THE WORD “Paralympic” originates from the Greek preposition “para” (beside or alongside) together with the word “Olympic”. This was the concept devised by Sir Ludwig Guttmann, an English neurosurgeon in 1948, to provide athletic therapy for people in wheelchairs comprising war veterans and injured civilians.
Sir Ludwig understood the importance of sport as a catalyst for rehabilitation therapy and named it the Stoke Mandeville Games.
However, it was much after World War II, in 1960, that the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy.
The first Summer Games of the modern Paralympic era were held in Seoul, South Korea in 1988. With 10,000 attendees, 700 wheelchair dancers and performers, over 950 world records were set. Since then, the Paralympic Games are held exactly two weeks after the Olympic Games in the same arenas, same tracks and same Games Village.
India and the paralympic connection
JWhile we remember Abhinav Bindra for his gold medal in Beijing, little did we laud Murlikant Petkar, who won a gold in 50m freestyle swimming in 1972 Germany Paralympics, or Devendra Jhajharia who won first gold in 2004 Athens Paralympics in the javelin throw event. Devendra is an amputee who set a world record in 2004, which is unbeaten even today.
This time around for Rio Paralympics from September 7-18, India sent 17 participants with high hopes from the blind 1,500 metre race by Ankur Dhama, Deepa Malik in wheelchair shot-put and Devendra in javelin throw, amongst others.
But even before these para-athletes started competing in Rio, they were winners in our eyes for defying stereotypes and transforming attitudes of the society. They are the few chosen ones to muster courage to break down social barriers, mindsets and discrimination towards people with physical impairments.
Talk to them and you are hit with some harsh truths and ground realities of how “It does not come easy to train and compete as there aren’t significant facilities for training, despite consistent good performances”. They are not the lucky ones like the able-bodied athletes when it comes to getting jobs or getting financial backing from government, and one can totally forget the corporate sector!
This despite the fact that it was only two years ago at Incheon during Para Asian Games that the Indian para-athletes managed to win 33 medals with three golds. The only thing that inspires our disabled brave hearts is their self-motivation, enthusiasm and the ability to carry on against all adversities.
Hopes against all odds?
It’s not like that no one is coming forward to help our para athletes. Stalwarts such as Abhinav Bindra, Rahul Dravid and Pullela Gopichand are members of the advisory board of a foundation that was set up a few years ago to work at the grassroots level to build and encourage sports culture among school-going children.
And results have shown this time around how India’s Paralympic athletes outpaced their counterparts, winning four medals. This also included the two gold medals in individual events which can any day put our able one’s total number of two in the shadow.
It was a good gesture on the government’s part that all four medalists’ got equal prize money as was announced for the elite athletes. Jhajharia truly deserved a few crores for the kind of achievement which was not repeated by any other Indian till date. His two gold medals, the second after a gap of 12 years, are just an example of his consistent hard work that he has been putting in despite all the physical challenges.
Jhajharia also set a new Paralympic world record with his 63.97-meters javelin throw at the Olympic stadium. Not to forget that his feat in Athens also came with a world record then.
Before him, it was world champion highjumper Mariyappan Thangavelu who, along with another of his practice-mate Varun Singh Bhati, got two medals for India. Thangavelu, of course, made the entire Indian population celebrate for the first gold after Bindra’s 2008 heroics eight years ago.
Deepa Malik on her wheelchair became an inspiration for all back home by becoming the first ever woman to win a Paralympic medal after getting a silver in the women’s shot put competition.
It was only a few days before this that India sent its biggest-ever Olympic contingent to Brazil this year with an optimistic estimate of winning a record 10 medals, or more. In hindsight, one may say that the numbers were exaggerated to get excess funding sanctioned from government coffers. Whereas, for all our para athletes there was literally no funding made available before the Games.
The simple reasoning for a better performance by para athletes could then be that Paralympic athletes tend to train “harder” to prove themselves and have a chance to win cash rewards.
Future perfect
It is believed that the Government of India has now decided to provide extra funding for our bravehearts in order to improve the practice facilities at the ground level. What is actually needed now is to encourage more and more disabled people to take up competitive sports in order to divert their mind to some constructive thoughts.
To make this happen, we need to make our streets, roads and buildings disabledfriendly just like the way Europe and developed countries have done in recent years. In India, no disabled person can step out of the home without a helper for the simple reason that successive regimes have never been sensitive about their needs.
So, to only reach a sporting arena and then even making an entry there, a whole lot of support is needed.
SUDHIR AHUJA // ‘Do not lament the death of warriors killed in the battlefield As those who sacrifice their lives in war are honoured in heaven.’
First off, my heartfelt condolences to the families of all the soldiers killed in the recent attack on the Indian army camp in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan seems to believe that India won’t act strongly against the attackers. We need to give them an appropriate reply.
Personally, I feel we should definitely try the diplomatic route but at the same time keep the option of military retaliation open. The military action option should not be given a backseat.
History is witness to all the efforts taken by the Indian government to resolve matters with Pakistan. Be it by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who travelled to Lahore in the Delhi-Lahore Bus, Sada-e-Sarhad, to bridge differences between India and Pakistan. This effort was derailed after the 2011 Parliament attack. More recently, one thought things may be somewhat upbeat when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a brief, unscheduled visit to Pakistan in November 2015, while en route to India from Afghanistan. Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Pakistan since 2004. But the relationship between the two countries continued to go south.
I feel it is time for us to come out of our shell and revert. Sitting back and merly accepting the dead bodies of our martyrs should be put to an end. Pakistan, despite being the epicentre of terrorism, has still not been declared a terrorist nation. When a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, the Modi government tried to resume dialogues with Pakistan, but in vain. Now, after Uri, the time to talk and make strategies is over. Pakistan has taken India’s attitude for granted and appears to be pushing its luck.
It is saddening to see that even after being cautioned publicly and warned of strict actions, Pakistan has failed to mend its ways. India should look at options and protest diplomatically for a comeback against Pakistan. Either diplomatically or militarily, it is time for our government to take strict action to resolve this problem and come to a logical conclusion.
NEERAJ MAURYA //Should India’s attack on Pakistan be the answer to the Uri attack? No. Eighteen Indian soldiers were killed in the attack on Uri army camp on September 18. The four terrorists involved were also eliminated. The terrorists maybe Pakistan sponsored, but who gains from such an act? Those behind the terrorists knew the result. They may be having Pakistan-marked weapons but does attacking Pakistan mean we would be doing the right thing? Investigation reveals the role of Jaish-eMohammed, a Pakistan-based terrorist group, and not the Pakistan army. Direct or indirect involvement is a matter which needs to be proved. The moment we attack Pakistan, we’ll have strained relations with many countries, and we won’t stand to achieve anything except that thumping our back saying we taught Pakistan a lesson. And remember, the attack won’t last long as we would be under immense pressure to stop it.
War is not the answer in today’s world as since both the attacker and the attacked stand to lose. We have to put pressure diplomatically. We have to keep the dialogue open with Pakistan. Once, we stop talking, we merely delay all diplomatic relations. Positive results can only be achieved by fruitful discussions and mutually beneficial treaties.
The Uri attack also mentions lapses by our intelligence. Why? Was any action taken against any official for the lapse? We should concentrate on making our intelligence agencies better and resultoriented. No failures should be tolerated.
So, what should India do?
• Open up dialogues with all like-minded countries.
• Involve Pakistan also as they too are part and parcel of the issue.
• See that the lapses on the part of our intelligence agencies are minimal.
• Draw a line for all the media reporters who create an overhyped scenario and project themselves as self-styled defence experts.
Prosperity is best achieved in an inclusive society and adopting responsible practices and processes can make all the difference in the long run. Giving back to society is just not about making donations or organising a few blood donation camps; it’s about making a difference. It’s about difference in the quality of life through better education, health, infrastructure and livelihood which in turn helps a community prosper.
Not an easy task by any means, it warrants long-term planning, commitment, understanding the real needs of a community and effectively utilising your CSR funds. One organisation that has been successful in making its mark in the Indian corporate sector with its CSR initiatives is Essar Foundation (EF), the CSR arm of Essar Group.
Essar, which started its operations in 1969 as a construction company, over the years has expanded its brand portfolio to include Essar Steel, Essar Oil, Essar Power, Essar Projects, Essar Ports, Essar Shipping, Aegis, and AGC Networks, to name a few. However, all this growth has not been without fulfilling its social responsibilities. The organisation’s social development efforts have been directed towards creating shared value, where the various communities have grown alongside Essar’s business.
EF runs community outreach initiatives in all its plant locations, with a focus on education, selfemployment, healthcare, infrastructure, environmental and agricultural development, aligning them with its long-term sustainable development goals (SDGs). In all locations, the local government's effort in development is supplemented with the Foundation's resources and facilitation. As per its 2015 annual report, EF has been able to make a difference in the lives of more than 4, 05,000 people in over 500 villages spread across eight states and 13 districts.
The person heading this change is Deepak Arora, CEO, Essar Foundation (EF), who took over the reins of the foundation in 2011 and has a team of more than 200 people. According to him, the initial years were spent streamlining things, understanding stakeholder expectations, building relationships, mapping, planning and executing programmes, and taking them towards community ownership and sustainability. Considering the diverse portfolio of Essar’s businesses, the organization had to employ distinct approaches to suit the local requirements and have a long-term approach for project sustainability.
The Essar Foundation’s overall vision is aligned with the conglomerate’s, and is based on four Ps – people at the core, progress towards aspirations, power of synergy, and passion with compassion. To give shape to its vision, EF decided to divide its CSR activities in six broad areas, namely, livelihood and entrepreneurship, women empowerment, education, infrastructure, health, and environment conservation.
Livelihood and entrepreneurship: This programme helps rural communities become self-sufficient and sustainable by providing a range of basic and specialised training in self-employment (in both urban and rural areas) and supporting entrepreneurship initiatives.
While some of the training is linked to the company's own business, the majority of trainees find opportunities beyond Essar. Its focus areas are skills training projects; supporting new ventures; and enabling entrepreneurs.
Empowering women and reducing inequality: The Foundation undertakes different initiatives focused on health, education, nutrition and financial management for women living in the rural areas near the company's operations. Women are encouraged to be part of self-help groups (SHGs) to earn an alternate and additional income. They are also encouraged to form dairy cooperatives and poultry farms to increase their earning potential.
Another important focus area for EF is reproductive health of rural women. This is done through various reproductive health and immunisation camps, doctors' training, referral transport to tertiary care units, obstetric care and training for auxiliary nurses and midwives.
Education: The Foundation helps in building students' skills and provides timely motivation and reward (scholarships) for a student to excel.
EF has been actively involved in bringing alternative learning techniques to school students in rural communities it works with. Indradhanush (rainbow) is EF’s award-winning flagship initiative in this field.
In addition to providing books, learning aids, utilities and basic infrastructure to schools in rural areas, the Foundation also builds schools in isolated areas. Under its scholarship project, EF encourages differently-abled and underprivileged students with promising academic records to complete school and pursue higher education. A special emphasis is given to girls being raised by single mothers and women-headed families.
Considering the crucial role a teacher plays in imparting quality education, EF’s teacher training programme aims to make educational activities more fulfilling for teachers. The training encompasses different motivational workshops and IT skills development courses, too. To date, more than 10,000 students have been supported by the Essar Education Programme.
Infrastructure: Essar companies often operate in areas where communities are at a disadvantage because they lack access to basic infrastructure. To provide basic Infrastructure amenities in rural areas near its operations, the Foundations works closely with the government authorities and have different projects running under this category.
Provision of clean and safe drinking water is a vital aspect of a robust infrastructure system, however many times it is marred by issues such as water availability and supply, poor water quality, financing of operation and maintenance costs. The infrastructure programme regularly provides 1 million liters of water to communities around its areas of operation.
To create a hygienic and healthy environment, EF has instituted a programme that supports the construction of household and community toilets in the rural areas.
Health: EF supports both preventive and curative healthcare in communities where disease and periodic epidemics are prevalent. The Foundation also funds the provision of doctors and paramedics, builds new health centres, provides critical equipment such as ambulances, and manages mobile health services across its locations. Essar's mobile medical units (MMUs), complete with skilled doctors and paramedics, are deployed in villages around Essar facilities. The MMUs also provide referral transport for secondary and tertiary treatment.
Essar’s infant health program aims to ensure infant well-being is held quarterly on all its site locations. At present, the Essar Foundation provides healthcare services to more than 190,000 families. It also offers specialised services such as eye and dental care to more than 250,000 people, as per their 2015 Annual report.
Environment conservation: EF promotes environmentally responsible living among India’s rural and tribal communities and pays special attention to preserving natural ecologies.
Some of the activities under this program include conserving water through harvesting wells, developing wastelands and constructing check dams. It also provides community water storage in order to improve the ground water conditions in water-scarce areas and providing equipment such as solar panels to encourage the use of renewable energy. Recently, the Foundation had won the ‘Best Practices on Water’ Award for its efforts in Integrated Water Resource Development. This initiative was deployed across 15 villages in Gujarat after involving communities and local authorities as well.
Sitting in River Bank studio office in a plush colony in south Delhi, waiting for Mike Pandey, as I looked around I am amazed by his collection of books, the awards adorning the walls and, above all, his favourite equipment, the camera. Designed with wood as the central theme, the office reflects Mike’s passion and interests. Born and brought up in Nairobi, Kenya, Mike’s relationship with the camera started when his uncle gifted him a Kodak Browning Box camera on his seventh birthday. The Pandey household in Kenya was in close proximity to the Nairobi National Park, which served as a source of inspiration for Mike and his fondness towards the wild grew.
Mike learnt the technicalities of camera while assisting directors in Hollywood, USA, and has also worked as director of special effects for films such as Razia Sultan, Betaab, Gazab, and so on, after his arrival to India. But Mike has always found solace in the wild and could not stay away from it for long. His love and passion for nature pulled him into the vortex of Indian wildlife. He has produced numerous documentaries that talk about the plight on animals in the flight and why conservation is an essential part of maintaining the ecological balance.
In 1994, he became the first Asian to win a Wildscreen Panda Award, also known as the Green Oscar, for his film The Last Migration — Wild Elephant Capture in Sarguja. The film depicts the 42-day-long capture of a herd of wild elephants in Madhya Pradesh. Fifty minutes long, the film has none of the savage, in-your-face, raw beauty of other wildlife films. While talking about the documentary, Mike shared an experience with elephants in Kenya. “While filming one of the documentaries in Nairobi National Park, a group of deer came charging towards us. We gathered our equipment and ran towards our jeep panicked. Suddenly a female elephant came between us and the charging dees and saved us. This is one incident which reinstates my faith in the wild,” shares the celebrity shutterbug.
When asked one significant aspect of filming in the woods, Mike says that filming in the forests is not like filming in the studio and takes a huge amount of dedication, perseverance, patience, and, most importantly, a driving force.
Sometimes one has to wait for hours, days, weeks or even months before catching a glimpse of an animal or the creature.
Talking to Mike gives you a lot of revelatory moments. The passion with which he speaks about his subject, the enormous amount of knowledge and the humbleness of sharing all that with world requires more than appreciation. One of the creatures that are close to his heart is the horse-shoe crab. According to the various research, the horse-shoe crab appeared on earth nearly 526 million years ago and can still be found on the eastern coast of India. Mike tells various pharmaceuticals companies still use its blood for sterilisation companies and television is the byproduct of its eyes. He even shared that NASA used the white blood of horse-shoe crab during one of their space missions of which Sunita Williams was a part.
One thing that saddens Mike deeply is the speed with which vultures are diminishing from the planet and how they almost disappeared from India because of a certain chemical imported by a foreign pharmaceutical company. Mike says this planet does not belong to us; we share it with millions of other species on this planet. We have been here for about 80 thousand years on this planet. What about other creatures that have been here for millions and millions of years? We must learn to respect them.
The internationally acclaimed documentary filmmaker remembers his days in Kenya with much fondness as it was in the African lands that his love for wildlife started. Mike remembers how as a child he used to capture images and show it to the family, weaving a story around them. The Masai Mara is his favourite wildlife destination and he loves the African coffee as well. “I find myself lucky to have been born in the beautiful land of Kenya and spending my initial years of life there. After spending 19 years there, I came to India, the land my parents belong to, but my roots still lie in the African subcontinent,” shares a nostalgic Mike.
When asked about the filming conditions now, as compared to when he started, Mike says that visa rules have bettered and now it is relatively easier to get filming and equipment permissions abroad. The advancement in technology has also helped in making better documentaries. He believes the real paradise lies in the wild where everything is in balance and in sync with nature. He strongly recommends responsible tourism. “When borders separate people and ethnicities, travel is something which helps them to reconnect,” says Mike. While he agrees that travel brings a lot of integration between the distant lands, he also affirms we should be careful of the environment around and try not to leave any carbon footprints behind.
Another documentary that bagged Mike his second Green Oscar in 2000 is Shores of silence – Whale Sharks in India. The film became instrumental in banning the killing of whale sharks on Indian shores. He also won a National Award for Best Film in the “Exploration & Adventure” Category, 2005, for this documentary. Mike shares another interesting anecdote that inspired him to make this documentary. The whale shark found off the eastern coasts of Africa and Kenya taught him this lesson in the deepest way, he says. It was as a child, on his many journeys across the Indian Ocean that he spotted whale sharks. He imagined them coursing around in the ocean and going between the African Shore and the West Indian shore exactly like the ship he was on. Years later, he found one dying on the Indian coast,” he says.
“As I grew into a wildlife filmmaker, the memory of this impressive blue grey mysterious fish kept haunting me. Almost as if calling out to me, I set off on a search. The journey was made into the film,” he says.
Mike Pandey is currently working on his latest film, The Return of the Tiger, which is supported by Bollywood actors, Amitabh Bachchan and John Abraham.
VOLGA’s, The Liberation of Sita is a feminist look at Sita via minor female characters in the Ramayana. It says so right there in the blurb at the back of the book, so you think you know what to expect when you start to read it. After all, no woman has liked the end of the Ramayana, when Rama sends his wife Sita to the jungle because gossip in Ayodhya implies she was not faithful to him. For Rama, an emperor’s duty is to his citizens first. Even his beloved wife comes second.
But a few pages into the book, you know that this novel, told via six episodes, gives you far more than a simple feminist retelling of familiar tales. Volga’s liberated Sita has to learn her lessons: enlightenment doesn’t simply arise. She begins with faith in selflessness and then, via her own experiences and those of other women, comes to have faith in herself alone. It’s an extraordinary journey and I cannot explain, however hard I try, how light and burden-free it makes you feel by the end.
We all know that Sita is the epitome of chaste womanhood, a woman who lived for Rama alone. Certainly that’s how she is when Volga’s book begins, but she’s no mindless doll. There are things she wonders about, and asks Rama to explain, questions she wants answered, even when Rama or her in-laws gently turn her mind away from matters they believe pure Sita ought not to have on her mind.
But Sita is curious and compassionate, so although Rama does not want to talk about Ahalya, for sixth episode in the book, after Sita is truly liberated, is about Rama, and tellingly, is titled “The Shackled”. Rama, we learn, is locked in place by his role as the propagator of Arya Dharma, and he doesn’t even know he’s in chains. All he knows is that, without Sita, instance, referring to her as a woman of poor character, Sita is determined to know what happened the day Ahalya’s husband, the sage Gautama, cursed her and turned her to stone, and more important, what Ahalya has been doing since.
She’s also curious about Renuka (the sage Jamadagni’s wife who was decapitated by her son, Parushurama), Surpanakha (Ravana’s sister, who had her nose and ears cut off by Rama for trying to lure him from Sita), and Urmila (her sister and Lakshmana’s wife, who had been left behind in Ayodhya without even a discussion when Rama was exiled to the jungle for 14 years), and learns from them over the years how they turned humiliation into deep inner strength — strength that Sita herself possesses, although she does not yet know or understand it.
I cannot explain how stunning the stories are. Reading about these women and the injustice they have been subject to, coming to understand along with them, as they tell Sita their stories, what is important and what is merely ephemeral, these are powerful stories, and they are told in the simplest way possible.
But this is not simple feminism of the “men are responsible for all the evil in the world” type. This is true feminism -that is to say, person-ism. While Volga certainly makes strong statements about the patriarchal nature of Indian society, she also shows how patriarchy binds men into roles, just as it binds women. The he is deeply unhappy, but still, his duty must be done.
This is why I urge not only women to read this book. It’s not “feminism” for women. It’s personhood for all people. And it must, must be read.
The Swiss Swami’s magic
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER, with Swami Jnananandaji in Mussoorie in the early 1980s left an indelible impact on the author, who then picked up his pen to jot down his personal journey post-meeting his friend, philosopher and guide in the “Swiss Swami”, as Swami Jnananandaji was lovingly called.
What started off as a personal collection of thoughts, words of wisdom, discussions, and anecdotal incidents finally took the shape of a 125-page book, after the passing away of the Swami in November, 2015.
Light humorous moments in simple spoken English makes it an interesting read, leaving the reader with a smile on their lips as at some point in the book they empathize with the author, making his journey, their own.
The forgotten hero
SPITFIRE SINGH, is a biography of Late Air Vice Harjinder Singh by Mike Edwards. What truly stands out is the manner in which Mike has presented Harjinder. It is a most readable thriller woven around the evolution of a lowly Hawai Sepoy to an Air Vice Marshal. A Sepoy was, perhaps, the lowliest rank showered on the Indian members of the erstwhile air force (RAF) serving under the British crown, which eventually found its way in the somewhat Indianised formation of Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF). It reflected the level of contempt at which the British personnel of the RAF held their Indian counterparts.
Despite these odds against him, Harjinder rose to monumental heights of achievement. The disdain, perhaps, catalysed to challenge.
With a measure of regret, I must say that we seem to have forgotten Harjinder’s support to the Indian Air Force and the nation throughout his life till his early death in 1963. I most earnestly recommend a thorough reading of this book by not merely aviators but also by people who are protagonists of development, building organisations and visions for a future. Mike brings these path-breaking success stories to his readers with great felicity in a superb text.
Held annually in a meadow just outside thecity centre, Munich is the home for Oktoberfest, and this major German city has so much to offer from bars, clubs and strip joints that there is something for everyone, no wonder it is known as ‘Toy Town’! The festival actually starts in late September and runs into early October so the weather is generally pleasant!
An Oktoberfest stag weekend would be ideal for a large group or a small bunch of lads, accessible and affordable. Munich makes a great destination for more than just the fantastic beer. The modern location and inexpensive prices mean you can live like a king, if only for the weekend. For a true luxury stag do, visit one of the many breweries Germany is famous for and take a private tasting tour. Clubs are happy to stay open as late as you want, so don’t be surprised if the sun is up before you head back to your hotel.
It all started with a horse race which the national guard staged for the people on 17th August 1810 to mark the wedding of the Ludwig Crown Prince of Bavaria (later King Ludwig I) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The race was such a success that it was staged again the following year on the Theresienwiese – the meadow named in honour of the Princess. From 1870 onwards the number of stalls began to increase and in 1896 the very first beer tents were erected which sold only beer brewed in Munich – a tradition which has remained to the present day. Due to lack of space the horse races with which it all began were staged for the last time in 1936.
As you soak up the beer with some traditional German delicacies there is a lot of hearty, traditional German food on offer in all of the tents at Oktoberfest, including wurst, roasted chicken, pork knuckle, goulash, smoked fish and giant pretzels. As the event has become more and more international, organisers are beginning to cater to the dietary needs of visitors and you’ll now find some meat-free options available, like Käsespätzle, a traditional noodle bake. Make sure that you eat regularly over the course of the long day.
With some song and dance, the mood becomes increasingly festive. People beginning to sing, swinging their beers and dancing on their benches. This is allowed and is quite normal. Popular drinking songs include the repetitive ‘Ein Prosit’ and ‘Fliegerlied’. Also, no Oktoberfest is complete without partaking in the Chicken Dance, which has been a festival tradition for over twenty years. Join in the fun yourself, but remember to never dance on the table, which is actually against the law!
Oktoberfest is a huge carnival complete with rides, vendors and games, so even if you don’t enjoy drinking beer, you’re sure to have a great time. Ride the ferris wheel, rollercoaster, ghost train or test your skills shooting with airguns or popping balloons with darts. Kids of all ages (including big ones), flock to the Oktoberfest carnival for entertainment of all kinds.
7 Must-Do Things During Munich Oktoberfest
1. Oktoberfest Carnival – This is held on the other side of the beerfest grounds and is a great way to spend an afternoon with the kids. Enjoy games, food, rides and the most popular spinning wheel.
2. Oktoberfest Opening Day Parade – This is quite a spectacle and not to be missed. Many great views of the parade may be right in front of the hotels in Munich, Germany as the parade winds its way through the streets of Munich on its way to Oktoberfest.
3. Das Wiesnzetl – This features a genuine Oktoberfest tent located in Lowenbrau Keller. Another option if you have trouble finding a table in one of the tents at Munich Oktoberfest.
4. Oktoberfest Costume and Riflemen’s Parade is a not to miss entertainment. Colorful traditional German costumes, lively music and endless fun are awaiting Oktoberfest guests.
5. Oide Wiesn is a special German delicacies tent located at the grounds of Munich Oktoberfest allowing its visitors to sample traditional German foods, dance to Bavarian music and admire at colorful costumes.
6. Krinoline Merry Go Round – hop on one of a kind vintage German merry go round to really soak up the fun of the Octoberfest and enjoy your times as a family.
7. Schichtl Variety Show – you can’t visit Munich Oktoberfest and not see this spectacular cabaret show that you will not witness anywhere else in the world.
The excitement starts way before Diwali does. After all, how can you miss being caught in the festivities that start with shops displaying their best collections, people shopping for themselves, family and friends, homes being cleaned, and everyone preparing to look their best? Diwali marks India’s festive season, which lasts up until New Year’s.
This festive season is also marked by gift-shopping, a phenomenon that has become ubiquitous to Diwali. From spending time and money with the underprivileged, holidaying abroad, or buying the best gifts money can buy, Diwali’s gifting season is, indeed, one of the biggest in the country. The best part: the more things change, the more they remain the same. Thus, snacks, fruits, dry fruits, confectionary and chocolates remain the favourite when it comes to gifting for friends, family, and employees. What is different, you ask? The way these same gifts are presented and how they are made.
Customised gifting is the name of the game today. This not only gives the exclusivity tag to the gift, the fact that something is homemade or made especially for you helps your gift break away from the clutter.
Consider this: Radisson Blu MBD, Noida, presents some of the best Diwali surprises this year. Thus, you can celebrate this festive season with the scrumptious goodness of homemade food items from the Chocolate Box Diwali hampers by the luxury hotel. Treat your special ones with these exotic and rich festive bites of dry fruits, cakes, cookies thoughtfully put together in hampers by Radisson Blu MBD. These hampers are loaded with delicious collection of eatables to bring a smile to your near and dear ones.
There are two options, although choosing between the two will be a tough task. You can look at deluxe and premium hampers that are available. While the Deluxe Hamper is Rs 3,600, all inclusive, the Premium Hamper will set you back by Rs 5,100, all inclusive.
You can give these hampers to not just your friends and family, we urge corporate to consider this as gifts for your clients, vendors and other stakeholders. These are sure to bring a smile to their face and there is little chance your gift will go unnoticed. Let the festivities begin!
“Celebrate Freedom”. You will be reading these two words far too often this month. From weight loss clinics and neighbourhood bakeries to “boutiques” — anybody with any commercial interest will suddenly want to awaken the idea of freedom in you. The freedom here, mind you, is limited to self. Freedom to have your hair look a certain way, freedom to head out to a destination, freedom to shop for your favourite brand, and what have you. In case you are still wondering about the furore over the “freedom” bit, well, it’s August, the month when India became an independent nation.
It’s strange however, how over the years, freedom seems to have become a mere word, an abstract term most of us seem to have inherited. As a result, everyone thinks it’s ok to sell us an idea of freedom. And why not, we probably have forgotten the blood and sweat that went into making India a free nation.
And that’s where I think there is a need to not just see the glass half-empty, but also awaken the desire to fill that half-empty glass to full.
A responsibility each one of us has. Interestingly there are some extremely positive signs one notices. There is “The Made in India”, campaign, the growing number of entrepreneurs, talk of a reverse brain-drain, not to mention the breed of young people who are extremely nation-proud. Having said that, however, this isn’t the time to rest on our laurels either. We need to maintain the momentum. And if each one of us does what we are doing with utmost passion, there is nothing that can stop us from making a mark.
But let’s talk about looking at the glass half-empty or half-full, dear readers. We stay true to our commitment to you about bringing to you all headline-grabbing action. A reason why we have on our cover none other than Salman Khan. For he might have his share of flaws, but boy, the actor can’t be ignored!
Also don’t miss our tribute to legendary artist S H Raza. Interestingly, we had spoken to the artist just a few days before he breathed his last. He was a man who used art to give out some powerful messages.
There’s a lesson there for all of us. Let us all strive to make a difference and do our bit for the nation through whatever we do best. Don’t they say, every drop makes an ocean?
Jai Hind!
TERRORISM// At least 84 people were killed and 100 injured in the French city of Nice when a man deliberately drove a lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in France, the country’s main national holiday. The attacker behind the wheel drove at high speed along the famed Promenade des Anglais seafront, careering into spectators who had been watching a Bastille Day firework display. Police shot and killed the driver, officials said. France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that children were among the dead and 18 people were in a critical condition.
Expressing concern, French President Francois Hollande said that he would extend a state of emergency - which had been in place since the attacks in Paris last November - for another three months from July 26. “There’s no denying the terrorist nature of this attack of yet again the most extreme form of violence,” he added.
“Nothing will make us yield in our will to fight terrorism. We will further strengthen our actions in Iraq and in Syria. We will continue striking those who attack us on our own soil,” he said, in reference to France's involvement in a coalition of nations carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group. The attack happened just as the firework display - which was attended by thousands of people - was ending, at around 11:00pm local time. Eric Ciotti, a local MP, said the lorry continuously rammed the crowd over a distance of two kilometres. Ciotti said on BFM TV that police killed the driver "apparently after an exchange of gunfire", adding that the truck was loaded with weapons and grenades.
FOOTBALL// Portugual beat favourites France 1-0 last month to lift the Euro 2016 cup, their first major international trophy. And the amazing part was that they won this game without their captain and key player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo had to leave the field in the 23rd minute of the match after an injury. Instead of falling apart, the Portugal players came together, determined to get a win for their famous captain. For most of the match they defended stoutly, preventing France from scoring.
The unlikely hero of the match was Éderzito António Macedo Lopes who was brought on the field as a substitute in the 79th minute of the match. Inspite of the fact that Lopes had played in just one match in the entire tournament, he managed a tremendous goal in extra time.
In what will be remembered as one of the key moments of Euro 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo rose two and a half feet in the air to deliver a ‘header’ and the goal that gave his team the lead over Wales in the semi-finals.