The media is replete with reportage of politicians making comments that are in bad taste. Have our politicians lost their flair for language? Or is it the media that is covering such comments more than usual in its quest for more visibility and TRPs?

SIDHARTH MISHRA // Remember the time when Sharad Pawar was slapped and the media had a field day covering it? Well, it wasn’t the first time it had happened, but due to a change in editorial priorities, the incident was highlighted much more than it should have been.

Years ago, when TV was not the dominant medium, some great speeches by our politicians and repartee between politicians were covered in a great way. Back then, the journalists worked with their heads held high, took pride in their work and had the ability and intellect to cover such incidents in the right light.

I remember an incident from as late as 2007, when Atal Bihar Vajpayee was at a public meeting for an election campaign. The weather was overcast and the clouds were rumbling. Taking a cue from it, Vajpayee started his speech with, “Badal gargara rahey hain, mausam badalney wala hai .” (The clouds are rumbling, indicating the weather will change). The lines were a play on Parkash Singh Badal’s name, a prominent politician in the state. I concede orators such as Vajpayee, Chandra Shekhar and Somnath Chatterjee, are few in today’s political world. But it is also true that the good speeches and language of the politicians is hardly covered or reported by the media. What is covered today is the unruly behaviour in the Parliament and in other places.

What grab eyeballs are the primetime debates conducted by news channels, which capitalise on name-calling, heckling and hectoring. If you look closely, there are no serious discussions that take place during such programmes. They are like WWF shows, really, where these personalities have a go at one another. Funnily, people don’t even remember these debates and programmes the next day. Largely, media is to be blamed for all this.

Why, even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches are so articulate in the Parliament. But do we ever see them being talked about in the news channels or newspapers? On the other hand, his speeches during the election campaign got a lot of mileage.

Remember the times when a lot of magazines such as Satya Katha and Manohar Kahaniya used to be published from Allahabad and were the rage at newsstands? The same is with these TV programmes and the media coverage about such remarks – they are not to be taken seriously. But then where does a viewer or a reader get good quality news coverage from?

By covering such incidents more than others, the media is further lowering the intellect level of the lowest common denominator in the society. Ironically, at times like this, it is the newspapers that are being taken more seriously for their reportage, since they still have some element of decency when it comes to covering news like this.

Sidharth Mishra is the founder of Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice (CRD&J), a think tank aiming to consolidate India’s intellectual capital. A journalist, Mishra is a consulting editor with Millennium Post, and has worked for publications such as The Pioneer. He has also written several political commentaries and written Jina, a book about Jaina temples in Bihar.

RAJIV SAXENA// Media is a mirror to the society. And like most mirrors, it, invariably, reflects the reality. To expect that it will hide our warts would be foolhardy. Makeup may, perhaps, help. But for how long? Wouldn’t it be better to rid ourselves of the warts? The process may be time-consuming. It may also need significant will power and perseverance. Yet, I am confident that the aam aadmi can do this.

But will the high and mighty among our netas be able to accomplish this? Going by their track record, it is highly unlikely. There are not too many Valmikis around in India’s neta-dom. The current crop of politicians would rather call the mirror faulty. They would rather attribute murderous motives to the media. But this sounds more like some magical abracadabra. Why does one say so? Because, the cunning politicians’ tricks can be easily deciphered even by so-called dimwitted commoners.

After all, how is it possible that a large number of print and TV journalists from different media houses would report the neta ji’s speech, venom and obscenities included, almost exactly the same way? We also know the camera does not lie. Print journalists too often use mobile tape recorders to cover rallies and press meets. And how many of our readers would believe that dozens of journalists representing different shades of opinions and diverse media houses would gang up and file false and defamatory reports against any given politician or political party at a given point of time?

Such a hypothetical scenario implies that while one politician mouthed the Gospel, dozens of journalists conspired to present the holy words as the Satan’s diabolical dictate. Such a supposition is also patently undemocratic as it negates popular view in comparison to that of a politician who has far too many axes to grind.

We have also witnessed how several politicos chose to apologise, but only when they had run out of all excuses and had been really cornered. Their behaviour in the august Houses of Parliament and state legislatures too do not inspire much confidence among their electorate and people at large. If paper balls were bullets, many Speakers of legislatures, at whom these weapons are often aimed by MPs, MLAs and MLCs. Thanks to the media, we have also witnessed miracles wherein our lawmakers are many a time imbued with inhuman strength, uprooting microphones, hurling chairs at opponents, hopping from seats to desks and ultimately into the well of House, all along emitting strange and blood-curdling sounds.

If parents allow their children to watch Parliament’s proceedings on television regularly, they can rest assured that their children will grow up into anything but ideal citizens. However, the tiny tots may certainly emerge as dabang bullies, fully capable of flouting rules, braying louder than donkeys and making use of their limbs to deadly effect. Not such a bad prospect in these times – a direct route to power and pelf.

As I draw to a close, I wonder whether I have been barking up the wrong tree. What good is it praising the media? Children and youth may be beguiled into taking up journalism as a profession. The bright and brilliant ones may crack entrance tests to IITs, CPMT, IAS and so on. Those who cannot do that but whose parents have bulging pockets can just murmur the magical word “capitation fee” and find themselves in glitzy and glamorous campuses.

But to what avail? Neta ji will still call the shots. He will continue to spew venom at the news media. Most media house owners will continue to grovel at his feet. The aam journalist may also find himself in the queue for solid favours like editorships superseding erudite and unbending compatriots or a place in Rajya Sabha.

I think I have gone berserk. I am thoroughly confused. You may read this piece as the ranting of a lunatic.

Rajiv Saxena is a media and communication expert with over three decades of experience in leading newspapers such as Indian Express, Sunday Observer and Mid-Day. He has also headed corporate communications for companies such as Career Launcher, ACC, BirlaSoft and HM-Mitubishi Motors. He is currently a communication advisor to several reputed companies.

Despite the understanding that actions by the Maoists and Naxalite go beyond acts of insurgency and border on war on state, the governments tread wearily on this subject

THE REGIMES IN post-independent India have consumed themselves in trying to understand the subtlety of differences between Maoists and Naxalites. As if that would have helped in stopping the massacres and killings that are being perpetrated by these radical groups. Regardless of their professed ideologies, these are armed movements raised solely to wage war on India to gain control of State. Their actions should be treated as war and dealt accordingly.

The Naxalites killed again on December 1, 2014, in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, 450 km from state capital Raipur. This time it was 13 soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), including two officers, who were killed in an ambush; this was probably the biggest attack on the CRPF this year. The Naxals had used locals as a human shield in ambushing the CRPF team, which did not retaliate so as to avoid civilian casualties.

Similarly, the April 6, 2010, Dantewada Maoist attack was an ambush by Naxalite-Maoist insurgents from the Communist Party of India (Maoist), near Chintalnar village in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh. Back then, they had killed 76 CRPF policemen, making it the deadliest attack by Maoists on Indian security forces so far.

This is copybook fourthgeneration war that is being waged by the Maoists and Naxalites and the Indian State flounders. It is an asymmetrical war, characterised by the actions of small groups of people, where small, highly maneuverable and flexible forces dominate, trying to overwhelm the security forces internally and psychologically. And when the practitioners of fourth-generation war amongst the Maoists and Naxalites do not agree to the Geneva Conventions, why is the State caught up in this chivalric code governing how our war with them should be fought?

The point that needs to be emphasised is that there is a constant reminder to the Indian State that it is not able to deal with the menace in an organised and coordinated manner. It is taking place in the whole expanse of the nation, with terror being inflicted on us by Left-wing extremists (LWE) insurgents and radical groups. This is a fraternity of armed radicals, all serving to a common purpose of killing the Indian citizen, whilst members of intelligentsia join hands with government officials and waste their energies in trying to convey the correct shade of grey to the confused citizen.

A study of this insurgent, separatist and even an ideologically-driven war within a state is not an extraordinary subject for the students of armed conflict and internal wars. In that context, India’s Naxal war, perhaps, draws a parallel with several on-going and armed conflicts in the world. But to limit it to the clichéd thesis that the Naxalite movement in India is identified with violence, militarization and linkages with subversive/ secessionist groups means leaving some crucial human issues untouched.

We must bring to light and speak about the most abhorrent practice of insidiously inducting women and children in the Naxal movement through deceit and subterfuge. Organised on military lines, the constant effort is to upgrade its weaponry and induct new cadres. For regular cadre recruitment, young children in schools receive constant focus of attention. Their aim here is to create bal-dasta, or “child squads”. We are aware that Naxalite forces already have regular cadres of women combatants participating in the conflicts: What is of concern is the methods employed for their induction.

Reports of conscription as “child soldiers” in the Naxalite conflict are numerous. A few years ago, in Andhra Pradesh, for instance, the Amnesty International reported that the Naxalites have reportedly begun recruiting boys aged between eight and 15. The boys usually come from scheduled castes or tribes, or other socially or economically disadvantaged classes. They are recruited to the Bala Sangham, a militant children’s organisation based in district towns such as North Telengana. Not only that, we are not even aware of the condition of these child conscripts. What’s worse, this practice continues even now.

Women who serve as combatants suffer the consequences of armed conflict quite differently as compared to males, and the culture of militarism impacts upon women in diverse ways. An examination of issues faced by the women cadres of the Peoples War Group (PWG, which belongs to the Maoists genre) sheds some light on the syndrome. Barring a few, most girls had run away from their families to join the movement for sheer romanticism of the adventure. Perhaps, it was accentuated by patriarchal oppression at home. They were initially lured to movement through song and dance tamashas in the tribal hamlets and were gently conscripted. Once there, it was difficult to return. The PWG leadership applied a coercive method to ensure that the women were married to cadre members of the leaders’ choice, sometimes despite their protests. Having done that, many of them were sent to different areas to work and live separately for long periods. Some of them had to abort their fetuses during pregnancies. Surrendered women Naxalites have unequivocally spoken about the “patriarchal suppression” within the group.

Experts say the government's response to attacks by the Maoists, Naxalites and their ilk has been episodic. Soon after an attack, the governments at the Centre and the states appear to take only short-term measures. The policy implementation does not pursue a coherent strategic response to LWEs.

There is one factor, however, which continues to hit us in the guts. The Central government has yet not found a centralised methodology to tackle LWE unleashed wars. We are caught up in a federal structure that bestows the power to deal with law and order issues on the states. Despite our clear determination that these actions by the Maoists and Naxalite go well beyond acts of insurgency and border on war on state, we do not act in concert.

The governments tread most wearily on this subject faced by the fear, perhaps, that in pursuing that line they would upset the federal balance. That is one of the cardinal reasons for the extremist groups to thrive and sustain themselves with impunity in nearly seven decades of independent India.

A 2014, Platt Award winner for CSR, TPDDL knows what it means to enlighten lives of people at the grassroots

It is one thing to do one’s job well, and quite another to live that job in the literal sense. For Tata Power Delhi Distribution, TPDDL (a joint venture (JV) between Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power company and the Government of NCT of Delhi) is not just giving electricity to many homes, but also lighting lives of over 60 lakh people in north and north-west Delhi.

As a responsible corporate citizen, TPDDL has always strived to reach out to the communities through its various CSR and welfare initiatives round the year. What probably makes its CSR activities more noteworthy is the fact that every activity rests on four main pillars — employability, entrepreneurship, education and employment.

The four pillars have obviously made their mark and built a strong platform for work a grassroots level. A recognition of which came this year in the form of the prestigious Platt award for CSR in the Energy Sector. A worldwide recognition, this one is considered like the Oscars for power, oil and gas industries.

Platts receives more than 200 nominations each year. This year, the nominations came from more than 25 countries, including Brazil, India, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Russia, Switzerland, Argentina, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States. TPDDL won the award amongst 12 finalist, who were shortlisted for the final rounds.

The award was announced at the 2014 Platts Global Energy Awards function on December 11, 2014, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

TPDDL won the award for corporate social responsibility (CSR) illuminating the ever-important convergence of efficiency and company values.

TPDDL, which distributes electricity in the north and north-west parts of Delhi and serves a populace of 6 million, started its CSR programme at the bottom; little surprise it has moved up in record time. Ask Praveen Sinha, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, and he puts it across humbly when he says, “The company was concerned with the quality of lives of consumers living in Delhi’s slum clusters — at the base of the economic pyramid.” The organization formed a Special Consumer Group, which indicated that these communities were missing basic necessities in health, hygiene, education and employability. “In addition, rampant addiction among community males led to a large portion of their meagre disposable income being spent on alcohol or drugs, which in turn impacted the quality of life of women and children,” he added TPDDL, he says, also observed that members of these communities were stealing electricity merely out of need, in absence of commensurate “capacity to pay” electricity programmes, and no punitive actions would be able to dissuade these consumers from continuing electricity theft. The company quickly marshaled its forces to develop revolutionary programmes targeted to each population in need, in order to improve their quality of life. Special efforts were made to change the mindset of community members who considered electricity companies as not too friendly, and those who held a cultural stance opposing education for women and children.

That is how an all rounded approach was adopted. With an annual budget of CSR being approximately Rs 8.36 crore, the attention area is rather large. Which probably also explains how, unlike a lot of companies who focus on one area, TPDDL focuses on many. It also explains the tie-ups with NGOs specialising in various sectors.

Ask Sinha what the selection criteria of partners for CSR projects are, and he lists them out clearly: “Grassroot presence of agency and working expertise and experience of particular field of community developments is what we look at.”

And since TPDDL works towards holistic development of communities, its initiatives include Adult Literacy Centres (ALC) for women, Vocational Training Centers (VTC), Neighborhood Electrician Programme, Tutorials for Children, Medical Aid, Drug-de Addiction Support, Accidental Insurance scheme, safety awareness drives, among others.

TPDDL’s approach has provided resources to 39,000 community members to address basic health issues, — 26,000 to overcome addiction, 12,000 to participate in literacy programs, and 4,000 to obtain vocational training.

Ask Sinha what TPDDL’s focus areas are and he puts it simply, “Education and employability.” It also explains the various programmes undertaken under the following two heads:

Women Literacy Programme: TPDDL provides functional literacy to women beneficiaries through the Women Literacy Program. The six month programme works on the Computer-Based Functional Literacy Software of TCS, which enables them to read and write alphabets and understand numerals through animated videos. Instructors and beneficiaries of adult literacy programme are developed as brand ambassadors, where they are financially engaged in disseminating awareness for various CSR projects and consumer-friendly schemes of the companies. Formation of SHGs is promoted at these centres to organise them into small income-generating groups. Starting from two centers and 30 beneficiaries in 2006, today the programme has grown to 290 centres and has helped more than 22,500 women during this period.

Tutorial Centres: TPDDL provides supplementary education to needy and underprivileged kids through its tutorial centres. The vocational training centres serve a dual purpose — imparting vocational training as well as supplementary education to kids from standard one to nine. The teachers are selected from the community itself and the criteria is that they have an enthusiasm to teach these underprivileged but meritorious and competent kids. The kids are not just facilitated with support in studies but are also groomed well in extracurricular activities such as painting, skits, singing, dancing and so on. Holistic development of children forms the core pillar of the education programme. The programme has resulted in zero dropouts of students. Approximately 1,800 kids have availed education from these centers.

Educational support to students of government schools: TPDDL has supported 1,855 needy SC/ ST students from 46 government schools to continue education through aids and counseling. Students are supported with reference books, school bags, stationeries and so on. Also, customised personality development, interpersonal skills, career counseling and competency testing of these students is held annually.

Not just this, it also gives scholarships for professional courses and have so far supported 523 meritorious and needy SC/ ST students pursuing engineering/ ITI/ diploma and professional courses from engineering colleges, polytechnics and industrial training institutes.

Vocational Training Programme: Skill generation programmes aim to train the youths and school dropouts belonging to the economically weaker sections of the society in various vocations, thus enabling them to either start their own small venture or become employable. Skill enhancement of these beneficiaries not just ensures their gainful engagement and financial value addition but also gives a positive shape to their lives, which otherwise lacked direction. Vocational training centres are located in the heart of the communities making its outreach convenient and easily accessible for the youths especially females.

The training imparted is immensely marketable in nature and enables beneficiaries to make a decent livelihood. Potential partner agency is identified for selection of beneficiaries, need assessment survey among community, running classes, conducting examination, handholding in placements and following up. Courses offered include stitching and tailoring, beautician, retail chain, computer, typing, electrician and mobile repairing. Currently, eight such centres are operational and have benefitted more than 6,400 beneficiaries.

Sinha also explains why TPDDL’s focus on CSR is a priority: “Working towards the betterment of the society in which we operate has always been central to our operating principles and is aptly highlighted in our CSR Policy. In fact, the parent group, that is the house of Tata has been the pioneer in designing, developing and implementing various social interventions and initiatives, not since the time CSR became popular and in vogue, but since when nobody knew or thought of it. TPDDL’s CSR vision corroborates to the claim of a responsible company and aims at imbibing social alignment as a key component of all its business processes and strategy. “Power to the People” has been the motto of the company for inclusive growth.

Some people sure live up to their motto!

Happily Murdered, a debut novel by Rasleen Syal’s has all the ingredients of an edge-of-the-seat crime thriller

A debut book in fiction? Brave. A debut book in crime fiction? Even braver. Despite the fact that this is the first time Rasleen Syal attempts writing, and because her beginner’s style gives it away, this is a book that I read from start to finish in about three hours. The intriguing title and the premise also make this book unputdownable.

World over, the likes of Agatha Christie, P D James and Mary Higgins Clark have set benchmarks in the writing of murder mysteries. So when I read Rasleen’s acknowledgement of Agatha Christie’s contribution in her life, I had great expectations from this book. I am happy to say the book did not disappoint.

The natural reaction for anyone accused of a crime is to try and prove herself innocent, or shift the blame to someone else. So when Gulab Sarin is poisoned on the very next night of her wedding, her in-laws, the Mehtas, are suspects. Amidst a parallel narrative that is Gulab’s story told in her own words, the game of discovering whodunit begins. Gulab Sarin, a girl unappreciated by her family and befriended by her “future” husband Sid when she was a kindergartner, accepted and loved by his family and in love with him to the extent that she’s willing to forgive his faults. In a Poirot-esque ending, there is a conjecture as to why she was the perfect victim, and what the motive was for the crime.

Rasleen, quite cleverly, leaves enough clues for the reader to become their own detectives in the pursuit of the guilty. And that’s where the writer impresses you the most — psychological introspection, familial politics, rivalries and jealousy in love make the characters real. While the plot may not be too fast-paced (but who wants a spoiler anyways), the manipulative situations that Rasleen sprinkles all around help maintain the reader’s interest until the end. The writing is simple, lucid, yet engaging. But since it is a crime thriller, Happily Murdered is a one-time read that you are bound to enjoy curled up next to a fireplace. If you are looking for a fresh, engaging and slightly different murder mystery, give Happily Murdered a chance — you will be pleasantly surprised.

In the book How Sachin Destroyed My Life, Vikram Sathaye, MTV executive-turned-stand-up comedianturned- TV humourist rattles off anecdote after anecdote from his career which fatefully, got intertwined with cricket. Odd as it may look besides other books on the legendary cricketer, this one will stand on its own for its unabashed irreverence. Sathaye is clearly one of the best cricket humourists around. It is no surprise that his book will make you laugh and also admire the man’s wit and his sense of humour. A perfect fan-boy book, it has some great anecdotes and life lessons as take-home gifts.

The book chronicles how Sathaye accidentally became a stand-up comedian and cricket humourist and got to live the ultimate fan-boy dream of having an all access pass to the world of Indian cricket, and being up close with the team for more than a decade. The book documents his incredible journey of Indian cricket as he takes us inside dressing rooms, hotels and the inner circles of leading cricketers.

With a foreword by Sachin Tendulkar, this book is laced with crackling humour and brimming with interesting anecdotes, insights, quotes and candid photographs, ranging from cricketing legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, among others. This book promises to reveal many more inside secrets.

What makes the book tick is the simple language, the ease with which the stories are told and the author’s clear thought process as to why he has decided to pen his cricketing journey. Sathaye is not restricted to Indian cricketers alone but also covers cricket journalists, senior and junior commentators and international cricketers. After having covered cricket for over a decade, albeit from a different standpoint, Sathaye’s take on the game comes across as refreshing and innovative.

His generalisations, especially about women, however, don’t work for me. Sathaye assumes that girlfriends and wives aren’t interested in cricket and, at one point, even says “every mother wants her son to become a cricketer so that an IPL contract can not only get them out of their modest lifestyle but also make her a kitty party queen.” Unfair.

...because the whole world goes there, because here we party in a haunted vault, because here we lose all sense of perspective.

From the time I reached London, I was in two minds — to take a train, or fly to Edinburgh. A ride through the spectacular English countryside with its cottages, rolling hills, country lanes and coastal views would be a lot less stressful if you factor in the time spent when it comes to hanging around at the airport, I thought.

So here I was, on the train to Waverly from King’s Cross, London. It was noon and the weather was lazy. The train journey takes you through the historic cities of York, Newcastle and Berwick-upon- Tweed, right into the centre of Edinburgh, one of the most loved cities of this world. Sheep grazing by the Scottish meadows was a sight to behold on this jaunt, as I realised that the landscape changed gradually and I couldn’t describe anything without using superlatives. Four hours into the journey, the coach came to a grinding halt at Waverly-Edinburgh.

A mist-like drizzle in the air accompanied me as I rummaged through the station area up to the Royal Mile, only to gift myself a mix of gorgeous scenery with a perfect glass of malt. This area has been the hub of life in Edinburgh for centuries and a walk along the historic street transports me to the footsteps of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and other famous Scottish personalities. Emboldened by the whisky extravaganza, I was tempted to witness one of the most enduring attractions for tourists — the Edinburgh Castle and Edinburgh does not disappoint. Home to the Scottish Crown jewels, the castle dominates the city skyline and is located at the top of the Royal Mile at the west end of Edinburgh Old Town. This historic fortress was built in the 12th century by King David I. Situated on a volcanic rock, the castle is the most visited tourist attraction in Scotland. The fortress is considered one of the most haunted places in this part of the world, with the centuries of wars and battles that it has defended and witnessed.

If you are on the hunt for ghosts, a short stagger on the castle area, past sundown, is perfect. Some eerie music, a faint sound of bagpipes far away, or an occasional tap on your shoulder will make you sense some presence of paranormal activity. I know I did.

Wait, it gets better. The hotbed of this unusual phenomenon is centered around the Royal Mile area, where a set of tunnels run directly underneath the castle. Discovered hundreds of years ago, the tunnels are the home to these sinister shadows lurking from the past. A few decades ago, in search of tangible evidence, a Scottish piper was sent down these tunnels to explore the underground world. He was commanded to play his pipes as he made his way through the tunnel, whilst a group of observers would follow on foot down the street to keep track of his progress. As time passed the sound of the pipes became faint and gradually faded. The piper couldn’t be traced after that and legend has it that the sound of his pipes can still be heard from beneath the castle. Many more apparitions haunt this ancient city, all too many to name.

The Scottish landscape is studded with haunted and dilapidated castles that stand as sullen witnesses to the centuries of conflict and bloodshed, and the ghosts are a part of that ancient folklore to this day. The age-old discords between the Highlanders and the Lowlanders, and the kings and queens continue to exist in this ethereal domain, so much so that Scotland earned the name of being the most haunted place in the world!

People who come here in search of mystical experiences do not go back disheartened. And it is not just the castles that have accumulated their share of myths and legends. The story about the unexplained would remain incomplete without the mention of the legend of Nessie, the monster. And the next morning we were travelling out of the city, into the glorious Scottish Highlands, in search of just that — the Loch Ness monster.

We stopped enroute at the quaint town of Dunkeld, set next to the River Tay. This pristine Perthshire town has a well-kept main street dotted with colourful houses. I rewarded myself with some Highland venison sausages and a quiet stroll on the river bank. Next was our journey along the Caledonian Canal before arriving in Fort Augustus on the banks of legendary Loch Ness. Tourists from all over the world stop by this mysterious stretch of water for their share of monster hunt by boat or from the shores of the loch itself. As history connotes, Nessie, the aquatic beast living in Loch Ness, was last sighted by a British couple in 1933 and it was only after this that a popular interest in this cryptid exploded.

Our engaging and well versed Scottish guide R Skelley was full of passion and knowledge and had uniquely mastered the art of storytelling. He did justice to his name — Skelley is Scottish for storyteller. One of the world’s most enduring mysteries, Nessie, who is said to have inhabited the Loch Ness area, is described to be an animal that probably is a leftover dinosaur that existed millions of years ago. This elusive monster is so intimately tied up with the Scottish tourist industry that no one today dares to pry into the facts too closely. The tourism industry around the loch would fall apart without the enthusiasts walking around the lake with binoculars and gesticulating at the slightest ripples on the lake water. But I still wondered why, despite all these facts and researchers failing to gather any tangible evidence about the monster, so many people around the world believe in its existence even today. Probably because it’s impossible to prove a negative; there will always be an apprehension that Nessie really exists, and the sceptics will be proved wrong.

After a great day of travel across the Scottish Highlands and maybe, just maybe, sighting the monster on the Loch, we returned to Edinburgh early in the evening. And the happy time arrived to savour a couple of stiff drink and then a visit to The City of the Dead, Edinburgh’s best Ghost tour.

Down into the lowest depths of Edinburgh, hundreds of people have claimed that they have been attacked by some supernatural entities during this walking tour. The tour is all about a spooky walk filled with excitement, horror and history. Here, one will come across Edinburgh’s weirdest stories and the wildest history.

From the uncanny Greyfriars Kirkyard, to the underground of the Old Town where thousands died of the plague, the rich history of Edinburgh is blotted with the dark, brutal and the mysterious. Earlier tortures and grisly deaths, stories of witches and public executions are reasons why these troubled souls remained trapped as spectres and never transformed to the after-life. Today their influence is felt by way of supernatural force all over the city.

It’s not all darn and doubtful, however. Contrary to all this, a recent UK wide survey revealed that Edinburgh tops the list in UK’s happiest cities. The green spaces, lively festivals and events, vibrant leisure and the cheerful people of this city validate the fact that this city is a happy place to be. Time and again, Edinburgh has proved to be better than London when it comes to the sheer quality of life.

There are many reasons why living in Edinburgh ruins you for life. That’s because it is insanely beautiful, because it’s Christmas round the year and because it is a city you can never ever leave, even when you go back to where you came from. I could pitch a tent in Edinburgh forever.

Bickram Ghosh’s nomination to the Oscar award for best original score forJal is another feather in the percussionist’s cap, who has already won wide acclaim for his work in pure Hindustani music as well as the new-age fusion beats

Bickram Ghosh is a busy man. First it was shuttling between his hometown Kolkata and Mumbai for the composition of soundtrack for director Girish Malik’s Jal. Now it is trips to the US to campaign for his Oscar nomination for the best original score for the same. Ghosh, along with musician and singer Sonu Nigam, has been nominated for the big award along with those such as A R Rehman and Hans Zimmer. “The nomination has catapulted me as a composer on a global scale and I am really excited about the whole thing,” he says, hours before boarding a flight to the US.

But international recognition is not something Ghosh is not used to. After all, one of the most talented percussion players in current times, he started his music career with Pandit Ravi Shankar and played for him for more than a decade. He has also performed with some of the best names in Hindustani classical music as well as Carnatic music. Not just that, Ghosh’s performances with ex-Beatles’ George Harrison, Khaled Kouen, Yosi Levi and Mstilav Rostropovich are also welldocumented. “For me, music means not being restricted to a genre. As a result, here I am, playing pure Hindustani classical, composing music for movies, recording for my fusion band Rhythmscape and so on,” he says, smiling.

Considered one of the fastest percussionists in India, Ghosh’s current focus is on composing music and concerts. “I love my concerts. Essentially, my mainstay is as a concerts performer and that is something that will always be my priority,” he says, adding how his Bickram Ghosh Academy of Performing Arts, a school with three branches in Kolkata, which teaches students in vocals, tabla, Western drums, sarod, sitar, keyboards, guitar and dance, is his dream-come-true. “I have to give back to society and teaching is a way for me to do that,” he says, saying how he’d like to teach a lot more at the academy, although that may be a challenge considering his present commitments.

For the artist, music wasn’t something that happened by chance. The son of Pandit Shankar Ghosh, a renowned tabla player, and Sanjukta Ghosh, a classical Indian singer from Patiala gharana, Ghosh’s childhood was one surrounded with musical riffs and daily riyaz. “I remember walking to where my mother used to learn – at Munawwar Ali Khan sahab’s house, after my school got over. I didn’t even know the names of the people there, but I’d be playing around with the likes of ghazal singer Ghulam Ali, playback singer Sandhya Mukherjee and others,” says Ghosh, reminiscing.

Other influences came during his school and college-going days, which exposed him to a lot of Western music. Other influences came in the form of books, too. “For me, Calcutta is the seat of my creativity, which is why I haven’t shifted to the US, when I used to perform with Pandit Ravi Shankar, or even London, which I consider the world’s biggest melting pot,” he says. “In present times, you can be anywhere and do anything. If you look at my career graph, you will realise that I have done so much work from Calcutta. It is arguable if I could have done it from Mumbai.”

Music composition is a relatively new direction for Ghosh’s musical journey, but composing music has been on Ghosh’s radar for many years. For him, composing music grew out of a degree of dissatisfaction. Having played with renowned Indian musicians all over the world, Ghosh was faced with a feeling of – what else? “I felt I needed to come out with a sound of my own and I did just that in 2000. For lack of a better word, people called it fusion.” The journey thereon meant a lot of concerts. It also gave birth to his fusion band, Rhythmscape. The music was so well appreciated by music lovers that not only did the shows and CDs do well, people from the film fraternity started coming to him asking for the sounds of Rhythmscape. The result: soundtracks and music for Bengali movies such as Piyalir Password Devaki, Iti Srikanta and Hindi movies such as Jal, Sooper se ooper, Gumshuda and Mira Nair’s Little Zizou.

His inspirations: “Books, music, people and life in general,” he replies, adding how many of his compositions are biographical. Thus, the composition Song of Innocencefrom Rhythmscape is about a child waiting for the children in his neighbourhood to call out to him to play. “That is me, back in Calcutta from the US, when I was just five-and-a-half, not knowing the language, not having friends and looking wistfully at the kids in the locality who played among themselves.” Ghosh is definitely tuned in to life.

IT’S THAT TIME of the year when a lot of us go into stocktaking mode. For each one of us, like every year, this year too meant achievements, disappointments, promises kept and broken, plans made and postponed… As the year comes to a close, don’t we wish we had achieved more, fretted less, enjoyed more, travelled less for work and had more vacations, spent more time with friends and family, and that our bank balance was better?

The silver lining: the promise of yet another year, a chance at a fresh new start, an opportunity to go out and achieve all that we want to. It’s our chance to move on, reach for the stars. After all, life can get pretty boring if we settle for something that doesn’t push us to excel, if we don’t grasp opportunities that challenge us to do something new. Like they say: A ship is safe in the harbour, but that’s not what ships are for.

This is the reason why we have the legendary Amitabh Bachchan on the cover. Not only did the megastar emerge like a phoenix from the ashes after his huge financial losses, he also rediscovered himself in the process. Not to say the journey wasn’t challenging. We saw him in movies that had weak plots and weaker production value. That is also when he started endorsing a number of brands. He even agreed to take a chance on TV, with Kaun Banega Crorepati. And like they say, risktakers are rewarded. His risk to opt for TV paid off and Bachchan created history with the programme rating some of the best TRP ratings ever. What’s more, his popularity soared through the skies.

Gradually, he found his new groove and was back on track. Today, he is not just a legendary mark in the Indian entertainment scenario, but an Indian who has crossed geographical barriers to act in Hollywood movies such as The Great Gatsby. For your pleasure, we have two extra pages of the interview as part of our third anniversary issue. Get inspired by the one and only Amitabh Bachchan.

In fact, the theme of inspiration has been woven into most of our stories this time. Read about Sushil Kumar and his journey – coming from a sleepy village, he muscled his way into the wrestling world. Our Good Karma this time has Rajshri Foundation’s Rajjat A Barjatya, the MD and CEO of Rajshri Entertainment. A leukaemia survivor, Barjatya set up Rajshri Foundation, the non-profit arm of the 67-year-old Rajshri group, India's leading film, TV, music and digital entertainment studio to do his bit for the society.

The idea, like I said, is to leave behind a legacy that inspires many — something that my father, Ashok Kumar Malhotra founder of MBD Group did, too. He might have started from a small book shop but that did not stop him from dreaming big. His vision was “For every literate person there would be an MBD product”. This humble venture marked the birth of MBD Group, India’s largest Publishing House with over six decades of experience. The MBD Group under his futuristic vision diversified into various industries including, e learning, Hospitality, Real Estate, Mall Development and management, eco friendly notebooks, stationery and Paper Manufacturing.

In fact, my father’s journey often reminds me of Robert Frost’s poem “The road not taken. For, looking back, I can proudly say my father chose “the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference”. Democratic World is just one of his legacies. I still remember how happy he was when he came up with the name Democratic World. He wanted each page in this magazine to convey the true essence of democracy. It is a legacy we want to better every day.

Also packed especially for you, dear reader, are 20 extra pages as part of our Anniversary celebrations.

Do read between the lines and get inspired. Happy New Year and a happy new beginning!

It’s tough to slot him in categories or anticipate his career moves. Amitabh Bachchan, the phenomenon that he is, continues to reinvent himself

Here’s one who needs innumerable adjectives and a study in hyperbole to describe his life and career. While countless dialogues that he has mouthed in his baritone have become legendary, several have stuck to his personality. A case in point: Hum jahaan khade hote hain, line wahin se shuru ho jaati hai from the movie Kaalia.

If there ever was a live example for the word “phenomenon”, Amitabh Bachchan would be it. Can you think of any other actor who makes stars three to four decades younger than him, fade away in comparison? Or any other septuagenarian, who hungrily snaps up four to five releases a year, when other younger actors have to be content with a couple of wraps? The superstar of the millennium, as reported by the BBC, has the energy to support several causes and endorse myriad products, host game shows and appear tirelessly for film promotions. His blogs, Twitter handle and Facebook profile “likes” are used to show social networking trends and his posts and posted photos make news! And it is this living legend, this man who gave swagger a whole new meaning, who starts the interview with a warm namaste. Good he spoke first, or this hopelessly star-struck writer would have stayed tongue-tied.

I’m curious about how he challenges every norm that there is about acting one’s age, and what keeps him going. His answer is as disarming as it is humble. He gives all the credit to his fans: “When I see fans — the way they come to me, crowd around my house every Sunday, I feel as though I owe them something.” He candidly confesses to moments of nervousness, too, “Any challenge to my limited ability as an actor does get me anxious. But I feel it is a good thing. This is a better way to address one’s insecurities and enhance creativity rather than allowing them to weigh you down.”

It is, perhaps, this attitude — borrowing a verse from his father’s poem — “Mann ka ho to achcha, na ho to aur bhi achcha” — that makes him Big B. Unmindful of all criticism — trying too hard, choosing gimmicky roles or acting bizarre, selling his name for peddling products — Bachchan refuses to slow down. “I thank God for every blessing. I have seen the lows of life and am insecure about losing it all one day,” he confesses.

“In the film industry, when you are past a certain age, you’re not going to get the leading role. And therefore, there are character roles. You can decide whether you opt for the character role category or not. I want to continue working, and I’m happy doing character roles,” adds the actor who carved another niche hitherto unknown of in Hindi cinema — that of the mature leading man. And much like whatever he did, these character roles were unconventional, too. Some have even been outrageous, to the extent of being bizarre. But Bachchan pulled off Paa, Aladin, Cheeni Kum and several others without any reference.

Where there were praises, however, there was criticism, too. But Bachchan feels he is past the age of keeping up appearances. “Sometimes you do tend to repeat what has worked or has been appreciated. But at 72, you can’t look at some kind of image that you have to maintain. I am doing what I enjoy and that makes me happy and blessed,” quips the superstar, adding, how he’s at a stage where the responsibility of being the leading man, or for a film to be successful, is not on his shoulders. "So I would like to do whatever comes my way — in that sense, yes, I am getting younger and taking risks (laughs). Okay, people didn’t like some of my films such as Nishabd or Aladin or Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag and trashed it. But I am fine with that. I didn’t mind doing those roles because they tested my creativity and I enjoyed doing them.”

Criticism has been part of Bachchan’s life, but overlooking it has become a habit for the man. After all, wasn’t he criticised for being too tall, for his baritone (even rejected by Ameen Sayani in a radio audition!)? Even his wife Jaya was extremely critical of the chartbuster song Mere Angne Mein from Laawaris. “Well, Jaya was repulsed by that song. She saw the rushes and unmindful of who was present there, she burst out saying, ‘How can you do this? How can you be so crass?’.” Jaya has not seen the film till date. According to Amitabh, Shweta and Abhishek, his children, are his severest critics. They analyse everything — from his appearance to his dance moves — whenever his film releases.

The strongest criticism from the family came before he agreed to be on TV for the first time. “My family was apprehensive about TV. Jaya thought it would reduce the canvas and that it was below me. Shweta kept telling me she was with me, but I had to be really sure. Everyone said I was reducing myself from 70mm to 25 inches. But I was at a stage in my life where I wasn’t doing much. My work was not being appreciated. My films were not doing well. I just looked at it as another opportunity,” says the actor. Bachchan was taken to England to see a recording of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire with Chris Tarrant, who was filming the show at the BBC’s legendary Elstree Studios. Once Bachchan said yes, there was no looking back.

Fourteen years after his TV debut, this BBC’s Superstar Of The Millennium considers himself a novice in the medium. “To be honest, I am still learning the medium,” he says, and made his TV fiction debut this year, in Yudh. The series, launched on July 14, boasts of many firsts: Bachchan stars in his first TV fiction series; Anurag Kashyap and Shoojit Sircar team up as the creative director and the creative consultant, respectively, for a TV show; and it features heavyweights such as Tigmanshu Dhulia, Kay Kay Menon, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Zakir Hussain and Sarika, some making their television debut with the show. “I liked the story idea,” Bachchan stresses. “I liked the character and its complicated bearings and I liked the idea of doing something in a serial form for television,” he says.

It is not just films and TV where the consummate performer occupies a pole position. Bachchan has conquered the world of advertising as well. Ironically, the actor who refused to endorse any products at the peak of his career, lends his charismatic persona to a wide range of products — from cellular phones and soft drinks to pens, cars and financial schemes. Taking home nearly Rs 200 million, Bachchan endorses global products, too. But it is not just the money that the megastar is concerned with. As he puts it, “I do a lot of thinking before I take up a brand. I don’t have an agent who facilitates this work for me. I make my own judgement by meeting the client personally, seeing their accounts and audits. They need to convince me why I must endorse their product.”

Having Amitabh Bachchan as an ambassador gets these brands noticed since the man’s popularity crosses boundaries — be it demographic, psychographic or geographic. He commands respect across the length and breadth of India, cutting across the barriers of age, income, region and language. Small wonder then, that even as a superhero, he came out trumps with children. Yes, even before the Krrishes and Ra.Ones, India had its own superhero. A comic book series about superhero Amitabh, based on the star’s life, was published in the mid-1980s. The story was later developed into a full-fledged film Toofan. He played himself in the comic series, and was also Supremo — a savior to those in trouble — who wore skin-tight beet-red costume and welding glasses to hide his original identity; the first page of the comic carried a personal handwritten request from Big B, requesting all his fans to keep his identity a secret.

Supremo didn’t have superpowers but what he did have is strength and conviction to overcome situations and adversaries — in that sense, he was real. Credit also goes to the writer of the series — Gulzar. The pages were peppered with throwbacks to characters from Bachchan’s movies. For instance, Supremo’s two helpers — Vijay and Anthony — were named after his on-screen characters. He also had a pet Dolphin called Sonali and a falcon scout Shaheen, inspired by the bird in his superhit movie, Coolie.

Despite its popularity, however, the comic series lasted only two years. “I was lucky the makers approached me with this concept. I have come across several fans who are grown-up adults now, but recollect with glee the comics and sometimes bring it to show me. It helped me make a lot of young friends,” says Bachchan. The Supremo avatar inspired his film role in Ajooba.

It is this comfort with people of all age-groups that makes his movie releases a highly anticipated event in India. His next in line will be Do (tentatively titled) with Farhan Akhtar, and R Balki’s Shamitabh (in which he stars with Rekha after 33 years). “I am blessed that these intelligent minds consider me worthy of their films and instil in me the will to keep working,” says the actor.

Bachchan’s humility is deeply entrenched in the lessons he has learnt from life when the going got tough. Imagine quitting an executive’s job in Kolkata that paid a four-figure (quite princely in those days) salary, having a car and a house, to sleeping on a bench. Much later, when everything seemed to be getting only better, Bachchan’s finances tumbled with his company Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd (ABCL) got into serious financial trouble. His homes were attached by lenders who once clamoured to lend to his company, and his bank account was down to a pittance. He survived the emotional turmoil, much like he survived the infamous accident on the sets of Coolie, when Bachchan was declared clinically dead for a couple of minutes before reviving.

After the ups and downs, Bachchan is aware of the fickle nature of kismet. “There is always this apprehension and anxiety that I may lose everything, simply because nothing is permanent. I think the eventuality of that should never be forgotten. There is always going to be a risk. When you are aware of it and realise that it could happen at the drop of a hat, it drives you to not get into that situation again,” he feels.

This philosophy reflects in Bachchan’s blogs as well. This is another habit that the superstar diligently adheres to — of writing a blog entry every day. His take on life reflects in his post written on the eve of his birthday: “Struggles and uncertainties, successes and disappointments, accusations and controversies, ill health and months in hospital, all such a vivid kaleidoscope of moments, events, images simply unbelievable and unimaginable...”.

Like I said, a life well-lived and worth fighting for. And Bachchan is doing all that and more.

Mars MissioN// India made history yet again by successfully placing its spacecraft in orbit around Mars. With this, India became the first country in the world to succeed in such an inter-planetary mission in the maiden attempt itself. At 7.17 AM, on September 24, the 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) sizzled with life as it burnt along with the thrusters to slow down the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft to be captured by the Red Planet.

That day, the nation woke up to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliver a speech on national television about India reaching Mars in the very first attempt. While NASA spent a whopping $671 million on the same mission, India managed to pull it off by spending just $74 million. With this success India has yet again proved that it is a force to reckon with.