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| Unique Visitors: 0 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 9739868 |
| Visitors Out: 8655 |
| Total Visitors Out: 37539 |
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| No cartoons, No comics: Urdu newspapers, magazines neglecting children |
| 2012-01-04 04:34:03 |
Khilauna published foreign comic strips
Despite fears about survival of Urdu in the decades after independence, the language continues to thrive in India, 64 years after independence.
But it's surprising how Urdu newspapers and even magazines continue to neglect children. Surprisingly, even the kids' magazines have few cartoons.
It is this segment--the kids--that will grow up to read the papers and if circulations fall in future, the reason would be lack of any effort to draw the young generation towards the language.
In fact, most of the Urdu papers have no concept of cartoons or comic strips (except political cartoons in a few papers). None of the Urdu newspapers published from Delhi, Hyderabad or Lucknow have a single cartoon for kids. Though there is no dearth of cartoonists in the country, they have neither any cartoon nor any translated comic strip.
Foreign cartoon strips--Dennis the Menace, Phantom, Archies or Richie Rich are translated and published in other vernacul...
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| Indian Muslims must avoid street protests |
| 2011-12-07 04:14:28 |
An incident that largely went ignored in national media recently occurred in Jalna, which is located in 'Congress-ruled' Maharashtra, and has lessons for Muslims.
Upset over circulation of a distorted photograph on Facebook, Muslims took out a protest. There was ruckus during the procession that sought stern action against culprits. Some youths in the demonstration had face-off with traders and resorted to stone pelting. A vehicle was also reportedly torched.
What happened thereafter is incomprehensible. The Jalna police registered cases under sections meant for dacoity and attempt to murder against these youths. They were arrested and sent to jail and the father of one them died of heart attack when he heard news of his son's arrest.
Certainly there was no need for any ruckus in the procession and if, at all, there was lawlessness, it warranted legal action. But the police should have applied the appropriate sections under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), not the cases meant for ...
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| Peace Party: The rise of a political party in Uttar Pradesh |
| 2011-11-17 15:32:32 |
Travelling around 15 kms on a stretch from Lucknow towards Hardoi, I had seen 70 banners and hoardings of Peace Party and it was then that I stopped counting.
That was almost a year ago. Now the Assembly election is round the corner and Dr Ayub's Peace Party is giving jitters to almost all the mainstream political parties, even to a section of the BJP.
When the middle-aged medical practitioner, who runs a big hospital and has the second biggest business in disposable syringes in the country, made his foray in politics, it was met with skepticism.
But impressive vote share in elections, particularly, the recent bypolls, have shown that he has support among Muslims, section of Brahmins and the backwards. When the Peace Party of India (PPI) candidate got 1 lakh votes in Khalilabad in 2009, it raised eyebrows.
In conversations, often people wonder, 'Who is funding it?' & 'What's their agenda'. The popularity of the party in some areas is baffling others. Often there is criticism th...
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| Ra One loses, G One wins: My Review of Shahrukh Khan playing Superhero in Bollywood movie! |
| 2011-10-28 19:12:04 |
SRK as G One: Indian movie Superhero
I have just watched Shahrukh Khan’s ambitious movie Ra One. I am not going to say that either it’s a great movie or a bad one. But yes it’s entertaining.
I do regret reading so many reviews before watching the film. I should have gone straight walked to the cinema hall rather than getting influenced by others’ opinionated views that do affect us. As I'd got influenced, I don’t want to do the same.
For the critic in me, it could be a ‘long video game’ or a ‘Bollywood-Hollywood synthesis with a touch of Rajinikanth style stunts, new age techniques and the Indian kitsch’.
For the child in me, it was engaging, interesting—at times scary [yes there is very much a child in me, the one who has read Phantom and Mandrake in Hindi-English Indrajal comics, as much as Tilism Hoshruba in Urdu], and riveting for the last half-an-hour.
For the youngster in me, it was a movie that offered a new story, perhaps the tale not woven well, no ...
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| Watching A Circus: Getting Entertained But Returning Sad |
| 2011-10-26 14:53:24 |
It was after a long time that I saw an advertisement in the newspaper about a circus in the town.
For years I hadn't gone to a circus and I decided to watch it. The Crown Circus advertised itself as a Chinese circus, probably, because most of the artists were either local or from Nepal and North East.
And anything from abroad, even Chinese, is apparently more chic. The tickets were priced at Rs 30, Rs 80 and Rs 120. Though it was not a holiday, the stands were almost 70% full even in the afternoon show.
Once inside, it was easy to see the difference in the circus industry today compared to the yore when Gemini, Venus, Apollo, Jumbo were popular circuses in India. Some of them still survive but mostly in smaller towns in the country.
Here there was hardly any pomp and show. There were lights but the electric atmosphere that was typical of circuses earlier was missing. The performers' dresses were not as fancy, in fact, some artists were wearing old and worn out clothe...
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| Saba Anjum: Muezzin's daughter is now Indian hockey team captain |
| 2011-10-10 16:09:19 |
Saba Anjum
The story of Saba Anjum Karim, 26, is nothing short of a fairy tale.
It has been a long and tough journey for the girl from Durg (Chhattisgarh) who has finally managed to turn her dream into reality.
Saba is now the captain of Indian women's hockey team. Today she is a role model not just for Muslims but all young girls who come from unprivileged background.
The daughter of a muezzin, who got barely Rs 400 a month, Saba, overcame the odds and her determination got her into the national team. Over the years, she became an integral part of the team.
Finally, the veteran striker was named captain of the squad that will play a four test series in Australia. The team will also participate in the three nation nine-a-side international super series championship there.
Unlike the Pathan brothers--Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, who also came from humble background to play international cricket, Saba Karim's fight, which is even more remarkable as she also had to fight gender discrimi...
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| Salvation of Soul: 'Pind Daan' for MF Husain, Indian-Pakistani writers performed as per Vedic rituals in Gaya |
| 2011-10-03 14:33:47 |
Pind-daan: Hindu rituals for salvation performed in Gaya
Just the other day, I read a news that the 'Pind-daan' ceremony for the famous painter late MF Husain was performed at Gaya in Bihar.
This was indeed surprising. After all, the furore over his controversial paintings had even upset many liberals.
Umpteen cases were filed against him, forcing him to self-imposed exile. But now a social organisation led by Mr Suresh Narayan offered the Hindu ritual for the salvation of his soul, apart from others.
Narayan also performed performed the 'pind-daan' for Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad, famous Hindustani classical singer Pt Bhimsen Joshi, eminent writer Kanhaiya Lal Nandan, Swami Nigamananda and a few others.
Social activists performed the rites under the guidance of Swami Raghavacharyaji Maharaj. Narayan said that the legendary figures who departed from us, had given society a lot, and the onus was on the people to ensure that they live in peace after death also.
Ever...
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| Besieged & Branded: The Burden Of Being A Muslim |
| 2011-09-28 09:10:43 |
By Mahtab Alam
“Serial Bomb Blasts in Delhi. Where are you, Are you safe?” read a text message on my Mobile, by Sonali Garg, a friend of mine from Delhi.
It was late in the evening of September 13th, 2008. “Oh My God! That’s really horrible. I am fine though and in Bihar. Hope you, your family members are all right,” I replied before forwarding this message to other friends in Delhi.
During those days, I was in Bihar, surveying the aftermath of the flood that had struck the Kosi region of the state in the second week of August that same year. Village after village had vanished in the flood. It was reportedly the worst flood ever seen by the people of that area. Most of them were left with no other alternative but to shift to the rehabilitation camps.
On 13th September 2008, the sun went down to serial bomb blasts in Delhi, killing 26 persons and injuring many more. In all, five bomb blasts within the time span of 30 minutes created havoc amongst the Delhiites. I ...
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| Can Narendra Modi become Prime Minister of India? |
| 2011-09-18 16:25:38 |
Can just a hug do it?
The hype surrounding Narendra Modi's fast has once again generated speculations that Narendra Modi is the BJP's next Prime Ministerial candidate but can Modi ever become India's Prime Minister?
Though it is not an impossible proposition, if things are analyzed in perspective, one would find that his chances of becoming Prime Minister are quite low, at least in the upcoming election 2014.
Speculation is not easy, at least in politics but one can try to do a dispassionate analysis.
To begin with, the BJP doesn't have even 150 seats in Parliament. In fact, it has a mere 116 seats in 545 member Lok Sabha. Did you remember this figure! The party knows it well. Even when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was at the helm, it could get 180-odd seats with difficulty despite his acceptability.
A Modi-led BJP can't have Mamata Bannerjee, Chandrababu Naidu, even JDU rallying around it.
How will it manage to get the seats? The compulsion of coalition era politics is such that mos...
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| Passing By Kanpur: Ganges And Greenery But No Gazelles |
| 2011-09-15 14:49:13 |
The Great Ganges at Kanpur
I couldn't believe my eyes. The sight was breathtaking: Azure, green and the blue all around even as the train was approaching Kanpur.
I had passed the dusty town innumerable times, have even been to the place on a couple of occasions but it had never looked so enchanting.
The monsoon had turned the City beautiful. The sight of the Great Ganges was indescribable. For years I saw the Ganga in the form of a narrow stream here.
But this year as one passed Unnao and then read the famous signboards 'Ganga ki Chhammak nali-1 & 2', to enter the city, the overcast sky and the greenery around amazed me. The town suddenly appeared charming. Great cities are formed by great rivers.
And the magical effect was of the Ganga this year. I could now realise why this city attracted people for generations, both during the later Mughal's rule, the British India and even thereafter. It was only in late 80s that the downfall of Kanpur began.
On the walls, as usual ...
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