Where are the Muslims?

Not too long ago, the Government at the Centre made an attempt to count the number of Muslims in the Indian armed forces. Even before the process could be initiated, certain people with political background opened a front against the Government, with full backing of certain sections of the media. Eventually, the plan had to be shelved and a figure that would have been of much interest to the planners and social activists remained hidden behind veil, very much like the face of a devout Muslim woman.
Those who do not want the Muslims to come in the mainstream may have succeeded for the time being. BJP has already cashed in on this and its victory in the recently concluded mayoral elections was a consequence of this. But the truth is out there in the open for all those who value truth and justice over narrow-minded issues and petty gains.
Today, Muslims are worse than the tribals and dalits, in terms of education and jobs. Nearly 51 per cent Muslims do not know how to write their names. With these figures, you can very well guess the education status of women. Out of those children who go to school, 90% leave school before they reach class X. Of those who appear for Class X exams, only 7.2% are Muslims. In cities, 4.8% and in rural areas only 1.5% Muslim youths go the college. The fact has not escaped the eyes of UNESCO’s Education for Global Monitoring, which says that of the 1.3 crore children in India who are unable to go to schools, majority of them are Muslims. This is in spite of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan continuing for years now, which clearly suggests that the benefits of this have not reached the Muslim concentrated areas yet.
One of the main reasons for backwardness of Muslims is poverty. In rural areas, 29% Muslims are merely spending 300 rupees per month. Naturally, when there is not enough to eat, how can they think of education for children. When these people send their children to work on dhabas and shops, so that they can at least get two meals a day, the children are picked up, under the new child labour laws, and parents are coerced by police. In order to get their children released, the parents end up paying whatever little they could have saved till then.
In terms of jobs, there are only 6.4% Muslims in government jobs, though their population in the country is said to be 14%. There are merely 11.2% Muslims in government jobs in Assam, which has nearly 31% Muslim population. In West Bengal, the situation is worse. There are a mere 4.2% Muslims in government jobs when they number nearly one quarter of the population. In UP, there are just 5.1% Muslims in government jobs when their population is 18.5%.
All this would just appear to be statistics if we do not give live examples. The exact position of Muslims in the armed forces may never be known to elucidate their true position and how they have continued to lag behind the mainstream each passing year, ever since Independence. Not just the Government, fact remains that the presence of Muslims is far worse in the private sector where it is possible to find companies which employ hundreds of people and the number of Muslims is so low that it can be counted on the fingers of two hands. The condition is so pathetic that we won’t be surprised if there are companies which employ a few hundred employees with not even one Muslim on its rolls.
BJP may have thwarted the Government’s plan to go ahead with counting the number of Muslims in the armed forces, but there are certain areas where the numbers are starkly visible.
Media is supposed to be secular and above sectarian or communal divisions. From listings given on their own pages, we counted the number of Muslims which prestigious media-houses like Outlook, The Week and India Today employ. This is to be remembered that such listings give the names of employees in key positions only. And from the internet, we got the lists of judges in various courts in north India, where the number of Muslims amount to nearly one fourth of the entire population. Results are there for you to see.
Of the 89 names listed in India Today as their key employees, only one Farzand Ahmed is a Muslim (1.12%). The Week, another leading newsmagazine, too has only one employee, Tariq Ahmad Bhat at Srinagar, out of 78 names that it has listed (1.28%). And Outlook gives names of three Muslims on page 1 viz. Ajaz Ashraf, Saba Naqvi Bhaumick and Prayaag Akbar out of 101 names that it mentions (2.97%). Outlook’s City Limit likewise gives 43 names with none of the names appearing to be of Muslims. If you are of opinion that Muslims may not be favouring the English media, Outlook (Hindi) has 62 names given of which there is not a single Muslim.
We wish to clarify here that Vinod Mehta, the Editor-in-Chief of Outlook Group is known to be one of the biggest champions of secularism in the country. If this is the condition of his publications, it is certainly not due to any nefarious plans but because there are not too many Muslims capable of entering his publications on merit.
See now the list of Muslims in judiciary in some of the North Indian states. Allahabad High Court has four Muslim judges (Justice Syed Rafat Alam, Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza, Justice Sibghat Ullah Khan and Justice Barkat Ali Zaidi) in the Allahabad bench comprising 65 judges and a Chief Justice (6.06% when there are 18.5% Muslims in UP). Lucknow bench has just 2 judges (Justice Abdul Mateen and Justice Allah Raham) out of 21 judges (9.52 %). Rajasthan High Court has only one Muslim judge viz. Justice Mohammad Rafiq in the list of 30 judges (a mere 3.33%). High Court of Gujarat too has just one Muslim judge (Justice Abdul Hamid Qureshi) among 33 judges (3.03%). Only Patna High Court is a marginal better with 5 Muslim judges (Justice Aftab Alam, Justice S. Nayer Hussain, Justice Syed Mohammad Mahfouz Khan, Justice Anwar Ahmed and Justice Smt. Sheema Ali Khan) out of 27 judges (18.52%). The self-proclaimed champions of the Muslim cause, the Leftists, who have been in power in West Bengal for decades now are lagging behind in this area as well. Muslims number one-fourth of the State’s population and there is not even a single name that appears to be that of a Muslim in the list of 45 judges in the Calcutta High Court.
Now see the condition of Delhi that has remained mostly under Congress rule till now. Delhi High Court has a lone judge (Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed) in the list of 34 judges (2.94%). Out of 100 Additional District Judges at Tis Hazari Court, there is not a single Muslim. Likewise, there is no Muslim among 24 Civil Judges in Tis Hazari Court and 4 in Karkardooma Court. There is not a single Muslim among 4 Rent Controller/Addl. Rent Controllers. Out of 44 Addl. Sessions Judges at 3 courts, there is no Muslim though there are several Sikhs, numbering far less than Muslims. Out of 22 judges posted as Matrimonial Judges and at Labour Courts & Industrial Tribunals, again there is no Muslim. In all, out of 228 judges posted at various courts in Delhi, there is only one who is a Muslim (a mere 0.44%). Should we pity the system or pity the Muslims?
While reading all this, it must be kept in mind that most of the figures given are from North India where the population of Muslims is far more than their national average of 14%. In the entire listings of 823 people that we have given above, only 19 are Muslims (2.31%). Imagine the position of Muslims in South Indian states where Muslims measure far less than North India.
In one of his letter to Hi Time Express, Justice Kamleshwar Nath, Retired Judge Allahabad High Court, writes: “The greatest obstacle in our progress as a nation is a strange aloofness – exclusiveness of the largest minority of our Nation, the Muslims. I am quite perplexed when I hear self-serving politicians say: ‘We should do something to bring the Muslims into the mainstream of our society’. Haider saheb: This is putting the cart before the horse; the truth is just the other way round. I write this to you because of the youthful fervour I like in your write-ups and the paper’s moto: “For the young, of the young, by the young”. It is the youth which makes life vibrant, and I wish your paper to smoothen out the aberrations which have dogged and continue in aggravated form – the good, and much needed spirit of one-ness of our people. Please think over the malaise and project a remedy – God will bless you.”
Hope we are doing the same. May God bless us!

I do not speak a lie, Allah is witness. Imaan se!

Another New Year is about to begin. One more year added to your life or one cut short – depends on how you look at it. There are some who do not wish to look at all; celebrate life as it comes, they say.
But how do we celebrate? In UP it is not possible to show your wealth or else the kidnappers would be strolling past your door. Unless you have too much of it, the police won’t react. If you have more, and the CM promises that the child would be returned, he returns. ‘Kitna kuch jhatpat badal gaya,’ says Amitabh Bachchan in his new advertisement to promote UP. How true is this!
A lot has clearly changed! As I write this, IBN-7-Cobra Post is doing its breaking ‘khulasa’ (hope you are not too tired of this word – khulasa). ‘Khulasa’ is about the members of Haj Committee taking bribes to send Hajis to Makkah. Not knowing that they are being shown on TV, the bearded representatives of Muslim community continue to say: “Main jhoot nahin bolta, Allah gawah hai. (I don’t speak a lie, Allah is witness to it)”. Some are even talking of going to mosque and confessing the truth in front of Allah. How much of duality has encroached human nature. A maulana, when asked to give reaction is saying smilingly: “Khoon jal raha hai is waqt. (My blood is burning)” This maulana smiles even when his blood burns.
Change is happening on another front. Inability of the male libido to remain faithful is leading to unchecked rise in AIDS cases. Hence the ‘Bindas bol’ campaign! Day is not far when 2-3 year olds will be shouting at top of their voices ‘Condom, condom’, just as they can be seen shouting ‘mohar lagegi haath par’ whenever elections draw near. But with reports coming that AIDS could even spread through mosquito-bites, the subject of being faithful would not remain attached with AIDS in future as people, in 2007, would proudly boast: “I was bitten by a mosquito, a big one… who carried AIDS virus.”
UP is not just the breeding ground for mosquitoes. It is breeding ground for corruption as well. Here I give arguably the most unthinkable way of how people earn illicit money. You are surely not aware of this, unless you are a politician’s kin or have political genes in your DNA. This man is posted at a railway crossing and charges 10 rupees daily from each of the vendors present to close down the crossing several minutes before the train is to arrive. Vendors sell more as traffic comes to a halt. Inspiration from seniors, you may say!
Whatever, 2007 is here to stay… for next 365 days. On the eve of this highly cherished moment of lives, I do not wish to discuss politics and business anymore, even if Ratan Tata is now talking on TV of why he decided to invest in West Bengal and landed in a quagmire, courtesy the politicians. All I wish to do now is to make wishes for 2007. I wish that Sonia Gandhi goes public with her intention to make Rahul the Prime Minister. I wish that AB Vajpayee gets married, finally. I wish that Karunanidhi calls for peace with Jayalalitha. I wish that Laloo Prasad either takes up dairy farming or goes teaching at Harward, post retirement. I wish Kalyan and Rajnath come to realize that they have ‘Singh’ in common. I wish Bret Lee learns Hindi as he has shown willingness to do so in song ‘Han main tumhara hoon’, so that he gets a chance to act and sing in Bollywood. I wish Salman, Pal, Tiwari, Akhilesh and Sri, all come together to work as one family… for one family. And I wish that ‘ho agar agla janam mera to ho Ganga ke tat par’, so that I could aspire to win the Yash Bharati Samman. After all, I am no Abhishek.
You know, being a beardless Muslim, I do not speak a lie. I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. Imaan se!

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

‘Mayawati is the daughter of wealth’

Even Mayawati, otherwise thought to be a future ally of BJP, was not spared. The CD released on the eve of the 3-day conclave presented her as a daughter of wealth, who was befooling the Dalits and does not care for them at all. She was shown wearing a crown of pearl and it was said that her dream was to see UP as her mayanagri (city of wealth). Her frequent traveling on government’s exchequer, Taj Corridor issue, fleecing money from government officers on the occasion of her birthday – all these were shown as reasons to label her as the daughter of wealth.
In spite of this, the venom spilled out against Mayawati was far less compared to the amount of attacks made on Congress and SP, thereby giving a signal that BJP was also looking at possibility of forming a government jointly with BSP, if it failed to win a clear majority.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

RSS shows its strength

It was a show not by the BJP but by RSS and its sister organizations like VHP. It were they who mobilized the workers, it were they who set the agenda. Return to hard-line Hindutva was a result of their efforts. And the stalwarts of the BJP followed meekly to the dictates, like mice behind the pauper.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

Look who’s speaking on farmer’s problems

In a press conference held at BJP office Arun Jaitley spoke at length on the problems of the farmer community. He spoke on how the fertile land at Singoor in West Bengal has been given to TATA and how unfair treatment was resulting in more suicides. In nutshell, he blamed the Left parties and the government in the Centre and UP for the plight of farmers.
A shade prior to elections, Arun Jaitley was apt in focusing on the problems of one of the largest chunks of vote – the farmers. After all, most of the political parties have been using farmers only for votes and have done little for them. What Jaitley didn’t spell out however was that it was the Vajpayee government at the Centre that formulated most of the strategies that went against the interests of the farming community. Bowing down to the pressures of the World Bank, removing the limit on hoarding and allowing FDI in agro-business are all attributed to the BJP. Unless corrective measures are taken immediately, greater problems are in store for the farmers in the near future.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

If there is a meeting of the BJP, Muslims ought to be there

If there is a meeting of the BJP, Muslims ought to be there, albeit not through their physical presence but through presence in the form of issues built around their community. As soon as the signal was issued by the RSS headquarters, it was pre-decided that during these three days, more was to be said about Muslims (one side of it), than has ever been said before.
Needless to point out, Muslim appeasement was top on agenda. The Congress was blamed for trying to count their presence in the armed forces. Jehadi terrorism and national integrity were hot topics and Congress was labelled to be the party that was favouring the Muslims (our cover story will tell you how far they are correct).
As leader after leader vied with each other to surpass each other in attacking the Muslims, it was evident that the dictate had come from the RSS headquarters and these leaders were merely trying to score points. Not just Atalji, Advani Ji, Rajnath ji but also the likes of Arun ji, Sushma ji and others spoke. After all, the venue was Saraswati Shishu Mandir, run by an RSS affiliate organization and the mob too had come courtesy RSS, who all wanted to listen to this and nothing else.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

Chhattisgarh full of surprises

Politics was not the only thing discussed during the 3-day BJP conclave held at Lucknow recently. Brijmohan Agrawal, Tourism Minister, Government of Chhatisgarh, came armed with CDs and brochures to showcase the tourism potential of this highly neglected state so far. No doubt, Agrawal has left no stone unturned to harness this State’s potential to invite tourists from the rest of the country.
From going on a wonderful experience of discovering ‘one of the last frontiers of tribal India – Bastar’ that is bestowed with a great deal of natural bounties besides possessing marvels like Battisha Temple, Bhorum Dev’s Temple, Mandir Tala, Kanker Palace and Twin Ganesh at Barsur, places of Buddhist importance like Bodha Vihar at Sirpur, the State has a rich potential in flora and fauna. The state also has several other places of religious importance for the Hindus like at Malhar, Pali, Chitrakoot, Tirathgarh, Dongergarh, Ratanpur and Kabir Chabutra. The Rajim Kumbha was held in this state between 13th to 26th February, 2006.The presentation made by Brijmohan Agrawal on this occasion was worth witnessing as the Minister presented the bouquet of tourist destinations in front of the media persons from Lucknow. If Agrawal has his way, Chhatisgarh with its largely unexplored and virgin tourist attractions, would go on to become much-visited destination for the tourists.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

Congress responsible for BJP’s upsurge

This is extraordinary! Congress and not any of the deeds of the BJP leadership is responsible for sudden upsurge in the prospects of BJP during the forthcoming Assembly elections in various states of the country. So much so that the party leadership, which in spite of its most optimistic thinking, was not even dreaming of coming back to power barely a couple of months back.
And the change in people’s mindset has happened largely due to several mistakes committed by senior Congress leaders like Arjun Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad and even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Arjun Singh gave a burning issue to the BJP by demanding reservation for the Muslims. Manmohan Singh too helped rally the Hindus together by further speaking in this regard. This was perhaps aimed at gaining the favour of the Muslim community but the very step backfired and BJP got a Muslim appeasement card to flash at voters who earlier voted for the party but were now reluctant to do so due to its changing stance on Ram Janambhoomi and other issues like corruption when the BJP was at power. Congress gained little from this stand as the Muslims are still eyeing these statements with suspicion, particularly because the Congress has not spelt out how it aims to achieve its aforementioned objectives despite the presence of a clear-cut ruling from Supreme Court that prohibits reservation on religious grounds.
Ghulam Nabi Azad further worsened the situation when he came openly in support of Afzal Guru. Those who are aware of the dynamics of political functioning know fully that if the Congress had really wanted Afzal Guru’s death sentence to be revoked, it could have easily done so by making a surrogate NGO do the groundwork rather than its own leaders. But Ghulam Nabi’s statement gave an indicator to the hard line Hindus that Congress was following the path of Muslim appeasement, thus leading to concentration of votes in favour of the BJP.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

Keshari to be CM if BJP comes to power in UP?

Indications are that despite the presence of stalwarts like Kalyan Singh, Lalji Tandon and others, Keshari Nath Tripathi is the dark-horse who is silently steadying his chances for a claim at chief ministership if BJP wins as many seats in the Assembly election to put forward its case to form the government in the State. This is in spite of the fact that that Lal Krishan Advani, in his speech, exuded confidence that the party will regain power in UP under the stewardship of Kalyan Singh, who, he said, was BJP’s obvious choice for the chiefministership.
Rajnath Singh’s earlier rivalry with Kalyan Singh is no secret though the former gave indications that he burried that rivalry upon assuming the mantle of BJP’s President. Another indication is the near absence of mention of any other person who could be in race for chief ministership in the hour-long CD released to the media on the eve of the 3-day conclave in Lucknow. It was Tripathi and none else who was spelling out the strategies of the BJP to the media while all the rest of the senior-leaders of BJP converged at the State’s Capital. Moreover, the fact near obvious choices like Kalyan Singh were not portrayed as chief minister material any longer indicate that Rajnath Singh has surprises up his sleeves and is only waiting for the right time to come.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

Mayoral poll victory helped BJP’s resurgence

The resounding victory of BJP in the recently concluded mayoral poll in Lucknow has given a big boost to the sagged morals of the BJP workers. This changing attitude was much evident during the Parivartan Rally held at Lucknow recently. Although the victory may be of little consequence in terms of number of assembly seats, it helped infuse the moral of party workers who had converged on the Ambedkar Rally ground in the state capital.
People close to Dr. Dinesh Sharma, who eventually went on to win the mayoral election with a slender margin, tells that Dr. Sharma had least expected his victory. During the elections, Dr. Sharma was camping in the house of one of his close relative and is reported to have said on several occasions that he was fighting for the second or third position.
Till the mayoral elections, the BJP was being seen as a fragmented party with least chances of coming back to power. A few days hence that BJP leaders like Advani exuded confidence that the party will regain power in UP under the stewardship of Kalyan Singh, who, he said was BJP’s obvious choice for chief ministership. Advani had this to say further: “Out of the four states which are going to polls early next year, UP is the most important because the results of these election will decide the future politics of the nation.”
Echoing similar sentiments, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee exhorted party men to sink differences and work unitedly to achieve the target set by the party not only for the UP polls but also for the next Lok Sabha polls. Vajpayee went to the extent of saying that if the BJP regained power in UP, the UPA government at the Centre would not complete its full five-year term.
State party chief Keshari Nath Tripathi too claimed that the response to the rally was overwhelming.
All this show that the BJP is tightening its belt to go to the polls with renewed vigour once again and this has only been possible because of its unexpected win some time back.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

Attempt to portray Mulayam as friend

The shrew politician that Atal Bihari Vajpayee is was proved once again when he left the people guessing whether Mulayam had a soft-corner towards BJP or at least towards Vajpayee. While delivering his speech at party’s national council meet, Vajpayee said: “I must extend my gratitude towards Mulayam for his hospitality.”
This was not the first time when a statement by Vajpayee has amply indicated the proximity of the two leaders. During the campaigning of the last Lok Sabha poll, Vajpayee while addressing a public meeting in the state capital had appealed to the Muslims to vote for Samajwadi party. He had then said: “What has Congress done for you all. If you are not with us then vote for Mulayam Singh, who had once even sacrificed his government for your cause.”
Critics are eyeing this recent statement by Vajpayee as another arsenal from Vajpayee’s shrewd and calculative mind. It is in the interest of the BJP that the Muslim community comes to conclude that Mulayam and Vajpayee have a tacit understanding with each other. Since the major fight for UP’s throne is set to take place between SP and BJP, attempt to portray Mulayam as friend would lead to division of vote, a large percentage of which would then shift to BSP, Congress and other parties. Lucknow mayoral elections have shown how the divided support to Congress and SP eventually led to gains for the BJP. Time will tell whether the Muslims fall prey to this calculated move.

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

“We won’t forget the headless corpse,”
What about Staines and Godhra, Mr. Vajpayee?

Showing the pictures of the headless corpse of Neeraj Misra, a BJP worker allegedly killed and beheaded on behest of few SP workers, in the CD titled Uttar Pradesh Utpirit Pradesh released on the dawn of the 3-day BJP conclave in the State and the reference to it by Vajpayee in his speech showed that the BJP was gearing itself up to attack the law-and-order issue during the 3-year old Mulayam’s regime in UP.
In his speech during party’s national council meet, Vajpayee said: “I must extend my gratitude towards Mulayam Singh for his hospitality,” and went on to add that in spite of that he was not willing to forget the headless corpse of a BJP worker during SP rule.
The CD, released on the occasion of the conclave, has shown people holding the headless corpse. No doubt, the aggravating law and order situation under Mulayam’s rule need to be spelt out but Vajpayee ji did not elaborate whether he had forgotten the cold-blooded murder of Graham Staines at the hands of Bajrang Dal activists and the gruesome killing of more than 2000 people during the violence that erupted consequent to Godhra tragedy in Gujarat about five years ago. Come on Mr. Vajpayee, the country needs to know the answer?

Notes on recently concluded BJP conclave

Return to hard line Hindutva top on BJP agenda

The massive turnout at the Hindu Sangam served as a reminder to the BJP leadership not to shirk the Ram Temple issue. So the BJP leaders who had come to Lucknow saying that Ram Mandir was not on the agenda went back vehemently proclaiming the cause of Mandir but also other related issues, largely neglected so far, like the liberation of Mathura and Kashi temples, Article 370, Common Civil Code and ban on cow slaughter. Of course, the newly coined slogan of Muslim appeasement was one of them.
The large turnout of Dharmacharyas and VHP cadres at the venue resulted in sidelining of those who favoured toning down of Hindutva card during the canvassing for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the State. The recently concluded civic elections and the victory of BJP in those elections, particularly at Lucknow, further boosted the moral of party cadres who saw these elections as watermark and a signal that the people of the State wanted the BJP to come back to power.
Speaking on the occasion, senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that there would be repolarisation of political forces after the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in states of Punjab, Uttaranchal and UP, all three states where anti-incumbency factor is to play a big role in formation of a new government at Lucknow. Malhotra stressed that the move to shelve the temple issue during the NDA regime had harmed the BJP that had its own compulsions.
This, along with speeches confirming this by Ramjanam Bhoomi Nyas president Nritya Gopal Das, Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Nischalanand, former MP Rambilas Vedanti, former Union Minister Swami Chinmayanand, head of Gorakhnath Temple Trust Mahant Avaidyanath and BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, were clear indicator that a return to hardline Hindutva was on the card.

Wealth of Talent

Anu Bajaj uses her creative instincts to marry and investment

The great test of an artwork revolves around the ability of the artist to make the rasika, or viewer, appreciate the devotion of the creator and build complete unison between the production, consumption and, consequently, the appreciation of the artwork.
This is why the sculptures of Khajuraho evoke pure joy even in the precincts of a temple, as they aptly portray the emotions and feelings of the created beings. Some may even read devotion in the ceaseless gyrations of the mythological Menaka, as she tries to wean away a priest, hell-bent on attaining his objective.
Perhaps this explains the presence of the oil-on-canvas painting titled ‘Menkaa’ by Sunil Kumar in a gallery that aims at depicting positive art. Another remarkable water-on-paper painting, ‘Devoted to Mankind’ depicts a bare-breasted woman devoutly breastfeeding her child. The painting portrays such intense devotion that the nudity of the woman becomes near-invisible.
Anu Bajan, the young entrepreneur behind Gallery Art Positive, surely knows the pulse of the society’s ever-changing tastes and is therefore encouraging “positivism, hope and joy” through her collections. Plus, there is the added incentive to cash in on the new trend of viewing art as a ripe investment option. After all, her husband Rajiv Bajaj runs a well-known investment advisory company called Bajaj Capital.
The company advises clients on investing in art, but only after a thorough need-analysis test and confirming positive interest from the client.
Says Rajiv, “Art, besides rejuvenating the mind and soul is also one of the most profitable asset classes. Abroad, investment advisors have already realized this on a more extensive basis and art is an inherent part of their overall financial planning.” In the near future, he even envisages a time when art galleries will become a permanent feature of Bajaj Capital’s offices across the country.
Providing technical competence to this venture is Anu through her deep understanding of art. Anu and her team are constantly on the prowl for ‘rising stars’ – young and talented artists, who are given a platform to showcase their work alongside the work of senior artists. Famous and upcoming artists featured at her gallery include A.S. Chitrak, Anand Panchal, Anjanna Kuthiala, Bratin Khan, Dharmendra Rathore, Jatin Das, Manish Pushkale, Niren Sengupta, Nupur Kundu, Prithvi Soni, R.K. Panwar, Subrata Kundu, Sudip Roy, T. Vaikuntam, Vandana Shourie and Vijender Sharma.
Interestingly the brain behind the venture is the senior Bajaj – Anu’s father-in-law and Chairman of Bajaj Capital, K.K. Bajaj. A devotee of Ganesha, he started an online gallery Ganeshaonline.com that sells art and artifact related to the elephant-head god. Bajaj Sr.’s devotion can be gauged from the extensive number of artifacts that he personally owns, the company logo featuring Ganesha’s trunk and from the fact that all company literature and gifts inevitably revolve around the subject of Ganesha.
Noticing his daughter-in-law’s penchant for art, he persuaded her to open Gallery Art Positive.
Today, Anu is buoyed by positive predictions for the Indian economy which would slowly but surely give a fillip to investment in art. “It is an investment only if you make an educated choice, and we are here to advise you in doing this,” says Anu. “However, if you want art only for aesthetic pleasure, then you go by your choice.”
Anu knows, however, that the aesthetic aspect of an artwork is intrinsic to a good investment. “It has to be pleasing and ought to connect with you.” Therefore, she advises clients to put money only where they find the work aesthetically appealing.
Moving away from the theme of devotion and spirituality, Anu plans an exhibition on horses, where a young and talented artist Amitesh VErma will get to showcase his paintings alongside the works of the famous artist Sunil Das from Kolkata.
“Each painting is a reflection of the artist’s interpretation of ‘devotion’. For some it has meant devotion to God, for some the archetypal devotion of the mother to the child, for someone else it could simply be the devotion to their work, their ‘dharma’. What is important, however, is that together, the paintings communicate a positive energy, a vibrancy, which enriches and elevates. And creates a flow of devotion between the artist, his work and the viewer,” says Anu.

As charters take off…

The rich and famous increasingly use chartered aircraft for business and pleasure. Aziz Haider takes a look at how this sector is poised to grow.

A CEO of a US-based multinational landed at Delhi, with a prior request to a charger operator to position an aircraft at Delhi. After spending the day attending board meetings and a high-profile dinner, he took a flight to Bangalore, early next morning. The aircraft waited as he attended a few meetings. The same evening, he flew to Mumbai for dinner with the head of an Indian multinational, following which he took the regular flight back to the US.
When Manuel J. Rodriguez, 49, a French national, injured himself while vacationing in Goa, he was rushed to the Goa Medical College, the nearest hospital. Despite the state-of-the-art facilities at the hospital, Rodriguez insisted that he be sent to Paris to be attended by his family doctor. Even under normal circumstances, it was a tall order and coming as it did at 8 p.., many logistical hurdles had to be crossed. So, the doctors decided to seek expert help and called up East West Rescue Centre, a Delhi-based organization that specializes in search-and-rescue operations, which contacted India International Airways, a charter air service. Soon, a Cessna Citation was sent to ferry Rodriguez to Delhi in time to board a 4.30 a.m. flight to Paris.
These are not the only activities air charters have to deal with. Charter business in India is witnessing an upsurge in innovative ways it is put to use. Apart from corporate charters, these aircraft are used by foreign tourists, VIPs and for missions such as medical evacuation, agricultural spraying, film shooting, heli-tourism, adventure sports, heli-skiiing, off-shore logistics, electronic news gathering, under slung operations, geo-physical surveys, aerial reconnaissance and other customized applications such as political campaigns, golfing/fishing trips and search operations.
Bill Gates and Steven Seagel used them to travel within the country when they visited India. Media crews flew in them to reach the devastated sites when Gujarat was rocked. Charters have come as a boon for those who are always ahead of time. Rather than remaining dependent on conventional airline schedules, they give flexibility to fly anytime and anywhere across the country. The spacious seating arrangement and accompanying luxuries on board ensures that you are not cramped for leg-space and wanting for entertainment. What’s more important, you reach your destination in style.
“The advantage of charter flying is that you can travel anywhere you wish, anytime you desire,” says Wing Cdr. M.Y. Khan, Executive Director, India International Airways Ltd., a Thapar group company that introduced air-taxi services in the Indian skies in 1990. “For if you have the money you want to fly first class,” endorses Group Captain Jotwani of Oberoi Corporate Aviation, which is regarded as the company that provides maximum amenities to enhance your comfort and style.
Gautam Singhania’s Million Air is another major player in the market offering charter services for executive travel segment, emergency stretcher services, aerial sight-seeing tours, joyrides, aerial surveys, visits to places of pilgrimages and film shootings.
Emergency medical evacuation is increasing in demand as people with money and resources are opting for the best and quickest way to reach quality medical aid. While airline provide stretcher facility, companies such as Dr. Bhardwaj’s Goodmans Rescue or Dr. Chawla’s East West Rescue Centre provides medical team and equipments and co-ordinate the entire operations.
Dr. Trehan of Escorts owns a personal helicopter that is being used to airlift emergency patients, while Apollo and Manipal Hospitals too regularly hire the services of Deccan Aviation Pvt. Ltd., a leading player in the charter industry. Lt. Col. Bhutani of Deccan Aviation feels that it is the helicopter’s capability of reaching inaccessible areas that makes it vital during emergencies. Besides being used for medical evacuation and emergency rescue and disaster management, Deccan Aviation’s choppers have been used for a wide range of services. These include aerial filming for TWI and Discovery Channel, power line surveys and offshore logistic support to National Grid, Cairn Energy (UK) and BHEL and aerial reconnaissance for National Geophysical Research Institute and International Sea Ports India.
If you think this is all these planes can do, there’s more! At the time when Indian Scientific Expedition reached Antarctica, Pawan Hans helicopters provided the crucial aviation support. These aircraft are also being used for a wide range of operations ranging form oil rig support to ONGC and Hardy Exploration, pipelines surveillance for Oil India and assisting companies like NHPC and GAIL in production activities.
Increasingly, more and more charter services are being used for tourist purposes. There are several high-spending tourists for whom waiting at the departure and arrival lounges of airports is a big no-no. For such groups looking for a weekend getaway, hiring your own aircraft means that the comfort and hassle-free convenience compensates for the extra cost. The trend has caught only now in India, though the number of such cases is impressive and growing.
Government-owned Pawan Hans too is planning to put more of its choppers for purely tourist purposes. The company has started a unique helicopter service in Sikkim to enable the tourists to view the mighty Himalayas of the region from high altitude.
Several other companies have got into using helicopters for promotion of tourism. So much so that special packages too are on offer. A whirlwind chopper flight from Mumbai takes the tourists to witness the mystique of the Ajanta and Ellora caves and the unspoiled beauty of Lonavala. Chopper rides out of the Garden City of Bangalore are also available to experience the pristine environment and lush surroundings of Kabini Jungle Lodge or Cauvery Fishing Camp.
Not to forget an inspiring low flight to the historic city of Mysore, along with the option of visits to the monolithic splendour of Belur and Halebid temples or a short flight to the Satya Sai Baba Ashram. From Hyderabad, you can take off to the placid waters surrounding the ancient Buddhist civilization of Nagarjuna Konda. Similarly, a chopper soars above the dense forests of Thekkadi from Chennai to the expansive lagoons of Kerala and the misty mountaintops of Ooty and Kodaikanal. Adds Ratta of Million Air: “I would also like to add that slowly, a new trend has emerged and we have observed that helicopters are being used on valentine’s day, birthdays, marriage anniversaries by many, as surprise gift.”

New Horizons

With a hard-working and highly experienced person at its helm, OIL is all set for a boom. B.B. Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director, OIL speaks to Aziz Haider on the company’s efforts, achievements and vision.

Q. OIL is known to have a glorious heritage. Despite several ups and downs, it has continued to grow and prosper. Tell us how you carry both heritage and vision along?
A. It was sheer providence that oil came to be discovered in India. An elephant working for the Assam Railways and Trading Company Limited (AR&T Co. Ltd.) in upper Assam returned with distinct traces of oil on its trail, thus leading to erection of the world’s oldest continuously producing oilfield at Digboi, in the year 1889. Naharkatiya oil-field, discovered in 1953, was the first major success after Digboi. Years later in 1981, after several changes in name and structure, it became Oil India Ltd.
Q. Where do we stand in terms of energy production?
Naharkatiya became a prelude to a string of significant discoveries in the country. So much so that crude oil production that was in the range of 0.25 MMT at the time of independence of India has reached a level of 32 MMT today. Natural gas production has reached a level of 79 MMSCMD.
Q. Why have you remained confined mostly to north east till now?
A. It is true that our major areas of operation are in the north east where 85 per cent of the total activities are taking place. We became nationalized in 1981 and in subsequent years only, we were given a green signal to look for areas outside of north east. But by then ONGC had already taken up all good exploration areas. It was only when level playing field was allowed under New Exploration License Police (NELP) that we managed to get more areas. Lately, we have carried out exploration for hydrocarbons in several areas outside the north east and entered in an exploration agreement with a French company in the Sultanate of Oman.
Q. With international competition entering in this sector, have you modified your strategy?
A. We are gearing ourselves up to upgrade our skills and techniques, to train our workforce, and acquiring new equipment. The company now has the state-of-the-art two dimensional and three-dimensional seismic date acquisition systems, the best software for seismic data processing and very advanced client-server based workstation set up for seismic data interpretation.
Q. What then is your core competence?
A. The company has drilled over 1,000 wells and 3.5 million metres in very difficult surface and sub-surface environments and high underground pressures and temperatures. From the completion of well-bore servicing, installation, operation and maintenance of modern surface handling facilities, the company has the skill and expertise to manage the entire range of operations required for onshore oil and gas production.
Q. You have more than 38 years of hardcore experience in oilfield activities ranging from engineering, production, exploration and project management. How are you suing this for the benefit of OIL?

A. I am putting my experience to good use. I always prefer to work in a team. Thankfully, we have a very efficient team here, together with whom we have taken a lot of initiatives in aggressively intensifying our exploration and diversification plans.

Why spurt in self-immolation and demonstrations?

This is the irony! Her name was Laxmi but she was running from pillar to post due to penury. And she had even visited Petroleum Minister Murli Deora who himself confessed to this meeting a little prior to Laxmi attempting to immolate herself. Laxmi had also met several top officials of the petroleum ministry but to no avail. What can a desperate woman do in such circumstances? Media too doesn't notice most uch cases unless there is something sensational to report. This is the reason why there is a sudden spurt in such cases. A boy dies due to negligence by doctors and parents and family, instead of cremating him come to streets with the dead body. Several such cases have come to limelight in the recent past. This won't stop unless there is an end to corruption and people who are responsible for doing injustice suitably punished.

Unstable Government in State Responsible For Lack of Development: Industry Representatives

Industry representatives feel that unstable Government in the State for past 15 years has been the root cause for lack of development of industries in UP. The problem has been aggravated due to a general apathy towards the concerns of industrialists, lack of political will and interest. This was revealed by Vikas Gupta, Secretary, Indian Industries Association and Manish Goel, Secretary-UP, in an exclusive discussion with Aziz Haider of Hi Time Express.
“When CMs come for 6 months each, what development would you expect?” tells Goel, adding further that the administrative machinery too stops working when it sees differing priorities of every next incumbent in CMs office. “There are no large scale industries in UP. Industries come because of CM’s efforts and due to incentives. Who would come when there is uncertainty even about the tenure of the CM?” adds he.
Goel differs with the advertising campaigns taking place and says that no big group has come during the last 3 years in spite of tall claims by the government. “Other than sugar-based industries, there is no big industry worth mentioning.”
Gupta too agrees with Goel’s view and adds that blame is unnecessarily put on infrastructure. Infrastructure in the state is better or at par with several states like MP, Rajasthan and Orissa, but they have gone far ahead than UP during the past 15 years.
“There are no minerals and no sea shore here. Unless incentives are not given, how could you hope that industries would come,” adds Goel. “If a big industry comes, 50-100 ancilliaries come up as well, which goes on to give a big boost to development in the State.
Owing to incentives and good planning, the neighbouring state of Uttaranchal is growing at a rapid pace. When asked why incentives are necessary for development, Gupta tells that they become essential because the neighbouring states are giving such incentives. “Uttaranchal is developing extensively because of tax benefits and power availability. With great competition in the market, the incentives give a major leverage over others in competition,” he says. Gupta points out as to why some body would install an industry in Bareilly or Saharanpur when Pantnagar and Haridwar are at a stone’s throw distance, which are giving much more incentives.
Goel too rues that political will is missing. “If Hyderabad and Bangalore are developing it is not because the industrialists there are better. It is the manpower from UP that goes there to work. Government is not paving the way for equal opportunities. The State is the biggest consumer market in the country. The Government’s revenue comes through taxing those products, hence it is not bothered.”
As regards to UP Development Council, the industry representatives opine that when those industrialists themselves are not making investments in the State, who will? “Focus is not industrialization. A mini cabinet has been made how to route the papers through another channel. Development Council has been made to support particular people and that’s it.”
In spite of all these so-called efforts no big house has come to UP till now in spite of the fact that the State has tremendous potential for food processing and several other industries. “If one big industry like Tatas or Birlas come, this would give fillip to ancilliaries as well,” adds Gupta.
Indian Industries Association, an apex body comprising more than 5000 members, mostly from small and medium industries, is set to organize India Food Expo for another year from 1st to 4th February, 2007. More than 400 stalls have been sold and participants from as far as Thailand, Pakistan, Angola, Uganda, Afghanistan and even SSI manufacturers from Kashmir have participated in the past.
Talking about it, Vikas Gupta says: “This exposition gives us an opportunity to showcase the products to the rest of participants and visitors.” He further tells that IIA was the pioneer in organizing such an exposition in UP for the first time. “In Lucknow, this event has grown extensively both in terms of participation and business,” tells Goel, adding further that in future melas and exhibitions are going to play a key role in building a bridge between manufacturers and buyers.

Focus on Rajnath as BJP think-tank formulates strategy for election

With UP State Assembly Elections barely a few months ahead, the BJP think-tank is assembling in Lucknow to formulate its game plan for the forthcoming election in UP, Uttaranchal and Punjab and also on how to tackle the UPA rule at the Centre. But before all this, the National Executive, to converge for the first time in BJP’s history, will affirm Rajnath Singh as the party president for a three-year renewed term in his home state of Uttar Pradesh. A huge 20000 square feet pandal is being readied for this crowning ceremony, in which about 2500 members of BJP’s National Executive will be redeeming their faith in Singh’s presidency. The entire pandal will be bedecked in saffron colours and a 720 square feet stage is being prepared for the leaders to sit.
Focus clearly will be on Rajnath Singh, whose position has strengthened considerably after BJP’s good showing in the recently concluded civic elections, consequent to which he was described as ‘lucky vote catcher’ for the BJP by his core backer, the RSS. No doubt, this win silenced his detractors within the party and thus had a tremendous impact on strengthening his chances for a renewed three year term. Singh’s actions will be keenly watched as he chooses his new team and carries forward the proceedings under the shadow of towering personalities like Advani and Vajpayee, both of whom have lately been given the role of consultants, under RSS’s guidance.
RSS’s estranged relationship with Advani and closeness to Vajpayee was evident in the recent controversy where Advani was quoted as saying that he proposed Vajpayee’s name for prime ministership but was unsure if now his name would be proposed by Vajpayee for the same post in case the NDA returns to power at the Centre. Consequent to this, Rajnath Singh made his intentions and that of RSS clear by saying that Vajpayee would certainly be one of party’s prime ministerial candidates, in response to which Manmohan Singh said that BJP will have to wait for very long time before it could hope to come back to power.
That the focus is not going to be on deciding the prime ministerial candidate but on formulating the strategy for the elections was evident in the saying of Kalraj Mishra who stressed that UP elections were most crucial as its outcome would decide nation’s future political course.
Another interesting area would be whether the BJP sticks to its Hindutva agenda or dilutes it by merely airing a few utterances regarding minority appeasement at the hands of Mulayam Singh or Manmohan Singh government.
Also something that would be of interest to the people of UP would be to see whether Kalyan Singh is clearly projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the forthcoming elections. This is particularly so because Kalyan Singh’s estranged relations with Rajnath Singh in the past is well-known though the later has tried to bridge the gap after assuming the mantle of Party’s president.
The national executive is being held in Lucknow after a gap of 15 years and the senior BJP leaders from UP are sparing no chance to make it a success. The State administration too has been put on high alert and more than 3500 policemen are being deployed for the cause. In this regard, Naveen Chandra Vajpayee – State’s Chief Secretary – has already completed the arrangements and given suitable instructions to the team responsible for security.

Be careful with your Cola

Never allow your child to consume Mentos and Cola together

The new findings are reaching the masses like jungle fire. Internet is replete with live examples of the effect that Mentos and Cola cause when they get mixed together. In fact the dreadful combination of cola and Mentos has given birth to new games like whether your cola bottle would fly like a missile and cross over the roof of your building or not? Or how high a fountain you would get by mixing cola and Mentos.
Not that it is restricted to gaming only! Reports have come in of children in Brazil, who died after consuming Mentos and Cola with little time gap in between. There is urgent need to educate the children over this as both Cola (like Pepsi and Coke) and Mentos are much favoured by the children. It is extraordinary how this could escape the prying gaze of our national mainstream media till now.
Not any more though! Swami Ramdev, who till now had been saying that the best use of colas is to wash your toilets with them has now got a new armoury in his arsenal to hit at these beverage manufacturers. Interestingly, some of Swamy’s staunch followers have already started cleaning their toilets with colas. A few of them we spoke to said that this resulted in sparkling clean toilets. Moreover, it serves as a lesson to children as well who realize the true worth of these beverages.
This time it is different. Children have got a new game of flying missiles and fountains. All you have to do is to put Mentos in a two-litre cola bottle and wait for some time. The moment you throw the bottle on the ground, it shoots up in the sky like a rocket and flies high up in the sky. Alternatively, if you put mentos in a freshly opened 2-litre bottle while it is kept on ground, cola and mint react to shoot a fountain as high as one metre. And the force of the fountain is such that it could prove fatal for eyes if an unsuspecting kid puts them over the bottle. Or if the bottle bursts!
The matter assumes significance keeping in mind the fact that this is the time when debate is raging over whether these beverages should be banned in schools or not. Only recently Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo’s president who has recently been rated by Fortune as the most powerful businesswomen in the world, said that banning cola in school is not a great idea. She said: “Our experience is when there is a ban, they are not effective. Children will get it from home.” She has an alternative plan for health minister Anbumani Ramdoss’s proposal for banning sale of soft drinks from educational institutes. Starting with a dialogue with the government on counseling against obesity, Nooyi suggested that companies like Pepsi, with diversified portfolio ranging from soft drinks to juices, could stock cafeteria with so-called “good for you, better for you” products instead of “treat for you” items like colas.
On the controversy over pesticides, she said: “The purpose is not to confront but work (together).” This was an obvious attempt to shirk the issue on safety standards raised by certain NGOs.
Whatever she says, truth is that detractors of cola companies have got a new salvo to fire at them. While Pepsi and Coke may have to think of using Amir Khan, Smriti Irani and company to do another ‘safe campaign’ against this missile potential of colas, all we can say for the moment is “Be careful with your cola”.

Saifai at Lucknow and Kanpur

Saifai Mahotsava may be happening at this small village in Etawah. But right here in Lucknow and Kanpur, there are some people who are reaping benefits without even setting a foot on the soil of Saifai.
It is common knowledge that the State Government waves off the tax on sale of automobiles at the Saifai Mahotsava. This generous discounting results in a discount ranging from 10 to 15% on various cars and two-wheelers. For instance, on a car worth 4 lakh rupees, one can get a discount up to Rs. 50000. This is the reason why car and two-wheeler buyers of UP wait for Saifai to come so that they can avail this discount and line up in hordes at Saifai to do the purchase.
Not any more! Automobile dealers in Kanpur and Lucknow (and at places like Agra too) have devised a more interesting plan of delivering your vehicle right here in these cities, without you having to go to Saifai in this chilling cold. For this service, they are charging a token amount of few thousand rupees. All the papers and formalities remain their headache while the vehicle is delivered here itself along with the discount.
Says an automotive dealer who doesn’t wish to be named: “The discount given by the Government is through exemption of tax, hence our profitability does not suffer because of this. From our profit, we have to pay 10,000 rupees per car to certain important people (name withheld) if we go to Saifai. This payment is not done on records. Therefore, even if we do not sell the car from Saifai, these important people ensure that we can sell the car from here itself. All they need is their money. The buyer too is happy that he does not have to go all the way to that remote village in this cold and wait in queues to get the formalities done. He is more than willing to pay the 6000-7000 rupees that we charge for delivering the car here itself inclusive of all the paperwork, etc. In this way, we are able to recover some of the money that we had to shelve out.”
Thousands of vehicles are sold every year at Saifai. This new arrangement is even better for everybody. The buyers are happy because they get a good discount, without even having to go to Saifai. The dealers are happy because their sales get enhanced. Through recovering a major portion of the dole that they have to pay, from the buyers, they ensure that their profitability per car does not get reduced. The organizers of Saifai are happy because of all the limelight and attention they get. Even the ‘important people’ are happy who charge a good amount for every vehicle sold from Saifai. It is a win-win situation for all. The only loser is the State exchequer. But who cares!

Mulayam Rule: Countdown Has Started

With most of the major rival political parties openly coming in favour of President's Rule in the UP, guns have finally been drawn at Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Samajwadi Party's three year rule in the State. The matter has reached the attention of Honourable President of India and it is a matter of days before a decision is taken in this regard.
Naturally, it is a cause of concern for Mulayam, already undergoing a fierce litmus test for credibility owing to escalating law and order problems in the State and charges of rigging during the recently concluded civic elections. Incumbency too is a major factor. Naturally, Mulayam would love to have the elections conducted under his own Government rather than under the rule of a Governor, against whom several duels, though thankfully restricted to verbal assaults only, have already been fought.
Consequently, Mulayam has gone on offensive. He and his loyal aides have not only opened a front against TV Rajeshwar Rao, the present Governor, but also dared the UPA Government to enforce President's Rule in the State. "If the President's Rule is imposed in the State, the UPA Government at Centre too would crumble," said the CM in a rally recently. Speaking to party workers, Mulayam alleged that some political parties took recourse to the Raj Bhawan to oust him, after they got a humiliating defeat in the recently concluded elections. These Governments should understand that elections are not won, courtesy the bureaucracy, Mulayam said. If that is so why does Mulayam want to have the elections conducted when he is in command of the State's bureaucracy? The recent suspension of Kanpur SSP has given the signals to the bureaucracy that it would not tolerate if they went against the party's objectives. This is to be remembered that rumour mongers are having a field day after suspension of the SSP and they are citing a link between his suspension with the incidents related to the defaming of Dr. Ambedkar's statue in Kanpur and the subsequent events that followed. The State administration has given a different reason though. Not just Congress alone, but BSP and BJP too have aimed their salvos at ouster of Mulayam. BSP leader Mayawati has even met the President in this regard and has claimed that free and fair elections cannot be held in the State if Mulayam remains in power. She labeled the accusation that lot of unfair practices were used during the recently concluded civic elections and even called the SP rule in the State as jungle raj where criminals roamed freely.
Consequently, Mulayam has gone on offensive. He and his loyal aides have not only opened a front against TV Rajeshwar Rao, the present Governor, but also dared the UPA Government to enforce President's Rule in the State. "If the President's Rule is imposed in the State, the UPA Government at Centre too would crumble," said the CM in a rally recently.
Speaking to party workers, Mulayam alleged that some political parties took recourse to the Raj Bhawan to oust him, after they got a humiliating defeat in the recently concluded elections. These Governments should understand that elections are not won, courtesy the bureaucracy, Mulayam said.
If that is so why does Mulayam want to have the elections conducted when he is in command of the State's bureaucracy? The recent suspension of Kanpur SSP has given the signals to the bureaucracy that it would not tolerate if they went against the party's objectives. This is to be remembered that rumour mongers are having a field day after suspension of the SSP and they are citing a link between his suspension with the incidents related to the defaming of Dr. Ambedkar's statue in Kanpur and the subsequent events that followed. The State administration has given a different reason though.
Not just Congress alone, but BSP and BJP too have aimed their salvos at ouster of Mulayam. BSP leader Mayawati has even met the President in this regard and has claimed that free and fair elections cannot be held in the State if Mulayam remains in power. She labeled the accusation that lot of unfair practices were used during the recently concluded civic elections and even called the SP rule in the State as jungle raj where criminals roamed freely.
Congress's Sri Prakash Jaiswal too has gone on to attack the UP Government recently. The same feelings were aired by Salman Khursheed on his recent visit to Lucknow. And BJP's Rajnath Singh and Kalyan Singh too have voiced their concerns and demanded the President's Rule. Clearly, an atmosphere is being built against SP and Mulayam so that playing the role of a victim Mulayam does not end up gaining from the imposition of President's Rule. Mulayam's position is weak because neither of the major parties in the State is on his side. Realizing this, he has gone on to attack the Governor's office directly and has even asked the President to call the Governor back. He said that UP was 26 th in terms of crime and the situation in several States ruled by Congress and BJP was worse. Further he talked of a nefarious link between the Governor and the State Home Minister, who hails from UP.
All said and done, Mulayam too knows that the days are numbered for him as the Chief Minister. The only thing that he wishes to do now is to try to get the maximum benefit out of the situation. The dictat to oust him could be issued any moment now!

Crosser:
BJP is readying itself to make corruption the main issue. It is going to open the Front in Parliament as well in State Assembly. Of course, the matter would also be fought on streets. The internal assessment of the BJP think-tank is that if they are able to portray this issue properly, they would gain at least 20-25 seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Box:
President Rule may prove to be a blessing in disguise for Mulayam. All the misdeeds and shortcomings of the three-year rule may get overshadowed when Mulayam and his party men will play the victims. What’s more, if a major incident of law and order happens during the President Rule, Mulayam will get an opportunity to start agitation against the Governor, who has already faced attack from Mulayam on several occasions in the past.

‘Jan Morcha and allies to oust Mulayam’: NCP President

Nationalist Congress Party may not be a strong entity in Uttar Pradesh. But the presence of several top leaders from Jan Morcha and left parties in the recently concluded State level political conference reveal that through standing united, this front is readying its salvos to give a major jolt to main contending parties, BJP, SP and BSP. In an exclusive interview here, Prof. Ramesh Dixit, President of Nationalist Congress Party, UP spoke to Aziz Haider regarding the game plan that is being readied for implementation.

HTE: Other than your alliance, which is a coming together of small entities, you will be fighting against all three major parties, SP, BSP and BJP. How do you hope to perform well?
Prof. Ramesh Dixit (PRD): BJP is the party which, when it was in power, did the most unique thing in the annals of world history. On their instigation, religious structure of a religion was razed to the ground. The role of the Government is to protect and not to destruct. When this party is in power in Gujarat, thousands of the civilians of the State are slaughtered. We have to stop BJP from coming to power, at all cost.
Our experience is that after ’92, BJP was never in position to form the government on its own. The voters of UP have rejected the BJP. Thereafter, it tried to enter power through backdoor, by riding on the elephant of BSP. Our view is that BJP leadership has lost its reputation in UP.
In the recent elections, BSP did not field his candidates. Resultantly, BJP seemed to have gained. BSP is once again eyeing to make a coalition government with BJP, as it has done on three occasions in the past. People will not bring BJP but it would seek power through holding the tail of BSP.
HTE: You have reservations against SP as well?
PRD: When SP came to power, we were very happy. All the secular parties of India were responsible for bringing SP to power. Three years have passed. All those promises that they had done while coming to power, none of them has been fulfilled. All ministers are talking a different language. Moreover, it is the first time that a parallel organization named UP Vikas Parishad has been made. Development is the work of ministers and Chief Ministers. My experience is that the moneyed class has never worked for the betterment of the society. The Vikas Parishad comprises the dhanna seth (moneyed people) of the country and their stooges and dalals. I do not know what Amitabh Bachchan is doing in that. This Parishad is being paid from the State’s exchequer. The filthy rich of the country are being made richer. This is the agenda of the SP. If that is not so why is it that there is nobody from minorities, dalits or women community in this Parishad.
There is a big piece of non-cultivable land from Lucknow to Shahjahanpur but that has not been given. Rich and cultivable land is being given to them at pittance. This Parishad is aimed at developing these moneyed people further.
HTE: But what about the good deeds done by Mulayam Singh Yadav?
PRD: Mulayam’s role in attempting to safeguard Babri Masjid was commendable. But since then he has done nothing for the Muslims. He gave the State in the hands of those who consider the State as their personal fiefdom. People are angry over this.
The language that is used during his rallies is the language of the underworld. We want law and order to return to the State. We want people to live in piece. We do not want arms to be given to goondas. And we want people to move on streets without fear. All this is not possible under his rule.

“Congress is not working unitedly”: Jagdambika Pal

Jagdambika Pal, one time Chief Minister (though only for a brief period) has had the good and bad of politics. A Congressman, he left the party to form Loktantrik Congress Party, became a minister in Kalyan Singh’s BJP Government, was sacked from there only to be sworn in as Chief Minister of the State, but was duped by long-time aide and friend Naresh Aggarwal who joined hands with the SP while Pal returned to the folds of the Congress once again along with his supporters.
Within Congress too, Jagdambika Pal has savoured bouquets and brickbats. He launched a scathing attack on the BJP leadership for raking up the foreign origin issue of Sonia Gandhi and on another occasion he was dismissed from the Presidentship of UPCC by none else but Sonia Gandhi herself and replaced with Salman Khurshid. In a one-on-one interview here, Jagdambika Pal opens his heart to Aziz Haider of Hi Time Express.

The first question that was put to Pal was why, despite several successful rallies by Congress in Kanpur, Lucknow and Rai Bareilly, this was not reflected in the votes the party secured during the recently concluded civic elections. In response Pal said that none of the central leaders including Rahul Gandhi came to campaign during these elections. Though leaders belonging to UP, like Sri Prakash Jaiswal, Dr. Akhilesh Das and he himself did canvass, not even one of the 14 CMs that Congress has at present came to UP. In contradiction, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other senior leaders of various parties were out there in open.
Secondly Pal states categorically that the position of Congress has improved tremendously during these elections. “Results show this,” says he, “the fact that we lost only by 4500 votes in Lucknow when 34000 votes were declared invalid shows that we had won but were made to lose. We have gone to court, the writ petition has been approved, if the court allows recount, we will win.”
However, Pal rues the fact that Congress is not working as a unit, as it should. The will have to work more cohesively at State level if they are to give better results. He also cited Sonia Gandhi’s endeavours in this regard by appointing Zonal Incharges, which helped increase the Congress’s graph. “The manner in which SP misused the bureaucracy and made them work like party workers is out there in open,” he said. “Next day after the results were announced, 37 bureaucrats were transferred and this practice continues till this day. All those SPs, COs and others who worked for fair elections were punished. The bureaucracy is being politicized by the SP.”
Regarding the celebrations of SP government on completion of 3 years in power, Pal says that BJP spent over 600 crores on feel good and India Shining campaigns but the people of this country showed them the way out and Congress came to power when none had least expected it. The civic elections in UP were the semi-finals. Results show that SP has lost this semi-final. “They are boasting that they have got good support in the elections. If that is so, there were at least 600 seats on stake in the nagar nigams, nagar panchayats and town areas. Why are they not giving the number of seats they have won? I can count 25 districts where they were routed; these include Devaria, Gorakhpur, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Faizabad, Ghonda, Barabanki. They have not won in Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Mainpuri as well. Neither have they performed in Western UP. If out of 70, they have won 10-20 regions like Unnao, Etawah, this cannot be called a win.”
Pal is of view that Muslims are extremely angry with the SP for doing nothing for them and hobnobbing with the BJP. They started looking at BSP but Mayawati too has antagonized them by calling them fundamentalists. “This statement reveals her mentality. She is hoping to form a Government once again with the help of BJP, as she has done on three past occasions. More and more Muslims are coming toward the Congress,” he said.
Regarding bickering within his own party, Pal says that the PCC President should take everybody along. When I was the PCC President, voices were raised against me from within the PCC. On the other hand, I have always tried to give support to the PCC.”
Regarding the statement of Sonia Gandhi, a day prior to his ouster as PCC President, when she had said, “I find it dismal. I have been disappointed by the condition of the Congress party?” Pal is of opinion that Congress has moved from that dismal state to the mainframe. He expresses confidence that in the next election, UP Congress will be one of the potential parties, fighting to form a government in the State.
To a question, whether it was time for Rahul Gandhi to lead the party, so as to minimize the internal differences, Pal feels that the time has not come for that. “Now that the elections are near, they should be fought under the present PCC leadership only,” he said adding further: “I am a man of organization. Rahul ji will definitely campaign. But now when it is time to finalize the names of candidates for each constituency, a change at top leadership will mean that the incumbent will require at least six months to gear up.”

One area where you erred, Hon’ble Mr. VC

In an interview with Hi Time Express, Atul Kumar Anjaan, former president of the Lucknow University and now a senior leader said: “In a democracy everybody must be given rights. Student unions are a nursery of democratic process. Let’s not depoliticize them! But at the same time, democratic process must also give responsibility to behave in a democratic and responsible manner. Hooliganism, goondaism and rowdiness are not desired in a democratic society and especially among the student community. Bombs and pistols have no place in the university. Instead of bombs and revolvers, student leaders should go with ideas to their colleagues. That would take the political process further.”
He further said, “In a democracy we may not agree with our superiors, our teachers. But paying respect to teachers is akin to paying respect to parents.”
If there is one student leader who stands up to the ideals described by Atul Kumar Anjaan, he is Shantanu Sharma. In a university where corruption, rowdiness and criminal cases appear to be prerequisite to qualify you as a student leader, Shantanu Sharma appears to be a genuine leader who is serving politics for the welfare of the society. Naturally, he has ideas and he differs with his seniors, including the VC, on some issues, but he has always voiced his views in a peaceful manner.
Shantanu Sharma, a candidate for President’s post, is a Science Graduate and has done his PG in Geology. He jumped into politics after completion of law degree and fought the election for the first time in 2003. Despite facing a negative atmosphere and abysmal scenario in student politics he is doing his job of public service and student welfare.
To a question that he may have opted other platform for public service and channelise his energy, he answered that, “Politics also need some genuine workers who can work without selfishness. I hope that my honesty will bring remarkable changes in society.” Sharma said that he is a follower of Gandhian principles and want to bring changes in the society. He joined politics accidentally, but is now taking it seriously.
That teachers as well as local police station and certain journalists covering education beat too have only good words to describe him is our justification for coming up in his defense. Says Dr. VD Mishra, Head of Sociology Department, LU, under whose guidance Shantanu Sharma is doing his research in Sociology: “Despite all illicit activities that student politicians resort to, this student has kept himself away from all the bad activities. I appreciate his honest efforts in active politics. When asked why instead of his honesty, he does not get that kind of support, Dr. Mishra said that every effort is not noticed by the public; it takes long time to get noticed and make significant changes. He expressed his optimistic view that his student will be successful in his venture.
Dr. Anshumali Sharma, Reader of Geology, K.K.C. too spoke in favour of Shantanu Sharma. He said, “He is doing endeavor for the welfare of masses. His efforts will evoke a decision-making and thinking process in public.” He revealed that Shantanu was also involved in social welfare activities like organising Medical Camps, Polio camps and is a member of Human Unity Welfare Society. When questioned about the allegation he is facing Dr. Sharma said that charges which he is facing are not serious allegations; administration found student leaders involved in creating ruckus and booked him also. So, his personal view is that these allegations could not lower down his potential.
Several other sources that we spoke to too acclaimed in chorus that he is an honest leader who has not involved himself in the awful politics of campus.
In this contest, the views of VC Prof R.P. Singh, who has expelled Sharma alongwith 82 other student leaders, is that he too is involved in politics. However, the V-C agreed that he was not aggressively involved in negative political activities until now though he has been booked for creating ruckus in the campus after the Lyngdoh proposals. Singh said if he is guilty, he should be punished.
However, if we go by Atul Anjaan’s view, as per which student union is a nursery of democratic process, it means that depoliticizing the campus can never be a solution. Students cannot be separated from issues around them. Their voices cannot be forced into silence. They have right to express their views in public. Only thing is that they should do so peacefully. And Shantanu Sharma is one who adheres to this principal.
As Atul Anjaan said, “Certain students may have had a negative track record. That does not mean that all student politicians are criminals. Some teachers have committed wrongs in the past. In Meerut University, teachers asked primary students to evaluate the copies. That does not mean all teachers should be thrown out.”

Soldiering on

Tragedy struck Nargis when her husband Naqvi, an air force pilot, was killed as his helicopter crashed in the Siachen glacier. Nargis, who had only studied till class XII, had to take care of her children — son Nihal (4), and daughter Sabiha (3). She resolved to give her children a comfortable life, a dream that she and her husband shared.
But the meagre pension was insufficient for good education. So she decided to graduate; later enrolling for a PG degree, and a teacher's training course, all the time working in temporary teacher's jobs.
Says Nargis, "Naqvi treated me like a queen, but suddenly that queen was on the road. I would have broken down, but for my children." During this period, she also dismissed her relatives' suggestions of remarriage.
Fighting initial despair, she told herself she was a soldier's wife and so should face difficulties. Her husband's colleagues and relatives gave her strength in those hours of crisis. Every night, during dinner, she would talk to her children about Naqvi, as she wanted them to feel that they were not orphans, and "this strengthened our relationship."
But life was a struggle and it took her eight years to get a gas agency for which she was eligible. "If an IAF pilot's wife has to face such a challenge, I wonder the plight of other women in my situation," she says.
Even after she got the gas agency in 1995, local goons laid siege to her agency threatening to `slit the throat' of anybody who dared to enter the premises. But she fought back, telling the female relatives of the gang leader that she was the widow of an IAF pilot, and was being harassed. This worked!
Today, her agency has won awards for excellent service. Sabiha is happily married, while Nihal is studying to be a dental surgeon. Nargis has also become a prominent name in social work in East Delhi and Noida. Says Nargis, "Today, when I see both my kids dealing with life so beautifully, I can't help admiring them.
"My message to women in similar circumstances is: Trust yourself and remember that the more hurdles you cross, the stronger you get."

Kheer medicine for asthma!

He is a practising physician for 364 days in a year. But on the full-moon night of Poovar's Poranmashi (the last full moon prior to Diwali), Dr Anoop Kumar Srivastava, sheds his doctor's robe to distribute a traditional medicine for chronic asthma patients.
Thousands of patients from far and near descend on his house, bringing along kheer (a milk delicacy) in earthen bowls to consume the medicine at midnight.
This practice has continued at Dr Srivastava's house in Lucknow for the past 75 years, right from the time of his grandfather, Pyare Lal Srivastava, a locally famous homeopath.
The kheer is made using old chawal (rice) cooked in cow's milk in an earthen vessel heated by burning cow-dung and without any sugar. No metal, not even a steel spoon, can be used during the cooking. The medicine is added to the kheer and consumed on the spot. The patient is advised not to sleep or drink water for two hours after taking the medicine. "It is purely a traditional medicine and contains neither steroid nor anything harmful," says the doctor.
He, however, admits that he doesn't believe that there is anything special about that particular night chosen for distributing the medicine. "As a doctor I think this night is same as any other," he says and adds, "Or, perhaps, it is one way of fixing a day for the medicine as otherwise people would queue here every day."
The fact that he has seen people benefiting from the medicine is what spurs him to continue the practice, he says.
"It is a matter of faith as some people believe that amrit (elixir) falls from the sky on this night. More importantly, I am following the tradition of my father, Dr R.P. Srivastava, who had followed the tradition set by my grandfather."
Asked whether the medicine could be taken on any other day, he says he has not tried this until now.
The medicine is distributed free of cost on the full-moon night. "Earlier we distributed the kheer as well, but that practice has been discontinued," he says. Whether one has faith in the practice or not, the endless queues of people waiting with kheer in earthen vessels on the lawns of Dr Srivastava's house is to be seen to be believed.

Summer Getaways

The cricket World Cup means that all air routes lead to UK this summer. But for others, the options have never been wider. The holiday world has opened up for Indians in the real sense. Fuelling the boom are leading tour operators who are putting together some innovative travel options and packages tailored specifically for Indian holidaymakers. Aziz Haider picks the best of this summer's offers.

Gone are the days when for Indians, going on a holiday usually meant getting on a train and chugging across the country to visit grandma. Today, the Indian outbound growth rate is among the highest in Asia, with over a third of these being leisure travellers. It's this new-found love for fun and adventure which has compelled leading tour operators to come out with innovative packages and destinations. Leisure, fun, sightseeing, shopping, relaxation, time to do things, and time when you do nothing--all these are now packaged and presented with an eye on the discerning traveller who is looking for comfort, service and a hassle-free holiday.
Even regular travellers who've done it all and seen it all are pleasantly surprised by the standards of luxury, efficiency and personalised care that well-known tour operators have begun providing, thanks to cut-throat competition. There's a place in the sun for everyone--be it a planned trip with the kids during school summer break, an adventure-packed safari with friends, an incentive tour offered by the company with colleagues, or a romantic getaway with your beloved. The confidence of being in the experienced hands of professionals when going to an altogether new place, hassle-free travel services, competitive rates that they provide across the world and a well-organised holiday are the reasons why more and more people are taking recourse to their services.
Besides, tour operators endeavour to bring all the needful elements--leisure, fun, sightseeing, relaxation, etc. in a happy mix. The playgrounds of America's fabled holiday destinations and places as far as Alaska's snowbound reaches or Australia's outback are no longer distant regions. And, with India becoming a favourite target of luxury cruise operators, the options have never been wider, specially in summer, when every tour operator of repute comes out with special packages to beat the heat.
The world suddenly seems one big tourist village. Sometimes it becomes difficult to make a choice out of the wide-ranging travel possibilities. This article attempts to provide the various summer options, selecting only the best tour operators and listing the very best of the packages being offered. If you have the money to spend, Europe is an all-time favourite, particularly London, as is USA. However, the emerging destinations in terms of popularity are Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy, with Austria, Scotland and the Scandinavian countries fast catching up. Here are the options--take your pick.
SINGLE CITY TOURS London Week(Wills Holidays)Seven days in London Tour Highlights: Wills Holidays have tied up with a range of leading hotels. The tour offers a choice of accommodation at 10 centrally located hotels offering special rates for Wills Holiday clients. The London Week includes a tour of the major attractions, plenty of shopping time and a choice of entertainment. Tour Cost: $745 to 1,065 depending on the class of hotel. Prices are per person, on twin-sharing basis, and do not include air fare. Tour Inclusions: Superior first-class or first-class hotels in central London. Accommodation includes porterage and hotel taxes, a three-day London travel pass, guided sightseeing tour of the city, a Thames cruise and the London discount voucher booklet. Meals: Daily continental breakfast. Options: Will Holidays emphasise individual flexibility, or FIT. Their idea is not to treat clients as part of a larger herd. The itinerary is optional, as is the choice of transport, the class of hotel and the tour itself.
NAMASTE PARIS(Thomas Cook)A five-night, six-day stay in romantic Paris Tour Highlights: Thomas Cook, in association with Air France, has launched two unique five-night, six-day tour packages to France. Called ``Bonjour!'', these packages take you to this enticingly beautiful and romantic country at a very affordable price. The Namaste Paris package offers a chance to discover the elegance and charm that the French capital is known for. Also offered are exciting optional excursions like the Cityrama tour, Grand Louvre Museum, Versailles and Trianons, Mont-Saint-Michel and a show at the Moulin Rouge. Tour Cost: Rs 33,990 (Rs 22,230 plus $280) ex-Mumbai. Tour Inclusions: Return Economy-Class air fare, five nights' stay in a first-class hotel, city tour of Paris, a two-day Paris Visite pass. Meals: Five breakfasts.
SINGLE COUNTRY TOURSNamaste Paris and Nice(Thomas Cook)A five-night, six-day package Tour Highlights: An unbeatable combination: Paris and the French Riviera. Nice sits on the sweep of the Mediterranean coastline. It's rich in natural beauty, yet is thoroughly modern. Excursion options include Nice and Monaco, the French Riviera tour, Cannes and Grasse, a Monaco evening, Casino Evening, Cabaret Evening, Furoscope, the Call of the Mountains, Lourdes, the city of Mary and Colmer. Tour Cost: Rs 39,990 (Rs 23,190 plus $400) ex-Mumbai. Tour Inclusions: Return Economy-Class air fare, also air fare on the Paris-Nice-Paris sector, five-day stay in hotel, city tour of Nice, Monaco and Paris, two-day Paris Visite pass. Hotel stay on twin-sharing basis. Meals: Five continental breakfasts.
GRAND TOUR OF SCOTLAND(Wills Holidays)A 10-day tour of Scotland Tour Highlights: Meet in London. After an overnight stay (the Gloucester), a scenic drive north to Edinburgh, stopping at the 12th-century Jedburgh Abbey. In Edinburgh, a guided tour takes in the magnificent Edinburgh Castle, the State Apartments and a view of the Scottish Crown Jewels. Plenty of free time till day four, when you cross the Firth of Forth to St Andrews, the mecca of golf. On to Perth to visit a Scotch distillery, before crossing the Grampian mountains to Braemar. Next day, a visit to Balmoral Castle and then a drive along the shores of Loch Ness to Inverness. A visit to John O'Groats the following day, followed by a drive through a magnificent countryside to the fishing village of Ullapool. Next, across to the island of Skye and some more sightseeing. Finally, a highlight cruise on Loch Lomond before reaching Glasgow. Next day, it's back to London. Tour Cost: $1,148 per person on twin-sharing basis, exclusive of air fare. Tour Inclusions: First and last night's accommodation in London; first-class hotels; luxury, air-conditioned coach with washroom and reclining seats; hotel-service charges, taxes and porterage, and professional tour director. Meals: Two continental breakfasts and seven full-Scottish breakfasts. Four three-course evening meals. Gala evening at Braemar, traditional Scottish dinner and entertainment.
WESTERN EUROPEHighlights of Europe(Wills Holidays)A 15-day tour of England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland, France Tour Highlights: Starts with an overnight stay in London, with enough time for shopping and sightseeing before driving to Dover. En route, see the Canterbury Cathedral. Cross the Channel to Belgium. Drive to the medieval city of Bruges and then to Brussels for an orientation tour which includes the Grand Place, Royal Palace, Manneken Pis and Atomium. On to Amsterdam, where the tour includes the Mint Tower and Royal Palace, a canal and harbour cruise, and a visit to a diamond factory. Drive through the Dutch countryside to Volendam, view clog and cheesemaking. In Germany, visit Cologne, take a Rhine cruise, and see the Loreley Rock and Pfalz Castle. On to Heidelberg, and then Munich and a tour of the city. From Munich, a scenic drive through the Black Forest before entering Innsbruck in Austria. Visit the Old Town and Wilten Basilica, see the Golden Roof, Imperial Palace and Olympic Ski Jump. Another scenic drive through Brenner Pass via the Europa Bridge and into Venice. The sightseeing tour includes a cruise to St Mark's Square by private launch; you also get to see the Bridge of Sighs and the Basilica, watch Venetian glass-blowing, and take a gondola ride. Drive through the Italian Lake District to Rome, where there's a guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia and Circus Maximus. In Florence, see the statue of David, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Signoria Square, the Santa Croce, the Cathedral and Michelangelo's tomb. Tour includes visits to the Vatican City and St Peter's Basilica; don't miss Michelangelo's Pieta. On to Lucerne, Switzerland, for an orientation tour which includes Mount Pilatus cog-rail excursion, the Lion monument and Chapel Bridge. Drive through the Swiss Alpine countryside to France and on to Paris. Here, visit Notre Dame and Montmartre, ascend the Eiffel Tower, see the Arc de Triomphe, Opera, and Champs Elysees. You also get a special Paris shopping voucher. Drive through the French countryside and across the Channel to London. Tour starts and ends in London. Tour Cost: $1,999 per person (does not include air fare). Tour Inclusions: First and last nights' accommodation in London. Twin-bedded rooms with private facilities in first-class, centrally located hotels on twin-sharing basis in all major cities; luxury air-conditioned high-deck motorcoach with reclining seats, washroom and extra leg room; Channel crossings by modern SeaCat; hotel-service charges, taxes and porterage, and finally, a professional, multilingual tour director. Meals: Two continental and 12 enhanced or buffet breakfasts; seven three-course evening meals; Amsterdam canal cruise and dinner on a floating restaurant. Options: Ten- and 14-day European tours also available.
EUROPEAN DISCOVERY (Cox & Kings)A 15-day tour of Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands,Belgium, UK, with free trips to Singapore or Thailand Tour Highlights: Sightseeing tours of Rome, Florence and Venice in Italy; Innsbruck in Austria. A scenic drive to the base of Mt Titlis, one of Switzerland's highest peaks. A panoramic tour of Lucerne, Paris, Amsterdam, with a canal cruise thrown in. In Brussels, another orientation tour before crossing the English Channel to London to take in its sights. Tour starts in Rome, ends in London. Tour Cost: $1,699 per person (inclusive of air fare) on twin-sharing basis. A surcharge of $40 per person applicable for all departures leaving India from May 17 till June 20. The company also offers, with the European Discovery tour, flights to Singapore with four days' free stay or a flight to Thailand with five days' free stay. Tour Inclusions: Accommodation in first-class hotels on twin-sharing basis; coach tours; transfers; entrance fees; sightseeing, and surface transportation in modern, air-conditioned luxury hi-liner coaches. Services of a multilingual manager throughout the tour. Meals: Fourteen continental breakfasts, 10 meals in Indian restaurants and one continental dinner.
DISCOVER EUROPE (Sita Travels)A 16-day tour of France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, UK Tour Highlights: Starts in Paris with a tour by night. In Italy, orientation tours of Rome, Florence, Pisa and Venice. In Lucerne, explore the beautiful mountain resort, ride up the world's only revolving cable car, enjoy the view from the top of Mt Titlis, down to Lake Lucerne and the Bucherer Watch showroom. Orientation tours of Zurich and then Berne, where you can view the famous Bear Pit. Drive to Mannheim in Germany via the Rhine Falls and through the Black Forest and Freiburg. Take a scenic Rhine cruise, viewing the beautiful castles and vineyards along the river. On to Cologne and its famous Gothic Cathedral. In Amsterdam, an orientation tour of the city and a canal cruise. Go to Madurodam to see the Netherlands in miniature. On to Belgium, and Brussels for a short orientation tour before taking the Eurostar to London. Tour Cost: $1,179 plus Rs 19,900 as air fare (approximately $1,649). Tour Inclusions: Air ticket between Paris and Rome, hotel accommodation on twin-sharing basis with private bath/shower and standard inside cabin when on cruise. Eurostar fare between Paris and London and a Sita tour escort throughout. Meals: Vegetarian/non-vegetarian; continental, English or buffet breakfasts daily and 13 dinners.
EUROPEAN GRANDEUR(Thomas Cook)A 16-day tour of the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, UK Tour Highlights: In Amsterdam, see the beautiful Tulip gardens of Keukenhof or visit Madurodam to see the Netherlands in miniature. In Cologne, tour the city before proceeding to Innsbruck in Austria, where you get to see the Golden Roof, the Maria-Theresien-Strasse and the Swarovski showroom to admire the beautiful crystals. Go for a Tyrolean folk show to get acquainted with Austrian culture from the Tyrolean Alps. The Italian leg includes a city tour of Venice and its famous canals. In Rome, the tour includes Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel, with its awesome murals by Michaelangelo. In Nice, visit a perfume factory for a demonstration of how French perfumes are made. On to Leysin, in Switzerland, a centre for winter- and summer-sports. Tour Lucerne and Engelberg, including a cable-car ride up to Mt Titlis. On to Geneva, the city of Jet d'Eau (the world's tallest fountain), walk around the lake and see the Floral Clock. Next stop, Paris, for a taste of the best of Parisian delights, before crossing over to London, where the tour ends after a day of sightseeing. Tour Cost: $1,999 plus air fare Rs 19,990. Tour Inclusions: Hotel accommodation on twin-sharing basis; Eurostar fare and multilingual Indian tour managers throughout. Meals: Twelve continental buffet breakfasts and three American breakfasts; 14 Jain/vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals.
PASSIONATE EUROPE (Cox & Kings)A 19-day tour of France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, UK Tour Highlights: Panoramic tour of Paris, which takes in all the important tourist sights. In Lucerne, an orientation tour of the city. In Italy, visit the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa. In Florence, get an aerial view of the city from Piazzale Michaelangelo. On to Rome and a sightseeing tour of the city's famous landmarks. In Venice, take a ride on a vaporetto, see Venetian landmarks and visit a traditional Venetian glass-blowing demonstration. On to Vienna for a city tour. In Prague, visit Prague Castle, the Jewish Town Hall and Cemetry, Charles Bridge, St Nicholas Cathedral and the Astronomical Clock. In Berlin, usual landmarks including the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden Avenue and the Reichstag. The Amsterdam leg involves a sightseeing tour of the city; a visit to a diamond factory, a cheese and clog factory, as well as a canal cruise. This is followed by a panoramic tour of Brussels. In London, catch the famous sights. Tour starts in Paris, and ends in London. Tour Cost: $1,999 per person (including air fare). A surcharge of $40 per person from May 17 to June 20. The company also offers a flight to Singapore along with a star cruise package, or a flight to Dubai with four days' free stay with the Passionate Europe tour. Tour Inclusions: Accommodation in first-class hotels on twin-sharing basis; coach tours; transfers; entrance fees; sightseeing and surface transportation in modern, air-conditioned luxury hi-liner coaches. Services of a multilingual tour manager throughout. Meals: Eighteen continental breakfasts, 13 meals in Indian restaurants, and three continental dinners. BEST OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL (Wills Holidays)A 16-day tour of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Costa Del Sol, Seville, Lisbon, Fatima, Oporto, Salamanca, Estepona, Toledo Tour Highlights: Wine-tasting at the Cava cellars, and a cruise along the Guadalquivir to view the Expo sites. The guided tour of Barcelona includes the Pueblo Espanol, Montjuic Hill, a drive along the Ramblas to the port, and a trip to the Olympic Complex. In Valencia, the tour takes you to the Generalidad Palace, Plaza del Ayuntamiento, El Miguelete Cathedral, Church of Our Lady of the Forsaken, and the city gates. In Purullena, visit the Troglodyte village. On to Granada for a visit to the Alhambra Palace and Generalife water gardens. From there to Estepona, Ronda, Salamanca and Toledo, where the tour includes a visit to the Cathedral with its Greco masterpieces. In Madrid, visit the Prado Museum, drive along the Gran Via, past the Cibeles Fountain, Cervantes Monument and Puerta del Sol. A scenic drive takes you through the Jalon River Valley, Costa Blanca and Costa Dorada. Cross the Mora Pass in the Sierra Nevada, Costa del Sol, across the Serrania de Ronda and the Guadarrama Mountains to Gibraltar. After a guided tour of the Rock, it's on to Lisbon, where you will visit Jeronimo's Monastery and the Alfama district, see the Presidential Palace, Sao Jorge Castle and Belem Tower, cross the Tagus Bridge to Obidos and the ancient city of Batalha. In Oporto, see the Villa Nova de Gaia wine stores, with port-wine tasting followed by a scenic drive to the Serra de Estrela. This itinerary may on occasion operate in reverse. Tour Cost: $1,480 per person, excluding air fare. Tour Inclusions: Complimentary arrival and return transfers to and from Madrid airport; twin-bedded rooms with private facilities in first-class, centrally located hotels in major cities; luxury air-conditioned high-deck motorcoach with reclining seats and washroom; hotel-service charges, taxes and porterage; professional multilingual tour director. Meals: Fifteen enhanced or buffet breakfasts; eight three-course evening meals. Gala evening in Barcelona, with dinner, wine and entertainment and a visit to the Spanish Park, Pueblo Espanol. In Seville, dinner and entertainment featuring a Flamenco show. Options: A 10-day Highlights of Spain tour; a 17-day tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
ALPINE SPLENDOURS (Wills Holidays)An 11-day tour of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein Tour Highlights: Begins with an orientation tour of Zurich. See the Fraumunster, Bahnhofstrasse, quays of the Limmat and Zurichsee. From Zurich, drive to Munich along the shores of Lake Constance. The Munich tour includes a visit to Marienplatz; the City Hall with its Glockenspiel, the Olympic Stadium and Maximilianstrasse. On to Lindau and then Bavaria for a visit to `Mad' King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle and the Hohenschwangau Castle. Tour the picturesque town of Oberammergau, and see the Passion Play Theatre. Back to Munich. A scenic drive into Austria, where the first stop is Salzburg. Visit the Mirabell Gardens, the Great Cathedral, Mozart's birthplace and The Sound of Music locations. Drive through the Danube Valley to Vienna; guided sightseeing tour of the Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens, the Winter Palace, Belvedere Palace and Garden, St Charles Church and Opera. Drive through the Austrian Alpine countryside to Villach in the Lake District. Cross the Alps to Bolzano, via the ski resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Drive through the Engadine Valley via Merano, to the fashionable ski resort of St Moritz. Next morning, board the Glacier Express to Chur, drive through Liechenstein to Lucerne. Orientation tour includes an excursion to the summit of Mt Pilatus by cog-wheel rail and cable car; view the Lion Monument, the Chapel Bridge, the Semmering Pass, and the Carinthian Lake District. The Italian leg starts at Cortina with an orientation tour of Cortina d'Ampezzo; see the Olympic ski-jump. Orientation tours of Bolzana and Merano, the latter involving a scenic drive through the Dolomites. In Liechtenstein, there's an orientation tour of Vaduz, which includes the 700-year-old Vaduz Castle. Tour starts and ends at Zurich airport. Tour Cost: $1,298 per person, excluding air fare. Tour Inclusions: Arrival and departure, and hotel transfer in Zurich; twin-bedded rooms with private facilities in first-class, centrally-located hotels; luxury, air-conditioned, high-deck motorcoach with reclining seats and washroom; hotel-service charges, taxes and porterage; professional tour director. Meals: Ten enhanced or buffet breakfasts; seven three-course evening meals; gala evening at Vienna, dinner and entertainment in a local restaurant. Options: Nine-day Grand Tour of Switzerland; 10-day Best of Italy.
EASTERN EUROPEHighlights of Eastern Europe (Wills Holidays)A 14-day tour of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic Tour Highlights: Leisurely start with tour of Vienna. A drive the next day through the Danube Valley to Budapest, with a visit to St Matthias' Church, Fisherman's Bastion and Citadel Hill, Parliament, Opera House and Hero Square, followed by a visit to the ancient artists' village of Szentendre. Drive into Slovakia through the Tatra Mountains, past Oravsky Hrad Castle, and into Poland and Krakow. Guided sightseeing tour with visit to the Cloth Hall and Mariacki Church, the courtyard of Jagiellonian University and the Wawel Cathedral. Drive to the medieval town of Oswiecim, the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. Travel north to Czestochowa for a visit to the 14th-century monastery of Jasna Gora, famous for the Black Madonna. On to Warsaw; the city tour takes in the Palace of Culture and Lazienki Palace, the Chopin Memorial, St Martin's Church, Warsaw's Ghetto and the Memorial. Drive across to the river port of Poznan before entering Germany and into Berlin. The tour includes the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate, an excursion to Potsdam, a drive along Unter den Linden to Dresden. Here, see the Saxon Wall, the Zwinger Palace, Semper Opera and Frauenkirche. A scenic drive via the Teuptiz Lakes, across the Ore Mountains takes you into the Czech Republic and Prague. Here, visit Hradcany Castle, the St Vitus' Cathedral, the Old Town Square, Astronomical Clock and St Charles Bridge. After a taste of Prague's night life, the tour proceeds to Trebon, in the Bohemian Lake District. Then, on to the Austrian capital of Vienna. The city tour takes in the Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens, the Winter Palace, Parliament and St Charles Church. Tour Cost: $1,598 per person excluding air fare. Tour Inclusions: Arrival and departure, transfer from and to Vienna airport and hotel; twin-bedded rooms in first-class hotels; luxury air-conditioned high-deck motorcoach with reclining seats and washroom; hotel-service charges, taxes and porterage; multilingual tour director. Meals: Thirteen enhanced or buffet breakfasts; seven three-course evening meals. In Budapest, highlight dinner with gypsy music; in Krakow, dinner and music in a typical Polish restaurant; and in Warsaw, dinner and music in an elegant mansion.
AMERICASPLENDOURS OF AMERICA (Thomas Cook)A 12-day tour of New York, Niagara, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando Tour Highlights: Discover the throbbing New York City through a guided sightseeing tour. Then, the majestic Niagara Falls which you can view from a mobile tram. In Washington D.C., see the capital's landmarks. On to Las Vegas, where you check out the famous Las Vegas Strip and explore this gambler's paradise. In San Francisco, a comprehensive tour before heading to Los Angeles to take in Beverly Hills, Universal Studios and other hot spots before heading to Orlando and its famous Sea World (watch the lifeguards in action on the Baywatch show), before hitting an even better-known attraction, Disneyworld and the Epcot Centre. Tour starts in New York and ends in Orlando. Tour Cost: $1,999 plus Rs 44,990 (as air fare) ex-Mumbai and Delhi; and $1,999 plus Rs 49,990 ex-Chennai. High-season surcharge of $99 per person in April, May and June. Tour Inclusions: Twin-sharing accommodation; professional tour managers and modern coaches. Meals: Ten American breakfasts in hotels, three Indian buffet lunches and six dinners in Indian restaurants.
AMERICAN OPTIONS (Cox & Kings/Sita Travels) Tour Highlights: Tours of varying durations from Cox & Kings. The Wild West Adventure tour covers Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles in five days at $1,449 plus Rs 44,990 (ex-Mumbai and Delhi), and $1,449 plus Rs 49,990 (ex-Chennai). The eight-day Orlando Extravaganza tour covers Orlando in detail and includes a four-day carnival fun cruise to the Bahamas. Available for $1699 plus Rs 44,990 ex-Mumbai and Delhi; and $1,699 plus Rs 49,990 ex-Chennai. The eight-day Coast-to-Coast tour covering New York, Niagara, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles costs $1,799 plus Rs 44,990 ex-Mumbai and Delhi; and $1,799 plus Rs 49,990 ex-Chennai. The short-duration Eastern Experience tour covers New York, Niagara and Washington D.C. at $1,299 plus Rs 44,990 ex-Mumbai and Delhi; and $1,299 plus Rs 49,990 ex-Chennai. All tours inclusive of air fare. Sita Travels has tied up with Allied Tours--an American tour operator of repute--to offer 21 Experience America escorted tours, seven of which are new itineraries covering all the important regions of North America. Moreover, there are two rail and road coast-to-coast itineraries which combine America's famous rail route with the traditional motorcoach.
A 13-DAY AMERICANWESTERN HOLIDAY (Sita TRAVELS) Tour Highlights: Starting from the scenic coastline of San Francisco, this tour covers Pismo Beach, Santa Monica, Disneyland, San Diego, Tijuana, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona, Flagstaff, Monument Valley, Kayenta, Grand Canyon Monument Valley, Las Vegas, Fresno, Yosemite National Park, Napa and Sausalito, before terminating in San Francisco. Tour Cost: $999 (exclusive of air fare). Tour Inclusions: Accommodation on twin-room sharing basis, sightseeing, admission to various tourist spots, airport transfers, hotel taxes and porterages.
A 14-DAY ``AMERICAN ZEPHYRRail & Road'' tour(Sita TRAVELS) Tour Highlights: Starting from New York City, this covers Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver, the Rocky Mountain National Park, Salt Lake City, Arches National Park, Moab, Canyon Lands Park, Monument Valley, Page, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon National Park, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park and terminates at San Francisco. Tour Cost: $1,999 per person (exclusive of air fare). Tour Inclusions: Twin-sharing accommodation; sightseeing; admission to various tourist spots; airport transfers; hotel taxes and porterages.
FIVE-DAY ``EASTERN TRIANGLE'' TOUR(Sita TRAVELS) Tour Highlights: Tour covering New York City, Buffalo, the Niagara Falls, Corning, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Tour Cost: $365. Tour Inclusions: As above.
AMERICAN SPLENDOUR(Thomas Cook) Tour Highlights: A 16-day tour covering New York, Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco; and a four-day cruise to the Bahamas and back. Tour Cost: $1,999 plus Rs 29,990 (air fare) ex-Mumbai and Delhi; and $1,999 plus Rs 32,990 ex-Chennai; $55 per person tour supplement for all cruise sailings between May and August, to be paid in equivalent Indian rupees. Tour Inclusions: Hotel accommodation on twin-sharing basis, all transfers by air-conditioned coach with English-speaking guides. Cost of four-day cruise on the luxurious ``The Big Red Boat'' cruise liner to the Bahamas.
Meals: Thirteen American breakfasts, 10 Indian (Jain/vegetarian and non-vegetarian) dinners at local Indian restaurants, one international buffet dinner and all meals on board the cruise.
AMAZING AMERICA (Thomas Cook) Tour Highlights: A 13-day tour which also includes a four-day cruise to the Bahamas. This tour covers Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Tour Cost: $1,699 plus Rs 29,990 ex-Mumbai/Delhi. Inclusive of air fare.
OTHER INTERESTING OPTIONSSOUTH AFRICA (SITA Travels)Tour Highlights: Another unique offer is being given jointly by Sita World Travel and South African Airways. Includes three nights in Cape Town and two nights in Sun City. Tour Cost: Free against payment of the listed air fare from Mumbai to Capetown, i.e. Rs 42,535, payable as Rs 25,000 plus $415, which will be taken from the tourist's BTQ quota. Tour Inclusions: Accommodation in first- class hotels, daily buffet breakfast, dinners, return airport transfers in Capetown and a city tour. Options: For the individual traveller, Sita is offering an eight-day tour to South Africa for $1,275 on twin-sharing basis. The cost comes down to $1,000 per person if four-six passengers are travelling and $850 per person in case of seven or more passengers. Air fare not included. The tour begins with a city tour of Capetown and covers Johannesburg, the Kruger National Park and Sun City. Price includes all sightseeing and transfers on seat-in-coach basis, buffet breakfast and vegetarian/non-vegetarian dinner daily, and one lunch.
SCANDINAVIA (Thomas Cook)
Tour Highlights: An eight-night/nine-day itinerary which includes a city tour of Copenhagen to visit the stock exchange, the Amalienborg Palace, the Little Mermaid, the Rosenborg Palace, Stroget Shopping Street and the Gefion Fountain; a visit to the famous Carlsberg Brewery at Copenhagen; city tour of Bergen which includes the Bryggen Waterfront, fishmarket, Stave Church, the Edward Grieg Museum and other major sights; a ride aboard the Floijen Funicular train to admire the fantastic scenery from a height; cruise from Bergen to Oslo on the Fjord cruise amid cascading waterfalls and shimmering glaciers; city tour of Oslo to visit the Holmenkollen Skijump, the Royal Palace, Karl Johan, Vigeland Park, Akkers Brygge, the Viking Ship Museum and other major sights; city tour of Stockholm to see Fjallgattan Viewpoint, the Royal Palace, Old Town, Kings Garden, City Hall, the Vasa Ship Museum among other famous spots; and a cruise through the Stockholm Archipelago which consists of more than 24,000 islands. Tour Cost: Rs 39,990 plus $999 ex-Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Indore, Vadodara and Ahmedabad; Rs 42,990 plus $999 ex-Calcutta, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad; and Rs 33,990 plus $999 ex-Delhi. Tour Inclusions: All hotel accommodations on twin- sharing basis. Meals: Seven Scandinavian buffet breakfasts and eight Indian dinners.
CHINA (SITA Travels) Tour Highlights: For the first time, an eight-day tour to China is being offered by SITA covering Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. Tour covers visits to the Great Wall of China, Ming Tomb, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Shanxi Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bronze Chariot, the Terracotta Warriors and horses, Huaqing Hot Springs and the Bund on the Huangpu river. Tour Cost: $1,200 per person on twin-sharing basis; exclusive of air fare. Tour Inclusions: Hotel accommodation; daily breakfast, lunch and dinner.

LUXURY AFLOAT

Cruising has become the fastest-growing tourist activity, and Indians are fast catching up with the rest of the world. And with a number of companies offering varied options to hitherto unexplored places, and stiff competition ensuring that prices remain low, cruises are becoming the latest holiday option.
You will have to board and off-board most of these liners from a foreign destination--meaning that you will have to fly to the place of boarding and also take a return flight from where you alight. However, many tourists tackle this by taking a cruise as an extended holiday option during a vacation in a particular region.
The Cruise Options: Discover the World Marketing, the company that represents Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in India, offers a range of itineraries in America including the Inside Passage and Glacier Route itineraries, and the Pacific Coast itinerary covering California, Alaska and the spectacular scenery, majestic wildlife and living history around the Inside Passage. Also on offer are cruises in Europe--in the Mediterranean and Baltic seas and in western Europe--and the Transatlantic cruises.
These and other cruises can be booked through various tour operators like Cox & Kings, Sita Travels, SOTC, Stic Travels and Thomas Cook. Sita World Travel has also been appointed as the Preferred Sales Agent of the Malaysian-owned line, Star Cruise, which operates tours from Singapore and Hong Kong. There are other tour operators as well.
THE ALASKAN CRUISE In summer months, the ships plying in the Caribbean seas switch to Alaska cruising mainly out of Vancouver through the Inside Passage--the largest sheltered inland waterway in the world--to the ports of south-east Alaska from where you can explore the spectacular mountains of ice and the charming frontier spirit of Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and other destinations. You can also take a breathtaking helicopter ride through the surrounding mountains, walk on one of the huge glaciers, go white-water rafting in the icy waters tumbling down the glaciers, or go spotting bears, sea lions, whales or eagles on the raft side through the world's only Bald Eagle Reserve. Departures: On offer are 53 six- or seven-day sailings to Bermuda from New York and five additional east coast getaways from April. These cruises dock at Bermuda's historic King's Wharf on the island's west end. Besides, a seven-night Inside Passage tour covering Vancouver, Inside Passage, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan is available between April and September. There are altogether 41 Alaskan and Pacific coastal cruises on offer from May through September. Offering scenic itineraries ranging from seven to 12 nights, the ships will call at Alaska's Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. Glacier cruises for seven nights are also available through May, June, July and August. Cost: The seven-night Inside Passage tour is available from $945 onwards, while the Pacific Coast tour costs $1,195 onwards. Attractive discounts are on offer on all these cruises for getting bookings done now.
MEDITERRANEAN MAGIC In the Mediterranean region, cruises usually have either an eastern or western Mediterranean itinerary. The chief attraction of cruising in these regions is the number of countries these ships touch and the fascinating experience at these places. There is also a wider choice of cruise lengths with 10-, 11-, and 14-day cruises, as well as the one-week itineraries.
While the eastern Mediterranean cruises offer options like exploring such captivating cities as Athens and Rome or visiting exotic locations from Malta to Turkey, the western Mediterranean cruises take you to destinations whose names alone conjure images of European beauty and charm: Naples, graced with picturesque Italian landscapes; Barcelona, with its lively Spanish spirit and architectural marvels; Livorno, the gateway to the Renaissance treasures of Florence; Villafranche, from where you can begin a memorable visit to Nice, Monte Carlo and the dazzling French Riviera; and finally, the island of Mallorca, where you can shop for exquisite pearls.
Departures: An 11-night eastern Mediterranean cruise will depart on May 16, September 20 and October 11, whereas the 10-night western Mediterranean cruise will commence on May 28, September 10 and October 1.
Cost: Ranges from about $1,000 to 12,000 (for the penthouse suites).
RUSSIA AND THE BALTIC SEA In mid-summer, some ships head north of the Mediterranean for the Baltic Sea. There are cruises along the Norwegian fjords, some of which take in the famous midnight sun, and the capital cities of Scandinavia plus Russia's historic St Petersburg. Here, the old-world grandeur blends with contemporary charm for an extraordinary vacation experience. Your 14-night voyage gives you the time to explore fascinating destinations at your leisure as you sail to ports in northern Europe and Scandinavia. From Stockholm to Copenhagen, the jewels of the Baltic sparkle with timeless beauty, and the splendour of nature is found wherever land and sky meet--in the fjords of Oslo, the bays of Helsinki, the canals of Amsterdam. And still more wonders await you in the dramatic city of Berlin, medieval Tallinn, historic Gdynia, and the crowning highlight of a visit to the royal city of St Petersburg. Departures: The 14-night ``Russia and the Baltic Sea'' cruise starts on June 19; July 3, 17, 31; and August 14. Cost: Prices range from about $1,500 to about $13,000.
WESTERN EUROPE CRUISE The tour, spread over 12 to 13 days, captures the grandeur of western Europe--from quaint villages to cosmopolitan cities. Soak in the Moroccan mystique of Tangier, the glamour and allure of Paris, the cobblestone streets of Lisbon and the beautiful port at Le Havre. Departures: June 7 and August 28. Cost: From $1,400 upwards.
TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE The 15-night Transatlantic cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see destinations on both sides of the Atlantic ocean, from Barcelona to Bermuda, Morocco to St Maarten. Departures: April 24 from Fort Lauderdale; October 22 from Genoa. Cost: Starts from $1,295 and goes up to $11,345. Check out for the early-bird discounts.
THE FAR-EAST CRUISE A choice of cruise options with Star Cruise, known for providing a wide range of onboard activities that include aerobics, movies, swimming, shopping, dancing, computer games, deck games, demonstrations, cabaret shows, partying and dining. Besides, these cruises take passengers to the more famous destinations in the region through the sea route, thus cutting down on precious time that gets lost while checking-in through airports, hotels and customs, packing and unpacking. Various day-long excursions offering the best of Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Palau Payar, Kuah Town, Malacca, Phuket and Singapore are available for a charge. At the end of each excursion, you return to the cruise to indulge in more fun as the ship sails to the next destination. Departures: Options of six-, four-, and three-day cruises operating through the season. Cost: The six-day cruise ranges from $500 (on twin-sharing basis) to $7,500 (Presidential Suite). The four-day cruise price ranges from $300 to about $4,000; the three-day cruise from $200 to about $3,000.
NEPALHot New Resorts There are two holiday spots which are attracting hordes of big-spenders for their combination of luxury and tranquility. Lekha J. Shankar finds them an ideal summer getaway.
It's called destination paradise and it's the most talked-about resort complex in Nepal. Built at a cost of Rs 160 crore over a five-year period, the Fulbari Resort Complex in Pokhra will formally open this summer. For Indians visiting Pokhra, this could well be their next one-stop holiday resort. In fact, they can even fly directly to the resort from Kathmandu as it has its own private helipad!
The 80 acres offer plenty of delights--an artificial lake where there are facilities for boating and water-sports, a nine-hole golf course, an aviary with a delightful range of well-fed birds, tennis courts, jacuzzi, swim-up bar, three restaurants including the Masala Bazar which serves Indian food, and a fabulous open-air beer-garden. This faces some spectacular gorges and the flowing Seti river. Most of the rooms lead out to the gardens and pools and one's tempted to remain outdoors all the time.
Not that the interiors are less exciting. The lobby--with its grand Ganesh and Pancha Buddha heads, Newari water-spouts, 108 brass lamps (an auspicious number), intricately carved pillars and walls and the marble flooring--is a visual spectacle. There are paintings and books in the library lounge, and fountains in the open-air chauthara where we hear a music concert at night. There are sit-out spaces in the passages of the rooms, all overlooking the chauthara which is lit with diya (earthen lamps) at night. The evening concerts make it an audio-visual delight. The rooms have brass mandala and intricate woodwork, fresh flowers and quaintly lit alcoves even in the toilets.
The resort spells class, artistry and exquisite design. Everywhere the history, art and mythology of Nepal are evoked. In keeping with modern demands, a casino, disco and health club will be opened soon. There are walks, games and pony rides for the energetic. For those who want more, there are trekking trails near the Seti river, apart from rafting in the river itself. And for those who want even more adventure, Pokhra offers mountain flights and hand-gliding rides which the Fulbari management can organise. I would recommend both. They are not cheap but well worth the experience. The 20-seater mountain planes ($99 for an hour) take you breathtakingly close to the Himalayas and, as the guide points out the Annapurna and other ranges, every peak seems to come to life. The two-seater hand-glider craft takes you on another high too. The shortest 15-minute trip costs about $40.
Dhulikhel: It's a rustic town with marvellous resort-hotels, a medieval village with the famous Newari woodwork. The new hot spot just 34 km off Kathmandu, Dhulikhel has today become the weekend getaway for Nepal's rich and famous. In fact, it was from a top-ranking corporate executive that I heard of Dhulikhel, and thanks to Yeti Travels, Nepal's best-known travel company, a trip was immediately arranged.
The car journey from Kathmandu took us a little more than half an hour but it was a great drive. Travelling uphill out of the city and into the countryside was like stepping into another world--the mountains with their green, terraced slopes, and the air fresh and clean.
Dhulikhel is nearly 5,000 ft above sea level. The town lies on what was once the main trade route between Tibet and Nepal and has an old-world ambience, with its cobbled streets, handicraft shops, and buildings with intricate Newari architecture. The Himalayas are all around and people drive to Dhulikhel just to see the sunrise and sunset. In fact, it's the peace, quiet and the fresh mountain air that draw people here. And, of course, the resort-hotels. I visited several of them and wished I could have stayed longer in Dhulikhel.
Take the Himalayan Shangri-la. You have to climb 145 steps to reach it! Once there, however, it's paradise, with 22 acres of flowering plants, trekking trails, and 40-50 types of birds which attract hordes of birdwatchers. There are cottage-style rooms, once again boasting of intricate Newari woodwork. There are also family and group rooms, as the resort has good conference facilities. The quail's egg and chicken soup I had at their open-air dining-area was delicious, as was the atmosphere.
The culinary standards are high, and I find the Chhahara restaurant at Mirabel, the newest resort-hotel in Dhulikhel, far superior to many well-known ones in Kathmandu. This resort has three restaurants, including a beergarden on the roof top which commands a marvellous view of the mountains. I watch the sunset, sipping beer and enjoying the Newari cuisine of Sukuti (dried meat) and Kukhura Ko Masu (chicken curry).
The other resort-hotels here include the exotic Himalayan Mountain Resort, the Dhulikhel Mountain Resort, and several others, all charging between $70 and 100, with special rates for groups. As they all have excellent conference facilities, they have become popular with corporate groups, especially on weekends. The resort-hotels also organise a series of activities for the energetic tourist. These include trekking trips, countryside excursions and rafting down the Sun Kosi river.
From the sightseeing point of view, Dhulikhel has some interesting spots. Panauti, a few kilometres away, is noted for its many temples. Among these are the 13th-century Indreshwar temple and the famous Namo Buddha stupa on top of a hill. Many tourists prefer trekking or bicycling to these spots through the picturesque countryside. Just outside Dhulikhel is a hill crowned with a Kali temple, from where one gets an excellent view of the entire central range of the Himalayas, from the Ganesh Himal in the west to Mt Everest in the east.
I had, in fact, visited Dhulikhel first and then driven down to Pokhra, some 100 km away, for some river rafting. The rapids are probably more exciting in the Ganga in Rishikesh. But the gorges, mountains and surrounding hillscapes here are more stunning. The Outdoor Adventure Club, which organised my trip to Pokhra, is one of the oldest and most experienced companies in the business. With expert guides at your side, any nervousness that you may feel quickly gives way to thrill. After all that pampering at the latest resort-hotels of Nepal, the rafting trip was energising and exciting, a real climactic end to a great holiday.
Travel Tips: Between Pokhra and Dhulikhel, one can take a great break this summer. The newly opened Fulbari Resort, which normally costs about $200 a night, has some good Opening Packages (Rs 5,000 per person, twin sharing, for three days, two nights, or Rs 4,000 Single Supplements, including breakfast).
Internet: www.yomari.com/fulbari
For Special Nepal packages, contact: Stic Travels; Tel: (011) 332 0239/0285; and Jyoti Travels; Tel: (011) 646 4657, 644 3608.INDIASUMMER Offerings Some of the best options this season are being offered by WelcomHeritage, which has come out with a series of discounted short-duration packages at their heritage properties dotting the country. On top of the list are four properties in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh. The Fort, Nalagarh, presents a panoramic view of the Shivalik hills beyond the Sirsa river; the Taragarh Palace, nestled at the foothills of the majestic Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra district, while the Judge's Court at Pragpur, spread over 10 acres of orchards, has a magnificent view of the snow peaks, and serves as an ideal base for exploring the scenic Kangra valley. Finally, there's the Woodville Palace at Shimla. Tariff: Mini packages for one night and two days are being offered at The Fort, Nalagarh for Rs 1,999; at the Judge's Court for Rs 1,699; at the Taragarh Palace for Rs 1,999; and at Woodville Palace for Rs 2,199 per couple. The package is inclusive of one standard double room with American breakfast and bed tea/coffee for two persons. There is also an option of getting a fifth night complimentary at all the four places if you stay four nights at any one property.
Also on offer is WelcomHeritage's Connaught House near Mt Abu and the famous Nakki Lake. This property was the official summer residence of the chief minister of the princely state of Marwar. Tariff: Short-duration packages of two nights/three days for Rs 2,699 per couple. The packages are extendable on pro-rata basis.
Andamans: A ``long-break'' package to Welcomgroup's Bay Island at Port Blair, Andamans. This package gives you a chance to explore a fantasy world of silver sands, clear blue seas, coral reefs, swaying palms and, on the other side, tropical forests, volcanic mountains and a gently undulating landscape. And not the least, the complete absence of crowds to disturb the tranquility.
The Oberoi's `Summer Specials' include a three-night, four-day stay at The Cecil, Shimla for Rs 12,600; a similar package for the Clarke's, Shimla for Rs 9,500. Both are valid from July 1. There's also a two-night, three-day stay at The Lanka Oberoi in Colombo for $300, and weekend packages at their hotels in Bangalore, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. Rates are between Rs 4,200 and 14,500. The group's Trident chain also has summer specials on offer.
The Taj Group of Hotels, too, have come out with special discounted offers during the summer at 37 of their properties in India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal. All the packages are for two persons for two nights in standard rooms and include all applicable taxes.
In Kerala, the Taj group has an excellent offer for two to spend two nights each at five exotic destinations. Upon reaching Kochi, you can spend two nights at Taj Malabar (Rs 8,600), and then move to The Taj Residency at Ernakulam to spend three days (Rs 7,500). From there, travel to the Taj Garden Retreat at Thekkady (Rs 7,500), where you can spend your time at the Periyar Sanctuary, home to elephants and other animals. Next you can go to the Taj Garden Retreat at Kumarakom and wallow in the backwaters (Rs 7,500). The ayurvedic centre here has evoked a tremendous response from people who believe in the healing power of this ancient medical science. Finally, you can relax at Varkala (Rs 7,500) for two nights before returning.
Goa: Another holiday with the Taj Group can be planned in Goa, which has become a year-round destination for both domestic and international tourists. A standard room for two persons for two nights costs Rs 6,865 (from May 1 to June 11), and Rs 6,180 (from June 12 to September 30) at the Taj Holiday Village; Rs 7,565 (from May 1 to June 11) and Rs 6,865 (from June 12 to September 30) at the Fort Aguada Beach Resort; and Rs 10,500 (from May 1 to September 30) at the Aguada Hermitage.
A few interesting Taj Group packages are also available at the Taj Garden Retreat, Coonoor, for Rs 6,500 (from April 1 to June 15), and Rs 5,900 (from June 16 to September 30); Taj Garden Retreat, Madurai, for Rs 6,250; Lake Palace, Udaipur for Rs 12,000 (from April 15 to July 31), and Rs 13,000 (from August 1 to September 30). These packages are for a couple for two nights. Other hotels belonging to the group are also offering discounted packages.
Various tour operators are also offering packages to different parts of India. Sita's seven nights/eight days' tour from Delhi to Shimla-Kulu Manali and Nalagarh is available for Rs 16,500 per person on two-in-a-car basis. Sita's all-inclusive resort in Goa, The Heritage Village Club has come out with a package for three nights and four days in the resort at an attractive price of Rs 9,999 per couple. Its unique feature is that besides accommodation, all sightseeing and transfers, food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and even the ice-creams for children come free.
A variety of other destinations are also being offered by tour operators to choose from. You can opt for the Darjeeling-Bhutan itinerary, or travel to the 36 islands of Lakshadweep, 200 miles off the southwest coast of India. Or, there's the Chandigarh-Dalhousie-Khajjiar itinerary; the Corbett-Nainital trip, the Srinagar- Pahalgam-Gulmarg circuit; the Bangalore-Mysore-Ootacamund and the Kochi-Periyar-Munnar circuits, or the Darjeeling- Gangtok-Kalimpong or Andamans itineraries. Check with your tour operator for details.
Taj ReservationsChanderlok Building 36, Janpath, New Delhi-110001. Tel: (011) 332 2256/2333; Fax: 3310750
WelcomHeritageC-7, 2nd Floor, J-Block Market, Saket New Delhi-110017. Tel: (011) 686 8992/8993; Fax: 6868994 E-mail: welcomheritage@bigfoot.com
Oberoi Hotels(Corporate Marketing Division)7, Sham Nath Marg, Delhi-110054. Tel: (91) (011) 291 4841; Fax: 292 9800
Virgin Island CruiseLekha J. Shankar describes her Royal Caribbean cruise experience. What better way to escape the heat,dust and pollution of the summer than by cruising to the untouched, unspoilt beaches in the faraway seas? The Virgin Islands, for example, are a veritable Paradise in the Caribbean Sea, with their white, creamy beaches; blue, translucent skies, and exotic, mesmeric atmosphere.There are no crowds or confusion here, no noise or hurry. Only a lush and languid beauty suffusing everything.
You loll on the beaches, dip into the waters, wander among the cobbled streets, check out the quaint shops stuffed with knicknacks and lose yourself to Calypso rhythms. After all, this is Caribbean land, where everyone sways at the break of a song; the mood is indolent but the spirit is electric. What more do you want? Bars on the beach and daiquiris at hand, blue skies above and the green sea in front, bikinis and briefs and music all around. Paradise? I awake at the toot of a horn and the sound of a bass voice saying: ``Sightseeing Ahoy!''
Sightseeing in Paradise? Oh yes, there's plenty to see--for those who want more than the sea and sky. And there's plenty to do--for those who have the energy and spirit. There are snorkelling and scuba-diving sessions, helicopter and seaplane tours, catamaran and submarine rides, even tennis and golfing rounds. St Thomas Island has something for everyone. Originally discovered by Columbus in 1493, it later became a Danish colony, and was eventually sold to America in 1967, supposedly for 2.5 crore bars of gold!
We do our sightseeing in an open safari bus, with a lively guide named Dunkin Donuts.The moment he spots us Indians, he drives up past a cricket ground (``Yes, we play cricket even in Paradise!''). After that, it's a delightful round of picturesque hills as he takes us to the highest point of the island and points out the stunning Magens Bay. Rainbow-hued waters take our breath away, and we are told that films like The Deep and Four Seasons were shot here.
As we sip punch and wander among the feast of flowers in the botanical gardens, we watch a newly married couple posing for photographs. Dunkin tells us couples from across the world come to these islands just to get married. ``They feel pure and virginal here,'' he quips.
Our next stop is St Maarten, another stunning island with intoxicating atmospherics. In fact, I'm so fascinated by the beaches, the streets and the shops that I miss my sightseeing tour. The island is owned by two countries, France and the Netherlands. Consequently, there are two languages, two currencies, two cultures. A phone call from one end of the island to the other is considered international!
The French beaches allow nudity, resulting in a scramble for the popular Oriental Beach. On the other hand, there are casinos in the Dutch sector, and the favourite joke among locals is that you lose your money on the Dutch side and your clothes on the French!
I'm fascinated by the numerous duty-free shops here; the Virgin Islands are a shoppers' paradise as they are all duty free, especially the jewellery shops run by Sindhis. They tell me that they get many of their stones from India.
The third island we visit is St Croix, small and utterly delightful. There are rum factories, nature walks and, of course, the white beaches and the Afro-rhythms. We have a sumptuous meal at one of the many family-run motels, Hilty House, and are impressed by its elegant decor and personalised service. Like several others, we were tempted to spend a weekend here, but leave Paradise we must. And as our boat takes us back to our cruise-liner, we look longingly at the creamy beaches and azure skies and wonder whether we'll encounter such a paradise again.
If the islands themselves are getaway spots, the cruise itself is filled with action. We took the Royal Caribbean cruise from Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is a two-hour flight from Miami, a town with a delectable ambience. Among the gleaming liners in its port, ours, the Nordic Empress, seems the biggest and most elegant. It's 12 storeys tall, with fountains, capsule lifts, bars, lounges and casinos. There are pianists in the lounges, string bands in the bars, calypso players in the open decks, and the top-of-the-chart numbers in the disco. The most spectacular are the revue dancers, who perform Broadway-kind musicals for us every night. We attend art auctions, dance lessons, massage sessions, even a Sexy Men's Legs competition.
The food spread is phenomenal. We eat everything from Chinese duck and Caribbean lamb to sauted veal, smoked halibut, roast duck and grilled sirloin. There is a vegetarian and dieters' menu as well. And yes, Indian dishes on request, because almost every cruise-liner has an Indian chef and stewards. Ours had several, including the captain, and the night we asked for an Indian meal, we got the everything: from pulao to chicken curry, papad to pickle.
As cruises take place throughout the year, one can plan them any time. We met Mrs and Mr Das on our liner, who said they took the Caribbean cruise because the husband was going to South America for a conference. For anyone going to USA, the Caribbean cruise becomes an easy option because most start at Miami or Puerto Rico.
There is also a misguided notion that cruises are only for those with fat wallets. Cruises are good value for money because the tariff ($100-200 a day) includes room, food and entertainment charges. You can't get a better deal. And the earlier you book, the greater the discounts.
To me, they are holistic holidays in every sense of the word. Imagine lolling on idyllic beaches in the morning and swinging in a bar or casino at night. That's what this holiday is all about. You dock at the islands in the morning and return to your liner every night: a mix-and-match holiday of the most unique type--a perfect treat for summer, or for that matter, any season. How to Get There: Fly to Miami, and from there to San Juan in Puerto Rico to board the liner. Cost: From $500-2,000 for a three-day cruise, depending on the type of cabin. (Early bookings bring on maximum discounts, sometimes as much as 20 per cent.) Rates include cabin, food, entertainment. Beverages cost extra but are reasonably priced. Sightseeing tours on the islands cost between $25 and 85. For more details contact: Discover the World Marketing, 601 Ashoka Estate, 24 Barakhamba Road, New Delhi-110001. Tel: (011) 3311364; Fax: 3722878. E-mail: dscvrdel@nda.vsnl.net.in
World Cup Packages Thomas Cook is offering a chance to savour the last most-happening event of the millennium, the Cricket World Cup in England, through its three- or four-day tours to various important matches, starting with the India v/s South Africa at Hove (May 14-16), which comes for £325 plus air fare. The price goes up to £599 plus air fare for the final (June 19-22). Three-day tours to any of the two semi-finals, nine Super Six matches and a few preliminary matches of India are available between £325 and 599, exclusive of air fare. The package cost includes accommodation on twin-sharing basis, top-price ticket for the match and transport to and from the hotel and match grounds.
Another eight-day tour incorporating one World Cup match with a longer stay in France is available for $1,499 plus Rs 25,990 ex-Mumbai and Delhi. Besides spending time in Nice and Paris, you also get to spend two nights in England to watch one of the World Cup league matches.
Trafalgar's Tours Sita Travels also offers a choice of 130 tours in partnership with Trafalgar, one of Europe's leading tour operators. Starting from $425 (exclusive of air fare), it offers a comprehensive tour selection to match individual liking and taste. Options vary from a seven-day European Highlights tour to the long duration, 22-day European Festival tour covering 14 cities (Brussels, Amsterdam, Rhineland, Engelberg, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Naples, Florence, Nice, Lyons and Paris).