Smuggling the “Star of India”

The `Star of India' that is, the cute and minuscule Indian Star Tortoises, are the most prized products in the international pet market. These tortoises have become the target of illegal traders as it has lucrative overseas markets particularly in the US and other European countries. The star tortoises are bought from the local hunters or shikaris who collect the reptiles from the wild and hand it over to the middlemen ,who in turn supply it to the person who smuggles it out of the country mainly to Malaysia and Bangkok from where it goes to different destinations via the Gulf to the US and the European countries. These tortoises fetch a princely sum of $40 in Singapore pet markets to $150 in the US and European markets.

Last week, the officials of the Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle out a large consignment of live star tortoises from Chennai to Bangkok. They seized 950 live star tortoises worth Rs 6.65 lakh from a Bangkok-bound passenger. A few months earlier the customs officials at the Chennai international terminal had seized 235 live star tortoises from a 26 year-old Sri Lankan national bound for Kuala Lumpur . The seized tortoises were handed over to the Wildlife officials who rehabilitated the tortoises at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. Even in Mumbai some turtles were confiscated from a rail passenger. The most popular smuggling method from India, seems to be through hand baggage, which raises the question of the negligence at the exit points in the international airports. Every year, around 3, 000 tortoises are captured and rescued from being illegally marketed in the international market. Since vigilance and confiscation of the turtles at international airports has increased, smuggling via the sea route continues. A major reason for this is the ability of the star tortoise to survive without any food for 10-15 days, which makes it easy prey for smugglers.

These star tortoise which are stunning in their beauty with the radiating "star" pattern on their shell, is small in size, with females reaching 10 to 12 inches and the males approximately 6 to 8 inches in length and weighs between 15 gm and 250 gm and living up to 35 years on land . The clutch size is 1-10 eggs with an incubation period of 47-178 days These minuscule tortoises are found mostly in the southern districts India - Ramanthapuram in Tamil Nadu , Kolar in Karnataka and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh .

Besides being popular with pet collectors, the star tortoises are also sought for medicinal purposes in China.While the small, star-striped tortoises are kept as pets, the larger turtles, are used as essential ingredients in the traditional Chinese medicine and also find their way to the dinner table, as they are considered to be vital sources of energy. Smuggling activity is at its peak between July and August, the breeding period of the star tortoise. Nesting seasons coincide with the monsoons, and in south-eastern India eggs are laid from March to June, as well as from October to January.

In India, it is illegal either to possess or trade the Indian Star Tortoise as the species is also legally protected under the federal Endangered Species Act since 1973 and while currently it is not endangered, they are being pushed to the danger of becoming extinct. While there is so much awareness being created for the poaching of tigers and lions, there is an equally well-organised network of smugglers trafficking in India’s star tortoises . The ornate patterns of the Indian Star Tortoise serve as camouflage in its arid habitat. Unfortunately, it is because of its beautiful color and pattern that makes the tortoises such a popular pet to collectors around the world .They are also kept at homes with a belief that they bring good luck!

Oprah Winfrey, the most powerful woman in the world.

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has topped Forbes’ list of the ‘World's 100 Most Powerful Celebrity’ for the second year running. Oprah, a black, is the most powerful woman on earth! Soon another black, Obama will be the most powerful man in the world residing at the White House. Not to mention the blacks dominating the world of sports and music and who can forget the Hollywood hunks, Denzil Washington, Will Smith and comedians, Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker ,the versatile Morgan Freeman and the legendry Sydney Poitier!

At long last, Dr. Martin Luther King jr. can rest in peace - his great dream for America has come true. Dr King had said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character"

This is the story of a young girl from Mississippi, born to a poor unwed teenaged mother, raised in a broken home , subjected to repeated sexual abuse from family members (she was raped at the age of nine) and having given birth at 14 to a son who died soon afterwards, Oprah studied hard and in due course won a scholarship to Tennessee State University.

At 19, she became an anchor of Nashville's WTVF-TV station and is the first female African-American news anchor in Nashville. At 29, she took over a low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago and within months she made it the top-rated show. Subsequently, AM Chicago is renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. History has been created and there is no looking back for Oprah. In a field dominated by white males, she is a black woman of ample bulk but she makes it up by her genuine, frank apathy, hearty humour and above all understanding, sympathy and compassion perfectly attuned to her audience.

Oprah popularized and revolutionized talk shows by doing shows on physical and mental ailments in women , spirituality and meditation, gift-giving and home decorating shows, makeup makeovers etc. She introduced an intimate confessional form of media communication, guests with sad stories brings tears to Oprah's eye and they, in turn, reveal things they would not imagine telling anyone, much less a national TV audience. It is a talk show with group therapy session. She also brought in taboo topics of those times like gays, transsexuals, and transgender people and interviewed celebrities on issues that directly involved them. She has given credit to her team as well, who work backstage, by making them appear on her shows and highlighting their work.

At a show in 2004 she gave away to each member of the audience a new G6 sedan, the 276 cars were donated by Pontiac as part of a publicity stunt. On another show, she high lighted her Yo-Yo Dieting by wheeling in 67 lbs. of animal fat on o the stage , illustrating the weight she lost in five months on a commercial liquid diet.

Oprah is also an influential book critic- the books making it her show is a sure seller, likewise any author appearing on her show becomes a celebrity and their books bestsellers. She owns a very popular magazine O, the Oprah Magazine and a women's cable television network Oxygen. Moreover, she is the president of Harpo Productions Oprah spelled backwards.

Oprah wields so much influence that an unknown Obama’s fortunes changed when she endorsed him. But, ofcourse the majority of her audience who are white middle-aged women and supported Hillary Clinton accused her of betraying her sex.

Oprah aged 54, has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the most philanthropic African American of all time, and the world's only black billionaire for three straight years. Likewise she is also the first African-American celebrity to land on the cover of Vogue, in the October 1998 issue.

Oprah is a source of strength and inspiration for millions of her admirers. Her life and her work are testaments to the enormity of her generous heart. She has touched so many lives and hearts by her compassion , sympathy and understanding . She has struggled with challenges and managed to transform her life , hence, without doubt she is indeed the most influential and powerful woman in the world. Her message is clear and empowering - I did it, and so can you!

Copyright © 2008 Hodgepodge Jottings. All Rights Reserved

Movie on Nehru and Edwina romance

The alleged love affair between Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister and Edwina Mountbatten, wife of the last British viceroy to India is to be adapted into a film from the historical book “Indian Summer” by Alex Von Tunzelmann.

According to the Sunday Times report, English born Hollywood star Hugh Grant is likely to play Lord Mountbatten and Cate Blanchett his wife. The role of Nehru has not yet been finalised and it seems that the author has suggested to the filmmakers to look to bollywood to fill that part. The film rights for Alex Von Tunzelmann’s Indian Summer has been bought by the UK production house, Working Title. In fact, it was bought much before the book was published last year.

Alex von Tunzelmann, a young Oxford-trained historian and a first-time British author chronicles one of the defining moments of world history in the twentieth century – the partition of India and Pakistan . It focuses on the intertwined lives of the five most important characters: Mountbatten, Edwina, Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and M.A. Jinnah. Indian Summer is set in the backdrop of the decline and fall of the British Raj in India and features a passionate and clandestine love affair between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten, among various other scandals and outrages. The book is both entertaining and informative because of the references to gossips of the world history. The author had said that when she had stumbled upon this historical story with romance between two key characters she thought it was so “filmy” that it was like a real-life Casablanca - the 1942 film which is an all-time Hollywood hit and is set during World War II in the Moroccan resort.

Tunzelmann did not “like to say” how far the Nehru-Edwina relationship went but emphasised that they “were certainly in love”. Their friendship lasted all of Edwina’s life and it was even said that when she died at the age of 58 due to heart attack she had Nehru’s old letters in her hand. The Mountbattens had an extremely complex relationship, but neither ever seriously considered ending it. Both were supposed to have had affairs in spite of Mountbatten’s obsession with Edwina and Edwina's jealousy of other women in Mountbatten’s life. Mountbatten was supposed to subtly facilitate the friendship between Nehru and Edwina.

Thus, as regards to the romance in the historic events of the summer of 1947 that ended an empire and which is to be filmed and made to a movie, the Sunday Times said: “A film version of Indian Summer may not follow such a nuanced approach.”

Copyright © 2008 Hodgepodge Jottings. All Rights Reserved

MEDIA – Hope for the Country

In a country like ours, where there is extreme corruption at all levels and the government machinery is slow to react to situations, the media is a boon. The minute situations and events are aired, the concerned authorities are shaken out of their slumber and swing into action. Hence, a free and independent media is our country’s best hope. Freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right , just as access to basic information and right to know is a fundamental right for this country’s people . A democratic country is accountable to its people.

If the public benefits as a result of a specific investigative method then it is justified. The sting operations have exposed many murky and sordid going ons among public functionaries which has had the government red in the face. Right from the Tekelka’s exposé of the defence ministry to the cash-for-questions scam and cuts from the money sanctioned for projects under the Local Area Development Scheme involving MPs, all have been real embarrassments to the government. Then, comes the comedy - the blame game! Like searching for a needle in the haystack, these culprits with delusions of persecution start searching for excuses and they do find them! The people are subjected to the usual allegations of frame-ups, unseen forces maligning their names and character and so on & so forth .Its just hilarious. Anyway viewers do need some comic relief in these stressful times .But, somewhere deep down inside us there is this vague gnawing pain of helplessness at the depth to which human nature and values have degraded.

Hats off to our media for being instrumental in bringing justice to certain high profile murder cases like Jessica Lal, Nitish Katara , Priyadarshini Mattoo etc. Delhi's crowded Tihar Jail is hosting many high-profile criminals, politicians and their kin, thanks to faster court decisions prodded on by a vigilant media. The airing of the spine chilling incident of two engineers being run over by a car while executing their duty ,made it possible for the influential culprit being brought to book in South India.

Now, we go to the other side of the coin. Due to stiff competition some news channels try to project different perceptions in certain sensational stories. For instance, when the forest brigand Veerappan was killed in police encounter, a certain news channel went to the extent of nearly whipping up sympathy, by telling their viewers to remember his wife and kids at this time and to be sensitive to their feelings. What about the feelings of the families of 150 lives whom he had brutally and gruesomely murdered, and that too when they were executing their duty. What about the feelings of people whom he and his armed men terrorised while barging into their estates and cutting off the sandalwood trees? Not to mention 2000 elephants and the unrecorded murders.

Another one such incident happened last week. Since campus crimes were on the rise in the capital, there was this news that certain schools are employing private detectives to keep an eye on their wards. After reporting it, the news channel went about interviewing the youngsters whether they felt their privacy was being invaded.And then the opinion of an expert.'You see, students too have a fundamental right of privacy under the constitution. These kinds of efforts tactics and methods being adopted by schools amounts to encroachment of rights,'' said Anil Agarwal, education lawyer. ''Parents can move the high court under 226 of constitution and take an action against indulging in all this...this also reflects failure on the part of the school. This is illegal,'' he said.
When it is a matter of life and death, precaution is always better than coming up with solutions and debates after campus crimes have been committed. The schools are just trying to play it safe for their ward’s safety. Before boarding a flight we have got to go through security check. At a shopping Mall at Bangalore even our handbags were checked before entering the mall. Its for our safety. We are living in dangerous times. So the right for fundamental privacy has to be a little flexible.Then there was this infamous Uma Khurana false sting operation.

Media is a powerful tool in India and, they have to be used with care, caution and responsibility. Certainly the responsible media by far outweighs a few stray self serving cases.

Even though the media was taking up cudgels for causes, the rise of Citizen Journalism gives more strength to an already powerful tool. The reversal of roles from audience to collecting, reporting, analyzing and publishing news, armed with cell phone cameras and digital cameras lends power to citizens. It is also essential for the attainment of human rights. Citizen Journalism is another step closer to a more transparent and accountability in government and public sectors.

Copyright © 2008 Hodgepodge Jottings. All Rights Reserved

The Superstar of Indian Commercials – Dhoni

The journey of this small town gawky young lad from Jharkhand, to the center of India’s cricket arena with his neck- length hair and dashing swashbuckling way with the bat is phenomenal. He caught the imagination of Indian youth and is a favourite among all -young and old alike. He has become cricket’s favourite poster boy. Hence, rightly so, he has been named the YOUTH ICON 2006 by MTV .

With fame and popularity endorsements follow naturally. By becoming the captain of India’s ODI and Twenty 20, he has become the darling of the advertisers and his simple flashing ready smile has endeared himself to the masses. He has taken over the mantle as top earner in commercials from his idol Sachin Tendulkar who arrived as a precocious teenager.

His aptitude is amazing .He can generate extreme power with his wristwork and bat speed and now he is using the same aggression prudently into commercial ads. Dhoni has all the four important traits for brand personality which are style, passion, dynamism and timelessness.

One of the early birds who spotted this future superstar of commercial ads was the Mysore Sandal soap people who claimed that Dhoni even has initials as their brand- MS. A young (bats) man and a soap! Well, it had the nation washing in Mysore sandal soaps.

Then there were the endorsements for Exide, TVS Motors , Bharat Petroleum , GE Money and Orient PSPO Fan to keep Dhoni cool. The Reliance Communications launched Dhoni-Dhanadan pack to their Reliance Mobile subscribers with goodies like Wicket Alerts, wallpapers, games, screensavers, SMS trivia, a Dhoni Zone and mobile communities based on him.

Somewhere down the line comes a complete makeover and the new spike haired look with the Brylcreem hair styling creams and color gels. Dhoni in different hep shades of coloured hair and coupled with that catchy jingle… “Ready to play with color- let your hair down, a little to the left, a little to the right, play with color”. The youngsters were hooked! A new star- a youth style icon is born!

When others were endorsing liquors, Dhoni guzzled milk and converted a generation of kids to hardcore milk drinkers! The men’s apparel Siyaram brand wanted an ideal role model targeting the young Indian for their MSD-Monday to Sunday Dressing. Who else but our dashing magnetic Dhoni fits the role like a wicket glove? He also has NDTV under his belt with Gameplan Sports providing professional expertise to him.

In a truly global campaign, Reebok the global brand and their 'Run Easy' advertisement is probably one of the first advertisements that features Indian cricket stars Dravid and Dhoni . In the ad, Thierry Henry, Nicole Vaidisova, Allen Iverson and Carolina Kluft are running. And running along with a collection of American football and basketball stars are Indian cricketersRahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.An enormous compliment given to both these cricketers by Reebok says “Dravid and Dhoni are great ambassadors for the brand who embody the philosophy -'I am what I am'. They are authentic individuals who express themselves in their own unique way both in sport and in life." In spite all this fame, money and endorsements, when queried about his popularity at a TV show, Dhoni replied, "It puts more responsibility on you." This icon has kept his head firmly on his shoulders.

Then, there is the Videocon Industries which pulled out Dravid and Dhoni after the World Cup debacle but Dhoni batted his way back into the Videocon ads after the World Twenty 20 win .Their entertaining Videocon ad, has Dhoni as the Om Shanti Om's superstar and Shahrukh Khan as the Indian Cricket Captain .Its a treat to watch Dhoni doing the six-packs Dard E Disco and the Om Shanti Om song and ofcourse the Rajesh Khanna spoof with that puffed hairdo and striped shirt. Shah Rukh hits some sixes and fours and celebrates victory with bubbly champagne. Dhoni definitely steals the show –thunder and lightening right from under Shah Rukh’s nose!

The recent really cool commercial ads of Pepsi and Sonata for the IPL Chennai Superkings team are incredibly amusing and hilarious. Anyone with a South Indian connection will not fail to appreciate the humor in this Pepsi ad, a la south superstar Rajinikanth, but the tag line still continues to be "Yeh hain Youngistan meri jaan." When introduced as a player from Jharkhand , the lungi clad Dhoni retorts by saying “Eh! Yemm Yesss Dhooooni from Chennaiii.” “All you fast bowlers ,I have the bat, do you have the ball” “Mind it!!” Just great. The Sonata commercial too is equally side-splitting…the song and dance which Dhoni and friends do is so very filmy and riotous.

Dhoni is turning out to be as good in acting as he is in cricketing. His acting prowess is better than Saif Ali Khan in the Lays Ad, as good as the south superstar Rajinikanth in the Pepsi Ad, rubs shoulder with Shah Rukh in the Videocon Ad .In fact, with his distinct looks, striking personality, charming smile, flowing mane or spiked hair, he poses a serious threat to Bollywood’s poster boy John Abraham.

Thus, the superstar of commercials is none other than MS Dhoni… ‘Mind It!!’

Copyright © 2008 Hodgepodge Jottings. All Rights Reserved

Honour killings or Punishment Murders?

Honour is self righteousness, integrity and nobleness .It is a wonder why this noble word should be associated with killing .Honour killings, indeed! What is honour killing? It is a punishment murder committed by family members against women or children to uphold the supposed family’s or community’s honour. This custom of honour killings was started in primitive societies when women were not allowed to be conquered by invaders.

No religion advocates honour killing or for that matter any killing. In honour killings there is no remorse or regret but only jubilation. Reasons for honour killings usually are, refusing to an arranged marriage, marital infidelity, pre-marital sex, flirting, innocent rape victims and of course seeking divorce even from an abusive husband. These murders frequently go unreported, the perpetrators unpunished and the concept of family honour justified. In many cases, the women are buried in unmarked graves and all records of their existence are wiped out.

There was this heartrending news of a woman called Leila Hussein who told The Observer the chilling story of how her husband had killed their 17-year-old daughter over her friendship with a British soldier in Basra. Then Leila too was murdered ,gunned down in cold blood because she dared to denounce and divorce her husband - the man she witnessed suffocate, stamp on, then stab their young daughter in a brutal “honour” killing for which he has shown no repentance. She had lived the last few weeks of her life in absolute terror moving constantly from one safe house to another. It was the price she had to pay for dishonour.

Closer to home , we see hundreds of stories of honour killings like the recent Nitesh Katara murder by Vikas, son of a UP politician and his cousin Vishal .It was described as "honour killing" by the accused as they did not like their sister having an affair with a boy of different caste .

In India, more than 5,000 brides are killed annually because of considered insufficient marriage dowries. Dowry deaths and honour killings have similar motives in that the women are killed by male family members and sometimes abetted by women of the family. Only in very rare cases , honour killing relates to killing of both males and females in cultures that practice it. These killings target women and men who choose to have relationships outside of their family's religious community or caste.

Because of strict law enforcements for murder, honour suicides are becoming quite rampart .The woman is ordered or pressurized to kill herself , so that the people escape the penalties for murder. Honour killings are sometimes disguised as a suicide or an accident too. The teenage brothers of victims are also frequently utilised to commit the murder because, as minors, if there is legal action, they would be sentenced only for a very short term. In Jordan, if a woman is afraid of her life and feels threatened, she can check herself into the local prison, but unfortunately she can't check herself out, and the only person who can get her out is a male relative, who is most often the person who poses the threat. In Haryana , after an honour killing, the villagers claimed that it was the act of “real men."

The recent gruesome murder of teen Aarushi Talwar which shocked the nation was also termed as honour killing. Honour killing shouldn't happen in a family where both parents are doctors.Clearly there is no honour in killing and furthermore it is the ultimate betrayal of parent to kill a child. One hardly hears about men being killed for honour .Young men are allowed to carry on an exciting lifestyle - socialising, drinking and womanising. Upholding the family and community’s honour seems to be the duty of women.

In the western countries where “Crimes of passion”, are treated in quite a lenient manner, they are the same thing but with a different name. The sentencing is based not on the crime, but on the feelings of the perpetrator. "Crime of passion" and "honour killing" is about the perspective of the perpetrator.

"Honour crimes" are a recognized form of violence against women in the International Human Rights law. It states that honour crimes violates women’s rights to life, freedom from torture and cruelty, inhuman, and degrading treatment, and the right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law. Human Rights organisation reported a case, where the husband murdered his wife based on a dream that she had betrayed him. In Turkey, a young woman's throat was slit in the town square because a love ballad had been dedicated to her over the radio

Honour killing is just killing for vengeance, revenge for adultery, revenge for rebellion in youth, revenge for disobedience. It just boils down to power, power over women and children. We do have to live a life of honour, integrity and self righteousness .But by killing for honour has the murderer done anything honourable in the eyes of the Maker?

Copyright © 2008 Hodgepodge Jottings. All Rights Reserved

About Hodgepodge Jottings

My Hodgepodge Jottings page will feature articles I had written on various random topics. Whatever subject arrests my attention at the moment , gets converted to an article. Please do post me comments about your impressions on the article.