Category Archives: World Opinion

Interview of the Week …: Tabla Maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain , The poster boy on Indian classical music, speaks about his kind of music …

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, World Opinion, ,

UstadZakirHussainMPos06feb2014

The jam-packed audience in the Nada Mantapa at Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram last evening were in a different world while the ensemble of the violin duo of Ganesh and Kumaresh, tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain and the mridanga artiste Trichy Harikumar took them on a journey of mesmerising, transcending and a rapturous trance.

Ustad Zakir Hussain, who like his illustrious father Ustad Allah Rakha, has successfully brought tabla on to the centrestage globally, in a brief tete-a-tete with Star of Mysore Correspondent Nandini Srinivasan shares his views on the evolution of music — why he is not the only ‘good’ tabla player and how fabulous the young musicians are… Like a review in The New York Times aptly said… the blur of his fingers rivals the beat of a Hummingbird’s wings.

SOM: Whistles for a classical concert? How do you justify that?

Kumaresh: Why not?

SOM: That is what I am trying to ask…. how do you artistes manage that?

Zakir Hussain: I think it is a refreshing expression of joy and happiness and release of incredible moment of passionate energy. They have to scream and they have to shout as they are in such ecstasy. That’s what it is..Ecstasy…not whistle-tacy!

SOM: From tabla being just an accompaniment to bringing it to centrestage… How much effort has that taken from your illustrious father and you?

Zakir Hussain: It’s not an effort by me, it’s an effort from the audience. I am doing exactly what I used to do before. Tabla is still an accompanying instrument. I accompanied them (Ganesh and Kumaresh) today. It’s just the love of the audience that brings that much attention focus and blessing to the instrument. I just do what I’m taught to do and it’s pretty much just that.

SOM: Solo tabla has a huge audience, so does it become difficult to accompany?

Zakir Hussain: Playing accompaniment is more challenging than playing solo, as you are trying to gauge the mood of the people you are playing with and try to offer them the kind of support that they want or is necessary. With these guys (points to the violinist brothers) I take much more liberty and they offer me support ! So that’s the challenge…In solo you are in control and you do what you want to do.

SOM: You play with instrumentalists and vocalists… which is more difficult?

Zakir Hussain: Both are…Like I said, accompaniment is itself challenging because when you are on the stage you are not only playing the tabla, but also judging the mood of the audience, the mood of the composition being played, the expression that it is supposed to be put out. This is not just for tabla. It is for any accompaniment. We have to provide them with the kind of support they need.

Half the time the drummer doesn’t even know what is going to happen. In that sense it’s even more challenging and difficult because the instrumentalist may think of something to do and then the rhythm player has to immediately rise and provide the carpet… the kind of rhythmic carpet that is needed. And it has to be like a smooth highway on which the instrumentalist can drive. If it’s bumpy then it’s going to be a problem. So yes it is a difficult challenge.

SOM: At one point in your career you had said that you would retire from music as you were unhappy with the commercialisation of music?

Zakir Hussain: I did ?? I would never say that because commercialisation helps me (smiles). It allows me to live better, buy a bigger car, buy a nice bath gel to shower with. It’s not a question of what you would call commercialisation. I don’t think the musicians of today have ever complained about music becoming so acceptable to the masses. It’s specially joyful for us to watch so many people listen to music. And so many people listen to all kinds of music. They listen to classical, jazz, rock, pop anything…

What’s interesting in India is that the same people who listen to jazz will listen to classical music, they listen to ghazals, they go to a theatre… the same people… they have such varied interests. Such a vast panorama that they understand and enjoy and choose. For us it’s such a great thing that music has become so available and accessible, which is helping the music to survive, music to prosper and nurture. So no issues about commercialisation there you see !

SOM: I did read your statement somewhere…

Zakir Hussain: Maybe I was misquoted. It happens… somebody asks me a question like commercialisation of music is not a good thing and I’m answering the question and it gets turned around to say how I’m explaining why it’s such an unhealthy thing ! It’s not. It’s very healthy!

SOM: You are the poster boy of Indian classical music…

Zakir Hussain: It’s a curse that I have to live with until someone else becomes the poster boy! It’s like this you know.. .I have to tell you… I play tabla and I’m a pretty good tabla player. But there are just as good tabla players around in India, at least 20-25 of them. They are just as good, if not better tabla players than I am. It’s just that people resonate with me at the moment, people respond to what I do. I am not doing anything different than 20 other tabla players and I am not even doing it better than 20 other tabla players. It’s just that I have found a wavelength that the audience and I have latched on to and are connected. That’s all it is. And you must know and you must please realise that just like there are 5 great sitar players who are playing all good, 10 great Saarangi players, 20 vocalists who are performing… , they are all as good as each other. It’s just that somebody becomes a marquee name and a poster boy and the media starts to believe and project, mistakenly that he is the best. His concerts are always listed in the papers, people are coming in thousands to listen to him, so he must be the best! That is not the criterion, ok…

Yes it’s a fact that I am supposedly the poster boy in classical rhythmic tradition but certainly I am not the only one.

SOM:Indian percussion has had an impact on other kinds of music…

Zakir Hussain: I think it goes both ways. I have to admit that my tabla is a concoction of North Indian classical music, South Indian classical music, Indian folk music, Indian spiritual music and rock, pop, jazz, latin, soul….you name all these music… my tabla actually is a concoction of all that. It represents where I started, where I have been, where I am now and hopefully where I am going to go. So all those inspirations are projected in my tabla playing. So I have to say that yes I am inspired and influenced by so many other elements of rhythmic music in the world. Similarly every other drummer, tabla player, percussionist will tell you the same thing I told. Ask Shivamani sitting here. He will say he’s inspired by 500 other drummers from all over the world not just India. Ganeshji and Kumareshji will tell you the same thing. You will hear harmony and counter point. You will hear cannon, you will hear western classical music in their Indian classical music. So all these inspirations have come forth and that somehow becomes who you are. You could be dressed in jeans and a sweater, but you are an Indian. You are influenced by Western design. But it’s now a part of you and so you express yourself by being this complete person that has not only absorbed all that has to be absorbed from out there, but has now become a mirror of all that exists out there.

It’s a great thing and that’s what music is. Look at Shivamani. That’s why he can be in LA yesterday and in Mysore today. And these guys (Ganesh and Kumaresh) play all over India and the western world and open up schools in Portland and Seattle…

[To be continued]

Part 2 :

Tabla Wizard Ustad Zakir Hussain Speaks About His Kind of Music …

Ustad Zakir Hussain poses for a photograph with SOM Correspondent Nandini Srinivasan.
Ustad Zakir Hussain poses for a photograph with SOM Correspondent Nandini Srinivasan.

“I was watching my father playing when he was 70-73 years old. He would get on to the stage and he looked his age. As soon as he started playing, he looked 20 years younger. The smile on his face would be a mile long… and he would look like he was on the best ride ever… he was in the greatest play pen that he could ever be in,” says tabla wizard Ustad Zakir Hussain about his illustrious father late Ustad Allah Rakha in a brief tete-a-tete with Star of Mysore Correspondent Nandini Srinivasan during his visit to city on Jan. 30 to perform at Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram along with violinists Ganesh-Kumaresh and mridangist Trichy Harikumar.

[The first part of the exclusive interview was published in SOM yesterday. Today we publish the second and concluding part.] — Ed.

SOM: There is a sect of puritans who feel fusion music is killing the very essence of pure classical music?

Ganesh: Yeah…fundamentalism in anything is good.

Zakir Hussain: Yeah I would agree with them. You need those puritans to maintain the core of the music as it was conceived. But in defence of music progressing and evolving into something that is today you have to realise that we have no clue how music was 300 years ago. We hear stories… I’m sitting here and saying Saint Thyagaraja composed different kritis and hundreds of compositions. But we don’t know exactly how he composed it… I am sorry Sir! I have to say that it’s been handed down and interpreted by so many different musicians who were around him. They kind of heard it, pieced it together because he was in his trance and he was putting the music out. And everyone around him were taking bits and pieces, comparing notes and coming up with compositions. We have no clue what happened 150 years ago… who played what and how… we don’t know… we just have stories, belief and faith that this is how the music was.

So when you have these puritans that’s what they have. They have this very strong belief and faith that music was like this in those days. And thank God for that because without them we would have no identity. They create this beautiful frame from which young musicians emerge and we plug into that. We now have an identity and we can go out and conquer the world because we know who we are. We are not lost. Shivamani you travel around the world and create music that is so unique…you should say something about that.

Shivamani: Whether Carnatic or Western, wherever you go, music never dies, it’s always alive.

SOM: You have been a great inspiration to the younger generation…

Zakir Hussain: Don’t blame me, it’s not my fault ! Did you see…when Shivamani walked into the hall what incredible happiness and joy was in that applause and welcoming of him. It’s all of us… but I have to say one thing to the young people…if they are looking for an inspiration…if they are looking for a role model and if it’s not their parents then there is something wrong. It has to be them…we can be guides… we can be the suggestion judges, we can offer a way, we can offer help and that’s what we should be doing. The young people should look inside themselves and inside their cocoons for inspiration and role models.

SOM: You are the one carrying forward the legacy of your illustrious father. How heavy is this onus on you?

Zakir Hussain: My father carried the tradition of his guru and his guru carried the tradition of their gurus. It’s not something or unusual or unique…this has been going on for thousands of years in the world. The son of a cook has been a cook and the son of a musician has been a musician and that’s happened over centuries. It is not too much of a weight to carry; it is an honour… it’s joy and it’s with pleasure that I sit out there because I know what I have or what I have seen or what I have heard and I have experienced with my instrument is a wondrous world. It’s a world that is so beautiful, so stupendously fabulous… that I have no problem saying to you or the audience…”Look what I’ve got… It’s something special. It’s the greatest toy in the world, it’s the most fabulous Lego anywhere!”

It’s incredible because I was watching my father playing when he was 70-73 years old. He would get on to the stage and he looked his age. As soon as he started playing, he looked 20 years younger. The smile on his face would be a mile long… and he would look like he was on the best ride ever… he was in the greatest play pen that he could ever be in. And I always used to say to myself ‘God! I hope I feel that way when I play’. That I could have that kind of joy and happiness with my connection to the spirit of the tabla when I am 70. It would be such a fabulous thing. So it’s not a weight or a burden, it’s with joy and happiness and willingness that I share with people what my father shared with people and what his guru shared too. Everybody does that. Shivamani’s is a unique case here. What he has assembled together has never been done before; so his energy and his creative world…that burden or weight, whatever you call it, will have to be carried by someone else that he will designate and another legacy will begin. And I’m sure that whoever he designates it to, will with pleasure go out. When a General points to a soldier and gives him the flag and a sword and asks him to lead, that soldier with pleasure goes into battle to die.

SOM: Who is your soldier?

Zakir Hussain: Oh! I’m very happy to say that I have a whole battalion out there. And they are not my students, they are my guru brothers… I don’t have students. Whoever I teach, I teach in my father’s name. When you talk about Yogesh, Satyajit Talwarkar, Vijay Ghate, Anindho, Shubhankar…we are in the category of sharing…of sitting on a big dining table called the tabla.

SOM: You have a lot of female fan following. Do you know that?

Zakir Hussain: Actually you know what, it’s not that I have a lot of female fans; it’s just that we are at a point in our world and it’s a happy point, where the women are not hesitant to express themselves. I mean 30 years ago they were just as ecstatic about watching Palghat Raghuji, Palghat Mani Iyer, Ustad Allah Rakha or Pandit Kishen Maharaj. It’s just that they couldn’t express themselves… they just couldn’t scream and shout and say ‘Wah Wah’ ‘Shabaaz’. Now they do that and they will do that for me and I’m very jealous to say to Shivamani and many other people. In general there is a great equalising support now within young people male and female. So it just appears that there are more female fans. They’ve always been there for everybody. It’s just that they didn’t put up their hands. I’m thankful to society for letting that happen and I’m thankful to the ladies for getting out there and grabbing that opportunity.

SOM: There is a lineage of course, but you have created your own space?

Zakir Hussain: My space? I wouldn’t want to create something that is my space. What I have is for everyone. I can’t just keep it to myself. It’s just so great and so good that the whole excitement of wanting to share will kill me if I keep it inside of me. It has to be heard…It’s not my space and I haven’t tried to create my space. I’ve tried to create an environment in which everyone for a second can be most ecstatically happy that they can ever be. We have very few happy moments in this world now…in this day and age… so when we come here and sit in a concert and they enjoy and they are happy… for those few moments the worries of the world are forgotten… they are just outside this concert hall.

SOM: There is an allegation that the media does not give enough space for the performing arts…

Zakir Hussain: Like I pointed out to you the media knows that I am the best, but it’s wrong. The media is not bothered to find out who are the other 20 who are good. Because when I said there are 20 others who are just as good, you didn’t even ask me who they were… you didn’t want to know… you were not concerned… It’s just that I’ve got this guy, he’s the beat and I’ll write about him… It’s like you walk into a restaurant and ask to bring me your BEST chicken dish… we just want the best and we forget that Best is a 4-letter word. It’s not really where it is at…We need to move at. The media needs to themselves go and adopt young musicians and put their names forward so that the audience can know about them…they are all very good, they are young, they are handsome…the girls will shriek for them too ! They are fabulous.

Media should nurture our arts and culture. An artiste is just a representative of the art…

SOM: Any favourite raaga?

Zakir Hussain: No…it depends on the day and the moment. You can arrive at a concert because some great musician is known for playing this raaga very beautifully and you want to hear it and you are excited about it… but it doesn’t work that evening…you can never say that… but then another raaga he plays is so incredible that that becomes your favourite raaga for that evening…

SOM: Any concert that you think is unforgettable?

Zakir Hussain: No…I hope not… if I do then I’ll be considering that concert as the best that I’ve ever been and if that’s the case then I should retire. There’s no thing like the best… you got to keep getting best.

SOM: How have you managed to stay the same ever since the ‘Wah Taj days…’

Zakir Hussain: Do you know how many hours it takes me to remain the same! No it’s not me, it’s the music, it’s the energy that we are around that energises us and rejuvenates us. I could be dead tired but I get on to the stage but halfway through the concert I actually feel more energy, more excitement, more pulse inside me. So it has to be music…

Part 2 of Interview : source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / February 01st, 2014 

Part 1 of Interview : source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / January 31st, 2014

World needs new awakening to tackle rich-poor divide: Salman Khurshid

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, World Opinion,

salmankhurshidMPos06feb2014

Observing that disparities between the rich and the poor are growing, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today pitched for a new global awakening and a means to meet the needs of the poorest “effectively and adequately”.

“We are living in a complex world where disparities between the rich and the poor, as just being told, are wide and continue to grow. The world population continues to grow and increase globally,” he said during the inaugaral address of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.

“Consequently, the needs also grow exponentially. We, therefore, need a new global awakening to be able to deal with disparities and means by which the needs of the poorest can be met effectively and adequately,” Khurshid said.

He said this was not just a political imperative, as has been reminded due to important and dramatic changes taking place in several countries of the world, but also a moral obligation. He asked the global community to take urgent steps to anticipate future challenges and start dealing with them right away in the wake of growing problems of energy, water and food.

“Problems of energy, water and food are likely to become more acute over time unless we take urgent steps globally to anticipate future challenges in this regard and start dealing with them right away,” Khurshid said. He said while large number of people in this world do not have access to electricity, there are others who are living under the shadow of water shortages, hunger and malnutrition.

“Continuation of these conditions will lead to global tensions and threats to lasting peace. The global community and international organisations in particular have to be at the forefront of efforts — to change directions if need be — and take such initiatives as are required to solve these problems,” Khurshid said. He said India has placed great emphasis on food, water and energy and no global efforts to live in peace together will be possible unless we ensure sustainable development.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> India / Thursday –  February 06th, 2014

I was beaten because of Mr Bachchan: Mohammed Azharuddin

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Sports, World Opinion, ,

Mohammed Azharuddin has turned 50. He lost his grandfather, the man he loved the most on November 17, 1984. Azhar debuted on December 31, 1984, scoring three centuries. In his 17- year cricketing career, he was captain for nine years. A life ban on playing cricket, divorce with his wife Naureen , second marriage and separation from Sangeeta Bijlani, losing a 19-year-old son to a road accident — he has seen it all. 

(Ekta Kapoor and Mohammed…)
(Ekta Kapoor and Mohammed…)

In the words of Ekta Kapoor , who has now bought the rights of making a film on his life, he is a Victim and a Victor who has emerged victorious. He had led a glorious life, but one that was never picture- perfect. He is humble, emotionally strong and very stylish. Bombay Times spoke exclusively to both about their reasons for making and agreeing to this film on one of India’s greatest cricketing icons. Excerpts:

In conversation with Ekta Kapoor: There are several cricketing legends. Why a film based on Azharuddin?
My dad is an obsessive cricketing fan and for him, Azhar sir is a cricketing god. My dad has shifted his interest in the construction business and is usually not interested in any of the movies I have made. But, he is jumping for this movie. Like my mother, Azhar sir, too, is an Aquarian and number 8. She too likes him, does not cry and is strong for everybody around her. He has been the captain all his life, be it on the field or off it. Some people are victims and some are victors, but those who are victorious have their collar up like he always does.

You can make a documentary on 100 cricketers. But that is only one level of the film. I remember I was 26 when I was awarded the Ernst & Young award for being the youngest and the first woman to be given the award. But four days after, I was told that the award could not be given to me as my TRPs were fake. No one really takes you to a courtroom as in the minds of people, they want to believe that you are wrong. Eventually, it got proved that I was right when Rahul Bajaj called me and gave me the award. I have never enjoyed picking up an award more than that, sitting amongst such old men. At the same time, on the day I was being given the award, due to a personal issue that morning, my happiness was diluted. And that’s what happens in life too, where life is not picture perfect. And I am here to tell his story.

Here is a man who has been condemned but has stood up. Some people wear age on their face, some wear experience. He wears his experience. I had decided that I will just pick up the phone and tell him that we want to present your life. It’s a life with a lot of blemishes, a lot of colour. The best thing about his life is that it is not picture-perfect as one thing was always missing. For instance, he played only 99 matches, not 100. I am not a cricket fan. I am a fan of the man. People have pushed him down, but he stood up and walked and at 50, stands tall. He is an icon whose story needs to be told.

In conversation with Mohammed Azharuddin: You are 50. Are you excited about a film being made on your life?
I am happy. I was very reluctant and took one year to agree. I realised that people want to know my story. I have gone through a lot of ups and downs and a lot of hardwork. The biggest thing I possess is infinite patience. Once you are patient, things fall in place. During that period of time, I could have said so many things that would have backfired on me. But I didn’t, only due to my patience. At the end of the day, it took a long time but you can’t fight destiny. Whatever is destined to happen will happen. I am excited to see how the film will be made. There are many struggles that I have forgotten, but the film will probably remind me of those. I am a positive person and the story is finally a positive one.

Where do you get your patience from?
My religion. Allah is with people who show patience. If you are down in the dumps, Allah will help you if you have belief. But this is a personal thing between you and him. You can’t fool Allah. I remember after I scored my three 100s in my first match, this photographer saw me praying and wanted to take pictures. I was reluctant, but allowed him to. He came the next day and wanted to take them again as he said that despite him taking so many pictures, his reel was blank.

Why do you always have your collar standing?
I used to always field at silly point or point, where the rays of the sun were always very strong and my neck would burn. So, I started wearing a handkerchief, but it was uncomfortable. I later moved to collar that has now become my style. People like me this way.

What do you consider your strengths?
My strength is my humility. When you are humble, people like you. I feel happy when people tell me, ‘Sir, you should play now also.’ I know I can’t physically. I keep myself fit. Somebody today tells me, ‘Why don’t you go and play in New Zealand?’ They know I can’t play, but it’s their feeling that makes them say that. I have always been strong and never show my emotions. I will be the last person to come and say, ‘Well done.’ Number 8 is an up-and-down number, When you are up, nobody can touch you, but when you are down, everybody pulls you down. Emotionally, I depend only on myself. My strong belief in the Almighty carries me.

What do you think are the qualities the actor who will play you should possess?
He needs to be stylish. People tell me that my game was very stylish. I learnt to be stylish over time. Allah gave me the talent. I showed it on the field. Saif Ali Khan, due to his cricketing background and style, would be my first choice, but Ekta is the boss and will decide.

Do you watch Hindi movies?
My favourite movie is Abhimaan as my favourite actor Mr Amitabh Bachchan was in it. The only time my mum lifted her hand at me was when she caught me listening to Sholay dialogues by the roadside. That is the only time she beat me. Long back, I told Mr Bachchan that, ‘Sir, because of you I got beaten.’ Nobody can touch Mr Bachchan in style.

You never showed your emotion on the field. Have you ever broken down in life?
I broke down only when I lost my grandfather Mir Vajehuddin (nana). I was 21 then and it was November 17, 1984. I debuted a month later on December 31 and made three 100s. Till his last day when he died of a heart attack, I would sleep in between my nana and nani. He was a very pious man, who was a descendent of Prophet Mohammed’s family, so he belonged to his lineage. I can always feel him next to me. At times, I was not even allowed to watch films when I was growing up as he would say, ‘No, this is not your line.’ I would get frustrated. I would tell him, ‘You let everybody go, but don’t let me go.’ And he would say, ‘You will remember me one day.’ Can you imagine that the autograph I sign was taught to me by him. He signed for me and would make me practise it 50-60 times a day. He was a brilliant mathematician, who could count in Arabic and Persian and give the answer in English. He taught me a lot of things. He said, ‘Stay humble as that is the best thing you can possess in life. The day you think you are somebody, you will come down.’ You couldn’t talk to him looking into his eyes, as he had very powerful eyes. He would never look into a camera as he would say that the camera would break if he did so.

He never told me but he told my mother, ‘Don’t tell him but he will become a big cricketer’ My parents too were very supportive of me playing. My father had only one wish that I should score a 100 at the Lords cricket ground, which made him very happy when I did. I would get up at 4.30 in the morning and before going to practice, I would give my grandmother tea. At that time, she would give me her blessings, which were very powerful. I am the eldest son (five younger siblings) and it is my job to play captain even at home. I never show my emotions. When my son passed away, so many times I felt like crying, but then there are so many people behind me, like my parents. If I break down. they will break down and I need to carry them with me. My mother even today keeps telling me, ‘Allah should have taken me.’ It was very tough for them as within a week, they had lost two grandchildren.

Talk about your relationship with Kapil Dev?
Kapil paji is a very nice man. He understands people. He could take anything from my kit bag and so could I. We did not need to ask each other. Usually people don’t give even their broken bats to you. You have to a have a big heart to give. If you give, you get. If you don’t give, you don’t get. I had that rapport with him. I played under him and he played under me. As a captain, I didn’t need to tell him anything as he knew everything exactly what he had to do. I would just give him the ball. I knew he knew his job and if he goes on to the field, he will do his job. I learnt from him. If he is convinced, he will support you. Mr Kamal Morarka and Mr Raj Singh Dungarpur also helped me. I didn’t meet Mr Morarka many times, but at that time he really supported me. He is a nice person who is not scared of anybody. That’s what is most important. He will express what he feels. I never forget people who help me.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Hindi> Bollywood / by Priya Gupta, TNN / January 31st, 2014

Javed Abidi | Disability is a developmental issue

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

Most of the world’s disabled live in the global south. This is why India and other Brics nations must ensure their policies are both inclusive and accessible

Abidi says companies should not equate disability with corporate social responsibility.
Abidi says companies should not equate disability with corporate social responsibility.

Born with congenital spina bifida, a developmental disorder, Javed Abidi has traversed the world on a wheelchair, advocating the rights of the disabled.

Considered a pioneer of the cross-disability movement in India, he was instrumental in the drafting and passage of The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, and in the setting up of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People in 1996. He has been its director since 1997. In October 2011, he was appointed world chair of Disabled People’s International (DPI), a global organization working for the rights of people living with disabilities.
In July, Abidi also took over as the vice-chair of the International Disability Alliance, a global alliance working for disability causes. In his new role, he stresses that disability movements must focus on the global south (which includes India), for this is where nearly 800 million of the world’s one billion people with disabilities live. Edited excerpts from an email interview:
As the world chair of Disabled People’s International, what are your priorities?
The dynamics of the disability rights movement are going through tremendous churning at this point. In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) said one billion, or 15% of the world’s population, live with a disability. Of this, as many as 80%, or 800 million, live in countries of the global south. People with disabilities also comprise 20% of the world’s poorest. Yet the leadership and the mechanisms that shape policies that affect the lives of this 80% are controlled by people from the developed world, who have absolutely no idea what it means to be a person with disability—to not even have a wheelchair, to not even have a hearing aid, to live in abject poverty, etc. My biggest priority as of now is to remind the world, again and again, of this fact.
What is the DPI’s agenda for the UN general assembly’s high-level meeting on disability and development in September in New York?
In the past decade or so, it has by and large been established that disability is a cross-cutting human rights issue. But what the DPI and other global bodies are now trying to underline is that disability is also a developmental issue. Our first endeavour is to ensure that the respective governments send the highest level of delegations to this meeting. The DPI has also raised the demand for a global forum on disability and development—a platform for all stakeholders on the sidelines of the high-level meeting, along with a strong outcome document.
Most importantly, the DPI will try for a sizeable representation from the global south—from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Caribbean—to ensure that their disability and development agenda is not hijacked by people who have very different realities from ours.
How can workplaces in India be made disabled-friendly? What are the challenges, and how can they be met?
Companies that are serious and committed to being disabled-friendly will have to look at it as a policy issue at the highest level. Inclusivity is not just employing people with disabilities. It encompasses making all your facilities and systems accessible. Most companies approach this wrong and equate disability with corporate social responsibility. They first employ people with disabilities and then make their workplaces disabled-friendly. Very soon, India will have a strong anti-discrimination law on disability. Everyone will have no choice but to fall in line. It is up to the employers to decide if they want to be a role model or be forced to comply.
Post-2015, when the world prepares for a new development framework after the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), where do you see the disability movement going?
I think that in the past couple of years, development practitioners have become more aware of disability. The challenge is to translate this awareness into action and tangibles. Apprehensions are that disability will again be overlooked. Policymakers and decision makers do not seem to grasp the obvious connection between disability and human rights and development issues. For instance, if you talk about conflict and wars, disability has a direct and significant correlation to it. The same holds true for disability and natural disasters; disability and situations of humanitarian risks; disability and the effects of climate change, and so on.
The task at hand, especially for grass-roots organizations such as the DPI, is to ensure that we keep reminding the people who matter about us.
In what ways can India shape the global disability agenda?
If we go by the 15% theory of WHO, India would be home to more than 150 million people with disabilities, and some of these are the poorest and most vulnerable people on this planet. India’s policy on disability, hence, will have a significant impact on not only the region but also the world. With the new economic dynamics and the power balance shifting towards developing economies such as India and the other Brics nations—Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa, it is imperative that their development policies are inclusive and accessible to disabled people. India should lead here by looking at reforms to advance disability rights, raising the issue at the UN and other bilateral and multilateral platforms. The nations of the global south, especially the Brics countries, are somewhat disillusioned by the MDGs and will therefore be critical to the post-2015 process.
What are the key hurdles in India’s disability movement and how can they be met?
The biggest challenge is to get the attention of policymakers and decision makers to put disability on the agenda and to convert the attention into political will. India made a grave mistake during the formative years, because of which our schools, colleges, universities and public infrastructure continue to be inaccessible to people with disabilities. Rather than rectifying those errors, we are continuing to build more barriers. In a budget analysis done by us, we found that in the Union budgets since 2008, India spends only 0.009% of its GDP on disability! A strong anti-discrimination law with punitive measures is also needed to ensure equal participation of people with disabilities.
What difference are you going to make for the movement in South Asia, especially since you are an Indian?
The MDG Report of 2012 says that by 2015, four out every five people living on less than $1.25 (aroundRs.70) a day will be in South Asia. It is anybody’s guess as to how many of them will be people with disabilities, given the vicious cycle of poverty and disability. My immediate aim is to build a strong cross-disability network in South Asia to highlight these issues. We have already started this process and some progress has been made.
As a major development aid donor, India also needs to rethink its “no-strings attached” south-south cooperation policy. A democracy cannot possibly fund projects that violate the human rights of people with disabilities by creating barriers for them.
source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint & The Wall Street Journal / Home> Lounge> Business of Life> Indulge / by Pallavi Singh / Sunday – April 28th, 2013

Irrfan bags best actor trophy at Dubai Film Fest for ‘The Lunchbox’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion, ,

Acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan Khan won the best actor award for his brilliant performance in ‘The Lunchbox’ at the 10th edition of Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

IrrfanKhanMPos04feb2014

Irrfan won the award Friday in the Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature category, while films writer-director Ritesh Batra got a special mention for screenplay for the film about a lunch box, which becomes a symbol of hope, in the same category. World renowned Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur headed the jury.

Sandeep Ray won the best director award for his Bengali language film ‘Shirno Bahu’ (Thin Arms), which revolves around an octogenarian woman who undergoes treatment for a debilitating medical condition, in the Muhr Asia Africa shorts category.

DIFF chairman Abdulhamid Juma said that the sense of community this year was palpable.

“After 10 years, we are seeing recurrent visitors, both film professionals and cinema lovers, from the region and beyond. This year we celebrated the gains that have been made in Arab cinema in the past decade, the result of years of work from our team to discover, nurture and promote talent from the Arab world,” he added.

“There is a feeling that Arab cinema has ‘arrived,’ with increasing numbers of Arab films on the world stage, winning awards at the most prestigious festivals, and gaining currency even with audiences who have never visited the region.”

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / indiatoday.in / Home> Movies> Bollywood / by IANS / December 16th, 2013

Punching her way to Rio Olympics

Sports, World Opinion, , , , ,

India sat up and took notice when this 17-year-old girl from small-town Nizamabad punched her way to the gold medal at the Third Nations Cup International Boxing Tournament in Serbia earlier this month. Meet Nikhat Zareen, who is being hailed as the next Mary Kom for the striking similarities in their sparring styles and has won four medals in just four years of taking up the sport, including gold in the Women’s Junior and Youth World Championship in Turkey in 2011 and silver medals in Bulgaria and Serbia in 2013. The third child of a family of four girls from an orthodox Muslim family, Nikhat tells Siva G of TOI, about the trials and tribulations of taking up a traditionally male-dominated sport and how her goal is to grab a gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics, for which she has changed her weight category from 54 kgs to 51 kgs and is focusing on 2014 championships to make the cut.

How and why did you take up boxing, considered a masculine sport?

Even before taking up boxing, I was an athlete. I won six medals in different athletic events at the school level and also the best sports person award in sixth standard. I decided to switch to boxing after I found that nobody was taking it up in school. When I asked my father why girls don’t participate in boxing, he said girls do not have the strength to fight. That’s when I decided to take up boxing and show the world that girls too can spar just like boys. I started boxing in 2009 and won the best boxer award at the national level the very next year. So far, I have won two gold and silver medals each in international championships. I have now changed my weight category from 54 kgs to 51 kgs, because only three weight categories for women are allowed in the 2016 Olympics.

Did you face any resistance from your family and community?

I am the third of four girl children. My father Jameel Ahmed, a real estate businessman, is my strength. He used to take me for practice on his moped and always stayed behind for practice. My mother, Parveen Sultana, was very upset as she felt that if I received any injuries on my nose, ears or head, nobody will marry me. I told her that if I get name and fame, everything will come to my doorstep and even marriage will not be a problem. She used to cry on seeing my face bleed during practice sessions with boys because there were no girls to fight with. Relatives from my father’s side too raised objections as they felt girls should not join a sport like boxing due to the danger of facial injuries. But nothing has happened to me so far. We wear protective gear while fighting.

Did your decision to take up boxing cause any problems in school or college?

My school friends at Nirmal Hriday used to tease me, saying don’t crack jokes against Nikhat, she will beat you to pulp. I told them that I am a boxer, not a street fighter as I box only in the ring and not on the streets. It was only after I started winning medals in national and international tournaments that they started to appreciate my talent and the fact that a girl from a small place like Nizamabad had made it big. Seeing my success, my relatives and people of Nizamabad are now encouraging girls to take up male dominated sports like boxing. A majority of people in my home town belong to the Muslim community but are now ready to let their daughters take up sports. Unfortunately, we don’t have any facilities in the district to nurture talent. If we have good stadiums with better equipment, girls will shine in sports.

How important is it for girls to learn sports like boxing and karate given the rise in crimes against women? What will you do if somebody tries to tease or molest you on the road?

I will teach them a lesson by beating them black and blue. I won’t spare anybody trying to take advantage of women. Girls face such experiences on the roads every other day, which is why I feel they should learn self-defence techniques or a sport like boxing or karate to develop self confidence and fitness to fight their attackers. Women should be alert on the roads and have the courage to face the odds. The government should also make self-defence compulsory in school and college.

What are your strong and weak points in the game?

Frankly speaking, I don’t know. My coach, Dronacharya awardee I Venkateswara Rao feels I am ready to take any risk in the ring. He feels I am very good at throwing a combination of punches and have a good sense of the game. He tells me that I am a technical boxer but need to improve my strength. I have never been afraid of my opponents. Once I step into the ring, my only aim is to defeat them. I got a chance to improve my game under coach Rao after joining the Sport Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Visakhapatnam in 2012.

Seniors see in you another Mary Kom thanks to your style of boxing. Comments

There may be a few similarities between us but there is a lot that is different too. She is a very experienced boxer, while I am still learning. Her willpower and technique are far greater than mine. She has strived hard for years to reach the top and I wish to reach that position by winning medals for the country. So, please don’t compare with me with Mary Kom at this point.

What is the biggest challenge you are facing now?

In the Serbia championship recently, I fought in the 51kg category for the first time. The quarterfinals and finals were tough as I was up against tough Russian opponents. Losing weight reduced some of the power in my punches but I made up for it with speed and technique. Now, my main focus is on honing my punching power, as competition is tougher in the new weight category. We are training to take on opponents from Russia, China, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan.

What is your next goal?

I wish to bring home a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics. To bag a place in the Indian Olympic team, I am concentrating on the World Championship in Sofia in Bulgaria and Youth Olympics to be held in China this year. This year is very crucial as it is my performance in these two events that will decide whether I get a place in the Indian team.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Boxing / TNN / January 20th, 2014

Gouhar fashions Indian win

Sports, World Opinion, , , ,

Hyderabad :

Sri Lankan captain Shashikala Siriwardena’s ploy to bat first and pile up a big total which could put the Indians under pressure backfired terribly as her batswomen failed to contend with the guile of left-arm spinner Gouhar Sultana.

The Hyderabad spinner, who bowled in two spells and finished with astounding figures of 8-4-4-4, spun a web of deceit from which the Sri Lankans failed to extricate themselves and were bowled out for a paltry 76.

The hosts then rode on skipper Mithai Raj’s unbeaten 34 romped to a seven-wicket win with 105 balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series at the Dr YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Siriwardena, on the eve of the match, had said that they would like to post a 200 plus score if they batted first. The Lankan skipper won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first. But there after it turned out to be nightmare for the Lankan batswomen as they were unable to negotiate the Indian bowling.

Indian pacer and former skipper Jhulan Goswami struck the first blow when she bowled Chamari Atapattu (6) with 13 on the board. Five runs later, Goswami sent back Deepika Rasangika (4) and the Lankans never really recovered from those early blows.

Opener Yasoda Mendis and Siriwardena tried to stem the rot with a 14-run stand for the third wicket – the highest of the Lankan innings – but mediumpacer Niranjana Natarajan trapped Mendis leg before. Mendis, who made 17 off 43 balls (2×4) was the only batswoman to reach double figures.

Gouhar then ran through the middle order. The 25-year-old spinner scalped four wickets to reduce Lankans to 51 for seven. Gouhar, who has played 49 ODIs thus far, recorded her career best figures.

Debutants left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gaikwad (2/11) and offie Sneh Rana (1/7) then ended the Lankan innings.

India, in reply, lost openers Smriti Mandhana (13) and Karuna Jain (6) with 25 on the board. However, Anagha Deshpande and Mithali added 43 for the third wicket to ensure a smooth victory for their side.

Anagha (23; 54b, 2×4) fell at 68 but vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur (1 no) helped Mithali get the required runs without much ado. Mithali remained unbeaten on 34 off 59 balls with six hits to the fence as India reached 80 for three.

“It was a good win today. I am very happy with the performance of the girls. To begin my stint as a coach with a win is an auspicious beginning,” coach Purnima Rau said.

“Gouhar bowled beautifully and I am thrilled that she recorded her career best performance,” she added.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka: C Atapattu b Goswami 6, Y Mendis lbw Niranjana 17, D Rasangika c Jain b Goswami 4, S Siriwardene c Goswami b Sultana 1, C Polgampola c Kaur b Sultana 1, E Lokusuriyage c Mithali b Sultana 9, D Manodara c Niranjana b Sultana 4, O Ranasinghe lbw Rana 6, S Weerakkody c Rana b Gayakwad 8, U Prabodhani (not out) 3, C Gunaratne c Jain b Gayakwad 6. Extras: (B2, LB1, W7, NB1) 11.

Total: (in 39.3 overs) 76.

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-18, 3-32, 4-34, 5-41, 6-46, 7-51, 8-65, 9-65.

Bowling: J Goswami 8-3-16-2, N Niranajana 10-0-35-1, G Sultana 8-4-4-4, RS Gayakwad 7.3-3-11-2, S Rana 6-4-7-1.

India: K Jain c Weerakkody b Gunaratne 6, S Mandhana c Weerakkody b Siriwardene 13, A Deshpande st Surangika b Ranasinghe 23, M Raj (not out) 34, H Kaur (not out) 1. Extras: (B1, W2) 3.

Total: (for 3 wickets, 32.3 overs) 80.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-25, 3-68.

Bowling: U Prabodhani 2-0-7-0, C Gunaratne 10-6-16-1, S Siriwardene 10-3-20-1, C Polgampola 4.3-2-10-0, O Ranasinghe 4-1-15-1, D Rasangika 2-0-11-0.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad> Jhulan Goswami / by Solomon S Kumar, TNN / January 20th, 2014

Zesty Zareen lands gold in Serbia

Sports, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

After Mary Kom’s fabulous effort in London Olympics, yet another woman boxer from India did the country proud.

Nikhat Zareen, the 17-year-old Andhra Pradesh pugilist, won a gold medal in the third Nations Cup International Boxing Tournament in Novi Sad, Serbia.

She defeated Paltceva Ekaterina of Russia 3-0 in the 51kg final to follow up on her success in the Youth World Boxing Championship in Bulgaria in September, when she had finished runner-up.

(Nikhat Zareen defeated…)
(Nikhat Zareen defeated…)

Such was Nikhat’s mastery that none of her opponents logged a point against the Indian in the knockout rounds. Nikhat blanked Abdi Malika of Algeria 3-0 in the quarterfinals and Ballentine of the Netherlands 5-0 in the semifinals.

The pre-quarterfinals was no different as she defeated a Russian 3-0. “I’m happy,” was Nikhat’s first reaction when she called her parents to confirm the good news.

“It was an easy bout but the achievement is yet to sink in,” Nikhat told her sister.

It was Nikhat’s father, Jameel Ahmed, a real estate businessman in Nizamabad, who noticed the spark in her and enlisted her in athletics when she was 12.

During her brief stint as an athlete, she caught the eye of Dronacharya boxing coach I Venkateswara Rao of Visakhapatnam.

She joined Rao at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre in Visakhapatnam. And the rest, as they say, is history. Within a year, she was declared the `golden best boxer’ at the Erode Nationals in 2010.

She went on to clinch gold in the flyweight division at the AIBA Women’s Junior and Youth World Championship in Turkey in 2011.

The bright young talent from the state is now targeting a gold at the Youth Olympics to be held in China. “My goal is to win gold at the Youth Olympics and qualify for the 2016 Olympics,” she told TOI.

Considering the progress she’s made in quick time, and her steely determination, it will be no surprise if Nikhat gets more laurels to the country.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Boxing> London Olympiancs / by M. Ratnakar, TNN / January 13th, 2014

Delayed passport kills ragpicker’s Brazil dream

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, World Opinion

Bangalore :

If things had gone according to the script, ragpicker Mohammed Khan, 47, would have been in Brazil on Wednesday to participate in an international conference on waste management.

But red-tapism and inefficient babus servants ensured that Khan can’t pick up some finer aspects his trade there because he couldn’t get his passport in time.

Khan, a resident of Tippu Nagar in Benhalli near Kogilu Cross, off Bellary Road and 30 km from the city centre, applied for a Tatkal passport on November 2. He should have got it by mid-November but there’s no sign of it yet despite three IAS officers giving their reference letters to endorse Khan’s application.

The only ragpicker from South India chosen for the conference, Khan said: “When I was chosen, my family and friends were thrilled. I never imagined I’d get to fly. Khuda ka marzi (God’s will), I thought. But because I couldn’t get a passport, I couldn’t travel abroad.”

Khan applied for a voter’s ID card in 2009. “Though I wrote 1965 was my year of birth, clerks erroneously entered it as 1966 in my card. I gave an application for rectification. But the corrected card never came,” he narrated.

That mistake was perpetuated in his Aadhaar card. When Khan went to apply for a passport, he was asked to get his transfer certificate from the school where his year of birth was mentioned as 1965. The mismatch was enough for authorities to raise queries.

Another hurdle came up in the handwritten date and reference number in the verification letter given by Salma K Fahim, IAS, additional commissioner, BBMP.

“The letter had its reference number and date mentioned in handwriting and was rejected by passport officials. The letter was reissued as per the directions of the passport authorities. But when the authorities sent a fax to BBMP to verify its contents, there was no response from the civic body as the fax machine in its office was not working,” explained Nalini Shekar from the NGO Hasiru Dala which is working with pourakarmikas.

“We have been told that police verification is going on,” said Krupa Rani, project co ordinator with Hasiru Dala, the NGO that chose him. But an acknowledgement by the regional passport office only says, “Police verification shall be carried out post issuance of passport.”

Recycling waste on bicycle

“I am the only educated person in my family. I could not pass SSLC as I had no textbooks. After that I followed in my father’s footsteps and took to ragpicking,” Mohammed Khan said.

Khan is out at 9 every morning looking for waste on the streets. “These days public don’t give away iron scrap. I earn not more than Rs 50-Rs 100 daily. It’s much lesser than what I used to earn a couple of years ago. I also work at the dry waste collection centre at Allalasandra. Five wastepickers have started it by depositing Rs 500 each in a bank,” said Khan.

Khan pedals for about 40 kms every day, looking for valuable and recyclable waste by the roadside.

According to Nalini Shekar of Hasiru Dala NGO, Khan was chosen for the Brazil trip because of his fluent Hindi, communicating skills and experience and knowledge on pattern of urban waste. “We won’t give up for his passport. Maybe he’ll get another opportunity to fly abroad for professional reasons,” she said.

He will get passport soon: Official

KJ Srinivas, regional passport officer, sought for details of Khan’s case and spoke to officials concerned immediately.

“We had treated this as a special case and had even given him an out -of-turn appointment. But because we didn’t get a confirmation from IAS officer Salma K Fahim on her reference letter, his application was considered treated as a regular one and sent for police verification. But we’ve contacted the officer on phone. Khan will be issued a passport at the earliest and the police verification will be done after that,” Srinivas said.

“I was contacted by passport authorities once again on Tuesday evening and I’ve given my confirmation. But it’s sad that Khan missed the chance to take part in an international conference,” said Salma.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bangalore / by Sunitha Rao R, TNN / November 28th, 2012

Ali: Nizams built city, not Naidu

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Mohd Ali ShabbirMPos25jan2014

Hyderabad: 

The Nizams’ rule found place in the record books of both the Legislative Assembly and Council on Friday.

Congress MLC Mohd Ali Shabbir actually submitted a detailed note to Council chairman A. Chakrapani, stating that the Nizams, especially Nizam VII, had developed Hyderabad city and not Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Shabbir listed over 100 buildings, monuments, infrastructure projects, government departments, hospitals and others, including the present Assembly building, Jubilee Hall, Hussainsagar Lake, Railway network, Road Transport Corporation, Begumpet Airport, Osmania University, Osmania General Hospital etc. that had been constructed by the Nizams or during their reign.

“Pre-1956 Hyderabad was the largest and most prosperous of all princely states in India. It had its own army, airline, telecommunication system, railway network, postal system, currency and radio broadcasting,” he explained in the note which was part of the debate on the AP Reorganisation Bill.

“Hyderabad, the first planned city of India, was already a developed city centuries before it became part of Andhra Pradesh. The world’s first drinking water reservoir, Hussainsagar, was built in 1562,” he said.

Several MLAs and MLCs like Akbaruddin Owaisi, Mohd Shabbir Ali, Etela Rajender and others gave credit to the Nizams for the development of Hyderabad, while some Seemandhra MLAs like D. Narendra and others criticised their rule, which they said, had led to the Telangana armed rebellion and the notorious Razakaar movement.

“I wanted to put the record straight. The Nizams developed Hyderabad city and others contributed later. The claim of Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, is ridiculous that he got Hyderabad on the global map. The fact is, Naidu went on the global map and got recognition by reciting the name of Hyderabad repeatedly,” Shabbir Ali said in the note to the Legislative Council Chairman.

He challenged Seemandhra leaders for an open debate on Hyderabad. “In fact, Naidu tried to damage the culture and identity of Hyderabad. The historic Hussain Sagar Lake was shrunk during Naidu’s period and he tried to change the name of the city from Hyderabad to Cyberabad. Even NTR’s samadhi is built on encroached land which was originally Hussain Sagar,” he alleged.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Politics / DC / January 25th, 2014