The Week That Was

the week that was Sept 29 - Oct 5 2009 Page 4

AI airhostess molested mid air; two suspended Pilot and flight purser suspended for mid-air scuffle; Medical reports confirm molestation of airhostess

AlterEgo

chngng trnds

AI pilots of Sharjah-Delhi-Lucknow pilot and a flight purser for the midair scuffle. According to a report, on October 3, an airhostess in the presence of other crew members was sexually assaulted inside the cockpit in an airborne AI flight by two pilots, Commander Ranbir Arora and Captain Aditya Chopra. But when she resisted, the pilots pushed her out

which resulted in the exchange of blows between a flight purser and one of the two pilots when the former tried to stop the manhandling. Delhi Police officials are already investigating into the matter, besides Air India appointed three-member panel to hear the case. And after hearing versions of all the crew members in their eight hour sitting, it suspended Commander Ranbir Arora, the pilot and Flight Purser Amit Khanna as they were found guilty on their airborne scuffle. Apart from the Delhi Police and AI Panel, National Commission for Women (NCW) is also probing into the alleged molestation after hearing the airhostess' tale on the sexual assault. However, no arrests have yet been made even though the medical reports confirmed that she was sexually assaulted.

Mehnaz

look at these headlines from TOI in sound of the word than the its recent editions:

Editors:

If one studies TOI with a closer

spelling. The sound here means the look, it is very easy to understand 'approx pronunciation' without the what it has been trying to do with vowels. For example, mngmnt and the English language. There are

almost all the words in the but with the mentality of its dictionary have their 'this' version readers. On one hand it appears good

has been started by Times of India; habit has caught the youth so much t h a t t h e c o n t e n t i s b e i n g nation's largest circulated English that they write 'u' instead of 'you' in understood by a larger number of daily. TOI is a pioneer in 'language their exams! No wonder a audiences but at the same time is it molestation'.

Language which is university in New Zealand allowed ethical to twist it for the heck of it.

considered to be a sacred entity by the use of sms lingo in exams three They have invented a lot of words the print journalists is being played years ago. with.

with adding suffixes to proper

Though there are a sizeable nouns making it adjectives, like

The sms lingo has achieved number of users of such language warnesque, sachinesque etc. If maturity (we are waiting for an but it is not universal. It is a jargon, there are no alternatives then it oxford dictionary for English sms) as yet, limited to a certain stratum appears good to use it but only on the cell phone making it an of users. Use of these types of using to appear different is informal way to make one words in the headlines of a leading inappropriate. understand what the sender newspaper is not desirable. implies. However, the platform and motive are different here.

Another growing habit of TOI is

Newspaper reporters and using 'instances' as a verb, like editors have both time as well as “Dhoni does a Dilshan”, “DTC does a

There is a trend among the space to them. If it is used even blue line”. These show that the youth to type without 'vowels' after this, there can be no other grammar is not the primary (unless extremely necessary). As far motif than to experiment and inject concern in their subediting. The as a particular audience is it in the masses. It is not desirable sports page, specially, is replete concerned it appears OK, but using because there are people who take with adjectives. There is not a single it in a national media is debatable the newspaper as their language report that does not use adjectives and cause of concern.

teachers.

This culture emerged because

in abundance.

It will be an injustice to the

These practices should be

of two major reasons: time and larger audience, which after a looked into to protect the sanctity space. The sms had to be sent in certain time will start believing that of the language. These small steps short time as it has soon become using sms lingo is a right thing! The by leading newspapers soon turn more of an instant messaging or example of this 'believing attitude' into habits and people get into chat type service rather than a is everywhere. People in and believing it as correct usage. The formal letter. Secondly, one was outside the media houses have got language not only communicates bound to say maximum in a space of into a habit of using superlative but it is a process of evolution of 160 characters and had to pay for it. words, such as portable becomes itself and the users. It not only gives This led to removal of vowels to ultra portable, good shot becomes implications and meanings but also accommodate more words.

Sept 29-Oct 5 2009

VOL 1

insidestory Relief work speeds up in Sumatra Page 2 Iran possesses enough data to make N-bomb: UN report Page 2

management sound the same; gr8 enough examples to prove that it is and great; am and m; gd and good... not concerned with the language

The beginning of a future trend and are being frequently used. This

glorious drive, fantastic becomes teaches. Flexibility should not go

These two things made it a fantabulous, very good becomes beyond 180 degrees as there are common habit among the users to superb, hit becomes super hit and chances of backfiring!

Editorial Supervisor: Prof. Ambrish Saxena Student

Should the language be played with for the readership?

Before proceeding, let us have a remove vowels and rely more on super-duper hit and so on.

Audit to find if bldgs cater to disabled: Oct 6, p7 Fbd girl stages own kidnap: Oct Adding to the series of crisis in Air 6, p5 India is the recent airborne A yr on smoking ban just on molestation of an airhostess by the paper: Oct 2, p18

bound flight. AI panel suspended one

By Ajeet Bharti

the week that was

Editorial Advisor: SD Tripathi

Layout Supervisor:Pawan Koundal

Ajeet, Pawan, Mamta, Mehnaz, Dipika, Ruchi, Ritika, Jasneet

ISSUE 6

A weekly production by Journalism students of CMS

Floods wreak havoc in Andhra More than 50 dead, 1.6 million affected in 5 districts Heavy rains and overflowing waters from Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers of Karnataka has

SC raps Mayawati Page 3 Unique Identity Page 3 Alter Ego: chngng trnds Page 4

Mumbai vs Bombay

taken more than fifty lives and left half a million homeless in Andhra Pradesh. At least 1.6 million people have been affected by heavy floods in five districts. Kurnool was the worst hit district with 28 dead along with Mahabubnagar where 17 people have been reportedly killed. The remaining deaths were reported

Flood-affected residents sit on the roofs of their homes in Ibrahimpatnam, Vijayawada

from Krishna and Nalgonda and

District. (Courtesy AFP Photo)

Guntur. The rains have affected the state badly by harming crops and

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,

other infrastructure worth Rs.

Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake”.

government has demanded the

These lines penned by Rabindranath Tagore express an ideal state of India which he perceived for everyone. Alas! This remained a wish only. The recent apology by Karan Johar to MNS chief Raj Thackeray after his supporters created trouble over the release of his new film “Wake up Sid” in Mumbai made this evident. M a h a ra s h t ra N a v n i r m a n S e n a supporters stopped the screening of the film, objecting to use of the word “Bombay” instead of “Mumbai” in the movie. This led Karan Johar to seek an apology from Raj Thackeray. This phenomenon is not new and certainly this is not the last time even. Instead of taking a rational stand on the issue, one succumbs to people like Raj Thackeray giving them an opportunity to practice monopoly of power. Surprisingly, even the Chief Minister of Mumbai had nothing to say regarding this incident. Again the top brass of leadership in Mumbai is as silent as ever. However, there is another aspect to the story. Any individual who considers himself to be citizen of a particular country or state struggles for his rights... continued on page 3

12,225 crore. The state centre to declare it a national calamity and provide immediate assistance of Rs. 6000 crore for relief and rescue operations. 250,000 people from 200 villages and parts of Vijayawada city have been evacuated as it faces a flood threat. The rising water level in Prakasam barrage has forced the authorities to take this step. The barrage has a capacity level of 23 feet and the current water level has gone to 21.9 feet. The Inflows to the reservoir reached 1.13 million cusecs for

Tharoor the twitterer MoS is again in news for his ‘tweets’

the first time against the are in full swing and more than 4 discharge of 1.08 million cusec lakh people had been evacuated into the sea. This has led to a fear and sent to safe places. Kurnool o f f l o o d s i n t h e v i l l a g e s and Mahabubnagar districts are downstream. And hra chief heading back to normalcy and minister K. Rosaiah on Tuesday situation is said to be under held a teleconference with the control. collectors of all five flood hit

State government has

districts to assess the situation. deployed 254 boats, about 1000 He asked the officials of Krishna divers, 550 Army personnel, and and Guntur district to be on alert six helicopters for the rescue for next 36 hours and take operations. More than 200 relief necessary actions. Sonia Gandhi camps have been set up to and P. Chidambaram visited the accommodate 2.75 lakh displaced flood affected areas and asked the people. Nearly 4 lakh food packets administration to take the help of and as many water packets were CRF for relief and rescue distributed among the affected operations.

people. A team of 250 doctors are

The state government stated taking care of the displaced that relief and rescue operations persons.

Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs and his “tweets” are in the news again. This time he suggested that October 2 should be a working day and people should work extra hours instead of enjoying holidays and sitting idle at home. His opinion may be acceptable to some and otherwise for a few but the important question here is that should a Union Minister holding an important

Ajeet Bharti

portfolio be in news for twittering rather than for political statements. Earlier his remarks about the austerity drive by the UPA government on twitter had created a nationwide controversy where he termed the masses as “cattle class”. He invited a lot of ire from the UPA government where he was advised to remember his post and position. Pawan Kr. Singh

international

the week that was Sept 29 - Oct 5 2009 Page 2

Relief work speeds up in Sumatra

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake flattened 88,000 and damaged other 100,000 houses last week

Iran possesses enough data to make N-bomb: UN report holy city of Qom on October 25. "It

International search and rescue shelter, but more than 88,000

is important for us to send our

teams are winding up operations houses are flattened. Another

inspectors to do comprehensive

and preparing to go back home as 100,000 public buildings are

verification of that facility and to

there is little hope of finding any d a m a g ed . A f t e r a p o w e r f u l

assure ourselves that the facility is

survivors in Sumatra. Now, the earthquake of 7.6 magnitude struck focus has been shifted to the relief off the coast of western Sumatra, the

built for peaceful purposes'', he

work and goods are pouring in search for victims has been stopped

After a confidential analysis by the said.

from all over the world.

UN nuclear agency staff, it came out

on Monday. The official death toll

``We have stopped looking rose to 704 on Tuesday and could for living survivors and are reach to thousands, officials said. maximizing the use of heavy

The undersea quake

equipment,'' said Ade Edward, devastated 10 districts in the

The report on the analysis

that Iran has enough data to design matches well with other European and make an efficient nuclear officials' report about Iran's effort bomb. However, this analysis will to make the bomb. It is to be noted not serve as the conclusion on the that in 2007, American Intelligence

Sumatra's Center for Disaster the capital, Padang, where scores of

evidence as the International Agencies came out with a report Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wants saying that Iran has stopped its

Management. He also added, ``We tall buildings, including hotels, a

further confirmation on it.

head of operations control at West Western Sumatra province including

hope to clear the rubble in two mall, mosques and schools came w e e k s s o w e c a n s t a r t down crashing. In addition, the reconstruction. ''Six helicopters quake triggered huge landslides in dropped instant noodles, blankets, the hills of Pariaman district where milk and other aid to the isolated entire villages were wiped out. hillside villages of the Padang Gagah Prakoso, spokesman for the Pariaman district, where landslides Indonesian Search and Rescue buried more than 600 people.

Agency, said that heavy rain since

A c c o r d i n g t o U N a n d Sunday and thick wet mud made it Indonesian agencies, it is not clear difficult for aid workers to reach the how many people are without stricken areas.

Mamta

According to the agency's weapon in 2003. However, countries like report, Iran gathered information from nuclear experts around the Britain, France, Germany and Israel world; the nation has done recently objected the report saying extensive research and testing on that the work has been resumed by how to arrange the components of Iran. Still the Iranian government is a weapon. But it does not mention of the notion that they are working on nuclear energy only for peaceful the progress of the work. IAEA Chief El Baradei said his p u r p o s e s . O n l y a f t e r t h e inspectors would check Iran's new investigation by the IAEA inspectors uranium facility being built near the , the conclusion on Iran's nuclear stand can be drawn. Mehnaz

Gold shines in international market Gold prices are rising on bullion tonnes as of 06 Oct, up 0.2 per cent per 10 gram. It is expected to cross market in accordance with the or 2.441 tonnes from the previous the level of Rs18, 000 per 10 gram. global market trade. The rise in b u s i n e s s d a y f o r t h e t h i r d People are buying irrespective of white metal prices are being consecutive day of increase. attributed to the festive demand

buyond price of the yellow metal as

Jewellery traders are looking at this season holds ritual values and is

mainly by the jewellers, stockists the festive season of diwali as taken as good time to purchase gold and renewed demand by industrial promotion time. The Gem and Jewellery. users. It is not showing a sign of Jewellery Export Promotion Council

Analysts are of the view that

cooling down as investors are (GJEPC)is in line spending Rs7 Crore many investors and central banks seeking protection against the upon different promotional offers. continue to hold gold as their safe inflation due to fall in dollar prices.

endeavor to design a nuclear

They are in plan to introduce more haven to protect themselves from

This week gold surged a new Jewellery designs with studded unforeseen global economic shocks, price of $1,045 per ounce in Diamond and gold to push up boosting the demand of yellow

“We lost to Australia on purpose”: Dasti Jamshed Khan Dasti who heads the Pa k i sta n n a t io n a l a s s em b l y standing committee on sports, said that the committee would summon PCB chief Ejaj Butt, captain Younis Khan and coach Intikhab Alam shortly to explain team’s ‘deliberate underperformance’ in CT. "I can say we lost to Australia on purpose. And the team's performance against New Zealand was zero." Dasti alleged. Further, Muhammad Ali Shah, the minister for Sports , also accused Indian sports mafia of manipulating the umpires indicating the wrong dismissal of Umar Akmal by Simon Taufel.

However ICC has rubbished these allegations. ICC Chief largest gold backed exchange all time favourite. With the festive Silver was up by 3 per cent, Platinum Executive Haroon Lorgat also gave a traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust bells Gold is trading at Rs15, 822 per by 0.9 per cent and Copper by 2.4 per clean chit to Australian umpire ,said its holdings stood at 1,100.514 10 gram and Silver Rs27, 047silver cent respectively. Jasneet Kaur Simon Taufel. Ajeet Bharti International markets. The world's Diamond too as gold is becoming an metal. In other precious metals

l

the week that was

nationa

Sept 29 - Oct 5 2009 Page 3

Unique identity In a first, India targets to give unique identity cards to all citizens The Unique Identification Number (UID) for all Indian citizens is a mammoth project undertaken by Nandan Nilekani, the former Co-Chairman of Infosys and the present Chairperson of UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India), along with his team. As per the project, the government expects to give a unique identification number to every Indian citizen within the next five years. According to Nandan Nilekani this pilot project would have multiple benefits and utility; that is from tracing terrorists to preventing corruption in the NREGS in future as it diminishes the risk of impersonation and duplication.

cards, PAN cards and bank accounts. Quoting Mr. Nilekani, “ There is the technological challenge, there is a challenge of the scale of work, and there is a complex governance challenge, working with so many governments and states.”

The Unique Identity number will be supported by biometric authentication which means that fingerprints and photographs of more than a billion people will be taken and saved when they are registered for the number. In fact, the online information will be the biggest such national database in the world. They will be saved online and assist in instant online authentication of the identity of The proposed project is every Indian. perhaps one of the greatest According to reports, UIDAI c h a l l e n g e s f a c e d b y t h e office will have to scrutinize the government as it demands documents of nearly 80 million networking at several levels to income tax payers who possess acquire the massive data required Permanent Account Number to initiate the project. According (PAN); some 200 million account to various statements and holders in private and public banks; interviews given by Nilekani, the some 500 million mobile phone unique identification number will users and over 600 million Indians not be an identity card. The who have election cards. There is a number will be included in considerable overlap in this important documents like election information since many of them

might possess all or many of these identifications. UIDAI office will also look at the database of Indian passport holders, Public Distribution System cards, and list of cooking gas consumers in the country. Since large numbers of underprivileged people do not have any form of identification, it becomes all the more difficult for them to avail the benefits of social welfare schemes. Nandan Nilekani said, “The project is pro-poor and inclusive targeted mainly towards the poor. People on the margins are lost because they lack identity.” This initiative will ensure that the marginalized get their fair share of the social welfare and government schemes. Mr. Nilekani's office will be working with the state administrations, state governments, centre government, more than 20-25 agencies like the Election Commission, Income Tax department and others to roll out the identity numbers. This project will become operational in phases and if successfully implemented, it will be hailed as a landmark venture. Dipika Dasgupta

Mumbai vs Valley stands for Bombay human rights (Contd. From front page) ...and also has some duties towards the same. But the problem is that individuals like Karan Johar who have a c o m m e rc i a l b e n t a re j u s t concerned with filling their pockets thereby providing space for regional entities to propagate and gain strength. People with such motives are thus not able to exercise their rights. Mahatma Gandhi opined that Britishers had not occupied India but it was the people of India who gave it to the Britishers; same is the case even today. The compromising attitude of people forces us to ask a million dollar question that “Mumbai belongs to whom” and if we continue on the same lines the question would be “India belongs to whom”?

Pawan Kr. Singh

The security forces personnel protected by the armed forces special powers act (AFSPA) lies outside the purview of law in Kashmir valley which remains a debatable issue between the Centre and the State government. However, soon the Centre might permit prosecution of security personnel for violating human rights in the states of Jammu and Kashmir. Home secretary G.K Pillai has decided to look into the matter personally by preparing a list of cases where in rights of the people had been violated. This prepared list wi ll also be presented by him in the meeting with the separatist leaders of the valley. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also likely to be a part of this meeting which will be held in the valley itself. So far the state

government has received 458 cases of alleged human rights violation against the security forces during 1990-2007. Human rights activist Pervez Imroz said that,” it is the need of the hour. Otherwise, people here think that the repression is systematic. They believe security forces not only have legal, but also political and moral immunity behind their acts”. The condition in the state is such that not even a single case of rights abuse by the security personnel has been prosecuted as yet, claims Imroz. According to the AFSPA, the Home Ministry will have to permit prosecution against the s e c u r i t y p e rs o n n e l t h e r e by ensuring a systematic legal procedure in place for indulging in rights abuse.

Ritika Handoo

SC raps Mayawati for violating court orders

On October 5, the state government decided to abide by the wishes of the country's highest judicial institution, the Supreme Court and finally halted all construction activities at various sites where memorials to icons of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are being erected. The Mayawati government was criticized by the Supreme Court for not taking seriously its September 11 restraint order on construction of memorials. The construction activities were being carried out in violation of the undertaking given by the State Government. The court said that the affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary was mere “eyewash”. Justice Aftab Alam during the hearing of a petition against building memorials said “What differentiates democracy from majoritarianism is Constitution and the rule of law. As a democratic government you should have stopped construction after we passed the o rd e r,” T h e a p ex c o u r t ev en summoned State Chief Secretary Atul Ku m a r G u p ta fo r a p e rs o n a l appearance before the bench on November 4 to explain why work was not stopped despite repeated orders. The six-hour deadline of the apex court was eventually adhered to, and various agencies involved in building gigantic memorials devoted to the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) icons, ensured that all work was brought to a halt. The entire process started in June when Supreme Court issued a show cause notice to the Uttar Pradesh government for using public money for installing statues of Chief Minister Mayawati. It was alleged that the state government used a whopping Rs 2,000 crore from the state budget of 2008-09 and 2009-10 for such projects to 'falsely glorify' the chief minister.

Ruchi Dua