Second innings
These men who once donned olive green share how an Army background paved the way for success in their later ventures
Mona

Major-Gen Harwant Krishan (retd)

Discipline, punctuality, planning, camaraderie, team spirit…the list of traits that the Army teaches is long. It also provides ‘a world of your own’, a world where order and hierarchy rules. Pretty much in contrast to the ‘civilian’ way of life. Yet, we come across some bravehearts who after retiring from defence services, started afresh and made a mark in their second innings as well.

Major-General Jaswant Singh Mann (retd) made a fresh start in 1994 after serving in the Army for 32 long years. Back to his family farm, he along with his wife came up with Mannsfield Fresh, a state-of-the-art food processing plant with the capacity of 9,000 MT of frozen vegetables every year.

“After defence services, I really wanted to do something for ex-servicemen and farmers in my area,” shares Major General Mann. And, he has been pretty successful in that. His labour-intensive farm employs close to 400 people on a monthly basis.

As for the change of profession, things for sure are not easy. “The Army life is way different. But one needs to shed one’s rank to adjust in civil life” he says. “When one moves in to civil life from Defence, one expects the same respect. But civil respects achievers, so one needs to earn that respect here,” he shares.

Major General Mann gives credit to the Army for making him a success in business too. “The Army happens to be my greatest boon. Be it management, supervision, double-check system, planning and coordination—I learnt all there. A few change of tricks of the trade — persuasion works better than discipline in civilian life — one is all set to achieve success in whatever field one takes up,” says he.

Brigadier (retd) IJ Singh expresses similar views. He is a name in realty business, with his Home-n-Home, which he handles along with his wife. “The qualities and values that I imbibed at various stages of my Army career, made my second career easy,” he says. After retiring from the Army in 2003, he started all over again. “After leaving the Army, one needs to prepare for the civil life ahead, well in advance. And the first step towards it is ‘to detoxify yourself of the ego syndrome’. At 56, I felt that there were still 10-15 years of working life left,” he shares. The Army’s most significant lesson ‘know your lesson before you command’ made him take up a 15-day capsule course from the ones already in business. “The Army taught me forecasting, logic, vision and time management, which came handy in the civil stream,” he adds.

Leaving behind the adventurous and scintillating life, Brig (retd) Singh is now enjoying stability that the city provides and interaction with a much wider spectrum of people. “In the Army life, juniors are only to be seen, not heard, but here one needs to be a patient listener at all times,” he shares.

Maj Gen Harwant Krishan (retd) after retiring in 2007, decided to practice what he preached. “My last posting as Director-General Resettlement kind of prepared me for what to expect,” he says. “At 58, I had the option of taking life easy and play golf to while away time. But I felt that I still had the physical and mental energy left to be put to use,” he shares.

Major General (retd) Harwant Krishan along with a colleague Brigadier (retd) HS Nagra manages camps in the serene hills of Himachal Pradesh. “The Army taught us how to manage people — getting along with seniors, juniors, peers — which came in pretty handy in setting up a new project - Pine Hills Eco Camp,” he says. Being from Defence makes the first step easy,” feels Maj Gen Harwant. “Our society holds defence personnel in high esteem. Be it common villagers, industrialists or even politicians…the first step is always easy,” he shares.

As for the comparison between the two worlds, “I had a very enjoyable stint in the Army, but then, one has to move on. I am glad I did,” he signs off.

mona@tribunemail.com

More of less!
Saurabh Malik

Count on this
More than ever before, online portals are targeting buyers with amazing discounts
Jasmine Singh

This should be every woman’s dream. At the time of sales, give her a loaded debit or credit card (one and the same thing for most of them), a chauffer (she wouldn’t mind), and let her shop till she drops (chances are she can create a world record of shopping without a break). The catch is, this lovely woman doesn’t have enough quality time to fulfil the dream. As a result she has to make-do with the virtual world, and of course she manages to blow those hundreds and thousands. Online shopping for sure has garnered good clients. Thanks to all the lovely ladies out there! Jokes apart, the concept of online discount shopping is picking up well with shoppers finding it a reliable and time-saving activity.

A lot of portals have been launched in the recent past that offer deals at discounted prices, with more and more people doing discount shopping online. These portals come up with a new deal everyday and discounts can go up to 50 per cent of the actual price on any product or service ranging from consumer durables, mobile handsets, food and hospitality, fitness clubs, and travel. These portals tie-up with big and small brands, assuring them of getting bulk buyers for their products and services. These sites help minimise family budgets with cheap deals on board and young professionals as well as students can explore the benefits to the full extent. Says Kunal Bahl, CEO, Jasper Infotech, “Unlike in the Western countries, social shopping in India forms a very small part of the e-commerce pie, but given the current trends in online space, there is vast scope for these portals in the future.”

Jasper’s proprietary product Snap Deal, is a website that offer 50-80 per cent discounts at fine dining restaurants, movie tickets, shopping at the top brands, beauty and health packages, lifestyle products, travel, entertainment and much more. “Snap Deal has witnessed a viral growth phenomenon in its large fan following on Facebook. The Facebook page, which also addresses concerns, queries or feedback from the customers, is already a 40,000 plus community,” adds Kunal.

The procedure is pretty simple; if you are a shopper all you have to do is browse the Internet for online shopping sites. And if you are already a member, just sign in to check what is available at discounted rates and place the order. Naaptol.com, ebay, or homeshop18, portals all over target buyers with amazing discounts. Mobile phones for Rs 250, a diamond set for Rs 1,300, branded tees for Rs 50-100…why wouldn’t a buyer get enticed? On top of it, free shipping is another added feature. Says Sandeep Dhull, graphic in-charge with Jackpot, “The reliability factor is the sole reason behind the growth of online discounted portals. Discounted rates come second. If the buyer is not satisfied with the product there is no way he or she would buy it, even for free. All products offered on these sites are in absolute good condition, a preview of which the buyer gets to see on the site.”

However, the flip side cannot be ignored. Not everyone is elated about e discounts. How do you know they send the stuff that is shown on the portal? Jewellery and gadgets is something that should be purchased after a lot of scrutiny? Some frequently asked questions, answers to which can be found in the growth of such sites!

jasmine@tribunemail.com

Geek SPEAK
Under watch
Webcams can come in handy for home security
Amitpal Singh Grewal

Webcam is a good gadget that helps in keeping up with friends and family over the Internet. Some even use webcams for remote business meetings, and developing low-end videos, both offline and online. These devices can be put to another very important use - home security.

By setting up a webcam at any particular point of your house and connecting it to the computer, you can record various activities. If you are a victim of a theft or burglary, you can provide a copy of the recorded event to the police.

All you need for the purpose is a normal webcam, a computer and software that allows you to set the camera; even a simple manual recording software would do the trick. Rest, depending on the areas you are interested in monitoring, you may need more than one camera. For example, you may want to set up a camera to focus on your front door, back door, driveway or any other location. In some cases, you may also want to set up a camera to watch certain areas inside your home, such as your computer. You may do this, for instance, if you think your roommate’s friends are using your personal belongings, gadgets or even your computer without your permission.

Choosing a wireless webcam comes in handy; as you don’t need to deal with wires that may not extend to the point you need them to. Whatever you choose, make sure the model is compatible with your operating system and your computer has enough memory to save long recordings.

Nowadays, there are advanced softwares available in the market, which allow you to record and send video clips to a remote location. But if the clips are stored exclusively on your computer, there are chances if the computer is stolen you may lose all the evidence. Therefore, if you own a webcam with inbuilt light, place a duct tape over the lights to be on the safer side.

amitpalsinghgrewal@gmail.com

Bits about Bytes
Hyperlinks to knowledge
Roopinder Singh

When we learn, we generally use a step-by-step progression and this process of thought is known as linier thinking. We progress in a single direction through regular steps or stages, sequential. In our pursuit of knowledge, there are times we want to take detours, learn more about things that we come across and take the road less travelled...we want to indulge in non-linier learning.

Hyper card, an Apple software programme that allowed you to connect cards linking various pieces of information was the rage near the end of the 1980s. It was such an exiting time, since the programme allowed information to be presented in a way that was not linier, and thus added depth.

The Internet is the best example of the use of hyperlinking, since it allows a reference to a document that the reader can directly follow. The hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific element within a document. Hypertext is text with hyperlinks.

As we progress in the world of knowledge, we learn that it can’t be compartmentalised into neat little subjects, but is actually interconnected in ways that often astound us. Recently, Chandigarhians were treated to a unique event, (courtesy the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi and Arun Nehru, the son of the late Mr B K Nehru), Professor Bulent Atalay’s lecture on ‘Leonardo’s Universe’.

Professor Atalay is the author of Math and the Mona Lisa and Leonardo’s Universe. He is, the Washington Post says, ‘a true Renaissance man — an artist, archaeologist and scientist’. His education includes BS, MS, MA, PhD and postdoctoral studies, completed at Georgetown, Princeton, University of California-Berkeley, and Oxford University.

He is a professor of Physics at the Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia, deeply interested in art. The focus of his particular attention is Leonardo da Vinci, whom he calls a transformational genius. Like many ancient men of knowledge, Leonardo (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. He was an Italian polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer.

Leonardo’s unbound curiosity matched his powers of invention. Although only a few of his paintings survive, he is considered to be one of the greatest painters the world has seen and is regarded as the most talented person ever. His notes have design of a helicopter, submarine, and a telescope — hundreds of years before anyone else conceived them.

Prof Atalay’s lecture was a fine example of a non-linear experience in which anecdotes, algorithms and art were played out in various measures. He had the standing-room only audience at the Government Art Museum eating out of his hands, even when they didn’t fully understand him... like when he spoke about Fibonacci numbers, where every number in the sequence (after the second) is the sum of the previous two numbers: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, .... Eventually, the Fibonacci numbers lead to the Golden Ratio: ? = 1.618 033, which has been used by architects and artists to produce objects of great beauty.

For many in the audience, the Fibonacci numbers needed some explaining. An art student sitting next to me Googled it on her mobile phone, and soon we had the answer, we, because she let me have a look at it too. It was great, because the experience became richer.

Time flew by and the lecture lasted longer than we expected. Prof BN Goswamy gave an Indian perspective in his lucid comments and I came back with a copy of Professor Atalay’s book. As he autographed it, I told him: “Your lecture will stay in our minds for a long time, and this book will refresh it.”

The book, brilliantly produced by National Geographic, became my companion that night and the next day, but after I read it, I wanted more, and guess what, I Googled and another world of information opened in front of it.

Since this was browsing in the real sense of the term, I went of excursions, hopped from one site to another, from one facet to another fact about the genius that was Leonardo Da Vinci. As often happens, Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci) became an important starting point, of a journey that lead through the Web Museum, Paris (http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vinci/), Professor Atalay’s website, which is a fine multi-media experience with sound (http://www.bulentatalay.com/) and a blog in the National Geographic website (http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2009/02/ leonardo-da-vinci-scientist-and-artist.html). For those who missed his lecture, please catch them at YouTube(http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=bulentatalay#g/u)

I am determined to go on more such journeys. The clicks of the computer’s mouse, and a hyperlinked world of the Internet often come together to give me a sense of exploring the thrilling universe of knowledge, which is both empowering and invigorating. All thanks to hyperlinking.

Rock solid
Mona

Nagaland is my home, but Chandigarh my favourite place on earth," says Thechano Kithan, a poet, painter, photographer and a nature lover who came on a short visit to City Beautiful for the release of her poetry collection Whispering Rocks.

"Physically I am in Nagaland, but my heart is here," says Thech. And her poetry brings together her two worlds. So, Dawn At Leisure Valley, A Journey from Rewari To Panchkula as well as Down By The River Zaktsu and A Letter To A Naga Mother.

"My poetry aims at erasing geographical boundaries. My friends from Nagaland, who have not been to Chandigarh, feel moved by these poems. And friends from here often question if they can come over to my land, see the chestnut tree and dip their feet in river Zaktsu," she shares.

She is due to release her second book soon, which again brings the two worlds together. "Whenever I go to publishers they ask me to write fiction. But I can express myself best through verses," she laughs.

Though not a fiction writer, Thech is pretty good at painting and photography. Thech's 18 years in Chandigarh and Haryana have given her a lot. "Although I used to write poems earlier, it's Chandigarh that groomed me. My years in Haryana made me a courageous and fearless woman that I am today," she shares.

Apart from being an artist, Thech is an animal lover. On her farm, back in Nagaland, she has a horde of animals that she has saved from being served on the dining table. "I call them my children. I often bring kids from my neighbourhood to my animal farm to sensitise them about saving wildlife," says Thech, who is presently living the life of a yogi on her farm in Nagaland. "Yoga is another gift that this city gave me and I am so grateful about it," she says.

Thech would be back soon in the city with her photography exhibition. In the meantime, you can pick her Whispering Rocks, a collection of 49 poems from English Book Store-17 for Rs 250.

Fair enough

Spade work
What a pest!
Satish Narula

With the monsoons comes the new growth. The plants start putting forth their best. They attain growth to live through the rest of the year. But don't forget the problems are not far away. The insects know this 'growth' factor too. And you have also to know about this and 'them'.

A gardener has to be vigilant. The new growth disappears as soon as it comes. The insects are voracious feeders. Before you are aware of what is happening, there is irreparable damage. It is more telling in case of shade-loving plants as each and every leaf in such cases matters. Loss of even a single leaf means loss of plant get-up, as most of these are valued for their original and old leaves. In case of fruit trees, loss of green is damaging for the next crop. And in case of vegetables, the value of leaf is tremendous as the fruit size and quality is the result of good amount of leaves.

In most of the plants, the insects are specific like Mango Hopper, Lemon Butterfly, Anar Butterfly, Cabbage Semi-Looper and Citrus Psylla. But there are others that can feed on a wide range of plants. One of the glaring examples of this is Chaffer Beetle. How to identify it? You may have noticed in these days the leaf 'X-rays'. Most of the leaf-green is eaten and what is left behind is only the web of ribs. This beetle feeds on many kinds of plants, like roses, grapes, hibiscus and vegetables. This can be controlled by spraying sevin/hexavin (carbaryl), dissolved at two and a half gram to a liter of water. The main thing to remember, however, is that the spraying should be done in the evening hours, after four o'clock in the evening as that is the time when this insect appears. The spraying has to be repeated after a fortnight.

Yes, you can see this insect after a bit of efforts. But one insect that is in front of your eyes and that you cannot see or identify is red scale of roses. This insect also appears now that is in August-September. This is stationery kind of insect. This delicate insect creates a hard shell on its body and inserts its mouthparts in the stem sucking its sap. As it is very tiny, under a shell and not moving, you cannot identify it. If you want to see it, look for the reddish crust, the pox marks on the stem. This insect appears in thousands and continuous assault on the stem dries it. This insect is not affected by any and every insecticide as it has impregnable shell on its body. It has to be systemic insecticide, which goes into the system of the plant. As the insect sucks sap, it dies.

There are two ways of controlling it. One, at small scale when you have only a few plants and the other at large scale when the number of plants is too much. For a few plants you can use a used toothbrush which is dipped in rogor solution or even spirit and hard rubbed on the stem removing the crust. Other method which is normally used commercially is the use of phorate granules i.e. Thimet 10-G granules. These are added at 10 grams per bush thrice at monthly interval, starting with the time of pruning the bush.

satishnarula@pau.edu

Rocking together

Toning it down

Techno man

Baby step

No holds barred

The juggling act

Wrinkle-free