VISIT// Tim Cook’s maiden visit to India as CEO of Apple happened last month. The chief executive met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been trying to galvanise India's manufacturing sector and develop close ties with the Silicon Valley. Cook also met company employees and business partners during the trip. There was no clear cut agenda for the trip and it is looked upon as an exploratory trip to understand the Indian market. Cook did not particularly specify as to how much Apple would investment in India, like he did for China — $1 billion.
While California-based tech giant, The Cupertino, announced its first development centre in Hyderabad to work on Apple Maps and Cook revealed an app design and development centre in Bengaluru that will support the Indian developers creating mobile apps for its iOS mobile platform, there was no mention of any investment figures. However, in an interview given to the NDTV, Cook said, “I am looking at India holistically and we are here for the next thousand years.” Cook also managed time out of his busy schedule to watch the IPL match between Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders at Kanpur, on the invitation of IPL chairman and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla.
ELECTIONS// The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created history in Assam by ousting Congress, which also lost Kerala to the Left front, while AIADMK and Trinamool Congress retained power in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, respectively, for a second consecutive term.
Ending its 15-year rule in the northeastern state of Assam, the once-mighty Congress lost to the BJP. Congress leader Tarun Gogoi accepted defeat and the verdict of the people of Assam with all humility and congratulated Sarbananda Sonowal and the BJP for their grand success. He also promised to fulfill their role as Opposition. In Kerala, CPM's Prakash Karat said, “This is a huge win for LDF in Kerala, will bring development for Kerala and take people towards a new direction.”
After the results were declared, a visibly happy Jayalalithaa said, “Promises made in manifesto will be fulfilled, will continuously strive towards making Tamil Nadu first in all spheres of development.” “I convey my heartiest thanks to voters who have reaffirmed their faith on me and given me another chance,” she added.
In an emphatic mandate West Bengal saw Mamata Banerjee winning by a huge margin. It was another clean sweep, with her party winning 211 of the state's 294 seats. The Left-Congress alliance was far behind at 77. Banerjee thanked the people of Bengal and reassured them there is no corruption in Bengal and that it is a “corruption-less” state.
Meanwhile, there was some good news for the Congress from Puducherry, where it won 17 of 30 seats. Thanking all the voters across the five states for "believing in BJP", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "The polls have made it clear that BJP’s ideology is being accepted, appreciated, supported by people of the country." Like in the previous assembly election polls, the “None of the above” (NOTA) option had few takers in all the five states.
After the election results the once mighty Congress party will control just six of India’s 29 states, down from 15 in 2013, while the BJP would hold power in 10 states, with regional parties and coalitions leading the rest.
OF LATE, I HAVE found myself being an active (and sometimes passive) participant in discussions pertaining to the political, socioeconomic and developmental landscape in India. While the theme, tone and content of each of these discussions is expectedly varied in nature, there is one constant amongst most, if not all, of these discussions. They seem to thrive in the comfort of seemingly educated, deep-thinking, passionate and — dare I say — “distantly patriotic” folks, myself included. The origin and intent of such discussions are generally well meant, barring the odd self-serving “soliloquy” justifying one’s decision to be “here” rather than “there”. Interestingly, all of us have a voice in such discussions and more often than not, we choose to voice it, it is irrelevant which side we are on.
The discussions make for interesting hearing and possibly viewing as well. Contrasting views on the recent political happenings, trending headlines, country’s infrastructure (or lack thereof), sporting developments and the works are presented and passionately debated. Heck, even the IPL and recent Bollywood releases are discussed and dissected with surgeon-like precision. Don't get me wrong, for this is all good in that it depicts a genuine and deep-rooted desire to see India fare better, albeit through the global prism. The positives of such a discussion do not end there. In my view, Indians abroad have the unique advantage of the “dual vision” that not many can boast of. There's the internal view of the country they spent a great portion of their lives before moving abroad and the external view by virtue of the wider horizon that they are now a part of. All the aforementioned positives notwithstanding, there is the larger question that seems to have been playing snakes and ladders with my mind of late. Are cozy living-room discussions the best we can do with our voice? A few random encounters seem to have lent further credence to this question and to possibly penning this article as well.
During the course of my professional engagements, I tended to chance upon a European colleague who seemed fairly familiar with Indian current affairs. While that certainly did not surprise me given the globally connected world we live in today, it sure did pique my interest into knowing more. As it turns out, he had spent a fair amount of time in India working with an Indian entrepreneur who had returned home to set-up an initiative to bolster women’s education in rural India. From what I gathered from the conversation, the initiative was so well thought out and executed that each of those rural families were fully onboard with the concept and supportive of it.
That’s not all. The icing on the cake was that the initiative encouraged young males in the region to also take up education in order to be a “worthy suitor” for the educated and now ambitious women who were a part of the programme. While the story seems inspirational in itself from numerous reasons, I came away from that discussion with something else as well. It was the fact that someone had used his voice for more than just discussions!
I recently bumped into yet another professional colleague of mine in what seemed like eons. As part of casual catch-up talk, I was informed that he had spent the past couple of years in India setting up extensions of his business. This has to be purely commercial, you must think. I don’t blame you. I did the same! The fact that our first reaction was to align such an effort with commercial motives is probably the best representation of the “materialistic malaise”.
As it turns out, however, he had moved there for a few years with his entire family to set up the business. It wasn’t because the commerce demanded it, however, and not because he had some great business idea that demanded his immediate attention. It was simply because he believed India needed something like this. Yes, it may turn out to be the profitable venture the entrepreneur in him hoped, but that wasn’t the drive. Another one of those voices put to good use, I thought to myself.
While the anecdotes are a mere case in point, it triggered another thought in my mind. When was the last time the seemingly passionate voice used for that debate resonated with similar thoughts the morning after? How many have the privilege of global education and exposure — and I don’t say this lightly as many have earned it the hard way! Is the voice that resonates only in that comfortable ambience as much to blame for the very issues that it discusses and commentates on? That may well comprise the next living room discussion. And, perhaps, from that, yet another one. But, as well intentioned as they maybe, that’s all these are — discussions!
That life is a journey is well-known even if not widely believed. Sure, there is the usual humdrum of life, the pressing need to provide, the responsibilities of near and dear ones, the personal goals and the list could go on. That aside, surely the imprints of this wonderful odyssey have to extend beyond us and ours! To those that will shape the tomorrow for ours, to those that the voice puts to its rights, to those that simply can’t fathom the life that we find mundane (at times at least!), to those that need the voice and to those that may somewhere become the voice.
Yes, one might argue, and appropriately so, that such discussions are not limited to plush couches of Indians abroad, but that would simply distract from the point at hand. Yes, many Indians abroad and back home are doing more than just discussions but imagine how many more we could do with. Yes, this is easier said (or written) than done but then someone needs to write it.
Some things are beyond our control but so seemed some of the lofty achievements that we now take for granted. Yes, there is the conundrum called life but wouldn’t that always be the case! I am reminded of the famous saying by a certain someone who truly embodied the tenets of this article, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”. Be the voice that attempts to silence the cozy living room discussions.
I am passionate about bringing a change in people’s life. And I am glad that both as a cricket administrator, and a politician, I get to pursue my passion,” says Anurag Thakur, a few hours after being elected the Board of Control for Cricket of India (BCCI) supremo. The second-youngest president of the world cricket's richest body has the entire cricketing world looking up to him for succour in times that are turbulent for the BCCI, to say the least.
The 41-year-old BJP MP from Hamirpur, and Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) head, Thakur’s elevation as president-BCCI was only a matter of time, after the chair was left vacant by outgoing President Shashank Manohar. As mentioned before, these are troubled times for the BCCI. The world cricketing body is facing the heat from India’s Supreme Court to implement the Justice R M Lodha Committee’s recommendations for sweeping reforms. Thakur, however, portrays a confident demeanour; after all, he has 16 years of experience in the field, and has served his apprenticeship as a cricket administrator.
He asserts, “I would like to state my example when I took over as the HPCA President at 25 years; I inherited only seven chairs, one iron cupboard and a typewriter. But within five years, we went on to build one of the most beautiful internationally-reputed cricket stadia in the world — in Dharamshala.” Not just that, under him, the HPCA has also built five more stadiums in the state. The drive that fuelled Thakur to build these stadia was to promote the state’s budding cricket talent, and provide them with an opportunity to hone their skills.
When Thakur’s father quit the constituency of Hamirpur in 2008 to take charge of the state as chief minister, Thakur was elected to the lower house of the Parliament. If that was unexpected, his becoming president, HPCA, at a young age of 25 seemed incredulous. Thakur proved his mettle, though, and went on to promote his state into the national cricketing mainstream.
Few people know, however, that to be eligible for a post in BCCI's junior selection committee, you need to be a Ranji Trophy player. Well, Thakur has played a Ranji match as president of the state association. He recounted to his shocked teammates he would not only play, but lead the side against Jammu and Kashmir. Thakur was also an active junior-level cricketer, having led Punjab U-16 to a Vijay Merchant Trophy triumph. He loves to take risks because in his opinion, “Risk equals reward. If it means a reward for the people I am helping, it is a risk worth taking.”
A perfect sweep
Son of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Premkumar Dhumal, the BCCI president means business and has taken up the daunting challenge of smoothening BCCI operations. He is deeply passionate about cricket as a sport – a streak that sets him apart from many other administrators. “Cricket has always been very close to my heart. I started playing when I was 14 and then went on to represent the state in under-16 and under-19,” he says, adding how his journey from the cricket pitch to administration was fueled from the vision to bring international cricket to his home state Himachal Pradesh and provide a platform for aspiring cricketers. “It is then that I took over as the president of HPCA in 2000.”
Later, Thakur went on to become an IPL governing council member and then, BCCI joint secretary in 2011, when he was among the first few senior BCCI officials to oppose Srinivasan for inaction following the arrest of his son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.
He refused to accept Srinivasan’s support to become BCCI president in March 2015, and instead stuck to the opposition camp and was elected secretary by just one vote.
Given a choice between becoming a cricketer or an administrator, Thakur says it’s a tough one to answer. “Cricket is my passion and in both my roles I have given my 100 per cent; it would be extremely difficult to choose between the two.”
What won’t be easy either will be tackling the Lodha panel recommendations that might diminish the influence of elected members. What also remains to be seen is if Thakur can challenge the amendments that the earlier president had made, which gave massive financial clout and authority in world cricket to three dominating nations — India, Australia and England.
Where heading the International Cricket Council (ICC) is concerned, Thakur says, “That is something I have not thought about as I am completely focused on my role at BCCI and to promote the sport across the country.”
What might stand in Thakur’s favour is how firm he is in his belief, but is pliable at the same time. It’s too early to talk of the next five years, he feels, and plans to go easy, “I live in the present and don’t think that far ahead. I give my best shot at whatever I do, as it is important for me to feel satisfied at the end of each day about my contribution.”
His vision as BCCI president: “To popularise the sport across the length and breadth of the nation. Cricket is India’s most popular game but more important for us are the fans, because no matter what the weather is, be it heat, rain or cold, they buy tickets to watch the game and make it what it is.”
In addition to this, the BCCI wants to popularise Test cricket and this year, it is hosting around 13 Test matches. Every state unit has been told to reserve a minimum of 10 per cent tickets for students, girl children and the speciallyabled, which will be given to them free of cost so that they can come and witness the matches.
The next few months with Thakur in the hot seat will be worth following, as the unambiguous operational style and combative attitude of this BJP politician is sure to help him look at the bigger picture and focus entirely on BCCI policy affairs. Although he agrees his hands are full, Thakur says he is committed to work towards the upliftment of cricket in India. “The most interesting part of my work as a cricket administrator is to provide budding cricketers with opportunity. And as a politician, helping as many people as I can, thereby contributing towards their wellbeing,” he says. Regarded as a player's man, Thakur shares a good rapport with the national team’s past and present cricketers and that says a lot about him in the Indian cricketing domain. Now he just has to make the right moves at the right time and take BCCI to a new high.
Even though premium smartphones come with excellent cameras with large apertures, low-light photography techniques and wideangle lens, most travellers prefer using larger digital cameras to capture once-in-a-lifetime shots, pictures of their trekking, hiking and swimming or just lovely selfies with their mates. But what if you could get your hands on a really light standalone camera that could take crystal-clear images, is waterproof, and can record videos in 4K resolution while on the go?
LG recently launched Action CAM LTE, a standalone camera that comes with its own memory card and 3G or 4G SIM to save your pictures and videos and to stream them on YouTube while you’re recording your memories. Because it is so light, you can attach it to your helmet while biking, or to your gear when hiking. The videos it will record will appear in full HD resolution and won't look blurry even if you view them on your 40- inch TV.
However, the best part about the Action CAM LTE is that it doesn’t need a smartphone to charge itself or for internet access, but if you connect it with a smartphone via Bluetooth, you can use the smartphone to remote access its camera to view video recordings in real time.
By using the remote access feature, you can use the Action CAM LTE as a CCTV camera and it can record videos in full HD for four hours at a time, or even longer if you need a video in lower resolution. This way, you can keep a watch on your restless dog at home or if there were any visitors at home while you’re away. Later this year, LG will launch a waterproof case for the Action CAM which will let you record videos underwater while you're diving or swimming.
“We are committed to expanding the LG Playground ecosystem with both modules and standalone accessories and Action CAM LTE is one of many more that we plan to announce this year. Action CAM LTE is an example of the kind of innovation we will be bringing to market, devices that offer features unavailable in other competing products,” said Juno Cho, LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company president.
LG Action CAM LTE will be available in light grey colour, will weigh less than 100g and will feature a 12.3MP camera, the same camera which is present in LG's flagship G5 smartphone. The Action CAM LTE will also come with it's own 1,400 mAh rechargeable battery, 4GB of internal storage and 2GB of on-board RAM to help with stutter-free recording and uploading of videos. If you’re on a trip and need to store many pictures and videos in high resolution, the camera contains a 2TB MicroSD slot which can accommodate all the pictures and videos of a long vacation with ease.
IN INDIA, GYMNASTICS starts and ends with Dipa Karmakar. Literally.
At 22, when most gymnasts across the world pack their bags, Dipa Karmakar has become the first ever Indian woman gymnast to qualify for the Olympics. Hailed as one of the few female gymnasts in the world to successfully land the Produnova – with the most 7.000 points for difficulty – Karmakar’s decision to perform this feat was as accidental as her decision to choose gymnastics in India.
It was not until April 2014, three months before the start of Glasgow Commonwealth Games that Dipa had attempted the Produnova. Hailing from the small state of Tripura, this diminutive Indian gymnast was toiling hard like any other Indian athlete to make a career out of sports, until one fine day, when her coach B S Nandi informed her that the sports ministry had installed a foam pit at the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium to practice tough vaults.
“Why can’t you try attempting the Produnova technique — two and-a-half somersaults before landing?” Nandi asked her.
An international gymnast by then, Karmakar knew what her coach was asking her to achieve. Named after the legendary athlete Yelena Produnova, the move is considered to be an extremely difficult routine, demanding acute concentration, flexibility and control, and has only been completed in official tournaments by five gymnasts. Because this requires a front handspring and two front somersaults, it has a 7.0 D-score.
And one of these five gymnasts, as we all know now, is the awesome pint-sized Karmakar, the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics. In other words, Karmakar knew that she had been asked to perfect “a slam dunk in basketball, or a bicycle kick in football, or a switch hit in cricket.”
She had also heard about the worst case scenario: “In case a gymnast lands on her neck or spine, not just her career, but may her life is over.”
Although hesitant to speak in English, Karmakar didn’t have any difficulty spelling out correctly the Russian tongue twister, Yelena Produnova, and thus began her journey — from being an outsider to becoming the darling of the gymnastics world.
Karmakar not just heeded her coach Nandi’s advice but mastered this exacting technique in the remaining three to four months to win a Commonwealth Games (CWG) medal. The Agartala-based girl then finished fourth at the Incheon Asian Games, and fifth at the World Championships.
But her biggest moment of triumph came during the World Championships where none other but the three-time World all-round champion (2013-15) Simone Arianne Biles of US became a “big fan” of hers for mastering such a difficult technique.
Biles’ words made it all worth it for the Indian gymnast since Karmakar was competing against her idol own in the World finals at that time.
“It was a proud moment for me. I follow her as one of the legends of the game, but she herself is the big fan of my Produnova. That’s very special. She praised my efforts and what I am doing for my country,” Karmakar recalls when she talks about that momentous day.
Till date, Karmakar has won 77 medals, including 67 golds, since starting her career in 2007. Knowing well that she has a slight issue with her landing, which could well ruin her chances in Rio, Karmakar has chosen to be with her coach Nandi in Delhi to prepare for one of the two test events — in Turkey or Singapore — in June for her build-up event ahead of Rio.
She has become a star overnight and that shows when congratulatory messages ranging from PM Narendra Modi to Indian cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar come her way. Mercifully, finance has not been a problem for Karmakar as the Sports Authority of India has already announced Rs 1.10 crore for her training in the buildup to the Olympics, with Rs 80 lakh on apparatus and the rest for foreign exposure.
The big question remains, however: why has Karmakar not chosen to visit Russia where Produnova herself could help her with her landing?
There are several speculations on this, with Karmakar saying she "hardly has time before Olympics but would love to go and spend time after the Games.”
Well… That somehow presents a grim picture of the mindset of Indian coaches, who are somewhat insecure about their own standing if their wards do go outside India to train with some legend. Only Anju Bobby George could do that, but that was only for a short period.
Karmakar’s choice of vault — Produnova — has the risk of fatal spinal injuries but she is relishing the challenge.
“Every success involves risk and I’m not afraid of taking risk. I need to work on my landing. If I can achieve that, then I have a good chance to win the medal in individual competition at Rio. I believe in hard practice and I’m just following my coach. He doesn’t let me take any pressure,” says an-ever smiling Karmakar.
Whether she is able to win a medal in Rio or not may certainly not be a matter of debate in India, but in the exacting world of gymnastics, anyone who has qualified and would be competing against this Indian knows that a couple of perfect Produnova landings during actual competition could well be all that Karmakar needs to stand at the podium.
A last-minute ankle injury prevented that at the Incheon Asiad; Rio could well break that jinx forever!
This year in February, Vodafone shot off an angry press statement — launching a veiled attack on the government — after it received a notice from the income tax department to pay Rs 14,200 crore tax due or face seizure of assets.
In the statement, the company expressed its exasperation saying that “When PM Modi is promoting a taxfriendly environment for foreign investors, this seems a complete disconnect between government and tax department.” Though the statement was directed towards the tax department, it’s clearly aimed at the government.
The tax demand pertains to the company’s acquisition of Hutchison’s 67 per cent stake for about $11 billion in 2007. Though Vodafone had won the case against the tax demand in the Supreme Court in 2012, the then UPA government had changed the law retrospectively to ensure that Vodafone did not escape paying the tax.
The retrospective change in the Income Tax Act led to a kerfuffle with both international as well as domestic media accusing Indian government of resorting to tax terrorism. This decision apparently spooked international investors and earned India a bad name.
The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), which was then in the opposition, made tax terrorism a political issue and promised in its election manifesto that it would not resort to such extortion tactics if it came to power.
And now that it is in power, companies such as Vodafone were hoping for an amicable solution to the issue. But that did not happen. Cairn Energy, another multinational company that was hit by the 2012 retrospective change in the tax law, also received similar notice from tax authorities in 2015 and 2016. It owes the government almost Rs 30,000 crore in tax.
Priorities and pressures
Has the government gone back on its prepoll promise of providing an amicable tax regime to businesses? Did the businesses attach too much importance to a political party’s election promise? Or is the government’s policy in line with the changing global tax landscape?
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is known to be business friendly and can be seen hobnobbing with domestic as well as global business leaders, had promised non-adversarial tax policies to businesses (for which he has received a lot of cheers), he had also promised (to his core supporters) an all-out war against black money.
To keep both promises, the government would need to adopt contrasting policies — you can’t fight the menace of black money by having amicable tax policies. And for some reason, the government has decided to pursue the battle against the menace of black money more seriously than the promise of an easier tax regime.
Its first biggest move on the tax front was that of bringing the black money law that was aimed at unearthing unaccounted assets abroad. The law has provision of a 60 per cent tax on assets disclosed, and in case of willful non-disclosure, a jail term of up to 10 years. The stringent law has not gone down well with many, so much so that even the sympathisers of the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have called it a big joke.
Further intensifying its fight against black money, the government brought a provision in the income tax law that requires taxpayers with annual taxable income of Rs 50 lakh and above to provide the value of assets and liabilities in the income tax return. The government again received severe criticism for the move, although it tried to brush off the criticism by saying that only 1.5 lakh taxpayers would get affected by the new rule. However, critics have called it another round of tax terrorism even insinuating that such moves may force rich taxpayers leaving the country.
GAAR, PoEM and Equalisation levy
There are many more such steps taken by the government that signals a stricter tax regime ahead.
The General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR), which was deferred by the new government in 2015, would now come into force from April 2017. GAAR has a provision that gives the tax department the authority to go after an assessee if it is convinced that the latter has used the tax treaty with a country to avoid tax. In such cases, the domestic laws would override treaty provisions. GAAR provisions have the potential to create a lot of litigations and tax disputes.
Another contentious tax rule that comes into force from April 2017 is the place of effective management (PoEM). PoEM is a set of rules that determine the tax residency of an entity. It says that a company would be treated as resident in India if its place of effective management in the previous year was in India. This should impact foreign companies with India subsidiaries, Indian companies with foreign subsidiaries. Though the government has come out with a comprehensive rule on PoEM, there are many ambiguities and doubts. These again would lead to more tax litigations and harassment of taxpayers.
In this year’s Budget, the government has mooted a new tax on payments made to overseas digital companies — the likes of Google, Facebook, and so on — which do not have permanent establishment in India and hence escape paying tax despite earning substantial revenues here. The new tax is called Equalisation Levy and would be levied on payment made towards advertisements on a non-resident online entity. Residents paying for such advertisements have to withhold the tax. The levy has been kept out of the ambit of Income Tax Act and, therefore, foreign companies would not be able to claim credit for such a tax. They, therefore, would increase the rates of advertisement by 6 per cent to negate the impact of Equalisation levy on their revenues.
The Mauritius treaty
Recently, the India-Mauritius tax treaty was changed to enable the Indian authorities to tax capital gains made by companies based in Mauritius from selling equity in Indian companies. This ends the decades of double non-taxation of capital gains by companies based out of Mauritius. The change in treaty structure would impact Mauritius-based foreign portfolio investors, private equity and venture capital funds.
The change in Mauritius treaty would also necessitate change in Singapore treaty. The two countries account for 50 per cent of the foreign direct investments (FDI) in India. In future the government may also change the treaty with Cyprus and the Netherlands, therefore, making it impossible for FPIs and shell companies to avoid paying taxes in India.
Though the government has taken many steps to clear ambiguities and bringing more certainty in tax laws over the past two years, it has certainly not kept its promise of amicable tax policies.
While many of the tax policies have been guided by the overall change in global attitude towards tax avoidance and were in the making over a long period, many of the changes in tax laws bore out of the government’s over exuberance in fighting the menace of black money.
The only problem in going all out against the so-called tax evaders and avoiders is that it may damage the business-friendly environment in the country.
You swear and yet you don’t. If you are yet to discover the joy of a workout like this, we’ll tell you where to head. For Radisson Blu MBD Hotel has designed just the perfect workout for you this summer -- Aqua Yoga. What makes this workout special is that not only does it help you stay in water and feel cool, but also that because of the buoyancy of water, the workout feels easier on the joints. All this with the benefit of helping you burn eight times more calories than a workout outside water would!
Interestingly the buoyancy of water also that helps one stay safe from injuries that one is otherwise prone to in high-impact workouts. Also, this gentle and low impact aquatic activity is great because the buoyancy of water complements the body in achieving optimum stretch. Muscles that are tight on land are stretched in water, whereas lax muscles are strengthened with water resistance.
Simply put, Aqua yoga is Yoga in water. It’s a full-body low-impact workout, which is easy on the joints, and provides peace of mind without any probability of injury. The results are more visible and faster as compared to conventional Yoga. Sonica Malhotra, Joint Managing Director, MBD Group, explains it simply, “The benefits of yoga are well known and Aqua yoga delivers the same benefits to its practitioners, with much more relaxation and leisure.”
Another plus for Aqua yoga is that you don’t need to know swimming. All you do is stand in water and do the asanas. The hydrostatic pressure (the force of the water against the body) acts like a massage, thereby helping the return of blood to heart more efficiently. Also, the very effort of standing in the water and doing the workout not only helps one learns balance better, but also works on your posture.
What makes Aqua Yoga popular among people of all ages is that it offers a greater range of motion and support to the body, which enhances flexibility; strength and muscle tone in less duration. Of course, as with most new workouts, you will have questions. We’ve tried to answer them in simple lucid terms:
Who is it for?
Anyone can do this workout. From the older generation to young people who are looking for new ways to have some fun workout.
That said, there are some groups who Aqua yoga is extremely suitable for. It can be advised for arthritis, joint and muscular pain, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, depression, sciatica, pre-natal, post-natal, post-surgery, and hip and/or knee replacements.
What are the benefits?
It improves cardiovascular fitness, decreased stress, heart rate, blood pressure and also improves sleep. It is a full body workout with focus on lower extremity including Gluts, quads, hamstrings, and calves giving the muscles shape and tone required. It improves the posture by working on the abdomen, obliques and over all core muscles.
Aqua yoga is a very good alternative for obesity since it helps in reduction of weight, enhances balance while giving support to the body and muscles.
Our columnist and fitness expert Kiran Bajaj Sawhney highly recommends Aqua yoga. “It is a low impact activity and hence places no stress on joints. Aquatic fitness is exercise modality that can accommodate all ages, fitness levels, band abilities through a variety of programming options. Water fitness is almost perfect means to condition the body; it not only stimulates the mind but also washes away the stress & rejuvenates the spirit,” she says.
BENEFITS OF AQUA YOGA
What could he be, if not an actor? For Balbir Raj Kapoor, the youngest son of Prithvi Raj Kapoor and Ramsarni Devi, there was never any other option. As Shashi (christened so by his mother who thought he was as beauteous as the full moon), says, “I had far too many examples to follow. The worry was not so much about what career to have, but how to even imagine I could match up to the likes of Papa ji, Raj ji, Shammi ji!”
Indeed, it has been a curious and chequered journey for the actor who has straddled both worlds – that of commercial success and theatrical struggles — and emerged victorious. As Shashi Kapoor reflects on his life after winning the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, he says, “I have got more from life than I deserved or wished for.”
Starting young
“My initiation into acting began at a very young age, when we toured the country with father Prithviraj Kapoor, and the hitherto unnamed Prithvi Theatres troupe,” he remembers. Young Shashi made his screen debut as a child actor in a clutch of mythologicals, but his best remembered roles as child actor are in his older brother’s Aag (1948) and Awara (1951). Shashi continued acting on stage, and by 1956, he was both actor and assistant stage manager for Prithvi, his father’s theatre group.
The actor entered films as a lead hero with Dharmputra, which was also Yash Chopra's directorial debut. A film way ahead of its times, it flopped. Roles in social melodramas such as Char Diwari and Prem Patra followed, but box office success continued to elude him. While Shashi had lineage, he had limited film experience. Like the thousands in Bombay looking for film work, Shashi had to spend hours visiting directors and studios, distributing portfolio pictures, and hanging outside coffee shops to get noticed by busy producers. It didn’t help that the then reigning heroines had their own favourite lead actors and didn’t quite want to risk acting opposite a rank newcomer — so what if he carried the famous Kapoor tag? Producers who had cast the likes of Nargis, Suraiya, Meena Kumari and Madhubala in their films didn’t want “somewhat of a firangi hero” paired opposite them.
Shashi’s initial films sunk into oblivion — almost in a row. “I began to get infamous as ‘the jinxed Kapoor’. Even Papa ji began to get worried,” reminisces Shashi, adding, “Only Nanda, who was a huge star, stood by me by signing a whole bunch of films opposite me, a newcomer.”
It wasn’t long before Nanda was proven right. In 1965, Jab Jab Phool Khile — a love story set in Kashmir — went on to become a surprise when Shashi pulled her in. Prakash has gone on record to say that the incident was so hair-raising that he’d shut his eyes, convinced that Nanda's end had come.
Family man
Shashi met his would-be wife in a theatre. Jennifer Kendal had gone to the Royal Opera House in Bombay to catch a performance of Deewaar (the play, not the film) by Prithvi Theatre. Shashi was backstage and as he peeped out, he caught a glimpse of Jennifer. “I still remember she was sitting there in a black and white dress, fanning herself with a programme brochure. I think I was in love instantly and took her backstage to introduce myself after the show. I was also a stage hand, you see — so I could take that risk,” says the septuagenarian. The fifty years between this incident and its narration have not dulled the glint in Shashi’s eyes. Jennifer’s younger sister Felicity accompanied the two on their first date at a Chinese restaurant the next day.
Talking about his days of love, Shashi says, “It was my first romance and it came with all the trappings that any nervous man must endure. That I was not very conversant in English meant I was in a constant state of being tonguetied and shy. Geeta Bhabhi (Shammi Kapoor’s wife) was my guiding angel — lending me her car and even money to take Jennifer out.” The task of convincing his side of the family was done by Raj Kapoor and his wife Krishna, and Shammi Kapoor and his wife, “Papa ji and my mother were not taken in with the idea of a British bahu. Neither was my future father-in-law, the formidable Geoffrey Kendall, probably because he would lose the leading lady of their troupe, Shakespeareana. I joined Shakespeareana to convince him,” admits Shashi.
Kunal, Karan and Sanjana were born to the couple and Shashi made it a point to be “As participative a father that my own wasn’t, to the extent that I was very comfortable washing their bums and changing their nappies.” Jennifer and family grounded Shashi enough for him to want to spend his Sundays at home, as he puts it, “Having all three meals together, talking, visiting family and doing everything that a normal person should do.”
World becomes a stage
Having done theatre, his sensibilities made him veer towards serious cinema as he, along with his wife, collaborated with Merchant Ivory productions on a number of film projects such as The Householder and Shakespeare Wallah. The desire to move away from the rut and do meaningful films was so strong in Shashi that he decided to turn producer with films such as Junoon (1978), 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Kalyug (1981), Vijeta (1982), Utsav (1984) and even directed the fantasy-filled Ajooba (1991). By his own admission, “These were the kind of films that I wanted to do, but since they didn’t do well at the box office, I decided to call it quits,” he says with a deep sense of regret. The fate of these films may have disheartened him, and left him in debt, but Kapoor’s passion for good cinema earned him many friends in the industry.
The late 1970s — the decade that defined Shashi’s career in India — saw him taking on a vast number of projects, hopping from studio to studio and playing a range of characters. “There was my family, and our most treasured dream — Prithvi theatre. We went to London every summer, we also had a house in Goa, and so there was money to be earned. It was a vicious cycle but I enjoyed the ride,” avers Shashi.
This and the insecurity that he went through in his lean days made Shashi accept almost all films that came his way. The quality of most of these films left much to be desired, and he was extremely busy. So busy in fact, that when Raj Kapoor wanted to sign him for Satyam Shivam Sundaram, he found there were no dates! However, most of the money he earned doing those inane roles was ploughed back into the industry, as he began producing the sort of films that he wanted to make. He partnered with the likes of Shyam Benegal (Junoon), Girish Karnad (Utsav), Govid Nihalani (Vijeta), and Aparna Sen (36 Chowringhee Lane).
The highest honour of Indian Cinema — Dadasaheb Phalke Award – was awarded to Shashi last year, perhaps because despite being a commercial actor, he refused to get trapped in the rut. Even as a film producer, he ignored market diktats and made the films he believed in.
BOMBARDED WITH NEW information every day and at times egged on by our neighbours, friends or kin, we juggle our aspirations and limitations to exercise choices to improve the quality of our lives. While most of us resent paying a premium for such choices, forgetting the age-old saying that you can’t have your cake and eat it too, the spin of making an investment for better life for our family is too tempting.
One such choice, which the privileged ones amongst the middleclass are in a position to exercise, is setting up a terrace garden. Whether it’s a residential apartment or a house, the terrace can serve the purpose of growing shrubs, creepers, vegetables, flowers and fruits. The lesser privileged can do with balconies instead of terraces. Apart from obvious decorative advantages, terrace gardens serve utilitarian purposes, offering both environmental and economic benefits.
Terrace gardens help buildings cut down on cold and heat absorption, thereby increasing or reducing the indoor room temperature, which leads to reduced heating or cooling requirements and costs. Plants also clean up air, pumping more oxygen into the atmosphere. Birds also have the choice to make terrace gardens their habitat. Besides, a terrace covered with luxuriant greenery can also muffle disturbing noises and reduce sound pollution. An important collateral advantage can be getting fresh and green vegetables from the terrace garden.
While the well endowed ones can cover the terrace with soil, make beds and lawns, and so on, others can do with potted plants. In any case, it’s desirable to begin with water proofing the roof to make it leakage proof. One can employ professional waterproofing agencies or manage with cheaper coverage techniques used by the local mason. Basic water proofing, which has a shorter life, is done with cement mixed with chemicals. It is preferable to use white cement in hotter climates to reflect light and heat. In fact, one may not need to do such basic waterproofing, if the terrace can hold its own in a heavy downpour. Irrespective of the kind of waterproofing one does, the next steps include choosing appropriate pots, planting mediums and plants.
Pots are the key to providing the right local environment. The choices vary from clay and terracotta pots to plastic or fibre pots, wooden and metallic containers. The weight of the pot with wet soil and plant is to be considered, factoring in the strength of the terrace, before one decides to go in for a particular type of pot. As a basic rule, pots should allow water to pass through so that the roots stay healthy. Draining water leaves space for air to fill in, which is necessary for roots to breathe. Whichever pots you choose, these must have holes at the bottom to allow extra water to drain.
Clay and terracotta pots, which are made of clay fired in kilns, with their rusty brown colour complement all types of greenery. They are good for plant breathing as moisture wicks through their porous sides. They also offer better insulation to roots in hot summers and cold winters. But they demand regular watering. They are not the best options for moisture loving plants. Clay pots can also break easily.
Plastic pots are lighter and durable. These may not be the best options for plant breathing, but suit moisture loving plants. They come in all colours, which may fade over time unless treated with ultraviolet light inhibitors.
Wooden containers complement certain ecosystems. They rest in between clay and plastic containers in terms of plant breathing. Redwood, cedar or cypress containers are long lasting.
After choosing pots, the next step is to focus on the planting medium. The difference between the garden soil and the potting soil is that the latter should be lighter and more porous. It should also be nutritive and supportive. While there is a variety of readymade potting soils available in the market, you have the cheaper alternative of making your own organic manure with the help of kitchen waste.
A desirable planting medium comprises equal parts of red soil or top soil, coco peat or peat moss and compost (vermincompost or manure). It’s safer to buy soil from a nursery rather than picking it up randomly from a construction site. While peat moss is expensive, coco peat from the coconut fibre industry is a compatible replacement. Compositing vegetable and food waste yields vermin-compost.
When it comes to plants, you can plant shrubs, creepers, vegetables, flowers and fruits. These can be seasonal as well as year-round. The preference should be for fibrous root plants, which grow along the surface. In contrast tap root plants, which are deep rooted, can cause cracks in the terrace.
It’s advisable to start with daily cooking greens like coriander, chilli and fenugreek. Vegetables such as bean, beetroot, carrot, cucumber, brinjal, lettuce, green onion, peas, radish, tomato and turnip can be also easily grown in pots. Growing some vegetables depends upon the agro-climatic zone you live in. It can take just a month to harvest your veggies. One square metre can grow from 25 kg to 50 kg of vegetables over a year.
For growing flowers, sky is the limit. You can grow flowers such as bougainvillea, carnation, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, jasmine, lily, marigold, petunia and rose. Dwarf varieties of fruits such as fig, guava and lemon can be also grown in pots. Vegetables, fruits and flowers can be complemented by growing medicinal plants such as aloe vera and tulsi (holy basil).
Given the choices, it’s only understandable that investment estimates vary. A rough estimate for growing vegetables, flowers and fruits, including pots and planting medium, and so on, over 500-1,000 sq ft would be Rs 10,000-Rs 20,000. This cost does not include professional water-proofing, which itself can cost up to Rs one lakh. Availing services of a landscape designer can set you back by Rs 50,000. Seating and lighting costs depend upon your taste and wallet. So do fountains, bars and barbeques.
There is no end to enhancing the terrace garden experience. Of course, it depends upon the size of your terrace and the budget. Whether you use mirrors to make your terrace look larger, grow greens vertically, ignore imported plants or take a high eco ground by reusing throwaway containers for pots, your imagination can help to some extent in overcoming the constraints of space and budget. However, a terrace spread over 1,500 sq ft lends itself to a garden well-appointed over a period of time.
A conservative beginning is recommended for smart management of the relationship with the terrace garden. Initial setbacks are not unusual. Learning by doing and not outsourcing is the key to long lasting success — and satisfaction.