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Archives for October 2018

I’m not a harasser, being attacked and vilified: Chetan Bhagat on #MeToo

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Bestselling author Chetan Bhagat, who has been facing a lot of flack after screenshots of his WhatsApp conversations were leaked on social media, asserted on Wednesday that he is being “attacked and vilified”.

“I want you to know that I am suffering because my name is being dragged into needless controversies, and my family and I are being harassed. In the garb of the #MeToo movement, which definitely has genuine cases, I am being attacked and vilified. Let me tell you upfront — I am not a harasser. Never was, never will be,” Bhagat said in an elaborate four-page statement.

The bestselling author, whose latest book “The Girl in Room 105” released on Tuesday, said that the screenshots in question were of “a flirtatious, but friendly and polite conversation”.

He maintained that such “baseless allegations” affect his wife, 70-year-old mother, his elderly in-laws and his twin teenaged sons.

“Each of them suffer in their own way,” he added, before mentioning that #MeToo movement “is leading to some positive change”.

“Fine, suffer a bit if it is helping overall. I stopped promoting my new book, which I have worked on every day, for years. For the first time ever, I didn’t even thank my readers on the launch day, even though I am flooded with literally hundreds of messages daily across my social media congratulating me. As if I am some convict, I am supposed to shut the hell up lest the mob unleash its fury,” he added.

The celebrity writer with a Twitter following of over 12.3 million further released three brief excerpts from a story by an “erotica writer”, the woman who released his screenshots.

The three samples, Bhagat maintained, were meant “to turn you on” and were “extremely explicit, it is porn, not erotica”. He said that he asked her the questions he could have asked a writer like her anywhere –at a panel at a lit fest, for instance.

“Cut to many years later – guess what? Chetan’s name is being dragged through mud, let me join the party — and she puts out those screenshots. Her buddies high-five her, without knowing any context, and she becomes a victim too,” he added.

In an apparent reference to the screenshots released, he said that “WhatsApp allows you to delete your own chats, making it seem the other side was doing all the talking”.

Bhagat said that the #MeToo movement has its “good parts” and has some “good people with genuine grievances”.

“I am with them. However, the movement is already getting corrupted and genuine survivors will suffer if people don’t take it seriously,” he said.

Bhagat further said that he is “also going to stop feeling ashamed” and is now going to start talking about his new book, which he described as “a labor of love”.
“Please don’t try to ride on my fame, spoil my moment and definitely, definitely do not hurt or harass my family,” he said.

IANS

‘MeToo’ movement: NCW urges women to lodge written complaints

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Breaking its silence on sexual harassment cases emerging from the Indian entertainment and media industry under the “MeToo” movement, the NCW on Wednesday appealed to the affected women to lodge written complaints and assured of all possible help.

“The National Commission for Women (NCW) has noticed that in many such cases, victims do not want to go beyond naming and shaming the alleged offenders and lodge formal complaints. In such cases, the commission urges them to lodge written complaints with authorities concerned, including with the NCW,” it said in a statement.

Remaining silent on the number of women who had approached it till date, the panel said that the “prevalent culture of silence has long prevented women from speaking out and reporting such cases”.

The commission appreciated the bravery shown by the women who have spoken out and continue to come forward to help punish the perpetrators of such incidents.

“The NCW has continued to make efforts to reach out to all such woman who have come out with details of sexual harassment at workplace and offered all possible help. The commission is committed to facilitate and render all possible help to all women who have come forward and see their cases to a logical conclusion,” it added.

The NCW said that it has taken a serious note of sexual harassment cases reported in the media and strongly condemns any act of invasion of private space of women, adding that it is committed to ensure the safety and dignity of women, including at workplaces.

IANS

Government mum on allegations against Akbar

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The government on Wednesday continued to maintain silence on the allegations of sexual misconduct against Union Minister M.J. Akbar even as the Congress sought his resignation.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who briefed reporters about cabinet decisions, refused to answer any question other than those pertaining to cabinet decisions, including that on Akbar and the #MeToo campaign.

“Today the issue is cabinet decisions, please concentrate on that,” he said in response to a question about allegations against Akbar.

“The issue is cabinet decisions,” Prasad again said when reporters pressed for an answer from him on the issue.

On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj did not answer media queries about allegations concerning Akbar. As reporters persisted with their questions and asked if there will be a probe, she walked past them without giving an answer.

At least six women journalists have accused Akbar, a former editor, of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour.

Congress spokesperson S. Jaipal Reddy on Wednesday demanded Akbar’s resignation, saying keeping silent is not good.

Cyclone Titli: Evacuation ordered in 5 Odisha districts

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The Odisha government on Wednesday directed the Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara district administrations to evacuate all those areas where cyclonic storm Titli is expected to pass through after making landfall on Thursday morning.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the collectors of these five districts to ensure ‘zero casualty’ after the Met office said Titli has been upgraded to “severe” category.

Reviewing the already afoot evacuation process starting with Ganjam district, Patnaik said all schools, colleges and anganwadi centres would be closed on October 11 and 12. Teachers, however, would be on duty.

The students’ union poll across the state scheduled for October 11 has been cancelled, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said.

The holidays of officials have been put on hold in view of the approaching storm and subsequent heavy rainfall that was expected to be dumped across the state.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said cyclone Titli formed over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and was moving towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast.

It was likely to make landfall between Gopalpur in Odisha and Kalingapatanam in Andhra Pradesh early on Thursday at a wind speed of 145 kmph.

It was also very likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 18 hours till early Thursday, the India Meteorological Department said.

Several districts, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kandhamal, Boudh and Dhenkanal were expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall till Thursday.

The chief secretary said so far, 10 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and eight teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed in various coastal and interior districts.

The state engineering departments have been asked to be ready for restoration work, especially essential services like water supply, road connectivity and electricity supply after the cyclone crosses the Odisha coast.

Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi has asked districts to ensure that 836 numbers of multi-purpose shelters are kept ready to accommodate maximum people.

IANS

Jammu division votes, Kashmir Valley mostly shuns municipal polls

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People in Jammu division voted with enthusiasm on Wednesday in municipal elections but there was poor voter turnout in the troubled Kashmir Valley — in a repeat of a trend also seen in the first round of the four-phase battle.

Till noon, Bandipora topped the voter turnout at 22.2 per cent in the Valley while in Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara and Anantnag districts the voter participation was a feeble 1.4, 3.7, 3.3 and 0.8 per cent respectively.

An overwhelming deployment of security forces ensured that the voting remained peaceful despite militant threats to disrupt the polls being boycotted by the two main parties in the Valley — National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ramban district at 62.9 per cent topped the voting percentage in the Jammu division.

The turnout was 59.4 per cent in Kathua, 50.8 in Udhampur, 60.8 in Reasi, 57.8 in Doda and 55.9 in Kishtwar districts of Jammu division in the first six hours.

There was visible reluctance among people to join the democratic process in the Valley. Two lone candidates were declared elected unopposed in Kulgam and Badgam districts.

The municipal polls are now effective only in 11 districts of the state in the second phase — six in Jammu division and five in the Valley, where a separatist campaign raging since 1989 has left thousands dead.

Jammu and Kashmir is holding municipal polls after 13 years.

A Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, Azad Singh, died of cardiac arrest in Ramban district after casting his vote, officials said.

A total of 1,029 candidates are in the fray in 263 wards in Kathua, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Reasi, Doda and Ramban districts of Jammu region and in Anantnag, Kupwara, Srinagar, Baramulla, Bandipora, Badgam and Kulgam districts of the Valley.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is also boycotting the elections.

Separatists have called for a protest shutdown in areas where voting is scheduled in the Valley. Militants have issued threats to the candidates and asked voters to keep away from the balloting that would end at 7 p.m.

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah raised questions over the rescheduling of election timings.

“Why are polling booths opening at 6 a.m.? If I believed conspiracy theories, I would believe it’s because journalists would not be around to verify the genuineness of voters at that very early hour,” he tweeted.

The total electorate on Wednesday is 346,980: 128,104 in Jammu division and 218,876 in the Valley.

The third and the fourth phases of the municipal polls would be held on October 13 and 16. The vote count will take place on October 20.

IANS

US firm Skullcandy launches new wireless headphone in India

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US-based audio equipment major Skullcandy Inc on Wednesday expanded its wireless headphone line-up with the launch of “Venue”.

The new wireless headphone comes with active noise canceling (ANC) technology to deliver powerful sound and is available in black-black and white-crimson colour combinations at Skullcandy.in, Brandeyes.in and select retailers for Rs 18,999.

“For 15 years, Skullcandy has thrived at the intersection of music, technology and boardsports by unleashing the visceral power of music for all. With Venue, we’re continuing our vision of delivering immersive audio experience,” Jason Hodell, CEO, Skullcandy, said in a statement.

When users do need to tap into the outside world, “Monitor Mode” easily lets them hear their surroundings with just a push of a button, the company added.

The device comes equipped with “Tile” — a feature that allows users to track or find their headphones through the “Tile” application on a smartphone.

“Venue” comes with up to 24-hour battery life, Bluetooth capability and rapid-charge technology that provides five hours of battery life with just 10-minutes of charging, the company added.

Man slips from second floor, dies in Bengaluru

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A 34-year-old man died after he accidentally slipped from the second floor of a three-floor residential building at Hulimavu near Bannerghatta Road on Monday night.

The deceased Raghavendra T, a native of Hosur, was residing at Sanjeevini Nagar along with his family.
Police said that around midnight, Raghavendra came out to wash a pressure cooker while he was helping his pregnant wife Jessica.

He was standing near a parapet wall outside the house on the second floor and came to throw the water collected in the cooker. Meanwhile, the cooker slipped from his hand and he tried to catch it.  He, however, lost his balance and fell down. Jessica, who heard the noise, cried for help and neighbours rushed Raghavendra to a nearby hospital where he succumbed.

Jessica, who works in a private hospital as a receptionist, told the police that she was taking rest in the bedroom and their four-year-old daughter was asleep. Jessica is six months pregnant.

The couple had come to the city five years ago. Raghavendra had quit his job recently to help Jessica with her daily chores.

The grill attached to the parapet wall was too low. Hulimavu police have registered a case.

Mumbai Awards Round Up

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ACEF Organized 7th Award Function Rewards

ACEF organized its 7th forum & awards for Branding, Marketing & Rural Initiatives & CSR activities. The event was held on 5th Oct, 2018 at Hotel Westin, Mumbai.

The theme for this year’s happening was “Integrating advertising, Branding & Marketing Communications”. More than 350 senior level professionals from marketing, branding & marketing agencies attended the event.

In the event, the speaker’s KV Sridhar, Ravikanth Bank, Jayant Kshirsagar, Anamika Sirohi enlightened the participants with their knowledge & experience apart from that individuals & organizations were recognized for brilliance on branding & marketing.

The region’s top companies & brand marketers redefined how to assemble & prolong great brands amidst rapid cultural & technological change. The event provided elite spectators of senior marketing executives.

Zydus health care won the gold position in the Excellence in branding for the most innovative marketing strategy. Johnson & Johnson won an award in the Excellence in CSR category.

The awards (over 350 shortlisted entries from over 90 organisations) were judged by Sr. Level industry professionals from across the globe. Companies from varied sectors were recognized for their Excellence in Branding, Marketing, Rural Activities & CSR Initiatives. To prominent names in the award winners list were: Outstanding Individual Corporate Leadership: Rana Kapoor, Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Yes Bank & Brajesh Kumar Choudhary, General Manager-CSR & Group CSR Head, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Outstanding Individual Community Hero: Suresh Chukkapalli, Chairman, Phoenix Group. Marketing Leader of The Year for 2018: Nikhil Rastogi, Director Marketing & Digital Business, Citibank India & Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect. ACEF Award for Asian Marketing Leadership 2018: Sujan Roy, Head International Business, Passenger Vehicle, Tata Motors, Navin Thakur, Head Marketing, Vascon Engineers Ltd., Karan Kumar, Head of Brand & Marketing Strategy, Fabindia Overseas Private Limited. Most Admired Business Leader 2018: Samrat Gupta – CEO – Tata Motors Finance & Amit Saxena, CEO & MD, Unimoni Financial Services Ltd. Excellence in Business Development: Umesh N. Jhawar, VP – Strategy & IR, Arihant Superstructures Ltd. Most Admired Brand Manager 2018 (Joint Winners): Abhijan Roy, Brand Manager. Emami Navratna Oil & Mandeep Singh Gulati, Deputy VP-Marketing, Aegon Life Insurance Company Limited, Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2018: Arvind Jain, Netbiz. Young Marketing Leader of the Year 2018: Siddharth Bhatia, Chief Marketing Officer, Radius Developers; Neha Gupta De, Hil Limited: Rishi Baruah, Director, Pratidin Group. Most Admired Brand of the Year: Reliance Digital. Marketing Team of the Year: Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd. Marketing Effective Agency of the Year: THINK XQ. Ambient Marketing Agency of the Year: Khushi Advertising. Most Admired Upcoming Agency of the Year: FreshBox Media Pvt. Ltd.

The forum helped the business with generating brand reorganization, generate sales growth, boost employee moral & obtain 3rd party endorsement.

The event was attended by the CMO’s, VPs of the marketing, brand & product managers, advertising agencies, innovative brand engagement practitioners, consumer insight professionals, researches, agencies & also people related to the industry.
The main magnetism of the event structured this year was the introduction of the new categories in the award ceremony i.e. the category for Sr. level professionals & Organisation in branding & marketing categories.

This affair helped the professionals to grow & discover solutions from the information shared by the expertise. It updated them on the current topics & the recent business methods & tools. The participants also got a brief of new trends, best practices & case studies so that they can get a clear picture of practices followed in the industry.

The prominent thing that the participants learn was about their clientele & the tactic to engage with them.

Founded in 2012-2013, the ACEF program is organized by a team of professionals from India, Srilanka & UAE and is guided by the Advisory Members from Branding, Marketing & Creative Agencies based in India, US, Australia, Singapore, UAE & Srilanka.
Their programs are focused on Customer Engagement Activities, Branding, Marketing, CSR, Rural Marketing, Properties (Hospitality & Real Estate), HR and are planned for India, Srilanka, GCC Continent & Asia Pacific Regions.

In April 2019, ACEF is coming up with Forum & Awards for AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Enterprises & Global Customer Engagement Awards.

Indian Women’s Achievement Round Up

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2 Indian Women To Conquer South Pole

It is almost a decade since Janice Meek, the Polar Racer, Ocean Rower & Europe’s only holder of 4 Guinness World Records, completed her trek to geographic North Pole by playing cricket at minus 28 degree with members of an Indian Navy expedition.
In Dec, this year, Janice Meek will be leading an all-women expedition to South Pole.
For this adventure, Janice Meek has put together a team of “ordinary women” whose ages cover 5 decades from 24 to 74.

“We are not soldiers, professional athletes or celebrities”, says Janice Meek. “We have come together to do something less ordinary & demonstrate how far women have come since Scott’s 1912 expedition when the idea of women contemplating the trek would have been unheard of.”
At 24, Tanvi Buch from Mumbai, studying Natural Resources Conservation at the University of British Columbia, is the youngest, Madhabilata Mitra, the Kolkata supermodel & entrepreneur behind Travelmate Escapades,; breast cancer survivor Caroline Geraerts from UK, marketing director, Aileen Crean from Kerry from Ireland, restaurateur & grand-daughter of Tom Crean, the Irish hero of Scott & Shackleton Antarctic expeditions.

These intrepid adventurers join Janice Meek, the oldest at 74, in this unique venture, a trek at temperatures that could reach minus 40 degree across the Antarctic’s unforgiving ice & snow in chilling & gusting winds.

“We were thrilled that in his State of Nation address, our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi mentioned our Polar Maidens expedition as an example of Indian enterprise”, says Tanvi Buch. “We are now part of “Living Bridge” the India, UK initiative to promote closer trade, investment & cultural relations between our 2 great countries”, echoed Madhabilata Mitra.

The Polar-Maidens expedition will raise funds for INSPIRATIONALLE Foundation (UK) which aims to support women of all ages wanting to do something extra–ordinary.

With a 50 year age ranging across the team monitoring the physical & mental impact of 12 hour days skiing & trekking in extreme conditions of cold with altitude for up to 20 days before reaching the Pole is important. How does a 73 year old deal with conditions compared to a 23 year old, how will a breast cancer survivor in her 50’s react, or a 30 year old who regularly tackles the Himalayas compare with the recovery rates of Tom Crean’s grand-daughter.

Paul Carter, Deputy Head of Mission, British Deputy High Commission, Mumbai avers: “I’ve met the global team including Madhabilata, Tanvi & expedition leader Janice Meek, and it is truly remarkable to see this Living Bridge of people from UK & India, brought together for their shared love for adventure. I’m delighted to see & support this spirit of collaboration.”

Rajiv Dalal – Inspirationalle UK Director, Regional Director South East Asia & India instrumental behind polar maidens India team also came to talk about this expedition.

2004 grenade attack: 2 ex-ministers get death, Khaleda’s son jailed for life

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A Bangladesh court on Wednesday sentenced 19 people, including two former ministers, to death and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman to life imprisonment for their role in the 2004 grenade blasts that killed 24 people and injured 500.

The verdict was delivered amid tight security in the capital and can be appealed within two months.

The 2004 attack targeted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rally, who was the opposition leader at the time. A series of grenades exploded as she was stepping off a truck, which was used as a dais for the rally on Bangabandhu Avenue.

She survived with a partial hearing loss.

Former State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar and former Deputy Minister for Education Abdus Salam Pintu were among 19 people sentenced to death on Wednesday, bdnews24.com reported.

Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and her former political secretary Harris Chowdhury were among 19 sentenced to life imprisonment.

The sentence also included jail terms for 11 other people.

Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government will seek scaled-up punishments for Rahman and Chowdhury. He said that Khaleda’s son masterminded the attack and that he deserved the death penalty.

IANS

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