A cry for help

That’s what suicides are. Counselling and emotional support can help resolve most teenage issues, writes K. Jeshi

Peer pleasure Interacting with friends helps build confidence

Two teenage girls in Mumbai hang themselves over perceived academic failure. A third year Indian Institute of Technology student jumps in front of a train after writing his exams. Another one commits suicide because her parents did not allow her to g et wet in the rain. And, there is the 18-year-old boy who threatens to kill himself if his parents don’t send him abroad to study. What has the world come to?

The pressure to achieve, unrealistic expectations and indulgent parents are just some of the reasons driving teenagers to take that extreme step.

Diverse reasons

The number of teenage suicides is steadily rising in developing countries and psychiatrists point a finger at reasons as diverse as social issues, stress of modern life, inter-personal problems, stress of failure in exams, disappointments in love and marriage, disciplinary issues, gender discrimination and humiliation by peers.

Blame it all on adolescence, the shortest phase in one’s life, says Dr. M. Thirunavukkarasu, National president elect of Indian Psychiatric Society. “This phase begins when they are 14 and lasts for five years. So, there is a time constraint to achieve, and because of this, the pressure mounts,” he adds.

Increased per capita income, the emergence of the nuclear family and the one-kid norm has brought everything within easy reach of teenagers. When someone wants to own the costliest mobile phone, he gets it.

“Because of such indulgences, they are not prepared to take any hostility or criticism from the outside world. As a result, they suffer from low self-esteem, and consider suicide to escape from the situation. Some teenagers attempt suicide to manipulate and get what they want,” says psychiatrist Ponni Muralidharan.

Thirunavakkarasu says a suicide attempt is a cry for help to handle pressure, be it in education or in relationships.

“They don’t want to die; they just want betterment in their lives or a change in their lifestyle. Even among students, the pressure is among those who are expected to score high.,” he says. It is during such tumultuous times that an identity crisis crops up in teenagers. And the parents, peer groups and teachers have a big role to play in helping teenagers outgrow this situation.

Says P.V. Sankaranarayanan, director of helpline service Sneha, whose suicide prevention helpline (044-24640050) counsels teenagers: “We received 500 calls from students in 20 days after the Matriculation and Higher Secondary results were out.” To help adolescents identify, and deal with stress, Sneha conducts sessions on stress management and emotional well-being at various schools in Chennai, every year, from June.

“Teenagers have difficulty in relationships with parents, peers and teachers. They also face physical problems, and issues of bullying and ragging. Problems affect them at the psychological, emotional and physical levels,” he adds.

What is required is openness between parents and children. Take them into confidence and assure them that you are there for them when they need you. Making the child aware of the family’s financial situation is also vital.

Says Anju Kuruvilla, associate professor of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, which has conducted several studies on teenage suicides, “ A large percentage of suicides in the country, and in Tamil Nadu, is due to socio-economic reasons and stress; not due to mental illness as in the West. Previously, the risk was only in the older age group. Now, it includes teenagers and young women.

Lately, suicide is being seen as a solution to a problem.”

Dr. Pratap Tharyan of CMC says letting teenagers know the consequences of a suicide attempt also helps them stay away from it.

“Because, in youth, it is usually an impulsive act. Regular counselling sessions to deal with the pressure, through channels such as Sneha, SHGs and school counsellors also help,” he adds.

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SOME TIPS

Treat them as grown-ups

Be a good friend

Have realistic expectations

Help them take decisions

Listen to them completely

Focus on their interests

Accept them unconditionally

Give them hope when they face failures

Address their emotional problems

The girl next door

The ‘Palunku’ girl, Lakshmi Sarma, tells Sangeeta that her kind of roles exist only in Malayalam films

“Keep your heart pure, conceive your own dreams

Respect your fellow man, the earth and the trees...”

These lyrics from the King Klick album ‘Positive Vibes’ would describe Lakshmi Sarma the best. The ‘Palunku’ girl comes across as an optimistic, contented girl next door. As a prelude to the conversation, she hums an old Malay alam number.

“Oru Madhura Kinavin lahariyilengo...,’ Remember Rahman and Sobhana dancing to it? I loved it. I heard this number when I came down to Guruvayur for a visit. I was in class ten then. I went back to Vijayawada and asked some of my Malayali friends to get me that song ,” says Lakshmi.

First encounter

That was Lakshmi Sarma’s first encounter with Malayalam cinema. The second one was to come years later, in 2006. “I was doing a bit of modelling, ballets and television after college. By then, we had moved to Hyderabad. I did a couple of Telugu films too. I got a call from a model co-ordinator in Chennai asking me to audition for a Hariharan movie. I did, but did not get through. Later when Blessy was casting for ‘Thanmatra,’ he spotted me from those tapes and offered me Meera Vasudev’s role. I could not take it up then, as I was busy with my ballets. He called me again for ‘Palunku.”’

Though a bit nervous about working in an unknown language, Lakshmi says she managed with the help of the crew. “I had to put in an extra effort because ‘Palunku’ was very different from the films I had worked in. Expectations were high since it was a Blessy-Mammootty film.” Lakshmi regards ‘Palunku’ as a special film not only because it fetched her awards, but also because it gave her a chance to meet her all-time favourite hero, Mammooty.

“My brother and I had many Malayali friends. Some of Mammooka’s super hit movies like ‘Dalapathy’ were dubbed into Telugu. He has also done an excellent Telugu movie called ‘Swathi Kiranam.’”

Lakshmi, who is back in Malayalam movies with M.A. Nishad’s ‘Nagaram,’ where she plays an Anganvadi teacher, is gung ho about her role in the film.

Theme of ‘Nagaram’

“I liked the theme of ‘Nagaram.’ It is set in Sivaramapuram - a village where urban waste is dumped. The Government does not provide a proper waste management system. As a result, the residents fall prey to diseases. ‘Nagaram’ is about their fight for justice. My character progresses from a naive villager to a social activist.”

Although not a hardcore activist, Lakshmi says she too gets agitated with the system at times. “I cannot stand injustice. I do protest, in my own way. I may not be able to change the world overnight, but I will do my bit towards it. I would like to be part of such issue-based films.”

Lakshmi adds that she prefers to work in Malayalam – the only industry where “her kind of roles happen.”

“My colleagues in Telugu used to tell me that I should work in Malayalam. They said that my looks and aptitude matched the Malayali sensibilities.”

She does it her way

Singer, actor, painter Suchitra Krishnamoorthi talks of art, ambition and more

Those not acquainted with her work tend to think of Suchitra Krishnamoorthi mostly in connection with her marriage with director Shekar Kapur. As even a casual glance at her career reveals, however, that would be a great injustice to the actor, singe r and now painter.

Unlike most other artistes, she has never been in a hurry to pad up her portfolio with film projects. “Call it confidence, laziness or whatever. For me the creative process is paramount and it is what I enjoy the most. While I am artistically very ambitious and want to push myself to the extreme in finding my expression, I am not so bothered about material things. I enjoy doing things at my own pace and by God’s grace I am able to do that,” she points out.

The most current form that artistic ambition has taken is painting, an endeavour that Suchitra says first began as a cathartic exercise on a Ganesh Chaturthi some years ago. The deity Ganesha is her most frequent muse, she reveals, “I see ganeshas everywhere, in the folds of my curtains and the tiles of my floor and the way rain puddles form on the ground. I then try to give these a physical expression by putting them down on canvas.”

What began as a spontaneous outpouring of emotion has since taken on career-sized proportions, with Suchitra exhibiting her work at a number of galleries in Mumbai, Delhi and London. Suchitra says painting has now taken centre stage in her career. “I enjoy my art thoroughly as it frees me from the pressure of external perceptions. It is a solitary journey where I am not dependant on anybody for the final outcome unlike music or acting which is interactive and collaborative.”

Acting

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the singer-actress has called it quits in the acting department. After her appearance in “My Wife’s Murder”, she returns to the big screen with “Ram Gopal Varma’s Sholay” and a crossover film called “Karma Confessions and Holi”.

The latter film, she explains attracted her interest because she could identify with the character she plays. “I play an Indian girl married to an affluent American businessman who is trying to find her self in a country and situation in which she feels quite displaced and out of her territory. Personally I have been there, I empathised completely with Sujata’s situation and emotional journey.”

“Over the years I have learnt to become more self referential. As long as I can keep my head on my shoulders and abide by my own truth I think it all works out.”

Monsoon watch for your garden

Come monsoons and it is a time to take care of your plants

Monsoon is the part (season) of the year when plants require little care and maintenance – so goes an all too common misconception among growers and laymen. We tend to forget our garden and plants as well during this time, as if nature will tak e care of the flora and fauna all by herself.

Monsoon rains are characterised by heavy downpour with high humidity and low light and temperature. For most ornamental plants, both drought and heavy rains are not conducive. Potted plants are the ones most affected by decay of roots, yellowing and dropping of leaves, rotting of stem base etc.

Most plants have a kind of dormancy during the rainy season, with little visible growth. Gardeners are more cautious during the rainy months. Pathogenic fungi and insects cause a lot of damage to both ornamental and crop plants alike during this period.

Fungi tops the list of pests during monsoons. In tropical areas, they are more active and virulent during the rains, producing symptoms like root – rot, leaf spots, abnormal leaf fall etc. For the rose, black leaf spot is a common fungal disease which has high incidence throughout the rainy season. The fungus which causes this disease emits ethylene which leads to immature leaf fall in the plant. Succulent plants are more prone to root decay by soil – borne fungi.

Cultural practice

Most plants suffer in soggy, wet soils, especially when combined with high humidity in the air. One of the most important gardening ‘mantras’ all through the monsoon season is to provide good drainage. Proper pruning of plants during the rainy months not only enhance the air circulation around the leaves, there by reducing the incidence of fungal diseases but also helps in the production of new flushes and flowers in the very next season.

Pruning has been found to boost flowering and to check the formation nonproductive leggy branches in rose, bougainvilla, hibiscus, ixora, jasmine etc. A prophylactic pesticidal spray containing a mixture of Copper oxychloride as fungicide and Monocrotophos as insecticide can be given to the plant and its medium as well. This can be done before the onset of the rain season and during the lull between the rains.

Potted beauties Potted plants need as much care during the rains

Euphorbia, Adenium, cacti and similar succulent ornamental plants which require little water for normal growth can be kept under the shade or verandah, away from direct shower.

As the plants are in a state of dormancy, application of manures and fertilizers may be minimized during these months.

Sweet tinkle of ‘part time’ pay

Students are working part time in the city, happily, for different reasons. Annifred Solomon and Lauella Amy scout around to find out how and why they do it and how well

Enterprise Students cope well working part-time and studying with concentration during the time they get

Some are driven by dire need; some just relish the sheer thrill of being out there. Inspirational sagas of struggles for survival and money-spinning dreams apart, a growing legion of ambitious youth is rushing headlong to grab the early promises of lucrative part-time jobs.

Juggling with tight schedules between the classroom and a workplace, many enterprising youngsters are grooming themselves into truly dynamic, multi-tasking go-getters. Here is a new breed of teens who love to do more than just spend their parents’ money. From part-time jobs at call centres, sales counters, marketing, hospitality, banks, insurance companies to making a living out of what you enjoy like modelling, compering, working with event management companies etc, options are aplenty. The number of teen-earners is on the rise and even long work hours don’t deter them.

After six hours of college, Ivy Josphene Thompson of St. Teresa’s College rushes to Fatima Hospital Perumpadappu, where she works as the Patient Relations Executive from 4 – 6 pm. “There’s no greater feeling than earning your own salary, feeling fiercely independent and being treated with respect like a professional. It definitely gives you a high. Dressing for the job is a minor hitch. But who’s complaining! I love working even if it means studying late night.”

Part-timers are wooed to call centres mushrooming all over the cities. Every candidate – the minimum qualification required is ‘Plus Two’ - is trained in American English and the essentials required while dealing with international customers. With excellent pay it’s no wonder why many opt for call centre jobs first. However, with its odd working hours call centre jobs are getting out of favour with ‘regular course pursuing part-timers.’

Banks and insurance companies have made it to the list of student job seekers for years now. “I handle study and work beautifully; I find plenty of time for both,” claims Nadiya Faizel, who works as Office Assistant for Bajaj Allianz Akshay Services at Edapally. “My parents are not too thrilled with my part-time prospects. They let me go ahead for my sake; they trust me a lot. Everyone should try their hand at some job early on. You’ll get a grip over your life. It’s worth it.”

“We prefer part-timers as they are very enthusiastic and are very helpful during the busy hours from 5pm to 10pm,” says Ashok Kumar, Restaurant General Manager, PizzaHut, Ernakulam South. He feels that the benefit is mutual. “We train newcomers and cultivate a working habit in them, giving them an opportunity to make their own living.” For Clint Mathew, who is a Hotel Management student at the IIMS, Valanjambalam, working at Pizza Hut is part of his curriculum which will earn him a certificate of work experience as well.

Who says part-time jobs have to be about “all sweat and no play?” A major breakthrough in recent times has redefined the traditional concept of ‘work.’ “Music, enjoyment and lots of money - that’s what I get from work. I do shows in south India and Mumbai. I celebrate my job,” DJ John, a student of Madras Christian College, harps on. Even during his Plus Two days he was part of the rock band ‘Evergreen’ as the Finance Manager. Doing shows in Bangalore, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi for them work was an excuse to pursue their passion for music, he recalls. “Do I manage money better? I wish I could say ‘yes’ but…” he chuckles.

Riya Mary Ninan, who loves compering shows - she was a shining star at the Airtel Fourth quarterly event in January - makes it clear: “I go for ‘part times’ when I’m in dire need for extra pocket money. And the exposure you gain is an added attraction. My perspective on money is changed. When it’s your own hard-earned money, you value it more.”

“My parents worry a bit about me working as they feel I’ll have more resources at my disposal to spend. I’m no different than most teens, I study hard just before my exams. So work and study don’t clash,” insists Ashlyn, III BSc Computer Applications student at the Sacred Heart’s College. He and his team called Extreme Graphs engage themselves in graphic designing for magazines and freelancing.

Mangala, who hosts ‘Minnum Tharam’ for Asianet television and has had a stint in Malayalam films too, says: “Hosting a programe in front of an audience and being on the sets with Jagadish is a great experience indeed. Making your own living is an eye opener. Every single rupee becomes so precious. I even help my mother with decisions on financial matters at times.”

With increasing demand for phone-in shows, talented ones get to be television anchors too. Susan Jacob, who hosts ‘Hello Good Evening’ for Kairali TV, enthusiastically says: “I discovered something more about myself. I didn’t know I had it in me to perform at a live show. It’s very demanding as once the show is aired it’s totally in the hands of the anchor whether the show is a hit or a flop. I’m lucky; my family supported me all the way.”

Multi-level marketing networks have attracted aspiring young promoters and sales executives with lucrative commission offers and a rigorous regimen of “motivational” inputs. Many value the intense marketing pitch as a tool for their own personality development!

At the end of the day, every part-timer has got a reason to celebrate. For they have conquered the art of balancing work and life. It’s a feat worth boasting about.

Daring and dashing Illayathalapathi VIJAY

Vijay squeezes in some moments between shots to share his thoughts about ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan.’

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There was a time when I took others’ opinions before I accepted or rejected an assignment. Now, good or bad, the decision is mine. And the choice is more by instinct...

For an action hero who gives screen villains a solid run for their money, and whose strident and challenging dialogue makes his fans go dizzy with delight, Vijay’s reserved off-screen persona could catch one meeting him for the first time, off- guard. You can talk to him for hours and still not get even remotely close to guessing what’s going on beyond those serious expressions and sedate behaviour.

So this time you are prepared for a quiet reception but he stumps you with a big smile as he welcomes you into the air conditioned comfort of his caravan. “Sorry to have made you travel all the way here!” he says.

Is the friendliness because you are a known face? “That’s unfair,” he laughs. (It’s not often that you can see Vijay actually laugh aloud, off screen.)

“But I’m a very friendly person. Probably it isn’t very perceptible. Even my mom keeps saying I don’t react much to situations around me. I enjoy myself to the hilt when I’m with my group of friends. Yet actually at the end of it I wouldn’t have spoken much,” he smiles.

Being in the limelight he has to constantly sport a friendly visage, and so his reticence is almost a paradox. But that’s probably why he’s able to identify himself very well with the character he plays in ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan,’ the film he’s working on at the moment. “Yes,” he begins with a measured smile. “The hero is a man who is least perturbed even if there’s a volcano erupting in front of him. I’m like that. Success or failure doesn’t affect me much. Of course, when an entire team works for six to seven months on a project, only to see it bomb at the box office it is depressing, no doubt. But I move on.”

Scene of action

The place is the old thermal power station at Ennore, near Chennai, where shooting for, ‘Azhagiya …’ is going on. It’s filled with grime and dust, the sweltering heat outside further increased by the asbestos roofing and strobes strewn around.

A fight sequence is being canned with ‘Fefsi’ Vijayan choreographing the action. “He’s astounding! I walk into the set thinking he would have conceived the sequence in a particular way, but he would come up with something entirely different. Vijayan is a big plus to ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan.’” Vijay is all praise for the unit’s stunt head. The two are teaming up again after ‘Pokkiri.’ It must be really tough to shoot fights on a warm afternoon. “Yeah! But I’m used to it. Most of my stunts have been shot here.”

How does it feel to have a film title that describes the hero as handsome? “I know I don’t fully qualify for the epithet,” he laughs self consciously. He should tell his fans that — they’d be wild with him for saying so. “No. I mean it. But the crew is doing its best to make me suitable for the title. Nalini Sriram and Rajendran are working on my costume, and cameraman Balu [Balasubramaniam who did ‘Pithamagan’ and ‘M. Kumaran …] is trying out various angles to make me look my best,” he chuckles with a glint in his eyes.

When many of the heroes are toeing Kamal’s line, trying to effect changes in their looks for every film, Vijay doesn’t give much thought to it. “It’s not so. The roles I choose do not warrant such changes. After ‘Pokkiri’ I began looking for something novel when first time director Bharathan came to me with ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan.’ I’ve known Bharathan from my ‘Gilli’ days. He was Dharani’s assistant and also the dialogue writer of ‘Gilli.’ So I thought, ‘Why not?’ And when I say novel don’t think it’s something nobody’s done before. This will be different from the 45 films I’ve done so far. That’s all,” he cautions.

The unit has quite a few who are working with Vijay for the first time. The director, the cinematographer … “Shriya,” he volunteers with a smile. “What I like about her is her commitment. As she doesn’t know the language, she asks for her dialogue the previous day, learns the meaning and pronunciation and comes prepared for the scenes the next morning,” he compliments. And A.R.Rahman is also fairly new to a Vijay film. “He’d done music for my ‘Udaya’ earlier. [The film with Simran had faced problems and the delay cost dearly.] He’s already given us three songs, out of which we’ve canned one at Karaikkudi — a family song that has a group dance, with Shriya and me.” For the duets, the unit will travel to Russia and Mauritius.

What makes him decide on a film? “My character and the scope it offers. Also the director has to narrate the entire story in screenplay format so that I can visualise it completely. Only then can I make a decision. There was a time when I took others’ opinions before I accepted or rejected an assignment. Now, good or bad, the decision is mine. And the choice is more by instinct. ‘Thirupaachi,’ for example. Many dissuaded me from taking it up. But it became the biggest grosser of my career. There’s the other side too. I’ve rejected films which have eventually gone on to become major hits. ‘Dhool,’ ‘Kaakha Kaakha,’ to name some,” he ruminates. After ‘Azhagiya …’ Vijay will be doing a Dharani directed project again.

Among the recent releases he likes ‘Paruththi Veeran.’ “Ameer has done a great job. Karthi too, and you can’t forget Priya Mani either,” he says.

The last time you had met Vijay, was just after the release of ‘Pokkiri.’ He had said it was his most favourite film. With 70 per cent of the shoot of ‘Azhagiya Tamizh …’ over (It will be an August release.) is he still singing the same tune? “I’ll be able to tell you only after I’ve watched ‘Azhagiya …’ in totality. So as of now, it’s still ‘Pokkiri,’” he smiles.

In pursuit of dreams

‘Arabikatha,’ set against a political backdrop, focusses on expatriates in the Gulf and their bitter-sweet existence.

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Unlike the success stories or the tales of the underworld, this is a story about people like us.

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Building castles in the air: Srinivasan and Chinese actor Chang Shumin play the lead in ‘Arabikatha.’

While scouting for locations in Dubai, I happened to visit a labour camp. I am sure that if I had taken up a job in the Gulf, I would have been living in one of those places,” feels film director Lal Jose.

But cinema came to his rescue and Lal Jose’s latest film, ‘Arabikatha,’ is a sort of tribute to those thousands of nameless Keralites who eke out a living in the Gulf. But the film is not a grim documentation of the labour camps or the under belly of glittering Dubai. ‘Arabikatha’ celebrates the lives of those workers who reach Dubai to chase their dreams.

Great expectations

‘Arabikatha,’ which was released yesterday, had been in the limelight even before the first scene was canned. The theme, the director, the cast and the location promised to make it a film to look forward to. And when the director is someone whose previouos film, ‘Classmates,’ had set a new record at the box office, expectations naturally run high.

“Usually, when I act or write a film, I am tense when it is released. But this time it is different. This film has so much relevance today that I feel it has to do well,” says Srinivasan who dons the role of the hero, Cuba Mukundan, in the film.

“I was enchanted by my character Cuba Mukundan and his travails in a rapidly changing world where pragmatism reigns and idealism is often questioned. Given the murky political scene in Kerala now, I feel the film acquires more relevance. The film does not preach, it does not offer solutions and there are no high-decibel statements or muscle-flexing hero. But it reflects our aspirations of how a politician should be,” feels the actor.

Srinivasan and Lal Jose are all praise for scenarist Iqbal Kuttipuram who has delved into the world of non-resident Keralites in the Gulf and sensitively narrated a tale that is seldom seen on the silver screen.

“We have had stories set in the Gulf. But unlike the success stories or the tales of the underworld, this is a story about people like us. But my film is not a tearjerker or a documentation of incidents and lives. Each character has been well etched out and represents the societal mosaic in Dubai. It is a lively entertainer that unfolds the story of a staunch Communist who is caught between his ideology and reality,” explains Lal Jose.

And it is this dilemma that also gives the film its punch. Lal’s films, hits or flops, usually have a strong underlying thread of humour and a slick narrative. ‘Arabikatha’ is no different. Shot in Kerala and Dubai, the film has a huge star cast that includes Nedumudi Venu, Jagathy Srikumar, Indrajith, Jayasurya, Samvratha Sunil and Salim Kumar. However, the surprise is the heroine Chang Shumin.

“She is like any other intelligent woman. Although she speaks only Chinese in the film, she is fluent in English and so communication was never a problem. While watching the film, it is hard to make out that it is her first film. After the first few days, she was in sync with the crew and the cast. Moreover, ‘Arabikatha’ reflects the multicultural society of Dubai and so she blended in with the film,” says Srinivasan.

Mukundan’s friend in the film is Anwar, a Communist with a golden heart. Says Indrajith, who is in Kolkata for Blessy’s film ‘Calcutta News,’ “I have worked in six of Lal Jose’s film but I believe that this is my best role among his films. After the dubbing was over, the director told me that it was also one of my best performances. It is completely different from ‘Classmates.’ It is proof of the director’s versatility and expertise in tackling such a complex theme. Set against a political backdrop, the film has a gripping story line, comedy and lilting music.”

Story and treatment

Sreenivasan feels it is the story and the treatment of the theme that makes the film different from other Lal Jose films. “There is a lot of humour. When Mukundan is forced to go the Gulf to repay a debt, he dreams of planting the seeds of his ideology in the sands of Arabia. But on reaching there, Mukundan’s beliefs takes a beating as he struggles to find his footing in the desert sands,”says Srinivasan.

Lal avers that since there is hardly a household in Kerala that does not have a relative or a friend working in the Gulf, his film is bound to appeal to every viewer.

“Each of us has heard stories of people whose dreams turned into a mirage. However, we prefer to focus on the stories of the handful of people who have made it big there. But for every millionaire, there are thousands of anonymous workers who are forced to live away from their families and endure many hardships to support their families. What they sacrifice is their youth. This is their story and ours too.”

CIAL, Cusat to ink MoU soon

For starting joint academic programmes in the aviation sector

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CIAL to provide practical training

Aviation academy part of hangar facility

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KOCHI: Giving a boost to industry-academia joint ventures, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) will throw open the doors its proposed aviation academy to students of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) from next academic year.

The aviation academy is part of the Rs.600-crore hangar facility coming up at Nedumbassery. From simulators to machine rooms and lathes, it will have state-of-the-art facilities matching international standards.

In an interview to TheHindu here on Tuesday, Minister for Fisheries S. Sarma, who is on the director board of CIAL, said that both the institutions would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for starting joint academic programmes in the aviation sector. Cusat and CIAL will launch Diploma and B. Tech programmes, as part of the agreement.

“A detailed project report highlighting the proposed joint initiatives will be placed before the CIAL director board for approval. The focus would be on academic programmes suited to the growing requirements of the aviation industry,” he said.

Elaborating on the proposed initiative, CIAL managing director Shriram Bharath said that the joint venture between Cusat and CIAL was the first of its kind in the country. Under the agreement, students of Cusat would be allowed to utilise the facilities available at the proposed hangar facility and aviation academy at Nedumbassery.

He said that two hangars would be ready by March 2008. The airport authorities have plans to import aircraft tools for providing practical training to the students. An aircraft would be stationed at the aviation academy to give students a real experience of various aspects related to its operation and maintenance.

Explaining the highlights of the proposed aviation academy, Mr. Bharath said that it will have classrooms for conducting various academic programmes. For engineering work, the academy will have the best of facilities that include simulators and aerospace laboratories. CIAL would also provide experts to train students joining for the Diploma and B. Tech programmes to be offered by Cusat from next year, he said.

Mr. Bharath said that a diploma holder would be given the job of managing the hangar facility. The B. Tech engineers would supervise the work of diploma holders.

Bomb threat at Karipur airport

Surveillance enhanced

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A thorough search was conducted at the airport

Threat did not affect flight movement

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MALAPPURAM: A bomb threat from an unidentified caller kept security personnel at the Calicut International Airport, Karipur, on tenterhooks for several hours on Thursday. A thorough search, after tightening passenger frisking, found the threat to be a hoax.

An assistant at the Air-India office at the airport got a call at 9.20 a.m. saying that the caller had overheard four people discussing the planting of a bomb at the airport. The man, however, refused to identify himself.

The airport’s bomb threat assessment committee (BTAC) was soon convened with airport director in-charge Chinson V.S. Panakkal chairing it. The meeting, attended among others by Central Industrial Security Force Deputy Commandant N. Perumallu, senior airline officials and police officers, found that the threat was ‘non-specific’ and resorted to measures specified by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

After filling up the bomb threat assessment form, the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) was called in from Malappuram, followed by the police dog squad. A thorough search was conducted at the airport.

Passenger baggage was subjected to stringent screening. The surveillance at the airport was enhanced following the threat.

Airport officials said the threat did not affect any flight movement. No flight was delayed as most passengers had already completed check-in when the threat call came.

Award for Thengamam

Communist Party of India leader and the former editor of Janayugam Thengamam Balakrishnan has been selected for the T.A. Majeed Memorial Award. The award, instituted by the T.A. Majeed Memorial Society, carries a cash prize of Rs.5,000 and a citation. Instituted in the memory of the freedom fighter and Communist leader T.A. Majeed, the award was conferred on Mr. Balakrishnan for his contributions to the social, cultural and political fields. The award was presented to him on Thursday at Varkala.

For the love of plastic…

The City Corporation has announced plans to ban the use of plastic carrybags that pollute the environment long after they have been discarded. But many of the Kudumbasree units engaged in garbage collection find the plastic bags a convenience.

The garbage collectors urge households to keep their daily garbage tied up in plastic bags rather than in the green buckets supplied by the Corporation for storing organic waste. The reason is the ease of collecting the waste. The workers just take the bags from each house and dump them in the collection trays kept at a central location in a neighbourhood.

In the case of the buckets, they would have to collect the containers, tip them in the cart and return them to each house. The alternative is to cart the collection trays around the locality, an equally trying task and one best avoided.

Obviously, the campaign against the use of plastic is yet to reach the Kudumbasree units.

Weaving a web of magic

Campus Mentalism’ performed by magician Gopinath Muthukad will be the latest addition to the serial ‘World of Magic’ now being telecast on Kariali channel. According to a press release issued here ‘Campus Mentalism’ is all about Muthukad trying to magically read the minds of college students participating in the show. The magician has adopted a “unique telepathic formula weaving together the threads of magic, mathematics and psychology” to ensure success in his mind-reading venture.

Shooting for the episodes of ‘Campus Mentalism’ is now on in the colleges in Thiruvananthapuram. This is aimed at furthering the popularity of the art of magic among the youth, the press release added.

Scant regard for rules

With motorists paying scant regard these days for traffic signals installed at various locations in the city, driving often becomes a nightmarish experience for those on the ‘right’ side of the law.

The signal points at Pulimoodu junction and at Statue junction are typical examples of this disregard for road rules. Even after the signal turns red for vehicles coming from Ayurveda College area to Statue, vehicles keep crossing the signal point.

his prevents vehicles waiting to cut across the road and proceed to the Press Road junction before the signal turns red for them. Often, this occurs in the presence of the police constable posted there.

At the Statue junction, two wheeler riders often zip past the signal point without even a glance at the traffic light. This means that pedestrians have to keep a sharp eye for oncoming traffic. At signal points where there are no police personnel on duty the situation is worse. With no one to check them, many motorists refuse to allow traffic lights to interfere with the pleasure of driving. To add insult to injury, motorists who stop for a red light are often given sympathetic smiles by these ‘colour blind’ drivers as they drive past. Rules, they say, are meant to be broken.

A literary spark against fanaticism

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Bhanu Mushtaqs’ life has been a constant fight against religious fanaticism

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Bhanu Mushtaq, Kannada writer, says that throughout her life, she had to fight against religious fanaticism, be it of Islam, Hinduism or Christianity.

Bhanu, one of the prominent writers of contemporary Kannada literature, was speaking at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Calicut Press Club here on Thursday. She had been a journalist, working for the Kannada weekly Lankesh Pa trike for a decade from 1981.

Bhanu said though all religions had been liberal in the beginning, they got entrenched with patriarchy subsequently. This, in religions such as Hinduism and Islam, denied women the rights that the faiths had granted.

“Wasn’t there Gargi and Maitreyi, woman scholars, during the Vedic period. But during Manu’s period, women were not supposed to study the Vedas. Before the time of Prophet Mohammed, the girl child was buried as soon as she was born in Arabia. It was the Prophet who gave the right to the girl child to take birth,” she said.

As a writer, she had to face opposition from her own community. It was thought that women writers, including she, would bring out its “inside stories” to win acclamation of others. So, it thought that they were traitors. During my high school days, my cousin taught me how to ride a bicycle. Since Muslim girls were not allowed to ride those days, boys of the community pulled her down from the cycle and beat her cousin, she said.

She recalled her campaign to thwart an attempt by the Sangh Parivar to convert the Bababudangiri shrine in Chikmagalur in Karnataka into a Hindu temple.

One of Bhanu’s short stories was adapted for the Kannada film Haseena, which won three national awards.

The film, directed by Girish Kasaravalli, is based on the story Kari Nagaragalu in her anthology Benki Male.

Replying to a question, she said the focus on writers of Indian writing in English was indeed a denial of opportunity to vernacular writers, who had more readers than the former in the country. Recalling her association with the Bandaya Sahitya Sanghadana in Karnataka, she said that this literary organisation rebelled against literary norms and social injustice.

. They represented the voice of the Dalits, women and backward classes. Dalits were encouraged to write in their own language, own idiom and own similes.

Olive Ridleys facing survival threat

Arbitrary development activities in the tourism sector at Thay beach, Neeleswaram, one of the two Olive Ridley breeding centres in the State are raising a threat to the breeding activities of the sea turtle, which is an endangered species.

Activists of Neythal, a non-governmental organisation that runs an Olive Ridley breeding centre at Thay beech said the indiscriminate development activities in the area which was a pristine beach earlier was raising threat to its breeding centre.

The activists said that a few resorts were coming up in the area at present and many of the construction activities did not consider the aspect of preservation of Olive Ridley.

They said that work of a big resort coming up in a 10-acre land adjacent to the breeding centre had almost been completed.

They pointed out that even the high intensity light emitted by sodium vapour lamps which are being installed in the area were discouraging Olive Ridley from coming to shores.

The Neythal pointed out that the tourism activities in Ozhinjavalappu Punchavi estuary which did not have much of a human activity had began affecting the bio-diversity there.

The information campaigns being undertaken by NGOs in the area among fishermen had created awareness against destroying eggs of the Olive Ridley turtle.

Earlier, these fishermen used to hunt Olive Ridley eggs for food.

Days of doom for dolphins in kerala

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Killing the animal is punishable. So is the possession of

its meat. Still, dolphin is in trouble

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In danger: A dolphin snared by fishermen.

They are considered as one of the friendliest species from the water world. They charm people around the globe through their acrobatic skills and playful ways.

Yet dolphins are running into trouble. The classification of the animal as an endangered one and the protective cover provided by law by way of including it in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Act have failed to rescue the animal.

A few weeks ago, the meat of a dolphin was put on sale at one of the coastal villages of Thiruvananthapuram.

Considering the case as an indicator of the threat the animal was facing, the State Forest Department has registered a case for the killing of the animal. More than that, the department has also launched an awareness campaign.

“We have been attempting to drive home the message that killing of dolphins is a crime punishable under the Wildlife Act,” said V.S. Varghese, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife).

The message is passed on to the fishermen community through churches and their local networks as an awareness programme can only save the animal. Like the killing of the animal, the possession of its meat is also punishable. Even if the dolphin accidentally enters the fishing nets, the animal should be released back to water, he suggested.

Fishermen kill these animals out of the fear that the dolphins eat fish and destroy the nets. The meat of the dolphins is some times used as baits by some fishermen, scientists pointed out.

The department had also implemented some action against the selling of marine turtles in some of the local markets in Kattakada. Dolphin species like Bottle noses and spinners are mostly present in the Kerala waters.

Though some researches on marine mammals including dolphins were carried out recently, scientists said that they were not in a position to tell anything about its population. This uncertainty and absence of scientific information on its numbers make very killing a highly risky affair to the animal species. And every animal rescued and protected counts much.