If you've got the looks, who needs books ?
By Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 13 — "I'm gonnabe a vee-jay," ceremoniously declares cute and cuddly Tina, cherishing the mascara-lined eyes fluttering in the gold-rimmed mirror. "When I grow up, that is," she chirps, smacking her curved crimson lips. Daddy's pet, mamma's "buttercup", is "sweet little 13."

For her and for so many on-the-move mannequins with a "bright future", the idea of slogging into a doctor's coat, or riveting thoughts to an engineering degree, is repulsive. Even MBA, IAS unattractive. Pilots and astronauts — "bah". The priorities are clear.

Somersaulting-on-the-dining-table spice girls, they wannabe. Aishwarya Rai is the stuff teenyboppers' dreams are made of. Little hearts flutter when golden haired Mariah Carey throws popcorns at her infidel guy in a cinema hall. Britney Spears is America's teen queen that drives 'em wild.

"Exposed to the ever-blowing winds of fashionable change in an ambitious world of glamour, and delusions, any kid with a good figure and solid height today wants to be a reed-thin Malaika Arora or a waiting-for-the-night Jennifer Lopez ," reveals schoolteacher Rangeeta Singh. "An anchor's job is lucrative, beauticians' best".

Blame it on the television channels for often airing interviews with models, rarely with philosophers, kids today do burn the midnight oil. Sure. But not for solving detestable theorems. Mitthu's artistic slender fingers, glistering with all-night moisturising cream, gently trace the contours on the fair visage as she struggles hard to be a "cut above the rest".

"Good looks are not the only clue to the mystery of worldly success," asserts the class VIII student. "I have to be smartly beautiful with a purpose if I have to become an executive in an advertising firm like the one in serials".

No wonder, little Mitthu drives to a saloon regularly. With her mother. Hoping to get her upper lip threaded and legs and arms waxed, if permitted. Once in a while, mom is persuaded to allow the application of face packs. Henna also, for that glittering red tinge. Only till she can go in for golden streaks — mandatory for a pop diva. Like her elder sis did when she cherished fantasies of the Miss India crown.

Her friend Sherry has even catwalked. In a naval officer's attire, once. "Holding a cordless mike is easier if you have been wearing modelling shoes", believes the 12-year old.

Explaining the trend, sociologist Geetanjali says, "It is optimum utilisation of a god-gifted natural resource. Why should you earn bread from the sweat of your brow if you can buy temptations baking in fast food joints or hanging in fashion stores simply by looking good?"

Parents do encourage. The reasons are not too hard to see. "Time has wiped off the smudges of offensiveness on the bank cheques placed on the fair hands of models and professionals," says a former magazine cover girl now happily married.

"Today's parents, existing in a materialistic world, triumphantly smile as their daughters sashay down the ramp displaying designer wear. Some others attempt to fit in a certain circle by giving the little ones the go-ahead".

Times have changed. Granny's advice of "achieving success by working hard" is no longer appreciable. Modern kids are fast getting set for the shape of things to come. Why not? The whole new millennium is before them.

Garbage dumped at cremation ground
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Nov 13 — The hands of the local municipal council seem to be tied regarding a serious civic problem in the town. It has no proper sanitary land-fill site to dump garbage, including non-organic and bio-medical waste, generated here.

Left with little option — at least as the officials of the council claim — tonnes of the solid waste is being dumped right in the cremation ground in Industrial Area here. Apart from being an eye sore for those visiting the place to perform the last rites of their near and dear ones, it has created a number of environmental problems.

Throwing norms of the Central Pollution Control Board regarding the segregation of hazardous waste from the other material to winds, the sanitation staff of the council started to dump garbage, which includes bio-medical waste generated by hospitals, clinics, slaughter houses and non-organic recyclable material like plastics, glass, metals and papers in one corner of the cremation ground a few months ago.Solid industrial waste also finds its way to the cremation ground.

Investigations reveal that no bleaching powder was being sprayed on the land fill, which is mandatory to reduce the harmful effects of the garbage leading to air and ground water pollution.

Burning of garbage gives nauseating smoke. Presence of stray cattle rummaging through the garbage being dumped adjacent to the sheds where the last rites were performed presents a pathetic picture. Inhabitants of a slum area living close to the cremation ground have to tolerate flies and unbearable stench. At least 40 rusted garbage collection bins lie dumped at the place.

Mr Sukhjeet Singh, a local municipal councillor, said, "Heaps of garbage present a sad picture about the civic management of the town. A number of flower-bearing plants at site to beautify the place are buried under the refuse.

Visits to the cremation ground by senior officials of the state administration have not solved the problem. Inquires reveal that delay in selection of a land-fill site to dump garbage of the town had led to such a situation. While the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) claims to have written to the local council to earmark land for the land-fill, officials of the council said that the onus of the delay was entirely on PUDA for not giving its nod.

The President of the local Municipal Council, Mr H.S.Billa, said the council had selected a landfill site near Badmajra village and was ready to pay for it but PUDA had not given its approval so far.