APRIL ISSUE

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Out
pointoutnews.com
april 2014
Vol-1 Issue-3
50
i n s i d e
‘SAMRUDDHI’
FOR ALL
in mp
ALL IS
NOT WELL!
1

Point
Out
72
april 2014

Point
Out
COVER STORY
PARTY WITH DIFFERENCES
Had it not been for these squabbles, BJP-led NDA that is almost on the verge of getting
a simple majority in Lok Sabha elections as per poll surveys, the victory would have
been sweeter for Modi and his team. It was something that could have been avoided and
saved the party of public embarrassment.
POINT
OUT
pointoutnews.com
APRIL 2014
VOL-1 ISSUE-3
50
I N S I D E
‘SAMRUDDHI’
FOR ALL
IN MP
ALL IS
NOT WELL
1
www.pointoutnews.com
Editor-in-Chief – Dr. Shiv Kumar Rai
Consulting Editor – Surya Gangadharan
Feature Editor – Suman
Editor-South – Vijay Grover
Special Correspondent – Aarti
Principal Correspondent – Bipin sasi
Correspondents – Ranjith Pasam,
Abhay Kumar
Design – Manaswi
Photo Editor – Sanjeev
Editorial researcher -Tanya, Kriti
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Volume 01 Issue 3
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REDEFINING GOVERNANCE
‘SAMRUDDHI’ FOR ALL
The system if puts beneficiary at center stage
and not convenience of policy makers then it is
important to have a system that enables ...
Point Out Gallery
By Invite
EMPOWERING 3 BILLION
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Must read
The world today is concerned about the growing
inflationary pressures, recessions and potential fall in
growth rates, affecting valuable efforts on development.
P 38
IPL2014
RARING TO GO
P 56
P 10
P 36
P 16
Movers & Shakers P 40
Gadgets P 44
Test Drive P 46
Flying High P 48
Art and Culture P 50
Success Mantra P 52
Forecast P 54
Village Roots P 55
Book Review P 62
Health P 63
Spiritual Touch P 66
Cinema
Bhoothnath
Returns
P 64
3

Point
Out
• NARENDRA MODI
‘I was born in poverty. I have
suffered it. I use to sell tea in rail
compartments. If tea was found to
be cold, the
customer would
break the glass and
slap me. What is
poverty, we know.
We will live for
the poor. If there
is need, we will
die for the welfare
of the poor. On
the other side are those who born with
golden spoons. Congress had promised
to bring price rise under control in 100
days of coming to power in 2009 but that
did not happen. For them secularism is
vote bank politics. For us it is policy of
development. Usually it happens all
parties join ranks to defeat the ruling
party but this is the first time, everyone
is together to defeat Modi.
• RAJNATH SINGH
‘Some influential people have
deposited black money, which
belonged to the ordinary
citizens of
the country, and
assured that this
illicit wealth will
be brought back
within one year
of NDA coming
to power. We will
use this money
for eradicating
poverty and addressing the issue
of unemployment. Controlling
inflation would be the first priority
of a future NDA government and
declared that a government led by his
party would also bring black money
stashed away in foreign banks within
a year of coming to power. Congress
has been in power for 55 out of 67
years of Independence. Every time
they come to power, there has been
unprecedented price rise. We will not
allow prices to rise under a Modi-led
government. We have a clear road
map for this.
• RAHUL GANDHI
‘There are two kinds of leaders.
The first type belongs to those
who go among people, have some
ideology
and believe in
the knowledge of
people. He goes
to them, asks
them and learns
from them.
The thinking
of this kind of
leader is that it
is the people who are repository of
knowledge. Such a leader wants to
understand people and has no pride.
Then there is another kind of leader,
whose best example is perhaps Hitler.
Hitler thought there was no need to go
to people. He believed entire knowledge
of the world is only in his mind. That
kind of leader only talks that he did this
and that.
• MULAYAM SINGH YADAV
‘Mr Modi’s party, the BJP, was
trying to deceive Muslims by
talking of
apology
after “having
allowed their
carnage” in 2002.
Gujarat, a state
with six crore
people, could
not be compared
Your Voice
to UP, which is India’s most populous
state. Gujarat, a state with six crore
people, could not be compared to
UP, which is India’s most populous
state. “I heard Modi’s speech... He said
nothing has been done for farmers, but
I ask whether he has made education,
irrigation and healthcare free in his
state like it is UP.
• ARVIND KEJRIWAL
‘What I saw in Gujarat, it has
become very important for me to
stand up against Modi. Modi has
snatched
farmer lands and
given it to Ambani
and Adani. Our
priority will be to
defeat Narendra
Modi and Rahul
Gandhi. 2014
Elections will be
a turning point.
However, the polls will take place again
after a year. I don’t see Banaras as a losing
battle. I will defeat Modi in the Lok
Sabha election. Fighting against Modi
is a small thing,Saving the country from
corruption is a big issue now Media is
the cause of Modi’s popularity. Media is
lying to the people for the past one year.
• DIGVIJAY SINGH
‘“In a Modi wave why is BJP
engineering defections and giving
seats to defectors? What happens
to BJP
loyalists?. why BJP
was “displacing”
its senior leaders
from their
constituencies if
there was a “Modi
wave” in the
country. “If there
is a Modi wave,
why displace seat winning seniors like
Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Navjot Singh
Sidhu and Lalji Tandon?” “I am sure the
next government in the country would be
formed under the leadership of Sonia and
Rahul Gandhi,
4
april 2014

Point of View
WILL IT BE A DECISIVE
MANDATE?
R
un-up to general elections to Lok Sabha has thrown up a fact that
Bharatiya Janata Party is leading the race by a fair margin. So much so,
that 2014 LS polls may turn out to be party’s best electoral performance in
terms of number of seats won and vote share. On the other hand the Congress
Party – burdened under strong anti-incumbency and charges of corruption and
10-years of misrule, is likely to end up with its worst ever electoral performance.
The November 2013 assembly elections to five states had clearly set the ball
rolling and gave a brief idea about what was to come in the Lok Sabha general
elections. BJP led by its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has by far
led the race substantially ahead of all competitors including Congress leader
Rahul Gandhi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.
Though BJP seems all set to emerge as the single largest party, the biggest
question is whether it would be able to breach the 272 mark required for a
simple majority? Will the party get a simple majority and more importantly
does the party want to go beyond 272 seats?
This question has become relevant because of the dissenting voices from within
the party coming up time and again. Even BJP sources have been saying that a
section within the party wants BJP to get about 185 seats or less than 200 seats,
while another wants it to cross the 272+ mark. The party leaders expecting the
party to get less than 200 seats are those who are opposing Narendra Modi and
see in themselves with a chance in case of a hung house when support of allies
would become crucial. The party with a difference has stayed on course and
despite the internal squabbles, may it still end up with its best ever electoral
performance. The anger and a frustration of party patriarch LK Advani and
senior leaders like Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Jaswant Singh (who was
expelled from BJP) thus form the cover story for the month.
Whatever it is we would like the electorate to come out and cast their votes in
large numbers and give a decisive mandate either way. And the fact remains
that politicians from either side should bury the bitterness of campaigning
and get down to working for the welfare of the youth, unemployed and a large
graying population.
Similarly, for our Village Roots column we have chosen an unusual group of
young engineers who have struggled to make an all terrain Rural Utility Vehicle
that can transform rural transportation. Costing a fraction of what it costs for
a car, this RUV needs support from government to realize dreams of these
youngsters.
Dr. Shiv Kumar Rai
Editor-in-Chief
5

Point
Out
TWITTERATI
• Sri Sri Ravi Shankar@SriSri
Happiness is when you
want nothing
& you want
to give.
Where the
wanting
and desires
end and the
sharing begins, happiness
is exactly there.
• Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi@
naqvimukhtar
Every day top congress
leaders lie to the
country....
Congress
has not
collapsed
politically
,but fallen
to the lowest level
ethically...
• Amitabh Bachchan@SrBachchan
T 1446 - When you
work without reward
or consideration for the
betterment of your own, it
fills you with
pride and
emotion
.. I did
today !!
• Narendra Modi@
narendramodi
India doesn’t fear
‘magicians’ but it fears
‘Black
Magic’ of
last decade
that has
destroyed
opportunities
for people
• digvijaya singh@digvijaya
As Mukhtar Ansari has
decided not
to fight in
Varanasi
would
Kejriwal
pl consider
to withdraw
from the contest to defeat
Communal Modi ?
• Javed Akhtar@Javedakhtarjadu
He is confidence
determination personified
.Let every
young
person
of our
nation
be VIRAT
KOHLI of what ever he
or she is doing ,
• Kiran Bedi@thekiranbedi Apr 9
“@ZeeNews: BJP’s new
campaign poster mocks
Arvind
Kejriwal
http://
zeenews.
india.com/
news/generalelections-2014/
bjp-s-new-campaignposter-mocks-arvindkejriwal_923328.html
…
#myvote2014”
• Madhur Bhandarkar@
mbhandarkar268
“The ballot is stronger than
the bullet.”
Abraham
Lincoln
#delhi #vote
• Smriti Z Irani @smritiirani
Only 1% schools in Amethi
comply with the Right
to Education Act (RTE),
lowest in Uttar Pradesh.
#AmethiFacts
6
april April 2014

13 7

Point
Out
POINTOUT SPOTLIGHT
NDA AND
NUCLEAR DOCTRINE
8
april 2014

»»
Surya Gangadharan
The strategic gains acquired by India
during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime
on the nuclear programme have been
frittered away by the Congress. Our
emphasis was, and remains on beginning
of a new thrust on framing policies that
would serve India’s national interest in
the 21st century.
-BJP Manifesto
Eleven years after the NDA government
unveiled India’s draft nuclear
doctrine, the NDA in its (likely?)
second coming appears all set for a
re-look. The manifesto doesn’t say much,
merely stating that it will “study in detail
India’s nuclear doctrine, and revise and
update it, to make it relevant to challenges
of current times.”
Nothing exceptional in that (given
that manifestos are basically statements
of intent). But since it was the BJP which
broke India’s nuclear isolation beginning
with the Shakti series of nuclear tests in
1998, there’s speculation (domestically
and in some world capitals) the saffron
brigade is up to something.
A cross section of strategic experts
say a review is needed, some even say
there should be a review every 10 years,
while others want an annual Strategic
Posture Review (on the US pattern).
Behind these sentiments is the view that
India’s strategic/security environment
has “degraded” (because of Afghanistan,
Pakistan’s steady ‘descent into the abyss
of Talibanization’, China’s expansionism)
and therefore the nuclear doctrine must
be amended/updated.
Questions have been raised about
the No First Use commitment India has
given, meaning it will not be the first
to use nuclear weapons. Which means
India will have to absorb a nuclear strike
and then retaliate. Curiously, neither the
US, Britain or France endorse No First
Use in their doctrines. Russia had one
then withdrew it. Pakistan doesn’t have
one.
China has sent various signals, but
critical from an Indian point of view
is the warning that no first use will not
apply to countries occupying Chinese
territory. Given Chinese claims to
Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, it
9
The blueprint says India’s security
managers must decide among
themselves who or which country is
the main adversary, which in turn will
decide what is a minimum and credible
deterrent.
means India is a prime target for a
Chinese nuclear strike!
It raises another question: What if
India is locked in conventional wars
against China and Pakistan at the
same time and a stage comes when the
nation’s survival is at stake. Should India
not have the freedom to exercise the
nuclear option, discarding No First Use?
Strategic affairs commentator Rear
Admiral Raja Menon, says there is a need
to clarify what India means by “massive
retaliation” by India in the event of a
nuclear strike. He asks: “Will massive
retaliation apply against Pakistani cities
and its civilian population if Islamabad
uses a tactical nuclear weapon against
an advancing column of the Indian
army on Pakistani soil?”
Menon believes the irrelevance of
massive retaliation was underscored
during the Cold War days when for
all its nuclear weapons, the US was
defeated in Vietnam. Ditto the USSR in
Afghanistan.
Closely related to this is Pakistan’s
frenetic addition of tactical nuclear
weapons to its arsenal. “What Pakistan
is signalling to India and to the world,”
warns Shyam Saran, Chairman of the
National Security Advisory Board and
former Foreign Secretary, “is that India
should not contemplate retaliation
even if there is another Mumbai attack
because Pakistan has lowered the
threshold of nuclear use to the theatre
level.”
In other words if Pakistani backed
Jihadis carry out a terror attack in
India, any Indian retaliatory strike
with conventional weapons would be
responded to by Pakistan with nuclear
weapons!
Further pushing the case for a
review, the respected Delhi based
think tank Institute of Peace and
Conflict Studies, has questioned India’s
“minimum nuclear deterrent” concept.
In a detailed blueprint it says: “What is
credible towards China will likely not be
minimum toward Pakistan; and what is
minimum toward Pakistan cannot be
credible toward China.”
The blueprint says India’s security
managers must decide among
themselves who or which country is
the main adversary, which in turn will
decide what is a minimum and credible
deterrent.
Clearly, the time has come for a
review but one will have to wait for the
political winds to settle first.

Point
Out
REDEFINING GOVERNANCE
‘SAMRUDDHI’
FOR ALL
»»
prakash p
A
senior bureaucrat, who has served
in different capacities in Madhya
Pradesh and the Centre, Dr Aruna
Sharma is headingteam effort
through a silent revolution in Madhya
Pradesh, Samruddhi. A financial inclusion
project of MP government she has
been the key persons who drafted it and
is now supervising its implementation in
the state as Additional Chief Secretary,
Panchayat and Rural Development.
Not someone who likes status quo,
Aruna Sharma is one who likes to
take challenges and innovate. It is this
trait that has helped her to work out
Samruddhi, a project that aims to better
lives of rural poor, who had little or
The system if puts beneficiary at
center stage and not convenience of
policy makers then it is important to
have a system that enables transfer
to non-core banking and also to all
the beneficiary who have account in
the financial institution. The Madhya
Pradesh model enabled the same with
support of banks, IT systems, post
office and initiative to shift cooperative
banks to core banking platform.
no access to banking and were always
exploited. After a successful trial of the
project in about 15 districts of the state, it
has been extended to all the 51 districts
in the state and that has witnessed a
tumultuous response from the people
and banks, Aruna Sharma is overseeing
its implementation across the state.
An IAS officer of 1982 batch, she
studied the large scale irregularities
in extending government facilities
and subsidies to the poor, especially
in remote areas and after discussing
with collegues jointly evolved a
system whereby the government money
is directly transferred to the beneficiaries
account from the state treasury/
bank without involvement of any third
party. It was easier said than done,
10
april 2014

ecause for direct transfer of benefits
one needed to have a account but
more important having a system to
transfer the amount in the accounts of
post office and cooperative banks that
were not in core banking. The challenge
was more severe as 60% of the target
group beneficiaries do have account in
post office . Once the state was through
with the draft of the project, used SLBC
platform to convince the bankers to
extend banking facilities to areas that
were unbanked with the establishment
of Ultra Small Banks/CSP to reach out
to remote areas. It did require to also
liaison with the Union finance ministry
officials and RBI . Being more practical
it was given a thumbs up by all and was
launched with MP’s lead bank Central
11
Bank committing to chip in the most.
Upbeat over the initial response to
the project, Ms Aruna Sharma talking to
POINT OUT hoped it can be replicated
across the nation, because it is less
cumbersome like other schemes that has
been talking to direct benefit transfer
only to financial institutions that are in
core banking or have a particular identity
number. The system if puts beneficiary
at center stage and not convenience of
policy makers then it is important to have
a system that enables transfer to non-core
banking and also to all the beneficiary
who have account in the financial
institution. The Madhya Pradesh model
enabled the same with support of banks,
IT systems, post office and initiative to
shift cooperative banks to core banking
platform. It required training from
panchayat upwards and smoothening
the conduits to transfer money to 17,000
points in the state. This arrangement will
eliminate involvement of middlemen and
check irregularities besides cutting down
on time.
Noting the benefits of financial
inclusion under the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MGNREGA) and the Integrated
Social Security Mission, Aruna
Sharma, said the objective is to “chalk
out a model under which hundred
per cent pensioners and MGNREGA
beneficiaries start receiving payments
through direct fund transfer in the first
phase; and scholarships, health-related
benefits and other payments in the
second phase.”
Ms Sharma said that in year 2013-
An IAS officer of 1982 batch, she
studied the large scale irregularities
in extending government facilities and
subsidies to the poor, especially in
remote areas and after discussing
with collegues jointly evolved a
system whereby the government
money is directly transferred to the
beneficiaries account from the state
treasury/bank without involvement of
any third party.
14 the system has enabled e-FMS for
MGNREGA and pension schemes in all
the 51 districts. All types of scholarships
have started their devolution and
in coming phase health, agriculture
benefits will also follow the same
systme. The response has been terrific
and buoyed by it the Madhya Pradesh
government has decided to provide
rent-free space in each panchayats for
ultra small bank/CSP branches. She
said the state hopes to add about 3,000
Ultra Small Banks that will cater to
nearly 14,667 unbanked villages.State
termed these villages as shadow village
as they did not have any of the financial
insituttions. Today the USB/CSP are all
financially viable institutions and thus a
business model. Till date 37 full fledged
bank branches are opened in these
shadow areas and 100 more are in the
offing.

Point
Out
REDEFINING GOVERNANCE
Meet Aruna Sharma
IAS, ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECRETARY, MP
Born on August 19, 1958 in
Maharashtra, Aruna Sharma is a
science graduate with masters in
Development Studies and English
Literature. She is a doctorate in Psychosocio
barriers in Health management
from Delhi University. She joined the
IAS in 1982 and was allotted Madhya
Pradesh cadre. She had worked in
different capacities in MP as district
collector and in finance, health.
Education and Bhopal Gas Relief and
Rehabilitation department. She has
served at the Centre inMinistry of Rural
Development, National Human Rights
Commission and as Director General of
Doordarshan. Presently she is posted as
Additional Chief Secretary, Panchayat
and Rural Development, Govt of MP.
FINANCIAL INCLUSION IN
TRUE SENSE
For those not aware about
‘Samruddhi’ it is a project that takes
banks to unbanked population and
aims at Direct Benefit Transfer in their
bank accounts of beneficiaries through
ultra small banks. Madhya Pradesh
government has tagged prosperity
with inclusive growth and rolled out a
scheme that aims at Financial Inclusion
and Direct Benefit Transfer in a bid to
cater to the population that remained
unbanked till now.
It is a revolution in the sense that it
cuts down involvement of middlemen
and the need for rural folks to make
rounds to different government offices
to get their due benefits-whether social
welfare pension, wages under Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme or various
subsidies. For experts, Samruddhi
is MP government’s response to the
cumbersome Aadhar project. It is less
cumbersome and practical making it a
hit among rural population.
The three basics upon which this
12
april 2014

model rests are a – a common database
platform for integrating all benefit
schemes, such as pensions, MGNREGA
wages, scholarships etc; and electronic
fund management system handled by
banking correspondents and opening
ultra small bank branches for lastmile
connectivity. Public sector banks,
post offices, regional rural banks and
cooperatives are partners in the process.
The UNDP’s Evaluation Report on
Madhya Pradesh’s financial inclusion
model which was released at a national
workshop recently highlights on how
the scheme is helping the needy while
doing away any scope of corruption. The
report says that the MP Model poses
immense opportunities for financial
deepening as there are opportunities
and potential for the Ultra Small Banks
opened in villages to offer product and
services to keep themselves floating and
attain sustainability.
Appreciating the model, Union
Finance Secretary Sumit Bose said
13
Not someone who likes status quo,
Aruna Sharma is one who likes to
take challenges and innovate. It is
this trait that has helped her to work
out Samruddhi, a project that aims
to better lives of rural poor, who had
little or no access to banking and were
always exploited. After a successful
trial of the project in about 15 districts
of the state, it has been extended
to all the 51 districts in the state
and that has witnessed a tumultuous
response from the people and banks,
Aruna Sharma is overseeing its
implementation across the state.
that progress of country and State was
possible only through strong fiscal
infrastructure and Madhya Pradesh’s
financial inclusion model was an
important step towards this. Other
States of the country will also draw
inspiration from it, he said adding that
like post offices, banking institutions
should also create client-friendly
atmosphere in rural areas.
MP Chief Secretary Anthony De Sa
underlined the importance of financial
inclusion saying that it was necessary
for social inclusion and success could
be achieved in it through information
technology. “In this regard, Samagra
Social Security Missions is a unique
initiative of the State,” and Samruddhi
the Financial Inclusion model have
eased the access to the financial
insitutions” the Chief Secretary said
while stressing the need to link ultra
small banks with various financial
activities in rural areas for strengthening
them.

Point
Out
CSR REPORT-GAIL
Community
Development
GAIL (India) Ltd. extended its
support for reconstruction &
renovation of numerous public
utilities/building which provided
a better condition of living for not only a
person or family but whole of the villages
where this project was implemented.
For the sustainable development of
the whole community GAIL is also
supporting integrated livelihood
programmes in villages especially for
small and Marginal farmers. This would
be considered as a drop in the vast ocean
but GAIL along with other Oil PSU’s is
contributing towards provision of LPG
connections to BPL families under Rajiv
Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitrak Yojana.
This collaborative combined effort of
the Oil PSUs would be able to generate
a huge wave in the ocean in UP region.
GAIL believes that for providing better
tomorrow for the community where
it has its working the focus should be
on the future of the community i.e.
CHILDREN & STUDENTS. So in view
of this belief GAIL is providing vehicles
for distribution of Mid-Day Meal for
underprivileged children of Government
schools so as to encourage the young
girls and boys to educate themselves
for their better & secured life. GAIL in
the miniscule of its efforts have tried to
touch every aspect of life by providing
Night shelters and blankets to villagers,
adoption of destitute tribal children of the
orphanage in the tribal area, generating
Aids awareness & Behaviour Change
Communication programme for truckers
of national highways and providing
school bus for physically challenged
students. In just two years, more than
314000 families have benefitted from
the programmes under Community
Development.
Drinking Water/Sanitation
Recognizing that the availability of
potable drinking water is a clearly
identified need in many villages of
rural India, GAIL has been taking
up a number of programmes in this
area. Providing bore-wells, tube-wells,
hand-pumps, overhead tanks as well as
storage facilities, are some of the efforts
taken in this direction. GAIL has taken
up head-on projects for improving
local hygiene & sanitation practices by
construction of nalas and improvement
in drainage system at different rural
areas where GAIL has its presence
.GAIL is also extending its resources
for the development of sanitation
system including installation tube well,
pipeline, sub-mercible pump, sanitary
line etc.
Skill Development/Empowerment
GAIL has attempted to address the
issues of unemployability through skill
development and vocational training
programmes undertaken at several
locations. Significant measures have
been taken for the creation of livelihood
opportunities and facilitating forums
for effective empowerment and selfreliance.
Empowerment of differently
abled and physically challenged persons
has also been promoted through several
means, such as providing them with
necessary medical aids, equipment and
infrastructural support. GAIL with the
help of its implementing partners gives
Training (Sewing & tailoring training)
& Special education (procurement of
computer based visual speech training
equipment & Audio Visual Projector)
for the Neglected Disabled children and
backward people. GAIL with the aim of
providing self-sufficiency in the lives of
the differently abled people distributes
specialised motorized vehicle for
making them self-reliant.With its
project Padho-Badho GAIL envisages
to mainstream at least 3000 rag picker
children government schools through
its Non formal Education Centres for
out-of-school children .Emphasising
on women empowerment GAIL has
started projects for learning for women
empowerment against poverty and
imparting training on stitching and
carpet weaving.
Environment Protection
GAIL’s commitment towards the
Environment forms an implicit part
of its Vision statement and through
its CSR initiatives it has promoted this
cause through specific environmentfriendly
programmes. GAIL is putting
its tiny steps in the field of Environment
protection by plantation of saplings
and trees in various areas where it has
its installation. Projects related to Rain
water harvesting, water Recharging and
Ground water reuse system have been
supported aptly by GAIL. Outspreading
its support for green energy GAIL
is in the process of building a Gas
based Crematorium at New Delhi and
provision of solar lights in the rural
areas where electricity is not yet reached.
Congregating environment and hygiene
factors together GAIL is also installing
Sulabh Sauchayala & Bio Gas Plants and
development of Environment Parks for
thousands of poor labourers’ livings in
slums where GAIL supplies gas. In just
two years, more than 350 villagers have
benefitted from the programmes under
Environment Protection.
14
april 2014

15
T o u c h i n g e v e r y a s p e c t o f t h e N a t i o n .

Point
Out
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION
PARTY WITH
DIFFERENCES
16
april 2014

Had it not been for these squabbles,
BJP-led NDA that is almost on the
verge of getting a simple majority in
Lok Sabha elections as per poll surveys,
the victory would have been sweeter for
Modi and his team. It was something
that could have been avoided and saved
the party of public embarrassment.
»»
Point Out Team
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that
projects itself as a party with a
difference is truly turning out to
be ‘party with differences’. The
anointment of Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi as party’s prime
ministerial candidate apparently has
not gone down well with a section of
party leadership— especially the elder
lot. The week-long bitter squabble over
party tickets for Lok Sabha elections,
the party patriarch LK Advani’s drama
expressing his wish to contest from
outside Gujarat, former BJP chief Dr
Murli Manohar Joshi’s potshot on Modi
and reluctance to accept a change in his
parliamentary seat and party statesman
Jaswant Singh spitting venom against
Vasundhraraje and Modi over denial
of party ticket from Barmer Lok Sabha
constituency in Rajasthan and finally
his revolt to contest as an independent
against party’s official candidate brings
out the deepening suspicion and ill-will
senior leaders are harbouring against
The anointment of Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi as party’s
prime ministerial candidate apparently
has not gone down well with a section
of party leadership— especially the
elder lot.
each other. The fact is none of them
are able to cope up with the reality
of playing second fiddle to Narendra
Modi is the biggest problem of the
senior BJP leaders.
Had it not been for these squabbles,
BJP-led NDA that is almost on the
verge of getting a simple majority in
Lok Sabha elections as per poll surveys,
the victory would have been sweeter for
Modi and his team. It was something
that could have been avoided and saved
the party of public embarrassment.
Veteran Advani’s insistence on
shifting out of Gujarat and contest from
Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal tells
the story in clear terms— Narendra
Modi may have bulldozed his way to be
party’s prime ministerial candidate, but
for a section of elder leaders – the game
is not yet over. Former party president
and senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi,
party chief Rajnath Singh, opposition
leader in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj
are all playing a waiting game. Modi’s
ascent has been unexpected and
certainly at their cause, they feel. And
his anointment as Prime Ministerial
candidate has sealed their fate.
The genesis of Advani’s grudge
to move out of Gandhinagar seat,
Joshi expressing his displeasure over
changing his seat and Jaswant Singh’s
revolt all lie in the ambition and ego of
these elder leaders. Initially, when Modi
was named prime ministerial candidate
not many in the party believed he
would make much headway. For, Modi
was still a pariah for the so-called
17

Point
Out
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION
secular outfits and some constituents of
National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
It was this that gave a ray of hope for
Advani and his ilk that when it would
come to the push Modi will be edged
out with a suitable and moderate
face acceptable to all. But, that seems
unlikely to happen, given the mood in
the country and poll surveys.
With Modi unleashing a campaign
like never before, zipping through
the length and breadth of the nation
addressing massive public meetings
and storming social media platforms
projecting himself as a youth icon, he
has been successful in converting the
vast anti-Congress sentiments into a
pro-Modi wave. This has left senior
leaders in the party rattled. Because,
today BJP is Modi and Modi is BJP.
What unfolded over the months
is that except for Nitish Kumar led
Janata Dal (United) none had walked
out of NDA over Modi. Moreover, no
NDA constituent or political outfit now
finds it difficult to work with Narendra
Modi. Instead several fence –sitters
have joined hands with him. Nitish
who walked out of the NDA hoping
to strike gold is in tatters in Bihar and
is struggling. His move certainly has
backfired, at least for now. Moreover,
several small and big parties that
associated with the NDA in the recent
past have expressed no reservations
about working with Modi.
The Modi wave whether one admits
or not has brought BJP to the brink of its
best ever electoral performance, if poll
With Modi unleashing a campaign
like never before, zipping through
the length and breadth of the
nation addressing massive public
meetings and storming social
media platforms projecting himself
as a youth icon, he has been
successful in converting the vast
anti-Congress sentiments into a
pro-Modi wave.
pundits and surveys are to be believed.
Had the BJP stopped at 175 to 200 seats,
it would have been difficult for Modi to
go along in his authoritarian style and
he would have been too dependent on
allies. Under pressure from allies and
as a compromise, the party could have
sacrified Modi. However, with most
pre-poll survey predicting an upward of
240 seats for NDA combine and some
even taking them closer to the magic
figure of 272, required for a simple
majority, the senior leaders are waking
up to the reality of being pushed
out and becoming inconsequential.
Narendra Modi would be unstoppable
once NDA get close to 272 seats. Hence
the defiance and bickering from within
party rank.
After a bitter spat senior leaders
appear to have called a truce. Even as the
party and its leaders project it ‘business
as usual’ there is something unusual
that makes the truce temporary. How
long will the truce hold? No one knows,
but till the outcome of Lok Sabha
elections it is to stay.
18
april 2014

After party’s young leaders and
Rashtriya Swayemsewak Sangh
(RSS) top brass endorsed Narendra
Modi’s name as prime ministerial
candidate, Advani unsuccessfully
tried to play spoilsport.
»»
Point Out Team
The man who re-invented or
resurrected BJP in the late-1980s
and 1990s, L K Advani, seem to
have a genuine grudge. In 1996
and 1998 despite his leadership and skills
in mobilizing the party cadres he had
lost out to veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee
in the race for prime ministership. He
had to contend with playing the second
fiddle role in government considering
Vajpayee’s towering personality. He was
confined to play a deputy to the elderly
statesman. He tried desperately in 2004
with the ‘India Shining’ campaign that
boomranged and also in 2009 to make
up. But BJP was badly defeated on both
occasions virtually putting an end to his
ambition of being Prime Minister. The
resurgence of BJP after 10-years of UPA
misrule had re-kindled his hope. But
that too had been trampled upon by his
one-time disciple NaMo.
After party’s young leaders and
Rashtriya Swayemsewak Sangh (RSS)
top brass endorsed Narendra Modi’s
name as prime ministerial candidate,
Advani unsuccessfully tried to play
spoilsport. Initially, he along with
Sushma Swaraj propped up Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan against Modi stating that he
too has led BJP to three successive wins
in MP and has the right credentials of
being a national leader who is perceived
to be moderate and acceptable to all.
When that didn’t cut much ice within
party rank, Advani protested by
THE SULKING
PATRIARCH
19

Point
Out
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION
The choice of Bhopal Lok Sabha
seat was a well thought out
strategy– one because it is a BJP
bastion and with Shivraj in charge
in MP he would have ensured a big
win for Advani and the fact that
his supporter Sushma Swaraj is
contesting from the neighbouring
seat in Vidisha.
abstaining from the BJP parliamentary
board that met to name Modi as its
prime ministerial candidate. A sulking
Advani wrote a letter expressing his
displeasure to party president Rajnath
Singh. He however gave in after a tough
message from the RSS head quarters
that made it clear there will be no
rethink on Modi. Likewise, he chose the
time to embarrass the party when BJP
was on ascendency just before polls. By
expressing his willingness to contest
from Bhopal and not his traditional seat
of Gandhinagar he was having the last
laugh hitting Modi where it hurts. The
choice of Bhopal Lok Sabha seat was a
well thought out strategy– one because
it is a BJP bastion and with Shivraj in
charge in MP he would have ensured a
big win for Advani and the fact that his
supporter Sushma Swaraj is contesting
from the neighbouring seat in Vidisha.
After keeping the party leadership
on tenterhooks for about a week the
sulking patriarch gave in and agreed to
contest from Gandhinagar, endorsing
Modi’s leadership. He has done this in
the past and has done it again. All this is
to send the message across that he still
cannot be discounted.
How long the patriarch can hold on
is for one to see. For he knows at 86 age
is not on his side and he has almost lost
out the race. If Modi gets to be the Prime
Minister then it would be curtains on
his ambitions. Still hoping against hope
he is trying to keep himself afloat.
ANGRY PROFESSOR
Dr Murli Manohar Joshi had spoken his mind out against the BJP leadership and
prime ministerial candidate Modi, the moment it became sure that his Lok Sabha
seat was being changed. Dr Joshi, who represented Varanasi (Benaras) seat in
2009 has now been shifted to Kanpur to accommodate Narendra Modi. An outsider
to Uttar Pradesh, NaMo has chosen Benaras very tactically. The city being a Hindu
holy city has a large number of Hindu voters besides the Akhadas and saints can pay a
decisive role in swinging the mood of undecided voters. Hence, he hopes to make it to
the Lok Sabha easily from Benaras.
The professor was reluctant to move out of Varanasi and had given enough hints
to partymen that he was not willing to budge. So much so that when the issue came
up before the BJP cenetral election committee meeting in Delhi he spoke out his mind.
A senior leader and former union minister, who has also served as BJP president, Dr
Joshi feels he is senior enough to decide about which seat he should contest rather
than being told about it.
His initial posturing and reluctance had led to speculations of a rift within the party
cadres which Joshi himself had later denied. Party sources, however said, he gave
in only after a worried RSS stepped in. Joshi later went on to make a statement that
he will abide by party’s decision on Varanasi seat and eventually filed his nomination
from Varanasi. He has shifted to Kanpur but will always feel let down by the party.
20
april 2014

RENEGDE SOLDIER
T
he suave and sophisticated
former Union Minister Jaswant
Singh had given BJP its biggest
jolt during the run-up to Lok
Sabha elections by going ahead and
filing his nomination as an independent
from Barmer constituency in Rajasthan,
his birth place. The defiance cost the
former army officer his membership of
BJP, which he represented as Member
of Parliament, leader of opposition
in Rajya Sabha, External Affairs and
Finance Minister. Party had expelled
Jaswant from its primary membership
for six years.
Jaswant, who was among BJP’s
tallest and most articulate leaders had
decided not to buckle down as he was
increasingly been sidelined in the party
under the new dispensation. His best
moment was working with the stalwarts
Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna
Advani, whose confidence he had
21
Jaswant, who was
among BJP’s tallest and
most articulate leaders
had decided not to
buckle down as he was
increasingly been sidelined
in the party under the new
dispensation.
enjoyed. After marginalisation of Advani,
Jaswant felt isolated and the huge win by
Vasundhra Raje in the November 2013
assembly elections from Rajasthan added
to his woes. He was hardly visible ever
since Team Modi took over and like other
contemporaries waited for his chance.
Party sources say denial of ticket to the
veteran was the handwork of Rajasthan
Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje, with
whom he does not share a good relation.
The ex-army officer is known to
express his views strongly at party
forum and not to give much care about
party line. In the past too, he had faced
expulsion over his praise on Jinnah,
made during the release of his book
Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence in
Pakistan in 2009. Ever since his return
to BJP he was never able to regain the
trust of his party fully. Every time he has
taken a rigid stand he has been able to
come out of it.
But for the 76-year-old veteran this is
his biggest and possibly the last move in
elec`toral politics. He has plunged into
campaigning right away and is seeking
support from his people invoking “the
honour of the people of Barmer.” Will
the people of Barmer oblige, one would
know only on May 16, after the counting
of votes.

Point
Out
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION
For now, he seems to be making all
the right moves. However, it would not
be a surprise if he turns up and says,
‘Mein Bhi Hoon Na’ when matters
precipitate.
MEIN HOON NA
While the circus is on, and party
leaders are squabbling for
upmanship, BJP president
Rajnath Singh is silently
watching it. To his credit, he has stood
by Narendra Modi and backed him. But
party sources, who know Rajnath very
well says, even with Modi, Advani, MM
Joshi or Susham Swaraj and Arun Jaitley
one cannot completely rule out Singh.
Rajnath too, is an ambitious leader who
has expressed openly about being in the
race for prime minister’s post in the past.
Sources say, the smart politician from Uttar
Pradesh is keeping all cards to his chest and
weighing all options. For him the priority
is to get BJP maximum number of seats,
something he has failed in his earlier stint
as party chief.
For now, he seems to be making all the
right moves. However, it would not be a
surprise if he turns up and says, ‘Mein Bhi
Hoon Na’ when matters precipitate.
22
april 2014

POINT
OUT
232
MARCH 2014

Point
Out
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION
BJP’S NEW HEADACHE
MANAGING TURNCOATS
With such a large exodus of leaders from Congress and other
parties that were highly critical of BJP and its ideology party workers are
finding it difficult to accept them.
24
april 2014

It is a problem of plenty with BJP.
As prospects about the possibility
of BJP making huge electoral gains
Lok Sabha elections at the expense of
Congress-led UPA, facing strong antiincumbency
across the nation, gain
strength it has led to a very different and
difficult problem for BJP leadership at
the Centre and states— managing the
turncoats. Sensing trouble and hoping
to make the best before the ship sinks a
large number of Congress leaders have
joined the BJP. The problem is serious
in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh where
the turncoats have managed to get
tickets as well.
With such a large exodus of leaders
from Congress and other parties that
25
Sensing trouble and hoping to make the
best before the ship sinks a large number
of Congress leaders have joined the BJP.
The problem is serious in Haryana and
Madhya Pradesh where the turncoats
have managed to get tickets as well.
were highly critical of BJP and its
ideology party workers are finding it
difficult to accept them. Office bearer
of BJP’s Bhind district unit sums it
up well, “How should we react now.
The very people against who whom
we were fighting are today standing
with us, rather leading us. What an
irony. Dedicated party workers and
their efforts are being ignored and the
turncoats are getting prominence.”
In Haryana BJP is contesting eight of
the 10 Lok Sabha seats. Of the eight at
turncoats have been fielded by BJP is at
least four seats. Former union minister
Rao Inderjit Singh a Congressman who
switched loyalties not so long ago is the
BJP candidate from Gurgaon Lok Sabha
seat, adjoining the national capital.
Inderjit Singh is son of former Congress
leader and former Union minister and
second Chief Minister of Haryana late
Rao Birendra Singh.
Another turncoat leader fielded by

Point
Out
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION
BJP is Dharambir Singh from Bhiwani-
Mahendergarh seat. . Dharambir was
chief parliamentary secretary in Hooda
government till March 2014. He quit the
government and position as a Congress
MLA and sought BJP membership.
Likewise, Raj Kumar Saini, the BJP
candidate from Kurukshetra seat is
another turncoat fielded by the BJP.
Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh,
BJP managed a coup of sorts when
Dr Bhagirath Prasad, a retired IAS
officer, joined the saffron outfit hours
after he was give Congress ticket from
Bhind. Prasad, who had unsuccessfully
contested 2009 Lok Sabha elections,
from Bhind was later named as BJP
candidate. He was unhappy with being
ignored by Union Minister Jyotiraditya
Scindia. Only till recently, BJP’s sitting
MP Ashok Argal was fighting against
the bureaucrat-turned politician Prasad.
From Hoshangabad Lok Sabha
seat in MP, BJP has fielded Rao Uday
Pratap Singh, Congress leader and
sitting MP was roped into BJP during
the November 2013 assembly elections
in Madhya Pradesh. Neighbouring
Bhopal, Hoshangabad is an important
LS seat where BJP had won all the
assembly segments falling under the LS
seat.
In Madhya Pradesh BJP state unit
has poached at least six MLAs, mainly
from Congress that include Sanjay
Pathak , the high profile MLAs from
Vijayraghogarh assembly segment.
Pathak, a mining baron from the Katni
belt was a very active MLA and was very
popular in the region. However, he was
not satisfied with the Congress party
over distribution of ticket and protested
party decision to field an outsider from
Khajuraho. He was demanding that
the ticket be given to a local Congress
leader. Other Congress MLAs from MP
who joined the BJP include Congress
MLA from Maihar in Satna district
Narayan Tripathi and Dinesh Ahirwar
MLA from Jatara in Tikamgarh district.
The turncoats coming into party
fold and hogging limelight is something
that is turning out to be a problem for
BJP leaders. Their plates are plenty and
managing the new entrants without
demeaning their stature especially at
the local level and also keeping in good
humour the dedicated party cadre is
proving to be party’s biggest challenge.
26
april 2014

T A K E P O I N T O U T W H E R E E V E R Y O U G O
T O U C H I N G E V E R Y A S P E C T O F T H E N A T I O N
27

Point
Out
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION
KEJRI
THE PUNCHING BAG
28
april 2014

After making a mess of governance in Delhi, the pan India
sympathy for Kejri among the urban middle class is fast
dissipating. Now, he has become the punching bag of Aam Aadmi
(common man) in real sense. For, wherever he goes in the country,
people are turning up and a sizeable majority is questioning him
for the Delhi fiasco.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
leader Arvind Kejriwal, who
disseminated the Congress and
trounced the BJP in November
2013 assembly polls is struggling to
find its way. The former Indian Revenue
Service officer, who promised a change
in governance with greater transparency
and involvement of public in decision
making, has landed up in a messy
situation. Having raised expectations
of masses to a level from where delivery
became impossible, he could neither
deliver nor run away in peace.
After making a mess of governance
in Delhi, the pan India sympathy for
Kejri among the urban middle class is
fast dissipating. Now, he has become
the punching bag of Aam Aadmi
(common man) in real sense. For,
wherever he goes in the country, people
are turning up and a sizeable majority
is questioning him for the Delhi fiasco.
Where is the promise of free potable
water, electricity? What about law and
order in national capital and what
happened to the corrupt?
The frustration and disappointment
of masses with AAP has been such
that Kejriwal is facing physical assaults
across the country. First it was Gujarat,
then Haryana and Delhi. On every
occasion the assaulters claimed that
they felt cheated and fooled by Kejriwal.
Whatever the reason for public anger,
such acts of violence is a very disturbing
and dangerous trend which must be
condemned and nipped in the bud.
Getting back to the point, Kejriwal
who made all the right moves failed
to anticipate public mood when he
decided to resign as Delhi Chief
Minister, less than a month after taking
over. The decision coming in the
backdrop of misadventures of some
29
of his ministers and a showdown with
the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and
Union Government projected him and
Whether, he accepts it or not,
quitting Delhi so early was his biggest
political miscalculation and it has
seriously backfired.
AAP as if they were running away from
responsibility. And for the tall claims
and promises he made he had nothing
to show.
Had he acted sensibly and held on
to Delhi bringing about some changes,
the AAP story would have been entirely
different in Lok Sabha elections 2014.
Whether, he accepts it or not, quitting
Delhi so early was his biggest political
miscalculation and it has seriously
backfired.

POINT Point
OUT
Out
30
april 2014
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION
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Point
Out
INTERVIEW Meenakshi Lekhi
BJP IS UNITED
OVER MODI
32
april 2014

M
eenakshi Lekhi is a Supreme Court lawyer and spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She
is being seen among the young faces of BJP, who are close to party’s prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi. Meenakshi has been part of the Drafting Committees for bills like “Women
Reservation Bill” and “Problem of Sexual Harassment at Workplace”. Besides, she has been
regularly writing columns in leading newspapers and journals on current issues and a regular
face of TV news shows articulating views about her party. In the heat and dust of campaigning
in national capital from where she is contesting the Lok Sabha elections against Ajay Maken of
Congress, Meenakshi took time off and spoke to POINT OUT Editor-in-Chief Dr. Shiv Kumar Rai.
Despite the hype over BJP’s PM
candidate, Modi’s campaign, is
everything OK in BJP?
Everything is absolutely okay in
BJP. There are attempts being made to
create a rift between BJP’s top leaders by
opposition who are spreading canards.
However as a member of BJP family, I
would reiterate as a family there may
be difference of opinions, but when it
comes to a final take about Narendra
Modi, there is no dispute. We have put
up a candidate and a leader who will be
Prime Minister if BJP wins, unlike the
Congress which is unsure. The Congress
with all its long list of leaders could not
name a prime ministerial candidate.
It is a general perception that some
BJP leaders are pulling down each
other. Internally, the party is said to
be divided into two teams BJP 272+
& BJP 180?
This is a totally incorrect observation.
These are the myths spread by people
with vested interests. BJP has only one
mission, to win maximum seats in
the Lok Sabha elections and form the
next government. All BJP leaders and
party workers are united over the issue
of Narendra Modi being next Prime
Minister. There is no division whatsoever
on the issue within party ranks.
Why is it that BJP is not being
able to handle its internal conflicts
effectively?
This is a very hypothetical question.
BJP is handling its internal conflicts
much better than any other political
party. We have a collective leadership
and views on all issues bet it concerning
the party or nation, unlike the Congress
and other parties which are run by one
33
‘BJP has only one mission, to win
maximum seats in the Lok Sabha
elections and form the next
government. All BJP leaders and party
workers are united over the issue of
Narendra Modi being next Prime Minister.
‘BJP is handling its internal conflicts
much better than
a collective
any other leadership political and party. views We on have
issues bet it concerning the party or
all
nation, unlike the Congress and other
parties which are run by one family, one
person and 60 years of mis-governance.
It is therefore everyone to see in the
country.
family, one person and 60 years of misgovernance.
It is therefore everyone to
see in the country.
But, still there are some
disappointed ambitious senior
leaders in your party?
Ambitious yes, there is nothing
wrong to be ambitious. Every person has
the right to be ambitious. Ambitions do
not make a bad case if Hillary Clinton
and Barack Obama can compete with
each other and then work together to
achieve a common goal. I think that’s
the best democratic example which
people like you and others should
learn. These are the principles upon
which democracy functions. It is not an
autocratic regime where one person or
one family determines who would be
the leaders and what policies must be
pursued to govern the country.
In a repeat of Pramod Mutalik case,
the BJP cancelled membership
of expelled JDU leader Sabir Ali
following widespread protests in the
party over his alleged terror links.
What is your reaction?
You see BJP is very large party with
a huge number of volunteers and as
it stands now, we are on the brink of
getting to power at the Centre. So several
people seeking their own interest may
want join in and it is for BJP to take a
call with whom they should engage and
with whom not to. If there is a resistance
from any member within the party, such
people are not welcome and that’s the
clear message that has been sent out. So
there is no conflict it is a fact, we cannot
let our cadre be demoralized at the cost
of new entrants. The fact of the matter is
people from Congress, people from JDU,
people from several other parties are
looking at the BJP whatever the reason.
Why are diligent party members and
gross-root leaders generally ignored
when it comes to ticket distribution?
I don’t think that’s the truth. I think
BJP recognizes the merit of its people,
BJP recognizes the work of the people
and BJP is the only party where people
can gets ticket without doing Ganesh
Parikramas and I am the living example.
I never applied for the ticket, I never
asked anyone for it, and yet I am here.
Do you expect the BJP get the magic
figure of 272?
The feedback I am getting from the
people across the country and in my
speeches suggest that we will get 300
plus seats.

Point
Out
ANDHRA
A LOST BASTION
ANDHRA election
The biggest mistake that many feel the Congress did was on relying heavily on the
TRS in Telangana region hoping to reap political benefits first by merger assurance,
then by alliance assurance— which never came. The ground reality in Telangana
region, Congress finds itself locked in a multi-cornered contest facing TRS, TDP,
rebels and others.
»»
Vijay Grover
For the Congress Party in unified
Andhra Pradesh, the 42 seats of the
state were something from where its
scorecard would tick every time in
two digits except the 1999 wave against
the Congress when the party put up its
worst performance in the state and got
only 5 seats. But this time again the biggest
question doing the rounds is will it
touch double digit mark in the state ? Experts
feel no and so does the party.
Shailesh Reddy, journalist-turnedpolitician
says, “The situation that
Congress finds itself is of its own
making. The way party dragged its
feet on bifurcation of the state for so
many years has angered people of
the state. Hundreds of lives were lost,
careers, businesses and lives disturbed
in agitations in both Seemandhra
and Telangana regions has forced this
situation on the party”
The biggest mistake that many feel
the Congress did was on relying heavily
on the TRS in Telangana region hoping
to reap political benefits first by merger
assurance, then by alliance assurance—
which never came. The ground reality
in Telangana region, Congress finds
itself locked in a multi-cornered contest
facing TRS, TDP, rebels and others.
In the Seemandhara region of Andhra
Pradesh, the situation is far more grim
for the party. The challenge begins from
searching credible candidates for both
Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and
to retain many of the existing leaders
who are deserting the party. The exit
34
april 2014

of D Purandeshwari Devi , saw many
others take the door out. The party has
lost 75 of its leaders who had won in
2009 to various parties in the past three
months: 33 MLAs have joined the YSR
Congress while 27 have gone over to the
TDP.
While this is the case of the MLAs, 11
MPs from the Congress have also joined
35
“It will be a total sweep in favour
of YSR Congress. Of course
Chandrababu Naidu will be the
runners-up, but he will be a second.
He may end up with 30 to 35
Assembly seats only.” Clearly the
Congress is finding it difficult, as
Seemandhara goes to polls on May 7.
the YSR Congress Party, TRS, BJP,
TRS and also the Jai Samaikyaandhra
Party launched by Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Three each among these joined the YSR
Congress and TDP, two each crossed
over to the TRS and Jai Samaikyandhra
Party and one to the BJP.
So where does it leave the Congress?
It is far behind its breakaway party
YSRCP and Chandrababu Naidu-led
TDP. While a huge response to Jagan’s
campaign rallies in the state is visible, it
is the first chance for the young leader
to make a government on his own.
The confidence is so much that Jagan’s
speeches now dwell around building
a new state capital for Seemandhra,
without specifying whether it will
be Ananthapur , Vijayawada or
Vishakhapatnam. Speaking on phone to
PointOut Jagan said, “The new capital
city will have the best connectivity to
all the districts apart from Hyderabad.
If I have to ask someone staying in
Hyderabad to come and settle in the
new capital city, I need to showcase the
infrastructure. I need to create euphoria
about it. So my vision of the new capital
is something new. Everything needs
to be done with super speed yet with
transparency.” On his political rivals,
especially the Congress, Jagan’s take
may worry the Congress even further,
“It will be a total sweep in favour of
YSR Congress. Of course Chandrababu
Naidu will be the runners-up, but he
will be a second. He may end up with 30
to 35 Assembly seats only.”
Clearly the Congress is finding it
difficult, as Seemandhara goes to polls
on May 7. While it has some consolation
that it is still in the race in Telangana
region but even taking credit for the
formation of the new Telanagana state
may not save the party. A senior state
leader on assurance of anonymity says,
“The central leadership muddled on the
T- issue and Madam was mis-guided by
vested interests especially some of the
Union Ministers who interfered with
the process too much, leaving us in the
state without any hold or say.”
But while the opportunity seeking
political leadership of the Congress may
have deserted the sinking Congress ship
, will the voters respond similarly or
differently remains to be a big question
which will be answered on the polling
days.

Point
Out
GALLERY
GALLA
GALLERY
GALLARY
GALLE
1 2
TOPI
POLITICS OF
APPEASEMENT
NITISH KUMAR :
5
To govern a country like India, you have to
take everyone along; sometimes you will have
to wear topi and sometimes tilak. (kabhi topi
bhi pehenni padhegi, kabhi tilak bhi lagana
padega).”
NARENDRA MODI:
I won’t wear a skull cap just to pose and fool
people.
36
april 2014

RY
GALLA
GALLERY
GALLARY
GALLERY
GALLA
ALLERY
3 4
6 7
37

Point
Out
By invite
The world today is concerned
about the growing inflationary
pressures, recessions and
potential fall in growth rates,
affecting valuable efforts on
development.
EMPOWERING
3 BILLION
»»
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
On women’s day I was in the company
of a set of outstanding panelists comprising
leading women professionals.
Each one of them was a successful
leader in her own right. Each of us made
our points without exaggerating or exceeding
the given time. It was evident that the Indian
woman had arrived. Let me share what
was put across on that Women’s day.
Today, the challenges of the world are
poverty, illiteracy, safe drinking water, clean
and green energy, equitable distribution
of resources, quality education with values
for all, overcoming societal imbalances,
curing diseases, quality healthcare for all
and good living conditions. Individual
nations are working to find a solution to
these challenges. However we are clearly
witnessing that challenges faced by nations
are not only of their making or the solutions
amenable only by the individual nations.
There are many international dimensions
for the cause and solutions. Hence working
for solutions is a collective responsibility
of global community. Also when nations
start working on the common enemies
of illiteracy, poor health care etc, their
tendency to focus on national, regional
and global peace with better mutual trust is
enabled. The global challenges take various
manifestations based on the local dynamics
which are interconnected on various factors.
The world today is integrally connected
through four rapid connectivity modes.
They are environment, people, economy
and ideas. We all know that global warming
and climate change are no longer problems
of individual nations, they are planetary
problems. In the present time, a single
product may be made out of components
sourced from multiple continents and
provide services to markets far off from their
place of origin.
We also saw, how the economic
turbulence originating in one part of the
globe shook the whole world. The world
today is concerned about the growing
inflationary pressures, recessions and
potential fall in growth rates, affecting
valuable efforts on development. At the
same time, advances in transportation have
progressively made movement of people
across nations and regions more feasible.
This has led to the globalization of expertise
and talents which can flow seamlessly from
one nation to another. This also has led to
the globalization of human diseases, the
most recent instance being of different kinds
of flu which rapidly spread across the globe
and threatened the entire human kind.
Similarly, ideas and innovations are no
longer geographically or politically confined.
An invention made today somewhere takes
no time to find its market thousands of
miles away. The expansion of information
and communication technology and the
convergence of technological tools are
structuring new world knowledge, where
problems of one part of the world can
be solved by multiple experts based at
different points of the globe. Seamless flow
of information and people also means
that local or regional issues will invariably
gain global prominence and unaddressed
problems including poverty can mutate
rapidly into global terrorism which we are
already witnessing. This flow of ideas has
also led to increasing importance of global
human rights and propagation of the idea of
democracy.
It is the responsibility of our generation
of leaders and youth, to choose the path
which brings us together and not the one
which pulls us apart. There are two possible
solutions for achieving this vision. The
first solution seems to be the conventional
approach which has been followed so far
across the world. It starts with working for
national prosperity and peace within the
38
april 2014

local boundaries and perspectives, hoping
that over a long run it would percolate into
regional prosperity and peace, ultimately
may lead to prosperity and peace at the
global level. The collective experience across
the world highlights that this solution has
not yielded the desired results in the past,
and with a globalizing world, its efficacy in
bringing global prosperity and peace in the
future is uncertain.
Globalization: When I was travelling in
an aircraft in USA, I was told that much
of its controls where software driven and
most probably developed in India. When
I presented my credit card, I was told that
it was being processed in the backend
server located in Mauritius. When I walked
into a multinational software company in
Bangalore, I was fascinated to find that it
truly presented a multicultural environment.
A software developer from China, working
under a project leader from Korea, working
with a software engineer from India and a
hardware architect from the US and the
communication expert from Germany, were
all working together to solve the banking
problem in Australia. When I see all of them
working together like one family forgetting
about the culture from which they came
or the language they speak, I feel that the
only hope for such borderless interaction
to continue is to inculcate the spirit of
“borderlessness” in every human activity on
our planet Earth.
Based on detailed discussions in many
educational institutions across the world
and with many citizens in India and abroad
from multiple organizations, and disciplines,
I am happy to present to you the distinctive
profile for the Nations of the World in 2030,
as follows:
Distinctive profile for the Nations of the
World in 2030
Let me present to you these visualizations
n A world of nations where the divide
between rural and urban, rich and the
poor, developed and developing has
narrowed down.
n A world of nations where there is an
equitable distribution and adequate
access to energy and quality water.
n A world where core competencies of
each nation are identified. Missions
synergizing the core competencies
of different nations lead to economic
advantage and faster development for all
the societies
39
n
n
n
n
n
n
A world of nations where all the students
of all societies are imparted education
with value system.
A world of nations where affordable
quality health care is available to all.
A world of nations where the governance
is responsive, transparent and corruption
free.
A world of nations where crimes against
women and children are absent and none
in the society feels alienated.
A world in which every nation is able to
give a clean green environment to all its
citizens.
A world that is prosperous, healthy,
secure, devoid of terrorism, peaceful and
happy and continues with a sustainable
growth path.
n A world of nations with creative
leadership who ensure effective
mechanisms to resolve conflicts between
nations and societies in a timely manner
keeping overall peace and prosperity of
the world as a goal.
There are two possible solutions for
achieving this vision. The first solution
seems to be the conventional approach
which has been followed so far across the
world. It starts with working for national
prosperity and peace within the local
boundaries and perspectives, hoping that
over a long run it would percolate into
regional prosperity and peace, ultimately
may lead to prosperity and peace at the
global level. The collective experience across
the world highlights that this solution has
not yielded the desired results in the past,
and with a globalizing world, its efficacy in
bringing global prosperity and peace in the
future is uncertain.
The second solution would be, looking
from the global prosperity and peace as
the overall objective of the world, thereby
percolating to achieve regional prosperity
and peace which will ultimately ensure
the national prosperity and peace of the
participating nations. It is all about making
a study with reference to global context
and finding, how every nation can align
towards the global missions. It has also to be
remembered that national missions inspire
the citizens; this spirit has to be directed
towards globally important missions.
Conclusion: Economic Development and
Creative Leadership
In conclusion, I would like to discuss with
you the linkage between national economic
development and creative leadership:
1. A nation’s Economic development is
powered by competitiveness.
2. Competitiveness is powered by
knowledge power.
3. knowledge power is powered by
Technology and innovation.
4. Technology and innovation is powered
by resource investment.
5. Resource investment is powered by
revenue and return on Investment.
6. Revenue is powered by volume and
repeat sales through customer loyalty.
7. Customer loyalty is powered by quality
and value of products.
8. Quality and value of products is
powered by Employee Productivity and
innovation.
9. Employee Productivity is powered by
Employee Loyalty, employee satisfaction
and working environment.
10. Working Environment is powered by
management stewardship and sound
management.
11. Management stewardship is powered by
Creative leadership.
For success in all your missions you have to
become creative leaders. Creative leadership
means exercising the vision to change the
traditional role from the commander to the
coach, manager to mentor, from director
to delegator and from one who demands
respect to one who facilitates self-respect.
For a prosperous and developed India, the
important thrust will be on the generation
of a number of creative leaders from our
educational institutions. Apart from this
what is needed is the spirit among the youth
that”I can do it, we can do it and the nation
can do it.” Our educational institutions have
to concentrate on developing the leadership
traits and the confidence to perform among
every youth of the nation. This quality of
leadership will certainly empower the 3
billion people of the world with sustainable
development as its focus.
The global vision 2030 envisages the
realization of green clean environment
without pollution, having prosperity
without poverty, peace without fear of war
and a happy place to live for all citizens of
the nations of the world. What is needed the
participation of multiple nations, multiple
institutions and people from across the
globe towards common objectives.
(The author is former President of India
and a renowned scientist)

Point
Out
Govt Watch Movers & Shakers
• Ravi Kanth appointed CMD, HUDCO
40
Dr Medithi Ravi Kanth is the Chairman &
Managing Director (CMD) of Housing and
Urban Development
Corporation Limited
(HUDCO). Prior to
joining HUDCO, he
was CMD of Projects
& Development India
Limited (PDIL) on
‘absorption basis’, and
as an IAS officer of
1986 batch in Kerala cadre, Ravi Kanth
was Principal Secretary to Government
of Kerala and Joint Secretary, Ministry
of Power, Government of India, New
Delhi.Ravi Kanth is MA (Economics)
and PhD (Agri-Exports) from Andhra
University, LLB from Delhi University
and MBA (Finance) from Melbourne,
Australia. He has served in various
positions in Government of India namely
a Deputy Chief Executive, Nuclear Fuel
Complex, Department of Atomic Energy,
Hyderabad; Private Secretary to MOS in
Finance & Company Affairs, MOS (i/c)
Labour & Urban Development; Director,
APEDA in Ministry of Commerce &
Industry; Chairman & Managing Director,
april 2014
National Handicapped Finance &
Development Corporation in Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment. Ravi
Kanth has also held several positions
in the state of Kerala. These include
district Collector & district magistrate
of Kannur (Cannanore); Managing
Director of Cashew Export Development
Corporation, Kollam (Quilon); General
Manager, KSCSC and Director of Food
& Supplies Department; Sub Collector &
Sub Divisional Magistrate, Tellicherry in
Kerala and as Secretary, Delhi Minorities
Commission, Controller of Weights &
Measures (Legal Metrology) and Food &
Supplies in Government of Delhi.
• Rajiv Takru is Secretary, Revenue
Rajiv Takru has been appointed as the
Secretary, department of Revenue, Ministry
of Finance. He was posted as Secretary ,
Department of Financial Services. Takru is
an IAS officer of 1979 batch who belongs to
the Gujarat cadre.
• Sandhu to be Secretary, Dept of
Revenue
Gurdial Singh Sandhu has been appointed
as Secretary, Department of Revenue,
Minister of Finance. He will replace Rajiv
Takru. Sandhu is an IAS officer of 1980
batch who belongs to the Rajasthan cadre.
• Arvind Mayaram is Finance Secretary
The Union Government has appointed
Rajasthan cadre IAS officer Arvind Mayaram
as Secretary, Finance,
Ministry of Finance.
The post was lying
vacant since the
retirement of Sumit
Bose on March 31,
2014. Mayaram, a
1978 batch officer has
been holding charge as the Economic Affairs
Secretary since 2012 and will continue to look
after the Department of Economic Affairs.
• Mrs Kutty appointed CVO, IOCL
The appointments committee of the cabinet
has approved the appointment of Mrs
Sanjeevanee Kutty as Chief Vigilance
Officer, Indian Oil Corporation Limited
(IOCL). She is an IAS officer of the 1983
batch hailing from Maharashtra cadre. With
her appointment, she will be also be getting
a combined deputation tenure of seven
years till January 11, 2016.

IN FOCUS PSUs
BHEL, LEADING THE RACE
»»
BUSINESS BUREAU
Among the seven Maharatna public
sector undertakings Bharat
Heavy Electricals Limited
(BHEL), an integrated power
plant equipment manufacturer and one
of the largest engineering and manufacturing
companies in India, maintains
its lead as the top performing organisation.
BHEL has successfully warded of
sluggish growth in domestic and international
market coupled with a depreciating
Indian Rupee to retain its market
leadership position during 2013-14.
Improved focus on project execution
enabled the company record highest
ever commissioning/synchronization
of 13,452 MW of power plants in
domestic and international markets
in 2013-14, a 30 per cent increase over
2012-13 achievement. This has come at
41
BHEL has successfully warded of
sluggish growth in domestic and
international market coupled with a
depreciating Indian Rupee to retain
its market leadership position during
2013-14.
a time when both power and industrial
market segments in which the company
operates continued to witness fewer
project finalizations.
According to BHEL spokesperson,
the company secured orders worth
Rs 28,007 crore from its diversified
business segments covering both
domestic and international markets.
Orders in industrial segment at Rs 5,007
crore witnessed a 23% jump; spares &
services at Rs.3,433 crore saw a jump
of 19% and international segment at
Rs.2,567 crore witnessed a jump of 28%
in 2013-14. The company ended the
year with an order book of Rs.1,01,538
crore.
BHEL bagged a mega EPC order
worth Rs. 7,900 Crore for 3x660 MW
supercritical units from NTPC for
North Karanpura project against stiff
International competition. With this,
the company’s market share in power
sector in the country was 72% during
2013-14, further strengthening its
leadership position.
BHEL recorded a turnover of Rs
40,366 crore (provisional) and a net
profit of Rs 3,228 crore (prov.) during
2013-14. Profit impact is due to low
volumes. Certain ongoing projects
have got impacted as the power
sector continues to be besieged with

Point
Out
IN FOCUS PSUs
issues relating to fund constraints,
land acquisition, clearances and coal
linkages. Focus on cost optimization
through increased localization of super
critical technologies, higher value
additions; increased vendor base and
design optimization efforts aided the
company in its margins.
Company’s focus on cash realization
during the year has resulted in it coming
back to cash surplus situation after a
gap of four years. The rising trend of
debtors has also been arrested.
BHEL which ranks among the
highest R&D spenders in the country
in the engineering and manufacturing
segment spent 2.78% of its turnover
on R&D in 2013-14 compared to
2.49% in 2012-13. Increased R&D
efforts have led to filing of nearly two
patents/ copyrights every working day.
434 patents/ copyrights filed during
2013-14 were an increase of 13% over
2012-13. The company’s R&D efforts
are being directed towards developing
new products using state-of-the-art
technologies and processes, relevant
to the needs of the country to remain
current both in terms of technology and
features vis-à-vis global benchmarks.
ONGC TO TAKE UP VASAI EAST
FIELD DEVELOPMENT
Energy maharatna, Oil and Natural
Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
will take up additional development
of its Vasai East Field in Arabian Sea
at a total estimated capital cost of Rs
2476.82 crore. The project, scheduled
to be completed by December 2018, will
result in incremental Oil production of
1.83 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) and
incremental Gas production of 1.971
Billion Cubic Metres (BCM) by 2030.
ONGC board, in its 254th meeting held
on March 24, 2014, accorded approval
to the project. Oil and gas fields of
ONGC on Arabian Sea are over 40 years
vintage. ONGC, now recognized as one
of the best brownfield managers in the
exploration and production world,
has increased its recovery factor to
over 40% by aggressive redevelopment
efforts since 2001.
Board, has also approved a second
interim dividend of Rs 4.25 per equity
ONGC has consistently maintained its
edge in being one of the best dividend
payers in corporate India.
share, i.e. 85% on the equity share of
Rs 5 each for the financial year 2013-
14. This is in addition to an interim
dividend of hundred percent (i.e. Rs.
5 per equity share of Rs 5 each) on
8555,490,120 shares declared and paid
in December, 2013. The total payout on
account of this 2nd Interim Dividend
would be Rs 3636.08 crore. Thus the
total interim dividend adds up to 185%
(that is Rs. 9.25 per share of Rs 5 each)
or Rs 7913.83 crore without dividend
distribution tax. ONGC has consistently
maintained its edge in being one of the
best dividend payers in corporate India.
HUDCO INKS MOU WITH MOHUPA
A Memorandum of Understanding
for the year 2014-15 was signed between
Housing and Urban Development
Corporation Limited (HUDCO) and
Ministry of
Housing & Urban Poverty
Alleviation (MoHUPA) with Anita
Agnihotri, Secretary
(MoHUPA) and N L Manjoka,
officiating Chairman and Managing
Director
(HUDCO) on March 25, 2014. The
MoU for 2014-15 envisages a significant
growth in the operations of HUDCO in
the housing and urban development
sectors with proposed sanctions of
Rs 16,100 crore and disbursements
of Rs 7,300 crore during the year with
exclusive focus on social housing and
core infrastructure. As per the MoU,
MoHUPA would facilitate HUDCO
to achieve its projected growth by
supporting the corporation to increase
its credit worthiness and enable it to
achieve its social objectives by providing
the necessary policy support. The
Ministry would also support HUDCO
in mobilizing resources at lower costs.
42
april 2014

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43

Point
Out
Gadgets
»»
Bipin
LG G FLEX
Phone price-
Rs. 68,500 /-
World’s First Curved Flexing Smart Phone
with the World’s First Curve Battery and
the Immersive POLED Technology.
ERGONOMIC CURVED DESIGN
LG G Flex follows the natural curvature
of your face, enhancing voice and sound
quality by reducing the gap between
the speakers and your mouth or ear.
The contour also allows for the most
comfortable in-hand grip and in pocket
fit, designed around you for ergonomic
usability and convenient portability.
INTUITIVE REAR KEY
LG G Flex’s rear key design enables smooth,
natural navigation.Its clever placement
is directly under the index finger when
held in-hand making it, easy to use with
convenient, shortcuts and volume control.
SELF HEALING BACK COVER
The self-healing surface of LG G Flex’s
back cover will protect it from scratches
that come from daily use, so it maintains a
clean, like new appearance.
IMMERSIVE 6 (15.2CM) CURVED
POLED DISPLAY
LG G Flex’s innovative display surrounds
the contour of the eye, providing clarity
at optimal angles - like a theater - for an
44
april 2014
immersive, panorama viewing experience.
CURVED POLED DISPLAY
Dive deep into your entertainment and
watch movies with the most immersive
and cinematic experience unlike anything
you’ve seen before!
REAL RGB POLED DISPLAY
The Real RGB POLED display yields clear
and vivid colord for more natural, life like
reproduction of all content.
WORLD’S FIRST CURVED BATTERY
LG has created the world’s first curved
battery made to complement the curved
design and slim shape of LG G Flex.
Toucing 3,500 mAh, it has a high capacity
and maintains along life to support all of
your day-to-day activities
HIGH PERFORMANCE CAMERA
The 13 MP Camera captures picture
perfect moments with bright night images
and sharper action shots, ideal for bringing
memories to life on the expansive display.
SWING LOCK SCREEN
The user interface strikes a balance
i Ball Andi 3.5 Classique - Class of its own!
between art and function providing
ethereal on-device experiences with a 180°
ever-changing lock screen and fluid unlock
effects with contextual sounds.
DUAL WINDOW
Dual Window divides the screen into two
panels, giving you a comprehensive view
of each for easy multitasking on the wide
display.
Q THEATER
Q-Theater gives you intuitive shortcut
access to a world of entertainment. Just
use two fingers to pull the screen open,
bringing photo, video, and YouTube icons
into focus.
ANSWER ME
Answers call with the motion of taking
phone to the ear. Ringtone gets quieter
when picked up, and answers by taking the
phone to the ear.
KNOCKON
Knock Knock… G Flex requires only two
taps with a fingertip to wake the display
or put it to sleep, sensing the gesture and
turning it on or off automatically.
SLIDE ASIDE
Switch between any three different apps at
once by sliding the screen left or right with
three fingers, so you can juggle more tasks
simultaneously on the big screen. A curved
phone protruding from your pocket gets a
lot of attention wherever you go. The curved
screen is great for watching videos, the
picture quality and sharpness of the OLED
screen is stunning. LG seems to be following
the path of Samsung and Blackberry in
terms of overpriced phones for Indian
market. Let’s see if this will be a big hit in
a consumer market like India where people
look for good features in a phone.
Price- Rs. 3,999/-
The Andi 3.5 Classique is a dual SIM phone which has operated on the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Operating system. The device has
only 3.5 inch LCD display, which has HVGA (320×480 pixels) resolution. The iBallAndi 3.5 Classique, offers a 1.3 GHz dual-core
Cortex A7 Advanced processor, which is impressive in this budget range, but this process has paired with only 256MB of RAM. The
Andi 3.5 Classique has 512 MB inbuilt storage, which can upgrade up to 32 GB via MicroSD card. This Smartrphone has a 2 megapixel
main camera which is supported by an LED flash. The Smartphone also has VGA front facing camera which has used at a time
of video calls. The iBallAndi 3.5 Classique Smartphone has supported GPRS and EDGE network and it also has a WI-Fi, GPS/AGPS,
FM radio and Bluetooth as a wireless connectivity option. The handset does not support the 3G connectivity. The Andi 3.5 Classique
has packed with a 1200mAh Li-ion battery. The Smartphone has measures 115.98 x 62.61 x 11.10 mm and it is near about weighs
112 grams. The iBallAndi 3.5 Classique is available in Black and White color variants in the Indian market.

Micromax introduces its first Octa-Core processor smartphone
Canvas Knight A350
CAN be furiously fast!
Phone price-
Rs. 19,999 /-
Micromax Canvas Knight is a
good attempt by Micromax to
try to win the Indian market,
just like they did at the time
of Canvas HD launch, which is the highest
selling smartphone by the company
till now. Micromax Canvas Knight A350
comes with latest hardware configuration
expected in the company’s flagship
phone and also comes under the price
bracket of Rs. 20,000 making it pretty
Canvas Knight A350 also comes
with a Yamaha Amplifier for the music
lovers promising great audio output
delivering a cinematic entertainment
experience.
affordable for Indian buyers.
A smartphone that feels great in the
built quality department. It sports a 5
IPS LCD display but comes with FULL
HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 with a
pixel density of nearly 441 pixels per
inch. On the hardware front, it comes
powered with Octa Core 2 Ghz processor
based on Cortex A7 architecture, 2 GB
RAM, 16 MP AF Rear Camera and 8 MP
front camera. There is 32 GB of built in
memory with a Micro SD card which can
support up to 64GB. You also have the
support to install apps on the memory
card. It’s backed by a 2350 mAh battery
and runs on android 4.2.2 Jelly bean.
For all those who need powerful
smartphone with latest hardware. It’s
for users who have the expectations
like decent price and value-for-money
device with best hardware specifications
under this price. Micromax has built a
good brand value over some time which
makes many people to go for it.
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Rahul
Sharma, Co-Founder, Micromax said,
“At Micromax, we have always believed
that real innovations are a direct result
of the consumers’ needs, and customer
centricity has to be at the core of
developing products. Canvas Knight is
another milestone for Micromax to bring
the best combination of technology,
style and affordability for the masses.”
He further added, “With the launch
of Canvas Knight, our first Octa-Core
smartphone, we have yet again raised
the bar of affordable innovation in the
country”.
Canvas Knight A350 also comes with a
Yamaha Amplifier for the music lovers
promising great audio output delivering
a cinematic entertainment experience.
Power packed with 2350 mAh battery,
and equipped with 32GB of internal
storage, users need not worry about
storing their favorite music, images,
videos etc. Running on Android 4.2.2
Jelly Bean, users get access to unlimited
applications which can be downloaded
via the pre-loaded Google Play Store.
The phone also packs in smart gestures
that give users an array of features like,
‘Proximity Answer Phone, Upside Silent,
Upside Speaker and Proximity Dial
Phone’ for hassle free functioning.
This phone packs lot of fun and new
applications like BBM & Hike for instant
messaging, Spuulto watch free movies &
TV Shows, Kingsoft Office Suite to read,
write and edit documents on-the-go,
M!Security for anti-theft and anti-virus
protection, M!Live portal to download
unlimited games, videos, wallpapers &
music, Opera Mini browser for optimal
net surfing, Truecaller, GetIt, M!Vault
and pre-loaded games like RealSteel
WRB, Where’s My Perry and Where’s
My Water for the gaming enthusiasts.
The phone supports Bluetooth v4.0 and
Wi-Fi, ensuring full time connectivity for
the social media buffs.
Micromax Canvas Knight A350 is one
of the best value for money at the price
point of Rs 19,000 (approx), and you
get a great built quality as well on this
phone as per the price. The software
and hardware on this phone do talk to
each other quite well. But one of the
downside could be a decent but not-sogreat
camera performance, which you
might be expecting from a 16MP camera
module.
45

Point
Out
Test Drive
»»
BUSINESS BUREAU
FEEL THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
THE BMW M6
COUPE.
ELEGANCE IN ITS MOST DYNAMIC FORM.
After a two-year hiatus, the third
generation of the M6 is back and
making quite a powerful impression
on the street. It boasts the
most powerful engine ever outfitted in a
BMW paired with a high-torque 7-speed
M-Double Clutch. And just like its predecessor,
its roof is molded from natural
Carbon Fiber Composite for a more athletic
stance.
Model Highlights :
n Maintainence and service
BMW Ultimate Service is included at no
charge with all new BMWs for the first four
years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes
first. It includes the BMW Maintenance
Program, which covers all factoryrecommended
maintenance and items
that need replacement due to normal wear
and tear; a New Vehicle Limited Warranty;
four-year, unlimited-mileage Roadside
Assistance, and, if the vehicle is equipped, a
four-year, unlimited mileage subscription
to the BMW Assist Safety Plan.
n Performance and Efficiency
The 560-hp response of the
M6’s new 4.4-liter
V-8
engine is nearly instantaneous. Double-
VANOS infinitely variable camshaft
timing and High Precision Direct
Injection play in concert with patented
Valvetronic individual intake valve control
that eliminates the need for a less-efficient
throttle plate. The result is another M
characteristic: linear, instantaneous
delivery of a massive 500 lb-ft of torque
over an exceptionally broad rpm range,
from idle to high revs. This results in 0-60
mph of just 4.3 seconds.
n Onboard Navigation System with Traffic
Alerts
With the route taken care of, you can
concentrate on more important things -
like enjoying every twist and turn along
the way. The optional onboard navigation
system, controlled via iDrive, uses GPS
satellites, a digital map and, where
available, Real Time Traffic Information
(RTTI) to guide you to your destination.
Choose the fastest route, the shortest
route or the one that avoids traffic.
Where available, traffic information
is received by a separate radio tuner
and then displayed on the navigation
system. You don’t have to listen to a
specific radio station, or even have the
radio on, to receive updates every few
minutes. And you
can
see everything clearly on the large, highresolution
screen.
n Night Vision
Night Vision is BMW’s amazing system
that lets you see pedestrians or animals up
to 328 yards ahead - in the dark. Using an
infrared camera built into the front of the
vehicle, you will be able to see potential
road hazards displayed on your navigation
system monitor, and avoid them well
before they are visible to the naked eye.
This optional feature will make night
driving far more pleasurable and worryfree.
n Climate Zone Ventilation
Electronic climate zone controls allow the
driver to select a lower air temperature
for around the head and chest than in the
footwell. With automatic recirculation
control, when a sensor detects certain
pollutants in the air, such as carbon
monoxide or ethanols, it automatically
switches to recirculating air. Twin activecharcoal
micro-filters significantly help
reduce air pollutants, such as dust, bacteria
and odors, from entering the cabin.
Expected Launch Month : April 2014
Expected Price : Rs 1.00 Cr - 1.20 Cr
46
april 2014

The all-new 150cc Xtreme with
‘Electronic Immobiliser’
The new 150cc Xtreme will debut with the Electronic Immobiliser. The electronic immobiliser is a security device that prevents
the engine from running without the correct key. Another key introduction that will offer utmost safety to the premium segment
Hero commuters is the Side Stand Switch with automatic ignition cut-off. All this will come with host of stylish exterior features
that include jazzy new speedometer, headlight with stylish eyebrow lights, new LED tail light with light guides, chunky fuel tank
among others. The new Xtreme will also be equipped with a mobile charger socket proving greater utility to the rider. The product will
be launched within next one month.
Bajaj RE60
A four wheeler with
lowest carbon footprint
RE60 is a unique concept for intermediate
transport. The vehicle
has been designed to be a 4
wheeled mini taxi. Which is easy
to drive, compact in size, light weight and
has the lowest emission rate of 60gm/
km.With such all encompassing benefits
RE60 is surely going to change the way
we move intra-city.
In the present context, it’s hard to
not get hysterical with the prevailing
environmental scenario, air pollution
being one of its prime contributors. In
India alone, over a hundred thousand
47
people have died a pre-mature death due
to air pollution. What’s horrifying is the
fact that 75 percent of the pollution in
an Indian city is caused through private
vehicles only. Isn’t it high time for us
to tighten our belts and do something
about it?
Obviously, we have the options of
Hybrid Vehicle & Electric Car, but are they
actually viable? Hybrid Vehicle is a good
choice in a developed country, where huge
subsidies and incentives are given, but in a
developing country like India, the cost of
owning a Hybrid Vehicle is way too much.
Electric Car, on the other hand, is surely
cost effective and eco-friendly. But on
the flip side, it requires electricity to run,
which in turn comes from thermal power
plants.
Now we all know how these power
plants burn fossil fuels, so ultimately it
all boils down to the same. What we need
now is a simple, effective and immediate
solution... RE60. Because of its CO2
emission of just 60 gm per km, its ability
to provide amazing results with existing
fuels and no additional investment cost,
RE60 is the best buy if we want to curb the
malignity of pollution in India
Expected Launch Month : April 2014
Expected Price : Rs 1.25 L - 1.35 L

Point
Out
FLYING HIGH
Give some space on your vehicle’s body
and get paid for it. Appears funny, but
the concept of advertising on wheels in
India was mooted by an IITian.
»»
Aarti
Next time you see an advertisement
on a vehicle don’t rubbish it. It
is a new and effective mode of
advertisement. Get seen and get
paid. Give some space on your vehicle’s
body and get paid for it. Appears funny,
but the concept of advertising on wheels
in India was mooted by an IITian.
Chasing a dream and driven by passion
to do something of his own, Raghu
Khanna, an IIT-Guwahati alumnus,
ended up creating CASHurDRIVE,
India‘s first on-vehicle advertisement
website.
Khanna, wanted to do something of
his own rather than going out and
working for someone else. So much
so, that he left the offer of a decent job
with an IT company in Bangalore and
the opportunity to do his masters from
London School of Economics. He was
always interested in driving and while
pursuing an electronics engineering
degree from IIT Guwahati he developed
a model for Drowsy Driver Detecting —
a system enabling the detection of non
alert or drowsy drivers. This was the
beginning and he never looked back.
CASHurDRIVE aims to ease the
burden of rising fuel cost and soaring
inflation rates. After you register with it
at www.cashurdrive.com you can earn
while driving normally — no change
in mileage, no additional driving. Just
do what you do each day of week and
earn! While car owners will get fuel for
putting advertisements on their cars,
advertisers will be able to take advantage
of this new and unexplored medium of
advertisement.
DRIVEN BY
PASSION
CashurDrive deliver highly-engaging, The innovative ad framework and
interactive advertising experiences technology, along with in-house design
across india reaching audiences team at CashurDrive, deliver unmatched
wherever they are watching : at work,
at home, and everywhere in between.
services and flexibility to help the brand
achieve their objectives.
48
april 2014

Chasing slogan behind a truck
You are B Tech from IIT,
what inspired the creation of
CASHurDRIVE?
Once I saw a funny slogan behind a
truck, then I thought of using that idea
on other vehicles. So, I started this
concept of private vehicles that we take
some area of their cars and we pay them
in form of fuel vouchers or cash and
it was quite new in India so it started
catching attention very fast and we got
what we were expecting from this idea.
What did your parents say when
you started this business?
Luckily I have a very supportive family.
Initially they were little scared because
what I wanted to start was a new concept
THE MAN, THE CEO
Raghu Khanna, a B Tech from IIT
Guwahati, He holds the distinction of
being a finalist at Phillips Simplicity
Challenge which was aired on India’s
leading business news channel CNBC
and CNN-IBN. It was Raghu’s creative
brainwaves that have materialized
from thoughts and models into
CASHurDRIVE Marketing Pvt. Ltd.
today.
but my father is a businessman too. So
it helped me to convince them, but later
as I started my own venture they never
opposed me and stood there by my side
all the time.
What was the key to success in
your case?
In my case I believe the key was
innovation in my business and patience
in the attitude towards it. I started
the new concept so I was aware of the
consequences but I was quite confident
that it may take time but it will work
as people get bored of seeing anything
constantly that’s why I too try to add
innovative and new medium in my work
also.
What is your advice for young
entrepreneurs?
My advice is just to be confident and
patient with what you are doing. Try
to be open for innovations. Do not run
down something new that comes before
you. Market always welcomes the fresh.
49

Point
Out
ART & CULTURE
THE BANSURI
GURU
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia
50
april 2014

As a musician Pandit Chaurasia is a
rare combination of an innovator and
a traditionalist. He has significantly
expanded the expressive possibilities
of classical North Indian flute- playing
through his masterful blowing
technique and his unique adaptation
of alaap and jod to the flute.
»»
aarti
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia,
an acclaimed flautist, is a very
popular and eminent artiste who
is known for popularizing Indian
classical music globally. His consummate
artistry has distinguished him as the
greatest living master of the Bamboo
Flute, acclaimed both at home and
abroad.
Unlike many other great Indian artistes,
Pandit Chaurasia does not come from
a family of musicians rather, music is
a path he found for himself. Born on
July 1, 1938 in Allahabad, he began his
musical pursuit at the age of 15, learning
classical vocal technique from Pandit
Rajaram. Within a year, however, he had
switched to flute recital, after hearing
Pandit Bholanath, a noted flautist from
Varanasi. He mastered his skills under
Pandit Bholanath for eight years. In
1957, barely out of his teens, he became
regular staff artiste of All India Radio,
Cuttack in Orissa, where he worked as
performer as well as a composer. From
here began his musical journey that took
him all over the globe.
Transferred by AIR (All India Radio)
Cuttack to Mumbai in 1960, he received
further guidance from Surbahar player
Shrimati Annapurna Devi, daughter
of late Ustad Allaudin Khan and sister
of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Under her
guidance his music acquired a new
dimension and he left AIR to pursue
his performing career. Since then
51
Pandit Chaurasia has been performing
nationally and internationally winning
acclaim from varied audiences and from
fellow musicians like Yehudi Menuhin,
Jean-Pierre Rampal, among others. He
tours regularly in the US and Europe and
is a featured artiste in almost all major
music festivals around the globe.
As a musician Pandit Chaurasia is a
rare combination of an innovator and
a traditionalist. He has significantly
expanded the expressive possibilities
of classical North Indian flute- playing
through his masterful blowing
technique and his unique adaptation
of alaap and jod to the flute. He is an
immensely popular artiste in India and
abroad.
He has composed music for many Indian
films. The famous “Silsila” which he
collaborated on with Pandit Shiv Kumar
Sharma was a platinum disc in India,
Unlike many other great Indian artistes,
Pandit Chaurasia does not come from
a family of musicians rather, music is a
path he found for himself.
and the musical duo Shiv-Hari went
on to compose soulful music for many
successful movies like Lamhe, Chandni,
Faasle, Parampara, Sahibaan and Darr.
His experimental album “Eternity”
which incorporated many western
elements alongside North Indian
Classical ones became a platinum disc.
He has also shared stage with eminent
artistes from all over the world. He has
performed memorable jugalbandis with
the stalwarts of Indian Classical music
like Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Shiv Kumar
Sharma, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Dr.
Balamuralikrishnan, Kishori Amonkar
and jammed with western artistes like
John Mc Laughlin, Jan Garbarek, Larry
Coryell, Egberto Gismonti and many
others. He has conducted orchestras
with western instrumentalists also
amongst which is ‘Adi Anant’.
For his outstanding contributions to
Indian music, Pandit Chaurasia has
been recognized and conferred upon
with many national and International
honours the Padma Bhushan-1992,
Konark Samman-1992, Yash Bharti
Samman-1994, Kalidas Samman-1999
and The Sangeet Natak Academy
Award-1984 among many.

Point
Out
SUCCESS MANTRA
»»
VSS MANI, CEO JUSTDIAL
DIALING THE
RIGHT NUMBERS
52
april 2014

As a musician Pandit Chaurasia is a
rare combination of an innovator and
a traditionalist. He has significantly
expanded the expressive possibilities
technique and his unique adaptation
of alaap and jod to the flute.
is the stepping stone
to success.” This adage has
been rightly proven by VSS
“Failure
Mani, the founder and CEO
of Justdial, India’s leading phone-based
directory service. After a string of
entrepreneurial failures, Mani started
justdial as he says with a meager amount
of Rs 50,000 and five employees in 1996
from a rented small space with rented
computers. Today Justdial enterprise is
about Rs 200 crore having about 5,000
employees across India. The company
operates from its own swanky office in
Mumbai and has office space in all key
cities in the country.
Mani, who left his CA midway to start
an enterprise of his own, along with
three other partners started phonebased
directory service could not make
much headway in early 1990 due to
low telephone and internet penetration.
He had quit giving away the shares to
his partners. He tried on several other
venuters but they tood didn’t click till he
dialed the right numbers with Justdial.
53
Justdial, the story
Started with Rs 50,000, from a rented
garage in Mumbai with rented computers
and furniture and five employees
in 1996.
Received its first venture funding in
2006 for a valuation of $60 million by
Soft Bank Asia Infrastructure Fund.
Launched Justdial.com local search
engine in 2007.
Justdial has expanded to different
mediums from voice to web, web to
mobile apps, social integration and
user generated content.
Mani took the company public & listed
it in 2013 at $620M valuation, presently
about $ 2 billion.
Awards
“Man of the year 2013” judged by
Man’s World Magazine along with
Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi and
Virat Kohli
Mani is ranked among the ‘Top 5’
along with Nandan Nilankani, chairman
UID, Rajan Anandan of Google
on the Impact Digital Power List of
2013.
Mani was awarded with the ‘Entreprenuer
of the Year’ title for the services
segment by E&Y Entreprenuer
Awards, 2013
The rest is history.
He told PointOut, he started AskMe as a
search engine and failed. “Every failure
taught me something new. I took them
as a challenge, so by the time I got down
with Justdial, I knew what exactly to do
and what not. Even today everyday is
a new learning experience and I gain
something.”
Justdial was at the core of my heart as I
knew it would be business model that
would click due to its immense help to
general public. “When we started in early
90’s the idea was quite ahead of times and
that was the reason why it could not take
off. By late 1990s telephone and internet
penetration had grown and I knew it was
the right moment, all we had to do was
to dial the right numbers. I am glad we
did so.”
The idea behind Justdial was simple
– to provide fast and free information
to people about any service they need
around a location, the bigger vision
being to connect the buyers and sellers
easily, just a call away. The information
was present in yellow pages, in big fat
directories but finding it when it was
most needed was a challenge and Mani
wanted to make it easy for everyone but
doing it was not a cakewalk for him. He
worked relentlessly building around a
database of approximately 9.1 million
listings. Today anything and everything
information one wants across any city
in India is just available on phone or
internet in seconds.

Point
Out
TAROT FORECAST
»»
Nandita Pandey
ARIES: - (22nd March- 21st April)
Matters of heart shall be extremely pleasant, romantic and memorable during
this month. Children bring in good news and lots of happiness.
Professionally, new beginnings are the key to success. A lot of
activities are taking place at the work front and your juniors show
their support to you through and through. Old stuck up money too
comes back into your kitty as the month progresses and legal matters tune in
your favour. However, keep a check on your health matters helps you from many
minor problems that you might have to otherwise undergo in this phase of your
life.
LUCKY COLOUR : pearl white.
TAURUS: (22nd April - 21st May)
This is the month when family will be a strong focal point for you. Relationship
takes a more stable turn and you would want to take your love life
into next stable levels. Professionally, a youngster helps you in your
endeavours as the month progresses. Financial benefits shall come
through only when you take firm decisions related to them. A little bit
of meditation helps you in rejuvenating your whole body system.
LUCKY COLOUR: blue
GEMINI: (22nd May- 21st June)
Expenses shall be on the higher side as the month progresses. And expenses
on the women in your life will be the cause of maximum concern
during this phase. Hard work is the key to success and a focused
mind helps you in achieving success at the work front. Subtle
romance seeps in matters of your heart throughout the month. The
cards guide you to avoid unnecessary travels during this month. A youngster in
the family shall act very demanding during this month.
LUCKY COLOUR: pink/ Peach
CANCER: (22nd June - 21st July)
Matters of heart shall be pleasant and romantic throughout this phase of your
life. There are celebrations and you would want to further stabilize
your relationship. Professionally, this is an excellent time for you
to achieve greater heights and expand your business. You shall
be appreciated for your efforts and your wisdom even by your
contemporaries. Joint investments might be tough to handle during this phase
of your life. A man with a dominating personality shall help you in your family
endeavours. A patient approach from your end helps you to tackle difficult
situations in life as the month comes to its end.
LUCKY COLOUR: grey/ blue
LEO: (22nd July - 21st August)
Professionally, this is a good time for you to indulge into new projects though
there are still more scope for improvements as the month progresses.
Financially, this is the month which requires you to be more careful.
Excessive expenses are likely to take place especially on children.
Keeping a check on your diet patterns shall be a good idea as
abdominal problems might trouble you in this month. Being careless in matters
of heart might lead on to an adventurous ride for you which you might have to
regret later on. A sensible handling of situations helps you in overcoming your
deadlocks by the end of the month.
LUCKY COLOUR: green.
VIRGO: (22nd August- 21st September)
Professionally, you need to work a little extra hard in order to gain from the
situations in your life. Whatever effort you put in shall give you
results by the end of the month. Hard work is the key to financial
success and shall be eventually prolific if dealt with care. Matters
of heart resolve too though a bit subtly than your expectations. New
health activities help in strengthening your system and rejuvenating your mind
body and soul. There are a lot of subtle changes taking place in your life for
your good.
LUCKY COLOUR: peach.
54
april 2014
LIBRA: (22nd September- 21st October)
Matters of heart shall be favourable, pleasant and romantic. You would love to
spend quality time with your loved one and that helps you in relaxing
your mind, body and soul as well. Professionally, a youngster helps
you in achieving success in your work related matters. Expenses
are on the higher side on women in your life. New beginnings in the
family are indicated bringing you peace and happiness in life. Travels shall be
enjoyable, pleasant and favourable.
LUCKY COLOUR: Peach/ Lilac.
SCORPIO: (22nd October- 21st November)
Travels and holidays with your loved one shall be pleasant and romantic.
Professionally there are subtle changes that are taking place in
your life and they will bring in good growth for you as the month
progresses. Financial trips shall be favourable and growth oriented
throughout this month. Travels indicate average success and yet a
lot of travelling might create health problems as the month progresses. Avoid
communication deadlocks with your family as they might keep turning more
demanding than expectations.
LUCKY COLOUR : peach.
SAGGITARIUS: (22nd November- 21st December)
Professionally a number of activities surface up and bring you honours and
success all through the month. You shall come across a number of
opportunities which will be a good boost for your career. Financial
matters might be demanding and expenses on a fatherly figure shall
be on the higher side. A property matter in the family might cause you
a lot of stress and unnecessary tensions. There will be some respite for you as
the month comes to its end.
LUCKY COLOUR: sky blue.
CAPRICORN: (22nd December- 21st January)
Celebrations with friends, family and loved one helps in re creating phases of
happiness and romance in life. Professionally a partnership shall help
in achieving your targets in time. You will be very busy throughout
this week and any gains through your investments shall be possible
only if you focus towards them. A child in the family shall be a strong
support system for you throughout this month. You might feel emotionally
drained out as the month comes to its end.
LUCKY COLOUR: pearl white.
AQUARIUS: (22nd January- 21st February)
Professionally, this is an excellent time for you to indulge into new activities.
Planetary positions help in achieving further success at the work
front. Financially too there are a lot of positive reflections that are
happening in for you. A letter or a cheque will carry positive news in
monetary matters. You need to be firm in matters of heart and this
is the time which requires you to take courageous and firm decisions. Health
issues too need better handling as any ignorance towards this front might lead
onto further distress. There are new and positive changes that take place as the
month comes to its end.
LUCKY COLOUR: Red/ Orange
PISCES: (22nd February- 21st March)
Financially you might undergo some tough time and this might lead onto
further expenses in your life in this phase. Professionally, the cards
guide you to avoid any further travels and also to not to take up any
new projects. Avoiding confrontations in matters of heart helps in
achieving peace and happiness in this front health keeps you in a fit
shape. Health brings in huge transitions and there are new activities that create
a complete health overhaul in your life. A woman in the family will be quite an
attention seeker in this period. She might turn out to be very demanding during
this phase and yet you shall feel quite relaxed and happy as the month comes
to its end.
LUCKY COLOUR: orange.
(Nandita Pandey is an internationally renowned and acclaimed Astro Vaastu Tarot Consultant, Spiritual healer and Past Life Regression Therapist based at Delhi. Email soch.333@gmail.com )

VILLAGE ROOTS
EVOMO, SHAPING RURAL
TRANSPORT
»»
Aarti
Transportation in rural areas have
remained a serious problem with
public transport facility limited or
non-existent and private operators
dumping old worn out buses, jeeps and
jugaads which are devoid of basic passenger
safety norms. Transporting within the
villages is also a major task considering the
fact that most villages do not have proper
roads. There has been some work on
developing an ideal Rural Utility Vehicle
(RUV) over the past few years but there
has been no breakthrough as initial success
could not make big in some cases due to
lack of government support.
According to government figures, 49%
of the villages are not connected by allwhether
roads. At the same time there
are now more road deaths in India than
anywhere else in the world. In 20012 – the
latest year for which figures are available
– more than 150,000 people died, and
an estimated 2,500,000 were seriously
injured. The economic and social costs
of these shocking figures are enormous.
India loses 3% of its GDP to road accidents
every year. Many of the deaths happen in
rural areas, and a study found that 70% of
families who lose their main wage earner
in a traffic accident subsequently fall below
BHEL has successfully warded of
sluggish growth in domestic and
international market coupled with a
depreciating Indian Rupee to retain
its market leadership position during
2013-14.
the poverty line.
In the absence of proper alternatives,
Jugaads or other illegal transportation
contraptions are one of the prime movers
of both passengers as well as freight
in rural and semi-urban India. These
contraptions have also led to a number of
accidents resulting in deaths to the extent
that in October 2010, the High Court of
Rajasthan ordered the banning of such
contraptions.
Making realize the dream of transforming
rural transport is a group of engineers
who founded Evomo or what they call
it evolving mobility, a designer and
manufacturer of the low cost RUV that
can effectively move off roads in dusty
terrain as smoothly as on roads. Moreover,
Evoma aims to replace illegal and
dangerous transportation contraptions.
Evomo aims to empower rural and semiurban
poor by providing ultra low cost
rural utility vehicle. This vehicle is a low
cost platform for supporting functions like
medical emergency vehicles, school buses,
construction and agricultural equipment.
It is also a replacement of illegal, unsafe,
polluting and high maintenance transport
contraptions presently on roads in the
rural areas. The innovation is capable
better and safer off road handling and thus
can connect rural and semi -urban areas to
urban areas thus increasing opportunities.
It makes the entire manufacturing
setup to be fractions of the cost of a
conventional automobile manufacturing
facility. The business model encourages
entrepreneurship and hence improves the
employment opportunities.
Evomo’s rural utility vehicle costs Rs1.5
lakh, which is less than the price of any
cheapest car available in the market. The
innovative RUV has an independent
suspension system, tough chassis and
a power take off unit for different
applications.
MAN BEHIND
EVOMO
F
ounded Evomo in 2010 and has
been the passion and driving
force for Evomo. He had formerly
worked with Sona Koyo Steering
Systems and International Center
for Automotive Technology (iCAT) in
different Research & Development
positions which gave him hands on
training on the technical side. He is a
graduate of Mechanical and Automation
Engineering from Guru Gobind Singh
Indraprastha University during which
he was the Co-founder of Team Mettle,
SAE Motorsports team.
Abhinav Das left his job after he saw
the immense potential for an RUV in
the country. He put up a small team of
engineers and with them designed the
EVOMO with locally available stuff but
without compromising of safety issues.
Das says he manages to keep costs low
by using locally sourced material and
drawing from global design ideas that
are past the patent-protection stage.
His target is to sell at least one vehicle
in each of India’s 6.5 lakh villages in the
next five years.
55

Point
Out
sports IPL -7 2014
RARING
TO GO
56
april 2014

This year IPL will have 61 matches played
at venues in uae and India
»»
ranjith
After much uncertainty following charges of match fixing and irregularities and intervention of
Supreme Court, the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2014 is on course. The circus for a cricket
crazy nation will keep the fans occupied for the next two months. The first leg of the tournament
this year will be played at United Arab Emeritus (UAE) from April 16 to April 30, 2014. From
May 2, 2014 the remaining matches will be played at different venues in India.
This year’s IPL will have 56 matches excluding semis and the finals. Eight teams would be participating in
the two-month tournament. The teams are as follows-
Chennai Super
Kings
One of the strongest teams in the last
six editions of the game having won
the league twice, CSK has changed its
team a bit. Opener Murali Vijay and
middle order batsman Badrinath is
out. Newcomer Baba Aparajit likely to
take on Badrinath’s role. With Dhoni,
Raina, McCullum, Bravo, DuPlessis and
Ravindra Jadeja in their ranks CSK has
plenty of stroke makers and batting is
their mainstay. Their bowling is a matter
of concern. As usual they would try to bat
out any opponent.
Batsmen:
Suresh Raina, Faf Du Plessis, Dwayne
Smith, Baba Aparajith
All-Rounders:
Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Mithun
Manhas, Vijay Shankar
57
Wicket-keeper:
M S Dhoni, Brendon McCullum
Bowlers:
R Ashwin, Ishwar Chandra Pandey, Ben
Hilfenhaus, Samuel Badree, Matt Henry,
Ronit More, Pawan Negi
Delhi Daredevils
Not having been able to come up to the
expectations, DD has gone for a revamp.
The team appears to be balanced with
a mix of some good batting talents and
bowlers. But they lack presence of good
all-rounder with James Neesham being
the only tested one.
With KP, Vijay, Saurabha Tiwary and
Kedar Jadhav the have the batting
firepower and Mohammad Shami,
Nathan Coulter-Nile, Wayne Parnell
and Rahul Sharma will be the bowling
mainstay.
Batsmen:
Kevin Pietersen, Murali Vijay, Kedar
Jadhav, Manoj Tiwary, Mayank Agarwal,
Saurabh Tiwary, Milind Kumar
All-rounders:
James Neesham, Jayat Yadav
Wicket-keepers:
Dinesh Karthik, Quinton De Kock
Bowlers:
Mohammad Shami, Nathan Coulter-Nile,
Rahul Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Shahbaz
Nadeem, Siddarth Kaul, Rahul Shukla,
HS Sharath, Wayne Parnell
Kings XI Punjab
This is one team that has failed to come
up to expectations in the last editions of
the IPL. With some smart buys Kings
XI has beefed up its team and hope they
would give a stiff challenge to opponents
in this edition of IPL. With Virender
Sehwag, David Miller, Shaun Marsh and
Cheteshwar Pujara they are a very good
batting outfit which can chase any score
or can on their day set the stadium ablaze.
Their bowling, needs to be seen.
Batsmen:
David Miller, Manan Vohra.Bought:
George Bailey, Virender Sehwag, Shaun
Marsh, Cheteshwar Pujara, Gurkirat
Singh
All-rounders:
Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Rishi
Dhawan, Thisara Perera, Mandeep Singh,
Akshar Patel
Wicket-keepers:
Wriddhiman Saha

Point
Out
Bowlers:
Beuran Hendricks, Lakshmipathy Balaji,
Sandeep Sharma, Parvinder Awana,
Anureet Singh, Shivam Sharma, Shardul
Thakur
Kolkata Knight
Riders
KKR looks to be a very good bowling outfit
with two quality spinners Sunil Narine
and Piyush Chawla and fast bowlers like
Morne Morkel, Jaques Kallis, Umesh
Yadav and Vinay Kumar. They have the
capacity to bowl out and restrict any
team. Their batting, however, is a matter
of concern as consistency is missing.
Kallis would be their mainstay along with
Gambhir, who too has been inconsistent.
Robin Utthappa, Manish Pandey and
Yusuf Pathan have been through a lean
patch and will have to prove their worth.
Batsmen: Gautam Gambhir, Robin
Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar
Yadav, Chris Lynn
All-rounders:
Jacques Kallis, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al
Hasan, Ryan Ten Doeschate
Wicket-keepers:
Manvinder Bisla, Debabratha Das
Bowlers:
Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Morne
Morkel, R Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav,
Veer Pratap Singh, Kuldeep Singh Yadav,
Pat Cummins
Mumbai Indians
MI appear to be a good team with Rohit
Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Michael Hussey
being the mainstay of their batting along
with Keiron Pollard and Corey Anderson
all-rounders who can chip in with big hits
in crunch situations. The bowling is fairly
good with Lasith Malinga, Zaheer Khan,
Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha.
However, presence of four wicketkeepers
in the side is baffling.
Batsmen:
Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Michael
Hussey, Apoorv Vijay Wankhade
All-Rounders:
Keiron Pollard, Corey Anderson, Marshal
de Lange, K Santokie, Jalaj Saxena
Wicket-keepers:
Aditya Tare, CM Gautam, Sushant
Marathe, Ben Dunk
Bowlers:
Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan
Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Josh
Hazlewood, Shreyas Gopal, Pawan Suyal
Rajasthan Royals
RR have build their team and it appears
to be a well balanced outfit. They have
good batsmen in Rahane, Hodge and
Unmukt Chand and Shane Watson, James
Faulkner, Stuart Binny all all-rounders are
good batsmen. The bowling department
is all very good with the presence of Tim
Southee, Dhawal Kulkarni, Amit Mishra
and Watson.
Batsmen:
Ajinkya Rahane, Brad Hodge, Karun Nair,
Unmukt Chand.
58
april 2014

All-rounders:
Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Stuart
Binny, Steven Smith, Rajat Bhatia,
Abhishek Nayar, Iqbal Abdullah, Kevon
Cooper
Wicket-keepers:
Sanju Samson, Ankush Bains and Dishant
Yagnik
Bowlers:
Tim Southee, Dhawal Kulkarni, Kane
Richardson, Ben Cutting, Vikramjeet
Malik, Pravin Tambe, Amit Mishra,
Deepak Hooda, Ankit Sharma
number of bowlers. With the presence of
star batsmen like Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle
and AB de Villiers and support from allrounders
like Yuvraj Singh, Albie Morkel
and Parthiv Patel their batting will have
depth and variety to take on any attack.
Mitchell Starc, Varun Aaron, Muralitharan,
Ravi Rampaul, along with Shadab Jakati
are likely to be their bowling aces.
Royal Challengers
Bangalore
Batsmen:
Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Nic Maddinson,
Vijay Zol, Tanmay Mishra.
All-rounders:
Bought: Yuvraj Singh, Albie Morkel,
Sachin Rana
Wicket-keepers:
AB de Villiers, Parthiv Patel, Yogesh
Takawale
Bowlers:
Bought: Mitchell Starc, Varun Aaron,
Ashok Dinda, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ravi
Rampaul, Harshal Patel, Abu Nechim
Ahmed, Shadab Jakati, Sandeep Warrier,
Yuzvendra Singh Chahal
RCB was a very strong batting outfit but
their bowling had failed them in the past.
It is for this reason that during auctions the
team management went in for maximum
Sunrisers
Hyderabad
Sunrisers have a good balanced side with
some exceptional youngsters in charge
of batting and bowling departments. The
batting will revolve around Dhawan,
Warner, Aaron Finch and Rao. With
Sammy, Pathan and Ojha adding to the
firepower they can overhaul any target.
Steyn, Bhuveneshwar Kumar and Amit
Mishra will be their bowling mainstay.
Batsmen:
Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Aaron
Finch, KL Rahul, Venugopal Rao,
Srikkanth Anirudha, Ricky Bhui, Manprit
Juneja
All-rounders:
Darren Sammy, Irfan Pathan, Moises
Henriques, Parveez Rasool
Wicket-keepers:
Naman Ojha, Brendan Taylor, Amit
Paunikar
Bowlers:
Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar
Kumar, Karan Sharma, Ashish Reddy,
Ishant Sharma, Jason Holder, Prasanth
Parameswaran, Chama Milind
59

Point
Out
sports HOCKEY
SARDAR SINGH LEADS
INDIAN CHALLENGE
»
» ranjith
If you find a lump, then
show it to your oncologist (cancer
specialist) immediately
Indian hockey team will start its campaign
for the World Cup Hockley title
in The Hague, Netherlands against
Belgium on May 31. India ranked
10th by the Federation of International
Hockey is placed in Group A along with
Australia, Malaysia, Belgium, England,
Spain. And Japan. India has picked up
a 21-member squad led by midfielder
Sardar Singh while defender Rupinder
Pal Singh will be his deputy.
To get themselves familiarised with
the turf and climate, Indian squad is on
a tour of Europe where they will play
five matches including two against the
World Cup hosts- The Netherlands.
They will play two matches against
Dutch National Clubs and one against
Belgium. Indian team coach Terry
Walsh says, the trip will help players and
staff to get acclimatised to the situation.
We will be playing the matches on the
same surface which will be used during
the World Cup,” Walsh said.
The Team:
Goalkeepers:
P R Sreejesh, Harjot Singh.
Defenders: Birendra Lakra,
Rupinder Pal Singh (vice-captain),
V R Raghunath, Kothajit Singh,
Gurinder Singh, Gurbaj Singh.
Midfielders:
Sardar Singh (Captain), S K
Uthappa, Dharamvir Singh,
Manpreet Singh, Chinglensana
Singh Kangujam, Danish Mujtaba,
Devindar Walmiki.
Forwards:
S V Sunil, Nikkin Thimmaiah,
Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh,
Yuvraj Walmiki, Lalit Upadhyay.
60
april 2014

Women at FIH
Champions Challenge 1
»
» ranjith
To get themselves familiarised with the
turf and climate, Indian squad is on
a tour of Europe where they will play
five matches including two against the
World Cup hosts- The Netherlands.
Led by midfielder Ritu Rani, an 18-member
Indian women’s hockey team will
participate in the FIH Champions
Challenge 1 in Glasgow that would be
played between April 27 and May 4. India is
placed in Pool A with South Korea, Belgium
and hosts Scotland while United States, South
Africa, Spain and Ireland are placed in Pool
B. India will play South Korea in its opening
match on April 27.
Like their male counterparts, Indian
women will also be playing a three
match series against Ireland at Belfast
between April 15 and 18 to get a feel of
the conditions.
61
Team
Goalkeepers:
Yogita Bali, Savita.
Defenders:
Deep Grace
Ekka, Deepika
, Sunita Lakra
, Kirandeep
Kaur, Namita
Toppo ,
Monika Malik.
Midfielders:
Sushila
Chanu,
Ritu Rani
(Captain),
Lily Chanu,
Chanchan
Devi,
Soundarya
Yendala.
Forwards:
Anuradha Devi, Poonam Rani, Vandana
Katariya, Navneet Kaur and Neha Goyal.
Chief Coach : Neil Hawgood

Point
Out
Book review
A tribute to the
master blaster
He was one man who made millions happy at one stroke and cry. He was also
one whom Indian cricket fans loved the most and at times hated the most
for his failures.
• Title: Sachin Tendulkar, The Man
Cricket Loved Back
• Publisher:
Penguin
• Author:
Espncricinfo
• Edition:
Hardcover
• Language:
English
• EAN: 9780670087488
• Pages: 280
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the
neighbourhood boy at Shivaji Park,
Mumbai, who went on to become
one of the greatest cricketing icons
of world cricket pocketing all batting
records has captivated Indian cricket fans
like no one else. Every time he stepped out
to bat whether in test cricket or one day
internationals things came to a virtual
standstill in India. He was one man who
made millions happy at one stroke and cry.
He was also one whom Indian cricket fans
loved the most and at times hated the most
for his failures. The God of Indian cricket,
has been an exemplary ambassador of
As he walked off the field in
November 2013 for one last time, it
turned out to be the most watched
sporting event of the year.
cricket, with his attitude on the field and
away, acknowledged by teammates, rivals
and fans across the globe. When Sachin
called it a day, he made the apt statement
“Sachin Sachin will reverberate in my ears
till I stop breathing.” As he walked off the
field in November 2013 for one last time,
it turned out to be the most watched
sporting event of the year. Moments after
he called it a day, Government of India
bestowed upon him the highest civilian
honour— the Bharat Ratna.
In a fitting tribute to the maestro, ESPN
crickinfo, world’s leading cricket website
has brought out an anthology of fine
writing on India’s greatest cricketer titled,
“Sachin Tendulkar: The Man Cricket
Loved Back.” This collection brings
together affectionate and perceptive
appreciations from teammates and rivals
who saw Tendulkar up close-among them,
V V S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sourav
Ganguly, John Wright, Allan Donald, Greg
Chappell, Sanjay Manjrekar and Aakash
Chopra-and contributions from the who’
who of cricket writing, including Gideon
Haigh, Mike Marqusee, Ayaz Memon, Ed
Smith, Mark Nicholas, Rohit Brijnath,
Sharda Ugra and MukulKesavan. It also
features several interviews conducted with
Sachin overthe years, and superb pictures
of him on and off the field, making for a
comprehensive portrait of the cricketer
and the man through the eyes of those
who have watched and studied him from
the closest quarters.
62
april 2014

POINTOUT HEALTH
Understanding Parkinson’S Disease
» » Dr. Sumit Singh
Institute of Neurosciences, Medanta the
Medicity
An increase in life expectancy has
brought about a new set of health
problems with Parkinson’s Disease
or PD as it is commonly called being
common among the graying population.
PD is a degenerative disorder of the central
nervous system, described first in 1817 by
James Parkinson, a British physician calling
it as “the shaking palsy.” The disease is
reported to affect about 8,00,000 people in
India.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) belongs to
a group of conditions called movement
disorders. The four main symptoms of PD
are tremor, or trembling in hands which
is usually asymmetrical, arms, legs, jaw,
or head; rigidity, or stiffness of the body;
slowness in doing daily tasks; and postural
instability, or impaired balance. These
symptoms are gradually progressive and
eventually patients may have difficulty
walking, talking, or completing other simple
tasks. Early symptoms of PD are subtle and
occur gradually.
As the disease progresses, the shaking or
tremor that worsens and patients may not
be able to hold things like plates and cups
without shaking. Patients find difficulty
in walking, which usually begins with
walking with small steps. They tend to walk
with a forward stoop and as they walk the
steps become smaller as if “shuffling”. The
associated limb movements are diminished
while walking and patients find difficulty in
initiation of gait. Some patients, in the later
stages of their disease tend to “freeze” at a
particular point while walking. All patients
with Parkinson’s disease are not alike and
the rate of progression of the disease varies
in individuals. PD symptoms often begin
on one side of the body. However, as it
progresses, the disease eventually affects
both sides.
The exact cause of PD is not known but
the most experts believe that it develops
due to be a mixture of genetic susceptibility
and environmental factors. The disease is
gradually progressive and the treatment
63
does not slow its progression nor cures
it. The drugs only provide symptomatic
treatment. PD is more common in males
than females and more common in the
developing countries.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of PD does not require any
blood tests or scans, your doctor might
ask you to get the CT scan of the brain or
an MRI done in order to rule out other
disorders, but there is no test to confirm
the diagnosis of PD. It is basically based
on the neurological history taking and
examination and also sometimes response
to treatment.
Patients with Parkinson’s disease have
almost the same life expectancy as the
general population, however, complications
due to occasional falls and chest infections
can sometimes complicate the picture at
a later stage of the disease. The disease in
itself is a progressive one but the treatment
available is sufficient to control the
symptoms of the disease very effectively.
The treatment of Parkinson’s disease can be
divided into three components
n General treatment and physiotherapy
n Surgical treatment
n Drug Treatments
n Complementary and Supportive Therapies
A wide variety of complementary
and supportive therapies may be used for
PD. Among these therapies are standard
physical, occupational, and speech therapy
techniques, which can help with such
problems as gait and voice disorders,
tremors and rigidity, and cognitive decline.
Other types of supportive therapies include
the following:
Exercise:
Exercise can help people with PD improve
their mobility and flexibility. Some doctors
prescribe physical therapy or musclestrengthening
exercises to tone muscles and
to put underused and rigid muscles through
a full range of motion. The patients with
Parkinson’s disease should be encouraged
to do most their daily chores themselves
and an “unasked for” help should not be
offered to them. They should maintain
normal working and should be encouraged
to go for daily walks and exercise. Yoga and
meditation might help in relaxing the body
and mind of these patients and reducing the
stiffness to some extent.
Diet:
A high protein diet tends to interfere with
the absorption of levodopa and is better
avoided in close relation to a levodopa dose.
It can be safely given in the night after the
last dose of levodopa. There should be no
compromise in the quality of protein intake,
nor should the total amount of protein be
reduced. The patients should take plenty of
water every day, and take increased amount
of roughage in the diet. Most patients with
Parkinson’s disease have constipation,
and these measures will help control
constipation as well.
(A topper in DM
neurology at All India
Institutes of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS), New
Delhi, Dr. Sumit Singh is the
Head- Movement disorders
& headache at Medanta the
Medicity. He was awarded the “BL Soni Gold
Medal” for being the best Resident in AIIMS
where he was an Associate Professor in
neurology for 10 years)

Point
Out
Cinema
»»
ranjith
Bhoothnath Returns
Big B shines but over emphasis on politics spoils the flick
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says
it is merely a co-incidence that
his upcoming film ‘Bhoothnath
Returns’, where a ghost takes on
a corrupt politician, is releasing during
the time of polls but it does emphasize on
the importance of voting. Its a delightful
concoction of humour and fantasy that will
entertain. Bhoothnath, which earlier showed
that the ghosts are friendly and not enemy
or fearsome, takes a political turn this time
around, which looks unconvincing and
unreal.
There is a possibility that the ongoing Lok
Sabha elections could play a spoilsport for
Nitesh Tiwari’s directorial venture. Or it could
be the other way round because Bhoothnath
Returns also deals with elections and is sort
of a satire on the political system. Since the
election fever has gripped the country maybe
the film’s theme would work in its favour.
Bachchan, 71, said youth should participate
in voting to bring a change in the political
scenario of the nation.
“We decided on the film one and half years
ago and we never knew that it will release
during the elections. ‘Bhoothnath Returns’
gives a serious message of voting through its
storyline.
The actor said that he religiously uses his
voting rights and has never skipped the day
of polling.
“I have been voting since my college days.
I don’t remember exactly which year I gave
my first vote but as per as I remember I
have never missed out my voting right,”
said Bachchan, who is a former MP from
Allahabad.
‘Bhoothnath Returns’,
directed by Nitesh
Tiwari, starts exactly
where the 2008 film
‘Bhootnath’ ended.
The film will also
has a cameo
appearance of
superstars Shah
Rukh Khan and
Ranbir Kapoor.
“Both the two
actors play very
important roles in the film.
Shah Rukh, who was also there in
the previous part, comes in the film
at a very important time and helps
the story to proceed further. Ranbir
plays himself in the film, who talks
about the importance of voting,”
Bachchan said. So far Bhoothnath
Returns has created great buzz
thanks to good music and not to
forget the special Yo Yo Honey
Singh number. Unfortunately,
It’s another classic case of
how a promising first-half
isn’t backed by a convincing
second-part
But the question is –
will Bhoothnath Returns get the
cash registers jingling? Unlike the
prequel, will this one turn out to be
a blockbuster?
Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit likely to
perform at IPL gala dinner
Despite the Indian Premier League management planning to start season
7 without an opening ceremony, the gala dinner may feature Bollywood
beauty Madhuri Dixit and KKR Principal owner Shah Rukh
Khan performing to their popular songs. An opening dinner has
been planned at the Emirates Palace on April 15, a day ahead of the opening
clash between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi.
64
april 2014

Ranbir is adorable and I
want to marry him: Alia
Actress Alia Bhatt says she finds
Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor
adorable and has expressed her
desire to marry him. Alia will be
seen in the upcoming episode of filmmaker
Karan Johar’s celebrity talk show ‘Koffee
with Karan’ and when the host ‘asked what
is your vibe like with Ranbir’, the 21-yearold
actress was all praises for him.
“I remember the first time I spoke to
Ranbir.. you called him up when ‘Rockstar’
released and you said, here talk to Ranbir
tell him how much you love him. And I just
spoke so much rubbish, I was just talking
non-stop. But later I have hung out with
Ranbir and I still think he is really adorable
and I still want to marry him,” Alia said.
When asked if she has expressed her love
for him to Ranbir’s mother Neetu Kapoor
and more importantly does Katrina Kaif
(his rumoured girlfriend) know about it,
Alia said, “Everybody knows my plan. I
have gone on record and said it as you
said.. and I am very open about it except
to Ranbir.”
In the rapid fire round, when Karan asked
Alia to name a person from the film
industry who she
would like to go
on a romantic date
with, Alia promptly
replied Ranbir.
Alia has been
often linked with
her ‘Student of
the Year’ co-stars
Varun Dhawan
and Siddharth
Malhotra but she
laughs it off saying,
“They (Varun and
Siddharth) are
constantly pulling
my leg. O Pari
(Parineeti Chopra) is so sexy..O Pari is like
this... Pari is like that. But I know that they
love me more than her. And its the same
with Arjun Kapoor. So that’s fine.”
Arjun was paired opposite Parineeti in his
debut film ‘Ishaqzaade’. While Parineeti
and Siddharth were seen together in the
recently released film ‘Hasee toh Phasee’.
Also, there have been rumours that Alia
and Arjun are dating each other, but the
young actress rubbished such reports.
On the worst dressed man in Bollywood,
she said, “I think Ranveer (Singh) has
been really experimenting, sometimes I
think it is really cool but sometimes it is
a miss.”
The upcoming and last episode of the chat
show this season will also have Parneeti
Chopra as a guest. It will be aired this
Sunday on Star World.
Small films should be given fair release: Salman
Salman Khan, whose movies often
mint over Rs.100 crore at the
Bollywood box office, says smallbudget
films deserve fair visibility in
theatres as big budget entertainers,
as they too involve money and
passion. “People make small films
with a lot of passion, they put their
own money in it and if these films
are not supported, then they would
never see the day of light and hence,
lot of money is lost,” Salman said
here Friday at the music launch of
the small fry “Khwaabb”.
“For big films, this is a very small
amount but when somebody is putting in his own hard earned
money there, then it makes a lot of difference. There is passion,
hardwork and money.” “I think the small films should be given
a fair chance to release and come in the theatres,” he added.
The 48-year-old has earlier supported Vikas Bahl’s “Chillar
Party” and released it under his banner Salman Khan Being
Human Productions.
Besides this, he also lent his support to Nitin Kakkar’s National
Award winning film “Filmistaan”.
‘Kochadaiiyaan’ is not a cartoon film: Soundarya
The director said that though
‘Kochadaiiyaan’ is an animated film,
it is not a cartoon. South superstar
Rajinikanth’s daughter Soundarya,
who is making her directorial debut
with the much-talked about film
‘Kochadaiiyaan’, says it is an animated
film but not a cartoon movie.
“I bring my dream to you all. We have
used technology that is mostly used
in Hollywood films. It is a photorealistic
motion capture technology.
Unfortunately, animation is not
understood here. ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ is an
animated film but not a cartoon film.
It is first humble step.. hope you all like it,” Soundarya told
reporters here.
Kochadaiiyaan is a 3d motion-capture animated film made with
the budget of Rs 125 crores. The Tamil flick has Bollywood diva
Deepika Padukone playing the female lead role. Jackie Shroff,
Sarath Kumar, Shobana, Aadhi, Nassar and others are in the
cast. Kochadaiiyaan is a fictious story on Tamil Pandy king
Kochadaiiyaan Ranadheeran. It is directed by Soundarya Ashwin
and produced by Eros International.
65

Point
Out
SPIRITUAL TOUCH
A message of
sympathy to a friend
Swami Vivekananda
Naked came I out of my mother’s
womb, and naked shall I return
thither; the Lord gave and the
Lord hath taken away; blessed be
the name of the Lord.
This is from a letter that Swami Vivekananda
wrote on May 23, 1893, to D
R Balaji Rao, who was passing through
a difficult period of severe domestic affliction.
The extract reproduced here is from
the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda,
4: 354-55.
“Naked came I out of my mother’s
womb, and naked shall I return thither;
the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken
away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Thus said the old Jewish saint when
suffering the greatest calamities that
could befall us, and he erred not.
Herein lies the whole secret of
existence. Waves may roll over the surface
and tempest rage, but deep down there is
the stratum of infinite calmness, infinite
peace, and infinite bliss. “Blessed are they
that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
And why? Because it is during these
moments of visitations when the heart is
wrung by hands which never stop for the
father’s cries or the mother’s wail, when
under the load of sorrow, dejection, and
despair, the world seems to be cut off
from under our feet, and when the whole
horizon seems to be nothing but an
impenetrable sheet of misery and utter
despair--that the internal eyes open,
light flashes all of a sudden, the dream
vanishes, and intuitively we come face to
face with the grandest mystery in nature-
-Existence.
Yes, then it is--when the load
would be sufficient to sink a lot
of frail vessels--that the genius,
a person of strength, the hero,
sees that infinite, absolute, everblissful
existence per se, that
infinite being who is called and
worshipped under different
names in different climes. Then
it is, the shackles that bind the
soul down to this hole of misery
break, as it were, for a time, and
unfettered it rises and rises until
it reaches the throne of the Lord,
“where the wicked cease from
troubling and the weary
are at rest”. Cease not,
brother, to send up
petitions day and
night, cease not
to say day and
night—Thy will
be done.
“Ours
is not to
question why,
ours but to do
and die.”
Blessed be
Thy name, O
Lord! And Thy
will be done.
Lord, we know
that we are to
submit; Lord, we
know that it is
the Mother’s hand
that is striking,
and “the spirit
is willing but the flesh is weak.” There
is, Father of Love, an agony at the heart
which is fighting against that calm
resignation which Thou teachest. Give us
strength, O Thou who sawest Thy whole
family destroyed before Thine eyes, with
Thine hands crossed on Thy breast.
Come, Lord, Thou Great Teacher, who
has taught us that the soldier is only to
obey and speak not. Come, Lord, come
Arjuna’s Charioteer, and teach me as
Thou once taughtest him, that resignation
in Thyself is the highest end and aim of
this life, so that with those great ones
of old, I may also firmly and resignedly
cry, Om Sri Krishnarpanamastu.
May the Lord send
you peace is the prayer
day and night of
Vivekananda
66
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