hand

There is no reason why foreign investments should not be allowed in India's newspaper production. The move to allow foreign newspaper houses to publish Indian editions is also welcome. But still, even though mass media censorship is not a desirable thing, there should be certain responsible avenues open for at least taking worthwhile notice of newspapers with such 'foreign' tags. At no cost should baseless anti-Indian sentiments be allowed to be propagated through this powerful mass medium aimed at the educated masses.

Pollution Control

The photograph entitled 'Death Bed' points with alarming aptness at the havoc played by disturbance of ecological balance caused by pollution. The Union Environment Ministry should direct the Karnataka Government to conduct a probe as to what actually caused so many fishes to die at the same time at the Puttenahalli Lake and whether such things occur at other lakes of the area.

Central Sickness

The greater autonomy for Public Sector enterprises recommended in the Report on Empowerment of Central Public Sector Enterprises is certainly welcome when it is known to all that certain PSUs are too sick for years together primarily due to the over-involvement of some ministers and government officials. It remains to be seen though, how fast and to what extent the recommendation is accepted and then how effectively it is implemented. There is no reason why such PSUs can be allowed to make profits, even after abiding by the dominant public service motive.

Free to Fly

India's open air policy has meant increased competition in the country's domestic and international air transport sector. This is set to ensure increased comfort for passengers, maintaining a steady rise in India's air passengers. But for the country's civil aviation sector to consistently continue on its present track of steady development, India's tourism industry has to be given a boost. Airports are to be upgraded to meet the international standards. Especially in the north-east, where road, rail and water transports are not feasible, either in monetary or in temporal terms, air transport will have a ready market if tourism and other industries are developed.

Up In Protest

Above anything else, educational institutions are meant for academic pursuits. So, students should certainly be punished if their agitation affects academic activities on campus. But such punishments should not be brutal or inhuman so as to raise hues and cries for taking legal actions against the authority who inflict punishments on the guilty students.

Popular Bollywood

When it comes to appreciation of any art form, no number of awards is supposed to be enough. The multifarious movie awards are the reflections of public acceptance and appreciation of Bollywood, which is now gaining a firm footing in non-traditional markets as well. Such awards publicize Bollywood before the world and there is no reason to be cynical about them.

On A High

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh deserves applause for delving deeper into the Siachen issue. Visiting the high-altitude glacial area at his ripe old age, where none of the previous Indian Prime Minsters dared to set foot, is certainly an exemplary feat. The policy-makers should once get the taste of being out there at the cold. The Indian government should take careful and concrete steps towards removing once and for all from Siachen, the tag of 'the highest battlefield of the world'.

For Heritage And Revenue

It is true that in a huge country like India it is difficult to discover the heritage sites spread in all corners. But, then again, India has been independent for close to six decades now. And, it is unanimously accepted that industry can be profitably developed in the country. Keeping this in view a number of institutions have commenced variegated courses not only on tourism, hospitality and hotel management, but also on museology, heritage management and the like. But it is upto the government to discover the potential heritage sites and more importantly, ensure their proper maintenance. Such measures will not only further enhance the glory of Indian culture but will also ensure the steady inflow of much-needed foreign currency.

On Fast Track Of Corruption

Corrupt men as immoral as Prabhu Shankar Agarwal is alleged to be, tarnish the reputation of businessmen in general. These avaricious people influence people to fall prey to the generalised and vague conjecture that resorting to corrupt practices is the stepping stone to success in business. It is the citizens' duty to see to it that the Indian fast food boss, if proved guilty, is dealt with exemplary punishment. Let such personifications of inhumanity realise that lives are not to be toyed with.

Religiously Communal

Jinnah was instumental in separating modern Pakistan from India primarily on religious grounds. Thus, whatever else he may have done to promote communal harmony in undivided India and in Pakistan gets nullified, and most definitely he cannot be seen as a truly secular politician.

Make Friends While Roads Link

The Union Government should seriously consider revitalising Ladakh with the Kargil-Skardu road-link and re-establishment of Sino-Indian commerce route through the place. Such measures, by securing the importance of the place, will help India in maintaining friendly relations with Pakistan and China. There is no reason why India should delay in grabbing this diplomatic opportunity dealing with the place of much strategic importance.

Stick For Students

The late-night police crackdown on the fasting Jadavpur University students was inhuman. In any case, the students were fasting peacefully. They were physically too weak to resist the assault from the duty-bound protectors of law. Thanks to its obstinate top-bosses, the University, otherwise respected for its smooth workings, apart from its steady outflow of brilliant professionals, is only tarnishing its reputation during its golden jubilee celebrations. It is a pathetic irony that such police atrocities, that too avoiding the citizens' eyes, late into the night, are taking place in the State Legislative Constituency of Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who also happens to be the Police Minister.

Television Content Storage

With the steady rise in the use of ISDN and Broadband internet connections enabling downloading of television clippings from the internet, as also easy availability of softwares to store television broadcasts over web-tv enabled computers, television sets with live broadcasts storing facilities is not expected to take the market by storm. This is all the more pertinent since the picture quality of such stored programmes is not usually the best one can happen to come across.

City Bollywood

True to the nature of any art form, Bollywood movies do depict contemporary social trends. The widening hiatus between urban and rural India is definitely reflected by the current Bollywood movies. For example, though "Dil Chahta Hai' is primarily a movie on friendship, one gets the feeling that things would not have been the same, had the three male protagonists been a shade less opulent. Nowadays, rural India hardly finds a place in Bollywood movies, 'Veer-Zaara' being an exception. But then again, whereas 'Page 3' and 'White Noise' in particular are 'typical' examples of 'multiplex' movies appealing to a select few, a movie like 'Fun...Can Be Dangerous Sometimes', though definitely based on fast posh urban life, has done reasonably well in both big and small centres.

Youthful Maturity

Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra are driving Bollywood to a new glorious level of aesthetic and professional excellence. They are striking gold through not only their old warhorse, Yash Raj films, but also through such diversifications as their music company and their distribution network. With Yash Chopra clinging on to his youthful vigour with ease and Aditya Chopra maturing by the day, brand Yash Raj looks all set to take Bollywood to new vistas of success.

All For Religion

The week-long high drama at the capital only went on to prove that Lal Krishna Advani, the man had no choice but to surrender before Lal Krishna Advani, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader. Whether he was being honest in praising the 'secular' nature of the Father of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, is not yet known for certain. But one thing is for sure,- the BJP still has a long way to go before it can really call itself 'secular'. Even a veteran leader like L.K. Advani was traumatized by the likes of the Viswa Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. One wonders on what ground Murali Manohar Joshi, a despotic advocate of 'saffronization' of politics that he has been proving himself to be, could hold on to the portfolio of the Human Resource Development Minister under a central government led by a coalition that calls itself 'National Democratic Alliance'.

Foreign Help

The All India Football Association's decision to allow foreign recruits to continue playing in all domestic tournaments is a rational one. What the Federation can do is to be more vigilant as to the quality and the footballing history of these foreign players. In any case, most of these overseas players have been extremely helpful to the cause Indian football, not only in their capacity as crowd-pullers, but also as ready-at-hand sources of inspiration and guidance to the local players.

Tiger And Deer

By trying to put up lame excuses to evade punishment in the deer poaching tangle, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi is only tarnishing his reputation of being a responsible and respectable citizen. As a veteran citizen, it should be very clear to him that the country's law is the same for one and all. If he is really guilty of the serious offence of killing an animal belonging to an endangered species, he should have the courage to face the legal consequences as they come.

Players For All Seasons

While Sachin Tendulkar out of reckoning for a spot in the Indian squad, the selectors can try give an extended run to either Dinesh Mongia or Sridharan Sriram, both of whom are by now established all-rounders. They are utility cricketers and should match the likings of coach Greg Chappell, who has made his primary motive of driving Team India to World Cup success very clear. Also keeping in view the present state of his fitness and the World Cup in a couple of years, Sachin Tendulkar may find it suitable to the team's interest to concentrate only on the one-day version of the game, as and when he returns to international cricket. Mohammad Kaif appears to be the right person to take his place in the Test team.

Gateway To Higher Education

The Tamil Nadu government should have gone for consultation with veteran educationists before deciding to go in for a single examination for admission to professional colleges in the state. That would have lent transparency to its functioning in this regard. In the current competitive era of booking a seat in professional institutions, the school leaving examination might act as the screening test. But different institutions should be allowed to conduct separate admission tests, to suit their unique style of imparting education. What the government should do is to see to it that these institutions do not indulge in undue money-spinning in the name of a long-drawn admission procedure.

Quality Over Quantity

Slashing down the number of seats at a number of technical education institutes is a welcome move. Provision of coveted seats to the ever-increasing higher technical education aspirants all over the country caring a fig for the infrastructure necessary to provide such education in a beneficial and fruitful way should not be the aim of the educational institutions. Especially since these are professional courses, often involving payment of huge sums as fees, there is no point in pursuing such courses if the thing is not learnt properly, thereby undoing the purpose of emerging as industry-ready personnel.

Police Attack On Economist

The attack on the eminent economist, Jean Dreze and his colleagues by CRPF jawans leaves one shocked. More nonsensical is the reason cited for the attack. How could a talk on 'Rozgar Adhikar Yatra', appear to be the preachings of Maoist rebels? This is a classic case of the country's security system gone out of wits. If such cases of police atrocities continue to occur, one will be forced to doubt the credibility of the selection and the training processes of the country's defence personnel.

Secular Scandal

It is unfortunate that Lal Krishna Advani, a veteran leader of one of the country's major political parties, had to resign from the post of the Bharatiya Janata Party President, following his attempts at secularising the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the accepted exponent of the two-nation theory. India's political relation with Pakistan has been showing marked and drastic inclination towards unprecedented improvement, only since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government got to hold sway at the centre. BJP is no longer the slam bang Hindutva party. But to effectively implement its 'secular' motives, it has to break ties with the despotic Hindu bigots like the Viswa Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It is unfortunate to find such pro-religion pressure groups still casting an important influence on Indian politics.

Return Of The Native

The ruckus following the return of Rajiv Bhattacharya from Mughalsarai is unprecedented. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattcharjee has no business to comment, "This is not a case of kidnapping at all”. Such hasty emphatic remarks from a public figure only heightens the confusion, especially when the matter is still seemingly far from the track of being solved. One wonders how an otherwise respectable figure reputed for his wisdom, could act so irresponsibly on such a sensitive issue, when the otherwise well-off young man imputed against 'disappeared' the day before his wedding.

The Sinking Feeling

The sinking of the charred ship, 'MV Faiz' was inevitable. It is a matter of common sense that a badly damaged ship cannot weather constant battering by waves in the open sea for long. Efforts should have been made to pull the ship ashore much earlier. Such deliberate delay in this regard only goes to intensify the apprehensions that the deaths of the ship's captain and his family were not accidental but planned and that the culprits are now trying to destroy the evidences. What is all the more astonishing is that somehow they are being let loose to succeed in carrying out their evil motives.

Call For Conscience

Sometimes I get the feeling that our demands are too much materialistic and instead of loving our objects of desire, we tend to get infatuated with them. And then, true to the nature of infatuation, our attachment with the coveted object is gone with the wind. What actually do I want ahead of and apart form the usual mobile and automobile?

Well it's just a better world to live in. I don't remember when I last saw the front page of any newspaper of the day devoid of news on bribery, robbery, rape, accident, murder, abduction or the like. And we care a fig for what's happening around as long as they don't explicitly affect us. The thing is that even in this 'happening' age, we lack the vitality to prevent things slip from our grips.

In this age of communication and information boom, can't we act in unison to demolish the deep- rooted superstructure of corruption? When we are thinking in the lines of doing away with the quota system, here comes the union government unitedly led by the self-proclaimed 'progressive' allies to arrange for fifty per cent seat reservations on religious basis in a university. However, thankfully, very few are lending their support to this move. Then again, when the same government takes a truly progressive step in banning onscreen portrayal of smoking, people are raising a hue and cry against the social reform measure. They are just flooding the mass media with their vitriolic vituperations against the move. The bitterness of their satire would seemingly arouse the jealousy of Juvenal and Alexander Pope, thus far lying in peace in their far-off graves. It's a wonder what makes literate people buy packs after packs of cigarettes, when it's clearly mentioned on the packs that cigarette smoking is injurious to health. Perhaps people are losing on the urge to live long. And death was supposed to be a fearsome proposition!

As population is increasing by leaps and bounds, the sense of competition is eating into our finer humane sensibilities. We are fast becoming cold-blooded escapists.

What we need is to take a break from the daily dose of drudgery, and sit back and think. I have great faith in the human brain and equally great respect for the human heart. We are too intelligent not to find any worthwhile remedy to the social sickness. And then we need to implement those ideas. We are too enthusiastic not to do that. Since the healing touch should always come from within, we need to take the initiative and the world will be with us. There is nothing to jeer or sneer at.

Smoke Free

Onscreen banning of tobacco consumption will cut down drastically on the glamorization of smoking in particular. That should mean adolescents, who are most prone to hero-worship, will be less attracted towards smoking. Perhaps that would tantamount to fewer citizens getting initiated to this malicious habit.

Camel Cure to Diabetes

It is an interesting revelation that consumption of camel milk reduces the chances of insulin-dependent Type I diabetes. Once the medical scientists flash the green signal as to the safety involved in using camel milk as an alternative to insulin, such diabetes patients may breathe a sigh of relief. Camel milk should be much cheaper than the regular insulin injection, even though camels have their natural habitats only in the deserts, which are otherwise thankfully not many in number.

Shining Short

There should be no reason why Twenty20 cannot be made a regular international affair. In this tremendously competitive cricketing event, batsmen and bowlers try to outwit each other with greater relentlessness than ever before and only those with the best cricketing skills can make this version their own, where adaptability and quick-thinking are the key-words. So far as the hue and cry over the technical tantrums of the game are concerned, it is now accepted that scoring runs and taking wickets are primary things in cricket, and there is no point in harping over how they come. Even in Test matches the average run rate is steadily heading towards the four runs per over mark. And stemming the flow of the runs is best done in one-dayers by taking wickets. That is why there is a definite trend towards keeping fielders in attacking positions even after the fifteen-over period of fielding restriction is over. Thus, all-out attack is the mantra of modern cricket and Twenty20 epitomizes it.

Even in the era of short stories, novels have retained their popularity. On similar lines, Twenty20, one-dayers and Tests can co-exist with peace.

Show The Way

To bring the upwardly mobile trend of students' suicides to a halt, the education ministry should introduce more job-oriented vocational courses and properly publicize them. There is no point in introducing manifold welfare measures at different levels without taking adequate care to let people know of their existence, and then how to derive benefits from them. But then again the healing touch should come from within. The near and dear ones of these youngsters in distress should make them realize and feel there are always so many options open to become successful in life. Apart the usual devotion, patience is the other need of the hour.

Young Minds, Fresh Ideas

Where consumer sovereignty is the modern mantra, and state-of-the-art hospitality the all-pervading buzzword, the feel-real tour down the veins of the Indian film industry, is a piece of novel entrepreneurship. The young blood injected into both the film and the tourism industries are opening new vistas of glory for Indian culture and heritage. Now, it is just a matter of time before the latent potentials of both these industries are optimally tapped.

Men As Friends

There is no reason to suppose that when two or more men get together and yet not talk of sex, sports and business, imperatively something is going on in homosexual lines. Actually gender is not the issue in any 'true' friendship. Friendship is known to flourish because of mutual understanding, irrespective of gender concerns. After all, it's a matter just of being buddies. 'Dil Chahta Hai', of course, is the example always ready at hand.

Foreigner Ban To Reduce Footfall

The All India Football Federation's decision to ban foreign players from all domestic tournaments except the National Football League is ridiculous and only emphasizes the federation's lack of foresight. Instead of such blatant display of xenophobia and confused thinking, the federation can look for better administration of football and implementing a scientific football calendar. The standard and popularity of domestic football have definitely heightened with the steady inflow of talented foreign footballers into the country's top teams. These foreign recruits, by their superior footballing skills, are actually inspiring and influencing the local youngsters to better their game.

Killer Quota

The fact that the quota system is being persisted with only goes to show that the Indian administration has been so far a failure so far as reaching the light of education all over the country is concerned. And of course, one of the worst kept secrets is that self-seeking politicians use this contitutionalised partisanism and sectarianism to swell their vote banks, caring a fig for the overall well-being of the country. Instead of continuing with such quotas at the higher education and the employment levels, the administration should make greater investments of effort, time and money to better the way in which education is imparted to the so-called 'backward' classes, right from the primary level.

Plus Two Minus College

In view of the increasing number of successful Madhyamik examinees every year, the decision to abolish Higher Secondary courses from colleges, seems ridiculous. It is a pity that the Ramakrishna Mission Residential College, Narendrapur, which has been dishing out quite a few of the top twenty Higher Secondary scorers every session, can no longer continue its Higher Secondary section. The situation gets even more pathetic when some of the existing Higher Secondary schools as also most of the new plus-two level schools are going for the ISC or the CBSE affiliation.

Electoral Clean-up

The Election Commission should promptly pass on to highest gear in its drive to clean the electorate of false voters. Since the world's largest democracy is getting corrupt by the day, the citizens themselves should come out of their shells with a straightened spine and fight such malpractices with an expanded chest.

Hit-men

When the modern mantra is slick packaging of abbreviated games set on a fast track, Twenty20 cricket will certainly help to heighten the popularity of domestic Indian cricket. However such tournaments should not be open to the junior and sub-junior level players, as the slam-bang version may adversely affect their skills to succeed at the highest levels.

Scent Of Career

It is a laudable move on the part of the St. Xavier's College to enter into a tie-up with an IT firm for imparting comprehensive job-oriented training to BPO and other ITES jobs aspirants. Considering the long-standing reputation of this premier higher education institution, in providing quality education, it is expected that this linkage will be of immense help to aspirants vying for lucrative ITES jobs.

Acting Her Way West

Mallika Sherawat has proved her acting credentials in 'Murder' beyond her dare-devil bare-all image and now it is the time to take herself to the world stage through 'The Myth' opposite Jackie Chan. Let us hope that she is nowhere near a mere showpiece as Aishwariya Rai has thus far proved to be in the West.

D-ontroversy

It is a wonder that Bollywood underworld flicks still create much hue and cry. Perhaps it needs an odd title like 'D' to achieve that. And when a movie of this genre has such a title, it is obvious that one would think in lines of - 'D' for Daud Ibrahim. But in any case, such controversies are grossly meaningless and people have every reason to feel disgusted, even though the movie comes from the house of the respected innovator, Ram Gopal Verma.

Burning Desire

The idea of packaging Sati sites in Rajasthan as tourist spots is detrimental to the interests of an otherwise progressive society like that of India. Sati is both anti-social and illegal. Such state-sponsorship of this inhuman practice is uncalled-for - more so because the practice of Sati and its glorification in any manner have been categorically denounced by the Commission of Sati(Prevention) Act, 1987. One wonders how Ms. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the Chief Minister of the state could put forward such a regressive and anti-constitutional plan. The first woman Chief Minister of the state seems to be looking to root out social upliftment in general, and women's emancipation, in particular, from the state.

County-ing On Experience

Hopefully, Sourav Ganguly's stint with Glamorgan and Irfan Pathan's apperance for Middlesex will be able to retrieve their languishing form at the international level. Both Ganguly, who has done well in England in the past and Pathan under the experienced coach, John Emburey, should enjoy the absorbing county fixture in the trying English conditions.

Obesity Disorder

There seems more concern about the Indian scientists letting go the opportunity of studying the obese kid, Lokman Hakim rather than the latter's actual death. And, the frequency at which photographs of such unusually overweight children are being published by the print media these days, it seems that occurrence of such obesity among young persons, though undesirable, is not really uncommon in West Bengal.

Smoke Screen

The government's plan to ban onscreen presentation of portrayal of smoking in both movies and television, may appear ridiculous on surface. But it is certainly a novel effort to eradicate the menace of tobacco consumption. Though it is true, that depiction of a character smoking is often essential solely for the need of the story, the glamorous way in which smoking is nowadays oftentimes glorified in the typical 'underworld', 'gangster' movies, draws young people towards this social hazard. What the government can do is to censor such undesirable emphatic packaging of smoking scenes, instead of the outright banning of all sorts of smoking scenes at the very outset. Such complete ban may be introduced after judging the impact of a partial censoring.

Format Overhaul

In view of the consistently ridiculous show of the Bangladesh and the Zimbabwe cricket teams at the international level, it should be a good move on the part of the International Cricket Council(ICC) to introduce a second tier for Test teams. That would allow emerging cricketing nations like Bangladesh, Kenya and Zimbabwe to graduate to the highest level with sufficient preparation beforehand. The criterion for entering this lower tier may be winning a place at such ICC tournaments like the World Cup and the Champions Trophy. The ICC should also be taking more initiatives to develop the standard of domestic cricket in the lesser-known cricketing nations. Mere weekend cricket or even the Twenty20 version is not going to be of much help to the cricketing minnows in the long run.

Mobility Of Students

Career first is the modern lifestyle mantra. Since some institutions in other Indian states have been providing better jobworthy education than their counterparts in West Bengal, students should not hesitate to leave Kolkata, if other conditions permit.

Hockey Overhaul

The Indian Hockey Federation has to be made an autonomous body devoid of political influence. Administrators may be recruited from sports management professionals, fresh from the country's premier educational institutions offering such courses. Former hockey players, as also coaches and umpires may be included in the advisory committee. Factionalism and nepotism in the IHF would mean furtherance of India's dismal run at top-level international hockey events.

One For The Future

Greg Chappell's transparent professionalism as also his innovative resourcefulness should be able to boost the Team India morale by making it better equipped to handle precarious situations. The finishing job well done should turn Team India's fortunes around.

Development Time

Civic development works cannot just be slogged through in a year. Whoever comes to power may have assessed the situation beforehand, but successful implementation of the plans requires time, for which a five-years span may be just enough. Also election is too expensive an affair to be afforded once every twelve months. To check corruption in general and red-tapism in particular, the opposition and the maass media, as also the citizens need to be more vigilant, instead of reducing the terms of the elected representatives.

Politics Of Error

There is a sinister sense of tragedy in comedy of errors in Bihar. Bihar politics is characterised by dogged sectarianism coupled with corrupt horse-trading, with democracy long lost for all practical purposes. Dissolving the assembly is the right move, but there is no point in holding fresh elections right now. That would be a wastage of energy, time and money. President's rule in the need of the hour.

Money Move

The takeover of the Manchester United club by the US sports tycoon, Malcolm Glazer, is justified. This is because, in the current era of back-to-back matches and fierce competition, to go with great expectations, a football club cannot do away with stars and soccer stars do not shine without money. The Manchester United fans who are fretting and fuming over the ownership change of the club should find no reasons to complain once the club returns to winning ways.

Our Buddy...It's Friendship, Pal

It's amazing how frequently I happen to make friends...but alas!...only to lose track of them in a jiffy! And what is even more astonishing(apparently least amusing for me though...though I just can't help chuckling at myself) is that my head is always full of friends, and my mailbox devoid of their messages. And this is supposed to be the age of communication boom. Hmm...How funny, and what a comic irony, tragic at my expense!

Soon after high schools were a matter of the past, friends were under the influence of the 'centrifugal force' of globalisation in the education and the job markets, with no time to keep in touch with good old buddies. Well, so far as that friend is going ga-ga over life, it's fine. But what about those who meet only to part? Really is maintaining contact too cumbersome a task in the present era of mails and mobiles? Do we need a tear-jerker soap opera to remind people that a friend in need is a friend in indeed!

But then again, on a more serious note, can anyone be blamed for chasing one's dreams? As horizons get stretched by the second, new vistas of opportunities assert themselves and we, the swashbuckling sensations of the now and for ever, dive headlong into the vast ocean of potentials coming in mounting waves to allow us to realise ourselves. But it is not all to do with mere individualism. One realises oneself most in a group which tends to intrude into and intermingle with such other groups, picking up new tools from each other in its perpetual endeavour to make this world a better place to live in. That's the magic of a global village, so long as we do not become too avaricious, and eat into each other's freedom of thought, if not of expression. After all, 'avarice' is a cardinal sin not for nothing.

So it's better, you know, if we can cut down a bit on selfish materialism, to make room for our more humane components to gush in. After all, friendship is not, and should not be, just a utilitarian use-n'-throw concept. It's the basis of all relationships. Friendship should be something just more than a good night's sleep; it should be more than a mere rejuvenating mechanism.

It is good to make friends, but perhaps...it is more important to make each friendship a lifelong affair. Being workaholic is finely compatible with making friends and keeping the ship of friendship cruise through this gem of a journey that calls itself 'life'.

So, every buddy out there! What do we need to do? Philosophise! No, not really. In this era of "sick hurry and divided ends" we need to be sincere also towards friendship, not just with the motive of reaping material returns. Perhaps it is not out place to make mention of the emerging breed of psychological counsellors, who for all practical purposes, are, so to say, 'paid friends'.

Finally, calling all friends of the world('every buddy', that is!)...let's live, laugh and love.

Mission WC ’07

Greg Chappell has proved his credentials as a coach time and again with his keen insight into the essence of modern-day cricket, to go with his training and planning innovations suited to the needs of the hour. His no-nonsense thorough professionalism should ensure single-minded devotions of the Team Indians towards bringing home the coveted cup from the Caribbeans in 2007.

Kick Bengal

Kolkata football is experiencing an all-time low this season. In the National Football League, defending champion, East Bengal could manage only a face-saving third spot, while another former champion, Mohun Bagan is thanking its lucky stars in its shameless elations over barely managing to overcome a relegation threat. Tollygunje Agragami, contrary to its name, is languishing at the bottom of the table. The one-time city giant, Mohammedan Sporting is out of reckoning since what now seems an epoch. In sharp contrast to the Goa teams, the big names of Bengal, save and except East Bengal to a certain extent, lack a scientific professional approach towards the game. They have been giving precedence to sentiment and emotions over a systematic game-plan and the obvious result is near to nil success. The Mohun Bagan boat is caught in the bogs of Bengal. It is too difficult for it to tackle the travails of a voyage through the creeks of corruption. Can we dare to pin our hopes on Everready?...Let time take its own course.

Competition Cure

It must be said, that since cut-throat competition is the irreversible and inescapable order of the day, today's youngsters need psychological support from all quarters - family, teachers, friends more than ever before. There is no point in fretting and fuming over the issue. With an increased care, as distinct from mere concern, the child can still feel secure and satisfied in this gruellingly competitive environment.

Fat Folly

The death of unusually overweight 'wonder baby', Lokman Hakim in Kolkata comes as a shock. More than a case for empathy and care, his was a case of over-enthusiastic publicity, and that too, for carrying an uncommon ailment. He was somehow being kept reduced to a showpiece. Really he would have been far better off had his treatment started much earlier. Now, of course, it is much easier said than done, considering the low standard of living of Lokman's family. One can only hope that people learn soon from this tragedy the lesson of not over-indulging in amusements surrounding peculiar diseases. From hindsight, such over-publicity appears to be inhuman.

Big Problems

It is amazing how the food industry can make the extra millions by catering to the special needs of genetically obesity-prone people. It is equally astonishing how insurance companies can vary their premium rates on the basis of the genetic make-up of their clients. On a more alarming note, people with an obesity promoting genetic make-up may not be considered for particular jobs. It will be tragic for someone to lose out on such opportunities for reasons over which he or she has the least control. Solving such problems would call for national and international level conventions.

No If, No But, Only Blast

The cinema hall bomb blasts in Delhi in reaction to the suspected and potential anti-Sikh elements in the Bollywood 'patriotism' flick, 'Jo Bole So Nihal', is shocking. Characteristic of a Sunny Deol movie, 'Jo Bole So Nihal' too glorifies the heroic feats of the Sikh protagonist. The title, reminiscent of a sacred Sikh saying, epitomises the elevation of Sikh sentiments, as portrayed in the movie. There is no reason why the Sikh devotees should get alienated by the movie. Perhaps they do not quite agree with the idea of scantily clad young women chasing the Sikh hero, in a movie entitled after a Sikh religious message. But this bit of justification behind the terrorising twin blasts is ridiculous.

Action Cricket

All is well about the International Cricket Council's new draft cricketing regulation. But it should also think of including Twenty20 cricket in its international calendar. This compressed version of the game is to cricket what one-act play is to drama, or for that matter, what short story is to prose. It is packed with action from the word 'go' and once it is on, there is no saying 'no' to it. It has thus far been tried with phenomenal success in homeland England and has generated tremendous fanfare in Pakistan as well. This total entertainment package is all set to reframe the grammars of the game. The ICC should welcome it with arms wide stretched, especially since it has all the potentials to generate huge revenues, also from less-known cricketing nations, where in any case, cricket is usually a weekend affair.

Dance Like A Man

So the latest item bomb to rock Bollywood is none other than Amitabh Bachchan! It is amazing how this living-legend of an actor treads from one item to another with such remarkable ease. In fact, the Hindi cine-lovers should be grateful to Karan Johar for discovering the dancer in him in the song, 'Shava shava' from 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'(2001). Mr. Bachchan is not merely acting personified, he is fitness incarnate as well.

Science And Tourism

The shady Sundarbans have immense potential as a tourism hot-spot. However, since the ecosystem is extremely fragile in this mangrove forest, characterized by halophytic flora and both carnivorous and herbivorous fauna, a scientific approach on the part of the tourism department is the need of the hour. Mere profit motive with more of enthusiasm and less of plan will only spell doom for this delta.

Know The Players

It is a nice thing that the newspapers are printing photographs of less-known but emerging tennis stars, like Karolina Sprem, Marta Domachowska and Nicole Vaidisova. Though internet access is an easy option these days, a newspaper is still more ready at hand and thereby it gets easier to identifiy the rising sports stars, especially since tennis, apart from the Grand Slams and the Davis Cup matches featuring India, is still not really an extensively covered by television.

Coach for Control

The world's richest cricketing body, the Board for Control of Cricket in India(BCCI) has done the right thing in choosing Greg Chappell as Team India coach till World Cup 2007. Not only is he a vastly experienced and successful cricketer, he has proved his mettle time and again as a cricket coach. His no-nonsense professionalism should be a perfect foil to Sourav Ganguly's aggression. It is also welcome decision to station the national coach at the National Cricket Academy, Bangalore. That would allow the youngsters to get into the groove pretty early.

Failed Bureau

The Orissa High Court's striking down of the death sentence of Dara Singh in the September 22, 2003 Gladys Staines murder case, is unfortunate. One wonders how the CBI, known for its efficiency, could be sloppy in investigating for this case. This is a setback for the county's legal system and can actually work against the interests of communal harmony in the country. The CBI personnel involved in this investigation should be show-caused.

Law Biting Dust

The concerned authorities should see to it that the shark carcasses seized from the Sundarbans should in no way reach the market. Human hands are proving to be more lethal than the sharks' jaws. The poachers, especially their employers, if any, should be punished severely so that illegal trade of animals, dead or living, is stopped. Different external and internal security machineries like coast guard, navy, BSF, local police should act in harmony to stop such illegal trades. It is amazing how often laws are broken, especially when it comes to violence against hapless animals.

Religious Titillation

The controversy surrounding 'Jo Bole So Nihal' actually begins and ends in the title itself. There is little reason for religious sentiments getting hurt in the song that has the same sequence of words as the refrain. One wonders why the movie needs to be withdrawn from theatres in Punjab. After all, the protagonist as also the actor who plays that role, are Sikhs and the movie actually glorifies the Sikhs. If still 'Jo Bole So Nihal' has to be banned, then the remixed version of the song, "Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram" from an immensely popular 1998 Hindi movie should also be banned. Actually, there is no reason to do either.

Reserve and Rule

It seems that the word, 'secular' in the Indian Constitution is losing its credibility. How on earth can there be a reservation, and that too to the tune of 50%, for students following a particular religion, for getting admission to a university? Actually, the names of religions should be deleted from the names of educational institutions, unless they are specifically or, for that matter, primarily, for religious studies. Is it not utterly baseless to give precedence to religion - something that comes by birth over educational merit - something which is acquired over time? The United Progressive Alliance government at the centre, after all, is not proving to be that much progressive. This move of the HRD Ministry can actually be taken as a measure destined to promote communalism. It is unfortunate that the imperialistic 'divide and rule' policy is being revived, though perhaps not deliberately.

Economic Inequality

The juxtaposition of the two stories of the suicide of Malati Giri and the bulging pockets of a section of the Indian citizens, shows that India continues to be a union of contraries, irrespective of whether the ruling coalition is professed to progress in unison or whether it is a self-proclaimed votary of democracy at the national level. That economic disparity still continues to be a menace in India, is a cause for concern. One can only hope that the fruits of a systematic economic planning can be shared by all Indians in the near future. For that to happen, first of all, the country's administrators need to respond to the calls of conscience and stop selling their souls to evil.

Nuclear Power For Environment

One wonders why at all using nuclear power for combating global warming is a taboo. When nuclear power can be an effective alternative to fossil fuels for warding off environmental pollution, more and more countries should actually go in for nuclear power generation, provided of course that is cost-effective. The rate of increase of global warming has to be checked by any means, and it is absolutely pointless to stick to pointless taboos which go against the larger global interests.

Lessons For Police

Living among convicts, often cops get cruel and corrupt, sometimes bordering on inhumanity. It is here that they tend to forget that jails are not for slow-poisoning the convicts, rather the prisons are there to reform them so as to make them fit to return to the mainstream of social life. Only those people are to be posted as jailers who can curb their animal instincts to good effect. After all, human rights cannot be violated, even in case of the criminals sentenced to death. The cops cannot go beyond law to condemn the convicts.

Technology For Upliftment

India has always been endorsing sticking to the traditions at least on pen and paper. Teaching of use of technology is often relegated to the background. One glaring instance, not far to seek, was the way former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Chandrababyu Naidu was made a butt of ridicule for giving unprecedented importance to computer literacy. Those who outrightly denounce e-mails and SMSs should remember that nowadays, many authors compose their books using the computer as the 'writing' tool. Also, computers require very little space for easily detectable documentation. Use of computers should be promoted by the government, especially since computer accessories are becoming cheaper and the softwares are becoming more and more user-friendly by the day.

Too Much Power Corrupts Too Far

India should certainly leave no stone unturned in its bid to secure a UN Security Council seat and a veto power. That will be a huge boost for developing countries and will supposedly reduce the suspected nepotism at the UNO, especially when India has been known for its considerate and accommodative character. But then again, the best measure should be to abolish the veto system in totality, especially since there is no concrete reason as to why some member countries should enjoy more power than the others. In any case, concentration of extra power in few hands always tends to corrupt the extra-powerful members, the UNO thus far being no exception.

Wasted Ministry

It is a pity that in spite of all the apparently stringent laws and tight security, India continues to be a dumping ground for hazardous wastes. The performance of the Environment Ministry is certainly not satisfactory in this regard. But the graver issue is that there has still not been much headway into finding a comprehensive solution to the problem of safely getting rid of such hazardous materials.

Peak To Trough

After a morale-boosting triumph at the 2004 version of the ICC Champions Trophy, West Indies is back to its usual losing ways. Following the Test series defeat at home, a five - nil whitewash in the ODIs at the hands of the Proteas, is humilating. In the batting department, only Shivnaraine Chanderpaul was consistently impressive. Really, the latter, who is known for his amazing consistency in steadying the Windies ship, should return to the top of the order in the one-dayers, especially when he has got a hundred and fifty opening the innings. A Gayle-Chanderpaul opening duo has got all potentials of doing what Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu have been doing with tremendous success opening the innings for the Sri Lankans.

And as far as bowling is concerned, it sometimes seems that apart from Bradshaw, Chris Gayle is the only strike bowler. Really, the likes of Tino Best, Fidel Edwards should be asked to cut down on their flamboyance and concentrate on the basics,- line and length. Dwayne Smith too seems to be wasting his talent in over-indulgence in youthful exuberance, both while batting and while bowling. However, the other Dwayne, Bravo seems to be a thinking cricketer and appears to be all set to solve West Indies' long-standing problems with a genuine all-rounder, in both forms of the game, after unsuccessful experiments with Hendy Bryan, Steve Barnard, Omari Banks, and a host of others.

Anchal Over Pagri

Unfortunately, India's scholarly Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has allowed himself to come under the unwanted excess influence of Ms. Sonia Gandhi. With due respect to Ms. Gandhi, Dr. Singh should try and come out of her shadow. There is no point in acting the token Prime Minister, especially in a country like India where politicians are often judged not quite on the basis of what they do, but rather on the basis of how they do the same. Dr. Singh, in spite of his own competence, is still not a hugely popular public figure. There is no reason why he should willingly be swayed by her decisions.

Vie For Veto

India should certainly leave no stone unturned in its bid to secure a UN Security Council seat and a veto power. That will be a huge boost for developing countries and will supposedly reduce the suspected nepotism at the UNO, especially when India has been known for its considerate and accommodative character.

Call On The Move

The introduction of phones in CSTC buses is a novel idea. But really, if the service at all had to be introduced, it should have been done much earlier. This is because, due to technology advancement and economic liberalisation, mobile phones have become easily affordable to many people these days. However, still a cheap phone connection in state buses is a welcome idea even though it is supposed to add to the chaotic congestion inside the usually packed buses.

Living On The Edge

Really, when it gets difficult to provide adequate drinking water to the human beings, one has to admit, unfortunately, that it is too difficult for the administration to make arrangements for quenching the thirst of the poor animals. And when the hapless people get hold of the thirsty animals venturing out of the forest in search of water, they cannot help killing them, for making a few easy bucks and to satisfy their hunger. Nature gets the better of the living beings.

Poor Pollution Control Perils

People find it difficult to cope up with the rise in the cooking LPG prices. So there is no way how they are going to accept LPG as vehicular fuel, even if they afford to actually buy the car. So there is no surprise in the fact that expensive vehicular pollution control measures are a failure in West Bengal, which, in any case, is plagued by laxity and corruption. Given the really long single coalition rule in the state, where the opposition is a butt of ridicule, the State Government could certainly have gone in for stricter enforcement of the anti-pollution norms. But then again, laxity and corruption call the shots or otherwise in the state.

Scripting Success

The official return of Meitei script to Manipur is a landmark achievement for the people of the state and Chief Minister, Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh deserves all the praises for effecting the change. But his otherwise good job will only be half accomplished, if he is not able to restore the respect for Bengali in the hearts of those whom he represents. After all, love for one's own script should not be manifested at the expense of another, which, though once imposed, has served the written expression and communication needs of the people for nearly three centuries.

Cotton Power

India's rapid strides in agricultural science over the years have been bringing smiles to the faces of its vast family of farmers. The eighteen new hybrids of Bt Cotton are certain to effect a significant improvement in India's standing in world raw cotton production. It will be upto the textile producers to take advantage of the enhancement in inland raw cotton production to come up with increased number of cotton textiles, which have always been highly acclaimed in domestic and international markets.

Cultural Administration

The Pakistan President better try to put the country's politics, and law and order on the right track first, especially important being its thus far notorious relation with India, which of course, has now been put on the fast track of improvement. Otherwise, no cultural extravaganza by the country's musical maestros is going to be of much help to 'project Pakistan's soft face' to the world.

English-bred All-rounders

Dinesh Mongia's performance in the English county circuit over the immediately preceding and the current seasons are heartening. One only hopes that he is able to carry forward this form to international circuit for Team India. He can just emerge as India's answer to the Sri Lanka's spinner all-rounders like Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Chandana. As far as Irfan Pathan is concerned, his supposed stint with Middlesex should bring his bowling right back to its actual lethal ways. Post-Middlesex, he might just end India's post-Kapil Dev search for a Test all-rounder.

Soldiers’ Solidarity

The Indian military, in spite of its recently tarnishing image, has no records of resorting to religious atrocities - true to the spirit of secularism. This is perhaps a legacy, among other things, of the Indian sepoys' rising in unison in 1857, irrespective of their professed religions, against British religious atrocities against them. The Abu Ghraib and the Guantanamo Bay soldiers reportedly practising rampant religious atrocities against those who are held there as prisoners, should take a leaf out of the books of their Indian counterparts.

Rely On The Brothers

The Ambani brothers at loggerheads with each other, must prioritise the common shareholders' interest, because the latter also are the owners of the Reliance companies. Also, the employees should be made to feel secure to function properly and this is also for the companies' interests.

Wrong Reaction

It is a striking revelation that players guilty of slow over rates can be penalised only monetarily and not banned. That of course, implies that Sourav Ganguly's six-match suspension for Team India's slow over rates is unjustified. Now the obvious question that arises in this connection is that,- how could the cricketing knowledge of International Cricket Council's match referee, Chris Broad be that much narrow? And, is not this a premonition of the ICC losing its credibility in the cricketing fraternity?

Exposure-check

The DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur's decision to make it mandatory for all its teachers, male and female, to wear aprons while taking classes, primarily for preventing unconscious exposure of the teachers' body leading to concentration lapses of higher class students in particular, is amusing. However, the measure is worth expermenting with, if the teachers are willing to co-operate. But then again the classroom is not the only place where adolescents get exposed to such exposures.

Quench Your Thirst

Apart from the hygiene factor, the other obvious problem that will arise in case lassi is served in trains and railway platforms is that of preparation and storage, since lassi, as yet, is not popular in pre-packaged form. The best thing, of course, is to make provisions for both the usual soft drinks and lassi, and then, may be even fruit juices. That would ensure a fair number of options for the passengers, visitors and railway staff to choose from, especially when lassi is not popular all over the country.