"OPEN" the New English Weekly from the Portal of RPG Group (A Multi Crore Indian Company). A Review.

"OPEN" the new weekly magazine is launched in India on the first week of April 2009. It's from the RPG group, a 14,000 crore industrial multinational company which includes companies like Ceat Tyres, Spencer's etc. A Review and some suggestions.

"OPEN" Magazine yet another English weekly news magazine from India. It's from the RPG group a 14,000 crore industrial multinational company which includes companies like Ceat Tyres, Spencer's etc. launched in India on the first week of April 2009.

A weekly, entirely different in look as well as in its contents comparing with its counterparts in India. A weekly stands apart from all the other weeklies in the Indian market. The Editor Sandipan Deb said in its first issue's editorial and I quote:*

"Welcome to Open. We hope you will find it a friendly word: inviting liberal, without biases, inclusive and eager to engage. A pause amid the breakneck pace of TV and new media, more of a saunter than a sprint. After all, we'll trouble you only once a week."

"So, what does open hope to be? We hope to be a weekly offering on your life and times. We hope to inform, engage, stimulate and entertain in an intelligent fashion. But isn't this what almost all magazines set out to do? Yes, there may be nothing new in what we want to do, but we think we will be distinctive in how we do so, in these strange and complex times we live in. So let's start with what we won't do.

We won't repeat the news you have already watched on TV, read in the papers and on the net, unless we can find a new approach to it. Or contribute significantly to your additional knowledge needs. We won't know whether we have succeeded till we hear from you, but this is our promise to you: we value your time. And we don't want to be an echo. Also, we don't want to be a purely India centric magazine. You are a global citizen, and you are as interested in Barack Obama's hair greying considerably in his first ten weeks in the White House as in the men and women who are the closest advisors of Rahul Gandhi. We are a magazine from India for the global minded Indian. We will be opinionated. You will often not agree with that opinion. Let us know. Let us talk." *

The editor concludes with following lines:


"So many hopes we have, so many things we want to do through this magazine, so many ways we want to engage with you. And these are not just words for us, though we are fundamentally about words. Above all, above all, we will try our damnedest never ever to insult your intelligence. Call that more than a promise. Call that a covenant."

Editors concluding lines are very touching and it definitely draw the attention of the readers.

As the editor said, we hope they will stick to their words. At a time we the Indian readers are fed up with the routine style of presenting the stories. Hope this magazine's 'People Page' should not be restricted to the celebrities and for their juicy stories alone instead they share the feelings of the common readers too.

Thank God, they did not waste their pages for the so called "weekly astrology" column like many other Indian publications do. This is no doubt, a progressive step in this modern world.

When you flip thru the pages after the editorial page you find a section called "Small World" a seven page section allotted for the squeeze news from around the world. There you can read about 'the unreasonable person of the week' Confessions, Real India, and Business etc. And a page full of International news. The weekly also provides different sections for feature articles, politics, business, lifestyle, health, sports, literature, arts, culture and technology. And another important section called Mindspace; they emphasized this space as, "Literally, the icing on the cake, covers literary essays, stories on arts, culture, film reviews, and Gadget updates. Lastly a People page, a science page, and a headstart to challenge the readers with puzzles, riddles and mindgames. In short almost a complete magazine for the family.

Ah! The editor says, "And we will not be a magazine that mostly men find interesting Ever." * Its an interesting note: to watch for in the coming issues, hope that this will be a publication for the whole family.

Here are some suggestions to the Editor and publishers of this fascinating weekly magazine.

Please share some space to the general readers to air their views on current issues or any other relevant hot and burning subjects which we are facing in India in a wider angle. (I mean, not the letters to the editor column, which is generally restricted to few lines only).
Also, if the weekly provide some space exclusively for children, youth and women, and accommodate one or two short stories or mini stories and a poem. Then this will be a complete family magazine.

Add a small write-up (in one or two lines) about the writers' at the bottom of the article with their email ids, if possible with their photograph. So that readers can interact with the reporters and writers. Above all give an opportunity to the new writers to exhibit their talents by offering an attractive honorarium, this very few do in the Indian media.

A word about the content in the inaugural issue (April4-10): The Cover Story "Inside the Pakistani mind after 26/11 revealed so many chilling facts about the most dangerous place on earth 'Pakistan' and its people. It's really shocking to know that 90% Pakistanis will join the army if there is an Indo-Pak war. Even though only 2% think they'll win." We must be so alert and be ready to face any such situation. The story is a warning signal to the Indian administration as well as the people of India.

Manu Joseph's essay 'The Power of nonsense' was an interesting and informative read. The writer covered almost everything currently happened or happening around us in its 3 page write-up. And "Ow! Zzat?" Below the belt. Too revealed many unknown facts about that important cricket accessory. Of course the contents of the first issue were altogether informative and fascinating.

It was a lovely week with the weekly "OPEN", yes you made our week, and I have decided to be a regular reader of this amazing weekly. Hope your closing sentence, the promise or the covenant has a long-lasting effect on your readers. Yes, please remember that "Readers are KING", give them a prominent place in your esteemed weekly and satisfy them with your talented writers' creations.

Congratulations for bringing out such and elegant weekly news and family magazine for the Indian readers as well as the web community around the world.

I wish them a happy publishing time ahead.

Source:

www.openthemagazine.com
http://linkbee.com/gmqo
http://knol.google.com/k/p-v-ariel/-/12c8mwhnhltu7/0
www.pvariel.blogspot.com

An Interview with Martya Sen the Noble laureate by Vinod Mehta and Anjali Puri of Outlook News Weekly, New Delhi. Under the title: “I Prefer To Fight

I posted a response to it in the "Have Your Say" Column.




Excerpts from the interview...

In the 63rd year of Independence, how many cheers would you give Indian democracy?
How peculiar that Gandhi should be on the side of Krishna, who made Arjuna fight and kill people.



Out of a total of three (laughs)? That was a scale invented by E.M. Forster in Two Cheers for Democracy. I think I will give it a bit more than two but somewhat less than three. If you take the view, is democracy functioning as well as it could, it may even be one. But given the adversities we have had—a very poor country, largely illiterate, border wars with China and Pakistan, with Pakistan going its peculiarly difficult way, the relationship problems that we have had with the United States and the global powers—have we done as well as expected? Yes. Except in one big respect, namely that I had expected that non-dramatic deprivations would receive more attention than they ended up getting. Famines did go away with democracy, as I had expected, but I thought other things like gender inequality and the huge undernourishment of children would get more attention, but they did not get enough. That’s the disappointment.

Of all the injustices that haunt India today, the deprivations you have just spoken of, what disappoints you the most?

They are all complementary. One of the reasons that child undernourishment is so hard to remove in India is that children are born much more deprived here than in much of the world, because women are very deprived when they are pregnant. One basic issue is gender inequality. But I don’t want to say it is the only important one. I would rather speak of a cluster of deprivations. And we should address all of them together.

Apart from development issues, you’ve been speaking on a range of national issues, including, of late, the Indo-US nuclear deal. Was it a good deal?

Now, I am on record as having said I don’t know whether the Indo-US nuclear deal was a good thing or a bad thing, I don’t have a strong view, unlike Manmohan who clearly thinks it is a good thing, and the Communist Party, which thinks it is the biggest disaster.

Your friends on the Left are repenting now. It’s clear they picked the wrong issue to bring down the government.

I gave a television interview on that subject a year ago, in August, just after the vote.

And what you said hurt them the most because the criticism was coming from a friend, not from the other side.

“When I met Rahul at Trinity, politics wasn’t part of his plan. But he was clearly committed to Indian development.”

Certainly not from the other side. I am a friend of the Left and my politics has been on the Left, but sometimes it’s difficult to recognize what is Left, what is Right. I am in favour of fighting today’s battles rather than yesterday’s battles. I think this gut anti-Americanism—don’t make it the headline (laughs)—is a problem. It is a minor problem, but one of the reasons why the Left cannot liberate itself from the Cold War. It made sense at some stage to oppose America for various reasons. But I think gut anti-Americanism is certainly pulling the Left back now.

Read the full text of the Interview at:
http://outlookindia.com

MY RESPONSE PUBLISHED IN THE COLUMN “HAVE YOUR SAY”
Aug 14, 2009
1

This interview revealed the other side of this great personality. Indeed this interview increased my respect towards this much learned Nobel laureate. There is no partiality in his opinions; though a communist minded personality he criticized the adamant nature of his own close friends in the communist bandwagon. Especially his opine about our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is praiseworthy.
philip verghese ariel
Secunderabad, India





Source: Outlook News Weekly, New Delhi.
http://outlookindia.com
http://linkbee.com/gmqo

UNITY Learn It From Ants

(A message to My Fellow Beings)

Here is a great message or lesson to learn from the insignificant little creatures on earth, “The Ants”. They do everything in unity. But we with our disunity most of the time fails miserably. Let’s learn “UNITY” from them for our good.


“Ants’ work in groups,
And achieve their goal in unity
Alas! Men lack this and fail”.

NOTE:
Let us have a look at the lives of ants.

There are a good number of lessons we the human beings can pick up from these insignificant creatures.

Though they fail sometimes in their attempts they never give up.

They try and try and try until they reach their task.

They gather their food in group in unity.

These little creatures struggle to build their homes on earth.

But the giants of earth, we the human beings

quite often destroy it knowingly or unknowingly.

But they never give up and find a new place and re-build it.

But Alas! The humans most often fail miserably in their attempts

And get frustrated and leave the goal behind the way.

They attempt to do their things selfishly and try to carry it alone,
And utterly fail in many of their attempts.

They fail in their attempts mainly due to the lack of this unity.

In the Holy Bible, in the book of Proverb-

Solomon the wisest man ever lived on earth said, and I quote:

“Go to ant, thou sluggard;
Consider her ways and be wise
Which having no guide, overseer or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer,
And gathereth her food in the harvest.” *1

And the wisest man again said:

“Four things on earth are small,
Yet they are extremely wise:
Ants are creatures of little strength,
Yet they store up their food in the summer” *2

The ants comes first in that list,

Though they are small in size they are wise.

And do their things wisely and reach their goal.

But, Alas!! We the human beings lack this “unity”

And we fail miserably in all our attempts.

Why can’t we look at these little wise creatures

And pick up these precious lessons for our good.

Let’s learn this and practice in our daily life.



Source Reference:

*1 Proverb Chapter 6: verse 6 - 8 (King James Version)
*2 Proverb Chapter 30:24- 25 (New International Version)


Source:
Holy Bible
Associated.com
knol.google.com

A Letter to the Reader's Digest Editor and his reply.

A letter with much expectation posted to the editor of Readers Digest and the personal reply received from the Chief Editor, Mr. Mohan Sivanand



The Editor,
Reader’s Digest
New Delhi

Sir,

Your March issue made an informative reading. The timely subject ‘recession’ related articles are very informative and useful. Editor’s Bugs me anyway ‘Language’ column was an interesting read, The writer’s narration on the quite often used word in daily life ‘anyways’ is very educative. Thanks for the great tutorial here. The Facts about fat the cover story “13 things no one ever tells you about weight loss” is really astounding. Many things mentioned are really unknown especially the “Sleep Treatment”. Your interview with Maria Tippett the author of the master photographer Yosuf’s photographs were well captured, but it would have been better if you would have given one or two photographs apart from portraits. ‘The Air up there’ on women astronauts was a fitting tribute to the women astronauts on the occasion of international women’s day. Last but the least, about the visionary doctor Govindappa Venkataswamy’s enduring vision fulfilled through his family tree. You should have mentioned a word about this visionary doctor’s story (Bonus Read) on the cover page. The writer’s concluding paragraph said everything in short. “Though Dr. V’s strength waned his family continued “growing and developing a little of Dr. V in each of them. Ashok Mahadevan’s write-up is a great tribute to Dr. V and his institution ‘Aravind family’.


Philip Verghese ‘Ariel’,Secunderabad.


Dear Mr Ariel,
Thank you for your kind words on our March issue. It's always a pleasure to hear from our readers. You also asked a good question: Why was Dr V not mentioned on our cover? I have to explain that we have a lengthy and meticulous research process where every word written for RD is fact-checked independently by our Research Editor and a "research report" made, no matter who wrote it -- staff or outside writer, or me. Also, our covers have to be printed early. Before the March cover went to press, there were still several unfinished bits in the fact-checking process (in the Dr V article), and so I did not want to risk mentioning it on the cover, just in case it had to be rescheduled for the next month. Without a full research report, we don't publish anything. In fact I too would have been happy to have Dr V mentioned on our cover.

Best wishes,
Mohan

____________________
Mohan Sivanand
Editor
Reader's Digest India

http://linkbee.com/pvarielknol
http://linkbee.com/gmqo

A Feedback to The Week Weekly- on their Cover Feature Dated August 9th 2009

Few days back posted a response to the week weekly's cover feature titled "Most desirable Married Men. Pl. read..


Apropos the cover story “Most desirable Married Men” (August 9 2009) made an interesting read. At a time when some of our women flocks are involved in all kinds of forbidden acts as said in the story’s intro, it’s unfortunate to note that many of our women flocks are gazing at such acts and a kind of attraction is created everywhere. No doubt money and power are some of the main reasons for this twist. As Mr. Prasad Bidappa said, your projected personalities or the celebrities are all “achievers with a big bank balance. Yes naturally women want to build a secured life and it helps.” Your same issue tells a different story of yet another group of our women. “The bus ladies” I appreciate these women for their guts and desire to work hard for a living. Bravo to such women. May their tribe increase. Yet another box item—Women Only—that too about on our women flock, a women minister’s desperate looks out for a suitable women train driver too was interesting. Last but the least “your graphic view” “National filth” too was focused on the plight of our women flock the data mentioned about such women is really shocking. Even after 108 years of Gandhiji’s revelation “women scavengers are the worst form or apartheid” the practice is still prevailing in a developing country like India is a national shame. Altogether this issue was interesting and thought provoking one. It would have been more appropriate if the Bible verse you mentioned at the beginning of the story with a small change for the context. “Oh my dear women flocks, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s husband”.

Ariel Philip Verghese
Secunderabad
Source:
http://the-week.com

My Comment In India Today Web site and a response.

A letter received from a reader in response to my letter published in India Today website, for the reference I am publishing the same here below:
NOTE: The Hindu daily also published a portion of my view on today's Letters to the Editor Column.


My comment:

There is not doubt that Sharuk Khan episode in US is an unfortunate one, but the way in which our minister reacted to it is too unfortunate, It seems like just like utterances of a child. A responsible minister like her should have shown little more restrain and some intelligence. I fully agree with Mr. Shekar Kapoor’s opinion about her reaction, Yes these people celebrities or politicians should learn some important lessons from our former president Mr. Kalaam. The time is up to adopt some lessons from Dr. Kalaam’s book. So sad Mr. Sharukh.
Ariel P Verghese, Secunderabad
http://knol.google.com/k/p-v-ariel

Dear View pointers:

Of course it was not a publicity stunt but mounting concerns against SRK's nefarious financial greeds, operational modus operndi leading to his under world connections.

Shah Rukh, all his fans, and followers must first know his monstrous greed for money, popularity, publicity and obvious underworld connections that protects him in exchange of several money laundering schemes through 'Hawala' from every corner of the world he visits, mint huge cash on the pretext of stage or any event performance, which he has never reported at any source point either in India or abroad by eluding and dodging inbound and outbound customs authorities since 1990's. Vijay Taneja, one of his key source and contact and promoter for his nefarious money laundering schemes between 2002 and 2004 is presently serving ten years in a United States Prison at Loretto in Western Pennsylvania.

Shah Rukh has never disclosed a truth anywhere in his autobiography about his penal action and punishment for black marketing Kerosene Oil by Shri H.R. Malhotra, the then Additional Sessions Judge, Patiala House Courts at New Delhi when he owned a Kerosene Oil Agency in Paharganj, New Delhi...........

During a brief so called detention and interrogation by the U.S. Customs, Shah Rukh has deliberately lied to the Federal Authorities Newark International Airport about the very purpose of his visit and scheduled stay in United States, whereas the commercial clips in the television media in different channels aired by DISH NETWORK clearly informs that he is coming to Chicago for his event appearance at a Carnival organized by the Asian Community and would be staying at Fairmont Hotel in Chicago City.

Shahrukh's claim about his detention on the pretext of being a Muslim as a result of his racial pro filling by the United States Government almost eight years after 9/11 is a joke and highly misconceived. The so called claim of Shah Rukh, his fans and followers that United States must improve and restructure it's monitoring system is a result of their lack of knowledge as to why would the U.S. Authorities spent more than an hour to interrogate mere Shah Rukh's identity when there was nothing wrong with his travel documents specially when he has been traveling to United States for more than two decades. The suggestion and comments made by one of his bread provider Kabir Khan that it takes only 20 seconds to enter Shah Rukh's name at google search to ascertain his identity, is more than his stupidity in terms of an advise to the U.S. Authorities without having any knowledge of prima facie reason or any probable cause for his brief detention which obviously has got nothing to do with his identity, race, religion or his origin.

It is very difficult to assert any opinion on the the detention of Shah Rukh by the United States Government, but it is not only imperative but inevitable for the Revenue Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India to review Shah Rukh's international travel solely for his stage and event performances, his foreign currency declarations at customs and Income, Property and Wealth Tax reporting, and institute a massive criminal investigation into all and every ordeal of this mean, greedy and selfish so called King and world superstar.

I invite you all to post your prudent comments on my blog at:

http://shahrukhsmisconceptions.blogspot.com

Source: http://indiatoday.com
Thehindu.com

Insight India Mum on My Response Letter

A letter written few months back to a Christian Publication in response to their editorial, But alas! when the truth is revealed through my letter the organization itself kept silent and not responded to my letter reason best known to them, thus this publication of the said letter through this blog.

Dear Bros,
This is in reference to the note " from the Publisher's Desk" You have addressed and raised few valuable questions? This is a much needed issue to be discussed with and to find some answers to it.
We the brethren have a tendency to support the well established workers in the field. There are a good number of workers by now well off in financial aspects are still receiving fund from our existing common welfare funds. I know few brothers’ exception to this, a brother from North India who was getting help from some of our funds requested them not to send further help to him since he has sufficient recourses. After receiving his intimation still some funds used to send help to him and he out rightly rejected and send that back to them. How many of our well to do evangelists can take such a decision, I doubt a very few. Most of them need more funds and more funds to spend it in their lavish affairs. The sad part is that our fund generating people are very lavish to such people and funds are flowing towards such people to build or construct theirown kingdoms on this earth. This is a sorry state of affair among the brethren.
I appreciate the evangelist who took a decision to sponsor yet another fellow worker's children's education. fund generating organizations like Gospel Missions in India, (GMI) should make out such lesser known hardworking evangelists who are really in need. GMI or for that matter any other fund generating organizations should make note of this, they should not just to support the well off ones to build or construct their own kingdom on this earth. I know many such individuals who are receiving money from fund generating organizations like GMI etc... The hard earned money of God's people should not go waste just for the benefit and enjoyment of few. We are all accountable to His money not only the evangelists who spend lavishly but also the people who distribute it too. The people who are giving also should know where their money is utilized. This is a vital point and should be taken seriously.

Insight India brought out a lesser known fact about the lesser known evangelists and their children. I appreciate Insight India like organization to take such initiatives to support the needed lesser known evangelists and their children.
May the Good Lord continue to help you in this ministry.
Sincerely yours in Him,
Br. Philip Verghese

Source: http://insightindia.com