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The Hindu : LAKSHMI HARIHARAN

Protect us…:And society too.

Five hundred disadvantaged children from Kasturbha Gandhi Balika Vidhyalaya, from Chikkabellapur , Karnataka, were excited when they received the first prize from the Governor of Karnataka for their dance “Meena Children, Protectors of Child Rights” at the State Republic Day celebrations.Laudable efforts

The dance choreography was based on case studies in the ‘Meena’ programme, implemented in seven districts by Srushti, Performing Arts and Communication Center, in collaboration with Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), Karnataka.

One of the case studies is that of Renuka, a 15-year-old girl from the Hudigi Village, Bidar district, whose family decided to get her married.‘Meena’ children tried to convince her parents to stop the marriage, but they were not heard. SSA, school monitoring committee and government authorities did their best to stop the marriage. Sadly, later, the parents secretly conducted her marriage.

This does not undermine the efforts of ‘Meena’ children. They have enrolled 700 dropout children back to school. Taking thousands of children back to school is their next objective.

The author is the director of Srushti.

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The Hindu : SUDHINDR A.B.

Two kids show immense courage by saving a baby.

Courage comes first: Alert to the core

After a memorable trip to New Delhi, Gagan and Bhoomika, the recipients of this year’s National Bravery Award, have returned to Bangalore. These students of Std.II of Capitol Public School were felicitated by the school management at the annual day celebrations held recently. The twins received trophies and certificates from writer and Jnanpeeth award winner U. R. Anantha Murthy. N. Nagaraju, regional officer of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Chennai, was also present.Nick of time

Gagan said that his dream was to become an astronaut.he explained. Kalpana Chawla is the astronaut he wants to emulate. His twin sister Bhoomika explained how they both had saved a baby from being trampled by a bull on October 1, 2007. “We had gone with our father to Madiwala market to buy vegetables. Our father left us in the car and told us he would return soon. While we were sitting in the car, we saw two bulls fighting. We got down to see what was happening. Suddenly, the bulls started moving towards a baby that was on the pavement. I told Gagan to rescue the baby and he immediately rushed towards the baby, picked the baby up and ran towards the car. It all happened in seconds,” said Bhoomika.Was Gagan filled with fear when he tried to save the baby? “No,” he said. The twins have received invitations from many schools in the city to share their experience.

They have a message for other children: “We will tell them to responsive to such situations,” both Gagan and Bhoomika, the youngest among this year’s bravery award winners said.

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The Hindu :

Nandi award winner Murli Sharma does not believe in luck by chance

Hard work pays Murli Sharma

He does not believe in luck or God for a good chance. Hard work is what he swears by and which he believes gets rewards and fetches awards. Bollywood baddie Murli Sharma, remembered for his portrayals in “Maqbool”, “Main Hoon Na”, “Black Friday”, and “Golmaal Returns”, is on cloud nine. He’s won the Nandi award in the best villain category for “Athidi”.

“My first Telugu film and I win an award. It had to be. The banner was huge, I was pitted against a superstar like Mahesh Babu, got great lines and director Surender Reddy was a perfectionist and a hard taskmaster. For no other movie have I given 35 retakes for a shot. Shooting for ‘Athidi’ for 30 days from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. was good, tedious work but also exhilarating,” he says.

Right now, he laments that a slight degeneration of the neck bone for which he’s undergoing physiotherapy is not allowing him to do enough reading. An avid reader, Murli is a huge fan of Chetan Bhagat. “I’ve read all his three novels. I could relate immediately to ‘Five Point Someone’, ‘One Night @ Call Centre’ and ‘The 3 Mistakes of My Life’. Recently, I enjoyed reading ‘Shantaram’ and ‘The Kite Runner’.” Endearingly, this Leo, who is a language enthusiast, reveals how he always has the Oxford Dictionary by his bedside. “It’s a habit formed since childhood,” he smiles.

“I also watch a lot of DVDs. Sometimes, it’s just crap, so I invite friends over so that they can sift through the movies and we can watch a good one,” he discloses.

Murli also likes to help his mom in the kitchen rustle up delicacies. Happy with his three-year-old relationship with co-actor Ashwini Kalsekar, a well-known name for TV serial buffs, he says, “Marriage is…More

The Hindu : y>

have a seat Check out the new collection at Kynkyny

Kynkyny Home has launched Linea – a new collection of furniture. The Linea collection has been designed and manufactured in India.

The collection includes dining tables, coffee tables, TV consoles and a range of wooden furniture.

The focus of the collection lies on the simple linear design and solid construction. The collection has been designed by Vivek Radhakrishnan, who graduated from the Design Academy at Eindhoven, Netherlands recently.

He had set up Kynkyny with Namrata Radhakrishnan, his own design studio and small-scale manufacturing unit where he works on furniture for the home environment, and other products.

The collection is available at Kynkyny Home, 104 Embassy Square, Ganjam Jewellers, 148 Infantry road. For details call 40926202, 40926206

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The Hindu : y>

SPORTSWEAR

Adidas has launched the spring summer 2009 collection. The colour palette for women is characterised by a colour palate comprising different hues of pink, mauves to violets. For men, the palette ranges from deep red to aqua to the whites. The cuts, style and silhouettes are decided on the basis of international trends, Indian climatic conditions and individual comfort. The collection is priced from Rs.699 to Rs.9, 499. It includes apparel, footwear and accessories for men and women.LCD TV

Samsung India Electronics has launched an FM enabled LCD tv in the 22” screen size – Samsung Series 4 – LA22A480. The Samsung LA22A480, in FM radio mode, goes into auto power saving mode after 10 minutes, enabling the users to enjoy the uninterrupted FM. It offers a 30 channels memory storage capacity for various FM stations and comprises a customable 5-Band graphic equalizer. The Samsung LA22A480 is priced at Rs. 20,900. It is available at Samsung digital plazas and major consumer electronic retail outlets.COMPUTERS

Lenovo has introduced H200, a device that aims at providing a sleek design at a low cost. The H200 features a 25L ATX form compact design. It also utilises the Intel Atom processor that helps save power. The Lenovo H200 features the latest core technologies and supports the Intel GMA950 integrated graphics. It is available at authorised Lenovo stores across the country for Rs. 18,490. Samsung India launches its First 22” LCD TV with in-built FMPHONES

Spice Mobiles has launched, Spice S-590, a video-camera phone. The phone is loaded with a host of features like music, FM, torch, expandable memory upto 2 GB, GPRS and applications like voice prompt, mobile tracker, SMS scheduler etc. The voice prompt feature helps in speaking out the number of an incoming call, phonebook and keys pressed on keypad. The phone is available for Rs. 2,499 at leading mobile…More

The Hindu : y>Mayeda Jamal feels denying terror suspects their human rights will reduce civil society to the same level

Terrorism has struck almost all major cities of the world. The recent Mumbai attacks have shaken the foundations of the country, as they managed to bring distant echoes of terror into our immediate reality. Justice Arijit Pasayat’s statements calling for suspected terrorists to be treated akin to animals will find an echo in the sentiments of millions of people across the country.

I would like to state that there is no act more deplorable than killing another human being. There is no justification for attacking innocent people and considering them collateral for an ideological crusade.

The loss and grief of families who lost their loved ones will linger for a long time, but eventually the country will move on. What will remain in history will be the words of a serious, powerful representative of the Indian judiciary, declaring terrorists are animals. Published words often create history. In the backdrop of these statements, the questions that arise are, if one strips another human being of his/ her rights, don’t they automatically lose the right to complain about the attacks being carried out?

If terrorism is the anti-thesis of respecting human rights, are we not guilty of harbouring similar thoughts?

India has often earned international respect and prestige for its stoic attitude in the past. The beauty of India’s struggle for freedom lies in the concept of Ahimsa. The true mettle of the people and the nation is visible during a moment of crisis.

Denying human rights to terrorists does not deter terrorism. It does not relieve the pain of the grieving and does not promise future safety. Refusing human rights under any circumstances, reduces us to animalistic levels as well. It strips us of the right to condemn acts against humanity. If terrorists believed in human rights, they would be…More

The Hindu :

Young families are taking that quick weekend break to getaway from the humdrum of daily life

Photo: Mohammed YousufFUN TIMES Weekend revelry at water parks is much sought after

That travel has become an addiction in urban India is evident whenever you leave the city limits.Professionals are making vacation time a part of their monthly itinerary rather than the long annual ritual it used to be.

Taking a long holiday is not always feasible with work pressures weighing heavy on people’s minds.

There are the monthly targets to be met. Recession has brought about notions that your stay away may end up in you losing your job.Relax and rejuvenate

But in such work-weary times one needs to relax and rejuvenate all the more. Hence, a short vacation over the weekend is on the agenda for many a professional.

Sumit Tandon, a HR professional with a multinational, admits a monthly vacation is a ritual with his family.

With his wife holding language classes through the week and him keeping late hours, there is hardly any ‘us’ time. Once a month, on a Friday evening, they head out of town to a resort.

With resorts equipped with spas, pools, gyms, gaming zones, paintball, beauty salons, a choice of sports and entertainment besides epicurean delights, she says, “Whether it’s waxing and threading or a haircut, I prefer getting these also done with a heavy dose of pampering when we are on holiday.”

Waking up with birds, early-morning yoga and meditation, which is not possible with school-going kids, is another thing she looks forward to.

G. Raghurama Raju, Director, business Development, Leonia Holistic Resorts, says 40 per cent of the weekend traffic comprises families. With a huge gaming zone, individual cascade pools with certain rooms, a lagoon bay, rain pools, and play areas with child-minders.Many a time, families come in groups.

Impromptu cricket matches, organised DJ-dance evenings and water games are a big hit.

George…More

The Hindu :

Malaysian writer Bernice Narayanan’s Tangled Emotions is a collection of short stories about people she has met over the years

PHOTO: K. V. SRINIVASANFASCINATION FOR PEOPLE Bernice Narayanan

Travel writer, author of a children’s book, PR consultant and, now, short-story writer. Bernice Narayanan has worn many different hats in her career, but there’s been a single motivating factor behind them all — a love for people and an endless curiosity about what makes them tick.

“I can sit in a coffee shop for hours just observing the people around me,” says the Malaysian writer who visited India recently to promote her new collection of short stories, “Tangled Emotions”. “People have always fascinated me — my friends back home range from the neighbourhood garbage collector to the prime minister.”Lively anecdotes

Not surprisingly then, a conversation with Bernice is a series of lively anecdotes about the people who’ve crossed her path — whether it was the recently bereaved garbage collector she gave relationship advice to or the CEO of a major global corporation who poured out his heart to her about his tangled love life.

“Invariably, my clients’ and my staff members’ problems become mine,” says Bernice, who runs her own PR and event management firm. “They become my friends and tell me all their stories because they know I’ll listen.”

Even as an award-winning travel writer in Malaysia earlier on, it was the stories of the people of the region that drew Bernice in: “I was always interested in how people make the place and the culture.”

Many of those stories have made their way into “Tangled Emotions”, her first foray into writing fiction for adults. “It’s an intensely emotional book; I want people to understand the emotions others feel, and to not judge each other for those feelings,” the writer says earnestly.

And she has so many more to tell that she’s already working on two more…More

The Hindu :

Women are often surprised by the changes that happen to their skin, hair and nails during pregnancy

photo: afpWait it out Most changes are hormone related and will disappear after the delivery

Sulekha is in the seventh month of her pregnancy. For the past few weeks she has noticed darkening of the skin of her neck. She also has noticed a dark line developing over the midline of her abdomen. Is this normal in pregnancy? Changes that occur due to the baby are expected and are well accepted by women. Backaches, swollen feet and increasing weight do not alarm pregnant women. But most women are caught by surprise by the changes that happen to their skin, hair and nails. Most of these changes are hormone related and will disappear after the delivery.

Common skin changes in pregnancy

Darkening of skin

The skin normally contains the pigment melanin which is what gives the brown colour to our skin and hair. This pigment increases during pregnancy. Women might notice dark spots appearing over their breasts, face and neck, abdomen, and thighs. More than 90 per cent of pregnant women will get these dark areas. Turmeric paste or other home remedies will not prevent this.

Some women develop a brownish discolouration, called chloasma, around the eyes, nose, and cheeks. Exposure to harsh sunlight can make it worse. Some women also notice a faint, dark line that runs from their umbilicus to their pubic hair. This is called linea nigra.

Stretch marks

As your abdomen and breasts grow during pregnancy, they may become stretched and marked with reddish lines. By the end of the pregnancy almost all pregnant women will get stretch marks on their abdomen, and sometimes on the buttocks, breasts, or thighs. The number of stretch marks you get depends on your genetic makeup. Just apply plenty of moisturising lotion to the skin to keep it supple. Stretch marks will…More

The Hindu :

Here is a book that ranks people who shaped the destiny of our world

Photo: APLasting impression Mahatma Gandhi figuresat the 12th spot in a list topped by Johannes Gutenberg

For some, ranking people is a pastime and for some it is a profession. But one thing is certain: the result does evoke reactions. Now we have a book which ranks 1,000 personalities from the last 1,000 years.

Here Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has failed to make it to the top 10. He is languishing at the 12th spot behind the likes of Johannes Gutenberg, who developed the printing press, Christopher Columbus and even John Locke. Called “1000 years, 1000 people”, the book is compiled by Agnes Hooper Gottlieb, Henry Gottlieb, Barbara Bowers and Brent Bowers. They have used the BioGraph system for defining ‘importance’. The authors feel the system is easy to apply if you know about the lives, times and influence of the personalities. “It is for the first time that such a rigorous system has been employed to rank people who have shaped the world. Otherwise, we generally rely on popular appeal for such compilations. In future, the system could be applied for people who shaped India,” claims Prakash Bal, Editor-in-chief, Flywell Publications, which has brought the book to India. He agrees that Mahatma Gandhi’s ranking could have generated controversy. “Thankfully, the book has not been disseminated to that level yet.”

Each BioGraph point is awarded on the basis of answers to five questions: lasting influence, effect on the sum total of wisdom and beauty to the world, influence on contemporaries, singularity of contribution and charisma. The highest score possible is 24,000 but even Gutenberg fell far short with 21,768 points.

In fact, charisma has turned the tables for many in the list. Oscar Wilde has scored big in this category for his wit and flamboyance. And surprisingly Hitler has got the most…More