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In his autobiography, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar
recounts the times when he was witness to important events, like the crucial negotiations between the Akali Dal and the Congress in the 1980s. Excerpts:
the turmoil in punjab
Sant Harchand Singh Longowal (centre) at Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib just days after signing the Rajiv-Longowal accord Tribune photo by Karam Singh |
When
I first met Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, he was already cast in his
role of both hero and villain. He was as prominent as Sant Harcharan
Singh Longowal, the head of the Akali Dal. Although the demand for a
Punjabi suba had been conceded (the Punjabi-speaking districts were
grouped together to form Punjab state) the Sikhs were generally
unhappy with the solution.
Rare black tiger photographed
A
very rare melanistic or black tiger has been photographed in the core
area of the Similipal National Park in Odisha. "We have physical
evidence on existence of black tiger inside the core area of the tiger
reserve in the Similipal National Park," Forest and Environment
minister Debi Prasad Mishra has said.
Victories stained with blood
On this day in 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set sail for India, a voyage that changed the politico-economic scenario of the subcontinent. A look at the life and times of the man whose discoveries are among the most important historical world events
Belu Maheshwari
Vasco
da Gama rose from a
middling position in the Portuguese society in a span of a few years
to acquire the image of an icon of Portugal’s national pride after
his triumphant return from India. According to political
economist Adam Smith, the event was one of the two greatest`A0and most
important events recorded in the history of mankind. His voyages also
changed the politico-economic firmament of Indian subcontinent
forever.
Of adventure and peace
Wanaka is an idyllic little lakeside town in New Zealand that offers some lovely views and adrenalin-rush packed skydives
Angad Sodhi
The
beauty of travelling lies in going off the beaten path. Everybody
speaks of Queenstown, Christchurch and Auckland when it comes to New
Zealand, but very few know about the hidden gem that is Wanaka, an
idyllic little lakeside town, in South Island. Located, a 45-minute
drive from Queenstown lies Lake Wanaka. And on its shore, lies the
sleepy little town of Oanaka (Maori for 'the place of Anaka, who was a
Maori chief of lore), or as it is now known Wanaka. With a local
population of around 6,000, Wanaka is a resort town, where people come
to ski, do water sports, hike and relax.
Wheels
in reels
Sharman Joshi stole the Ferrari as
well as the hearts of cinegoers in Ferrari Ki Sawari, as did
Kishore Kumar in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Amitabh Bachchan in the
bus that ferried him from Bombay To Goa, Sunny Deol in his
rumbling truck in Gadar and John Abraham speeding up on his
Hayabusa in Dhoom. Deepa Ranade
finds many vehicles that played key roles in films
Herbie
Goes Bananas is my earliest memory of a car geared up to play a
major role in a film — the moody Beetle car that kept a bunch of us
school kids tickled with its antics. While Hollywood has always relied
on the technical wizardry of vehicles in films, Indian cinema has
probed the emotional connect. Stalwart filmmaker Bimal Roy transported
the humble hand-drawn rickshaw from Kolkata lanes to being a cinematic
emblem of human suffering in Do Bigha Zameen. But it wasn’t
easy for him to get the film started, for that matter it hasn’t ever
been easy casting means of transport in films.
Nora Ephron – the sharpest wit
The talented and fearless reporter Nora Ephron had many facets to her
personality. A tribute to the versatile writer who died recently
Ervell E. Menezes
Does
the name ring a bell? It
won’t for the brave new GenNext, who may not have seen her films but
for many, it surely does for she changed the way women thought in the
1990s as those who’ve seen Sleepless in Seattle or You’ve
Got Mail will readily agree. Ephorn also tried to bring a
rapprochement between women libbers Gloria Steinhem and Betty Friedan
because she did not believe in the passivity of her tribe. For, she
was a very talented woman, who switched channels as and when she felt
like it, showing her rarer versatility and that yearning desire to
move forward. Ephron died last week. She was 71. Condolences poured in
from all quarters leading with Tom Hanks.
Rahman to rock
Olympics with Punjabi beats
A.R. Rahman is set to
team up with Hollywood director Danny Boyle again — this time to
compose a song for the London Olympics’ opening ceremony. The music
maestro reveals it will be a Punjabi song celebrating Indian influence
in Britain.
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