Category: Columns

Politics of brinkmanship in Vienna

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 26 November 2021
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While little progress can be expected to happen in Vienna, there are factors that could affect the current stalemate. One, while Iran is sticking to its “strategic patience” policy, blaming the US for derailing the JCPOA, sanctions are biting and domestic problems are putting pressure on the government of Ibrahim Raisi …. Writes OSAMA AL SHARIF

Regardless of what happens when negotiators return to Vienna at the end of the month to try to find a way out of the deadlocked nuclear talks, there is little hope that the 2015 agreement will be revived. There are three issues that have dogged the negotiators so far: Lifting all US sanctions imposed on Iran under the Trump administration before Iran returns to full compliance, a watertight commitment by the US that it will not withdraw from the deal in the future and expanding the agreement so that Iran’s long-range missiles and drone systems can be curtailed.

An exasperated US team is yet to agree on a Plan B if all fails. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan suggested an interim agreement as a way out; one that was rejected by both Israel and Iran. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken talked about exploring “other options” if the negotiations fail. Aside from a clear military action, what else will keep Iran awake at night?

Israel, under Naftali Bennett, has stuck to its guns; rejecting any deal outright while threatening to launch a direct military strike if it feels that Tehran was close to building a nuclear bomb. The two sides have been engaged in a covert war for months that resulted in cyberattacks against sensitive Iranian installations, the assassination of the head of Iran’s nuclear program last year, Iranian drone attacks against Israeli vessels and counter cyberattacks the last of which led to the leaking of secret Israeli material.

So far Israeli provocations have failed to deter its archenemy. In fact, only a few weeks ago the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that Iran has enriched about 19 kg of uranium to 60 per cent purity, close to the 90 per cent level needed for nuclear weapons. An Iranian official boasted recently that his country has produced 210 kg of uranium enriched to 20 per cent and 25 kg to 60 per cent, a level that no country, apart from those with nuclear weapons, is able to produce.

The Biden administration will be attacked at home, by the Republicans and the pro-Israel lobbies, if it yields to Iranian demands and returns to the 2015 deal without extracting any concessions from Tehran. The US special envoy, Robert Malley, who toured the region recently, had failed to persuade Israeli officials to tone down their rhetoric. In fact, Bennett refused to meet him while his Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that Iran was only buying time and its ultimate goal is to join the nuclear club at any price.

While little progress can be expected to happen in Vienna, there are factors that could affect the current stalemate. One, while Iran is sticking to its “strategic patience” policy, blaming the US for derailing the JCPOA, sanctions are biting and domestic problems are putting pressure on the government of Ibrahim Raisi. How long the economy can hold is a matter of time. Iran has been investing heavily in its proxies in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria and this has angered the Iranian people whose standard of living and access to public services have deteriorated.

Two, Israel cannot stage a lethal one-strike against Iran’s now entrenched nuclear facilities, without expecting a response, if not from Iran directly then from its Lebanese proxy. It’s a dangerous gambit and Israel cannot expect its new Gulf allies to join it in an open military confrontation with Tehran.

And third, with the Biden administration moving away from the region; the so-called pivot to Asia, despite assurances to the contrary by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manama recently, the urgency of concluding a deal with Tehran is apparent. It is not conceivable that the US is ready or willing to engage in yet another military adventure in the Middle East.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (Photo by Javad SalarheyliXinhuaIANS)

One can also assume that despite Russia’s close ties to Tehran it will not accept to have a new nuclear power not far from its southern borders. The most realistic, but not perfect option will be to slap new sanctions on Iran and leave it there. And then there are two possibilities: Iran will give in and seek to find a compromise or the hardliners will stick to their guns and the country will be closer than ever to building a nuclear weapon.

There is a poor track record when it comes to preventing other nations from joining the nuclear club: Israel in the 1960s, India and Pakistan in the 1990s and more recently North Korea. With the latter, all the amorous overtures by Donald Trump had failed to dissuade Pyongyang’s strongman Kim Jung-un from bolstering his nuclear arsenal. And when it comes to strategic patience one should remember that it took Pakistan almost 20 years to carry out its first nuclear weapon test. For Iran, arriving at that goal will be much quicker.

(Osama Al Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. )

Columns India News

Are we ‘really’ happy?

GEETHA BALSARA

Second in the series, author Geetha Balsara says happiness is an inner phenomenon, and it is futile to seek it externally

Happiness or a state of bliss is something every living being is constantly seeking. Swami Chinmayananda has expounded the essence of this eternal truth by saying that man is propelled into action for 2 reasons:

To get happiness
To protect oneself from sorrow

Thus concluding that every thought, every action is employed in seeking happiness alone.

Now let us ask ourselves, ‘what kind of happiness am I seeking – Permanent or Temporary?’

In all our waking hours we wish to be happy all the time. Not even for a moment do we want to be sorrowful. We want the source of our joy – be it people or things, beside us all the time.

This alone concludes that we are seeking happiness of a permanent nature. But then, where are we seeking it? In the external world of objects and relationships, which are by themselves temporary in nature. What do we get then? Temporary happiness? Come, let us reflect.

Imagine a platter of different pastries in front of you. If you like pastries, pop in the first one and you experience tremendous joy. Pick the next and have it. The joy is there but slightly diminished. By the time you reach for the 10th pastry, you feel nauseated. In fact, you might even develop a hatred for pastries. So what happened? 3 observations come out of this experiment:

The pastry does not give happiness to everyone.
It cannot guarantee happiness each time it is had or any place it is had in… for example, how many people would enjoy a pastry early in the morning, or outside an intensive care unit while a dear one lies within?
The same pastry when consumed again and again does not give the same amount of happiness.

To understand this, let us take the scenario of fire and compare them.

Anyone who comes in contact with fire has the same experience of heat.
Each time or any place one touches fire, one will experience heat alone.
Continue touching the fire, and every time the experience of heat stays unchanged.

Why does this happen?
Because heat is the inherent property or nature of fire, while ‘happiness’ is not the inherent property or nature of the pastry, but sweetness is! So, the 10th pastry will still give you sweetness but not ‘happiness’!

Here, the pastry represents the entire world of objects and relationships, which are inert and inanimate. They are not capable of giving us happiness or sorrow. Despite this, when we still come in contact with the objects of our desire, we experience ‘happiness’. Thus we can safely conclude that happiness is an inner phenomenon… And it is futile to seek it externally.

In fact, a deeper reflection will help us realise that ultimately ‘happiness doesn’t lie within us, but we are happiness itself’ – Sat Chit Ananda.

Geetha Balsara

(Geetha Balsara is a spiritual seeker with a keen interest in Indian Culture and Performing Arts. Currently she is also the Festival Ambassador at the SAJDA FESTIVAL UK. She can be reached at gsb.vedanta@gmail.com | www.geethabalsara.com )

Tags The Golden Sparrow

Arts & Culture Books Columns

Good vibe reads for monsoon

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 17 October 2021
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This book distills our observations of habitual entrepreneurs. It shows you how they think, how they behave, and exactly what it is that they do so well…writes Siddhi Jain.

A good read, a cup of hot coffee and a cosy couch is the best way to enjoy the monsoons. If you plan on tackling the rainy season here are our suggestions for what you pick.

Myla: Insurrection By Arjun Rao

Malaika Menon, aka Agent Myla returns home to Calicut, Kerala to find her entire family brutally murdered. Being the tip of the spear in India’s fight against terrorism, she is no stranger to killing and death. However, the savage killings leave her shaken to her very core. On leave from her position in the Indian Army, Myla discovers a sinister plot. It appears that the murders were all aimed at flushing her out from the natural protection of the Indian Army. With her on the streets of Calicut, the perpetrators appear to have got what they wanted. Myla, alone and grieving, far from her lethal best. Best of all, she is now unprotected. Myla unearths clues that point to a conspiracy perpetrated by a far larger enemy than she has ever encountered before. A criminal enterprise so large, and so pervasive, that it has invaded every level of Indian society. Shattered by her loss, enraged by her inability to protect her loved ones, Myla decides to go after the truth. Find out what really happened, and why. She does the only thing she knows how to. The one thing that she is a master at. She picks up her gun and decides to investigate. Will she survive against the largest menace known to India? Or will they achieve what they wanted along? To put a bullet in Myla’s head. Myla’s dangerous game of cat and mouse takes her from Calicut, to Chennai, where she faces the head of the snake in a shattering frontal attack that she cannot possibly survive.

‘The Code of Manavas’ by Arpit Bakshi

‘The Code of Manavas’, is set some two million years past ad 2050, when earth as we know it ceased to exist, and so did mankind. A new race, the Manavas, now exists on Bhoomi, the erstwhile Earth, which is divided into two cities-Madhavpur and Ayudhpur. In the quiet and peaceful city of Madhavpur, a reclusive Krishna is busy with an immense task. He has to prepare a new abode for the Manavas before an impending apocalypse destroys them. He knows something that nobody else does-the Manavas are running out of time faster than they can imagine, and there are no inhabitable planets to escape to. To make matters worse, there is someone in Madhavpur who wants to destroy Krishna and subjugate each Manava. The Manavas, it seems, are doomed. Yet Krishna knows there is a slim chance of survival for the Manavas, although there is a huge price to be paid for it. Will the various factions of the Manavas unite for the greater good? Will Krishna, who saved them during the turn of the last Yuga, be able to save them now? What will be the price to pay? Enter the mythical world of Maha Vishnu and get swept up in a fast-paced suspenseful narrative.

‘Beyond a Love Story’ by Chitkala Mulye

Sameer seduced by his elder cousin, gets carried away in a physical relationship with him. Preeti, Sameer’s childhood tutor and best friend, finds solace in her bond with Sameer, which has ripened over years. However, when Sameer who is gay, finds his soul mate Abhijeet, Preeti goes through an intense emotional turmoil. This beginning in Sameer’s life, exposes him to a canvas of suffering; revealing the true meaning of love, companionship, family and sacrifice while turning the tables and bringing a twist in the tale! The story explores how true love transcends the boundaries of gender, age, and sexuality questioning the perceived notions about relationships, thus challenging the typical conventions of family system.

‘Happily Frustrated’ by Ritiqa Pachauri

Shelly (the protagonist) becomes an alcoholic after discovering that her husband of ten years (Saurabh) was gay. He had left her for another man, and it had left her heartbroken. Because of her addiction, Shelly loses her job, her friends, her sister’s support and even her parents sympathy. However, her mother did feel her pain and asks her to go on a vacation to Goa. Here, Shelly meets her aunt Polly, who slowly a d steadily tries to bring Shelly back on track. Another character who is a tarot card reader also plays an important role in Shelly’s life. However, the twist comes when Shelly returns from Goa and tells her family about aunt Polly. What’s the twist? Will Shelly overcome her pain? Will she ever be happy?

‘The Mindset of a Growing Entrepreneur’ by Harsh Joshi

What is new to you in this book is that uncertainty can be used tp your benefit if you create and deploy an entrepreneurial mindset a way of thinking about your business that captures the benefits of uncertainty. This book distils our observations of habitual entrepreneurs. It shows you how they think, how they behave, and exactly what it is that they do so well.

‘Meri Arzoo’ by Rajeev Kumar

“Meri Arzoo” has 13 different sweet stories that depict the state of mind of a human being in different circumstances of life. The Character is from a middle class family and he has to deal with many daily life problems. He has to face different phases of his life. All 13 stories are different from each other yet they all have one thing in common: A middle class person. The protagonist want to do/become something and he ends up doing something. Each story was well thought-out; you can tell that the author felt connected to each story and you can feel his presence in the narrative. The narrative maintains a steady pace throughout the book. Stories are backed with elements of failure, destiny, love, lie, truth, success and failure. Each story relates to daily life of people, while reading those stories readers will feels like it is my experience of my own journey.

Saurabh Bagaria’s Money Gone’

Capturing the intricacies of a fictional high-profile offshore money diversion scheme shrouded in secrecy and an equally high-on-action chase by Indian tax authorities, ‘Money Gone’, is a thriller novel by author and advocate Saurabh Bagaria that takes readers through overseas indulgence, tense courtrooms, and even the dark web.

ALSO READ-Year-end Reads By Female Authors

Tags BOOKS, monsoon, reading

Columns Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Handy gadgets to clean up your kitchen

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 17 October 2021
No Comments on Handy gadgets to clean up your kitchen

Leave no stone, or drawer in this case, unturned. Organize your food staples too! Apart from waste minimization, your staples can be maintained in a unit that sustains their shelf life…writes N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe.

One of the many feats of the home becoming everyone’s epicentre is that the kitchen has more people in it than usual. Ultimately, the onus is on you to become a Masterchef and whip out dishes, do the cleaning, etc. Whether it is for the kids who are foraging for a tasty snack or your partner asking for a steaming hot cup of chai at any given point of the day!

In addition one has to ensure that everything is in order and in its place. It is essential for you to be able to make the most of your kitchen space since during the past year in lockdown, the kitchen has become multifunctional.

Starting off might seem like a Herculean task, but the trick is to make an inventory based on different sections of the kitchen and place yourself where it all begins — the counter. Bear in mind the following questions while sorting all stations of the kitchen: Do you really need it? Do you really use it? How often do you use it? Do you still want it? Can you give it to someone else? The idea is to not hoard and maximize space while keeping only what is needed. Fanny Jeanne Jozef Leyten — Interior Design Manager, IKEA India, presents a few handy gadgets to help you get on your way:

Countertops: You can start by emptying all visible things from your counter as it will most likely have too many things on it, which can lead to reduced space and also makes it difficult to clear things up. Search for what you really need on the countertop and keep everything else stacked using the RINNIG utensil rack. Remember to keep things minimal. If it isn’t frequently used, keep it stored away.

* Rails: It’s not only about what’s inside the kitchen cabinets but also what you display from the exterior. Open storage solutions such as KUNGSFORS help store and organize your utensils and crockery after cleaning.

Cabinets: With this tip, you won’t have to fret anymore over what might fall out and induce a mini heart attack. Time to get organized. When it comes to cabinets, you must make an inventory of what you want to keep up front and what can be hidden. Let’s say it’s kitchen utensils, frying pan, crockery. Where are they? Is it close to the sink? Because you would need it there. Maximize your space inside the cabinets by supplementing them with small trays like VAEIRA to utilize optimal space. That way you don’t need extra shelves inside the cabinet.

Drawers: Drawer dividers like MAXIMERA are your best friend to help in storing your utensils or spices in a better way. You can maximize on space and it helps you in time, unlike in a situation when you have an over-cluttered drawer. The same can be applied to your cutlery. Define and accentuate the space with bamboo/plastic dividers.

Food storage: Leave no stone, or drawer in this case, unturned. Organize your food staples too! Apart from waste minimization, your staples can be maintained in a unit that sustains their shelf life. This also ensures that you don’t overspend on food that would otherwise expire sooner rather than later. See-through the IKEA 365+ sustainable range for storage solutions for food and staples. These will help you immediately gauge what is what and wherein the cabinet.

Tables & trolleys: The dining table has evolved into a multifunctional space. Munching down on a meal is no longer its sole application because, in the past year in lockdown, people have taken to using it for office work or keeping a close eye on children doing their homework while they are preparing for lunch/dinner. Now in order to achieve an easy declutter, it would be wise to have an RASKOG trolley next to the dining table for easy cleaning up. So once you are done with the task at hand, you can maintain the space for its next intent.

Stools: Step stools are a great aid for when you need to reach high cabinets, and stackable ones help to minimize the space in the area, so it’s always good to have a GRUBBAN in a corner for ad hoc usage.

Trash cans: With all the litter that gets collected in a day in the kitchen, the disposal happens only the next day. To avoid a striking stench in your kitchen, consider VARIERA waste bin which is perforated to allow ventilation of the bin and reduce the stench.

With all these hacks at different kitchen stations, you must remember that the key to declutter is to be smart about the size of the kitchen you’re working with and focus on maximizing space. Decluttering your home is decluttering your mind.

ALSO READ-How to de-clutter your kitchen?

Tags gadgets, KITCHEN, lifestyle

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Have smarter looks for little ones

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 17 October 2021
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India is a scattered market with few boutique brands offering limited organic clothing. International brands available in India also have only 10-30 per cent of range in organic clothing…says Ankit to Puja Gupta.

“India is a scattered market with few boutique brands offering limited organic clothing. International brands available in India also have only 10-30 per cent of range in organic clothing,” says Ankit Shukla, Country Head — India and Middle East, Norlanka Brands.

After recently buying a majority stake in Lilly + Sid, the company has launched the brand in India. IANSlife speaks to Shukla and Emma Hassan, Founder, Lilly + Sid, to find out more details. Excerpts:

Tell us about your brand. Why did you decide to enter the Indian market now?

Emma: We founded Lilly + Sid in 2009 with a mission to create clothes for children, combining quality with organic fabrics in a planet friendly manner, as an antidote to fast fashion. I am proud to see how the brand has evolved to be one of Britain’s top sustainable kids wear labels with ‘unique designs for little people and their planet’.

We have won multiple accolades over the last ten years including the ‘Top 10 Ethical Brands Worldwide’ by Guardian, UK and the prestigious ‘Loved By Parents’ Award in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

From the shelves of heritage retailers like Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, the brand is now in India. It is being presented in India by Norlanka Brands, the retail arm of the PDS Multinational Group that is responsible for launching the brands of the Group in India, Middle East and the South East Asian market. As Indian parents become conscious of their purchases and their responsibility to the environment, we offer organic solutions for everyday clothing for boys and girls.

The label aims to fill a void in the market for young, modern parents who are actively involved in the growing years of their children and want to create new traditions as a unit. These parents are invested in building a sustainable future as a family. With its organic offering for children, the brand promises to be the perfect new addition to the ever evolving kids wear market in India.

Tell us in detail about your sustainable practices.

Emma: With a 100 per cent organic cotton clothing line, our focus has always been on sustainability without sacrificing style! While conventional cotton uses about 16 per cent of the world’s insecticides and 7 per cent of pesticides, organic cotton doesn’t damage the soil, has less impact on the air, uses 88 per cent less water and 62 per cent less energy. Engaged in responsible sourcing, we work only with SEDEX certified factories and each of our products has received the prestigious Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification, the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres. We also focus on maximising the lifecycle of our products through thoughtful design features that enable garments to grow with the child through the years. Our multi-wear separates and reversible garments are a key part of the collections — two looks in one are a great win for sustainable wardrobes with less washing and less pieces needed to create looks for little ones!

How do you view the current Indian kidswear market?

Ankit: India is a scattered market with few boutique brands offering limited organic clothing. International brands available in India also have only 10-30 per cent of range in organic clothing. The children’s wear market for ages 0-14 years is projected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 17.9 per cent from 2018 to 2023, according to Euro monitor India.

The Kids wear category has registered a spike in sales over the last year making it the highest growing segment. Amid the Covid-19 crisis, the global market for Children’s Wear estimated at US$252.2 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$325.9 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 3.7 per cent over the analysis period 2020-2027. Norlanka Brands, which recently acquired majority stake in Lilly + Sid aims to own the space for 100 per cent organic kids wear in India.

The projected sales for babywear and kidswear market in India for FY 2021 is 22-25 billion USD and babywear and kidswear contribute 25-30 per cent of the total Indian apparel market which offers a great opportunity for us. We are a 100 per cent organic kids wear brand that celebrates childhood everyday with its fun and trendy clothes for boys and girls, made with sustainable fabric which is a gap in Indian market. As kidswear evolves to be an important lifestyle focus for parents, we are proud to launch an award-winning brand in India and aim to build a 100 crore kidswear brand in India over the next 3 years.

What is your business strategy?

Ankit: The brand enters the Indian market in a digitally forward format with an exclusive tie-up with Reliance Retail’s fashion marketplace: Ajio.com, supplemented by their own website www.lillyandsid.co.in. This E-commerce first approach allows Norlanka Brands to follow more environment friendly processes for digital supply chain management and adopt sustainable practices for overall reduction in their carbon footprint.

We will be pushing our online sales via a robust digital marketing approach involved social commerce as well as influencer-led campaigns that drive brand discovery and curiosity. Norlanka Brands will partner with Lilly+Sid as a technology driven enabler, offering a springboard to the brand in India while the founders will focus on product development and design for the Indian consumers in line with what parents across Britain love about Lilly+Sid.

Are you planning to launch physical stores in India anytime soon?

Ankit: Currently, we have decided to adopt an online first approach since Direct To Consumer brands have grown by almost 30-40 per cent in the last 12 months.

Are the collections offered in India specially curated keeping the Indian sensibilities in mind?

Ankit: Yes, we have curated the collection for India to present a mix of garments that allows children to enjoy the natural rhythms of everyday life in comfort and happiness, as they grow surrounded by our happy prints and colours. The product range for India is for Boys and girls from the age of 0 – 8 years, with a wardrobe mix for both girls and boys — shorts, t-shirts, shirts, dresses, tunics, leggings, skirts, playsuits, rompers, tops and trousers among others.

What are your future plans?

Ankit: Norlanka Brands will continue to grow the portfolio of sustainable brands in India, Middle East and South East Asian Markets. We will soon be launching another 100 per cent organic unisex brand for children: Turtle Dove London, in the sustainability space, in India. We will provide B2C solutions, through the expertise that our manufacturing arm brings with over ten years of operations in Sri Lanka.

ALSO READ-Can you keep your kids away from smoking?

READ MORE-Prefer customized diet for kids

Tags dress, fashion, KIDS

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Is your kid a morning bird? No worries

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 17 October 2021
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Do your children wake up late every day? Then, you should be happy as it is a good sign that your child is sleeping well. But you have to worry when the child fails to wake up even after several alarms and you literally have to drag your child out of the bed. There are many children who fail to get sound sleep at night and feel lethargic and are unable to focus on studies during day time.

Is your child cranky? Is your kid unable to concentrate on studies or do their daily chores with ease? Then, he/she must encounter sleep problems. Yes, you have heard right! Many children become night owls, and that takes a toll on their overall well-being. Sleep is vital for young children. Early in life, one experiences tremendous development that impacts the brain, body, emotions, and behaviour and sets the stage for their growth through childhood and adolescence.

Having a sound sleep at night can help children lead healthy lives. Thus, from babies to school-aged kids and teenagers, parents might be keen to know many hours of sleep is essential for their child.

New-borns’ need to get around 14 hours of sleep, infants need around 15 hours of sleep, toddlers need approximately 14 hours of sleep, pre-school children need around 10-13 hours of sleep while school-going children of 6-13 age need around 9 hours of sleep. Here are a few fool proof tricks to help your child get sound sleep at night:

* Allow your child to get at least 10 to 11 hours of sleep every day without fail. If your child has a habit of sleeping late then make bedtime earlier half-an-hour as doing so will help your child wake up on time, and he/she will not have to miss online classes.

* Try to maintain the same schedule and your child will be able to sleep peacefully and complete his/her sleep properly. Create a consistent bedtime routine to calm down the child and make him/her sleep on an immediate basis.

* You will have to limit your child’s exposure to electronic gadgets at least 1 hour before sleeping. Do not allow your child to play games on the mobile or watch television before hitting the sack as doing so can snatch away the child’s sleep.

* Avoid caffeine and sugary drinks, particularly in the second half of the day as it hampers good sleep. Don’t let your child drink a lot of water before sleeping as he/she will have to make continuous trips to the loo and the sleep will be disturbed.

* Maintain good lighting and temperature in the kid’s room. Don’t fill up the child’s bed with toys and heavy blankets that will suffocate the child and make him/her uncomfortable. Use a good pillow and mattress that will support your child’s back and neck. Improper mattress and pillow can lead to back and neck pain.

If your child has any sleep problems such as loud or heavy breathing, snoring, and even waking up after regular intervals then you need to consult the doctor. Make sure your child gets enough sleep on a regular basis so that he/she can stay healthy and hearty.

ALSO READ-Health consequences of sleep loss

READ MORE-Are you sleeping on time?

Tags KIDS, lifestyle, SLEEP

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The Golden Sparrow

GEETHA BALSARA

First in the series author Geetha Balsara takes a closer look at the myriad contributions India has gifted to the world.

‘Sone Ki Chidiya’ or ‘The Golden Sparrow’ is an endearing term Bharat, aka India, goes by. Famed for her rich culture, traditions, and heritage, alongside the spectacular art and architecture, ‘Sone Ki Chidiya’ is a befitting nomenclature for this country, that never ceases to surprise. History speaks of her association with trading in luxury goods, textiles, spices, accepting in return only gold. This unique practice prompted the Roman empire to then label India as ‘The Golden Sparrow’. The idiom ‘Like attracts Like’ was the basis for this exchange, as Indians believed that gold would in turn attract more gold, leading to prosperity and peace.

As India celebrates her ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ signifying 75 glorious years of Independence, ‘Sone Ki Chidiya’ pays a tribute to this fascinating land effusing a hint of mysticism, overflowing with philosophy, showcasing a tapestry of multi-culturalism, and glowing with the luminescence of scriptural knowledge. Yoga, Vedanta, Mantras, Bhagwad Geeta have become household terms world-over. Indian cuisine has tickled palates across the globe, while many words from Indian regional languages have found their way into the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.

A closer look at the myriad contributions India has gifted to the world are a matter of pride. Be it the numeral Zero, the game of Chess, the world’s first university – Takshashila University, ornamental buttons used in the Indus Valley civilization, the Snakes & Ladders board game, it is indeed a long list.

‘The Golden Sparrow’ series of articles shall endeavour to glorify not just the past, but will also touch on the present. Learnings from the Vedanta, the evolution of Indian Classical Music & Dance over the years, the dynamism of Spiritual practices ensuring wellness, the richness of Indian textiles, demystifying temple architecture, and many other subjects of interest shall be honoured through this weekly column.

We look forward to an enriching interaction, making this beautiful journey even more meaningful.

Geetha Balsara

Tags Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', Geetha Balsara, The Golden Sparrow

Arts & Culture Columns Lite Blogs Woman

Utopian vision of an innocent world

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 18 September 2021
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Being an Army Wife residing away from urban areas, often in the wilderness with horses, mules, and pets as the company she developed a Zen for the rural landscapes and animals…reports Siddhi Jain.

Art is a ‘thapasya’ for people with an insight of creativity. Even though her association with art continued throughout her life, it is only now that the 79-year-old artist Todo Paintal is exhibiting her first solo show at a Delhi-based art gallery. Born in 1942, and married to an armoured corps officer-a war veteran who has fought the 65′ and 71′ wars, she turned to painting as a hobby and cathartic release.

Being an Army Wife residing away from urban areas, often in the wilderness with horses, mules, and pets as the company she developed a Zen for the rural landscapes and animals. Her recent explorations of Himalayan landscapes produce an utopian vision of an innocent world that is a refuge from the pressures of the city, free from noise, crowds, pollution, and in tune with natural processes.

Having spent her childhood in Dalhousie and a larger part of her life in far-flung army cantonments, she celebrates the experience of solitude and spiritual refreshment afforded by pastoral retreats in idyllic portraits of contented self-sufficiency. These portable mementos representing visual experiences share with us the wonderful energy of her artistic engagement, great fascination, and love for the mountains.

Being widely travelled, this is a theme she returns to frequently along with her emotional dialogue with her family — an unabashed ode to the pleasures and joys of a fulfilled life. She celebrates the radiant beauty of the natural landscapes and beautifully communicates the spirit of the place with a distillation of the tranquility it embodies in the people closest to her.

Paintal trained briefly at the Triveni Kala Sangam and later apprenticed with veteran artist Anjolie Ela Menon, as well as enjoying a brief stint at Arpana Caur’s Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi. After a grueling Montessori training she ran her own Montessori kindergarten school for nearly three and a half decades. On her retirement and at the age of 75, she returned to her artistic passion with a diploma in Fine Arts at the Delhi Collage of Art, under the mentorship of Ashwani Kumar Prithviwasi who helped her crystalize her signature vocabulary. She is currently pursuing her fourth year of advanced studies.

ALSO READ-Anuradha Roy’s ‘The Earthspinner’ out

Tags ART, DELHI, EXHIBITION

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NAYA J&K: Accountability Fuels Staff Efficiency

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 21 July 2021
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Kashmiri farmers carrying baskets of Strawberries inside their farm during corona curfew , on the outskirts in Srinagar, Kashmir India (Pic from Umar Ganie)

Jammu & Kashmir’s transition from a corruption ridden law-less state into a thriving Union Territory makes the government employees accountable, responsive to serve the people… A special report by Qasim Ahmed Khan. Since the abrogation of the Article 370, corruption in the government offices is on decline and the employees have become more accountable in the Himalayan region

Jammu and Kashmir’s transition from a state into a Union Territory has proven the critics wrong. Corruption in the government offices is on the decline and the employees have become more accountable in the Himalayan region.

Kashmir-Kids enjoys at mustard filed on the outskirts of Srinagar-Umar Ganie

The government employees who used to enjoy impunity and had no fear of losing their jobs are on tenterhooks as the regime led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has taken numerous people-friendly decisions to make the administration transparent and responsive.
The employees, who used to believe that they are invincible, and can do anything, are trying their best to ensure that they don’t come under the scanner as they don’t want to end up in a trouble.
After August 5, 2019—when the Centre announced its decision to scrap J&K’s special status and divided into two union territories—laws governing the conduct of employees were made more stringent. The present regime has sent a clear message “perform or perish” and the anti-national elements within the administration won’t be tolerated.
Earlier this month, J&K Government issued a circular asking the administrative secretaries to identify officers who are ineffective in work and are not fit to continue in the post held and have no utility for the purpose for which they were employed.
A fresh circular issued by J&K Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta invited the attention of all administrative secretaries to an order dated October 22, 2020, issued by the Finance Department in which it had asked for a review of the performance of the government servants for the first time after his/her completion of 22 years of service or attaining 48 years of age.
The circular said: “It has been observed that the departments have not initiated any exercise for reviewing the performance of the government servants. It is impressed upon all the Administrative Secretaries to initiate the process of reviewing the performance of each government servant who has completed 48 years of age/22 years of service to identify such employees who are ineffective in work and are not fit to continue in the post held and have no utility for the purpose for which they are employed.”
Last year the J&K Government amended Article 226(2) of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations to empower the government to retire any employee who has qualifying service of 22 years or attained 48 years of age.
Till August 5, 2019, political regimes made many attempts to disengage the deadwood but the lacunas in the service rules helped these employees to get back their jobs. But now the things have changed any employee, who shrieks work or tries to support the secessionist activities can show the exit door.
Anti-graft Campaign
The process to make the J&K administration transparent commenced soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pulled out from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led coalition government in J&K in the year 2018.
In October 2018, the then government led by then J&K Governor of the erstwhile princely state, Satya Pal Malik gave its formal sanction to establish Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden “Anti-Corruption Bureau,” with an aim to tackle and eradicate corruption in J&K in a more effective and meaningful manner.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 10 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Samvat, 2006, (Act No. X111 of 2006), the Government hereby establishes a Bureau under the title of Anti Corruption Bureau, for investigation of offences, under the said Act,” read an official notification from General Administration Department, issued vide SRO 486.
Amendments in the Prevention of Corruption Act Samvat, 2006 and Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission Act, 2011 were approved to give the Anti-Corruption Bureau more teeth to deal with complaints of corruption and take these to their logical end.
After J&K’s transition into a Union Territory, the ACB became more active and vibrant. In 2020 the ACB registered 17 cases against politicians and bureaucrats.

Indian-Army-soldiers-in-Jammu-and-Kashmir

The ACB also registered a case against officers of Jammu and Kashmir Bank into illegal appointments scam in the premiere financial institution of the Union Territory.
A case was also registered against Chairman J&K Co-operative Bank and others for sanctioning loans in favour of non-existent co-operative society. The anti-graft has also registered a case against the former chairman of the bank for allegedly misusing his position.
Cases were registered against former Director Archives and Archaeology Department, former Directors of Rural Development Department Jammu for allegedly misusing their official positions and causing loss to the state exchequer.
The anti-graft body has also nailed a former Managing Director of JAKFED.
Similarly, a case was registered against an official of Srinagar Municipal Corporation for allowing illegal residential commercial constructions in Rajbagh and Gogji Bagh.
CBI’s Role in J&K

After the applicability of the Jammu and Kashmir Re-organisation Act 2019, the Central Bureau of Investigation was empowered to register cases against government employees without any prior permission from the UT administration.

Mir Junaid, president of Jammu Kashmir Workers Party, addressing a public meeting in South Kashmir

“The CBI could register cases in erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir but with a rider that the investigating agency had to take consent from the State Government for doing so but that rider has now has been removed,” Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh had informed the Parliament in December 2019.
Central Prevention of Corruption Act became applicable in J&K from November 1, 2019. With this, all government employees in the two Union Territories came within the jurisdiction of CBI. The law emphasizes on completion of trials in graft cases within two years.
Provisions of the Central Act relating to attachment and forfeiture of property are also stringent.
Prior to August 5, 2019, Central laws were not directly applicable to J&K State.
In December 2019, the CBI raided 17 locations across J&K in connection with the alleged involvement of two serving IAS officers and six retired Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) officers in arms licence scam unearthed by the J&K police CID in 2017.

It was the first CBI operation in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. The agency acted after acquiring original jurisdiction to act against corruption after the reorganisation of the state.
The CBI sleuths raided the offices and residences of the then district collectors and district magistrates of Kupwara, Baramulla, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Shopian, Rajouri, Doda and Pulwama.
On January 22, 2020, the CBI booked an official of Jammu and Kashmir Grameen Bank on charges of misappropriation of bank funds to the tune of Rs 1.33 crore by “tampering” with the computer system and documents during January 2016 and January 2020.
The CBI had registered an FIR following a written complaint. The official was booked under charges of cheating, forgery, criminal misappropriation or misconduct and abusing official position.
No room for corruption
During the past two years, anti-graft agencies have acted swiftly against the government officials, who were found involved in any sort of misappropriation.
The ACB received numerous complaints against the officials who were involved in corrupt practices. Wherever the complaints have been found genuine, the Bureau has acted. The CBI too is playing an active role in J&K and the complaints received by it are being taken serious note of.
J&K dispensation led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has given a free hand to anti-graft agencies to act against anyone, who is involved in any sort of corruption.
The ACB has registered many new corruption cases and old cases which were dumped under the carpet stand reopened.
In absence of political interference, many big fishes were nailed in J&K. Big shots who used to think that they are above the law were questioned and grilled in the cases which were pushed on the backburner by the erstwhile regimes.
The work culture in the government offices has improved. The complaints about files remaining stuck for months together at one place have declined. The officials have realized that they are being watched and their functioning is being monitored. Officials haven’t changed, they are the same people who used to work in the political regimes but their style of functioning has witnessed a turnaround as they want to ensure that their jobs remain safe.

READ MORE: AYEENA ALTAF: 19-year-old miracle from Kashmir

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TALIBAN RESURRECTION: The Ghost Of Osama Haunts Pakistan

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 2 July 2021
No Comments on TALIBAN RESURRECTION: The Ghost Of Osama Haunts Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani inspecting the guard of honor in Islamabad. (XinhuaPIDIAN

Afghanistan is routinely accusing Pakistan of sponsoring the Taliban attacks. Islamabad denies this with both Khan and Qureshi insisting that this is Afghanistan’s “internal strife”, which taking credit for its diplomacy that “brought the Taliban to the talks table” with the US … writes Dr Sakariya Kareem

A decade after being found hosting, or hiding, Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, Pakistan is still not sure whether he was a ‘martyr’ or an internationally wanted ‘terrorist’.

A fresh debate has been re-ignited because none less than Prime Minister Imran Khan who called Osama a ‘martyr’ and his Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who claimed that the boss was ‘misquoted’, himself failed to call Osama a ‘terrorist’. He thought he was being smart, but did it clumsily, when saying: ‘I will let that pass.”

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi

Now, they are being attacked from both ends of the political spectrum at home and the world outside. The conservatives at home are glad, while the world outside wants to know where Pakistan stands on this question that its own leaders rake up from time to time.

“Pakistan’s top leadership needs to be absolutely clear when it comes to describing fighters like bin Laden,” Dawn newspaper said in its June 22, 2021 editorial, adding: “Mr Qureshi could have used this opportunity to clearly state that Pakistan considers the late Al Qaeda mastermind a terrorist. However, his non-committal comments sent the wrong message to a global audience.”

To recall, bin Laden was located and eliminated by an American special forces’ team on 2^ndMay, 2011 in Abbottabad, a key garrison town in the heart of Pakistan. Till today, there is no final word on how, why and for how long Osama was there, with or without knowledge and support of successive governments in Pakistan.

The newspaper laments what is known to the world, but is ignored, beyond mouthing words of concern and outrage. “Osama bin Laden was an ideological hero to many militants in Pakistan, who had no qualms about taking on the state and spilling the blood of the innocent. Few would disagree that bin Laden was the most influential religious militant of the current era, inspiring terrorist groups across the world with his ideology and tactics. Therefore, there should be no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ and the message our government should be sending to the world is that Osama bin Laden was very much a terrorist.” A cursory scanning of Pakistan’s media shows that there are not too many media outlets saying this and members of the intelligentsia are generally silent.

The irony of Pakistan’s prime minister calling Osama a ‘martyr’ is not lost when you see Pakistan’s dual role in hunting with the hounds (the Taliban), claiming to distance itself from the “internal strife”, yet taken an anti-US stance and seeking reparations for facilitating their drawdown

And it is not about Osama alone. Pakistani media reports are currently carrying daily reports of pro-active police investigations into a bomb blast earlier this week in Lahore’s Johar Town locality where three people were killed. Politicians and celebrities alike are competing on the social media to express outrage and concern, although the place is not a seat of power or mass gathering, nor is the casualty alarmingly high considering Pakistan’s high-risk sectarian violence.

The unstated reason for these sympathetic outbursts is that the blast took place near the home of Lashkar-e-Toyaba founder and proscribed militant leader, Hafeez Saeed. Saeed, himself, is away, jailed on conviction of money-laundering charge and funnelling funds to terror outfits.

The question to Qureshi was from Tolo News, an Afghanistan media outlet, put by an intrepid interviewer come to Islamabad at a time when the government in Kabul is under tremendous pressure from the Afghan Taliban. They are conquering vast swathes of territory even as the US-led foreign troops begin to evacuate. Afghanistan is routinely accusing Pakistan of sponsoring the Taliban attacks. Islamabad denies this with both Khan and Qureshi insisting that this is Afghanistan’s “internal strife”, which taking credit for its diplomacy that “brought the Taliban to the talks table” with the US.

The irony of Pakistan’s prime minister calling Osama a ‘martyr’ is not lost when you see Pakistan’s dual role in hunting with the hounds (the Taliban), claiming to distance itself from the “internal strife”, yet taken an anti-US stance and seeking reparations for facilitating their drawdown.

This is reflected in Pakistan’s current anti-American stance. “I will never forget how we Pakistanis were embarrassed when the Americans came into Abbottabad and killed Osama Bin Laden, martyred him,” Khan said. He used the word “shaheed” – a reverential Arabic term for a martyr of Islam.

Whether or not Pakistan supports the Taliban’s ascendance, the world community are concerned at this attempt at military solution that seems to succeed. Pakistan, while denying any interference or military support to the Taliban, is like the proverbial cat licking its whiskers after drinking the spilt milk.

The timing of the debate is strange, but also significant. Besides fast-moving developments in Afghanistan next-door, and a meeting of the Financial Task Force (FATF), the body that is scrutinising Pakistan’s role in fomenting terrorism. But rather than curb a public debate on Osama, the government seems to encourage this poking of fingers into the eyes of the Americans and other NATO members who are evacuating.

This is to score political brownies at home, according to writer Zahid Husain who has criticised both Khan and Qureshi of mixing their diplomacy in the region to boost their support base among the militants. Refusal to condemn Osama is only one of the pointers to this.

The world community needs to see this debate as a trend on how Pakistan treats militants as its ‘assets’. Pakistan’s former envoy to the United States Abida Hussain last year claimed in an interview to Geo TV, a local private news channel, that Osama Bin Laden had “supported and funded” Nawaz Sharif, the three-times prime minister now in exile. She may know since she served as a minister in one of his governments.

Imran Khan’s ‘martyr’ comment should also cause a flash-back. General Pervez Musharaf used to call him “Taleban Khan” for his known sympathy for the militants. But it was during Musharraf’s own tenure that Osama made his way, after the Taliban were ousted from Kabul in 2001,moving out of Afghanistan to the tribal land on the border with Pakistan and eventually, to the “safe house” in Abbottabad.

Tags imran, Osama, PAKISTAN, taliban