The interim ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves has already started to tell on those who depend on tourists.

Tour operators across India are coping with a large number of cancellations and have put on hold new bookings for the upcoming peak season. Off-season tourism - the reserves are now shut - too has been hit, with visitors denied access to picnic spots of Pachmarhi falling withing the core area of Satpura tiger reserve, MP. And in Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu, shopkeepers in the reserve downed shutters for a day to protest the interim order.

The Supreme Court last week banned all tourism in core areas of tiger reserves, following a petition by conservationist Ajay Dubey who sought directions to states to notify their reserves’ buffer and peripheral areas as per the Wildlife Protection Act. States that have not yet notified their core and buffer areas have been given three weeks to do so.

The next date for hearing is August 22. If core areas are eventually declared out of bounds for tourists, it could effectively end tiger tourism, which is essentially vehicular safaris to sight tigers in the wild.

“For now we have kept bookings on hold because the judgment is expected in three weeks,” said Vishal Singh, director, Travel Operators for Tigers-India, an umbrella body of tour operators who take tourists into national parks. He insisted, “Our study shows that eco-tourism in tiger reserves has not adversely affected tiger numbers over the years.”

Tiger reserves are currently shut for the monsoon. According to official figures, reserves in Madhya Pradesh had over six lakh tourists in the last peak season, which comes after the monsoon. In hotspots such as the reserves of Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh, 62, 52 and 37.5 per cent of the core areas respectively are traditionally zones of heavy tourism. Tiger reserves such as Ranthambore in Rajasthan, Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Corbett in Uttarakhand too have a large number of tourists.

“We are estimating an overall fall of around 25 per cent as of now. But in the parks where core areas are used majorly, the footfalls might cease entirely. Because without the core, tourism has no charm left,” Singh said.

The state tourism wings of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have not stopped bookings for the upcoming season because there is no official communication yet from their respective governments to do so. “Our government will study the order and then instruct us accordingly,” said D K Bishnoi of Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. “But an order might come any day now.”

The National Tiger Conservation Authority has proposed a set of guidelines for states to develop responsible “eco-tourism” in the protected areas, including tiger reserves. The guidelines keep core areas out of bounds, as is the law.

The NTCA has proposed a “conservation cess” on tourists and service providers around the parks for the development of eco-tourism infrastructure and aid the overall wildlife conservation efforts. But the fate of the guidelines, submitted in the Supreme Court, depends on the final judgment. The Environment Ministry is circulating copies of the interim judgment among states for their replies within the stipulated period.

Those who own lodges outside the tiger reserves - a number of their owners are wildlife conservationists - have been claiming that tourists, along with guards and guides, act as the eyes and the ears of any drive against poaching.

In Mudumalai tiger reserve, nearly 200 jeeps that usually take tourists sightseeing have been lying idle since the interim order, a PTI report said. Nearly 200 shopowners in villages and towns under the reserve protested against the order by downing their shutters for a day last week.

The Indian Express, 1st August 2012

In a bid to conserve water, the Delhi Government has decided to make it mandatory for new buildings and houses to have a rainwater harvesting system in place to give regular/ permanent water connection by Delhi Jal Board (DJB). A proposal to this effect has been given in principal approval by Delhi Cabinet on Monday. “For new buildings, no regular water connection will be given if there is no rain water harvesting installed as required under the unified building byelaws. DJB will only give ad hoc connections which will be charged at the prevailing rates for ad hoc connections, higher than the regular rate,” the proposal said. The DJB has been asked to finalise the related rules and procedures. The decision was taken after failing to link building byelaws with rain water harvesting system in the national Capital. Currently, the civic agency is clueless about the number of properties which have a rainwater harvesting system. It was observed that one of the solutions for replenishing the ground water resources is rain water harvesting by capturing the run off. In areas where there is inadequate groundwater supply or surface resources are either lacking or insufficient rainwater harvesting offers an ideal solution. “If the ground water is exploited without being recharged then it will also affect the fresh water. One viable solution would be to go for recharging through rain water harvesting,” it said. In its effort to conserve ground water, the Delhi Government has made it mandatory for all newly-constructed structures in the city to have a rain water harvesting system. For this, civic agencies have been directed to collect an affidavit from property owners stating that they will make provision for rainwater harvesting system. Officials say the affidavit is taken at the time of sanctioning the building plan. But as a large number of people don’t apply for completion certificate, the civic agencies don’t have an idea about the exact number of people who have the system in place. “Before given a completion certificate we inspect the property. Completion certificate is not issued if rainwater harvesting system is not in place.”

The Pioneer, 1st August 2012

Chandigarh, a union territory that serves as the capital of Punjab and Haryana, is full of modern architectural surprises, and anyone who is fond of rich North Indian food and beautiful gardens must visit this city once in their lifetime.
Chandigarh is approximately five hours away from Delhi by road. You can also choose a comfortable bus journey from Delhi ISBT bus stand that can take you to Chandigarh with a relaxing stop at Karnal while you cross several dhabas en route.

Even though I have visited Chandigarh previously, this time I decided to explore the famous sites of the city as a tourist. The beautiful surroundings, central grid of gardens, a city full of astonishing beauty and a rare epitome of modernisation truly justifies the reason why the city was nicknamed as “city beautiful.” While taking a stroll in the city and capturing the details of urban planning on a rickshaw, I checked into the famous Indian Coffee House located in the Chandigarh’s Sector 17 market. This place makes you feel nostalgic. Besides serving great food, the India Coffee House is one of the very few places in the country where you will see waiters wearing white uniforms with broad red waist belts and white and red head gears. After the lavish brunch, it was time to hop onto another rickshaw and head towards the Rock Garden. Chandigarh being a small city, allows you to easily travel the expanse in rickshaws and autos. An embodiment of imagination and novelty, the Rock Garden in Chandigarh is definitely an urban masterpiece. Spread over an area of about 64 acres, the place makes you pass several by-lanes, bridges, waterfalls, walls of terracotta, mazes of paths and a some chambers that proffer the glance of a dream world. The entire place is made up of broken glass bangles, chinaware, discarded tubes, clay and coal.

After the overwhelming visit to Rock Garden I decided to head towards the Sukhna Lake. Situated at the foothills of Himalayas this lake is considered as the luxury of the city. The lake has three separate paths which cater to the joggers, walkers and the visitors. The big banyan tree is an ideal spot to unwind yourself after a long tiring day. Visiting Sukhna is always a pleasure, no matter what time of the year it is. The mornings are amazingly beautiful in Chandigarh and a visit to the Leisure Valley in daylight can make your day even better. The famous French architect Le Corbusier retained the eroded valley of a seasonal rivulet on the original site of the City and sculptured it into a Linear park. Like all good things, my trip to Chandirarh also came to an end. I spent my last evening by visiting the beautiful Rose Garden and Topiary Park. And soon it was time to board the bus and head back to Delhi.

The Asian Age, 3rd August 2012

A plumeria, which was badly damaged due to ongoing construction work in South Extension part-II, was restored by the horticulture department of South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday. Officials say roots of the tree were damaged due to the construction activity. Though the tree was re-planted and horticulture officials are hopeful that it will take root in a few weeks and start growing again, environmentalists have demanded strict action against the offenders.

On Wednesday, Green Circle, a group working for the city's environment, was informed about the damage caused to the plumeria tree. "We immediately informed South Corporation's horticulture department regarding this. They were prompt in taking action. As the roots of the tree had weakened, it was partially uprooted and had fallen on the colony road,'' said Suhas Borker, founder of Green Circle-Delhi.

According to a South Corporation official, "The tree got damaged due to the ongoing construction activity on the plot. The builder was constructing the boundary wall. Though the builder had kept the tree outside the compound, the roots were damaged during the construction of the wall."

But people working at the site say the tree was weak and got damaged as it is right above the drain. "MCD officials had asked us to break a portion of the wall near the tree. The roots didn't get damaged due to the construction of the wall. The tree was weak,'' said the supervisor of the building.

South Corporation has re-planted the tree, but environmentalists are upset that the civic agency is unable to keep a check on the damage done to trees in residential colonies due to the ongoing construction activity.

"The civic agency plays a crucial role in maintaining the greens in the city. They should have a system in place to check that there is no damage caused to the trees, especially in residential colonies. The civic agency should take help from RWAs,'' said Borker.

The Times of India, 3rd August 2012

The critically endangered red deer, hangul, has been sighted outside its protected zone in Kashmir, indicating that for the first time since Independence, its population is on the rise. For 50 years, hanguls have been confined to Srinagar’s Dachigam national park. But in May, a female deer was spotted in Wangat-Naranag conservation reserve, at least 45 km from the park.

The news has brought cheer to conservationists, who fear that the animal may soon be extinct. “If any disease hits the hangul population in the park, they would be lost forever,” said Riyaz Ahmad of the J&K Project Lead for Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

The hangul is the sole survivor of the red deer group in the sub-continent. Poached for its meat, antlers and skin, their numbers have been on the decline since 1940s. From around 3,000, the figure dropped to 900 in 1989. The next blow was dealt by the insurgency. As the militants and the army battled in forests, the hangul population dwindled to a mere 200.

In 2008, the Kashmir Department of Wildlife Protection began a survey jointly with the WTI to find if the hangul is spreading elsewhere. They focused on 36 sites between Pahalgam in south Kashmir and Kupwara near the LoC - the original habitat of the animal. From past records, interactions with locals, antlers and hoofmarks, hangul presence was predicted in 17 sites.

But this was the first time the survey yielded clinching evidence - an actual sighting.

“I saw the animal and caught it on camera,” said Mansoor Nabi Sofi, assistant project officer for the survey. “It was the first time hangul was seen outside Dachigam.”

The Hindustan Times, 3rd August 2012

Authorities remain non-committal as controversy over public-private partnership deal linger on

Out of reach:People of Jaipur eagerly await the opening of the magnificent Jal Mahal for the public.- File PHOTO: Kamal Narang As the legal battle over the 99-year lease of Jaipur’s Man Sagar Lake and the land surrounding it to a private company lingers on, the local residents are getting restive over their lack of access to the place. Man Sagar Lake, popularly known as Jal Mahal Lake, is ready for the visitors but the controversy surrounding its PPP (public-private partnership) deal is seemingly forcing the authorities here to remain non-committal.

About 250 citizens, representing six non-government organisations, stormed the lake’s promenade the other day demanding reopening of the place now that it has been renovated.

It was a silent protest - not a single slogan was raised – broken at times only by the cackle of a water bird.

RAKSHA's Rohit Gangwal led the initiative for he has been actively supporting the annual Birding Fair at the lake. Mr. Gangwal, along with his group, takes care of the birds which get injured by the " manja " (glazed thread) during the kite-flying season. Sajal Jugran, representative of the House sparrows conservation initiative, led his ICAN unit at the show.

“For the past two years this garden monument, perhaps one of the 20 best in the whole world, is waiting for a formal opening. The monument is restored and the conservation of the lake too has been carried out,” says Harsh Vardhan, who had set the ball rolling for the revival of the lake and its premises by initiating an annual Birding Fair over a decade back. Mr. Vardhan notes that a Public-Private Partnership between the Government of Rajasthan and Jal Mahal Resorts Pvt Ltd resulted in two salient features - renovation of the monument and restoration of this lake. “The State did not have to spend even one rupee,” he points out.

“Jal Mahal is the city’s pride. It is our identity. My appeal to the Government is to make it accessible to the people,” says Ruby Khan, a resident of Hazrat Ali Colony in the neighbourhood. Ms. Khan, a campaigner for women’s rights, has also written to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot appealing to him to throw open the place for the public. “A few years back the place was in a mess. Now it is restored. Let the people come and enjoy it,” she argues.

Man Sagar is a shining example in the nation's lake restoration saga - about 90 lakes so far funded nearly Rs.1,000 crore by the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests. It got Rs.18 crore in 2002 and then also Chief Minister Mr. Gehlot had led the de-silting-operation using a spade in the lake's bed. Diversion of two open nullahs and creation of two significant mechanisms - intake of storm water and sedimentation basis near this intake-point - caused an ecological revival in the lake's aquatic character. The BOD (biological oxygen demand) used to be 350 in 2000; it came down to 15-20 in 2011-12. “The stench too has disappeared and a few thousand citizens daily enjoy the lake at the wide promenade,” points out Mr. Vardhan.

The travel agents too joined the catchy protest. Ayub Khan of Sanya Travels says the travel sector is keen on adding Jal Mahal to their Jaipur itineraries but was unable to accomplish this wish-list as the monument is not open to the public.

Volunteers point out that an Internet blog they have started for the cause had been visited by more than 22,000 persons within three months of launch.

The Hindu, 3rd August 2012

Drawing from the City - the subtle word play in the title of this charming book points to an insight in the role of the city in the rebirth of folk art in post-Independence India. The city is not only the subject that many folk artists draw upon to stress the contemporaneity of their art, but it is also the site of novelty and experimentation. It was Ganesh Jogi and Tejubehan’s shift to the city - Ahmedabad and then Mumbai - that led to the encounter with the famous painter Haku Shah and the birth of what is now known as the Jogi style of folk painting.

They belong to a community of bards, one of the many singer-storytellers who have entertained rural audiences for centuries. Haku Shah was impressed by the depth of Ganesh’s imagination and encouraged him to turn his storytelling skills to another medium. Ganesh’s wife Teju, the artist whose drawings are the focus of this book, his children and their spouses followed in his footsteps, first imitating his distinctive dot-patterned style and then evolving styles of their own, which were nevertheless close enough to each other to become a recognisable tradition. By telling her stories through a book where pictures and words combine to form a multimedia mode of storytelling, Teju has perhaps taken another step in the development of this new folk art tradition.

Tara Books is known for its experimentation with different folk art forms and the high quality of its productions. Along with some other publishers, it may well be in the process of evolving a new genre of storytelling where pictures do not merely serve as illustrations of the text. Instead, words and pictures seem to communicate on separate registers and it is the creative friction between the two that generates a sense of excitement in the reader.

In this book, the text is minimal, acting as a frame to foreground the picture that occupies most of the page. The story as such is simple - it charts Teju’s life and her movement, along with that of others of her community, from the village to the city. But the pictures and the motifs that are woven into the story give it a fairy-tale quality that is very appealing. By no means a book for children, though some children may enjoy it, it is a fairy tale in the traditional sense of a story that can speak across generations and region.

It describes village life, not quite idyllic because of the poverty that we sense lurking in the background, and gives enchanting glimpses of modern technology and the wider world like the train carrying exotic passengers who “are not like the people in the village, they are like faces you see on calendars, or on photos”.

Teju’s own journey to the city by train, being forced to seek work as migrant labourer, scenes of the slums they have lived in, her marriage, the meeting with the artist (Haku Shah), the opportunity to move to new and exciting occupations — these are the strands that make up the story. As urban viewers of the folk arts, we are quite used to seeing motifs such as trains and airplanes incorporated in folk paintings, as indexes of the modern world. What saves this story from becoming clichéd is the way in which the artist, Teju, and the writers, who have adapted her story to the text, have juxtaposed images and words in a way that seems entirely novel. Scenes of the forest, dwellings made of old plastic sheets and gunny bags in the slum, and the tall buildings in Mumbai, are depicted in a style that is clearly “folk” with its ornamental design of dots and half circles that cover the surface of the page. At first glance it reminds one of the Gond style, another “new” folk art tradition, but a closer look reveals significant differences in the way that dots, lines, crosses and half circles are combined or juxtaposed to create different kinds of texture on the surface of the page. Apart from the use of decorative patterns, Teju has a distinctive way of using the face and eyes to enliven a blank surface - the outer wall of a building, a window or even the doorway of a shack. We see a face, but more often eyes or even a single eye filling up the space that is supposed to be a windowscreen of a car or an airplane. It is as if the artist is present in scene after scene, a witness to a city always on the move.

Roma Chatterji, a professor of sociology at Delhi School of Economics, is the author of “Speaking with Pictures”

The Indian Express, 4th August 2012

Many request to opt out from LBZ due to strict building norms

Going by the number and tone of requests from residents wanting their areas to be dropped off Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone (LBZ), it seems owning property in what is considered an upmarket address in the national Capital is not so advantageous after all.

Residents are particularly peeved at the strict guidelines that forbid them from carrying out changes to their property. For instance any construction in the LBZ needs clearance from the Prime Minister’s Office.

With the pressure mounting, the Union Urban Development Ministry is considering a proposal to carve out three zones from the existing LBZ and reframe the rules in each.

According to a senior government official, there is a proposal to divide the LBZ into three zones --LBZ, Ridge and Heritage - so that each zone has its own guidelines and there are no grey areas.

“At present there is a lot of ambiguity about the rules; there are some areas that are on the edges of the LBZ and there is no clarity on what regulations apply there, then there are some 60-odd colonies waiting for regularisation that are on land that is denoted as forest land on paper. If we carve out separate zones, we will at least be able to define the regulations for each zone, relax rules where necessary and make changes like increasing the floor-area ratio in some areas where it can be implemented,” the official said.

As per the existing guidelines, any construction in the LBZ needs clearance from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC). “A number of residents in areas like Sikandra Road, Bengali Market and Sundar Nagar for instance have been complaining and petitioning that the area should not be within the LBZ so that they do not have to run for multiple permissions to carry out refurbishing work on their properties. Some of them have basements which are now not allowed in a LBZ but they were constructed earlier, so they want clarity on the status of their construction,” said another official.

The uncertainty over the exact acreage of the LBZ has been compounded by the absence of a zonal plan. As per official records the zonal plan, which is drafted after the Master Plan is notified, has not been made for the LBZ since 2007.

Suggestions to “shrink” the LBZ have also been put forth by the New Delhi Municipal Council and the DUAC in the recent past following feedback from resident complaining of less FAR, height restrictions for buildings and other related issues.

If the proposal is accepted, some areas that are on the edges of the LBZ can be “dropped off” and merged with the rest of the city. Also, rules regarding preservation of forest land around the ridge will be more stringent. “Ideally there should be no construction allowed in a forest area, but to keep buildings under a certain height in an otherwise congested area makes no sense either. Rules have to be framed in accordance with the characteristic of the area,” said an official of the New Delhi Municipal Council requesting anonymity.

The Hindu, 4th August 2012

Hema narayanan visits the Kumbalgarh Fort in Rajasthan and finds stories of honour, chivalry and sacrifice behind the walls that guard itslegacy.

Long and serpentine, the walls of the fort of Kumbalgarh are the second longest after the Great Wall of China. Extending for over 36 km, the walls of this fort are impenetrable.

It was a stunning surprise to realise that this is the world’s second man-made structure that can be seen from space. My first glimpse of the fortress left me wanting for more. Our guide, dressed in typical orthodox Rajasthani attire, took us to this elevated place, from where the winding fortification could be seen for kilometres. It seemed so unconquerable that I wondered how enemies would even plan a battle against this kingdom, let alone enter this massive fortress. My contemplation was spot on when our guide endorsed that Kumbalgarh Fort is one of the most inaccessible fortifications ever built by man.

Dating back to the 15th century, this fort was the creation of Maharana Rana Kumbha, the great emperor of the Mewars. The fort, in fact, derived its name from its creator, Kumbha, and is representative of the past glory of Rajput rulers. Walking inside the huge fort complex that has several palaces, impressive ramparts, temples and gardens, the panoramic view of the countryside from its turrets were magical. And it only got better as we climbed higher.

Even today, centuries later, the fort looks so impregnable. Surely, in its heyday, it must have been an enemy’s envy! Touching some of the brick and mortar on the walls, it was clear that neither weather nor passage of time had eroded them. A true example of defensive architectural marvel, this fort in Rajasthan was built in 1443 AD. It snakes along 13 mountain peaks, has seven fortified gateways, with seven ramparts folded with one another, huge watchtowers and 15-feet-thick frontal walls. As if this was not enough, Rana Kumbha chose to build this fort on an unassailable hill as well, which is 1914 m above sea level. No wonder this fort, which also has the natural advantage of the surrounding Aravalli Range, is called ‘The Mountain Fortress’. It’s an admirable fact in the Indian history of great battles that this fort was captured only once, when Mughal Emperor Akbar had its water supply poisoned. Residents of the fort faced acute shortage of water and succumbed to attacks.

‘Pol’ was a word I stumbled upon many times in the fort - at every arch and entrance. Bagga Pol, Chaugan Pol, Ram Pol, Aaret Pol, Halla Pol, Pagda Pol, to name a few. ‘Pol’, in those days, meant ‘gate’. Each ‘pol’ opened up to one part of the fort and had a particular significance associated with it. For instance, Aaret Pol had the watch tower, Halla Pol expected people to maintain silence, while at Pagda Pol, one was supposed to remove one’s pagda as a mark of respect to the king, as this gate led to the king’s arena.

Palace of dreams

Not only is this fort renowned for its walls, but also for its fairytale appearance — perhaps due to the gorgeous palaces atop the hills, the palace of Rana Kumbha and the ‘Palace of Clouds’ (Badal Mahal). Badal Mahal is so called as the clouds are just a jump away to touch, especially during the monsoons. Marking the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the great king of Mewars, this palace is a favourite among visitors. The Rajputani style used to build this palace is exquisite and thorough in its creation. Its rooms have a beautiful choice of colours - green, white, turquoise and blue — offering a delightful contrast to the earthy colours of the fort. Do not miss peeping out through the wooden windows for a breathtaking view of the Aravalli Range. In fact, this palace underwent a remarkable makeover when Rana Fateh Singh, who reigned in the late 19th century, rebuilt it, thus bringing in more character and grandeur to this place of royalty.Shrine of sacrifice

I would not doubt the immense belief that the Rajputs had in their gods - they had 360-odd temples built inside the fort - with 300 ancient Jain temples and the rest belonging to Hindu gods. One of the temples of Shiva I went into had a huge white Shivalinga. The pinkish-red rays of sunlight was so directional that it accentuated the features of this linga beautifully.

Every evening, at sunset, there is a ‘Light & Sound’ show inside the fort, where historical stories of the Mewar period are narrated. According to one, Rana Kumbha had many unsuccessful attempts at building the fort wall, which is when, a spiritual preceptor stepped in and advised that a human sacrifice would solve whatever was causing the impediment. He said that if a temple was built at the place where the head fell and the walls of the fort were built where the rest of the body lay, then, the fort wall would surely stand tall! After a long wait, a pilgrim (some say, he was a soldier) volunteered for the cause and was ritually beheaded. Magical it would seem, but, this time around, Rana Kumbha succeeded in completing the fort wall. In honour of this great sacrifice, the main gate of the fortress, Hanuman Pol, has a shrine in honour of the pilgrim.

Truly, that was a glorious era of Rajasthan, wherein the ideals, honour, sacrifice and chivalry ruled supreme.

The Deccan Herald, 5th August 2012

Janmashtami, the festival celebrating Krishna’s birth, is only a couple of days away and Brajbhoomi is teeming with visitors. Yet, at Koile Ghat, the place where the story is said to have begun, there’s hardly anyone, barring a few local villagers.

An eight-foot-tall sandstone statue of Vasudev carrying an infant Krishna stands near the steps leading to the Yamuna-a recreation of the popular mythology.

None of the tour operators guide pilgrims or tourists to this place. Neither has the tourism department planned any publicity for this well-maintained ghat. However, people of the area know their mythology.

Religious texts say that after he miraculously took out an infant Krishna from Kansa’s prison in Mathura in the darkness of the night, it was from here that Vasudev crossed the Yamuna to reach Nand’s house in Gokul on the other side of the river. As Yamuna rose to touch the divine child’s feet, balancing Krishna precariously on his head, Vasudev feared he was about to drown. “Koi le Koi le,” he cried, beseeching someone to take the baby as he feared being swept away.

Interestingly, satellite images show that Yamuna is the shortest in its width and shallowest in its depth near this ghat.

Located on the outskirts of Mathura, opposite the Refinery Township with pipelines from the refinery passing overhead, and surrounded by the lush-green Ruchil Van, Koile Ghat was in a dilapidated state till The Braj Foundation, an NGO working for water conservation, restored it to its original size-36 feet wide and 16 feet high. Using red stone to rebuild the ghat and construct an entrance platform, the NGO put up the statue of Vasudev at the entrance.

While Kolkata’s Mundhra family donated Rs 19 lakh for the restoration work, the 12.5-acre Ruchil Van adjacent to the ghat was re-planted with the help of Indian Oil Corporation. The work was completed by September 2009 and the site was handed over to the village-level Koile Ghat Sanrakshan Samiti for maintenance.

Giridharilal Sharma, who has been a member of the Samiti, says that on Diwali and Yamadwitiya nights, villagers from across Braj congregate here to float hundreds of earthen lamps in the river.

Vineet Narain, chairman of The Braj Foundation, says, “Koile Ghat is the only site in the entire Braj region where, standing on the steps, one can see Gokul on the other side of the Yamuna, Vrindavan on the left, and Mathura on the right. No other place boasts of this panoramic view. And unlike other ghats of Mathura and Vrindavan, where parking is a problem and the congested and grimy route makes it difficult for pilgrims and tourists, here one can drive right up to the entrance of the 26-step ghat. The stillness of a clean Yamuna gives it a perfect ambience.”

Mathura District Magistrate Alok Tiwari agrees that the crowd that throngs the ghats of Mathura, particularly the Vishram Ghat, needs to be diverted to alternative sites such as Koile Ghat. “Mathura had several ghats, but only around 20 have survived. For these to be restored and maintained, the primary requirement is a change in the attitude of the people. Having Koile Ghat as the alternative site for performing Yamuna puja is an interesting idea, but nothing is possible without the participation of the civil society,” he says, adding that perhaps pilgrims prefer the ghats that are nearer to the city.

But the main reason is perhaps the lack of publicity. When asked about restoration and development of various tourism/ heritage sites in and around Mathura-Vrindavan, Tourism Officer D K Sharma is quick to highlight that his department’s primary job is to create publicity.

At the same time, he admits that Koile Ghat hasn’t been promoted adequately. “The government has sanctioned Rs 12 crore for the restoration, maintenance and development of ghats this year, the highest amount in the past one decade or so. The money will soon reach the technical committees which are considering various proposals regarding the ghats. The tourism department is not directly responsible for the actual work, as the sites are under the revenue department,” he says, adding that his department is working on restoring and developing Thakurani Ghat at Gokul and Davanal Kund in Vrindavan.

It may be some time before Koile Ghat catches the attention of the administration and tourists. And till a crowd reaches here, Koile Ghat will remain a well-kept secret, a place where time hasn’t moved since the Janmas

But the main reason is perhaps the lack of publicity. When asked about restoration and development of various tourism/ heritage sites in and around Mathura-Vrindavan, Tourism Officer D K Sharma is quick to highlight that his department’s primary job is to create publicity.

At the same time, he admits that Koile Ghat hasn’t been promoted adequately. “The government has sanctioned Rs 12 crore for the restoration, maintenance and development of ghats this year, the highest amount in the past one decade or so. The money will soon reach the technical committees which are considering various proposals regarding the ghats. The tourism department is not directly responsible for the actual work, as the sites are under the revenue department,” he says, adding that his department is working on restoring and developing Thakurani Ghat at Gokul and Davanal Kund in Vrindavan.

It may be some time before Koile Ghat catches the attention of the administration and tourists. And till a crowd reaches here, Koile Ghat will remain a well-kept secret, a place where time hasn’t moved since the Janmas

The Indian Express, 5th August 2012

Shikargaah, or a hunting lodge, was to Mughal nobility what a camping out in the wild is for city slickers today. Kushak Mahal is one of the few remaining hunting lodges in the city that was built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in the mid-14th century. It sits cozily right in front of Nehru Planetarium on the premises of Teen Murti Bhawan on Teen Murti Road. The plush manicured lawns of the Teen Murti Bhawan with beautiful tree-lined avenues outside the planetarium premises belie the fact that this lodge was once located in the wilderness. Firozshah's own citadel - Kotla Firoz Shah - was far away on the banks of the Yamuna.

An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monument today, this hunting lodge is almost square in shape and a rubble masonry structure standing atop a high platform. It is more than two-storey high. The three-arched openings rest on stone pillars.

One has to climb a flight of odd-sized steps to reach the top of the lodge. The ASI had carried out repairs a few years ago consolidating the structure.

Even though today a shabby modern wall hugs this monument's base, historical records show that it originally had an attached embankment used to retain water. Unfortunately, nothing of this remains now.

The hunting lodge is a favourite site for tourists visiting the neighbouring planetarium and Teen Murti Bhawan memorial.

"Almost everybody who comes here climbs atop the lodge and clicks photographs," says Iyyanar, who has been working at the planetarium for past 27 years.

The Hindustan Times, 5th August 2012

The National Monument Authority (NMA) has asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation not to carry out work within 300 metres of any centrally protected monuments for its under-construction Central Secretariat-ITO-Kashmere Gate line as part of its Phase 3 of expansion. Since 2011, the DMRC has been carrying out work at several places along the underground 9km-long corridor that passes a number of heritage monuments, many of them protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
A distance of 0-100 metres from any ASI-protected monument is called the prohibited area, where no new construction is allowed, and a further distance of 101-300 metres is the regulated area.

In view of the fact that the alignment falls within prohibited and regulated areas of several ASI-protected monuments among other heritage structures, the NMA has asked the DMRC to submit a heritage impact assessment report.

The DMRC, on the other hand, is going ahead with its work.

The NMA has been regularly taking up the matter with Metro officials in meetings over the past few months.

“The topic was again discussed during a meeting on July 16. We have now written to them, ‘You are once against being told that no work should be carried out in regulated or prohibited area of any protected monument’,” said Pravin Shrivastava, the NMA’s member secretary.

A senior ASI official from the Delhi circle said, “We have issued the DMRC a number of notices for construction in regulated areas. We cannot go and stop the work ourselves, the action has to be taken by the civic agency.”

“If work does not stop even after the notices, one can either register a police complaint or approach the court,” said the NMA official. But DMRC officials seemed hardly bothered about either the letter or the notices. Jitender Tyagi, the DMRC’s director (works), said the utility had replied to all notices.

Maintaining that the DMRC is not carrying out any work in the prohibited area of any monument, he added, “As for work in the regulated area is concerned, we have already applied. Our proposal is under consideration of the NMA, which has made no adverse comment as yet. It is only a formality that they have to complete.”

The Hindustan Times, 5th August 2012

This account of Udaipur’s purple past presents the illustrious life of Rajput princes, writes Monideepa sahu

This scholarly yet very readable history of the erstwhile princely state of Udaipur brings to life the valour, magnanimity to enemies, fierce pride and humility of the Rajput princes of yore. In simple language and clear style, the author presents a detailed history of an illustrious and noble royal family which can be easily understood by lay readers. Thirty-nine rare photographs and a map enrich the reader’s experience and make this a book to treasure.
The world’s oldest ruling dynasty, Udaipur spans 76 generations and over 1,500 years. Handicapped by a paucity of reliable records for the earliest centuries, the author makes an admirable effort to disentangle accurate historical fact from legend. He also shows “the difference between the traditions of European royalty, based upon the acceptance of the right of kings as superior persons, and those of the Rajputs, based upon family ties between ruler and subject. Also, the Maharana’s position was never founded upon the possession of land or the ownership of castles, but on trusteeship, on the maintenance of what had been granted on trust to the ancestors. That is why it is impossible to find, throughout the many turbulent years of struggle in the battlefield, any instance of aggression on the part of Mewar. Their wars have been uniquely defensive, in obedience to the vows of honour, decency and hospitality made to the deity Ekling ji.”
The author’s unique pithy commentaries and interpretations add to the old-world charm and contemporary relevance of the book. He gently guides readers on, halting along the magnificent historical journey to admire the panoramic view or share anecdotes. Thus he writes: “History being the record of human transgression as well as achievement, it is rarely just in its distribution of fate. The great and good Kumbha was assassinated by his eldest son who, as a consequence… has been relegated to the shadows of non-existence with a remorselessness any modern Communist historian might match.” Later in a brief account of rising hostilities between the Moghuls and the Rajputs, he offers a crisp, no-holds-barred view. “It was in (Maharana Raj Singh’s) reign that the reasonable Shah Jahan died, and the mantle of emperor passed to Aurangzeb, the most bigoted, fanatic, and frankly the nastiest of all the Moghuls.”
The author’s commentary admirably handles the huge challenge of conveying important topics such as the rise of the British, in a concise and apt nutshell. “Initially, there was no intention on the part of the British to build an empire in the East, nor did they feel any corresponding compunction about taking whatever they could find for their own purposes. As the Moghul Empire dribbled to its unworthy close, the whole continent seemed ripe for investment. India became British by stealth, almost by accident. The trading company grew imperceptibly into an administrative class, then into a governing body, then into a quiet trader engaged in a conquest without arms.”
The book offers fascinating facts and anecdotes about the towering personalities and noble deeds of the royals of Udaipur. The unparalleled beauty and courage of Queen Padmini, as she led some 13,000 women of Chittor to a vast funeral pyre, continues to inspire awe. Wet nurse Panna Dhai’s courage and sacrifice in protecting the young prince Udai, is the stuff of legends. The Tower of Victory at Chittor is the most illustrious of the buildings erected by Maharana Kumbha. Interestingly, it is also one of the rare instances where the names of architects of yore have been discovered; Sutradhar Jaita and his three sons. The great Rana Pratap valiantly stood up to Emperor Akbar. Rana Pratap lived in the hills, undergoing many hardships, his children cradled in baskets hung from the trees, became master of what has come to be known as ‘guerilla warfare.’ Such was Rana Pratap’s charismatic personality, that when he died in 1597, Emperor Akbar cried.

During the rebellion of 1857, Maharana Swarup Singh showed extraordinary compassion to frightened British refugees, in keeping with his family’s legacy of honourable conduct towards a foe. Queen Victoria was moved to thank him for his support. Even when India was under British rule, Maharana Sajjan Singh showed great leadership and foresight. He established a High Court where, for the first time, the judiciary was made entirely independent of the executive. On forestry and conservation, he was a century ahead of his time. Maharana Fateh Singh turned the fate of the dynasty and prevented them from becoming “gorgeous fossils” under British rule.
The author concludes with a quaint personal observation which exemplifies the style and tone of the book, and adds to its charm. Even today, “the commitment of the House of Marwar to their historical, ethical code is total and unequivocal, and might well cause us to ponder in the current age of relentless greed and shallow ambition… If medical services provided in Udaipur may serve as a touching display of communal care, then the attention given by the family to…water management…for the entire region is nothing short of spectacular.” This book is invaluable not just for history buffs, but for every intelligent and curious reader.

The Deccan Herald, 5th August 2012

The only surviving copy - and in all probably narrated by the king himself - of a manuscript on medicine and architecture flourishing under Tughlaq ruler Firoz Shah, and another manuscript on the 16th Jain Tirathankara Shantinath, will compete at the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

Seerat-e-Firoz Shahi and Shantinath Charitra - housed respectively at Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library in Patna and Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology in Ahmedabad - have been nominated by the Ministry of Culture and the National Mission for Manuscripts as India’s entries to UNESCO’s universal register of heritage documentation.

A collection of documents, manuscripts, oral traditions, audiovisual material, and library and archival holdings of universal value, UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register aims to preserve and protect the world’s documentary heritage and make it universally accessible.

While India boasts a wealth of manuscripts, so far only five of those nominated by the government have been inscribed in the the register - the Rig Veda manuscripts from Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (Pune) in 2007, the IAS Tamil medic manuscript collection in 1997, Saiva manuscripts, Pondicherry, in 2005 and the Tarikh-i-Khandan-i-Timuriyah and the Laghu Kalachakra Tantra Raja Tika in 2011.

Prof Dipti Tripathi, director of NAMAMI, says the nomination dossier has been sent to UNESCO whose expert panels will assess them.

Seerat-e-Firozshahi is a manuscript dating back to the 16th century with a wealth of detail on the architecture and times of Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1309-1388). He is known to have owned a library of manuscripts, and for having transported two Ashokan pillars to Delhi from Topara and Meerut. “The Seerat-e-Firozshahi is a first-hand account of this proposal to bring the Ashokan pillars to Delhi, focuses on the architecture and environment of the times and the systems of medicine in use. The manuscript reveals how culling of birds was seen as a process for balancing of species and has observations on astronomy, ” says Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, director of Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library.

The last page of this Persian manuscript, where the author would have inscribed his name, is missing. “It is widely believed it is an autobiographical work; Firoz Shah may have narrated it to a scribe. The original dates back to the 14th century and was never found,” adds Ahmed.

Shantinath Charitra is a 13th century manuscript in Sanskrit by Ajita Prabhasuri on the life of the Tirathankara. “Its historical significance lies in the fact that this is probably the oldest manuscript with miniature paintings, and one of the first to be written on paper-palm leaves,” says Dr Jeetendra B Shah, director of L D Institute.

The manuscripts

Seerat-e-Firoz Shahi

16th century copy, Persian

Writer: Not on record, 14th original possibly narrated by Firoz Shah Tughlaq

Contents: Accounts of king’s proposal to bring Ashokan pillars to Delhi, architecture, environment, systems of medicine in use then, balancing of species, astronomy, methods for setting up astrolabs

Shantinath Charitra

13th century, Sanskrit

Writer: Ajita Prabhasuri

Contents: The life of 16th Jain Tirathankara Shantinath. Probably the oldest manuscript with miniature paintings, one of the first to be written on paper-palm leaves

The Indian Express, 6th August 2012

An exhibition in America celebrates the coming together of Persian and Indian influences during the Mughal rule

It was four years before Shah Abbas, the Safavid ruler of the Persian empire, captured Kandahar from Jahangir. The Mughal emperor had dreamt of ruling over the Iranian ruler. While most of Jahangir’s associates were aware of his political ambitions, in 1618, one of his closest aides, Abu’l Hasan, painted his desire in ink and gold. Among the finest painters of the imperial atelier, he used his wit to project the superiority of his ruler. The painting shows Jahangir and Abbas on the top of a globe that alludes to the former’s name (which means conqueror of the world). It shows Jahangir’s duplicitous embrace of the less opulently dressed Abbas. While the subsequent seize of Kandahar changed the political equations, the artwork served its purpose - it made Jahangir term Hasan as “the rarity of the age”.

More than a century later, in 1739, it was to travel to Iran after the conquest of Delhi by Nadir Shah. There, it attained an intricate border, consistent with 18th century Persian preferences. Hence, an Indo-Persian work, it exchanged several hands till it was acquired by the US-based Freer Gallery of Art. Kept in its vaults for years, it is now being exhibited. It is one of the 50 works that comprise the ongoing exhibition titled “Worlds Within Worlds” at the Washington gallery.

“We are showing the best paintings from the combined museum collections of the Freer and Arthur M Sackler Gallery, which form one of the world’s most important repositories of Mughal and Persian paintings,” notes Debra Diamond, associate curator of South and Southeast Asian Art at the gallery. She adds, “We only allow these light-sensitive works to be exhibited for six months every five years.”

The paintings in the gallery space are grouped chronologically, according to the Mughal emperor under whose reign it was produced. If one section focuses on the synthesis achieved by Persian emigres and Indian artists under Akbar, another has works created under the rule of his son and grandson - Jahangir and Shah Jahan. “The collection reveals a constant play of references to Persian heritage along with innovations of the Mughal atelier. The Mughal innovations include naturalistic portraiture that captures the appearance of the real, copious quotations of motifs from European paintings, and Persian translations of Sanskrit and Hindu manuscripts,” notes Diamond.

Giving a glimpse into the past, the detailed works also provide an insight into the lives of the emperors. So an opaque watercolour has three-year-old Akbar hugging his mother after a long interval, as he was left in custody of attendants when Humayun had to seek refuge in Iran. A folio from the Gulshan Album, produced during the reign of Jahangir, reflects his interest in the arts of the books - with the border recording the work of artisans involved in manuscript production, from burnishing paper to stamping designs on a leather cover. Akbar’s aim to establish a cross-cultural milieu is documented in a 1585 paperwork with Lord Krishna holding court in a resplendent palace.

Commemorating 25 years of the gallery, the show is accompanied by several events celebrating Indian culture. On August 11, storyteller Surabhi Shah will narrate anecdotes about Akbar and his trusted aide Birbal, and art historian Anna Seastrand will decode luxury garments worn by Mughal emperors in the works on display. “The aim is to disseminate the art and culture of India/Asia,” says Diamond, who hopes for an encouraging feedback.

The Indian Express, 6th August 2012

The pathway, slightly shorter than a kilometre, had to be covered on foot till now

Jaigarh Public Charitable Trust trustee-cum-secretary Diya Kumari, the daughter of former Jaipur ruler the late Maharaja Bhawani Singh, and Rajasthan Minister for Tourism, Environment and Forests Bina Kak taking a ride in a battery-operated golf cart along the cobbled pathway from the foothills of Amber Fort to the Jaigarh Fort.- Photo: Special Arrangement Soon there will be many ways to reach the hitherto difficult hillock, nestled in the Jaigarh Fort, from the Amber Fort complex below. A tunnel or a corridor-like pathway, which had been in use during the time of the erstwhile rulers of Jaipur and has been in disuse for many years since then, is being dug up. The pathway which connects the two monuments will be open for the public in September.

Currently, there are battery-operated golf carts that will soon move passengers between the Amber Fort and the Jaigarh Fort on the traditional cobbled pathway. Until now the pathway, slightly shorter than a kilometre, had to be covered on foot- which was a difficult proposition for most visitors, especially the elderly.

Unlike the Amber Fort, where elephants carry the passengers who opt for a ride to the main gate from the foothills below, Jaigarh has been a difficult summit for a weary visitor.

Rajasthan Minister for Tourism, Environment and Forests Bina Kak and Jaigarh Public Charitable Trust (JPCT) trustee-cum-secretary Diya Kumari, took a test ride on the battery operated cart last week to Jaigarh Fort.

“It took us less than 10 minutes to reach the top. I think this facility will be of great help to those who can not walk up to the hill fort,” Ms. Kak told The Hindu later.

“We are planning to start with four carts initially. I have asked officers here to ensure that all safety measures are in place prior to the commencement of their operation,” Ms. Kak said.

The Minister said there was no plan to allow the Amber elephants to take visitors for joy rides up to the Jaigarh Fort as this would be too taxing on the animals. However, the department will consider the scope of allowing ponies and mules to carry passengers to the fort, she said.

As for the tunnel track, the excavation work is half way through. As per an agreement last year, the work relating to the tunnel portion falling under the Amber Fort had to be done by the Amber Development & Management Authority (ADMA) and the rest by the JPCT. Now ADMA has completed its portion which is up to the Madho Singh ki Dhani, a distance of about 415 metres from the Amber Fort.

Archaeology & Museums director Hridesh Kumar said tourists were free to use the portion of the tunnel which was fully ready. Once they reached Madho Singh ki Dhani, they can also use the battery operated carts to cover the next 457 metres to the Jaigarh Fort, he added. The work on the portion of the tunnel under the Jaigarh Fort will be carried out by the JPCT soon.

The Hindu, 6th August 2012

R.V. Smith makes a case for the 90-odd monuments in Delhi that could do with better care

Ninety-five monuments in Delhi are awaiting protection but the Archaeological Department is still in the process of notifying them, says a report. One discerns a casual approach to the matter which has been long pending and resulting in more encroachment and despoliation of the Capital’s heritage. Take the tomb of Birji Khan on Venkateshwara Marg, R.K. Puram. It belongs to a nobleman of the Lodhi period who must have occupied an important post during the reign of Sikandar Lodhi and accompanied the Sultan to Agra when he was trying to set up a new capital there. An earthquake and pressing matters of State hindered the work, and the ruler’s plans remained incomplete. After defeating his son, Ibrahim Lodhi, Babar moved into the city and Humayun too camped there. But it was left to Akbar to fulfil Sikandar Lodhi’s dream of a capital 122 miles from Delhi in the pre-historic Agravan.

The tomb of Birji Khan, according to Maulvi Zafar Hasan, occupies 18 square metres and has arched panels with a dome “springing from a 16-sided drum, crowned by a marble and red sandstone pinnacle”.

Its state of preservation is not good. Birji Khan’s name and fame may disappear altogether if the monument is not saved. Mohammad Quli Khan’s tomb is in the DDA Park, Mehrauli. Vandalism and despoliation, despite the renovation in 1996, are a big threat to the mausoleum. Dating back to 1610, it was built during the reign of Jahangir as a memorial to Adham Khan’s brother, son of Maham Anga who was Akbar’s wet nurse. Because of this Mohammed Quli Khan too was a foster brother of the emperor.

While Adham Khan’s tomb is fairly well preserved, this one is not. Incidentally, it was this monument that was converted by Sir Thomas Metcalfe into his summer retreat Dilkhusha in the 19th Century. The British Resident made extensive extensions to it on the north and a pavilion in the centre. The tomb stands on the original wall of Lal Kot of Prithviraj Chauhan. Metcalfe also added many terraces and waterworks. According to INTACH, traces of a fireplace have also been found in the building, which has calligraphy on its arches and yellow, green and blue tiles.

Darvesh Shah’s mosque, also in DDA park, dates back to the Lodhi period. It is a walled mosque on a raised platform “with seven mehrab recesses, raised battlements and flanking minarets”. There are several graves in the main courtyard, presumably of Darvesh Shah and his descendants. But who Darvesh Shah was can only be conjectured - a holy man of the Lodhi era who was highly venerated, as is evident from this memorial which, however, has undergone some renovation.

Hijron-ka-Khankah in Mehrauli DDA Park has a monument to an unknown nobleman and a whole lot of graves in the courtyard of eunuchs who must have occupied important positions in the Sultanate period, probably serving as chamberlains in royal palaces. Bade Lao-ka-Gumbad in Vasant Vihar, behind Basant Lok Market, stands on a terrace 4.35 metres high, says INTACH. It has arched recesses on the inside walls and “on the west a battlemented wall mosque”. The interior of the dome is ornamented. The tomb has become a residence in authorised occupation and may suffer more damage, which may result in the loss of this Lodhi relic. Why it is known as Bade Lao-ka-Gumbad has not been established but the word “Bade” signifies greatness of the person it commemorates.

Gol Gumbad in Lodhi Park is a tomb of 8.6 square metres “and on each of its sides is a recessed arch, with a central doorway. The dome springs from an octagonal neck”.

But this too is a monument to an unknown personality. So also Phutta Gumbad. The Baradari south of Bade Lao-ka-Gumbad has also become a residence despite being a tomb. “There are 12 arches within the courtyard while the tomb has a domed Chattri”. The tomb of Paik is yet another endangered monument on G.T. Road. Belonging to the Lodhi period, it has badly deteriorated during the past few years, not surprising since it was formerly a police post. The octagonal monument has arched recesses and “decorations on the neck of the dome”. It has openings in four cardinal axis and the floor has caved in. ‘Paik’ means ‘messenger’, but nobody knows who this messenger was. One thing is certain; that he occupied that post in Lodhi times and as such was a royal messenger to suffragan rulers to whom he delivered royal commands and messages accompanied on horseback by a retinue of solders.

Turkman Gate, which has now been given a hideous coat of paint, is also awaiting ASI protection. It is a reminder of Shah Turkman Bayabani, the saint of the wilderness, who lived here during the time of Altamash and Sultan Razia and her brethren. Shah Jahan honoured the Sufi by naming one of his 14 city gates after him. Should it not be preserved?

The Hindu, 6th August 2012

Arfin Zukof’s photos displayed at Lalit Kala Akademi, narrate encounters on the jungle trails. He shares stories with Ila Sankrityayan

The darkness of woods, the serenity of the colour green and the cloak of silence. Arfin Zukof’s lens notices everything. His photographs describe the wildlife and beauty of forests. “I keep the angle wide as possible, to capture the picturesque surroundings where animals dwell,” says Zukof about his works in the exhibition, The Other Side, at Lalit Kala Akademi.

“I like to keep my photos dramatic,” Zukof tells us. He uses a Canon 5D Mark II full frame and ID Mark IV camera.

One images clicked in Corbett National Park, features an elephant. “It was taken in 2010. The bull was massive. I could see the sun set behind him. He extended a friendly gaze and I spent an hour clicking pictures. I also captured the grassland, freshly washed with 2010’s monsoon floods,” he narrates.

He mentions that when he saw the tiger for the first time in Corbett, he was spellbound, and forgot to click. One of his favourite pictures - a resting tigress in Ranthambore, was clicked last year. “It was early morning. I saw the majestic daughter of Machali (a tigress), walk over rocks in Ranthambore. Many tourists followed her. I felt I would stand no chance, clicking a picture, with the long queue. So I stayed where I was.”

Several jeeps crossed Zukof, sulking by himself. “I was convinced she would return to where I left her. She did, 30 minutes later. She sat before me, in perfect golden morning light, beaming through the trees, as if to say, ‘Ok now you can take my picture... I am posing.’

“She posed for 20 minutes and I got what I wanted.”

Some photograph were clicked in Kenya’s Masai Mara.

“I was waiting to capture wildebeest. But it was not happening. I was running out of time. So I went to the banks of the Mara river, to pick a good location and watch the jump,” he says.

“I waited for seven hours and saw over a hundred wildebeest assemble behind the bush. Suddenly a zebra jumped and there was a stampede, dust storm and deafening noise. I was caught on the wrong side. If I did not run, I would be in the middle. But I had to get my shot. So I stood on the machan to avoid injury and got a good photograph,” says Arfin.

He drives mostly in his 4X4 SUV, with a trained driver.

Zukof has travelled to Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka, Coorg in Karnatka, Bharatpur, Sariska, Ranthambore in Rajasthan, Gir National Park in Gujarat and Hazaribagh National Park, Chenani.

It seems he was drawn to nature as a teenager and wanted to explore forest reserves and capture the infinite natural beauty.

The exhibition ends today.

The Pioneer, 7th August 2012

With the conservation effort in India still tiger-centric, the threatened birds need immediate attention

Right at the start, this book sets the argument in motion by rapping the conservation effort in the country across the knuckles. Most of the action, it notes, is tiger-centric, with little attention paid to other taxa.

Threatened Birds of India is a fine example of worldwide collaboration among organisations and individuals with contributions from hundreds of ornithologists, field biologists, avid birders and wildlife photographers, making it a comprehensive collection on the threatened birds of India and their conservation requirements.

The field characteristics, distribution, ecology, threats and recommendations of conservation for each of the 158 threatened birds, have been covered in detail with snippets on taxonomy and etymology and a cover photo beautifully depicting the natural beauty of the birds and a few more pictures revealing their habitats facing slow death, mostly due to anthropogenic and development pressure. Sample this: In 2001, Uttarakhand State’s Secretariat was built on the main habitat of the western population of Yellow Weaver bird.

The book is a follow-up to the Threatened Birds of Asia. It is not a substitute but a supplement on only birds found in India and important in the Indian context with maps indicating general distribution from verifiable site records, says Asad R. Rahmani, the lead author of the book.

One of the recurring themes is the arbitrary listing of species in various schedules which does not follow any scientific pattern or guidelines. For instance, the Edible-nest Swiftlets in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is listed in Schedule I which has a nullifying effect on the in-situ and ex-situ conservation techniques initiated by Ravi Sankaran. This book has followed IUCN guidelines which are more scientific, dynamic and taking into consideration the threat and population trends.

HABITAT MANAGEMENT

A look at the graphs of the endemic, semi-endemic critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and near threatened species clearly indicates that a majority of them occur in forests, wetlands, grasslands and landscape and the main issue in conservation is habitat management.

Before it details the threatened birds, it offers a few masterly articles. Abrar Ahmed has been for years painstakingly travelling the country to track trading of birds. Accompanied by pictures showing the cruelty, he has listed the threatened birds being traded and how the traditional tribal hunters still eke out a living while the ‘legal’ trade is now handled by a new breed of smart, educated upper class, hobbyists-turned-dealers.

The article on status of pesticide contamination in birds presents a painful picture based on scientific analysis. The study of organochlorine pesticide residues in 56 species of birds indicates varying levels of contamination, the authors say while emphasising on the impacts of pesticides on birds. In a predominantly agrarian economy, can there be any other solution?

An article by Neeraj Vagholikar spells out the danger to birdlife in Brahmaputra floodplains as there are plans to develop at least 137 hydel power projects in Arunachal Pradesh alone. Taking the case of Subansiri river, he says the 2,000 MW project could cause daily floods during peak hours of power production endangering birds like Swamp Francolin which breeds on the ground downstream. In his article, Asad R. Rahmani talks about the need to look beyond Project Tiger as it is not the final answer to all conservation programmes and does not cover desert, grasslands, coastal areas, marine ecosystems, wetlands, high altitude areas and wetlands. The reason is simple as nearly 50 per cent of threatened and near threatened bird species are not found in any Tiger Reserves.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Every book, somehow, serves a purpose. This book, however, has been written with a purpose — conservation of threatened birds. As it is born out of the inability of officials at the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to browse the net for Threatened Birds of Asia, the content of which is there absolutely free, here I list a few recommendations from the book for MoEF to take up as early as possible: The Centre and States should strictly implement the ban on veterinary use of diclofenac, including the use of human formulation of diclofenac, on livestock to save the Gyps vultures that have seen a drastic decline in population in a decade; declare Great Indian Bustard as the flagship species of the grasslands, and formulate a framework for interstate cooperation and prevent afforestation and conversion of grassland into cropland in bustard areas; start Project Bustards which should include Bengal Florican and its alluvial grassland habitat; commission studies on wintering ecology of Sociable Lapwing; implement Jerdon's Courser Recovery Plan prepared by BirldLife International through Andhra Pradesh Forest Department; stop removing of teak trees in known or potential Forest Owlet locations and support proposals to provide effective protection at Namdapha National Park, the habitat of White-bellied Heron, including creation of buffer zones.

These recommendations are only for the critically endangered species listed in the book. However, the read clearly reveals the MoEF has to focus on North Eastern and Himalayan States plus the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to save about 30 per cent of the threatened birds in the country. As for the others, the MoEF and State Forest Departments have to go through this mammoth collection to work out conservation strategies. The forest departments could do well to print region specific details in local languages and distribute it to the communities involved in conservation action. The content will be uploaded in BNHS and ENVIS websites for easy access to all.

Another thought that emerges is that the country definitely needs a few hundred more ornithologists at least as the book repeatedly stresses on the need to undertake surveys and studies for each and every threatened species. The best scientific minds need not be sitting in front of computers all their life. The natural world, birding and conservation action can be much more satisfying.

As a journalist keen on protection of wildlife habitat, I am left wondering who will save the habitats of birds when humans were being forcibly evicted from their traditional homelands in forests, grasslands and coastlands, the very habitat of birds. Do the governments listen to the calls of the birds?

There is a personal travel with every book. For my ten-year-old painter-daughter, the book is a treasure trove of unimaginable shades of colours. As for me, I find, as in my dreams, the Pink-headed Ducks (last seen in 1935) in reed-filled, still pools in the deep jungles of Myanmar.

The Hindu, 7th August 2012

The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the governments of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for failing to stop pollutants from flowing into Yamuna from the national Capital and Noida.

The apex court criticised the poor co-operation between the two governments in stepping up measures to clean the Yamuna. It asked them to submit their action plans, highlighting the issues that have come in the way of working in tandem for a pollution-free Yamuna.

Observing that a public interest litigation (PIL) had been pending for years, a bench of Justice B S Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the two governments to file comprehensive affidavits within two weeks on three distinctive issues.

“You have to tell us three things; first what exactly you have done in pursuant to the court orders passed from time to time. I can also see no co-operation between Delhi government and Uttar Pradesh government. You also tell us what are the issues between the two and what can be done. Third,we would like to know about the separate outlets for Noida and Delhi to release water into Yamuna,” the Bench said.

The court asked the Delhi Jal Board and the amicus curiae in the case to file a separate affidavit to bring out the status of different sewage treatment plants and online treatment of waste water in accordance with the court orders.

The court directives were based on recommendations from the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for the National Capital Region.

Advocate Shiv Sagar Tiwari, counsel for the association of Noida’s Sector 14 residents, said the PIL was filed 16 years ago, but the authorities have done nothing to stop the flow of sewage into Yamuna - ignoring several court orders.

At this, the bench said the court has asked for “real action plan”, not simple affidavits from the authorities.

The court refused to tag the PIL with a suo motu cognisance that it has taken on a media report on pollution in Yamuna. “If we do so, nothing will get disposed of and we want to decide this matter,” the bench said.

The residents of Noida’s Sector 14 had filed the PIL, asking the court to ban the discharge of effluents from Delhi into the Shahdara-Ghazipur drain, which passes through several areas of Noida before it flows into Yamuna.

In 1998, the apex court appointed a committee to look into the problem.

Later, the court asked the pollution control authority to follow the measures suggested by the committee.

The Indian Express, 7th August 2012

A hi-tech museum depicting the legislative heritage of Rajasthan and making use of the vast reference material available here is likely to be established shortly in the Assembly. The museum, besides functioning as a centre for heritage conservation, will encourage the youngsters to take up research in the field.

Assembly Speaker Deependra Singh Shekhawat, who saw the Parliamentary museum in New Delhi on Monday, said the State museum would be based on the Lok Sabha pattern. He was accompanied by the members of a regulations committee of the House and the officers.

Mr. Shekhawat said the museum would throw light on the Parliamentary conventions and provide details of scholars’ contribution in their development. “The available material can be put in order for display as of now, while the reference matter can be developed in a neat and systematic manner for being used in future.”

The Assembly delegation evinced a keen interest in the material displayed in the Parliamentary museum on the freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi march, Parliamentary reforms and relations between the legislature and the executive.

According to an official release here, Additional Secretary P. Sridharan told the delegation that the museum, opened on August 14, 2006, displays the continuity of growth of democracy in the country and highlights the landmarks in the nation’s history. The museum is open to the public and is a special attraction for the school children.

Deputy Chief Whip of the ruling party Ratan Dewasi, MLAs Ramlal Meghwal and Promila Kundara, Assembly’s acting Secretary Prakash Picholia, Research and Reference Officer Kailash Saini and Assistant Director (Public Relations) Ishwar Dutt Mathur were among the members of the delegation accompanying Mr. Shekhawat.

The Hindu, 7th August 2012

The rights of wildlife should come first. If we want to enter the animals’ domain, we must earn the privilege by following the right practices and behaviour

The temporary halt to tourism in core zones of tiger reserves is a wake-up call to an industry that has grown rapidly and become disruptive in some places. Rather than view the Supreme Court’s interim order as a setback, tourism operators should see it as an opportunity to set things right. While there is no question that commercial tourism must be strictly regulated, a total ban on public access to wildlife reserves would be extremely harmful, as it will negatively impact conservation education, monitoring and other conservation activities by non-governmental organisations. Sensible tourism has an important role to play in conservation, and if government and tourism stakeholders work together, it is possible to craft solutions that benefit local communities, nature lovers, tourism operators and, most importantly, wildlife itself.

While all of us may feel that we have a right to enjoy nature and the great outdoors, it is imperative that we understand that natural habitats are fragile, and ought to be trod on softly, observed quietly and enjoyed responsibly. Many developing countries, particularly in Africa and South America, have succeeded in establishing tourism practices that are low on impact and high on educational value. Many of their features can be emulated with appropriate adaptations. In India, Kerala’s Parambikulam Tiger Reserve has developed an enlightened model of wildlife tourism that is praiseworthy.

TWO PROBLEMS; THE WAY OUT

Two fundamental problems have led to the mayhem that prevails in some of our most popular reserves: first, a majority of tourism operators have little or no regard for nature, lack any sort of long-term vision and operate only for profit - tigers and their habitats be damned. The second problem is that most domestic tourists have very little interest in nature or the quiet wilderness experience, and come almost exclusively for the thrill of seeing charismatic mega fauna, mainly tigers. Consequently, wildlife tourism in many of our tiger reserves is more akin to a visit to an amusement park, with screaming tourists, harassment of animals and traffic jams being the norm. Most resorts provide no orientation to visitors, and most jeep drivers and guides - who receive little or no training - are usually only interested in the tips they can earn. The result is a mad scramble to spot the tiger so that each resort’s visitors can feel that they got their “money’s worth” out of the visit. This type of tourism does not build a constituency for conservation.

There are other negative aspects of mass tourism. Due to a lack of land use planning or regulation, tourist resorts of all kinds have proliferated around the edges of some of the most popular reserves, creating a plethora of problems - from curtailing the traditional movement of animals towards water sources or other forests nearby, to excessive groundwater extraction and firewood use. Add garbage, sewage and noise pollution, and you have a mess that is as far from eco-tourism as it can get. There are a few sensitive resort operators who try to do the right things, and attract guests who come for the entire nature experience and not just for tigers. But like an organic farmer surrounded by pesticide-happy neighbours, the efforts of these operators and the aspirations of their nature-loving guests come to naught.

While it may require the wisdom of Solomon to mitigate tourist pressure in and around reserves where tourism has already grown too large, all is not lost. So far, the chaos described earlier is largely restricted to a dozen places, whereas India has over 650 wildlife reserves, of which about 40 are tiger reserves. So, straightaway, we have a golden opportunity to ensure that the mistakes committed in a few places are not repeated elsewhere. As a first step towards ensuring sustainable and meaningful wildlife tourism, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has formulated Eco Tourism Guidelines. With appropriate consultation and implementation, these could finally help create a win-win formula for all stakeholders.

Meanwhile, tourism operators would do well to move away from an obsessive tiger-centric focus and promote themselves as offering a broader nature experience, with the tiger as a tantalising possibility. For instance, tiger reserves like Corbett and Ranthambhore also have an excellent diversity of birds and other species. But, at the moment, one cannot watch other wildlife in peace in these reserves, with thrill-seekers whizzing past in clouds of dust. While it may initially seem financially foolish to look beyond the tiger, this strategy will ultimately pay off by attracting the right kind of visitors - people who are more interested in experiencing nature rather than creature comforts. This would not only usher in more peaceful tourism in wildlife habitats, but also enable lodges to cut down on unnecessary luxuries and optimise their profits.

To survive and justify its existence, the wildlife tourism sector has no choice but to reinvent itself and get creative. The government must nurture the right atmosphere so that new ideas and initiatives have a chance to flower.

The Hindu, 8th August 2012

... And a four-volume, hardbound master plan for renovation of the 114-year-old Viceregal Lodge gathering dust

A master plan for restoration of the former seat of British power, the 114-year-old Viceregal Lodge in Shimla - which now houses the prestigious Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) - has been gathering dust since 2010 for want of funds. Institute Director Peter Ronald deSouza says he needs Rs.100 crore to start restoration, but doesn’t quite know from where the money will come.

Three Union Ministries are involved in the mansion’s upkeep and administration. “There is the Archaeological Survey of India [Ministry of Culture], the Central Public Works Department [Ministry of Urban Development] and IIAS [Ministry of Human Resource Development]. So not everything is under me. I have no financial autonomy,” he says. The spectacular English Renaissance-inspired grey-stone sprawling structure with Burma teak interiors, which opens out to a rambling lawn, has been a prime tourist attraction in Shimla for being an important symbol of India’s colonial past. As many as 13 Viceroys ruled the country from this edifice erected in 1888 in the then summer Capital. In 1965, the then President S. Radhakrishnan decided against turning it into the Governor’s residence. Instead, he decided to start an institution “which shall have no courses, no degrees, no classrooms, but a democratic space for intellectuals to reflect on human condition”.

Today, unfortunately, the heritage building has seepage on its walls and ceilings, broken windows and doors, paint peeling off its walls, carpets torn at places, pillars of the stone railings missing from its façade. A musty smell wafts through the corridors and rooms. A lot of its artefacts and furniture need urgent looking after. Worse, due to years of thoughtless repair work many old brass switches have been replaced with plastic equivalents; walnut ceilings in some rooms have been white-washed instead of polishing them; tacky tiles have replaced the original floors of the bathrooms. Out of the original 300 acres, the place is now left with only 90 acres. The rest has been encroached upon over the years.

The Director agrees that “the net result of an ad hoc management of the heritage building over the years has led almost to its vandalism”: “Say, if a bulb has to be replaced, we have to inform a particular department. Their electrician will come and take a decision, which might not be in the interest of the heritage building. Over the years, these micro-decisions have contributed to its defacing,” he explains. Though three Ministries are involved, “the level of supervision and monitoring of conservation of such an important heritage building is missing”. So, in his office sit, for the past two years, four thick hardbound volumes of the master plan. “We had it done by well-known conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah. A team of experts on British colonial architecture from England visited the place to gauge the work required. They digitised the original plan of the building by architect Henry Irwin. The volumes created by her team have detailed plans on how to restore and conserve the stones, the wood of the building and also its furniture. With an annual budget of Rs.12 crore, the Institute clearly needs external help to execute the plan. And with three Ministries involved, wresting funds from the Government seems a task. “Every year, we get these circulars that talk of a cut in our budget.” So the IIAS is eyeing the possibility of garnering corporate support. “We had written to the Birla Group some time ago, but are yet to receive a response.” Desperate for funds, on IIAS’ Foundation Day on October 25, Mr. deSouza hopes to launch a “Friends of the IIAS Association” to raise support for the restoration work. “Dr. Radhakrishnan had a great vision for the Institute. This can be India’s window to the world. Look at Harvard, half the students it enrols are the best connected people from across the world. This is how it ensures that it plays the role of a soft power and also generates funds. Where do we have such an institute?”

The Hindu, 8th August 2012

The Delhi Police on Tuesday moved the High Court seeking direction to legislator Shoaib Iqbal to remove the illegal structure built on his orders in Subhash Park, where the ruins of a 17th century mosque were allegedly unearthed.

The court had earlier directed the North corporation and police to remove the structure. However, in its application on Tuesday, police said since it is the month of Ramzan, if their application is not allowed, the removal of the structure by police might result in “disturbance of peace”.

“Appropriate orders/direction be issued to Shoiab Iqbal, MLA (legislator) to remove unauthorised construction/obstruction/ nuisance in the Subhash Park site under the supervision of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),” said Delhi Police in their application while seeking modification of the court’s earlier order and extension of time for its compliance.

The application also stated that Independence Day celebrations were approaching, for which security arrangements were to be made and police deployed in the area. “Additionally, Ramdev and his team have booked Ramlila ground from July 25 to August 30 for his fast, which will start on August 9,” the police application said.

“The applicant is bound to manage all the above throughout the month of August. Each of the aforementioned events would need massive deployment of police force for maintaining peace, law and order. As such, special efforts would have to be made to ensure peace in the area,” the plea said.

The Indian Express, 8th August 2012

For converting new secretariat complex in Chennai into hospital

The National Green Tribunal here on Tuesday admitted a petition by advocate R. Veeramani, challenging the environmental clearance given by the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to convert the new Legislative Assembly cum Secretariat complex in Chennai into a hospital.

A Bench of Justice M. Chockalingam, Judicial Member, and R. Nagendran, Expert Member, after hearing senior counsel P. Wilson for the petitioner and Additional Advocate General Guru Krishna Kumar for the State, issued notice to the Tamil Nadu Government and posted the matter for further hearing on September 27.

The SEIAA and the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee, which were served notice in the last hearing on July 5, were issued fresh notice and asked to file response.

Mr. Guru Krishna Kumar pointed out that the appellant had raised the very same points before the Madras High Court in a pending writ petition. Final arguments had been heard in the writ petition. The same had been raised, including the issue of jurisdiction of the SEIAA under the EIA Notification of 2006, he said. A decision by the High Court on the same would have bearing on the outcome of the appeal.

Mr. Wilson submitted that what was pending in the High Court was different and the Tribunal had the jurisdiction to entertain the appeal.

Mr. Veeramani said that when prior environmental clearance was obtained by the government for a project or activity and building constructed, the regime could not ask for a new project of activity that was not permissible. Further, the environmental notification of September 14, 2006 would not allow any deviation from the original project or activities. Fresh environmental clearance could not be sought for a newly constructed building based on earlier environmental clearance.

The SEIAA and the SLEAC did not have the power to give fresh environmental clearance dated May 16, 2012, for the conversion of the building into a hospital when the earlier clearance remained valid. The SEIAA and the SLEAC failed to consider that since the building came within the purview of the CRZ notification and the total value of the tender was more than Rs. 25 core, only the Centre could grant environmental clearance.

He said that the fresh clearance granted by the SEIAA was liable to be set aside as the building was situated within 10 km from the Guindy national park. The environmental clearance sought for by the State even when the first clearance was alive and binding was unknown procedure. He said that the SEIAA had not considered his objections and acted in undue haste and arbitrary manner without application of mind.

The Hindu, 8th August 2012

Modelled on structures that have withstood high magnitude earthquakes for centuries, all that Parliament House needs is proper maintenance

The general safety and seismic vulnerability of Parliament House are suddenly subjects of anxious concern. Meira Kumar, the Speaker, observed that the building, with its cracks and absence of emergency measures, was ‘silently weeping’. Lok Sabha Secretary-General T.K. Visvanathan has said CPWD has asked the Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee to do a survey of the building. “We want to make sure that the 85-year-old building is able to withstand a major earthquake, given the fact that the national capital is quake-prone,” he is reported to have said. There is much talk that the government is planning to construct a new Parliament House.

Download graphic: Circle of Strength

It took six years to construct the Lutyens-Baker designed Parliament House. Inaugurated by Lord Irwin on January 18, 1927 - originally known as Council House, and after independence as Sansad Bhavan - the building is majestically spread over six acres. Pink and red Dholpur sandstone were used in the construction. It has 144 pillars and the diameter of the building is 170 metres.

According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the National Capital Region (NCR) lies in Seismic Zone IV. Two types of seismic experience are possible in Delhi. The first one is from quakes of magnitude less than 6.0 with epicentres within 70 km of Delhi. These do not cause major damage to engineered structures. An earthquake of magnitude around 5.75 occurred in Delhi on August 27, 1960. The epicentre was about 40 km from Delhi, near Gurgaon. It caused minor damage to buildings in the Delhi Cantonment area near Dhaula Kuan and other buildings.

The second is from a large magnitude earthquake in the Himalayas. If an earthquake of more than 7.5 magnitude occurs in Himachal, Uttarakhand or in J&K, the damage in the NCR would be of a different order. The distance of the Himalayan fault line from the NCR is about 270 to 350 km depending on location of the earthquake epicentre. At this distance, Rayleigh seismic waves are dangerous.

Within a 40 to 70 km radius of the epicentre, the damage from an earthquake in the Himalayas will be caused by shear waves (also known as S wave). These waves force on the foundations of structures, which could result in partial or full collapse of the building. As the depth of focus of a Himalayan earthquake would be of the order of 20 to 30 km, the effect of shear waves is negligible beyond 100 to 150 km from the epicentre.

Beyond this distance, a quake travels as seismic surface waves known as Rayleigh waves. These can adversely affect tall structures, typically more than 17 metres high, located at considerable distance from the epicentre. The effect of Rayleigh Waves was notably observed at Ahmedabad during the January 2001 earthquake (magnitude 8.0). In the city, at a distance of 320 km from the epicentre in Bhuj, only tall structures suffered heavily while two or three storey buildings escaped. Similar damage was also observed at Mexico City, located at distance of about 500 km from the epicentre, during a magnitude 8 earthquake in 1986. In the NCR, likely damage from a large magnitude earthquake in the Himalayas would be due to Rayleigh waves.

S waves cause damage by creating stress on sharp corners. Structures without sharp corners usually suffer less or no damage because the stress gets distributed almost evenly. This specific principle of even distribution of seismic stress has been effectively used in past constructions. These constructions have been standing for the last few centuries and have withstood the agony of severe seismic shaking. Kamakhay Mandir in Guwahati built in 1565 A.D. lies in the highest seismic zone, V. During the last 447 years, it has withstood three major earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or more. The temple is still intact. There are no marks of any historical seismic damage the temple’s circular structure and the dome-type upper section.

Another such example is in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, where the Bajura Mahadev Mandir, said to be 1,100 years old, is still standing, despite at least six or seven earthquakes of magnitude more than 7.5. This temple is not exactly circular. But it has four heavy flanges projecting in four directions, which gives it the character of a circular construction. There are reports that during the April 1905 Kangra earthquake (magnitude 8.25) several houses collapsed but the Bajura Mahadev Mandir did not suffer any damage.

Some historical records mention that the design of Sansad Bhavan is based on the design of a temple at Mitwali (Mitaoli) in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. This temple is known as Chausat Yogini temple, the word chausatreferring to the 64 temples within the big circular temple. The temple was constructed in the 8th century A.D. It lies in Seismic Zone III. It can thus be seen that circular cross section constructions are standing in good condition at Mitwali (Zone III) for 1300 years, Manali (Zone V) for 1100 years and. Guwahati (Zone V) for 447 years,

Additions, alterations, modifications, and periodic repairs are natural in any old structure. The Capitol and White House buildings in the U.S are almost 200 years old. Without any major external change, these buildings have got by very well with just proper maintenance. The stadium of the University of California in Berkeley was built in 1923, and is located in the highest seismic zone in California. It has required major repairs due to ageing. Pulling it down was rejected as it was recorded in the National Historic Register. It has undergone total strengthening and now, it is claimed that it can withstand a major earthquake.

Advances in engineering and technology could be effectively used for the preservation, protection and conservation of Parliament House. Considering its height and circular design, the effect of an earthquake in the vicinity of Delhi or a large magnitude earthquake in North-west Himalayan region would be nil or minimum. The earthquake bogey must not be raised to justify any plans to build a new house for Parliament.

(Arun Bapat is a research seismologist. E-mail: [email protected])

The Hindu, 9th August 2012

The Sariska Tiger Reserve, which had lost all its big cats by 2004 to rampant poaching, has welcomed the first birth of a tiger cub on its soil after a four-year wait.

Even more exciting news for the reserve in Rajasthan’s Alwar district is the cub may have two siblings. The speculation that a tigress had given birth to cubs proved true on Tuesday night, when forest officials checked a trap camera installed in the Kalighati region of the reserve, 130 km northeast of Jaipur.
A one-and-half-month old cub was seen following his mother, seven-and-half-year old ST-2 (Sariska tigress), in the camera recording.

The cub’s birth is the first success for the country’s first tiger-relocation effort.

“I knew from her (tigress’) appearance that she had given birth, but we were waiting for confirmation. Now a jinx attached to Sariska has been removed. The department is now geared up for protection of tigers,” state forest and environment minister Bina Kak said on Wednesday. She said 90 home guards would be deployed in Sariska.

After giving birth, the tigress kept her cubs hidden. Sariska’s district forest officer Sedu Ram Yadav said this was normal. “A tigress keeps her newborn in hiding for around two months. We were waiting to see a cub to confirm the news. It is likely that the tigress has given birth to three cubs,” he added.

ST-2 is second big cat, and the first tigress, shifted to Sariska on July 4, 2008, from Ranthambhore National Park. The first relocated tiger, ST-1, was poisoned to death in November 2010. Villagers whose cattle graze in the reserve reportedly killed ST-1 after it attacked their animals.

Rajasthan’s former principal chief conservator of forests, RN Mehrotra, who pioneered tiger relocation in the state, said Sariska was resilient and had bounced back. “People should work together for success of tiger project in Sariska.”

The Hindustan Times, 9th August 2012

The North Municipal Corporation has decided to hold public functions in Town Hall, the erstwhile headquarters of the city’s undivided civic agency, until it is turned into a museum or heritage hotel.

The decision to organise public functions at the historical building in the Chandni Chowk area, built by the British in 1865, was taken at a recent meeting chaired by the North corporation mayor.

After the civic agency headquarters were shifted to the multi-storey Civic Centre a few years ago, several proposals were floated to convert Town Hall into a museum. The latest proposal, pending approval, says the building will be used to house a museum as well as a heritage hotel, while the sprawling lawn will be beautified.

Now that the building is lying abandoned, the civic agency has decided to open it for functions - Teacher’s Day and Gandhi Jayanti in the coming months. “The Teacher’s Day ceremony will be held at the old meeting room of Town Hall,” a circular states.

Several councillors, nostalgic about the building, welcomed the decision. “Many senior councillors miss Town Hall and they are finding it difficult to connect with the swanky Civic Centre. They are happy that occasionally they can go to Town Hall during functions,” Mahendra Nagpal, North corporation’s leader of the House, said.

Councillors said corporation would be saving money by organising functions in Town Hall because normally it had to book auditoriums for public programmes.

“Why should we spend money on auditoriums when we have such a splendid building at our disposal? Meetings and functions will help retain the building’s glory until a decision is taken on its future,” Yogendra Chandolia, chairman of the civic agency’s standing committee, said.

Though the plan to convert Town Hall into a heritage hotel or museum is on the table, the councillors and civic officials are yet to decide on it.

The Indian Express, 9th August 2012

Pollution of fresh water sources has come to haunt big names in the mining industry in Goa which have been issued notices by the Goa Water Resources Department for polluting water bodies through dumping of mining rejects.

Names like Sesa Goa Limited, which is a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, Sociedade de Fomento Industries, VM Salgaocar and Chowgule and Company have been asked to explain their misdeeds.

In a written reply tabled in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the Water Resources Minister, Dayanand Mandrekar, said that there were 62 instances of water bodies like lakes, rivers and canals being polluted with mining rejects all of which have been pulled up.

SGL, which is by far the biggest mining company operating in Goa after having bought over mines owned by the Dempo Group some years back, has been pulled up and asked to show cause for 11 instances of dumping of mining rejects in water bodies.

Chowgule and Company has got notices for eight instances, while SFI has been has been issued notice for four infringements. VM Salgaocar and Company has been issued notices for six instances of dumping of rejects in fresh water nullahs. The Minister, however, did not say whether the dumping of rejects has caused any direct harm to human or animal life.

Dumping of iron ore mining rejects suddenly rose into prominence after a report by the State’s public works department which said that manganese content in Goa’s biggest water reservoir, the Selaulim water reservoir, had gone up six-fold making it increasingly difficult to treat the water and make it fit for consumption.

The spurt in manganese level was blamed on run off from mining dumps located at the periphery of the reservoir, which supplies water to nearly half of Goa’s 14 lakh population. Besides the mining dumps, the reservoir is encircled by 19 operational mines, all in the catchment area of the reservoir. Nearly all of the ore mined in Goa’s 90-odd operation mines is exported with nearly 50 million metric tonnes of ore being exported through the Mormugao Port Trust, Goa’s sole major port located at Vasco da Gama.

The Pioneer, 9th August 2012

Fort St. George in Chennai meets every criterion set down by Unesco to be declared a site of outstanding universal value

“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.”

Unesco

Founded in 1787, George Town, capital of Penang State, Malaysia, was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco on July 7, 2008. Fort St. George in Madras that is Chennai is 150 years older and sowed the seeds for territories such as Penang, but has not received similar recognition. For over a decade, I have been appealing for the older Fort St. George to be declared a World Heritage Site (WHS), given its historical significance. And it is this case that I present again for consideration to the Committee on World Heritage Matters constituted by the Central Ministry of Culture when it holds a meeting in Chennai today to hear local views.

Unesco defines a WHS as a place or environment of “great significance” or meaning to mankind. It may be a living urban city or a rural settlement, a natural landscape (an underground cave, for instance), a forest or a water body, an archaeological site (where excavations have revealed relics of the past) or a geological phenomenon. Thus, it could be a natural site, a cultural site (which would be a traditional man-made settlement representative of a culture or cultures resulting from human interaction with the environment), or a site that’s a mix of both.

FOUR POINTS

To be slotted into one of these categories, a potential WHS would need to, according to Unesco:

1 be of outstanding universal value which would be reflected in the historic, social, scientific, aesthetic and/or spiritual value of the place to mankind.

2 display progressive developments in architecture, technology, the creation of monuments, town-planning, landscaping, etc.,

3 reflect a distinct cultural tradition/civilisation that is still vibrant or which has disappeared; and

4 have exceptional examples of building styles that reflect its history.

Fort St. George, from where Madras was born and from which modern India grew, meets all these criteria and more.

In historical terms, its outstanding universal value is unquestionable. From 1640 to the 1770s it was the chief British settlement, from Aden to Manila. From here grew not only the Empire, but also every institution of modern India. From governance by a governor and council and a municipal corporation, to the birth of the Indian Army and the founding of such institutions as the country’s first Western-style school (St. George’s today), the first technical school - the Survey School (later the College of Engineering, Guindy) - the first General Hospital, the first modern observatory and a host of other institutions, to, in more recent time, the first regional political party to sit in an Indian legislature (the Justice Party) and the introduction of Prohibition heeding Gandhiji’s call, Madras has a near-375-year-old history of achievement that is truly outstanding.

Like the Fort, the “Indian” town that grew outside it — first the Old Black Town (now the High Court-Law College campus) and then the New Black Town (now George Town, Madras that is 50 years older than George Town, Penang) - has over the years reflected multiculturalism in ethnicity, language, religion, the arts and cultural tradition ranging from those of the English and Portuguese, to the Armenians, Gujaratis and Marwaris and the native Tamils and Telugus, of scores of different communities. Here flourish, or are remembered, all the major religions of the world. A score of languages are spoken every day and numerous cultural traditions are followed as a matter of course. And the architecture ranges from the centuries-old traditional to its later variations and the classical and colonial, from Madras’s own contribution, Indo-Saracenic, to art deco and the modern. As for town-planning, the gridiron lay-out for the “native” shophouses and other quarters behind the Fort and the merchants’ offices along the shoreline is colonial urban development pioneered here.

With Fort St. George and George Town up to the Old Town Walls as the core zone, and from Royapuram to Park Town, Purasawalkam, Egmore and Chepauk to Triplicane High Road as the buffer zone, here is a site deserving of World Heritage consideration for its historic contribution to not only modern India but also to the empire the British spread beyond it. Empires may come and go, but history remains to be remembered and commemorated.

The Hindu, 10th August 2012

Fort St. George in Chennai meets every criterion set down by Unesco to be declared a site of outstanding universal value

“Titled "In Spirit with Nature", the three dozen paintings depict tribal folks living a happy and contented existence in densely-forested areas of his State.

Kerala-based artist K. G. Babu, whose close proximity to indigenous tribal folks has helped him in depicting their extraordinary relationship with nature, is hosting a solo exhibition at NIV Art Centre here beginning this Saturday.

Titled “In Spirit with Nature”, the three dozen paintings depict tribal folks living a happy and contented existence in densely-forested areas of his State. The artist, who lived in a house on a forest’s edge, has enlarged the eyes of tribal folks making them look like humanoid species from James Cameron’s science fiction film Avatar.

According to Babu, a self-confessed lover of tribal culture, his paintings basically portray how the tribal folks lead their day-to-day lives in thick forest cover of his coastal State.

“As my house was located on the edge of a forest, I used to observe tribal folks’ behaviour and mannerisms, particularly their relationship with nature. Though they are illiterate, they know how to remain in harmony with nature. They are keen to preserve the rich forest cover which provides them shelter, food and clothing. They cannot tolerate city dwellers who want to destroy the forests for their selfish gains. This will bring an end to their way of life and destroy the forest which they respect.”

Asserting that the tribal folks lead a perfect life, Babu says they revere the nature and get so much happiness and satisfaction in return. “The tribal folks lead a lifestyle which is typically their own. However, there original culture is getting diluted. City dwellers have managed to destroy their lives. Fortunately there are some pockets in Kerala where the tribal folks are leading their lives just like their forefathers used to in the past Century. Their knowledge is limited but their experience of living in the forest day in and day out has taught them a number of things. So in some ways, they are more knowledgeable than city dwellers.”

Explaining the modus operandi of the artist, curator Tanya Abraham says he first captures tribals on his portable camera and then derives inspiration from their images. “The pictures become a sort of guidelines for him. He used his artistic liberty to enlarge their eyes or juxtaposes them with nature.”

Noting that Babu has lived in the heart of Kerala’s lush tropics most of his life, Tanya says he used to draw energy from the forest bordering his home. “It has transformed him and enriched his art. However, Babu left this enriching, soothing environment for Dubai. But the environment in a big city did not appeal to him. His heart always remained close to the sound of birds, animals and the rustle of leaves. Babu eventually decided to settle down in a small town in Kerala. Here he discovered and rediscovered the beauty of life.”

When Babu associated himself with tribals, he saw in them the spirit of nature. “There was no separation. They lived as one. One for the other, giving and talking, which is so intricately woven together. A part of Babu is urban, modern, with new thinking practices and means to find excitement. But when he paints, he feels what the tribals feel, he embraces what they give.”

The Hindu, 10th August 2012

Yeh Mera India has been produced to create awareness among the young generation about the need to do something urgently to protect the country’s wildlife and its habitat.
To commemorate India’s Independence, Animal Planet has announced a month-long series which will go on the air beginning August 15 to celebrate the country’s enchanting wildlife, natural diversity and exotic terrain.

Yeh Mera India has been produced to create awareness among the young generation about the need to do something urgently to protect the country’s wildlife and its habitat.

The series will cover the majestic Himalayas, the mighty yet noble Ganga and the picturesque North-East. Tigers, camels, elephants, cobras, chinkaras, blue bulls, langurs and other creatures of the wild will be highlighted. It will also focus on head-hunting tribes, mountains and pristine rivers

The series will also focus on the Thar Desert of Rajasthan explaining how the harsh environment supports humans and some of the toughest creatures there. It will conclude with a journey into the famed Western Ghats.

To entertain viewers with some of the biggest names from the Indian music fraternity, the channel also proposes to launch a multi-lingual song which has been composed and performed by accomplished musicians like Shaan, Lesle Lewis, Mathangi and Monali.

Yeh Mera India Anthem is a tribute to the rich wildlife of the country and seeks to make the younger generation more knowledgeable.

Composed by Lesle Lewis, the anthem has been sung by Shaan, Mathangi and Monali who have lent their voice to celebrate the exuberance of India’s rich wildlife.

Made in three most widely spoken languages Hindi, Tamil and Bangla, the anthem cheers the spirit of freedom and blends music and visuals. It will show illustrations of flora and fauna peppered with artists’ performance.

According to Lesle Lewis, the song will hopefully sensitise television viewers with the amazing fauna of our country. Shaan says music is the strongest medium which entertains and connects people from diverse social and linguistic backgrounds.

The Hindu, 10th August 2012

It was the sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and not his ancestor Babar, who destroyed a Ram temple in Ayodhya and built a mosque in its place, a former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer has claimed in his soon-to-be released book. Babar was falsely given credit and the mosque named ‘Babri Masjid’ after him as part of a conspiracy in the 19th century by Shia clerics who wanted its possession, he has claimed.

The officer, Kishore Kunal, quit the police service in 2001 to focus on religion and now heads the Bihar State Religious Trust Board in Patna. A Masters degree holder in History and Sanskrit, Kunal was an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the ‘Ayodhya Cell’ of the Union Home Ministry which dealt with the Babri Masjid controversy in the early 1990s before kar sevaks razed the mosque.

His book, ‘Ayodhya Rediscovered’, seeks to prove that Babar had no connection with the Babri Masjid in Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh, Kunal told The Indian Express during a recent visit to Ahmedabad.

“For two decades, I have been mutely witnessing the excruciating death of real history on Ayodhya on account of false and misleading interpretation of historical facts,” Kunal says in the book’s preface. “Earlier, I kept mum primarily because in the early nineties I was officially associated with the negotiations on this issue between the Hindu and Muslim communities. But in the last leg of legal proceedings before the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High court hearing the case, I prepared this thesis, a part of which was submitted before the court by advocate P N Mishra.”

In the book, Kunal says “Babar’s name being dragged into the demolition of Ram temple and construction of the mosque, was a handiwork of Shia clergies who wanted the possession of the mosque after Aurangzeb, an avowed Sunni, demolished the temple and erected a mosque. The Shia clerics forged inscriptions and associated with Babar, that’s how it became ‘Babri Masjid’.”

Kunal argues Shia clerics who couldn’t get possession of the mosque for a century after it was built by Aurangzeb were now able to do so under the new leadership of Awadh. “It was in 1810 when some clergies invented an inscription and predated construction of the mosque to the period of Babar and Mir Baqi as the real builder, who has been claimed as Shia,” writes Kunal.

The Indian Express, 11th August 2012

Reports that plans to build a new Parliament House have been scrapped on the objections of several members of Parliament are welcome. Earlier, it was reported that the speaker of Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar, proposed shifting to a new Parliament House as the present building, which was completed in 1927, was deemed to have become old and unusable. A few tiles falling from the ceiling of one of the domes and the narrow staircases were cited as reasons. The move would have been a mistake.

Parliament House is the symbol of Indian democracy. It is no ordinary building. Designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, it represents the best in traditional Indian art and architecture. Its circular shape, which stands for the Indian concept of eternity, its majestic columns, which lend grace and charm to the building, the domes that proudly hold their heads high, the intricate carvings, the massive wooden doors and many other exquisite features make it one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The foundation stone of this building was laid by the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and it was completed and inaugurated in 1927 by the then governor-general of India, Lord Irwin.

It is intriguing as to why there was a sudden interest in building another Parliament House and converting the present one into a museum. There is no doubt that the building requires proper maintenance. But nobody said this building is structurally weak which, therefore, mandates a move to another building within a short time. The chief of the CPWD has reportedly said that Parliament House has “outlived its normal life”. This is a fallacious argument. The British parliament is housed in a building much older than the Indian building. After the fire in 1834, which caused extensive damage to different parts of the structure, the building was rebuilt, restoring its beauty and grandeur. At no time did the British engineers think of relocating. Further, the present House of Commons does not have seats enough to accommodate all its members. Many members stand in the official gallery when attendance of all members is required. Still, the British authorities never thought of building another structure to house the parliament, because the palace of Westminster is a part of the history of the British people, where democracy and representative institutions of the people originated and evolved.

it is true that the Parliament building poses a challenge in terms of maintenance. The CPWD, the official governmental agency entrusted with maintaining it, has been found unequal to the task. For instance, the basement of the building is criss-crossed with wires. It is a dark and scary place. The old wiring system should have been replaced by a modern system. If any of those wires catches fire, in minutes the whole building will be on fire. Similarly, staircases could be cleared of obstructions so that people could use them in times of emergency. But the CPWD does not appear to be enthusiastic about its maintenance.

The main problem Parliament House faces is lack of maintenance and unplanned space management. A huge and sprawling library building and the Parliament House Annexe are situated in the Parliament complex. A new building adjacent to the Parliament Annexe is presently under construction. These buildings will fulfil the growing needs of space. A new Parliament building away from the complex will render them redundant.

Parliament House is identified with Indian democracy. Its very location has meaning. One can hear the footsteps of history in this building. No one should deny future generations that sense of history. The authentic voice of the representatives of our people should continue to be heard in the hallowed chambers of this building. On the historic occasion of the inauguration of Parliament House, the British monarch sent a message which sums up the philosophy of this building.

“The circle stands for something more than unity. From the earliest times it has been also an emblem of permanence, and the poet has seen in the right of light a true symbol of eternity. May, therefore, we and those who follow us witness, so far as we may, the fruition of these twin conceptions. As our eyes and thoughts rest upon this place, let us pray that this Council House may endure through the centuries, down which time travels towards eternity, and that, through all the differences of passing days, men of every race and class and creed may here unite in a single high resolve to guide India to fashion her future well.”

The writer is former secretary general of Lok Sabha

The Hindu, 11th August 2012

Imagine a century-old varsity that promotes and practises dance, music and many other art forms of India in their traditional form? Well, Kerala Kalamandalam, a deemed university located at Nelluruthi in Shornur district, Kerala, is all this and much more.

On our way back to Bangalore from Palakkad, we happened to pass by Nelluruthi. Having been an avid bharatanatyam and mohiniyattam dancer since the age of three, it was but natural for me to be interested in this place. Moreover, my first dance guru, being an emeritus Kalamandalam student, had by default stirred in me the liking for this great varsity. So, visiting this place was almost like a dream come true.

The university, which is located on a sprawling campus, is open to public throughout the year. Visitors just need to take an entry pass at the entrance to visit the campus which is divided into three arenas - for dance, music and art forms.

At Kalamandalam, the training follows the gurukula pattern where the relationship the disciples share with their teachers is considered supreme. Training in the various cultural forms takes place in small huts assigned to each art/dance form respectively. Such training goes on 24/7 in the campus. These training sessions hardly involve any conversation between the teacher and the taught. On the other hand, it involves a pure classical and divinely fruitful dialogue of bhavam and abhinaya.

As we passed through several huts where training sessions were on, we came across a class in kathakali where adolescent boys with well toned bodies displayed mudras and swayed to the rhythm of music drummed and sung by their guru. All the huts had boards displayed outside, which labelled the art form being taught there and a short description about the corresponding art form. All the students, being very young, left me spellbound by the dedication they showed to their chosen field of art. The teachers, draped in mundu, had clean shaven faces to display the expressions vividly, and in full abhinaya.

We happened to witness a training session where a dance form was being practised by a student with his teacher giving the music for the same. The boy’s expressions spoke volumes of not just the hard work he was putting into his practice, but also of the respect he owed to both his guru and the art form he practised. It was at this precise moment I realised how practice and dedication go hand in hand at Kalamandalam. The sparkle in the eyes of students and their enthusiasm to exude the postures of abhinaya and bhava seemed so natural that one would find it difficult to believe they were still students and not experts in their chosen field of art. No wonder, students coming out of such disciplined institutions stand out in a crowd and end up being the last words in their areas of specialisation.

The Deccan Herald, 12th August 2012

"Apart from global warming, climate changes also affect the migration pattern of birds and result in migration even during non-season instead of the usual winter," says ecologist

Climate change has brought around surprise cheer at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary here. The arrival of a big flock of the Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) at the sanctuary in the rainy season is a cause of big cheer for avid bird watchers.

“Apart from global warming, climate changes also affect the migration pattern of birds and result in migration even during non-season instead of the usual winter,” says ecologist and conservationist T. K. Roy. Ecologists who keep an eye out for such birds all year were thrilled when the flock of over 40, referred to by the locals as hawasil, arrived in the first week of August - much ahead of their normal expected arrival. While their population has been on decline, as per a report of Wetlands International, the arrival of the Great White Pelican in Delhi in a year which had witnessed a drop in migratory bird arrivals during the peak winter season is more than welcome. “These birds are seen in pairs or flocks and breeds in Eastern Europe and Middle East. This species migrates to India in large numbers during winters and settles down mainly in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.” As per the Asian Waterbird Census report, very few of these pelicans were spotted at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary in Delhi earlier - nine in 2007, 11 in 2008 and two in 2010. Mr. Roy said three species of the white pelican are available in Asia, one of which is the Great White Pelican - normally seen at large lakes and lagoons in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Incidentally, he said, a flock of Black-bellied Terns (Sterna acuticauda), one of the nearly threatened species, had arrived at the sanctuary in mid-July.

The Hindu, 12th August 2012

It is hard to imagine that possibly the oldest surviving astronomical observatory of India lies amid the greens near Bada Hindu Rao Hospital in north Delhi.

Pir Ghaib (‘the vanished saint’) was built in 1373 by Firoz Shah Tughlaq to serve as a hunting lodge as well as an observatory. A cenotaph venerating the Pir, who mysteriously went missing from here, can still be found at the spot. The only sign of modernity is a typical sarkari colony right next to it.

After weathering elements for more than six centuries, whatever remains of the huge three-storey, which is partly in ruins and partly repaired, appears strong. There are rooms on the ground floor. The first floor has a room with a hole in the ceiling that aligns with a hole in the top floor's roof. One can directly watch the sky from it.

Believers offer diyas inside these rooms every week and the monument’s courtyard is a playground for children from nearby houses. Curious heritage lovers visit the place once in a while.

British surveyors had used this building while making the baseline measurements for the Great Trigonometrical Survey. Nehru Planetarium officials had carried out an investigation into the astronomical usage of the Pir Ghaib observatory.

“When it was constructed, Pir Ghaib was away from the city centre. But now Delhi has expanded so much. The city lights and pollution prevent any sky-watching from here,” said Raghu Kalra, general secretary of Amateur Astronomers Association of Delhi (AAAD).

The Hindustan Times, 12th August 2012

Haryana's forest cover might be only one-sixth of the target that the state has set for itself by 2020 but this has not stopped the state government from eyeing more green areas for development activities.

The latest green belt under threat is the forests in the Aravalis surrounding Mangar in Faridabad district. The Haryana government has found this area ideal for a mega tourist complex, university, grain godowns and several other infrastructure projects including a hot mix plant.

Surprisingly, when top political leaders from the region including state revenue minister Shiv Charan Sharma and Haryana chief minister's son Deepender Hooda came here to participate in Janmashtami celebrations on Saturday, they didn't speak out to protect the green belt.

Sharma surprised many when he took a U-turn on the Mangar forest, which is considered sacred by the local populace. He started off by saying, "The property belongs to our saints. This should be excluded no matter whatever the planning is." However, when told that consolidation of land had taken place and that people had sold their land, Sharma changed tack, "Have people sold the property? Then what is left? Once consolidation has happened what can be done?"

Deepender said the saint in the sacred forest had "pulled" him there and the peace of the area should be maintained. "It should remain as beautiful as it is and natural significance should be preserved," he said.

In the same breath, however, he committed to widen the link road to Mangar from Faridabad to four lanes. "Do we need such a wide road if we want this entire area to be kept green? The government's agenda is to push development activities. The green cover will pave way for real estate projects in some guise or the other," an environment activist associated with the 'Save Aravali' movement said.

The state government has insisted on treating the forest as "private land" rather than "conserving" it since this patch has not been "notified under any forest notification". Locals said almost the entire land in Mangar forest and its adjoining areas had been sold to private developers. Many land patches have also been bought by politicians, bureaucrats and influential people.

"Government is ready to spend crores of rupees to increase green cover but here it's committed to axe already developed forest. By not coming out with a policy that no green area can be converted for any other land use, it's pushing speculative buying in such regions. Hardly anyone will buy land to keep it under natural plantation," environment analyst Chetan Agrawal said.

Official records show that the Haryana Forest Policy 2006 prepared on the basis of National Forest Policy 1988 has stipulated that the state's forest cover shall be 10% by 2010 and 20% by 2020. But the latest Forest Survey of India report has pegged the state's forest cover at 3.64% with undivided Faridabad at 4.32%, which is far below the levels mandated in the state forest policy.

Moreover, the Regional Plan 2021 of the NCR Planning Board states, "In view of the very low existing forest cover, it is imperative to bring more areas under forest so as to maintain the ecological balance in this region."

All these doesn't seem to convince the state government. The situation has become so grave that even the Union environment ministry has asked the state to put its plan in abeyance till it prepares the district forest map. After this, the state is preparing district forest maps.

"Will they include non-notified areas as forests? Will they recognize the sacred forest as a deemed forest area? Or is the pressure on the forest department too much to bear? We will get the answer soon," Col Sarvadaman Oberoi, an activist, said.

The Hindu, 13th August 2012

Should tourism be allowed a free run in forests that are breeding grounds of tigers? A curious case in the Supreme Court to restrict flourishing tourism in the core of tiger reserves has got many agitated.

CMs and state forest ministers are writing to the Centre demanding tourism remain unfettered in their territories. The environment minister and wildlife officers in the Paryavaran Bhawan are inundated with calls. High-decibel tiger conservationists and resort owners — at times there is little distinction between the two — are engaged in hectic lobbying with their power buddies across party lines. Forest officials in states have turned unsure of whether tigers bring tourists to their forests or tourism protects the animal.

Top lawyers are engaged by various 'interested' parties. Some other conservationists and tribal groups are holding meetings to discuss how to tackle the fallout of the apex court's final decision, which is likely soon. Ironically, amid this hubbub, tribals and poor farmers, who live in proximity to tiger, are caught in the legal cross fire, and are fast becoming collateral damage.

It began with a petition in the SC on whether tourism should be allowed in the core of tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh. The court took up the issue in earnest forcing the Union government to file its recommendations that it was dragging its feet on for several years, unwilling to rein in the powerful tourism-combo.

But, the court went a step ahead and also ordered that buffer areas - with thousands of farmers and other poor tribals, besides industry and other businesses — around core of tiger reserves be demarcated. Creating buffer areas gives forest department greater control over land, irrespective of whether they are used for agriculture or mining.

The environment ministry took the middle path on tourism. It finally recognized the irony in allowing tour operators, touts, conservationists-turned-entrepreneurs and camera and gear-loaded tourists to walk into forests when poor tribals had been thrown out for conserving the big cat and its breeding grounds.

It agreed that the people in vicinity of tiger reserves were making little out of the business where resort-owners can earn upward of Rs 40,000 a night at times against the guarantee of a rare glimpse of the elusive animal.

Recommendations were made to weed out tourism from the core of tiger reserves (which are legally meant to be inviolate or free of people) over the next five years and the wildlife tourism business around the national parks and sanctuaries be taxed 10% of their revenue to provide some money to conservation and local tourism.

The guidelines, now before the apex court, have got the tourism groups and the state governments (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasathan and Uttarakhand) up in arms and hectic lobbying is on.

A motley conglomeration of conservationists and rights groups - Friends of Conservation - have warned that under the ruse of court-imposed deadline, state governments are violating the Wildlife Protection Act and the Forest Rights Act to demarcate the buffers, overriding provisions of these laws which protect the rights of the poor in vicinity of the wildlife zones. Ironic, many point out, since the same state governments are preparing affidavits and writing letters to protect tourism in tiger reserves.

Officials warn, albeit in hushed tones, that land around tiger reserves are quietly being hived off in benami transactions to bypass land-transfer rules. Farmers and tribals with little other option are selling their land than facing the brunt of forest-raaj.

The Times of India, 14th August 2012

The Cellular Jail in the Andamans stands silent testimony to the struggle and suffering of our freedom fighers to free India

Walking through the corridors of the Cellular Jail in Port Blair was akin to walking down the saddest and most brutal chapter in history. The horror of captivity comes alive as one walks through the museum of this national memorial dedicated to our brave freedom fighters who endured extreme torture to free their motherland from British occupation. Notorious as “Kalapani”, a symbol of British oppression, it today stands proud of the selfless sacrifices made by these people.

Reliving the horrors

Born in free India and accustomed to the comforts and technology available today, one might not even be able to imagine the enormity of the sacrifice our forefathers made. Blessed with natural bounty this beautiful paradise was turned into a hell when the British East India Company began its first penal settlement here in 1789.

It was after India’s first war for independence in 1857 that the British used Andaman islands as a colonial prison to house the rebels. The first batch of 200 were transported for life under the custody of jailor David Barry and Major James Pattison Walker.

The construction of the cellular jail began in 1896 and the three-storied puce-coloured stone (brought from Burma) structure with 693 cells was completed in 1906. Similar to the spokes of a bicycle, seven wings radiated from a main watch tower at the intersection that had a bell to raise an alarm if any prisoner tried to escape. Each cell measured 4.5m x 2.7m (13.5 feetx7.5feet) with a ventilator. Two wings were demolished in 1942 under the Japanese occupation of Andamans (British resumed control of the island in 1945 after World War II) and another two were demolished post Independence.

In 1969 the remaining three wings and the tower were converted into a national memorial.

It acquired the name, ‘cellular’ because it is made up of individual cells for the solitary confinement. All measures were taken by the British to ensure that political prisoners and revolutionaries were isolated from each other, made to work like beasts to break their resolve and humiliated at the slightest pretext.

The solitary confinement was such that the Savarkar brothers Babarao and Vinayak Damodar didn’t know about each other for two years though they were in the same jail. There is a long list of distinguished political prisoners in the cellular jail. The Savarkar brothers, Pandit Parmanand, Ladha Ram, Indu Bhushan Roy, Pulin Das, Trailokyanath Chakravarthy, Gurumukh Singh and Babu Ram Hari are some of them.

During the centenary celebration of the cellular jail on March 10, 2006 the surviving inmates were felicitated. They remembered the daily flogging, torture, the hangings, suicides, cases of insanity, failed jailbreaks and hunger strike. They spoke of Mahavir Singh, an associate of Bhagat Singh (Lahore conspiracy case) who protested the inhuman treatment meted to the prisoners and sat in hunger strike. He was force fed milk which went into his lungs and he died. He was tied to a stone and thrown in the sea. No one got to know of his murder. Such was the extent of British cruelty.

The son et lumiere (sound and light show) in the evening is a befitting tribute to the martyrs. As the cool, crisp, evening breeze caressed us, we heard the voice of cine star Om Puri. An old Banyan tree and the gallows stand testimony to the sad story of brave men who lay down their lives for their motherland.

Viper Island

Another notorious penal settlemet of the British was Viper Island. Convicts were in fetters and forced to work here. Nanigopal and Nandlal Pulindas who had resorted to a hunger strike in the cellular jail were imprisoned here.

Lt. Archibald Blair came to this island in 1768 in a vessel named ‘Viper’ hence the name. It was meant to be a penal settlement and the gallows built on top of a hillock was visible to all prisoners. The Pathan, Sher Ali, convicted for murdering Lord Mayo was hanged here.

Cellular jail monument

The Cellular Jail has a Museum, an Art Gallery and a Photo Gallery.,

Open daily except on Monday and public holidays.

Entry ticket: Rs 10 (children below 10 years go free)

The Hindu, 14th August 2012

Hyderabad, the largest princely state at the time of Indian independence was caught in a confusing web, partly of its own making. Bred on the delusion of born to rule, always protected by the British and egged on by Razakars, a volunteer militia, the seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, was pitching for independent sovereign state. Often susceptible to wrong advice, the Nizam took the “dispute” of Hyderabad’s future to the U.N Security Council even while preposterously considering the option of merging Hyderabad with newly carved out Pakistan. On the other hand, India was furiously pursuing Hyderabad to join the Indian Union adopting a carrot and stick policy authored by Sardar Vallabbhai Patel.

Patel was gearing up to launch a military operation euphemistically called Police Action. Congress, Arya Samajis and Communists were running freedom movements both for the liberation of Hyderabad from Nizam’s rule and an end to feudalism. The period preceding the liberation of Hyderabad State on September 17, 1948, a full 13 months after Indian independence, was turbulent to say the least. In his memoir, Mohammed Hyder, brings alive all these aspects lucidly weaving facts of history with his own annotations based on interactions with some of the most powerful state and non-state actors of the time who shaped the destiny of Hyderabad.

Using to full effect his situation as man at ground zero during that critical transition period, the Hyderabad Civil Service officer comes up with a balanced narrative shorn off exaggerations. As Collector of Osmanabad, (now part of Maharashtra) a large politically sensitive border district of Hyderabad State he had several unenviable tasks. The most challenging was tackling “violent raids” by the Congress from Indian territory “to cripple civil administration and provoke annexation” and reining-in the armed Razakars, floated by Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen who took upon themselves the task of protecting Muslims and the Muslim rule.

The book is actually an edited version of Hyder’s tenure in Osmanabad written by him in jail in July and August of 1949. He was in jail after the new Hyderabad Government suspended and arrested him and slapped 23 cases including 14 murders, arson and loot - an ordeal undergone by several officers of the time.

The Hyderabad question, he observes, had become a major unresolved issue at the beginning of 1947, no less worrying than Kashmir. In a dispassionate dissection of the unfolding situation, he presents the causes, the differing perceptions and perspectives of the turmoil and the Nizam’s as well as the Muslims’ dilemma. At the level popular politics there was one overwhelming fact, he explains: “Hyderabad was predominantly Hindu with Muslims representing some 20 per cent of the population. From one perspective its political arrangements were self evidently undemocratic, with an autocratic Muslim ruler at the head of the system and a small, apparently reactionary Muslim ruling class dominating its administration and political life”.

Expectedly he finds a contrasting perception inside the ruling system: “Hyderabad was viewed as a state blessed with a remarkably secular outlook, enjoying communal harmony, with a benign ruler concerned with the advancement of the poor and the protection of the oppressed; an excellent administration … and an eclectic ruling elite …”

TURNING POINT

Probing political and social processes, the author considers the huge demonstration in Hyderabad city by Razakars led by Majlis leader, Syed Qasim Razvi in October 1947 against the administration’s decision to sign “Standstill Agreement” as a “turning point”. The agreement between Hyderabad and the Indian Union spoke of maintaining status quo on the status of the princely state pending accession.

It was this demonstration in front of the houses of the Prime Minister, Nawab of Chattari, advisor, Sir Walter Monckton and Minister, Nawab Ali Nawaz Jung, the main negotiators, the author says, forced them to call off their Delhi visit to sign the agreement. It was treated as “a triumph for Qasim Razvi over the rule, the Government and the people of Hyderabad” and perceived as “October coup”.

In a chapter devoted to Razvi and his phenomenal rise from a small time lawyer in Lathur to a larger than life Majlis leader, Hyder lays threadbare his persona and philosophy, based on a marathon conversation. Questions he posed and the responses he got provide insights into Razvi, often reviled by a section as the man who sowed the seeds of communal divide in Hyderabad with his infamous mission. How could a Muslim minority headed by a Muslim ruler, continue to dominate a vast and politically conscious Hindu majority in Hyderabad? To Hyder’s query, Razvi’s responses were sharp: “The Nizams have ruled Hyderabad for over two hundred years in unbroken line ... The system must have some good in it if it has lasted two hundred years. Do you agree? ... We Muslims rule because we are more fit to rule ... We rule and they [Hindus] own! It is a good arrangement and they know it!” How could Hyderabad avoid accession to the Indian Union? Could India accept the disintegration that might result if Hyderabad stayed out? Razvi shot back, “India is a geographic notion. Hyderabad is a political reality. Are we prepared to sacrifice the reality of Hyderabad for the idea of India?” Hyder says Razvi foresaw a time when Muslims would once again become rulers of India and the Nizam, ruler of Delhi, if only he followed his advice!

Hyder says he was not really impressed and recalls how he came back from the meeting frustrated rather than inspired. For him it seemed “absurd and frightening that this little man could make his position of mastery over Hyderabad”. He concedes that the views Razvi shared certainly existed in Hyderabad Muslim society then, though representing its lowest common denominator.

In the later chapters, Hyder moves on to his own struggle as Collector, his long legal battle with the new Government that took over after the merger of Hyderabad with a series of documentation that makes reading a bit heavy and taxing.

He concludes by highlighting the fallacy of interpreting Hyderabad’s status and its confrontation with India during 1947-48 from the Indian lens of aspirations of nationalist movement, totally ignoring the concerns of a smaller State being hustled into accession. He goes on to compare Indian perspective and Hyderabad’s dilemma to Thucydides’ narrative of the capitulation of the people of the small island of Melos by the mighty Athens. For those craving to know more about Hyderabad’s not so recent history of merger, this is the book.

OCTOBER COUP: - A Memoir of the Struggle for Hyderabad: Mohammed Hyder; Roli Books Pvt. Ltd., M-75, Greater Kailash II Market, New Delhi-110048. Rs. 295.

The Hindu, 14th August 2012

R.V. Smith makes a word picture of the gumbads of Delhi, their architectural beauty and also their significance in history

The gumbads (domes) of Delhi are also repositories of history which, however, are not given the attention they deserve. Domes came into prominence during the Muslim period, though there certainly were domed buildings before that time, but Hindu temples and other edifices, by and large, lacked the finesse and excellence of the domes that came up later. The dome was essentially linked to the Islamic conception of heavenly structures (of which the Taj and Humayun’s Tomb are the best examples), though the one built by Kubali Khan was a different entity altogether since, despite the name, he believed in ancestral spirits that prophesied war and peace.

The Shish Gumbad in Lodhi Gardens dates back to pre-Mughal days. Maulvi Zafar Hasan says that it is the tomb of a Lodhi grandee, “a 10 square-metre chamber roofed by a dome whose ceiling is ornamented with floral motives and verses from the Quran.”

The Gol Gumbad near Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg also belongs to the Lodhi era and measures 8.5 square metres. The dome springs from an octagonal neck. This gumbad, however, is not so prominent as the one on the tomb of an unknown nobleman, situated west of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. According to INTACH, the dome seems to answer the description of the “Phuta Gumbad” mentioned by Maulvi Zafar Hasan. Since the dome is not cracked but is in pretty good condition, it is conjectured that it was repaired subsequent to the Maulvi’s observation in the pre-Partition days when claimants to such buildings were still around. The monument is small and compact though the dome ill- suits its size. It dates back to the Tughlak period and the person whose last resting place it was supposed to be, was probably a courtier of Ferozshah Tughlak who was a great builder himself and a lover of architecture. He not only built new palaces, fortifications and hunting lodges but also repaired edifices of earlier ages, including the Qutub Minar and some of the constructions of Alauddin Khilji and the rulers who preceded him.

Yet another remnant of the Lodhi period is the Dosirihya Gumbad in Nizamuddin village. Though a tomb, it is now a residence. The name suggests that its dome was double-headed but that cannot be ascertained since the building is badly deteriorated. The Bara Khamba nearby has, besides a central dome, four domed apartments at each of the top corners of the structure. The encroachments on it have been cleared of late. Yet another domed tomb in the vicinity is of the late Mughal period. The dome has “an octagonal neck and Kangura motifs at parapet level.” Chini Ka Burj, west of the Nizamuddin Baoli, was built between 1550 and 1560. It is an oblong mosque with a domed chamber and tile work that gave its name (Chini) to the building, says INTACH. Bade Lao-Ka-Gumbad has already found mention in last week’s column.

Atgah Khan’s tomb in the Nizamuddin Basti has a very prominent dome and commemorates the husband of Ji Ji Angah, one of the two wet-nurses of Akbar, who was slain by Adham Khan, son of the other wet-nurse, Maham Angah, out of jealousy. Bari-Ka-Gumbad, east of this tomb, is of the Lodhi period and, according to Zafar Hasan, was probably a gateway to a building that no longer exists. Sabz Burj on Mathura Road stands like a sentinel to the architectural wealth of Nizamuddin area; the tiles on the dome (an excellent one) gave it the name but they were blue and not green as “Sahz” suggests. The ASI has renovated this structure, a tomb, with blue, green and yellow tiles on the neck of the dome that rises majestically against the skyline.

The tomb and mosque of Afsarwala towards the western gate of Humayun’s Tomb are also domed structures of the early Mughal period. The laskar or court official of probably Humayun’s time was the one whom the two monuments commemorate - a nameless official who must have been a very influential person in his lifetime.

Nila Gumbad, north of Nizamuddin station, is the tomb of Fahim Khan, Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khanan’s close attendant. “The building is an unequal octagon from outside and square within,” according to INTACH. It was constructed by the Khan-e-Khanan whose own disfigured tomb is close by. Blue tiles gave the mausoleum its name.

Yet another structure, Kale Khan Ka Gumbad in South-Extension, is supposed to be the tomb of Mubarak Khan Lohani, the father of Darya Khan Lohani who is buried nearby. They were Lodhi period’s famous personages. Bare Khan Ka Gumbad too is in South Extension but the man buried in it remains anonymous. Chhote Khan Ka Gumbad and Bhure Khan Ka Gumbad in the same locality also honour Lodhi noblemen. But the domed building in Kilokhari village is the gateway of the tomb of Sayyid Mahmud, a contemporary of Hazrat Nizamuddin. So gumbads remain the hallmark of 700 years of rule by Muslim kings in Delhi.

The Hindu, 13th August 2012

After the tragic death of three tigers under Pilibhit Forest Division in the past three months, wildlife experts have come out strongly for the forest division to be declared a tiger reserve. The third tiger was found dead on Sunday.

The reserved forest area is home to 36 tigers. The Centre had given its in-principle approval for the forest division to be declared a tiger reserve in 2008. In 2010, the State Government wrote to the Centre in detail. However, the Centre sent back the proposal to the State Government seeking clear delineation of core and buffer zones. Now the matter is pending with the State Government.

Further, the areas flanking the forest are very vulnerable to man-tiger conflict. Surrounded by villages that have sugarcane fields, there are repeated instances of tigers straying into these areas.

However, fresh hopes have been raised with Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan bringing up the issue of Pilibhit along with four other reserves, in Rajya Sabha recently.

While the reason for the death of two tigers on May 24 and May 25 was confirmed as poisoning, the forensic report on cause of death of the third tiger is yet to be received.

The body of the tiger,however, had no injury or bullet marks, raising suspicions of poisoning in this case too.

Rupak Dey, Chief Wildlife Warden, said, “We are combing the villages and other adjoining areas thoroughly to track poaching gangs that could have led to the incident. We are also trying to find out if there has been any recent case of killing of cattle in the surrounding villages.” He admitted that the two previous killings of big cats were in retaliation to loss of livestock. In order to ensure a better tiger management in the present situation, he said, patrolling would be intensified.

“There is little doubt that tigers in Pillibhit are vulnerable. The State Government must not delay the long-pending process of notifying Pilibhit as a tiger reserve,” said Prerna Singh Bindra, standing committee member, National Board For Wildlife.

Under the Project Tiger umbrella, Pilibhit will get the advantage of more financial and technical support, along with more focused wildlife protection.

Studies indicate a good tiger density in Pilibhit, which also serves as a crucial link between Dudhwa and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal. UP has barely eight per cent of its area under forest, and Pilibhit is among its finest and deserving of maximum protection. “This will also help mitigate and address the human-tiger conflict which is very acute in this area,” said tiger expert Dr Ulhas Karanth.

Recently, a tiger had ventured out of Pilibhit forests reaching Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture campus in Rahmankhera. It, however, did not attack any human during its 108-day stay in Rahmankhera near Lucknow and was sent back to Dudhwa tiger reserve. In 2011, there was yet another incident of tiger straying. It had killed 6 persons and was eventually sent to Kanpur Zoo. A straying tigress from Pilibhit had to be shot dead in 2009 following enormous local pressure after it killed five persons.

The Pioneer, 16th August 2012

KG Babu’s works link Nature and the people living in close proximity to it.

At the first glance they look like photographs. The textures and the colours look an exact replica of the pictures that one might take in God’s own country. The lush green foliage and the blue hues that are a trademark of Kerala’s flora and fauna seem photographic.

But when you look closely they are candid portraits of the tribals of the Kadar, Malaya and Kurichya tribe of Kerala. In spirit with nature, is the latest body of work by Kerala-based artist, KG Babu. This collection of work is a labour of love. Babu spent five years working on the this. “I have depicted the close connection that the people closest to nature have with it. In this case they are the tribals. They have the unspoilt reverence for Mother Nature. I rediscovered the beauty of life through them. I saw in them the the burning spirit of nature. There is no separation. They live as one. One for the other, giving and talking. Their lives are intricately woven together. I was a spectator,” explained Babu.

Babu visited the tribals in their natural setting, not very far from his native village Varantharaeilly, Kerala. “My paintings depict the hills and the nature that I have grown up with. My village doesn’t have the characteristic backwaters but we have the hills. They have a strong presence in my works,” shared Babu.

One sees a mother carrying her child, her face stark against the dense forest. A young girls’ profile is caught in a candid pose, as she stares at something that must have caught her attention momentarily.

Interestingly, there is a reason that Babu’s work has photographic elements in it. When he spent time with the tribals, he photographed them and as he specialises in portraits he used the silhouettes and the contours captured in the picture as the rough draft for the canvas. Explained Tanya Abraham, the curator of the show, “The works have a photographic quality to them, for that’s the basic framework, where Babu begins his work on. There is no digital work involved with the paintings, they are pure brush and canvas.”

The innate relationship between woman and nature has also been explored. There are poses of women in different stances, as they go about the chores of the mundane daily life. Traces of the matriarchal social set up, that’s a rampant in Kerala , can also be derived from these.

She elaborated, “There is a larger thread that runs through all his works. The colour of the fruit for example, the same colour has been then used to depict the colour of the skin of the kid. Then the same colour would be placed to portray the foliage in some other painting. There are many deeper layers to the series. Most of them talk about how life changes and, how it’s carried forward. The spirit remains the same, but the form changes.”

There’s a painting with a dragon fly, its eyes enlarged beyond normal. The face of a small girl has her looking wistfully at something, what we don’t know. “The big eyes are a way of having a soul to soul conversation,” added Tanya

The show is on till September 10 at the NIV art Centre, Neb Sarai.

The Indian Express, 16th August 2012

How firmly leopards are entrenched in Mumbai’s living space is clear from the guarantee of regular sightings given by real estate developers around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). But alongside the lure of a sighting remains the possibility of an attack. Such fears have been rekindled by the recent death of a girl near the boundary of the park, the first officially confirmed casualty of a leopard attack within the city since 2006.

The SGNP is possibly the only national park that lies within the municipal limits of a metropolis, surrounded by suburbs of Mumbai from three sides and Thane from the fourth. It is thus natural, wildlife experts say, for one of the 21 leopards inside the park to stroll into the nearest human settlements, which are eating into their habitat.

“Over the years, encroachment by tribals and real estate growth in areas such as Malad, Goregaon, Bhandup and Mulund have reduced the leopard’s habitat and prey base. Also, the increasing garbage around the park because of these settlements attracts dogs, which leopards feed on,” said Krishna Tiwari, head of the NGO Forest and Wildlife Conservation Centre.

“Earlier, we had buffer areas such as Powai and Aarey Milk Colony, which had a large forest cover. But the cover has now dwindled as even these areas have fallen prey to construction. The southern tip of the park is choked,” Tiwari said.

Attacks on humans peaked in the three years from 2002 to 2004 when 50 people were killed by leopards in Mumbai, 20 of them outside the park. There appeared to be a lull from December 2006 till last month, with no such deaths officially reported. There were reports that Sunny Soni, 5, who died in Aarey Milk Colony in May, had been attacked by a leopard but this was not officially confirmed. Beyond Mumbai, however, leopards have killed in rural Thane not only during this period but also after the latest confirmed death in Mumbai.

On July 16, Sanjana Thorat, 6, of Mulund in Mumbai was mauled to death by a leopard after she had gone near the boundary wall of the park near her home. But experts stress this is not a sign of a man-eater at large.

“Residents of Shankar Tekdi in Mulund, where Sanjana lived, have told me they see a leopard almost everyday but it does not attack them. Also, a leopard never attacks someone who is standing. It probably thought that the child, who was squatting, was an animal,” said Tiwari.

“This was an unfortunate incident as the family went into the forest after dark and without proper precautions. It does not mean that attacks have begun again,” said Sunil Limaye, chief conservator of forests and director of the SGNP.

Other than the attack, there have been frequent recent sightings to arouse fears in Mumbai. A leopard strayed into NES International School in Mulund in April and took 18 hours to capture. Another one was seen on the verandah of a row house in Royal Palms, Goregaon, in July.

Such encounters with leopards are inevitable in Mumbai but experts say their frequency and the risks involved can be kept to a minimum. The forest department conducted “Mumbaikars for SGNP”, a yearlong project beginning July 2011, to mitigate man-animal conflict by studying leopard behaviour with the help of camera traps and creating awareness on coexistence.

There have also been efforts to clear encroachment, the major cause of man-animal conflict. At one time, 61,000 slum-dwellers had encroached on 200 hectares of the SGNP before the Bombay High Court in 1997 ordered their removal. Removal of encroachments often runs into legal hassles, as in the case of 33,855 encroachers who were found eligible for rehabilitation under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority but who include many for whom the houses are not ready yet. According to 2011 figures, 58,649 encroachments had been removed from the park till the and 133.87 hectares reclaimed as forest area.

The court had also directed the park authrities to create a wall along its 92km boundary to prevent fresh encroachment. “Around 22km has a natural boundary and we have constructed another 26km. Construction of another 14km will begin soon and of another 30km in the next phase,” Limaye said.

In the long term, however, only awareness and an upgrade in equipment can prevent such conflict, say experts. “We need to have more rescue teams and expertise in handling such situations. We must follow the guidelines on human-leopard conflict issued by the Environment Ministry and keep creating awareness,” said Tiwari.

Tiwari, who has started a “City Forest Initiative” with support from the forest department, conducts frequent awareness drives around the park. Since Sanjana’s death, has taken his campaign to areas around Shankar Tekdi, such as Ganesh Pada, Hanuman Pada, Panscheel Nagar in Mulund. “We teach them the dos and dont’s and suggest mitigation measures such as temporary latrines. Many deaths occur when people go in to the forest to answer the call of nature and halogen lights,” he said.

Dos and Don’ts

Keep standing, leopard will never attack unless one crouches

Scare leopard away with noise, not sticks and axes

Make sure a guardian accompanies children to school and back

Never venture alone into the forest.

Flash a torch or the light of your mobile so that the leopard does not mistake you for an animal

Leopard attacks

August 5: Akshay Bhavar, 12, killed in forest in Shahapur, Thane

July 30: Akshay Roje injured in Bhiwandi, Thane

July 25: Durga Ghatal killed in Tansa wildlife sanctuary in Thane

July 16: Sanjana Thorat, 6, killed outside SGNP in Mulund

Sightings

July: One inside Whistling Woods; it returned to forest. Another on the boundary wall of a row house at Royal Palms in Goregaon; it had crossed to the verandah of a house, then strolled over the boundary wall

June: Two on IIT Bombay campus, driven away days later.

April: One inside NES International School in Mulund, another in Damu Nagar, Kandivali.

The Indian Express, 16th August 2012

Even as the country celebrated its 65th Independence Day on August 15, Mumbai was in a mood to go back in time. An exhibition of archival prints of the city on canvas, dating back 100 years ago, opened at Palladium mall in Mumbai’s Lower Parel. The show, titled “Bombay 100 Years Ago”, showcases first-of-their-kind collectors’ edition prints of the city. Playing host for the exhibition is World Luxury Council (India), which is releasing a limited number of prints, 50, wherein only 10 prints per picture will be produced “upon request”. Part of proceeds from the sale will go to an NGO that works for the empowerment of underprivileged rural children.

My family and I have had a long association with Pondicherry (now Puducherry) spanning 35 years. This involved two tenures; in 1979 I held, among a host of charges, the Department of Town Planning; 21 years later I also held the charge of Culture and Ports in my capacity as Power Secretary. Over the years my family and I have made more visits than we can count.

This preamble seeks to explain that while I do not reside there, I, as well as innumerable others drawn there by the Ashram, Auroville or simply tourism, view it as a very special place with its distinctive Indo-French architecture, its rich cultural history and its spiritual roots. Its heritage therefore belongs not just to those who happen to live there but to the rest of us as well, just as one could say that Ajanta and Ellora, or the endangered tiger, or the Jarawa tribe in the Nicobar Islands, or our oral traditions, belong to all of us and should arouse our concern if they are threatened, either by neglect, accident or design.

It is in this context that the recent decision taken by the Puducherry Public Works Department (PWD) that five of the Government-owned buildings are “unsafe” must be viewed. The five dwellings declared “unsafe,” possibly not restorable and therefore to be demolished and “rebuilt,” include the iconic house at No. 20, Easwaran Koil Street, where the great Tamil poet and revolutionary Subramania Bharati lived from 1908 to 1918, and where some of his greatest compositions were created and which is today a memorial and a museum. To demolish it is easy; but the structure that will be rebuilt will never be the home of the Mahakavi, it will just be a building robbed of its historicity.

Another building on the “unsafe” list is the Mairie, the majestic sea-fronted Town-Hall, still called by its French name by residents and tourists alike. Built in 1871, this imposing building faces the sea. In 2001, when I was Culture Secretary, it became the focus of the first heritage summit that I convened. With sizeable help from the PWD, as also from concerned friends of Pondicherry such as Francis Wacziarg and Aman Nath, we were able to restore the first floor to something of its old glory. It needs to be stated that for almost 150 years the Mairie faced every challenge from the sea. Sadly, over the last three decades Pondicherry has lost its sandy beach on its “Beach Road.” However, wearing my Secretary Ports hat, I started a dredging programme, and had the satisfaction of seeing the sand returning, slowly but surely, to where the beach once stood.

We took photographs, each week, to record the revival. That effort was later discontinued. After the tsunami of 2004, large cement blocks have been placed there to withstand the waves .Nonetheless there is a vast reservoir of available expertise in the shape of engineers, specialists, conservators and architects in Pondicherry, Auroville and Chennai, who can be pooled together, at no great cost, to restore the beach and strengthen the Mairie’s foundations, so that this iconic building is given another long lease of life. Nor, it needs to be said, is the Mairie the only building on the Beach Road. There are a whole line of buildings along the promenade, many of them of similar vintage, which face no threat. However, the government needs urgently to convene a meeting and invite available talent both to safeguard the Mairie, and in the long term, to restore the sand to the sea front.

Pondicherry has faced threats before. In 1980-81, there was pressure to build a spanking new high-rise in the middle of the Boulevard Town. Many anxious voices reached the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s attention. She wasted no time in writing to the then Chief Minister a letter, of which I remember one sentence which read: “The character of the Boulevard Town must be allowed to remain inviolate.” That put an end to that adventurism.

POPULATION GROWTH
At a time when cityscape is deteriorating and getting replaced by disharmonious flats, the Pondicherry Chapter of Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), ably headed by Ajit Koujalgi, has shown the way. In close collaboration with the Government of Pondicherry Intach took up, a few years ago, the task of conserving this very same heritage with the twin aim of also boosting tourism. This project helped restore and preserve 10 private buildings under a matching grant scheme. In the Tamil town, facades of a stretch of Vysial Street were restored to demonstrate the charm of Tamil vernacular architecture with their continuous verandas.

This project received the Unesco Asia Pacific Award in 2008. The Pondicherry Asia Urbs Programme also received international recognition in 2010, when the Shanghai World Expo decided to showcase this project for six months as one of the 50 best urban projects from around the world.

Today Pondicherry’s old town is rapidly getting urbanised, its population has tripled in the last 20 years, leading to severe stress on the existing infrastructure, urban amenities, as well as deterioration of the environment and the quality of life. In 1995 there were about 1800 buildings listed by the Intach Chapter as heritage buildings in Pondicherry; today just about half are left. Most of the buildings lost have been in the Tamil part of the town. In the French part, the destruction has been less harsh; from 300 listed buildings in 1995, about 270 now remain. Fifty-one buildings were lost last year alone, mostly in the Tamil precinct. The damage to the French precinct has been relatively less, but such rapid urban transformation will gradually destroy the fragile heritage of the Boulevard Town as well. The transformation includes uncontrolled changes in terms of land use, property division, demolitions and alterations, urban skyline, streetscape character and high vehicular traffic particularly on week-ends. The Government of Pondicherry needs urgently to review its existing floor area ratio, so that in the next few years Pondicherry does not acquire the character of faceless haphazard colonies that have come up in our metros.

There is, however, among a number of residents and friends of Pondicherry a realisation that this splendid and unique example of Indo-French architecture and urban planning needs rapidly to be protected. The Chief Minister Rangasamy of Pondicherry has himself addressed the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia last November, proposing that his Government restore 19 Government buildings include the Mairie, the Assembly, the Court, the Light House, four schools and two hospitals, and has sought additional Central assistance funds for this purpose. He wrote of these 20 buildings in his letter that, “If conserved, they will get a new lease of life, enhance their utility to the public, raise the tourism potential of the town, and most importantly, and act as a exemplar to the public to preserve their own buildings.” Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh, he wrote, was equally committed to this project.

WORLD HERITAGE STATUS
In my own recent discussions with both the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister, I found both of them prepared to walk the extra mile to help retain Pondicherry’s unique heritage.

This is also perhaps the best time to look at the larger picture, and that is in the direction of seeking Unesco World Heritage Status for the entire French precinct. The basic ingredients are all available — cultural history, unique architecture and spiritual roots. Pondicherry, with its cosmopolitan flair and multi-cultural population is a city chosen by Subramania Bharati and Sri Aurobindo and the Mother as their home. It could become a city dedicated to culture, education and spiritualism. There is no doubt that the selection criteria to acquire world heritage status is arduous, but there is no shortage of available talent to prepare these plans. There is no reason why Pondicherry should not be the first city in India to achieve this distinction.

(Navin Chawla is a former Chief Election Commissioner of India.)

The Hindu, 16th August 2012

Even as the country celebrated its 65th Independence Day on August 15, Mumbai was in a mood to go back in time. An exhibition of archival prints of the city on canvas, dating back 100 years ago, opened at Palladium mall in Mumbai’s Lower Parel. The show, titled “Bombay 100 Years Ago”, showcases first-of-their-kind collectors’ edition prints of the city. Playing host for the exhibition is World Luxury Council (India), which is releasing a limited number of prints, 50, wherein only 10 prints per picture will be produced “upon request”. Part of proceeds from the sale will go to an NGO that works for the empowerment of underprivileged rural children.

“World Luxury Council (India) works towards engaging its audiences with experiences which cannot be replicated. The exclusive collection of “Bombay 100 Years Ago” will render invaluable insight on the city’s heritage through visual epithets. These archival prints hope to enthrall aficionados,” says Foram Shah of World Luxury Council (India).

Sourced from a private collector, the prints on display till August 19, have been revived with a special ink, which will guarantee the images a life span of another 100 years. Gayatri Ruia, Director, Pallaidum, points out that the exhibition, which pays an ode to the city’s bygone era, is their way of “paying a tribute to this city and its spirit”.
The Indian Express, 17th August 2012

The Union Textiles Ministry is hosting “Hastkala Conclave” at The Ashok hotel in New Delhi this Friday seeking cooperation of corporate houses to do something for those keeping the country’s age-old handicrafts and handlooms alive.

Master artisans and weavers from different parts of the country will display exquisite handicrafts and handlooms. They will also give a live demonstration to create interest among participants. Thematic display of crafts of Jammu and Kashmir and the North-Eastern States will be an added attraction. Seminar on promotion of our age-old craft will also be part of the conclave.

To promote the treasures of Indian handicrafts and handlooms, various wings of the Ministry have joined hands to present a unique panorama of creativity, aesthetics and craftsmanship. “This would encourage corporate and industrial houses for sourcing handicrafts and handlooms as gifts and souvenirs. To preserve, protect and promote India’s rich and unique cultural heritage, the Ministry is embarking on its ambitious maiden venture to link the lowest level of handicraft and handloom sector – craftsmen, weavers and artisans – to the highest level of economy – corporate, consumers and MNCs – for leveraging their day-to-day requirement of sourcing gift and souvenirs. Corporate houses will be requested to show more compassion and responsibility towards our marginalised weavers, craftspersons and artisans by adopting a craft or a cluster. This would be part of corporate social responsibility. Industry support will enable us to set up a tripartite collaboration among the government, industry and craftspersons,” said a senior Ministry official.

On the need to partner with corporate honchos and those in the business of hospitality, the official said: “India is known in practically every country around the globe for being home to various varieties of handicrafts and handlooms which have multifarious hues, beautiful design motifs and innovative techniques. Despite the richness of our handicrafts and handlooms, our weavers and artisans are engulfed in poverty. So this is the reason for organising the conclave. We want to reinvigorate the unorganised face of the textile industry, infusing it with fresh ideation to resolve the dilemma of our mainstream crafts and looms tradition.”

The Indian handicraft sector is providing livelihood to over 7.4 million artisans. The Ministry seeks to revive languishing crafts and provide skill development for artisans.

At present the handloom sector is facing competition from countries producing similar products and also from cheaper imported fabrics. To improve the economic lot of weavers and to equip them to meet the challenges of globalised environment, the Ministry seeks to adopt a flexible and holistic approach. It has been implementing many developmental and welfare schemes.

The Hindu, 17th August 2012

UPA's initiative to give tribals control over the Rs 20,000 crore forest economy is again under threat, with the Union environment and forests ministry saying it will continue to treat bamboo as a tree and not "grass".

The ministry's stance on bamboo sets the clock back after the Centre had announced that bamboo was a "grass", thereby qualifying it as non-timber forest produce. Forest-dwellers can cut and sell non-timber produce under community rights given by the Forest Rights Act but keeping bamboo classified as "tree" under the Indian Forest Act would prohibit harvesting of the fast-growing species.

The reclassification of bamboo as "grass" came after protracted efforts to unshackle minor forest produce from the monopoly of forest bureaucracy for local dwellers. The massive bamboo business is a big revenue earner as it feeds the paper and pulp industry.

While Centre is in the last stages of shifting the control of bamboo to tribals backed by a commission to fix minimum support price for all minor produce, the tribal affairs ministry has been jolted by its forest counterpart's U-turn.

According to top sources, the environment and forest secretary this week told an official meeting that bamboo continued to be classified as timber under Indian Forest Act of 1927. He reportedly said, "Bamboo is a tree but it is grass once it is cut." The implication: tribals cannot harvest the rich and vast bamboo tracts, but only use dead and fallen ones. The environment secretary's stance negates the efforts over two years to release bamboo from the clutches of forest department. The decision to pave the way for tribal control of bamboo came in March 2011 when the Prime Minister, Planning Commission and then environment minster Jairam Ramesh decided to declare it as a minor forest produce.

When contacted, environment and forests minister Jayanthi Natarajan dissociated herself from any rethink on bamboo.
"I fully support the rights of forest-dwellers to access bamboo and their access should not be curtailed. If there are any hindrances to their rights under Indian Forest Act, I shall review them," she said.In 2011, Ramesh had sent letters to CMs that bamboo be treated as minor forest produce and added it was a non-timber forest produce under the Forest Rights Act.The rethink on bamboo could take the sheen off the UPA initiative which was even mentioned by PM Manmohan Singh in his Independence Day speech.

The Times of India, 17th August 2012

This Sunday, viewers, especially those interested in cotton fabric, ranging from saris to dupattas to other clothing, will find a reason to be at Agha Khan Hall as it will host an exhibition of traditional Indian textiles — showcasing contemporary textures, designs, colours and patterns from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

Utsav is a 25-year-old initiative by Shashiv Chandran, a textile aficionado who works directly with weavers from almost all the States, especially the southern and northern ones. The weavers, some of whom work exclusively for him, recreate designs they had learnt from their grandfathers on new fabric; sometimes, they even blend two separate fabrics or patterns from two different States.

From the design point of view, for instance, custom-coloured saris woven specially in Kanchipuram have a plain block colour with a classical zari border and pallav . These are sent to Shantiniketan forkantha thread work with designs and colours as visualized by Mr. Chandran. Similarly, fine cotton weaves from Uppada in Andhra Pradesh are finished in Lucknow’s intricate chikan-kari embroidery orkhadi saris woven in Andhra find their way to Bhuj for fine bandhej (tie and dye) patterns for which Gujarat is famous. Mr. Chandran says: “Sometimes one sari takes as many as six months to complete because of the amount of painstaking work it requires.”

“Also,” he adds, “I make them recollect the designs their grandfathers worked on, some of them do remember those patterns. We modernise them by giving the textile a contemporary look. Surprisingly, these weavers did not want to use old patterns in the face of demand for new designs by the new generation. They didn’t even think of setting up looms for the same reason but after they blended old patterns with new designs/fabric/embroidery, they found great results. This is helping them not only to revive the traditional designs which were on the verge of extinction but also learn contemporary patterns the new generation looks for. My customers include women who got married 25 years ago but still want to buy the same sari they wore, with some new designs for their daughters. I, therefore, take great care that I don’t forget to keep the traditional design as the crux of the textile.”

These heritage textiles are eco-friendly, safe, soft and subtle. Mr. Chandran says: “I work with vegetable dyes like kashish , indigo, harad , anar chilka , alum and haldi .”

Having worked with them for quarter of a century now, he is not unaware of the problems the poor weavers face. He recalls: “Some of the weavers work in extreme conditions, especially those in Tamil Nadu. Once I went to a weaver’s house in Kanchivaram. There was no electricity and he had no fan either. He had a small window in his house which he had opened for some light and air. When I asked him about the government’s scheme to provide free electricity to weavers, his wife said ‘What’s the use of such free electricity when daily power cut is for 10 hours?’” Utsav has been endeavouring to participate in making a difference to the lives of traditional weavers, even though it is a drop in the ocean.

A heritage textile exhibition in Delhi tells the tale of revitalising old and tradition patterns
18 August 2012, Hindu

The Gandhi-Kallenbach letters were bought by the government recently at an auction. Is it time other artefacts of the Mahatma are acquired similarly, even if required, by issuing appeals to collectors?

When the British auction house Mullock’s recently put under the hammer a pinch of soil containing Bapu’s blood, a letter, his spectacles, charkha and a prayer book, it was seen as vulgar sale of the nation’s pride. Anger had also erupted in 2009 when James Otis, another collector of Gandhi memorabilia, put on sale his possessions. Only last week, the National Archives got back what are known as the Kallenbach Letters - thousands of letters and documents related to Gandhiji’s friendship with the German-Jew Hermann Kallenbach in South Africa. The letters were bought at an auction.

Many believe it would not be long before other objects come under the hammer. Collectors have indicated that Bapu’s fingernails, hair, bone pieces, tooth and part of his ashes are only waiting to be auctioned.

An increasing number of people are now saying that if we truly care for our Gandhian heritage, why not issue an appeal to collectors around the world to return these artefacts to India? Why not conduct an audit of all of Bapu’s possessions scattered across the globe to at least know what lies where?

If an appeal to return Bapu’s artefacts is indeed made, it would not be the first of its kind. The most authoritative work on Bapu - Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi - was possible because the Central government made an appeal about 40 years ago, asking people to return all the writings of the father of the nation. Many people voluntarily donated, resulting in the collation of the biggest collection of writings, speeches, interviews and letters.

“I firmly believe that the Government of India should enact laws which will make it difficult for people to buy or sell objects of Gandhian heritage,” says Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar.

Dina Patel, a scholar of the Collected Works of Gandhi adds, “Although Mahatma Gandhi belongs to the world, his legacy is a national responsibility. But how does one strike a balance between dangers of his legacy perishing, and becoming a commercial commodity?

Peter Ruhe, a German citizen and avid collector of Gandhian memorabilia says that banning auctions of Gandhi’s artefacts might not be a viable solution. “If auctions are made impossible, the same artefacts will go underground and the Indian government will never get a chance to get hold of them. The government should instead set up a title for the acquisition of memorabilia on Gandhiji and India’s independence movement,” he says.

Till the Kallenbach Letters were auctioned, there were six well-known instances of Gandhi memorabilia being auctioned. Most of these articles like pens, glasses, plates, bowls, letters and postcards, were claimed to be gifted or written by Gandhi to various people during his lifetime. These objects were fairly representative of his values and the simple life he lived.

Incidentally, Otis had recently claimed he also has Mahatma’s blood drops over which he was ready to ‘negotiate’ with the Indian govern ment. Other articles in his posses sion include the original of ‘Hari jan’, a journal edited by Gandhi and cotton clothes spun by him.

Tushar Gandhi says that people who have possessions of his great grandfather have realized their com mercial value now. “The generation which kept these objects reveren tially is gone or is ineffective. The generation that has inherited them has no reverence for the objects. To them the commercial value is the only consideration.”

But, for all the angry words ex pressed over the auctions, it is ironi cal that Gandhi believed he owned nothing. The opening lines of his will read: “I do not believe that I have any property. Nevertheless, anything which by social convention or in law is considered mine… I endow as my heirs the Navajivan Institution whom I hereby declare as my heirs.”

19 August 2012, Times of India

Shimla’s historic Gaiety Theatre has created an archive of theatre scripts from the colonial era to present times

At the Gaiety Theatre in Shimla, a black-and-white picture of the play, The Mikado, reveals balding British actors dressed in kimonos and holding fans in a heartfelt attempt to appear Japanese. The picture was taken in 1900, when the opera was staged at Gaiety, and one of the names on its margins is of a certain “Mr McMahon”. Was this the famous British officer after whom the McMahon Line is named? The photograph won’t say. Similar stories abound in a new archive that Gaiety has created of theatre scripts and images. Around 500 plays make up the collection, several dating to the time when Shimla was the capital of British India.

“Normally, theatres are seen as places where a play is performed. This also means that there is almost no exhaustive archive of scripts in India. Directors mostly procure scripts from libraries or publishers,” says Rakesh Kanwar, director of the Himachal Pradesh Art, Culture and Language Department, which operates the theatre. The organisation decided to document as many plays as possible that had been staged at Gaiety over the years - an ambitious project since the theatre came into being in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The first play staged here was called Time will Tell, which was followed by hundreds of musicals, comedies and other forms of theatre.

“The search for scripts took officials to publishers across India, the National School of Drama in Delhi and the Indian Army, which manages Gaiety’s Amateur Dramatics Club (ADC). ADC is among the earliest dramatic clubs of India in the European tradition and supplied the archive with “100 books and 103 scripts from 1888 to the 1920s”.

“A few books in the archive deal with how Gaiety should be managed. Altogether, there are 480 documents in English and Hindi," says Kanwar, adding that “when we couldn’t keep books, we photocopied the scripts”. The archive, he adds, can be used by theatre groups, actors and directors across the country.

The archive raises hope that plays such as The White Elephant and An Ideal Husband, both of which were staged in 1898, will be interpreted anew by theatre groups, though Kanwar adds that his favourites are works by librettist WS Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan whose plays HMS Pinafore or the Lass that Loved a Sailor, Bulldog, and The Gondoliers or the King of Baratariaare a part of the archive. Actors in these plays ranged from British officers to ladies in frilly gowns, laces and ruffles to a young Rudyard Kipling, who acted in Scrap of Paper. According to the book Simla; The Summer Capital of British India, Kipling “came on stage - to use his own line on amateur actors: ‘hot for fresh praise and panting for hot cheers’. It is said that he did not make any great impression as an actor”.

Works by Habib Tanvir and Vijay Tendulkar and modern playwrights such as Nadira Babbar, Bhanu Bharti and Mohan Maharishi as well as Hindi translations of William Shakespear’s plays throw light on post-colonial India. Browse through the archive and the passing era comes alive, the plays reflect India’s transition from a colonial regime to an independent entity. The ruffled dresses may be history today but the stories have just got a new lease of life.

20 August 2012, Indian Express

Buried under a thick carpet of silt and marsh, Neela Hauz, considered one of the largest water bodies in South Delhi, is going to get a fresh lease of life.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has decided to restore Neela Hauz to its original shape, replete with a biodiversity park around it. At present, it looks more like a marshland.

The pond and the surrounding land, which belonged to the PWD, has been handed over to the DDA.

DDA officials said the restoration project will start in October. “We have already removed the debris from the site. The project plan has been approved and tenders have been floated,” DDA spokesperson Neemo Dhar said.

“A drain carrying untreated water from nearby colonies flows into the pond, which is filled almost to the brim with silt. This needs to be cleared immediately,” a DDA official said.

“The water body was originally spread over 3.9 hectares. It is less than one hectare today. Neela Hauz will be eventually merged with Sanjay Van,” he said.

The consolidated plan was to integrate Neela Hauz, the area surrounding it, Sanjay Van and parts of Jawaharlal Nehru University campus as a biodiversity zone. But the project would be completed in phases, officials said.

“It will take six to eight months to restore Neela Hauz. Walking trails will be developed around the lake. The DDA will implement the plan with Aravali Biodiversity Park as its consultants,” an official said.

He said indigenous plants of the Ridge area, such as phoenix palm trees, anogeissus, acacia and different species of fruit-bearing trees, would be planted around the pond.

“The area will get back its green cover. A railing and grass such as chrysopogon and heteropogon will protect and stop erosion of the slopes,” the official said.

Floating plants and tall aquatic trees like phargmytic and cat-tail will be planted to attract migratory birds. Native fish will be introduced to prevent algae.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court has directed the agencies concerned that the water body should be restored by May-end 2011. The court had also ruled that pollution in Neela Hauz should be stopped immediately.

20 August 2012, Indian Express

CITYSCAPE The tairaki melas of the Mughals. The swimming competitions of Sawan. Throwing rose petals in water before a splash in the Yamuna. Good old Delhi saw it all, says R.V. SMITH

One result of pollution and the scanty water in the Yamuna is the virtual end of the annual swimming fairs. The Delhi Gazetteer of 1883-1884 recorded the number of fairs in Delhi at 33, though originally there were 104 which included (besides the bathing ones) mostly those in honour of local deities, the pankha melas, the Moharram processions and the urs at various shrines. Among the fairs that attracted both Muslims and Hindus were the tairaki melas, first started by the Mughals during the rainy months, when the river was full and flowed right under the walls of the Red Fort. Nets had to be thrown in it to catch crocodiles that were swept thither by the flood. There may be some exaggeration in such accounts, though it is a fact that occasionally ensnared crocs found their way to Macchliwalan, the fish market near the Jama Masjid, where oil was extracted from their carcasses and, like their skin and teeth, fetched a high price, along with the snout that was mounted by taxidermists for the drawing rooms of the nawabs and nawabzadas . Until the late 19th Century crocodiles were found basking near the Purana Quila in winter and shot by British sentries, according to the Gazetteer.

Here is an account written in the mid-20th Century. For most Delhiwallahs the swimming season begins with the onset of the monsoon and not at modern swimming pools. There was a time when swimmers floated on their backs with iron spits on their chests on which kababs, paranthas and jalebis were fried. In Mughal days the art of swimming reached its zenith with tairaks from Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Central Asia and Afghanistan coming to compete here. A noted swimmer from Agra was given the title of Mir Macchli by Jahangir. It is said that when, as Prince Salim, he was initiated into the sport, tons of roses were thrown into the Yamuna, then in flood. A similar story is told about Shah Jahan, which only goes to show how popular river swimming was in those days even for princes.” Up to the early 1940s there were four swimming fairs on the four Thursdays of Sawan. Parties of swimmers from the Walled City marched to the river to the beat of drums, headed by a flag-bearer (the Nishan Nashin), and singing the songs of Barsat of poet Nazir. There were separate groups of Muslim and Hindu swimmers. For the former the ustad was the chief and for the latter the Khalifa (colloquially pronounced Khalipa). This was strange since the word Khalifa has Arabic origins and got converted into the Anglicized “Caliph”. How come then that a non-Muslim group had adopted it? One reason could be that in former times the trainers of both communities were of Turkish descent and so when “ustad” became popular with one group, the other one decided on retaining “Khalifa”.

Parmal Khalifa was actually a fat, paunchy vegetable seller who walked with difficulty. But when he entered the river he was grace sublime, braving the current and leading his team into the most tricky parts of the Yamuna. Ghafoor Ustad was a balding pigeon-fancier who used to jump from the old Yamuna Bridge into the flood water, holding the Nishan in one hand and swimming with the other - a tight-fitting cotton Lucknavi cap on his head. Both Muslim and Hindu groups swam across the river and when they reached the other side they offered “Chiraghi”. One on a mazar and the other under a pipal tree. The groups returned home with the drums beating again and the Nishan fluttering in the monsoon breeze to cries of “Nare Taqbi” and “Har har Mahadeva,” as per their belief. But if a group lost a swimmer (a rare occurrence) then the drums were not played and it trooped home silently. Because of this fear little girls and boys were posted on the road to bring word to the zenana that all was well and that their group was returning with “deecham-deecham” (joyous drumbeats) and mad Razzak dancing in a frenzy. It was then that kheel-batasha or sweat nuktidana (boondi) were distributed to all and sundry. In the case of a mishap the group did not return without the body of the drowned member, even if it took hours to recover it from usually the “bhanwar” or the treacherous circular river current that was a virtual death-trap.

One remembers meeting Munne Mian, an old ustad staying in Kucha Chelan in the 1960s, who had a host of stories to relate in his spare time. Though he had stopped swimming, his son had taken over the ustadi and the turban that went with it. One story concerned Masoom, a boy of 16 who was presumed drowned in the last fair of Sawan. The group searched for him but couldn’t find the body and wanted to return home. Munne Mian however was not the one to give up and eventually found the boy caught in the bhanwar . He carried him to the Yamuna bank, put him on his stomach and squeezed the water out of his lungs. He then massaged the body till breath returned and then the Nishan was hoisted and the group returned triumphantly, with Masoom being carried in a sort of relay throughout. One hardly hears of such fairs now!
20 August 2012, Hindu

Travel In a remote village in Karnataka, in Chandralambha Temple, discover legends of goddesses and kings

It is one of those days when the journey becomes the destination, when the mountains and fields seem to follow you wherever you go, when the sunflowers nod at you, local women laugh shyly, and the sun gently peers at you from behind the clouds. There is a charm about rustic India that is simply inexplicable.

I am travelling from Yaadgiri, a small town in north Karnataka, towards Kanaganahalli, a nondescript village on the banks of the river Bheema. My destination is a small temple dedicated to Goddess Chandralamba, which is almost 800 years old. A couple of children look lost in the antiquity of the temple, while a few old men gather in the courtyard to share their stories.

They tell me a fascinating tale of a goddess who came here all the way from North India to protect two devotees from an evil king.

Legend goes that Chandrala was captured by a local ruler while Narayan Muni, her rishi husband, was away. The rishi travelled to the Himalayas to entreat the goddess to help him defeat the king. The goddess agreed to follow him but asked him not to turn around and look at her during the journey. But as they neared River Bheema, Narayan Muni was unable to control his curiosity and turned around, only to see a stone idol. Thankfully, the goddess still kept her word and helped him defeat the king.

My interest in the small hamlet is, however, courtesy Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Dynasty, who left his mark here several centuries ago. The story, I am told, begins with the discovery of an edict belonging to the Ashokan era when the roof of the temple collapsed years ago. The inscription was apparently used as a pedestal for the idol.

The discovery eventually led to an excavation where the remains of an ancient Buddhist stupa were found. I walk quietly into the site, where I find the edict placed at the entrance. Written in Brahmi script in the Prakrit language, it speaks about religious tolerance. A group of school children walk around the many panels of sculptures carved in limestone.

They are strewn around, broken but glistening in the afternoon sun. There are larger then life panels surrounding the main drum of the stupa. Dated between 3 BC and 3 AD, this Maha Stupa, as it was referred to, was probably built by Ashoka and then rebuilt by the Satavahana kings.

The site is a treasure trove of antiquities but the most priceless treasure belongs to Ashoka himself - a broken portrait of a king with his queens gently pieced together and lying a little away from the main stupa under the shelter of a tree.

I am told this could be the very first inscribed panel of King Ashoka to be discovered in India, as it uses the phrase ‘Raya Ashoka’.

I am joined by the school children as we look at the sculptures. We learn that the conservation of the stupa is in progress and pains have been taken to restore it as scientifically as possible.

As we peer at the king and walk past the Buddha sculptures, I marvel at how a simple journey into rustic India can turn into a very historic one.

20 August 2012, Hindu

Bharat Bhushan Singh’s paintings reflect the culture and beauty of Varanasi. He shares with Ila Sankrityayayan some special moments he spent there

Ghats of Varanasi have always been a favourite subject to paint and capture. While some artists are enamoured by the natural beauty, some want their works to mirror the religious beliefs and culture of the place.

Bharat Bhushan Singh wanted to pay a tribute to the sacred city. His works try to capture every minute details about the place. He also showcases the changes that the city witnessed during the period, from 1882 to 1996. The title of his ongoing exhibition, at Chawla Art Gallery, is Banaras Sum and Substance. “Varanasi is the city of learning and spiritual upliftment. My works present the place as a pilgrimage destination,” said Singh.

The artist spent few years of his life in Varanasi. His paintings showcase his observations and experiences. “I stayed in Varanasi while I was doing my graduation and post-graduation in fine arts from BHU. During that period I used to visit various ghats — Assi ghat, Dashashwamedh ghat, Raja Harishchandra ghat, temples, streets and then make the sketches. I explored the life and culture of people,” he informed.

He shared one of his experiences and said, “One evening I was travelling in a boat. I could see the setting sun and the sky turning crimson. As it grew darker I could see the reflection of the lights, surrounding homes and temples in the water. It was a beautiful sight. I was completely mesmerised. I took out my note pad and sketched the scene. There were many incidents like this one, that have been an inspiration to my works.” Singh is now based in Delhi, but the memories of the place still lingers in his mind. His canvas is the only medium to share those memories.

“The time spent in Varanasi was the most interesting and joyful phase of my life. The place is close to my heart and it reflects very well in my works,” he explained. Singh continued, “I often observed the flowers that were used to worship the God and during celebrations took a different form when they were on the dead body. There is a sort of cycle and sequence that even these flowers go through. One of my paintings is all about this.”

Bhushan presents a subtle blend of tradition and modernism. “Over the years the place is undergoing many changes. It is getting crowded and one can note that people are adapting themselves to the modern means. But the traces of tradition will always remain and that’s what makes the place special to me,” he concluded.

The Pioneer, 28th August 2012

The Supreme Court on Monday sought replies from all authorities concerned in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh regarding “in what form and where they discharged industrial waste and other effluents”.

“It is a very unhappy state of affairs. It is very unfortunate that such a serious matter about a river is being dealt with such casualness by all authorities of different state governments. You are treating it like a tree and not like a river. Yamuna is polluted to the core now,” said a bench of Justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar.

Infuriated that all the authorities were engaged only in pushing the burden on each other and filed “vague” affidavits to explain their stands, the bench said that it was giving the last opportunity to the Delhi and UP governments, besides their authorities like Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Noida Authority, to file affidavits in categorical terms to apprise the court if they were dumping effluents in Yamuna and if so, in what form — with or without treatment.

The court also asked the DJB to draw a map in consultation with Noida Authority to reflect the positions of the river in Delhi, Haryana and UP, and to show the points where any kind of waste or effluents were being discharged in Yamuna. The Jal Board was told to inform the court about water treatment plants and points across the river where it pumps water and treats it.

The Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee have been ordered to file their affidavits on the quantity of solid waste, industrial effluents and other wastes that get dumped in the river right from Panipat in Haryana till Ghaziabad in UP.

“It is shocking state of affairs that nobody is bothered about the river. Everyone behaves as if they throw nothing in the river. It is also shocking for the MCD to say they have nothing to do with the pollution in Yamuna even though they could be the biggest pollutants,” said the bench, making it clear that any failure to file affidavits will prompt them to take action against the officers concerned, besides “exemplary costs”.

The court also asked advocate Shiv Sagar Tiwari, counsel for the association of Noida’s Sector 14 residents who had filed this PIL 16 years ago, to put on record the orders whereby Bhure Lal Committee was entrusted with the task of monitoring the Yamuna cleaning plan. “We also make it clear that in our next order, we may not confine this petition to the ambit of the Bhure Lal Committee,” said the court, fixing September 18 as the next date of hearing.

The residents of Noida’s Sector 14 had filed the PIL, asking the court to ban the discharge of effluents from Delhi into the Shahdara-Ghazipur drain, which passes through several areas of Noida before it flows into Yamuna. In 1998, the apex court appointed a committee to look into the problem. Later, the court asked the pollution control authority to follow the measures suggested by the committee.

On the last date, the court had pulled up governments of Delhi and UP for failing to stop pollutants from flowing into Yamuna. It had also criticised poor co-operation between the two governments.


The Indian Express, 28th August 2012

I have been an avid wild-lifer from childhood and now, in politics, the only solace that I derive is when I am in a wildlife park. The Supreme Court ban on wildlife tourism in “core areas” has come as a shock to me.

With this ban on wildlife tourism, I would be denied, along with millions of wildlife enthusiasts, seeing the tiger in the forest.

Kaziranga, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Pench, Bandipur, Corbett, Gir and now Tadoba, are the most popular parks for wildlife tourism in the country. The tiger census has proved that the tiger population in these most-visited parks has gone up by over 25 per cent.

Take the examples of Sariska and Ranthambore, as both have a similar terrain. In Ranthambore, very popular with tourists, the tiger population went up, while in Sariska the poachers had a field day, sometimes with the connivance of forest officials, resulting in the tiger population being reduced to zero.

All the above mentioned parks are core areas and some of them, which have buffer areas, do not have wildlife. Most of the buffer areas have villages and mining factories and would take years to develop. It is also not easy to shift villages.

The Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, had conducted a study that shows tourism does not have a negative impact on tiger reserves or protected areas. This study, conducted between January and April 2011, was carried out in Pench National Park.

Environment and forests being on the Concurrent List of the Constitution, the power rests with the states who were not part of the consultation process while drafting these guidelines. All land of protected areas and national parks belong to the states, not to the government of India.

The guidelines for ecotourism in India, first submitted by the Union ministry of environment and forests to the Supreme Court, have not been approved, nor discussed by the National Board for Wildlife. Neither was it approved by the entire body of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

According to the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, the powers to allow/ disallow tourism in parks rests with the chief wildlife warden of the state concerned.

The NTCA, in paragraph 2 of the guidelines, asks states to amend their laws accordingly to incorporate these guidelines. Guidelines cannot take away the constitutional rights of the state in the federal structure. They cannot, also, overrule the provisions of the wildlife act passed by Parliament.The following sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 are relevant to establishing the supremacy of the state in this matter:

Section 4(2): “In the performance of his duties and exercise of his powers by or under this Act, the Chief Wild Life Warden shall be subject to such general or special directions, as the State Government may, from time to time, give”

Section 28(1): “The Chief Wild Life Warden may, on application, grant to any person a permit to enter or reside in a sanctuary for all or any of the following purposes, namely: (a) Investigation or study of wildlife and purposes ancillary or incidental thereto; (b) Photography; (c) Scientific research; (d) Tourism; (e) Transaction of lawful business with any person residing in the sanctuary.”

Section 35(8): “The provisions of Sections 27 and 28... shall, as far as may be apply in relation to a National Park as they apply in relation to a sanctuary.”

Would the Supreme Court like to order against the provisions of the wildlife act and encroach upon the fundamental rights of the state government, guided simply by the whimsical, illogical and dictatorial guidelines drafted by a few people without the widest consultation with the stakeholders?

These guidelines directly affect the employment of over two lakh people and the livelihood of over one million, besides various other stakeholders in and around the 650 protected areas in our country. The majority of the employees in this sector are from the local communities, including tribals, and many who have been displaced from their original homes while creating these very national parks.

Ecotourism is the only sustainable, non-consumptive industry available to communities inhabiting the surroundings of our protected areas. Ecotourism can lower the cost of conservation that is borne primarily by these communities.

I saw a tribal youth, whose livelihood depended on tourism in Kanha, telling a news channel that if his livelihood is taken away, he would have no option but to cut the forest trees and kill tigers or become a Naxalite.

Take the case of African wildlife tourism, which is a significant part of the GDP of many African countries. Empirical evidence is available to prove that the critically endangered gorillas of Rwanda were saved only because of the positive impact of tourism on local economies.

I am appalled by the reaction of the Union tourism ministry which is blissfully unaware of the impact of these guidelines on the Indian tourism industry.

I am told that the author of these guidelines is Rajesh Gopal of the NTCA whom I have known since 1992 as the director of the Kanha National Park and who continued to stay there for the longest period. He has spent days with me when I was chief minister, and he took me around Kanha and was instrumental in my passion for wildlife photography, discussing how we could promote tourism in Kanha. I strongly recommended his name for director, Project Tiger, a position which he has continued to hold for the last 10 years, unheard of for a state cadre officer. I have the highest regard for his love of wildlife but I don’t have a clue as to why he has authored a guideline which would not only finish wildlife tourism but also wildlife and forests in the core areas of our national parks.

The absence of a vigilant tourism industry, which has a vested interest in the conservation of wildlife and forests, would lead to what happened in Sariska. Poachers, with the connivance of lower officials, will have a field day once tourism stops.

I am sure this is not the objective of the MoEF, the NTCA and the Supreme Court. I strongly plead with folded hands to the Supreme Court and the MoEF to reconsider their total ban on wildlife tourism.

The writer, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, is general secretary, AICC


The Indian Express, 29th August 2012

Man-animal conflicts are on the rise across the country, because wild animals are being increasingly pushed out of their habitat by human activities. Their departure has exposed our forests and water sources to destruction

In 1967, a wild tigress from the Chandaka forest on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar walked into the Nandankanan Zoo nearby, lured by the calls of a male tiger in one of the moated exhibits. It jumped in to join him, surely unaware that there was no way out. The tigress — later named ‘Kanan’ — lived on in the zoo. Predictably the Press went to town about “the wild tigress who voluntarily chose captivity.” For the State forest department it was a bonanza, for the then fledgling zoo got a new ‘free’ tiger. Few thought of the only, lonely tigress who had simply responded to the call of her own. She was the last wild tiger in Chandaka.

The forest, however, continued to be a refuge for elephants, leopards, sloth bears, jungle cats and a host of bird species, and was declared the Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary in 1982, intended to protect elephants and serve as Bhubaneswar’s ‘green lungs’. Over time, the dynamics of the city and the forest have changed. Bhubaneswar today bears little semblance to the quaint capital built in 1948. In its vision for the coming decades, Odisha aims at transforming the Chaudwar-Cuttack-Bhubaneswar-Khurda urban conglomerate into a metropolis that will replace Kolkata as the ‘hub of the east’.

Going full throttle to achieve this vision, the region has seen rapid, and ill-planned expansion which has isolated Chandaka Bharatpur forest, a part of the Chandka sanctuary juts into the city and has practically been severed from the rest of the sanctuary. Gated colonies, large institutes (Bhubaneswar has over a 100 engineering colleges, plus a number of management and other institutes) and tech-parks have come up in between, leaving a few elephants trapped permanently inside the 10 sq km degraded, weed-ridden scrub that is Bharatpur today.

Until 2002, Chandaka had over 80 elephants living in its 190 sq km area. Conflict was a perennial problem in the villages around, and became more severe as the city grew. The relatively new suburbs of the city sometimes had their residents jolted out of prime time TV when a herd of elephants would show up on their driveways. Crackers, crowds, mobs and mayhem invariably followed — sometimes with tragic results. The elephants had nowhere to go; they got little sanctuary in Chandaka. Overgrazed by cattle and exploited for firewood, the habitat itself was turning increasingly unsuitable, even hostile. Villagers had encroached, and when the elephants raided their fields, they were riddled with shotgun pellets. Wounded, over time some elephants died a slow, painful death.

In 2002-2003, a herd of over 20 elephants migrated out of Chandaka in a southerly direction — a route never in history known to be used by them. They crossed the busy four-lane NH-5 just outside Bhubaneswar and made for Barunei Hill, moving onwards, traversing villages, cultivation, the Tangi-Ranpur ‘Mal’ forests and into the relatively well protected Barbara reserve forest — traditionally not known to harbour elephants.

When Chandaka deteriorated further, especially post 2006, more herds followed. The desperate, bewildered elephants were on the run, hounded by mobs and harassed by terrified villagers. Some reached Chilika, a few fell by the wayside, succumbing to sheer exhaustion. Reportedly, only about 20 of the original 85-odd elephants now survive in Chandaka. The ‘emigrants’ are now constantly on the run — from one conflict situation to another, across southern-coastal Odisha, where neither can the forests support them, nor are the farmers used to elephants.

Conflict has intensified to such an extent in southern coastal Odisha now, that the State’s forest department has deployed almost its entire force of captive elephants as ‘kunkis’ in the region to contain the conflict. The elephants are running out of space, and out of time. Yet, there is hope.

Two years ago, a herd of elephants from across the Mahanadi came to Chandaka — and went back again after a short stay, proving that old corridors linking Chandaka to the gene pool of the Mahanadi Elephant Reserve, which also includes the Satkosia Tiger Reserve, through the Athgarh and to the Kapilas Hills, still exist. Since then, a few more herds have begun using this route. If Chandaka is protected, its habitat restored and the villages inside it rehabilitated, it can once again be a safe haven for elephants.

It is equally critical to protect the fragile links of this forest to Athgarh and Kapilas for the long-term persistence of elephants in this landscape, and to address and minimise conflict. Interestingly, elephants from the Athgarh-Chandaka region were considered the most ‘robust and strong’, and were much coveted as war elephants.

Saving Chandka and elephant corridors requires a consistent effort, commitment and a tremendous amount of will, but surely in a country where the elephant is worshipped as Ganesha, and in a State where elephants are deeply rooted in ancient culture, this should be the priority.

The decay of Chandaka and its wildlife is a reflection of the larger picture of our ‘protected areas’, particularly those which have the misfortune of neighbouring a city. Hardwar and Rishikesh are crowding Rajaji National Park, which must also bear the brunt of the ancillary development of the capital, Dehradun, a mere 35km away. Dachigaam National Park is a jewel on the outskirts of Srinagar, with the expanding capital pressing in. Conflict with black bears has reached worrying proportions — a bear was burnt alive when it ventured into human habitation in 2006. Ratapani, once the hunting grounds of the nawabs of Bhopal, is fragmented by highways, railway lines and the swell of the capital.

Reports of a tigress with cubs in outskirts of Bhopal have been doing the rounds since last year. Gurgaon has bulldozed the forests of the ancient Aravallis — and with it has gone the unique biodiversity that these hills supported. Water, a gift of the Aravallis, has vanished too. The Aravalli hills are a critical groundwater recharge system in this otherwise arid north-west of India and contain the catchment of Damdama, the last remaining major perennial lake here.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had wondered on August 1, in response to a PIL, “Where will the next generation go if we extract the complete groundwater?” And therein lies the logic of saving Chandaka and its elephants, Dachigaam and its hangul, Ratapani (and Rajaji) and its tigers.

Not only does wilderness provide us precious intangible values, but it is the key to our water and ecological security, and to also our future.

(The author is a member, National Board of Wildlife.)

The Pioneer, 29th August 2012

Delhi Police on Tuesday clarified that there are no restrictions on public entry at India Gate and claimed that they have only informed the authorities concerned that India Gate can be a potential terror target as it is an iconic monument and to improve lighting and create more parking arena around the India Gate.

They also said that it does not intend to restrict entry near the war memorial. Spokesperson of Delhi Police, Rajan Bhagat, said in a statement that it was ‘not true’ that they intend to impose restrictions on entry of public at India Gate. “It is clarified that this is not true,” he said.

“Delhi Police has only informed the agencies concerned that India Gate can be a potential terror target, as it is an iconic monument and that while security has been beefed up at the venue, the lighting provided is not adequate and the entire area is poorly lit,” Bhagat added.

The agencies were told that the lighting provided is not adequate and the entire area is ‘poorly lit’ while security has been beefed up at the venue, the spokesperson said, adding that they have been requested to improve the lighting arrangements in the entire area surrounding the monument.

Police sources said that, recently after the interrogation of Abu Jundal, investigators came to know that India Gate was on the terrorists’ hit list.

“The agencies have been requested to improve the lighting arrangements in the entire area surrounding the monument,” said Bhagat.

The Pioneer, 29th August 2012

Where and how did the ancestor of all Indo-European languages originate and diversify into German, Italian, Russian, Persian and Hindi?

Professor Bhadriraju Krishnamurti, a scholar and gentleman, and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, breathed his last a fortnight ago. His demise marks the end of an era in the scholarly analysis of Indian languages. His authoritative book “The Dravidian Languages” (Cambridge 2003) clearly set out the origin, development and diversity of the Dravidian languages.
He made me aware of the point made by the geneticist Luigi Cavalli-Sforza that the genetic tree and the linguistic tree have many impressive similarities, and would goad me into thinking more about these putative similarities.

True, DNA is the seed on which the genetic tree has grown, flourished and diversified. Likewise, word is the seed on which languages form, flourish and multiply. Just as genes are sequences of DNA and the collection of genes (the genome) identifies an organism, words, phrases, sentences, and grammar define language.

Just as organisms have evolved from an ancestor, languages too have evolved from an ancestral or “proto” language. Where and how did the ancestor of all Indo-European languages, or the proto-Indo-European, originate and diversify into German, Italian, Russian, Persian and Hindi, is a question on which there has been a controversy or war of words.

In this connection, Professor Krishnamurti would have been interested in a recent paper in the August 24, 2012 issue of Science by Dr. Quentin Atkinson and colleagues of the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Atkinson took the Cavalli-Sforza idea further and used the same statistical methods used in evolutionary biology to the study of the origin of Indo-European languages. In evolutionary biology, we start with sequences of the DNA molecule and analyse how they have changed and diversified to produce newer and individual species in time.

Alternately, and equally effectively, we can start with the DNA contents — the genomes — of a group of, say, mammals, and work back in evolutionary time and see at what point, or origin, they started diverging to produce, say dogs, cattle, apes and humans.

In linguistics we start with root words — actually ‘proto-words’, or cognates. These are the original words from which variations arise. For example the proto-Indo European word ‘mehter’ metamorphosed into ‘maa’ or ‘maata’ in Hindi, ‘ mutter’ in German, ‘mater’ in Latin, ‘mat’ in Russian or ‘mader’ in Persian.

Atkinson started with such cognate words and gave each of them the value of one. When the cognate is replaced by some other word, it got a value of zero. Using such a binary score, he used the same statistical method (called Bayesian phylogeographic approach) that was used earlier to investigate the origin of virus outbreaks from DNA sequence data.

Basic vocabulary data from 103 ancient and contemporary Indo-European languages were used to trace their origin or the root from where they diversified. His result: the proto-Indo-European language started in Anatolia, or ‘Asia Minor’, comprising much of Turkey.

Atkinson’s team writes in their Science paper: “we found decisive support for an Anatolian origin over a steppe origin. Both the inferred timing and root location of the Indo-European language trees fit with an agricultural expansion from Anatolia beginning 8000-9500 years ago.”

Note two words in the above quotation, namely, ‘steppe’ and ‘agricultural’. First the latter; the distinguished British archaeologist Colin Renfrew had suggested already in 1987 that agriculture and language dispersal went together.

As hunter-gatherers settled down to become farming communities, a well-knit society was formed with more intimate interactions within and without. And as such communities moved, or formed in several locales, communications became active, and language started developing.

Other evidence suggests the start of agriculture in the Indo-European region to be Anatolia, and just about 9500-10,000 years ago. And farming is believed to have moved from this region, both westward and eastward. As farming communities formed, linguistic diversity did as well.

Not everyone accepts this interpretation. Within hours of the Atkinson paper appearing online, a war of words started through emails and blogs. The other theory is that proto-Indo-European language originated in the Caspian region of West Asia, also termed the “steppe”. This is the treeless, grass-covered regions in South Eastern Europe and Asia.

It covers a vast area of cold central Asia on one hand — Ukraine, Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan (the Silk Route) and the tropical Indian and West Asian region on the other. Current theory about the origin of Indo-European languages is that the ‘proto’ or origin is off the Caspian Sea area. Here too, linguistic analysis is based on cognate words such as the sky god “dyeus” (“deva” here?), horse “ekwos” (“aswa”?), the cow “gwous” (gau?), and the date suggested is more like 6000 years ago. The belief here is that language spread not through farming or agriculture but through conquest — not by seed but by sword, and not by the hoe but by horsemen.

Telugu, spoken widely in Andhra Pradesh, on which the late Prof. B Krishnamurti researched in detail, is part of the Indo-European family. But the origin of Tamil, the language spoken by the southern neighbours, is still unclear.

It seems to have some relationship with, of all languages, Finnish, Hungarian and Basque. And Malayalam, which has commonality with Tamil, has several words common with Finnish; for example the words for basket (vatti in Malayalam, vatin in Finnish), flower (puu, puu), house (kudi, koti). Here then is a puzzle waiting to be resolved by the next generation Krishnamurti on the proto-Tamil/Malayalam language. That would be a fitting tribute to this outstanding scholar.

The Hindu, 30th August 2012

The book "Delhi Phoenix City" contains pencil sketches of the Tomb of Roshanara, Kashmere Gate, Fatehpuri Masjid and many more of Delhi’s architectural gems

For people who know nothing about architecture or building, the string of words – hot-dipped galvanised steel doors and windows – may seem rather alien. But thanks to renowned architect C.S.H. Jhabvala, this phenomenon was introduced for the first time in the Sun Life Insurance Building that stands today at Ajmeri Gate in Delhi – making it a milestone in its own way.

“My father was very innovative,” said Renana Jhabvala during a talk on Wednesday about his method in architecture and as a teacher at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) where he taught for almost three decades. But later on in the talk about Professor Jhabvala, another facet of his life took centre-stage – that of a remarkably gifted artist.

With sketches from his new book titled “Delhi Phoenix City” to aid her narration, Renana spoke about how her father perceived Delhi’s architectural marvels in the context of history and what happened to these monuments as time went by. So as the slideshow began, there they were: pencil sketches of the Tomb of Roshanara, Kashmere Gate, Fatehpuri Masjid and many more of Delhi’s architectural gems.

While many of these were sketches of places that the Professor visited often, several others were taken during his “quiet desultory ambles” around town. “I studied at Hindu College and my father would often come to drop me off,” said Renana, pointing to a sketch of the house of Hindu College’s Principal which according to the professor was a design “peculiar to the Army”. Similarly, the family would get dragged to the ramparts of Red Fort each time they had an outstation visitor. This then obviously became a part of his collection of drawings.

Yet the Professor, who currently lives in New York and turns 92 next month, only took to his real passion of drawing and sketching after his architectural practice reduced. Before that he had an illustrious career as an architect and more importantly a teacher and head of the SPA.

“Professor Jhabvala was more than a teacher. He was many things rolled into one,” said Nalini Thakur, a former student and current head of SPA’s Architectural Conservation. “He was instrumental in professionalising architectural education – a big change from being seen as a draftsman,” she said. The Professor not only consolidated the syllabus for architecture education but promoted objective ways of learning, observed Ms. Thakur, “but he was a tough teacher and was feared a lot.”

Hearing Professor Jhabvala’s contemporary and classmate J. J. School of Arts Professor M. M. Rana’s recollection of their days as young architects was perhaps the best way to conclude the evening session. “I was drinking tea one day when someone threw a matchbox on my head,” he said, “I looked up and saw Jhabvala. He immediately told me he needs me to teach at SPA. There started our association once again as teachers.”

The Hindu, 30th August 2012

The recent intense rainfall seems to be taking its toll on the city's ancient monuments with a sizeable portion of the 16th century Sher Shah Gate collapsing late last week. While the collapsed portion of the 500-year-old monument still lies at the foot of the structure, worried officials of Archaeological Survey of India are keeping a close eye on the structure itself after inspections revealed that the stone blocks in the lower portion have also been displaced.

Located opposite Purana Qila, Lal Darwaaza was constructed by Sher Shah Suri, who conquered Delhi after defeating Mughal emperor Humayun. According to sources, the collapse took place on August 21 when Delhi had recorded the highest rainfall of the season till then. "The collapse was reported a week ago and was probably caused due to pressure on the structure during the heavy rain. We have inspected the area and the directions have been issued to the conservation assistant to prepare an estimate for restoration," said Delhi circle superintending archaeologist D N Dimri.

ASI officials added that they would put up boards asking people to be careful while visiting the gate. "Once restoration work begins, we will cordon off the area," said Dimri. Estimates are to be submitted to the Delhi circle within a week and the restoration work will begin after the monsoon.

"The monument is hundreds of years old and it appears that the effect of lime mortar, which acts as a binding agent, weakened over time and with added pressure of the rain, the portions collapsed. The joints between the stone slabs had all become loose," said an ASI official. The overall structure seems to have weakened due to displacement of the stone slabs in the lower portion. "This portion will also be restored, and we are trying to ensure there is no further damage to the structure," added an official.

Conservation architects, however, pointed out that lime mortar survived thousands of years unless it was diluted with water. "Collapse like this is shameful as it's clearly the result of years of water accumulation possibly coupled with use of cement in the stone joints that would trap the water inside," said an expert.

The gate had undergone conservation work in 2010 before the Commonwealth Games. However, sources said the collapsed portion was not touched then and the last conservation work on it was carried out in 1953. "Glass plates were placed between the stone blocks along with the date to measure cracks. If the cracks between the stone slabs ever widened, the glass plate would automatically break. The portion of the wall next to the one that collapsed still has the glass plate intact dated 1953," said a source.

The Times of India, 30th August 2012

Delhi-based photographer Shivani Dass’ abiding interest in Sufism has taken her to nine important Sufi shrines across the country.

Besides paying her respects at the shrines, this 28-year-old, who has been pursuing photography for the past four years, has managed to capture 1,000 colour pictures to highlight the secular character of the shrines.

Since she could not show all her images at one exhibition, she has shortlisted 28 images, each of which has been put on display at a solo exhibition at Alliance Francaise de Delhi and has an interesting new story to tell.

Titled “Violet Dreams”, the exhibition capturing different facets of Sufism was inaugurated last weekend and ends today.

Shedding light on how her interest in Sufism developed, Shivani says her closest friend Anamika often took her to the famous Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargarh. “I used to observe that people from different religious denominations visited and prayed at the shrine. Their faith in Sufism was heartening. What I best liked about Sufism is that it does not prevent anyone from paying homage at dargahs which embrace everyone with open arms. This created a lot of interest about Sufism in me. I have always been intrigued by its mystical ways and wanted to provide a visual language to the quest for this path.”

The shrines Shivani visited included Khwaja Moinuddin Chisthi’s Dargah in Ajmer, Dargah Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan in Bangalore, Yousufain Sharifain in Hyderabad, Nagore Dargah in Tamil Nadu and Delhi dargahs of Hazrat Nizamuddin and Matka Pir.

The photographs capture different moods of the believers and ignored corners of Sufi shrines. “There was so much going on in each place that I visited. People were healed at Mira Datar’s Dargah in Gujarat and at Nagore Dargah in Tamil Nadu when I went there during Urs. But I did not want to capture the obvious imagery of suffering and joy. I wanted to look at the in between pauses when nothing is really happening, yet a great deal is,” Shivani says.

Shivani’s favourite pictures include one of a girl whose face is turned away from the camera. She is one of three sisters at Mira Datar’s Dargah who was disillusioned as her father sat outside complaining about the loss of their only son who died during the Bhopal gas tragedy.

The Hindu, 31st August 2012

Delhi Metro has hit a green hurdle almost a year after it started construction for Phase 3 of its network. Of a total of roughly 16,000 trees that needed to be felled for the expansion, the forest department has given permission to cut only 3,700 trees. DM Shukla, chief conservator of forest, Delhi government, said, "DMRC has not yet fulfilled some statutory requirements such as forest clearance, getting no objection certificates from DDA and signing MoU with the Defence ministry for land use."

But sources said unavailability of suitable land for afforestation is also one of the reasons for the roadblock. The forest department had requested the DMRC to identify lands for afforestation. According to a senior official, restoration of Aravali hills is also going on for the same. The compensatory afforestation for trees cut for the 140-km phase 3 would require 125 acres of land.

DMRC sources said they would pay R45 crore for compensatory afforestation and plant 10 trees for each tree felled.

Areas that are set to lose green cover include RK Puram, Kalkaji, Janakpuri, NH 8, Delhi border, Mukundpur, Shalimar Bagh, Bhikaji Cama Place, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Vinod Nagar, Yamuna Vihar, ITO, Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid and Red Fort.

To expedite the construction process, Delhi Metro has taken up the matter with the government for an early approval. According to them, they will complete the construction within four years if permission is granted soon.

"We always keep some additional time for finalising issues such as land, tree felling and legal proceedings. We are still hopeful that we will be able to finish the construction work within the stipulated deadline" said Anuj Dayal, spokesperson of DMRC.

Environmentalists, however, have raised objections. "Afforestation outside the borders of Delhi would not be of much use for the city. Afforestation should be done near the areas where trees would be cut," said Diwan Singh, an environmental activist of Ridge Bachao Andolan, an NGO.

The 65-km phase 1 saw felling of 13,000 trees while the 125-km phase 2 saw felling of 21,000 trees.

The Hindustan Times, 31st August 2012

Auroville is an experiment that works, says Mark Tully

the collapse of a part of the 500-year-old Sher Shah Gate in the heavy rainfall has prompted the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to take up conservation of the monument.

According to D N Dimri, the superintending archaeologist of ASI (Delhi Circle), the body has asked the conservation assistant to assess the extent of damage.

The assistant will also draw up an estimate of the conservation measures that needs to be undertaken. The report of the committee will be submitted early next week and will have to be passed by the Superintending Archaeologist before work begins.

Largely built of sandstone, the gate is situated opposite the Old Fort and dates back to the 16th century. It is supposed to be part of an extensive city built by Sher Shah Suri after he defeated Mughal ruler Humayun and occupied this region.

ASI official A K Pandey said the conservation work will be completed in a month’s time. “After the report on the estimate is approved by the Superintending Archaeologist, it might take some time to procure the necessary material. The composition of the mortar needs to be ascertained and bricks of the original sizes need to be arranged,” he said.

“Currently, we do not know if the structure has in-built problems like the mortar composition being of bad quality. While some monuments might be standing for as long as 700 years, others might crumble with time,” Pandey said.

The Indian Express, 31st August 2012

Finding this small historical town was just a pleasant coincidence as we were looking for interesting places around Almora and someone told us about Jageshwar. Not many people are aware of the important piece of religious history associated with this quiet town 36 km northeast of Almora in Uttarakhand.

According to Hindu mythology, there are 12 main Jyortirlingas, and the Nageshwara Jyotirlinga is believed to be the first one on the earth. However, there are three Jyotirlingas which are said to be identical. It is believed that Jageshwar is the place where Nageshwar Jyotirlinga was first established, and then later the other two similar looking lingas emerged in Darukavanam near Dwarka, Gujarat and Nagnath temple in Aundha, Maharashtra.

Built between ninth and thirteenth century A.D. there were originally more than 400 temples in this town, but today only 124 are standing erect. It is believed that the famous saint Adi Shankaracharya visited Jageshwar and re-established many temples before leaving for Kedarnath, where he finally attained samadhi.

Situated at a height of 1,870 metres, the road to Jageshwar from Almora is extremely picturesque. Through the tall deodar trees and other temple complexes en route, the journey towards this temple town is quite interesting. The Jageshwar temple complex, now enclosed by a wall, is a declared protected monument by the ASI.

The biggest temple in the complex is the Mahamritunjaya temple where the linga is worshiped as a saviour from death. The temple is east-facing and the linga has a unique eye shaped opening.

The other principal temple is the Tarun Jageshwara, which is west-faced and has two dwarpals (guards) in the form of Nandi and Skandi, and a serpent on top of the doorway. Here Shiva is worshipped as Nagesh. The other temples are dedicated to Surya, Durga and Kalika. Most of the smaller temples in the complex are in a dilapidated state and have no deities.

A unique feature of these ancient constructions is the use of gravity of the stones with no apparent use of mortar. There is a small square pond-like structure in the complex which has small lotus flowers.

Behind the temple complex is the confluence of two rivers — Nandini and Surabhi, which flows from the hills. Just above the main complex there is a beautiful temple dedicated to Kuber from where one can see the samsaan (cremation) ghat. It is fabled that in past sati (self-immolation of widowed girls) used to be performed here.

Jageshwar is a quiet getaway, where one can enjoy the best of nature, spiritual upliftment and religious fulfillment. So next time you are in Almora or Binsar, do not forget to spare a day for Jageshwar.

The Asian Age, 31st August 2012