News

The Hindu :

BADMINTON The second Asian Paralympic Badminton Championship saw India tying for second place with Malaysia

Dedicated Ramesh Tikaram

The second Asian Paralympic Badminton Championship which was held at the Karnataka Badminton Association Stadium here last week, drove home the point that the physically challenged across the world have always been making — don’t call usdisabled, but differently abled. The four-day championship had contestants from six countries, including the host India.

The field included Kargil heroes Satyender Sangwan and Shailender Kashyap, who were amputees, and Sri Lankan Army sergeants, Bandara and Fernando, who too lost their limbs in the line of duty. There was also Parul Parmar, who despite her polio-affected right leg became a world beater.

As Parul observed, “It was the game which opened new avenues for me and never for a moment have I felt any disadvantage either in badminton or in life.” The 35-year old Postal employee from Gandhi Nagar, won a gold.

There were Malaysians, Chinese and Koreans.The championship provided a fascinating spectacle and some of the matches were fiercely contested.

Koreans walked away with the top honours bagging 14 gold while India and Malaysia tied for the second spot with seven golds each. The contestants from abroad went home with high praises for the organisers and the individuals who deserve the credit were Ramesh Tikaram, secretary general of Badminton Sports Association of India for the Physically Challenged and Venkatesh who though short in stature, was tall in his deeds. Tikaram was happy with the fact the BSASIPC, pulled off a coup of sorts without much support from anyone. He had to dig deep into his pocket and ensure that the show went on smoothly.

“To begin, I had lot of problems and there were about 15 countries originally in the fray, but security concerns forced nine to abstain. This event was allotted to us by the International Paralympic Committee in March and…More

The Hindu : y>Successfully fighting off challenges from platinum and diamonds, gold remains an all-time favourite, writes RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA

Photo: APGrab it We can never have enough of the gorgeous yellow metal

Driving across the city, one is bound to notice hoardings that insist that platinum is the metal of choice for the new-age woman. There is also the oft-repeated phrase of diamonds being a girl’s best friend. However, no amount advertising or promotional activities can change the fact that Indian women have a major soft spot for gold.

The precious metal has managed to attract patrons in all age groups fighting off strong competition from other metals. What is it about gold that explains its mass appeal? Is it looks or the perception of gold as an investment or the popular opinion that gold looks good on Indian skin that attracts buyers?

Dancer Vani Ganapathy, who loves jewellery believes the fascination of gold comes from history. “The concept of possessing gold jewellery is very strong in our country. It is something that is passed through generations. Mothers pass their jewellery to their daughters or in-laws share the family heirlooms with daughters-in law. Even historically and in myths, it is gold and not platinum or diamonds that play an important part.”

Srinivas, Branch Manager, Bhima Jewellers says: “Gold has always been seen as a safe investment. People believe that return on gold jewellery gives them better value than other jewellery be it pearls or precious stones. This combined with its use for once-in-a-lifetime occasions like marriage contributes to its popularity.”

Though silver jewellery or miniature studded stones are popular with the younger generation, gold is not left behind. For those who find gold too flashy or gaudy, the yellow metal has morphed with the times. Whether by entering into the branded jewellery segment or offering minimalist designs at affordable prices, gold has ensured its strong position across societal strata.

Actor…More

The Hindu : y>

Style statement A glimpse of the collection

Zeme Organics ltd. has launched a wide range of clothing for men, women and infants. The product is made of organic cotton and is certified by Control Union for Global Organic Textile Standard.

The standard is valid for fibre products, yarns, fabrics and clothes and covers the production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling and distribution of all natural fibre products.

Zeme products are available across Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai and Pune. Log on towww.zemeorganics.com for store locator. The dress ranges for men and women include T shirts, shirts, kurtas, kurtis, jeans and sweaters. Maternity wear such as tops, skirts, trousers and nursing tops are also available.

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

K.B. Jinan believes using pottery inculcates in us a value for objects

Handle with care Jinan: ‘I look at the breakable nature of pottery as positive as it implies gentle handling’

K.B. Jinan found with the gradual removal of pottery from kitchen and table ware, we lost our ability for careful handling and sensitivity. In 1993 he started Kumbham, an initiative in the potters’ community in Aruvacode, in the Malapuram district of Kerala. In a phone interview from Kerala, this designer from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad says, “Pottery, which was the only thing in kitchens, was moved out. The other aspects of pottery have been overlooked.”

Says Jinan, “I look at the breakable nature of pottery as something positive as it implies gentle handling and taking care, an aspect that is missing from our modern lives.”

He notes that with everything from toys, glasses to soap dishes being made unbreakable, we have lost our touch for care and attention. “Earthy materials are not only eco-friendly, but inculcate and develop values for objects.”

Jinan has noticed the difference between the lives of potters’ children and non-potters’ children. “Just like we have rid society of senior citizens and the physically challenged by putting them in segregated spaces, nuclear families and the products we use leave very little time to take care of lives and things around us.” He feels that we are totally bereft of patience.

Jinan, who was an engineering school drop-out, doesn’t believe in formal schooling as very often, a child is forced to go to school and loses his/her sense of natural experience of the environment around. “Education needs to be a personal, spiritual journey of what it means to be authentic. Schooling is cloning, where students become imitators and are induced to largely Western systems of thinking.”

He believes that this results in cognitive damage, disconnect of the physical body and the…More

The Hindu :

Inspira has exclusive outfits and accessories that blend rich Indian textiles in contemporary designs

Shimmy shimmer Interesting combinations and cuts is the name of the game

Smitha Rao, who was working in ffolio, decided to study merchandising and design at NIFT, Bangalore. She teamed up with Shobitha who studied textiles in Bombay to set up Inspira. Their store is adorned with exclusive saris, salwar kameezes, tops, dresses, kurtis, skirts, jackets and accessories like bags, belts and earrings that blend rich Indian textiles in contemporary designs and cuts. The duo loves to “play with fabrics”. So net, georgette and silk find their way into saris with appliqué work, jacquard, sequins and hand embroidery as each fabric drapes differently.

They also display the works of three or four designers. The saris which range from velvet brasso, woven silk of different panels to ikat, have grand designs and thread work and are priced from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 20,000.

The salwar kameez section ranges from straight cuts to pre-stitched anarkalis in cottons, cotton silks, georgettes, jute, net and lace with thread embroidery, floral prints, gold tissue kalamkari and crushed silk for evening wear or for office wear. Says Smitha, “We also like working with combinations, so pure silk and brocade or jute and net create a balance in both the fall and fabric.” The clothes range from Rs. 1,800 to Rs. 10,000.

The earrings by Preeti Vyas from Coimbatore are to compliment the outfits. Silver is the theme with a range of gold-plated, mother of pearl, jhumkas, and chandelier handcrafted earrings for the wedding season or to add a touch of glamour to an elegant Western outfit. Prices range from Rs. 500 to Rs. 5,000.

The tops, skirts and kurtis have interesting designs and fabric combinations once again, with knee or calf-length skirts in pencil or fish cuts in corduroy, cotton and silk with appliqué work, and leather…More

The Hindu :

Nicholas Horsburgh exhorts teachers to keep humour alive in the classroom

Photo: K.R DeepakMaking a point Nicholas Horsburgh: ‘The teacher should constantly surprise the child’

A blockbuster act. An edge-of-the-seat performance. A one-man show with a laugh a minute. Pure, unadulterated magic. This is not the review of an avante garde movie that’s won critics’ hearts.

This outpouring of feeling is for an author of school textbooks for children of the Indian subcontinent, an educational consultant from the UK who holds teacher training workshops that are full of fun and merriment.

Nicholas Horsburgh, author of New Oxford Modern English, was in Hyderabad for a few hours on the invitation of the Oxford University Press to conduct a workshop for teachers.

Talking to MetroPlus, he introduces himself as N.R. Subba Rao. “That’s my Indian name,” he winks. Son of acclaimed author David Horsburgh, Nicholas was born in Bangalore and studied at Lawrence School, Lovedale.

His daughters, though, studied in the rural school started by his father in Karnataka, 10 km away from Rishi Valley School. “When Englishmen were leaving India, my father, who was in the Royal Air Force, returned to India in 1950 to teach in Mysore. Going against the stream is what I learnt from him,” he says.

The Horsburghs left India in 1987 as the red-tape hurdles in the way of running their school and homoeopathy clinic were becoming too much to handle.

“Learning should be a pleasurable experience. It should be stimulating. The teacher should constantly surprise the child with his methods,” he says. ‘My father demonstrated a pyramid by making one. He stood on a table with two children holding on to him, two others on his shoulders and one on his head,” he adds.

One can divorce oneself from actual teaching and just write textbooks but that’s not what Nicholas, like his father, wanted. He says he believes he is making a difference like…More

The Hindu : y>

The recent incident where a stray puppy bit seven children has brought the contentious issue of the stray dog menace back to the debating table. Reactions to the earlier incidents had created a flutter among many in the general public, who felt thatkilling strays was not a solution and instead called for steps to ensure that the population of stray dogs are reduced, in a humane manner.

While one side felt the only way to deal with the situation was to kill the dogs, others felt that sterilisation and vaccination would be more effective.

MetroPlus asked city residents for their take on this issue. Most people felt that the cases of attack are true, but felt that killing dogs randomly will not provide any solution. Many felt that the administration should set up more kennels across the city, to ensure that many of the strays are adopted by people. They felt that the strays must be sterilised to ensure that their population does not increase and can be kept under check. Some also asked people not to throw away discarded food items as they often attract dogs and other stray animals into residential areas. We sample some of the responses

The dogs must be taken to sparsely populated areas on the fringes of the city. The main reason why dogs attack human beings is because dogs end up sharing cramped city space with humans, making them behave aggressively. The dogs must be sterilised.

Chandan

Sales professional

Stray dogs must be sterilised and their numbers must be kept under check. Killing them is not the correct solution. The administration must set up kennels and specialised areas, where the dogs are monitored and given all necessary vaccinations.

Sarvesh

Software engineer

The administration must take adequate steps to ensure the security of the people and the stray dogs. The strays must be put up for adoption, after…More