CONCERN, COMPASSION, CONSCIENCE

A LAB JOURNAL OF THE PG STUDENTS OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

COMMUNIQUERs. 5/-

The ill effects of majoritarianism

More and more Indians set off to

foreign lands

Page 2

An interview with Poornachandra

Thejaswi

Page 6

The hidden story of the Titanic in an Assamese family

Page 3

Belly dancers, like hips, don’t lie!

Page 8

BENGALURU: The Congress party was the first to coin popular slogans for public consumption in the run-up to elections. These included the slogans “Garibi Hatao’ and ‘Roti, Kapada aur Makaan’ apart from the infamous one stating that “India is Indira and Indira is India’.

During the 2014 general elections, the BJP came out with the slogan ‘Congress Mukt Bharath’, one of its most populous slogans, second only to ‘Abki Baar Modi Sarkar’. Now the BJP is now aiming for ‘Har Baar Modi Sarkar’, ‘Baar Baar Modi Sarkar’. ‘Congress Mukt Bharath’ is a step towards that, as the Congress is the only opponent to the BJP at the national level.

Politics is all about power and holding and hanging on to power. But the BJP-led NDA is aiming at majoritarianism, given the size, scale, style and scope of NDA’s stupendous spread

across the country, it looks like majoritarianism is turning out to be more of a divisive agenda instead of one that unites . It also seems to be increasingly autocratic and despotic.

Majoritarianism of this kind has ill-effects at multiple levels - from politics to policies, and can also lead to narcissistic politics rather than the altruistic, in terms of face and phase.

Dr.Sujit Kumar, faculty, Department of Political Science, St.Joseph’s College, says that

the issue is not about one party trying to decimate the other party. Instead, he said “The issue is the death of consensus politics. Policy making should be an exercise through consensus.

The Food Security Bill, Land Acquisition Act, etc. were passed based on consensus. Now things have changed”.

These un-democratic behaviours and practices are slowing changing the nature of politics in the country which would eventually lead to the

politics of hatred, he noted. “Intolerance towards the opposing voices is dangerous for the plurality and multi-culturalism of our country,” he said

However, the emptied and exhausted opposition led by the Congress which has miserably failed at every single stage in the current political scenario has to be equally blamed for thepresent situation. The Opposition is too worried about its own survival than that of the nation. It is too weak to take on the government. There were some dramatic upheavals, like the formation of the Mahaghatabandhan in Bihar, but it is broken now. There doesn’t seem to be anyone or any common issue that can unite the Opposition to fight the ruling party which is expanding its base by leaps and bounds.

Economist and Rajya Sabha M.P from the Congress, Prof. Dr. Rajiv Gowda,Spoke of the hijacking of,

(Continued on page 4)

Jayasimha K.R

VOLUME-10; ISSUE - 2 ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) AUGUST 2017

Indira Canteens fill the belly for Rs 5 & 10! BENGALURU: The Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka has initiated the Indira Canteens programme keeping in mind the vision that no one in the state should go hungry.

The Indira Canteens were inaugurated by Rahul Gandhi, Congress Vice-President on August 16. The canteens serve breakfast at Rs 5 and lunch and dinner at Rs 10, maintaining high levels of hygiene and cleanliness.

Indira Canteens have been built with an aim to reach out to the poor and the downtrodden sections of the society and especially for people who cannot afford costly places and go hungry. The canteens have been named after Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India.

“A 101 canteens are already functioning and 98 more will be opened soon. Two companies - Rewards and Chef Talks - are providing the meals for now and the canteens are only being utilized for distributing the food. The canteens are built and functioning with the fund

of Rs 200 crores sanctioned by the Government under the Nagarottana scheme. Dosa sambar, Idli, Upma, Puliyogare, Vada, Kharabath, Pongal, Rava khichdi, Chitranna, Vangibath, and Kesribath are some of the

items served at the canteens,” said L. Suresh, PRO of the BBMP.

”The canteen opens thrice a day. Around 8 am for breakfast, around 12:30 pm for lunch, around 7.30 pm for dinner. The crowd is increasing a lot, we expected around 300 people but the crowd is around 800. The crowd is increasing because of the hygiene and good taste of

the food. The whole menu is vegetarian food,” he added.

“It is the flagship of the government programme. There are many restaurants and hotels in Bangalore, but they charge exorbitantly. So there are many

poor people who are not able to afford that, so they end up going hungry. There are many street vendors serving food too but they hardly maintain hygiene and nor do they maintain any quality of food that they serve. These street vendors also end up charging quite a lot. The program is to have one Indira Canteen in each ward and one kitchen in each assembly constituency,” said

Jayasimha , Assistant Executive Engineer, Vasanth Nagar sub division.

“Each kitchen will be equipped to provide food to at least 7 to 8 canteens, which was a huge task because it involved building of the canteens, building the kitchens, fitting of all equipments into the canteen, etc. There are a few lacunae which will be resolved soon. Only after checking the quality, the food will be sent for consumption. Around 6 to 7 people will be appointed to work in each canteen,” he added.

“Jayalalithaa had started Amma Canteens in Tamil Nadu, which had the same aim as these canteens. These canteens seem to be a political gimmick which is being unleashed just before the elections. But the Amma Canteens were really clean and had good quality food so much so that people from IT companies Started coming and eating in those canteens because the food was tasty and cheap as well initiating Indira Canteens, In Karnataka is going to prove a good vote capturing move for,

(Continued on page 4)

Shivangee Dasgupta

Indira Canteen at Shettyhalli MEGHASRI

INDIA TODAY

2 COMMUNIQUE AUGUST 2017FEATURE

Foreign shores lure more Indians

Ramanuja is universally relevant even at 1000BENGALURU: Ramanujacharya, whose 1000th birth anniversary is being celebrated now, was a significant anti-establishment, spiritual revolutionary who might be seen as the anti-thesis of the political, social and cultural developments taking place in India under the banner of hyper nationalism.

Ramanuja recognised caste as an evil and sought to rectify its discriminatory practices, believed in gender equality, was all-inclusive and a practitioner and inspirer of philosophy, spirituality, art and architecture and public works. He was venerated as a great philosopher, scholar and saint even by vigorous traditionalists.

Though he came from the Vedantic position, he espoused radical positions that made him a universal sage. Born at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu in 1017 CE , Ramanuja was the chief exponent of the Vishishtadvaita school of Vedanta.

According to Ramanuja, the world was real (not Maya or illusion) and Atman and Brahman were not the same, though they were not separate. For him, Jnana and Bhakt were connected. Jnana, Bhakti and Karma were complementary to one another and their co-

operation and collaboration were the means to achieve the summun bonum in life and to attain moksha (salvation)

The radical conclusion Ramanuja reached was that a person of any jathi, varna, ashrama (stage of life) could attain salvation. He argued that no one is or can be denied

spiritual enlightenment because of caste or gender. Ramanuja taught that bhakti was universal and this made his philosophy and teachings all-inclusive.

Long before Narsinh Mehta called them ‘Harijan’ (which was later popularised by Mahatma Gandi) or Jyotiba Phule termed them ‘Dalits’, Ramanuja called the people of the lower castes “Thirukulattar” (the high-born) and led them into temples. Ramanuja became a victim of sectarian hatred between the Shaivite and Vaishnava sects

in Tamil Nadu. The Shaivite king chased Ramanuja out of Tamil Nadu and he took refuge in Karnataka. He went back to Srirangam after a couple of decades and then travelled extensively all over the country preaching and gathering disciples. He passed away in 1137 CE at the age of 120 years,

considered a complete life. Ramanuja was also in the

forefront of linguistic reforms. He gave equal prominence to the regional languages in temple worship along with Sanskrit. He gave the devotional literature in Tamil called the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, regarded as the Tamil Veda (the 4000 devotional songs written by the 12 Alwars who lived between the 6th and 9th ninth century belonging to different origins and castes) as much importance as the Sanskrit Veda.

Even today, the Tamil Veda is sung in all Vaishnava shrines with utmost veneration. This concept, known as Ubhaya Vedanta, is a profound contribution to Indian thought and the plural nature of Indian culture.

Ramanuja’s literary output is enormous and onerous. He wrote commentaries on the Brahma Sutras and Bhagwad Geeta, philosophical treatises, hymns and prayers. He was the main source of intellectual support and inspiration for the great Bhakthi movement in India. One can also trace his impact and influence on the Carnatic music tradition.

Ramanuja was also the inspiration behind the building of the spectacular Hoysala temples at Beluru, Halebidu, Tondanuru, Talakadu, Melukote and Gadag (some of which are world heritage sites now and all of which are monuments of national importance).

It is because of him that Hoysala art, architecture and literature flourished. He also spurred public works like the huge lake in Tondanuru now called Moti-talab, the source of water for thousands.

Rev.Fr. Francis Xavier Clooney, S.J., Parkman Professor of Divinity and Director, Centre of the Study of World Religions at Harvard University, says that Sri Ramanuja is important to all theologians in other theistic

traditions, because his works offer a thoughtful and coherent explication of theism – even a monotheism – that takes into account the nature of the world and the nature of the human, and works out a path of acute knowledge and a path of intense devotional path that are indebted to his scriptures - the Upanisads, the Gita, and implicitly the works of the Alvars.”

“Ramanuja is, for Christians, a kindred spirit, a fellow theological and devotional believer, in another great tradition. Some of his works (Vedarthasamgraha, Gitabhasya, Sribhasya) are great commentarial works, focused on scripture and how to read it properly and fashion philosophies that do justice to their scriptural roots; the Gadyatraya give clear voice to devotion, and “put words into the mouth” of devotees, on how properly to call upon God; and the Nityam offers a lovely, rich and full instruction on the daily worship of the single-minded and single-hearted devotee.”

“At 1000, he remains a monumental figure inter-religiously, and it would be very good if Christian theologians and other theologians studied his works more fully, and also entered into deeper dialogue with his heirs today, the Srivaisnava Sampradaya in the 21st century,” concludes the Harvard professor.

Jayasimha K.R

BENGALURU: Huge promises are made by the Modi government on development and better prospects for the youth of India but the numbers tell a different story. The number of Indians leaving India for better prospects is only increasing year by year.

For all the talk about ‘Make in India’ and increasing foreign investment in India that is belted out by a media that blindly toes a pro-Central government line, increasing numbers of intelligent, skilled Indians are flying off to foreign lands for better professional and economic prospects.

According to the National Science Foundation’s National Centre for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), the last decade has seen an 85 per cent increase in scientists and engineers migrating to the United States of America, the most popular destination for Indians.

Dr Manojit Bhattacharjee, assistant professor in the Economics Department at St.Josephs College says, “One

of the basic growth models in economics, the slow growth model tells that continuous growth of a nations per capital level occurs only if there is technological progress. If we consider this model as correct, then any brain drain that causes technological progress outside is a loss for India. Though those who leave the country send

remittances back provide some foreign exchange reserves for the country, the net gain would be negative if we have to import foreign technology produced by the Indians abroad. However, while making this argument we are also presuming that if they would have stayed back in India they would have contributed to technological development.”

Raghav Sood, currently

working at City Bank in Bengaluru and a graduate from IIT Kanpur is soon to set sail for a masters in finance from Berkeley, California. he says that, “Opportunities are less over here and growth is slow and one of the reasons I am going is because of the world class facilities available in the USA and being able to work with the

best minds in the world which are not exactly present in India. The present government has not created enough opportunities for people in finance.”

According to the Indian student’s mobility report of 2016, the growth of Indian students heading abroad has been faster than that in China.

(Continued to page 5)

Raunaq Kapoor

C-sections become a popular choiceBENGALURU: Eva Marbaniang, had her first baby through a natural delivery process which did not survive because it was premature. Till the causes of the fatal delivery were discovered from her history that she was born a premature baby herself. Yet with her hypertension and health problems, today, she is a mother of three boys who had to undertake a C-section (caesarean) who delivered all three of them premature, 7 months prior.

In 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) report, caesarean or C-sections were limited to 8.5% of all deliveries in the country and interestingly, the numbers have risen particularly in Kerala reaching up to 41% and 58% in Tamil Nadu said from a report by the ICMR School of Public Health.

Dr. Gracy Mathew, a retired gynaecologist at CMC Vellore explains this sudden increase in the popularization of the

C-sections.She compares it to how in the

olden times, people were more patient and also looked forward to a larger family unlike today with limit of 3 children per

family. And so to meet this, with

advanced technology and painless labour, she believes the c- sections have become safer.

“It is true that today the medical field is more business oriented than pure service but with the technologies today, and the also the number of diabetes,

(Continued to page 5)

Megha Mary Mathews

Hello,world! GOOGLEOne of many attempts to bring them home PBDINDIA

The sage and his disciples DIVYAKATAKSHAM

AUGUST 2017FEATURE3 COMMUNIQUE

Hoary City libraries beckon bibliophilesBENGALURU: August 12 marked the 125 birth anniversary of S R Ranganathan, who is considered as the father of library sciences in India. He was a professor of Library Science at Banaras Hindu University and later on at the University of Delhi.

His most notable contributions are the ‘five laws of library science’ which gives a detailed explanation on how to run a library and is accepted worldwide. To celebrate his legacy Communique visited old libraries in Bengaluru which are open and free for the public.

Bengaluru has always been an intellectual hub which was and is an abode to tens of towering Kannada intellectuals - great scientists like C V Raman, CNR Rao, U.R.Rao and others to Shakuntala Devi. This might have been the result or consequence of the library culture in the city. Each library in the City has a great legacy. Here’s a tour of the prominent ones.

The State Central Library is located in a historical building, the Sir Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall at Cubbon Park. A statue

of Seshadri Iyer was unveiled in front of the building by Viceroy Lord Hardings of Penshurst on November 20, 1913. A memorial committee consisting of prominent citizens decided that the memorial should also be a public hall and a library. In 1914, Diwan Sir M Visveswaraiah donated the building to State Public Library and on 1 May 1915 the public library was opened.

On 1 April 1986 the library was changed into a reference library and opened to the public. It has massive book collections on subjects like literature, science and the social sciences. The State Central library also has a children’s library named Indira Priyadarshini Children’s Library which was established on August 24,1994.

The SCL has no membership fee, the total number of books are 3,14,848, the number of children’s books are 5000 and there are 802 Braille books.

“From the last four to five years there is a great change in the library be it cleanliness, seating arrangement the interiors the library authorities have done well. The people who come regularly are students who study

for competitive exams. I am interested in reading on various topics so I visit the library quite frequently.” said Raghavendra , a

frequent visitor to the library and a consultant to biotechnology companies. .

The Mythic Society library was founded in 1909 by European enthusiasts in Bengaluru. The library has a collection of 43,700 books on archaeology, sculpture, culture and religion.

TN Srinivasan, the librarian, said “ Our library specializes in archeology, architecture inscriptions, Indology and history. People come here to work on their research projects, and many great scholars have come. We also publish a quarterly journal of the Mythic Society

and we have a E-library which has around 7000 documents.”

The Indian Institute of World Culture located in Basavangudi

has a general library which has over 40,000 books. The library was started in 1945 by B.P Wadia. Distinguished personalities such as Martin Luther King Jr., Prof Arnold J. Toynbee, C. Rajagopalachari, Prof. Julian Huxly, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar have visited the library.

Nagaveni, who has been working as a librarian for the last twenty years here, said “A lot of new books have come in and renovation has taken place.”

Krishnamurty, the library executive who has been working there for 65 years, said “We

don’t purchase any books, our purchases are minimum because people give books to us. We have 40,000 thousand Kannada books and around 45,000 English books and the rest are old Sanskrit books which are not given out to the public. We have books written by D.V. Gundappa himself on grammar, logic and atomic energy.”

The legendary Kannada Sahitya Parishat, more than 100 years old, is one of the most prominent representative organizations of Kannadigas. It has a beautiful library which houses mostly Kannada books and manuscripts. It is considered one of the best libraries for Kannada studies. Retired bureaucrat and the president of the Parishat, Dr. Manu Baligar, said that they were digitizing around 150 books of 1400 books they have published this year.

Other good libraries in the City are the Indian Council of Historical Research, B.M. Sri Pratistaana, the British Library, Goethe Institute Suchitra Film Society, Theosophical Society, and Adyatma Prakashana Karyalaya.

In short, Bengaluru City is a haven for bibliophiles.

Raunaq Kapoor

BENGALURU: When you belong to a mixed Anglo-Indian family, you should always be prepared to hear interesting stories about your ancestors. Who knew that among my ancestors was someone Irish who was in the core team for designing a blueprint for the great ship Titanic? And bloodline remains alive even today in Assam, India.

I was always fascinated by the Irish tales my maternal grandfather, John Macilwaine, used to narrate to me when I was a kid. Things haven’t changed much since then. His stories still fascinate me.

A few years ago, my youngest uncle Victor Macilwaine, who lives in Shillong, Meghalaya, had an urge to study our Irish bloodline to find out about our ancestors in Belfast, Ireland. My uncle did gather some useful information, and years later I went ahead to gather more on this subject.

As astonishing as it sounds, my ancestors were in the lead team behind designing the blueprint for the Irish ‘Titanic’. They had their own shipyard company known as Macilwaine and Co. In which Nana’s grandfather John Henry Macilwaine and his father Canon Macilwaine were active

engineers.Maciilwaine & Co was initially

a ship repairing company and it was only in 1876 that it launched its first successful vessel, the ‘Elizabeth Jane.’

With the success of this new vessel, Nana’s grandfather, John Henry Macilwaine and his team came up with the blueprint for another big project and named it the ‘Titanic.’ The blueprint was rejected and that came as a blow to John Henry Macilwaine.

More unhappiness dogged John Henry Macilwaine who was also an engineer in the Department of Sanitation and Sewage, and had proposed a design that would contribute to the cleaning up of sewage in Belfast.

His blueprint aimed at disposing sewage and waste material off into the seas further beyond the country line, so that the city would remain clean and waste would be disposed off safely.

However, this idea of John Henry Macilwaine was also rejected by the other members of the company and he was mocked and insulted.

This left him a very sad and broken man, after which he slowly went into depression. He did not recover from his depression and finally committed suicide.

John Lynch, a local writer and

historian from Belfast, Ireland has written a book titled, “An Unlikely Success Story: The

Belfast Shipbuilding Industry, 1880-1935.” In this book, he wrote of the growth and development of the Belfast ship industry and how it was one of the most prominent businesses of the country.

He mentions Macilwaine & Co, along with the names of my forefathers John Henry Macilwaine and Canon Macilwaine.

He wrote about how ambitious Macilwaine and Co was and mentioned their regular clients.

He specially mentioned John Henry Macilwaine as one of the most ambitious engineers in the company and how he always wanted to spread his business through other firms.

The graves of John Henry Macilwaine and his father Canon Macilwaine are in Mount Hope

Bangor Cemetery, which is situated in Maine, Ireland.

Part of the search was also for materials about our great grandfather Edward Hart Macilwaine. When my uncle, Victor started his research he went through old address books, phone numbers and so on, from which he managed to gather few addresses and websites (like koihai.com) where information about those who took part in the Great War and ex Tea Planters was available.

That is how he came in touch with Clare Di Salvo, Edward Hart Macilwaine’s adopted daughter.

My uncle found Clare’s email address and mailed her seeking

information about our great grandpapa and his ancestors back in Belfast to which he got a response. Years later, I accessed my Nana’s mail and that is how I got the contact of Barbara Majury

“About two years ago I went to a talk on Belfast Shipyards given by John Lynch. The MacIlwaine yard was discussed at some length. John Lynch has written a book “Belfast Built Ships” which contains information about the yard. MacIlwaine & Co was one of the three main shipbuilding yards in Belfast at the turn of last century. I have traced the family back to 1807,” said Barbara.

According to Clare and Barbara, when Edward Hart Macilwaine was in Belfast, he never married again and adopted Clare, my step-grandma.

Edward Hart Macilwaine was killedin the Second World War at the age of 55 years, and his grave is in the Belfast City Cemetery.

Edward Hart Macilwaine was in Upper Assam, India where he worked as the Tea Garden Manager at the Chabua Tea Estate, and the Panikheti Tea Estate.

But when the War was announced, he had to leave India to join the forces as he was a soldier by profession. So he returned to Belfast and joined the war efforts.

Grave of John Henry Macilwaine BARBARA MAJURY

The hidden story of the Titanic in an Assamese familyDonna Das

Kannada Sahitya Parishat Library RAUNAQ

4 COMMUNIQUE AUGUST 2017FEATURE /EDITORIAL

A LAB JOURNAL OF THE PG STUDENTS OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

COMMUNIQUE CONCERN, COMPASSION, CONSCIENCE

Indira Canteens are open (Continued from page 1) the Siddaramaiah government as Assembly elections are coming up next year. This is a way to tell people that we care for you. Undoubtedly, these canteens are benefiting people who cannot afford costly food, The government needs to make sure that the canteens maintain the quality of food and there is no pilferage. They should have inbuilt kitchens. This has come out to be a vote catching exercise than removing hunger exercise”, said Tyagraj Sharma, a senior journalist.

“It is not the job of the government to run a hotel or a restaurant or canteen. The government should rather facilitate other people getting into these kinds of businesses and encourage them. It is a poor move which is going to bring thousands of poor families on the streets because the target consumers of Indira Canteens are the costumers of small establishments, eateries, messes and canteens. So all the small shops serving food are going to lose their customers and are going to have difficulty in earning. This

kind of move will perpetuate the problem of poverty rather than removing it. It is a badly implemented plan,” said Tejasvi Surya, General Secretary of the BJP’s youth wing.

Tanveer Ahmed, national spokesperson of Janatadal

Secular (JDS), said, “It is a good move, though the principal duty of the opposition is to oppose the wrong policies of the ruling government, but it not their duty to revolt against everything that the ruling government does. One is not known for what they start, they should be known for what you handle and finish. The canteens are a good move but it should function effectively. The main question is for how long

will it function well? We as an opposition party welcome and appreciate the move.”

Regarding the Namma Appaji Canteen in Hanumanthanagar and the popular belief that it belongs to the JD(S), he clarified that it had been started by an

individual out of his love for H.D Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister. Appaji Canteen is not associated with the party.”

Catherine Shadap, a student of Jain University said, “I have tried the idli here in the canteen. I haven’t tried anything else. It is quite good and also hygienic enough. I came here because it is very cheap and the taste is also good, but it is difficult to eat it every day because of the crowd.”

Majority rule that leads to authoritarinism (Continued from page 1)

governments in Bihar, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh by the BJP or its allies.

He pointed out that they were subversions of the democratic mandate which was very worrisome.

“Creating fear in people through lynching and violence is another aspect of authoritarianism which is contributing to, as some people call it, an undeclared emergency,” he said. The media was silent on these issues and had also compromised itself, he added. However, the Congress has been able to capitalise on the failure of BJP governments in some states and the victory in Punjab was an example of it.

In many ways, Indian Opposition parties are, today, in the words of the great English poet Mathew Arnold “Wandering between two worlds, one dead, The other powerless to be born”.

Senior BJP leader and former vice president of the Karnataka unit, Nirmal Kumar Surana, told Communique that ‘Congress Mukt Bharath’ was the fight against the non-performance, ineffectiveness and corruption of the previous Congress government.

“There is no internal democracy within the Congress. How do you expect a party based on dynasty to rule a democratic

country like India?. Congress Mukt Bharath is ‘dynasty-rule mukt Bharath,” he said. “Modi comes from the humblest of humble backgrounds, now he is the prime minister of the world’s largest democracy. Is this possible in Congress ?” he asked.

He pointed out that the BJP has not called for Communist Mukth Bharath or JD(S) or SP or BSP Mukth Bharath. “Our target is not the opposition, but only the Congress,” he added.

Nonetheless, regional parties are seeming to be doing well in their respective turfs. TMC is West Bengal, AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, BJD in Orissa, and so forth.

The opposition ranks in Bihar and Goa are very strong. Tanveer Ahmed, national spokesperson of JD(S) says that that BJP should free our country from the gravest of problems it has been facing for centuries. “BJP should focus on ‘Rape mukt Bharath,’ ‘Hunger mukt Bharath,’ ‘Badatana (poverty) mukt Bharath,’ ‘Corruption mukt Bharath,’ ‘Illiteracy mukt Bharath’ instead of ‘Congress mukt Bharath.”

He added that the party has lost focus on developmental issues and genuine problems that people are facing, hence they have come up with these kinds of tricks. “Congress Mukt Bharath

is just a rhetoric by the BJP to divert the attention the country from its real problems which BJP has failed to address, or even identify. This proves that BJP’s agenda is not development but their own capitalist, communal propaganda.”

“Even people like Indira Gandhi who was the most despotic of politicians could not destroy democracy. She only could derail it a bit. We will always have people like Jayaprakash Narayan to save democracy,” he pointed out.

He noted that the BJP government’s pro-business policies and violence in the name of religion is a very dangerous mixture of capitalism and communalism which makes them intolerant.

“The opposition needs to be strong, quick and nimble. Unfortunately, to make it worse, our principal opposition in the Centre which is as important or more important than the ruling class, is not at all competent to fight.”

The strenght of democracy lies in debates, discussions and dessent. Unfortunately, in the present suitation majoritarianism has muzzled debates, discussions and dissents.

Intolerance and impatience towards dissenters is a danger to the spirit democracy .

Stop Ordinance Raj!Jayasimha K.R

BENGALURU: Parliament in India occupies a very important position in the constitutional set-up of the country. It represents 1.25 billion people of this country and is the place from where we are ruled. For this reason, Parliament in India is considered the face of democracy and is often hailed as the temple of democracy. However, there are serious issues and questions regarding the functioning of the ‘temple of democracy’.

The poor attendance records of parliamentarians who rule us in our name is a serious concern that needs to be addressed immediately. According to recent reports, only five MPs of the 545 plus members of the Lok Sabha had cent per cent attendance. Members nominated

to the Rajya Sabha like Sachin Tendulkar and Hema Malini have a continuous record of low attendance. There are members who have neither asked a single question nor participated in any of the debates.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the parliamentarians of his party for lack of attendance. This warning was given only after the ruling alliance could not pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill which granted constitutional status to the National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC). Due to lack of numbers, the government was forced to drop an important clause.

This type of apathy reflects the mind-set of the law makers of the country. Why were the parliamentarians not asked or ordered to be present while an important bill was being tabled? Why do the parties or the Secretariat of the Parliament not take any action against those who do not attend or actively participate in the business of Parliament? There is urgent need for a law that makes attendance and participation in Parliament mandatory.

Poor attendance and apathy by parliamentarians has adversely affected the parliamentary system itself. This is a potential threat to the polity. In recent times, this has led and is leading to the death of the politics of consensus.

The best example for this is the extensive use of ordinances (executive orders) in the recent times defying the democratic practices of discussion and debate before a bill is passed. President Pranab Mukherjee in the recent past signed four ordinances which the government was unable to get through Parliament. However, after signing the proposal for the re-promulgation of the Enemy Property Act during the recently concluded Monsoon Session of the Parliament, he warned the Union Government in general and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular against the ordinance route his government has frequently taken.

The strength of democracy lies in debates, discussions and dissent. Unfortunately, only dissent is being noted today. Use of ordinances also means less time allotted for discussions and debate in Parliament.

If there are no debates and/or discussions on a particular bill (which eventually becomes the law of the land upon passing) then, as Pranab Mukherjee said. There “is the breach of the trust reposed by the people in the system”.

It is the right and moreover a duty of every citizen of the country to get to know what is going on in Parliament. It is also the duty and obligation of both Parliament and the media to effectively communicate to the people what happens inside Parliament.

The parliamentarians will definitely not act until and unless the people wake up. If people succeed in pressurising legislature for a positive change in this regard the reward would be immeasurable. Failure would turn out to be nothing less than a disaster.

PARLIAMENT OF INDIA

Canteen staff ready to serve MEGHASRI

5 COMMUNIQUE AUGUST 2017FEATURE

C sections sweeps popularly in India

(Continued from page 2)

Women than the olden times have increased. Generally babies are born with bigger head and this becomes difficult for cervical dilation and the more time we take to get the baby out, there is oxygen deficiency

causing foetal distress and may affect the baby’s health.

So usually when these factors are considered, doctors usually don’t take chances with the kind of anxiety that would exist in the mother,” she added.

Although with these advanced technologies for the cause of C-section to rise, there are many other reasons why it can be seen also dangerous.

Dr. Phiba Mawrie, a practising doctor at St. John’s has a slightly different view to this.

“Mainly it is these private hospitals that tend to ask women to go for a surgical procedure as doctors can also be paid much more than for a vaginal delivery”, added Dr. Phiba.

There can be a higher risk of haemorrhage, blood clots, and bowel obstruction seen among

mothers who deliver a baby by caesarean section as well as several other infections because it is a major abdominal surgery.

The other reasons for the popular rise in the C-section is due to baby positioned with buttocks or feet-first position instead of a head first position, otherwise called as a breech position. (Sachs, 1989).

Although there are positives and negatives for both, as the phrase goes, ‘Once a caesarean, forever a caesarean’.

Brain-drain a loss to countries (Continued from page 2)

The growth rate of Indian students going abroad has grown from 12 per cent in 2014 to 17.8 per cent this year. Nearly 85 per cent of internationally mobile Indian students head for five countries the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. But both China and Germany are emerging destinations for Indian students heading overseas.

Amit Basole, faculty member of the School of Liberal Studies at Azim Premji University, “Brain drain emerged as a major concern in the 1980s and 1990s with the efflux of educated and skilled young people to developed countries like the US and the UK. The economic angle was that many of them were trained in public institutions like the IITs which are heavily subsidized. Thus tax rupees were being spent on individuals who did not contribute to the Indian economy in a direct way (except via remittances).”

He added “After the rapid growth of the Indian economy in the 2000s and later, the issue has changed in its form. While many people still prefer to settle and work abroad after being trained in India, it is also true that there are far more opportunities in India now than there were earlier, to earn incomes comparable (in purchasing power parity terms)

to those earned abroad. Further, the allure of cheap services and a sense of belonging has contributed to people wanting to return to India and work here. Brain drain is not as bad as it used to be. A different angle is that there has been a backlash against immigrants in the US and UK that has also resulted in those places becoming less attractive to settle in.”

Dhruv Tejaswi, currently pursuing a Masters in Law at the London School of Economics, says “A fractured, corrupt and inefficient government machinery coupled with undervaluing talented people and under-paying talents mainly results in this trend. Apart from salary and incentive which is below the international standards, the lack of opportunities to grow and talent and ideas not being valued and rewarded are among the reasons for the best of the talent to move abroad. They feel their hard work and efforts are valued and rewarded adequately abroad which is beyond monetary incentives. ”

He claimed the “The present government is taking a lot of initiative to turn brain drain into brain gain.” Modi’s government plans to boost science research in the country and have world class research facilities in Indian universities.But it doesn’t seem to have had much of an impact

on those who really want a good education abroad or better jobs abroad. The obscurantist approach of his government in mixing science and myth and superstition and replacing one with the other has also disappointed those who looked for progress in the country.

Narendra Modi speaking at the 14th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2017 in Bengaluru had said that “As a result of sustained and systematic outreach, there is a strong drive among the Indian diaspora to connect more extensively and deeply with India’s social and economic transformation.”

According to the 2016 Open Doors report on International Educational Exchange, of the number of Indian students going to USA, 36 per cent chose engineering followed by 34 per cent choosing math and computer science. Business management figures stood at 19.2 per cent while physical and life sciences was 6.3 per cent.

Overall, whether it be Indian students or Indian professionals, the brain drain shows no sign of abating. Ultra-nationalists may nurse the illusion that India provides ample educational and professional opportunities that are world-class but those who are down to earth know that the grass is indeed greener across the oceans.

QUEENS OF SCARS

For Zumba instructors, passion wins over profitsBENGALURU: The trending aerobic fitness programme based on Latin dance moves and music called Zumba is not exactly profitable for many of its instructors in Bengaluru city but they are driven by their passion for dance and motivating clients to keep a healthy lifestyle to keep going. In fact, several Zumba instructors are overworked and are finding it hard to make both

ends meet from teaching Zumba and to maintain healthy living themselves.

The Zumba programme was created in 1991 founded in 2001 and came to Bangalore in 2006. It is now a trending globalized

network. Instructors are found from all over the globe, they are trained by a Zumba Education Specialist (ZES) who are picked by Beto, the creator of the programme for their fitness experience.

Prateek Prakash, a Basic 1 certified Zumba Instructor, said, “Zumba instructors take a lot of classes in January, February and March but then in April it dips down and again picks up in June and July. The Zumba year works on the school academic year.

The majority of my clients are mothers. Some do not attend class regularly. So in this peak period, we stack up as much work as we can by taking as many number of classes as possible.”

Vishal Desmond, a Zumba

International Network (ZIN) certified instructor, said “Starting my Zumba career my salary was Rs. 20,000 a month. I did not have a vehicle and used to walk to all my classes no matter how far they were. I did not have a proper place to stay as I did not earn enough to support myself well. It is still a challenge as there is always a day where someone can take over your work and clients if you ever take rest.”

“As a Zumba instructor, we have to put up with unfairness in terms of payments. A lot of people want to spend their money on doctors rather on fitness instructors. Like every freelance job, an instructor often faces delayed payments or exploitation by employers such as gym owners and contractors,” said Aarti Sharma, a Basic 1 certified Zumba Instructor.

Many Zumba instructors work much beyond the hour for the prescribed workout time resulting in overwork and fatigue. “The World Health Organization says an average person can only do any kind of physical workout from between 80 and 120 minutes in a day, but as Zumba instructors we

cross that by a lot. I work for 7 days; on Saturdays and Sundays I just have 60 minutes of class but the other week days I take 4 classes per day which is 240 minutes of classes. Sometimes it varies since it is a time-based or seasonal job,” said Prateek.

Similar to any job there are

challenges in terms of politics and competition.

But most Zumba instructors are in it because of their passion for dance and they love seeing people happy or growing healthy. Zumba instructors gain the love of their clients for other reasons too.

In his 8 years as instructor, he remembers one experience. “I encountered a pregnant lady who, since she was on the heavier

side, was told by doctors that she couldn’t conceive. But after she joined my classes she lost around 20 kgs within 6 months and gave birth 2 months later,” he said.

“As we are always working with music, every class is a therapy session. dance,” said Aarti.

“Zumba has made me energetic, happy and fitter. It puts a smile on my face and a glow to my skin. I feel great as it also is choreographed with moves that bring out the sexiness in you which make you feel great. It has built my stamina. I pay Rs.1900 per month for 12 classes,” said Elizabeth David, who has done her PG in Fitness Training and is a mother of two.

Celeste David

Strecthes after an intense workout SWATI

After class photo sessions SWATI

6 COMMUNIQUE AUGUST 2017INTERVIEW/MOVIE REVIEW

BENGALURU: Madhur Bhandarkar’s film Indu Sarkar is a political drama film which takes a different approach to the Emergency. It not only shows the reality of the times but also the life of a common man who get pulled into the mess unknowingly.

The film is about a women who gets influenced by leftist ideology and takes up the responsibility to fight against the Emergency. The film has faced opposition from the Congress party leaders as they felt it to be a negative portrayal of the party.

The name of the film is very aptly chosen. Indu Sarkar is not only the name of the central character but also indirectly refers to the Indira Gandhi Sarkar that brought in the Emergency.

The film has performances by Kriti Kulhari, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Anupan Kher, Supriya Vinod and Tota Roy Chowdhury. It is an amalgamation of reality and fiction.

The narrative is quite engaging and one can relate themselves with the character of Indu Sarkar. Tor he direct Bhandarkar, after his film Fashion, Heroin and Chandni Bar has come up with

yet another film which portrays women in a strong way.

The film starts with showing facts of Emergency and radio

announcements about it.Then it shows a village where the police barges in for conducting mass sterilisation.

Then it shifts to Indu, played by Kriti Kulhari, an orphan girl who stutters. She wants to get adopted but gets rejected because of the stuttering issue.

She is shown as an avid reader and ends up finding her love in poems, till she meets Navin Sarkar, played by Tota Roy Chowdhury, who sees beyond the stuttering Indu and shows concern and interest in knowing her and also asking about what her dreams are.

Naveen Sarkar, later her husband, dreams of money, power and fame.

Indu Sarkar on the other hand

is a docile person who hardly has any dreams or ambitions other than being a good wife. She loves and supports her husband and is hardly aware of what work he does. She lives life happily and is hardly aware of what is going on around her till she comes in face to face with Emergency.

Chief, played by Neil Nitin Mukesh, is seen as Indira Gandhi’s son Sanjay Gandhi. He plays the role of an antagonist who wants things to work his way. Supriya Vinod plays Indira Gandhi in the film, but she is given less screen time.

Anupam Kher has played

the role of a leftist leader who doesn’t fear to go against the government and the system. His character is seen as supporting Kriti Kulhari to be fearless and stand firm in her belief.

The Turkman Gate slum demolition is a real time issue that took place during the Emergency.

It shows the killing of innocents, police firing, children getting orphaned, parents losing their children, people losing jobs and homes and their families.

This is the incident which changes Indu Sarkar into being an independent women Indu. The film shows a gradual yet a strong transformation of Indu Sarkar from a shy, timid, stuttering, confidence-less person to Indu, a strong woman who fights the system to get her rights.

There are certain dialogues in the film which have a deeper meaning and created a strong impact. Like “Bharath ki ek beti ne desh ko bandi banaya hua hai, tum who beti bano jo desh ko mukti ka marg dikha sake” (One daughter of the country has jailed the people, you should become that daughter who gives freedom.)

The film deals with the death of democracy and violation of

human rights. It also showed the iconic edition of The Indian Express, New Delhi, June 27, 1975 which was printed blank to show censorship of the press and media.

It shows how the ruling party functioned at that time and urges people to fight for their rights.

Delhi is the central location and places haunted by intellectuals and rebels like the Indian Coffee

House are used to show the times.

The film is shot often in dull light to mark the dark times with close ups of the main characters to emphasise their expressions and the tensions they go through.

Overall, it is a good film. Even though most of it is fiction, it has successfully shown the realities of the dark era of Emergency.

Indu Sarkar, a story of the EmergencyShivangee Dasgupta

Films do not discriminate between genres: ThejaswiBENGALURU: Poornachandra Thejaswi, an engineer turned music director, won the State award for ‘Best music director’, for his debut film Lucia in 2013. From then on, there was no turning back. He produced the album ‘Baarisu Kannada Dindimava’ which song also became one of the most popular tunes in 2015.

Thejaswi, currently working on the films Chambal and Hebbettina Ramakka, shares with The Communique his story of struggles and success and the aesthetics that go into composing music.

Excerpts from the interview.

How did your journey begin in the realm of music?

My father (S Venkataramana Swamy) wrote a lot of poetry and his work had a great influence on me. As a young boy, I made it a habit to recite poetry with tunes and that is how it all began. When I was in high school, AR Rahman’s songs were very popular. His music made me realise that it’s not just the singing or lyrics that matter, but the sound and composition of a song adds so much texture, taking the entire piece to a whole new level. This inspired me to

make good music.

Were you always keen on being a part of the film industry?

Yes! Very much indeed. I wasn’t very sure of what kind of music I was specifically interested in and I had no plans of sticking to one genre. One of the advantages of working for a film is that it does not discriminate between genres and lets you experiment with all kinds of styles. This led me to try my hand at different things like theatre, classical and rock music.

It is not easy to click in such a competitive field. What were your struggles like?

When I was in college, I would often compose small tracks and record them, keeping in mind that I needed a portfolio to join the film industry. I came to Bengaluru and went directly to Gandhinagar to show my portfolio. I couldn’t tell anyone at home as I was an engineering student and they would be upset. I was from a town like Srirangapattana and knew nothing about the film industry. I worked as an editor for four months, with the aim of building contacts. Nothing worked out for me and so I decided to go back to my hometown. I got a job as a software engineer, but I still

continued to compose tunes side by side and soon Pawan Kumar’s Lucia came my way.

Lucia was popular for many reasons and one of them was your music. How did this film come your way?

Although my journey before

Lucia entailed a lot of struggle, this film happened to me rather easily. In 2012, Pawan had uploaded Lucia’s poster online and on seeing the title, I immediately composed a tune for it in half a day and sent it to him. Pawan took a keen interest in my music composition and responded to me immediately. All the tracks that I had composed as a college student had finally come to use as I had a

portfolio to show him. This gave him confidence about my work and he called me to his office. He gave me lot of assignments for three to four months. After several trials, he was finally convinced that I could compose music and decided to pull me on board as the music director for Lucia.

What followed afterwards?Lucia set the benchmark for

me because of Pawan’s technical brilliance which made me expect every film to be this way. The success I garnered was fruitful and challenging at the same time. Knowingly or unknowingly I began to gauge projects and it didn’t work out for me as I wasn’t able to give my best. I felt that something was missing in my music and this is when I released my album ‘Baarisu Kannada Dindimava’ in 2015 which became a very popular tune and received over 2 million views. I followed with films like Vasco da Gama, Rocket, Bhujanga and U-turn. As a musician I’m never satisfied and this pushes me forward to create good music.

What is the kind of thought process that goes into composing music?

There are a lot of aspects we consider while composing music

for a scene. Certain scenes will require us to boost or underline the emotion portrayed on the screen. Another approach is where we compose something that contrasts with what exists on the screen to emphasize on something that cannot be conveyed through visuals. A lot of times tunes hit me when I ride my bike or when I’m interacting with the outside world, rather than sitting in my studio. But, the best tunes come to my mind when the director narrates the story.

What advice do you have for youngsters who aspire a career in music?

I used to go around Gandhinagar looking for someone willing to listen to my music, but now anyone can contact industry persons through social media. If that does not work, one can always upload their work on YouTube and, if their music is good, the audience will give them encouragement and popularity.

The number of music directors entering the industry has increased competition. Newcomers must remember to give their best at their very first try as it will last longer in people’s minds which will help their career last longer.

Poornachandra Thejaswi

Aishani Shetty

7 COMMUNIQUE AUGUST 2017FEATURE/MOVIE REVIEW

BENGALURU: Many filmmakers now see a scope for themselves in directing short films as part of the ‘new wave’ of cinema the Kannada film industry has seen since 2013. Although the short film culture in Kannada cinema has been there for quite some time, it is picking up pace and slowly growing with several youngsters opting for it as they see a market for themselves, or in order to have a portfolio to direct feature films in the future.

Films like Jayanagar 4th block, Chowkabaara, Present Sir, Free Hit, Patinga and Ondanondu Dina have been trending on YouTube. Production houses like Sathish Picture House, Pawan Kumar Films, etc., have begun producing short films in order to support good content.

Renowned actor and producer Sathish Ninasam produced the award winning short film Chowkabaara under his home banner Sathish Picture House, in 2016. “The reason I started my own production house was to support young talent who are trying to make their way into the film industry. Certain stories cannot be told through feature

films or they may need very little time to be narrated. This is when short films come into the picture,” said Sathish Ninasam.

He is also producing a short film this year and said that he plans to produce at least two short films a year, from 2018 onwards. “As a producer, there’s no profit for me. The only reason to invest in these scripts is to contribute to quality work as this will in turn benefit the industry,” he said.

Back in the 80s and 90s, Kannada produced several quality films and this was known as the golden period for the film industry.

Although the quality of the films dropped in the 2000s, it saw the beginning of short films as the digital age had boomed.

“Short films in Kannada are a reflection of the feature films produced,” said Shashank Soghal, director of Patinga which received a ‘Jury Special Mention’, at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF). “Feature films like Lucia changed the scenario of filmmaking in Kannada which led several short filmmakers to produce good content and strive to achieve technical brilliance,” he added.

South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA), for the first time, added the short film category in 2017 which has encouraged several small

time filmmakers as they may get commercial recognition. Director of Chowkabaara, Raghu Shivamogga, won the State award as well as the SIIMA award for ‘Best Short Film’.

“Short films may not be profitable, but have a lot of value in terms of recognition as several film festivals and competitions are dedicated to this category,” said Shivamogga. The director, who worked with well-known actors such as Achyuth Kumar and Sharath Lohitashwa, has now paved a path for himself in

the feature film realm. “Many prominent actors are recognising the short film culture in Kannada which helps new directors like us,” he added.

Popular mainstream actors like Shraddha Srinath, Sudha Belavadi, Sanchari Vijay, Hitha Chandrashekar and many more have recognised this form which has increased viewership among the audience.

Hitha Chandrashekar, who recently worked on actor-turned-director Aishani Shetty’s short film said, “Mainstream cinema has its limitations as it is business oriented. As an actor I would be able to explore so much more through short films as they have no boundaries and are made

purely out of passion”. The actor also added that several sponsors are slowly coming forward to produce short films for either brand recognition or product placement.

Not only has the digital age helped in making it possible for amateurs to make films, but it has also helped in creating an audience for it. “Web services and free internet provided by certain network providers have played a huge role in making short films and web series visible. This has increased the audience as well as the viewership online,” said Shashank Sohgal. “Applications like Hotstar and Voot are willing to buy the films if the content is good enough and if one is able to pitch their film the right way,” he added.

With several film festivals and competitions both at a national level as well as the college level, many amateur filmmakers have platforms to showcase their work.

Although the Tamil and Malayalam industries have a more popular base for short films, Kannada is slowly trying to catch up as new filmmakers are concentrating more on the content of their craft and the form of short films.

State award winning film ‘Chowkabaara’

Short film culture expands in Kannada filmsAishani Shetty

BENGALURU: The fever of belly dance has spread across Bangalore thanks to a mixture of talented belly dancers and amateurs. wBelly dance originated in India over 5,000 years ago, and had spread throughout the Middle East with the migrations of the gypsy tribes also called Roma in Europe, Ghawazee in Egypt, and Nawar in India. The Gypsies eventually reached Europe where one of the most famous gypsy dance styles was born - Flamenco. Many moves in modern Flamenco are still very similar to belly dance.

Belly dance, as an art form, is still looked upon with negative perceptions; creating confusion between sensuousness and vulgarity. When belly dance is mentioned, people perceive it in a negative manner, whereas it is a beautiful dance form and has become more popular through the famous pop star, Shakira.

It is the belly dancer’s responsibility to make the audience aware about the form before they start performing. And among the talented belly dancers in Bengaluru, the most prominent name is that of Bindu Bolar, a native of Mangalore, but settled in Bangalore since

the past 15 years. Bindu hails from an orthodox middle class, study-oriented family and her beginning as a dancer was not easy. She struggled a lot to

convince her family, especially her father, but gradually when she began achieving success and recognition in her field, her family began supporting her.

“I have always loved dancing and movement arts in particular. Dance itself is beautiful. My first stint with belly dancing was in 1999 or 2000 when the pop song by Shakira ‘Whenever Wherever’ was released. Some hip movements in the video by her, fascinated me. I recall standing in front of the mirror and trying to recreate them being unaware that they are techniques from a dance form called Belly Dance. As I delved further into professional dancing I explored further and gave my first Belly dance performance in 2005. I

was still an amateur then. But there was no turning back from there. I found my first teacher Anna Olkinuora and got trained in Oriental style belly dancing. And I later went to the United States to get trained in Tribal Fusion genres,” says Bindu.

She has been belly dancing for the past 12 years, and has been conducting workshops for the past 5 years. Bindu speaks of how Belly Dancing is a not a native dance form. So it is natural that when it moves geographically a lot of myths and misconceptions get attached to it.

She said, “I definitely feel it’s high time these misconceptions about Belly Dance being negative should change. It is a technical dance form like any other dance form and is meant for everyone, any gender, age or size. It deserves to get the respect the other dance forms get. Respect the art; it will give you not just respect but much more back. Work tirelessly and humbly to reach your goals, when you reach there, stay grounded. Don’t forget your dance, your roots and your teachers.”

Another popular name among belly dancers in the City is that of Alex Victor, who entered the world of belly dance by chance, and has not regretted it ever

since. It all began when he was challenged by his friend.

“He said I can perform any kind of dance form with ease except belly dance. He

showed me a video of a male belly dancer performing to an instrumental called Darbuka. I was so fascinated by his moves, and decided to take up the challenge. I learnt the dance in a few weeks and performed (not to perfection) in front of my friends who were definitely stunned (in a good way),” Alex recalled.

Alex belongs to a corporate background, but he realised that his true passion was for the performing arts and he decided to leave his job and take up dance as a career in 2009. He trained himself in Bollywood, freestyle

and belly dancing for many years, performing at various venues around India.

“Life as a dancer is not as easy as you see on stage. It takes a lot of practice and dedication to perform confidently. And being a male dancer, I have been judged. Honestly, I haven’t been called for any corporate shows because I’m a male belly dancer, because for a lot of people belly dancing is all about female sensuousness. Despite these issues, I have managed to travel to various cities in India, showcase my talent, and hopefully have been able to convey the right message to the audience,” says Alex.

Both these belly dancers say that the participation percentages have increased in the past few years. Bindu says that she is happy to see the participation go up, because this not only proves that people are slowly accepting this beautiful dance for what it is, but also people are coming out of their myth-shells that this dance form is vulgar. This writer too is a self-trained belly dancer and has faced similar challenges. Relatives have always looked down on me saying it is ‘obscene’. However, Shakira’s videos have been my tutorials, and YouTube lessons my classes.

Belly Dancers, like hips, don’t lie!Donna Das

Bindu Bolar CARRIE MEYER

Alex Victor JOSEPH MONIS

Staff Editor: Ampat Varghese; Student Editors: Jayasimha K.R; Sub-Editor:Meghasri M.S;Reporters:Jayasimha K R, Aishani Shetty,Shivangee Dasgupta,Raunaq Kapoor,Donna Das,Celeste David,Megha Mary Mathews

Published by the PG Department of Communication, St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), P.O. Box 27094, Lalbagh Road, Bangalore-27DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in Communique’ belongs to individuals and do not in any way reflect the opinions of the faculty or the management

Website: www.sjc.ac.in Feedback: communique@sjc.ac.in

8 COMMUNIQUE ADVERTISEMENTS AUGUST 2017