Mega Dams, Mega Disquiet

By Sanjib Kr Baruah

New Delhi, Nov 23 : In a gathering of anti-dam activists in Assam, a small boy of about seven is asked whether he knows why he has come. “Brihot nodi bandhor biruddhe (to protest against mega dams on rivers),” he replies confidently in Assamese. The issue of the construction of an intricate network of 168 dams,

largely mega, in Arunachal Pradesh, has put people there and in Assam in panic mode. Political parties are using it as an election issue ahead of Assam’s assembly elections in March-April 2011, but there is an element of déjà vu for those who have been witness to the heady days of the six-year-long anti-foreigner agitation in the northeastern state.

Not even the vexed issue of insurgency has fired popular imagination as much as the mega dams. As an Arunachali poet puts it, “These massive dams will destroy the heart and soul of Arunachal Pradesh.” To build the Dibang valley project itself, about 32 lakh truckloads of river boulders will have to be removed.

Ignoring local opposition, work is going on at a furious pace at most of these dam sites. Already, experts have pointed out a plethora of environmental, geological, demographic and socio-economic problems the network will cause. But another set of core issues bear close scrutiny.

It is anyone’s guess as to how many trees will be felled and how much virgin forestland will be submerged by the dams in an area described as a biological hotspot. For example, the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri project will use up 31,000 bighas of pristine forestland out of which 25,000 bighas will be submerged. The submerged area is a meeting point of the jungle tracts of Assam’s Subansiri, Kakoi and Dulung reserved forests with Arunachal’s Tale valley sanctuary and the Tale and Panir reserved forests.

In 1996, in view of the rapid depletion of fauna and flora, the Supreme Court had imposed a blanket ban on the felling of trees in the region. The ban is now being violated with impunity. In Manipur, 83 lakh trees are to be felled to build the Tipaimukh dam.

Another issue pertains to  Memorandums of Understanding with public and private entities for building dams instead of going for competitive and global bidding. Till very recently, any hydroelectric project of more than 200 MW capacity would have invited global bidders. In this case, MoUs are essentially being seen as instruments to block transparency and promote the arbitrary fixing of deals.

The issue of public hearings is another grey area. Visits and interactions made by this correspondent with local people from the affected areas is a pointer to that. In the Lower Subansiri dam project, public hearings were just an eyewash. For the Dibang project, public hearings have been postponed 13 times because of public opposition.

Local activists as well as the public  are also apprehensive of the fact that many dams have understated capacities. There seems to be no guarantee that the stated capacities in megawatt terms will not rise in the days to come. If it does,  who will monitor that?

New Delhi has already protested China’s damming activity on the Yarlung Tsangpo (as the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra is known in Tibet) on grounds of the downstream impact. On November 8, the Chinese government has admitted that work in indeed underway for the 510 MW Zangmu project. Yet riparian rights and issues of downstream impact are conveniently set aside when dissent raises its head in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh.

Recently, the Central government has become ‘proactive’ on issue of river dams, passing strictures on a whole slew of projects across mainland India, from Uttaranchal’s Loharinag Pala (on socio-religious grounds) to the Polavaram dam in Andhra Pradesh (on grounds that the mandatory public hearings were not conducted). It would be interesting to see if the same standards are applied to the northeast where there is already a perceived sense of neglect.

Since independence, New Delhi has consistently followed a policy of winning the hearts and minds of the people in the Land of the Seven Sisters and to wean their minds off a history that has more often than not seen the fires of separatism and mindless bloodshed. “If the present thrust to build mega dams continues, mistrust against New Delhi will only grow and the battle for hearts and minds will be lost,” a local sociologist sums up the prevailing public mood.

Justin Bieber Named Artist of the Year

Justin Bieber's first American Music Awards was perfection.

The 16-year-old teen heartthrob went four-for-four on Sunday night, capturing every award he was nominated for, including the top award of the night, favorite artist. He beat a list that featured veterans Eminem and Usher, as well as Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.

Bieber became the youngest person to ever win the trophy. Bieber also won favorite pop/rock album, favorite pop/rock male, and the show's breakthrough artist award.

"I can't stop smiling; this is amazing," Bieber said after he also beat Eminem and Usher for favorite pop/rock male. "Truly I don't know how this is possible because I've been singing Eminem since I was three and Usher is my mentor. So this is big."

Eminem, along with Lady Antebellum, had been the leading nominee with five awards. He didn't come up empty handed though, winning two, along with Usher, who also nabbed a pair. Lady Antebellum took home one.

Other winners included the Black Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift, but Sunday's ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles was as much a showcase for acts with new albums as it was a celebration of the biggest achievers of 2010.

Rihanna, with her hair dyed a ruby red, gave the show a colorful and sexy start, performing a medley of songs from her just released album "Loud," including the No. 1 hit "What's My Name," wearing a bustier and what seemed like a scarf wrapped around her backside.

"This is amazing!" said an exuberant Rihanna, who danced onstage later to receive her award — favorite soul/R&B female. She ended her speech by yelling, "Wassup! Thank you!"

The Black Eyed Peas, winners for favorite pop/rock band, gave a levitating performance, singing from boxes atop the stage during part of their performance of their new single, "The Time."

Yet some of the prime-time performances were given to acts who weren't nominated, but had albums to promote. Diddy's latest incarnation with the group Diddy-Dirty Money sang material from their upcoming album, while Kid Rock gave a stirring, acoustic performance of "Times Like These," his song lifting up his hometown of Detroit during its recent economic struggles, from his new CD, "Born Free."

A pregnant Pink was among the evening's performance highlights. Unlike recent appearances marked by a high-wire act, she stayed close to the ground to perform her latest song, "Raise Your Glass," but thrilled nonetheless with a tightly choreographed, high-energy dance number.

Katy Perry had the evening's most explosive performance as pyrotechnics accentuated the performance of her latest song, "Firework."

Swift, last year's artist of the year, took home favorite country female. Sporting sleek blonde hair instead of her usual cascading curls, Swift said simply: "I just want to thank the fans."

Swift later performed her new single, "Back to December," a song she also performed at the CMA Awards earlier in the month, but mixed things up by incorporating some of OneRepublic's "Apologize."

Ke$ha, perhaps trying to make up for the absent Lady Gaga, had the night's most bizarre act: She performed her heavily Auto-Tuned hit "Take It Off" looking like something out of space, with beams of light for eyes and sporting a motorcycle helmet. She then stripped down to a mirrored outfit, segueing into the next song with a pack of male dancers dressed like her, complete with blond wigs and fishnet stockings.

Nepal's New Global Hero Prevents Trafficking of Women

Kathmandu, Nov 22 : The daughter of a former Indian Army colonel has become Nepal's new global hero, receiving a prestigious American award for her relentless work to prevent the trafficking of women and children from Nepal and rescuing over 12,000 victims.

Anuradha Koirala, daughter of Col Pratap Singh Gurung of the Indian Army, and former student of St Joseph's Convent in eastern India's hill town of Kalimpong, gave a politically volatile Nepal a worthy cause to rejoice when she was declared the CNN Hero of the year 2010 at a gala in Los Angeles late Saturday. The event was also attended by Hollywood stars Demi Moore, Halle Berry and Jessica Alba.

There were fireworks at Maiti Nepal in celebration, the anti-trafficking NGO founded by the frail, 61-year-old former school teacher on the premises of her own house in 1993 with eight others and that made her win the $100,000 award after eight weeks of online voting.

Koirala, known by her trademark huge dot on the forehead and spartan sari, beat nine other shortlisted nominees, including India's chef with a conscience, Narayanan Krishnan, whose Akshaya Trust has become a byword for feeding the homeless in India's Madurai city.

Maiti Nepal, which means mother's home in Nepali, is the best-known anti-trafficking organisation in Nepal, running transit homes on the India-Nepal border to prevent women and children from being sold to India's brothels, rescuing them by conducting raids with peer groups in India and since 1999, also running a hospice in Jhapa in eastern Nepal for trafficking survivors diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

The victims rescued by Maiti Nepal include girls as young as 14 who were sold into sex slavery in India at the age of nine.

In Kathmandu, Maiti Nepal also runs the Teresa Academy, a 10th-grade school to provide education to the rescued children and children of trafficked women living in its shelter. The rehabilitation work is bolstered by the legal unit of the NGO that seeks legal action against traffickers.

Last week, before the award was announced, Koirala had told a local weekly in Kathmandu that her aim was to see Maiti Nepal close down one day - when trafficking would be eradicated.

According to a report by the US State Department, about 12,000-15,000 women and children are trafficked to India across the porous border every year.

On the day Koirala won her award, Nepal police arrested a woman in the southern Saptari district, Nirmala Bhujel, for trying to sell a 14-year-old girl in India's Mumbai city, under the guise of getting her a well-paid job in Kuwait.

"I never thought I would get this international recognition when I started Maiti Nepal," a tearful Koirala told Nepali daily Republica from New York after being declared the CNN winner.

"Looking back at the struggle during those formative years, I can now say that anything can be achieved with perseverance and hard work."

The award also carries an additional $25,000, which goes out to all the shortlisted 10 nominees.

Source: IANS

In Bangalore, Pubbing is No Longer Hip

By Saritha Rai

In the good old days, Dileep Wasan used to hit the pub two or three times a week, sometimes more.

Sitting on a high stool, sipping pints of frothy beer and listening to loud music with a bunch of friends made for many fun evenings.

When he had out-of-town visitors, a Bangalore pub crawl was on the must-do list. That was 15 years ago.

Today pubbing is no longer hip in Bangalore, India's "young" city. Pub owners lament that the fizz has gone out of the business. So, it has quietly come to pass that Bangalore is no more the pub capital of India.

One of the city's iconic pubs, Anyone but India, shut last month. Others like Black Cadillac, 180 Proof, Underground and Night Watchman went down earlier. Once, mixed groups of men and women dressed in the latest fashions, downed draught beer and listened to the latest Bollywood and Billboard hits. Now, there is a desolate air about Bangalore's pubs.

NASA, the latest pub casualty, was modelled like the inside of a space ship. There were others that replicated a London tube station and a cricket stadium. Inside NASA, the lighting was neon blue and serving staff was dressed as astronauts. Unveiled in the mid-'90s by beer baron Vijay Mallya himself, the pub was so popular that customers lined up at the door. Now, a multinational food chain outlet will take NASA's place on Church Street.

Starting in the '80s, pubs brought about a cultural change in Bangalore. They added to its air of relaxed cool. The city's pubs busted the myth that women cannot drink in public. They changed the notion that drinking places are shady and dingy. They made bouncers and condom vending machines "in".

There is no charm left in running a pub anymore, says entrepreneur Ashok Sadhwani who successfully managed NASA and Pub World for a decade-and-a-half. Multiple factors have led to a steady downhill in the pub business. One of them is Bangalore's Cinderella Rule which mandates that the city's drinking holes shut down a half-hour before midnight. Another is the no-smoking rule.

Bangalore is now in the throes of the great pub decline because high real estate costs and low customer turnout has made the business model unviable. From over a thousand, there are now less than a 100 pubs in Bangalore. In downtown Bangalore, you can count the pubs on your fingers, Sadhwani says. His other venture Pub World will shut its doors soon.

Pub World, modelled after a typical English pub was all the rage in its day. It held the monthly record for selling over 300 kegs of beer, the rough equivalent of 2,000 glasses of beer daily. As Pub World's European customers used to say, not even in Germany can they pull this off. These days, the pub sells 300 kegs in a whole year.

Bangalore's pub culture is dying because beer drinkers these days are spoilt for choices, says Carlton Braganza who runs the lounge restaurant chain called Opus. Nobody wants to drink beer and listen to music in the background, he says. They want live bands, poetry readings, supper theatre.

Bangalore has come the full circle and it is almost old-fashioned to be seen in pubs these days. Meanwhile, the city's lounge bars with their plusher sofas and soft-light ambience have stepped in to innovate and grab customers. Opus itself offers quizzes, karaoke nights, live bands and flea markets. It is a pubby environment but with a lot of add-ons. For instance, playing some cool guitar riffs to an audience of 200 recently at Opus, was politician Milind Deora.

Oddly enough, the latest data show that beer drinking has risen 16 per cent in the city in the last six months. Bangalore is still drinking plenty of beer but destination preferences are changing. There are so many options that guzzlers display no loyalty to a particular pub or lounge. The audience is very flirty and flighty, says Braganza.

A few cult pubs such as Pecos and Windsor Pub have bucked the trend. Wasan and other hardcore fans swear by the ambience and the hard rock music at Pecos on Rest House Road. If not for these atmosphere-filled places, he would stop going to pubs altogether, says Wasan.

Source: Indian Express

10000 Metres of Rags to Riches

When Preeja Sreedaran and Kavita Raut completed a grand 1-2 in the 10000 metres race at Guangzhou late last evening, the entire Asian media stood up and saluted the Indian girls for their phenomenal race.

Although the duo won the famous battle on the race track, they have overcome many big battles in the race of life to be at the summit in Guangzhou.

Suddenly in the course of a single evening, the Chinese were intrigued by the long-winding Indian Railways, and it wasn't some bullet-train technology that had them enchanted. Two gold medals for Indians on the track on Sunday at the Asian Games had the local media scrambling for details about the "Indian rail-women", asking wondrously how they drove a train and still managed to finish on top of the podium in such arduous events.

Not as exotic as that, but in scooping two gold medals with their gritty lapping of the Aoti Main Stadium, 10,000 m runner Preeja Sreedharan and steeplechaser Sudha Singh had captured Chinese hearts at the stadium.

India took off sensationally on the opening day of athletics at Guangzhou, ensuring the athletics medal-loot at the Commonwealth Games was no fluke, and promising a rich haul ahead.

Track's long-distance disciplines -- hitherto holding potential but never exploited till coach Nikolai Snesarev arrived -- threw up unlikely heroes on the day.

Preeja Sreedharan ran the race of her life, breaking from the back pack only in the last two laps to burst through the last straight and win India's first medal here with a personal and gold-clinching best of 31:50.47. She led a commanding India 1-2 to the finish, with CWG's bronze-medal winner Kavita Raut coming in second.

It was Preeja's unflinching momentum in the last lap that stood out. A 28-year-old from an impoverished home in Mullakkanam village of Kerala, Preeja lost her father very early in life.

"This medal is for my mother and brother, who've worked hard to get me till here," she said.

"I'd done well to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. But this win is bigger and very unexpected," the woman with the winsome smile said, even as silver-medallist Kavita stayed content to let her senior -- whom she'd trumped at the CWG -- enjoy her big day. "She deserved it more than anyone else," Kavita said.

Sudha Singh was always expecting a medal in the 3,000 m steeplechase, and improved upon her career-best timings to take the gold, in 9 min 55.67 seconds, staving off a Chinese athlete in a photo-finish.

The 24-year-old from Rae Bareli completed India's outstanding day in the long-distance events, pushing herself the hardest in the last 3 seconds -- fisting her hands that revealed mehendi and wearing a mangalsutra around her neck.

"I'm very happy. My husband is a 400 m hurdler, and he's been a big support. If I go home late, he'll even cook for me," she told the gaping Chinese media.

Source: Indian Express

Meet The Lovely and Talented: Eesha Koppikhar

Eesha Koppikhar, a Mumbaikar of Mangalorean origin, started off in Bollywood as an item gal. But that doesnot mean that this sexy lass cannot act (read 'Don', 'Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya', 'Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi' and 'Girlfriend').

Here is a pictorial ode to Eesha, the "Khallas" girl, known for her bold characters. A true combination of beauty with brains.

Eesha Koppikhar was born on September 19, 1976 in Mumbai.

She has a degree in Life Sciences from Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai.

She has modelled for L'Oreal, Rexona, Camay, Tips & Toes and Coca-Cola.

She won the Miss Talent crown at Miss India contest (1995).

She made her debut in a Tamil movie, 'Kaadhal Kavidai' (1998).

She won the Filmfare Best Female Debut (South) award for her role in 'Kaadhal Kavidai'.

She made her Bollywood debut in 'Ek Tha Dil Ek Thi Dhadkan' (1997)

Must-see movies of Eesha: 'Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi', 'Hello', 'Darling', 'Don - The Chase Begins Again', 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya', 'Kyaa Kool Hai Hum' and 'Girlfriend'

Her upcoming movies are 'Shabri', 'Raakh', 'Haseena - Smart, Sexy, Dangerous', 'Mujhe Rang De', 'Gahraee' and 'Har Pall'

Eesha has also acted in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies. Some of her noteable films include 'Kaadhal Kavidai', 'En Swasa Kaatre', 'Jodi', 'Chandralekha', 'Nenjinile', ''Hoo Anthiya Uhoo Anthiya', 'Nuvvu Vasthavani', 'Surya Vamsha', 'Prematho Raa' and 'Narassima'.

Eesha made her small screen debut in 2007 as a judge on dance reality show 'Nach Baliye 3'.

She was also the host of Colors' wrestling show '100% De Dhana Dhan'.

"During my early days in Bollywood, I've been hinted by an established actor to make compromises with him so he could help me climb the ladder of success. What happens next - I don't get the film. That's how our industry is sometimes," says Eesha.

Eesha on being recognised as the Khallas girl: "Khallas was a benchmark song for me. That's the song I was and I am still recognized by. That was a monster of a song. People had not seen a song like that. I mean, there is so much of me than just that song. Love it or hate it but you can't ignore 'Khallas'."

Eesha married restaurateur Timmy Narang on November 29, 2009.

"I started my career at an age of 18, did a lot of modelling and then spent good time in movies. 30 is the right age for the woman of today to get married and after that she has to worry about kids as well. You want to be growing up with your kids after all. Till a few years ago my priority was work, now my family comes first," says Eesha.

Eesha's favourite actors are Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi and Russell Crowe.

Eesha has a black-belt in Taekwondo.

Source: India Syndicate

Images: Bollywood Hungama, Santabanta

John Travolta on GQ

John Travolta plays it cool in the sizzling heat - GQ India finds out how, in their November issue. Excerpts from the interview:

It's said there are no real friendships in Hollywood, that it's all just business. Is that true?

Hollywood is more friendly now than it's ever been. When I started out in the Seventies, the business side of Hollywood was dominant. Books on the techniques of business intimidation were really popular at the time. I forget the titles now, but they were all about intimidation and making a person feel threatened so they could be manipulated. The artists were made to feel insecure, the studios got more powerful and no one wanted each other to do well. Those were the old days. I don't find that now: artists hang out with other artists, and the business people no longer rely on intimidation as a part of their modus operandi.

You're a renowned pilot. Ever faced any danger while in the air?

I had a pretty serious electrical loss while in the air in my Gulfstream jet 18 years ago, but that's been the only real incident in four decades.
Do you believe in karma?

I do believe that what goes around comes around, but I also believe that you create your own destiny. I've noticed in my life that karma is instant: whatever's coming to me, I get back right away. Yet, I notice that with other people there are delays... I find that interesting [smiles].

At the height of your success, what was the biggest mistake you made?

I have one big regret: I ended a relationship with my manager of 12 years over a misunderstanding over a contract related to my obligation to a studio. He was the one who helped establish me and put me in a position of power. Separating from him was not a good idea. I've always regretted that as a strategic move.
Source: GQ
Image credit: Bharat Sikka
Styled by Natasha Chib

Yeddy Ignores BJP Top Brass, Sends Emissary to Talk Instead

Bangalore/New Delhi, Nov 22 : Amid indications that the BJP high command has asked him to quit, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa ignored summons to reach Delhi this morning as directed but rushed his trusted cabinet minister V S Acharya.

Under mounting pressure to step down in the wake of alleged land scams, a defiant Yeddyurappa also appeared to be sending feelers to the BJP top brass to refrain from pushing for his resignation, hours after he struck a defiant note and cancelled his visit to Delhi last night.

Yeddyurappa has rushed a team of his loyalists including Acharya and Home Minister R Ashok to Delhi apparently to persuade the BJP top brass against change in leadership. The chief minister was summoned to reach the national capital this morning but he left for Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh to "seek the blessings" of Sri Satya Sai Baba. He is participating in the ongoing 85th Birthday celebrations of Satya Sai Baba, sources said.

The BJP leadership, which on Sunday summoned Yeddyurappa to meet them, also sent word to him through one of his sons that he should quit by Monday, party sources said. There is no official word yet on Yeddyurappa's visit to Delhi as per the direction of his party top brass but there were reports he may reach the Capital Monday evening.

The party's core group which met in Delhi on Sunday had authorised BJP president Nitin Gadkari to take a decision on Karnataka.

"I didn't have to go to Delhi, our leaders have gone to speak to the party high command. I believe even top leaders are satisfied. Will see what senior leaders say," the chief minister said before he left for Puttaparthi from Bangalore.

"I am more or less satisfied with the developments. With God's blessings, support of state and national leaders, we need to continue our work in Karnataka," he added.

Shortly after his arrival in New Delhi, Acharya, who is Karnataka's Higher Education Minister, told reporters, "We want Yeddyurappa to continue. There is no alternative to him. The BJP high command has not taken any decision".

Ashok, who met Gadkari, claimed "there is no crisis in Karnataka". "Only opposition parties are making this hungama. So I think today or tomorrow, it will be solved by Central leaders."

Top BJP leaders including Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar and BJP General Secretary (Organisation) Ramlal met with Gadkari late last night when it was decided to summon the chief minister this morning after he cancelled the visit.

Sources said BJP's central leaders felt it was becoming increasingly untenable for Yeddyurappa to continue in office at a time when the party was carrying on a campaign at the national level on the telecom scam.

Yeddyurappa, however, has remained defiant and had been holding consultations with his close aides on the future course of action.

Source: The Indian Express