THE “BOZ” OF ENGLISH LITERATURE Health Care Tourism JORA FOR COMPLETION OF 2ND PHASE OF SIDHRA GOLF COURSE BY MARCH NEXT CMYK Vol. 2 | Issue No. 45 | website: www.thekashmirscenario.com | e-mail. [email protected] | November 19-25, 2012 | Price. Rs. 5 We dare to tell the truth... INSIDE STORIES OPINION p3 INTERVIEW p08 &11 SPOT-LIGHTp14 SPORTS p10 STATE-SCAN p02 Protest in Kashmir by Women Activists. Radio Kashmir Losing Popularity Rameez Makhdoomi COVER STORY p 05
Transcript
The “Boz” of English litEraturE
Health Care Tourism
Jora for compleTion of 2nd phase of sidhra Golf course By march nexT
state-scan eDIt02 04Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
November 19-25, 2012
Impart Swimming
Drowning deaths have become very normal things in Kashmir. On regular intervals of time in Kashmir we
have become accustomed to hear the heartbreaking news of people of various age groups being drowned in tempestuous waters. All this tragedy can be prevented if our population is made to learn the great art of swimming. Educating one to swim can be a very valuable lesson in someone’s life. There are a number of times when the knowledge of how to swim comes in handy, and it may even save your life someday. Therefore, if you are an adult who does not know how to swim, consider getting lessons. Or, if you have children, you can give them a wonderful gift by teaching them their strokes. This article will outline the benefits of a basic understanding of how to swim. All this calls for our curriculum & education planners to include swimming as a necessary part of education. Besides lifesaving value of swimming, swimming is a wonderful activity, but the difficulty with most people is that they are too late, or learn to swim often, they do not learn anything. Surprisingly, there is a fairly large population of people who do not have the ability to swim and many child psychologists and experts in swimming around the world agree on, that people start learning to swim when they are young guys. It is important to have the swimming lessons for children as many reasons. Combining amusement with motion are children to be able to swim to get into the habit – that is, the templates regular exercise, which keeps them healthy and fit. Swimming is a good exercise for boys and girls and the learning curve is easy to overcome right. Another thing is that more children can swim – you can social situations they will with the ability to swim in the other children could improve their ability to have fun with.
F.S.AijAzuddin
THE gloves were off. The pugi-lists entered the ring. The ju-diciary threw off its wig. The army tossed away its swagger stick. It promised to be a fight with bare knuckles. Instead, each used a microphone to de-liver what it hoped would be a knockout blow. Not surprising-ly, in the political circumstanc-es, both contestants are still on their feet. What the Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Kay-ani said on Nov 5 to a group of his military subordinates at GHQ was the one speech no Pakistan army chief ever in-tended to make. It was a veiled remonstrance against the ju-diciary, the army’s staunchest ally since the 1950s. One would have assumed that such re-marks, made in camera before an internal audience of kha-kis, would have remained con-fidential. Instead, they were re-leased deliberately to the press which invited what many saw as a riposte from the judiciary. That came from an equally high level in the judi-ciary. Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s comments, re-leased by the Supreme Court, had been made similarly in confidence before senior bu-reaucrats attending the Na-tional Management College Course, where, by tradition, all such speeches are deemed non-attributable. That is to encourage freedom of expres-sion, the freedom a speaker expects even after the speech. That both the views of the army chief and the chief jus-tice were released to the press was all the evidence many sec-tions of the media needed of a growing schism between these powerful pillars of state. Such differences are unusual. Throughout our his-tory, the judiciary has been always forthcoming in its en-dorsement of any military takeover. It did not invent the concept of the doctrine of ne-cessity (Oliver Cromwell mar-keted that), but it did perfect its use as a sort of magical cloak of invisibility that hid political
realities from view. The army in turn re-ciprocated by correcting the equilibrium whenever it felt necessary, as Gen Kayani was said to have done in March 2009 when he persuaded Presi-dent Asif Zardari to restore Iftikhar Chaudhry to the chief justiceship. Gen Kayani’s state-ment emphasised the impor-tance of ‘trust between the leaders and the led in the armed forces’. His view is un-arguable. But surely that ap-plies to every organisation, whether military or civil or social. The army is not only about discipline. Its bedrock is more than discipline. It is obedience. No order can be disobeyed with impunity. The British demonstrated this bru-tally in the 19th century when they shot Sikh soldiers tied to the mouth of a cannon. Such a swiftly executed example was worth a thousand Orders of the Day. Both discipline and obedience are required to coex-ist in every aspect of civilised society anywhere in the world, human or animal. Without it, there would be lawlessness and anarchy, the sort of anarchy that we see every day in Paki-stan — at traffic lights, in the streets, at airports, in public departments, in government offices, within ministries, within parliament. Every-where. Ought we to blame the Quaid for neglecting to include the word ‘obedience’ as a fourth in his trinity of ‘unity, faith, and discipline’? We should for-give him that one mistake, es-pecially since he has cause to forgive us so many. The speeches made by the army chief and the chief justice appeared on the front pages of the dailies. A week later, those pages became wrappers for samosas. What endured was the reality of the state and the efficacy of its sup-porting pillars — the parlia-ment, the judiciary, the estab-lishment, the armed forces and the presidency. US President Barack
Obama, now re-elected for a second term, must be asking his aides for an update on Paki-stan, the country he visited as a student and one that in his first campaign in 2007-08, he threatened to invade if we did not ‘take out’ Osama bin Laden ourselves. While our musta-chioed walruses snorted and dithered between acknowledg-ment and denial of Osama’s presence in Pakistani terri-tory, Obama sent in his Navy SEALs to do our job. The State Department brief on Pakistan wending its way to the presidential desk will undoubtedly cover the sterility of parliament which, during its present term, has approved only 10 bills in the last year of which one was a compulsory finance bill. It will discuss the electoral pattern that is likely to emerge after the next elections — a coalition of PPP, PML-Q and MQM at the centre, with provincial parties dominating their respective fiefdoms. The PML-N will be allowed to keep Punjab or what remains of it after truncation. The brief will describe the efforts of the Supreme Court to remind Pakistanis of their constitutional responsi-bilities and its well-meaning endeavors to clean the Augean stables after the horses have fled. It will touch upon the once-all powerful bureaucra-cy that today a former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani still yearns to control from the sidelines, like Lady Thatcher planned to do after being oust-ed from power. And it will second-guess what Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan will be af-ter the US withdrawal in 2014, during the term of the next parliament. What the briefing pa-per will not be able to contain is a synopsis of the election manifestos of the political par-ties. Those must be the best kept secrets in Pakistan, un-like the combustible speeches made interestingly on Guy Fawkes’ Day by the two chiefs.
schooling systEM in Shambles in Budgam ABid RASHid BABA
Boys middle school is the historical and old-est school in the zone Magam of district Bud-gam. It was established
before 1947 in Gingal Uri then shifted to Budgam. After more than two decades, the authorities have never paid keen attention to the genuine demands of the school administration. While talking to “The Kashmir Scenario” one of the teachers said, “we have rented bathrooms here, Wesuffer a lot. We cannot do cultur-al programme and co-curricular activities in the school as it is the religious place.”A Group of teachers wishing anonymity said, “We have been
shifted by the authorities here in this Imambada from last five years before that this school was in a private house in yegipora. The Tin sheets over the attic en-hance the scorching heat in sum-mer and in winter’s it becomes severe cold. Therefore the envi-ronment becomes uncomfortable for studies. We approached ZEO Magam twice but we were turned back without addressing the grievances.” When the KS team Visited Middle school Ompora, we wit-nessed a different scenario, Dogs and Children enjoying Mid-day Meals together. When we contact-ed the concerned Headmaster of the school he said, “Our children (Students) are unsafe here, dogs are roaming freely here and they can prove dangerous at times.
We requested a number of times to the Government for complete fencing of this school. Also we have three female teachers work-ing here and we don’t have any bathroom facility in the school.” The Kashmir Scenario team then made their travel to Boys Middle school, hazarpora and was taken by surprise by witnessing the behavior of Peo-ple there. According to Headmis-tress of this school,” The Gov-ernment had sanctioned for the building of a kitchen and two bathrooms but the locals inter-vened & didn’t allow the said con-struction. When we contacted the locals there, they said, “We want a playground here and not any school.” One of the staff mem-bers of the school said, “We are only two teachers here and our
sweeper prepares the Mid-Day Meals at her Home. We are not treated well by the locals here.” Another Setback to Edu-cation system in the state came to highlight when Correspondent of Kashmir Scenario Visited Middle school Aripanthan and found that not a single teacher was appointed in that school. Moreover three schools have been merged in one building. While talking to school Administration, they said, “We did it because of shortage of staff and school buildings. So here three schools which have been merged i.e. Danger Mohalla Middle school; Chana Mohalla middle school and Boys middle school Aripanthan. Four years ago ZEO Magam allowed to do so.” one of the teachers said.
law and order deteriorates in Jammu, crime increasing at alarming rate: caGIndicting the state po-lice department for the “alarming” law and order situation in Jammu, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has said the crime rate in the district is increasing but there is a drastic fall in investigation rate of such cases. While the crime rate in the district in-creased from 3,516 in 2007 to 4,158 during 2011, the rate of investigation is only 40 percent, the re-cently released CAG re-port for the year ended March 31, 2011, said. Crime cases pend-ing investigation had increased substantially ranging from 1,107 cases in the year 2007 to 4,158 cases in the year 2011, as a result of which the law and order situation in Jammu district is alarm-ing, the report said. Giving further de-tails, it said that of the
total 6,922 cases in 2011, investigation in 2,764 cas-es (40 percent) have been completed and 4,158 cases are pending investigation as it constitutes 60 per-cent. In 2007, there were total 4,554 cases, of which 3,447 cases were disposed of and only 1,107 cases were pending, the CAG re-port said. In 2008, there were 5,163 cases reported and 3,448 of them were solved and only 1,715 cases were pending, it said, adding, 2,828 cases were pending out of the total 5,726 in 2009. Similarly in 2010, of the total 7,094 total cas-es reported, 4,555 cases (64 percent) were disposed of with 2,539 cases remain-ing, it said. There were 3,516 crime cases in 2007, 4,022 in 2008 followed by 4,011 in 2009, 4,266 in 2010 and 4,383 cases in 2011.
Protest in Kashmir by Women Activists.
The pen and thE sWord
SrinAgAr Nov 18: The recent Assault on Gaza By Israel has led to massive protest across the Muslim Countries. A Massive protest was taken by women Activists in solidarity with the Women and chil-dren of Gaza. The women activists staged a sit-in protest and raised Anti-America and Anti-Israel Slo-gans While Showing solidarity with the people of Gaza especially with the women and chil-dren- Zamrooda Habib, patron of Muslim Khawatein Markaz, said,”The Muslim community should stand united against anti muslim countries like America and Israel and take extreme steps to put sanctions against the ongoing massacre of innocent people of Gaza particularly the Women and children, who have been killed by Continuous Air Strikes Launched by Israeli Forces.
Minister for Tourism and Cul-ture, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora has recently underscored the need for time bound completion of second phase 9 hole Sidira Golf Course and stressed for proper mainte-nance of the existing 9 hole Golf Course completed under the first phase. “You should showcase this picturesque Golf Course for Na-tional and International events”, Mr. Jora asked the management. The Minister was speaking at a meeting convened to review the pace of work on the ongoing second phase of the Golf Course.The first phase of Sidhra Golf Course was completed and tee-off during last fiscal, while as the work on 2nd phase of 9 hole Golf Course is apace with till date ex-penditure of Rs. 26 core against the total estimated cost of Rs. 37.39 crore. The Minister said that develop-ment of a Golf Course was a dif-ficult task but its maintenance was more difficult and asked the concerned to take every measure for its proper maintenance. He set March next as the deadline for the completion of the 2nd phase of the Course. Mr. Jora also emphasized the need for imparting training to local youth in golf to encour-age them to participate in tourna-ments. He said the Government was contemplating to constitute Golf Management Authority in for better management of the af-fairs of all the Golf Courses, be-
sides to showcase these facilities available in the state internation-ally. Commissioner Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Atal Duloo, Director Tourism, Jammu, Mr. R. S. Mehta, Executive Engi-neer, Tourism Department, Mr. S. N. Dhar besides non-official mem-bers of the Course, Mr. S. S. Wazir and Mr. A. M. Watali among oth-ers attended the meeting. The meeting among other things discussed matters related to the installation of irrigation pump sets, Solar power system, plantation , up-gradation of road, earth filling, construction of parking lot, laying of golf kits and installation of air condition-er in club building . The Minister instructed concerned engineers to redouble
their efforts for early comple-tion of this prestigious project. He said that there should be no compromise on quality of work and directed for filling of qual-ity earth for landscaping. He in-structed for creation of modern golf related infrastructure at the club building so that golf lovers visiting to the Course do not face any inconvenience.The Minister called for making efforts to attract some percent-age of 1 Million annual pilgrim
visiting Mata Vaishno Devi to-wards Golf events to give boost to local economy. “If we are able to attract even one percent of the huge number of pilgrims towards the Golf sport facility available here, it would mean a lot to the economy of Jammu”, he said. He referred to over a dozen tourism projects developed in Jammu and said that efforts are on to make the city of temples highly attrac-tive place for the tourist of wide ranging interest.
OpInIOn spOrts03 10Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012 Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
Famed British author Charles Dick-ens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, on the southern coast of England. He was the sec-ond of eight children. His father,
John Dickens, was a naval clerk who dreamed of striking it rich. Charles Dickens’ mother, Elizabeth Barrow, aspired to be a teacher and school director. Despite his parents’ best ef-forts, the family remained poor. Nevertheless, they were happy in the early days. In 1816, they moved to Chatham, Kent, where young Charles and his siblings were free to roam the countryside and explore the old castle at Rochester. In 1822, the Dickens family moved to Camden Town, a poor neighbourhood in London. By then the family’s financial situa-tion had grown dire, as John Dickens had a dangerous habit of living beyond the family’s means. Eventually, John was sent to prison for debt in 1824, when Charles was just 12 years old. Following his father’s imprisonment, Charles Dickens was forced to leave school to work at a boot-blacking factory alongside the River Thames. At the rundown, rodent-ridden factory, Dickens earned six shillings a week labelling pots of “blacking,” a substance used to clean fireplaces. It was the best he could do to help support his family. Looking back on the experience, Dickens saw it as the moment he said goodbye to his youthful innocence, stating that he wondered “how [he] could be so easily cast away at such a young age.” He felt abandoned and betrayed by the adults who were supposed to take care of him. These sentiments would later become a recurring theme in his writing. Much to his relief, Dickens was permitted to go back to school when his father received a family inheritance and used it to pay off his debts. But when Dickens was 15, his education was pulled out from under him once again. In 1827, he had to drop out of school and work as an office boy to contribute to his family’s income. As it turned out, the job became an early launching point for his writing career. Though he had little formal educa-tion, his early impoverishment drove him to succeed. He edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels and hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms. Readers like a good story, with inter-esting characters. Dickens was very clever at making up characters. People all over the world know Oliver Twist, Scrooge and David
Copperfield, even if they have not read the books in which these char-acters appear. Every Write-up of Dickens’ was somewhere reflecting his own life. For example, when his wife’s chiropodist expressed distress at the way; Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her disabilities. The biggest Example of his own personality through his own pen was “Oliver Twist”. His first novel, Oliver Twist, which fol-lowed the life of an orphan living in the streets. Oliver was born in a workhouse in the first half of the nineteenth century. His mother dies during his birth, and he is sent to an orphanage (where he is poorly treat-ed). Along with the other orphans, Oliver is regularly beaten and poor-ly fed. In a famous episode, he walks up to the the stern authoritarian, Mr. Bumble, and asks for more. For this impertinence, he is put out of the workhouse. He then runs away from the family who take him in. He wants to find his fortune in Lon-don. Instead, he falls in with a boy called Jack Dawkins, who is part of a child gang of thieves--run by Fa-gin. Oliver is brought into the gang and trained as a pickpocket. When he goes out on his first job, he runs away and is nearly sent to prison. However, the kindness of the person who was robbed, saves him from the terrors of the city gaol, and instead he is taken into the philanthropic gentleman’s home. However, as soon as he thinks he is settled, Bill Sikes and Nancy (two members of the gang) take him back. Oliver is once more sent out on a job--this time as-sisting Sikes on a burglary. Oliver Twist was enormous-ly influential in bringing to light the atro-cious treatment of paupers and orphans in Dickens’s time. The novel is not only a bril-liant work of art but also a tremendously im-portant document in social history. The story was inspired by how Dick-ens felt as an impoverished child forced to get by on his wits and earn his own keep. Dick-ens continued showcasing Oliver Twist in the magazines he later edited, including House-hold Words and All the Year Round, the latter of which he founded. The novel was extreme-ly well received in both England and America; But critics soon followed Charles Dickens’. Dickens was accused of following anti-Semit-ic stereotypes because of his portrayal of the Jewish character Fagin in Oliver Twist. Paul Vallely writes that Fagin is widely seen as one of the most grotesque Jews in English litera-ture, and the most vivid of Dickens’s 989 char-acters. Nadia Valdman, who writes about the portrayal of Jews in literature, argues that Fagin’s representation was drawn from the image of the Jew as inherently evil, that the imagery associated him with the Devil, and with beasts. While the ending years of his life; Dickens’s worked for charitable organiza-tions foreshadowed the Social Gospel. He was critical of any religion that did not seek to relieve poverty. Moreover, he had no patience with those who raised money for foreign
evangelism when there was so much suffer-ing at home. He strongly supported the Uni-tarian health and housing reformer, South-wood Smith. The reform work with which Dickens was most personally involved was Urania Cottage, a home for fallen and other homeless women, funded by his friend, the philanthropist Angela Burdett Coutts. Coutts favoured strict treatment of the inmates, but Dickens insisted they be “tempted to virtue” in an environment more like a household than a prison. On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home, after a full day’s work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day, on 9 June, five years to the day after the Staplehurst rail crash, he died at Gad’s Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathe-dral “in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner,” he was laid to rest in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: “To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England’s most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Roches-ter, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of Eng-land’s greatest writers is lost to the world.” His last words were: “On the ground”
The “Boz” of English litEraturE
A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads:
“To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England’s most
popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near
Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a
sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed;
and by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is
lost to the world.”
The Minister instructed concerned engineers to
redouble their efforts for early completion of this prestigious
project. He said that there should be no compromise on
quality of work and directed for filling of quality earth
for landscaping.
Shahzad huSSaIn hamdanI
Jora for compleTion of 2nd phase of sidhra Golf course By march nexT
4Th J&K sTaTe shooTinG chaMpionship concludEs at Kathua
KATHUA, - 4th J&K state Shoot-ing championship which com-menced on 9th November con-cluded here today at Rajiv Gandhi College of Education, Kathua. District Development Com-missioner, Kathua .Ms. Zahida Khan was the chief guest and Dr. Rubinder Kour was the guest of honour on the occasion. Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Mr Dilbag Singh who is the president of Jammu & Kashmir rifle association was also present on the occasion. About 100 shooters from dif-ferent districts participated in the 3 days championship. While speaking on the oc-casion, Ms. Zahida khan com-plimented IGP Jammu Zone Mr
Dilbag Singh and District Presi-dent Rifle Association Mr. Sohan Lal Sharma and their entire team for organizing such type of shoot-ing competitions in the district . She said that such championship should be organized frequently to boost up the sports environment in the state adding that events like these inculcate qualities like, team coordination, cooperation, discipline, and sportsman spirit among the youth. In rifle shooting (sub Junior) Boys Kartik Salaria of Kathua was declared first whereas Gur-peet singh and Anirudh Singh both hailing from district Kathua were declared second and third respectively. In Air rifle Shooting compe-
tition( junior) Boys Aman Singh of Jammu NCC Cadet, declared 1st ,.Sunil Kumar Sharma Jammu NCC cadet and Sanjay Baboria Jammu NCC cadets were declared 2nd and 3rd respectively, Whereas, in Air rifle (Se-nior) Men event Ranjit chopra of Jammu was adjudged 1st, Tarun Dev Singh of Jammu( NCC cadet) and Devinder Singh Kathua were adjudged 2nd and 3rd respectively. Deepika Singh, NCC cadet from Jammu was declared 1st and Ridhima from Kathua declared 2nd.in air rifle (junior) girls event. In air rifle (Senior) women Joythsna from Jammu NCC was declared 1st Swati Mishra Jammu NCC and Divya Sharma Kathua were declared 2nd and 3rd respec-
tively. In Air pistol( Senior) Men Sh Vijay Kumar JKP was declared 1st and Mohan Lal JKP, Sh Surjeet singh from Jammu were declared 2nd and 3rdrespectively. Chief guest distributed medals, Track Suits among the winners. Later vote of thanks was presented by the Vice president of District Rifle association kathua Mr K.K Bakshi .Among others SSP Samba, SP,Kathua,SP, Police training Centre, Kathua, , Chairman Ra-jiv Gandhi Memorial College of education Mr Pankaj Dogra and members of organising commit-tee were present on the occasion.
spOt-lIght 14Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
Health Care Tourism
Healthcare is one of the fast-est growing sectors, both in India and abroad. People are increasingly becoming health conscious and are in
lookout for quality healthcare systems that would provide solutions in a holis-tic way. There has been an increasing number of ageing population, putting additional burden on the already over-burdened national healthcare systems in developed countries. Increase in cost of health insurance is adding the num-ber of uninsured population in these countries According to a study by Price WaterHouse-Coopers, the cost of pre-mium for health insurance during the period 2004-2005, has gone up by 8.8% in USA. Cost increase is being attrib-uted to general inflation, increase in cost of healthcare services (cost of up-dated technology, broader access plans) and increase in utilization (aging, life-style, new treatments). Such a scenar-io provides opportunities for Indian healthcare sector. Many analysts have predicted that healthcare tourism will be one of the next big opportuni-ties for India. Such predictions are on the grounds that India is one of the countries with highly skilledprofessionals and with advanced healthcare solutions. It may be mentioned that Indian doctors have been serving in de-veloped countries such as USA, UK and Canada and have gained high reputation. In addition, India’s popu-larity in the international arena is increasing with the valence of traditional wellness systems, especially Ayurveda and Yoga. It is estimated that a large number of tourists have visited India to practice the wisdom of Indian wellness systems. Multi-language skill, which is one of the prominent interfaces while availing healthcare as also the tourism services abroad, is another advantage for India and J&K . In addition to pro-ficiency in English, Indians are profi-cient in speaking Hindi, Urdu, Bangla, Arabic, Tamil, which are widely spo-ken in neighboring countries of West Asia, South and South East Asia. Another reason for India & J&K emerging as a major destination for
healthcare is the low cost of treat-ment prevailing in India. Indian hospitals are cost effective than many developed countries such as USA and Europe. Even when com-pared to other South-East Asian countries, such as Thailand and Singapore, India scores better, with the cost of procedures cheaper by around 20 percent. There are esti-mates that by 2008, companies in USA will be spending as much on healthcare as they made profits, forcing the \scaling back or with-drawal of benefits. As precaution, some firms have begun considering treatment for their employees in low cost Destinations. Thus, low cost healthcare services coupled with internationally acceptable medical practices would position India as an attractive healthcare destination. Estimates show that the average success rate of car-diac surgeries in Indian hospitals compares favorably with developed countries. The success rate of In-dian physiotherapists helping pa-tients regain their physical fitness and prevent cardiac problems is at an average of 99.5 percent, at par with leading cardiac centers around the world. Long waiting time in several countries works in favour of growth in healthcare tourism flows towards developing nations. Countries, such as UK and Canada, that provide free healthcare services to their citizens
thus become a source for large number of healthcare tourists visiting India. Indian players could leverage quality in services rendered along with low cost healthcare solutions, to attract more number of patients from these countries into India. At industry level, several initia-tives are taken to showcase India as a healthcare destination but J and K Gov-ernment needs an eye opener. First and foremost is formation of Indian Health-care federation to voice the concerns of the industry. Indian healthcare es-
tablishments are also working closely with other stakeholders such as hotels, travel agents, tour operators and airlines to offer healthcare tourism as a composite service. While
doing so, patient safety is being ensured through collaborative efforts of various stakeholders. Some healthcare service provid-ers have formed strategic alli-ances with leading healthcare establishments in the world. Efforts are being made to tie-up with national healthcare sys-tems abroad and social / com-mercial insurance providers. Few of them have also estab-lished alliances with academic and research institutions abroad to update on medical technolo-gies and practices. Players are imparting hi-tech equipments and medical infrastructure such
as the da Vinci Surgical System for Ro-botic Cardiac Surgery, 64 slice CT Scan, Linear Accelerators similar to Sloan Kettering, New York44. Strict blood safety and infection control processes are installed. Some healthcare estab-lishments are offering free specialized healthcare camps as also free surgeries under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility. Data generated through such camps are used extensively in their research and development activi-ties. Leading players of the industry are looking at accreditation intensively
Government has also been supportive of the initiatives taken by the
healthcare and tourism industry to realize the potential. The center and many state governments are encouraging healthcare tourism
firms to participate in international fairs and promotional programmes
to showcase the capabilities of India. Many state governments
have unveiled specific policy supporting healthcare tourism. State
governments, such as Kerala, are leveraging their
Specialization in Ayurveda and have announced customized policies to
From the decades and even in the pres-ent age, radio is considered to be an important tool of mass media. It has a strong history of influencing the hearts and minds of people. Radio is
always thought off to be a powerful media for news, entertainment, knowledge and aware-ness. Through radio, latest news, speeches, in-terviews etc. can be effectively transmitted. We can listen to radio even by closing your eyes. At the time of travel, at work place, in the public place everywhere you can use this instrument and get the information and entertainment.
People especially from rural areas lis-ten radio while working in fields, work-shop or even home. Radio is the simple and powerful media for journalism. Despite tremendous technological de-velopments, this all important medium of mass communication-‘Radio’ has not lost its importance and it very much relevant for the places like Kashmir. The radio still has tremendous audi-ence base in the Valley of Kashmir and growing. If one would have asked some years back to people of Kashmir to name their favorite radio station. It is a question that most radio fans of Kash-mir sometime back used to be able to answer almost without thinking. The answer used to be unanimously and overwhelmingly in favour of Radio Kashmir station. Whatever your favor-ite genre, there was probably only this local radio station you could count on to deliver the goods and meet your di-verse tastes aptly. You listened in your bedroom and in the car; you knew the “Presenters” like they were your friends. But off late, Radio Kashmir has lost its sheen and popularity base owing to rotten programme structure.
While as the Private Radio Stations like Big FM 92.7 have gained much popularity and virtually overtaken the once strong audience base of Radio Kashmir. The major part of station’s appeal lies in its ability to effortlessly draw in listeners to a world of happy chit-chat and Bollywood hit music. The presentations are simply quiet imposing and excellent. While on the other hand, the vivid ra-dio listeners frustration with radio Kashmir is growing all the time —hearing programs and features you were already tired of have become symbols of radio Kashmir and it sim-ply fails to meet the desired expectations of
the radio listeners , especially the aspirations and tastes of the younger generation. MUSHTAQ AHMAD, a vivid radio listener said, “Radio Kashmir in the recent times has been producing quiet unimpressive range of programmes. “SHAHERBEEN” the once most popular programme of the Kash-mir valley has lost much of its audience. “AAJ Ki SUrKHiYA”, the programme that is dedicated to bring headlines of newspapers fails to give equitable representation to all the newspapers and lacks effective presentation. From analytical point of view, it looks emi-nently clear that in this era of growing and flourishing International and FM radio sta-tions, the said radio station has simply lost its target audience and it desperately needs to refurbish its working style in this era of stiff competition”. The majority view is that there is definitely lack of diversity in content of pro-grammes aired from Radio Kashmir, and sta-tion is simply dishing out monotonous and ill presented programmes, which are often bereft of standard and attractive forms of entertainment and news, theme and current affairs, all this is leading to dissatisfaction among audiences and they are fast shifting to other available alternatives. The programmes like DHADKAN also require some new twist to suit the taste of audience. With the likely chance of more pri-vate radio stations entering the market space the competition for Radio Kashmir is likely to grow stiffer and stiffer. All this calls from more proactive approach from the concerned stakeholders to rejuvenate “Radio Kashmir”. Audience in unison is demanding the need to put to pragmatics a new wave of dy-namics into the working of Radio Kashmir so that it can regain its lost glory. But for the moment, the programs broadcasted on “Ra-dio Kashmir” fail to make an impression on masses and are failing to connect themselves to the hearts and minds of the masses
““But off late, radio
Kashmir has lost its sheen and popularity base owing to rotten programme structure. While as the Private radio Stations like Big Fm 92.7 have gained much popularity and virtually overtaken the once strong audience base of radio Kashmir. The major part of station’s appeal lies in its ability to effortlessly draw in listeners to a world of happy chit-chat and Bollywood hit music. The presentations are simply quiet imposing and excellent.
spOt-lIght 15Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
- be it from national or international ac-creditation agencies. Initiatives are also being taken to offer healthcare services by way of setting up of healthcare estab-lishments abroad. Some of them have also established their presence abroad through leveraged buy-outs. Interesting feature is that establishment of health-care institutions abroad is also in the traditional wellness systems, such as Ayurveda and Yoga. Indian healthcare establishments, focusing on interna-tional tourists, have started providing associated value added services such as arranging accommodation, facilitat-ing completion of travel documentation, travel arrangements, translation servic-es and escort services. Such initiatives have been projecting India’s prowess in hospitality skills as also a destination for healthcareSolUTionS. Government has also been sup-portive of the initiatives taken by the healthcare and tourism industry to real-ize the potential. The center and many state governments are encouraging healthcare tourism firms to participate in international fairs and promotional programmes to showcase the capabili-ties of India. Many state governments have unveiled specific policy supporting healthcare tourism. State governments, such as Kerala, are leveraging their specialization in Ayurveda and have announced customized policies to attract healthcare tourism. Government of India has an-nounced two separate national policies for development of a) healthcare, and b) tourism. Government of India has formed a Task Force on Medical Tourism with the objective to suggest policy framework to project India as a healthcare destination. The Government has set up National Accreditation Board for Hospitals to provide accreditation to public and private hospitals ensuring quality in healthcare services. The Gov-ernment has announced a policy frame-work for issue of Medical Visa to ease the immigration procedures of health-care and accompanying tourists. For-eign Direct Investment is permitted upto 100 percent for setting up of hospitals as also hotels and tourism projects in India. Promotion of healthcare tourism not only helps in development of the two major sectors, viz., healthcare and tour-ism, but also associated services sectors. With more and more investment going into setting up of specialty hospitals, it is expected that the medical devices and equipment segment would witness con-siderable development. Industry esti-mates suggest that around one-third of capital expenses in setting up of super specialty hospitals go in for procurement of medical de-vices and equipments. The increase in automation, demand for hi-technology, computer aided apparatus, diagnos-tic and medical laboratory equipments would help in attracting investment, technology transfer, and FDI in the In-dian medical equipment sector. The world healthcare industry,
in order to cut down the cost, is out-sourcing its research and administra-tive expenses. In addition, the volume pressure would mandate several health maintenance organizations to outsource portion of their work to low cost destina-tions. Information technology is be-coming a major enabling sector for healthcare delivery all over the world. At present, healthcare organizations are estimated to be outsourcing around 10% their IT requirements. However, in the near future, the share of IT outsourcing is expected to increase providing oppor-tunities for Indian IT capabilities. India has been traditionally attracting out-sourcing business in medical insurance claim processing and digitizing the pa-tient health records (medical transcrip-tion). This is being further strengthened with outsourcing of high-end services such as clinical data analysis, biometric services and chemical engineering. In-dia’s strengths in IT and IT enabled ser-vices could be leveraged to support such knowledge processing activities. Lever-aging information technology, a special-ist or a super Specialist in a hospital could give advice to the patients or even monitor the patient’s health conditions. Similar-ly, medical students can observe conduc-tion of operations in another location leveraging information technology. The concept of telemedicine would become more and more popular with an increas-ing outsourcing of healthcare services. In addition, the biggest beneficiary of the concept of telemedicine would be the rural population, who has limited access to medical facili-ties. Another area of opportunity is health insurance business as also out-sourcing of health insurance. Although the penetration of healthcare insurance is only 10% in India, Insurance Regula-tory and Development Authority views the health insurance is one of the fast-est growing portfolios of general insur-ance business. In addition to increase in volume of health insurance business (for coverage of domestic population), healthcare tourism would bring opportu-nities with another new term / concept of medical insurance outsourcing. This could happen if national healthcare sys-tems in developed countries outsource the healthcare services to India. Commercial health insurance in India is estimated at around 1 percent only. Major reasons for low penetration of commercial health insurance include low level of innovation in health insur-ance products, exclusions and adminis-trative procedures governing the poli-cies, and chances of co-variant risks, such as epidemics, which keep the pre-mium high. Need for greater insurance cov-erage may be viewed in the context of its potential to create Demand for services, while ng the risks through a pooling mechanism. The insurance
coverage may ease out the finan-cial difficulties of patients and help the healthcare service providers with faster return on investment (with increase in demand for services) through lower payback period. Another challenge is that the for-eign insurance companies are not willing to extend their coverage for treatments in low cost countries, such as India, as they have concerns about the quality of health services offered. The insurers are of the opinion that insurance cover-age for treatments in low-cost countries could prove expensive if the treatment worsens the health conditions and the insurer is obliged to cover the costs of subsequent treatment, at home country. The insurers are also concerned with ab-sence of malpractice law in a foreign ju-risdiction in which case the patient will have no recourse to his / her healthcare expenses. greater level of technological le-verage, and the foreign patients are ac-customed to a number of comforts lever-aging the technology, Indian hospitals need to address the issue of upgrading the technology, so that the visiting pa-tients feel at ease. Low cost solutions are the prime driver of flow of healthcare tourists towards developing countries, such as India. Hence, it is important for Indian players to remain cost competitive, vis-à-vis other developing countries, while improving the quality of healthcare services, leveraging technology. Tie-ups with different players of healthcare or tourism segments would help in offering cost effective facilities. In addition, out-sourcing of medical logistics in major areas like housekeeping, food and bev-erages, diagnostics, supply of encourage transplantations, or the model adopted by China in popularizing the Chinese medicines, or the model adopted by Ma-laysia to combine the healthcare with tourist destinations, or the combination of all the above, could position India as an ideal healthcare destination. Con-vergence of traditional healthcare solu-tions with modern medicine would also encourage international travelers to vis-it India for their wellness requirements. Looking towards our J and K state, we have all these facilities includ-ing beautiful climate, open air, remote destinations, hill resorts , international-ly recognized destinations which already attract lot of tourists, but effective policy implementation and close coordinated efforts with health care Department and tourism Department can make our state an effective hub of health care tourism, and can boost its economy manifold. But are we aware of developments, opportu-nities and challenges to catch the super-highway of global development. Dr. Manzoor Ahmed yetoo
(The author is an expert in environment ,project & waste
Management, occupational safety & health & pollution control).
An inexplicable delayOp-eD 15
Srinagar, November 12-18, 2012
zAHid HuSSAin
MALALA Yousufzai has defeat-ed her assailant who sought to silence her voice which has been a source of inspiration not only for Pakistan’s young
generation, but also for people across the world. She has projected an image of Paki-stan as a country which refuses to back down in the face of militant violence. The 15-year-old icon of bravery has shown the same re-solve in fighting her gunshot wounds as she did by standing up against a barbaric order. But the resolve of people like Malala is be-ing defeated by the pathetic inaction of our political leadership. Although a long-pending military operation in North Waziristan would not be predicated on the attack on Malala, the inci-dent did provide a window of opportunity to take decisive action against the hub of ter-rorism. The barbaric attack united an out-raged country. The message was clear that the Taliban’s barbarism was unacceptable to the people of Pakistan. It was a watershed moment for a country which has been engulfed in mili-tant violence for the past several years — violence which has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties and incalculable eco-nomic losses. The Malala incident could well have been a turning point in Pakistan’s battle against violent extremism and mili-tancy. The despicable attack on the young girl had reinforced the threat that terrorism poses to society. But unfortunately our political and military leadership have failed the people yet again. The paralysis of the state has giv-en space and more time to those who want to impose their ways through the barrel of the gun. The attack by some 300 militants on the Matni police station outside Pesha-war and the killing, including beheading, of several police officers has further dem-onstrated the growing stridency of the Tali-ban. The raid carried out some days after the attack on Malala was a manifestation of a state fast losing its authority. The Malala moment seems to have already been lost. Our ubiquitous interior minister has a predilection for shooting his mouth off regarding any issue — whether it con-cerns foreign policy, domestic politics or is related to national security. A recent nugget came during his interview with a Pakistani TV channel in Britain last week in which he linked the operation in North Waziristan with the cessation of US drone strikes. Ludicrous as it may sound, this pearl of wisdom contradicted Rehman Ma-lik’s own statement a few weeks back when he had declared that the operation in the militant-infested tribal territory was under serious consideration. “North Waziristan has become the hub of terrorism,” he told reporters on Oct 12 in one of his many daily TV appearances. Nothing can be more absurd than us-
ing drone strikes as an excuse for putting on hold the North Waziristan operation yet again. It is actually tantamount to saying that terrorists are free to operate and kill our people because the US is not prepared to stop drone strikes. It is hard to make sense of Mr Ma-lik’s utterance made after his hugely pub-licised visit to Malala in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital where the young girl is recuperating. It is not just Mr Malik, who many do not take seriously, that adopts this stance. President Zardari has also shift-ed the blame for his government’s inaction on society and lack of support from opposi-tion parties. Speaking at the concluding session of a South Asia Free Media Association fo-rum, the president ruled out any military operation in North Waziristan until and unless a consensus was reached. He ques-tioned whether the public was prepared for retaliatory attacks by the militants in other parts of the country. This defeatist argument does not give much hope to the people who are bear-ing the brunt of militant violence. It is ap-parent that the term ‘consensus’ is being used as a ruse for not taking a tough deci-sion on an issue which is of critical concern to our national security. In a society as di-verse as ours, consensus on any issue is a myth and not a reality. There will always be apologists for the Taliban who will resist any move to fight militancy. After all, there were many politicians and religious parties who op-posed military operation in Swat and South Waziristan. But the use of military force was necessary to stop the Taliban offensive. Waiting for a consensus then would have meant a virtual Taliban takeover.
The dithering over the North Wa-ziristan operation is even more inexplicable since the military leadership is unequivo-cal in its assessment that the region has be-come not only the main base of the Afghan Taliban, but is also a hideout for all kinds of Pakistani and foreign militants. It is also a fact that most of the recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan have their roots in the territory. More than three divisions of troops are already deployed there and are said to have been battle-ready for some time. In fact, the operation was on the anvil much before the attack on Malala. So what is the reason for this ambivalence now? The civil and military leadership blame each other for the indecision. Both seem to be reluctant to bear the responsibility alone. It is indeed the responsibility of both the civil and military leadership to mobilise public opinion for the operation which both agree is critical for the success in the battle against militancy. The issue is simple — no state can allow militants to take over a part of the country. The issue here is not just the mili-tary operation in North Waziristan, but also how we confront widening violent extrem-ism and terrorism which pose an existential threat to the country. A major reason for Pakistan’s failure to counter the militant threat and destroy terrorist networks is a lack of political will to deal with the men-ace. The politics of obfuscation has only in-creased the threat. The Taliban’s activities are no more restricted to the tribal territo-ries and Khyber Pakthunkhwa, but are now threatening Karachi, the country’s econom-ic jugular. The writer is an author and a
journalist.(Courtesy:Dawn)
Ludicrous as it may sound, this pearl of wisdom contradicted rehman
malik’s own statement a few weeks back when he had declared that the
operation in the militant-infested tribal territory was under serious consideration. “north Waziristan
has become the hub of terrorism,” he told reporters on oct 12 in one of his
many daily tV appearances.
lIterary 12Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
uncle Sam’s lust for oil and its hegemony and
how asian tigers can deter the same are discussed. a
deep cry and lament for the muslim ummah to rise from slumber is issued. The role of media and how the nato and its intervention
in afghanistan has brought miseries on it are deliberated. Inqilabi also writes about the qualities, wisdom and prudence of
statesman too.
BOOK REVIEW Beacon light Author: Azam inqilabi Publisher: Shoba Tasneef o Taleef, J&K Mahaz e Azadi Year of Publication: 2011 Price: rs 100 Pages: 102
Reviewed By muSHtAq ul HAq AHmAd SikAndeR
Azam Inqilabi, a name that needs no introduction. It is a known name in the Resistance Move-ment of Kashmir spanning over
several decades. A revolutionary, a believ-er in armed struggle now turned a pacifist has a multi-dimensional personality. It rarely happens that a revolutionary who believes in changing the course of events with armed or political pacifist struggle, turns to pen and comments, advises, de-bates, surmises and chalks out strategies related with the resistance movement and politics. But Inqilabi does justice with this creative dimension of his personal-ity too!! The present book under review is a living testimony of this aspect of Inqila-bi. The book is a compilation of articles that Inqilabi wrote from time to time on various aspects of local and global po-litical scenario and events. In the Preface of the book, Inqilabi suggests that, “Our apriorism suggests that two major com-munities, Muslims and Christians should necessarily unite to checkmate intellectu-al regression, metaphysical degeneration and apostasy”. He believes that Zionists are the real culprits behind the conspira-cy daunting and baffling the world today. For a befitting reply to nefarious designs of Zionists, both Christian and Muslim world needs to reunite. Inqilabi further writes, “Concomitance of dawah and resistance is paramount. Resistance will safeguard dawah. Dawah is aimed at purification of soul and ideas, fostering of metaphysical yearning for communication with God Almighty and guaranteeing of egalitarian justice. Tyranny and oppression is the hallmark of present day world. So adopt the course of comprehensive dawah for a macro evolutionary change in the global civil society. Yes, this is what time demands of you. Muslims are averse to mate-rialism and capitalism. Proletarianism is the auxiliary cult of a genuine Muslim revolu-tionary”. Uncle Sam’s lust for oil and its he-gemony and how Asian tigers can deter the same are discussed. A deep cry and lament for the Muslim Ummah to rise from slum-ber is issued. The role of media and how the NATO and its intervention in Afghanistan has brought miseries on it are deliberated. In-qilabi also writes about the qualities, wisdom and prudence of statesman too. Besides that religious duties of Muslims and necessity of Dawah alongwith the attack on Libya and Arab Spring too are discussed in the book. Inqilabi cautions the Indian State that Kashmiri youth can again opt for Gun if their democratic aspirations and non violent resistance isn’t respected and accommodated by the Indian State, “You are still obsessed with and fixated on illogical “attot ang” man-tra and monomania. I, as an expert of guerrilla warfare, have the requisite capability to un-derstand the dynamics of Kashmir resistance movement. For an average educated young man it is only a 20 minute job to know how to handle
a rifle and become a sniper causing scare. If you, instead of adopting a humanistic approach to Kashmir vortex, continue to bank on chau-vinistic activism in Kashmir to inadvertently push the Kashmiris to the wall, young revolu-tionaries here will, in desperation, orchestrate
an unwholesome show of resilient revolt to make the mountainous terrain of Kashmir more inhospitable for your inept and over-ambitious forces” (P-26) The role of NATO Forces, U.S in Af-ghanistan and Iraq and their aggressive belligerent policies are criticized now and then by Inqilabi. He very well states, “Say-ing “sorry” after decimating and massa-cring the innocent people in Afghanistan can in no way assuage the wounded feelings of Afghanis and the Muslim confraternity around. The word “sorry” cannot be an ideal amende honorable. Please detoxify the western politics. That is all we demand of you” (P-47). The biased, prejudiced, skewed policies and attitude of UNO are too vehe-mently criticized, “Pity the forum, UNO, which failed in reacting and intervening with promptitude characteristic of a consci-entious custodian of peace and justice when India, as an ideal arrogant imperialistic power, decided to hang Muhammad Maq-bool Bhat, the icon of Kashmir resistance movement, on February 11, 1984 for no fault of the committed freedom zealot except that he vociferously espoused the cause of inde-pendence of Kashmir. The tottering political edifice of UNO has caused universal disillu-sionment and disenchantment all over the globe. Its objectivism and not the resilient subjectivity of the world powers which can salvage UNO and guarantee deliverance of subjugated, oppressed and suppressed peo-
ple of the world” (P-59) The joint role of U.S in helping Israel commit atrocities against the innocent Pales-tinians and silence of UNO at these grave hu-man rights violations adds insult to injury and emboldens Israel to commit more severe atroc-ities with impunity, is lamented and decried. Inqilabi comes heavily against the continuous imposition of Draconian Laws in Kashmir that give impunity to security forces to merci-less and wanton killings of innocent citizens in J&K. “Delhi liege lords have blatantly guar-anteed the impunity of Indian armed person-nel through AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act of 1990). Infact, AFSPA is aimed at sanctifying the state terrorism where an av-erage soldier wields the power of a relentless dictator who is answerable to none but his own prerogative as intractable and atrocious ruler. AFSPA provides a military doctrine- “Armed Forces Should Pre-Empt Attack”. They are not pre-empting an attack; they are, infact, prompting the youngsters of Kashmir to at-tack with pebbles and stones. Their bullets do kill a boy but the pebbles of the boy do not kill a soldier. So their wanton use of force creates horror and terror. Military activism of Delhi rulers will eventually and inevitably prove un-imaginably disastrous for them” (P-85). The book deals with a number of cur-rent issues and challenges baffling mankind. It tries to provide an answer and alternative to many of them. The author must be appreci-ated and applauded for this work.
Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir
paint lanes along with one paint booth. It has also been designed with a lush showroom and more than 50 parking bays. Previously there was no dealership of Toyota in Srinagar and customers were forced to travel to Jammu for any assistance regarding the rectification of vehicles.
How do you see Kashmir as market for Toyota vehicles?Toyota vehicles have excellent product range for both commercial as well as non-commer-cial range. It is offering the best products in both these ranges. There are good prospects for Toyota here because in Kashmir there is good potential in tourism industry and most of the tourist cabs running here are the Toyota Innova`s. Earlier these people had to move to Jammu for the services etc but now it is avail-able here it will definitely boost sale of Toyota vehicles in Kashmir region. Moreover for a private customer it is very hectic to move to Jammu or other place to see a car. Hence with dealership here, I think market for Toyota is going to excel.
How has been progress in sales?Well regarding sales I would like to say that we have just started and also it is end of year and generally people are waiting for new releases on New Year. So, we are expecting good growth in coming time.
How is competition from Tata and Mahindra? We have competition with Maruti Suzuki only, TATA and Mahindra are not in our com-petition because hardly any of their vehicles match our standards.
Environmental concern is a big issue for automobile companies. What is Toyota doing in this regard?Since Toyota is among the world’s largest car manufacturer, it is committed to tackling environmental issues. Its approach is both long-term and holistic. The total life cycle of the product, from design and use of materi-als to end-of-life recycling, is examined for environmental impact. You must be aware about a Tv show ‘Greenathon’. Toyota, to-gether with NDTV, conducted a host of eco-initiatives that culminated in India’s first 24-hour live TV programme.
What difference do you see in an entre-preneur and an employee? I do not see much difference in an en-trepreneur and the one working in a company. Nowadays we see persons doing a job earn handsome and also work innovatively like an entrepreneur. Recently founder of facebook Mark Zuckerburg said, “I probably would have taken an engineering job if facebook hadn`t happened”. So I think a person should not feel little if he cannot be an entrepreneur.
Since you belong to a political family. Has it helped you? My father is first a religious leader and then a politician. I be-ing the son of a religious/political leader never helped me in business because a company like Toyota does not give you business on basis of your religion or political back-ground. The only thing that favored me being a son of politician is that I could get my work done bit faster and I think this advantage is en-joyed by everyone in India or any-where.
Why administration raised objection over the construction of ToyotaAnsari? Administration has put some baseless allegation on us. It was actually my father Molvi If-tikhsart Sahab who raised concern about the wet lands in and around Pattan area. Now it is said that this place is also a wet land, but I have been given permission by the au-thorities for establishing my busi-ness. It was also said that the gap between my showrooms is less than the prescribed gap length. I can show you documents were it is men-tioned that gap should be 164 ft. that we have fallowed. But later, when we completed all construction, au-thorities comes up with another order that gap should have be 200 ft. Now how is that justified, I have gone through legal procedure to set up infrastructure and was granted permission to setup this dealership here because I am genuine on my side.
“
“ There are good prospects for toyota
here because in Kashmir there is good
potential in tourism industry and most of the tourist cabs running here are
the toyota Innova s. earlier these people
had to move to Jammu for the
services etc but now it is available here it will
definitely boost sale of toyota vehicles in
Kashmir region.
IntervIew 08Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
“Business is noT given on Basis of any ReLigion oR PoLiTiCaL BaCKgRound”: iRfan ansaRi Japanese automaker toyota Kirloskar motor Private Ltd (tKm) was founded in 1937 and is now spread Worldwide. toyota has factories in most parts of the world like India, turkey, the united Kingdom, the united States, France, Pakistan, china, russia, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets. toyota is famous world over for its set of values system, methods, and beliefs, which are collectively known as The toyota Way. toyota motors showrooms are spread all over India and one of the latest and first dealership in Kashmir namely ansari toyota was opened in august this year. The showroom is spread across an area of 50,000 sq feet, boasting six service bays, six body & paint lanes along with one paint booth. in An inteRview Ceo AnSARi toyotA iRFAn AnSARi SpeAkS to kAiSeR A. miR
A brief intro about yourself?My name is Irfan Ansari residing in Srinagar. I did schooling in Srinagar from Burnhall till year 1991 and when there was volatile situa-tion here I moved outside the state. I went to Shimla and joined St. Bishop School. After completing schooling from there, I pursued higher studies from Delhi University.
Tell us about your business journey? At first I joined my family business; we were already in automobile dealership business known as Ansari Motors. In 2002 I started IT- and communication firm called I-peaks business. I took up a project to pro-vide Wi-fi service in Dal Lake and completed it successfully. It was for the first time such a project was done. We were very much ap-preciated by Mufti Sahab who was CM at that time.
What are the main attributes of your dealership? The entire dealership is designed as per dealer facility concept ‘DIVA’ (Distinctive, Inviting, Value Added Service, Advanced) with an aim to offer efficient operations by being customer centric and also to retain clients along with providing value added ser-vices to customers. Our outlet is established to provide all solutions to customers based in Srinagar and its adjoining areas. The deal-ership is spread across an area of 50,000 sq feet, boasting six service bays, six body &
yOuth-cOrner 06Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
CAreer in Bio-tEchnologyinTroDUCTionThe applications of this branch of science are vast and simply mind-boggling. On one hand, it caters to the indus-trial sector such as food and beverages industry, textiles industry, biological products, medicines and pharmaceuti-cals while on the other hand this branch of science caters to the requirements of agri-culture, animal husbandry, nutrition and environmental conservation. The list is a long and an envious one. What’s more, the branch of science we are talking about is in itself not confined or bound as a single discipline. Rather it is an in-terdisciplinary branch of sci-ence that is rapidly gaining significance and opportunities for youngsters who want to ex-plore the new frontiers of sci-ence are immense. The name of the discipline is Biotechnol-ogy. Although, the name may suggest that this branch of science is steeped in biology but this is not the case. Apart from biology, this branch of science also assimilates di-verse subjects like physics, chemistry and mathematics. Furthermore, engineering ap-plications are also an integral constituent of biotechnology. The concepts derived from this dissimilar mix of sciences are applied to bio-logical matter, generally liv-ing cells, for developing new and improved biological and industrial products. Most of the work done by professionals engaged in biotechnology is concerned with research and development work in various laboratories. Students are show-ing tremendous interest in biotechnology. The primary reason behind this interest emerges from the fact that the technical and procedural application of biotechnology touches a vast array of disci-plines. This in turn opens a lot many job portals for students who are seeking a stable ca-
reer in their life. Biotechnol-ogy, along with its many sub-fields, finds use in so many applications that many new fields have and are being de-rived from within it.STeP-BY-STeP In opting for a spe-cialised profession such as biotechnology, you must plan your career right from your school days. In this context, the combination of subjects of study at the 10+2 level must primarily include Biology, Chemistry, Physics and even Mathematics. Once you have finished schooling you can opt for a suitable undergraduate program (BSc, BE, BTech) in Biotechnology from various academic institutions spread across the country. The du-ration of a BSc program in biotechnology is three years whereas it is four years for BE and BTech courses. The eligibility crite-rion for getting into an under-graduate program varies from one institution to another. In some colleges the eligibility criteria includes a 10+2 with 50% marks in Physics, Chem-istry, Biology and Mathemat-ics. In some other institutions, the 10+2 pass percentage re-quired is 55%. Whereas some colleges consider physics, chemistry and biology combi-nation of subjects as a basic entry level qualification and others take into account the physics, chemistry and mathe-matics combination. Once this eligibility criterion is met, you can get admission in to BSc programs. However, for many un-dergraduate courses in bio-technology you need to sit for common engineering entrance exams such as:• The Joint Entrance
examination for iiTs (iiTJee): for admission to various iiTs
• All-India Engineering En-trance exam (Aieee): for admission to various national institutes of Technology or regional engineering colleges
Other than these com-mon entrance examinations, engineering institutions offer-ing undergraduate programs conduct their own entrance examinations. The result of these entrances will allow you get admission to an under-graduate course in biotechnol-ogy in reputed engineering colleges. Once you have earned a graduate degree in this field you can go for the master’s level (MSc, ME, MTech). For a Masters in Biotechnology, you should either have a graduate degree in biotechnology or in any subject that is related to biological sciences. A gradu-ate degree in subjects such as biochemistry, biology, botany, chemistry, microbiology, phar-macy, veterinary sciences or zoology is acceptable for an entry into a post-graduate pro-gram in biotechnology. Apart from undergrad-uate programs, many colleges and universities offer five and five-and-a-half year integrate programs (BTech/MTech) for students. It should be kept in mind that a post-graduate qualification in biotechnology is a must to enter the profit-able and ever-expanding field of biotechnical applications. As it is a blend of nu-merous disciplines, you have to do a specialisation in a number of fields. Some of the common areas of research in-clude fields like: Agriculture and Agricultural Develop-ment, Animal Husbandry, Bio-chemistry, Biophysics, Botany, Dairy Technology, Environ-mental Protection, Fishery De-velopment, Genetics, Horticul-ture, Medicine, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Nutrition, Pharmacology, Tissue Culture and Zoology. After post-graduation, you can apply for a doctoral program and from then on if need be, immerse yourself in post-doctoral research. Here, it is important to point out that a majority of students prefer to do their PhD and post-doctoral research from
foreign universities.STArT eArlY To follow biotechnol-ogy as a preferred profes-sion, you must have a sound grounding in science from the early school days. You must have keen interest in various branches of science not just for study sake or for obtain-ing good grades. Rather, you must have a keen perception to understand scientific ap-plications and even keep pace with the latest news from the scientific world. Once you are through with 10+2, you must either opt for an undergraduate course in biotechnology or any subject that is directly or indirectly related to biological sciences. Remember a masters degree is a must to make a successful ca-reer in the domain of biotech-nology.iS iT THe rigHT CAreer for Me? Important traits for getting into this domain are a high degree of intelligence and a general aptitude for sci-ence and scientific applica-tions. Since biotechnology is redefining the boundaries of science, to become a part of such an innovative field you must posses an inherent atti-tude of originality and imagi-nation. Other skills that will sail you through a successful and a fulfilling career in this path-breaking area are perse-verance, immense patience, analytical proficiency, ability to work for long hours, team spirit and communication skills.WHAT WoUlD iT CoST Me? A typical course in biotechnology can annually cost you anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,00,000 or above depending on the college you study. Usually, government and regional colleges that se-lect students through tough entrance exams charge less as compared to programs offered by private owned colleges.
aDvertIsement 16Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
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reality shows are putting pressure on children: nandita das
Why do you think we’ve such a paucity of children’s films? Unfortunately here economics gets in the way of everything, and therefore art suf-fers. It’s no different in films. Because of that, people don’t want to take a chance and explore this genre. Moreover the ‘General Entertain-ment’ has further marginalized films specifi-cally meant for children. There is a real dearth of quality content in India that provides whole-some entertainment to children. However, it is possible to make low or medium budget films that are strong in content and form, and are neither preachy and boring, nor mindless and violent. Today they are growing up on a com-pletely different diet and we cannot stop that. But we can surely provide an alternative, for them to choose from. There are many countries like Netherlands, Germany, China etc that are way ahead of us in making quality children’s films. But the first challenge is to attract good writers and directors to make films for us. But I am glad to share that the quality of submis-sions have hugely improved and we are soon go-ing to come out with a string of wonderful films in both, live action & animation.
You tried your best to change that, with films like Gat-tu. How far do you think you succeeded?
The experience was both challenging and fulfilling. Also it has been a learning ex-perience in terms of understanding this space of children’s cinema and also what all entails working with the govt. But I had no magic want to transform a 55 year old organization in just 3 years. I tried to make many big and small changes. For the 1st two years, they were mostly systemic, revamping archaic rules and regula-tions, creating better systems, that could have a lasting impact, beyond the individual. I also focused on expanding the CFSI family by invit-ing a lot of people to participate in the various processes of making the organization more vibrant. Be it film makers, distributors, educa-tors, animators and also tried to reach out to lot more children who could participate, not just as beneficiaries, but as stakeholders in creat-ing this change. I managed to convince people like Gulzar sa’ab and Vishal Bharadwaj to join our Executive Committee, which is empowered to make a lot of crucial decisions, as CFSI is meant to be an autonomous body. I tried to in-still more passion in the organization, the staff that has been there for ages and had lost the ex-citement. Despite our library of 250 films, in 55 long years, we never had a national commer-cial release of our film! For the first time we released our film - Gattu in theatres all over the country on 20th July 2012. Revamped the whole process of submitting and accepting proposals, by constituting a Script Committee and an As-sessment Committee, that is more transparent and credible. Also archaic rules of only accept-ing 35mm films, now includes digital formats, something that makes it much more democratic and viable. The process of production has be-
come far more professional and streamlined. Also increased the allocated budget for making children’s films. Attracting good directors to make films for CFSI, both eminent and new talent. And this can only happen when you release films and distribute them through different ways, giving them the confidence that their films wont be ly-ing in cans. Collaborating with film institutes to encourage young film makers to make chil-dren’s films and got very encouraging response. We held several workshops with young film makers in different cities. We have both new and old films, which have won awards nationally and globally, which we are distributing through various means, including the new media. Rajashri, which has the largest presence on the YouTube in Asia, is now hosting many of our films. Also outlets for DVDs beyond just the CFSI office! We have also restored many damaged films and digitized our archive. We have brought out a catalogue of 250 films that give substantial information on all of them. While it has been an amazing learn-ing experience, I am also glad that it came to an end! I took my honorary post a bit too seriously, and gave it a lot of my time and energy, and now I am glad I can focus on my other interests and of course my little one!
Do you think children are more entertained by the masala entertainers and are not really interested in children’s films per se?
To know the answer for this, we’ll first have to make better children’s films and then give them a level playing field by marketing them adequately. Bot going by my experience
of the 3 years. Where we showed many films to children, we were amazed how much they en-joyed them. When we restored Shyam Benegal’s Charandas Chor, a 70s B/W film, with no child artist, we were very unsure if the kids of today will sit through it. But to our pleasant surprise, they absolutely loved it in every screening! So let’s not assume we know what kids want. Our job is to give them alternatives, choices. The regular stuff is very accessible, but we need to make sure they also have access to films that are more age appropriate. How can a film be right for a 6-year-old and a 60-year-old. Unfortunately, our films for children are either preachy or bor-ing, or then fluffy and sometimes even violent.
You have a little son. Does it worry you that he may grow up to watch and enjoy films like Rowdy Rathore and Student Of The Year?
I didn’t grow up seeing mainstream films, as my parents didn’t. We had a TV af-ter 8 years of everybody else. But I didn’t feel deprived, because I was happy doing so many other things that seemed more exciting. Play-ing outside, going to music and dance concerts, exhibitions, reading etc. Of course these times are different from those. The exposure and on-slaught of media is different. But I think par-ents do a play a big role in providing children with the right exposure, in slowing cultivating their interest. Vihaan doesn’t watch tv,... at least not yet! But of course it worries me to see him and other kids grow in today’s environment. The reality shows are putting a lot of pressure on children which can be very harmful for their emotional growth. So there is a need to clearly define children’s films, taking them into confi-dence.
Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
On the occasion of Children’s Day, Nandita Das, former chairperson of the Children’s Film Society, speaks to Subhash K Jha on children’s cinema
09aDvertIsementSrinagar, November 19-25, 2012
DevelOpment 07Srinagar, November 19-25, 2012
PRojeCT BeaCon TaKing Big LeaPs undeR BrigadiEr tps raWat
Under the dynamic leadership of the Chief Engi-neer, Project Beacon, Brigadier TPS Rawat many commendable achievements have been attained: Tgts Vs Achievements 2011-12. The follow-ing targets were achieved by the Project Beacon dur-ing Financial Year 2011-12. As per inputs from Bor-der Roads Development Board, the Project was the best performing Project for the year 2011-12. Details of achievement of 2011-12 are given as under:-ACHieveMenT : PriMe MiniSTer’S reConSTrUCTion PlAn PACKAge roADA ToTAl of 129.484 KM of roAD HAS Been BlACK ToPPeD WiTH effeCT froM AUg 2010 Till DATe.inDUCTion of ArMr To eASTern lADAKH 15 Oct 2010 was a “Red Letter Day” in the chequered history of Project Beacon & BRO. Project Beacon on this day successfully conducted Trials for induction of T-72 Tks across Zozila . The work on realignment of 1.10 Km fresh formation cutting at an altitude of 11000 ft and improvement of 5Km of existing alignment along with requisite permanent works was completed in a record period of three months. This was achieved despite working against all odds of weather & public strife; working hours were mostly restricted to hours of darkness due to move of traffic to Leh & Amarnath Yatra. The ac-complishment of task well ahead of schedule has won laurels for the Project from one and all, GOC in C, Northern Command in appreciation of hard work put in by 122 RCC gave on the spot commendation to three Supervisors & tradesmen. Subsequently, the induction of the armoured Regt has been success-fully conducted in Oct 2012 into the Ladakh Valley. foUnDATion lAYing STone of Z’ MorH TUnnel .
The announcement of two tunnels across Sonamarg (Z-Morh) and Zozilla by Shri Rahul Gan-dhi, General Secy of Congress during his visit in 2011 meant that expeditious and telescopic actions were to be initiated to get the geological data, land and forest clearances, preparations of DPR for initiating tendering actions with various Government Agen-cies at State and Central level. The Project worked with great dedication, foresightedness and was able to get all the works done much ahead of schedule to enable the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs. 2717 Cr Project performed by Hon’ble Minister of MoRTH & Railways Shri CP Joshi, in presence of Shri Rahul Gandhi on 04 Oct 2012, in record time of a year. Construction of this tunnel along with a
13 Km long tunnel across Zozilla for which work on foundation stone laying ceremony is due in Jun 13 is going as in full swing, will result into an all weather connectivity of Leh and Ladakh region which re-mains cut off from the main land for six months in a year. This along with the induction of an Armed
Regt across the treacherous Zozila pass; also execut-ed under the dynamic leadership of the Chief Engi-neer, Project Beacon will provide the much needed strategic edge to the country against its adversar-ies.The synergy created between the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), MoRTH, Snow and Avalanche study establishment (SASE) and the State Adminis-tration resulted in all activities getting completed on time and is unprecedented. The model evolved for this Project to complete the activities on fast track is an example which can be followed in future such like Projects.
SnoW CleArAnCe Snowfall shattered the records of last many years during winters of FY 2011-12, resulting in ava-lanches and landslides on Jammu-Srinagar high-way. When the NH-1A gets blocked the “Beaconites” get going. Be it a worse land side or unprecedented
snowfall, it worked round the clock to make NH -44,
through for traffic in the shortest possible time to achieve minimum road closure period. The cour-age, zeal and dedication displayed by “Beaconites” in keeping road communication through have been appreciated by one and all.
ACHMT DURING FY 2011-12
ITEM A/U CAPABILITY TARGET ACHMT AS ON 31 MAR 2012
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