Despite the harsh terrain, the Rann of Kutch is a stretch of spectacular beauty, writes Namita Bhandare. HT Image I am connected to Kutch in a strange and roundabout way. I grew up in a rented apartment in Bombay in a building owned by Pragmalji Madansinhji, the former maharaja of Kutch. The building, on busy Napean Sea Road was called Symphony; though it was anything but symphonic. Every time the double decker BEST 122 rumbled down the street, the building would shake, rattle and roll. But the landlord was a nice enough man given to maharaja-style eccentricities: every evening his…

Chanda Shroff is the moving force behind a project that sustains thousands of families, reports Namita Bhandare. HT Image She’s an unlikely social crusader. Conservatively dressed, married into a wealthy Mumbai-based family of industrialists, Chanda Shroff is the moving force behind a project that sustains thousands of families in drought-prone Kutch. Chandaben, or Kaki as she is universally known around Shrujan, the organisation she founded in 1969, is also the only Indian Laureate of the Rolex Award for Enterprise (RAE) announced every two years ‘to encourage a spirit of enterprise in visionary individuals around the globe’. Rolex launched the awards…

Chanda Shroff is the moving force behind a project that sustains thousands of families in drought-prone Kutch, reports Namita Bhandare. HT Image She’s an unlikely social crusader. Conservatively dressed, married into a wealthy Mumbai-based family of industrialists, Chanda Shroff is the moving force behind a project that sustains thousands of families in drought-prone Kutch. Chandaben, or Kaki as she is universally known around Shrujan, the organisation she founded in 1969, is also the only Indian Laureate of the Rolex Award for Enterprise (RAE) announced every two years “to encourage a spirit of enterprise in visionary individuals around the globe”. Rolex…

At 83, Ram Jethmalani has probably been called a maverick more times than he can remember, writes Namita Bhandare. HT Image He wears the word as a badge of honour. A maverick, he says is “someone who thinks independently, who has not mortgaged his soul or intelligence to anybody.” At 83, Ram Jethmalani has probably been called a maverick more times than he can remember. “I am fine with the appellation,” he says. The ‘maverick’ lawyer is back in the news with his decision to defend Manu Sharma, main accused in the Jessica Lall murder case. The headlines have been…

A significant part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is marked as ?disputed territory? on the flight path of Jet Airways’ recently introduced in-flight entertainment programme. HT Image A significant part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is marked as ‘disputed territory’ on the flight path of Jet Airways’ recently introduced in-flight entertainment programme. On the Mumbai-Delhi flight 311 on Thursday, passengers were surprised to see that the flight path, that allows them  to track their flight’s route on a touch-screen TV, flagged Jammu and Kashmir as ‘disputed territory’. The map also delineates India’s border, placing…

Jet Airways recently introduced its in-flight entertainment system on some flights on the Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Hyderabad and Mumbai-Bangalore routes, reports Namita Bhandare. HT Image A significant part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is marked as ‘disputed territory’ on the flight path of Jet Airways’ recently introduced in-flight entertainment programme. On the Mumbai-Delhi flight 311 on Thursday, passengers were surprised to see that the flight path, that allows them  to track their flight’s route on a touch-screen TV, flagged Jammu and Kashmir as ‘disputed territory’. The map also delineates India’s border, placing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) outside India’s sovereign border.…

A significant part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is marked as ?disputed territory? on the flight path of Jet Airways’ recently introduced in-flight entertainment programme. HT Image A significant part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is marked as ‘disputed territory’ on the flight path of Jet Airways’ recently introduced in-flight entertainment programme. On the Mumbai-Delhi flight 311 on Thursday, passengers were surprised to see that the flight path, that allows them  to track their flight’s route on a touch-screen TV, flagged Jammu and Kashmir as ‘disputed territory’. The map also delineates India’s border, placing…

Eminent citizens come forward to sign a letter written by Vikram Seth, reports Namita Bhandare. Will you support? HT Image Indian citizens from all walks of life have come forward to sign a letter written by author Vikram Seth asking for the overturning of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. The section makes homosexual activity illegal and a criminal offense. The lead signatories to the letter are social activist Swami Agnivesh, former attorney general Soli Sorabjee, former UN under-secretary general Nitin Desai, freedom fighter Capt Lakshmi Sahgal and Siddharth Dube of UNAIDS. Economist Amartya Sen, while not a signatory…

The power of the signature HT Image It’s the middle class’s secret weapon. The signature campaign or public petition or chain letter—call it what you will—has gained ground, empowering a class often derided for its apathy. The latest to do the rounds is a petition written by author Vikram Seth and endorsed by Siddharth Dube of UNAIDS, former UN under-secretary general Nitin Desai and Swami Agnivesh asking that same-sex relations among consenting adults be decriminalized (see accompanying story). Currently being circulated among opinion-makers from media, entertainment, law, etc, the response, says Gautam Bhan of Voices Against 377, a gay advocacy…

If 2005 was the coming out year for Lakshmi Mittal, 2006 has been the year of the dog fight. HT Image Last year he was on a roll, shelling out $100 million for a 12-bedroom mansion in London’s posh South Kensington district. Just the year before, the man ranked number 3 by Forbes in a list of world billionaires, had splashed out $60 million to host the five-day wedding of his daughter at Versailles. The sun king of the 21st century had arrived. Or so it seemed. This year, the 55-year-old steel king has dominated headlines across the world for…

  As many as six paintings at Christie’s auction of contemporary Indian art in New York on Thursday were withdrawn over questions of their authenticity. These included two watercolors by M F Husain, three works by F N Souza, and a tempera by Ganesh Pyne. The paintings were withdrawn on the day of the auction itself. HT Image As many as six paintings at Christie’s auction of contemporary Indian art in New York on Thursday were withdrawn over questions of their authenticity.  These included two watercolors by M F Husain, three works by F N Souza, and a tempera by…

As many as six paintings at Christie’s auction of Indian art in NY have been withdrawn over doubts of authenticity, reports Namita Bhandare. HT Image As many as six paintings at Christie’s auction of contemporary Indian art in New York on Thursday were withdrawn over questions of their authenticity. These included two watercolors by MF Husain, three works by FN Souza, and a tempera by Ganesh Pyne. The paintings were withdrawn on the day of the auction itself.  “We had our doubts about these paintings. We didn’t have absolute proof about their authenticity,” Sonia Ballaney of Vadhera Art Gallery told…