Money makes not just the world go around but turns it topsy-turvy all the time. America needed a war to keep its armament companies happy, especially since the vice-president, Dick Cheney, himself had headed one of the largest government contracting companies. So they invented the bogey of Iraq. They destroyed Afghanistan before that, complaining that there were not enough “targets” to shoot at from the air (so they bombed schools and hospitals). But the most money in the world does not come from just armament sale. It comes from creating scares of epidemics. Then the world’s purses open up readily.

SCARE DRIVE

Do you remember the scare created by the Americans just seven years ago when they declared that all computers would stop on New Year as the new millennium came and planes and trains would crash and stock markets would fall and the world would come to an end? Who made money out of that? Those computer companies that were brought in to “repair” this looming disaster. Not a single computer stopped, nothing happened.

What about the SARS “pandemic” which eventually faded away. A high pitched media campaign had convinced the world it was facing a great threat when in reality SARS turned out to be a comparably minor disease.

Do you remember the Foot and Mouth scam in which lakhs of cows were killed brutally in Britain and there was the smell of burning flesh throughout the countryside? Foot and Mouth is not communicable to humans, it does not affect the meat, it is easily curable. But farmers who could not sell their cows for lack of orders and who wanted to get out of the cow-selling business created this scare and picked up thousands of pounds as compensation and insurance from the government for killing their cows.
Bird flu is like that. It is the latest scam perpetrated by the American government and pharmaceutical companies.

VIRAL STATISTICS

Let us look at the facts.
Avian Flu is a virus strain that is found only in birds in badly kept poultries. It affects some birds that are already ill fed, suffering from lung and bone diseases and kept on a steady diet of hormones and antibiotics and other bird carcases. It does not spread to human beings and since the virus is already eight years old and has not mutated as yet, there is no reason to believe it ever will. There are at least 15 different types of avian influenza that routinely infect birds around the world. The current outbreak is caused by a strain known as H5N1 and it has created a worldwide panic.

What is the reality of avian flu, the “global threat” that has led so many countries to kill their chickens, turkeys and other birds for no reason (one Hong Kong member of parliament has asked for each citizen of Hong Kong to be given a gun so that they can shoot any birds coming to Hong Kong)?

In eight years since the H5N1 virus was supposedly detected in poultry birds, 53 people have died, 37 in Vietnam, 12 in Thailand and four in Cambodia. Seven thousand people die of lightning struck deaths every year. Have you heard of a lightning epidemic? Are 54 deaths in eight years an epidemic or, even worse, a pandemic?

FEAR FACTOR

Where did the panic generated by the media originate from? The United States of America. President Bush goes on television to say that between two lakh to two crore people will die in America and he asks for billions of dollars to be allocated for this pandemic. On October 28 the American Senate passes an $8 billion emergency funding bill to address avian flu. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, during the debate on the Senate bill, told the press, “If it isn’t the current H5N1 virus that leads to an influenza pandemic, at some point in our nation’s future, another virus will.” Number of people dead — zero. The UN catches on and declares that they will ask for $500 million from all the countries to stop this flu by sending a vaccine to all the countries.

What is $3.1 billion spent on immediately? To buy 80 million vials of Tamiflu at $100 per dose — a drug that has no relationship to the virus. According to the authors of the “Total Health program” which looks into scams perpetrated in the name of medicine, “Tamiflu is a worthless drug that in no way, shape or form treats the avian flu, but only decreases the amount of days one is sick.”

DRUG DRAGONS

Dig a little deeper and you will understand the reality of avian flu. Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) was developed and patented in 1996 by a California biotech firm, Gilead Sciences Inc., a listed stock company in California. Due to lacklustre sales for many years, Gilead Sciences licensed the marketing of oseltamivr to the Swiss-US pharmaceutical giant Roche Holdings of Basle getting a royalty for each vial sold.

Roche holds the sole licence to manufacture the only medicine we are told which “possibly” might reduce symptoms of avian flu. Due to the media panic, the order books at Roche today are filled to overflowing. Roche recently refused a request from the US Congress to lift its exclusive patent rights to allow other drug manufacturers to produce Tamiflu. Gilead, which gave the marketing rights to its patented discovery to Roche, makes as much money from its royalties. According to the Gilead website, “Roche has worldwide commercial rights to Tamiflu, and Gilead receives payments from Roche for the successful completion of program milestones and royalties on product sales.”

RUMMY DEAL

In 1997, Donald H. Rumsfeld was named Chairman of the Board of Gilead Sciences, where he remained until early 2001 when he became defence secretary in Bush’s Cabinet. Rumsfeld had been on the board of Gilead since 1988. He is also a major, if not the largest, stockholder in Gilead Sciences Inc.
His 2004 financial disclosure indicates that he owned between $5 and 25 million in equity in Gilead as of December 31, 2004. Since then, he has sold some of his holdings.

Next year’s disclosure will show the value range of any remaining holdings Rumsfeld stands to make a fortune on royalties as governments scramble to buy this company’s drug.  The model suggests the parallel to the brazen corruption of Halliburton Corporation whose former CEO is vice-president Dick Cheney. Cheney’s company has so far gotten billions worth of US construction contracts in Iraq and elsewhere.

Who else stands to benefit? Bush campaign-funders, Bilderberger spokesman Etienne F. Davignon and Reagan-Bush former secretary of state George P. Shultz, both of whom are also on the board of directors of Gilead. Another member of the Bush circle is Lodewijk J.R. de Vink, who sits on the board of Hoffman-La Roche, Gilead’s partner. In other words, bird flu will generate outrageous profits for insiders like Shultz, Rumsfeld, Davignon and de Vink.

RIPE RETURNS

The secretary of defence, the man who allegedly supported the use of contrived intelligence to justify the war on Iraq, is now poised to reap huge gains for a flu panic his administration has done everything it can to promote.

It would be useful to know whether the Pentagon’s successor to Douglas Feith’s Office of Special Plans developed the strategy of bio-warfare behind the current avian flu panic. Perhaps some Congressional committee might look into the entire subject of plausible conflicts of interest regarding Secretary Rumsfeld.

This is not the first time that Rumsfeld has been involved in pharmaceutical scams. It was after all Rumsfeld, as chairman of G.D. Searle, who pressured the FDA to get Aspartame approved. The FDA blocked its approval for 10 years, stating it was toxic, before Rumsfeld twisted arms at the FDA.

BUSH PUSH

Now that the Bush government has bought all these vials, how many people have been vaccinated? None. According to President Bush’s national strategy, he is protecting the American people by stockpiling vaccines in case there is an outbreak! What does the American Centre for Disease Control say? “A specific vaccine for humans that is effective against avian influenza has not yet been approved. Based upon limited data, the Centers for Disease Control have suggested that the anti-viral medication Oseltamavir (brand name: Tamiflu) may be effective in treating avian influenza.”

What does Bush say on this replacement of the Osama bin Laden bogey? “If left unchallenged, this virus could become the first pandemic of the 21st century.”  “We must not allow that to happen. It is essential we work together, and as we do so, we will fulfil a moral duty to protect our citizens, and heal the sick, and comfort the afflicted.”

Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza during the UN General Assembly in September 2005, and the first meeting of the Partnership takes place on October 6-7 in Washington, D.C., hosted by the US department of state attended by officials from 88 countries, the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health.

The goals of the International Partnership conceived by Bush are to elevate the avian influenza issue on national agendas; coordinate efforts among donor and affected nations; mobilise and leverage resources; build local capacity to identify, contain and respond to an influenza pandemic.

DOLLAR DREAMS

After Bush announces that he is going to give funds to any country that has any signs of avian flu ($251 million to detect and contain outbreaks before they spread around the world) and starts off by giving $25 million to prevent the spread of avian flu in “affected” South Asian countries and $13 million for “technical assistance” promising millions more, suddenly each country that has a low GDP discovers strains of avian flu. Not in poultry because then people will stop buying and eating chicken, but in wild migratory birds.

Everyone wants a piece of the money. The secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Mt Jerraud has suggested that his organisation be given more money to expand its studies to the correlation between climate the spread of avian flu.!

DEATH ANALYSIS

Where is the avian flu? Simple — 53 people have died of it. However they have not died of this virus as it cannot spread to humans — which every scientist has admitted. So what have they died of? Look at the poultries in these and any country. The chickens are overcrowded, kept in filthy conditions and killed in the most filthy manner possible. They regularly suffer from cholera and most of them get salmonella-related bacterial diseases. The victims are poultry workers, people who live amongst filth and disease and work in the killing fields with their bare hands. How many people who work in the poultries in any Asian country die of salmonella poisoning? Thousands, including in India.

MEDIA FRENZY

Look at the words used by the media:

“A bird flu virus may mutate to a human form that becomes as deadly as the ones that killed millions during three influenza pandemics of the 20th century.”  Bird flu could become epidemic — 22 February 2005

“Hundreds of thousands of people may die and one quarter of the work force could be absent if Britain were hit by a bird flu pandemic...” Bird flu epidemic could kill as many as 7,50,000 — March 22

“The European Union’s health commissioner called on Europe to protect itself from a possible epidemic of bird flu.” EU warned to protect against bird flu epidemic — May 27

“The virus that killed hundreds of thousands of birds and dozens of people in recent years is about to mutate and cause a worldwide epidemic.” WHO warns of worldwide deadly flu epidemic — June 12

“International experts fear that bird flu is mutating into a strain that will cause a worldwide pandemic.”
Fears that new strain of bird flu will kill millions — June 12

“A flu pandemic would be triggered if the lethal H5N1 strain mutated into a form that could jump from human to human.”  China to shut borders if struck by bird flu — October 28

INDIA CALLING

If, could, may, fear that bird flu is mutating, about to mutate, may mutate, could become epidemic; just “shock-n-awe” material to grab your attention, our neighbours have it, say the Indian papers regularly. Which neighbour? Duh. Which is the one paper that has taken this the most seriously? The one newspaper that sells every inch of its space — including the “news”.

Most newspapers ignore this nonsense — occasionally putting it in as a space filler. Why does India, which sells the largest amount of eggs in Asia and exports the largest number of chickens all of which are kept in the same conditions as anywhere in Asia, not have it? Because we don’t have the money to import the vaccines. Once they are locally made by Ranbaxy, no doubt we will suddenly develop avian flu as well! It is to the credit of India that we have not fallen prey to this scamming as yet.

BARE TRUTH

Here is the actual truth.
On October 28, the Chinese Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture reiterated that China has experienced no human bird flu infection. The two children who fell sick with on October 17 with symptoms of fever and cough, of whom one died (and this led to the killing of millions of birds), were later diagnosed with bronchial pneumonia.

On January 24, 2005, newspapers in Vietnam reported that “three brothers in northern Vietnam who may have contracted bird flu all drank raw duck blood at a family feast”. Raw duck blood could give any disease — try it. One human bird flu victim reported in Siberia. “We cannot say now if something out of the ordinary has occurred. The reason behind the accident could be bad water, feed poisoning, Newcastle disease or bird flu. More investigation is needed,” reported the Moscow News.

Even WHO director-general Dr Jong Woo Lee, urging the world to prepare itself for the outbreak, betrays himself. “The burning question is, will there be a human influenza pandemic? I believe, on behalf of WHO, that there will be. And right now the only one condition missing is the virus that is rapidly transmitted from human to human,” said Dr Lee.

WHO warns of human flu pandemic. How many cases reported in Europe so far by WHO? Not one. The only thing that is mutating is the propaganda line, and the resulting fear factor.

SCIENTIFIC LOGIC

Let us presume that flu which has been in pandemic form for about several hundred years (how many times a year do you get it?) does the rounds again. Big deal. Flu (influenza) is a viral infection that has a relatively short lifespan and causes problems for its victim in the form of several minor effects (chills, high fever, aches and pains, headaches, sore throat, mucosal irritation). 35,000 people get flu daily. Some die anyway if they have other complications. The great Global Threat is closer to what Spain’s agriculture minister describes it as: “Science fiction”. If the virus has not mutated in eight years, why should it mutate now?

Scientists in America are increasingly airing their opinions about this “vaccine”. A prominent radio show, The Diane Rehm Show, was entirely about the “US Strategy for Flu Pandemic”. Some excerpts: “This whole ‘bird flu’ issue is a total fraud. These tests are not for the virus but for the anti-bodies to the virus. This is a totally different thing. If an animal or person has antibodies to a virus it means that that animal or person has successively fought off the virus at some earlier time. If they are healthy they will still show the antibodies in future tests. That certainly does not mean they have the flu.”

SURFACE SCHEMING

If avian flu becomes more than a threatened pandemic, it will have done so by political and economic design. This thesis is supported by current massive media misrepresentations, profiteering on risky and valueless vaccines, gross neglect of data showing earlier similar man-made plagues including SARS, West Nile Virus, AIDS and more; continuance of genetic studies breeding more mutant flu viruses, inside trading scandals involving pandemic-savvy White House and drug industry officials, curious immunity of these pharmaceutical entities over the past century to law enforcement and mainstream media scrutiny.

If avian flu is that serious and Tamiflu is the answer, why is Tamiflu only being sold to governments and not to the public? The answer lies here: About the time that President Bush was buying the “vaccine”, he also announced that the United States must approve liability protection for the makers of lifesaving vaccines as American vaccine manufacturers had been hit with a flood of lawsuits. So government not only buys the drugs but also protects the manufacturers when the drugs are found to be useless! Is there any other clue that this scam is mainly designed for pharmaceutical companies at taxpayers’ expense?!

MYTHICAL WEAPON

Bush and Rumsfeld, the people who led America into the Iraq decimation based on those mythical “weapons of mass destruction”, have found another WMD as mythical — avian flu. Bush outraged Americans on both sides of the political spectrum when he announced his intention to have the US military take over American cities hit by the avian flu! Bush has said no one knows when or where a deadly strain of flu will strike but “at some point we are likely to face another pandemic”. Avian Flu has become the new “terrorism” in place of Osama bin Laden and as usual bemused scientists and an easily led media will carry on with the game till the next bogey.

CHICKEN OUT

Why have research scientists in the Western biogenetic field welcomed this fiction of avian flu? The Microular Virology at Cambridge University and the Roslin Institute in Scotland are involved in developing ‘transgenic chickens’ which would have small pieces of genetic material inserted into chicken eggs to allegedly make the chickens H5N1-resistant. This is what they say: “Once we have regulatory approval, we believe it will only take between four and five years to breed enough chickens to replace the entire world (chicken) population. We will have the patents on these chickens and control their products.” It is increasingly clear that the entire saga of avian flu is one whose dimensions are only slowly coming to light.

By the time you discover this fraud, taxpayer billions will have gone. Indictments being handed down to Scooter Libby, the chief of staff of the vice-president of the United States, for lies and cover-up of information used deliberately to suppress the fact that the Bush Administration had no “smoking gun” to prove Saddam Hussein was building a nuclear arsenal. This new scandal is as outrageous.

Grozny and Baghdad are the continuation of Dillie and Lucknow in 1857. The White powers continue to think of a world divided in terms of “we and they.” Asiatics figure as less than human and Muslims continue as a synonym for terrorists.

Perhaps it is time to suggest that the life and times of “Badshah,” “Fakhre Afghan,” “Frontier Gandhi” and “Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan” should be made compulsory reading in the chanceries of the world. This apostle of non-violence endured a lifetime of suffering for his principles along with his family. The Khan’s son, Wali Khan spent some time in London studying the papers of British rulers of India such as Viceroys and Secretaries of State and wrote a book called Facts Are Facts in Pushto.

His wife Nasim transliterated it into Urdu and Saiyada Syed Hamid rendered it into English. It was published in 1987 and is now out of print. Wali Khan writes, “….the Viceroy sent a weekly report to the Secretary of State and the Secretary responded…through a weekly courier..”

“What I discovered…was far beyond expectations…I found detailed analysis of the internal affairs of India.”

“I had never really believed…my elders who accused the British of using the most underhand tactics to promote their policies...”

“But never could I imagine that their allegations were a pale reflection of the truth, the truth was much uglier.”

“Their mischief exceeded our wildest imaginations. Badshah Khan’s and the (Indian National) Congress’ allegations were far short of the truth. If there was the slightest doubt earlier, it was removed because the documents preserved in the archives bore the official British seal…. signed by no less than the Viceroy and the Secretary of State for India.” Wali Khan cites the Partition of Bengal 1905, the Minto-Morley Reforms 1909 and the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms as the devices used by the British to mire nascent India democracy in communalism. The ‘Reforms’ decreed that Muslim votes could only be cast for Muslims and Hindu votes for Hindus.

“In this manner,” records Wali Khan, “the British laid communalism as the foundation stone of Indian democracy.”

“By proposing a communal rather than a national base for politics, they forced the Hindus and Muslims into a position whereby if they wanted to enter municipal or community politics, their electioneering was limited to wooing their religious brethren, and fighting on religious rather than national issues.”

Wali Khan uses the Khilafat movement records to show how the British used their Indian pawns to counter national moves for unity and freedom.

During the World War I (1914-1918) a prime British objective was to wipe out the Ottoman Empire and replace the Sultan of Turkey with puppets. This pattern had worked in India. Maulana Muhammad Ali and Mahatma Gandhi saw through this game and jointly started the Khilafat movement. The Khilafat Committee asked Hindus and Muslims to return all British titles and to resign from any official position they may hold in the police, the army or the civilian wing of the administration.   

The British responded by having their puppets amongst the Muslims allege that the above demands of the Khilafat Committee were a Hindu ploy to eliminate all chances of Muslim advancement by getting them out of scarce government jobs.

On May 22, 1920 His Exalted Highness, the Nizam of Hyderabad issued a ‘firman,’ which declared that since the Khilafat movement was anti-Muslim it would henceforth be considered illegal!  Another ‘loyal’ Muslim, Sir Muhammad Shafi gave advice that special efforts needed to be made to lure away Muslims and this could be done by the British making peace with Turkey and organising an Anglo-Muhammadan Union to cater to the needs of the British Empire.

By September 21, 1922, the Viceroy Reading could report to the secretary of state, “My telegram will show you how near we have been to a complete break between Muslims and Hindus.” “I have been giving the greatest attention to this possibility, and I have had the greatest assistance from Shafi on my council who is a highly respectable Muhammadan.”

We shall, in future columns, show how “highly respectable” toadies Muslim, Hindu and Sikh behaved during the struggle for freedom.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: The egg is one of God’s perfect creations, its hard shell nurturing and bringing forth life. Farha Sayeed, a talented artist from Hyderabad who is living in Jeddah with her diplomat husband, is bringing eggs to life as beautiful and intricate works of art.

From simple folk craft to the bejewelled eggs created for Russian royalty by the House of Faberge, decorating eggs is an art form that spans cultures around the globe. For Farha, working with eggs is a passion, and through intricate carving and painting she finds a medium of self-expression that awes viewers with its beauty and detail.

Her life with husband Dr Ausaf Sayeed, the Indian consul general in Jeddah, has been particularly well-suited to develop her art, as her travels doing the diplomatic business of India have exposed her to a variety of traditions and styles of egg design which she has combined to make her own unique creations. “I had been doing a lot of different arts,” she said. “I’ve done charcoal painting, aluminium foil work, glass painting and tile painting. Since I’ve always been fond of learning, when I came across egg art, I thought ‘Why not learn it.’”

Farha’s first lesson in egg art was in Qatar. “There was a lady who got me interested in this medium,” she said. “She taught me the basics: how to harden the egg, how to cut it, varnish it and disinfect it.” For a mother of three, it was a perfect diversion. “I started this as a hobby,” she said. “The best thing about it is that there’s no need to rush. If I am not in the mood, I just leave it. But that is not the case with silk painting. You have to finish that in one sitting. With eggs, you can withdraw at any point. You can leave it for months.”

Each egg is intricately cut, carved and decorated by hand with pearls, beads, brocade, velvet, satin and rhinestone chains, making each piece one of a kind. Just like some sculptors say the figure is already in the stone and it is up to the artists to bring it out, Farha, who works with a variety of different eggs, says each one has its own unique characteristics.

“An emu egg has three different layers to it,” she said. “When you scrape the outer layer, a light blue layer reveals itself. If you scrape a little deeper there is the white layer. It has a very shiny effect. Ostrich eggs are very difficult to work on because if you want to cut them you have to exert real pressure. Chances of breaking the egg shells are very high. Ostrich eggs are the biggest in size followed by common rhea eggs. I usually use varnish to give the eggshells a shiny lustre, but I don’t have to use varnish with rhea eggs. They are naturally shiny,” said Farha.

Much like the famous eggs of the House of Faberge, each of Farha’s creations is a unique treasure, some with little doors or opening panels cleverly carved into them. When the couple was posted to Copenhagen, Denmark, Farha’s egg art took flight and carried her to new heights of artistic acclaim when she came out of her shell and displayed a bevy of her own designs. For other members of the diplomatic community, the exhibit was amazing.  “Harsh Bhasin, the Indian ambassador to Denmark, said that he knew of only two eggs — fried and hard-boiled,” Farha said, smiling. “He was surprised to see the egg art. To him it was mind-boggling.”

The South African ambassador was surprised too. “In South Africa painted eggs are very common, but they seldom have multiple openings or carvings on the eggshell,” Farha said. What was amazing to them was the beauty and variety of the display. “I try different themes, such as an Indian bride sitting in a palanquin. Also each egg has its own name,” she said. “One is known as Nirvana; then there is the Hummingbird. There is Lovers (it has a heart opening) with a seashell stand. The most popular was Treasure Chest. It sold out the first day of the exhibition in Denmark last year.”

There is one egg, however, that might be called her piece de resistance. This magnificent creation is called Queen’s Coach. “The Crown Prince of Denmark was getting married. There was an air of celebration in Copenhagen,” Farha said. “Streets were being decorated. That inspired me to make a royal coach out of an ostrich egg. I did everything in one piece.”
No detail is overlooked, and even the egg’s stand forms part of the artwork. “I am always on the lookout for some great offbeat stands,” Farha said. “I’ve even made some of them out of seashells. When I am shopping, it is always at the back of my mind. Some of the most precious stands have been ordered from England.”

Keeping a stock of eggs also presents a challenge for Farha and her husband. “We order eggs over the Internet,” she explained. “Emu and rhea eggs are ordered from Texas, Australia and New Zealand. We order ostrich eggs from England and goose eggs from a farmhouse in Denmark. The ones that come from the farmhouse have to be emptied. That is a very cumbersome procedure. The most delicate ones are the pigeon and duck eggs. These come in different colours. Duck eggs, for example, are greenish blue in colour. I use a lot of goose eggs. They are smaller in size and easier to handle, and they’re easily available as well.”

As Farha, her husband and three sons settle into life in Saudi Arabia, it is likely her art will pick up some new influences. “Inshallah, next year I will make my art public here. I have started bringing Arabian culture and Islamic themes into my designs. It is a joy to reflect my new surroundings in my work,” she said.

When an art lover becomes enamoured with one of her creations, it is a special treat for Farha. “My egg, Musicality, has a violin in it,” she said. “A 75-year-old Indian man in Copenhagen wanted to give something rare to his fiancee. One particular creation at the exhibition took his fancy, and he immediately ordered it.”

India is finally on the fashion map. No, not because Ashish Soni was a part of New York Fashion Week or Manish Arora was a hit in London but because Tarun Tahiliani has finally broken the glass ceiling and made a mark in Italy. Confirms the dapper 40-year-old, Fabio Marangoni president of Istituto Marangoni, a fashion school, in Milan. “Tarun’s tees sell for 390 euros each and within two hours almost 200 were sold. Tarun has created waves but it is also a dangerous trend as many designers find it tough to sustain the hype,” says Fabio.  

In the capital for Festa Italiana 2005, Fabio unlike most Italians knows quite a bit about Indian fashion. After all, the bohemian look inspired by Goa (psychedelic colours and carefree fits), is fast gaining popularity in the West, but this is not enough. “India still lacks quality, that is why you see design houses such as Lesage or a Fendi using the country as a sourcing ground. The final product is always finished back home,” says Fabio.

Talking about finishing, Fabio asserts that Italians are far superior to their French counterparts in not just design, marketing but also fabrics and this is why more French labels are today being manufactured in Italy. “I think the French are lagging behind because it’s not enough to be just creative. To survive you must be market specific. Dressing celebrities cannot swing your balance sheet, a label will grow only when it reaches out to the common man. And we at Marangoni aim to impart theoretical knowledge with a practical approach,” says Fabio.

Istituto Marangoni was started by Fabio’s grandfather, a tailor, in 1935. Only after the fashion revolution in the 1960s did the school take shape of a full-fledged fashion school. And today the Istituto Marangoni has alumni like Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino. The institute boasts of 100 trained professors and courses like brand management, marketing, promotion as well as fashion design. But all this doesn’t come cheap as the cost of a course starts at 10,000 euros per year.

Sensing the need of the market, Fabio has launched a course in fashion styling. “Stylists are people who give strength to a collection by enhancing the brand image. They help you communicate better with the buyers. Plus, I have witnessed the death of haute couture the world over and seeing that the importance of stylists increases further as they position your brand intelligently,” says Fabio.

Like most market savvy Italians, Fabio believes that many designers no longer waste too much time and energy on haute couture. Rather they prefer to opt for luxury pret a porter that gives them better returns. After 22-years in the business of creating designers who rule the world today with their grit and ingenuity, Fabio after the success of his school in London, is now looking at opening a branch in Paris by the end of 2006. India is not on his radar at the moment as Fabio believes that European sensibilities don’t fit in the Indian milieu.

While he is in the country, Fabio hopes to visit the city that he has been longing for. “Ladakh is not a place a European would generally go to but I like the mountains. The idea of space and height relaxes me. My only recreation for years has been travel and historical places like India recharge my overworked mind. I dreamt of seeing this beautiful country since I was 10 and finally at 40, I get to fulfil a long cherished desire,” says Fabio.

Arjun Pandey, a graduate from Delhi University, grew up in an environment where “environment conservation” is part of daily vocabulary. Much like his celebrated three-time Green Oscar winner uncle Mike Pandey and his father Late Ishwar Pandey, Arjun has been active in sensitising masses towards environment conservation and restoration.

His film Timeless Traveller — The Horseshoe Crab won him the National Award for Best Documentary this year. It also got him the recognition of being the youngest documentary filmmaker to get the award. The film also got international acclaim with two prestigious awards at the Albert’s International Wildlife Film Festival in France for Best Film on conservation of wildlife and Best Film for conservation of aquatic life.

“It really is a humble experience to receive the award from the President of India. Getting the National Award was a high that can not be compared. India is such a vast nation and when you get recognition from among 100 crore people, it gives you a different feeling altogether,” says the 26-year-old filmmaker.

Arjun, who worked with his cousin Gautam Pandey and researcher and scriptwriter Doel Trivedy for the Horseshoe film, claims that the film is on one of the world’s most spectacular scientific breakthroughs that could rewrite the pages of medical history. He explains, “Extract derived from the Horseshoe crab’s blood is found to be effective in containing tumour as it stops the flow of blood to the tumour. This means there can be a cure to cancer, which the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa was testing, but somehow the research has been stopped.” He adds, “It is remarkable, as it could be a possible cure for cancer, AIDS and osteoporosis. More than half of the world population suffer from these dieases. Horseshoe crab has been there for millions of years. It is the oldest living creature that has outlived dinosaurs and 15 Ice Ages without having evolved. That is why it is referred to as living relic or a living fossil.”

Arjun is presently working on a series for Doordarshan called Earth Matters. He also has lots of corporate projects that keep him and his company 24 Frames busy. “We provide media support to companies like Aaj Tak and other corporates and have projects and joint ventures in the UK, Switzerland, Austria and the West Asia. That is where the money comes from, which helps me to venture out and experiment with films like the one on Horseshoe crab,” says Arjun, who loves to binge on any kind of food whether it is from glitzy restaurants or roadside stalls. However, his favourite is fried mutton from Andhra Bhawan canteen.

With so many people within his family to inspire him, Arjun completed his first film when he was just 19 and still in college. “My father and uncle always promoted me. Whenever I felt lazy they kicked me and urged me to do better,” he says.

The young filmmaker is working on a forum, Ishwar Media, that will provide platform for independent documentary filmmakers to exhibit and promote their films. “I would like to provide a platform through a website where films could be sold and viewed. When a filmmaker makes a film he has two aims, one that people should see it and second that some money should come out of it. But what is appalling in India is that there are a number of independent documentary filmmakers whose works never reach the mass media and the people, forget about making money. So, this forum is an effort to give a platform to such filmmakers,” says Arjun.

He says that he likes all kinds of films. “I just love the medium. Sadly, the last film I saw was Transporter 2, a mindless action film,” he adds. When asked about the last Hindi film he saw, he took almost two minutes to think of one. He liked Black and Sarkar and is eagerly waiting to watch Apaharan. He says, “Fiction is an interesting subject to work on. It is a whole new ball game. I am open to learning and may try it out.”

One day a relative mentioned Nelliyampathy... And that was the beginning of my family’s love affair with Kerala!

If you want a vacation with a difference, quiet, stress-free and in the most exquisite surroundings, then Nelliyampathy will be right up your alley. We discovered Nelliyampathy quite by accident. I had gone to visit relatives in Palghat, or Palakkad as it is now called, with the family in tow. The children had never visited Kerala and were keen to see why it was called  ‘God’s own country!’

Lying at the foot of the Western Ghats on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Palakkad is Kerala’s granary. And the variety of green on display like the emerald green of the rice fields, the dark green of the palm fronds, the leaf green of the banana trees must be seen to be believed.

Of course we did the usual tourist things that I thought would amuse the family. We visited the Palakkad Fort which was built by Hyder Ali in 1766, and all things considering, is still in good condition. We took the children to Fantasy Park where they indulged their passion for computer games, rides and the works. We even decided to be a bit adventurous and take a bus to Malampuzha Gardens about 10 km from Palakkad.

Crowded though the bus was, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I had packed a few odds and ends, which we consumed amidst the most gorgeous surroundings comprising landscaped gardens, pools and fountains near a dam. The morning went by all too quickly. The children rushed around glad to be out of the confines of the house. The air was fresh and invigorating and the flowers were in full bloom. My husband and I took a long walk and saw the rose garden that boasts over a hundred varieties of the flower.

The children were keen to take the aerial ropeway across the garden, I must confess I was a bit scared of them trying it alone, but in the end my husband succumbed to the pressure and accompanied them, so all was well! We visited the Snake Park and had some fun pedalling a boat on the reservoir. It was a great day, which we loved and highly recommend to anyone travelling with or without kids.

One morning we decided to take the children to see some of the temples nearby. Just 10 km away is Thiruvalathoor temple which has some fine wood work and stone sculptures. Of course there are several others in the vicinity, but we chose to also go to the Jain temple of Jainimedu which is not far from the railway station. It would not only give the children a little variety but it would also give them an insight into another religion. This granite temple displays images of the Jain Thirthankaras and Yakshinis and is most impressive.

And then one day a relative mentioned Nelliyampathy. That was the beginning of my family’s love affair with Kerala! Just 52 km from Palakkad town, Nelliyampathy is located at an altitude of 467 m to 1572 m above sea level. Set on the high ranges of the Western Ghats, the drive to Nelliyampathy gives you a flavour of what beauty lies in store.

We stopped en route at the Pothundi Reservoir. This picturesque locale has facilities for boating and is a nice option as a picnic spot, though we didn’t stop that long. Our car negotiated at least 10 hairpin bends on the ghat roads and even though my heart was in my mouth a few times, I couldn’t help my gasps of admiration at the scenery we encountered. At certain places there are viewpoints from where the vast stretches of Palakkad district are visible with the extensive paddy fields forming a lush, green tapestry.

The evergreen forests of the Sahya Ranges hugged the road at certain points and then opened up to offer a splendid view of the Palakkad Gap. This geographical phenomenon in the Western Ghats brings into view parts of the adjoining State of Tamil Nadu. We stayed at the Tropical Hill Resort on the western slopes of the Nelliyampathy hills. The resort is peaceful and beautiful surrounded by lakes and forests that are home to over 500 different species of birds and animals from the Malabar giant squirrel and lion tailed macaque to the more common woodpecker and hornbill.

We walked around the estate and just got completely lost in the beauty around us. Of course, it was different for the children who played badminton and had a great time feeding the ducks and fish. The hotel also arranged an overnight camping trip that was peaceful and quiet as well as fun with open fires and barbecues. Nelliyampathy is also orange country and you see evidence of this all across the hills. Then there are the picturesque tea, coffee, cardamom and vegetable plantations that are managed by different companies.

Mornings are a special time here. Nature is just awakening and misty hillsides welcome you to a new day. We visited Seethakundu where the hills suddenly give way to cliffs and we had the most spectacular views of the valley below. We took innumerable pictures of the 100-metre waterfall here that gushes down in a magnificent torrent.

The highest peak in this region is at Nellikotta, which is also called Padagiri. Of course if you are a walker, this is a trekker’s paradise with the community hall at Kaikatty providing a good camping ground and being used as a base by most trekkers.Eventually as my son said, “It took me just the two-and-a-half-hour car ride to discover that God lives in Nelliyampathy!’’

Nestled high in the wilderness of the Kumaon hills is the unexplored gem of a hill-station called Binsar. Kathgodam is an overnight journey from Delhi by the Ranikhet Express and from here, Binsar is a four-hour uphill and winding drive, past Almora.On reaching Binsar, we could see the snow-capped Himalayan peaks glistening in the morning sun all around us but the Nandakot peak appeared the most spectacular. One of the major attractions of Binsar is its wildlife sanctuary. From the checkpoint at its entrance, we drove 12 km uphill, to a tourist lodge.

From here it is a 30-minute walk to the hilltop. We were accompanied by a guide who showed us the paw-marks of snow leopards and wild boars. He also pointed to several porcupine quills and imitated the call of wild animals, and that made our trip more thrilling. On one occasion a barking deer scurried past us. At the top of the Binsar hillock called Zero-point is a steel watchtower which we climbed and had an exhilarating all-round view of the Himalayas.

On the way back, we stopped for lunch at the forest lodge where we had a fresh, piping hot meal. An overnight stay at the lodge is a unique experience. Since electricity has still not invaded this resort, the night is illuminated by the warm glow of lanterns that envelop you in a mesmerising aura. We visited the Khali Estate, Nehru’s winter retreat that is another attraction at Binsar as are the nearby temples of Bageshwar and Jageshwar. Also worth going to for a truly mind-blowing experience, are the ancient underground caves of Patal Bhuvaneshwari, which are a six-hour drive from Binsar.

Here you slide down a narrow descending entrance, clasping iron-chains, to enter this underground realm. Natural rock formations, resembling Gods and Goddesses and the matted-locks of Shiva, take your breath away and make you believe in the existence and power of the Almighty Creator. Binsar means, let it be. So do visit Binsar, but take care not to ruffle its sanctity and tranquillity.

Blogs and blogging have become buzzwords now with people setting up their own web logs to record their lives, comment on events/issues or share news.
Start your own blog now. Have it published, be read and get paid Rs 500!
This week’s winner is Subhashish Chattopadhyay
Send it to: Travel Blog, Deccan Chronicle, 36 S.D.Road, Secunderabad-3 or mail them to travel@deccanmail.com

Paris: From the folkloric peasants, through the Bolshoi ballet to Constructivist inspirations, this is a Russian moment in fashion. For their winter shows, the Moscow designer Igor Chapurin picked a ballet theme; Costume National made the iconic Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev into a male fashion hero; Antonio Marras recreated a world of Ballets Russes tutus, and Jean Paul Gaultier elevated folklore to haute couture.

The ongoing refurbishment of the Bolshoi theatre in Moscow and the exhibitions of Russian art in Western cities have set a context for the clothes. Even among models, the star is Natalia Vodianova, formerly a vegetable vendor in Nizhny Novgorod.

In this latest Russian revival, there are two different strands: romantic and modernist. Gaultier drew inspirations from folkoric costumes at the Bolshoi and from a visit to Ukraine to capture the festive peasant decoration in his couture show; while in his other role as designer for Hermès, the designer re-created the linear grid of the Soviet era, although this geometry was in fact inspired from 1930s Hermès archives.

“It was an accident — I was at my Moscow boutique, surrounded by snow — and then I went to the Bolshoi where I saw on stage Ukrainian peasants and absorbed the red and white colours, folkloric shawls and straw baskets, the flowers and ribbons,” Gaultier says of the couture, where the braids outstaged the signature hairdo of the former Ukranian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

The romantic Marras show ended with the models grouped as ballet figures below a line of tutus. The Italian designer, who is currently in Moscow celebrating 10 years of Kenzo in Russia, says that he has always been fascinated by dance. The highlight of his first Russian trip was visiting the Bolshoi and Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre.

“You discover a whole world when you visit these mythical theatres,” he says. “You can feel the presence of an icon like the dancer Anna Pavlova, the great composers Stravinsky, Prokofiev, the movie director Eisenstein and the painters Larionov, Gontcharova, Malevich.

Anybody who does my job can’t resist the fascination of Russia: its decorated handicrafts, its costumes, the violence of its colours and the stories of great romances. Nobody can forget Lara of Doctor Zhivago. What attracts me is the history, the fairy tale and the tradition.”

Aliona Doletskaya, editor-in-chief of Russian Vogue, sees a difference between the deeply felt collections and vaguely Russian ideas expressed in ethnic floral patterns at MiuMiu or in fur trims (plus a borzoi dog on the runway) at Just Cavalli. She is intrigued by the ballet references — and not just from Chapurin, who costumed a ballet at the temporary Bolshoi theatre last week.

“Marras definitely looked into Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and especially the costumes drawn by Léon Bakst,” Doletskaya said of the sapphire and terracotta palette. “Chapurin went more modern into the so-called white ballet, without being literal.”

Fashion interest in Russia goes back at least as far as the 1909 Ballets Russes in Paris, when all things Russian were in vogue. Soviet style was the inspiration for fabrics in the 1920s; while Russia starred on the silver screen in 1934 when Marlene Dietrich was Catherine the Great in the The Scarlet Empress.

The last big Russian fashion moment came from Yves Saint Laurent, who offered an iconic Russian doll knitted wedding dress in 1965 and peasant blouses — in fact inspired by Henri Matisse paintings — in 1976. Today’s fashion folklore has its own cultural backdrop. In museums, Russian decorative arts are to the fore, not least at Katharina Prospekt at Antwerp’s ModeMuseum (http://www.momu.be/).

There a fashion exhibition of “The Russians” is guest-curated by the Belgian designer duo An Vandervorst and Filip Arickx, who had played with Soviet style in their 2004 winter collection. They have developed themes such as uniforms, furs, decorations, kokoshnik headdresses and babushkas.

The “Russia” exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York (http://www.-guggenheim.com/) has encouraged the public to re-evaluate the heritage of Russian painting. Very different contemporary work is on display at November’s show in London: Moscow Breakthrough, Russian Contemporary Art; http://www.academia-rossica.org/.

Will all this inspire more Russian designers to explore their complex heritage? “In Russian fashion, designers get their inspiration from different sources: folk influences from Malyavin; and avant-garde influences from Kandinsky and Malevich,” says Doletskaya. “But non-Russians are sometimes more Russian than Russians. The natives are normally subtler and more cautious about their own culture than the foreigners.”

Manoj Bohra as Prem in Kasautii Zindagi Kay is the current favourite among youngsters. He carries off the mean, wicked guy image rather well. “It’s not a deliberate effort to do only negative roles but I like playing different characters,” he says. His hip-hop look in the show has also become quite a rage. “I worked hard to get my look and body language right. I have been inspired by Johnny Depp’s character in Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Amit Tandon dies in Kaisa Ye Pyaar Hai
Amit Tandon aka Prithvi in Kaisa Ye Pyaar Hai is out of the show. According to sources, Amit’s character will die in the following episodes and he will give way to Angad and Kripa’s marriage. What is not known yet is whether he will be brought back at a later stage, like in most Ekta shows, or is he out for good. But what’s confirmed is Amit’s grand entry in Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as one of Tulsi’s grandsons in the generation leap that will be shown in January.

Will Varun’s wish come true?
The winning couple in Nach Baliye is rumoured to take home a huge packet of Rs 50 lakhs and the choreographers will get Rs 20 lakhs. This is no small amount and the three couples in the contest (at the time of going to print), Supriya-Sachin, Varun Badola-Rajeshwari and Poonam-Manish Goel, are working really hard to win. We hear Varun Badola wanted to opt out of Aruna Irani’s Rabba Ishq Na Hoye on Zee TV so that he could concentrate only on Nach Baliye rehearsals and emerge the winner. Well, by Sunday, only two couples will remain in the fray. The grand finale has been set for December 15.

True ya false

Malicious rumours haunt Anuj Saxena
Anuj Saxena, Abhay Kapoor of Kkusum who has had the record number of marriages on TV, will be heartbroken if he gets to know that people in the television industry are allegedly gossiping about his sexuality. They say his ex-wife has been telling people the reason behind their divorce is Anuj’s sexual preferences!

Well, if coming from his ex wife, then one should take it with a bag of salt because their separation has been very ugly with nasty accusations. Anuj shouldn’t really feel bad because he still has women, especially his Kumkum co-star Juhi Parmar and Kkusum co-star Narayani Shastri who are still crazy about him. Who cares about gossip mongers.

Abhishek for KBC-2 till Amitabh recovers?

Though Amitabh Bachchan is recovering well, doctors have advised he slows down on the work front. It may take a while till he gets completely fit and report back for shootings. Sources at Star Plus say the channel was seriously considering Abhishek Bachchan to cover up for his dad. Rumours are that after several discussions, just about everyone at Star felt only Abhishek has the same charisma as his dad and his replacement will go down very well with the viewers. Watch this space for other developments.

Cezanne doesn’t react to Shweta

Shweta Tiwari’s (Prerna of Kasautii Zindagi Kay) anger towards her co-star Cezanne Khan (Anurag Basu) seems to be growing by the day. The actress used foul language while talking about him in a magazine. But while she comes across as a broken gramophone record harping on about the same subject again and again — “How dare he says we had an affair” — Cezanne comes out looking like the dignified matured gentleman.  Unlike many who wash their dirty linen in public, when you call up Cezanne, he says, “I am really sorry, don’t mean to be rude but I am not talking to the press to clarify.”

By saying this he is being polite and also conveying to Tiwari that he doesn’t have to justify himself on her account. No wonder she is getting so angry. After all no reaction is the best reaction.

Ghar Ek Mandir hero returns to television

Ram Kapoor, best remembered for his role in Balaji Telefilms’ Ghar Ek Mandir will soon be seen in another Balaji show Kasamh Se. The show was earlier supposed to have Mohnish Behl in the lead but with Mohnish being busy with Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, Ram is all set to play the lead role. Ram was also seen in movies like Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi, Monsoon Wedding and Missed Call. According to sources, Kasamh Se is about three sisters and their life. All three sisters have a different outlook towards life and its problems and the show is apparently inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women. Mohnish Behl will have a small role in the show instead of the lead role.

Zarina enters Sahara One thriller Kohinoor

Zarina Wahab, yesteryears’ film actress and wife of actor Aditya Panscholi, has made a grand entry into Sahara One’s thriller Kohinoor. She is playing the role of Iravati, the main protagonist’s mother. Zarina, who is also seen in Zee TV’s Tumhari Disha as Disha’s (Chavi Mittal) mother will have an important role to play in this suspense thriller. Her role will be shown in flashbacks and she will play a blind woman who actually knows where the kohinoor is.

There’s something very attractive about bad boys on TV. The audience simply loves them. Whether it was Ansh in Kyuni Ki… or Sasha in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and now Swayam in Kahiin To Hoga, their popularity is soaring. Vikas Sethi proved his mettle in Kyun Hota Hai Pyarr, but his role as the scheming Swayam in Kahiin To Hoga has made him a rage among the youngsters. In a chat with JAYA BISWAS, he tells her what a high the role of Swayam has given him.  

Vikas Sethi aka Swayam Shergill is now a household name and he couldn’t be more buoyant about it. “Frankly, I don’t know where I’d have gone next if it wasn’t for Kahiin To Hoga,” says a candid Vikas, who is shooting non-stop for more than 14 hours a day. Playing Swayam in Kahiin To Hoga has become a second life for him. “I just love it. The character has so many shades to it. Agreed, the audience might find it grey at times, but Swayam is justified in whatever he does because he’s trying to seek revenge for his mother,” sighs Vikas who has gradually trickled his way in yet another Ekta soap, K. Street Pali Hill.

Is it a case of identity crisis, as you have to shoot for two different roles almost every day?
“Not really. It’s more like finally finding my identity. My characters in K. Street Pali Hill and Kahiin To Hoga are as different as chalk and cheese. It does require a little bit of preparation before taking the shots but at the end of the day, I enjoy doing both shows,” states Vikas, who if one remembers correctly, tried his luck on the big screen too.

“Before Ekta gave me K. Street Pali Hill, I was struggling to make my presence felt in the industry. I had a tough time meeting the producers,” reminisces Vikas, who made a blink-and-you-miss appearance as Kareena Kapoor’s prom-date Robbie, in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham . “I believe the same role had been offered to John Abraham,” grins Vikas, whose film stint also includes Deepak Tijori’s Oops.

But he is still hopeful about the big screen. “With so many renowned actors joining television, I won’t say the medium is any less popular. But movies are different — both in terms of glamour quotient and mass appeal. You can’t compare it with the success on the small screen. The attraction of the celluloid is undeniable,” comments Vikas.

But Vikas isn’t willing to trade his new success with old throwaway offers in movies. He’s very particular about the role. “Be it television or films, I’ll wait for the right kind of roles now. Besides, where’s the time? I get paid decently and my roles are interesting,” he says.