People Web International

By PWI Regional Reporter Central India

CHATTISGARH, INDIA - Chattisgarh is tipped to be India’s main power hub, as the state government has signed 40 separate contracts with power companies in the area of coal, thermal and solar areas. The move is going to result in a land grab, displacing private farmers, and more than 40,000 acres of prime double crop agricultural land will be eaten up by power companies.

The coal based power plants will have industrial giants like JSW Energy commissioning a 1320 megawatt project. In the thermal area, there is the Chattisgarh Thermal Power Plant, the NTPC’s Korba Thermal Power Station on the CESB East Bank  and the Hasdeo Bango hydro electric projects. The Hyderabad based Lanco group is also setting up a 1,920 megawatt unit.

The power developers will be permitted to sell sixty five percent of their production outside the state. The Chief Minister defends the “power” grab by stating that these power projects will provide employments to thousands of poor families in the area. “My policy is that its value addition should be within the state to help local people get employment," said the Chief Minister.

-- by PWI Regional Reporter Central India - central.india@peoplewebinternational.com

By PWI Reporter Punjab, Pakistan

PAKISTAN - I had been thinking about the present scenario of the world where I find that no one is at peace. The word, “peace” seems align to me particularly in Pakistan. Each day that is passed safely, without hearing any thing upsetting or sad is cherished by everyone.

Pakistan has lost its image in the hands of corrupt politicians. Living and meeting day to day expenditures has become extremely difficult for a common man. Majority of Pakistanis spend half of their income on buying essential food items and are left with very little for health care and the education of their children.

The prices of wheat in Pakistan have almost tripled since 2008; making people living in suburbs of Lahore wonder how they will feed their families. The high prices have impacted people’s ability to obtain required calories to live healthy life.

A local doctor, has commented that he see children brought in all the time suffering from malnutrition. The reason, they are simply not getting required calories and the families fail to provide their children better food.

The 2008 global financial and economic crises, the displacement of nearly three million people in 2009 by fighting between militant groups and the Pakistani army, and the catastrophic floods in 2010 has worsened the situation.

According to Pakistan’s federal bureau of statistics, the consumer price index rose in February by 17.72 percent compared to the same period last year.

-- by PWI Reporter Punjab Pakistan - punjab.pakistan@peoplewebinternational.com

By Ashis Dutta, PWI Reporter Karnataka

BANGALORE, INDIA - The world over, the city of Bangalore in India has become synonymous with Information Technology (IT). So much so that the term ‘Bangalored’ has been coined in the United States and also inspired a soap opera there.

But a question mark has been put on the city’s remarkable technology journey since the year 1991. The reason being the recent Union Budget where the fiscal incentive of tax rebate so far enjoyed by the IT industry has been withdrawn. The effect is a whooping 30 % plus cess and surcharge in tax.

Mr. Vivek Kulkarni, a former top bureaucrat responsible for the growth of IT in Bangalore, has been critical of the government’s policy of withdrawing the tax benefit of the IT industry terming it as killing the goose laying golden eggs.

Kulkarni puts forth the example of China, which, despite its phenomenal growth from a struggling economy in 1978 to the manufacturing hub of the entire world, continues to offer tax incentive to the manufacturing industry.

Due to this tax burden, the most affected among the IT fraternity in India is going to be the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, as large IT companies have already relocated most of their operations to the tax free SEZ (Special Economic Zone). For an industry which provides high quality employment to more than two million people and supports secondary and tertiary employment of another ten million, the tax has certainly come as a dampener.

As for the city of Bangalore, once the fastest growing city of Asia, whose predominant economic activity hovers around IT – be it real estate or retail, transportation or recreation, it is to be seen as to how the city copes with this new fiscal burden.

-- by Ashis Dutta - PWI Reporter Karnataka - karnataka@peoplewebinternational.com

By PWI Regional Reporter Central India

RAIPUR, INDIA - The Supreme Court Of India upheld the bail of Dr. Binayak Sen in a landmark judgement, stating that a mere association with an unlawful organization does not amount to crime. The verdict was given by Justice Markandey Katju .

Dr. Binayak Sen, was convicted on December 24th  2010, of sedition by a Raipur Court, who had found him guilty of passing on information to Maoist rebels in the territory. An award-winning doctor, working in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh, had been a victim to conflicting reports earlier, on his alleged involvement in supported violent activities.

 Earlier it was stated that Dr. Sen had passed on three letters written by the alleged Maoist Narayan Sanyal, an inmate of the Raipur central jail, to Pijush Guha, a Kolkata-based businessman. All three were convicted of conspiracy by the Raipur court.

Earlier, thousands of supporters had gathered in Bhopal and Raipur to protest against the life imprisonment sentence. Dr. Sen pleaded innocent on the grounds that his visits to Sanyal were in the capacity as a physician and as a human rights activist. The decision has been lauded in parts of the states of Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

Photo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Dr._Binayak_Sen.jpg

-- by PWI Regional Reporter Central India - central.india@peoplewebinternational.com

PUNE, INDIA - The culture of Pune reveals its charm by the rich tradition which is followed through ages, for me its forty years now and believe me it’s the same. Though there are massive malls and commercial complexes which have changed the appearance, but the existence of old “wada’s" and “chawls” still stand strong.

Pune is recognized as the house of education, as it has got wide arena in the educational sector. There are schools and colleges of international repute, which allows foreign students to pursue higher education through full time, part time and distance learning options. The Film institute of Pune has its own value, and has created great actors like Nassiruddin Shah, Deven Varma, Jaya Bhaduri, Danny Denzongpa etc.

Celebration of any sport event, which India has won in house or internationally, has been a festival for the citizens. The cricket world cup win of 1983, was an unforgettable experience for me, I was 13 years and big enough to celebrate the event with my fellow mates. At the moment its time for some colorful moment and hence “Holi” is celebrated with full happiness. However Christians are busy attending the morning and evening mass in all the city churches, due to the Lent days. Any festival whether it is Diwali, Christmas, Id-e-milad or Baisakhi the togetherness of friends, neighbor’s and colleuges portrays the feeling of unity and togetherness.

Pune has been associated with some renowned educational institutions which have a global presence and affiliation. The IT sector has grown tremendously with some big giants like IBM, Oracle and Infosys outsourcing some of their large projects to their development centers based out of Pune. Pune has been blessed with a fantastic climate, which gives a romantic rainfall, a warm summer and pleasant winter which is enjoyed by all Puneites.

Recently the Common wealth games conducted in Baner, Pune located in the heart of the city  is now getting recognition among other nations and becoming the place of attraction for the youth.

-- by Milind Kuri - PWI Reporter Pune - pune@peoplewebinternational.com

(Photo Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pune_India.jpg

CHENNAI - An article, ‘Exploring city life on foot’’ captured my attention in our local newspaper.

From then on one thing led to another and I finally arrived at the office of Human trip India which is a part of a non-governmental organisation SPEED Trust.

Mr. Albert Selvakumar, Manager-Operations of Human Trip India, enlightened me on the humanitarian work SPEED Trust does for the upliftment of the slum dwellers.

SPEED - SLUM PEOPLE EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT was founded in the year 1999 and registered as SPEED Trust in 2004 by Mr. Philip Malet of French origin and his Indian wife Denise. This organisation aims at supporting both, the economically and socially deprived women and children from the slum area of Gandhi Nagar-Sathyavani Muthu Nagar in Chennai, comprising of more than 2,600 families. The priority of SPEED Trust is to inculcate a sense of confidence and responsibility in order to understand the dignity of Labour. Mr. Philip, the founder, emphasised that the sole responsibility of SPEED Trust lies in educating the women, who are either widows or deserted. These women are not financially independent and are most often ill-treated by their husbands. The income they earn working as house maids is hardly anything to take care of their families or to even educate their children.

As the saying goes, when you educate a woman, you educate a family. With this mantra in mind, SPEED Trust today has provided fantastic opportunities for these women and their children. In a city where the auto rickshaw drivers are traditionally men, this organisation today has shown these women that they too can earn a living, educate their children and live in dignity. These women benefit from the auto training which is given for a period of 3 to 6 months and once they pass the driving test, SPEED not only helps them to procure a license, but also buys them a vehicle provided they are responsible enough to pay back a monthly sum until they have the full ownership of the vehicle.

The children of these working women have a crèche, established by SPEED Trust. The children of these families are also encouraged to join schools of certain standard, so the crèche prepares the little ones in order to be admitted in proper English medium schools. The older children have an evening tuition centre, computer classes, library and various extracurricular activities. The education of these children is sponsored by SPEED Trust and the Trust also provides educational loans up to professional courses. The schooling rate is 80% as against an average of 50% in the other slums of Chennai. The school drop outs are provided with vocational training. SPEED Trust has a family follow-up programme to ensure the children attend school regularly. The families are also provided with a Universal health insurance plan.

SPEED Trust also has a home for the Orphan and Abandoned children.

VARNAJALAM, yet another venture of SPEED Trust is a slum showroom that markets the old traditional wire baskets, recycled bags made of rexine and jewellery made from recycled newspaper. All this is made by around 50 disadvantaged and physically challenged women who work for a daily wage and for which the raw materials are provided by the organisation. These products apart from having a market in India are also exported to all over the world through BALADARSHAN, a fair trade export company which is a part of SPEED Trust and is a member of the World Fair trade organisation. Mr.K.S. Prasad is the Products Development Manager for VARNAJALAM and has been associated with SPEED Trust since the year2007.

Behind all these various programs, in charge is Mr.Philip Malet, a humble and dedicated soul who made Chennai his home 12 yrs ago not knowing that he would be one among the many chosen to serve these slum dwellers here in Chennai and to help them live a more meaningful and fulfilling life. However, he hopes that our country will soon become less dependent on foreign contributions both physically and financially and looks forward to more Indians contributing towards a child’s education.

Today, SPEED Trust in partnership with fair tourism agency HUMAN TRIP INDIA has 15 Auto rickshaws with lady drivers, 11 of which are used by Human Trip India that provide an opportunity for tourists from world over to discover Chennai in a unique way.

With the support and help from NGO’s such as SECOURS POPULAIRE and INDE EDUC ‘ACTIONS from France, HAPPY KIDS, an NGO from Switzerland and BNPPARIBAS bank from Chennai, SPEED Trust moves on to educate and empower many  more helpless and deserving women and children who are the future of our country.

For more details log on to www.humantripindia.blogspot.com or http://baladarshan.blogspot.com.

To contact SPEED Trust: speedtrustindia@gmail.com

-- by Anita Mathew Perumal - PWI Reporter Tamil Nadu - tamil.nadu@peoplewebinternational.com

MANGALORE, KARNATAKA, INDIA - Muniraj packed his small pained tin-suitcase and boarded the already crowded overnight bus. Muniraj was not alone. Thousands of migrant industrial and agriculture workers like him embarked in the exodus from the port city of Mangalore (Karnataka, India) and around on the coast of Arabian Sea to the safe haven of their home deep inland in the Indian peninsula. The reason: the Supermoon.

On Saturday, March 19, the moon came liltingly close to the earth, earning for itself the sobriquet - Supermoon. Man from ancient times has observed the effect of moon on the cycle of tide and ebb in the sea. This scientific causality has also spawned myths and folklores, awe and admiration over centuries and across continents.

The elk of Muniraj, who form a substantial part of the workforce in the relatively prosperous costal region of Karnataka, have been apprehensive of a potential Tsunami because of the Supermoon. The one that devastated Japan has convinced many rational arguments from their employers did not win the day.

When I visited the popular beach at Malpe, 60 km (37 miles) north of Mangalore on the day, it was nearly deserted. Only a handful of young boys from the adjacent fishing colony were swimming and having a good time. “Aren’t you all worried?” I asked. “The sea is our life,” said a boy of 15 something, his dark body wet and shimmering, “we are not going to flee on some superstition and rumour.”

Was this the new India speaking?

-- by Ashis Dutta - PWI Reporter Karnataka - karnataka@peoplewebinternational.com

CENTRAL INDIA - The concept of tourism has undergone a change for tour planners. Gone are the days when tourists preferred basking in the sun on the beaches of Goa, now more tourists are striving for the spiritual kick. A dip in the Ganges, travelling to the Himalayas for yoga, and spiritual healing are catching up as the marked tourist preferences. This type of tourism is booming, and beach tourism is slowly fading away to give way to emerging tourist markets in India and diversified tourist products.

The Uttar Pradesh authorities have developed resorts in Rishikesh catering to the wellness industry. The ashrams of Rishikesh are renowned for their spiritual healing and meditation. The rural tourism in the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh have taken over as a prime industry. Around 60 million people gather for the Hindu festival at Haridwar to take a dip in the sacred Ganges, and the sacred rituals attract people as far as the Netherlands and Austria. The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar are also popular.

What is a century old ritual, that is travel for wellness and spiritualism is now a commercial success, and the State Goverments would do well in developing these thrust products in the tourism sector further by providing tax incentives to promote investment.

(Photo source: http://indoexpedition.com/risikheshhotels.html)

-- by PWI Regional Reporter Central India - central.india@peoplewebinternational.com

MC Junior Girls Middle School, Singhpura is one of the schools that have emerged as one of the landmarks in adapting the teaching methodologies that I wanted my teachers to follow in schools that I have been supervising in my area. I am quite happy with their performance and I asked the teachers about the condition of the school before and after the adoption by CARE Foundation.

The story they narrated was quite interesting. The school before the adoption was famous for its brutal activities. The children used to get frightened by thinking only of sending to this school by their parents. They remember the time when the parents prefer sending their children to a private school rather then sending them to a government school. Beating up students for no particular reason was the normal practice; teachers used to carry a thick stick with them to frighten children and at times were also beaten up by the teachers. There were hardly any studies conducted by the teachers. Instead the time was utilized for personal favours, like asking students to bring eatables from homes and students were forced to press the legs, feet arms and hands of the teachers to pamper them. They were told not to speak anything against the teachers to any one visiting the school.

However when CARE adopted this school in 1999, the scenario of the school was changed. The people living in the vicinity for the first time witnessed that the teachers teach. At that time there were less than 100 students in the school.  Slowly the strength improved and now the school runs in two shifts. The teachers are very motivated and the students are inspired by the teachers. Here there are certain teachers who willingly speak in English through out the day. The newly developed culture is truly admiring for the community members and the CARE staff also.

-- by Asma Fakhr - PWI Reporter Punjab, Pakistan - punjab.pakistan@peoplewebinternational.com

Tamilnadu has its first professional college for contemporary Jazz, Rock and World music

TAMILNADU - SAM, as this academy is called is a boon to all the upcoming musicians of various genres. Not far from Chennai, SAM is located 75 kilometres from Chennai and 60 kilometres from Pondicherry. 

THE MARG SWARNABHOOMI is a township that houses SAM. This fully residential academy is set in a 4 acre campus. With the world renowned guitarist, composer Mr. Prasanna as its President, SAM has revolutionised the method of music training in India. With a faculty of world class international musicians, state of the art facilities, this music academy offers an enriched learning experience for the upcoming musicians.

SAM started its first 6 months diploma program in July, 2010. The second batch commenced on 31st Jan, 2011 and is in progress. The diploma program focuses on majors in Guitars, Bass, Drums, Indian percussions, Piano and Voice. 

They also conduct short term workshops during the course in which students from various states in India take part along with the residential diploma students. One such 5 day workshop was recently conducted on 26th Feb, 2011 until 2nd March, 2011. The students of the workshop and the diploma students together learn and enjoy the interactive sessions. They are also offered a one to one session with the faculty.

However the curriculum is based on a multi-cultural musical vocabulary and prepares the students for the music of the future.

SAM, one of its kinds in India, is well equipped with world class gear and their lecture halls, practice rooms, ensemble rooms, labs, recreation halls, library, media centre and modern residential facilities are of high standards.

Undoubtedly SWARNABHOOMI ACADEMY OF MUSIC is an institution of a kind that musicians and students alike would love to be associated with.

For more details on the Academy and the present faculty - www.sam.org.in

-- by Anita Mathew Perumal - PWI Reporter Tamil Nadu - tamil.nadu@peoplewebinternational.com