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The Hindu :

A website against sexual harassment at workplace

Speak upAn activist holding a placard depicting the exploitation of women in the workplace

It is not uncommon for women to come across male colleagues at workplace who stare at them for no reason, comment on their clothes and personal behaviour, crack sexual jokes, at times spread rumours about their personal or sex life, or turn work discussions to sexual topics by using puns. That all of this falls within the ambit of sexual harassment at the workplace is not within the immediate consciousness of most women and men.

Sexual harassment doesn’t only mean rape or attempt to rape at the workplace, rightly points out Delhi-based women’s rights activist Martha Ferrel. Though much has been written about sexual harassment, she is right in pointing out that still very few know its nuances. With an attempt to bring the issue to the forefront and turn it into a popular campaign, Martha’s organisation, Participatory Research In Asia (PRIA), has just launched a website. An interactive forum that allows people to raise questions and post comments on issues of sexual harassment, the website, states Martha, is for ordinary men and women belonging to all age groups.

“Our campaign speaks of sexual harassment within the larger society and sexual harassment within the workplace. It will particularly benefit young college and university-level students, working women and men within various organisations and all those who may not have a clear idea of the issue but look forward on gaining insights on it,” she explains. “PRIA intends opening up the website’s interactive space to not just individuals seeking advice but also to organisations who may want support for their own committees as a third party.”

Although the purpose of the campaign is to develop awareness on the issue, Martha says it seeks to go beyond this “to act as a key mobiliser towards ensuring that…More

The Hindu :

Segregating kitchen wastes and composting them into manure is a good way to begin

Go organic Dispose onion peels, potato skins and carrot heads in separate containers

Have you ever wondered why the garbage truck that drives up to clear the garbage at the end of the road always has a stinking liquid flowing out of it? May be you should check out the truck that comes regularly to collect waste from the posh hotels on M.G.Road from their service entrance on Church Street. As the trucks are loaded, , there is a constant flow of liquid from one end of the truck onto the road. Because, the waste is 60 per cent water and the BBMP is spending huge amounts of money transporting, what is essentially water.

“The wet waste with the garbage is transported to dump sites on the periphery of the city, which is unscientific and adversely affect bio-diversity ,” says Rama Devi who runs a unit named GifT, which teaches apartment dwellers to manage their wet waste. Onion peels, potato skins, carrot heads, apple cores and egg shells from the kitchen every single day can mount up to a lot. Especially, when you junk it with empty tins and bottles, milk sachets, old batteries, tube-lights and plastic water bottles.

“Composting units in buildings will help residents to compost wet waste. Rag-pickers earn less when cardboard, plastic and other recyclable material is soaked with waste liquids,” reveals G Vishwanath of GifT. In the West, apartment blocks have separate containers for different types of garbage such as bottles, paper and kitchen wastes. Paper and bottles are cleared only once a week while the wet waste is cleared on a daily basis. And, there is never any stinking mess lying around street corners. Let us look at composting our wet kitchen waste. Terracotta containers in the garden are all that we need to…More

The Hindu : y>Travelocity India’s packages for Australia

If your idea of a holiday is sun, sand, and the beaches, Australia is the place to be in. It comes alive in summer and autumn.

Travelocity India offers packages for Sydney and Melbourne.

Book any return flight to Sydney or Melbourne and get Rs. 2,000 off on your flight booking. And, choose from their hotel specials and get exclusive deals along with a cash back of Rs. 1,500 per booking.

In Sydney, check out Sydney harbour, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and the famous Bondi Beach, besides the Anzac Bridge, Centennial Park, Darling Harbour and Luna Park.

In Melbourne, there’s also the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Crown Casino & Entertainment Complex, Melbourne Aquarium and Melbourne & Olympic Parks.

The offers are valid till February 28.

For details, visit www.travelocity.co.in

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The Hindu : y>

Off the rack An exhaustive range

Body N Soul, Coimbatore is showcasing the latest collection of designer salwar suits, kurtis, tunics in cotton, crepe, chiffon etc and Victor Brown designer wearThe exhibition is at Gallery 14, ground floor, Safina Plaza from February 8 to 14.

The range includes fashionable fabrics for all occasions: casual wear, formal and semi-formal wear. Exclusive designs are available for special occasions. The Victor Brown section will display kurtis, tunics, shirts and skirts in mull ,soft cotton and other fabrics.

In the Indian sectionIndian suits from various designers in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Calcutta, cottons from Coimbatore will be exhibited.

Besides colour combinations, equal priority has been given to design with sequins, zardozi, hand-embroidery. Fabrics such as kota, super net and shimmer have been used. Exquisite bead, sequin and velvet work has been done on kurtis in pastel shades. A collection of suits are also available. For more details, call 9741299565, 9894128632, 9943028632.

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The Hindu :

Reality Killed The Video Star

Robbie Williams

EMI; CD; Rs.395

T his album marks the return of British bad boy Robbie Williams to the music scene after a hiatus of three years. The title of the album, which is produced by Trevor Horn, is incidentally a play on the song “Video Killed The Radio Star” by Horn’s former group The Buggles.

RealityKilled the Video Star sees Robbie return to what he does best. Easy on the ear, radio-friendly pop numbers, for the most part at least. The album is contemplative, introspective, versatile and of course, in true Robbie tradition, cocky.

The first track on the album, “Morning Sun”, pays homage to The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus”. The ballad effectively gives voice to his doubts and fears, with lyrics like In a message to the troubadour the world don’t love you anymore. Following Michael Jackson’s death, Robbie reportedly wrote the song in tribute to the King of Pop, but later in an interview, he said, “I thought it was about Michael Jackson but it’s actually about me again.”

The first single of the album “Bodies” features electronic sounds and Middle Eastern musical overtones. Despite listening to it several times, I found it difficult to decide whether I liked it or not.

Somehow listening to Robbie going Ya! just felt wrong. It was only when the chorus began that I could relax considering that it was more in pop territory. “You Know Me” is one of the best songs on the album. The song is a throwback to the Doo Wop style and Robbie croons the lyrics before letting his voice soar on the chorus. “Do You Mind” is a silly up tempo number designed to get your feet moving, reminiscent of Bryan Adam’s “I Wanna Be Your Underwear”.

However, he does make a mention of America’s lack of enthusiasm in embracing him, singing Better let me into your country…More

The Hindu : y>What inspired author Amitava Kumar to write his latest book, Evidence of Suspicion? ZIYA US SALAM finds out

EYE FOR DETAIL Author Amitava Kumar feels there is a constant struggle for the right words

His aversion to arrogance is well-known. But author Amitava Kumar’s enthusiasm for using Indian languages — Urdu and Hindi — comes as a comforting surprise. A bit disturbed due to the illness of his children, he honestly says, “Hamaare bachchon ki beemaree ki wajah se kuch delay ho gaya”. He uses the same level of candour and transparency, be it in writing his latest book, “Evidence of Suspicion”, brought out by Picador, India, or answering questions about a work that, despite the serious nature of the subject, is a racy read. Excerpts from an interview:

How did “Evidence of Suspicion” come about? Even the title is intriguing.

I had been teaching a new course called Literature of 9/11 at Vassar. The aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Centre, the wars abroad and inside the U.S. had been on my mind. One day, I heard the voice of an Indian man on the radio. This was Hemant Lakhani. He had been convicted of selling a missile to an FBI informant who had pretended to be an Islamist terrorist. I decided to interview him in prison. The story grew out of that encounter. The title came from my editor. But I like it because it tells us that the nature of what we often regard as evidence is nothing but our prejudice. Much of what we regard as truth in the war on terror is actually rather suspect.

You started making notes, taking photographs, including posters issued by the local police to help identify terrorists for this book. This you did soon after wrapping up “The Husband of a Fanatic”. How did you develop this eye for detail? And an ability to…More

The Hindu : SUBHA J RAO

You’re off on a break, but still want to let the world know what’s happening in your life. What better way than a blog? Here’s how you can ensure it transports readers into the thick of action.

Focus on the unusual

Why did you head to this destination? And, what unusual things did you notice? Put down these in the blog. Ensure it is something more than a regular tourist guide.

Off the beaten track

Why stick to the regular tourist places? Take a map, discover hidden niches and write about your experience there. Future travellers will be grateful. And yes, post pictures that will bring a smile on people’s faces (such as the one above)

Fact perfect

Get your facts right. Be it distance, hotel rates or exchange rates; check and double-check before you post it online.

Remember, that others will take decisions based on what you write.

The things that matter

Did you take your children along, and find something that engaged their attention? Write about it. It will save others a lot of trouble.

Found accommodation that is child and elderly-friendly? Mention them.

Food is important, even on a holiday. Did you discover a place that’s hygienic and serves great food? Post details.

Do you have food preferences (vegetarian, sugar-free etc.) and found what you wanted? Mention that too. Idlis in Nainital? A lovely daal-roti combo deep in the South? Those call for definite posts, with details.

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The Hindu :

With each passing decade and each elapsing generation, women are conditioned to believe that men have a genuine inability to multi-task

Photo: K. R. DeepakEasy targets Women have become multi-talented and multi-skilled energy cauldrons, whose reserves seem endless

It may make sense to admit that of all vices we women have been accused of, being gullible is one which we’ve carried with us right from the days of creation itself. We believed the bad guy with the apple in paradise, ate it and then being kind enough even shared it with the man around. Adam, in return (even with the apple lodged right in his gullet) ratted on Eve.

Of course it made her feel culpable for them having to be shunned out from beautiful Eden and land on earth.

So probably a combination (of the acquired guilt and inherent gullibility) made us women easy soft targets for the men-folk around.

We naively concurred when our men explained (very logically at that) how they’ve never done laundry or washed vessels in their lives.

We ate out of their hands when they convinced us that the way to their hearts was through their stomachs. So, we ended up cooking for them. We empathised with them when they told us marriage puts them in a tight, delicate spot – lodged right in between us wives on one side and their families on the other.

With each passing decade and each elapsing generation, we listened, and even if we didn’t quite agree, gave in to the never ending yarns our men spun. We gave them the benefit of doubt when they told us they are differently wired (Of course the book written by a woman that explained that men and women, after all, were from different planets also helped their case). We accepted that maybe men are born with a genuine inability to multi-task (especially when the tasks involve watching…More

The Hindu : y>

It is a shame that democratic polity is being demeaned by politicians like Thackeray and company. It is the duty of all Indians to register their protest against these parochial attitudes. The media must tone down their coverage.

Vijaykumar

Government

official

The issue is something I agree with the Sena, as I do not feel Pakistani players must not be allowed in the IPL. However, they can register their protest in a more peaceful manner. Hooliganism is not the way to go about it.

Suresh

Government

official

L osing elections seems to have addled the Shiv Sena’s mind. The Sena has been attacking anyone who tries to talk sense and has moved on from Sachin Tendulkar and Mukesh Ambani to Shah Rukh Khan.

They have threatened to block theatres showing the next SRK movie release, “My name is Khan.” And in the process, Karan Johar’s film is getting some more free publicity!

The acts of hooliganism perpetuated by the Sena have much of the country in an uproar. MetroPlus asked city residents for their take on the entire issue and the question of the ownership over the city of Mumbai.

Most residents felt that at a time when the common man is facing issues such as inflation and terror threats the politicians and media should focus on those issues than the ranting of an old, failed politician.

Many felt that a media blackout of the Sena would be vital in curbing their goondaism. Some called for stringent police action against the Sena activists, who indulge in acts of wanton hooliganism.

We sample some responses

Such attitudes as displayed by the Sena and its cronies have no place in a functional democracy.

They must be eliminated by legal means. Strict action must be initiated against this kind of hooliganism and anyone who breaks the law.

Arun

Sofware engineer

Everyone has a right to stay and settle in any part of the country. The Sena should study the Constitution first…More

The Hindu : LAKSHMI SHARATH

During the Mysore Kheddas, wild pachyderms were driven into the Kabini and forcefully domesticated

The great crossing The Mysore Khedda, sometime in the 1970s

As the evening sun lights the backwaters of the River Kabini, we see a lone tusker in the fading light, working hard on the bamboo and attacking it with his trunk.

As the shutterbugs click away, the tusker seems to mind the intrusion and rushes into the forest with a loud trumpet. “You must come here in summer,” the boatman’s sales pitch interrupts our reverie, “the river beds are full of elephants swimming across”.

Kabini tales

Later in the evening, as the wood cracked and the smoke curled up and conversations lingered, I asked our naturalist Vikram Nanjappa to tell me more about the Kabini of yesteryears (Surrounded by the pristine forests of the Kakanakote range, Kabini has its own heritage tag, as it was once the hunting ground of the Mysore Maharaja.)

And, that is when I heard about the khedda operation, a spectacle that has been in vogue since the Wodeyar dynasty’s reign began in the 19 {+t} {+h} Century.

“Khedda is a process where elephants were captured and trained for war or domestic use,” explains Vikram, adding the Mysore Khedda was largely borrowed from practices followed in East and North India.

“Drummers and beaters would drive an entire herd of wild elephants into a wooded enclosure where domesticated elephants called Kumkis were used to calm them,” adds Vikram. The trapped, wounded elephants were then lassoed and tied to a tree and sometimes even starved until they became weak enough to be trained. This system was prevalent in ancient times — Greek traveller Megasthenes mentions this in his records of Chandragupta Maurya’s period. He writes about how female elephants were used as decoys to lure male elephants to enclosures or to deep trenches.

The Mysore Khedda, however, enjoyed royal patronage, and…More