AYE SHIVANI TU SAB KI HAI NAANI.........

Do not express surprise, awe and wonder when the woman you disdainfully classified as a doormat; boring and stereotypical "Bharatiya Naari" as well as a snivelling "Behenji" proves to be all this and a lot more besides........
Meet one such archetypal "boring" housewife Shivani 35; who is the living embodiment of the much caricatured typical housewife donning traditional Gujarati sarees and being contented with her blissful domestic scenario and convivial and congenial family environment........
So much for one side of the coin; now for the other side; Shivani also happens to be one of the 1,800 "friends of women and children" (super sleuths) appointed by the CID branch of the Gujarat Police and entrusted with the onerous responsibility/task of gathering substantial and life altering intelligence that reunited three Ahmedabad teenagers who happened to be missing from home and hearth for periods varying between 2-8 months or so.........
Highlighting and exhorting one of her numerous sterling and heroic exploits; a senior police officer says that "Shivani not only aided and abetted the parents of a 16 year old girl who had gone missing from Ahmedabad;s Sardar Nagar locality in filing a police complaint but also managed to trace her whereabouts to a remote Saurashtra village where she was kpet confined by the man who had "bought" her for the pithy sum of Rs. 1.30 lakhs from her kidnappers"..........
While another senior official somewhat hesitatingly revealed the news about Shivani playing an instrumental role in locating and rescuing two other minor girls: a 13 year old girl from the soiled clutches of her kidnappers in Bhind (Madhya Pradesh) as well as a 16 year old from Pune........
"in all the afore/above mentioned three cases; Shivani provided the CID branch with significant clues about the identities of the kidnappers (who were apprehended in all three instances) as well as traced down the exact and precise location/s of the victims", the senior official concludes.........
One being questioned why she (Shivani) prefers donning the nondescript role of an archetypal housewife and becoming a part of the furniture; Shivani candidly admits that she is forbidden from revealing her true identity and name as she mostly works beneath the surface or then in secret almost always and also because to the omnipotent and omniscient threat/danger to her life as a result of the role played by her in ensnaring many a "crime lord"...........
Did I hear someone say or remark; :there goes yet another stereotyped and unremarkable housewife who leads a less than ordinary life".........

"INCEST" AND HOLIER THAN THOU INDIAN FAMILIES...........

"incest" has always been a taboo in our supposedly hallowed land; but one did also hear careless whispers about the same being rampant in certain cities; certain sections of our so called "civilised" society as well as amongst families belonging to a certain economic strata............
In the latest such instance of "forcible incest" in an upper middle class family; a 21 year old Gurgaon based woman on Thursday afternoon revealed or rather blurted out the highly disturbing and disconcerting fact about her stepfather and two of his cousins repeatedly sexually assaulting/exploiting her for the last decade and a bit.........
What is even more startling; reprehensible and deplorable is the fact about her mother being acutely aware of her condemnable and pitiable plight yet siding with the accused and repeatedly asking her progeny to hold her tongue so that the facade of a "happy" and "united"family could be maintained at all costs..........
Based on the complaint filed by the victim in conjunction with her aunt on Thursday afternoon; the Gurgaon Police personnel sent her for a medical examination that conclusively established the occurrence of rape; the victim's 37 year old step father one Dinanath was arrested from his Gurgaon residence on the rape related charges filed by his step daughter against him.........
While the demonic lady who claimed to be the victim's biological mother was arrested for the twin crimes of aiding and abetting the perpetrators as well as threatening her daughter with dire consequences if she much as let out a whimper about her sorry and harrowing ordeal..........
Thursday (September 25,2014) proved to be a momentous day in the young woman's fledgling life as she somehow managed to summon up the much desired courage and moral fibre to face up to her inner demons and turmoil as well as file a complaint at the Palam Vihar Police Station against her tormentors in conjunction with her Noida based aunt in who's house she had sought refuge for the last 10 days or so.........
In her written complaint, the victim alleged that her ordeal began way back in the year 2004; within two years of her biological father's (who was gainfully employed as a Bank Manager) untimely demise as her mother thought it fit to marry the accused (step-father) who used to ferry the victim to her school in his very own auto rickshaw apart from owning 5 such other three wheelers.............
She further alleged that she was entrusted to the care of two of her step father's cousins Bhushan and Arun who were supposed to safeguard her while her parents moved to Indore for a four month long period; but the two males who were supposed to protect and nurture the victim showed their true colours as they took turns in raping her continually during the afore mentioned period while her parents were away from Gurgaon........
In accordance with the law a FIR has been filed against the accused persons clearly outlining the extent of the crimes committed by them as well as the various sections of the IPC applicable to the same; the Gurgaon Police force has so far been successful in nabbing the step-father as well as the victim's biological mother while a massive manhunt has been launched in order to nab the other two accused at the earliest...........
One wonders what the self styled and appointed "guardians and benefactors" of our so called pristine and unblemished culture have to say about this one/instance........

GUWAHATI BASED YOUTH DASHES OF MISSIVE TO PRIME MINISTER........

It is indeed heartening to note that we are indeed blessed with a Prime Minister who not only lends a patient hearing to the Aam Aadmi's grievances but also does his bit to alleviate the same......
Nirmal Roy a jobless youth and long time resident of Guwahati city's Panikheti area was desperate to lay his hands on the elusive passport that did not come his way even after six months or so after applying for the same and was literally running from pillar to post in order to lay his hands on the much sought after passport any which way.........
Little did he know that the answer to his problems/solution to his sorry predicament would come in the form of a letter addressed to the prime minister that netted him the prize catch (passport) within a week or so after writing and despatching the said letter to the prime minister's office.........
Utterly fed up with the antics of the staff at the regional passport office and having reached the end of his tether; Nirmal Roy decided to meet the regional passport officer in an effort to seek a solution to his problem; he was however accosted by a female official from the passport office who was unusually rude and brusque with him and who admonished him instead of providing a solution for his long standing problem/grievance.............
Completely taken aback by the unprovoked assault on him; Roy threatened the concerned female official with dire consequences and expressed his intention of dashing off a letter to the prime minister complaining about the undesirable and unacceptable behaviour of the staff members attached to the Guwahati regional passport centre and his resolve was further strengthened when his nemesis (female staff) disdainfully laughed off his implied threat.........
Sticking to his resolution; Roy dashed off a latter to the prime minister's office on September 15, 2014 and to his utter disbelief and untold joy received the long denied passport on September 22, 2014...........
He only broke his silence on September 23, 2014 when the CBI arrested Anjali Das Thakuria; personal assistant to the regional passport officer, Guwahati on the grave charges of demanding as well as accepting illegal gratification (bribes) from well over fifty or so applicants during the three month period preceding her arrest; seizing the moment, Nirmal Roy approached the assembled media personnel with his prized possession (passport); copy of the letter addressed to Shri Narendra Modi as well as his litany of woes against the rank and file of the regional passport office, Guwahati.........
Nirmal Roy enjoys "minor" celebrity status now in his fawning neighbourhood thanks to his candid confessions and all aggrieved persons in the locality now plan to dash of letters to the prime minister after having taken a leaf out of Roy's book..........

TWO AND HALF YEAR OLD TODDLER BRUTALLY RAPED IN DELHI........

Our national capital's menfolk will sexually assault every conceivable female form irrespective of age, size and shape; after all anything goes as long as it guarantees sexual/instant gratification.........
A two and a half year girl child (toddler) was brutally sexually assaulted by a male employee from the play school that she frequents (goes to) on Tuesday afternoon.........
However his nemesis soon caught up with the accused (a peon who works in the very same play school) as he was arrested from the school's premises by police personnel from the national capital's Rohini (south-west) Delhi locality on Thursday afternoon.........
Matters came to a head late on Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning when the victim (toddler) complained of excruciating and unbearable stomach/abdominal pain and was promptly rushed to neighbouring medical facility by her alarmed parents.........
Doctors attending on the toddler confirmed that a sexual assault on her earlier in the day was the primary reason behind the excruciating abdominal pains and proceeded to file a medico legal basis in conjunction with the girl's (toddlers) parents as per the requirements of the law.........
Acting with surprising alacrity and remarkable agility; the local police personnel waited outside the play school premises while the victim identified her assailant (the arrested peon) following which they swooped upon the rapist and led him towards the police lock up...........
As per/in accordance with laid down legal procedures; the accused was produced before a judicial magistrate at 4 pm on Thursday evening and the magistrate concerned has sent the accused to 14 days legal remand w.e.f. September 25, 2014............

FARHAN AKHTAR ADDS ONE MORE FEATHER TO HIS CAP.........

Carrying his MARD (Men Against Rape and Discrimination) one step further and putting his money where his mouth is; film maker/actor Farhan Akhtar has gone ahead and released a single entitled "Chulein Aasman" which drives home the message about the girl child being an inalienable and highly desirable part of any and every Indian family...........
Created in active collaboration with the "sultan of soulful melodies" Salim Merchant; the touching and timely ditty has been penned and sung by Farhan Akhtar and Shraddha Pandit; while noted music composers Salim/Sulaiman have composed the music as well as provided the additional vocals required.........
What makes the video start miles apart from other similar videos or then videos/songs that set out to drive home a similar message is the fact that all the women who feature in the video are wholely and solely dressed in Indian attire: Punjabi suits; churidars and sarees unlike other such videos which show "empowered" women donning "formal western attire"..........
Farhan Akhtar has also gone ahead and joined hands and forces with Google's "Helping Women Get Online" initiative in an effort to ensure that women get their due worth in an essentially male dominated society as well as enjoy an equal footing in a "gender neutral" world.........
Here's hoping that Farhan's timely initiative does indeed end up making the difference it sets out to as well as sensitises a seemingly demonic society to women's rights and needs........

ONCE A DUTT ALWAYS A DUTT.......

Once a Dutt always a Dutt; and the Dutt's philanthropic tendencies will always come to the fore irrespective of the circumstances they find themselves in.......
Love him or hate him; but the fact remains that Sanjay Dutt will always remain the "Baba with the golden heart" that people who love him have come to adore and revere.......
Once again proving that he is certainly a chip of the old block (the Late Sunil Dutt's one and only male offspring); the "deadly" Dutt persuaded all his fellow inmates in Pune's Yerwada Jail to voluntarily contribute a day's wages towards the noteworthy cause of providing succour to the Kashmiri's whose lives and times have been torn asunder by the recent floods in the state........
According to the jail warden; Sanjay was saddened beyond belief when he saw the visuals of numerous flood victims on a Hindi news channel and was chomping at the bit (over eager to do his bit) ever since.........
Dutt took the onus of reaching out to the victims upon himself and addressed a few gatherings of his fellow jail inmates wherein he impressed upon them the need to reach out to their fellow countrymen in any and every manner they could.........
The funds thus collected as a result of Dutt's philanthropic tendencies will be shortly deposited in the Prime Ministers' Relief Fund through an account payee cheque..........

CHETESHWAR PUJARA GIVEN OUT FOR HANDLING THE BALL........

Misery only doesn't rain down it pours unabated as far as Indian test star Cheteshwar Pujara is concerned.........
Pujara who had signed up for a three odd month stint with English county side Derbyshire in an effort to regain his long lost form and composure as well as sort out all his technique and temperament related demons was given out for having "handled" the ball (handling the ball) on the first morning of Derbyshire's four day county championship match against arch enemies Leicestershire on Tuesday morning..........
Pujara had stepped up to the plate or come to the crease at the fall of his county side's first wicket in the 16 th over of the match but was given out as he had handled the ball in an effort to stop the ball that had struck the inner half of his bat from rolling onto the steps.........
He (Cheteshwar Pujara) was batting on an individual score of 8 off 21 balls faced at the time and his tragi-comic dismissal reduced his team to a rather sorry looking 62/3 midway through the 21 st over of the four day game being hosted by Derbyshire..........
What was even more galling was the fact that Pujara achieved the dubious distinction of becoming the first batsman to have been dismissed for the cardinal sin of handling the ball since 1996 (a good 18 years ago) and succeeded his predecessor Karl Krikken who was given out for having committed the same sin against a visiting Indian cricket team (test side) on the very same ground 18 odd years ago.........
Handled/handling the ball is an extremely rare form of dismissal and only 7 batsmen have been given out in the same manner ever since the first test match was played well over a century ago.........
What was that about one's cup of misery overflowing and bad/ill luck plaguing you at every step when you are at your lowest ebb.........

YET ANOTHER NEEDLESS MURDER.....

The national capital's crime spree continues unabated with a teen being the latest entry in the crime related statistics of our national capital..........
According to police sources; the body of a 19 year old male teenager was recovered from the immediate vicinity of the national capital's ISKCON temple/ mandir early on Monday morning.........
Deepu (the victim) was found lying in a pool of his own blood and grey matter as his head had been crushed with a heavy stone that was lying right next to the mangled body; according to family sources; Deepu had left his humble dwelling in South Delhi's Sant Nagar area with a paltry sum of Rs. 50 in his pocket late on Sunday evening and the same was found to be missing when his pockets were searched by the police personnel who reached the crime scene.............
Deepu used to reside in the humble dwelling with his sister and brother-in-law and was gainfully employed in an Okhla based garment factory until a fortnight or so before his sordid/ gory and untimely end; he had been laid off by the factory's owner and was looking for a new job according to his inconsolable sister.........
As mentioned earlier; Deepu had left his dwelling to fetch some food late on Sunday evening and when he did not return till much later that night; his brother-in-law had filed a ,missing complaint in the neighbouring police chowki; Deepu's mangled and mutilated corpse was found lying in the Astha Park which is located right behind the iconic ISKCON temple by a couple of rag pickers who ran helter skelter while raising an alarm simultaneously when they spotted Deepu's mortal remains at around 6:30 am or so on the fateful Monday morning.............
According to the investigating officer initial investigations have revealed the fact that Deepu must have been attacked by a person/s known to him,while on his way back to his thikana as a packet containing food items was found lying next to the corpse..........
A case of murder against persons unknown has since been registered at the local police chowki and the investigating officer has requested any person/s who can shed light on the gruesome murder to step forward voluntarily and disclose any relevant and much required information that could help the police in unravelling the mystery behind Deepu's tryst with death.........

LIAR'S DICE IS INDIA'S OFFICIAL ENTRY AT THE OSCARS........

Self confessed disenchantment or disgust with the manner in which Hindi film awards in the popular awards categories are decided upon and disbursed; one of the finest actors of this generation, Nawazuddin Siddiqui certainly seems to be earning all the plaudits and running away with the encomiums.........
In what must come as no surprise to all Nawazuddin Siddiqui fans (including yours truly); the Geetu Mohandas helmed Hindi feature film "Liar's Dice" (starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Geetanjali Thapa) has been officially chosen as India's official entry to the much coveted Oscar's in the "best foreign language film category" by the much maligned Film Federation of India...........
Liar's Dice had won the National Awards for Best Cinematography and it's female protagonist Geetanjali Thapa had walked away with the much sought after "Best Actress" award when the National Awards were announced earlier this year........
Liar's Dice which also co-stars Murari Kumar and Mukesh Tiwari is the quintessential story of a voyage of discovery or then should I say forced search which begins in a small village called or christened "Chitkul" which happens to be strategically located on the much contested and hotely debated Indo-China border and ends in the national capital New Delhi..........
Geetanjali Thapa; a young mother from an obscure tribal community and her three year old daughter begin this arduous, fateful, compelling and totally engaging journey in search of their missing husband/father; the female protagonist happens to meet an Army deserter (Siddiqui) during the course of this life altering journey and he accompanies them till the very end of this tumultuous journey............
According to a jury member; Liar's Dice is an endearing yet starkly truthful take on the the pitfalls of the current system/s that are in vogue within the country and why it provokes or gives rise to the angst or simmering discontentment simmering below the surface against the same and it's utterly realistic no holds barred take on the system gives it a more than even chance of netting the elusive Oscar this time around; according to the very same jury member..........
Here's wishing the team of Liar's Dice good wishes and god speed in all their Oscar related endeavours..........

ONE MISERY AFTER THE OTHER CONTINUES TO PLAGUE PAKISTAN CRICKET.........

Misery and Pakistani Cricket seem to have developed a bonhomie of their very own that seems destined to stay what with Lahore Lions (Pakistan's domestic T 20 champion side) off spinner Adnan Rasool being reported for a suspect bowling action just after the conclusion of the Champions Trophy tie between the Lahore Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders in Hyderabad on Sunday night.............
To compound the Pakistani sides dam of sorrow; not only was their premier off spinner reported for a suspicious or suspect bowling action by the two match/officiating officials (umpires) Kumar Dharmasena and C. Shamshuddin but their claim was also wholely backed by the TV umpire Anil Chaudhry; and in a cruel twist to his heart rending tale they were also beaten hollow by the defending IPL champions..........
However, the Champions League T 20 rules governing suspect/illegal bowling actions do certainly provide them some stray crumbs of comfort as Rasool has been placed on a warning list in consonance with the rules and can continue to bowl as long as he is not reported once again while his name remains on the warning list..........
Furthermore; Rasool can request an official review from the BCCI Suspect Bowling Action Committee within two weeks and demand a visual probe of his bowling action within four weeks from the date on which he was called for a suspect bowling action.........
As is their wont; certain "motivated" sections of the Pakistan cricket media have already gone to town terming this action by the officials as the latest attempt by an inimical and hostile Indian Cricket Board to undermine the status of both the Pakistan Cricket Board as well as Pakistani cricketers in the eyes of the rest of the cricketing world..........
What must be causing sleepless nights in the Pakistani team echelons is the irrefutable fact that Rasool will be suspended from bowling further throughout the ongoing tournament as well as all further matches organised by the BCCI (if he is called once again while his name remains on the warning list) until his action is cleared by an independent assessment panel constituted by the BCCI..........
Rasool on his part did have a fairly satisfactory outing against the reigning IPL T 20 champions and his bowling figure read 4-0-28-1 with the rampant Robin Uthappa being his sole scalp during the course of the match........
Like I said earlier misery does certainly hunt in pairs; it firstly put paid to Saeed Ajmal's lofty plans and has now ensnared Rasool in it's vice like grip........

REAL LIFE "COMEDY OF ERRORS"...........

Real life certainly outdid the thrills, spills and chills of reel life in the case of this harrowed husband from the Indian state of Jharkhand who had been accused of doing away with his legally wedded wife in cahoots with his parents..........
As mentioned earlier; the Jharkhand based accused husband's joy and delight knew no bounds when he found his supposedly "murdered" wife of one year's vintage wining and dining in the company of a male friend in a prominent Ranchi restaurant as he could now clear the taint foisted on his untainted an seemingly untarnished name by his in-laws who has accused him and his parents of murdering their daughter as she was unable to fulfil their demand for additional dowry..........
Chandan Daruka (30), the accused "husband" and a long time resident of the capital city's Old Dumka locality had spent the course of the last week or so worrying himself to death as his legally wedded wife of over a year had allegedly gone missing from her husband's home and her incensed and irate parents had since filed an official police complaint against their son-in-law and his parents accusing them of having murdered their daughter in cold blood as she did not accede to their dowry related demands...........
The said complaint that was filed against Daruka and his parents by his in-laws on September 12, 2014 sought the immediate arrest of Daruka and his parents on the grave charges of having murdered "Devi" his legally wedded wife of 13 months vintage despite theirs being a "Love" marriage and the Daruka family demanding no dowry whatsoever at the time of the wedding.........
While this tragi-comic game of allegation and refutation went on Daruka found the "supposed" love of his life (his 25 year old wife) in the company of a male friend at a prominent Ranchi based restaurant on the late evening of September 18, 2014 and he immediately raised an alarm on seeing her and even succeeded in nabbing his "absconding" wife as two of his friends helped him in the enterprise..........
Taking advantage of the ensuing melee and resultant confusion; her male friend however managed to make himself scarce; Daruka and his friends in the meanwhile produced his supposedly "murdered" wife in front of the very same police officer who was investigating the murder that never was..............
Daruka who was relieved beyond words as he had successfully managed to erase the slur on his name for good promptly informed the case's investigating officer that he was completely unaware of the presence of another man in the life of his legally wedded wife..........
"Devi" the allegedly "murdered" wife was produced before a local court on September 19,2014 and she duly informed the court that she had eloped or run away from her legally wedded husband's house as she fallen "out of love" with him within ten months or so of being married to him and wanted to spend the rest of her life in the company of her unnamed male friend who was spotted with her in the restaurant on that fateful evening...........
Taking due cognisance of her expressed wishes the local court ordered the investigating officer to send Devi to her parent's house forthwith and asked her to remain there as long as the now "out of love" couple legally terminated or nullified their marriage..........
A suitably chastened investigating officer has now revealed that he will now file a fresh charge sheet in the case holding both Devi as well as her father responsible for filing a false "murder" case against Daruka on the basis of the latest developments in the said matter and the evidence thrown up by the ongoing investigations into this shambolic case.........
"A Comedy of Errors" if there ever was one..........

DO OUR TEACHERS CONTINUE TO BE "GURU'S" AND ROLE MODELS??????

We not only seem to be taking pride in adopting all the vices of the wild and wanton western world but also seem to be beating them hollow at their own game what with teachers eloping with their "minor" students more than once during the course of a calendar month.........
A 32 year old male teacher of a girls school located in Jainabad village in Gujarat's Patdi, Surendranagar area has allegedly committed the cardinal sin of "eloping" with or rather "kidnapping or abducting" a minor 14 year class IX student of the very same school in which he was gainfully employed.........
What is even more galling and alarming is the fact that this unsavoury episode has occurred less than thirty days from the equally gory episode of 52 year old Rajkot being arrested from a city in Punjab along with the two class XI minor girls he had "abducted" in an effort to rejuvenate his failing libido........
Parents of other girl students studying in the same class vented their anger and frustration by hurling scores of stones and bricks at the Zubeda Begum school premises as well as damaging a considerable amount of property belonging to the very same school as the accused male teacher had been employed there since the last two and a bit years.........
According to Patdi police officials the sorrowing mother of the allegedly "abducted" minor girl filed an official complaint against the accused Malu Solanki for having allegedly abducted her gullible and naive daughter on the basis of several false pretexts on Friday evening..........
In her official complaint, the mother of the victim alluded to the fact that she returned home at her appointed hour of 5 pm only to find her darling daughter missing; on questioning her neighbours she learnt that her daughter Arifa (name changed) was talking about making her way to her grandmother's house but had not reached her grandmother's house until 8 pm when her mother touched base with her grandmother.........
After having spent a sleepless worrying about the fate that had befallen her daughter; the victim's mother made a beeline to the local police station at around 8 am on the next morning following which the local police authorities swung into action and questioned her classmates who revealed that the accused Malu Solanki and Arifa were seen moving around the school in tandem with each other over a five month period or so; the very same classmates also shed further light on Solanki's nocturnal activities and somewhat unnatural sexual proclivities by revealing the bombastic fact that Solanki had bribed three of them with the "princely" sum of Rs.14,000/- in an effort to buy their silence as the three of them had found Solanki and Arifa in various compromising positions within the school premises on a few occasions.........
In the wake of this revelation both the police personnel as well as Arifa's male relatives rushed to Solanki's abode in the neighbouring or adjoining Varmor village only to find the same deserted and desolate to their considerable dismay; they also learnt that Solanki had been on leave since Monday (four days before the unseemly episode) and had not been seen in the immediate vicinity of the school ever since........
Two police teams have since been constituted and entrusted with the onerous responsibility of tracing the absconding couple at the earliest; cases have also been filed against the accused under all relevant and applicable sections of the IPC as well as POCSO act and his sketch has been widely circulated through both the print as well as visual media........
One wonders why states headed by women chief ministers report the maximum numbers of such crimes; any answers forthcoming.............

SHAHRUKH KHAN AND AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN IN ROHIT SHETTY'S NEXT???????

If this bit of news is indeed true; then Shahrukh Khan and Rohit Shetty have surely pulled off the casting coup of the last decade and more.......
The Hindi film industry is abuzz with the news of both Shahrukh Khan and Rohit Shetty having approached the light eyed former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to play the female lead opposite KIng (Shahrukh Khan) in Rohit Shetty's next directorial venture.........
According to sources close to Rohit Shetty; he is almost sure to reprise the Mukul S.Anand helmed colossal hit of the 90's "Hum" and Rohit will be giving his version of the cult film his unique complexion and several shades that Mukul Anand might have missed out on........
Shahrukh Khan will be reprising living legend Amitabh Bachchan's immortal avatar of "Tiger" in this Red Chillies production while Aishwarya has all but been roped in to reprise "Jumma's" role that was played by Kimi Katkar with rare chutzpah and aplomb in the original........
"Student of the Year" co-stars Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra have reportedly been approached and have also agreed to reprise Rajanikanth and Govinda's role in the cult film that was heralded as Big B's rejoinder to his legions of critics and nay sayers upon it's release........
Let me once again reiterate the fact that the above information/news has been gleaned from various sources in Rohit Shetty's production unti as well as employees of Red Chillies Entertainment and official confirmation of the same news is yet to come from either Messrs Shetty or Khan themselves..........
On his part; Rohit Shetty has just delivered the stellar box office "Singham Returns" that set the record for the fastest ever Rs.100 crore collections in the history of the Hindi film industry; while Shahrukh Khan is neck deep in promoting his Diwali release "Happy New Year" which surely promises to be the next Rs. 200 crore blockbuster if the promos/trailer of the film is any yardstick to go by.............
One would do well to recall the fact that Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai had last graced the silver screen together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus "Devdas" and one ardently hopes that the news about the King Khan and doe eyed damsel coming together again is indeed true as this is one on screen pairing that the fawning audiences can never have enough of..........

WELL MEANING ADVICE.........

Dear Mr. Habib Faisal;
Just returned home after catching a dekko of your latest venture "Daawat-e-Ishq" and must say that I am sorely disappointed at the utter banality and mediocrity on display for the best part of two hours......
While there is no doubting the credentials of a film maker who gave us such gems as Ishaqzaade and Do Dooni Char in the recent past; one was sad to see you succumbing to the lure of the lucre in your latest venture and pulling your punches while one expected a roundhouse punch that would have left the audience gasping for air from you........
Mr. Faisal will you kindly take the time out and explain how the female protagonist of your latest venture Parineeti Chopra or then should I say Gulrez/Sania switch her conscience off and on at will as I am utterly confused as to how a woman who supposedly falls in love with the male protagonist (Aditya Roy Kapoor) in Lucknow does not pay heed to the pangs of her conscience in Lucknow but does just the opposite as soon as she lands on terra firma........
Can you enlighten me on the exact or precise reason why her conscience gets the better of her in Hyderabad and she takes a considered view to return the 80 odd lakh rupees that she ensnares from the gullible and believing Aditya Roy Kapoor when she swears that she wants to seek revenge from the male sex for slighting her and her doting father (Anupam Kher) by rejecting her as her pater is unable to cater to their exorbitant and unreasonable demands for dowry or "help" as one set of parents terms it.........
Or better still why don't you teach me how to switch on and off my conscience at will as the same has cost me many a sleepless night and made me question my motives and the causes for/behind my actions more times than I can care to remember.........
One shudders to think what might have happened to your latest venture if the three main protagonists of your utterly banal, nondescript, banal and utterly mediocre venture had not risen above the sham of a script and screenplay and delivered utterly convincing and believable performances that will remain in the hearts and minds of audiences for some time to come..........
You also owe a debt of gratitude to your music directors Sajid Wajid as well as lyricist Kausar Munir for having gone beyond their call of duty and having delivered a tour de force that will rule over the charts; airwaves and loudspeakers until the next substantial soundtrack comes along.........
All one would like to say in conclusion is that one expects a lot more from a film maker of substance like you; here's wishing you the very best for your next venture and hoping that you will pay far more attention to the script and screenplay of your next directorial venture rather than copping out while dealing with a sensitive and controversial subject like section 498 (A) of the Indian Penal Code that has been lauded as well as berated in equal measure by the proponents and opponents of the same.........
Hoping that you will take this well meaning advice on board; I remain........
Yours Faithfully;
Sundeep Chopra........

LAW ON MARITAL RAPE:CRYING NEED OF THE HOUR........

Will our utterly two faced; hypocritical and holier than thou neta's learn a lesson at long last......
Following in the footsteps of the Justice Varma headed committee's report a Delhi trial court lamented and bemoaned the fact that the law as it exists in it's present form abjectly fails to protect married women from all kinds of sexual perversities foisted on them by their legally married husbands and directed the people's representatives to enact such laws that would provide the long suffering married Indian woman with this much desired protection..........
These scathing observations were made by the trial court while contemptuously rejecting the bail plea of a man (husband) accused of forcing his wife into performing unnatural sexual acts on him as well as participating in such unnatural acts in an effort to satiate his deviant carnal desires.........
In the FIR filed by her, the victim (a Delhi based married woman) has also more than convincingly succeeded in establishing the fact that her husband used to coerce her into watching adult sex/porn videos much against her will and then expect her to re-enact all those sexual picadilloes portrayed in the afore mentioned videos with her........
The victim has also succeeded in establishing the fact beyond all reasonable doubt that her sexually engorged husband bit her all over her anatomy (body) after lustfully watching one such video and the teeth marks on various parts of her testimony bear a telling testimony to her husband's utter depravity and debauchery; additional sessions judge Kamini Lau acidly remarked...........
As it stands at the present time; sexual acts forced or otherwise by a man with his wife who is over and above 15 years of age do not constitute rape and hence allow many an errant and utterly demonic husband who feels that his wife is nothing more than an outlet for his outlandish sexual dsires gets away scot free every time as the law as it stands does not recognise the deplorable and detestable acts of marital rape........
"Under the present/prevalent circumstances; women have to be protected from all kinds of sexual pereversity.....and the same cannot simply be condoned as the complainant happens to be the lawfully wedded wife of the accused;l and the same does not in any manner mitigate the offence keeping in view the heinousness and seriousness of the allegations involved"; additional sessions judge Kamini Lau observed while setting aside the husband's bail plea.........
She further added" the acts highlighted or brought forth by the complainant in her petition not only constitute an unnatural act against the course of nature but also bring the alleged acts of the man under the amended purview/definition of rape under section 376 of the IPC ; which unfortunately cannot be invoked in this instance as the accused happens to be the husband of the victim/complainant and hence absolved of the crime of rape as the Indian law as it presently stands patently fails to identify the heinous crime of marital rape despite there being a desirability and long standing demand for the same"...........
In his bail plea; the accused had alluded to the fact that his wife had filed this complaint against him on patently false, utterly fictitious and completely fabricated grounds; but the judge not only set aside his bail plea with the utter contempt it deserved but also gave him an earful in the bargain............

REVIEW OF SHASHANKA GHOSH'S "KHOOBSURAT"........

I for one am extremely confused as to how I should exactly review Shashanka Ghosh's "Khoobsurat"; the official remake of doyen Hrishikesh Mukherjee's classic that hit the screens sometime in the eighties.......
While Hrishida's "Khoobsurat" narrated the tussle between a dominating matriarch (Dina Pathak) who wants to keep her family under her thumb and lord them with an iron hand and an effervescent Rekha who firmly believes in doing what her heart tells her to and leading her life as a blithe spirit; Shashanka's insistence to recreate a "fairy tale" atmosphere (maybe the producers Disney Films India had something to do with it) ends up placing Mili (Sonam Kapoor) in a dazzling yet somewhat decrepit world of Maharaja's and the like...........
The Rathores of Sambhalgarh are rich beyond belief; glaringly and unapologetically royal, immensely proud of their lineage; yet totally dysfunctional and incoherent; enter Mili (Sonam Kapoor) a spunky, loud, uncouth, effervescent and happy go lucky physiotherapist whose primary objective is to attend to the family scion's (theatre legend Aamir Raza Hussain's) knobbly and totally useless limbs that are the bane of his existence.........
Sonam Kapoor in the role of a lifetime chews more or less like a cow; speaks or rather let's forth without a break and last but not the least sports garishly mismatched ensembles and tops off her sartorial elegance with green nail polish on her finger nails........
As expected Mili's entry into the hallowed halls of the Sambhalgarh palace turns the royal's disorderly life topsy turvy especially that of the "yuvraj" or prince Vikram Rathore (essayed with a rare degree of sincerity, suaveness, gravitas and maturity by debutante Pakistani matinee idol Fawad Khan); the much expected fireworks follow and do succeed in bringing forth guffaws from the stiffest of upper lips; alas "Khoobsurat" is a little to bland, benign, tasteless and predictable........
The characters sketched out by co-writers Shashanka Ghosh and Indira Bisht are mere caricatures at best and do not strike a chord in your heart as they are never really fleshed out and given identities of their own with Mili herself being a prime example as the director never succeeds in explaining whether her effervescent nature is a screen to mask the deep rooted sense of disappointment and disenchantment the leading lady of the film feels at being spurned by a legion of suitors..........
"Khoobsurat" at best is reminiscent of many a Mills and Boon romance where you know the ultimate outcome after having read twenty odd pages of the novel; yes it does have it's ,moments of heady triumphs and the much sough after cinematic brilliance; but these rare flashes of brilliance are sadly nothing more than flashes in the pan and leave a somewhat bitter after taste in your mouth after the proceedings on screen have come to their utterly predictable end.........
See this one only for the utterly charming and rakish Fawad Khan who is certainly go to set many a heart aflutter with his "prince charming" act as well as Kirron Kher who has by now perfected the art of playing the loud Punjabi mother to the extent that she might well take a patent on it.........
A word or two for Sneha Khanvalkar's musical score especially the exceptionally energetic yet melodious "engine ki seeti" and Tushar Kanti Ray's delectable visuals would certainly be in order as the two take the movie out of the realms of the utterly mundane and add some much needed lustre to it..........
RATING:2.5/5, do try and sample it only if Mills and Boon is your idea of romance and an evening well spent.......

VIRAT SEEKS SACHIN'S HELP TO RECTIFY TECHNICAL ANOMALIES.......

Seek out a master who can transform your weaknesses into your strengths and that is precisely what the so called best young batsman on the cricketing firmament Virat Kohli has precisely done after a dismal tour to England.........
Plagued by demons about the efficacy of his technique; fluidity of his foot movement and last but not the least inability to fathom where his off step was; Kohli was at his lowest ebb on his return from the English tour where he only averaged an abysmal 13.40 during the five test series and 18.00 in the recently concluded ODI series.........
Desperate to avoid a repeat performance in the home series against the West Indies slated to be held in October/November 2014; Virat turned to his mentor Sachin Tendulkar for help and all and sundry were surprised to see Virat hard at work at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Indoor facility within the Bandra-Kurla complex on Thursday morning.........
Kohli manfully toiled for close to three hours under the eagle eye of of both Tendulkar as well as former team India coach Lalchand Rajput; Sachin sometimes occupied the umpire's position and also positioned himself in the adjoining net and kept haranguing, guiding and motivating Kohli while Rajput marked an off stump line and ensured that the pacers selected for the Mumbai under 23 team delivered every delivery in the earmarked channel to a beleaguered Virat who was extremely tentative to begin with but was then seeing handling the bowlers with aplomb by the time the three odd hour net session came to an end..........
Both Sachin and Rajput will be minutely scrutinising Kohli's stance, backlift, initial trigger movement, potency of spikes on his footwear of chance, head positioning and balance at the crease over the course of the next three or four days and making the required corrections to the same as both of them are of the opinion that all that Virat requires are a few minute technical adjustments that will enable him to score runs by the ton or then should I say tonne as the entire cricket world expects of him..........
"Virat is an intelligent lad and will not require more than three or four days of remedial work at the very best before we see him back to his masterly best", reputed batting coach Lalchand Rajput signed off.........

WILL SAQLAIN PROVE TO BE AJMAL'S "KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR".......

Trust the inventor of the delivery that finds itself in the eye of a storm (namely the doosra) to stand by it's legitimacy and pooh pooh it's legions of critics........
Former Pakistani off spinner and current Hindi/Urdu commentator who is widely regraded as the inventor of the "doosra" or second one; a delivery that normally turns from leg to off for a right handed batsman and thereby makes it extremely difficult to cope with has come out in staunch defence of the same and opined that the legitimacy of this delivery is only being questioned because of the controversy arising from the manner in which his fellow countryman Saeed Ajmal delivered the same.........
Saqlain who garnered 208 test wickets as well as 288 ODI wickets during the course of a glittering and illustrious career wondered why self appointed as well as armchair critics are questioning the legitimacy of the delivery and said that the same can be delivered with utmost ease within the current rules pertaining to the bending of the bowling arm by 15 degrees or so........
"Whoever said that the "doosra" was illegal does not know the first thing about the highly intricate art of spin bowling; yes the "doosra" is indeed a difficult delivery to bowl and gain mastery over; but if a bowler gains mastery and complete control over the delivery; there is no reason why he cannot deliver the same within the current rules".........
"Any good bowler who has mastered the art of bowling the "doosra" will be able to deliver the same without bending his bowling arm by eight to ten degrees at the most and the same can prove to be a potent weapon in an era where even complete mishits go for huge/steepling sixes all thanks to broad blades and present day technology", Saqlain signed off........
As for the Ajmal issue; Saqlain was of the opinion that a certain section of the cricketing world which was innately jealous of team Pakistan's upward progression through the ranks of cricket playing nations was unfairly targeting Ajmal as they knew that the Pakistani bowling effort would be rendered almost impotent in Ajmal's absence.........
"Ajmal has been on the international cricket scene for almost 7 years now and while there were constant murmurs about the legitimacy of his action why has it become the subject of a raging controversy only now, Saqlain questioned and also said that other reasons apart from purely cricketing one's were behind the needless controversy about Ajmal's action"..........
" I am more than hopeful about helping Ajmal rectify his bowling action and thereby ensuring that he does not bend his bowling arm beyond the legally permissible limit or level; I am no magician and do not have any magic wand that will wave away this anomaly; but I will minutely examine his reports, close ups of his bowling action and then set upon the mission entrusted to me by the PCB and Insha Allah Ajmal might well spearhead the Pakistani bowling attack during the 2015 World Cup", Saqlain Bhai exuded confidence...........

ESTRANGED HUSBAND SPIKES WIFE'S COLD DRINK AND SEXUALLY RAVAGES HER........

Want to have a sexual dalliance with the woman you are about to divorce or legally separate from in the near future; then do go ahead and invite her to your office on a pretext that she cannot simply say no to; spike her cold drink and force yourself upon her when she is seemingly unconscious and incapable of defending herself thanks to your ministrations........
A Ludhiana based real estate agent/advisor was booked by the Ludhiana police on the charges of allegedly raping his soon to be legally separated wife within his office premises located within the city's Bhamiyan Kalan area after offering her a sedative laced cold drink late on Tuesday evening.........
In her written complaint to the Ludhiana Police, the victim has alluded to the fact that she was legally married to the accused one Deepak Sachdeva on the fateful day of October 4, 2008 and that his true colour emerged or came fore only after the marriage was solemnised as he began to physically assault, torment and torture her as soon as they returned from their honeymoon in Goa,,,,,,,,,,
She further said that she bore this torment and torture for a little over 18 months or so and then rented a modest abode in the city's Shaheed Karnail Singh Nagar as soon as she gave birth to her daughter as she was fed up with her husband's antics and not willing to put with the same any longer...........
According to her, her now separated husband used to summon her to his office twice a month or so so that she could meet her daughter who was now residing with her father as her mother was incapable of paying her rather exorbitant school fees and taking care of her other material needs.........
She further alleged that she went to meet her daughter at the promised time of 5 pm on the fateful Tuesday evening and was initially taken aback when she did not find her within the confines of her father's office; her separated husband reassured her saying that she would be there in the course of the next 30 minutes or so and offered her a sedative laden cold drink.........
The victim passed out within minutes of the same and taking undue advantage of the situation; her soon to be separated husband forced himself upon her on at least two separate occasions and then made good his escape from the spot.........
Recovering from her stupor at around 8:30 pm or so, the victim soon realised the fact that she had been sexually ravaged by her husband while under the influence and also that she was locked in the office all by herself; she somehow managed to jimmy open the lock at around 9:15 or so and subsequently made her way to a neighbouring police station where she went on to register a formal complaint against her estranged husband at around 9:45 pm or so........
Cases under sections 376 (rape) and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison etc with intent to commit an offence) have been registered against the accused at the city's Jamalpur police station and two teams have been expressly constituted to nab the absconder at the earliest..........
Yet another sterling example or manifestation of our so called "enlightened and civilised" society's exemplary behaviour towards it's long suffering and constantly barraged womenfolk..........

WILL PRITHVI SHAW PROVE TO BE INDIA'S NEXT CRICKETING ICON.......

Unexpected and unprecedented windfalls will surely follow if your name happens to be Prithvi Shaw and you go about setting seemingly unconquerable records in the Harris Shield Inter-School tournament.......
Young and immensely gifted Prithvi Shaw had set the whole cricketing world alight when he notched up the rare distinction of scoring 546 runs all by himself while creditably representing his alma mater Rizvi Springfield in the Harris Shield inter- school tournament in 2013 and lucrative deals were sure to follow him as a result of his sterling exploits with the bat........
Shaw recently became the youngest ever cricketer in the history of this glorious game to notch up or register a deal worth Rs. 36 lakh with the Meerut based Sanpareils Greenlands or SG (manufacturers of cricket equipment) over/for a six year period........
SG has been wholeheartedly endorsed by cricketing giants like Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, Rahul Sharad Dravid and the Nawab of Najafgarh Virender Sehwag in the past and Prithvi Shaw will be the latest budding superstar to lend his name to the brand.......
As mentioned earlier; Prithvi will receive this promised sum of money over a six year span thereby meaning that this ultra talented youngster can now wholly and solely focus his time and effort on honing and polishing this god given talent rather than worrying about where his next cricket bat is going to come from.........
According to Paras Anand (SG's marketing director) Prithvi has been using SG brand bats, pads, gloves and so on and so forth for the last 5-6 years and the company decided to take him on board when they were informed about his incomparable exploits with the bat by Makarand Waingankar, veteran cricket journalist, author as well as proven talent spotter..........
On being apprised of the fact that this prodigiously talented teenager belongs to an exceedingly modest and humble background; SG decided to step up to the plate and not only provide him with their world class equipment gratis but also bear all his accommodation, training and travelling related costs in addition to paying him the afore mentioned sum of moolah.........
"We (the people who matter within SG) firmly believe that Prithvi has the potential to become an integral part of team India within the next 7-10 years" and hence decided to hitch him onto our bandwagon before some other manufacturer of cricket equipment came forward to do the same, Anand signs off.........
On his part, the extremely self effacing and modest Prithvi says that this offer has indded come at the right time as the same will not only provide him with world class cricket equipment absolutely free of cast but will also enable him to solely concentrate on the task of registering further laurels for both himself and his alma mater in the future as he will not be distracted by issues not related to the game as a result of this multi lakh deal..........
Here's hoping and praying that this immensely talented youngster who is all of 14 does himself, his family, Makarand Waingankar and SG proud by living upto his promise and donning team India colours for a decade and a half at least

PARVEZ RASOOL RISKS LIFE AND LIMB IN EFFORT TO SALVAGE FAVOURITE CRICKET BAT...........

Is a precious and cherished cricket bat worth putting your life at risk; it certainly is if the same happens to belong to Indian and Jammu and Kashmir all rounder Parvez Rasool........
Rasool and his bedraggled family members have spent the best part of the last fortnight cooped up on the third floor of their family home in Srinagar's Bijbehara thanks to the river Jhelum breaking it's banks and inundating the entire Kashmir valley due to the unprecedented rains in the valley........
According to Rasool; the waters had risen up to the first floor of their family home on the very first day and he had to shift his "favourite" kit bag and cricketing gear to the third floor in an effort to protect the same from the swirling waters that threatened to engulf everything.......
To his considerable dismay and utter consternation; Rasool belatedly realised that while he had been successful in rescuing his cricketing gear and kit he had left behind his cherished bat in the boot (dicky) of his car that was standing on the street and also that the car was now submerged in waters that were more than 10 feet deep..........
Valour proved to be the best part of discretion in Rasool's case as he was not willing to forego the bat with which he had notched up over 650 runs in last year's Ranji Trophy championship as well as taken guard with the same in India A as well as team India colours in the limited opportunities accorded to him...........
Brushing his mother's and other family members concerns about his life and well being Parvez Rasool waded into the swirling waters that were replete with the carcasses of floating dead animals and such other paraphernalia; held his breath till his lungs threatened to burst; kept coming back to the surface for air; all this while making sure that he managed to open the boot of his car and extricate this highly valued piece of willow that had rendered him yeoman's service in the recent past.........
However all's well that ends well; and Rasool and his favourite cricket bat have since been reunited; Rasool is now waiting for the flood waters to recede so that he can resume his training and practice sessions at a neighbouring school which he frequents regularly as the locality and surroundings that he resides in do not boast of a turf wicket...........
Cautiously optimistic about his chances of excelling in the forthcoming domestic cricket season and holding onto his place within the national ODI team; Rasool says that he might move to Delhi or some other place in order to regain his touch and have a hit before the commencement of the domestic cricketing season...........
Here's hoping that the first ever cricketer from the valley to don team India colours continues to excel and do both himself as well as the nation proud with his exemplary and noteworthy cricketing exploits.........

JONATHAN TROTT ALL SET TO RESUME ENGLAND TEST DUTIES...........

This bit of good news concerning beleaguered English batsman Jonathan Trott must surely have warmed the cockles of every ardent and die hard team England supporter........
Jonathan Trott on Tuesday announced that he was ready and priming for a recall to the English test team following his complete and total recovery from the stress related illness that saw him returning midway through a horrific Ashes tour of Australia last year.........
Trott who has not donned English colours ever since his return to England in July last on Tuesday said that he had returned to county cricket with a vengeance notwithstanding a recurrence of the illness that forced him to take a three week break from the game in April 2014.......
Trott has been in swashbuckling from for his county side Warwickshire ever since his return to county duties and has gone on to score four centuries for his county since June- two each in the county championships as well as the 50 overs a side One Day Cup..........
But the time spent away from international cricket has certainly not been without it's dampeners as Trott was not awarded a central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board last week; however Trott continues to remain optimistic about his chances of making a comeback and said that his bat would do all the talking for him this time around.........
Despite all the bravado and tall pronouncements about having been ready to the grind of test cricket for several weeks; Trott will have to contend with one Gary Ballance who has grabbed the opportunity provided/accorded to him by Trott's absence with both hands and gone on to make the number 3 position in the England batting line up his very own ever since Trott stepped down.........
Ballance or no Ballance; any ardent and dedicated follower of the game would certainly not write off Trott's more than even chances of making a comeback to the English test team as the number 6 slot in the England batting line up continues to be a cause of worry to both the selectors as well as the team management and Trott could settle in at the number 5 spot in the batting order with Joe Root going one down and occupying the number 6 spot by paying due attention to his role of a wicket taking part time off spinner............
Here's wishing Jonathan Trott all the very best for a bright future that includes a welcome return to the English test team in the very near future..........

ALARMING AND DISTRESSING STATE OF AFFAIRS........

Well; well; well; the Narendra Modi government's relentless campaigns pertaining to the provision/building of toilets within home and hearth in the rural hinterland seems to be resonating in Jharkhand with resonating force........
Bemused and alarmed government officials are making a beeline towards the humble dwelling of a tribal man on Ranchi's outskirts as his wife of one year's standing has held out the express threat of divorcing him forthwith unless he gets a toilet constructed within the four walls of their humble abode............
Mahavir Oraon; the tribal man in the limelight callously brushed off his wife's toilet related concerns and pleadings for the best part of a little over eleven months due to his precarious financial position as well as the age old practice of adults as well as children defecating in the open areas bordering their village..............
Toilet related matters however came to a head during the course of the last week or so when Oraon's long suffering wife threatened to walk out of her marital home without as much as a backward glance unless Mahavir acceded to her long standing demand of getting a toilet built within the precincts of their home........
Alarmed and perturbed by his wife's divorce related ultimatum; Oraon rushed to the state's capital (Ranchi) and pleaded with the concerned government officials to save his crumbling marriage by getting a toilet constructed within the confines of his modest dwelling post haste........
Deeply moved by Oraon's entreaties and thoroughly understanding the gravity of the delicate situation; the Block Development Officer directed the village water and sanitation committee to raise a toilet within Oraon's home in Ranchi's Itki locality within the next 7 days or so..........
The concerned government/local officials however did not end their assigned task by constructing the promised toilet but also feted Karmi (Oraon's better half) for her resoluteness and inherent courage; the state government is actively considering a proposal to make Oraon and Karmi the state's official mascots in the hygiene related drive launched by the state government according to the BDO.........
While everything might have ended on a hunky dory note in the case of Oraon and Kurmi; alas!!! the same does not hold true in the case of all rural households located within the state of Jharkhand; according to the latest government figures; more than 91% of the residents of the state's rural areas do not have access to basic toilet facilities (only 7.7% of it's rural populace had access to proper/usable toilets according to the 2011 census)..........
According to the rape related figures put out by the state police bigwigs; more than 25% of the rapes reported in the state occur as a result of women/young girls having to defecate or then answer nature's call in the open after sunset; 18% of the deaths that occur in the rural hinterland due to snakebites/leopard and hyena attacks have also been attributed to the same reason.........
So much for the "lofty and thoroughly" misleading development related claims made by various governments during the course of the 13/14 odd years since the state of Jharkhand saw the light of day and made it's maiden appearance on India's political map........