Self Employed

Slum dwellers who work as craftsmen.

Delhi is of the oldest and continually inhabited cities in the world. It has grown to be cosmopolitan city owing to the immigration of people from across the country. Slums are always seen as a negative thing in the way of Delhi’s development.

Most of the slum dwellers work either as labourers or as rickshaw pullers. But the slum dwellers near Kalkaji are different from others. These people live in a strecth of few meters, and these few metres are their home and work place as well.

The place where they live is world for them. They sleep there, eat there, bath there, work there and finally earn their meal the same place.

1.Dreams for the future- A new life born in the Slum itself.

2. Learning the art-Children in the slum start learning the art of making Idols from their Childhood.

3. What's in the eyes- Children sharing the light moments.

4. The clayful hands that make the God- Clay being mixed, the first step of making the Idols.

5. Finishing touch- Working on the Idol to give it the last shine.

6. Blessed by the God- Feeling happy after seeing the several days hardwork coming out so beautifully.

7. Speaking eyes- Watching the busy road and relaxing after whole days’ hardwork.

8.Reflective beauty- The girl at the slum is getting ready before going out.

9.Smackdown- Some men at the slum relax themselves by taking drugs and smoking.

10.Lighting the houses- Finally at the night, winding up the work and preparing to have dinner.

Dying Monuments

Archaeological Survey of India is celebrating the world heritage week. With this ASI wants to involve people in its effort to save the monuments. Here is the report...

Go Green the Authorised Way

By: Sheeba Naaz, Nazia Jafri and Neha Sethi

Mohammad Salamuddin, a taxi driver who drives an Omni car, which runs on CNG says he is saving a lot of money on fuel now। “CNG is a lot better than petrol। It costs me around Rs 200 to drive around Delhi from morning till evening,” he says.

But talk to him about the latest Wagon R accident where the car, which was fitted with CNG, went up in flames and he has his own explanation. “The car went up in flames because of impact of collision, and not because of CNG. And moreover, I got the CNG kit fitted from the company itself, so it’s safe.”

Salamuddin is one of the few who know that it is important to get a CNG kit fitted in car from an authorised centre. Manjot Singh, a technician with Texla Gas Engineers, an authorised centre in Guru Nanak Nagar says most of the people running their cars on CNG face a problem because they don’t get their kits fitted from authorised centres approved by the government. “The government has around 110 authorised centres in Delhi, which have their special RFC codes. The customers should go only to these centres to get their kits fitted.” he adds.

Seeing the recent rush for CNG in cars, many companies like Hyundai have started having pre-fitted CNG kits in some of their models. Dr S K Sharma, Executive Director, Deep Hyundai, Mangolpuri, says, “We have an option of CNG in our Santro and Accent cars. It costs around Rs 60,000 more to buy a car fitted with CNG. But even if a customer is getting CNG kit fitted after buying the car from the showroom, they should make sure that the centre gives you a cash memo. You can then attach the cash memo to your car’s RC and send it to the Transport Authority. Then, a new RC is made, which makes your CNG usage legal.”

Then there are other companies like Maruti Suzuki who have come out with dual mechanism cars, which can run on petrol as well as LPG. V B Mittal, General Manager, Marketing Times, Maruti Suzuki says, “LPG is safer than CNG. The LPG cars that we sell have sensors. As soon as the sensor feels that the car is headed for a collision, the LPG connection is automatically cut off from the car to prevent any untoward incident.”

But the technicians say that LPG and CNG leak may not be the only problem because of which cars catch fire. “The other wire connections of the car might also be responsible for electrical shot circuits. If the wiring of the stereo system is loose or not proper, then it can also be dangerous.” says Manjot.

Entertaining Tibet

With the mention of the word Tibet, all we think about is the political turmoil.This time also it is a political story but not in the form of dharnas n demonstrations. Movies and popular music are new ways to vent out their pent up feelings.

Will single screen theatres be able to survive in Delhi?

Are Single screen theatres in Delhi, loosing their charm with the increasing multiplex culture? The closure of the famous Chankya cinema raises such questions. Are multiplexes becoming more famous amongst the masses. The report tries to find out the answer...

Delhi’s student community demands judicial enquiry in Jamia encounter

Encounter is not an option to tackle with problem of extremism in a civilized society, feel the organisers of Shanti (peace) march held on October 4, 2008 by Sadbhav Mission, a NGO.

Organised in collaboration with Nishant Natya Manch, another NGO, the march started from Lal Quila (Red Fort) at eight in the morning. The participants included 300 students and teachers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi University (DU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI). Before culminating at Jamia Nagar for a solidarity meeting, the group traveled via ITO, Pragati Maidan, Mathura Road, Ashram and New Friends Colony.

Demanding a judicial enquiry on the Jamia encounter, the participants felt that certain religious communities are defamed. “We want judicial enquiry on the Jamia encounter. Unless the person is proved guilty, he should be provided legal aid,” said Vipin Tripathi, professor at physics department, IIT Delhi and the president of Sadbhav Mission.

Speaking on the fear psychosis created among the minority religious communities, he said, “There is a lot of fear among minorities. We want to change the perception against particular communities in India. We want people to speak out; an entire community can’t be terrorists. We want to break this myth. Innocent people should not become the target.”

Sukhdeep Kaur is a Ph D student and a core member of Sadbhav Group. She feels terrorist do not belong to one particular community. “This issue is the problem of the entire society, not just Hindus or Muslim. I am in this march because I want to spread harmony.”

Another participant, Anmol Ratan is a student of Masters from Delhi University. “When a Christian Nun is raped by Hindu fanatics, he is termed as a fundamentalist. When a Muslim is involved in any criminal activities, he is called a terrorist! This is hypocrisy of worst form,” he laments.

When asked why does a community get branded as terrorist? Anuj Agarwal, sub inspector, IP estate said, “We do not want to stereotype. Coincidently most of the culprits are Muslims. May be that is the reason why many think that way.”

Speaking on the recent encounter at Jamia Nagar, he said, “If we had not killed Atif Ameen, there could have been more bomb blasts. In fact there has been one encounter in the area before.” When pointed out that the victims of the previous encounter were proven innocent, Agarwal did not have a reply. He added, “If public wants a judicial probe, we don’t have any problem.”

As questions continue to be raised on the Jamia encounter by various sections of the society, the police and government still have a lot to answer.

Celebrating Will Power

By: Sheeba Naaz and Sumiran Preet Kaur

Ruby was a child born with multiple disabilities. Her parents had given up hope a long time back. She had a stunted growth. She joined Prabhat, a school for children with disabilities. Now she is considered as the most brilliant and hardworking student of her class. She cooks and helps her mother in shopping.

Prabhat is a school under Society for Child Development, an NGO. For Ms Punita Buch, principal of Prabhat, the school aims to provide students with educational and vocational training.

“Students across various age groups come to our school. The syllabus differs from person to person as the level of IQ and disability varies with each person. After they cross the age of 16, we involve them in pre-vocational activities to train them before going to any vocational centre. The activities include flower cutting. Flowers are cut, dried and powdered to make skin friendly colors. These are then sold in the market at the time of Holi.”

At the age of 18, many of them are sent to Vocational Centre at Rajpur Road, Delhi. The idea is to make them self reliant partially, if not fully.

Mrs Sarla Goel, incharge of the Raghudev Vocational Centre, says that the place serves as the transition point between education and occupation. “We have activities like weaving, cooking, tailoring and paper making. I tell them that the centre is like their office and they eagerly report for the duty daily .Our products get sold at Archies and Fab India. The centre hopes to become a self sustaining unit by selling these products. We either receive orders or we sell our products at colleges and fairs like the one at Dilli Haat.”

The centre also carries a project called ‘Trash to Cash’ where items like coasters are made from discarded floppies. Magnetic strips of audio tapes fabric are utilized to manufacture fabric and purses.

For Dr Madhumita Puri, a clinical psychologist , inclusion of these disabled people into the mainstream society is the correct way to deal with the problem. “We not only have to outreach but also increase our own awareness about the people suffering from such disabilities.”

Dilli Haat is celebrating disabilities with a difference. ARUNIM (Association for Rehabilitation Under National Trust Initiative of Marketing) is offering people a variety of products made by persons with developmental disabilities. The fair started on 23rd September and will go on till 6th October.

NGOs working with disabled people are here from all over India. The main aim of the fair is to market the products made by disabled people. They try to provide them inclusion into the mainstream society and to increase the awareness among people. ARUNIM is a federation under the National Trust of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. ARUNIM is an initiative to promote products made by persons with disabilities in a supported environment. All the products sold in this fare tell a story of hardwork, perseverance and patience on part of the disabled individuals and the NGOs.

Mrs. Bela Tyagi , a customer at the fair feels that such fairs should be held more frequently. “Some of the NGOs genuinely work towards the cause. And these disabled people have such a great will power and creativity that they make us feel small. Many of them have come to their stalls to sell the products. It’s lovely to interact with them.”

Cremation goes online

Antim Niwas, a crematorium at Noida Sector-94 now has the technology for people to watch the cremation of their loved ones online. CCTV-s have been installed here to record funeral and the rituals. Those who are unable to attend the funeral can even get the copy of a DVD. Here is a report…

Does the media care?

By: Sheeba Naaz and Kinley Tshering

Photo:Gargi



“I am not optimistic about the Indian media...Today the type of journalism that is practiced is sticking the mic on someone’s face and getting the byte,” declared Tarun Tejpal in his keynote statement during a one-day seminar on “Does the media care?” held at Jamia Millia Islamia on August 28. The seminar was organized by AJK MCRC in collaboration with the BBC World Trust Services.

Having worked with several national and international media organizations, Tarun Tejpal is currently associated with Tehelka. In 2001 Asiaweek listed Tejpal as one of Asia’s 50 most powerful communicators, and Businessweek declared him among 50 leaders at the forefront of change in Asia.

Addressing the seminar, Tarun Tejpal gave an overview of the grim media scenario in India that bordered on pessimism. He talked at length about the numerous issues that were haunting the national media, supposedly decreed as the fourth estate.

According to Tejpal, media in India is failing in its journalistic duties and is reluctant to take up real issues. Driven by economic and commercial interests, the Indian media has lost its ‘cause and crusade’, he stated. “The economic metabolism of the Indian media is badly skewed.”

He further added: “None of who consumes media actually pays for it. The person who pays for the media is the advertiser and the media you get is the media the advertiser wants.”

Supporting his argument, he said no media has ever done any expose on the corporate sector as they are the ones who are providing the funds to these media organizations. More than half a dozen media organisations in India are involved in private treaties with the corporate world, he added.

“The media is getting narrower and narrower in India. Rural bureaus and reportage have all died,” he opined, adding that media is no more the voice of voiceless. “Media in India flex their muscles. They run with the rabbits but hunt with the wolves.”

Tarun Tejpal also said that the national media cares very less about the issues concerning common man. “All of Dalits get less attention than Kareena Kapoor,” he said.

According to Mr. Tejpal, Indian media is losing its ground especially the Hindi news channels. “See the Hindi news channels, they are embracing humbug and superstition and turning their back on the grand ideas of modernity that were in some sense the founding principles of this country.”

The second session was commenced by the veteran journalist Prem Shankar Jha who is a an author of several books and a columnist with publications like The Hindu, The Hindustan Times, The Business Standard and Outlook.“

Journalism was not a celebrity profession or glamorous profession in the 60’s. Those people who joined journalism were from rural background and rural issues were addressed in plenty,” he said. Those were the times when newspapers had different pages for development, social and gender issues, he recalled.

But today, because of the change in the nature of society, there has been a shift in the emphasis laid by the media, he added. “The intensity of coverage is more in big cities and even the advertisements are urban centric. This society has become more aspirational and has less time to empathize with those who are affected.”

Predatory pricing, a deliberate outcome of pressure of competition for circulation, has also affected how the media works today. The increasing focus on advertisement and circulation has forced the marketing departments to dictate editorial content, he opined.

“Media today cares a very less deal. Does it really not care is the question?”Mr. Jha stated.

At the end of each session, both the keynote speakers agreed that the Indian media has somewhere shifted its focus from developmental issues to cinema, crime, and cricket. They also emphasized that the young journalists should have depth and proper understanding of social and political issues.

A little rain, Delhi becomes a drain

Pix: Babu

By: Sheeba Naaz and Kinley Tshering

Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. Delhiites sure must be chanting this but with a pinch of salt.

In the wake of continuous rainfall over the last few days, pockets of the Capital are water clogged. According to World Weather Information Services, Delhi’s mean total rainfall for August is 258.7 mm.

Delhi’s poor drainage system gets clogged every time it rains. The water spills over on the road along with the sewage. And this has been a problem for motorists and commuters alike as they had to wade through the ankle-deep water.

Leave apart the roads in the colonies, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is not even bothered about the drainage system near its own office. After the heavy rainfall on Friday the road nearby the MCD office at Sarai Jullena was flooded. “The irony is that the water is getting clogged just near an MCD office and they aren’t doing anything,” says Yangchen Lhamo, a student at the National Institute of Mass Communication.

MCD’s inefficiency to respond to the drainage problems has infuriated many.
“The Uttam Nagar main road is flooded with water these days but the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has not taken any action so far. Our complaints have fallen on deaf ears,” says Onkar Singh, a resident of Om Vihar at Uttam Nagar.

He further adds, the MCD officials to whom he complained asked for money to take up the task. “They said it is a government office and without money they won’t be working.”

However, the officials and people’s representatives to the MCD have their own reasons.

Jamaluddin, an MCD councillor of ward number 206, Jamia Nagar, says the problem of water clogging in Batla House main road is not new. In fact it has persisted for the last 15 years. The main problem is that there is no outfall for the sewage water and the water needs to be pumped out.

When asked why precautionary actions were not taken before the monsoon, Jamaluddin says it could not happen in a day either. “To come up with a permamanent solution for the problem it will take six months to a year’s time. Temporary arrangements could have been made within a month but temporary solutions are not the answers,” says Jamaluddin, who is also a civil engineer.

The increasing load on the drainage system also seems to be taking its toll. The number of people using the drainage system in the area has increased from 400-4000 in the recent years, according to the Congress candidate.

Meanwhile, the likes of Syeda Rizvi, a resident of Okhla Vihar, feels that since there are no proper drains for the clogged water to flow, they will have to depend on the mercy of the sun to dry up the water.

Skin-deep infections

Words:Sheeba Naaz and Kinley Tshering

Summer comes along with a lot of extra baggage-the sweltering heat, the nuisance created by rain, the mosquito menace and the high risk of catching water borne diseases. Caught amid the commotion of all these concerns, people often tend to ignore a simple fact that skin diseases are also rampant in summers.

And when people talk about taking care of their skin, they usually talk about their face. They seem to be more concerned with skin diseases like acne and pimples. But there are more to it than what meets the eye.


“Skin diseases are quite common during monsoon but they generally get ignored by people because they are more worried about water borne diseases,” says Dr Anju Mangla, a dermatologist at Sujan Mohindra Hospital in New Friends Colony.


Rash, scabies, ring worms, itching, and so on, are some common skin diseases people suffer from. Others like Tinea Ungulum affects nails making it thick, fragile and yellowish or brown in colour. Tinea Pedis affects feet. These diseases are caused by fungal or bacterial infections and if left untreated can be harmful in the long run.


“As far as fungal infections are concerned, the infections of the foot are the most common. Once it is left untreated it can spread on the entire body and lead to the infection of the body,” says Dr Anju Mangla.


Diabetic patients who suffer from skin diseases are at higher risk compared to those who are not diabetic. In case diabetes in an adult is uncontrolled, the infection can spread rampantly all over the body says the dermatologist. “To the extent that instead of oral medication, the patients need to be given intravenous medication,” she adds.


The treatment of fungal infections however does not take long. At most it involves 2-3 weeks of treatment that can get rid of the diseases completely. ‘It is only when it is ignored the treatment can last for 4-6 weeks to even around three months,” says Dr Anju Mangla.

But normally, most people prefer to apply off-the-counter medication without consulting a doctor or a physician and that can be harmful says the dermatologist.


“These off-the-shelf medicines have a lot of steroid components in them. It may help to cure the disease for the time being but it comes back with a vengeance. When it comes back it tends to get infected with bacterial diseases as well,” says Dr Anju Mangla.


In addition, many use home made recipes to cure skin diseases that can be equally harmful. “Certain home-made recipes like besan pack and Chandan pack are fine. But when it comes to strong irritants we need to be very careful especially if they mix a lot of ingredients. The combination can sometimes be harmful to the skin,” says Dr Anju Mangla.

TENNIS THE MENACE

The Indian tennis ace, Sania Mirza, has been caught in a web of unnecessary controversy ever since she started playing. Some attack her on her remark on pre marital sex, insulting the national flag, shooting for a commercial in a mosque and so on.

The 21-year-old Hyderabadi tennis player has even faced a fatwa against her by Islamic fundamentalists for wearing short skirts while playing. Adding to the list of controversies is her recent decision not to not play in the Bangalore Open.

“I am not playing in Bangalore Open. I have been advised by my manager not to play in Bangalore because a lot has been happening in the past few months. Every time I have played in India, there has been some kind of problem. So we just thought it was better not to play this time," she said.
An angry Sania said that she was misquoted. She said that she whether before or after marriage, the most important thing is that sex should be safe and there was no question of supporting pre-marital sex as it is a sin in the eyes of Allah.

A few months back, the Hyderabad police registered a case of trespass against her for shooting a commercial in the premises of the Mecca Masjid in her hometown.

Only few months back, a lawyer in Madhya Pradesh filed a case against her for disrespecting the National Flag as she was photographed putting her feet on a table that had the national flag. She could get three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine if found guilty.

Sania is not the lone victim. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar saw himself coiled in a controversy following his cutting a cake that had the colours of the tricolour during the World Cup against the West Indies in Jamaica in 2007.

However, Sania’s decision does not hold. Being a sportsperson, she should move ahead and concentrate on her sport. She should be the one representing India in National and International tournaments. Even the people who drag her into such controversies should realize that she has got a very important year ahead. She is the first Indian women tennis player who reached the third round of a Grand Slam.

As Sania Mirza aims to climb to the top ten rankings in both the singles and double category, 2008 is going to be big year ahead for her. One of the most important upcoming events is the Beijing Olympics where she would be playing in the women’s singles and she has a great chance of winning a medal. Incidentally, Time magazine named Sania among those who would create and change history.

Delhi Lagaan boys come home

Virat Kohli, captain of the victorious under-19 team, dedicates this World Cup win to his biggest fan: his father. Like most fathers, Prem Kohli, always insisted Virat put his studies before cricket. But after he saw Virat’s dedication to the game, he became a strong supporter of his son’s cricketing dreams.

Virat’s father is no more. He passed away in December 2006 after being bed-ridden for a month due to a stroke. Today, fond memories of his beloved father haunt Virat as he joins his family and the nation in celebrating the team’s success.

“My father’s death has strengthened me,” he said. “I matured as a person and became more and more dedicated towards cricket.”

Vikas Kohli, Virat’s brother, remembers a day in the year 2005 when Virat was in England for a tournament and their father remained hooked to the Internet watching live updates of the match.

“My father would get really excited when Virat was selected to play a tournament,” Vikas said. “He would tell everybody ‘mere beta ka selection ho gaya.’ Virat ko ajeeb lagta tha.” (‘My son got selected’ but sometimes Virat felt awkward about all the attention.)

Virat’s all praise for is Coach Rajkumar Sharma. “He has been with me for 10 years now and has completely changed me. I am and will always be grateful to him,” he said. Although Virat has proved his hand in both batting and bowling, he wants to emulate the batting style of Herschelle Gibbs.

Pradeep Sangwan, the other 17-year-old player from Delhi, worships Waseem Akram. However, if he gets selected to play for Team India, Pradeep said his dream is to play like the skipper Zaheer Khan. “Waise to main Waseem Akram jaisa banana chahta hoon, lekin agar Indian team se dekhen to main Zaheer Khan ki tarah consistent performance dena chahoonga apni team ke liye.” (Although I want to play like Waseem Akram, if you ask about Team India then I would like to perform as consistently as Zaheer Khan does.)

Pradeep’s coach, Amar Nath Sharma, who has also trained Virender Sehwag, has great things to say about Pradeep. “Pradeep is an aggressive player and has a killer instinct. That’s what a fast bowler should have,” he said. Sharma praised Pradeep’s sense of curiosity. “This attitude is hard to find in others, as they just blindly follow me and never discuss any problem with me,” said Sharma.

Pradeep’s family shifted from Haryana to Najafgarh in Delhi a few years back. At first, it was Pradeep’s elder brother Sandeep Sangwan who harboured dreams of becoming a professional cricketer. “But by the time we came to Delhi, I was too old to train as a cricketer. So I decided to make Pradeep a cricket player.”


According to Sandeep, Pradeep was always more interested in cricket than his studies. “Pradeep never showed much interest in his studies,” Sandeep said with a chuckle. “He is in the 11th class right now. We never received any complaints from his school either because his school is also more sports oriented.”

For Pradeep, failures have only given him confidence to do better. Although he was a little upset about his individual performance in the World Cup tournament, the team’s overall victory matters most to him. Pradeep’s friend Kapil Yadav recalls, “Once in an inter-school cricket competition, he couldn’t play well in the first match and was quite depressed. But it boosted his confidence and he took nine wickets in another match. I have never seen such a committed guy. He has a routine which he follows through out the year, no matter what.”

Even as Virat and Pradeep bask in the attention and affection showered by the media and their fans, they also want to ensure that they are not distracted from their goals.
When asked how he would deal with a Yuvraj Singh-Deepika Padukone-type issue, Virat said, “It’s a part of the process. I just want to be normal. I would never drag myself into controversies. I will have a girl friend in the future but I won’t publicise it.” Virat’s brother, Vikas, also has a say on this issue. “I have always been strict in such matters. Virat should concentrate on his career,” he said.

Pradeep’s brother, Sandeep, added, “Pradeep is very close to me. Most of the time I am with him, even during his practice sessions.” For now, the players are on cloud nine. Pradeep said: Khushi hoti hai, achcha lagta hai, lautne ke baad pata chalta hai kuch fans mere bhi hain.” (I feel happy. I feel good. On returning, I realised I have some fans as well.)

A VOICE CROSSING THE BORDERS…

Music knows no boundaries. This has been proved by the latest Pakistani music sensation Atif Aslam, who has become a rage in Pakistan as well as in India. His album Doorie broke all the records on music charts and now his latest album Meri Kahani is making the mark in both the countries. Born in Wazirabad, Gujranwala, this 25year old singer always aspired to be cricketer until he discovered the passion of music in him.

Academics
Atif’s education started with “Kimberley Hall School" in Model Town Lahore to Saint Paul's school, Islamabad then again to PAF College Lahore. He cleared his 10the grade at a young age of only 14 due to his double promotions at Kimberly Hall for being an outstanding student.

Aspirations
Cricket was his childhood passion and was selected for ABN AMRO bank team and was offered a first class cricket match until he faced a failure in the subject of Chemistry at his college by just getting 29 out of 100.

Appreciation
In 1998 at PAF College Lahore and sarogodha. Atif's friends forced and encouraged him to participate in a singing event on Independence Day. While he performed at that event on stage that evening people were thrilled to hear him out and therefore he won first place. He kept on winning these competitions every semester until he announced that he will no longer participate in next competitions so that someone else can also win the competition.

Admirations
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan songs and Kishore Kumar were an inspiration to him. Atif says “There was a time when R.D. Burman had such good melodies, lyrics and arrangements, that's not happening now. Everything is run of the mill as they have to produce and produce that there is no original music anymore. I listen to all the music that is around me. I have a wide spectrum of listening spanning from Noor Jehan to Pink Floyd to U2 and Eric Clapton. Personally I prefer to listen to Nusrat's memorable qawwalis and do so whenever I am alone. This is in turn what shapes me as a musician and stimulates my creativity.”

Albums
Jalpari is a music album released on July 20, 2004. It is his first solo album after he left the Pakistani rock group, Jal. Two of his songs from the album were used by Bollywood film directors. His three songs Aaadat, Ehsaas and Yakeen were included in a Hollywood art movie Man Push Cart. The film had its world premiere at the 2005 Venice Film Festival.

Doorie was the second album by Atif Aslam released in 2006. This album was produced by Sachin Mithoon and Atif himself. All the recordings were done in Mumbai.
Meri Kahani is his third album. The album was officially released on 8th January, 2008. It was reported to be leaked on the Internet before release. Like his earlier albums, this one also got a huge response in Pakistan as well as in India. His latest song "Pehli Nazar" from the movie Race is creating sensation.

Affection
Atif describes himself a deep and a passionate person, which shows in his kind of music. He says “Doorie is not my kind of album, but it gave global fame which I could never get in Pakistan.” His first album Jalpari is near to his heart which was a bigger hit than Doorie in Pakistan. He says “I want to experiment and come up with something new and totally different each time. I want to surprise others and myself as well. I believe I have to create a lot of music to define my own genre and this will take time.” Atif says that many of his fans are really near to his heart and recalls one such fan, “One of my fans from India, who is a doctor, told me that my songs are used in their psychiatric ward as therapy for mental patients. The song helps the patient relax. All this gives me a great sense of satisfaction.” He says I want to be a “Simple guy making great music”, rather than a rockstar.

Achievements
· Best song, Best Composition, Best Lyrics "Aadat"- 2nd Jazz Indus Music Awards.
· Best playback singer, Best debut singer - Sahara Sangeet Awards (India).
· Best Song, Best Lyricist, Best Composition - ARY Music Awards (Pakistan).
· Most Wanted Male - The Musik Awards (Pakistan).
· Best pop star of the year - Filmazia awards (Pakistan).
· Best album of the year "Doorie" - 2007 LUX style awards (Pakistan).
· Received Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Star-of-Excellence) from the Pakistan
government.
· Best stylish musician of 2007 - MTV Pakistan style awards.
· Most stylish MUSICIAN - MTV STYLE LYCRA AWARDS INDIA


Like every star Atif has also been surrounded by controversies. During his college days he formed a band called ‘Jal’ with Goher, his college mate. But soon the band dispersed and the copyrights of the song Aadat became an issue and the case is still pending in the court. A very recent one is, when Atif didn’t turn up for the concert at Pragati Maidan in Delhi in December 2007.

Royal Albert Hall is the most prestigious place in Europe for a concert. Only legendary artists from around the globe have performed there and it was dream come true for Atif Aslam to perform there. The only Pakistani artists that have performed over there till now have been Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahib and Junoon.

Atif Aslam may be a singer idolized by millions, yet deep down he really is, what he claims to be: a ‘simple guy.





Courtesy: www.aadeez.com

DIGGING THE ROOTS IN A STUDIOUS WAY…

“My son wants to pursue his Bachelors from U.S.” says Mr. Sudhir Kapoor, suddenly Mr. Nagesh Patel also interrupts “even my daughter will be going to London for higher studies.” The discussion went on and went and suddenly Mr. Omkar Sharma replied “I will be sending my son and daughter to India for pursuing their studies after completing school.” These were three NRI friends who met each other in Delhi after 5 years and were planning for the future of their children. Mr. Kapoor and Mr. Patel work in Dubai whereas Mr. Sharma in New York. Both were surprised to hear Mr. Sharma, and asked him “why India, when you can give your children better education in the U.S.?”

To this Mr. Sharma replies gone were the days when Indian parents preferred to send their children abroad for higher education, now the scenario has reversed with NRI parents seeking to send their children to India for better education. He adds further why choose any another country when our own country is providing our children quality education!

Today India has one of the World's largest and most diverse education systems with over 320 universities and 16,000 colleges. Nearly 9.3 million students study at specialty institutions, professional colleges, management institutions, and institutions for medicine and engineering etc. The medium of instruction in these places is invariably English except for a few that teach arts subjects or humanities in regional languages. If we talk about schools, here also India is providing quality education which attracts kids every year from different part of the world. Taking the example of popular public which have awesome construction, talented faculty huge libraries, massive IT systems, impressive array of sports and cultural activities, counselling, global cuisine, 24-hour health services, and a very low teacher-pupil ratio, these schools have it all. NRI’s have also established such schools in different part of the country.

Taking examples of few such universities in the Indian Capital New Delhi which provide quality education which attract not only the NRI’s but also the foreigners. Central Universities like Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia and private universities like Amity International give lot of opportunities to these students. They even have reserved seats for NRI’s. Jamia receives students from countries like Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Persian Gulf etc. It even runs culture exchange programme, which gives an opportunity to the students to interact and know and learn about the other country. One of the biggest reasons why India receives large number of foreign and NRI students is that India has an advantage with the widespread use of English language that makes learning and daily interaction easier. When asked how do the NRI students feel in India? Most of them gave the same answer; coming back to Motherland is always a good experience and India has taught them which any other country would never teach. Foreigners seem very impressed by the culture and the large number of festivals which different communities celebrate in India.

My curiosity to know more about NRI students and their experience in India drove me to Jamia Millia Islamia, Central University located in New Delhi which has a good number of NRI and foreign students. There I met Asim, an NRI student, born and brought up in Saudi Arabia, who did his Bachelors in Commerce from Jamia. Hearing the name of the country he belongs to my curiosity reached the heights! Here are the few questions he answered and told about his sweet and bitter experiences in India.


1. Why did you choose India?
Although I hold an Indian passport by birth, it is quite ironic that I have hardly visited India. My father being an Indian loves his culture a lot, and considers it to be the best place for the exposure. Moreover undergraduate education is quite inexpensive here.

2. So, how did you find your stay in India? Any kind of problem that you faced initially?
Coming from a country like Saudi Arabia to India is altogether a different experience. Initially I couldn’t adjust with the people, but adjusting with the taste of the (Spicy) food was even more difficult for me!

3. Do you find any difference in Education system in India and Saudi Arabia?
As Saudi Arabia is a conservative Islamic country, therefore the education there is not co-educational. All the schools and colleges there are separate for girls and boys; they are not even near- by each other. The girls school and boys school of Indian Embassy are about 15 kilometres apart. Where as in India we find both kinds of education systems, co-educational as well as separate.

4. What did you learn here which you could have never been able to learn there?
Well, now atleast I can myself a graduate (laughs). Talking about my own university Jamia Millia Islamia, it gave me an opportunity to learn Urdu language apart from my comprehensive financial syllabus. For me that is my one of the biggest achievements in India. Moreover, the kind of diversity this university has is something to watch out. I had a big friend circle which had guys from Kashmir, Yemen, Iran and from other parts of the country. Knowing so many different people at the same time was so delightful.

5. After going back to Saudi Arabia, did you see any enthusiasm amongst the NRI’s there regarding the Indian Education?
Well not really! People still prefer to send their children to either U.K or U.S for higher education. But slowly and steadily the awareness towards the Indian education is picking up pace.

6. So, finally tell us do you see yourself working or settling in India?
Yes, ofcourse! That’s why even after completing my graduation am still staying in India. Can’t say any thing about settling here, but still they say no matter how far you go but the end of the day you always come back to your home.