In The Lap Of Ancient Civilization
I am just back from Egypt -- a land of thousand contradictions, where ancient traditions and modern technologies live together. Our journey through Cairo , Aswan , Luxor and Hurgadha proved to be a mixture of discovery and pleasure. Time got into reverse and the senses reeled under inexplicable influences. It was difficult not to be overwhelmed.Our first stop was Cairo . Incidentally we arrived there on 4th of June, the same day when the President of the U.S.A. also landed. I had read somewhere that ‘if you have not seen Cairo , you have not seen the world.’ Cairo is situated on the east bank of the River Nile, which the Egyptians call the mother of the world. I remember our history books referring to Egypt as the ‘Gift of the Nile ’.We were put up at Hotel Pyramid Park in Giza , 
which is perhaps the second largest town in Egypt . So we were already close to one of the wonders of the world -- the famous pyramids. Most of the sign boards in Cairo were in Arabic and so it was difficult to recognize any building on its own. I found the words ‘kahira’ and ‘misr’ written at some places ( urdu equivalents of Cairo and Egypt ). What really struck the eyes was the mud and earth coloured exteriors of most of the buildings and houses. Many houses seemed to be incomplete (though one could see air conditioners fitted in the windows). Our guide informed us that people often resort to this to avoid paying taxes to the government, which they have to, once the house is completed.The Pyramids of GizaThe Arabic word for pyramid is ‘ahramat’, which means group of tombs. The bright sunny morning of 5th June found our group in front of th
ree massive stone structures, built on a rocky desert plateau, close to the Nile and near the then capital city of Memphis. They once housed the remains of the fourth dynasty kings Khufu (Chiopse to the Greeks), Khafre (Chephren), and Menkaure, who ruled through 2589 to 2506 B.C. This was also the peak time of prosperity of the old kingdom of Egypt .The pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu has a base covering 9 acres and was originally 146 metres high, until it was robbed of its outer casing and capstone, decreasing its height by 9 meters. More than 2 million limestone pieces were used to construct it. Surely, to build such a gigantic structure the ancient Egyptians must have had access to some modern technology (which perhaps now lies buried deep in the sands).The second pyramid is of Pharaoh Khafre (Chephren), the son of Khufu. It is 3 metres less in height, perhaps in deference to the elder king. The 3rd of the trio of this ‘pyramid plateau’ is of the grandson Khopho (Menkaure), which is incomplete as the king died before he could complete its construction.. There are three other smaller pyramids of the wives of these three Pharaohs.The SphinxComing face to face with the Sphinx 
was a moment I had always dreamt of. And now here it was in front of the pyramid of Khafre, presiding and guarding over the Giza nechropolis. Carved from a single piece of stone, it has a lion’s body with a man’s head ( presumably that of Khafre).Unfortunately the pyramids were plundered long ago of their belongings and bodies, by tomb robbers. Pyramid building also stopped as the power/prosperity of the pharaohs weakened. Yet these marvelous structures represent more than mere tombs. The mysteries surrounding their symbolism, design and the 
mathematical precision with which they were built will continue to inspire passionate debates.The Egyptian MuseumHow could we leave Cairo without taking a peek at the treasure trove of artifacts (no replicas, mind you) in The Egyptian Museum, located in Tahrir Square . It was impossible to see the entire museum (consisting of more than 100 halls), keeping in mind the time constraints of a tourist, who wishes to see so much in so little a time. So we confined ourselves to the section of jewellery and the hieroglyphic paintings of ancient Egypt . And none could miss the dazzling collection of more than 3000 antiques found intact in the tomb of the famous Boy King Tutankhamun (who died at the young age of 19 years after ruling for 9 years). His tomb was discovered in 1922 in the valley of kings at Luxor , by Howard Carter. Carter believed that although the tomb was robbed twice after the funeral of Tutankhamun, yet it remains the only tomb where at least the burial chamber was untouched, perhaps because it was built under the tomb of Pharaoh Rameses V. In the tomb, Carter found four gilded shrines nested inside each other. The innermost shrine covered a stone sarcophagus, which hid three more coffins. The innermost of these, made of 110 kg of pure gold, housed the mummy of the king. His spectacular crown of gold weighed 11 kilograms. There are exquisite jewellery pieces in pure gold. Most of his other belongings like his bed, his throne (with a foot stool on which are carved his enemies faces) with the statues of his wife and himself, his carriage etc. are made of gilded sycamore wood. Everything, including the vivid colours of the paintings, are so well preserved that they seem to be marvelously new.The smallest statue in the museum was that of King Khofu, who was supposed to be very ugly. An embalming table still had drops of blood preserved on it.Photography is prohibited inside the museum for lesser mortals like us.Temple of Philae
We took the night train from Cairo to Aswan , which is famous for its great dam (111 meters) high, built on Lake Nasser , the largest man made lake at 6000 square km. Our next stop was the Temple of Philae , which is dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, wife of Osiris and mother of the falcon god Horus. These three characters dominate the ancient Egyptian culture and religion. Its construction was started by Ptolemy II in Greco- Egyptian style, and continued by Roman emperors. The temple was originally built on the island of Philae (hence its name) on the Nile . But it was totally submerged when the high dam was completed in 1960. So the temple was completely dismantled and reassembled on its present location on Aglika island, 550 m away, over a period of 10 years.Cruise on the river NileAnother dream come true! We boarded the ship Adonis at Aswan , for a three night leisurely and 
luxurious cruise on the mother of all rivers. We stopped at the temple of Kom (group) Ombo (gold), meaning lots of gold. In ancient times Kom Ombo stood on an important crossroad on the caravan route from Nubia to the gold mines in the eastern desert. The temple, dating from 200 B.C., was built during the Plotemaic era. The temple is unique in the sense that it is a double temple – the right side of it is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, and the left side honours Haroeris, a form of the falc
on headed god Horus. It was built basically to propitiate the crocodiles, which infested this bank of the river. Our guide Ahmed told us that the temple housed 5 mummies of crocodiles (nowhere else have animals been mummified), which had been removed to the British Museum just a few days ago. The outer hypostyle Hall of t
he temple has 15 columns topped with lotus capitals and the bases bear the papyrus symbol. The walls of the temple are full of carvings and hieroglyphic paintings. One wall has the etchings of medical tools of that era (but still in use in today’s times). Of great significance are two carvings of women in labour, delivering a baby, in the sitting posture. Gynaecologists, please note!Next morning, we watched in awe as our ship approached and slid past the Esna Lock into lower waters.Valley of Kings
Next day we disembarked at Luxor to visit the royal necropolis on the western bank, with the mountain of Thebes providing a natural pyramid background. Tombs of 62 kings are located here. We took mini trams to reach the walkways of the three tombs of Ramases I, IV and IX, which we visited. The deepest tomb is of Ramases II, which is 185m into the mountain, another engineering marvel. The walls of the tombs are decorated with coloured paintings, in natural earth tones of blue, rust, yellow and black. Our guide told us that the walls were polished, painted and then covered with egg white, to preserve the paintings. Here again we were not allowed to click our cameras.But the star attraction was the mummy of Tutankhamun, which is the only mummy still preserved in his tomb, which is the smallest tomb in the valley, as the king died very young. The blackened mummy had the face and the feet uncovered and each contour was clearly visible, the third toe finger of the left foot slightly broken/damaged. The rest of the body was covered with a gauze like sheet.Temple of Del El Bahri built by Queen Hatshepsut (foremost of noble ladies)After visiting an alabaster factory we found ourselves in front of the temple built by queen 
Hatshesput. A very tall structure, it took 20 years to complete and 10,000 workers are said to have died during its construction. The queen was the 5th pharaoh of the 18th dynasty and ruled for 22 years from 1479 to 1458 B.C. She was a prolific builder, commissioning several projects throughout Egypt . She built this temple around 1450 B.C. to commemorate her achievements and to serve as a funerary temple for her; as well as a sanctuary for god Amon Re. It consists of three elegant colonnaded terraces set against the high cliff. We accessed the second terrace by a ramp having 51 steps.The Karnak Temples
This is the largest temple complex, spread over 700 acres and built and enlarged over a period of 1300 years. Although ruined partially, it is still an impressive site dedicated to gods Amon Ra, Mut and Khonsu.The main hall has 134 columns, each 75 m high. The last façade/pylon was built in 335 B.C. but could not be completed due to attack by Alexander the Great.Queen Hatshesput built two huge obelisks (symbolS of eternity and of the house of Amon Ra) here, one of them being 97 feet high. Rameses II added generously to the splendour of the temples. In several paintings
etched on the walls, he is shown with the gods (and not shown making an offering to the gods). The entrance is adorned by two statues of him.
The complex also has a sacred lake which was purportedly dug by Isis to save humankind. Near the lake is a huge stone scarab – the Egyptian god of luck and magic.The heat was mind boggling, but so were the carvings and paintings on the temple walls.HurgadhaThis was the last stop on our itinerary. On the way from Luxor to this famous beach resort, we 
passed through mud brick houses, as our bus ran over mountain and desert roads. At Safaga, I had the first glimpse of the pristine blue of the Red Sea (so called because of its red coral reefs).Hurgadha is a modern city, about 55 years old. Tourism is its mainstay and it boasts of more than 300 hotels and an international airport. The quaint structures of this place reminded me of Arabian Nights’ Tales. We stayed at the Sonesta Pharaoh Beach Resort.The experience at the beach was nothing short of exhilarating, as we floated, swam, walked, and snorkeled in the deep blue waters of the Red Sea .MiscellaneousIn between, our very hectic schedule we found time to ramble through the Khalili Bazaars at 
Cairo and Luxor; saw how papyrus paper was made from the stems of the plant, which is sacred to Egypt, may be because of its pyramidical crossection; inhaled the aromas of wild, sensuos scents at a perfumery; enjoyed the exuberance of the famous Nubian Tanoura dance; lunched at the Indian restaurant Massala at Hotel Karvin in Cairo (run by an Indian Kaval Nain Oberoi and his beautiful Egyptian wife).This was no mean feat when seven of us teachers had 50 energetic and ebullient Loreto Convent students to look after on their first international educational tour. Apart from getting a peep into 
the most famous and ancient civilization, this trip taught them the important lesson of conserving water. We had to buy water all through our journey at Rs.40 (or more) a bottle. No hotel/eatery in Egypt serves free water with meals. And no roadside restaurant allows free usage of its washrooms – one has to pay Rs.8 per person.
By the grace of God, we returned to Lucknow after 9 dreamy days, tired but refreshed.
Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS) and also teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)
Reminiscences of Egypt- A Travalogue - Aha! To be in the land of the Pharaohs and of Cleopatras; to breathe deep the air of ancient civilization ; to marvel at the 
pristine blue of the Red Sea; to let the senses reel under the inexplicable experience of a cruise on the Mother of All Rivers. My stay in Egypt was a mixture of discovery and pleasure. It was difficult not to be overwhelmed. The sheer mathematical precision and design of the Pyramids at Giza at once awed and humbled me. Did the Kings really ascend to the after life to find a place amongst the gods? Or were the elaborate preparations (started by them in their lifetime on earth) for the journey to the next world, all in vain? These and other questions will remain unanswered forever.Pharaoh Khofu, who built the biggest tomb for himself, also has the dubious distinction of being represented by his smallest sized statue at Cairo Museum , as he was supposed to be very ugly and not liked by his people. This is just one of the many contradictions I came across. As I drank deep of the air over the River Nile, I was denied the basic human right of free drinkable water. No hotel (big or small) across Egypt provides free drinking water. A one litre bottle of water costs 5 Egyptian pounds (approx. Rs.40) or more. Petrol is much cheaper at 2 pounds a litre (Rs.16). But the body cannot survive on petrol. So buying water was one of my major expenses.The dazzling display of artifacts at the Egyptian Museum was overpowered by the tell tale signs of abject poverty spilling around me. Outside an alabaster factory, a worker gave me a piece of polished limestone (with a figurine etched on it), in return for a pen. He said he had three school going children. This he did with other tourists also.
Although Cairo , Luxor , Aswan , Hurgadha, still retain an old world charm and have very few high rise buildings, they are all very high on smoke. Despite signing and ratifying the global tobacco treaty (formally known as the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control - WHO FCTC), the Egyptian government seems to have done nothing to curb the menace of tobacco. Of course there were ‘no smoking’ signs everywhere, with people puffing away merrily under those signs. At the entrance to Karnak Temples, I clicked a policeman smoking close 
to a ‘No Smoking’ sign. He really got angry at me and said that I was not allowed to photograph a police man. When I pointed to the ‘no smoking sign’ he just walked away.
Different types of tobacco in very attractive packing are sold everywhere. I found it impossible to walk even a few steps in the market and other places, without encountering cigarette smoke. Another very common sight was that of a hookah smoker.Inside the Ramses Perfumes Palace , the air was thick with the fragrances of flower perfumes. A delicate touch of the pure essence oil of lotus, narcissus, jasmine, lilac, golden water, behind the ear or on the hair assured a fragrance lasting for several days. Blends, going by exotic names like ‘secret of the desert’, ‘thousand and one nights’, ‘omar el sherif’, ‘papyrus flower’ and ‘queen Cleopatra’ arouse the sensuous in you. Then there is kohl to beautify the eyes and incense to perfume the apartment.Papyrus painting 
is to Egypt , what ‘chikankaari’ ( a special form of hand embroidery) is to Lucknow . It was wonderful to watch the making of papyrus paper from the stem of the plant. And the beautiful paintings of Egyptian gods and goddesses and floral designs executed with finesse, similar to our own madhubani paintings. I found a lot of similarity between them.The trip to Egypt can never be complete if one has not savoured the delights of bargaining in a typical Egyptian bazaar (like the khan khalili market at Cairo). Haggling indeed is an art form in Egypt . It is perhaps expected and, from the local point of view, encouraged as a way of communication and human contact. Being an Indian, I enjoyed it immensely. The shopkeepers have a habit of touching you, praising your beautiful face and hair, cajoling you to buy their goods with all the vile trickery at their 
command. Once they knew that I was an Indian, they even took the name of some bollywood movies and expressed their admiration of Amitabh Bachhan and Shahrukh Khan. I had been warned by my guide not to fall in their trap, but I did. I bought a pair of ear rings for 60 pounds, which were quoted at 250 pounds. When the bargain was finally struck, the old shopkeeper said to me, ‘God Bless You’. ‘For what?’ I wondered. Perhaps, for allowing him to cheat me.Of course, how could I leave Egypt without buying a cartouche, the oval shaped good luck charm. It has symbols of eternity, love and protection etched on it. One can also get one’s name etched in hieroglyphic script on it. It is generally worn as a pendant or as earrings.
My senses are still spinning like the Tanoura Dance, the Egyptian version of the Sufi whirling dervish dance, performed mainly at Sufi festivals. It was awesome to see the male dancer spinning non stop for nearly half an hour, juggling with 5 tambours; twisting and turning as his multicoloured long skirt created the illusion of a human kaleidoscope.In the words of Jalaluddin Rumi, ‘There must be a purpose, a cause for existence, and inside the cause, a true human being.' So be it.Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS) and also teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)
Work On Ganga Expressway Project Continues Despite High Court Ban[To read this in Hindi language , click here ]
The hasty manner, in which the Uttar Pradesh government had granted environmental clearance to the Ganga Express Way Project, prompted the High Court to quash the environment clearance granted to the project thereby imposing a ban on its implementation on 29th May, 2009, till further notice.Serious aspersions are been cast against the haphazard working of the government, on this important issue. Neither the project report nor the `environment impact assessment' report was made available during the August 2007 public hearings. On top of this, the `state environment impact assessment authority' and the state level appraisal committee took just one day to take the major decision of granting permission to the project.A press conference was addressed on 12 June 2009 by noted water rights activists Rajendra Singh (Magsaysay Awardee 2001) and Dr Sandeep Pandey (Magsaysay awardee 2002 and National Convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)).
Leading frontline veteran activist of Narmada Bachao Andolan Arundhati Dhuru was also present adding value to the dialogue on this issue.
Professor U.K.Choudhury of the department of Civil Engineering of B.H.U. has expressed the fear that on its completion, the project is likely to increase the possibility of floods, rather than control them. Apart from this, the emissions from the vehicles plying on the expressway would add to the pollution of the Ganges river (the amount of oxygen dissolved in its waters would decrease and the bio oxygen demand would increase). The ground water level will also be affected.The acquisition of 27,000 hectares of land, required for the project, will affect the agriculture of the region and impact the livelihood of the farmers. It will also create serious displacement problems for them.During his tour of Rae Bareli and Pratapgarh districts, Rajendra Singh, the famous `water man', found that the process of land acquisition continues unabated, despite the ban by the High Court.We demand an immediate stop to all the work related to this project, till the U.P. State Government obtains proper environmental clearances from different agencies and also the clearance from the Central Government.Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS) and also teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)
Rahmani-30: A school of hopeKashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
The Muslims of North India for historical reasons have not had very friendly relations with the local police. I was in Patna visiting Rahmani-30 when Abhayanand, Additional Director General of Police makes a visit in his official car. Rahmani-30 is set up on the pattern of Bihar Super-30 which is a successful experiment to pick and train 30 students from poor economic background and prepare them for entrance exam of famous Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).Abhyanand waits while group of twenty odd Muslim students finish their afternoon prayers (Asr). These students have recently appeared for the class tenth exams and selected to Rahmani-30 after an entrance test and an interview. Entrance test was held in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal – clearly a sign of increasing popularity of the institution that is barely a year old.
A year ago, Maulana Wali Rahmani, Sajjada Nasheen of Khanqah Rahmaniya, Munger and Secretary of All India Muslim Personal Law Board requested Abhayanand to help him set up Rahmani-30. Abhayanand was associated with Super-30 and readily agreed to the idea. The dearth of good quality students led them to start another batch of students who had just finished their tenth. So that they can be given quality education for two years and that way more students can be ready for the tough entrance exams of IITs (IIT-JEE).I was visiting the institution just three days before the results of IIT-JEE were to be announced. No one could have imagined that all ten students would have qualified for India’s premier engineering institutions. At that time there were about twenty-five students who had arrived there from different districts of Bihar. A few students were from adjoining states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. These are the two years batch of Rahmani-30 that is preparing for IIT-JEE of 2011.Abhayanand, who goes by only one name, arrived unannounced and a class was organized just after the Asr prayer. He went over some Physics problems for about 45 minutes. Students came out to see him off and he offered some words to inspire his young and eager students. Talks again turned to Physics and he continued the instructions on the back of his official car. This was a rare and a welcome sight to see police officers contributing towards the future of young Muslim students.ADGP Abhayanand told me that he enjoys teaching and is now associated with five such experiments. Most of the students of these five institutions qualified for IIT. For economically and educationally backward state of Bihar this is very good news. And more than news, it is a hope that now even poor but meritorious students can achieve success with a bit of help. In Bihar, Rahmani-30 has given a new direction to Muslim students anxiously waiting for announcements of entrance exams and results.Successful students of this year’s exam have already indicated that they will teach their juniors and once finished with their education will work for the benefit of the community. It costs Rs. 80,000 per year for each student’s expenses. Students are given free board, lodge and instructions. All expenses are met by Rahmani Foundation.Rahmani-30 is a beacon of hope for Bihari Muslims not only because of the help it provides to meritorious students but also because a new generation of Muslims is taking up interest in the community affairs. Though Abhayanand and Wali Rahmani are the public face of Rahmani-30, volunteer team behind this institution consists of young Muslims in their 30s. These have jobs but volunteer their time to make sure that wheel of this coaching keeps turning. They make decisions for the day to day running to organizing exams.With the successful result of this year’s IIT-JEE, Rahmani-30 and people associated with it have proved that they mean business and that with focused and sustained effort nothing is impossible.Rahamani-30(Unit of Rahmani Foundation, Munger)Address: Maulana Azad College of Business Management Campus,Anisabad, Patna-2BiharContact: mdwalirahmani@gmail.comWebsite: http://twocircles.net/rahmani30.htmlKashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
World now in early days of 2009 influenza pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on 11 June 2009 that 'swine' flu (or influenza caused by H1N1 virus) is a pandemic."On the basis of available evidence, and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6" said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO in a press statement issued on 11 June 2009. "The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic" further said Dr Chan."We are in the earliest days of the pandemic. The virus is spreading under a close and careful watch. No previous pandemic has been detected so early or watched so closely, in real-time, right at the very beginning. The world can now reap the benefits of investments, over the last five years, in pandemic preparedness. We have a head start. This places us in a strong position. But it also creates a demand for advice and reassurance in the midst of limited data and considerable scientific uncertainty" cautioned Dr Chan.The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another. As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries.This is only part of the picture. With few exceptions, countries with large numbers of cases are those with good surveillance and testing procedures in place.Spread in several countries can no longer be traced to clearly-defined chains of human-to-human transmission. Further spread is considered inevitable."Thanks to close monitoring, thorough investigations, and frank reporting from countries, we have some early snapshots depicting spread of the virus and the range of illness it can cause" said Dr Chan."We know, too, that this early, patchy picture can change very quickly. The virus writes the rules and this one, like all influenza viruses, can change the rules, without rhyme or reason, at any time.Globally, we have good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity. As we know from experience, severity can vary, depending on many factors, from one country to another" said Dr Chan.On present evidence, the overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms and make a rapid and full recovery, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment.Worldwide, the number of deaths is small. "Each and every one of these deaths is tragic, and we have to brace ourselves to see more. However, we do not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe or fatal infections" said Dr Chan.The H1N1 virus preferentially infects younger people. In nearly all areas with large and sustained outbreaks, the majority of cases have occurred in people under the age of 25 years.In some of these countries, around 2% of cases have developed severe illness, often with very rapid progression to life-threatening pneumonia.Most cases of severe and fatal infections have been in adults between the ages of 30 and 50 years.This pattern is significantly different from that seen during epidemics of seasonal influenza, when most deaths occur in frail elderly people.Many, though not all, severe cases have occurred in people with underlying chronic conditions. "Based on limited, preliminary data, conditions most frequently seen include respiratory diseases, notably asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and obesity" said Dr Chan.At the same time, it is important to note that around one third to half of the severe and fatal infections are occurring in previously healthy young and middle-aged people."Without question, pregnant women are at increased risk of complications. This heightened risk takes on added importance for a virus, like this one, that preferentially infects younger age groups" added Dr Chan."Finally, and perhaps of greatest concern, we do not know how this virus will behave under conditions typically found in the developing world. To date, the vast majority of cases have been detected and investigated in comparatively well-off countries" cautioned Dr Chan."Let me underscore two of many reasons for this concern. First, more than 99% of maternal deaths, which are a marker of poor quality care during pregnancy and childbirth, occurs in the developing world. Second, around 85% of the burden of chronic diseases is concentrated in low- and middle-income countries" said Dr Chan.Although the pandemic appears to have moderate severity in comparatively well-off countries, it is prudent to anticipate a bleaker picture as the virus spreads to areas with limited resources, poor health care, and a high prevalence of underlying medical problems."A characteristic feature of pandemics is their rapid spread to all parts of the world. In the previous century, this spread has typically taken around 6 to 9 months, even during times when most international travel was by ship or rail" said Dr Chan.Countries should prepare to see cases, or the further spread of cases, in the near future. Countries where outbreaks appear to have peaked should prepare for a second wave of infection, according to Dr Chan's statement to the press.Guidance on specific protective and precautionary measures has been sent to ministries of health in all countries. Countries with no or only a few cases should remain vigilant.Countries with widespread transmission should focus on the appropriate management of patients. The testing and investigation of patients should be limited, as such measures are resource intensive and can very quickly strain capacities."WHO has been in close dialogue with influenza vaccine manufacturers. I understand that production of vaccines for seasonal influenza will be completed soon, and that full capacity will be available to ensure the largest possible supply of pandemic vaccine in the months to come. Pending the availability of vaccines, several non-pharmaceutical interventions can confer some protection" said Dr Chan.WHO continues to recommend no restrictions on travel and no border closures as per Dr Chan's statement.Influenza pandemics, whether moderate or severe, are remarkable events because of the almost universal susceptibility of the world’s population to infection."We are all in this together, and we will all get through this, together" said Dr Chan.- Bobby Ramakant
Council of folly - MCI
Ketan Desai is in news again. This time for the huge capitation fee sting operation by the Times of India in two of the Tamil Nadu based Medical colleges. Interestingly, it has been found that in addition to being the President of the Medical Council of India, he was also in the board of both these disgraced institutions.
Going in the past, we come to know that in May 2001, the Delhi high court had asked the then MCI president Ketan Desai to step down on the ground that his term as council member was already over and elections were approaching. Desai's continuance in the office was challenged on the ground of holding two memberships - one of the council and other of the University of Gujarat . As per MCI rules, he can not continue as president while holding two positions. When it could not get complied with for certain reasons, this head of the urology department of the prestigious B J medical college, Ahmedabad was again removed as the president on charges of corruption by the Delhi High Court in November 2001. This was generally welcomed by the medical community.
At that time, Dr Arun Bal, secretary of Forum for Medical Ethics, welcomed the HC verdict and said it was long overdue. "Everybody knew he was corrupt, but no doctors or doctors' associations came forward to demand that he step down. What is worse is that the Indian Medical Association has made him their national president despite the fact that he was under a cloud for a long time." He had also asked the election procedure for MCI to be changed.An Income tax raid on the residence of Dr Desai was also conducted in 2000 where he had reported Rs five crore as undisclosed income and gifts of Rs 65 lakh. The Delhi High Court in addition to removal had also directed the CBI to initiate prosecution proceedings against him for his involvement in corrupt practices as the division bench of Justice Arun Kumar and Justice R C Chopra had found Dr Desai guilty of misusing his official position and observed that the apex body for doctors was a den of corruption.
In another case, a division bench of the Uttaranchal High Court comprising Chief Justice A A Desai and M C Jain had already passed an order restraining Dr Desai from participating in the functioning of the MCI on a petition filed by Dr Suresh Upadhyaya alleging that Dr Desai had accepted donations for affiliation of medical colleges and recognising medical degrees as also in admitting and passing medical students.
The Supreme Court had stayed further proceedings in the writ petition before the Uttaranchal High Court on a petition filed by the Centre seeking transfer of the proceedings from the Uttaranchal High Court to the Delhi High Court as a similar petition was pending before the Delhi High Court and it would be appropriate that both the petitions were hired and disposed off by the Delhi High Court to avoid conflicting verdicts.In a recent article titled “Is Ketan Desai king of capitation fee?” by the TOI (8 Jun 2009) it says- “He has had a vice-like grip over the Medical Council of India (MCI) for almost 20 years now.”There are an estimated 2,500 countrywide ‘management quota’ seats available in MBBS colleges, where despite an explicit Supreme Court ban on capitation fee, a rate on the upper side of Rs 20 lakh per seat is being sought making it a staggering Rs 500 crore annually. This business is completely in the hands of Dr Desai. The TOI Article shows the influence of Dr Desai through various examples of how ministers and Prime ministers have been lying in queue to have a meeting with him. After 2001, he controlled the MCI through his nominees till he returned as chairman in March 2009, after winning a prolonged legal battle. The Article shows how people like former state health minister Ashok Bhatt and former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss tried to curtail and regulate his and MCI’s powers but failed miserably.Dr Sunil K Pandya from Mumbai and. Dr Samiran Nundy of Delhi, who are waging a long-battle for enforcement of medical ethics wrote an Article “Dr Ketan Desai and the Medical Council of India: Lessons to be learnt” where they said- “As is common knowledge, elections to our national and state-level medical councils are fought with just one aim: to enrich oneself personally. Expenditure of huge sums; a total lack of scruples; political connections; a compulsive desire to grab power by any means, both fair and foul and finally, ruthless pursuit of the goal of personal enrichment are absolute necessities.” He estimated the expense on the election of Presidentship to be around one crore rupee at that time, which must have gone by many times now.They had wished that- “The workings of these councils must be totally transparent both to members of the medical profession and to the public at large.” and that- “Honest, dedicated and sincere doctors must be encouraged to stand as candidates to these councils.”One hopes things actually start moving the way people like Dr Pandya and Dr Arun wish. Till that time, it is the day of the Desai.Dr Nutan Thakur(The author is the Editor of Nutan Sattah Pravah, based in Lucknow)
Judiciary in Questioning?
Justice Mehtab Singh Gill is a honoured Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In 2002 when the infamous Punjab Public Service Commission Recruitment scam came into limelight and the Punjab Vigilance Bureau caught hold of stacks of money, going into crores from the Banks lockers of Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu alias Ravi Sidhu, a former journalist and the then Chairman of the PPSC, of the many startling facts that came out in the open was that Justice Gill was also a beneficiary of the free-job boom where one of his relatives was wrongly provided job in Punjab civil service. He was not alone. There were also Justice Amarbir Singh Gill and M L Singhal to give him company.
These sad news had pained the then Chief Justice of the High Court, B L Saharya so much that he had got a detailed and discreet in-house enqiuiry conducted. While his enquiry proved the complicity of the above three Judges, it also showed him that Justice Mehtab Singh had the habit of "flaunting his official position" and "tendency to interfere in matters of local administration" and much more seriously "in judicial matters too." He sent a detailed report regarding the three Judges to the then Chief Justice of India, B N Kirpal.
The result was that J Amarbir Singh was asked to proceed on leave as he had only a few days of service left, while J Mehtab Singh got a reprimand and J Singhal was absolved. Thus, there was hardly any substantial action against any of the Judges.
Again, when the Forest Hill case came in light in Punjab, names of a few Judges of the High Court came to have taken favour from the owner of the Hill Reorts which was totally illegal and had been constructed by giving a sidekick to all kinds of rules and regulations. Yet, while action was taken against a few administrative and forest officers, the Judges got completely scot-free.When Rs. 15 lakh got delivered at the doorsteps of Justice Nirmal Kaur which supposedly was for another High Court Judge Justice Nirmal Yadav, much hue and cry was made. The case finally got transferred to the CBI. As per the reports published by the HT (07/06/2009) , while the CBI sent a report to the Union government to grant prosecution sanction against the High court Judge, having enough evidence against her, the Union government has turned down the request saying that the evidence was insufficient. For all that it seems the case will also peter down and will eventuallu=y meet its end. Thus Justice Nirmal Yadav will remain safely ensconced on her chair of Justice.
Now, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has come up with taped conversations in which names of a few High Court Judges has popped up in some highly objectionable contexts on a regular basis. The phone tapping confirms existence of all kinds of malpractices in the lower and higher judiciary in Punjab which would have been sufficient enough to indict and charge-0sheet any other person than a mighty Judge of a High Court. J Mehtab Singh `s name features here once again.
Ironically the matter has already got the notice of the Chief Justice of India. All that is recommended as an action-taking attempt is to transfer Justice Mehtab Singh. That is way back in Mid 2008. The transfer file gets struck in the Law ministry and J Mehtab Singh still remains the Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The purpose of describing these incidents is not to single out a few persons. The purpose is to show the real situation of the Judiciary today and how much revamping and cleansing it needs. It is a fact that Judiciary today is under attack. But much of the discredit for this must vest with the Judiciary itself. In all these cases and in many other cases like the PF scam case of Ghaziabad or the Justice Sen case of the Calcutta High Court where J Sen refused to oblige the suggestions of even the CJI, a signal is going around that the Supreme Court is proving highly ineffective in dealing with the corruption cases of the High court Judges. It is being seen that each one of those Judges against whom there are ample proof of corrupt practices are firmly placed in their seats and no punitive/ legal or even administrative action is being taken against them. This is a dangerous sign and is the most damning for higher judiciary in India.
Judiciary hinges completely on trust and once this trust gets eroded, all the public influence the higher judiciary has, will get completely eliminated. The Supreme Court, being the custodian of Judicial system in India will have to realize that the time has come when out of Judicial protections and privileges on one side and public perception and trust on the other, it would be better if it chose the later one.
Otherwise, it might be too late.Dr Nutan Thakur
(The author is the Editor of Nutan Satta Pravah, and based in Lucknow)
Chhattisgarh government ignores Supreme Court, still supporting killings!
CHHATTISGARH GOVERNMENT IGNORES SUPREME COURT, STILL SUPPORTING KILLINGS, DRIVING PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMESIn October 2008, the Government of Chhattisgarh assured the Supreme Court that it would rehabilitate all villagers who had been affected and displaced by Salwa Judum and Naxalite violence. Till date nothing has been done. Instead, the government continues to encourage and support killings, rapes and the destruction of people's homes and villages. • The Supreme Court's orders to register cases for the atrocities committed in the area, as well as to engage in rehabilitation, have been totally ignored. The Chhattisgarh government has not rehabilitated a single village in the seven months since the rehabilitation order was passed. • On May 17, 2009, the offices of the only organisation that has attempted any rehabilitation at all – Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, run by the Gandhian Himanshu Kumar – were demolished by over 500 policemen with a few hours' notice. • Mr. Kumar has since been warned by the SP of Dantewada that the government intends to implement a “Sri Lanka model” in the area and that he should leave the district if he values his life.• A fact finding team of the People's Union for Civil Liberties that visited the area in the wake of the demolition, including senior journalists and well known human rights lawyers and activists, found that the demolition was clearly unwarranted and intended to penalise the organisation for its opposition to Salwa Judum and its efforts in rehabilitating villagers. The interim report of the fact finding team is being released at this press conference.• Meanwhile, the Salwa Judum continues to engage in rapes, killings and arson, such as the attack on the villages of Biayampalli and Badepalli on April 25, 2009 when 10 and over 20 houses were burnt respectively, the looting of residents of village Gorkha on 23 february 2009, and the burning of grain stores of village Chinger on March 9 2009. Most recently, in June, village Kamaram was attacked. • Even though the Government has admitted in the Supreme Court that the Salwa Judum is an armed organisation that has burnt houses and destroyed property, it continues its support for this illegal militia. The Chhattisgarh government has till date not made a single statement dissociating itself from the Salwa Judum, nor have the police taken any action against its members or leaders.The Chhattisgarh government continues to engage in open, brazen and unconstitutional attacks on the rights of lakhs of innocent men, women and children.Himanshu Kumar from Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, Dantewada, Sumit Chakravarthy, Veteran Journalist and Editor Mainstream, Arundhati Roy, the booker prize-winner and social activist and Prof. Nandini Sundar, University of Delhi, addressed the media representatives. An open letter to the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh protesting these atrocities is also being released at this press conference. Simultaneously, an open letter to the CPI (Maoist) is being released, asking them to desist from acts of abduction and killing, and anything, which could interfere with the process of peaceful return and rehabilitation of villagers. A fact-finding report conducted in October 2008 by a group of independent women professionals detailing cases of rape is also being circulated, as background information. Let the new UPA Government which says it believes in widespread participation by women take note of what it is helping to support in Chhattisgarh.
Defense Forces take on the corporate battlefields!
Anjali Singh
Lucknow: The men in the forces sporting blues, greens and whites certainly have an enviable lifestyle. The respect comes with the job as does the adventure peppered with an aura of safeguarding the country’s frontiers. To top it all there’s always the glamour of donning a uniform as well.
Sounds good? Sure does. As for anyone an opportunity for making a livelihood in the defense services would seem like landing a dream job. But are the army, air force or navy officers who are already in the job happy with the picture perfect profession they have?
No way! They say. Not surprising either what with most ruing unequal pay scales, rigorous work routines which keep them away from their families and last but not the least slow professional growth. While that may sound quite dreary, the good news is the officers in the forces have now found a way out.
Most are opting out of the services and moving into the private sector to earn a living so that they can maintain a standard of lifestyle they have wanted but have not been able to achieve in the defense forces.
And predictably institutions like XLRI Jamshedpur and the other major B school all over the country like IIM A,B,C,I and L and MDI Gurgaon have become their hot favorites to realize those aspirations.
Says Capt Shakti Tahlan who recently retired from the Army’s short service commission and is pursuing a six months Executive Management Programme at XLRI Jamshedpur, “I knew my caliber was way above what the army was utilizing me for so the frustration of not doing enough was really getting to me. So when I got a chance to leave and join a course for resettlement I jumped at it. Currently I am pursuing a six months course in HR Management at XLRI Jamshedpur and post my course will be placed in a private company with a good salary. It’s just ideal for me.”
A fact that is seconded by Group Capt KS Malimath, who moved out of the Indian Air force after 22 years of service and is currently training at XLRI Jamshedpur as well, “To put it bluntly people are moving out of the defense services to explore greener pastures. Govt organization are no more what they were 20 years back. The armed forces have been degraded by external agents like IAS clan and internally everyone is finding themselves in a rut which is taking away professionalism from the service. Making matters worse is that being in the defense forces provides only promotions which does not exemplify professionalism as compared to private job offers which better professional growth.”
While a period of transition is indeed stressful, specially so when it is related to our professional field. Defense officers don’t feel the heat that much switching careers thanks to the management colleges they are entering to hone their skills required to excel in the private arena.
As explains Capt Tribhuvan Singh Mankotia a short service commissioned officer with over six years experience with the JAG Wing(Judge Advocate General Branch) a legal branch of the India Army, “I left the army as the respect and repute of an Army Officer has gone down drastically in the recent years. I am a Third Generation Officer and have seen the services change a lot from what the Army was 15 years back. On the other hand job satisfaction is not there, one is restricted in the work they do and the freedom and ideas that can be implemented are curtailed as well. Lot of ego problems and trying to constantly change yourself as per whim’s and fancies of your commanding officer are also the reasons why I feel most of us have left the Army.”
But does he feel defense officers will get all that was missing in army from a private job?
“Of course,” says Capt Mankotia, “The sky is the limit once you walk out of the forces. There are large numbers of MNCs which are ready to select an Army officer based on the training and the discipline which makes us stand apart from the ordinary. But I feel that we also have more scope for job satisfaction in a private job because here the performance/results speak for the efforts put in. Whereas in defense services its more of a ACR based report which assesses our caliber, one may not have done anything or their knowledge about the profession may be zero but in the end what really counts is the ACR. If the commanding officer is happy nothing else is required. Moreover in defence like any other govt job a person knows that nobody can stop his salary and time scale promotions. So majority do not work nor contribute towards the growth of the organization.”
Also adds Flt Lt N S V Shalini, from Indian Air Force’s Technical Branch who opted out of the services after 8 yrs and is training at a management institute to hone her skills to be able to fit into the corporate world, “Though in the current scenario, working outside of Armed Forces seems less lucrative, in the long run it offers better pay. Also, opportunity for growth is more the prospect of being in your choice of residence seems better. A wide variety of jobs available in the market depending upon the experience of the Armed Forces Officer make the prospect of leaving the forces trouble-free. We also have the added advantage of being able to adapt and handle any job profile which removes any restriction of jobs for Armed Forces personnel. When the job is technical-oriented, those who are qualified and trained on that technology and software will be able to fit well into such job profiles.”
But ask her if after being trained to handle combat techniques can defense personnel handle private jobs which need more of people management, pat comes her reply, “It is but natural for ex-Armed Forces Officers to adapt to civilian jobs. Combat techniques involve a huge investment of your physical and mental capabilities and require intense and constant training and updating of skills. In civilian jobs, requirements are not as intense since you hardly face combat-like situations. In addition to that we spend six months to a year in management institutions like IIMs etc learning how to fit into a corporate world.”
While the ex-armed forces officers are confident enough, those with experience of having tested the corporate scenario prefer to remain skeptical.
Says Amit Jaiswal, an advocate who has worked closely with defense officers to solve their legal issues related to their employment, “Pursuing a career in the army most certainly limits the scope of growth in terms of the job scenario. Then there is always the stringent Army Act that most succumb to as well which further develops an superiority complex and a dictatorial attitude and mindset in an officer which prevents them from fitting into the proverbial diplomatic temperament a manager in a private firm needs to have. So they eventually end up running their own security firm or take on the responsibility of administration in education field. ”
Not so says Col PK Bose(retd), who is currently working with a private company dealing with finance security,ATM Management and high value cash management, “Having led two battalions of the Infantry man management, planning security and movement of highly vulnerable equipment and troops was part of my job. So it’s but natural that I take to a similar work profile post retirement. Though I did not take up any management training when I retired I feel the young officers doing so today will only add to their skills and enhance their chances of getting a job in the private sector.”
But are such officers cut out for working in a private arena after being trained for combat tactics?
Avers Bose, “Army officers are given skills that are very varied and which are inculcated in him during his training in the defense academies. So they are well equipped to handle manpower, maintain equipments, managing finance in terms of high security cash and salary and funds. The added plus is their people’s management skills given the fact that they handle troops made up of r
ecruits from different parts of the country make them ideal to fit into the corporate world. So in my opinion a defense officer is the best choice private companies have to pick up as part of their staff and with most now training in management skills as well the package they have will be the best in the industry.”
Well coming straight from the horses mouth there is no doubt that the sky is the limit for those who wish quit wearing fatigues and take on a civilian role. Any takers head honchos?
Photo captions:
Pix1: A different kind of training. Ex-defense officers attending a management lecture at XLRI Jamshedpur.
Pix2: Honing those management skills catching up on the corporate techniques after these officers have perfected their combat skills.
Pix3: Class of 2009, the Defense Officers Batch undergoing management training at XLRI Jamshedpur.
Anjali Singh
(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS) and also the Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: anjali@citizen-news.org)
Published in
Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
The Bangladesh Today, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan
The Colombo Times, Colombo, Sri Lanka
The Banderas News, Mexico
Weekly Blitz
Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Citizen News Service (CNS)
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
NAPM condemns attempts to dilute the RTI Act
In a meeting of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Right to Information (RTI) Campaign of National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) held at Darul-Shafa, Lucknow today participants from 16 districts strongly condemned the move by the State Government to exclude certain areas like information related to appointment of Governor, Ministers, High Court Judges, code of conduct for Ministers and letters written by the Governor to the President from the the purview of the RTI Act. The government had earlier taken out the department of civil aviation from the purview of the Act. These tampering with the RTI Act are against the letter and spirit of the Act and State Government is not authorized to do these. Under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act the State Government can only consider intelligence and security organization for exemption from this Act. The action of the State Government is also against the article 256 of the Constitution.The notifications issued by the State Government taking out five subjects and the department of civil aviation from the purview of the RTI Act will be challenged in the court of law as well as state wide public demonstrations organized on 15th June, 2009. In Lucknow the demonstration will take place outside the Vidhan Sabha.In addition a national level meeting will be organized to condemn the action of the State Government as well as to highlight the laxity in implementation of the RTI Act by the Public Information Officers, First Appeal Authorities and the Information Commission of the State. Numerous applicants who attended the meeting expressed dissatisfaction with the state of affairs of implementation of the RTI Act in the State.
SR Darapuri, Izhar Ahmad, Keshav Chand, Jayashankar, Arvind Murti, Mahendra Singh Rathore, Urvashi Sharma, Himanshu Swarnkar, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Munnalal Shukla, Akhilesh Saxena, Ajay Patel, Neelkamal, Rambabu, Ashok Bharti, Rajesh Maurya, Prem Kumar, Vishwesh, Sandeep Pandey
National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Uttar Pradesh
Contact: Bobby Ramakant, 9839073355, Arvind Murti, 9839835032
which is perhaps the second largest town in Egypt . So we were already close to one of the wonders of the world -- the famous pyramids. Most of the sign boards in Cairo were in Arabic and so it was difficult to recognize any building on its own. I found the words ‘kahira’ and ‘misr’ written at some places ( urdu equivalents of Cairo and Egypt ). What really struck the eyes was the mud and earth coloured exteriors of most of the buildings and houses. Many houses seemed to be incomplete (though one could see air conditioners fitted in the windows). Our guide informed us that people often resort to this to avoid paying taxes to the government, which they have to, once the house is completed.
ree massive stone structures, built on a rocky desert plateau, close to the Nile and near the then capital city of Memphis. They once housed the remains of the fourth dynasty kings Khufu (Chiopse to the Greeks), Khafre (Chephren), and Menkaure, who ruled through 2589 to 2506 B.C. This was also the peak time of prosperity of the old kingdom of Egypt .
was a moment I had always dreamt of. And now here it was in front of the pyramid of Khafre, presiding and guarding over the Giza nechropolis. Carved from a single piece of stone, it has a lion’s body with a man’s head ( presumably that of Khafre).
mathematical precision with which they were built will continue to inspire passionate debates.
We took the night train from Cairo to Aswan , which is famous for its great dam (111 meters) high, built on Lake Nasser , the largest man made lake at 6000 square km. Our next stop was the Temple of Philae , which is dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, wife of Osiris and mother of the falcon god Horus. These three characters dominate the ancient Egyptian culture and religion. Its construction was started by Ptolemy II in Greco- Egyptian style, and continued by Roman emperors. The temple was originally built on the island of Philae (hence its name) on the Nile . But it was totally submerged when the high dam was completed in 1960. So the temple was completely dismantled and reassembled on its present location on Aglika island, 550 m away, over a period of 10 years.
luxurious cruise on the mother of all rivers. We stopped at the temple of Kom (group) Ombo (gold), meaning lots of gold. In ancient times Kom Ombo stood on an important crossroad on the caravan route from Nubia to the gold mines in the eastern desert. The temple, dating from 200 B.C., was built during the Plotemaic era. The temple is unique in the sense that it is a double temple – the right side of it is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, and the left side honours Haroeris, a form of the falc
on headed god Horus. It was built basically to propitiate the crocodiles, which infested this bank of the river. Our guide Ahmed told us that the temple housed 5 mummies of crocodiles (nowhere else have animals been mummified), which had been removed to the British Museum just a few days ago. The outer hypostyle Hall of t
he temple has 15 columns topped with lotus capitals and the bases bear the papyrus symbol. The walls of the temple are full of carvings and hieroglyphic paintings. One wall has the etchings of medical tools of that era (but still in use in today’s times). Of great significance are two carvings of women in labour, delivering a baby, in the sitting posture. Gynaecologists, please note!
Next day we disembarked at Luxor to visit the royal necropolis on the western bank, with the mountain of Thebes providing a natural pyramid background. Tombs of 62 kings are located here. We took mini trams to reach the walkways of the three tombs of Ramases I, IV and IX, which we visited. The deepest tomb is of Ramases II, which is 185m into the mountain, another engineering marvel. The walls of the tombs are decorated with coloured paintings, in natural earth tones of blue, rust, yellow and black. Our guide told us that the walls were polished, painted and then covered with egg white, to preserve the paintings. Here again we were not allowed to click our cameras.
Hatshesput. A very tall structure, it took 20 years to complete and 10,000 workers are said to have died during its construction. The queen was the 5th pharaoh of the 18th dynasty and ruled for 22 years from 1479 to 1458 B.C. She was a prolific builder, commissioning several projects throughout Egypt . She built this temple around 1450 B.C. to commemorate her achievements and to serve as a funerary temple for her; as well as a sanctuary for god Amon Re. It consists of three elegant colonnaded terraces set against the high cliff. We accessed the second terrace by a ramp having 51 steps.
This is the largest temple complex, spread over 700 acres and built and enlarged over a period of 1300 years. Although ruined partially, it is still an impressive site dedicated to gods Amon Ra, Mut and Khonsu.
etched on the walls, he is shown with the gods (and not shown making an offering to the gods). The entrance is adorned by two statues of him.
passed through mud brick houses, as our bus ran over mountain and desert roads. At Safaga, I had the first glimpse of the pristine blue of the Red Sea (so called because of its red coral reefs).
Cairo and Luxor; saw how papyrus paper was made from the stems of the plant, which is sacred to Egypt, may be because of its pyramidical crossection; inhaled the aromas of wild, sensuos scents at a perfumery; enjoyed the exuberance of the famous Nubian Tanoura dance; lunched at the Indian restaurant Massala at Hotel Karvin in Cairo (run by an Indian Kaval Nain Oberoi and his beautiful Egyptian wife).
the most famous and ancient civilization, this trip taught them the important lesson of conserving water. We had to buy water all through our journey at Rs.40 (or more) a bottle. No hotel/eatery in Egypt serves free water with meals. And no roadside restaurant allows free usage of its washrooms – one has to pay Rs.8 per person.
