T-a-l-K A-b-o-u-T D-a-n-c-E S-t-y-l-e-S

KUCHIPUDI for the element of Earth

        ODISSI for the element of Water

              MOHINIATTAM for the element of Air

                    BHARATANATYAM for the element of Fire, and

                          KATHAKALI for the element of Sky

All of the above, together, share one common aspect; they are each one of the ‘The Five Major Indian Classical Dance Styles’ that represent one element each of nature.

KUCHIPUDI originates from the South Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. Most of the poses in Kuchipudi are brisk, flat-footed, dazzling and overall curved – having more rounded poses. The dance form reflects the longing of a disciple to become one with the ultimate and the omnipotent God. 

ODISSI originates from the East Indian State of Odisha. This dance is characterised by various Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the foot and the striking of various postures as are seen in Indian sculptures.

MOHINIATTAM originates from the South Indian State of Kerala. It is considered a very graceful form of dance that is meant to be performed as solo recitals by women. The dance involves the swaying of hips and the gentle movements of erect posture from side to side – this is reminiscent of the swinging of the palm leaves and the gently flowing rivers which abound Kerala. The performer uses the eyes in a very coy, sensual manner to enchant the mind without enticing the senses. The word ‘Mohiniattam’ literally means ‘Dance of the enchantress’.

Expression, Music, Beat or Rhythm, and Dance

                   Bhavam, Ragam, Talam, and Natyam
                                  Bha, Ra, Ta, and Natyam

Put the words above together and you have BHARATANATYAM, originating from the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The movements of an authentic Bharatanatyam dancer resemble the movements of a dancing flame.

KATHAKALI originates from the South Indian State of Kerala. It is in dance-drama form that is noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements.
These five dance forms are the most popular and widely performed styles and are practiced by male and female dancers all over the world.

Kuchipudi

Odissi

Mohiniattam

Bharatanatyam

Kathakali

THE INTERVIEW

To listen-in from a performer’s point of view, I caught up with Ms. Amy Kumar, who has been practicing Kuchipudi for several years.

1. How did you begin dancing Kuchipudi? How old were you when you took your first dance class?

I've always been interested in dance, ever since I was a toddler. Bollywood dancing played a major part of my life while growing up. Watching Sridevi and Madhuri on TV always inspired me and I knew it made me happy. It all started when I was nine and I happened to notice girls dancing in the house adjacent to my Dad's office. So, mum and me walked in hoping it was Bharatanatyam (the most well known South Indian Classical Dance form) that was being taught, but it was Kuchipudi (the dance form I've been trained in) instead. It didn’t really matter which dance form it was because all I wanted to do was dance. So, that's how it all began. It's been almost 15 years now and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

2. Do you feel you began at an appropriate age for this particular dance? Why?

Out of experience I personally feel that training at a younger age is always advisable as the energy levels, grasping capabilities and enthusiasm is higher. But then again it's never too late to learn!

3. How do you feel when you stage a performance?

Dancing on stage in front of an audience is the best part of an artiste’s life. I am not one of those dancers who get totally involved in their performance and lose touch with reality. I know it’s important to involve oneself in the act but I believe in maintaining a connection with the audience. I select my dance pieces and music according to the audience I’m going to perform for, because I truly believe that it's very important to innovate and bring about slight changes in order to make progress in any field of life.

4. Do you plan to do something with your training and experience later in life or is it just a hobby?

I have completed my BA in classical dance and have been training students at my dance school - Prerana Pratibha. At present my work keeps me very busy so I’m not able to take time out to teach. But I definitely plan to continue my career in dance probably a MA and PhD as well. For now I've been shortlisted as a Doordarshan Artiste and that recording should happen sometime soon.

5. Can you talk a little about the jewellery and costume and their significance?

Kuchipudi being a very traditional form of dance has a stereotypic dance costume and jewellery to go with it. But nowadays people do try and innovate based on the audiences. The popular form of jewellery used is the ‘temple jewellery’ – The authentic form is very expensive, made of silver, but most people use the imitation jewellery which looks just as good as the original ones. The basic jewellery worn by the dancer is - a long chain, a short chain, earrings and mattal; HEAD SET- tikka, chandiran and surya (symbolic for sun and moon) worn on the head on either sides of the tikka; bangles, waist belt, bells (anklets).

The costume is stitched out of a sari. It has five components – a blouse and pyjama which has a fan in front, a component which covers the blouse to give an appearance of the pallu and a seat component which covers the waist and completes the look.

6. What has Kuchipudi taught you?

As does any form of art, dancing has taught me to be connected with oneself, patient, spiritual on some level and dedicated. Dancing brings me peace and makes me happy.

7. What is your favourite thing about this dance? What is the hardest and easiest thing about this dance?

My favourite part about this dance is when the dancer dances on the sides of a brass plate; this is unique about this dance form. Both the hardest and easiest parts about this dance form are that it is extremely graceful and gives priority to abhinaya (expressions).

8. What are your thoughts on classical forms of dancing? What are your thoughts concerning its popularity in India and world over?

I personally feel that Indian Classical dancing is one of the toughest forms of dance and I’m saying this after training a little in hip hop, belly dancing and contemporary dancing. Every part of your body moves and has to be in sync and rhythm when you do classical dance. It’s not just the moving of your legs and hands but it’s an emotional uplift for dancers because every dance piece has got a story to tell. It's nice that people recognise the importance of our culture and dance forms abroad, sad that it isn’t that appreciated in India though. We have a lot of National Dance festivals as well but it’s the youth of today who don’t find it "cool" enough to be pursued.

** Dance images from Google Images.

--Post by Angela Nayak

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Spare the rod, spare the child

Since childhood, I've always been compared to my cousin who used to score above 90% in exams. Every time results were declared, it would be the most embarrassing day for me as I would score only 60%. It would inevitably lead to comparisons by mom and she would start supervising my study hours.

Otherwise, I would receive a big blow with a scale or be embarrassed with her prickly words. I am a successful individual today, not because of all the scolding I received from my parents. In fact I would say that it was something bad that happened with me and it actually discouraged me and made me feel like I am doing a sin surviving on this earth,” says Soumya (name changed) from Reddy College, Narayanguda, Hyderabad.

Corporal punishment is an age-old technique used by parents to discipline children, especially in academics. It becomes a big issue when children scores less marks in exams and do not spend enough time with their books and they are literally made to feel as if they are good for nothing. ‘Eshaan Awasthi’, the lead character in the movie ‘Taare Zameen Par’, is sent to hostel when his parents realise that he is not doing well in his studies. His parents think it is the best thing for him, but for the child it was a curse.

In a similar incident, in real life, eight-year-old Siddhu who hails from rural Kakinada was mercilessly
burnt on the back by his father only because he was playing with his sister, and not studying. His sister Lavanya was also spotted with minor injuries. Corporal punishment is quite prevalent in schools and at home.
Apart from the lesser reported incidents, there is a high number of  incidents about a variety of  physical
abuses that include caning, slapping, making the student stand in the sun that go unreported. Most children fear and do not tell parents about how they were punished as it means being branded as undisciplined. Parents presume that the child, perhaps, deserves a punishment for not doing well in studies.

P Jyothi Raja, a child psychologist who runs Hyderabad Center for Learning Disabilities says, “Teachers
who punish students don’t realise the seriousness of the issue.  They think punishing them improves behaviour of the child. But for the child, it becomes an ego issue as the people around will start talking about it. If it repeats, they become anti-social elements and start harming people. Childhood is a very tender age so it has greater effect.”

“One day my child came back from school with a sullen expression. She did not talk to me for some time. When I enquired, she told me that her teacher slapped her. She refused to go to school from the next day. Then I promised her that I will speak to the teacher. I went to her school next day and spoke to her teacher and principal. Since then such incidents have not been repeated,” says P Sunita, a parent.

Rafia Nausheen from Mahita, an NGO that works with adolescent girls in the Old City, Hyderabad, in the field of  education, says, “Most of  the teachers are unaware of  rules and their implementation. Many teachers are just graduates and do not even hold a BEd degree. They are not fully trained to handle children. Pressure from management and home etc makes them emotionally frustrated and they resort to these steps.
They fail to bring positive discipline without using the cane. When we go to visit schools, we see most of the teachers have a cane. When we ask why they use it, they asked us how else they can control children without cane. Many students drop out of the school because of corporal punishment. Many feel that they are not properly treated by the teachers. The teachers use abusive or humiliating language with the kids and children think going to school would mean losing their self esteem. This creates a revengeful feeling in children. It affects children psychologically in a big way.”Counselling students and empathising with them works best to discipline,” say experts.

-Pratima Shantaveeresh

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Move over swanky pubs, super sleepovers are here

The happening pubs of the city have a competition. No, not from a new pub being added to the list, but from the new trend that’s gaining popularity among collegians – sleepover parties! “It’s cool, affordable and a lot of fun,” says Sulochana C of Andhra Mahila Sabha College for Women.

What at one point was a thing of the western culture is now a hip trend in Hyderabad. College students instead of hitting a dance floor at a disco shake a leg at their homes. Sulochana with her friends make sure to organise at least one sleepover party at any of the friend’s place, with each of them getting their fanciest of night wear. “We order pizzas, muffins, cakes and coke,” she shares. So what really happens at a sleep over party? “We stay up all night long, watch movies, and dance to latest tracks,” she adds.

Komal from Nizams College likes to have theme sleepovers. In a recent party, the theme for the night was ‘school girls’. “We had all dressed up like school girls, got some biryani, little snacks to munch and soft drink to sip. After filling our tummies with yummy food, it was time to play makeover. We tried out different hair dos and painted each other’s nails.”

Those with a little wilder side to them make the party fun by turning the house into a mini pub. Bhanu Prakash from K.I.T.E. College of Professional Engineering Sciences quips, “It’s only when my parents are out of town that I call my friend home for a sleepover. There is drink, food and a lot of gossip. Yeah, we chat about girls, who’s dating whom, who’s the hottest, games gadgets and fun stuff like that.”

-Pratima Shantaveeresh

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Her Father's Daughter

Aparajita Sinha is a cultural activist whose work ranges from organizing annual classical arts festivals to making shorts films which were telecast on television (DD national) and Britain's Channel. She runs the popular Hyderabad film club Moving Images. Aparajita's father, the late Bimal Roy, was one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, who made such classics as Bandini, Sujata and Do Bigha Zamin. Her mother Manobina Roy was one of the earliest women photographers of India.

1. What is your work about?

I have been doing some work connected with cinema from as far back as I can remember, even during college years. Reviewing films, interviewing film personalities for magazines, subtitling films for film festivals, and organizing film shows. I have even organised film appreciation work shops - in Calcutta where I used to live and in Hyderabad. .

2. Tell us about Moving Images and Sanskar.

Moving Images is a Hyderabad based film club started by a group of film lovers 8 years ago and registered with the AP Registrar of societies. It is a non-profit body headed by a core executive council. We may start a chapter in Mumbai if circumstances permit. Sanskar was set up as a Trust to promote Indian culture via concerts and major festivals. Its focus was classical music, dance and contemporary theatre. It was also begun by a like minded group of people interested in preserving our art forms and ancient cultural traditions and we did some memorable festivals in Hyderabad in between 1991 and '95.  Sanskar no longer exists.

3. What films have you made? 

Aparajita Sinha on stage with Javed Akhtar at a Moving Images event,
ITC Kakatiya, March 2009.

I have made three or four documentaries. One was a commissioned one for DD National and dealt with a historical figure from the Indian freedom struggle, Alluri Sita Rama Raju. The second was an independent film about the Kumbh mela that was telecast in Britain (on Channel 4) but never shown in India. The third and fourth were never released. 

4. What inspired you to run a film club?

I think it was my love for cinema. I grew up breathing and thinking films because my father was a greatly respected film maker, a pioneer in fact of the 40’s and 50’s. His films are part of the 100 years of cinema celebration going on now. He died in 1966. Because I hardly knew him I watched his films with great concentration and I felt that films can change people’s hearts and minds. That is why I wanted to screen great films so that people could aspire to be better human beings - as my father’s films did. So many people have told me over the years that they learnt good values by watching his films.

5. What festivals have you organised?

Under the auspices of Sanskar we organised festivals of dance, music and drama in Lalit Kala Toranam and Rabindra Bharati. These were funded by the Department of Culture, Govt of India as well as Department of Culture, Andhra Pradesh and were free for all. Daily we had people of 2000 to 3000 people. The audience was very well behaved and appreciated the efforts we had taken to invite some really eminent personalities to perform here from all over India. The best and most illustrious artists performed at these festivals. Later we organised a concert by L.Subramaniam, the world famous violinist who lives in the US and a concert by Uma Dogra, kathak dancer. Recently Sanskar started in a small way and we had a baithak style performance by the Dhrupad singers Gundecha Brothers.

Moving Images has done festivals of Bimal Roy (my father’s films), a Tagore festival “Rabindra Darshan” and a very successful Spanish film festival in the Prasads Multiplex which was open to the public and free. Some Spanish film makers and actors also came as delegates for this. we have done retrospectives of  Czech Cinema, German cinema, and we hope to dany many more restrospectives of leading Indian film makers such as Adoor Gopalakrshnan and Aparna Sen. We want to also do retrospectives of Telugu artists like Jamuna.

 

6. How was it living and growing up with your father and mother, two very famous personalities?

 

My father was a famous man. When you are famous other people admire you and would therefore try to be like you. He taught me that being famous also meant being responsible for your actions. My mother was not famous in the same way: she was the one who looked after us and cared for all our needs. My mother saw to it that we continued to have an uninterrupted education and grow up like children of less famous people.  Fame often prevents you from having a normal family life. One can see that all around us - especially in the case of film personalities. The father is out all the time, and the children are in bed by the time he comes back home. Film stars have to take special holidays to be able to spend time with their children. It was the same in our case. I hardly saw or knew my father. He often left home before we went to school, as shooting commences early usually, and would return late at night, exhausted.He was always travelling out of town. But what I did learn and experience from him was how to handle fame and exposure. He was a quiet and modest man, and did not like the artificial atmosphere of what is now called Bollywood. He kept us away from that. We didnt go to film parties, nor did we meet film stars, except those who were personal friends of my father, eg Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar was a gentleman and educated and well spoken. We also met musicians, writers, artists, and our home was a centre for cultured people to meet. That had a great influence on my upbringing. Besides, my father was a zamindar’s son but did not believe in class or caste differences. His humanistic principles also influenced me.He was also a reader of the classics such as Sarat Chandra and Rabindranath Tagore. He was an admirer of Nehru and Gandhiji and naturally therefore believed in nationhood and non-violence. All these things had subtle influences on me and my siblings.   

My mother had a different childhood from my father. My mother and her two sisters (they had no brothers) were brought up by and idealised her school principal father who did not believe in gender discrimination, but brought up his girls to believe they were equal to boys. They had a liberal upbringing and went to college and spoke Urdu. They read a lot and sang beautifully. The influence of these value systems was far reaching for me. I feel that what my parents gave me was priceless, and more important than a vast fortune - they taught me to think for myself, they taught me that one had to work hard to earn the label of “fame” and that whether you become famous or not, you have to value yourself and your work first - that is, working hard and believing in oneself is worth more than merely only famous.

7. What do you think about present day films?

Some films being made today are very good - for different reasons. I suppose we are talking of Indian cinema. I liked Munnabhai and Lagaan. Many films that did well recently at the box office did not make the grade of good cinema in my opinion. Even films like Barfi which was selected for the Oscar was a poor imitation of other foreign films. I liked Chittagong which has just won the National award for best first feature film. It is a gem of a film, with good performances and about a real life historical incident when a group of courageous school boys and young girls tried to overthrow the British in their town. It is about courage and sacrifice. I dont like films that glorify violence or revenge ( many films of the 70’s and 80’s did that) and I don’t like films where women are made to wear revealing clothes or do item numbers just for the sake of it. There are too many like that today. If our actresses had some self respect they would put their foot down soemtimes. I also dont like films where song sequences are shot in foreign countries and needless public money is at stake. You dont have to spend a fortune to make a brilliant film. We have much to learn fom Iran that way.

8. Besides running a film club, you are into social work, like ‘Save the Rocks Society’ and others, tell us about that.

I believe social work is the best way one can contribute to the world. I help people in the rural areas and the small industries in association with a close friend who is a social worker.

Registered in 1996, Save the Rocks Society works towards coveying the message of appreciating and preserving our great Deccan Rocks which are the Deccan’s natural heritage and are 60 times older than the Himalayas and have an amazing beauty. We would never get them back if destroyed. I am associated with the society through a very good German friend of mine, Frauke Quader, who is the secretary of the society. Rock walks, interactive lectures, cultural programmes and prize competitions are organised and corporates, developers, government, sponsors, donors, and funding agencies are involved.Today there are over 500 active rock crusaders. 26 rock areas have been placed under protection as heritage precincts under HMDA. However, the lack of their safekeeping is now a cause for concern.

9. What message would you like to give to people wanting to make a career in films and documentaries?

Watch films - as many as you can, daily if possible, if you feel film making is what you want to really do.  You can never fail to learn something when you watch a film. Even if it is a bad film it will teach you what makes a film “bad” and how NOT to make an immature or unsatisfactory film. Also make sure that film making is a fitting career for you. Don’t set out to be a film maker because your friend wants to be one or you feel it’s a glamorous, lucrative profession. Film making is a hard life, full of disappointments and failure, and it is hard work.  Be prepared before you start the journey. But if you do, life may change forever for you, and you may change someone else’s life, by making honest, sincere, beautiful films.

Yusra Hussain  

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How Safe is Safe

February 21st, 2013 rocked the city of the nawabs with the twin blasts that took place in dilsukhnagar. This blast has broken the peace and harmony the citizens were living in and caused a sense of fear in their minds. An alarming high alert was activated in the state capital and the police are carrying out checking and frisking operations. 

With the security of the city in question everybody is expecting that a strong safety order will be taken for further protection. The question now being asked is “How safe is safe?” When asked the people in city about how safe they feel after the blast every individual had a different take on it. While some agreed to feeling safe the other set didn’t seem to be very happy with the measures taken in regards to security and safety. 

Preeti Gera a software designer expressed that, “I feel relaxed seeing men in uniform stand at bus stops and take notice of what’s going on around them. This gives me a feel of being safe in this city.” “Patrolling in the night has increased which is a good step taken towards the security of the city.” was the opinion of Mohan Krishna, a vegetable vendor. Madeeha Naqeeb a student of St. Francis College for women quoted, “I do feel more safe knowing that there are policemen stationed at various places.” 

“The checking that happens in the malls is sometimes very lenient and that makes targeting a mall an easy place.” said Rohit Kumar an art designer. Rohini Gupta a photographer tells, “The area I live in is pretty deserted and I don’t really find any security guard there making me feel unsafe to travel during any time of the hour.” “Charminar being the main hub of the city makes me feel unsafe as the security guards stationed are least bothered of what’s going on and even if they react in a situation their reaction is always late.” said Monica a student of Loyola College.

Being safe in one’s habitat is an important factor for every individual and with attacks taking place this sense of feeling is long gone and to make people feel comfortable the government has to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of the public in every area.

Prerna Vazir

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FAKE OR REAL..

FAKE OR REAL???

                            A WORLD OF DECEPTION AND DEMAND.

Hey! You know my friend wore the same dress in her wedding, which Katrina Kaif had worn in a recent award show. And one of my Uncles has the same pair of glasses that Salman Khan had worn in “Dabaang”. But where do we find such products??

We all know that the merchandise we see in movies, award shows, fashion shows are a work of top notch designers and are extremely expensive. But today we witness many people wearing a “Sabyassachi designed sari” or “Being Human t-shirts” at several occasions. How real are these merchandise’s??

Counterfeit products (fake or replicated products) are dominating the market today. Every second retail outlet or designer boutique have adopted this phenomenon and is very rampant. It has not only increased the sales, but has also got huge profits to the owners. As the product is being labelled or associated with the original designer name or brand and is sold at considerably high prices. Though the prices are immensely less in comparison with the original product, it provides enough margins for the owners to earn huge profits.

 In the process of being frauded, the consumers also enjoy many benefits. Jayshree Gupta, a boutique designer, says “I don’t feel the process of replication is wrong as it is done out of the demand of the consumers. Also, people cannot afford such expensive designer wear so, they get a picture of the design they like the more and give a budget to suit the same, and we thereby design accordingly. Though the phenomenon is wrong on ethical and moral grounds but it is in “DEMAND”.

There are also instances where people being frauded in terms of prices for counterfeit products. Pooja Jain, a P.G  Financial Management Diplomat, shares her wedding shopping experience in Kolkata, she says, “ I was amazed to see the replicated ghagras of Manish Malhotra’s wedding collection, but I was more amazed when I saw their prices. I once came across the same Ghagra in two different shops, one priced at Rs.55, 000 while the other at 90,000. It was immensely shocking as to how people are being looted. Had I not noticed the price of the garment in the other store, I could have been a victim of the fraud”. 

How far is the credibility of the designer lost in the process of replication of his product in the market? Shruti Rathod, a final year student from NIFT (National Institute of Fashion and Technology), says, “it is obvious that the credibility of the product goes, but at the same time when there is an increase in supply of such replicated products in the market , the brand value increases. This in a way increases the credibility of the product”.

It is very difficult to draw a conclusion as to how right be the use of replicated products. It depends on the wise choice and moral values of the consumer. But under any circumstances it is important for the consumer to analyse the product before its purchase. It is essential to know that the quality of raw materials used in counterfeit products is not of a standard quality. For instance, fake cosmetic products can have an adverse effect on the skin or any form of allergic reaction in the skin. Also in fake handbags, belts etc. there is a possibility of the fabric to worn out if good quality raw material is not used.

If someone is looking for an actual brand product, it is advisable to do a proper inquiry about the product like the leading stores of the brand in your city. If you are shopping the product from a not so popular retail outlet, ask for a guarantee/warranty for the product or a brand certificate. And if someone is interested to shop for fake products it is advisable for him/her to compare the price and quality of the product at several stores.

-SHRADHA JAIN

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JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED

Though the Delhi gang rape on 16^th December shook the nation and forced the government to act, though the victim was awarded for her courage by the Indian and the US governments and the government established the Nirbhaya Fund, it still seems that our law has not fully taken its due course when it comes to dealing with minors and juvenile crimes. The J S Verma Committee led to changes in laws and death penalty in case of rape. According to Minister of Law and Justice, Ashwani Kumar, 90 percent of the suggestions given by the Verma Committee Report have been incorporated into the Ordinance. What is surprising is the extent of the crime that occurred, which cannot be described in words for its extremely disturbing nature, wherein a minor was the most brutal attacker of all. The minor lied to the girl and her friend that it was going towards their destination. According to the International Business Times, a police spokesman said that the minor was the most brutal attacker and had “sexually abused his victim twice and ripped out her intestines with his bare hands”. But it seems that the government still wants to stick to its old law where a minor is one below age 17 while the JS Verma Committee recommends that 16 year olds should be considered minor. Now, this throws up various debatable and troubling questions. 

 Can this boy be let off given the degree of his crime just by a year’s difference? Also, should the government be lenient towards him when the minor’s exact age is actually not known? Is he really that innocent just because he is 17 years old? Should he be given lesser punishment or sent for rehab by the juvenile court? Isn’t this an exceptional case where common sense and conscience has a bigger role to play than our decades old law whose fathers did not imagine such a crime by a minor?

The issue is extremely debatable and may take a long time to settle down. However, there are some psychologists and common citizens who think that the minor must be given a chance to reform than be given death sentence or sent to jail. Actor-activist Rahul Bose too made a controversial statement when he said that he wants the minor to be reformed.

“The minor must be given a chance to reform as society can be transformed through forgiveness and imparting social values especially at a tender age. That same minor who committed such a heinous crime can be taught to see what he has done and become a fighter of crimes against women tomorrow. There could be a lot behind all this and usually people at that age are immature and take wrong decisions” feels A. Manoj, a teacher.

However, many people want the minor to be hanged, “he is a torture to the society, he must be hanged” says Sandhya Reddy, a housewife, while some want him to get life-term, “We cannot say if such people can be reformed, tomorrow if they are allowed to roam freely then women of this country will be unsafe again and justice will fail us, he should atleast be given life-term in jail” says Harsh Sharma, a banker.

But, whatever be the case, we can only hope that true justice is delivered, and on time.

By Yusra Hussain

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Vow to a Women

Vow to a Women

Vow to a Women

Women an unexplained phenomenon. Millions of proverbs, fights, debates has always centered her and yet men are helpless in understanding her. In times women has always 

proven their skills and talents being amazing warriors, teachers, astronauts, writers and simple mothers. To a wane women has never been given such importance or equality in the society. Women never wished to be such delicate and fragile as barbies, but history and times has always projected  them to be perfect mannequins.  

Amelia Earhart

The first women ever to fly to the Atlantic. Her life revolved around her passions. Every success has a story behind and hers was just a aircraft exhibition and a phone call inviting her for a flight across the seas. According to her she lived her life doing what she loves and took adventures as love affairs. Earhart felt that flight proved that men and women were equal in "jobs requiring intelligence, coordination, speed, coolness and willpower

Kalpana chawla

The first Indian women to be in space. “The Gauges Valley looked majestic, mind boggling,” she said. Passionate and  vehement in her dreams she loved flying, hiking, backpacking, and reading. Standing as equals among other crew, she died and yet lived her dream




Helen keller


Sometimes words, images doesn't give the most beautiful meaning to life. Helen Keller a girl saw her dreams, listened to her heart, spoke her passion the way she looked at her life as.  Keller wrote her first book, The Story of My Life. It covered her transformation from childhood to 21-year-old college student. She became an influential personality for the world after her.

Homai Vyarawalla



India’s first woman photojournalist, Homai Vyarawalla took the first picture of her career at the age of 26 in 1938. She created a milestone for all the women of the country to dream big. Her pictures narrates the complete story of Indian Independence along with Indira Gandhi, Nehru, Gandhi ji.

Reita Faria

The saying goes like this “ Beauty with Brains”. The first Indian woman to win the Miss World title in 1966, she serves as a role model for women who aspire for glamour. Reita Faria gave up modelling after her tenure as Miss World ended. She took up medical studies after that and became a doctor. Ever since the entry of India in this beauty pageant the world now knows a new definition of beauty.





The never ending list of women achievers in India and around the world repeatedly proves the potential women has as equals to men. Women are not made to walk behind a man to follow him, nor in the front to lead him, but walk shoulder to shoulder as equals.

By Maria Nisa

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Life like robot

Rex, the world’s first bionic man was unveiled recently in London's Science Museum. Nearly $1 million-worth of state-of-the-art limbs and organs synthetic blood from Sheffield University, prosthetic legs and ankle from MIT, retinas from Oxford University, artificial kidneys, pancreas and spleens from University College London and artificial lungs from Swansea were used for his creation.

Before knowing more about him, let’s get the definition of a bionic man. A bionic man is a robot who has anatomical structures and physiological processes that are replaced or enhanced by electronic or mechanical components.

Rex has the face of a man. He is 6.5-feet tall with striking brown eyes. He can sense objects in front of him with retinal implants and cochlear implants to allow him to hear. He even has artificial organs and synthetic blood. To make at least his face look more realistic, he has glass eyes and is covered in artificial skin.

He incorporates some of the latest advances in mechanical limbs, as well as a heart and lungs, an artificial pancreas, kidney, spleen, trachea and a functional blood circulatory system.

He was jointly built with the help of over 18 companies and universities and for the first time he gives tangible hope that replacing body parts with man-made alternatives can finally be possible.

In the two centuries since Mary Shelley's Dr Frankenstein brought a 'monster' to life, the subject has fascinated science fiction in books, comics, film and TV till date.

http://www.euronews.com/2013/02/12/meet-rex-the-world-s-first-real-bionic-man/

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TIPPING THE GENDER BALANCE

The place of women in India has altered over the decades. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are two sides of the same coin .Both have multiple dimensions that together yield a wide variety of indicators Great changes have been made in ensuring equality for women in Indian society. From a universal viewpoint India accounts for 19% of all live births and 27% of all maternal deaths! The deaths of adolescent girls in India surpass those of young boys by over 300,000 each year and every 6th infant death is particularly due to gender prejudice. The child mortality rate, defined as the number of deaths to children age 14 years per 1,000 children reaching age 1 year,is 61% higher for girls than for boys. Patna High Court (HC) Chief Justice Rekha M Doshit said that mere enactment of laws will not help end gender discrimination. What is really needed to ensure gender equality in our society is the change in the mindset of people. Only an attitudinal change can help establish a society free from gender partiality.

For decades it was understood that the different features, roles and status accorded to women and men in society are determined by sex, that they are natural and therefore not changeable. It is ordinary to find girls and women misery from high mortality rates.

Osmania University Women's Study Centre director Sajeeda Adeeb, in her talk, said that India has seen gender inequality from its early history due to its socio-economic and religious practices that resulted in a wide gap between the position of men and women in the society.

However, contradictions and gaps in protecting certain basic rights of women continue to exist. The Government has dynamically both through law and policy wanted to improve the status of women. Keeping in mind the regional variations, religious, caste and class-based differences that have a ultimate impact on women in India; we draw some broad generalisations on the major socio- economic developments that have impacted women in the country. Many decades hence, women in India continue to fight back for basic rights such as minimum wages, equal wages and property rights, in spite of several protective legislations.

The escalating presence of women in the work force and in trade unions has sharpened the order for gender equality and non-discrimination at work. The challenge to policymakers is to make available a level workplace/environment for women and to form enabling mechanisms within which women’s voices can be expressed and heard.

(Quote credit - Sajeeda Adeeb , Chief Justice Rekha M Doshit from Laws alone cannot end gender bias: TNN Jan 10, 201)

Muzayna Naqeeb

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