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The Enthusiastic Army Recruitment Rallies Are Fast Becoming History Strange how times, and lifestyles, change. There was a time when donning the Army uniform was considered an honour even by princes and the nobility. That lure has waned. To such an extent that now you want to get into Army uniform only if you have no choice, no job, no hope elsewhere, and War Games are now only to be played on the computer. Why has the Army become so unattractive? Let me begin from the beginning. Our patriotism, sadly, is like viral fever — it lasts for a short while. It gets ignited when the country’s borders are threatened. Remember Kargil? We all went moist eyes when Lata Mangeshkar sang Mere watan ke logo… and raised maha slogans against the Pakistanis. Pop patriotism, surely. Check it out. One would not hear an American or a British say, “I am a Californian” or “I am a Londoner’’ while our first response usually is, “I am a Punjabi, or a Malayali.” It’s not only the young among us. Notable Indians, politicians and people from the tinsel world in particular, who make a song and dance about nationalism in front of the camera, seldom send their own wards to serve in the forces. They regularly go to the border to light candles of peace, but let others’ sons die fighting for their country. But, then, all shades of us do that — say nice things about mera desh and soon get back to bleeding the country white. See, it’s not only that our thoughts are corrupt, our actions are worse. The most disconcerting factor is that the new generation firmly believes in quick money and easy living. Blame parental counselling for that. Children are not told what it means to be a true Indian. The common strain: do what the westerners are doing, Make loads of money and cool it.
As an assessor with the Army Officers Selection Board for three years, I have noticed a disturbing trend. Sons and daughters of Army officers are not following in their parents’ footsteps. Their stock reply, “We have seen frequent separation of our parents and their struggle to cope with the frequent transfers, problems regarding accommodation, getting us admitted in good schools and managing a good life for us within their meagre salaries. When we needed our father the most, he would never be with us.’’ Can’t blame them. It’s time to change, before all volunteers become too disenchanted with the way the Army is… (Lt Col Ashokan K is a director of Olive Greens Man Power Solutions Pvt Ltd. at Chandigarh)
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Fusion flavour
Veena Verma worked as a health officer in the state health department in the city, till she moved to UK after her marriage. On homecoming, the first Indian woman to win the prestigious International Best Chef award in Scotland in 2006, shares notes on her culinary skills and more. Settled in UK for the last forty years, Veena says she never really planned her career. “I did my B.Sc in Chandigarh and worked here, till I flew off to UK with my husband,” she tells. “I loved to cook but never thought about taking it is a profession,” Veena avers. “ It was years later, when my children finished their education, that on their persuasion I took up a formal course in cooking,” she reveals. After that, she did a three-year advanced course in bakery and confectionary from College of Food, Birmingham and also a course on food preparation and cake decoration. Sharing her experience about the competition, she says, “There were around 5000 contestants and after many rounds of scrutiny, eight finalists were selected and I was one of them.” And, it was fusion food that led her to victory. A combination of traditional Indian delicacies presented in a western style with a dash of a few western herbs. “ Each one of us was supposed to prepare two vegetarian, non-vegetarian and rice dishes each, with a choice of starters and salads; flat in three hours,” she says. And, it was Veena’s stuffed tomato in royal gravy full of nuts, methi leaves and cumin seeds that proved to be her winning streak. A flag bearer of Indian food in the UK, Veena insists on healthy and nutritious cooking. “ Nowadays, we see a lot of canned food available here, like the west, whereas out there I always insist on using freshly chopped vegetables, ingredients and pastes to retain the dietary values”. In between, cooking and teaching (she teaches at South Birmingham College), she judges cookery contests as well. “ I always tell the contestants to let the traditional tastes stay the same. Of course, a hint of western herbs and spices can be added.” She defines her cooking as a fusion of flavours where east meets the west. Veena’s forte lies in cooking healthy vegetarian cuisine. Ask her what has been her inspiration all through and pats comes the reply ‘ food itself’. My work led me to travel a lot and that is how I picked on a variety of cooking methods. This die-hard vegetarian loves stir-fried veggies, rice and paneer dishes. She signs off with a tip for all, “Don’t cook just for taste, make sure your delicacies have nutritional value as well.” Rightly said, isn’t it? smritisharma@tribunemail.com
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Hemant Sagar, chosen Designer of the Year at Miami Fashion Week, has fond memories of the city, writes Gayatri Rajwade
His ‘rasta’ includes dressing up French aristocrats and even Barbie (the doll!) if it means a splurge in creativity. In fact ‘culture’ and ‘rasta’ are his two favourite words. So no surprises then that internationally acclaimed Indian couturier Hemant Sagar (40) has been selected as the Designer of the Year for the prestigious Miami Fashion Week starting April 13. In a spry conversation with Life Style that had him adroitly answering all questions before they were asked, Hemant charmed with his candour and sparkling wit. “When Miami was courting me to come, I said no. I had too many things happening. Finally they said you must come, you have been selected as the Designer of the Year and I thought how snooty I must seem!” Sagar realises the enormity of this prestige. “They chose me from 80 designers. This is the first time that an Indian designer is getting recognition on a platform such as this,” he explains. No mean feat especially when the who’s who of fashion like Caroline Herrera and Oscar De La Renta are some of the earlier honourees! So what is it that brought him here? “They told me it is not for my previous work so much as it is for the ‘rasta’ that I have taken,” he smiles. And it is a ‘rasta’ peppered with dreams and roads less travelled. For a couturier who made a name for himself in Paris with fellow designer Didier Lecoanet under the label ‘Lacoanet Hemant’ in 1978, basking in an established limelight was not his cuppa tea! Having worked outside of India for almost three decades, he decided to ‘up’ and come back to India in 2002 and set up shop here, designing, manufacturing and fabricating pręt indigenously in Gurgaon. What makes Sagar stand apart is his theory of ‘gripping everything, including emotions’ with his collections. “I do not want to hear a polite clap for my work. The response must come from the heart,” he insists. His designs stand testimony to that what with his latest creation, the ‘pataka’ prints finding flavour already with the likes of fellow-designers like Wendell Rodricks and restaurateur A. D. Singh. In fact, his summer lines for Miami are sure-shot firecrackers too. “The influences are drawn from Bollywood, kinky and very culturally modern bohemian. They are urban and absolutely of an international standard. The clothes are very today—short skirts, embroidery and jute, transparent and well cut and tailored jackets—for women. While for men it is business suits in 501 jeans (Levis) fits.” But his ‘Indian influences’ are not traditional by any means. “It is the India of today, of what I see around me and open my eyes to and that includes the cows on the road,” he says. As he gears up for Miami, complete with Bhangra music from the UK in tow, Sagar cannot help but put in a quick word on Chandigarh. “Do you know I have very fond memories of the city? I spent a lot of my summers here as a child with my cousins. I love it when things come back a full circle,” he beams. A circle full of ‘bridges’ that he has crossed and re-crossed while building them simultaneously. gayatrir@tribunemail.com
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Ambian te koel bole
The melodious tunes of koel’s courtship song, rising above the whisper of pleasant morning breeze blowing soft across the trees, is heralding summers in the city. If you drive away from the din of honking cars, symptomatic of chaotic city life, all the way to the green belts across the sectors, you too will hear the call of the summers in the songs of the koel. Right fellows. The koel’s romantic spirit is soaring with the rising temperatures. All tuned up to woo its lover with the songs of affection, the little bird of freedom is actually crooning its heart out for the delight of the listeners. Summer songs
The intonation is unmistakable. Just in case you haven’t noticed it, let the little bird tell you the open secret: The male koel’s courtship song begins with a cry on a low key. It soon becomes a crescendo. And ends abruptly. After a breather, the bird pipes up once again. The concert begins in March end and continues for quite some time. But few notice. “Busy listening to the remix versions of songs on the radio and the television sets or dancing to the tunes of their professional masters, so many of us forget all about enjoying the melodies of nature,” says ex-Army officer-cum-naturalist Capt Rajneesh Talwar. Heaving a deep sigh, he croons in a voice punctuated with tuneful remorse: “We do not appreciate nature’s hand in filling colours on the canvass of flowers and hardly spare time even in the mornings for enjoying the emotive performance. Naturally unnatural
Sitting behind the counter of his card and gift shop located in somewhat pristine environs of Panjab University campus, he says: “Go out for a morning walk, and you will find youngsters blabbering on the mobile phones instead of listening to koel’s songs. Even on way to the hills, they switch on the car stereos. Rotating a paper-weight on the counter, he says: “Summer has its own charm. You have hanging clusters of golden flowers blazing in the heat, and mellifluous songs of the koel bringing you relief. All you have to do is to teach yourself the art of living. Notice blessings in small things and spare time to detangle things. So many of us are blessed with a simple life! Just don’t complicate it.
saurabh@tribunemail.com
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Haywire Chetna Keer Banerjee If realtors were to tweak and turn on its head the simple living-high thinking motto, it would take the shape of — what else — super luxury apartments. Those towering emblems of high living founded entirely on a simple thought: the plusher, the better. With many such structures now set to poke their concrete heads into the tricity’s skyline, the well-heeled citizens can hope to reside in five-star luxury at an altitude. Needless to say, this stratosphere-caressing opulence will come for an astronomical sum. From imported fittings-studded interiors to posh velvet-varnished facades, the luxury apartments promise to take the uber rich to the dizzying heights of comfort. For the Indian housewife, grandeur is being dished out right in the kitchen. Designer kitchens can now be plucked off the shelf much like wardrobes. It is another matter that prefabricated housing may actually be driving a nail into the coffin of the neighbourhood tarkhan. The way pasta is eating into the share of the parantha in upper-crust menus, Italian modular kitchens are making the concept of local, custom-made fittings go up in smoke. On the upside though, the imported electric chimneys are driving out the smoke too. Also, the modular home may actually be the moneyed housewife’s revenge over her age-old enemies that’ve been in the habit of taking up vantage positions in her home ‘n’ hearth, waiting to ambush her on her own territory. That’s a situation that has seen many a battle cry erupting from the Great Indian Rasoi, with ceasefire being declared only after persistent firing from sprays meant to immobilise all things crawly. Yes, the battalion of cockroaches, termites and other creepy household antagonists may find the going tough in a prefabricated ambience that offers them less to chew on. The Might of Mammon is greater than the mite, after all. Though Mammon can certainly take housing to a new plane, the false ceilings of luxury apartments may somewhat downsize the heavenly experience. They could, however, offer plenty of room for stashing away any ill-gotten wealth the owners may have amassed in their upwardly mobile journey. Since luxury knows no ceiling for those with stuffed wallets, the indulgences will but naturally spill into the bathrooms. And flow freely with all those imported fittings meant to service the toilet rituals of the inmates. This form of high living decrees that the bowels of the rich accomplish their journey from the alimentary canals into sanitary systems that are nothing less than gilt-edged German Crystal, Jaguar or Queen contraptions! Gone are the times when simple ivory basins and pots sufficed for the ablutions of the gentry. Now those flush with funds need flushes studded with the fanciest of knobs that launch gurgling operations at feather touch. And perform their jobs with a polite reticence uncharacteristic of the systems of yore that were given to crooning like some shrill wannabe Indipop singers. With lucre meeting luxe in the loo, it’s natural that jacuzzis all the way from Australia and elsewhere be called upon to irrigate the dermatological surfaces of the rich and famous. Driven by advanced technology and pumped by moolah, it’s presumed that they’ll do a better job than what the countryside jharnas and tubewells do in the Other India. And if, as offered recently by a Google link, PCs were to provide Net connectivity through plumbing systems, luxe living would simply plumb to new depths. Is the idea too potty? Well, well, this commode and computer bonding was just an April Fool’s Day gag from Google. chetnabanerjee@tribunemail.com (A fortnightly column)
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Matka chowk Sreedhara Bhasin When my daughter was young she always asked for good-bad stories. For example, when I told her the Parable of the Good Samaritan, she asked for the Parable of a Bad Samaritan. Now, given the age that we live in, protagonists for such a story were not hard to find! However, last night I decided that the next child who asks me for a good-bad story, I would narrate the story of a thin, young boy of Chandigarh, who dealt a big blow to my hardened and rather cynical view of humanity. It was late in the evening, when I left office to discover I had a flat tyre. I first looked around for help. Some overly healthy looking driver of a government vehicle decided to ignore me. Then I sought help of the parking ticketwalla, who was kind enough to go to the petrol station across the road and look for a mechanic on my behalf. On his return, I learnt that it will take a while to get help. While I stood under the lamppost and pondered over my problem, dashing came a boy – who looked barely fourteen. His hair was oiled in SRK style – he had on a pair of jeans and a bright t-shirt. He informed that he was a mechanic and could change the tyre in “do minit.” I shuddered and said: “Lekin, tum to bilkul bacche ho?” On that he made a superior face and said: “Ma’am, aap befikar raho – mujhe pata hai kya karna hai,” and he set to work deftly. By the time he was finished, I had to concede to his claim, not only was he a boy mechanic, he was a good one as well! Within minutes the car was ready to run. As soon as I opened the car door the boy took off like a rare Red Fox. I ran after him and stopped him. As I fished out some notes from my purse and offered them to him, he paused and said: “Ma’am, maine paison ke liye apka madat nahi kiya!” At that, I felt a burning sense of shame well up in my heart — why do we always assume that the poor are up for sale? As I recovered from my embarrassment, I said: “Koi baat nahi, aap mithai kha lena.” He smiled sweetly and said: “Ma’am, aap kisi aur ko mithai khilana.” At that I accepted defeat. When I left the parking lot, he was at the entrance checking parchis. I stuck my head out and asked his name. Then I thanked him profusely in Hindi and English, which is what I should have done in the first place! As he squirmed at the apparent strangeness of my gesture, I took off, leaving his young friends elbowing him and guffawing.
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Pop singer Britney Spears is reportedly besotted with musician Howie Day, and the singer is planning to bring Day as her date when she attends her cousin’s wedding on June 2. Spears met the musician at Promises rehab in Malibu, where she underwent a one-month rehab stint. An insider said that the Toxic singer seems to get cheerful and gets back to her old self, whenever she talks to Day or when she talks about him. The source added that Spears thinks that he is very talented, and that the musician is the ‘best kisser ever’. — ANI
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Go Travel Manimahesh
Just 35 km from Bharmaur, the place is sacred to Lord Shiva and his divine consort Parvati. The highlight is Manimahesh lake. Past Gaddi villages and wide meadows that give way to bare rock and snowfields, this tarn is a three-day trek from Bharmaur via Hadsar and Dhanchha. The deep blue waters of the lake rest at the feet of the Manimahesh Kailash Peak, one of the mythological abodes of Lord Shiva. Bharmaur
Between the 6th and 10th centuries, it was the capital of the princely state of Chamba. Surrounded by alpine pastures, this is the summer home of the nomadic Gaddis. Just 69 km from Chamba town, it is renowned for its cluster of temples - collectively known as the Chaurasi. From Bharmaur, the Kugti and Chobia passes and there are several trek routes. Other interesting places are the temples of Bani Mata and picturesque Khundel. There are forest and PWD rest houses in Bharmaur. Bhandal Valley
It is linked to Salooni, 22 km away, in the Chamba valley by road. Approachable from Chamba, the beautiful Bhandal Valley it is the base for a trek routes that connect Chamba to the Kishtwar region of J&K. The route begins along the right bank of the Ravi river, goes past Pukhri, down to the Siyul stream, then rises to Salooni on the Prithvi Jor ridge to finally arrive above the valley. The highest point on the trek is the Padri Gali at 3,049 m. There are rest houses at Sundla, Bhandal and Langhera. Pangi Valley
Locked between the greater Himalyan and Pir Panjal ranges, the wild and beautiful Pangi Valley is 137 km from Chamba. Its subdivision headquarters at Killar is located in the deep and narrow gorge of the river Chanderbhaga (Chenab). The foaming river, the high crags of the gorge and the difficult terrain are a challenge for intrepid trekkers. The Sach Pass opens the way to several trek routes. Thick forests are home to varied wildlife. The Mindhal Basan Devi temple is an important shrine. There is a rest house in Pangi.
While in this little mountain heaven, close to Shimla, think Amaya. Apple orchards, cosy rooms with hillside views, a homely ambience and just 7 km from the Shimla Mall on the Mashobra Road – neither too far nor too close to town. The resort has 18 tastefully done up rooms on two floors, a restaurant, basic conveniences and adequate parking. Take a stroll in the adjoining apple orchards or walk to Dhalli, just a kilometer away. Once you come here, you’ll surely want to come back, say Manmohan Singh and his wife Trilochan Kaur, the proprietors. — TNS
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at lifestyle@tribunemail.com or care of Lifestyle, The Tribune, Sector 29-C, Chandigarh I am 43 years old and going through my second divorce. I am miserable. Earlier too I had a serious relationship that did not work out. I feel very unfulfilled and unhappy despite of having an excellent dental practice and social circle. Each time I seem to scare the men away. Please suggest what to do. Rukhsana Shani , DelhiIt is good to know that you have a good career but in your personal life you definitely need to reach a state of balance. You are the one who needs to change. I feel you are playing the same pattern in every relationship of yours and that is why your relationships with men go through the same result each time. Please view your attitudes and perceptions with a serious thought. See what makes your relationships go sour and work at changing yourself accordingly. Do not loose heart. This dysfunctional belief pattern is not exclusive to you. Treat yourself with love and respect and see to it that your men in your life give you the same treatment. You are just allowing your own vulnerability to play on you. Take charge of yourself. Everything will sort out. I am a 29 years old woman with a problem with my figure. I seem to be what they call a yo-yo type. I put on weight very fast and loose weight very fast also. Now again I am fat. I feel I do a lot of comfort eating and may be I am just fond of food and look for all sorts of excuses to binge. My boyfriend who has weathered with me through many such times is extremely annoyed with me and thinks I must see a counsellor to change my habits. Can you please advise me? Nivedita Kapoor , AmbalaI recommend that you just go on a feel good diet. You are just pampering yourself unnecessarily. You are already aware of your problem and honestly it is really not a very serious one. You just have a ‘couldn’t care less’ approach. Give yourself more priority than you already do. Eat healthy, cut down on junk food. It picks up on your spirits and your health too. I am a 32-year-old guy with a complex because of my younger brother, who is smart and good looking. He gets all the attention in parties while I seem to just merge into the background. I feel life has been unfair to me as even at home being the youngest got him all the attention from my parents. Can you help me to sort my feelings? Rajan Verma, Chandigarh Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You are an individual in your own right. So why getting into comparisons? I accept your view that he is smart and pampered but why should you allow it to bother you? I am sure being the elder one, you have been pampered in your own way. Make the most of what you have. Now if you are having problems dating or even with your self-esteem, you must remember it is all about you. You have everything going for you and life can be very exciting and exhilarating if you just behave with maturity.
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In Chandigarh for the release of his debut music album Jawab, the young law graduate from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, says: More than a few Punjabi singers are nowadays crooning a different tune. Their songs have everything; except for that conventional rhythm Punjabi music is so vehemently associated with. “The numbers in my album have the glorious beats of Punjab that generate music and not noise,” he says. — S. M.
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Health tip of the day
Placing a pillow behind the lower back while sitting helps to improve the head and neck
posture. — Dr Ravinder Chadha |
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We must stop comparing the Armed Forces with the civilian bureaucracy for the purpose of fixing pay and emoluments, as there is wide variance in the service conditions of the two. Nowhere in the world is it done. We cannot undo the gap totally, but it must be reduced. The government must look towards improving salaries and provision of proper accommodation, especially in cases of separated families.
We need to improve the pay packets of armed forces’ personnel and bring them somewhat at par with what people in the civilian sector get. The forthcoming pay commission must improve the living standard of the officers and men. Secondly, we need to advertise perks and facilities officers are entitled to.
The position of military officers in the Warrant of Precedence must be upgraded. At present they stand virtually nowhere and even the status of the service chiefs has been negated. Also important is social security of the families of military personnel and ensuring that their problems are addressed.
The excessive deployment of the Army on internal security must come down. Since 1947, we have been at war and the time has come for it to be reduced so that the men can spend time in peace and training. Also, new technology needs to be adopted at a much faster pace so that youngsters pick it up and put it to good use when they are no longer required by the services.
I think it’s only those children who grow up with the aim to work for the country that make good armymen. And, I am not one of them.
Undoubtedly, I love my country but I think it’s only those individuals who make up their mind quite early about this profession, who join it.
Life in the Army is very disciplined; one has to get up early and work very hard. I would rather lead a life that is not so monotonous and tough.
I did think of joining the Army but dropped the idea soon. Men in the Army are often underpaid and have to live and work in unfavourable conditions.
That’s all life is about. Is it? How one wishes our youth would ape the west in their strong sense of nationalism. That’s the role model we are not chasing. In-house, the dignity of the profession suffered with the scaling down of the position in protocol when the Chief of Army Staff went down from the fourth in the ladder to somewhere deep down among the forces. Also, interference by the bureaucracy resulted in lowering the pay-scales of the service officers in the fifties. This had an adverse effect on the status of the service officers, especially in comparison with the officers of other equivalent services. 
Despite an excellent ad campaign, the Army has not been able to win over the youth. This is basically because, when they ask, “Do you have it in you?’’, the Army finds it difficult to say, “Yes, we have it in us.’’ The perks and other benefits in the Army pale when compared with those offered by the corporate sector. 
And, nestled in a lesser-known town, Amaya
The verdict may take some time, but his contentions are loud and clear. Advocate-turned-singer Navtej Randhawa rules traditional touch is fundamental for songs to be heard over the din created by so many singers trying to make it big in the Punjabi music industry.