Till 1990s, Ranipur was a flourishing village about 60 kilometres from Jhansi. Every house boasted of a loom that spun a fine quality of fabric aptly named Ranipur Tricot. The quality and low price made the fabric popular among traders from south and east India. The demand too was ever rising with the rich and the poor both opting for the fabric. As a result, the business touched Rs 100 crore and supported around 15,000 families.
Cut to 2014. Ranipur is now a desolate place. Looms have long been closed. People engaged in Tricot business have shifted to other occupations. The industry was destroyed by power crisis that rendered powerlooms dysfunctional. On an average the village received eight hours of power supply that wasn’t enough to make business viable for families. The state government too failed to offer any package. As a result, industry’s forward movement was checked and slowly people started moving away from the business.
There used to be 5,000 to 6,000 looms in 90s which functioned day and night with over a dozen persons working in each shift in every loom to meet the demand. Today the number has gone down to merely 1,000 looms being operated by individuals.
The irony is that while successive governments, both at the Centre and the state have provided huge relief packages for weavers in Bareilly, Banaras, Agra, Surat and other places, no one is talking about the plight of poor weavers.
Recently, Union water resources minister Uma Bharati, who is also the MP from Jhansi, wrote a letter to Union textile minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar requesting him to help revive the dying trade and stop mass migration from the region.
Reminiscing about golden days, Ravidas, in his seventies, said traders from all over the country visited the village to buy his products. “I had a team of over a dozen workers and we worked over-time to meet the demand,” he said and lamented the bad days that had fallen on the village. “Today, despite working hard through out the day, I am not able to earn enough. Youths have deserted the village for greener pastures. Old people are the only left,” he added with a tinge of sadness in his voice.
Ravidas and few of his ilks have reduced the work. A few have shifted to weaving bedsheets and towels, which helps them earn bare minimum to make both ends meet.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Arindam Ghosh, TNN / July 26th, 2014
A girl born in Allahabad and now studying at the University of California, Berkeley, has made the city proud by winning the ‘price money question’ of $ 64000 (approx Rs 38 lakhs) by asking former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, “If you don’t represent women in politics in America as future president, who will?”
Daughter of an ex-faculty member of Allahabad University, Vrinda Agarwal’s family moved to Sacramento, California some time back. Vrinda, a junior studying political science at UC Berkeley, is the founder and CEO of 100 strong (onehundredstrong.org), which works to empower underprivileged high school women by providing them with mentors and leadership training.
She won the ‘price money question’ at an event called ‘Everyone’s Mind’, organized recently at the Clinton Global Initiative University conference at Arizona State University, Tempa, US. Vrinda has done her early schooling in the city.
Such was the impression of Vrinda’s priced question that former US president Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton shared the stage with her and assured her all help in future. Her question elicited a standing ovation from the jam-packed hall, Hillary Clinton’s answer reverberated across the country, grabbing front page spaces across the entire American print media and prime time news bytes on all TV channels.
Vrinda assured Hillary that she was prepared to proudly run her presidential campaign to which Clinton replied, “I appreciate the sentiment. I’m obviously thinking about all kinds of decisions.”
“There is so much inequality around the world, including America, for women which we see in public education, where women have lower graduation rates in poor areas; or in corporate America, where women earn less than men; and even in politics, in which women are significantly underrepresented,” said Vrinda, via e-mail.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Rajiv Mani, TNN / May 21st, 2014
This may be similar to the famous bull run of Spain, large crowds of onlookers coming on the roads, risking themselves but the only difference being that in place of bulls, one witnesses horse-carts, running in full speed towards them. It is the famous ‘Ghehre Bazi’ (ghehre means steps and bazi means bet) or Ekka Daud (horse-cart race) which takes place in the city on every Monday of Shrawan month.
Having a history of around 200 years, the race was traditionally started by panda’s of the city who continued to patronize the practice for years. If was only around 1940s that the zamindars of Allahabad and neighbouring areas also started participating in this unique race.
Although, there is no cash prize but the applauds of the spectators and the appreciation for saais (horse’s keeper) comes as unexplainable satisfaction. However, this ‘showcase race’ gives a platform for practicing to horse cart owners to prepare for two important competitive races, each of 14 kilometres held in October-November and attended by horse owners from Lucknow, Kanpur, Mirzapur, Pratapgarh etc. One of these races is held from Hanumanganj to Alopidevi Chungi and second from Sahason crossing to Phaphamau market. Throwing light on ‘ekka daud’ of Allahabad, which has all the potential of being a major tourist attraction, Badre Alam informed that this race is unique in many ways, prominent being the norm that only those horses can participate which are not been used for any commercial activity. The racing horses can only canter (movement of horse wherein it moves in fast steps and not gallop).
“For the purpose, Sindhi horses (those belonging to Sindh province of Pakistan) are best as they have the inborn talent of moving fast on sand and not gallop,” said Alam, who has participated in over 30 races and has won 10 of these. We get these horses from the famous animal fair of Barmer, he added.
The cart of this unique race is equally special as it is specially manufactured in Delhi. The huge wooden wheel and the riding platform is made of shisham wood and best ball bearings are used to give it needed speed. “Two persons sits on a cart, one handling the horse through strings and the one in rear part, navigates the cart by informing about the location of other competitors,” explains Alam, a zamindar of Katra. The race is unique in a way that it gives an example of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb as it is held to stress the importance of Monday of the holy month of Shrawan in which Hindus and Muslims participate enthusiastically. “Shiva signifies sakti (power) and horse too denotes power, thus this race is held during this month,” said Alam.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / July 18th, 2014
The city will have its own air-conditioned Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) bus service akin to Delhi very soon. With an aim to popularize city’s monuments apart from the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, the UP tourism department plans to connect all such places of interest through this bus service.
A discussion in this regard was held during a high-level meeting in Lucknow on Monday and the Agra regional office was asked to prepare a proposal in this regard. The next meeting of the tourism department is scheduled to be held in Agra on July 20.
Regional tourist officer Dinesh Kumar said there were “several other monuments worth a visit”. He said that the proposed bus service would aim to prevent tourists from leaving the city after visiting the Taj and the Agra Fort. “Easy access to such monuments will tempt tourists to stay in the city for a longer time,” he said.
Mehtab Bagh, Sikandara and Itimad-ud-Daulah are some of the sites the HOHO bus service is likely to make a stop, he added
In Delhi, under the HOHO bus service, tours are conducted in specially designed buses which ply along a route, wherein tourists can board or alight at any of the pick-up or drop points. The route covers all major tourist destinations in Delhi, while monuments’ tickets and guides have been made available to the tourists on the bus itself.
In another decision, the UP tourism department will construct two of the three proposed parking lots in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal, while the other one will be built by the Agra Development Authority.
Directions were also issued to complete the ongoing land-scraping work at Shah Jahan garden, located in front of the Taj, by July-end. Moreover, officials were asked to build an interpretation centre at Fatehpur Sikri in accordance with the Mughal architecture.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Aditya Dev, TNN / July 08th, 2014
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, 39, keeps his life easy, so that he can perform the complex roles on screen. He is sensitive, strong and open and loves his mother the most in the world. While being a theatre actor is his fallback option and security in life, he takes his time to decide on a film, as he knows that an actor like him is not spared for his mistakes.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
What made you come to Mumbai?
I am from a family of farmers from Budhana near Muzaffarnagar. I studied till Class XII in my village only and did farming all throughout, along with my father. We are eight siblings and I am the oldest. I went to Hardwar to do my B.Sc, but realised that since I had not specialised in any course, I could only manage a job as the chief chemist in a petrochemical factory in Baroda. I then came to Delhi, where someone showed me a play on stage. Before that, I had no interest in acting, but seeing the play, I realised that this is what I wanted to do, as I got fascinated by the chemistry between the actor and the audience. I joined theatre and after doing it for over a year, I joined full- time NSD. I started doing street plays and did that for four years. We used to do four shows on a day. On days when we got shows, we had money, but if we didn’t have a show, we did not have money that particular day. So, I thought that agar bhooka hi marna hai, toh kyun na Bombay jaake maraa jaye? And I shifted to Mumbai in 2001.
We really got to know you from Gangs Of Wasseypur in 2012. What did you do for so many years after coming to Mumbai?
I came here to work in TV, but at that time, things were changing on TV and everything was becoming glossy. So if a dark person like me was taken, they would have had to put a baby light and that would delay production and so, I did not get success even on TV. I then did a few small roles in C-grade films. For the sake of just earning money, I also did a lot of crowd shots in films, but when the camera came to me, I would hide my face so that no one saw me. People would think that he calls himself from NSD and look what he is doing. Even to be a junior artiste, you needed a card, which I didn’t have. One time, I got caught as I didn’t have the card and had to bribe `1,000 to the junior artist coordinator. I did that for three years. I then started doing one-scene roles and hoped that I would get at least two, given that people would say that I did the first one well.
My mother mortgaged her jewellery to educate me
But my struggle continued and for five years, I got only one scene, till in 2009, when I got a role in Peepli Live and then Kahaani. Anurag Kashyap had met me in 2003 when he too was struggling. He had told me then, ‘If I become anything, I will give you a film.’ Post Kahaani, I was in my village when he called and said, ‘I have a role for you that you always wanted to do.’ I heard the narration and he signed me for Gangs Of Wasseypur.
Did you lose hope at any time?
Despite being from NSD, I was not getting work for so many years and I had started feeling irritated with that. Financially, I would survive borrowing money from other theatre actors, even though they too did not have money to lend. If I asked them for `100, they would probably have only `50 to spare and that too, I could not guarantee as to when I could return it. I was a mahir (an expert) at borrowing money. I would return the money, but to do that I would again borrow money from someone else. I always travelled without ticket in trains. I never travelled in buses, as we would need to buy a ticket. So I would walk to the nearest station and then go wherever I wanted to, without a train ticket. We were 4-5 actors sharing a room just 15 feet by 12 feet, which also included a small bathroom and place to cook.
The biggest problem was that if I went to any film office, they would look at me and ask rudely, ‘Haan, kya hai?’ I would say, ‘Actor hoon.’ They would say, ‘Dekhne se toh nahi lagta.’ And that was the biggest problem. And that problem was not just in Mumbai. It had been my problem in the village, where, when I told them that I was going to Mumbai to become an actor they would say, ‘Dikhta toh hai nahi tu actor jaisa yaar.’ So that would always frustrate me and I really felt bad. I would feel angry, but when I looked at myself in the mirror, I would realise that haan yaar, baat toh sahi hai. Despite being insulted so much, I would not have returned to either Delhi or my village, as I had solace that at least in Mumbai, there was anonymity.
When I had no money, I would find out which friend had work and money at that point in time and would go and stay with him for a week. All of us theatre guys did that. I had come to terms with the fact that nothing would happen in my life. Marriage was a distinct thought. Girls would not even befriend me, forget about marriage. And why would they? I had neither money, nor looks and nor was I successful. One thing I had decided was that come what may whether I make it or not, even if I have to continue doing small roles, I will, for the sake of my self-respect, not go back. Even though I never expressed my feelings to anybody, my mother was always confident about me, in fact over-confident. I used to find myself very unlucky in life. But today I feel ki sab der se hua par achcha hua. I don’t believe in destiny. I believe in hard work.
What does working with Salman Khan in Kick mean to you?
I was very excited to work with Salman to the extent in the beginning, I would feel scared that it should not get cancelled. He is such a big star with such a vast reach. Due to working in Kick, my smaller films will be benefited.
Who do you love the most in the world?
My mother. Even though she was uneducated, she always felt that she must educate us. She never interfered and wanted me to do whatever I wanted to. Even when I was leaving the village, she never held me back. She also disciplined us a lot. I have seen her sacrificing a lot for me. She even mortgaged her jewellery for my education. In our side, people are quite aggressive and the attitude there is quite goonda type, so you feel it’s good for your child to get out and she always wanted that for us, even though my parents still live in the village. What she likes the most about me is that I have always been responsible. If she gave me work to do for the cows at 5am, no matter what, be it winters or summers, I would be awake doing that. I was very obedient, responsible and hard-working.
Even though I hated doing farming and wanted to just get out of the village, I would work from 5 in the morning till 5 in the evening. We would go to sleep latest by 8pm. There was electricity in our village only for 2-3 hours a day so all my life, I studied under a lamp. Till today, wherever I am, I get up at 5 in the morning. Whenever I get a gap, I go to my village and spend 10-12 days there. Nothing has changed there. Electricity still comes only for 2-3 hours and I feel angry seeing that but I get a lot of sukoon (solace) there. Everything seems to be at a standstill there just the way you left it, your friends are the same and you just somehow feel that life is okay.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / and Bangalore Times / Home> Entertainment> Hindi> Bollywood / by Priya Gupta / July 22nd, 2014
Stem cells, which have the potential to protect from life threatening diseases, can be ‘locked’ within your family teeth. Now, dentists have introduced process to send milk teeth to Mumbai-based labs to harvest milk teeth for future use of stem cells.
Dentists claim that though only two samples have been collected by the Mumbai-based lab from the city but there has been a steep rise in the queries being raised by parents about the facility in the past three to four months.
With the discovery of stem cells in milk teeth, dentists claim that an accessible and available source of stem cells has been identified. A child’s stem cells can be preserved from the milk teeth and can even be collected from impacted third molars till the age of 22.
Dr Om Shankar of Institute of Medical Science, BHU, maintained that stem cells can be obtained from any bone of the body and it can also be obtained from pulp (milk teeth) as well as blood. He said that a large number of stem cells were found in bone marrow and the number of less stem cells were found in blood.
He claimed that stem cell taken from pulp of teeth has many advantages as it could be transformed in different cells.
Ortho dentist Dr Abha Vishnoi Kesarwani said that parents have become aware about the fact that stem cells can be obtained from the pulp of milk teeth. Parents of new born and children ask about the course of action and expenditure needed for the process.
Research involving stem cells in teeth has exploded during last four and five years and the laboratories that will bank the cells in a deep-freezer have since began operating. Experts say that dental stem cells have the potential to treat different diseases including heart disease and leukemia In the near future, dental stem cells could grow new teeth and jaw bone.
Professor and head of the department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, MLN Medical College, Allahabad, U S Sinha said that stem cells can be taken from milk teeth for preservation. Preserving milk teeth is highly recommended as an all-time asset that can be used for treating a person or his/her siblings anytime.”
As a Mumbai laboratory is providing special kits for preserving stem cell from milk teeth, city dentists have started harvesting milk teeth for stem cell preservation. City based dental surgeon Dr Vaibhav Shukla has collected milk teeth of two children aged about seven and nine years and sent to the Mumbai laboratory for preservation.
The deciduous tooth which has been extracted can be cut with a cryo knife to collect stem cells. This facility was not available in India till a few years back, but a medical lab at Mumbai has introduced the facility for preserving stem cell.
If experts use any other instrument instead of cryo knife, it produces heat that subsequently leads to destruction of stem cells. The stem cells contained within teeth are capable of replicating themselves and can be readily recovered at the time of a planned dental procedure.
Apart from being the most convenient stem cells to access, dental stem cells have significant medical benefits in the development of new medical therapies. Using one’s own stem cells for medical treatment means a much lower risk of rejection by the body and decreases the need for powerful drugs that weaken the immune system.
The stem cells from teeth have been observed in research studies to be among the most powerful in the human body. Stem cells from teeth replicate at a faster rate and for a longer period of time than cells harvested from other tissues of the body.
Recently, parents of a boy suffering from muscular dystrophy approached the doctors to get his stem cell preserved. After the process, his treatment was started which is showing positive results.
Dr A K Santhani said that parents may not see the benefits of dental stem cell banking immediately, but it is the best investment and gift from parents to their children. Most of the families regret when their children face some chronic disease and their stem cells are not preserved at the time of birth. But now, stem cell preservation through milk teeth is offering a new hope.
It is a costly exercise and around Rs 85,000 is required for preserving stem cell from milk teeth. Doctors said that stem cells have shown potential in treating cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, spinal cord injuries, retinal diseases, endocrinal disorders, renal disease, liver disorders, muscular dystrophy and many incurable diseases.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allababad / TNN / July 19th, 2014
Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), organised a programme at Dahakudandi village of Chopan block of Sonabhadra district to celebrate the 85th foundation day of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Wednesday.
According to IIVR spokesperson, the institute has adopted 1,000 tribal households in Chopan block of Sonbhadra district under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) programme for improving nutritional and livelihood securities.
Vegetable kitchen garden packets, seeds of pigeon pea and saplings of fruit plants were distributed to the tribal households. Vegetable kitchen garden packets consisted of seeds of improved varieties of vegetables like Kashi Anmol (Chilli), Kashi Vishesh (Tomato), Kashi Taru (Brinjal), Kashi Pragati (Okra).
A ‘kisan gosthi’ was also organised on the occasion.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varnasi / TNN / July 18th, 2014
SUMMARY
In the first phase of the scheme, 800 ambulances were flagged off in January.
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Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday flagged off 300 AC ambulances under National Ambulance Scheme 102 at his official residence. The 102 ambulance service is for pregnant women and newborn in need of medical care.
In the first phase of the scheme, 800 ambulances were flagged off in January. The state government aims to keep a total of 1972 ambulances under this scheme. “Along with 108 ambulance scheme (which provides basic life support), UP now has the largest fleet of ambulances in the whole country.
The 108 service has benefitted 25.58 lakh patients while 102 service has helped 1.99 lakh patients until June,” Nitin Aggrawal, minister of state for medical health, said.
During the flagging-off, Akhilesh said that health parametres of the state have improved under his regime. “State health department has improved the medical facilities. We are currently working to improve the condition of our hospitals by making space for attendants.
“Most of the hospitals do not have any place for them to sit,” the chief minister said. He also praises ministers in the health department — Ahmed Hasan, Nitin Aggrawal and Shankhlal Manjhi.
The CM did not respond on Hafiz Saeed-Vaidik meeting row, saying that the issue is already being discussed in Parliament. He also refused comment on the purchase of Mercedes and Land Cruiser for his fleet, saying “it is an old issue now”.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Lucknow / Express News Service / Lucknow – July 17th, 2014
A conference dedicated to women empowerment was organised in Lucknow by CII Yi, on Malala Day. Women of substance from different walks of life came shared their journeys with the audience. After Gaurav Prakash wel comed the guests, Dr Kiran Bedi, retired IPS and social activist spoke about the need for women emporwer ment in Uttar Pradesh.
“Hindustan ko badalna hai toh pehle UP ko badalna hoga,” she said. Then former cap tain of the Indian P n of the Indian women’s cricket team Anjum Chopra spoke about being a woman in a man’s world, vis a-vis the game of cricket.
Theatre actor Dolly Thakore and Melissa Lee Ohm, a former US Marine, spoke about what it takes to champion the cause of women em powerment.
But it was Deepa Malik’s heartfelt speech that left every body in tears. The 44-yearold Arjuna awardee holds the distinction of being the first paraplegic Indian woman biker, car rallyist, swimmer and entrepreneur. Her tale moved the next speaker, Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor (known for the superhit Baby Doll), so much, that it took her several minutes to compose herself before she could talk.
The conference ended with a speech by protocol minister Abhishek Mishra.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Renu Singh, TNN / July 16th, 2014
To save the dying folk song ?kajri’ a ‘kajri-dangal’ contest was organised by Prayagraj Sewa Samiti here on Friday in which folk singers sung in the question-answer format keeping up with the basics of the traditional song sung in the rural northern India to celebrate a festive occasion.
Over a dozen singers participated in the contest after which judges declared Shiv Shankar Pandey as ‘Kajri Samrat’.
The singers who participated in the contest were Rajendra Tripathi, Rupesh Maurya, Madhukar and others. The winner was given a memento and certificate. BJP leader Narendra Kumar Singh inaugurated the event. The participants also paid tribute to Khadiya Pandit, who started the event to save the dying folk arts of the region.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / July 19th, 2014
