JUNE (SECOND) 2009 ● Rs 30

WOMAN’S ERA

WHAT’S THE
JOY OF
PARENTHOOD?
YOU AND YOU
ALONE CAN PUT
AN END TO
EVE-TEASING
WISE TIPS
FOR YOUR
FINANCE
THERE IS A REMEDY
FOR HAIR LOSS
WHAT IS
PPD
DEPRESSION?
JUNE (SECOND) 2009

UNDERSTANDING
ART THROUGH
FEMININE FORM
YOU CAN’T
DO WITHOUT THE
TREADMILL
TURNING OF A LAKE
INTO WEED-CLOGGED
SWAMP
Woman’s Era ◆ May (First) 1996 ◆ 1
 JUNE (SECOND) 2009
Vol 36, Issue No. 853
CONTENTS
BUILDS HAPPY HOMES
Founder: Vishwa Nath
(1917-2002)
womansera.com

7PARENTING PLEASURE, 14
LET US TAKE A LOOK
AT DRUG LABELS
Leena Thomas

NOT A PAIN EVE-TEASING

Indira Aiyer Shailja Mehta
110
ARTICLES
“I WAS AFRAID
I WOULD HARM MY
NEWBORN BABY!”
Kasturi Rangachari

120
60
18
HAIR LOSS: HERBS
GIFTS IN TRANSIT
A. C. Tuli
78
CAN TAKE CARE OF BOMBAY
YOUR HAIR FILMDOM
Shivendra Kumar
CARDIO EXERCISES
ON THE TREADMILL
70 THE METRO-CENTRIC Dr Navin Kumar Gupta
ARTIST
Subhra Mazumdar

74 LIVING ART
Our Correspondent
STDS SPOILERS
COOKERY
102 SPENDING 42 SUMPTUOUS DELIGHTS
IN SEX LIVES
WITHOUT REGRET Vikas Kumar Jain ● Chaat Platter with
2 green chilli
pieces
salt to taste
METHOD
cut into small

the mango
paste –
1/ tsp of annar
2
1/ tsp or more
2
powder
1 tsp of haldi
200 gm of
but kept whole
dana powder
of red chilli

powder
baby onions
– peeled
– do not slice
the

CAAK Shyamala Shenoy

To prepare centre
peel and the onions or paste
remove the

Spinach and Lotus

mango and 4 tbsp of tomato puree
the green
portion of Then grind salt to taste cake
pieces. hung curd
cut into small a few Coffee and
paste adding marinade: on
to a fine the rest For the dish will depend
of water. Mix the 200 ml of butter
milk
of the mutton
teaspoons Serve the
mutton

SUMPTTUOUS
nts for
of the ingredie bowl. 3 tsp of garlic chilli paste – or your choice. rotis.
in a mixing 3 tsp of green with appam
or
marinade on the chicken

Stems
Sprinkle salt the less as per taste
then marinate
pieces and salt to taste
COFFEE AND
the prepared
pieces with keep aside for 1 METHOD of the
ingredients
DELIGHTS
and
HUNG CURD
marinade Mix all the the
hour. med and marinate keep
in a thick-botto fry marinade in this and
lotus stems Heat the oil cooker and mutton pieces 5-6 hours. Heat
spinach and a CAKE

Chicken with Green

with
a time to enjoyout pan or a pressuretill transluce nt. aside for at least

●
Chaat platter the
monsoons is
cook
the onion
paste the a pressure cooker and and half INGREDIENTS:
Try pieces with
Summer and and leafy vegetables.

FICTION
powder
Add the chicken on medium heat mutton with the marinade is half 11/ 2 tbsp of coffee
fry
heat cup of water till the mutton aside. 1 tsp of baking powder
variety of fruitsl recipes with seasonal marinade and
for 3-4 minutes.
Lower the keep
salt to cooked. Remove and lower the 1/ 2 tsp of baking soda
these unusua By Roma Ghosh and add the
spices and
stirring and
frying Heat the oil in a kadhai, till these 250 gm of maida
ingredients. 2-3 heat and fry the onions

Mango Paste
taste. Keep of sugar
for a further colour– this 220 gm thick curd
over low heat cup of water and begin to change of
METHOD 1 1-2 minutes. 180 ml cherries cut
ER Wash the
spinach minutes. Add are using should only take and mix in the 40-50 gm of tinned
CHAAT PLATT allow the salt. If you
leaves and check for the cook the Now lower the heat Add the into small
pieces
cooker then :
ACH Scrape the cooked mutton. a lid and curd layering
WITH SPIN S
a pressure of
leaves to dry. till 1 or 2 whistlesare half cover with the hung
and cut into chicken only you spices and is For d hung curd
lotus stem cooker. If till the mutton cups of sweetene
AND LOTU
ash pressure a lid low fire 2 or

Mutton with Baby

very thin pieces.W
paste the
green mango with cook on mix 1/ of coffee essence

●
Chicken with then cover this stage 2 tsp
well and
then sprinkle using a pan, till the tender. At stir well. vanilla essence
STEMS salt and rub
the salt and
and rub in WITH
and cook
the chicken adjust almost
tender. You
can in the tomato
puree and
a lid and cook
INGREDIENTS: pakoras:
For the spinachleaves with a
chilli powder in the lotus
the garlic paste aside.
CHICKEN
stem pieces are
the thickness
as per
of the gravy rotis Cover
plain
again with
till most of
the marinade
has METHOD
the gravy
the maida,
Sift together soda and

8-10 big spinach pieces and

keep
of water to GREEN
the
E
your taste.
Serve with
for a summer
meal. evaporated.
Here again coffee, baking and keep

MANGO PAST
baking powder In a
stem Add 2 cups or paranthas mixing bowl.

Onions and Butter Milk

part of the flour the annar baby onions aside in a
besan – gram the salt and Mutton with first
11/ 2 cups of besan, add Mix well and
blend milk the sugar
dana powder and butter mixer grind in the oil and
1 tsp of annar dana powder. a dough INGREDIENTS: cut into small mix
MUTTON
to get and then blend
oil for deep
frying with your fingers Heat
and smooth. the 700
gm of chicken curd and
the wet
: which is fluffy Now add the
WITH BABY
salt to taste deep frying.
Dip pieces thoroughly.
stem pakoras the oil for in 3-4 tbsp of oil into the
dry
For the lotus stem – bhey one at a time
ONIONS ER
powder mixture time,
250 gm of
lotus spinach leaves and deep-fry on 1/ 2 tsp of haldi a little at a
ingredients

Coffee and Hung Curd

powder no

●
powder batter time so that
1/ tsp of red chilli the besan brown. Dip 1 tbsp of coriander

22 MY WORLD, MY FAMILY
mixing all the
till golden
AND BUTT Mix in the cherrya
2
1 tsp of garlic
paste both sides into the 2 tsp of jeera powder
stem pieces pieces paste lumps form.
salt to taste the lotus 3 tbsp of onion should have
and fry a few pieces. You
To serve: onions and
besan dough once or twice
so salt to taste MILK smooth batter.
Grease a
at a time turningof the lotus stem e: dish and pour
1/ cup of chopped
For the marinad INGREDIENTS: circular baking
2
that both sides fried till golden curd
750 gm of
mutton
spices of chaat cup of beaten rlic paste 45

Cake
tomatoes
pakoras are serving 1 1/ cup of oil
2-3 tsp of mixed and red Place these on a 3 tsp of ginger-ga leaves paste 2
powder brown. chopped powder 2009
masala, jeera sprinkle the 3 tbsp of coriander paste 3 tsp of jeera Era ● June
(Second)
plate and spices and leaves Woman’s

Kiran D. Kumar
chilli powder d whipped tomatoes, 1 tbsp of mint paste
onions and curd and serve 3 tbsp of green mango
2 cups of sweetene whipped
the sweet
curd or green immediately.
sour chutney as a chaat
sweet and

Stuffed Papaya with

(Second) 2009
chutney - optional

●
Woman’s Era ● June

44

36 TIMES HAVE CHANGED Jelly ● Sandwiches with

Doris Minezes ● Summer Butter Milk Summer Spread
● Salad Leaf Batter Fried ● Musk Melon Ice Cream
106 “IS THIS SHANTA’S EATING DISORDERS
● Mango Sweet and Sour ● Summer Refresher
● Leafy Jamboree ● Manto and Peach Salad
DAUGHTER” ARE HARD ON BONES! ● Summer Chicken with ● Spicy Mocktail
Kasturi Rangachari Dr Kiran Bala Lentils and Green Mango ● Vegetable with Green
● Chilled Orange Soup Mango and Coconut
 12
FASHION NEWS IN
PICTURES

32
DISTRESSING
DETERIORATION
16 NEIGHBOURS ALL OF THE
DAL LAKE
108 MUSINGS MEMORIES Maharaaj K. Koul

116 CROSSWORD
123 BABY CLUB
130 AS YOU SAY 100
DRINK SAFELY

FEATURES
20 BEAUTY QUERIES
40 CHILD CHALLENGES
59 NEW LAUNCHES
67 TEENACHE READERS’
77 YOUR BODY CONTESTS
FILL UP THE Page
99 JOKES 116

62 68 124 CLASSIFIEDS
CROSSWORD
AND WIN RS 15,000
THE ELEGANCE OF THE EVERY FORTNIGHT
DAZZLING WHITE CHANGING HAIRSTYLES

Editor, Publisher & Printer
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www.womansera.com
 EDITORIAL
HIGHER EDUCATION STILL AT CROSSROADS
O T
nce again, admission process has begun in the
universities. Each year, millions of students
appear in school-leaving examination and
millions of them pass out with flying colours obtaining
more than 80 to 90 per cent marks. Over the years,
number of students securing more than 90 per cent
marks is growing. This has created a problem of
shortage of seats in well-reputed colleges. In Delhi
University, for example, more than 50 thousand
admission forms were sold in just two days. Obviously,
all these meritorious students seek admission in
reputed colleges. But the seats are limited. A big
question mark, therefore, hangs on the future of
students aspiring for the higher education.
New HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has very timely taken
over the charge of Human Resource Development
Ministry. Immediately after assuming office, he
outlined his priorities and declared that skill
development would be the main thrust area.
Secondly, he sought to review the foreign
university Bill, which was introduced in the last
Lok Sabha but could not be passed, due to
vigorous opposition by the Left Parties. This
time, the entire Left has dwindled in strength. It
seems almost certain that the foreign university
Bill will come to fruition. Kapil Sibal seems to be
in a hurry, for he wants to do what his
predecessor Arjun Singh could not do in his
entire five-year term. Leftist bent of Arjun Singh
is well known and Kapil Sibal is a strong
proponent of liberalising education sector.
Kapil Sibal’s eagerness is understood. There is
certainly a dearth of seats in Indian universities. Then,
all the meritorious students could not get admission
due to various reasons like reservation and all that.
Entry of foreign universities is likely to ease the
situation in favour of Indian students. But who will
ensure that these foreign universities don’t get indulged
in pick-pocketing only? Proper regulatory mechanism,
therefore, must be in place before any foreign
university is allowed to plant its feet on Indian soil.
Their credibility should also be checked beforehand.
One more thing, for a large number of people, higher
education still means conventional courses like BA,
B.Com, and B.Sc., etc. No doubt, these courses
produce experts in their fields. But their USP is
constantly declining. Otherwise, why is it so that a
doctor, an engineer, an MBA or a CA commands more
respect, and money, in our society? In fact, the entire
education system requires complete overhauling.
Hopefully, the new HRD Minister will be able to
complete this mission during his tenure.
6 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
FIRST WOMAN SPEAKER OF LOK SABHA
he unanimous election of Meira Kumar as the
first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha is a
memorable event in the Indian Parliamentary
history. Daughter of former Deputy Prime Minister and
prominent Dalit leader, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Meira
Kumar will hopefully set new ideals for the post and
present a good role model for the Indian girls.
A non-partisan Speaker is something of a theoretical
construct in party-based parliamentary politics, whether
it may or may not hold in practice. In this regard,
addressing a press conference soon after her election
to Speaker, soft-spoken Meira Kumar promised to be
“entirely impartial” and give opportunities to every
Member of Parliament to have his or her say. She also
asked political parties to rise above party line while
taking part in discussion on issues of national
importance.
Although, mostly the Speaker has to
ensure smooth conduct of the House,
the office acquires special significance
when issues of defection and
disqualification crop up.
Such decision could even turn the
fate of a government also. Ms Kumar
will bring to the dignified office her
years of experience as a member of the
Lok Sabha and as a minister. She
seems to have the desired qualities of
amiability, patience, and a commitment
to fair play.
The election of the nation’s first
woman President two years ago and now the first
woman Speaker indicate a genuine desire towards
women empowerment. In this context, Women’s
Reservation Bill becomes crucial, which has been in
cold store for long.
Let’s pray it may see the light of day with Ms Kumar
in the Chair. Only then, we can proudly say that India is
a land where women are truly respected and held in
high esteem.
At the same time, other women-related issues
cannot be ignored. They are still being treated as a
commodity and often become target of violent crimes.
They should be educated, self-reliant and mentally
strong so that they can participate in nation-building in a
big way.
No doubt, the country has seen many women
excelling in their professional fields, but their number is
few and far between. Therefore, women empowerment
at mass scale is the need of the hour, which will be a
positive indication.
write to: letters@womansera.com We
 PARENTING
PLEASURE, NOT A PAIN
A level-headed approach to bringing up kids
without spoiling them. By Indira Aiyer
a, “I could hear the panic
M
in my” daughter’s voice,
though she was miles
away, “please tell me how
to deal with Tara. She had
asked me to get chocolate
doughnuts from Kolkata
and thanks to the bandh
the shop was closed. Now
I am on my way home. It’s
late and I dread facing her as she will
throw a tantrum and make life hell for
me when I tell her that I could not get
her the doughnuts, though I tried at
many shops!”
Tara is my 6-year-old
granddaughter and to the world
(which includes me) and her teachers
at school, she is a wonderful child. To
her parents, however, she proves to
be stubborn and difficult to handle,
crying at regular intervals, throwing
temper tantrums and disobeying
instructions.
Attention, young mothers! Does
this scene sound familiar? Do you
Stop in your tracks and pause to
ask yourself a few questions:
Are you a demanding mother –
demanding perfect behaviour, perfect
results, perfect cleanliness, all the
time?
Are you a bargaining mother – do
this and I will give you this, do that or
I will take this away?
Are you a critical/strict mother –
You are a disobedient girl, naughty
and ill-tempered, you are always
unhappy, greedy and selfish?
Are you an indulgent mother –
doesn’t matter, she is a child, give
her the doll or she will cry loudly in
the shop.
Are you an impatient mother –
always counting the time spent with
the children?
Are you a boring mother – sit
quietly and read…no games, no
stories, no adventure?
Are you inconsistent in your
discipline – once, sugar-coated at
other times a raging threat?
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
dread the fights at home because of
the little ones? Does the thought of
dealing with your angry child make
you uncertain and upset? Do you feel
helpless and guilty thinking why your
kid is behaving the way she or he is,
in spite of your best efforts?
The problem, my dear parents,
lies with our child-rearing
practices and not with the child.
A restless, impatient mother trains
her children to be attention-seeking
adults.
A critical mother turns her children
into adults with a low self-esteem.
A mother who makes child-rearing
a bargain gets demanding selfish
children.
An angry, resentful mother
transfers her angst to her young one.
Newton’s law states that every
action has an equal and opposite
reaction. So every action of ours
rebounds in some way. Our children
are mirror reflections of us!
7
 I do not hold the panacea for all
ills, or the magic wand to make child
rearing ‘child’s play’, but I do have
some golden guidelines to help us in
bringing up our children and making
the journey a delight – not a dread.
Think of rearing a child as a
delightful journey, not a painful
exercise. In the attempt to get things
done, bathing, cleaning, feeding,
school – bags packed, lunches
made, pencils sharpened – we forget
that this is a time that many people
long for and are not lucky enough to
have. If each duty is assigned a time
and made into a regular ritual, with
the child playing as much a role as
STOP IN YOUR
TRACKS AND PAUSE
TO ASK YOURSELF A
FEW QUESTIONS:
ARE YOU A
DEMANDING
MOTHER –
DEMANDING PERFECT
BEHAVIOUR, PERFECT
RESULTS, PERFECT
CLEANLINESS,
ALL THE TIME?
8 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
the parent, the work becomes fun
and not a burden.
Getting 4-year-old Ati up for
school on time, was a painful
exercise. She would keep falling
asleep again and, if forced, get up
crying. I gave her mother a simple
solution, “Get her an alarm clock with
her favourite tune. Let her set it and
when she hears it put it off herself.”
The suggestion worked like magic.
Ati was so excited about her musical
alarm and she got up without her
usual tears! Making sure that she
went to bed on time was also another
important point to keep in mind. A
sleep-deprived child is an angry child!
Playing with children has become
a thing of the past. Parents want to
see movies and watch TV and the
children do the same. Playing in the
park, swings, merry-go-rounds,
walking or playing hide-and-seek and
catch-catch – where have all these
activities gone? A family that plays
together stays together. While you
play, please leave behind the parent
image and be a child – no lectures,
no lessons no advice please!
Dear parents, please enjoy these
activities with your children and use
your imagination as much as you
can. They will outgrow you faster
than you can fathom. Enjoy each
moment and treasure it.
Make simple rules and stick by
them. Children are very intelligent
and they find the loopholes in
discipline easily. They can also sense
the weaker/softer parent and exploit
them. Have only a few rules – no bad
language, no shouting, tidying up
after play, fixed times for school
work, TV, computer games and
outdoor activities.
Now comes the caveat. Parents
must also follow the same rules.
Karan wants to eat his dinner in front
of the TV (after all, he is tired after
the long day and needs to relax!),
wants the servant to pick up his
shoes and strewn clothes, abuses his
boss at regular intervals and shouts
at the kids. Then he asks innocently,
“We work so hard to give them
whatever they want, why are they so
disobedient?” Dear parents, please
practise what you preach.
Comparisons are odious. We
know this and yet we react strongly
when little Anuj behaves like a
gentleman at the party and our little
princess behaves like a badly
brought up child!
We wonder why she refuses to
recite a nursery rhyme when asked,
why she drops cake down the front of
her party dress, why she behaves as
if she had never tasted cake. She is
an individual not a puppet. She may
recite the rhyme 20 times at home till
you scream at her to stop, but refuse
to do so in public. She is not a doll to
wind up and set down. Respect her
right to say no. Children get excited
and spill food. Forgive her and gently
tell her to be careful. Do not scold her
in front of her friends. She is as
sensitive as you are.
Teach your children frustration
tolerance. The source of all anger is
a poor tolerance of frustration, the
inability to take no for an answer and
high expectations from the
environment and people around you.
Your child may not know this but you
do. Learn to say no – a gentle no. Do
not make the no sound like a
punishment or threat. Explain that we
cannot have what we want all the
time every time. Be ready to face
resistance but stick to your decision.
Keep your calm. Do not shout to be
heard. This is a difficult lesson
to impart but well learnt and
one which will stand us in good
stead in times of stress and
conflict.
Spare the rod and rear the
child. Punishment or negative
reinforce ment means the
withdrawal of some privilege or
some action which shows
displeasure. The parent who
needs to resort to physical
punishment, slapping or
abusing is only displaying their own
inadequacy. It is not easy to always
maintain calm and children often
drive us up the wall with their
behaviour. More often than not, we
have to make a conscious effort to
mete out the correct punishment and
explain to the child why this
punishment is necessary. Unless the
child knows where he has gone
wrong and why he is being punished,
it is impossible for him to correct it.
Criticise the mistake, not the
child. Leave out words like, “You
always do this, you never obey me,
you are disobedient, cheeky.”
Being around is important.
Nowadays the word we constantly
hear is ‘quality time’.
While I appreciate the need of a
woman to be economically
independent and satisfy her
ambitions, I want to bring out the true
meaning of quality time, spent with
the children.
Kiran sweeps into the room.
“Hurry Tia,” she says. “let’s rush for
your swimming class.”
On Mondays, she drives Tia to her
swimming class and on the way grills
her about what she did in school. On
Wednesdays she takes Tia to the
dance class while she gyms herself.
On Fridays it is the art teacher who
instructs Tia. Saturday is holiday time
so it is a movie or the video parlour,
dinner out – quality time indeed!
Please, parents, do not think
rushing a child around and
continuously grilling him is ideal
parenthood. We are trying to produce
super-brats and in the process losing
out on making them human beings! A
10
quiet evening at home, spent playing
carom or ludo, or just sitting together,
each doing their own thing is very
important. We do not have to ‘do
something’ all the time. Just being
there for them is as essential and
vital for their self-esteem as
proficiency in music, dance and art!
Do not attempt to buy them off.
I have heard that money can buy any
and everything. I wish it were true.
We cannot assuage our guilt by
buying our children gifts. Our
presence cannot be substituted with
expensive presents. Children need
us to be present not present them
with presents. We may not be able to
spend the whole day with them, due
to our jobs or professional
commitments. We need not,
however, compensate for our
absence by plying them with
expensive gifts, clothes and whatever
they demand. Try to spend as much
A CHILD REMEMBERS
THE MOMENTS OF
MISCHIEF, THE JOY OF
AN EVENING SPENT
IN DEFEATING YOU
AT CAROM, THE HUG
YOU GAVE HIM
WHEN HE FAILED TO
WIN THE RACE AND
COUNTLESS OTHER
MOMENTS – SMALL
BUT PRECIOUS.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
time with the children, but do
not believe that the missing
moments can be made up for,
with numerous Barbie dolls and
teddy bears! Yes, it is a treat to
buy our child a toy he or she
really wants, but do not over-
compensate for your absence.
You are not doing them a
favour by bringing them up.
Please stop that martyr’s image
and face facts. You had
children because you wanted
them. Now, why is there a perpetual
look of I have sacrificed so much for
them! Before you have children,
decide what you can and cannot do.
Enjoy the journey of parenting with
both its joys and travails. A child who
does not prove to be a challenge is
no fun? Learn the lessons as you go
along. Come to terms with the reality
that parenting is a lifelong process
and one that ends only with our end.
If we realise this and keep the
expectancy low, it will help us in the
long run.
In the final analysis, a child
remembers the moments of mischief,
the joy of an evening spent in
defeating you at carom, the hug you
gave him when he failed to win the
race and countless other moments –
small but precious. I do not think any
of us remembers the number of dolls
we possessed or the dinners at a
five-star hotel that we had. Count
your time in the simple but invaluable
moments, as these are the only gifts
you can give your child.
To come back to where I began…I
rang up little Tara and told her that
her mother was late because of road
blocks and could not get her the
doughnuts. Before she could start her
bawling, I distracted her and asked
her to get a pencil and paper and
take down the recipe of doughnuts,
which she and mom would make the
next day. Thankfully, the ploy worked
and the next day, a very happy and
proud little girl rang up to tell me how
tasty the doughnuts she made were.
Needless to say the mother was
grateful too!
As they say all’s well that ends
well. We
 Don’t follow me
A campaign against smoking “Smoking
is Damaging” in Panama City. There is
a poster of late US actress Marilyn
Monroe with a lit cigarette to her lips
warning smokers against smoking.

Techno marvel
Chinese visitors admire
a multi-purpose remote
control scout vehicle on A close-up
display at a science and Close-up of the
technology exhibition in eye with a
Beijing on 20 May. contact lens with
China is rapidly a spider’s net
increasing its spending painting of a
on research and participant in an
development. annual Wave-
Gothic Festival
on 30 May in
Leipzig, Eastern
Germany where
more than 20,000
Gothic romanticists
are expected to
attend.
Men power
Members of the March of science
Nejapa power Visitors gather to admire
team try to pull a robotic woman (C left)
an Airbus 320 on display at a science
during a and technology exhibition
competition at in Beijing on 20 May.
the international
airport in
Compala 40 km
south of San
Salvador on
24 May. Twenty
teams are German Cup Trophy
participating in A model brings
the competition the German Cup
aimed at pulling Trophy into the
the airplane up stadium prior to the
to 25 metres in men’s DFB German
5 minutes. Cup Final Werder
Bremen vs Bayer
Lever on 30 May at
the Olympic Stadium
in Berlin.

Exploring the superstructure

Divers explore the superstructure of the
Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg artificial reef in
the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary off Keys West, Florida during
a preview dive for journalists on 29 May.
 he media made a hue and
Women not

T
cry about the molestation
reacting that happened in Delhi on
last New Year’s Eve. It is
emboldens the easily forgotten
molestation happens daily,
that

eve-teaser. Time all around the world. It never

becomes a focal point since
to give up it is never able to gather so
much attention. It is not news
dodging your if someone passes a comment on
you or if someone brushes against
fright and your body in an empty train or bus.
Eve-teasing is a rampant social
unleash the evil. It is all pervasive — beaches,
roads, cinema halls, buses and sadly
inner strength. even in educational institutions.
When eve-teasing persists even
By Shailja Mehta inside educational institutions, one

EVE-TEASING
can obviously infer that even the
educated youth don’t necessarily
desist from indulging in this uncouth
behaviour. The issue always surfaces
when something prominent happens,
like, for instance, when a Chennai
college girl was killed some years
ago. Public memory happens to be
short and soon things return to the
usual anarchy and we accept the fact
that ‘nothing much can be done.’
Where does eve-teasing have its
roots? Is this seen in every country?
An interesting fact needs to be
mentioned here. If one types ‘eve-
teasing’ in any Internet search
engine, you would be surprised that
page after page of results are almost
entirely Indian web pages. Eve-
teasing in its form of hooting, ogling-
loud commenting, whistling, etc, does
tend to be more prevalent in India.
Not something to be proud of. Eve-
teasing is not a victimless crime as it
appears on paper. It has resulted in
deaths and when it goes unchecked
could lead to public humiliation of
women even in broad daylight. The
rape of a medical student in Delhi in
the recent past shocked the whole
nation. Eve-teasing also portrays a
bad image of the country among
tourists. The immeasurable damage
to a woman’s self-esteem and the
subsequent avoidance of public
places by single women could hardly
take us on the way to achieving
gender equality.
Eve-teasing is a typical social
crime, where the perpetrators and
victims are ordinary people. There is
no easy way of rounding up everyone
concerned and settling the issue.
Schools and colleges could easily
discipline students for such activities
on campus, but this only induces
them to indulge in such acts outside
campus. Police prosecution can also
never be severe because of the
reluctance of victims to depose in
court. A behavioural change is the
only lasting solution to this problem.
This requires an extensive public
education aimed at every section of
society at large.
Every action is performed with an
intention. The intention behind eve-
teasing is to catch a girl’s eye and to
arouse attention in some way; and
more importantly this harassment is
an early manifestation of patriarchal
masculinity. Gender segregation and
a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude furthers
this behaviour. Innumerable movies ERADICATING
show that eve-teasing eventually
‘wins’ a girl’s attention. Changing this
EVE-TEASING
behaviour is easier said than done. WILL HELP
However, if things are left alone, they
could hardly get better. WOMEN ACCESS
PUBLIC PLACES
UNLEASH INNER FEARLESSLY AND
STRENGTH
Active solutions should be sought. WILL FURTHER
Students in colleges must specifically
be counselled. Debates on this issue
GENDER
must be organised in colleges, TV EQUALITY IN
shows, etc., with responsible
moderators — who would listen and INDIA —
reason an argument instead of
sounding outright biased. Every
PROBABLY, MUCH
parent should talk to his son about MORE THAN CAN
this. Cinema is a powerful medium to
showcase this issue. The majority of BE ACHIEVED BY
the eve-teasing crowds
undoubtedly movie junkies. Maybe
are
RESERVATION OF
when a movie addresses the fear, SEATS FOR
hurt and humiliation a girl
experiences people will think about WOMEN IN
this ‘other side’ of eve-teasing.
Eve-teasing is not just a college
PARLIAMENT.
girl’s problem. It leads to insecurity
for parents or to even anyone whose
loved one undergoes this. This
unwelcome masculine attention on
women subjects them to an
unimaginable sexual pressure.
Sweeping this issue under the carpet
is not a solution. A civilised society
cannot afford to ignore such an issue.
Eve-teasing deserves to be tackled
actively. Eradicating eve-teasing will
help women access public places
fearlessly and will further gender
equality in India — probably, much
more than can be achieved by
reservation of seats for women in
Parliament. While we walk on the
road there is a serious planned
attempt to avoid blows and
preventing bumping into men.
Avoiding the common accidental
nudge and brushing past shoulders
or hands is a daily exercise, just like
brushing teeth in the mornings.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 15
 It is so much a part of our system
that the most we do is, get abusive
and get on with life. Though many
might be ready to put up a fight there
may be some who do not like
attention. The silence gives the
miscreants an ego-boost and the
problem grows bigger.
We have slowly come to believe
that there is no solution to such
behaviour and an agile trick is the
best to prevent trouble. But the
average woman of the 21st century is
much more empowered to face these
troubles head-on.
Good Samaritan
I have a very good neighbour Mrs
Sayyed. We share all our joys and
sorrows with each other and even
help each other in times of need. She
was like a saviour to me when last
year I got a deep cut on my hand in
the morning and the bleeding
wouldn’t stop. My husband became
panicky and didn’t know what to do.
He tried all possible means to stop
the bleeding, then he called Mrs
Sayyed and she helped in stopping
the bleeding. While I became
unconscious, her son carried me
down from the 2nd floor and putting
me in his car, took me to a nearly
hospital. After the doctors attended
to me, I came to my senses. I had lost
16
HOW TO DEAL WITH EVE-TEASING
Most females encountered at
least mild harassment from local
men; silly comments by young boys,
or an attempt of groping in a crowd.
One strange version of eve-teasing
is young Indian men’s habit of
breaking into a song whenever they
walk by a woman. Despite laws
against eve-teasing, it affects all
women.
If being stared at, it is best just
to ignore the starer. If being
followed, seek help from passers-by
or the police if there is one around;
this usually gets rid of any unwanted
“admirers.” Another option is to
confront the follower in front of a
large crowd — public humiliation
works wonders. When it comes to
groping, women are not afraid to
confront a groper either verbally or
physically. Alertness is the key to
reach home or office without
banging into someone. A little off-
balance and low on the alertness
level and you may not know what is
coming next. So if you are a
daydreamer you need to be careful
and walk with your head high.
a lot of blood but, if not for my
neighbour, I think something worse
would have happened.
– Lurdin Fernandes, Mumbai.
Rude neighbour
This is of a nasty experience
regarding my next-door neighbour some
time back. My parents were out of
station for three to four days and my
sister and I were alone at home. The
next-door neighbour, Mrs Shah,
dropped in out of concern and our
parents’ instructions on the second
night, to inquire if we needed anything.
We said no in unison and got chatting
over trivialities for some 15 minutes,
after which my younger sister spontan-
eously invited them for lunch the next
day. She readily agreed and we went to
sleep.
The next morning her daughter-in-
law rang the bell to enquire whether the
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
Appear confident and bold. Keep
your eyebrows in an angry
frown.While much of eve-teasing is
more annoying than dangerous,
there have been attacks against
female tourists in India, and it only
makes sense to be careful.
It is best to avoid arriving in a
new destination alone after dark.
Lonely walks along unlit streets and
quiet beaches are not recommended
either. The same applies to cheap
local cinemas that show Bollywood
films, because the audience usually
consists of a crowd of overexcited
young boys.
While you may not get a trophy
to be upfront and brave, you
definitely get the prize of pride and
security. It is time we gave up
dodging our fears and unleashed
our inner strength. It is not about
wasting time and energy. It is about
safe guarding your self-esteem.
Remember, every time that you
do not react you double the strength
of an eve-teaser. Every time you
react, you send a message that you
will not tolerate nonsense. We
lunch was on or not? My sister was
surprised and irritated, but let it pass.
Next she came in again at 11.30 a.m.
and instructed us to keep the rotis hot
and lunch ready by 12.30 p.m., as she
had to go out.
My sister was amazed at her
audacity to give instructions in our
home, as if we did not know how to
entertain and provide for guests.
Furthermore, she had the gall to come
in at 12.30, sit down hurriedly with
her mother-in-law and kid at the
kitchen table and start serving herself.
At this, my sister lost her fuse and just
made faces and slunk out of the room.
I completed the balance hot rotis,
served it to them despondently and
was cursing myself for issuing the
invitation to such rude and greedy
neighbours in the first place. Manners
be dammed.
– Dimple Shah, Mumbai.
 HAIR LOSS:
HERBS CAN TAKE CARE
OF YOUR HAIR
An effective remedy for hair loss.
By Shivendra Kumar
ith an average of By the age of 50, over half of men

W
100,000 strands of hair have male-pattern baldness and 40
on each person's head, per cent of menopausal women
hair can both be suffer from female-pattern hair loss.
fascinating and quirky. If A person loses an average of 100
you suffer from split hairs from his/her scalp each day.
ends, simply shampooing In order to maintain healthy locks,
and conditioning is not one should eat a balanced diet. Food
going to correct such as eggs, liver, kidney, herring,
damaged ends. Split salmon, carrot and green vegetables
ends need to be trimmed in order to are good choices for healthy hair.
keep long hair looking lustrous and Any food rich in vitamin C and
healthy. Vitamin D is also good for hair.
Hair grows faster in warmer Natural hair masks made from
weather. However, cutting hair avocado, mayonnaise, bananas or
doesn't make it grow faster. Another jojoba oil provide rich conditioning
myth about hair is that frequent which hydrates hair.
washing causes hair loss. Sun can also damage the scalp

18 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

and hair, so remember to wear a hat
or rub a sunscreen into your scalp. It
is advisable to use hair products that
protect hair from UVA/UVB rays.
Whether short or long, hair is the
fastest growing tissue on our body
and you need to protect and care for
it while you still have it on your head.
The following herbs can help you
protect your hair.
Fenugreek: This is one of the
nature's gifts for humankind. It is a
cure for a large number of human
diseases. For hair loss, dip a handful
of fenugreek seeds in water and let
them soak for some three to four
hours. Now grind them and use this
liquid as a shampoo. Repeat twice a
weak. This is a fast-acting natural
cure for hair loss.
Sesame leaves: Besides, sesame
oil, sesame leaves and roots are also
an effective natural cure for hair loss.
Simmer some herbs in water for 15
minutes and let it cool. Now strain
and use for hair massage and hair
rinse to treat hair loss and grey hair.
Almond oil and honey:
Honey: 1 tablespoon
Almond oil: 1 tablespoon
Egg yolk: 1 (whole egg can also
be used)
Blend the above ingredients well
to make a paste and apply to your
hair for an hour or so. For better
results wrap your hair with a towel or
any other cotton cloth. Shampoo as
usual. This can be repeated once a
weak to prevent hair loss and
promote healthy hair.
Tobacco and olive oil: This is
usually used to treat hair loss for
men. Fresh flowers from tobacco
plant are ground to make a thick
paste. Now some olive oil is added
to it and this paste is massaged over
the bald areas. A regular massage
will stop baldness and help to re-
grow hair.
Olive oil massage: Regular
massage with olive oil will strengthen
your locks, stop hair loss and prevent
greying of hair. It is also a natural
cure for dandruff. Some people also
prefer to add equal quantities of
almond or rosemary oils as these oils
also have a good repute in hair care.
A good combination when employed
for hot oil treatments, is among most
popular hair-loss solutions.
Fresh cow milk: This is an old
remedy. Massage freshly boiled cow
milk on scalp and hair and let it work
for an hour. Now shampoo as usual.
Regular use will stop hair loss. This is
a very old Indian home remedy for
hair loss. Sometimes, raw milk is
preferred to the boiled milk. Similarly,
fresh cream or butter is also
employed for this purpose. Buffalo
milk can also be used to treat
baldness in this way.
Garlic: Garlic is also used as a
herbal medicine. It has multiple uses
in skin diseases including nail fungus,
warts, skin tags, eczema and many
more. As a natural remedy for hair
loss garlic can be used in multiple
forms. You can use:
● Garlic oil
● Garlic extract
● Raw crushed garlic
● Rub over the hairless surface.
Let it work for some time before
shampooing. Crushed garlic can be
used only on bald head while extract
or garlic oil can be used on hairy
surfaces to promote thick hair growth.
Garlic, when taken orally, is also
beneficial to hair growth.
Black cumin and olive oil:
Among the Arabian naturalists an
effective herbal treatment for hair
loss is to burn black cumin on a low
flame to get black, burnt dust. Now
mix it with olive oil and store in a
bottle. Massage on the scalp after
shaking vigorously and let it stay
there for some time. This is a well-
documented treatment for baldness.
Its long-term application is believed
to stimulate regrowth of hair.
Coconut milk: Coconut milk can Now slightly warm it and apply to the
be massaged directly on the scalp to hair and leave it on for an hour or
promote hair growth. This can be two. This can be repeated daily and
obtained by grinding fresh coconut should be continued till the required
and then squeezing it. Mix it with the results are obtained. This is believed
water that you get from raw coconut. to help regrow hair. We
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 19
 QA &
Q&
How much oiling is good for hair and
how to do it best? I am 24 and my
mom used to oil my hair very often
and I have long hair but I find it
difficult to be regular about oiling etc.
What should I do?
Oiling the hair is often more a
matter of habit than necessity.
Ideally, if you are used to it, once a
fort night is a good option. The oil
should be slightly warm and needs
to be applied to the scalp and patted
in or with gentle circular motions
without breaking too much hair is
advisable. Harsh maalish does you
A
no good. If you have long hair do
apply some to the end of the hair as
well. Wrapping the head and hair in a
hot towel is recommended for deeper
penetration of the oil.
I want to know how to use baby oil.
When my daughter was born last
year a lot was given as gifts. There
are other baby products as well
which I do not want to throw away
but feel like not using for my baby.
Products for infants should not be
used beyond their expiry dates
because a baby’s skin is extremely
delicate. However, these products are
great for adults because of their
formulations. Shampoos for babies
are great for their mommies too,
especially if you are washing your hair
frequently. As for the oil, you can use
it for after-shower moisturising or for
a massage. In smaller quantities you
can add a drop or two to your face
packs as well. I personally find baby
oil very good for removing make-up!
20
I thought thinner eyebrows would suit
me but they do not. Now, how to
make them thick again?
You have not written your age but
until the late thirties eyebrow growth
is not too bad, so you will have to
give it time. Whenever you go for a
eyebrow clean, draw a line with a soft
eye pencil in the area you do not
want ‘cleaned’ and have the rest
threaded. There is no other way
except to have patience. You can just
apply olive oil or some castor oil at
night to nourish the hair.
How to make the make-up last longer
in summer without a shine?
The trick is to hold the foundation
in place. Use a fixer and then apply a
moisturiser. Use oil control lotion if
you have oily skin. The right use of
loose powder as a base is the real
trick to keeping skin non-shiny. It
should be done lightly and dusting
needs to be done on the neck area
as well. Use soft pastel shades in
summer. For lipstick, line the lips with
lip liner and fill it in the lips as well, as
this is what will give your lips colour
even if the lipstick fades.
My younger sister lost over 30 kg
because her health was failing. Now
she is a lot fitter but her loose skin
that hangs on her makes her feel low.
How to decide if surgery is the right
option?
It depends on her age and her
willpower to maintain this weight.
Depending on areas that need
attention she might have to undergo
more than one surgery and it will not
be cheap either. Let her decide as
per her lifestyle and what she
normally wears. Camouflage is
possible in certain areas but not in
others. A good surgeon will be able
to assist her in making an informed
decision.
We keep reading about hydrating the
skin in summer. How to do it without
the shine all over the face within
minutes of applying any cream?
For oily skin the product should be
water based. Using oil-blotting paper
to take off the shine from the face is
the best recourse. Do not use
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
ordinary tissue as that removes
make-up as well, whereas the oil-
blotting face paper will only remove
the oil and shine and leave the rest in
place. Your regular products like
foundation etc. should be light
formulations for summer and you
need to moisturise with a lotion-
consistency material not cream and
that should be before doing the
make-up. The final hydrating trick is
to water spray which is light and does
not remove make-up but provides a
fresh feel.
I want to know what is the right
amount and style of exfoliation. What
is peel treatment? How often should
it be done and is it right for me? I am
24 and can afford the treatment but
don’t want to waste money.
As our cells are renewed, the
dead skin needs to be sloughed off
so the new skin can glow better.
Home-style exfoliation can be done
once a week but professional
removal is not needed more than
once a month. When you opt for any
professional treatment, your
dermatologist/cosmetologist will tell
you to use protection against the sun
because your skin is very soft and
vulnerable. Acid peels might be
suggested if you have pigmentation
marks or if your skin needs to be
‘refreshed’ with a bit stronger
treatment.
I have been an airhostess for almost
eight years now. Earlier it never
bothered me but now I find that on
long flights I have dry and dull skin,
my hair is lifeless. I end up using
more make-up and that clogs my
pores further and I break out in a
pimple attack. What should I do?
As an airhostess doing long-haul
flights you have access to the best
products the market has to offer. You
just have to select wisely. Drink lots
of water while flying, use minimal
make-up and keep eye gel for around
the eyes to reduce puffiness. Use a
leave-in conditioner for hair to keep it
moisturised. However tired you are at
the end of the flight, always give
yourself a good massage and cleanse,
tone and moisturise before retiring.
 My World, My Family
True love means sharing equally joys, sorrows and
responsibility in life. By Kiran D. Kumar

I
t was already 7.30 pm. I was an hour late for “Oh, Rahul! Don’t compare me with your mother.
my date with Nimmi. She might be very furious I belong to a different generation. I won’t spare you
by now. I started my car and rushed to Lal if you neglect me even for a second.”
Bagh. Luck had smiled on me six months ago Okay, babe. I’ll keep it in mind. I will never give
since the day Nimmi accepted my proposal. I you any chance for complaints. I have got something
was more lucky than many boys who were for you. Now close your eyes and show me your
dreaming of becoming Nimmi’s lovers. hands.” She closed her eyes. I placed a pair of gold
I was in the first year of engineering. She was a earrings on her palm. When she opened her eyes, I
commerce student. I saw her for the first time on the was delighted to see the sparkle in her eyes on
Annual Day on the campus with her seeing the gift.
friends. She was so strikingly beautiful – “Rahul! How nice of you! Why did you
tall, slim with sharp features, and as fair as She was so buy such an expensive gift for me? Last
a rose. She was the cream of the crop. We strikingly month, you gave me a designer watch.
were introduced to each other by mutual beautiful – My closets are filled with the designer
friends. tall, slim with dresses bought by you.” She was so elated
It was love at first sight from my side. But sharp features, that she flung herself into my arms and
the college grapevine had it that Nimmi and as fair as a kissed me passionately. This was the
was as changeable as the weather. I was rose. She was boldness that I liked about her most. Unlike
cautioned by my close friends,”Rahul! the cream of other middle-class girls, she was very
Don’t get involved with Nimmi. She’s not the crop. unconventional in her attitude to life. After
your type of girl.” But all their pleas fell on We were a few minutes we separated.
deaf ears. I proposed and she accepted. introduced to As it was already dark, I dropped her
Now I was heading for my usual each other by near her colony. It was my idea to drop
rendezvous. She was wearing a peach suit mutual her outside her colony. I didn’t want
and sat on the corner bench. Seeing me as friends. people to talk behind our back about our
expected, she burst out,” Rahul, don’t you love affair. After all, we had to wait for
have any sense of time? Am I a fool to wait about 2-3 years to get married. I had to
for you for an hour?” finish my education, settle in a decent job and then
“Calm down, darling! Our professor came late only could we marry.
for lecture. Exams being near, I could not miss it.

Next time, I will be on time – punctual. I swear!”
Now she was calm. “By the way, Nimmi, what
would you do if I come home late after our
marriage? Will you fight with me even then? Ma is
so cool even when papa comes home late every
evening,” I teased her.
I
was the only son of my parents. I had three
sisters, all of whom were younger than I. My
father worked as a manager in a renowned
multinational firm. We lived in a palatial bungalow
built by my father’s hard-earned money. Papa
provided ma with all the luxuries of an elite

22 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

household. Ma was down-to-earth, and a simple
woman. My sisters, Ruchi and Meghna, looked like
her. Sweetie, the youngest, was the mischievous
one. It was because of her that ma had come to
know of my relationship with Nimmi. Sweetie had
shown ma a love letter written by Nimmi. When ma
confronted me, I confessed. Ma had no objection to
my choice of a life partner. She was a very liberal
woman.
Nimmi was from an average middle-class family.
Her father had died when she was very young. She
was the only daughter of her parents. Her mother
too knew about our relationship. She was very
happy for Nimmi, for her daughter had found a nice
boy from a well-off family on her own. Both the
families knew that eventually we would get married.
I
reached home. Ma was giving instructions to the
maid about the night's menu for dinner. She had
a rule that we had to have at least dinner
together. So we were waiting for papa to come
home. That night, it was getting late. When
contacted on his cell, he told us not to wait as he
had to dine with his friends. After dinner, my sisters
retired. Papa came home after midnight. He was
unusually calm. He asked us to retire and went to the
study. Sometimes, it was his habit to spend some
time reading.
In the morning, ma shook me, “Rahul! Wake up.
Papa has locked himself up inside the study and he’s
not responding to my calls.”
“What’s there to worry, ma? He came home so
late, he may have fallen asleep in the study. Let him
sleep for some time,” I mumbled half-asleep.
“No, just get up and wake him. It’s not usual for
him to sleep in such noise. I have rammed
the door so many times and
why has he locked the
door?” I got up and went
SHORT
STORY
outside the study and shouted, “Papa! Papa!
Open the door. What’s the matter? Are you still
sleeping?” I slammed my fists on the door. There
was no reply. Now I could sense that something
had gone terribly wrong. I continued calling him
frantically.
Hearing the noise, the servant and watchman
came in and helped me to break the door open.
Upon opening the door, all of us were shell-
shocked to see papa’s lifeless body hanging
from the ceiling fan. Ma fainted and there was
total chaos in the house. Someone phoned the
police while, my sisters were crying. Our house
was full of known and unknown persons. Papa’s
face had turned blue and his tongue had come out
of his mouth. His body was taken for post-mortem by
the police. On the table lay a suicide note. It read:
No one is responsible for my suicide. I am deeply
repenting the blunders made by me in my life and
this is the only way to opt out.
“Ramesh Thakur”
Y
es, it was his handwriting all right. The post-
mortem report stated that it was a case of
suicide. With a broken heart, I performed the
last rites. Within 4-5 days, the mystery surrounding
papa’s death started to unfold, when ma was
approached by various people to whom papa owed
huge amounts of money. What we came to know
was very shocking. Indeed, truth is always stranger
than fiction. Papa had lost all his earnings and
assets in gambling! For the first time in our lives, we
were shocked to know that papa was into serious
gambling. He owed around 90 lakh to different
people. To pay off the interests he had already
mortgaged the house. Those people to whom he
owed money were chasing him. He could not
bear the pressure built up by the people to pay
his debts. Finding that he had put at stake the
lives of his near and dear ones, he had
committed suicide.
Ma was totally devastated. To
pay off the debts she had to sell
our house and all her
ornaments. Overnight, our lives
had transformed from riches to
rags. It is correctly said that the
bigger they are the harder
they fall. With our limited
belongings, we came out of
Nimmi accepted his proposal
and was delighted to receive the
precious gift.
the bungalow. Ma got a rented small flat in a lofty
chawl. I wanted to discontinue my education, in
order to earn my daily bread. But ma and my sisters
were adamant that I would continue my studies.
“Rahul, if you complete it, you will have better
prospects for your future. You need not worry about
running the house. I’ll manage the house by
pursuing the only thing that I know, sewing.”
“But, ma, you have pursued it as your hobby.
You’ve never done it professionally. Besides, what
will people say if I let you work?”
“Rahul! Any respectable work that gives you your
daily bread is always a good one. Your papa could
not face life and left us before the onset of the storm.
But we have to make our ship sail through this storm.
I don’t care about people any more. All I know is
that I have to complete those duties which your
father left unaccomplished.”
Nimmi was as cold as ice. “Say something,
Nimmi. What is going on in your mind?”
“Rahul, now you have heard what my mother told
you. I can’t defy her. I don’t want to do anything she
disapproves. After all, she’s the only one that I have.
Please don’t ever try to meet me. I don’t want to
have anything to do with you. Please leave at once,”
she said and left the room followed by her mother.
I was heartbroken. When I gathered enough
strength to get up, I left her house. I walked aimlessly
down the street throughout the day. It was past
midnight when I reached home. Ma was awake and
very worried for me.
“Rahul, where had you been the whole day? We
were so worried if anything untoward happened to
you,” she said.
“Ma, she has left me,” I sobbed.
“Who has left you? What’s the matter?”
“Nimmi has left me.” Now I was crying

I
was amazed to see her inner strength.
All her life, I had known her as a meek
woman who would follow in her
husband’s footsteps unquestioningly. Now,
in our hour of crisis, she had emerged as a
stronger person than I had imagined. It
was not until then that I realised that
Nimmi had not visited me after papa’s
funeral. I went to her home. She did not
seem pleased to see me. I went inside and
sat for a while. Her mother inquired after
my family and I informed her about my
misfortunes. She came directly to the point.
“Rahul, I don’t think that I want you to
marry my daughter. I have gone through
many hardships after my husband’s death.
I have dreamt of a luxurious life for my
daughter. I don’t want her to undergo the same
financial upheavals that I went through in my life.
uncontrollably. Words poured out of my
“But how will mouth and I told her the whole thing. Ma
you finish your was also pained to hear about the
education when betrayal. But when she spoke up she was
you can’t even very composed.
afford your daily “So this is the matter! Why are you
bread? Even if upset over this? It’s true that you loved her
you finish your wholeheartedly, but she didn’t love you!
studies and get a That’s the bitter fact. She was obsessed by
job, all your your status, your money. Now, as you
earnings and don’t have any of them, she has left you.
savings will be This is a big, bad world and it takes all
spent on sorts of people to make it! When poverty
comes in, love flies out of the window. You
marrying off
have learnt your lesson so early. Don’t
your sisters.
waste your emotions on such money-
minded people who don’t value your
sentiments.”

M
So, it is better for you to cut off the relations with a’s words were soothing. But it took me quite
Nimmi.” some time to come to terms with what had
I was stunned to hear her views. Somehow, words happened. Meanwhile, ma took up tailoring
came out of my mouth, “But my present woes are in earnest. I started taking tuitions for the
only temporary. Once I finish my education, I will get neighborhood kids. They weren’t very rich, but they
a decent job good enough to fulfil your daughter’s paid me enough to manage my expenses. I got a
wishes. She will lack nothing. I promise you.” part-time job as an instructor in a computer institute.
“But how will you finish your education when you Ma’s sewing practice was going on in full swing.
can’t even afford your daily bread? Even if you Now she had also started training women of all
finish your studies and get a job, all your earnings ages in sewing. Financial troubles forced Ruchi and
and savings will be spent on marrying off your Meghna to take up studies privately. The whole day,
sisters. By the time you finish your responsibilities, they would assist ma in her tailoring work.
Nimmi will have spent all her youth in adjustments Sometimes, they would go to some marriage
and I am not going to let it happen to my darling function on a contract for bridal make-up and
daughter. Do you understand?” mehendi to earn some quick bucks. Indeed, it was
“Nimmi, don’t you trust me? I’ll never deprive you very difficult to keep the body and soul together in
of anything. You will always be the first one in my those days in spite of all the hardships. On Raksha-
list of priorities.” bandhan, I somehow managed to buy them decent

24 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

dresses with my own money. Ruchi and Meghna
were hesitant to accept the gifts. “Bhaiyya, why did
you waste your hard-earned money on dresses? You
could have used this money for your own good.
Your love means so much to us.”
“Don’t think so. I confident that we will sail
through these difficulties. Once I am established, you
can always count on your bhaiyya,” I said.
Ma’s eyes filled with tears. Sweetie teased,
“Bhaiyya, once you are settled in your job, I will
have the costliest gift.”
“Okay, Sweetie, you have my word.”
At last came the day when I was selected for a
job in a well-known company in a campus interview.
Ma’s happiness knew no bounds when she heard
the good news. She distributed sweets to the whole
neighbourhood. I passed engineering with flying
colours. After some time, we moved to a better
residential area. I asked ma to stop taking tailoring
classes. But, she would not listen. Within a period of
two years, I saved enough money to marry off Ruchi.
With her contacts ma came across a decent family
where the groom was employed in a good firm.
Suresh was the only son of very noble parents who
were against taking dowry. Ruchi was married to
Suresh at a very simple ceremony attended by close
friends.
T
ime moved on. Meghna had joined a regular
college. Ma’s amicable nature attracted a lot of
people of all ages to her. Her students of the
sewing classes had become her friends. One among
them was Sheetal. She pursued sewing as a hobby.
Even after the classes were over, she would spend
time chatting with ma and Meghna. Occasionally,
she would throw curious and friendly glances at me.
One fine day, Sheetal’s father came home with her
marriage proposal. Sheetal was his only daughter
and he had a son.
Sheetal’s father told ma, “Behenji, Sheetal’s my
only daughter, younger than her brother. The day
she was born, I lost my wife due to post-delivery
complications. People advised me to remarry for
bringing her up. I brought up Sheetal single-
handedly as I did not trust any other woman could
give her a mother’s love. Since the day we have
known your family, Sheetal’s been obsessed with
you. I think that Rahul’s the most suitable match for
Sheetal. Please let me know about your decision to have a second glance at her. Seeing her, I
after thinking over this proposal. Sheetal will be thought it would be very difficult to say ‘No’ to her.
lucky to be a part of your family.” But I wanted to say that as politely as I could. Before
Very hesitantly, she brought up the point, “Bhai I could break the ice, Sheetal burst out laughing
sahab, financially, we are facing one of the worst uncontrollably. I was puzzled.
times in our lives. No doubt, Sheetal’s a lovely girl. “What happened?” I asked.
But she’s used to the comforts of an elite household. She wanted to say something, but again she
I’m afraid that Rahul still has a long way to go. He started to laugh pointing to my feet and it explained
may not be able to provide Sheetal with suitably a lot! I was wearing socks of two different colours.
luxurious life.” Now I also joined her in laughter. There was so
“Behenji, I agree that money is very important in much innocence in her laughter. After a while, she
getting the luxuries of a comfortable life. But it is not stopped laughing.
the only thing in life. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve “Do you go to work like that?” she asked smiling.
always wanted a house having good moral values “It was dark in the room and I was too
for Sheetal where she can have all the love and pre-occupied to notice,” I said.
affection that she was deprived of by destiny “What were you so preoccupied with?”
because of her mother’s untimely death. So what if “That’s what I intend to tell you, Sheetal. The one
the present isn’t very promising? I foresee a very to whom you get married will be a very lucky man.
bright future for Rahul. He’s an intelligent and hard- But right now, I have Meghna’s and Sweetie’s
working boy. Sheetal’s also an MBA. Together they responsibilities on my shoulders after papa’s death.
can have a bright future.” Ma has undergone great pain after his demise. She
Ma asked for some time. has strived hard to educate me. Now it is
When she finally brought up the topic, I my turn to perform my duties to my family.
refused at once. One who is so Any woman who wishes to spend her life
“I can never even think of my marriage dedicated to his with me will have to wait long before I
until my responsibilities towards Meghna duties as a son think of any future with her. I don’t want
and Sweetie are over. Even after Meghna can never fail as
a husband. that to happen to you.”
and Sweetie’s marriage, I don’t think that I Through the After a while, she spoke up. “Is that the
would like to involve myself with any other thick and thin of only reason that you want to postpone
woman.” The old pain that caused by life, I will follow your marriage plans? Or are you involved
Nimmi’s betrayal had returned. Ma was in your with... I mean?”
quick to understand. footsteps, “No, I am not involved with anyone
“Rahul, I thought that you had buried the Rahul,” she said else. Presently, my only priorities lie with
past. There’s no meaning in craving for a and looked into my family. I don’t intend to insult you for
girl who was never in love with you. my eyes. anything in this world.”
Though I don’t want to impose my wishes Instantly, I “In that case, I wish to assure you that I
knew that she
on you, I still want to tell you that you can didn’t lie. will happily share your responsibilities.
never get a wife who could be better than One who is so dedicated to his duties as a
Sheetal. Besides, Meghna is just 19 and son can never fail as a husband. Through
want to make a career for herself. Sweetie is too the thick and thin of life, I will follow in your
young. You need not wait until their marriages.” footsteps, Rahul,” she said and looked into my eyes.
“Yes, bhaiyya, ma is correct. Also, we don’t want Instantly, I knew that she didn’t lie.
you to sacrifice your happiness for our sake. Please

E
give us a bhabhi,” Meghna and Sweetie pleaded.
I was adamant. But ma and my sisters did not
give up. They used to coax me every now and then.
Then I thought it was better to tell Sheetal directly
about my feelings. Now knowing my plans, Sweetie
happily agreed to arrange for the secret
rendezvous. She brought Sheetal to a nearby park
and left us alone.
For the first time, I looked at her. She was
wearing a sky blue dress, her curly hair was parted
in the middle and falling over her face. Her features
were plain, but the sparkle in her eyes, her dimpled
cheeks and the glow on her face prompted any man
verything became so clear after that. Both of us
went home and told ma about our decision. Ma
kissed Sheetal on her forehead. Both the
families were overjoyed. We didn’t want Sheetal’s
father to give us any dowry. But, as Sheetal was his
only daughter, we could not stop him from loading
Sheetal with jewellery and clothes. Within two
months, we got married with everyone’s blessings. In
the beginning itself, we decided not to have kids for
4-5 years. After such a long time, life was becoming
a pleasant journey along with Sheetal.
All the ladies in the house bonded so well with
one another. I would get a good scolding from ma if

26 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

I forgot Sheetal’s birthday or our marriage
anniversary. Ma welcomed Sheetal with an open
heart in her life. She cared more for Sheetal than she
cared for Ruchi, Meghna and Sweetie. She never
imposed any rules or regulations on Sheetal as a
mother-in-law. Instead, ma gave total freedom to her
to do whatever she liked.
I still remember, ma was so aghast when Sheetal
once fell off the steps and fractured her right arm.
Ma took care of Sheetal the whole month, when her
hand was in plaster. Sheetal became dependent on
ma, just as a small kid depends on the mother. Ma
heaved a sigh of relief, when Sheetal’s plaster was
taken off and her arm was declared okay by the
doctor.
N
ow Meghna had finished her studies and took
up a job in a good firm. One evening, she
brought home her colleagues. Among them
was a smart, young man named Mohit. He lived in a
nearby locality. Usually he would drop Meghna on
his way back home on his scooter. One day,
Meghna confided to Sheetal that she had fallen in
love with Mohit. Sheetal was very happy as she
personally felt that Mohit was a good match for
Meghna. One fine day, we invited Mohit’s parents
to our house. They readily agreed to the proposal as
we belonged to the same community.
After the date of marriage was fixed, Mohit’s
parents said to ma in a sweet voice, “Behenji, we
don’t believe in the dowry system. But it will be in
your own interest to provide your daughter with at
least 2 kg of gold. We have got some prestige that
has to be maintained in society, so the wedding
should be lavish as per our standards. Mohit is our
only son, so the wedding should be solemnised in
grandeur.”
We were a bit shocked by their demand and
asked for some time to think it over. I could either
buy the gold or spend the money on the function
extravaganza. But they wanted both! I was in a fix.
Mohit was unaware of his parents’ tactics and he
was enraged when he came to know of it. He burst
out, “I couldn’t believe my parents to be so greedy.
Bhaiyya, you need not worry. Meghna and I can
have a registered marriage. Mummy and daddy
may come for the marriage or not, it does not matter
now.”
“Beta, cool down. It is easy to marry in haste and
repent at leisure. I do not want to displease your
parents. Meghna is the girl of your choice for
marriage, not theirs. I don’t want my daughter to
start her life in an unpleasant and hostile atmosphere
at your home. It is always good to take elders’
blessings. We will think of some way to tackle the
situation.”
“Yes, Mohit. What ma says is correct. Your
parents will never welcome Meghna with open arms
if they are sidelined in your decision of marrying
her,” I agreed with ma. Somehow, I convinced
Mohit to wait for some time and not to confront his
parents. Meghna was heartbroken. At night, after
dinner, when I was discussing the issue with ma
Sheetal walked in. She had her jewellery boxes in
her hands. She gave them to ma.
“What’s this, Sheetal?” ma was puzzled.
“Ma, these are the pieces of jewellery given by
my parents. These are more than two kg. You can
give them to Meghna. I just want my mangalsutra
only. Please take them.”
“No, Sheetal. It’s so kind of you to think about
Meghna. But, for my daughter’s happiness you need
not give your father’s precious gifts to her. We
haven’t given you anything, beti. But we don’t have
any right over your personal belongings,” ma’s
voice was filled with affection over Sheetal’s selfless
love. I, too, was touched by her gesture.
“Ma, I never knew what a mother’s love is for her
daughter until I got married,” Sheetal said. “You
have showered me with so much love and affection
from the very beginning of our relationship that I
never miss my family. You have sowed the seeds of
love in my heart, now it has blossomed into a tree.
Now it’s my turn to reciprocate your feelings. Your
love means so much to me. Am I not an important
part of the family? I have every right to share your
joys and worries equally. If you think of me as
your daughter, please do not refuse to take these
Sheetal’s devotion towards the family won
everyone’s heart. Her sharp business acumenship
helped her husband’s business to flourish too.
jewels. At the moment, what’s more for me than after such a long time.
Meghna’s happiness. I have promised Rahul to “Oh, Rahul? How are you? How’s life?” she
share his responsibilities. Please let me do my duties asked cheerfully.
as a wife.” “Hello, Nimmi! I’m fine. How are you?”
At last, upon her persistent request, we had to “Let’s have some coffee for old time’s sake,
give in. Sheetal had made a special place in Rahul.”
everyone’s heart. Mohit and Meghna got married as I was about to make some excuse for my refusal,
per his parents’ wishes. but the pleading look in her eyes stopped me. We
I was thinking of doing something to earn some took a nearby table. We sat silent for a while. She
extra bucks besides my job. But there were no funds. broke the ice, “Ultimately, you made it so big in life.
I applied for loan in a bank. Soon, I started my own I feel so happy for you.”
business of computer sales and services. As Sheetal “What do you know about me?” I was surprised
was from commerce background and knew a lot that she knew everything about me.
about marketing and business administration “I’ve followed your success stories through
through her experiences with her father’s own friends. How’s your personal life? I mean ... your
business, she would look after the business during family.”
my office hours. I had hired some part-time help to After what she had done to me she wanted to
assist me in the technical work. I would join the work know about my family!
in the evening and relieve Sheetal. From the very “I’m a happily-married man having two kids. My
beginning the business venture was a huge success. wife is a very noble lady. Come rain or shine she’s
Money started to pour in from all always there for me. What about you,
directions. After six months, I was able to Nimmi? Did you find a man of your
resign from the job to look after the He may provide dreams, a multimillionaire and one who is
business full time. you with capable of providing you with all the
With our combined efforts, and financial luxuries that you dreamt of?” There was a
Sheetal’s sharp business acumen, business security. But bitter undertone in my voice and she
flourished. Soon I opened 3-4 branches in that’s not the instantly detected it.
different localities and hired many people. only thing in “You’ve the right to tell me all those
I jumped into the field of computer this world. He things. I’ve been cursing myself for my
assembly also for companies, international can never give decision for quite some time. I am
concerns, cyber cafes and domestic you a happy constantly repenting the decision I made!”
consumers. family since “Oh, really? I’m surprised. What makes
he’s already you repent? Are you short of money with
having one. He

I
n spite of all the success, I was not your multi-millionaire life partner? You may
satisfied and wanted much more. I will never have be wanting much more,” my voice was
bought a big house in a posh suburb. In kids with you. sarcastic.
course of time, Sweetie got married to the “No, Rahul. Experiences have taught me
heir of a business tycoon. It was a very lavish the worth of true love.”
wedding. Meanwhile, I became the proud father of Then she told me her story.
a cute little girl. We named her Kavya. Sheetal had “After completing studies, I took up a job in a little
to take a break temporarily from work to look after known concern. Within a short period of time, I
Kavya and ma who had become weak with age. realised that my dreams could never come true with
Our world was filled with happiness. Ma would small-time jobs. I kept looking for greener pastures
bless us from the bottom of her heart. and the opportunity came after about a year. My
As days went by Sheetal always complained work experience and good looks helped me grab a
that I don’t give enough time to eight-year-old good job in an international concern. I was
Kavya and four-year-old Aditya. So I took a break appointed the personal secretary to the president of
from work and flew off to Singapore with Sheetal the company, Mr Gupta.
and the kids. The kids were very happy to spend “He was in his early 60s. He was a generous
quality time with me and so was Sheetal. After man having a great sense of humour. Within 2-3
coming back, I got back to work with renewed months, I came to know that he had the bad
enthusiasm. One afternoon, on my way back from reputation of having a roving eye for beautiful
a business meeting, in a hotel lobby, I came across females. But the knowledge did little to change my
a familiar face and was surprised to find Nimmi in avaricious nature. Instead, I started taking
front of me. She looked quite old and had also put advantage of his nature. I wanted to climb the
on some weight. She seemed delighted to meet me ladder of success so soon. To me, success meant

28 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

living in the fantasy world of hi-tech gadgets,
beautiful, designer dresses, expensive jewellery and
limousines. Mr Gupta would present me with all
these things which I would accept very happily.
“But everything comes with a price in this world.
Mr Gupta was no exception to this unwritten rule. I
happily paid the price. Mr Gupta would take me
overseas on the pretext of business meetings and
tours. Mother turned a blind eye, although it wasn’t
difficult for her to know about my relationship with Mr
Gupta. Soon, our affair became the talk of the town.
“Tongues had started wagging behind my back.
Among the office staff, I was friendly with only
Vrinda as other girls avoided me. Once, Vrinda
came to my cabin. ‘Nimmi, I want to say something
to you. It is nothing of my concern. But, I’ve always
known you as a dear friend and as your well-wisher,
I think of this as my duty to you.’
“‘What’s it, Vrinda? Just tell me what’s going on
in your mind.’
“‘Nimmi, you are such a beautiful, young
woman. Why do you want to be involved with a
married man who is old enough to be your father?
He has two married daughters, a young son and a
couple of grandchildren. You can easily find
someone of your age. Why are you ruining your life
by getting romantically involved with him? You’ve
earned a bad name for yourself. Do you know that
you are causing a lot of tension in his family life?’
Vrinda directly came to the point.
“‘So, this was what you wanted to talk to me?
Vrinda, I am not the first woman in Mr Gupta’s life
outside his marriage, am I? It’s not as if he’s spoiled
by me for the first time. It’s the duty of a wife to keep
her marriage intact. Mrs Gupta has failed to work
out her relationship with Mr Gupta long ago and it’s
not my fault. Do you understand? If I’m not involved
with him, then someone else can be involved.’“
“That’s what I’m telling you, dear.’
V
rinda replied, For him, love means nothing. If
it’s not you then someone else may fill the
void. But I don’t want you to do that. He may
provide you with financial security. But that’s not the
only thing in this world. He can never give you a
happy family since he’s already having one. He will
never have kids with you.
“‘No matter that amount of his wealth he spends
on you, you can never become his wife. You will
always be called his mistress and a mistress is never
respected as a wife. She’s always known as a home-
breaker. During the sunset years of life, love and
security of a marriage means so much. You will
never ever have any of these as Mr Gupta’s mistress.
Think about it, Nimmi. Anyway, it’s your life and
you are free to do as you like,” Vrinda walked out of
30 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
my cabin.
“But I was too fascinated by Mr Gupta’s wealth to
pay attention to Vrinda. Had I pondered over
Vrinda’s words, I would have ended my affair with
Mr Gupta. But that was not to be. Meanwhile, one
fine morning, mother quietly passed away in her
sleep. I was left alone in this world. Mr Gupta now
bought me a palatial flat near his office so that he
could spend more time with me after his work.
“One day, I came to know that Mr Gupta ‘s only
son, Raj, had come back to India after finishing his
higher studies in the US Raj was younger than me by
only 4-5 years. Mr Gupta was now thrilled that his
son would join his business. The whole staff was
introduced to Raj, on his first day at work. When my
turn came, I found that Mr Gupta was very
uncomfortable to introduce me. In contrast to his
father’s nature Raj was a man of few words. He
threw one curious glance at me and turned away. I
couldn’t guess what he thought about me.
“Now I could see much less of Mr Gupta in the
office. He would be too busy discussing business
strategies with his son. Maybe he did not want to be
seen with me by his son. In the evening, he would
come home tired. He would spend some time with
me, but now he would never stay until night. When I
would insist, he’d say, ‘Nimmi, I have a family
waiting for me at home. My wife has never dared to
interfere in my relationships. But, with a grown-up
son, it’s different. My daughters are married into
decent families and I don’t want their lives to be
affected by my affairs. Just try to understand.’
“Loneliness started creeping into my life.
Whenever I would see other women of my age
living a full life with their husbands who would come
back to them every night after a whole day’s work, I
would feel a twinge of regret. I couldn’t conceal my
envy of women who enjoyed motherhood and were
surrounded by their kids, for I knew that I could
never bear kids to Mr Gupta. No amount of wealth
could fulfil the void in my life. Day by day, I got
bored with my life and longed for the pleasures of a
simple family life comprising kids and a loving
husband.
“One night, around midnight, I got a phone call
from Vrinda saying that Mr Gupta had been
admitted to a hospital because of a massive heart
attack. He was struggling for life in the ICU. I was
restless the whole night. In the morning, I called up
Vrinda and asked her to accompany me to the
hospital. But she refused straightaway.
“‘How can you go to visit Mr Gupta when his
whole family and relatives are waiting outside the
ICU? You will make things difficult for both yourself
and his family,’ said Vrinda. She was so correct. I
had no rights of a wife!
 “In the evening, Vrinda called up to inform me
about Mr Gupta’s demise. Though I was not a bit
emotionally attached to Mr Gupta, I still missed him.
How correct Vrinda was! Now, I had no one to look
after me.
“After few days, when things became quite
normal, Raj took over the company. The first thing
that he did after taking over was to kick me out of
the job. I was given salary of a couple of months
and sent out. As the flat was bought by Mr Gupta in
my name, Raj was unable to snatch it from me.
“Now I have realised the value of true love but it’s
too late for me,” she burst into tears.
I was sorry for Nimmi. But, there was nothing that
I could do for her.
“Thought, I’ve got a place to live in, but I need to
support myself,” she said.” So, I am looking for a
job. Can you help me find one? If you know of any
openings, in your company or in any other, just let
me know. You may drop in at any time at my place.
You know, I stay there alone,” saying this, she
looked seductively into my eyes and smiled. She
jotted down the address on a piece of paper and
gave it to me.
“You may come now with me if you please. It’s
been so long since we spent time together,” she
smiled. There was an open invitation in her eyes.
Suddenly, I started feeling suffocated and wanted
to leave the place quickly. “Can’t come now,
Nimmi. I’ve a lot of work now. Maybe some other
time,” I got up and hurried towards the exit of the
hotel. After coming out, I tore up the paper and
threw it on a stack of garbage.
My heart was filled with disgust for this woman
who had played with my sentiments in the name of
love and deserted me in my crisis, who now again
wanted me in her life – not for love or longing for
they never had any meaning in her life, but for the
success that I had gained through the penances and
sacrifices of ma and, of course, my wife Sheetal.
Sheetal, true to her name, had brought a breath of
fresh air into my life. True to her promise, she had
followed in my footsteps in all phases of my life.
I headed back home. Sheetal and ma were
waiting for me. The moment I entered the house, kids
surrounded me and were joined by ma and Sheetal.
This was my family. This was my world. Nothing
else mattered. We
DISTRESSING DETERIORATION
OF THE
DAL LAKE
Scenic beauty takes a beating by human callousness.
By Maharaaj K. Koul
 “A lake is the landscape’s most
beautiful and expressive feature. It is
earth’s eye; looking into which the
beholder measures the depth of his
own nature...”
– Henry David Thoreau
he Jammu Kashmir high
T
court has directed the state
government to stop
operations of around 1,200
houseboats moored along
the shores of the picturesque
Dal Lake till their owners
make arrangement for
proper solid and liquid waste
disposal. The court issued
the directive on 25 February last after
taking cognisance of a recent
Pollution Control Board report, which
said open houseboat lavatories are
a major source of pollution.
A bench comprising Justice Nisar
Ahmad Kakro and Justice Hakeem
Imtiyaz Hussain asked the State
Lakes and Waterways Development
Authority (LAWDA) and Srinagar
Municipal Corporation to implement
the court’s directives and apprise it
daily on the progress made. The
court also directed the state
administration to inquire into the
lapses of the officers in permitting
constructions violating the court’s
directions.
Acting on the court’s directive,
LAWDA, the nodal agency
responsible for controlling pollution in
the Dal Lake, immediately ordered all
houseboat owners to stop operations
from 27 February. Conservationists
have been warning that the pollutants
are turning Dal Lake, famed for its
ornately-carved cedar houseboats,
into a weed-clogged swamp. The
centerpiece of Srinagar’s tourist trade
has shrunk considerably over the
years, losing both its area as well as
depth. Making matters worse is
sewage and waste from hotels and
homes on shore that empty into the
lake.
Considered one of the finest
scenic spots in the world, the Dal
Lake is in a really bad shape today.
In fact, this ‘Jewel of Kashmir’ is
slowly and systematically being
driven to extinction. Ever-increasing
pollution, indiscriminate deforestation
and the development of agricultural
holdings in its catchment area, along
with the construction of hotels and
houses, non-specific de-weeding and
heavy silting have sounded the
death-knell of the lake. The tragic tale
of what was once a vast body of
clear, sparkling water demonstrates
how disastrous the callous and
ruthless exploitation of a natural
asset can turn out to be!
Dal Lake – a liquid jewel ringed by
Himalayan peaks and Kashmir’s
most famous stretch of water – which
attracts visitors from far and wide,
has shrunk enormously over the
years. And if the entry of pollutants
and silt into its waters, described
once as ‘clear and soft as silk’, and
systematic intrusions are not checked
forthwith, it will decay to
unrecognisable proportions in the
next some decades, warn ecologists.
CHOKED LAKE
The lake is getting choked with
water weeds and is increasingly
becoming unsuitable for boating and
fishing. Not only is the lake shrinking
but large tracts of the once emerald
waters have become so polluted that
few swimmers dare take a dive into it
now.
Siltation of the lake and deposition
of human waste from different
corners right from Daachigam,
CONSERVATIONISTS
HAVE BEEN
WARNING THAT THE
POLLUTANTS ARE
TURNING DAL LAKE,
FAMED FOR ITS
ORNATELY-CARVED
CEDAR
HOUSEBOATS, INTO
A WEED-CLOGGED
SWAMP.
Dalgate to Shankaracharya, the
Zabarwan range to Habak down to
Ashaibagh and further to Nawpora
continues. The depth of the problem
can be imagined after a visit to
Babadembh, where, due to the
obnoxious odour and gases, it is
extremely difficult to stay for as little
as 15 minutes. The weeds grow
extensively on the nutrients dumped
into the lake as untreated waste.
This fabled lake, where Mughal
emperors relaxed after escaping the
Delhi sun and Raj officials retired, is
undoubtedly dying. The watery
expanse is a hapless victim of war
and neglect, reducing an ecological
jewel to a foul-smelling marsh. And,
as the Dal Lake dies, so does
something of the soul of the Kashmir

DAL DIMENSIONS
A Survey of India map of
Srinagar, prepared by a British army
officer, Capt Montogomery in 1859-
60 shows the extension of the lake
far beyond its present boundaries
with an approximate area of 25km.
Credit goes to a reputed geologist
and one-time commissioner of
Ladakh, Fredrick Drew, for being
the first person to mention the size
of the Dal Lake. He wrote in 1875
that the Dal measured five miles
from north to south, and two miles
from east to west. And that it was
in part shallow and inclining to be
marshy. In 1895, Sir Walter
Lawrence, settlement commissioner
of Kashmir, estimated the length of
the lake as four miles and width as
less than three miles. The lake, he
observed was becoming more
shallow than it is now.
Valley, whose culture has been built
on and around the lake as a source
of food, employment and myths, the
inspiration for poetry over hundreds
of years and the reason why Kashmir
drew many invaders escaping the
broiling plains of the sub-continent.
Death of the Dal Lake means a life
sentence for the 40,000 Kashmiris
who reside there and eke out their
livelihood from it.
The lake is also getting polluted
with an estimated 30,000-45,000
34
litres of urine and 30 tonnes of
human waste dumped into it every
month. Add to it the run-off of
chemical fertilisers from the vast
drainage basin around it, and you
have a lake where internal life
processes are under severe stress.
Pesticides used by farmers to
increase crop productivity find their
way into the lake, causing damage
to its fauna and flora. Since 1978,
when the state government first
initiated a study on the ecology of the
Dal Lake, 25 reports have been
prepared at an expense of about Rs
300 crore, with nothing to show for
all the effort.
A ‘Save Dal Lake Project’ was
launched with much fanfare when Dr
Farooq Abdullah assumed office as
the State chief minister in 1997. That
is when LAWDA was set up to
implement the project. The problems
of the lake are multi-faceted. Roads
like the northern foreshore and
western foreshore have undoubtedly
stopped further encroachments of the
Dal but they have damaged the
lake’s ecosystem. But tones of soil
have been dumped in the lake to
construct them roads, thus cutting it
in its perimeter. It has also stopped
the natural springs that feed the lake.
Many such springs have got sealed
or blinded, aggravating the
ecosystem. A victim of human greed,
there has been many undesirable
changes in its water quality, bio-
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
diversity and, worst of all, its size.
The lake is getting shallow with every
passing day. Besides, various living
organisms in it have either vanished
or are at the verge of doing so.
Wildlife on the Dal lake has become
precariously scarce.
Surveys into the health of various
species of fish that live in the lake
suggest that chemical poisons have
crept into the biological systems of
the fish. Cases of skin rash and other
forms of allergies in bathers and
swimmers together with vomiting by
those who consume the lake fish are
indications that the end of the Dal
Lake is not very far now.
LAKE’S FEATURES
The lake’s hydro-chemical
features reveal the ecological
changes that have taken place. It is
estimated that about 80,000 tonnes
of silt, 31,000 kg of nitrates, 4,000 kg
of phosphates enter the Dal waters
annually. Biological oxygen demand
has considerably increased whereas
the dissolved oxygen level has fallen
below permissible levels. Various
parameters exceed the permissible
World Health Organisation limits.
A post-glacial lake with a shallow
depth, Dal is mainly used as a tourist
recreation. Situated at an altitude of
1,583 metres above sea level to the
north-east of Srinagar city, the Dal is
surrounded on all sides, except the
south, by the magnificent slopes of
high mountains. On the edge of this
lake spread various villages,
orchards and the famous Mughal
Gardens, providing a splendid view.
This ‘aquatic plaza’ has been the
centre of Kashmiri civilisation since
time immemorial. The Dal Lake
comprises five basins – Hazratbal,
Bod-Dal, Gagribal, Nigeen and Bari
Nambal – besides myriad inter
connecting channels.
The most chronic attack on the
existence of the Dal Lake comes
from the swelling population within
and on its peripheries. The lake
nestles nearly 60 hamlets with a
population of over 50,000 souls
(about 6,000 families). They have
property rights over 6,000 kanaals
(20 kanaal equals one hectare) of
agricultural land and 1,34,000 kanaals
of water area as per the socio-
economic survey of 1986, conducted
by the state Urban Environ ment
Engineering Department.
Throughout history, the Dal Lake
has been an important source for the
Kashmiri support system and its uses
have been diverse: recreational
tourism, as a source of drinking water
supply, commercial and recreational
fishery and irrigation. In addition, a
number of aquatic plants are
harvested both for food and fodder.
These include water chestnut, blue
water lily, rush and lotus. It also
harbours a dense population of
weeds. Some weeds like duckweed,
water fern, spirodella and hydrilla
have assumed noxious proportions.
The flat-bottomed (‘eutopic’) nature
of the lake helps weeds take root
firmly. Eutrophication due to weeds
in the Dal Lake is perhaps higher
than anywhere else in the world.
The main source of water to the
FLOATING GARDENS !
Called raadh locally, the floating
gardens of the tourist guide-book
fame are distinguishable from the
distances as little as 15m from the
low-lying lake vegetation. For
building raadhs, weeds are cut off
at the stem about one metre below
the surface. Then large fields of
weeds are put into plots about two
metres wide and about 10m long.
These are dense enough to
support the weight of alternate
layers of reed, willow and soil.
Long stakes driven into the
resultant rafts at each end anchor
them to the lake bottom, yet allow
lake are the two high-altitude
Maarsar and Taarsar lakes. The Dal
receives 80 per cent of its water from
these two lakes through the Tailbal
inflow channel cascading down the
nearby Daachigam National Park.
The Dal is also fed by its own
innumerable springs. The inflow of
water from the Tailbal stream is 263
CUM per year and in other 33 per
cent of it comes from lake bed
springs and underground seepage,
the remaining two per cent is
contributed by precipitation. Its
outflow is 213 million CUM; 92 per
cent is from the Dalgate sluice gate,
five per cent (27CUM) from the
Nallah Amir Khan and rest three per
cent (seven million CUM) is due to
evaporation. The annual outflow-
inflow balance is 291 million CUM.
The Tailbal stream, besides
supplying the bulk of the water
ironically also deposits an estimated
80,000 tonnes of silt annually into the
lake.
It was only in the 18th century that
them to rise and fall with the water
level. These floating gardens can
be towed from place to place. No
wonder, ‘land theft’ is a
documented but rare mischief.
When the raadh s sufficiently
strong to bear the weight of a
person, heaps of weed and mud
are extracted from the lake bed,
formed into cones and placed on
the ‘ raadh ’. Known as pokher ,
each cone accommodates
seedlings of melon, tomatoes,
watermelon, eggplant, cucumber,
gourd, pumpkin and local staples
muanjhe (knoll-kholl) and haakh
( saag ). The rich soil, plenty of
moisture and the open summer
sun help to produce fruits and
vegetables in abundance. Between
raadhs of well-watered vegetables
are cultivated expanses of the
lotus, famous for its stems, locally
called nadroo, which is a Kashmiri
delicacy. Dal Lake’s floating
gardens make it one of Kashmir’s
biggest vegetable-producing
areas.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
Srinagar city began to grow towards
the Dal Lake. Well into the 20th
century, some checks on urbanisation
around the lake were maintained by
the feudal Dogra monarchy, with the
Boulevard area remaining out of
bounds for habitation. But roads were
built, notably along the south-west
fringe, cutting off areas of the lake
around the Shankaracharya Hill and
the Zabarwan mountain range. The
marshes that were thus formed were
reclaimed for the construction of
shops and houses. In 1947, a pipeline
was laid over a bund to channelise
drinking water from the Haarwan
reservoir, cutting the Dal Lake into
two parts and thus reducing the water
circulation.
HOW WATER FLOWED IN
THE LAKE
In earlier times, the lake used to
be flushed with the help of small
waterways like Nallah Amir Khan,
Chhoonth Khul, Khushaal Sar,
Aanchaar Sar and Nallah Maar. But
with the conversion of some of these
waterways into roads and also a lack
of periodic dredging in others
including the adjoining river Jhelum,
the Dal waters have become almost
stagnant.
The Dal Lake has been Srinagar’s
lungs. The rise of separatism in the
early 1990s effectively ended the rule
of law in the Valley for more than a
decade, leaving this expanse of
water to go towards its death.
It is a straight fact that unless the
habitations within the natural areas
of the lake are vacated, human
interference will continue to play
havoc with the water body as is
evident for the last 100 years. Given
its present turbidity factor, growth of
underwater vegetation shallowing its
bed, etc, the limnologists are grieved
to note that this has been allowed to
reach levels from where recovery is
extremely difficult. Add to this the
problem of backwaters into the lake
from the Jhelum river which once
formed an outlet and has now
become its depository – and you
have a colossal ecological problem
staring menacingly at you! We
35
 Times have Changed
They dreamed of children – without realising the consequences.
By Doris Minezes

N
ewly-weds they were, and dreaming of a
family when Dan started speaking
nostalgically of his childhood. “We were
11,” he told Daisy, “and what a time we
had! My brother and I were master-
pranksters, superheroes to our younger
siblings who followed us night and day like
a ragtag batallion. We grew up on their
heroworship and never had a dull moment.”
“Nor had we,” Daisy was quick to add. “Down
the street we were known as the Naughty
Nine and could be seen and heard
everywhere, dancing on hillocks, chasing
butterflies and even climbing trees to peep
into birds’ nests. What thrilling days those
were! But now where’s all the fun gone?”
“Gone with the wind. Driven out of
children’s lives by our nuclear families.”
“You’re right there. Fun requires
numbers. How can single children or just
two have fun?”
“Darling, don’t you think our children
deserve a childhood like ours? Full of fun?”
“Of course, but how?”
“By having a whole lot of them. Things
come cheaper by the dozen you know?”
“Dan, are you crazy?”
“I’m not! Just think of it. Large families use hand-
me-downs and it can be such a saving on clothes,
shoes, books and even so many items. That gives us
enough to spend on other things.”
“But will it be so easy in real life?”
“We can give it a try, can’t we? And can cry
‘Halt!’ any moment if the going’s tough. It’s for our
children’s sakeremember.” Daisy did not reply, for
memories of her happy childhood flashed through
her mind that all resistance crumbled and, before
she knew it, the die was cast.
The first bundle of joy, not long in coming,
brought with it boundless delight and ecstacy to the
parents. The second following it soon after doubled
the joy and, before long, there were two lusty voices
enlivening the place with gurgling laughter or
rending the air with wild cries while two pairs of
hands revelled in mischief all day long and two
pairs of legs went romping about creating bedlam
wherever they went.
“You’re right There was fun in children and here it
was super-style. If together with it there
there. Fun were hours of drudgery and sleepless
requires nights they were soon forgotten in the
excitement of the day. All that mattered
numbers. was that the parents were enjoying
themselves vicariously.
How can While life thus went on with reality
single shrouded in the mesmeric joy of their
children’s frolic a friend spoke one day of
children or how he had to spend a few thousands on
just two admitting his son into nursery school.
Suddenly, reality struck Dan so sharply
have fun?” in the face that he did some quick mental
arithmetic and realising how skimpy his
savings were, cried out in near despair, “Oh, Daisy,
Daisy! What are we in for? In just a couple of years
we too will have to shell out some thousands to send
our little ones to nursery schools.”
“And it won’t stop there. Come another few years
and you’ll need some lakhs, a few lakhs, mind you,”
his friend reminded him, “to see them through some
professional courses.”
“Isn’t that so? Oh, damnation! Since when have
babies become so costly?”

36 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

 “You should have thought of all this before, Dan,“
his friend went on. “Be reasonable, man! How can
you think of money with a baby in your arms?”
SHORT
STORY

“What shall we do now?” asked Daisy, her brow

puckered in thought.
“Why! Call a halt to this baby craze of yours and
direct all your energies towards making some
money,” the friend advised them matter-of-factly.
“Oh, Daisy, he has said it,” repeated Dan
mournfully. “No more babies. No more bundles of
joy!”
“I’ll go along with you, Dan, and help you in every
way I can. I’ll take up a home-based job and...”
“You’ll have to do more. Cut down on expenses
and save every rupee you can.”
“Why, darling! You look so downcast.

A
nd so came the abrupt end of a long-cherished Aren’t you happy with the news?”
dream. Now, with no more gurgling babies to “I’ve some news too. I don’t know whether it’s
cuddle or lullabies to sing, with no more baby something to ring joy bells for us or not.”
chatter to send them into raptures and no pitter- He looked at her questioningly and she went on,
patter of baby feet to listen to, life became one long “I’m going to have a baby.”
grind for the couple. True, with a rupee saved here “You’re what?”
and another pinched there, the bank balance started “I’m going to have a baby,” she repeated.
growing steadily. “You’re not!”
But money can’t kick its feet up in the air as a “I am. I am. I AM. Can’t you understand that?”
baby does nor can it crow with delight when it sees “I can and I think it’s great. Simply Great! So why
you, and watching it grow is never the same as are you so despondent?”
watching a baby grow. “But, Dan, can’t you see? The children may not
Life continued in this lacklustre fashion for the like the idea.”
couple until one day Dan bounded home his voice “What have they to do with it? It’s our baby.”
ringing with excitement. “Daisy,” he shouted, “great “Oh, Dan, why can’t you
news! Wonderful news! An unexpected windfall! My understand? The children
grandaunt Agatha who was childless are grown up now and the
and who passed away some eldest is in college, you
months ago has left her know.”
whole landed property to “I do but what
my brother and me. I difference does that
heard this from her make?”
lawyer today. It’s in “Their friends
such a prime locality will start poking fun
that it will fetch us a at them and go on
princely sum. We can sniggering and
sell it and invest the passing snide
amount in shares. remarks. They’ll be
With the stock market the laughing stock
booming as it is now, of their college-mates
within a year, I’ll have a and it will be very
fortune in my hands. embarrassing for
That’ll give us enough funds them. Melissa openly
and that too without tears for spoke of this to me last
our children’s education. Our year when it had
babies are no longer a bane to happened to one of her
us, Daisy, but a boon! Isn’t that friends. She said the girl
great?” was so shattered by it all
“Maybe it is,” responded that she wanted to
Daisy desperately. give up studies.”
 “Did she really? We never felt embarrassed in our
days.”
“Times have changed, Dan. Times have changed!”
“What shall we do about it now?”
“Keep it a secret. For the present at least. Until I
start showing.”
“How will that help?”
“Right now it will save them from embarrassment
and us from feeling guilty. In another two months it
will be holiday time and they won’t be meeting the
school and college crowd. With the children in their
teens their feelings have to be our prime concern.”
love which left them both greatly touched. To top it
all, there was a high tea at the end of which the bill
was presented to the anniversary couple amidst loud
protests from them.
When at last the bedlam had subsided a little,
there came a curt announcement, “And now comes
the baby shower.”
“The what?” gasped mum not believing her ears.
“The baby shower, mum! For the new baby!”
“But...what...who... who...how do you know
about it?”
“Oh, mum! D’you think we are muffs? We’ve
known all along!”

S
o the next baby became a top secret between “We could make out looking at you, auntie.”
the parents and that robbed them of the many “There were signs too. You were vomiting some
thrills that would otherwise have been theirs. months ago, weren’t you, auntie? D’you think those
With no guessing about the baby’s sex or betting on who saw you didn’t know what you were trying to
it, with no wondering like whom the baby would hide?”
look like or heated discussions on what to name it, Daisy looked confused and at a loss for words,
the days of waiting became drab and cheerless. But for she couldn’t believe what she was hearing when
it was all to save the children from embarrassment her daughter went on, “Oh, mum, you needn’t look
and the parents gamely took it in their so shocked and flustered. We learn all
stride. about it in our sex education classes.”
When the holidays came there was a “Just you “How terrible it is to think that you
lot of excitement as the children with some knew nothing of all this in your days and
of their cousins who were spending their wait and had to learn all about it only after getting
holidays with them, busied themselves with see! married!”
various activities, all behind closed doors. “Did you really, mum?”
There was whispering and singing in Tomorrow “We are well informed now and can
corners, talking and planning in hush-hush isn’t far tell very well when a baby is coming,”
tones, composing and writing, stitching chorussed the younger ones gleefully.
and ironing, but most of it was lost on away,” was “Did you hear that, Daisy?” whispered
mum who was nursing her own thoughts Dan. “We really believed it when we
and fears. That’s why she and Dan were
the laughing were told that the stork brought the babies
utterly surprised when one night the whole answer. and dropped them in the garden. But
lot came to say, “Tomorrow, is your now... “ he shook his head in disbelief.
wedding anniversary and we’re going to “Times have changed, Dan. They really
celebrate it!” have,” his wife said.
“Are you really – and how?” they both asked

T
flushed with a happy feeling.
“Just you wait and see! Tomorrow isn’t far away,”
was the laughing answer.
In the tastefully decorated living room the next
evening with a few guests sitting around, the
bustling brood entertained their parents with music,
song and dance. There were skits written for the
occasion where, with imagination running riot, they
enacted how mum and dad met, how he proposed
to her and how then they were married.The star of
the evening was the daughter dressed in mum’s
wedding attire and looking like mum on her
wedding day.
It brought back fond memories to mum and dad
of those memorable days, and all those who were
present on that summer evening were delighted.
Then came the hugging, kissing and expressions of
he baby gifts came in profusion – baby
dresses and baby quilts, baby blankets and
feeding bottles, toys, baby kits and many other
goodies – most of them retrieved from the loft,
washed, ironed and kept ready for use. It was a
thoughtful gesture that left mum and dad
overwhelmed with joy. And, when all the gifts were
laid out, one of the little ones yelled, “Now starts the
guessing game. Boy or girl? Come on! Guess,
everyone!
Amidst shouting and gaiety the kids went on with
their game while Daisy whispered to Dan, “My mind
is at rest now, for I can be sure that the new baby
will find a home in the children’s hearts,” and Dan
smiled back saying, “Times may have changed,
Daisy, but for us old times are back again. They
surely are!” We

38 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

 QA &
Q&
I have a five-year-old son. The only
problem is that he wets his bed at
night. All measures we have
attempted to rid him of this habit have
been in vain. Please help us cure him
of this habit for it is quite
embarrassing especially when
visiting cousins have to share his bed
or when we have to stay elsewhere
for some nights and have to carry his
mackintosh with us.
Bedwetting usually runs in
families. The problem is commoner
in boys than girls. The incidence
decreases as the child grows older,
so the chances are that your son may
stop bed wetting without treatment in
the next year or so. In the meantime,
you could restrict his fluid intake for
A
at least two hours before bedtime.
Ensure that he passes urine before
going to bed.
Praise him for the ‘dry’ nights but
do not scold or beat him after a wet
night for he does not do it on
purpose. Take him to the toilet at
least once during the night. In the
daytime teach him to hold his urine
for longer and longer periods so that
the bladder is stretched and can hold
larger amounts of urine for a longer
time.
My son is three-and-a-half-year old.
He is a very active, intelligent child.
The problem is that he hasn’t started
speaking as yet. We have got him
examined by our GP who says that
there is nothing wrong with him. He
tells us to have patience but I can’t
40
bear to sit and do nothing about it.
Please tell us what to do.
You and your husband could
consult your respective parents to
find out if either or you, your siblings
or anyone in the family, started
speaking late. If there is such a
history in the family this could be the
reason for the delay in your child. In
My son is in the
habit of scratching
walls and eating
plaster! Please tell
me how to make
him stop this habit.
I am afraid that it
may cause harm.
Your son has a disorder called
pica which means a desire to eat
non-edible things. Though the
cause is not known, it could be
associated with neglect,
deprivation, insecurity or even
child abuse. Please be on the
look-out especially if you are a
working woman who has to leave
him alone for prolonged periods.
Also find out if there is a family
history of pica. As for manage -
ment of the situation, try
distracting him whenever he starts
scratching the wall, instead of
getting angry with him. Give him
attention, love and security. Try
substituting the plaster with
chewable calcium tablets. Get his
haemoglobin tested as pica can
be associated with iron deficiency
anaemia. Intake of dirt can lead to
worm infestation which has to be
looked into.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
that case, as your doctor advised,
all you need is patience. If he is the
only child at home and you are a
working couple who remain away
from home for long periods of time,
it could be that he hasn’t started
speaking for the simple reason that
he hasn’t been talked to enough. If
this is the case, make him interact
with other children in the colony or
play school. Both of you should
also talk to him as much as
possible. Also get him examined by
a specialist for, sometimes, hearing
impairment can also lead to delay
in speech.
My son is three years old. He has
very dry skin especially in winter.
Could you advise what cream should
be used. What kind of food should be
given?
First of all get him examined by a
dermatologist to confirm or rule out
any skin disease. If it is due to a skin
affliction the necessary medication
and lotion will be prescribed. He will
tell you whether the dryness is
natural or a part of some disease
process. In the case of the latter,
appropriate medicines and lotions will
be prescribed.
For dryness massage his skin with
oils like coconut or olive oil. Avoid
using strong soaps on his skin. Use
mild glycerine-based soaps. Protect
his skin as much as possible from
direct exposure to the elements.
My daughter is 10 months old and
has not yet developed a single tooth.
Her gums however are hard. Is this
normal or do I need to consult a
doctor? What is the right age for the
first tooth to erupt?
The first tooth usually erupts
around the 6th month but there is a
wide variation. If all her other
milestones are normal, sooner or
later her teeth will erupt especially
now that her gums have become
hard. On the other hand if her other
milestones – like neck holding, sitting
up etc – too are delayed she needs a
thorough check-up.
– Dr Amrinder Bajaj, MD.
Chaat platter with spinach and lotus stems
SUMPT
SUMPTUOUS
DELIGHTS
Summer and monsoons is a time to enjoy a
variety of fruits and leafy vegetables. Try out
these unusual recipes with seasonal
ingredients. By Roma Ghosh

CHAAT PLATTER METHOD

Wash the spinach
WITH SPINACH leaves and allow the
leaves to dry. Scrape the
AND LOTUS lotus stem and cut into
STEMS very thin pieces.Wash
well and then sprinkle
INGREDIENTS: salt and rub the salt and Chicken with green mango paste
For the spinach pakoras: chilli powder and rub in
8-10 big spinach leaves with a
part of the stem
the garlic paste in the lotus stem
pieces and keep aside. CHICKEN WITH
11/2 cups of besan – gram flour
1 tsp of annar dana powder
Add 2 cups of water to the
besan, add the salt and the annar
GREEN
oil for deep frying
salt to taste
dana powder. Mix well and blend MANGO PASTE
with your fingers to get a dough
For the lotus stem pakoras: INGREDIENTS:
which is fluffy and smooth. Heat
250 gm of lotus stem – bhey 700 gm of chicken cut into small
the oil for deep frying. Dip the
1/ tsp of red chilli powder pieces
2 spinach leaves one at a time in
1 tsp of garlic paste 3-4 tbsp of oil
the besan batter and deep-fry on 1/ tsp of haldi powder
salt to taste both sides till golden brown. Dip 2
1 tbsp of coriander powder
To serve: the lotus stem pieces into the
1/ cup of chopped onions and 2 tsp of jeera powder
2 besan dough and fry a few pieces
3 tbsp of onion paste
tomatoes at a time turning once or twice so
salt to taste
2-3 tsp of mixed spices of chaat that both sides of the lotus stem
masala, jeera powder and red pakoras are fried till golden For the marinade:
chilli powder brown. Place these on a serving 1 cup of beaten curd
2 cups of sweetened whipped plate and sprinkle the chopped 3 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
curd onions and tomatoes, spices and 3 tbsp of coriander leaves paste
sweet and sour chutney or green the sweet whipped curd and serve 1 tbsp of mint leaves paste
chutney - optional as a chaat immediately. 3 tbsp of green mango paste

44 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

2 green chilli cut into small
pieces
salt to taste
METHOD
To prepare the mango paste –
remove the peel and the centre
portion of the green mango and
cut into small pieces. Then grind
to a fine paste adding a few
teaspoons of water. Mix the rest
of the ingredients for the
marinade in a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle salt on the chicken
pieces and then marinate the
pieces with the prepared
marinade and keep aside for 1
hour.
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed
pan or a pressure cooker and fry
the onion paste till translucent.
Add the chicken pieces with the
marinade and fry on medium heat
for 3-4 minutes. Lower the heat
and add the spices and salt to
taste. Keep stirring and frying
over low heat for a further 2-3
minutes. Add 1 cup of water and
check for the salt. If you are using
a pressure cooker then cook the
chicken only till 1 or 2 whistles of
the pressure cooker. If you are
using a pan, then cover with a lid
and cook the chicken till the
pieces are tender. You can adjust
the thickness of the gravy as per
your taste. Serve with plain rotis
or paranthas for a summer meal.
Mutton with baby onions
MUTTON and butter milk
WITH BABY
ONIONS
AND BUTTER
MILK
INGREDIENTS:
750 gm of mutton
1/ cup of oil
2
3 tsp of jeera powder
1/ tsp of annar dana powder
2
1/
2 tsp or more of red chilli
powder
1 tsp of haldi powder
200 gm of baby onions – peeled
but kept whole – do not slice the
onions
4 tbsp of tomato puree or paste
salt to taste
For the marinade:
200 ml of butter milk
3 tsp of garlic
3 tsp of green chilli paste – or
less as per taste
salt to taste
METHOD
Mix all the ingredients of the
marinade and marinate the
mutton pieces in this and keep
aside for at least 5-6 hours. Heat
a pressure cooker and cook the
mutton with the marinade and half
cup of water till the mutton is half
cooked. Remove and keep aside.
Heat the oil in a kadhai, lower the
heat and fry the onions till these
begin to change colour– this
should only take 1-2 minutes.
Now lower the heat and mix in the
half cooked mutton. Add the
spices and cover with a lid and
cook on low fire till the mutton is
almost tender. At this stage mix
in the tomato puree and stir well.
Cover again with a lid and cook
till most of the marinade has
evaporated. Here again the gravy
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
Coffee and hung curd cake
of the mutton dish will depend on
your choice. Serve the mutton
with appam or rotis.
COFFEE AND
HUNG CURD
CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
11/2 tbsp of coffee powder
1 tsp of baking powder
1/ tsp of baking soda
2
250 gm of maida
220 gm of sugar
180 ml of thick curd
40-50 gm of tinned cherries cut
into small pieces
For the hung curd layering:
2 cups of sweetened hung curd
1/ tsp of coffee essence or
2
vanilla essence
METHOD
Sift together the maida,
coffee, baking soda and
baking powder and keep
aside in a mixing bowl. In a
mixer grind the sugar first
and then mix in the oil and
the curd and blend
thoroughly. Now add the wet
mixture into the dry
ingredients a little at a time,
mixing all the time so that no
lumps form. Mix in the cherry
pieces. You should have a
smooth batter. Grease a
circular baking dish and pour
45
the contents into the baking dish
and bake in a preheated oven at
180 degree C for 35-40 minutes
or until the top of the cake looks
brown and a skewer when
inserted in the centre of the cake
comes out clean. Allow the cake
to cool in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove and allow the cake to
cool completely. Once the cake
has cooled cut the cake
horizontally into three circular
pieces.
For the layering of the cake:
Whip the hung curd and mix in the
essence to obtain a smooth paste
of spreading consistency. Spread
this on one of the layers of cake
and cover it with another circle.
Spread the remaining hung curd
as an icing and cut into slices and
serve chilled.
STUFFED
PAPAYA WITH
JELLY
INGREDIENTS:
1 small papaya weighing around
300-350 gm
1 packet of jelly crystals
METHOD
Keep the papaya whole but
remove the peel and cut a thin
circular strip on top and remove
Stuffed papaya with jelly
the seeds from inside the papaya
so that you have a hollow in
which you can fill the prepared
jelly. Prepare the jelly crystals as
per instructions on the packet.
Cool to room temperature and
then pour this jelly solution before
it begins to set into the papaya
hollow. Place the papaya standing
upright in a container so that the
papaya with the jelly solution does
not move. Place the container in a
fridge for the jelly to set inside the
papaya. This could take around
3-4 hours. Once the jelly sets take
a sharp knife and cut circles so
that you have papaya pieces with
jelly in the centre. Serve chilled.
SUMMER
BUTTER MILK
INGREDIENTS:
200 ml of curd
2 tsp of ginger cut into very fine
pieces or strips
3/ tsp of oil
4
1/ tsp of mustard seeds
2 leaves
8-10 curry leaves
Summer butter milk
1 very finely chopped green chilli
– optional
2 tbsp of pomegranate seeds
salt to taste
METHOD
Beat the curd and add 150 ml
of cold water and blend well in a
mixer and keep aside in the
fridge. Prepare the tempering by
heating the oil and adding the
mustard seeds and curry leaves
and allow these to splutter. Once
the seeds begin to splutter, put off
the heat and add the ginger
pieces. Add this tempering and
the pomegranate seeds into the
chaas just when you are about to
serve it. Pour into four individual
glasses and serve chilled.
SALAD LEAF
BATTER FRIED
(Salad leaf pakoras
with mango flavour)
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of green or red salad
1 cup besan
1/ tsp of ajwain – carom
2
seeds
oil for deep frying
salt to taste
For the spread:
300 gm of green
mango
2 green chillies
1/ cup hung curd
2
METHOD
Peel the mangoes, remove the
kernel and cut into very small
pieces. With the green chillies
grind to a fine paste. Mix this
mango paste with the hung curd
and keep aside.
Separate the bunch of salad
leaves and choose 7-8 whole
leaves without any cracks in
them. Wash the leaves well and
Salad leaf batter fried
pat-dry with a kitchen towel,
taking care not to break them. On
each of the leaves spread the
prepared mixture gently with your
finger. Wrap or fold each of the
leaves once you have spread the
mixture and prepare ‘parcels’ or
wraps in this way.
Make the batter by mixing the
besan, one and a half cups of
water, salt and ajwain and blend
with your fingers to get a smooth
batter. Heat enough oil for deep
frying. Dip each of the salad
wraps into the besan and deep-
fry only for a few seconds on each
side. Serve hot with mango sweet
and sour chutney.
MANGO
SWEET AND
SOUR
(Mango chutney)
INGREDIENTS:
1 sweet mango weighing
around 150 gm
1 green mango weighing
around 150 gm
2 tsp of mustard oil
1 bay leaf
2 cardamoms
1 inch piece of cinnamon
1 tsp of red chilli powder
1 tbsp of sugar – or more as
per taste
salt to taste
METHOD
Peel both the
mangoes and remove
the centre portion. Cut
each of the mangoes
into long strips. Keep
aside. Heat only in a
kadhai and add the
whole spices and allow
these to splutter. Lower
the heat and add the Leafy jamboree
green mangoes and fry
till these begin to change colour –
this should only take 1-2 minutes. pakoras or even with plain
Now, add 150 ml of water and steamed rice.
allow the mango pieces to simmer
in this water, covering with a lid
for about 3 minutes. Mix in the
sweet mango pieces and stir LEAFY
gently. Covering again with a lid
cook on low fire till the sweet
JAMBOREE
mango begins to become tender INGREDIENTS:
and mushy. At this stage you 4 cups of any of the following
could add a few tbsp of water if leafy vegetables: spinach, kalmi
you want the chutney to be more saag, lal saag or sour palak or
watery. Once the sweet mango any other saag available during
pieces look tender, add the sugar this season – you could use any
and stir. Let the sugar melt . Mix combination in any proportion
the red chilli powder with 2 tsp of 4 pods garlic
lukewarm water and add to the 2 green chillies
chutney. Bring the chutney to boil 2 chopped tomatoes
1/ cup of chana dal soaked in
over low heat. Put off and allow 2
to cool to room temperature. water for 1 hour
Serve at room temperature or
1/ tsp turmeric
2
cold. This chutney stays good in 1 tbsp coriander powder
the fridge for 2-3 days. Serve with 2 tsp of jeera powder
1/ tsp of amchur powder
Mango sweet and sour
2
1 tsp of oil
salt to taste
METHOD
Wash the saag. Place the
dal, saag, spices and oil in a
pressure cooker and add
half cup of water and
pressure cook till the
vegetables are completely
tender and so is the dal.
Allow to cool. Use a wooden
masher and mash the
preparation to obtain a smooth
leafy jamboree. Serve with
steamed rice.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 47
SUMMER
CHICKEN WITH
LENTILS AND
GREEN
MANGO
INGREDIENTS:
400 gm of boneless chicken cut
into medium pieces
1 cup of mixed dal – masor,
mung and chana dal
1 medium onion cut into small
pieces
1 tsp of red chilli powder
1/ tsp of haldi powder
2
1 tsp curry powder
3 pods of garlic
4 tsp of green mango paste
4-5 tbsp of oil
1 tsp of garam masala powder
METHOD
Soak the dals in water for 2
hours and then cook in a pressure
cooker with 2 and a half cup of
water and salt to taste. Cook till
the dals are soft. Make a paste by
mixing the haldi powder, chilli
powder, curry powder and keep
this mixed curry paste aside. Heat
the oil in a thick-bottomed pan
and fry the chicken pieces till light
golden brown. While frying the
chicken, add salt to taste and turn
Summer chicken with lentils
and green mango
48
over so that both the sides of the
chicken are golden brown.
blending well. Mix in the chopped
cucumber, tomato pieces and
Remove from the pan and now fry
in the same pan till the onions
chopped chillies if you are using.
Chill and serve as a cold soup
and garlic are translucent. Add on a hot summer afternoon with
the mixed curry paste, mango
paste and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
sandwiches with summer spread.
Lower the heat and mix in the
cooked dal. Stir and cook for a
further 2 minutes. Now, mix in the
chicken pieces and 2 cups of
water. Cover with a lid and cook
the chicken pieces till they
become tender and the dal gravy
is thick in consistency. Serve with
paranthas.
CHILLED
ORANGE SOUP Sandwiches with summer spread
INGREDIENTS:
150 ml of orange juice SANDWICHES
80 ml of pineapple juice
3 tbsp sugar
WITH SUMMER
1 cup water SPREAD
1 inch stick cinnamon
INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp of chopped cucumber
pieces For the spread:
2 tsp of chopped tomato pieces 3-4 peaches cut into quarters
1 chopped green chilli - optional and seed removed
1 sweet mango peeled and cut
METHOD
into small pieces
Cook the sugar, water and
2 tbsp of sugar or less
stick cinnamon to a syrup. Cool
depending on how sweet the
this syrup to room temperature
fruits are
and pass through a strainer and 1/ tsp of cinnamon powder
place in a large mixing bowl. Add 2
1/ tsp of chilli powder
the orange and pineapple juice, 2
1 apple cored but not peeled
Chilled orange soup
and grated finely
200 ml of apple juice
bread slices for the
sandwiches
METHOD
Bring 70-80 ml of water
to boil and in it add the all
the cut fruit pieces. Lower
the heat and allow the fruit
pieces to cook for 3-4 minutes,
stirring from time to time. Mix in
the apple juice and the spices.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
Continue to simmer for another 3
minutes. Mix in the sugar and
keep stirring on low fire till the
sugar melts. Cook the spread till it
begins to thicken keeping in mind
that it will thicken further when left
to cool at room temperature. Cool
the spread and spread between
bread slices and serve chilled or
without chilling.
MUSK MELON
ICE CREAM
INGREDIENTS:
1 musk melon
1/ litre or more of ice cream
2 you will need to freeze the aam
depending on how much fits into
the melon
METHOD
Cut the melon into two halves
vertically and remove the seeds
but do not peel the melon. You
will now have two halves of melon
and you will have to scoop out
some of the flesh from each
melon to get depressions or
hollows in the melon. Do not
scoop out all the pulp. You should
scoop only half way through the
melon to remove only a portion of
the melon. Blend the ice cream in
a mixer to get a liquid form. Pour
the ice-cream liquid into the
scooped-out depressions and
place in the freezer for the ice
Musk melon ice cream
cream to re-set. When serving
scoop out the ice cream in such a
way that a portion of the musk
melon also scoops out with the
ice cream. This sweet dish looks
good to serve. It’s simple to
prepare but looks good to serve.
You could cut the melon with the
ice cream and serve it in medium
pieces.
SUMMER
REFRESHER
INGREDIENTS:
For two servings:
1 cup of prepared jelly
1 cup of aam pana slush
Summer refresher
Mango and peach salad
8-10 pieces of black jamun or
mango pieces
For the aam pana slush:
1 cup of aam pana
METHOD
To prepare the aam pana slush
pana in ice trays so that you have
ice cubes of aam pana. Just
before serving blend the aam
pana ice cubes in a mixer for a
few seconds only to get a crushed
form of aam pana.
To serve: Place a portion of
jelly in a glass. On this place a
portion of the aam pana crush
and top with pieces of black
jamun or sweet mango pieces.
MANGO AND
PEACH SALAD
INGREDIENTS:
2 sweet mangoes – any variety
3-4 sweet peaches
4 tomatoes
2 chopped green chillies
1-2 spring onion
2 tbsp mint leaves - chopped
1 tbsp coriander - chopped
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp olive oil
pinch of sugar
salt, pepper to taste
METHOD
Peel the mangoes and remove
the kernel and cut the flesh into
long thin strips. Cut the peaches
into quarters and remove the
seed.
Dice the tomatoes and chilli,
chop the mint, coriander. Combine
the tomatoes with the chilli, mint,
coriander, lime juice and olive oil.
Place in a salad bowl and then
add the mangoes and peaches.
Season with the sugar, salt,
pepper to taste. Chill and serve.
SPICY
MOCKTAIL
300 ml vegetable juice - any
combination
We have used beetroot and
carrot juice
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon
juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp grated horseradish -
mooli
2 tbsp sugar
Spicy Mocktail
Vegetable with green
mango and coconut
1/
8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
dash of freshly ground black
pepper
olives and lemon and lime
wedges, optional
salt to taste
METHOD
Combine tomato juice, lemon
juice, Worcestershire,
horseradish, salt, sugar, hot
pepper sauce and black pepper,
stirring well. Refrigerate for 1
hour. Place 2 or 3 tablespoons of
salt in a saucer. Rub rims of
serving glasses with a lime
wedge. Spin rims of each glass in
salt to coat; set aside. Fill each
prepared glass with ice; pour
tomato juice and add a few olives
and a piece of lime in each glass
and serve chillied
VEGETABLE
WITH GREEN
MANGO AND
COCONUT
INGREDIENTS:
250 gm of kundrie - green
vegetable – gherkin like
vegetable
1 medium potato cut into thick
pieces the size of kundrie
3-4 tsp of oil
small bunch of curry leaves
1/ tsp of mustard seeds
2
1/ tsp of haldi powder
4
salt to taste
For the paste:
green mango weighing around
200 gm
fresh coconut one piece
weighing 150 gm
3 pods garlic
2 green chillies
METHOD
Trim both the ends of the
kundrie and make a slit in the
centre. Wash well, sprinkle salt
and keep aside. Grind all the
ingredients for the paste. Heat
the oil in a kadhai and add the
kundrie pieces and fry on low heat
for 2-3 minutes.
If you are using potatoes add
at this stage and fry on low heat
for another 2 minutes.
Mix in the spices and add 2
tbsp of water and cover with a lid
and cook on low fire till the
kundries and potatoes are tender.
Mix in the wet paste and stir-fry
for another 2-3 minutes. Serve
with rotis. We

Fashionista
Inaugurates
Second
Centre at
Paschim
Vihar
Fashionista, the
biggest ever Fashion
School of the industry
housing the top
Fashion houses, has
added another feather
in its cap with the
launch of Paschim Vihar Centre under the care of Ms
Alpna and Ms Bhawna. The distinguished fashion
designer, Abdul Halder and Managing Director of
Fashionista Ms Neetu P Manikatalia inaugurated the
Centre on Saturday, 16 May, 2009 at M2K mall,
Pitampura. The evening witnessed a scintillating fashion
preview of fashion designer Abdul Halder and Canadian
Apparel brand Groggy, modelled by Krishna Somani,
Jayshree Tahiliani, Ruchi Malhotra, Divya Bakshi and
many ‘International Models’. Also the occasion was
graced by Mr Pradeep Arora – CEO of Groggy, Mr
Sandeep-Ostermann, Mr Sanjay Bhat- VP, Marketing,
M2K and Mr Sanjay Kaul-VP, Operations, M2K.
Ms Alpna and Ms Bhawna, Center Directors of
Fashionista says, “After making a mark in Interior
designing we have now diversified in the fashion
industry with fashionista to nurture unrefined talents and
also encouraging them to get to know the dynamics of the
fashion world and aspire for proficient career. Fashionista
will garner in students the technical skills to sway and
respond to social change by setting style in visual culture
and global fashion.”
Fashionista is led by Ms Reynu Tandon (Renowned
Designer) in the advisory panel and a team of leading
professionals like Mr Abdul Halder (well-known
Designer), Rahul Dutta (Fashion photographer), Hemant
Click
Yo u r P e r s o n a l A g o n y A u n t O n l i n e
Kaushik (Famous Designer), Rahul Popli (Jewellery
designer), Rahul Dutta (Portfolio Guru), Mr Anil Kapur
(Textile Designer), Mr Vijay Roy (Fashion Stylist).
Nuby launches
Bisphenol
A-free range of
baby products
Nuby, world’s No. 1 infant
care feeding and teething
company comprehends the
harmful effects of Bisphenol
A (BPA) in children and the
environment and thus
launched the all new range of BPA-free baby products,
creating an awareness of the same amongst the people.
On the occasion, Mr Kartik Raina, Director, Radiohms
Agencies Limited, licensee distributors of Nuby in Asia
said, “Nuby is sensitive to the harmful effects of BPA in
baby products. BPA is a chemical known to mimic the
hormone estrogen in the body, which can cause changes
in developing foetuses and infants, and induce early
puberty in girls.
In India, the people are largely unaware of how
destructive this chemical can be for infants, although the
chemical is banned in some states of the US and Canada.
Nuby’s vision is to create a BPA-free world for infants for
their healthy growth.”
Speaking at the launch of Nuby BPA-free products,
Ms Nidhi Khaitan Modi, Executive Director of
Radiohms Agencies Limited, said, “We already have
presence in 2,200 outlets across the country and plan
to reach 5,000 stores by 2010, thereby increasing our
revenue by more than double in this segment. We hope
to reach to our customers through the extensive
distribution of network and our trusted partners across
the country.”
The price of the products ranges from Rs 160 to Rs
700. The range is available in pharma stores and leading
retail outlets across the country.
Powered by

he world of successful chefs
T
is highly competitive. More
so, if you are of Indian origin,
settled in London, yet taking
full pride in the Indian cuisine
– and that seems the perfect
introduction to Manju Malhi. I
first met Manju when she
was invited to Delhi by the
British High Commission to
do a show just before the IFE in
Delhi. Then I met her a couple of
months later at the Jaipur Literary
Festival where once again she was
showcasing some English dishes
tweaked for the Indian palate.
Manju was raised in north-west
London, is heavy on Indian culture,
traditions and lifestyle but just as
easily displays her quirkiness with a
streak of red in her hair – yes, it’s
real and, yes, she had it styled and
dyed in the UK. Her accent is typical
of the area she has lived in but she
also speaks Punjabi and Hindi and
the accent just about vanishes.
Today, her unique personality
extends to her food style – the Brit-
Indi style – which mixed Indian and
Western influences to create
56
MANJU MALHI
TAKING UK BY STORM
Specialisation in any field
means success. By Ameeta Sharma
something as individualistic as
herself. At the turn of the last
millennium, 1999, Manju won a
competition to be a guest chef for the
BBC’s programme, Food and Drink
and later invited for a second
appearance. Another TV series were
aired in early 2001 and followed by
books with easy to follow innovative
recipes. Today, she is successful on
TV, radio, and the shelves of
bookstores, and agrees to respond
to some questions as well.
What was it like being born and
growing up in UK for you and your
brother? We never get a clear
picture of 'Indian-origin' kids as
some seem to have an extreme
environment?
It was an interesting upbringing
just like any childhood which wasn’t
totally idyllic. It all started to get tough
when my father died at an early age
of heart disease in the late seventies.
My mother became a young widow
and had to look after me and my
younger brother. I was faced with all
sorts of challenges. Our family had
decided to start a new life in Mumbai,
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
and my mother, brother and I packed
our bags and flew to India. My father
stayed behind to sell the house. But
he died of a heart attack in London
while we were settling in school and
Indian life thousands of miles away.
At the time, I was extremely upset
being 10 years old. But it must have
been devastating for my mother who
was still so much in love with him.
They had eloped to Britain against
family wishes back in the late sixties.
We had to return to London.
Luckily, the house never got sold and
we were now back in a harsh Britain
where iron lady Mrs Thatcher and her
‘uptight’ policies made it difficult for
anyone of Asian origin to feel
accepted in British society regardless
of whether one was born British or
not.
Enduring bullying and racism at
school, I carried on with some kind
of life, lacking the confidence needed
to get ahead. My mother made sure
we had food and clothing and worked
round the clock as a nurse at the
local hospital. But, for all that
happened, I never gave up and
Britain made me what I am today.
 You said you were in India for a
couple of years as your parents
toyed with the idea of shifting
back. How did that displacement
feel, and was going back a good
experience?
My experiences for a couple of
years in India were full of pleasant
surprises. Just like in Britain, I felt like
an outsider but in a nice kind of way.
The people in Mumbai were very
friendly. I learnt how to read and write
Hindi and I gradually started coming
out of my shell. My dad’s unmarried
younger brother took on the guardian
role and things got easier for all of
us. I loved my uncle to bits. I
remember how, after a hard day at
work as an engineer at a steel plant,
he would spend each evening
helping me with my studies. I am so
glad that I had that opportunity to
experience the Indian education
system and life in India.
In India so much emphasis is
on 'graduation' whereas you have
a successful career despite no
university - were you happy with
education in UK and why did you
give it up?
After my father passed away, my
mother, brother and I returned to the
UK. When I went back to school in
London, I began to do well
academically. However, I loved the
media and my mother tells me that,
when I was a child, I didn’t much care
for dolls but loved microphones and
improvised with a skipping rope
interviewing my father. So I suppose
my heart was in radio and television.
Plus, I didn’t get the grades for the
courses I wanted to do which were
veered towards the sciences leading
to some kind of career in medicine.
So I thought I should pursue another
avenue and see where it takes me. I
volunteered at a local radio station
covering stories and then got a full-
time job as a DJ and presenter.
Today, your career as a cook-
book writer and chef is on the rise
but how did it all start for you?
I suppose I was always interested
in what my mother used to make in
the kitchen. After school, I would
bring my friends home where my
poor mum would rustle up spicy
snacks. Sometimes I would help her
and watch her cooking techniques.
Then I began to write the recipes
down and created a kind of database.
I loved watching cooking shows too.
My career started when I entered a
competition. It was a sort of ‘cookery
idol’ style competition where entrants
had to send a tape of them cooking a
dish in an interesting way. I didn’t
have a kitchen, so I prepared
coriander chutney in the garden in
the middle of winter with all the
ingredients flying around!
Despite the technical hitches, I
won the competition to cook on
British television with a leading
celebrity chef Antony Worrall
Thompson. Then came requests to
cook ‘curry’ on other TV shows and
my book called Brit Spice.
You were recently invited to the
literary festival – what was your
brief there and did you enjoy it?
I was asked to create a menu
using British ingredients and the
Indian spices which would be served
at a luncheon for 300 authors and
press. Plus I conducted a small
cooking demonstration where I made
a tadka bread snack and some chilli
paneer using tomato ketchup while
James Asher and Mahesh
Vinayakram played Indo British music
from their album Bravado Masala. So
it was a session of fusion, funk and
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
food. The menu included masala
shepherd’s pie, cauliflower cheese
with cumin and fruit crumble made
from seasonal fruits with a cardamom
custard.
I loved working with the chefs at
Clarks Amer in Jaipur who were
eager to learn and I was keen to
broaden my knowledge of operating
in a professional hotel kitchen. I also
loved that whole experience of
schmoozing with the International
Literateri. It was a real eye opener
and writers are so laid back and open
to new ideas.
Would you consider getting
married and staying behind in
India?
India is a complex yet beautiful
place where tradition sits next to
modernity in all aspects of life
including food, love and marriage. It
is open to ideas from outside and is
prepared to experiment and be more
adventurous in its approach to
different ideals from the West. (And
she shrugs her shoulders, not rising
to the bait of married life in India!)
What makes you happy as a
person? Something simple or
something complex – what makes
you tick?
What really make me happy are
the simple things in life – rice daal
and looking at the sky where you’re
never far from reaching for the stars
and all your hopes and dreams. We
57

any of my relatives’ and
M
friends’ wives complain of
pain in the lower abdomen
and pelvic region. This
problem is very common
in adult women. Long-term
(chronic) pelvic pain can
affect their lifestyles and
work efficiency. Many
women have to take leave
from their work and some are unable
to perform household work due to
pelvic pain. The whole of the family
depends on the lady of the house, so
when the lady is unwell, the whole
family life is affected. Most women
try to ignore their problems and do
not take medical advice and suffer.
Although most women think that
pelvic pain is due to problems in the
genital organs it can occur because
of many causes. Some of them may
be serious, so women should consult
a doctor and undertake appropriate
investigations to know the underlying
cause of the pelvic pain, then take
proper, adequate treatment so that
they become healthy.
58
It could be
crippling not only for
the woman but also
for her family when
she is down. So
urgent medical
attention is essential.
By Dr Sonal Agarwal
CHRONIC
PELVIC PAIN
IN
WOMEN
MAIN CAUSES OF family is complete then, the uterus
and Fallopian tubes have to be
PELVIC PAIN removed by operation to give
As the uterus, Fallopian tubes, permanent relief from problems due
ovaries and other reproductive to PID.
organs are situated in the pelvic Sometimes, a tumour in the uterus
region, any condition which affects (fibroid) or ovaries (ovarian cyst) can
them can cause pain. An infection in also cause lower abdominal pain.
the uterus and/or Fallopian tubes, is Besides these, many other genital
called Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
(PID), and the most common cause
of pain in the lower abdomen in
women. It can occur to any woman
but it is common after abortion or
delivery. If it is not treated properly
initially, it may become chronic PID,
which is quite troublesome and
difficult to treat.
PID causes fever, abnormal
vaginal discharge, tenderness in the
lower abdomen and pelvic region
besides pain. Chronic PID can make
women weak and irritable.
Sometimes, they are unable to
conceive and bear children. PID
should be treated promptly and
adequately by antibiotics.
Sometimes, if it is serious, and their
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
organ diseases can also cause pelvic
pain.
Women suffering from pelvic pain
should consult the gynaecologist
without hesitation. They will find out
the cause of the pain after exami -
nation and necessary investigations
and will be treated accordingly.
Pain in the lower abdomen during
pregnancy should never be ignored
as it may have serious conse -
quences. It may be indicative of
abortion if associated with bleeding. If
pregnant ladies experience
abdominal pain, they should
immediately consult the doctor,
Fibroid
tumours may
occur in
various
regions of the
uterus
preferably an obstetrician and
gynaecologist, who will examine and
do the necessary tests to know the
status of pregnancy and foetus, and
will treat accordingly.
In early pregnancy, severe lower
abdominal pain, pelvic pain, bleeding
and fainting may be due to ectopic
pregnancy — i.e., when,
instead of the uterus, the
foetus has been implanted
in the wrong place like the
Fallopian tube. Ectopic
pregnancy is very serious
and life-threatening if not
treated promptly
and energetically by
a gynaecologist by
operation and life-
supportive treatments.
Lower abdominal
pain in later pregnancy
may be due to early
labour pains and should
be immediately reported
to a specialist doctor,
especially when
Advanced Endometriosis
Uterus
Enlarged
Ovary
Cervix
associated with
vaginal discharge
and/or bleeding.
In all pregnant
women abdominal
pain is not because of
obstetrical reasons. It
can also be due to the
enteritis which also
causes loose motions, constipation,
amoebiasis, and worm infestations
which are very common problems in
our country. They can also cause
abdominal pain in women. These
diseases can be easily confirmed by
stool examination and other
necessary tests. They must be
treated properly and adequately.
The urinary bladder, ureter and
urethra lie in the pelvic, while the
kidney is situated slightly higher
up. Infections, stones and other
diseases of the urinary tract
can cause lower abdomen and
pelvic pain. These conditions
also cause frequency of
urination, burning and/or
pain during urination
and sometimes fever
with chills.
Urinary tract
infection (UTI) is
very common in
women, especially
during pregnancy and after
delivery. After confirming
Fallopian Tube
Vagina
UTI by urine examination and urine
culture, it should be properly and
adequately treated.
If women ignore UTI, or take
inadequate treatment, it can recur
again and again, and may become
resistant to antibiotics.
STONE IN KIDNEY
Stone in kidney, or ureter or
urinary bladder usually causes
attacks of very severe pain, usually
starting from the back and radiating
to the pelvis and groin along with
burning, frequent urination and
sometimes blood in the urine. Urinary
bladder stones can cause severe
pain in the pelvic region.
The stones in the urinary tract can
be confirmed by an X-ray, ultrasound
and other tests of the abdomen.
Treatment depends upon the
symptoms and finding of
investigations.
Besides the above common
causes of pelvic pain, many other
conditions such as bone diseases
like spondylitis, prolapsed discs,
osteoporosis, osteopornia and many
other diseases can sometimes cause
lower backache which may radiate to
the pelvic region.
After excluding the above causes
these diseases should be
considered. We
 When you get
an overflow of the
same kind of gift,
here’s what to do
with the extras.
By A. C. Tuli
GIFTS IN TRANSIT
iddharth’s parents had
S
decided to arrange a grand
tea party on his 11th
birthday. So they drew up a
list of their son’s friends
whom he wanted to invite on
this occasion. Besides, they
also decided to invite their
close relatives to share their
happiness.
All arrangements for the tea party
were made to the entire satisfaction
of Siddharth’s parents. His mother,
assisted by their domestic help
Sheela, was bustling about to ensure
that everything was okay before the
party began. His father was ringing
up the confectioner with whom the
family had placed the order for
Siddharth’s birthday cake.
The first guest to turn up at their
house was Vikrant, their son’s best
friend. Vikrant came accompanied by
his mother. Both of them wished
Siddharth many, many happy returns
of the day. They handed him his
birthday gift, packed in a cardboard
box that was wrapped in a yellow
translucent paper. Shortly afterwards,
60
more school friends of Siddharth
walked in. The attractively packed
gifts and bouquets that they had
brought for Siddharth were deposited
on a side-table. Siddharth’s uncles
and aunts also dropped in to wish
him a long life. They, too, had
brought gifts for him.
When the party was over and the
guests had departed, Sheela set
about washing and cleaning up in the
kitchen. It was now quite late in the
evening, and Siddharth’s parents
were feeling rather tired and wanted
to rest for a while. Suddenly,
Siddharth heard his mother asking
him if he would like to see his
birthday gifts now or in the morning?
“Mama,” replied Siddharth, “I think
I had better see these gifts now,
otherwise I’ll go to bed thinking of all
these packs and wondering what
each one of them contained.”
While his mother set about
removing the wraps from the
cardboard boxes, his father sat down
on the sofa to give his tired limbs
some rest. The first pack that was
opened contained a wristwatch. The
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
second, surprisingly, also carried a
wristwatch. The third pack, slightly
bigger than the other two, promised
to break the monotony of
wristwatches. And it did indeed – it
was an alarm clock!
When the fourth pack, larger than
the previous three, was torn open, all
of them were a little startled, for this
time it was a quartz wall-clock.
Siddharth had not yet taken his eyes
off it when his mother, tearing open
another oblong pack, said with a note
of disappointment in her voice, “Oh,
it’s a timepiece fixed in a pen-stand.”
When all the packs had been
opened, they took stock of the final
tally - wristwatches three, alarm
clocks three, and wall clocks four,
apart from the timepiece embedded
in the pen-stand.
Siddharth’s father wondered what
zany impulse it was that had inspired
their guests to plump for watches,
clocks and timepieces as gifts for
their son. Was it some kind of joke
on their part to jointly convey to
Siddharth the age-old truth that time
is a precious commodity and,
therefore, should not be wasted? But fountain pens or a dozen table-lamps already enough of them in our home.
on second thoughts, it seemed to him as gifts from your friends on your My study has one beautiful wall clock
rather foolish and far-fetched to think birthday, will you be able to use all in it. There is also an alarm clock on
that there was any kind of considered of them? Of course you won’t be. So, my study-table. Besides, I have two
plan behind it. Their guests had come what should one do with a superfluity wristwatches – one given by you and
from different parts of the city, and of gifts of one particular kind? the other by grandpa on my last
most of them were unknown to each “The other day when we met at a birthday. So I don’t need even
other. kitty party, Mrs Kapoor said, ‘Giving wristwatches now.”
“What shall we do with all these and taking of gifts has nowadays
wristwatches, alarm clocks and wall become a dull, mechanical routine in
clocks?” Siddharth’s father wondered our life. In fact, I call the gifts I GENEROUS GESTURE
after a while. “We have already receive from friends and relatives on “Yes, that’s why we’re asking you
enough of them in the house. my children’s birthdays and some what you propose to do with these
Obviously, we’ll have to keep all other occasions as gifts-in-transit. gifts,” said his mother.
these gifts dumped in some They come, stay with me for a while, “Mama, I think we should give one
cupboard.” and then find their way to other wall-clock to Sheela, our jharoo-
Siddharth’s mother, however, had homes.’ So, like Mrs Kapoor, we too pochawali ,” he replied. “She is so
already decided how these gifts were should regard these gifts as gifts-in- poor that she can’t afford a wall clock
to be used. So she said, “Why, I think transit.” for her house. Then, she has a
these gifts can be gifted away again.” However, in this matter school-going son almost my age.
“Gifts can be gifted away again? Siddharth’s father thought in a Why shouldn’t we give her one
What do you mean by that?” asked different way. A gift, he said wristwatch for her son? He’ll be so
her husband sharply, for he had not emphatically, was a gift and, happy to receive this gift from us. So,
followed this riddle. therefore, ought to be cherished for mama, please give Sheela these two
“The sensible thing to do,” replied its sentimental associations. But things when she comes out of the
Siddharth’s mother, “is to give these then, suddenly, a thought struck his kitchen after finishing her chores.
gifts, of course under fresh mind. Why had they all this while not “Besides, Ram Lal, the mali who
wrappings, to friends and relatives as asked Siddharth what he wanted to looks after our plants, is also very
and when an occasion arises for do with all these wristwatches, alarm poor. The other day I heard him say
doing so,” she replied. clocks and wall-clocks? After all, that his daughter was nowadays
“But shouldn’t a gift that these gifts were meant working hard for her matriculation
you receive on a particular for him. examinations. We can give him one
occasion be cherished as a SIDDHARTH’S When they put this alarm clock and one wristwatch for
gift? It’s after all a sort of question to Siddharth, his daughter. She really needs them.
memento,” protested her
FATHER the boy thought over it Similarly, the chowkidar of our locality
husband. LOOKED for a while, and then has a school-going son. So, he also
“No need to be sentimental VERY said, “Well, dad, you deserves to be given one of these
about it,” she said, with an SURPRISED, have rightly said we wall-clocks for his house.”
impatient wave of her hand. “If SINCE HE don’t need all those Siddharth’s father looked very
you receive, say, a dozen alarm clocks and wall- surprised, since he had till now little
HAD TILL clocks, since we have inkling that his son nursed in his
NOW LITTLE heart such generous feelings for the
INKLING poor. But he also felt a little ashamed
THAT HIS of himself, as he wondered why this
Siddharth thought had not struck his mind in the
accepting
SON first instance – the thought that gifts
birthday gift. NURSED IN acquire added value when these are
HIS HEART given to the needy.
SUCH To Siddharth’s mother, it was also
GENEROUS something in the nature of a
revelation – and also a lesson - that
FEELINGS her son was so generous towards
FOR THE the poor. In fact, she was now no
POOR. longer inclined to follow her kitty
friend Mrs Kapoor’s clever
advice about recycling gifts
under fresh wrappings if one did
not need them for oneself. We
 Stylish: Her
magnificent attire can
match the most
expensive apparel with
its magical impact.

White is the
colour of
sobriety and
beauty. It lends
a graceful
charm to the
woman in white.
It is truly said
that white colour
can outdo any
other colour.

The elegance of the

Dazzling white
Enough is
enough: This
pose in the
natural setting is
enough to pull
any man to her
like a puppet on
a string.
Stepping out:
She is all set for
the date with her
prince charming.
Princess of
romance: Who
will not line up
to get her hand?
On a pedestal:
She seems to
be saying that
you have to rise
to her heights
to get her.

Designed by: Nazar Boutique

New Delhi, Ph: 011-32988456, Mob: 09971027711
 QA &
Q&
I am a 16-year-old high school girl
who feels confused and is in need of
help. I always walk home from school
alone. Since a month a young man is
following me, keeping a distance all
the way. Sometimes, he smiles and
waves, and seems to want to talk to
me. Do you think he has fallen in love
with me? My friends are encouraging
me to pick up a conversation and find
out what he wants. I am afraid
though. He follows me only when I
am alone, so I cannot have a friend
with me if I decide to speak to him.
This man is a stalker who is
keeping tabs on your movements.
Don’t ever stop to talk to him, or
encourage him in any way. The fact
that he follows you only when you are
alone shows his dubious intent. You
A
must tell your parents about this
person so that you do not come to
any harm. Also ensure that there is a
companion with you when you walk
home. The idea that he has fallen in
love with you is silly. Don’t listen to
your friends’ irresponsible advice.
We are two sisters, of ages 17 and
12. Our parents are always having
violent quarrels. They are two
different personalities and just cannot
agree on any issue. Recently, our
mother told me that she is thinking of
divorce as the atmosphere at home is
not healthy for us, the children. I
agree with her as I am tired of my
father’s drunken brawls. But my kid
sister is simply devastated by the
idea. She is my father’s pet and he
pampers her a lot, although he is
TEEN ACHE
TEEN CHE
good to me too. I feel that for my
A
mother’s sake, a divorce is best, but
my sister weeps and throws tantrums
every time we take up the topic. She
wants father to stay with us. How can
I get her to accept the idea?
Children are usually the silent,
neglected victims of their parents’
discord and the resultant lack of
harmony in the house. If the divorce
causes great trauma in your sister,
your parents should do a rethink.
Perhaps, a marriage counsellor can
assist in crafting a patch-up between
them. Discreet and loyal relatives can
My boyfriend is very
fond of me and shows
me off to his friends
like a prize. We are
both 18 years old and
plan to get married. One thing
keeps troubling me. He admires
my good looks, figure, complexion
and hair all the time, and says that
I should always remain just as I am
now. Does he care only for my
external appearance? Will he love
me when I grow older and become
less attractive?
You will have to find out
yourself whether he cares for you
as a person or just a trophy
girlfriend whom he can display to
his friends. If he is obsessed by
your looks, his interest may wane if
you begin to change...and change
is inevitable. Since marriage plans
are still far away, you have a lot of
time to make up your mind about
him. You should agree to marriage
only if you feel certain that he will
be with you all through your life,
however much you change
physically. Otherwise, you will be
under constant pressure to look
good.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
also advise and offer solutions for the
problem.
Further, if all this fails,instead of a
final divorce, a separation can be
tried out for a short time before
making a decision. Sometimes,
simply keeping away from each other
helps to put the relationship in the
right perspective and many issues
can be resolved.
Anyway, with a little stalling, the
situation can improve, or your sister
too can become more used to the
idea of divorce between your parents.
She can even stay with your father
for long stretches of time.
In the meanwhile, your parents
should make her feel secure and
loved, and assure her that their
support for her will always be there.
Please advise me as early as
possible. Last week, when bathing, I
felt some lumps in my breasts,and
am terrified that I have cancer. I have
no mother and my father is bringing
up my two younger brothers and me,
single-handedly, after my mother’s
sudden death due to heart failure. I
cannot discuss my problem with him.
Please tell me what the symptoms of
breast cancer are. Will I die young? I
am only a 15-year-old girl.
Stop worrying. You can certainly
rule out cancer because you are
talking of multiple lumps in both
breasts. It is most likely to be
lumpiness which occurs harmlessly
in adolescence, especially during
periods, or simple cysts. To rule out
all dire possibilities, just visit a
friendly gynaecologist in your
neighbourhood. Take a friend along,
or a relative you feel close to. It is
very rare for girls of your age to
develop cancer. Nevertheless, it is
best you seek medical advice to set
your mind at rest.
67
 A traditional western look

The same
head is creating
different scenes
with this

Changing
variety of
hairdos.

hairstyles
 An ethnic style

Out and out westernly modernistic

Long locks

Hair done in varied styles

Incredibly overwhelming hairdo undoubtedly adds glamour and
charm to any woman whose
sex appeal gets augmented
tenfold.

Beautiful
and curly
 THE METRO-CENTRIC
ARTIST
ities, particularly the
C
metros, become the canvas
on which Maya Karanjikar
likes to leave her artistic
imprint. Having spent her
student days in Mumbai,
the scholar painter was
guided by her tutors to
study faces and figures,
cityscapes and structures in
the metro space during her daily
I must admit that travels. This practice, now a part of
my friends have her artistic makeover, has made
Maya one of the foremost painters of
played a great the capital’s aam janata. Thus, even
when she is out shopping for her
role in making me daily necessities, she can
often be seen engrossed
understand the in her sketch pad or
behind the camera lens,
true value of a having spotted the right
face in the milieu. No
happy existence,” wonder Maya is greeted
with pleasurable surprise
says the artist. and urged to complete
the portrait of cityscape
By Subhra Mazumdar with great enthusiasm, by
the subject she initially
spotted by chance.
70 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
Besides your tutors, who else
from the world of art has played a
major role in shaping your skill as
a portrait painter and landscapist?
I have been greatly influenced by
the works of the late Raja Ravi
Verma and I often visit the National
Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi to take
a close look at these masterpieces.
Raja Ravi Verma is known for
his mythological works and the
portraits of royal families,
particularly those of Travancore
and Baroda, but you paint ordinary
people in everyday life. How do
you connect to his
figures?
True, that Ravi Verma
painted princesses and
queens and goddesses,
but they were aspects of
the feminine form. I like
to paint female forms and
that is the common link,
the source of my study
and my deeper
understanding of Indian
art, as a whole.
 Waiting for her loved one.

Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 71

 When you paint a female form
what are the aspects that you keep
in mind?
Instead of painting a flat face, or a
face in the midst of a crowded
setting, I draw attention to my figure
by bringing out the reality behind the
obvious. In other words, I make a
serious study of what emotions are
visible in her face. I try to imagine
what feelings she is experiencing in
her mind and then paint the same in
my female form. This makes the form
expressive, as if she is trying to say
something through my canvas.
Besides portraiture and city
life what other medium of the
visual arts influences your
work?
I am very inspired by the film
media. Recently the film Slumdog
Millionaire has left me thinking. I
am goaded into doing a set of
paintings around the movie.
What figures will the
paintings portray? Slum
children? Elders?
On the contrary, it is not the
figures but the music that is my
source of inspiration. I have
already started a series on
musical instruments, based on the
award-winning musical number. The
musical instruments series has a
72
backdrop of the Oscar
trophy on it in each of
them, whereas the
foreground of the works
depicts the resonance of
music through this theme.
Where have you exhibited this
series?
This series formed a part of my
latest exhibition held at the capital’s
Visual Arts Gallery. It consisted of 20
oil works on musical instruments,
most of them of Indian origin. The
forms were not mere copies of these
instruments, but expressed the
emotion of happiness and joy that the
musician and the listener share when
music is played. Invariably there was
the Oscar trophy in the work, a
reminder of the joy, pride and
musicality that the entire nation
enjoyed when the number Jai Ho
reverberated across the screen.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
As your art is like a map of
human emotions, have you
painted other forms of life that
bring happiness to us?
Of course. I very often I paint
flowers and leaves. These flower
studies are realistic in form, but their
colourations and freshness convey
people’s closest link with happiness–
nature. I paint flowers as being
viewed through a house window, or
in the midst of a busy bazaar, or such
settings where human beings are
brought in close contact with fragrant
blooms.
What techniques
have you adopted in
your art works?
My concentration in
art is to create a
contrast. This contrast
is achieved through
punctuated spaces. If a
painting has a single
figure at the centre, I
like to keep that form
pristine. The back -
ground, then, is heavily
worked on, in both
colours and textures.
Thus, the portrait
seems to stand out
against the heavily
worked backdrop. On
the other hand, where
the figure is heavily
adorned and attention-
drawing, I prefer to
keep the background
deliberately under -
played. Then my colour palate is
muted and toned or follows as close
to nature as possible.
What is your schedule of work?
As I have my studio in my home, it
is the mornings and late evenings
that are best suited to my individual
work. During the day, I hold classes
for students on art and keep time
aside for social interaction with
clients and viewers who drop by to
give me encouragement. I must
admit that my friends have played a
great role in making me understand
the true value of a happy existence
and that is what reflects in my art. We

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Shyam Porwal
Date of birth: 15 March 1960
Self-taught artist active in art field
for the past 30 years.
His greatest strength is the
confidence in himself.
Apart from painting, he also writes
poems in Hindi.
Contact: Mo. 9818334182
E-mail: shyamartist@ymail.com
74
LIVING ART
An artist whose source of inspiration
is nature. By Our Correspondent
rtist Shyam Porwal has
A
lived art since his
childhood. Hailing from a
small village in the Oraiya
(formerly in Etawah) district
of Uttar Pradesh, Shyam
realised his artistic talent in
his schooldays, when his
classmates approached
him to get their sketches
and figures drawn. This was how
Shyam Porwal refined his drawing
skills. But he did not remain confined
to sketches only. Soon, he
discovered the village’s natural
surroundings luring him. The
influence of nature that he got then
still continues to dominate his
paintings.
According to the artist, “Nature is
the greatest source of inspiration for
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
me. I can go on painting nature
forever, yet will never feel bored or
tired.”
The phrase ‘life is the wisest but
harshest teacher’ applies well to
Shyam. In his childhood, his art
helped his classmates and teachers,
and hence he had been in great
demand whatever be the occasion.
But his activity did not remain limited
to his school environs only.
During his tenure as an artist in
the village, Shyam widely traversed
around his native village and came
across a number of old monuments.
He was shocked to see the abject
condition of those buildings. They
were all lying in ruins and nobody
took care of him. Even the
Archaeological Survey of India,
seemed doing nothing about them.
But the artist’s tender heart
throbbed for them and his
futuristic vision saw a lasting
beauty in those structures. He
painstakingly began to
catalogue them through his
paint and brush. His collection
of drawings based on historical
monuments may well be a
treasure trove for any art lover
as well as for history scholars.
But rural life has its
limitations and soon Shyam felt
 Glimpses of greenery.

Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 75


that he was running out of
subjects and his work was
unable to fetch a good
return. So Shyam migrated
to the district headquarters
town to work as a
commercial artist. But soon,
he realised that even the
small town was proving
inadequate to sustain his art.
He, therefore, finally arrived
in Delhi in the early 90s and
started from a scratch.
In Delhi, Shyam has
carved a niche for himself and got a
long list of clients. He is an all-round
artist well versed in the realistic as
well as abstract art styles. He says, “I
can work in any medium and on any
ground. I have made paintings on
canvas and handmade paper sheets
using water, oil and acrylic colours.”
The range of subjects is also very
vast in Shyam’s paintings. Among
them, nature is the most dominant
theme. His artistic vision sees
innumerable hidden facets in nature.
It seems to be his endeavour to
76
depict these hidden facets on
canvas.
He has beautifully portrayed man-
woman relationships through his
theme of nature. As such, his
paintings appear enticing, and
sometimes erotic too, but not at all
vulgar. At the same time, his
paintings look soothing to the eyes
as the onlooker feels a bond being
built between him and the painting as
he drifts deeper into the nature.
Shyam is planning a series on the
Secret Play. The series will be based
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
on the intimate relations between
man and woman ( purush and
prakriti).
Shyam is ready to tap his art
commercially. He says, “I have done
a lot of charity in the past. Now, it is
the time to tap the commercial
potential of art.” He is particularly
critical of the indifferent attitude
shown by the big and famous art
galleries towards the young and
budding artists. According to him,
these galleries and malls are totally
unsupportive and always run after the
big names. But this is not going to be
so forever. If these galleries have to
avoid monotony, they will have to
encourage and accommodate young
and emerging artists also, he feels.
The artist has closely seen village
and urban life. Upon asking what
difference he sees between them, he
says, “In villages, your circle is quite
small. All the people know each
other; they share their joys and
sorrows together. But in cities, the
situation is totally different. People
meet with one another like strangers.
The pressure of
commercialisation is very
strong. And no one can
escape this pressure.”
How is this
commercialisation affecting
the artists? Answering this
question, Shyam says,
“Almost all the artists now
feel they are working under
pressure. Surely, there are
big and established names
in the art field and their
works sell by their names.
Art galleries are cashing in
on this trend. But those
artists who have no or little name yet,
have to work hard to make an
identity.
“Those who are better off, often
bypass art galleries and promoters
and promote themselves on their
own. But a struggler has no such
facilities.”
Nevertheless, the artist is hopeful
that the situation will improve. He
praises the role of the media and
says that the media, especially the
print media, is doing a great job to
promote artists like he is. We

Q&
I am a 60-years-old woman. My
husband who is few years older often
remains on tour. His liaison with other
women is not ruled out. How can I
protect myself? My husband is
unable to use the condom. Can he
take some drugs to enhance the sex
act? Please advise.
Your fears are well founded.
Unprotected sex may lead to sexually
transmitted diseases including AIDS.
Best for you would be to use female
type of condom which shall afford
A
you protection. Regarding other
problem your husband should consult
the doctor who can prescribe the
required medicine after examining
him.
I am 30 years old, 5 feet 3 inches and
weigh 70kg. My problem is that I
have put lot of weight on my belly.
Please advise.
There is no doubt that you are
overweight and your protuberance of
belly is part of the overall picture. You
shall have to put yourself on strict
diet regimen and exercise
programme and when your weight is
controlled, your belly size shall also
decrease. Only thing is that you must
follow your schedule religiously to
succeed.
Q Q
I am 19-year-old girl. 5 ft tall and
weigh 46 kg. My problem is that my
abdomen is bulging. I have joined
gym but am not able to control my
diet. Please help.
It is good that you are doing
physical exercises but these have to
be combined with diet control.
Basically your diet should consist of
less carbohydrates and fats. You
should take lot of fresh fruits and
green vegetables. Avoid junk food,
cakes, chocolates, bananas, sweets,
etc. Take foods containing high fibre.
Persist in your efforts in diet control
and you shall succeed.
QQ
I am 35 years old, mother of two kids.
My problem is that I suffer from
excessive vaginal discharge. It is
very distressing. Please help.
Leucorrhea in adult women is quite
common and there are number of
causes. Sometimes, a neglected
foreign body in the genitalia of
infections (Gonococcal, Monilial,
Candida) erosion in the cervix, cervical
lacerations or a polyps or even an
early cancer of the cervix may be
responsible. You should be examined
by your doctor who after examining
you shall be able to reach any
conclusion and treat you accordingly.
Q
I am 25 years old and married. I am
5’7” and weigh 63 kgs. My problem is
that I have small breasts and feel quite
uncomfortable. I want to increase their
size by at least 2-3 inches. Is there
any cream or pump which can
increase the size. Please advise.
Yours is a common problem with
many young women. Size of the
breasts in any woman depends on
nutrition, genetic and hormonal
influences. There is no short cut to
increasing their size, creams and
pumps are advertised to entice
gullible women but in actual practice
they are not of much use. Only way
to increase their size is by exercises
which strengthen the pectoral
muscles on which the breasts rest. If
you are very keen on increasing their
size then there is no alternative
except to go for augmentation.
I am 28 years old and my height is 5ft
5 inches with weight of 51 kg. Two
years ago after delivery my belly size
increased. I tried a belt which did
help me but still my abdomen is not
flat. Please help.
Size of the abdomen after delivery
of a child increases in many women.
As per your height your weight is not
much. The problem is with your belly.
Besides taking low fat, low
carbohydrate diet, you should take
lot of fresh fruits and green
vegetables. Further, do exercises to
tone up the abdominal muscles. To
some extent the use of sauna belt
shall benefit you.
I am 22 years old and have been
diagnosed to be suffering from
hypothyroidism (poor functioning of
thyroid) and polycystic ovary on left
side. I am on drugs. I am getting
married soon. Will these problems
affect my pregnancy. Please
advise.
You are already on treatment for
your thyroid problem and luckily there
is only one ovary involved due to
polycystic disease. Under the
circumstances it should not affect
your chances of becoming pregnant.
But you will have to continue taking
the drugs, even during pregnancy
lest your child is affected by the
disease (Hypothryoidism).
Q
I am 35 years old, married for the last
81/2 years and still issueless. I was
overweight but on doctors advice I
have lost 15 kgs. Since last three
months I was given IVF treatment
twice but without any success. My
doctor says it is hormonal imbalance.
Please advise.
Your doctor is right in saying that
you have hormonal imbalance
problem. You have tried IVF two
times but without much success. Do
not get disappointed.
It is quite common in many
women that IVF treatment does not
succeed at first. You will have to
undergo another try at this. Do not
get disappointed.
— Dr S. N. Khosla, MD.

BOO M B AY
B O M B AY F I L M D O M
FILMDOM
amir Khan had not only been
A hammering on the film fraternity
to make sure to cast their vote in the
recently held Lok Sabha polls, he
himself was among the firsts to cast
his vote. Others who cast their votes
included Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir
Kapoor and John Abraham.
A nant Narayan and Minissha
Lamba in a film together?
Bollywood's latest chocolate boy
Anant Narayan is inundated with film
offers. But producers put only one
condition - they want Anant to be
paired opposite “ girlfriend “ Minissha
Lamba
After being listed among the 10
hot new couples of tinsel town on
Buzz 18's Bollywood Love Report
Card 2009, Anant Narayan and
Minissha Lamba are in demand and
how! After a leading national daily
broke the news of a love affair
between Minissha and Anant, the
dishy actor is inundated with film
78
hat beautiful women are not
T
necessarily a weak lot has been
amply proved by star-turned-politician
Jaya Prada who was a Samajwadi
Party candidate from Rampur (known
for ‘Rampuri’ kniveses). Although her
opponent, Azam Khan, did everything
to malign Jaya, she took the
challenge in her stride. You’ve our
best wishes, Jaya.
allika Sherawat has a yen for
M doing something different. If at
one time she made an appearance
at Cannes Festival as a co-star of
Jackie Chan, now she has joined the
likes of Victoria Beckham, her hubby
David Beckham and French socialite
and model, Paris Hilton in having a
milk shake ( Mallika Shake ) named
after her in Hollywood. wow!
andana Sen was in news as she
N just turned down two Hollywood
projects. Clearing the air sources
close to Nandana say , “She rejected
those movies as they had few nude
sequences to be shot and she wasn’t
comfortable.” She was offered the
protagonist’s role in an Italian film
Mallika Sherawat is named Mallika
Shake in Hollywood. Wow.
offers, especially light-hearted
college romances. What better way
to cash in on real romance, huh?
Minissha Lamba – tinsel town’s
rising star.
Nandana Sen does not like to be seen
in nude shots.
based on a story by Mahasweta Devi,
'Choli ke Peeche’ directed by Italo
Spinelli.. Nandana rejected the movie
as it again contained nudtiy scenes .
“ I feel the subject matter is such that
nudity cannot be avoided becoming
unintentionally voyeuristic and
eroticised even though that is
definitely not the objective.”
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
 nother star-turned-politician
A Shatrughan Sinha seems to
continue to nurse his dream of
becoming the chief minister of Bihar
one day. He was BJP’s candidate
from Bakhtiyarpur (Panja Sahib).
Shatru, undoubtedly, has a gift of the
gab. Good luck, Shatru.
Slumdog Millionaire didn’t fail to pay
obeisance to sufi saint Hazrat
Nizamuddin, close to New Delhi and
attended the annual Urs along with
his mother and sister. Laudable
indeed.
n addition to Aishwarya Rai
the lives of children rather than sit in
their ivory towers. In fact, they should
do a lot more for the society than
they are. Agreed.
f Raveena Tandon (of Dulhe Raja
Ifame) has decided to make a
comeback to play suitable and

elieve it or not Pinki Sonkar, a slip

IBachchan and Abhishek Bachchan,
Ashish Vidyarthi (who had worked in
mature roles, she is indeed welcome.
Doesn’t the adage say? ‘The more,
B of a girl who rose to stardom
through her Oscar-winning
a couple of Bollywood films before
going down South and making it big
The merrier’.

documentary Smile Pinki lent her star there) will also be seen in Mani
power to the National Dalit Front to
impress on the masses that the
Mayawati Government has hardly
done anything for the Dalits. She was
taken to several political meetings to
enable her to say what she wanted to.

ombay filmdom has undoubtedly

B suffered an irreparable loss in the
death of actor-turned-film-maker
Feroz Khan who made lavishly
mounted films like Dharmatma and
Qurbani. May his soul rest in peace.

mitabh Bachchan’s career may

A be on the down-slide, but every
artiste’s career passes through that
phase also. I remember having read
in one of his interviews years ago,
that he won’t mind being spotted
working as on extra rather than
putting off his working shoes. Am I
right, Mr Bachchan.
Amitabh Bachchan’s career graph may
hilpa Shetty, the long-legged
S dusky beauty who has seen
many highs and lows, was the new
be down, but not out.

Ratnam’s Raavan . Abhishek plays

entrant to the team owner’s club in
the IPL-2 matches in South Africa.
And it was redeeming for her that her
team Rajasthan Royals did better
than SRK’s Kolkatta Knight Riders.
o mark the 140th birth anniversary
T of the father of Indian cinema,
Dada Saheb Phalke, a host of film
celebrities such as Kapoor, Manoj
Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Shamshad
Begum and director of Jodhaa Akbar,
Asutosh Gowarikar, were presented
with awards.
title role. A case of real-life husband
abducting his own wife. Interesting!
t hardly needs any reiteration that
ITamil superstar Kamal Haasan (of
Ek Duje Ke Liye and Chachi 420 The long-
fame) must have liked A Wednesday
very much that he decided to make
the Tamil version of the film titled
legged dusky
beauty Shilpa
Shetty was the
Uraipol Oruvan. He plays the role of co-owner of
Naseeruddin Shah played in A Rajasthan
Wednesday. As an actor, Kamal is Royals in
IPL-2, in South
miles ahead of even Naseer.
Africa. In
ranking the
t’s heart-warming indeed that stars

A great devotee of sufi saints,

music director A.R. Rahman, the
Ior stars-in-the-making lend a
helping hand for a worthwhile
team was
better than
SRK’s Knight
only winner of two Oscars for social cause or bring a cheer in Riders.

Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 79

 henever Hema Malini is not
W busy working in a film, she
returns to her first love, dancing.
Recently she, along with daughter
Ahana, gave a performance in Surat.
While Hema played Yashoda Maiyya,
Ahana played Kanaiya.
hanks to a new initiative taken by
T UTV New Media Ltd, the digital
arm of UTV, owners of mobiles will
have a welcome chance of selecting
and listening not only to Bollywood
music videos, but also videos from
different languages in foreign
countries. It’s branded UTV @ play.
f on the one hand, Priyadarshan,
Ione of filmdom’s high profile
directors, had exhilarating time
directing Billu , on the other he
underwent mortification while dancing
to Shah Rukh’s tunes — a price one
has to pay for working with a
superstar.
ombay filmdom deserves kudos
B that actors like Akshay Kumar,
Madhuri Dixit, Preity Zinta, Sanjay
Javed Akhtar
– A legendary
lyricist.
Saif – a
renowned actor
has turned
producer.
Irrfan Khan has been listed a
bankable star, after his performance in
Slum Millionaire.
Dutt, Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun
Rampal helped contribute as much
as Rs 2 crore as part of NDTV’s
Greenathon to keep Mumbai green.
Keep it up, folks.
rrfan Khan may not have the face
I of a conventional film hero, but he is
loaded as far as talent is concerned.
After his performance in Slumdog
Millionaire he, believe it or not, has
been listed as the most bankable star
from India in Hollywood. Wow,
congrats, Irrfan.
“T wo people sat in the coffee shop
of Mariott and believed that they
will make a film which has never
been seen before on the Indian
screen…” This one line by Sujoy
Ghosh on his blog is enough to
arouse the curiosity of cinema lovers.
The talented film-maker, whose
debut film Jhankaar Beats became a
landmark film is now working on
Alladin a film that takes a
contemporary look at the classic fairy
tale.And as a first-of-its kind initiative,
Sujoy has created a special blog to
give movie enthusiasts an insight into
the magnanimous task of making an
epic film like Alladin . The director
plans to share every moment of
making the film including some
exclusive pictures taken on the sets.
Produced by Eros International
and Boundscript, Alladin stars
Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt,
Riteish Deshmukh and introduces
Jacqueline Fernandez.
veryone knows how particular
E Kareena Kapoor is when it comes
to her fitness. This diva will be seen
in Sajid Nadiadwala’s “Kambakkht
Ishq”. Being touted as the biggest
movie of the year, it has the biggest
Bollywood star, Akshay. The added
attraction is Sylvester Stallone, who
plays a pivotal role. Akshay and
Kareena’s chemistry is the talk of the
town. Kareena plays a super model
in the movie.
fter creating a niche for itself in
A the Indian Film Fraternity, UTV
Motion Pictures now forays into
Hollywood with its maiden independent
production ExTerminators The film
stars Heather Graham, Jennifer
Coolidge and Amber Heard.
veryone knows about the actor
E Saif, but few know about the star-
actor turned producer. When asked
about his new role, crew members
said they were happy to work for the
chotte nawab….” There is no hassle
and the environment is pretty relaxed
when Saif is on the set” they say.
Overall it seems like the whole cast
and crew is having a party on the
sets. Rock on chotte nawab!.
A fter Anil Kapoor going global with
Slumdog Millionaire , now John
Abraham is going to do the same
with a gangster film titled American
Empire . Who knows John may be
lucky to achieve in international
cinema what he has not yet been
able to do in Mumbai.
rooke Bond Taj Mahal, in
B association with Enlighten Film
Society, recently conducted a
 Kareena Kapoor
plays a glamorous
role in a movie
‘Kambakkht Ishq’.
workshop on the art of scriptwriting
with India ’s legendry lyricist and
writer Javed Akhtar. Javed Saab
needs no introduction as he has won
the hearts of many connoisseurs of
movies with his soul- stirring poetry,
catchy lyrics and unforgettable
screen plays. It’s his undeniable
genius that made him a unanimous
choice for the Taj Enlighten Tareef
Award.
hilpa is presently in SA cheering
S for her team ---Rajasthan Royals.
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra are co
-owners of the team. The two
recently met the Departed star Matt
Damon over a charity dinner in SA.
Matt and his wife are actively
involved in charitable work including
the one Campaign and H2O Africa
Foundation. Last year Matt and
Shilpa had their first public
rendezvous at the third annual ONE
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra co-owners
of Rajasthan Royals with Matt Damon
and his wife at annual ONE X ONE
benefit gala.
Neha Dhupia – a back-row dancer in
Pappu Cann’t Dance Saala.
X ONE benefit gala. Matt Damon has
starred in movies like Departed,
Saving Private Ryan, The Ocean’s
Series, etc.
Shilpa’s Rajasthan Royals has
proved once again that they are the
champions. It needed brilliance with
the bat from Graeme Smith and
Yusuf Pathan for last years
champions to come home. Yusuf’s
magical bat was raining sixes when
he top scored with 62 not out with
Smith supporting him at the other end
with an unbeaten 44 not out. Shilpa
was short of words praising her team
for the brilliant performance, shouting
and cheering the loudest.
eha Dhupia is working hard on
N her hatke role of a back-row
dancer in Pappu Can't Dance Saala.
A close source said, "Neha did
thorough research on back dancers
before embarking on the role. She
met and interacted with them on a
close level---wanted to know the kind
of lifestyle they had.
Neha even adopted the kind of
look back dancers had. "Neha
coloured her hair red because she
noticed that all those back dancers
had that colour. She also observed
that most of them had a habit of
chewing gum while waiting for the
shot on the sets.” By the end of it all ,
costar Vinay Pathak failed to
Arshad Warsi is a actor, chef and
producer. wow. Happy Birthday.
Vidya’s favourite brew – ‘masala tea’.
recognise her on the sets. "Once
Vinay did not recognise Neha at all
and took her to be a back- row
dancer. It was only Neha began
talking to him did he realise her
presence," said the source
idya is not just *krazy* about her
V connections but her cutting chai!
She needs her daily dose of masala
tea at regular intervals specially when
she is shooting. While shooting for
R. Balki’s Pa in Kuala Lumpur
recently, she missed her favourite
brewage so much, she went
restaurant – hopping to see if any
restaurant would serve her favourite
brew….but in vain and much to
Balki’s amusement !!!
rshad Warsi has not celebrated
A his birthday in India for the past
two years. Last year, he was on a
boat in Mauritius, shooting a song for
Shortcut.So this year he just wanted
to be at home ,relax and bring in his
birthday with his family and few close
friends. But the birthday boy was
toiling in the kitchen, cooking for his
friends because his friends love his
food and he is quite a chef –. a
working birthday again !
Arshad has 2 forthcoming movies
Ishquiya, Shortcut and one of his
home productions 'Koun Bola' , his
debut film as a producer. Warsi plays
the lead opposite Dia Mirza.
– Deepak Puri & Sudha Hariharan.
 CAPITAL
Chit - C h a t
JEWELLERY – GANJAM
AND INTERNATIONAL
Jewellery is an important aspect
of any Indian woman’s life. Mostly,
we end up dividing our jewellery in
the inherited, valuable and the old
pieces which we take out for
important events in our lives or the
lighter ‘everyday’ wear we end up
buying and using. The name Ganjam
is almost synonymous with the
Carnatic-style heavy and traditional
South Indian jewellery.
When they recently opened their
showroom in the upmarket, exclusive
designer mall in Vasant Kunj, near
the Grand Hyatt hotel, it had to be
visited. On display were the Ganjam
family heirloom pieces that the
women of the family have worn for
generations. It is a real privilege to
be able to hold this style of jewellery
and even try it on. The Ganjam family
have not only worked hard at keeping
the traditional style of jewellery-
making alive they have also
acknowledged the real contribution
of the artisans in doing that.
A really intricate jewellery piece of
theirs either for the hair or the neck
can take a long, long time to execute
and sometimes people who wish for
that kind of craftsmanship and piece
end up waiting for over a year. But,
surely, it must be worth the wait for
these pieces are not just jewellery,
they are living art which you adorn
and feel so traditionally Indian.
I was tempted to ask and Mrs
Ganjam was gracious enough for me
to try one of their old pieces that the
women of the last six generations
have worn for their own wedding
days. I had always wondered how
comfortable such a piece at the base
of the neck would really be. The
reverse of the necklace is woven
84
together by an old-style silver chain –
a practice they continue till date but
now use gold instead.
The necklace not only looked
beautiful, it made a statement so
definite that I know any woman who
is lucky enough to own it, should feel
that sense of pride. But then you
never truly own that piece of
jewellery, it is only in your
safekeeping until the next generation
claims it.
A few weeks later, Ganjam
presented something so unique and
relevant to the contemporary world
of design, Lucca Preziosa - An
Exclusive Exhibition of Research
Jewellery. Titled, Cutting the Mirror, it
brought to India some amazing
innovations in the field of
contemporary jewellery. The design
institute in Florence has Geo
Ganjam – name in innovations in the
field of jewellery designing.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
Carbone heading it. The exhibition in
Delhi featured path-breaking works
by 12 eminent international jewellery
artists, in an attempt to approach the
complex theme of beauty through
contemporary research jewellery.
Gio Luigi Carbone, who is the
founder of Le Arti Orafe, talked to the
people about the concept of art
jewellery and its significance in the
world of design and art. The people
who attended ranged from designers
to consumers and, of course, artists.
Young designers really felt inspired
by seeing the exhibits.
FASHIONABLE GLASS
Glass and crystal might be items
of utility but they can also make for
pieces of beauty, to be displayed and
admired. There is no limit to
craftsmanship that may be
showcased in these mediums.
Internationally known names like
Wedgewood, Lalique, Dawm,
Baccarat and others , have all made
enormous pieces and small trinkets
and have been very popular as items
of gift or even investment. However,
not so long ago, it was not possible to
imagine them as being available in
India, for us to admire or even buy.
For a brief period, not only was a
limited lot available for the admiring
but even purchase in an exhibition
organised at the IHC. And the real
pleasure was to see them all
together.
Although on one occasion it
seemed like it has no visitor at all and
the second time there was a lone
admirer who seemed to feel ‘they are
good pieces but expensive’ but she
did seem to like viewing all that
fragile beauty for the sake of its
beauty. For an exhibition such as this
one, it is good if they sell their items

Glass and crystal are pieces of beauty.
but they must be made mandatory for
people to visit, just to know the
options that are available in the
international market.
KAILASH KHER AND
ANTI-TERRORISM
When IPPAI and Aviation
organised a day-long conference on
‘Counter-terror and Security
Solutions for India’ it promised to be
an interesting event because right
now everybody from the common
man to those responsible for security
arrangements are worried about to
ensuring safety.
There were various speakers
through the day who brought about
the importance of human and
equipment involvement. Leo Gleser,
president, International Security and
Defense Systems Ltd., Israel, talked
about India being prepared for the
security aspect inevitably being
important when the Commonwealth
Games 2010 begin. It is a pertinent
issue and Gleser should know what
goes into organising such details for
he was part of the security arrange-
ments of the Olympic Games in
Barcelona in 1992 and Sydney in
2000, even Athens in 2004 and
Beijing in 2008.
Other speakers too addressed the
issue of security and there was Brett
Lovegrove, retired Head of Counter
Terrorism UK Police (Retd.) and V P
Kapur, Former DG UP Police. With
interactive sessions with the
86
audience it was a truly rewarding
event for the day but in a way
depressing as one realised how
vulnerable we all are in the face of
real threat. Even the entry for
attendees was electronically
monitored and security was tight.
However, when evening came, the
atmosphere relaxed. The evening
event was by invitation only and not
automatic for seminar delegates.
Mercifully the keynote of Muzaffar Ali
was soulful and poetic – to be
expected from someone who is a true
follower of Rumi and Sufism. The
next step was even more rewarding
when Kailash Kher took over the
stage and performed with his usual
zest and inimitable voice.
His band is extremely talented and
he played to the crowd also by asking
them what to play next and sang all
his filmi hits as also the ones which
he has sung on his own CD. The
man is a true maverick with a voice
that reaches the souls of the
listeners. He kept urging people to
join him, and they did. Finally he got
himself a standing ovation when he
agreed to sing a couple of extra
songs. Nobody minded the delay in
getting the dinner started.
Later, he was also available to his
admirers and autographed as also
posed for photographs with anybody
who wanted his attention even before
he was able to wipe the sweat from
his brow. And he was happy to be in
company of Meera and Muzaffar Ali –
Kailash Kher a talented singer.
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
people who supported him when he
was not known to anybody.
ART AND THE ARTIST
Every artist has a dream that he
transforms into work of his passion
on the medium of his choice. Artists
are also often very tortured beings
who always feel that the world does
not understand them. And then there
is the other variety of artist – who
wants to communicate, who wants to
share his or her ideas and philosophy
with the viewer. Jaideep Mehrotra is
the artist of the second variety.
Mumbai-based Jaideep recently
had a five-day solo exhibition at
Visual Arts Gallery in New Delhi titled
‘Growing Pains in Solitude’. An artist
of great finesse and personal depth
that reflects in his works, he is almost
a veteran doing solo exhibitions since
1967. His canvases are like words,
they speak of being solitary in the
backdrop of community living that
lack of space brings about in a city
like Mumbai. Of different sizes, they
have the effect and need solitary
placement.
However, what was as impressive
and statement-making, if not even
more so, were three video recordings
he was playing on the loop. Such art
is being purchased by industrial
houses and big outfits to be
displayed in public areas. These
were three vistas of life in Mumbai
shot in three different styles and
totally diverse from each other in the
message they carried.
While one showed a brief
mundane moment that is continuous
with action; the other seemed more
random but eventually it all came
back to form one picture. They are
truly mesmerizing and in the three
runs that I watched of the second
video I ended up noticing something
totally different, something easily
missed the first time around. Yes, the
pieces of art were not just on display
but on sale and, yes, he did make a
sale on the very first day of the
exhibition, but then a good artist often
does his work and lets buyers decide
what appeals to them.
– Sona Sharma
 Q U I Z
Win
2
Jewellery

Q Under what type of light will a

1
ruby look reddest?
a. A fluorescent light
b. A standard 100-watt light bulb
c. Day light under a cloudy sky
d. A daylight equivalent light

Q Ruby is the gemstone for which

2
month of the year?
a. July
b. September
c. January

C
Find out how
olour
sense
perceptive you are, and
Q
3
Which of the following can effect
your perception of colour?
a. Lighting
b. Medications
c. The colour of your clothes
d. All of the above

Answer the questions

& win a grand prize...
your right judgement
of rubies.

e
be published in th
S elected entries will oman’s era. Look out
of W
forthcoming issue July 2009 issue
for th e 31
L ast date for sending entries: 15 July 2009
r
ph of yo ur friend for a bette
A ttach a ph ot og ra
chance of featurin
g in Woman’s era
Q It’s easier to grade the colour of
Q The heat treatment of rubies

4 11
diamonds than of rubies because and sapphires can improve their
a. Diamonds are colourless colour and clarity or it can
b. Diamond colour grades only indicate how create a star effect.
light or dark the colour is
a. True
c. Diamonds don’t have as many rainbow-like
b. False
interference colours as rubies.
d. Diamonds are controlled by a cartel which
has standardised how they are graded.

Q Greyish red is a less valuable

12
colour for a ruby than a pure

Q Why is the ruby red? slightly purplish red.

5
a. Due to chemical reactions a. True
b. Due to crystallisation b. False
c. Due to chrominium impurities

Q Ruby’s day is said to be?

Q In some countries, pink and purple

13
sapphires are called rubies.

6
a. Sunday
b. Tuesday a. True
c. Friday b. False

Q Ruby’s season is said to be?

7
a. Summer
b. Winter
c. Autumn
Scoring Terms and Conditions:
Don’t you hate those artificial quizzes that
only have one obvious right answer? Jewellery and its lineage

Q When you see ruby through a is fluid. So answer according to what you feel is best.

8
microscope, you see a tiny line in
the centre and a small round form Prove that you are aware
of this trivia. Send us the coupon with your
near the girdle. It means: photo along with the correct answers.
a. Your ruby is defective.
b. Your ruby will soon crack into pieces. Name
c. Someone is giving you misleading
Age
information.
Address
d. You are true ruby expert.

PIN

Q The best way to judge the colour of Phone: E-mail

9
a ruby is to look at it for a long time, Occupation

so your eyes and mind can absorb

as much of the colour as possible.
Don’t forget to attach a photograph
a. True
1. Mark the answers and send us the cutting of this
b. False quiz along with this coupon. The last date is
15 July 2009. So hurry up and post it now.

Q Currently the major source of 2. The decision of the editor will be final. 3. Depict

10
rubies is: your true self only. 4. Send a photograph of your
own. It may be printed in Woman’s Era, along with
a. Thailand the results. Send to: Woman’s Era, Delhi Press,
b. Myanmar E-3, Jhandewala, New Delhi-110 055.
c. India
d. China
 et’s face it. Sex is a fact of

L
life. But today increasing
sexual liberation and
tolerance have resulted in
unconventional practices and
encouraged sexual orienta -
tions that were once
considered taboo to be
accepted by quite a number
of people.
Without passing judgement on
those who prefer to experiment in
their sexual affairs, this liberal
attitude and behaviour could lead to
serious consequences if parameters
to pleasurable and safe sexual
activities are not observed and met.
The same is also true with the
general public lacking proper

STDs
understanding and appreciation of
sexual health issues and standards
which could lead to neglect of their
partners’ sexual rights.
Every sexual encounter should be

SPOILERS
coupled with a responsible attitude.
The lack of it can result in unwanted
pregnancy that may lead to emotional
and psychological complications, not

IN SEX
only for the parents but also the child.
Unprotected sex also exposes sexual
partners to a high risk of contracting
chronic sexually transmitted diseases

LIVES
(STDs).
Do not be deceived. Even the
seemingly healthy person beside you
can be afflicted with a sexually
transmitted disease without you or
Many forms of the that person knowing it.
Though some STDs may produce
disease make life obvious symptoms, most STDs are
asymptomatic infections that do not
difficult for couples. show noticeable signs
symptoms. Thus, they can be called
and

By Vikas Kumar Jain the “silent” infections. These cases

can only be diagnosed through

Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 89

medical testing. However, there is no
widespread programme that requires
routine check-ups. Moreover, there
seems to be a lack of public
awareness aggravated by the social
stigma regarding STDs that keeps
people from discussing it with their
chosen health-care professionals.
STDs are diseases caused by
viruses, bacteria and parasites and
can easily be transmitted through
body contact during sex. Sometimes,
STD takes a long time to display any
kind of symptoms. The following are
some of the most common STDs that
affect sexually active individuals.
Chlamydia is a sexually
transmitted disease caused by
bacterial infection. It is the most
common treatable bacterial STD but
if not given proper attention may
cause serious problems later in life.
Chlamydia often infects the cervix in
women while the urethra, rectum and
eyes can be infected in both sexes.
Symptoms of infection may show up
at any time between 1-3 weeks after
exposure, or it can also be delayed
for indefinite period of time.
Gonorrhoea is bacterial infection
that is sexually transmitted and can
infect the cervix, urethra, rectum,
anus and throat. Symptoms may
show up at anytime between one and
14 days after exposure and more
noticeable in men than in women.
However, it is possible to be infected
with gonorrhoea and have no obvious
symptoms.
Crabs or pubic lice are small crab-
shaped blood-sucking parasites that
live on pubic hair but can also be
found wherever there is hair such as
in the armpits, on the body and even
in facial hair such as eyebrows.
Crabs can also survive away from the
90
body. They may be found in
clothes, bedding and towels.
You can have crabs and not
know about it until after 2-3
weeks when you experience
some itching. Crabs are
mainly passed on through
body contact during sex, but
they can also be passed on
through sharing clothes,
towels or bedding with
someone who has them.
Genital herpes is caused
by the virus called Herpes
simplex and can affect the
mouth, genital area, the skin
around the anus, and the
fingers. After the first outbreak
of herpes is over, the virus
hides away in the nerve fibres
and remains totally undetected
without causing any symptom.
Symptoms usually appear one to 26
days after exposure and last for 2-3
weeks. Symptoms include an itching
in the genital or anal area, small fluid-
filled blisters that can burst and leave
small sores which can be very
painful, urine discomfort, and a flu-
like illness, backache, headache,
swollen glands or fever.
Genital warts are caused by the
Human papilloma virus (HPV). These
are small, fleshy growths found
anywhere on a man’s or a woman’s
genital area, or on different parts of
the body, such as the hands and
anus. After you have been infected
with the genital wart virus it usually
takes between one and three months
for warts to appear on your genitals.
They may occur singly or in groups.
They may itch, but are usually
painless. Often there are no other
symptoms. If a woman has warts on
her cervix, this may cause slight
bleeding or, very
rarely, an unusual
coloured vaginal
discharge.
Gut infections
are bacterial
infections that can
be passed on
during sex. When
they reach your gut
they can cause
diarrhoea and
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
stomach pains. Infection can be
prevented by using condoms, dental
dams or latex gloves. Sex toys
should be thoroughly cleaned after
use and hands washed after any
contact with faeces. Anti-diarrhoea
treatments and antibiotics can be
used for treatment.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection
that is sexually transmitted and may
also be passed from an infected
mother to her unborn child. The signs
and symptoms of syphilis are the
same in both men and women. They
can be difficult to recognise and may
take up to three months to show after
having sexual contact with an
infected person. Syphilis has several
stages. The primary and secondary
stages are very infectious.
It is very important that an STD is
detected early and treated before it
becomes serious and leads to long-
term complications or permanent
damage. Abstinence is the surest
thing to avoid contracting an STD. If
you are sexually active; the practice
of safe sex can greatly help in
minimising risk from STD.
Always use condoms during
sexual intercourse or dental dams for
oral sex. Make sure to sanitise sex
toys before and after use. Observe
genital hygiene routines, as well as
keeping your hands clean at all
times. Consult your professional
healthcare provider for advice on
getting tested for STD. We

EATING DISORDERS
ARE HARD ON BONES!
ating disorders like bulimia
E
and anorexia nervosa are
devastating behavioural
maladies brought on by a
complex interplay of factors
which may include emotional
and personality disorders,
family pressures and a
possible genetic or biological
susceptibility.
The incidence of anorexia and
bulimia has increased over the last
two decades. It is highly prevalent
among US women. One in a hundred
females in the 16-18 age group has
Eating disorders
can be life-
threatening, but
even before
that, they can
weaken bones
drastically.
By Dr Kiran Bala
anorexia nervosa. A bimodal distri- upper socio economic groups.
bution occurs, with one peak at 14.5 Anorexia nervosa is now occurring
and the other at 18 years. 25 per cent at lower socio economic groups.
may be younger than the age of 13. There is an increased incidence of
The increased
incidence has been
documented in all
Western countries
with sporadic
reports from other
nations. Affected
females outnumber
males by 10 to one.
Initially reported
only in middle and
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 91
eating disorders among primary
relatives of those with anorexia
nervosa and bulimia suggesting
a familial basis.
The occurrence of eating
disorders and related
deficiencies in bone mineral
density is well established in
women. Almost 90 per cent of
women with anorexia nervosa
experience osteopenia (loss of
bone minerals) and 40 per cent
have osteoporosis (more
advanced loss of bone density).
Up to two-thirds of children and
adolescent girls with anorexia
fail to develop strong bones
during their critical growing
period. Persons with anorexia
also suffer from stunted growth.
The less the patient weighs, the
more severe is the bone loss.
Women with anorexia who
also binge face an even higher
risk for bone loss. The longer
the eating disorder persists the
more likely it is that bone loss will be
permanent. Bone loss is a potentially
debilitating condition in women with
eating disorders. Complications may
include failure to achieve peak bone
mass, increased risk of premature
fractures and inability to reach height
potential.
In a study from Australia, Stephen
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particularly of the binge
eating/purging type are at high
risk for osteoporosis and may
need additional therapy to
prevent this problem. Bone
density may be abnormally low,
but this osteopenia appears to
improve with weight gain.
Bone loss in women with the
disorder is multi-factorial. It is
related to low levels of
oestrogen and calcium and
elevated cortisol levels. A study
recently published in the
Annals of Internal Medicine
measured bone mineral density
(BMD) at several skeletal sites
to determine the prevalence
rate and predictive factors of
osteopenia and osteoporosis in
a large community-based
sample of women with anorexia
nervosa.
130 women with anorexia
nervosa underwent a three
hour out-patient visit at general
et al investigated the course of bone clinical research centre in
mineral density in patients with Massachusetts General Hospital in
anorexia nervosa and bulimia Boston. Height, weight age at
nervosa over a 3.6 year follow-up menarche, previous oestrogen use,
period. Osteopenia and osteoporosis fracture history, frame size and
at lumber spine were 54.2 per cent dietary intake were determined. BMD
and 20.8 per cent respectively. was determined using X-ray
This study suggest that patients absorptiometry.
with chronic anorexia nervosa, At each skeletal site, measured
patients were categorised as having
normal BHD, osteopenia or
osteoporosis according to
TREATMENTS WHO criteria. Osteopenia and
Hair fall, Dandruff osteoporosis respectively were
seen in the anterior-posterior
Oily Scalp & Alopecia spine in 50 per cent and 13
Moles, Warts & Tags per cent of patients, in the
lateral spine in 57 per cent and
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Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
 LET US TAKE
A LOOK AT
DRUG LABELS
Crucial information about
medicine administration for the
lay person. By Leena Thomas
edicines are an integral part of life. So an

M
awareness should be created in the public to
observe the drug label for safe and effective use of
medicine. For that, it is important to understand
what is displayed in the label of a drug that has
certain identifying information.

Are there any rules framed for labelling of drugs?

The rules of drug labelling are framed under the “Drugs
and Cosmetic Act 1940.” The International Pharmaceutical
Federation (FIP) has developed international guidelines
for the labelling of medicines which are published on their
website.
 How is the name of a drug
displayed on the label?
A drug or the main active
pharmaceutical ingredient can be
represented by 3 names:
Generic name: It is the official
medical name for the basic active
substance or active pharmaceutical
ingredient, which is chosen by the
nomenclature committee of the
British Pharmacopoeia Commission.
Brand name or trade name: It is
chosen by the manufacturer usually
on the basis that it can be easily
pronounced, recognised, or
remembered.
For example, paracetamol is the
generic name. Calpol,
Acetaminophen, Crocin, Dolo, etc.
are the brand names or the trade
names of the paracetamol which is
given by different manufactures.
Chemical name: It is a technical
description of the drug. For example,
Paracetaminophenol is the chemical
name of paracetamol.
What is the meaning of the
letters IP, BP, USP, BNF which
follows the strength of the
medicine?
These are short forms for the
official books for standards of
particular countries according to
which the drugs are manufactured
and known as pharmacopoeia. The
abbreviations are as follows:
Indian pharmacopoeia IP
British pharmacopoeia BP
United States pharmacopoeia
USP
British National Formulary BNF
What is meant by expiry date?
The expiry date displayed on the
container of a pharmaceutical starting
raw material is the date up to and
including which the pharmaceutical
starting material is expected to
remain within specification if stored
correctly. The drug can be used by
the last date of that particular month
displayed as expiry date (if exact
date is not specified).
What is Schedule H drug and
Schedule G drug?
To ensure the availability of proper
and standard drugs to the public,
there are effective laws in various
countries. The law in our country is
the “Drugs and Cosmetic Act 1940.”
Generally, drugs are divided into two
— prescription only drugs and over-
the-counter drugs.
Schedule H : The list of
substances that should be sold by
retail only on prescriptions of
registered medical practitioners.
Over-the-counter drugs (OTC
medicines): These are drugs that can
be sold from licensed dealers without
professional supervision and without
prescription. These drugs are
suitable for self-medication for minor
diseases and symptoms. The
consumer should know the safe use
of OTC medicines if they are
administered without medical advice.
Long-term use is not advisable. It is
proved that even paracetamol, which
is well known as the safest pain killer,
can cause liver damage in high
doses and prolonged use.
Schedule G : The list of
substances that are required to be
used only under medical supervision
and which are required to be labelled
accordingly.
What about the other warnings
and directions on the label?
Sometimes, special directions for
use are displayed on the label.
Route of administration: Some
drugs produce the required
therapeutic action only when they are
administered through the particular
route. For example, insulin, the anti-
diabetic drug, should be administered
subcutaneously, as it is degraded by
the enzymes in the gastro-intestinal
tract if it is administered through the
oral route.
● i.v/i.m: only for injections.
● Oral: for the drugs which can
be administered through mouth.
● Sublingual: for drugs which
should be placed under tongue.
For external use only
For drugs meant for external use
(should not be taken internally) for
example, creams, gels, etc.
For nasal use only — for drugs to
instil in the nose.
Shake well before use
For suspensions like antacids
(Gelucil)
Suspensions are having a
tendency to settle at the bottom of
the container. So, if it is not mixed
properly, the body will not be getting
proper amount of active ingredients
for the therapeutic action.
Keep out of reach of children
Sugar-coated and beautifully-
coloured tablets/capsules are
available — for example iron tablets.
Children may mistake them for
candy, so they must be stored out of
reach of children. (If they are
ingested in large numbers, that may
lead to drug toxicity.)
For eyedrops, use within one
month
It is displayed on the label that
“use the solution within one month
after opening the container.” This
means, if anything is remaining in the
container after one month that should
not be used.
(Similarly, the dry syrup for
children should be reconstituted
according to the direction on the label
with boiled and cooled water. But the
reconstituted liquid syrup will expire
after 2 weeks. So it should not be
given to children after 2 weeks.)
Storage conditions
Storage conditions should be
recommended on the label (example
“Keep in a cool, dry place”) to
maintain drug stability — i.e, to
prevent contamination and as far as
possible deterioration. It may be
necessary to control elements such
as temperature, moisture and light. If
not stored properly, the medicine
may expire well before the expiry
date.
Cold — 2-8°c
Cool — 8-25°c
Room temp. — Temperature
prevailing in a working area
Warm — 30-40°c
96
Excessive heat — above 40°c
Valium (Diazepam) — do not store
above 30°c
Ointments should be kept below
30°c. Do not freeze.
Protection from freezing
It is indicated where there is a risk
of breaking the container or where
freezing leads to loss of strength or
potency.
Not to be refrigerated
For example, soft gelatin capsules
should not be refrigerated.
Protection from light
Store in a dark cupboard or use a
light-resistant container.
Physicians sample — not to be
sold
The label of sample drugs should
display this. Sample drugs are not
meant for sale.
Dosage as directed by the
physician
The dose of a drug or the time
interval between the doses is never
increased or decreased unless
directed by the physician. In most
situations, drugs are administered
in such a way as to maintain a
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
steady state of drug in the body.
The extent to which patients follow
the instructions of doctor on
medicine is called adherence or
compliance.
It is often found that the patients
do not follow or fail the dosage
schedule prescribed for them. Non-
adherence can worsen the quality
of life.
For example, missed doses of
medicines of heart problems may
lead to more complications.
In the case of antibiotic therapy,
missed doses of medicines is not
only the problem of individual
patients but is a global threat, as it
leads to sub-therapeutic exposure of
these medicines.
The drug becomes ineffective at
the moment and also ineffective
permanently due to the development
of new strains of bacteria which is
capable of drug resistance. The
result is new powerful drugs have to
be developed and introduced to get
the germ-killing effect.
Thus, try to develop a habit to
observe the label of each and every
drug.
That will help you in proper
usage and storage of drugs. If any
doubt arises, ask your pharmacist
for help. We
 DBS Q U I Z
Tear this page along the perforated line and send it to the under mentioned address. Winner will be announced in the August issue.

Q1 Do you think about him/her

everyday?
a. Yes
b. Not sure
c. Maybe
d. No

Q
2
Do you notice when he/she enters
the room?
a. Maybe
b. Not sure
c. Yes

?
d. No

HAVE YOU
Answer
FOUND LOVE
the questions win a
&
grand prize... This quiz will help you to decide if you
have found that special someone!
Make sure you are honest and answer
all questions. Good luck!

3
lucky
winners will S elected entries will be published in the
forthcoming issue of Woman’s era. Look out
get the for the 31 July 2009 issue
book
L ast date for sending entries: 15 July 2009
Attach a photograph of your friend for a better
chance of featuring in Woman’s era
Valued M.R.P $ 15

DELHI BOOK STORE

19-Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi.
For on line shopping: www.delhibookstore.com

QS hort
uiz
✂

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 Drink Safely
These water
dispensers and
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 SPENDING
ndia is shining. But some of the

I
shine is also due to the
conspicuous spending of its
people. Let’s face it today,
earning money is not difficult but
keeping it, is. Corporate India
seems to be celebrating all Indian
festivals for us in the form of
promotional sales. You want to
buy a watch and it seems as if
there is a new brand opening shop
in town every minute. We now seem
to have the time and money to
indulge in exotica, rejuvenation and
beauty therapy. Yoga no longer
belongs to ancient India; it is
reinvented and imported from the
West. If you celebrate only birthdays The bottom line is – it is unwise
and anniversaries, you are bracketed not to spend; rather unwise to spend.
as old-fashioned. Is there a via-media? Definitely, yes.
But all does not end well that Let’s all learn it, spending without
begins well. At the end of the regret. Here’s how:
spending spree, one discovers that
the resources are finite, but the Have an annual recurring
choices are infinite. deposit for spending: Put aside a

102 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009


WITHOUT REGRETsale
fixed sum, roughly, 10-25 per cent of
your gross earnings in a recurring
deposit with a bank for a year. The
maturity of the deposit should
coincide with a festival or an
occasion you wish to celebrate. The
advantages are many.
You are able to time your
purchases when most promotional
sales are on offer. You are able to
curb impulsive buying. You have a
budget for spending. All the members
of your family get adequate allocation
and most of the wish list gets
trimmed down to must-buys only.
My cousin, Chandan, 20-
something and working
in a BPO used to find
himself broke
after every
two months.
Not any more.
He is putting
aside Rs 15,000 per
month on a yearly
deposit to coincide with Diwali. All
through the year, he makes a list of
things he wants to buy. Surprisingly,
at Diwali, his list was trimmed to the
most essentials and Rs 1,80,000
available on hand helps him buy the
expensive watch and luxury holiday
which he thought he could never buy
on his salary.
Cut your loans to the present:
Loans have their uses but, most
often, people factor in a future value
when they make decisions on capital
investments like home, vehicle,
insurance, etc, which result in
repayment obligations which are
heavy on your earnings
leaving no funds for
simple luxuries.
The
suggestion is to
invest in capital
to suit your
requirements for the
Always live
within your means.
Provide basic needs
to your dependents,
besides putting
aside a fixed sum in
a recurring deposit
with a bank to
safeguard your
future.
By C A A K Shyamala
Shenoy
Visit a
twice:
Sales are advertised almost
every day. The offers are more or
less the same all through the year
but the attraction remains. The
suggestion is, not to make
purchases on the first visit.
Purchase only on your second
visit. It is worth the trip, the reason
being most visit the sales counter
out of curiosity or as an evening
outing. But we end up making
unplanned purchases based on
momentary attraction. Only if
something is worth a purchase, we
feel motivated to make a second
visit.
Gowri attended a new jeweller’s
shop inauguration just as an outing
with her sister. She ended up
buying a diamond pendant worth
half a lakh of rupees and felt guilty
about the impulsive purchase for
weeks thereafter. Not that she
cannot afford it. But the question
remains: “was it worth the buy?”
 present. You can top up on the asset
as you progress in life. The funds
released will help you to be
comfortably well off in the present.
Rahul and Sneha purchased a
one-bedroom apartment in their 20s.
By their mid-30s, they were earning
10 times more. They sold their
apartment to purchase a more
spacious one. Another decade later,
their income sustained the purchase
of an independent bungalow. All
through, they enjoyed comfortable
living with money to buy not only their
basic needs but also some luxuries
required to make life worth living.
Go easy on stress-relievers:
True, there are umpteen stress-
buster therapies available today. But
the stress doesn’t get bust in a three-
day retreat at some luxury Ayurveda
centre or spa. Similarly, beauty
miracles don’t happen by applying
expensive beauty potions alone. It is
better to get a product which is good
and not what caters to your fantasies
and desires.
RELAXATION, Relaxation, stress, rejuvenation
STRESS, require an attitudinal change which
comes with effort over a long period
REJUVENATION of time and cannot be bought over
REQUIRE AN the counter as we wish to.
An expensive moisturiser called
ATTITUDINAL ‘happiness’ cannot make the skin
CHANGE WHICH look happy as promised at the end
COMES WITH
EFFORT OVER A
LONG PERIOD OF
TIME AND
CANNOT BE
BOUGHT OVER
THE COUNTER AS
WE WISH TO.
104 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
of a tiring day. If your idea of
relaxation is lazing around, then why
travel 1,000 km to a luxury resort? It
is better to check in at a far more
luxurious hotel in your own city/town
and enjoy three days of luxuriating in
the room!
Think of people back home:
Next time you find it difficult to make
do without the latest mobile, think of
your parents, your home town and
life 15 years ago. Most of us come
from humble middle-class
backgrounds, not so far back in time.
My father got married at 24 and his
salary of Rs 4,000 was used to make
a home for two and later four
persons. There was no alternative
and never once did he think how he
could have enjoyed life if he were
alone. The present generation is
lucky in as much as it has the
freedom to indulge. Still, be grateful
and remember your roots. You may
still buy the mobile but you will start
having a clear perspective about
what it is – sheer indulgence and not
a basic necessity.
Provide for children, old people:
Vikram Seth was a big spender. He
wanted to enjoy a good life and didn’t
hesitate to spend to acquire one.
Playing recklessly, in the stock
market was his passion. Needless to
say, he was broke in a few years.
With three schoolkids, his family had
to scale down their luxurious lifestyle
overnight. However, one good thing
Vikram did was to put aside Rs 200
per month in a post office account in
the name of each of his children.
Little did they know that it was this
money which helped his children
complete their education at least.
It is advisable to provide the basic
needs of the dependents like children
and old people and never postpone it
to the future, no matter what your
current financial standing is. Follow
the rule: fulfil their needs and not
greed. Put aside emotions and
desires, impartially assess what are
the basic requirements of your
dependents. Once your obligations
take care of them, you feel free and,
yes, enjoy spending on yourself. We
 “Is this
Shanta’s Daughter”
Free yourself from colour prejudice. Be proud of whatever complexion you have,
as the beauty creams do not really affect your personality.
By Kasturi Rangachari

T
he first time I remember the words being instinctive disappointed reaction.
spoken was when I was about four and I was a very loved and pampered child and my
had come to my grandmother’s for a family was educated, enlightened and broad-
holiday. I was the much-loved only minded. The talk in my home was mostly about
granddaughter of the house and, one day, books, literature, politics and the world and no one
one of my aunts who was a doctor decided ever mentioned colour as an important part of looks
to take me with her when she went to make or personality. In fact, I grew up knowing that my
a house call on a patient who lived nearby. family thought that I was lovable and attractive.
My aunt was a well-known and popular

B
figure in the area and as we walked along, ut though this should have made me a self-
she told me that she’d introduce me to people she confident individual, at some level deep inside
knew. “Say namaste politely,” she said with mock me, the words I had heard repeatedly as a
sternness. I nodded and she smiled and held my child had wounded me and left me self-conscious
hand proudly and lovingly as we walked along. and lacking in confidence. By the time I got to
She stopped when she saw a woman standing in college, I hated to dress up, could never believe that
the verandah of her home. “Hello, Padma,” she any compliments I got were genuine, had made a
called out. “Remember my sister, Shanta? This is her habit of cracking jokes against myself and had a
daughter!” disproportionate admiration for good looks in
The woman looked at me and I raised others. And this, when I was a good
my folded hands in a namaste. student, had a large circle of friends and
“Is this Shantha’s daughter?” the They all got was on the university debating and
woman said disbelievingly. an unpleasant athletics teams.
I didn’t understand her words then surprise when In other words, I had become a victim
though I did understand that my aunt was they saw me of Indian colour prejudices and had
furious with her and so I instinctively knew because I was grown up to be the kind of woman the
that the words were disparaging. But, over the dark fairness cream ads targeted! And this, in
the years, as I heard the words repeated daughter of a spite of my educated background and the
by neighbours, friends and not-so-close very fair attempts of my family to ensure that I grew
relatives whom I met for the first time when mother and up with a strong sense of self-worth!
we came to Chennai on one of our annual the words The ads for fairness creams for women
holidays, I got the message. They all got were their provoked a lot of indignation when they
an unpleasant surprise when they saw me instinctive first appeared. In the ads, young girls
because I was the dark daughter of a very disappointed were shown as total losers when they were
fair mother and the words were their reaction. dark. They couldn’t get jobs, weren’t

106 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

supposed to have dreams, were rejected by men
and totally lacked self-confidence – but just a few
weeks with a fairness cream changed all that. They
became beautiful, self-confident winners. What was
even more unacceptable for activists for women’s
rights was that when the man who had rejected the
girl, now “accepted” her, she didn’t tell him to take
a hike, but smiled coyly and melted into his arms.
W
omen’s organisations tried to get the ads
banned and when that failed, they tried to
get women to spurn the creams. But, though
activists vociferously denounced both the ads and
the unshakable conviction of Indian men that only a
woman with a fair skin was beautiful in talk shows
and articles, that did not prevent Fair and Lovely
from becoming the largest-selling face cream in the
world, even though it is sold only in the
subcontinent.
Some of the wind was taken out of the sails of
these critics when fairness creams for men appeared
on the market and it was suggested with a good-
humoured titter that men had been closet users of
women’s fairness creams all this time. In the ads,
icons like South Indian actor Surya and Bollywood’s
Sharukh Khan told men that it was okay for them to
openly buy and use a fairness cream but stressed
that it should be one specially formulated for them.
But the appearance of a man’s fairness cream
completely changes the
scenario relating to
colour. This proves that
SHORT
STORY
the demand for fairness is not a gender
issue that works against women and
devalues them. It goes much deeper than
that and reveals the fact that, somehow, for
some reason, Indians have this disgust for
skins that are the “Indian” colour of brown,
and a great admiration for and obsession
with white ones.
Where does it come from, this hunger for
a light-coloured skin? It is not a
phenomenon that is worldwide because
people in the West dislike looking pale and
spend fortunes to get a tan. There the words
“dark” and “fair” are used to denote hair colour. So
a “fair” woman is one with blonde hair and a
“dark” one is one with dark brown or black hair.
Perhaps the answer lies in our history. The
original inhabitants of India were the Dravidians
who were dark-skinned. But the successive waves of
invaders who pushed the Dravidians further and
further south were all fair-skinned. There were the
Aryans from the area around the Caspian Sea – also
Timur the Lame and his hordes from Central Asia,
Chengiz Khan and his army from Mongolia and
Alexander from Macedonia.
Since the vanquished always like to associate
themselves with the conquerors, the visible sign of
their “superiority”, their fair skins, became
something that was envied.
A
nother theory revolves around the concept of
social status. The rich did not have to toil in the
sun and so were fairer than the people of
lower status who could not hide from the sun and
were therefore dark. So, in hot countries, people
with fair skins were more respected than those with
dark skins. But rich people in the cold West could lie
around without working, sunning themselves like
lizards and they got tans. So people with dark skins
were respected there and this is perhaps why tans
are still considered desirable among whites.
And in China, it did not have anything to do with
skin colour. Rich mandarins who did not have to
work grew their nails enormously long and thus
exhibited their social and financial status to the
world. So too did families that bound up the feet of
their women. These women needed to be carried by
slaves or in palanquins, thus proving their high
position in society through the fact that they did not
have to work and could afford people to carry them.
Poor people did not bind the feet of their girls; they
Even having dark skin, she looks
attractive with sharp features.
were needed to work in their fields and homes.
And then of course, there is the matter of our
having been conquered and colonised by the British.
Our colonial masters were white and English was
the language in which they conducted their business.
So we learnt English and craved white skins.
about her features?” I asked cautiously.
“What do features matter?” was the bewildered
response.
On the other hand, about dark women whose
allure cannot be denied, people say regretfully, “If
only she were fair she’d be really beautiful!” or
condescendingly, “She’s dark but quite good-

I
n our own culture, our much-loved gods, Ram and looking.”
Krishna, are both dark and so is the powerful But fair is going to continue to be synonymous
goddess, Kali. But in spite of this, white is with attraction for many for a long time to come, just
associated in our culture with purity while black is as slim and shapely are. There is nothing we can do
associated with evil and sin. This is true of many about people having these stereotypes in their
other cultures too and so angels, nuns minds. And in a way we must be
and brides traditionally wear white, appreciative about fairness creams and ads
while money earned through criminal
Am I for them as they have brought these deep-
activities, the market which deals in Shanta’s rooted desires out into the open and
illegal goods, the mark that goes against daughter? legitimised them.
you in your record when you do not Yes, I am But parents must guard against their sons
perform satisfactorily and the prison to and daughters getting complexes about
which criminals were sent in British times and I’m being dark. They may not be able to
were black money, the black market, a proud of it completely stop the outer world from getting
black mark and across the kala pani. just as my in and affecting them, but at least they, and
Whatever the reason, the desire to be mother was in fact all adults, can educate themselves to
fair is deeply rooted in our psyches and avoid making insensitive comments that hurt
is unlikely to disappear any time soon. I proud of me and cause lifelong regrets and complexes.
remember my colleagues in a school in till the day Am I Shanta’s daughter? Yes, I am and
Kolkata extolling the beauty of one of the she died! I’m proud of it just as my mother was proud
students who was very fair. “But what of me till the day she died! We

Wedding suspense
It is 45 years since I got married.
After moving heaven and earth, my
parents had found an alliance for me.
The boy came to ‘see’ me and I
passed the ‘interview’. Surprisingly,
there was absolutely no demand from
their side and everything was left to
our discretion. My parents were in
cloud nine.
On the eve of the great day the
boy and his party were supposed to
arrive at our house. But there was no
sign of them till 8 p.m. They lived
70 miles away and there was no way
to contact them as phone services
were not popular then. Imagine the
mental state of my parents!
My mother made a hue and cry
thinking that the seemingly
decent people had cheated us.
Her doubt was doubled as no
betrothal ceremony was done
prior to the marriage.
Finally, my brother-in-law
hired a taxi to the boy’s house and see
what had gone wrong. When he had
travelled some distance, he found to
his relief a van carrying the boy and
his people coming from the opposite
direction. Now he retraced his steps
and returned to our house closely
followed by the van. By this time, it
was 9 p.m.
The reason for the delay – the
boy’s eldest brother was a busy doctor,
but still he started early for the
function. At the last minute a patient
came and, not willing to send him back
being a devoted doctor, he attended on
him. Soon after, another followed and
then two more patients. By the time he
disposed of them, it was late. They too
were unable to inform us about the
delay. Now the suspense was over
and the exciting drama came to an
end.
– Savithri Viswanthan, Chennai.
Has something
happened in your
life that has left an
indelible impression on your
mind? And you still remember it
after many years! Why not cherish
those moments again? All published
memorable incidents will be paid Rs
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white foolscap paper and send it to:
MUSINGS/MEMORIES
E-3 Jhandewala Estate, New Delhi-110055.
Womansera.com
Name:
Mobile:
E-mail:

108 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

 “I WAS AFRAID
I WOULD HARM
MY NEWBORN
BABY!"
Acute postpartum depression (PPD)
in a mother could result in a baby
being badly neglected or even
ill-treated. But, first, what is this
condition that makes women feel
emotionally untouched by their own
babies as they drown in a sea
of black depression?
By Kasturi Rangachari
e are fond of saying

W
sentimentally that a
woman feels really
fulfilled only after she
has a baby. That only
when she holds her
bundle of joy in her
arms does she
understand what it
really means to be a
woman. But, emotion aside,
pregnancy and childbirth result in a
complex mix of physical, hormonal,
emotional and behavioural changes
taking place in a woman and this
whole package can affect her in
various ways at different times.
During pregnancy, for example, she
could sometimes feel excited, full of
energy and deliriously happy, but at
other times, she could also have
headaches and feel overwhelmed,
tired and flustered.
Going through labour and
successfully giving birth to a child
invariably makes a woman feel that
she has done something marvellous
and she cannot stop smiling. Later,
the world intrudes and so does worry
at the responsibilities that have now
fallen on her shoulders. This worry
makes 90 per cent of mothers
depressed and fearful but, as they
begin to cope with baby-care, this
depression disappears. Yet, for about
a quarter of the new mothers, the
depression persists for some weeks
and they need help in both, caring for
their babies and in coming to terms
with their feelings. This help is
usually provided by their families.
NEGATIVE FEELINGS
And, occasionally (in about 0.2 per
cent of the cases), the mother's
negative feelings are so strong that
she feels as if the world around her is
all black and that she is drowning in a
sea of depression. She feels unable
to move and is unwilling to care for
her baby because she feels no
emotional bond with it.
In some cases, she does not even
want to feed or touch the baby. Since
this depression occurs after birth (or
postpartum), it is called postpartum
depression (PPD) or peripartum
depression. Very occasionally,
usually in very severe cases, the
physical and emotional symptoms of
acute depression manifest
themselves even before the delivery.
PPD may appear within a few
days of giving birth or may manifest
itself more slowly, reaching its acute
stage months after the woman has
given birth. It may last from a few
weeks to more than a year.
The mild version is often called
"having the baby blues”. The new
mother has mood swings — she
goes from feeling on top of the world
to suddenly beginning to cry. She
often feels depressed, is unable to
concentrate on anything, loses her
appetite and is unable to sleep
soundly. These symptoms start a few
days after delivery and last about a
week.
Many of us women have gone
through this without thinking that this
is a symptom of some disorder. We
just think that we are overwhelmed
by the responsibility that is suddenly
on us. In fact, having the blues is
considered a normal part of early
motherhood and the negative
feelings that it entails usually go
away within a fortnight of delivery.
But women suffering not from "baby
blues" but real PPD, have more
symptoms – or symptoms that last
longer. For them, the mild sensation
of feeling low that “being blue”
entails, turns into actual depression.
But few people recognise and
understand this depression. The
woman is told — in a bracing tone —
that she should stop pampering
herself. She should be grateful that
she has such a beautiful baby and
she should snap out of her bad
mood. In other words, she is made
to feel that she is being self-indulgent
and selfish and hardly anyone palpitations. I also constantly felt
understands that her feelings are out depressed, but I thought that the
of her control. depression was because of my
What causes PPD? Doctors aren't physical problems. After all, both my
sure, but they think that it is probably husband and I were thrilled to be
due to fluctuating hormonal levels. having a baby. We had waited six
Again, why hormonal fluctuations long years after marriage for this
take place more in some women and wonderful event!
less or not at all in others is a
question that doctors cannot answer.
But they have seen that, once THE MEDICINES
hormonal levels settle down at "My doctor gave me medicines for
normal, pre-pregnancy levels, the my nausea and sleeplessness.
depression goes away. Nothing really worked, but I didn't
This means that PPD can be really mind. After all, I would soon be
treated — with antidepressants and holding my baby in my arms, so all
hormones. But the treatment doesn't the strain and discomfort I was
always work well and the experiencing were worth
real cure is when the body it!
suddenly decides to snap PPD may appear "My doctor advised a
out of it and come back to within a few days Caesarean because I was
normal. of giving birth or weak and so I didn't go
And now, a woman may manifest through the labour pains
who does not wish to be of a normal delivery. I was
itself more
named, tells us about her sorry that I would not be
experience with severe
slowly, reaching having that experience,
PPD. Let's call her its acute stage but I was also slightly
Revathy and hear what months after the relieved. I knew that I was
she has to say. woman has weak and I didn't want to
"It was my first baby given birth. endanger my baby in any
and I had a difficult It may last from way. And Nikhil was born
pregnancy. I had morning a few weeks at 9 am on a bright and
sickness for nearly seven to more than a beautiful Monday morning.
months, could not sleep "When I regained
year.
soundly at night and had consciousness after the
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 111
Caesarean-section and held my baby
in my arms, I felt filled with so much
love that I myself was stunned. All
around me were people — my
husband, my parents, my brother and
sister-in-law and my in-laws — who
were as happy as I was. But, after all
my visitors had left and the baby had
been taken away to the nursery, I
found myself unable to sleep. I was
just too excited, I told myself. But I
was also slightly worried. I needed
my sleep now that I had a baby to
look after!
"I went home to my parents' home
after a week from the nursing home.
By then I was tense and worried
because I had hardly been sleeping
at night all that week. 'Don't worry,'
my mother said consolingly. ‘I and
your bhabhi will look after the baby.
You just take rest and get your health
back.'
"But I could neither help in taking
care of the baby nor take rest. This
was because I began to suffer from
tremors, chest pain, dizziness and
headaches. The worst part of it was
that my insomnia worsened and I
hardly slept. I would toss and turn the
whole night, but when my baby cried,
I would not be able to drag myself
out of bed and go to tend to him. I
would just lie and wait till either my
mother or sister-in-law got up and
brought him to me to feed.
NEED TO FEED THE BABY
"I knew that I had to feed my
baby, but I had to force myself to do
so. My nipples were tender and it
was painful when Nikhil suckled. But
worse than that was the fact that I
felt nauseous as soon as he began to
feed. It was as if I didn't want to feed
him! I felt so terrible about this that I
didn't tell even my mother about how
I felt. I just grit my teeth and fed the
baby. My mother called my doctor
and told her that I was not able to
sleep and the doctor prescribed
sleeping pills for me. I took them but
they hardly helped.
"A week passed and then another.
My condition deteriorated and I felt
worse and worse. Noise began to
upset me, even the normal sounds of
112
conversation and of vehicles passing
on the road outside. I shut the door to
my room, drew the curtains and
asked that no one come in. I didn't
feel hungry at all. My mother
repeatedly told me that I needed to
eat to be able to feed Nikhil, but the
sight of food sickened me. In my
heart of hearts I wished that I would
become so weak that I wouldn't be
expected to feed my baby!
"My depression worsened too.
And my attitude to Nikhil became
worse. I just didn't want to hold him,
feed him, rock him to sleep or have
anything to do with him! If I was
forced to — when my mother and
sister-in-law were both busy with
housework, for instance — I would
feel like throwing him down. I began
to be frightened. Would I harm my
baby one day?
"I began to dread the times when
Nikhil would be brought to me to be
fed. At the same time, I began to find
my own behaviour bizarre and
unnatural. My depression worsened
and I also began to ask myself if I
was abnormal. If I wasn't, why did I
not want to feed or hold the child I
had so eagerly awaited? Was I going
mad?
"I went for my routine check-ups. I
told the doctor about my physical
problems — the headaches, the
dizziness, the loss of appetite, the
constant tiredness and the
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
occasional chest pains — but she did
not take them seriously. She just said
that I was taking longer than most
new mothers to recover from the birth
of the baby. She then prescribed
some tonics and supplements and
told me to force myself to eat. I came
home from these visits feeling
desperate and guilty.
“I wondered why I hadn't told the
doctor about my emotional
disturbances. But I knew the answer.
It was because I felt ashamed about
my negative feelings for my baby!
They proved that I wasn't a normal
woman!
CONDITION WORSENS
"Over the next month, my
condition worsened. My parents
began to get more and more worried.
By this time, they had realised that I
was not just suffering from weakness.
They thought that I was having some
sort of nervous breakdown, but they
could not understand why.
"My husband had gone abroad
soon after Nikhil's birth. He returned
and was shocked to see me looking
so weak and behaving so
abnormally. My parents hadn't told
him anything when he phoned us
because they didn't want to worry
him. I myself had told him that I was
not able to sleep and that, because of
that, I got headaches and felt weak.
But I would always end by saying that
Nikhil was fine and that he should not
worry.
"My husband insisted on taking
me to see another doctor. That
doctor too said the same thing – that
I was just recovering from the birth
of my child more slowly than women
usually did. She prescribed more
medicines — tonics, sleeping pills and
the like — but, again, nothing helped.
"Then my husband suggested that
I go to stay with my in-laws (they stay
in a nearby town while my husband
works in the town in which my
parents live) for some time. 'A
change of scene could help,' he said.
My parents agreed and a day or two
later, my husband and I left with
Nikhil for my in-laws' home.
"It was the same story there. I
could not eat or sleep, my hands
trembled and I had attacks of
dizziness. Severe headaches
prostrated me frequently. And I
continued to be indifferent to Nikhil
and feel restless and have tremors if I
had to hold him for long. My in-laws
live in a big and close joint family and
so there were plenty of people to help
me with Nikhil. But my husband soon
noticed my reluctance to hold Nikhil
and, one day, he suggested that we
consult a psychiatrist.
"I remember looking at him when
he said this and then looking down
in shame. 'There's nothing to be
ashamed of in going to a
psychiatrist,' he said soothingly.
"My mother-in-law came with us
when we went. She too felt that
something was seriously wrong with
me and was worried.
"It was that day that I heard the
term 'postpartum depression' for the
first time. The psychiatrist had to
explain what the term meant to us
and all were stunned. Even my
mother-in-law with half a century's
experience with pregnancy and
childbirth had never heard of
anything like it. 'Yes, some women
become panicky, aren't able to sleep
and are down in the dumps and
worried for some time, but they snap
out of it in a few weeks,' she told the
doctor. 'But it comes as a shock that
this is some sort of disorder and that
my daughter-in-law is suffering from
a severe form of PPD!'
THE RELIEF
"I can't express in words the relief
I felt when the psychiatrist gave my
problem a name and told me that I
was in no way abnormal, that I
certainly didn't hate my baby and that
I would definitely get better. 'Actually,
there is no treatment as such for
postpartum depression,' she told us.
'We prescribe antidepressants,
sleeping pills and, occasionally,
hormones, but these are just to help
you cope with the symptoms. PPD
just disappears by itself. Till then, the
patient needs to be helped with baby
care.'
"I began taking antidepressants
the same day and it was decided that began to do all the housework and
I would stay on with my in-laws till I look after Nikhil as well. I was still on
felt better. My husband would go anti-depressants and still felt
home to our little flat in the town in exhausted by the end of the day, but
which my parents lived, but he would I was almost completely back to
come to see me every weekend. being my pre-pregnancy self.
"The antidepressants helped, but
my symptoms continued, though in a
less severe form. I had stopped
KNOW POSTPARTUM
feeding Nikhil by now and my in-laws DEPRESSION
looked after him almost completely. "I would not have gone through so
Perhaps, they thought that I might do much trauma if I and the people
him some harm, but I felt only relief around me had been aware of what
that I didn't have to hold the baby or PPD was. Somehow, the disorder
do anything for him. The months just hasn't been received much
passed. Nikhil stood up and then attention from doctors or the media.
began to walk and his first birthday Even in the West, people were
was just around the corner. shocked when celebrity Brooke
"And then, I slowly began to see Shields went public with her own
signs of improvement. I felt less tired struggle with postpartum depression
and began to sleep soundly for a few because most of them hadn't heard
hours every night. And then, one day, of it. Many accused her of just being
I woke up in the morning and realised a spoilt attention-seeker! In India, too,
that I had slept through the night! I the public needs to be educated on
felt so light-hearted and full of this disorder."
energy! As I lay in bed Revathy went through
smiling to myself, I heard a traumatic experience,
a bumping noise and
It is important but she was lucky in that
Nikhil began to cry in the that women she had people who
next room. Perhaps he suffering from stood by her and helped
had fallen down, I PPD realise that her through her ordeal.
thought. it is an illness Imagine what would have
"I lay there waiting for like any other. happened if she had been
someone to come and They are not by herself or if her
pick the baby up. But no responsible for husband, in-laws and
one came and Nikhil
their condition in others had been less
continued to cry. I supportive!
suddenly sat up, swung
any way. So they
my legs off the bed and should not feel
got up. Then I walked into guilty about their
the next room and picked emotions and
my son up and rocked actions.
him in my arms. 'Ssshhh,
baby,' I whispered to him. 'It's
okay! Mummy is here to look
after you!'
"I heard a noise at the
door and turned. My
mother-in-law stood there,
smiling at me. There
were tears in her eyes
— and in mine!
"From that day,
I began to
improve rapidly.
A month later, I
went back to my
own home and
 FACTS ABOUT PPD
● An illness: It is important that
women suffering from PPD realise
that it is an illness like any other.
They are not responsible for their
condition in any way. So they should
not feel guilty about their emotions
and actions.
● Symptoms: If women suffering
from a PPD suffer from loss of
appetite, either insomnia or sleeping
more than usual, loss of interest in
life, lowered energy levels, lack of
motivation to work, crying bouts,
lowered levels of self-confidence, an
overwhelming sense of
hopelessness, guilt, disinterest in the
baby and worry about hurting it, panic
attacks, constantly feeling worried,
quick and unexplained weight loss or
gain and they sometimes feel
suicidal.
● Can start at any time: Though
for most victims of PPD, the symp-
toms begin soon after childbirth, for
some others they start some weeks
or even months later. Occasionally,
they start even before the baby is born.
● Who is at risk of getting
PPD? Though any woman can get it,
some are more at risk than others.
These include those who do not have
happy marriages or family members
to whom they are close to and to
whom they can talk freely. Women
who suffer from severe premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) are also at higher
risk because they already have
hormonal problems. Women who
have suffered from PPD after the
birth of earlier children or who have
suffered from depression earlier in
life are also at higher risk. Stressful
events like a divorce, the death of a
close relative or friend, etc, also
increase risk. More first-time mothers
get it than women who have already
gone through the ordeal of childbirth.
● Causes: The exact causes
aren't yet known. But it is thought that
the hormonal changes that take place
during pregnancy and childbirth
produce chemical changes in the
brain and that these cause the basic
depression that causes all the other
symptoms of PPD.
● Duration: PPD can continue
114
from the period of a week or so to
some months and to even more than
a year.
● Treatment: PPD can be
treated with therapy or medicines.
Just talking to a person who has
herself suffered from the condition
can also help. If you are breast-
feeding, you should tell the doctor
this if she prescribes anti-
depressants for you.
If you find yourself suffering
from PPD: If tell yourself that you are
not the first and will not be the last to
suffer in this fashion. You do not hate
your baby and you are not going
mad. So do not keep quiet because
you feel guilty. Talk to someone you
trust about your feelings and
symptoms. If yours is a severe case,
you need to see a doctor or
psychiatrist immediately. If yours is
not a severe case, you still mustn't
take it too lightly.
Explain the situation to your
husband and ask him to help you
with the housework and baby till you
regain your energy. Get yourself
domestic help/nanny or ask a relative
to come and help you for a while.
Take your mind off your problems by
reading, exercising, going for walks,
meditating, etc. Above all, tell
HOW THE STOCK MARKET WORKS
nce upon a time in a place
O overrun with monkeys, a man
appeared and annou n ced to the
villagers that he would buy monkeys
for $10 each. The villagers, seeing
that there were many monkeys
around, went out to the forest and
started catching them. The man
bought thousands at $10 each and
as supply started to diminish, they
became harder to catch, so the
villagers stopped their effort.
The man then announced that he
would now pay $20 for each one.
This renewed the efforts of the
villagers and they started catching
monkeys again. But soon the supply
diminished even further and they
were even harder to catch, so
people started going back to their
farms and forgot about monkey
catching. The man raised his price
to $25 each and the supply of
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
yourself repeatedly that you are
going through something that is quite
normal for a woman. You're, after all,
trying to come to terms with
something overwhelming — being
totally responsible for another human
being. And, if your body doesn't
cooperate with you, things can
become a little too much to cope with
for a while.
An interesting titbit of
information: Recent research has
shown that after becoming fathers
men too have a tendency to suffer
from depression and symptoms
similar to those which a woman with
PPD suffers from. This is usually
caused by the pressures of increased
responsibility, increased
expectations, decreased sleep,
worry, confusion about what being a
father means, the upheaval that a
baby brings about in a home and an
increased burden of work if the
mother suffers from PPD.
There are no hormonal and
chemical changes involved here, but
the depression and other symptoms
bear witness to the fact that men too
are vulnerable at this time. So,
perhaps, it makes sense that a man
too should be given "paternity leave"
after his wife gives birth to a child! We
monkeys became so sparse that it
was an effort to even see a monkey.
The man now announced that he
would buy monkeys for $50! How-
ever, since he had to go to the city
on some business, his assistant
would now buy on his behalf.
While the man was away the
assistant told the villagers, “Look at
all these monkeys in the big cage
that the man has bought. I will sell
them to you at $35 each and when
the man returns from the city, you
can sell them to him for $50 each.”
The villagers rounded up all their
savings and bought all the monkeys.
They never saw the man or his
assistant again and once again
there were monkeys everywhere.
Now you have a better under -
standing of how the stock market
works!
– Janakiraman Kuppuswamy
 APPETISING
PREPARATIONS
These dishes are easy to make and very tasteful. By Sree Nidhi

BREAD ROLLS
INGREDIENTS:
4 bread slices
1 cup channa dal
1/ cup paneer grated
2
2 tbsp coriander leaves
3 green chillies
oil for frying
salt to taste
METHOD
Wash and soak the channa dal
for 2 hours. Grind the gram dal
into a paste. Soak the bread
slices in water. Add soaked bread
slices, paneer, coriander leaves,
chopped green chillies and salt.
Mix well.
Make rolls out of the mixture.
PAPAYA SALAD salt to taste
chat masala to taste
Deep-fry the rolls in heated oil. INGREDIENTS: METHOD
1/ cup diced papaya
2 Roast all the grains without oil.
1/ cup diced mango Add salt and chat masala.
2
1/ cup diced kiwi Store in airtight container. Take
2
1/ cup strawberries, chopped one handful everyday at snack
4
1/ tsp sugar time.
2
1/ tsp salt
2
2 tbsp lemon juice
Suggested Breakfast Options
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves South Indian:
1. Idly - 3 nos + veg sambar or veg
METHOD chutney
Mix all the ingredients and 2. Ragi adai - 2 nos with veg
serve chilled. chutney
3. Vegetable dosa - 3 nos with
sambar

HEALTHY North Indian:

1. Paratas - 2 nos with veg subji

SNACK 2. Pohh - 2 cups with vegetables

Continental:
INGREDIENTS: 1. Wheat flakes - 1/2 cups with 1
cup milk + 1 fruit
1 cup red aval
2. Oats - 2 glasses + 1 slice wheat
1 cup Bengal gram dal bread + 2 egg white
1 cup baby popcorn
 LOUISIANA
& SOUTHERN
COOKING!
American food conjures up memories of
burgers and hot dogs. Here are some yummy bites –
especially when made at home! By Dueep Jyot Singh
SOUTHERN
hen I was in New 1 tsp paprika

W
Orleans, I was fortunate 1 cup flour
to live with a hostess
who did not bother FRIED CHICKEN 1/ litre cooking oil
2
1/ cup lemon juice
much if I poked around (sometimes masquerading as 4
in the kitchen when she Kentucky fried chicken in India) 2 tsp salt
was cooking. So, INGREDIENTS: METHOD
naturally, any dish I 1 kilo chicken cut into pieces Mix water and milk. Cut chicken
liked had to be tried out 1/ cup creamy milk
2 and dip in the liquid. Put dry
my own way when I 1/ cup water
2 ingredients in a paper bag. Heat the
came back to India.
1/ tsp pepper oil in a heavy frying pan. It should be
Here are some of my favourites. 2
nearly smoking. (If by chance it
happens to catch fire, you can
extinguish it with salt!)
Take the chicken from the liquid
and put one piece at a time in the
paper bag. Shake and fry. Brown both
sides and then lower the flame, add
the liquid and cook it for 40 minutes
with the lid on tight. Remove the lid
and increase the heat before serving
to crisp the chicken. The chicken has
to be turned once during cooking.
Don't use a fork because it might
break the crisp layer. Use tongs.
The mayonnaise used was also
traditional.
Beat eggs up well. Add half a cup
of sugar and half a teaspoon of
mustard, 1 cup cream, half cup of
vinegar to the eggs. Add vinegar very
slowly, beating all the while. Cook this
into a double boiler. Now, many
people have double boilers, so just fill

94 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

one huge utensil with water, put the
other smaller completely covered
utensil in it, and then cover the whole
with a lid. Simmer the mayonnaise;
make sure that it does not boil. Cook
it for about 25 minutes, or until the
mayonnaise reaches a creamy
consistency. Add half a teaspoon of
salt when the mixture cools down.

LOUISIANA
CHEESE
FONDUE
This is a very simple dish for
anyone who likes cheese.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup milk
3 slices of bread
250 gm cheese
1 tbsp butter
3 eggs
1/ tbsp salt
2
(I also added diced ham/chicken
slivers because I enjoy adding a
little bit of non-vegetarian but
these are optional)
METHOD
Heat the milk and pour it over the
crumbled bread. Add diced cheese,
meat (optional), melted butter, salt,
and egg yolks. Beat the egg whites
up until they are stiff and then fold
them in. Pour this into a greased
casserole and bake it, uncovered for
25-30 minutes in an oven at 350o.
Melissa, my hostess, took me and
my cousin, Milan, to a hotel, where
we wanted to show off a little, and
ordered something which I thought
was very stylish, lobster thermidor.
The bill was very stylish too – it
made me whistle in amazement! But
anybody can make it easily and better
than what we had in a stylish
restaurant!
LOBSTER
THERMIDOR
INGREDIENTS:
250 gm fresh mushrooms
1 tbsp butter until they are pale yellow. Mix with the
1/ cup milk soup which should not be diluted. Add
4
1 cane frozen condensed cream the rest of the ingredients. Pour them
all into a baking dish, spread the
of lobster soup
cheese on the top and bake for 15
1 cane lobster minutes at 400°F. This is normally a
1/ dry mustard
4 side dish which is eaten with rice or
1 tbsp pimientos toast.
(finely chopped) And to think, people spend oodles
1 pinch of a paprika, pinch of a of dollars or its equivalent in Indian
black pepper rupees to have something which is
grated parmesan cheese supposed to be a part of jet-setting
lifestyles, washed down with
METHOD champagne… hey, I can make it in
I am using canned lobster, my kitchen!
because I have not found fresh One of my favourite dishes it was!
lobster or even packaged lobster
meat in India yet!
Heat the mushrooms in the butter
SOUTHERN
COMBO
I could not believe that okra, which
we call lady’s finger, is an integral part
of this. I thought bhindi was best
eaten fried in masala!
Cut up two small chickens into
bite-size pieces and fry in a frying
pan.
When they are brown, add 250 gm
finely chopped okra,
four large tomatoes, two chopped
onions, salt and pepper. Cover this
with boiling water and simmer on low
flame for three hours.
After three hours, the consistency
will be just like a thick gummy stew,
which is best eaten with rice. We

Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 95

 R. S. Prakash
AANAIVAARI A. Sridhar has assumed
the responsibility for story, screenplay,
dialogue and direction of PRK Movies
Vedappan which features newcomer
Hemanth Kumar in the lead. The two
heroines – Apsara and Nikita are also
fresher Venniradai Moorti, Mahanadhi
Shankar, Muthukalai Balanand,
3 Woman’s Era ● March (First) 2004
Sabitha Anand, Alwa Vasu crane
Monohar, Nellai Siva and Dada
Muthukumar are also in the cast. D.
Mahibalan has cranked the camera.
Nesan is the scorer. The film
sketches the plight of an ordinary
youth who is an ardent fan of a
famous screen star.
3

RAPTAR Media Films ‘ Maddiya
Chennai’ two new faces-Jaivanth
and Ramya Barna in the lead
roles. Maestro Ilayaraja has
scored the music for this flick.
Mahadevan, Shanmugharajan
Charlie and many others are in the
cast. Karthik Raja is the
cameraman. Vivekanand and
Veerasingam have assumed the
responsibility for the screenplay,
dialogue and direction. As the title
suggests, the main plot of the flick
has been woven around the
happenings in the central part of
Chennai.
SREE Gokulam Movies film
Pazhassi Raja is being made in
five languages. The story of
Pazhassi Raja dates back to the
18th century, a period script
penned by M. Vasudevan Nair the
flick has been directed by Hariharan,
the national award-winning film-
maker. The flick has Mammooty in
the lead while Sarath plays this
general, Edachena Kungan,
Nedumudi Venu, Thilagan, Monoj K.
Jayan and Suman are also in the
cast. Ilayaraja has scored the music.
SAMUDIRAKANI who made his
debut as a director proved his calibre
84
as an actor in Subramaniyapuram.
He is back again as a film-maker
through Nadodigal which supposedly
showcases only realism but not
heroism. With a busload of new
faces, Samudirakani had dealt with
the subject of how human beings
react and respond to problems in life.
It is an emotional movie that is set
around the lives of four couples. The
film’s music has been scored by
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
Sundar. C. Babu, while S. R. Kathir is
the cinematographer.
MUTHIRAI has been produced by the
well-known Bollywood film-maker
Vikram Bhat that features Nitin Satya,
Daniel Balaji, Lakshmi Rao, Manjari
Phadnis Kishore, Pon Vannan and
others. Srinath, a former deputy of
the late cinematographer-turned-
filmmaker Jeeva has directed this
fast and racy flick which talks about a
sophisticated, tech-savvy criminal
who befriends a smart con guy. The
screenplay is about their joint-
venture. The film has been shot in
locations at Mauritius. Rakhi Sawant
from Bollywood has rendered an item
number.
VENTAK Prabhu, actor-turned film-
maker is one of the most sought after
director of this decade, having dished
out two big hits-Chennai 600028
and Saroja. Goa is an ongoing
venture being shot in location at
Goa, seems to be going in full
swing. Produced by Ocher Pictures
Productions it is owned by
Soundarya Rajnikanth and features
Jai, Premji, Vaibav, Aravind Akash,
Sampath and many others. Joining
the cast of Goa is the American
actress Julie Fine, a U.S. model by
profession. Yuvan Shankar Raja is
scoring music for the flick.
THE sex-siren Sona has now taken
up a new avtar! She has now
turned a producer with Oodu Machi
Oodu. The flick is expected to be a
commercial potboiler, being written
and directed Jailani. She roped in a
New York based model-cum-singer
named Claudia for the project.
Swetha, a model from Mumbai is
also part of the venture. Michael, a
former Mr Chennai is also a vital
part of the flick. There is yet another
big name associated with the
production. Frederik Wiedmann from
Hollywood is scoring the music for
the film.
ALKA Film Corporation and Media
Zen have jointly made Varnam, the
major portions of which has been
shot in hill zones as Kadaikanal and
 few others, the theme is meant for a
global audience. ‘I am glad the film
is being screened at one of the top
festivals in Asia wherein Danny
Boyle is going to be the head of the
International Festival Jury. The film
features Prasanna and Sneha in the
lead roles besides Emmy and
award-winner John Shea.

WELL-KNOWN lyricist Pa-Vijay who

has established his credentials as a
seasoned lyricist is now playing the
lead role in Gnabagangal which is
said to be memorable tale of love.
The heroine of the film is
Sreedevika. The flick is being
directed by Jeevan. Nizhalgal Ravi
and Chandru are also in the main
cast. One more main aspect of the
film is the musical score of debutant
music director James Vick, who is a
former Keyboard player under the baton of twin-Oscar
winner, A. R. Rahman. We

Moonar. So far no film has been shot within the

confines of Dingukal hill-fortress. S.M. Raju, the director
of Varnam has managed to shoot some portions there.
The story is set around the life of a teenager who learns
about the nuances of life the hard way. Monica,
Sampath, Giri, Ashwatha, Gautham, Vijay, Muthukumar
and Karate Raja are in the main cast. Isaac Thomas
scores the music.

THE 12th Shanghai International Film Festival,

scheduled to be held between 13 June and 21 has
selected Achamundu Achamundu to be screened under
the International Panorama category. According to Arun,
director of the film who has also produced it along with a

Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 85

TAMIL STARS S P E A K !
SCALING NEW HEIGHTS IN TAMIL POP!
arty songs and hip hop albums
P aren’t that common in the Tamil
music scenario (non-filmic). But
times have really changed, thanks to
parties and party-goes. Tamil rap
songs and hip hop albums are no
more uncommon. Such music is
slowly but steadily becoming popular
as proportionately the patronage too
is increasing manifold.
Emcee Jesz, the renowned rapper
from Malaysia who was associated
with Yogi B’s Vallavan album which
proved hugely popular, has not hit
the bull’s eye with his own album in
Tamil, and titled Kavithai Gundar.
The event of launch was punctuated
with glitz and glamour with celebrities
like Shruti Hassan (the chief guest of
the event) and singer Neha Bhasin,
etc. adding pep to the proceedings.
Unlike in other countries, non-film
music isn’t that popular in our country
as our desi films are dominated by
the songs and dance routine.
Kavithai Gundar (Lyrical
Gangster) is in fact the opening
venture of studio eight production an
organic organisation that is dedicated
to music production and presentation.
‘Non-film music in India is still in
its infant stages’, says Neha Bhasin
KANTHASWAMY – THE MEGA – BLOCKBUSTER!
roducer S. Thanu, whose
P association with Kollywood
touches the milestone of a
silver jubilee this year, has always
been well-known for his big budget
productions which generate
unprecedented hype and hoopla,
every time a project is announced,
made and released, Kanthaswamy
86
R. Prakash
who feels that innovations like Emcee
have to be given a red-carpet
welcome as they are responsible for
revolutionising the non-film music
scenario. Adds Shruti: Such albums
go a long way in promoting non-film
music and Emcee has been
instrumental for creating space for
such music.
Bad Boys and Thaniya were two
videos from the album that were
screened. N. Manik, a protege of film-
maker Suresh Krishnan was the brain
behind both the videos. The
response and reception meted out to
such independent non-filmic projects
would encourage film institute
Thanu’s latest film, in which the
versatile Vikram plays the title role is
obviously the biggest of all
blockbusters which has been in the
making for quite a long time now.
Vikram depicts a super-hero kind of
character in this, the film being
canned at several lovely foreign
locales, including Mexico. Shreya
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
students to venture into video
commercials that too as a career
option, remarked Manik.
In the year 1990, wanting to
become a hip-hop album artiste set
panic bells ringing in his parents, a
police officer father wanted Jezz to
follow in his foot steps and a school
teacher mother was not sure about
his future. After getting a degree in
computer science, he told his father
he had a degree to fall back on and
he pursed his dream.
Emcee Jesz who embarked upon
his music journey as a rapper in his
teens, soon gained popularity for his
voice, style of rapping and for
creating quick beats. His emphasis
has always been on originality and
creativity and that’s what possibly
prompted him to set off on a solo this
time with Kavithai Gundar which can
be hailed as the first international
Tamil hip-hop solo album that has hit
the mainstream market, following his
earlier album, Vallavan which was
marketed in Chicago, Toronto, India,
Singapore, Sri Lanka, selling over
10,000 copies. This hip-hop album
encases 13 tracks featuring 12
artistes and is a mix of urban hip hop,
R&B Hip Hop, crank, reggae ton, old
school flavour, sentimental, patriotic
and community songs, which add
alluring energy to the album.
Sharan plays Vikarm's love interest
in the film. Vedivelu who has
replaced Vivek in this handles the
comedy track. The music release
function of the flick was nothing short
of a grand spectacle.
One of the sensible film-maker of
our times, Susi Ganesan, the writer,
director has spared no effort at all. It
is meant to ensure that
Kanthaswamy emerges as the
mother of all block busters, both
in terms of content and
presentation, besides showcasing
breathtaking visuals.
Susi has been one film-maker
who always thinks beyond
entertainment. The Kanthaswamy
Foundation hopes to bring in
positive changes in the lives of
people living in some under
developed villages.
‘In addition to offering
entertainment to the masses, I
also want my films to serve social
causes’ says Susi. The MIT
engineer-turned film-maker
sporting a sweet smile. The
young and energetic Susi who is
just four-films old, is not only a
thinking film-maker having
apprenticed under Manirathnam
but also a brilliant academician
who bagged the best outgoing
student award in his final year at
MIT.
According to Susi, Kanthaswamy
will have the right mix of
entertainment and message. Also,
there is a plenty of glamour, fabulous
AS BIG AS IT GETS!
ne of the much hyped and
O much talked about Kollywood
project of the times is
Peraanmai which does not showcase
the usual kind of actions but a
different one, that too, daringly! The
film which has been in the making for
more than a year is supposedly to
belong to a completely different
class.
Jayam Ravi, one of the rising stars
of the times plays Dhuruvan, a forest
guard belonging to a particular tribe.
In order to look fit, Ravi has lost
about 13 kgs and had to remain on
diet, avoiding carbohydrates. He has
also worked hard to get that specific
look for the character he portrays in
the film. Moreover, according to Ravi,
the hero did not have any references
for that particular character and had
to define the attributes himself which
action sequences, songs that have
been canned with style and
splendour hilarious comedy and of
course, strong social message. But
was nothing short of a big challenge
for him.
Roland Kickinger the bodybuilder
from Vienna, who plays the role of
the Terminator in Terminator-4
Salvation: The Future Begins, plays
the villain of this flick which has been
shot at locations in Vagamon, a
beautiful forest in Kerala.
Director S. P. Jhananathan who
Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009
he assures that the film isn’t
preachy and doesn’t tend to
sermonise.
The Kanthaswamy Foundation
is basically Susi’s brainchild – a
simple idea of serving villages that
can eventually create a
tremendous impact on the under-
developed villages.
How did Susi get the idea?
The economic disparity in our
country is extreme. On the one
side, we see people stashing away
money into the Swiss banks while
on the other side, we come across
poverty-stricken people lacking
even basic amenities. The well-to-
do people should willingly come
forward to share at least a paltry
part of their possessions with the
poor. This is the crux of my film
and I have done my best for the
cause,’ elaborates the director who
has dared to make a difference!
With the help of NGO’s and
philanthropists, nearly 30 villages
have been adopted so far and the
cause is being continuously
championed. Kudos to Susi and his
team.
made the award-winning Iyarkkai and
the commercial potboiler ‘E’ is the
writer-director.
Kickinger plays an international
terrorist in the film who infiltrates
into the country through forest. He
runs into a tribal leader and forest
guard Dhruvan and five NCC
women cadets.
According to sources close to
the unit, one of the highlights of
the film is the superbly
choreographed action sequences
between Jayam Ravi and Roland
Kickinger.
Ravi had kept his body as taut as
the string of the bow that he holds in
hand, had to keep his mind as sharp
as the arrow that he had to shoot.
Ravi has performed some death-
defying stunts for this film and had
suffered from real blows, just to
maintain that real look in the action
scenes. Peranmai could possibly
take him to the next level! We
87
156 Crossword
F A M I L Y P H O T O
✂

CONTEST
1 2 3 4 5 6
P
7
Tear along the dotted line and mail to Crossword No 156 Woman’s Era Delhi Press New Delhi-110 055

D R
8
N
9
M
10
S T
11 12
G
13 14 15
H
16 17
G K
18 19 20
I N
21 22 23 24
G N
25
T
26
A R

Across
1. To be grateful for something that
somebody has done (10)
7. Chemical symbol for Chromium (2)
8. A strip of cloth used for tying around a
part of the boy that has been hurt in order
to protect or support it (7)
9. The flat pale sweet nut of a tree used in
cooking and a make oil (6)
10. A building where people stay, usually
for a short time, paying for their rooms
and meals (5)
11. To make a hole or cut in something with a
sharp object in a rough or violent
way (5)
13. A place where babies and small children
are taken care of while their parents
are working, studying, shopping,
etc. (6)
16. Microphone (4)
18. A small piece of metal or plastic, with a
1. The act of hiding and waiting for
somebody and then making a surprise
attack on them (6)
2. A black leopard or a large wild animal of
the cat family (7)
3. Material made with rubber, than can
stretch and then return to its original
size (7)
4. Perfect; most suitable (5)
5. The activity of working well together as a
team (8)
Please accept my entry for the
6. A small thin nail with a small head and a crossword competition. I
flat tip (4)
12. To produce or show something (7) subscribe to all the rules and
13. A high steep rough mass of rock (4)
14. A small oval object with a thin hard shell regulations of the competition.
produced by a female bird and containing
a young bird; a similar object Name
produced by a female fish, insect, etc. (3)
15. To send out something such as light, heat,
sound, gas, etc. (4)
Down

design or words on it, that a person

wears to show that they belong to an 17. A person or an animal that eats a
organisation, support something, have particular thing or in a particular Address
achieved something, have a particular way (5)
rank, etc. (5) 18. The second letter of the Greek
21. Your sense of your own value and alphabet (4)
importance (3) 19. Death or destruction; any terrible event City Pin
22. Existing, but not yet very noticeable, that you cannot avoid (4)
active or well developed (6) 20. Great enthusiasm and energy, style and
25. A book that is published every year confidence (4)
giving information for that year 23. European Union (2)
about a particular subject or activity (2) 24. Used in the Muslim calendar to show a
26. The mass of eggs inside a female particular number of years since the year
fish or the sperm of a male fish used as when Muhammad left Mecca in
AD 622 (2)
✂

food (7)

116 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

 WIN UP TO
Winners of Crossword - 153
Rs15,000
IN CASH PRIZES

Lata Melwani, Jaipur. Sandra Dutt, Bangalore. Akshit, Jalandhar.

Dr Benu Loga Pragna R., Ka

ni, New Delhi Gunjan, Hyderabad. taria, Gujarat
. .

Manju Agarw Kiran Arora, Vi

al, Baroda. Dr Tanoy Bandyopadhyay, Jorhat. sakhapatnam
.

Rajni Bajaj, N Asha Naveen

ew Delhi. Rajni Mann, Mohali. Shetty, Manip
al.

Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 117

156 Crossword
F A M
CWinners
I
O Nof Crossword
TES
L

- 153
T
Y P H O T O

Chandigarh. Satna.
Mamta Sood,
Nisha Kheterpal, New Delhi. Vinita Singh,

Coimbatore. ngalore.
U. Afila Fabin, Ajay Sharma, Faridabad. Lavanya K., Ba

Chennai. andrum.
Mary Cherian, Umesh Sharma, Aligarh. i Gireesh, Triv
Dhanalakshm

hena, Vellore
. p, Bangalore.
B. Cherryl Tryp Veena Vedagarbha, Bangalore. Kimneo Haoki

118 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

 WIN UP TO
Rs15,000 IN CASH PRIZES

Winners of Crossword - 153 Rules and Regulations

A prize of Rs 15,000 will
be given to the person
sending an all-correct
solution. In case there are
more than one sender of an
all-correct solution, the prize
amount will be divided
among the first 30
competitors chosen by lot.
Anubha Bhat
ia, Bareilly. Pradeepti Rastogi, Ernakulam. The decision of the manage-
ment will be final and
binding. Entries must be on
the crossword printed here.
Photocopies will not be
accepted.
Entries must be sent so
as to reach Woman’s Era
by 31 July 2009, by
ordinary post. No corres -
pondence in this matter will
Uma Shanka be entertained.
r Singh, Jam G. R. Kheterpal, Gurgaon.
Nagar. The contest is not open
to the employees of Delhi
Press. Every entry should
be accompanied by the
sender’s family photo. If you
are declared a winner, your
family picture may be
printed in the oncoming
issue. Please send a signed
declaration that you have
no objection to printing your
Rajpal Singh, Brenda Rodrigues, Mumbai. family picture.
Bahadurgarh.

Answers to Crossword-153

n w in
Across: 1. Compensation,
7. Responsible, 9. Reed,
w i o rd
12. Navel, 14. Ra, 16. Stag,
17. UV, 18. Data, 19. AG, 20. Ash, n
i ur w
22. Tandem, 23. Onset
W yo wer
Down: 1. Car
3. Elope, 4. Alig
eer, 2. Miser,
n, 5. Ill, 6. Na,
. Emigrate, o n p o
8. Elevate, 10 ,
ht, 13 . Ar id, 15. Antigen
11. Draug
21. Odd

Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009 119

A great way to
better health right
at home.
By Dr Navin Kumar Gupta

ur sedentary life-style has

O
brought us to a state
where to keep fit and trim
(fit-fat as we say in Hindi),
we must make exercise an
inseparable part of our
daily lives. The simplest
and most convenient
exercises are walking and
jogging (these two have
the additional advantage of requiring
no equipment) and swimming.
But, in the cities, there are few
open and safe places left for such
activities.
Many of us perforce join
gymnasiums or clubs or purchase
simple exercise machines – like the
bicycle or treadmill. In this article, my
emphasis is on the treadmill, for the
simple reason that of the two, the
treadmill is my favourite.

The treadmill: The treadmill (also

termed the tread wheel) was invented
by Sir William Cubitt (1785-1861), a
British civil engineer, in 1817, as a vessels “clean” (lowers the fatty and But you must select some activity
form of punishment in British prisons. atherogenic plaques lining the which you like and enjoy.
Dr Robert Bruce and Wayne endothelium which keeps on
Quinton invented the first medical accumulating with age). If you like the outdoors, some of
treadmill at the University of ● It helps growth of anastomosis the good choices are walking,
Washington in 1952. This machine among capillaries (In general, most jogging, running, cycling, hiking,
was not designed for any fitness organs, including heart will have swimming or rowing.
programme but for the diagnosis of increased and alternate blood supply If you like the gym environment
heart and lung diseases. of fine capillaries, which helps in where you can interact with a lot of
The public became more health better functioning and in case of other people, you will have access to
conscious during the 1960s and the diseased state, quicker recovery.) stationary bikes, elliptical trainers,
fitness equipment industry began ● It reduces stress. treadmills, rowing machines, stair
churning out fitness equipment. One ● It helps you sleep better. masters and more.
of the first fitness machines to be You need cardio if you want to: For the home exercises, the
developed and marketed were home ● reduce your weight. choices extend to Tai Chi and
treadmills. Some of the earliest US ● keep your weight under control, kickboxing. But the most popular
manufacturers were Tunturi, Aerobics and
Inc., Woodway, Track Master and ● reduce your stress.
Star Trac.
NASA (the US National Choosing your cardio: You
Aeronautics and Space Admini - have a number of cardio
stration) contributed a great deal to activities to choose from.
the development of treadmills
because they saw treadmills as an
excellent way for astronauts to keep
fit while in space for extended
periods of time. NASA developed
several versions that were used in
the orbiting Skylab station in the
1970s.
Dr Kenneth Cooper’s research on
the benefits of aerobic exercises,
published in 1968, provided a
medical justification for the
commercial exploitation of the home
treadmill and exercise bike.
Today, these two are the most
favourite exercise machines in the
world.

Basic facts about cardio -

vascular exercises (cardio):
Cardiovascular exercise (cardio in
short) is any activity that raises the favourites are the treadmill and
heart rate to a much higher level. It is exercise bike.
very important for the following Any activity is acceptable so long
reasons: as it involves a movement that raises
● It burns calories and helps you your heart rate into your target heart
lose weight. rate zone (see below).
● It makes your heart strong.
● It increases your lung Remember:
capacity. ● There is nothing like the ‘best’
● It reduces the risk of heart cardio exercise.
attack, high cholesterol, ● Anything that raises your heart
high blood pressure rate is all right.
and diabetes. ● What is important is not which
● It helps keep the activity you do, but how hard and
inner lining of blood sincerely you do it.
 DO ALL THOSE LITTLE using the lift and do some brisk
walking.
● To maintain current fitness
level - you must exercise two-four
THINGS YOU KNOW ● Do all those little things you days a week (at least 20 minutes per
YOU SHOULD BE know you should be doing - climb the
stairs, walk a little bit more, stop
session).
● To lose weight - you must
DOING - CLIMB THE driving around looking for a prime exercise four or more days a week
STAIRS, WALK A LITTLE parking space, etc.
● You may be terribly busy and
(at least 30 minutes per session).

BIT MORE, STOP
DRIVING AROUND
LOOKING FOR A PRIME
PARKING SPACE, ETC.
● Any activity can be challenging,
if you plan it that way.
● Do any activity you enjoy.
● For instance, if you hate gym
workouts, don’t go to the gym.
Choose something else.
● Select something you can do
at least three days a week, 30
minutes a session.
● Doing the same thing all the
time continuously can become boring
and will lead to weight loss plateaus
as well.
● Be flexible and innovative, if
necessary.
● In brief, do anything….and do it
regularly.
How long?
The most important element of
any workout is time - how long you
do it.
If you are a beginner, be cautious
and start slowly.
Build up gradually and
systematically.
Start with five or 10 minutes (or
even less) - whatever you are
comfortable with.
Increase the time gradually every
week or fortnight up to 30 minutes.
20 minutes is the minimum time
to get any benefit.
And you can easily and safely
work up to an hour.
Take a weekly day off. Your body
needs a weekly holiday to rest and
recuperate.
If you find it difficult to find one
hour at a stretch:
● Do small mini-workouts
throughout the day.
● Climb the stairs instead of
find it difficult to spare some time. But
I know several very busy business
magnates. They spend quite some
time daily on exercise - regularly and
religiously. They know it makes life
better.
● If you can afford a good
personal trainer, by all means
engage one. But you can do your
regular exercises without one.
● Do something...anything. Once
you start, you will develop a liking, a
habit. And if you miss your exercise
any day, you will feel as if you have
left out something.
● A little bit of caution: you can
overdo cardio. You don’t have to kill
yourself with hours of cardio. Unless
you are training for marathons and
competitions, it can become counter
productive. Be practical.
How often?
The frequency of your workouts
depends on your fitness level and
your schedule.
Beginners should start with about
three non-consecutive days of cardio
and work their way up to more
frequent sessions. The general
guidelines are:
How hard?
Once you have started doing
exercises regularly, instead of
increasing the time, you should
increase the intensity. For instance,
you should walk or run faster on the
treadmill, or raise its elevation.
● The number of calories you
burn is directly related to the time and
intensity.
● Raising intensity is the best
way to burn more calories in a
shorter time.
How hard should you work?
You should work at an intensity
you can maintain during the duration
of your workout.
● In an hour-long workout, you
will have to keep the intensity low so
you don’t wear yourself out.
● In shorter workouts, you can
raise the intensity since you are
working out for a shorter period of
time.
● You can vary the intensity of
some workouts with interval training
to burn more calories.
How much is enough?
How will you know whether you
are over-exerting yourself? The
answer is the talk test. You should
be able to carry on a conversation
during your workout. If you are
breathless, or can’t talk, you are
working too hard! Slow down.
Dizziness and light-headedness are
bad signs. If you experience this, you
are over-exerting yourself and should
stop. If you feel any difficulty, stop
your exercise and consult a trainer.
Schedule: Make out a plan, a
schedule of your exercise, define
your goals and stick to it.
Calculating target heart rates:
During your exercise, you should try to
enter your target heart rate zone. We

122 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

 1 2
5 6
9 10
1. Jeet Dabas, New Delhi
2. Anika, Bangalore
3. Pakhi, New Delhi
4. Mannie, Dehradun
5. Ashmita, Jorhat
6. Kush, New Delhi
7. Dev Bhansali, Bellary
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9. Samuel, Mumbai
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11. Pradunam, Pilani
12. Shagm, New Delhi
Winners who have won educational CDs.
Anika, Bangalore ● Ashmita, Jorhat
3 4
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Before you know it, your baby might be the
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129
 my reading was done there. I used to The list is long and inexhaustible.
devour books, comics, classics, You have rightly chosen the learned
suspense et al. For me sublime bliss well-informed former IRS officer who
was to curl up on a rainy day with a is adept at answering all kinds of
Perry Mason, a Sherlock Holmes or a queries with superb ease.
Wodehouse. Her advice in simple language is
After marriage I used to enjoy my down-to-earth and sensible. Had she
hubby’s collection of Harold Robins, used the professional jargon the
Arthur Hailey, Hadley Chase and common readers would not have
other authors. I still treasure my grasped and benefited from her
collection of Romantic novels also. advice.
Later I grew up with my son enjoying It has enlightened me on various
WHEN CARE Tin Tin Comics Hardy boys, etc. and monetary issues that used to plague
TAKERS BECOME
RAPE
THE STIGMA
STILL
CULPRITS
then graduated to Sidney Sheldon, my mind groping in vain for right
PREVAILS John Grisham, Stephen King and answers. Interacting with people who
the victim
Why does

Bhawana Keswani's
of this horren
dous crime
by society?
victimised Keswani
By Bhavna
feel

others. were as ignorant as I am often

article Rape – The For me any time is reading time worsened the situation.
Stigma Still Prevails and any place also – whether it is the It is high time that the people
(April II) raises grave dining room, bedroom or even the learnt the tricks to prevent wastage
concern about the appalling tolerance loo, while travelling or even waiting at that is surely a drain on their
of rape and rapists in our world. the hospital for a check-up. I don’t economy.
This article in the wake of the take the newspaper to the toilet Depositing cash in the bank
recent gang-rape of an American unlike a friend’s son who in his busy accumulates interest on it while piling
female student, of TISS, by her fellow IIT coaching days used to hang his up unused, unusable things clutter
male friends comes as a sad copy of the paper on the towel rack the house and accumulate dust. I
reminder that in 85 per cent cases while taking a bath. His grandpa have picked up the ropes how to
the rapist is someone known to the naturally had another copy for save money without wasting time and
victim. himself. energy.
When caretakers become culprits, To see my doctor son taking She has rightly impressed upon
where does one go and appeal for books to the toilet and my daughter- us the importance of following the
help? In the light of the recent issue I in-law (also a doctor) reading at the old adage that money saved is
would like to request Woman’s Era to dining table is routine sight to us. money earned’. Kudos to you!
include the contact numbers or I am eagerly awaiting the day when Thanks WE.
websites of relevant help groups and my grandchildren will make their – Nalini Sharma, Bhilai.
Women’s Rights Acts (wherever appearance in this world, to see
possible), to further educate the whether they also continue their
Indian woman of her rights and thus grandma’s obsession (Magnificent?)
truly empower her. – MS. P. Sakuntala, Kerala.
The prize is awarded to:
It’s time we break the confining
Sunanda Satwah, Mumbai.
chains of silence and help out to put
an end to this heinous crime. TTERS
A USEFUL COLUMN
MONEY MA important
financial
n,
How shouldlike house registratiobe
one for the
unused mobile
mobiles but
I have two present. How can
be kept in
want to use
the
fine order?
in a dry
WOMAN'S ERA
Thank you WE for becoming the invites readers’
unused mobile keep it

I am deeply
s,
document and bank
deals, Store the that,
car purchase place. Beforeat 40 per cent.
? and cool fully, but
preserved should keep the original charged, not
First, you printouts. Do
and take gas stoves?
papers safely
es green label how much?
have three
photocopi What are and, if so,
Secondly, to your save LPG stove is
one copy and they green label gas .
made. Give your parents A companies
another to from leading oil a new
husband, available are taking

Q
for yourself. when you
retain one Ask for it

opinions and
to buy another
cash plan, connectio n or wish label stove’s
daily hospital

voice of today’s woman. impressed with your

by green
What is the been launched stove. The is 68 per in a
cent,
has efficiency
which ? thermal cent present of
a higher companies cash plan, to 64 per
have to pay insurance
daily hospital premium compared
A Bureau
Does a woman taking a life insurance Under a gas appliance. is
while pay an insurance each normal Standards certificate
premium to a man? to you can and get cover for Indian oil firms. The green
policy compared required month home. For handed out by a warranty
of
A woman
is always than every in a nursing with Rs stove carries to one year of
premium day spent
insurance buy a plan to stay label gas
pay a lower applies to all insuring example, if you compared

reactions on
and have green
three years, gas stove. The
a man. This 2,000 limit per day you get Rs 2,000 ordinary more LPG
. hospital, stay’s an five per cent
companies 10 days in , for the entire stove saves one.

– Sunanda Satwah, Mumbai. regular feature Money

to my sister. = Rs.20,000
to give a loan Income Tax x 10 than a normal s
I may have under the If expenses. advantage
Is cash allowed allowed? water is jewellery bestow?
only cheques find out whether Are there

&
credit cards
Act? Or, are given, how much money How can we women’s on
be to milk? of which get discounts a
cash can being added test is to put a drop If You can There’s
can be extended? a cash loan. The simple locker fees. which
you can give to Rs slanting surface. a jewellery d rate at

articles, short stories

polished
Yes,
amount is
restricted milk on a it would leave special discounte for buying
gold.
But, the This is milk is impure, pure, it won’t be given
in one year. 269T the trail behind. But, if loans would
20,000 only Sections 269S, white deodorant
s
colour behind. whether
stated under the Income Tax Act. leave a white to know

A
of I want are genuine.

Matters published in
that
and 269TT , I find at a discount costing Rs
loan. But
my
several occasions on offered deodorant
take a car t for On
were paid Where the for Rs 85,
card bills given away
I intend to buy hi-fi equipmen though credit bank charged
me
150 is being genuine deodorant
is
desire is
to
the car financier the last day, the can be done? buy. A
cheap price.
Would What don’t such a
the car also. for the whole amount Rs 100 extra. bill, when paid on the never offered at
loan

and features published

provide a system? A credit card charges because
new electronic the vehicle, may invite to be
including is given for not extend last day, s may have days queries to:
A car loan full transaction four your
financier would equipmen t the You should
pay E-mail omansera.com
alone. The new checked. make an
online money@w
for cheque or m
money
. early by of
Subramania all
Meenakshi

your esteemed fort -

installation charges answering
in payment. penal a former IRS officer, from income
be opened Thus, be avoided. is
queries, right
fixed deposit or must I go in time can your money
Should a Rs 100 every
t shopping.
child’s name tax to supermarke queries to:
my minor Fund scheme? taxed? If
some
Mail your

in Woman’s Era. The best

Provident
for a Public woman. a Is transfer allowanceunspent, what 'S ERA,
I am a working be surprised,
but remains WOMAN Rani Jhansi Marg,
money Estate,
You would more profitable. If you happens? is not

READING
E-3, Jhandewala Delhi-110055.
is allowance New
PPF account the child’s No, transfer
a fixed deposit, unspent amount
invest in to your But mention
you do be added in taxed.
hat do house money wouldyear and taxed. But, in your return.
inside your

“W nightly Woman’s Era

day income every there is no tax. Era ● June
(First) 2009
the whole you a PPF option, Woman’s
long? Don’t You

letter will be given a prize of

feel bored? more
out
must go know,
often, you
people,”
and meet

HUMOROUSLY
s say,
neighbour
me in a
looking at
I smile in
but kindly fashion. explanatio
n.
curious offering an of course,

OF A
providing professional guidance
reply without question, They

Rs 500. Address your letters by

It is a rhetorical call for a reply.

FESSIONS
not an
which does that I am
to know

CON
me

AC
only want

READOMANI
t. That
old misogynis tell them?
what do I That I am
a
Anyway,
time reading?I may have
I spend my c?”
kind of “readoholi but it does
a word . Me
invented me completely like
describe others
the world and so many

I was amused when free of cost. E-mail to: letters@womansera.com

are
Welcome to
suppose,
me, I to
r! addicted
lsive reade irrevocably word.
of a compu the written there’s
If
Shanbhag
to
something it. I
By Romola read, I read of
feel a sort

I went through the Nowhere one will get access to or by post to:
Confessions of a such precious knowledge on how to AS YOU SAY
Readomaniac (April II) conserve precious water, cooking
as I also am a gas in the kitchen, electricity, E-3 Jhandewala Estate, New Delhi-110055.
Readaholic like M.S. Romola maintenance of household gadgets, Womansera.com
Shanbhag. While growing up in getting extra car mileage, Name:
Kerala my neighbour and closest wise shopping, property deals and Mobile:
friend’s bachelor uncle had a huge income tax, etc., relating all the core E-mail:
library at home and a major chunk of issues.

130 Woman’s Era ● June (Second) 2009

(REGISTERED) RNI 25561/73 DL(C)-14/1091/09-11 WPP U(C)146/46/2009-11