Summer Dairy

Summer is all about fighting the heat and dehydration being the most trivial reason for body slow-down...so, clean-up your kitchen, stock up your refrigerators and pamper yourself with the recommended nutritional summer dietary picks.

Words by our Nutritionist Specialists:

Dr. Lata Sashi, a Consultant Nutritionist illuminating her expertise on summery diet precisely pointing out on the risk of getting dehydrated during the summers- a resultant of loss of fluid and electrolyte in the body. Drinking plain fresh water (at least 1 to 1.5 litres a day) is what she suggests to be ideal to balance our body fluid level, regardless of your activity intensities. Besides, fresh fruit juice with a concentration of 150ml servings, without added sugar is said to work fine too. Picking seasonal fruits like musk melon, watermelon, papaya, etc. are advised to be the best.

Opting vegetable soup is surely into our Summer Dairy too…however, a strict ‘no no ’is to ‘off-the-rack ones’, and also to the array of aerated and bottled drinks containing preservatives that flood the stores. Choose additional intakes of curd and buttermilk instead. While, fresh tender coconut water that contains high level of sodium and potassium is suggested to have the best electrolytic properties.

It’s how you prepare?

Avoiding fat-based and oily foods has always been a dart-mark for healthy living. So it’s all about what you cook and how you cook…including tea snacks like vadas, samosas, chips, bhajjis, etc. Fat has a very high thermal effect. Pick fresh vegetables, for Dr. Sashi explains there’s no stern restriction on choice of vegetables as such, however, kaddu and turoi are suggested for higher water content.

Shallow food frying or maybe sambar-like preparation is said to be ideal for the heat. Spacing out meals is advised to keep the body light than stuffing all in one or two large ones.

Dr. Praveen Kumar of the Heritage Food (India) Limited suggests to go for foods containing alkaline properties and, leafy vegetables are to have such high base with anti-oxidant properties that increases the alkaline and also the Ph Level.

Must-avoid list:

· Avoid drinks containing artificial sugars, preservatives, canned juices, caffeinated, carbonated or alcoholic beverages that are highly acidic in nature and act as major diuretics.

· Avoid soft drinks, for they contain diluted phosphoric acid, which damages the inner lining of the digestive tract, also increasing the phosphorous levels in the blood. Soft drinks also reduce mineral levels in the body to such an extent that enzymes are unable to function well, resulting in indigestion.

· Do not drink too chilled liquids, it’s quite hard to really gulp this but drinking too cold liquids may lead to constriction of the blood vessels and decrease heat loss meaning lesser perspiration.

Must-note list:

· Avoid excessive intake of proteins as it leads to the rise in body heat like milk, meat, egg, dried fruits, nuts and legumes.

· Trim down on heaty vegetables and fruits, like hot peppers, spinach, radish, garlic, onions, beetroot, grapefruit or even pineapples.

· Add sabza (tulsi seeds) in your drinks which has a natural cooling effect on the body.

· NO eating too hot, spicy or extremely salty foods, for the body retains salt in the organic form found in fruits and veggies while the inorganic salt is digested, this is why you need to drink a lot of water to clear it out from the body.

Most-preferred list:

· Include lots of fruits, sprouts and vegetables like fresh juices and salads, preferably without

· Drink thin buttermilk, lemon juice and tender coconut water to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.

· Excessive heat hampering the steady digestion process intake of toker daal (raw mangoes cooked with lentils) with boiled rice during lunch is suggested by all nutritionists.

· To keep away the germs, it is advised to eat a substantial amount of bitter dishes made of neem (full of medicinal qualities) and karela (bitter gourd), also helping to improve one’s appetite.

· Hang on to fine hygiene living.

A quick food guide for summers by an eminent nutritionist, Reshmi Roy Chowdhury

· 6.30 am: Green or herbal tea and two biscuits. · Breakfast: Seasonal fruits (250 gm) with an egg and curd (100 gm, made from skimmed or toned milk) or just with a cup of cereal and curd. · 10.30 am: Fruit juice or tender coconut water or chilled lassi. · Lunch: Rice (60 to 70 gm), daal (20 gm), vegetables (150 gm), fish or chicken 60 gm) (it is better to avoid red meat and prawns), curd (100) · 4.30 pm: Tea and biscuits. · 6.30 pm: Fruit salad or soaked chhole and curd. · Dinner: Roti or rice, vegetables (150 gm), fish (60 gm), I cup cold milk mixed with a little bit of honey. · Handy tip: To aid digestion, have one amla, slightly boiled, everyday.

Reality in Check

Documentary filmmaking being a medium of honest communication has the power to depict reality, foster imaginations, reveal unique perspectives and motivate changes…so Trendz choose to keep it rolling.

Man and nature battling…

Environmental depletion, global warming, continuous deforestation, declining animal numbers are sure a concern that equates to imbalance the ecosystem. Watch Earthlings directed by Shaun Monson that relates nature-animal-humankind and their interdependences, or Academy award winning An Inconvenient Truth a magnificent research alerting citizens to the terrestrial crisis of global warming, while Chernobyl Heart by DeLeo gives an inside story of the horrendous effect of Russia’s Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1984, showcasing human’s ignorance to nature’s destructive capacity. It’s all about how we take all for granted.

Also, Global Dimming filmed by BBC Horizon in 2005 gives an alarming conclusion that the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth's surface has been gradually falling, meaning that the impact of global warming is far more worrisome than probably imagined. Home entirely produced with aerial shots of different parts of planet Earth intending to show the Earth’s diversity and also how we humans are damaging the ecological balance of our planet. This precisely focuses on the areas of human encroachment causing displacement of animals and loss of natural habitat.

The Cove a revelation of a covert operation of the international dolphin capture trade practiced in Taji, Japan is an astonishing piece of investigation of how human manhandles nature. Wildlife across India too faces a number of threats. An effort for a balanced solution to reduce elephant deaths the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) film – On the Right Track is not a miss either! It‘s a documentation of interventions that ensured zero elephant deaths in train accidents in Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand. At least 20 elephants were accounted to be killed in accidents in these railway tracks between 1987 and March 2002.

Vijay Bedi, the award-winning filmmaker of Cherub in the Mist, a film based on the life of two red pandas who were released into the Singalila National Park in the Darjeeling District, India. It is said that even the slightest increase in temperature of 0.2 (degree Celsius) can kill animals like red panda that live in acute conditions.

Shores of Silence - Whale sharks in India by Mike Pandey is the first Indian film to spotlight the slaughter of whale sharks on the Indian coast. You can visit http://www.mikepandey.org/awards.htm for more of his environmental related documentaries.

What Man makes of Man?

To cover the genre of crime and human rights we surely can’t miss Conspiracy Of Silence - The Franklin Child Prostitution Ring filmed in 1993 by Yorkshire Television, a story of an alleged child sex circle serving high-level American politicians, most notably, Lawrence E. King, a prominent member of the Republican Party that hit the headlines in 1992 as the Franklin child abuse scandal..

Xavi-The Movie by Gregg Helvey is a narrative of an Indian boy who just wants to be a normal kid wanting to go to school, play cricket but is forced to work in a brick kiln showcasing child abuse and modern day slavery. Garbage Dreams another heart-drenching investigation by Mai Iskander focusing on life and future of Cairo children caused by intense globalization and how they pursue garbage collection as their no-option career.

The Quiet One of way back 1948 directed by Sidney Meyers is indeed a classic documentary of a ten year-old Harlem Negro boy- a child thirsty for love, discarding all social norms and a clear reflection of a child psychology, February 14, 1949whose childhood had been scratched by the cruel indifference of his parents and the repulsion of his grandmother with whom he lived. Mistreated and rejected, he has lost all heart and confidence and, in his lonesome agony, turns a loner.

Broken Child by Michael Mierendorf depicts the complexity and the cumulative effects of child abuse, neglect, and trauma leading to mental illness and violent anti-social behavior. When children become emotionally or psychologically damaged that the damage is quite hard to untie. It’s an expression for preventing and early intervention of probable threat to the society.

Deliver Us from Evil by Amy Berg is another devastating compilation of witnesses revealing the Catholic Church's shocking cover up of ongoing incidents of child abuse by members of the clergy in California. While Deepika Lal an Indian film maker who herself was a victim of child molestation expresses by documenting and directing Speak Up! It’s Not Your Fault.

For wider genre of Indian documentaries that are well-crafted, you could also visit www.ndtv.com

Ideally Contradictory...

He calls me an angel,
He calls me a princess too,
He’s far… me, nearer to Me.

He’s my giant, my monster;
For he relates me to a Vampire,
A pathological annoyer too.

He asks me to do what he misses the most;
From eating a cheese-cake, to souring my taste-bud with beer.
He’s a self-claimed perfectionist,Oh, how I wish he could be…

He calls me a dim-wit, juggling in some massive pirates’ trade.
I say, he sounds like a pastor,
Christening my name more than I’m born.

Holy vengeance…
Yet so ideally perfect together.

Irony….On you

I felt the feeling of oneness
I felt the feeling of betrayal too
On you I decided my happiness
On you I relied for my being.
Tis’ to explain love…

I smirked for gifts and promises
I cried of vocal suffocation
On you I ravaged my time
On you I evaporated my faith.
Tis’ to explain irony of love…

I dreamt to be a companion
I vowed for truth and devotion
On you I imagined a pillar
On you I designed the wedding ring
Tis’ to explain innocence of love…

I agreed to all your odds
I grounded to all your decisions
On you I baffled my identity
On you I decayed my pride
Tis’ to explain willingness to love…

I now see you a commoner
I now pray for your corrosion
On you I hear the hunger’s cry
On you I see a prisoner’s regret
Tis’ to explain demise of my love….

I today see that same devotion
I witness the same willingness
On you I see nothing today
On him I see everything
Tis’ to explain revival of his love….

Also in: http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/news/Darjeeling-denizens/Irony-On-you.html

‘Perceptions on Gorkhaland from Hyderabad’…Cont

With a view to connect to the political atrocities exiting in Bengal, I would like all Gorkhalis to read, and perceive it right. The article posted by Mr. Abhijit Dasgupta, a veteran blogger in the India Today website is one of my listed click. He seems to perceive lot more things alike. But as an outsider. His recent post entitled “It's hard to be an outsider in Darjeeling” happens to relate quite closely to my last post. He could be an eye-opener for many who perceive us wrong. Such mindsets ought to be the hold for future India. Read and analyze…the rest follows. Being a Bengali (claimed as our bitter companions), unlike many seems to have the right mind with practical, nationalists and unbiased thought processing… which is truly well appreciated.

So in continuation to my previous post, I did pose a perplexed question of “Who are Indians anyway?”
Now I feel Mr. Dasgupta could be identified as one of an Indian. I do not intend to glorify him in any way. Hence, fully acquaint with the fact that he is no way related to me in any folds of my life…except we both have adequately, well-positioned cerebrums each.

This is, however, deliberated to help and enable all, to perceive things right…keep our eyes open and participate in changing our mindsets for better future. And of course an effort to UNITE ALL and help in creation of society of like-mindedness individuals. Prof. Mahendra. P. Lama has already marked that the biggest challenge for all, is to curb the problem of unique and often clashing individual-mindsets. Nevertheless, knowing the fact that Gorkhalis are far more tolerant and have broader mindsets than many in India, I don’t think that Gorkhalis actually need to work on it. However, it’s always beneficial to have a balanced outlook.

His article follows:

[ It's hard to be an outsider in Darjeeling - Abhijit Dasgupta

I felt so much at home. Despite the shift in a couple of hours' time from a scorching 40 degrees in bitter Kolkata to a pleasant, cool 19 degrees in the sweet hills. Yes, the Gorkhas are so right as they sing: it's difficult to be an outsider in the hills.

I spent two days following BJP candidate from the Bengal hills, Jaswant Singh, through Kalimpong, Mungpu and Darjeeling just ten days short of his elections. Kalimpong is a quaint little town where the gradient falls and rises sharply with personal memories at once happy and nostalgic; Mungpu is famous for us Bengalis because of its tryst with Rabindranath Tagore and well, Darjeeling is, after all, Darjeeling.

The only tourist destination which, for us Bengalis again, has always been the logical choice in the summers for decades now. It's cheap and beautiful; wonder why it was called the Queen of the Hills. Its serenity, calmness and above all, its simplicity hardly goes with the grandeur of anything regal. Darjeeling, if the Brits had been less given to malapropisms while handling their own language, should have been synonymous with a loyal subject. Always handy, always cheap and almost invariably, loyal. All of which makes it beautiful.
As it has been with the Rajah of Rajasthan, Jaswant Singh. Well, it's not as if this subject can ask the Communists before April 30, election day, but the question paramount to me as I followed the soldier of royal bloodline through the roadshow in Kalimpong was quite unrelated to the hills but definitely an issue close to Jaswant Singh's heart: Is Manmohan Singh an outsider in Assam? Yes. Does that in any way influence or stop him from running the country? No. Is Jaswant Singh an outsider in Darjeeling? Yes. Will that influence or stop him from taking the Gorkhaland cause to the national stage? No.

The argument is simple and not too difficult to comprehend unless you have other hidden agendas besides making cannister noises at Singh's nomination. This is not an Assembly election and the whole point of a Lok Sabha poll is to ensure that the cause of the nation comes first and of course, the legitimate demands of the local populace are placed centrestage, that is, the national stage.

Story writer-turned-politician Subhas Ghising successfully burned the hills to turn a stray noise into a national boom and the result was for all to see: thousands of lives were lost, the queen of the hills lost her tourist subjects and a local leader ran his fiefdom from a palace in Darjeeling which, ironically, was called Lalkuthi, since Ghising's main fight was against the reds. He has, two decades hence, lost his kingdom, exiled to a guesthouse by his chief follower, Bimal Gurung, and has now come out saying that his baby, the GNLF, is very much kicking and alive. Alive, however, but for whom? Those who are following the events in the hills with keen interest feel that Ghising has suddenly woken up from sleep to join the battle in favour of the reds; actually, his call for a boycott is actually participation.

The two-lakh odd supporters that he still has in the hills who might have voted for Singh and Bimal Gurung's Morcha combine in the absence of a writ from Ghisng, will, now, in all probability, keep silent only to help the Left. Ghising, though he may be unaware of it, has written his own funeral script. Jaswant's victory is common cause in the hills and even if the GNLF does manage to keep some votes away from him, the CPI (M) candidate, Jibesh Sarkar, may not taste anything near to even the syrup of sweet victory given the tremendous sway that Gurung and company have in the voter-dominated hills.

The hills still decide the outcome in Darjeeling constituency and it is the Gurung supporters who will go in a khukhri-waving celebration march after the results are announced. While, as they say, there should never be any predictions made in elections, this one is beyond forecasts. Jaswant has already won. And why shouldn't he when the majority of the people in the hills want him to win? And who better a man than a former Union minister for defence, finance and external affairs who knows how to project issues on the national stage?
Ghising should remember whom he had backed as nominee from the hills. A journalist, Inderjeet Khullar, whose only claim to the hills was that he was an activist-negotiator tourist. I have no clue as to what Khullar did as MP with the GNLF's backing but the world can see that he failed to bring Gorkhaland to the people of Darjeeling. With Jaswant, it will be a different ballgame altogether.

The party to which he belongs gave us Uttaranchal and Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand as separate states and has promised Telengana soon. What will stop them from carving out a Gorkhaland now if it comes to power? And even if they do not, at least Jaswant has a high decibel power to make himself heard in Hindi throughout the land. Not Bengali, not Nepali but Hindi. Like the Saas-Bahu rant in Hindi throughout the land. If you wish to have high TRP ratings, go to Hindi Doordarshan and not any sophisticated regional rich baron-owned channel. It's simple logic. But simplicity eludes the political animal. Thus the "outsider" tag on Jaswant.

I was touring Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Mungpu and Kurseong on Jaswant's campaign trail. I may be wrong but Gorkhaland, thanks to Gurung's marksmanship, could just be a few years, if not months, away. Every single person that I spoke to was for Gorkhaland and the sight of Gorkhaland stickers atop restaurant cubby holes and hotel receptions were clear indicators that the hills people will not settle for anything less.

At least, Gurung, in negotiating the nomination of Jaswant, has shown himself up as a far better politician than his onetime mentor Ghising.Ghising, at the cost of blood, got for himself his Lalkuthi and consolidated the disillusionment of the Gorkhas and the hills people; Gurung will get them their Gorkhaland. Not through blood hopefully, but through Jaswant.

But the CPI (M) protests too much. A party which still does not know what to do with the Congress and whose top leader smiles away from the camera nervously when he is asked embarrassingly naive questions on Buddhadeb Bhattacharya as a future Prime Minister. Sitting in Kolkata, Prakash Karat cannot be seen to be denying Buddhadeb a stake for the Prime Ministership while in his heart of hearts he knows that would be disaster and quite unquestionably an issue which most certainly has not crossed the Politburo meeting table brains ever.

The CPI(M) talks of the BJP planning to break the country and Buddhadeb told a meeting that Advani had himself told him that the creation of smaller states had led to more problems than they had the power to solve. I do not know whether an intrepid and curious journalist will whisper these quotes from the chief minister into Advani's ears but I am sure, after Mamata, it will be the BJP's turn to take Buddhadeb to the Election Commission for this remark.

Is there any chance of a leader like Advani trashing the stakeholder policy of smaller states to a political adversary like Bhattacharya? I wonder what has happened to Bhattacharya of late. He froths at the mouth at the mention of Mamata, uses body language that his pristine cultural self would have hated to see in the mirror and has now emerged as a warmonger with statements which clearly prove that his anger and frustration are getting the better of his sane political self-control.

While talking about Hindi and the national stage, one cannot help but mention one man who has indeed shown how upgradation of the self can help a man individually to at least reach near his goal and how the knowledge of limitations can be turned into a virtue. He says he has not harboured ambitions of becoming PM because he is not comfortable with Hindi (is Mr Bhattacharya listening, please...we in Bengal have a right to know if he knows Hindi if he is to aspire for the PM's chair) and that you cannot become PM of a country "just because you want to." This, from a man who was clearly tipped be PM after Mrs Gandhi's assassination before Rajiv Gandhi stole the thunder. May be, Pranab Mukherjee in 1984 was disappointed but now when he sees lesser men like Bhattacharya being even discussed in press conferences as a PM possibility, then he must be revelling in the fact that sometimes being number 2 is far better than the top spot. First, it is less lonely, and second, it can afford you the luxury of laughing publicly at silly boy-men.

I have one last observation. I think Deve Gowda knew better Hindi than Jyoti Basu and it is good that the brains that Basu had were put to better use in Bengal than in Delhi where he would have had to be translated after every thought gone public. It is indeed necessary for a national stage holder to know the national language as well as his mother-tongue (the office of the President excluded; s/he can get away by speaking in English).

I wonder what is going to happen to the likes of Bengali firebrands like Somen Mitra and Subrata Mukherjee if they are elected to Parliament for the first time. Mukherjee had told me years ago, "The only reason why I do not contest for Parliament is because I do not know Hindi." I do not think much has changed in Mukherjee's linguisitc prowess in 15 years but if he, or anyone else, thinks that they can emulate Mamata Banerjee by holding the Lok Sabha to ransom with a language quite similarly incomprehensible as Baba Sehgal's rap at its best, then he or she is wrong and barking (all puns intended, in case you miss) up the wrong tree. Mamata is an enigma wrapped in a saree; she is an exception.

And thus shall Jaswant win. Without knowing the Nepalese language. And despite being an outsider. Because in India, Hindi matters. Whether you like it or not, you have to be either Atal Behari Vajpayee at his Hindi best or Sonia Gandhi with foreign charm at its worst if you want to be heard on the national podium. And get things done.

Do not forget, this country does not have a Nehru any longer who once famously told Lord Mountbatten, "You are still here because I happen to speak in English and dream in Hindi."]

Lastly, for all: True…it is really important to speak in Hindi, makes life lot more easier esp. to ones like us who have to survive amongst ‘the many’ and face the everyday ‘identity crisis’…. Take any initiative to enhance the usage-frequency of the language…knowing that the scope for it’s actual articulating usage is very low in the hills). However, this doesn’t mean that we risk our real identity either. Keep it as ascribed.
Let them not feel that we are not Indians…a cleanest strategy…. rest follows;)

Perceptions on Gorkhaland from Hyderabad

I have had numerous heated arguments on demand for Gorkhaland, with friends, colleagues and neighbours here in Hyderabad. Of course, me siding for the argument. Having discussed with varied set of individuals-from rich to middle class, I’ve however missed on the poor (as it might sound like the Indo-US Nuclear Deal to them…out of space), apart, from students to professors, from a commoner to administrators so far. All said and talked could have been from a political or an ideological point of view (variance of perceptions). Nevertheless, the discussions were on a complete social front. So I can’t theorize.

CPIM today says granting autonomy would be the solution to all such problems (do you even know what our problems are) if that were so, granting autonomy to areas like PoK rather? Allowing more tangible border on humanistic lines? Combating militant insurgence in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh? Are these not the real issues to be addressed instead–here we see threat to our security, threat of extremists (I don’t like to use the word ‘terrorist’) infiltration, threat for humanity. Instead they are stuck up with the false notion of ‘no separate state to the Gorkhas’ and nothing else. We already are aware of galvanization of Swat Valley in Pakistan and moral/ legal empowerment of extremists already. But Gorkhaes aren’t fighting for an independent country or any alien, extra-terrestrial demand or any of the above kind; its one- simple and constitutional. I feel blindfolded. I’ve been persuasive many a times, few instances being positive and few raging more hatred. Stupid, ignorant politicians come to their interest-driven constituencies- throb their vocal cords out and try brainwashing innocents. Why are these dimwits talking about autonomy at all? Guess all Gorkhalis are over with CPIM and autonomy, if not a State…Gorkhaland a Union Territory.

To mention, the LTTE movement in Sri Lanka also started off with the same modest vigor for right and justice for their civilians, but the world today sees it as a terror organization. God forbid, hope Gorkhalis don’t turn out to be the same someday. So here goes hamro Gorkhali vhanai - “manchae lai manchae lay nai bhigarcha”. But one thing is certain, violence and hatred is not the solution to our problem either. We ought to be more tactful, strategic and get morally CUNNYING because only such people have better lives in India than the modest lots. We also see how the world has been so pacifying with Tibetan demand of a leader like Dalai Lama…what has been the outcome? I’m not fostering hate and violence here. But I’m surely hinting on pro-activeness and power of persuation. To be honest; there isn’t much scope for non-violence and peace movements as such these days. There ought to be some form of jolts and shivers for sure.

To talk about, Congress comes to Andhra for their dense campaigning process and abruptly talks about “always been considerate to the demand for Telangana”- We know 2004 Congress Election Manifesto was inevitably against the creation of smaller states. So what’s clouding up in their minds in this election now? So why not considerate for Gorkhaland too? How are these two demands different from the other, anyway -expect its geographical locations? Are the sentiments of both not the same?? If for Telangana- then for Gorkhaland too…(very constitutional- pun intended). Or does India have any Duplicate Invisible Constitution by any chance.

No wonder- all debates shape up on the lines, of India being sold off to their own politicians- where politics are gradually whirling from democratic-to vote bank-to opportunist politics now. There would be a day soon for mercy politics too. The days could not be very far.

We see how easily the states of Jharkhand and Uttarakhand were created in the year 2000 (though I’m not saying that there weren’t any struggle there either, but comparatively less exerted than ours) not so long ago, just couple of years back. Whereas Gorkhaes having been struggling for decades are still in the midst of tranquility. Bhayo abo cha aati nai bhayo… My point of reference here is, ‘these politicians and law makers are simply joggling with our modest and tolerant natures – they are wildly taking us for granted and trying to subdue us vividly’. It’s too long a struggle for peace and happiness (sad but the truth).

I’ve tried to pull all historical, factual, physiological, ethical and moral points in supporting the demand (whatever viable…DT has been a helpful knowledge source here) But deep inside all say ‘they, all from Nepal’…. so??? Thought stuck up in their heads. How do I answer to such a question? Of course it’s the Identity crisis…but how do I defend myself here. I have managed to shut their mouth at many occasions somehow (depending upon who I was facing…), sighting the fact that the Indian government granting us the right to vote, issuing Indian passports, ration cards, driving licenses, everything- and then go around saying they are Nepalis from Nepal (where’s the sense and logic in that?). Of course there ought to be a point of origin….no one is thrown from the space or digged out from the ground? Ironically it normally erupts from the educated lots. That surprises me even more. Sad how Constitution of Indian interprets its own laws of the land which seems so void and unknown. If they do not consider us Indians why on earth do they give us such rights and privileges at all?? And allow us to call ourselves as Indians? Why is Nepali an Official Language of India? Why can’t we say we are Nepalis? Or why is the language not called Gorkhali instead? Who are Indian anyway?

In few instances, I’ve given the weirdest backup, saying, “ Did God mark the territorial (geographical) or political map of states or countries then?” all helpless and suffocated, sounding like a fool. I backed it further, “creation of boundaries are all political and an evolutionary process. With growing complexities in societies, the structure and boundaries ought to change to adapt and accommodate human needs and requirements accordingly. Culture, religion, social norms, beliefs and laws- all are man-made”. Not made by the Congress nor BJP or by any so evolving- the Third Front in entirety.

Some have been sympathizing to the need of Indian Ghorkhali at a highest note making me weak to the brim. Some just brush it off saying there are hundreds more in the line. Some ignore like as if a fungus growing in somewhere north of the India Subcontinent, in the state of West Bengal, lifeless and colourless. But I say, division of India into smaller states is one of the key means to effective administration and for inclusive growth in such growing complex societies and populous country like India. This is to be applicable to all areas of governance of the country- like principles of specialisization, decentralization and participation. It would be too long to sight all in one go. Increasing population, gap in urban and rural India, low tolerance and understanding level between ethnicities, education disparities are to scatter a few amongst many.

I am sure if Indian Politicians are not for CREATION OF SMALLER STATES, then I’m assuming that they are surely for MERGENCE OF SMALLER STATES?? If am pragmatic enough and if policy makers are relative to Article 3 of Part I of the Constitution, and considering it not from any invisible Constitution. By this I intend to imply a really big move to all the Gorkhalis.

So Gorkhalis stick to the Book (the Constitution) and stay united- no matter where you are.

[Pls: Allow Ghising Jeu to talk later, not now…kindly convey him the words “united we stand, divided we fall” (preferably all bold and in upper case)…very old and stale but apt for the context. No doubt, he could be one of the best in opposition (given a chance), but requesting him to have a little patience at least for the moment.]

Executive Summary

Economic Valuation of Public Park: An Application of Travel Cost Method for Lumbini Park, Hyderabad
(Master’s Dissertation)

Icfai School of Public Policy
Panjagutta, Hyderabad

Economic Valuation of Public Park: An Application of Travel Cost Method for Lumbini Park, Hyderabad

1.1 Background

Public parks as representative of urban green areas play an excellent role that balances the needs for city conservation against degradation of urban environment while keeping the rapid pace of urban growth. In recent years, the urbanization of many cities advance the need for green space in the community to serve people in multiple objectives of environmental protection, recreation, and to meet people's ability to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines.

However, development, maintenance and preservation of the quality of public park service, are tough issues faced by many city governments and communities. In this relation, an approach to value public park services is considered to be necessary and to identify users’ benefit through travel cost method together with total expense for better management. This approach highlights the dominant functions of public parks from users’ point of view.

1.2 Introduction

The study attempts to evaluate the recreational value of Lumbini Park, Hyderabad which is one of the most visited public parks in the city. In this relation, Travel Cost Method (TCM) which falls under the subject of Economics of the Environment and Natural resources as included in the theory of valuing environmental benefits and damages that involves both direct and indirect methods, namely the Contingent Valuation, Hedonic Pricing and the Travel Cost Method to generate an economic value to environmental goods.

With the relevance of the application of TCM in the study, TCM being a revealed preference method is claimed to be the oldest of the non-market valuation techniques, as an economic valuation approach to determine value figures to non-marketed goods which also relates to other cost factors influencing the value. The TCM in this respect aim to value the recreational value of the environmental assets like parks, lakes and other public areas which host a good deal of recreational activities and necessitates significant expenditure for their enjoyment.

The basic tenet of the Travel Cost Method is that although the actual value of the recreational activity does not have a price label but the costs incurred by individuals in travelling to the recreational sites can be used as the proxy value. Therefore, the assumption of the TCM is that the incurred costs of visiting a site reflect its recreational value in some way.

The method accordingly is used to estimate the value of recreational benefits of the ecosystem, which assumes that the value of the site or its recreational services is reflected in how much each individual is willing to pay to get to the site. The method as part of the revealed preference method applied in measuring nonmarket values uses the actual behavior and choices of the individual to infer these values. Hence, peoples’ preferences are revealed by their choices. TCM is further classified into zonal travel cost method and individual travel cost method.

1.3 Research Gap

Travel Cost Method, in India has mostly been used to make extensive studies in valuing national parks and ecological important areas while very few attempts have been made to value public parks. Hence, having a limited application for valuing Public Park, the study focuses on Lumbini Park which lies in the heart of the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh in India. The study attempts to bridge this gap and enhance the scope for further valuation of public parks which is a major element for environmental recreation, especially in urban cities.

1.4 Objective

The main objectives of the study were:
· Valuation of Lumbini Park in Hyderabad by investigating recreational behavior of the park users using the Individual Travel Cost Method.
· To suggest necessary policy recommendation to local government policy makers for suitable management plan in maintaining and improving the quality of the park services.

1.5 Methodology/ Data Source

The study has used both primary and secondary sources of data. To be able to fulfill the purpose of the study the individual travel cost method is chosen focusing only on the local visitors. The travel cost method being a survey based method uses the respondents’ travel cost as a measure of the willingness to pay for visiting the park. It uses cost of travel as a surrogate for the willingness to pay to use the recreation site. It includes actual transportation cost, miscellaneous costs and the opportunity cost of travel time spent on the journey (Hanley and Spash 1993). Using the random sampling method, data is collected on both week days and weekends. The study includes a sample size of 70 visitors.

The study as aimed to find the recreational value of Lumbini Park of Hyderabad where visitation rate marks as the dependent variable with the average income of the visitor, round-trip travel costs, age, infrastructure, etc as the independent variables. Thus, the visitation rate shows the average willingness to pay to visit the Park per year.

The study focused Lumbini Park since it provides various recreational facilities like boating; laser shows and children’s play area, besides it lies in the heart of the city. For this, a survey was conducted to collect information about travel cost of local visitors, their general information and other expenses to visit the park. The data was thus analyzed to find out the distances travelled, income and travelling expenses. Additional information on mode of transport used by the visitors and substitute sites was also compiled.

1.6 Study Area

Lumbini Park located at a distance of three kilometers from Hyderabad, lies within a stretch of ten kilometer radii Necklace Road that connects the city of Secunderabad and Hyderabad, which is the focal junction of the city. In the beginning of the 1980’s the plan for a park around the lake took a grip and from 1987 to 1990, a piece of land was reclaimed from the water (lake) to build a park for the public. The construction of the recreational site then started and was completed by 1994 through the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and was named after the garden that was the birth place of Lord Buddha. (India Folks 2007)

The highlight of the Lumbini Park is the spectacular musical dancing fountain and water cascading provided with colorful lights. Besides, it provides boating facility whose service is looked over by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC).Lumbini Park falls under the Buddha Purnima Project Authority (BPPA) that was constituted for the development of Hussain Sagar Lake and its environs covering an area of nine hundred and two hectares that was declared as Special Development Area, with the prime focus on orderly growth and environmental growth.

1.7 The Findings

The paper having applied the individual travel cost method (TCM) to determine willingness to pay to visit Lumbini Park interprets the following results:
· In the demand function, taking both the round trip costs, visitation rate was impacted significantly by travel cost, where when travel cost increased visitation rate decreased. This shows that greater is the distance to be travelled, lower is the number of visits. However, the average distance travelled by the local visitors was taken as three kilometers.
· Age and annual income also affected the visitation rate significantly. Higher income group people were visiting more than the lower group.
· The visitors were passive in nature and visited the park more for relaxation and fun, unlike active ones like for exercising, cycling, etc.
· The consumer surplus from users’ point of view was found out to be Rs 45.45 per visitor per year, which means that each individual at an average is willing to pay Rs 45.45 to visit the park per trip.
· The survey result showed that the visitation rate of visitors is 6.22 times per year, which means that individuals are likely to visit Lumbini Park at an average of six times a year.
· With the application of a linear regression analysis, the total average willingness to pay per visitor per year was calculated as Rs. 282.69. Therefore, the economic value of Lumbini Park is Rs. 282.69 per visitor per year, which could be further multiplied with the total number of visitors to get the total economic value.

1.8 Policy Suggestions

Form the above findings, the study has been able to suggest relevant policy suggestions to the Buddha Purnima Project Authority (Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, HUDA)[1] in order to further improve the recreational facilities of the Park, for which the park can increase the average willingness to pay of the visitors in visiting the site.

The study hence, puts forth a policy recommendation on the basis of the data analysis and visitors’ response as:
· To increase the entry fee from Rs. 5 to Rs. 10 per visitor.
· The main reason for not improving the recreational park facilities was said to be due to lack of revenue.

This can improve the quality of the park as the Authority can generate larger revenue and hence, invest more for improvement of the park. The resulting suggestions are also based on various feedbacks from the Authority, staffs-in-charge and the visitors.
In addition, with various responses from the visitors irrespective of the income and the distance travelled, they are willing to visit the park whenever possible provided the park is worth spending. For this, the further recommendations are put forward:

· To increase the recreational activities to attract more visitors, like more children play items, since most visitors were inclined to come for their children’s enjoyment.
· Improve parking facilities and quality of food items, and
· Regular cleaning of Hussain Sagar as Lumbini Park lies adjacent to the lake, which could affect the reason for visitors in visiting the park.

1.9 Conclusion

With the application of the individual travel cost method, the study revealed that travel cost however is not the only factor to find the actual recreational value of a non-marketed environmental good. The economic factor like income of the visitors, social factors like age, education, infrastructure, their environmental attitude and their importance to recreation all affect the individuals’ number and willingness to pay to visit the park.