Mar 26 2008
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Mar 20 2008
the joy of colors
Holi hai! - The joy of colors
By Bivash Mukherjee 2008-3-21
COME March, and much of Asia is swathed in radiant colors. Spring is upon us, and men and nature get along in an unmatched joie de vivre. It is only natural to welcome it with a daub - or bombardment - of colors.
This weekend marks not only Western Easter, but the more colorful and exuberant Hindu festival of Holi - drenched with crimson, purple, pink, yellow, green and blue.
Springtime is first kicked off by the Chinese with Lunar New Year revelry, followed by the Japanese Setsubun when cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The Koreans mark it with outdoor fun during Samjiri, while Pakistanis take to the skies with their wondrous kite-flying during Basant. The Thais splurge with water in what we know as Songkran.
Much of India and Nepal will go wild this weekend with their riotous play of colors for Holi. And the region’s expatriate community in Shanghai will soak it in with a gala at the Dulwich College grounds in Jinqiao, Pudong, tomorrow morning.
Holi, the Hindu festival of myriad colors, is celebrated on a full moon night in spring with a frenzy of colors, songs, dance, general merrymaking, eve-teasing and often intoxication from various substances.
It’s a carnival of epic proportions that breaks down caste and gender differences, at least for a day. It thrives on banter, frivolity, quirkiness and acting out - no wonder it’s a joy.
Holi’s origins are shrouded in myths and legends. The most popular folklore features Lord Krishna cavorting with his many comely companions in tales that have been told down the ages in paintings, music, movies and classical literature.
The leitmotif, however, has always been the same: life, rebirth, hope.
Traditionally, Holi lasts for two days. The first is an evening of bonfires fueled by a heady mixture of dry wood, logs, cow dung cakes and ghee (clarified butter). As the flames soar and light the night sky, they signify the death of winter and purging of past deeds.
The next day is an orgy of merry abandonment. In polite circles, it’s celebrated with a small, artful and symbolic daub on cheeks and foreheads - but most circles aren’t polite. Sometimes indelible colors are forcefully applied and hurled.
Men and women dressed in white head out to paint the town red - literally - smearing neighbors, relatives and passersby with gulal powder of colored talc and colored water.
Streets and lanes are packed with anonymous revelers in masks of paint, funny, weird, and outlandish. The boldest of them, usually children, are dyed with sticky colors that can sometimes take a week to wash out.
It’s color, color everywhere. Almost everything in sight - walls and trees as well - is awash in a different color. Shouts of “Holi hai,” (”It’s Holi”) rend the air and all (almost) excesses are forgiven.
The revelry eventually calms down later in the day with a swim in the sea, river, pond or even an impromptu bathtub set up for the occasion.
Evenings are rip-roarious outpourings of songs and dances and mischievous repartee that often follow a drinking session. Even “bad” language - earthy, ribald and sometimes offensive - is excused or ignored. It may take the form of waggish poetry and folk songs.
Like Lord Krishna pinching the ladies, young men too engage in playful “eve-teasing” and this sometimes turns rough and rapacious, and can even turn ugly.
Each province and region celebrates in its own way, borrowing from local mythology, customs and centuries-old scriptures and temple art. But the ethos of exuberance and a resurgent spirit is common to all. Revelers can mask their troubles, act out and create a make-believe world of excitement, energy and hope.
In some ways, the festival is really a study of colors and perfect metaphors for life. Their seductive charm appeals to all and, understandably, love blooms though in some areas women stay indoors to avoid the excesses that goes in its name.
For the farm hands across the vast plains of India, a good harvest is another reason for their boisterous mood. Poets and saints have long revered the sons of the soil and Holi also becomes a ritual of thanksgiving.
We are assured that life goes on.
Holi hai! - The joy of colors by — COME March, and much of Asia is swathed in radiant colors. Spring is upon us, and men and nature get along in an unmatched joie de vivre. It is only natural to welcome it with a daub - or bombardment - of colors.
…
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Mar 09 2008
world cup 2006
Beautiful game that unites all
By Bivash Mukherjee 2006-6-10
The excitement is palpable.
The long walk home on Thursday night seemed so much shorter as minutes ticked away for the opening whistle on what has come to be known as the greatest show on earth - for the moment at least.
The month-long soccer World Cup comes once in four years and Planet Earth decks herself in all her finery and color as she gets into carnival disposition that cuts across national boundaries, religions, castes, creeds and, yes, those damn politics too.
They stand united as one!
The mood around is one of jubilation and immense expectations as the finale unfolds on a much bigger stage following two years of intense qualifying competitions.
There are the obvious favorites as the 30-odd teams look for an upset. Remember how Roger Milla’s Cameroon ambushed Diego Maradona’s Argentina in the Italia 90 opener en route to becoming the first African nation to advance to the quarterfinal phase? And how a nation cried along with Roberto Baggio as he put his spot kick over the bar?
For the scriptwriters, there are stories aplenty as well.
At 38, Milla came out of retirement to enthrall a global audience with magical ball skills and a great team display that eventually won them the sobriquet “The Indomitable Lions.” Milla single-handedly put Africa on the world soccer map and to this day remains my hero.
In an era that continues to be ravaged by niggling wars, hunger, famine, et al, the festival of soccer, football or futbol - whatever you call it, offers a much-needed break to both the pugnacious and the irenic. War-torn states have been known to call a momentary ceasefire, while far away the only music to the ears appears to be that spirit-rapping cry of GOOOOAAAL…
Elsewhere, newshounds thrive on reports of thieves making off with valuables as the host sat glued to television sets; jailbreaks that are timed on crucial matches; kins coming to blows at the dinner table; and even exams that have few takers.
Much of the “game” is actually played out on the streets, in neighborhoods, bars and at chock-a-block roadside giant screens.
This is one for the fans, whose heart beats in rhythm with the players on the pitch as he weaves circles around defenders or takes off on a bewitching run to the goal.
Some call it fantasy football, made attractive by a player’s ability to improvise and break out into a celebratory dance after a goal.
Football fans are known to find beauty in a goalless draw if the match is otherwise rewarding while at the same time condemning a star player for any show of arrogance.
There is no other sporting event that I can think off that draws as much passion and emotion, and in such a frenzied manner, as the World Cup. One moment you are the enemy; next moment brother-in-arms!
Indeed, the ordeal of a fan here with China missing out on the spectacle will be all the more painful now as the tournament takes off and the spectacle is dished out into our daily diet. That it unites all classes of people is also a reflection of game’s far-reaching sway.
Where else would you find a corporate manager discovering his working class roots as he clamors in unison with the proletariat at the stadia?
It is another story altogether that the World Cup today is beyond the reach of the common folk.
However, that it remains the dreams of the multitudes is never in doubt at all.
The World Cup is as much a story of the triumph of a team, of individual brilliance, as much as the trials of the underdog. I, for one, will be rooting for the minnows in Germany, albeit from the cozy comforts of my drawing room but blissfully aware that the world will be as one, even if only momentarily.
Beautiful game that unites all by — The excitement is palpable. The long walk home on Thursday night seemed so much shorter as minutes ticked away for the opening whistle on what has come to be known as the greatest show on earth - for the moment at least.
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Italy shoot to top of the world
By Bivash Mukherjee 2006-7-10
THE Azzuri are on top of the world but this World Cup final will be remembered for Zinedine Zidane’s disgraceful exit that ended a brilliant career.
Whatever it was that provoked him to headbutt Marco Materazzi, Zidane’s dazzling career ended on a downer as millions across the world sat up late to bid adieu to one of the greatest masters of the game.
At 34, Zidane chose soccer’s premier event to display his incredible talent before calling it quits. There are very few today who are in the same league as him. He brought so much poise, grace and beauty with his moment on the pitch. Every move would liven up a stadium with “oohs and aahs.”
Alas, all the hard work down the ages was undone by a moment of madness on the pitch that he is likely to regret for the rest of his life.
The Italians obviously will have no complaints. They are deserved World Cup champions even though the final in Berlin lacked the spark of the semifinals.
The teams went into the match with even the bookies divided on the favorites to lift the cup.
France made it to the final despite a poor start to its World Cup campaign and had to wait until Zidane was back to his all-time best. In 2002, the Les Bleus, the defending champion then, were knocked out after the first round without finding the net even once.
The Italians, on the other hand, stood united in the face of match-fixing scandal back home and surprised many by their camaraderie. There was, off course, all that talk of revenge for the loss to France in the Euro 2000.
On that summer evening, David Trezeguet’s golden goal sent the Italians into mourning, who incidentally plies his trade in Serie A.
So there was understandable cause for alarm on the Italian bench when France was gifted with a penalty just minutes after the kickoff in Berlin.
Henry picked a long ball from Fabien Barthez and flicked it on to the path of Florent Malouda, who raced inside the box. Fabio Cannavaro and Marco Materazzi shut him out but the Lyon midfielder hit the turf and the Argentine referee pointed to the spot.
The replays, however, suggested another act of simulation that has marred this prestigious tournament.
Expectedly, Zidane stepped up and calmly slotted home.
The Italians were not about to give up and grabbed the equalizer minutes later with Materazzi outleaping the towering Patrick Vieira and heading home from Andrea Pirlo’s corner kick.
That was the best 20 minutes of the game.
Both the teams then preferred to sit back and wait for opportunities to strike home. With little play being made, there were just few to thrill the capacity crowd.
Henry had a couple of half-chances and Luca Toni had a goal disallowed for offside. Late in the second half, Buffon palmed away a spectacular goal-bound header from Zidane but it was obvious the winner would be decided on penalties.
Ironically, Trezeguet missed from the spot for France 鈥?the hero of Euro 2000 鈥?and Fabio Grosso once again grabbed the winner 鈥?and the trophy that has eluded them since 1982.
There was sadness at the way it all ended for France, but that is the way it goes 鈥?in life and in soccer.
With that, the curtains will be drawn on a month-long soccer extravaganza and a nationwide festivity comes to a roaring end.
Germany will soon start counting the costs with South Africa keeping a close tab on the post-Cup developments as the hangover subsides.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has promised to put up another great spectacle in 2010. But for now, all roads lead to Rome.
Shanghai Daily News
Italy shoot to top of the world by — The Azzuri are on top of the world but this World Cup final will be remembered for Zinedine Zidane’s disgraceful exit that ended a brilliant career.
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Home > Sport > Soccer Newspaper Edition
Zidane spot on as France through to final
By Bivash Mukherjee 2006-7-6
THE master showman was at it once again.Zinedine Zidane is probably enjoying the best moment of his glittering career at the fag end of his playing time as he crafted another French success — and a shot at glory.
The former Real Madrid maestro, who is bidding goodbye to the Beautiful Game after the final on July 9, blasted in a first-half penalty that was enough to see the 1999 champion through and a date with Italy in Berlin.
The teams meet again after the Euro 2000 final, which was won by France.
Chelseaman Ricardo Carvalho was guilty of bringing down Thierry Henry inside the box and Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda immediately pointed to the spot just after 30 minutes of action.
Portugal battled valiantly for the equalizer, grabbing much of the possession, but was unable to beat the Lilian Thuram-led defense despite frequent blunders from Fabien Barthez who had a terrible day under the bar.
The second semifinal in Munich did not produce the kind of excitement like the Italy-Germany game on Tuesday, but Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men had plenty of opportunities to grab the leveler but muffed them.
France started off well with Portugal’s Luis Miguel misjudging a long pass and France’s Florent Malouda sprinting away to set the tone of the match with less than a minute after the kickoff.
Cristiano Ronaldo was in the thick of action despite the loud boos that greeted him every time he touched the ball. He was the supplier for Deco who tested Barthez from 25 meters out in the fourth minute, and later to Maniche, who let fly from a distance but the ball sailed inches over the bar.
The game also bought Luis Figo and Zidane 鈥?two former Real “galacticos” face-to-face with each other but that did not stop them from tackling and shoving the other on the pitch. At the end of the match, they hugged and exchanged jerseys one last time in full view of the cheering public.
For the Portuguese, Ronaldo and Maniche had a good game but the Manchester United striker was guilty of going down the turf a bit too easily and drew loud jeers from the crowd, most of them unforgiving English fans who, not surprisingly, rooted for France yesterday.
They were obviously still upset over Ronaldo’s behavior that got Wayne Rooney the boot in the knockout round.
In fact, prior to going into the match, France coach Raymond Domenech was forced to play down comments of a “diving” Portuguese side.
France defender William Gallas had claimed in a news conference that Scolari’s side would “use every trick in the book and destabilize the Les Bleus with little fouls and diving.”
However, Portugal ultimately lacked the quality going forward as France preferred to sit back and defend, albeit dangerously, for most of the second half.
Italy was the first team to advance to the final on Tuesday when it beat host Germany 2-0 in Dortmund — the winning goals coming in the last two minutes of extra time.
Fabio Grosso scored in the 29th minute of extra time, while veteran Alessandro Del Piero the second a minute later to break German hearts.
If the Italians were watching the game, they would draw heart from Barthez’ lapses and it would not be a surprise if they have a go at him right from the start.
France struggled to make progress in the early rounds but won over its critics and fans after sublime performances 鈥?led by the reinvigorated Zidane — against Spain and Brazil.
On July 9, all roads will lead to Berlin as fans of the game will seek to bid adieu to one of the most gifted player the world has seen since Diego Maradona held his own on the greens in the nineties.
Will Zidane manage to outwit the pacy Italians once again however remains to be seen.
Zidane spot on as France through to final by — THE master showman was at it once again.Zinedine Zidane is probably enjoying the best moment of his glittering career at the fag end of his playing time as he crafted another French success — and a shot at glory.
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Schweinsteiger fires Germany into 3rd
By Bivash Mukherjee 2006-7-9
BASTIAN Schweinsteiger put up his immense talent on display yesterday in Stuttgart as Germany rounded off an impressive run at the World Cup with a 3-1 demolition of Portugal and a third-place finish as soccer’s premier tournament nears its finale.
The attacking Bayern Munich midfielder was party to all the goals. Two great second-half strikes killed the hitherto battling Portuguese. It was his free-kick as well that Armando Petit nicked into his own net for the second goal.
Nuno Gomes scored a consolation goal for Portugal in the 88th minute.
In the end, it was an entertaining night out for the fans — and some consolation for the host — as action shifts to Berlin tonight for soccer’s biggest prize.
Italy and France will battle it out for the ultimate honor that will also be Zinedine Zidane’s farewell match and other veterans as well.
The first half was entertaining, beautiful soccer with Portugal looking particularly good with more possession, getting forward and creating chances. Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sabrosa Simao enjoyed a good rapport between themselves, frequently testing the Germans, and silencing all doubters that Portugal’s road to semifinals was a fluke.
Germany started aggressively as expected, trying to outpace its rivals with darting sprints to the box, but Portuguese keeper Ricardo was well-placed and palmed off all early shots and volleys with ease as the Euro finalists were forced to defend.
In the fifth minute itself, Sebastian Kehl had a good shot at the goal from near the penalty area but his ambitious attempt went inches wide. The Germans claimed a deserved handball against Nuno Valente that was turned down by the Japanese referee Toru Karnikawa.
Miroslav Klose followed soon after but was unable to find the target.
Having survived the initial onslaught, the Portuguese got their men in front with Deco being particularly dangerous, while Ronaldo and Simao clearly enjoying runs on the flanks.
On the half-an-hour mark, Deco picked a nice pass from Simao, turned, and curled the ball from yards that just missed the bar.
Minutes later, Ronaldo brilliantly dribbled past three defenders and then hit the turf, once again doing no credit to his reputation that has been a subject of intense debate at this World Cup.
The host upped the tempo in the second half with Portuguese substitute Petit looking out of sorts against the pacy Germans.
In the 56th minute, Schweinsteiger dashed past two defenders and darted to the middle of the field before unleashing a 25-meter volley that seemed to take the Portuguese keeper Ricardo by surprise, who, until then, had a brilliant outing under the posts.
The Bayern midfielder was involved in the second goal as well as he watched Petit nick into his own net from his free-kick.
His third was identical to the first.
Schweinsteiger let go off another long shot in the 78th minute that sailed past the outstretched hands of Ricardo as the Portuguese suddenly looked deflated.
Substitutes Luis Figo and Nuno Gomes then got it right to snatch a goal back but it was too little too late, but ruined German keeper Oliver Kahn’s almost certainly his last night out in national colors.
Historically, third-place matches have been high-scoring game with focus invariably on the offense rather than defense. With less pressure and virtually nothing at stake but few ounces of pride, teams have generally played free-flowing soccer.
In 1958, France beat West Germany 6-3 with France’s Just Fontaine scoring four goals in the match to take his tournament tally to a record 13 goals.
That record still stands.
Croatia, which made its World Cup debut in 1998, surprised many with a semifinal berth where it lost to eventual champion France. Then, in the third-place game, it beat the Netherlands 2-1 with Davor Suker scoring his sixth goal of the tournament.
In 2002, Turkey’s Hakan Sukur scored 11 seconds into the game against co-host South Korea and it was the Turks who walked away 3-2 winners despite being dwarfed by the South Koreans.
The consolation game invariably fields reserve players or is seen as a farewell match for veterans about to say goodbye to their international careers.
In Stuttgart, there was more — the future of two coaches as well. Germany’s Juergen Klinsmann has yet to make up his mind despite an avalanche of support in favor of him from all quarters, insisting that he carry on the work that he started in building a new outfit with his 20-somthings.
As German legend Franz Beckenbauer put it: he’s formed a young team that he trusts and that trusts him. It would be a terrible shame if he would go back to California. He has to carry on this work.
On the other hand, Portugal’s Luiz Felipe Scolari has avoided making any comments on his future despite mounting speculation on his impending departure. But after leading Portugal to the Euro 2004 final and World Cup semifinals, it goes without saying that the Portuguese FA would be more than happy to continue the successful association.
Schweinsteiger fires Germany into 3rd by — BASTIAN Schweinsteiger put up his immense talent on display yesterday in Stuttgart as Germany rounded off an impressive run at the World Cup with a 3-1 demolition of Portugal and a third-place finish as soccer’s premier tournament nears its finale.
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Mar 08 2008
BIVASH MUKHERJEE
a collection of published works, thoughts and musings spanning over a decade and images picked up over the same period. based in Shanghai.
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Mar 08 2008
karthikeyan
Karthikeyan takes positives from rookie season
By Bivash Mukherjee 2005-10-15
INDIA’S Narain Karthikeyan will be taking away a lot of positives as his rookie season with Formula One comes to an end in Shanghai this weekend.
“Everything was new for me … the team, my teammates and most of the circuits as well. It has been a lot of hard work for us but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Reliability was a problem on occasions, but on most cases I think I managed to live up to expectations,” the Team Jordan driver told Shanghai Daily.
“Being the first Indian in Formula One also meant a lot of challenge to me. It was a new ball game altogether, all very intense. I have learnt a lot in my debut season.”
Karthikeyan’s best of the 2005 calendar was a good 11th place in the qualifying at the Suzuka circuit in Japan last week. The 28-year-old rookie racer showed remarkable poise and some gutsy driving on a rain-drenched track as he steered his Jordan-Toyota EJ15B for his best finish so far.
He finished 12th at the season-opening grand prix in Australia, raising hopes of an Asian driver making it big on motor sports premier event along with BAR Honda’s Japanese driver Takuma Sato.
But since that Melbourne beginning, Karthikeyan has managed 5 of the 12 points accumulated by Jordan from 18 races so far with the other 7 coming from his Portuguese teammate Tiago Monteiro.
That is slightly better than its closest rival Minardi, which is at the bottom of the standings with 7 points.
The two cash-trapped teams have for decades battled it out for the odd point in Formula One. That may now all change however as the era of the independent privately owned teams come to an end at the Shanghai Grand Prix.
Jordan, along with Minardi and Sauber, made up a threesome of sorts on the F1 circuit and often competed among themselves, much to the amusement of the fans.
BMW will move into the Sauber paddock next year while Red Bull takes charge of Minardi after it was sold to Austrian billionaire Dietrich Ateschitz.
Jordan led the way almost 10 months ago when the ebullient Eddie Jordan got into a deal with Russian-born Canadian tycoon Alex Shnaider. The team not only gets a new name, Midland, but also throws Karthikeyan’s future in doubt.
Midland has made no secret of the fact that its drivers will have to bring in their own cash for a drive in the world’s most glamorous sport. India’s biggest conglomerate, the Tata Group, has backed Karthi-keyan for 8 years. How far they are willing to go in 2006 though remains to be seen.
There are, of course, the faint whispers of a new team starting on the F1 grid next year with Japanese Sato confirming that he had been approached.
“It is still uncertain what will happen next year. We are still in talks with Midland. Besides, lots of changes are coming up next year. We will see what happens,” said a composed Karthikeyan, who has been singularly responsible for boosting the F1 ratings in cricket-obsessed South Asia.
The rookie F1 driver however ruled out any move to the upstart series A1.
Karthikyan was impressed after a day out at the Shanghai International Circuit. “It is incredible what they have done here,” said the Jordan driver.
In yesterday’s practice sessions, Karthikeyan clocked a timing of 1:38.308 in the morning session and 1:37.467 in the second.
“It will be very challenging. Again I will be on a new circuit, but so will the others. So in that sense, we all start on an equal footing again.”
Karthikeyan takes positives from rookie season by — INDIA’S Narain Karthikeyan will be taking away a lot of positives as his rookie season with Formula One comes to an end in Shanghai this weekend.
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Mar 08 2008
shanghai wetland
Wetland home to rare species
By Bivash Mukherjee 2004-4-26
IT may be hard to believe, but some 10 kilometers from Pudong International Airport lies a natural wetland reserve “Jiuduansha” 鈥?that is home to some rare marine life and migratory birds.
The existence of such a rare marshland so close to a developing township was the high point of a tour organized by the Pudong New Area Government, which chose to highlight its achievements on the ecological front as it completes 14 years in office.
Ecologists point out that a marshland so close to where the Yangtze River and East China Sea meets is a rarity.
“The flow of the river and the tides from the sea interact strongly. The intermingling of these two distinct water systems was probably what led to the formation of Jiuduansha,” says Zhang Zheng, vice director-general of Pudong’s Environment Management Bureau.
“The complex conditions have obviously had an impact on the equally complex freshwater and marine ecosystems,” Zhang says.
The wetland covers an area of a little more than 420 square kilometers. Depending on the time of the season, tidal waves submerge anywhere between 200 square kilometers or even more, making the island almost uninhabitable.
On rare occasions, high tidal waves leave only 50 square kilometers of marshy land visible to the eye.
But that, apparently, is of little consequence to the local fishermen, who are aware of the rare marine life that exits in the shallow waters, including the protected Chinese sturgeon.
Despite a ban on fishing in the area, it is quite a task on the administration to rein-in the erring fisher folks.
Zhang does admit fishing is a problem and says that while it isn’t a major issue now, it could be in five years time.
Prompted by this need to act and protect the biological diversity, the city government set up the Shanghai Jiuduansha Agency for Wetland Nature Reserve Management four years ago. Its primary mission was conservation, scientific research and surveying the biological resources in the area. It has been helped in the job by researchers from the Institute of Biodiversity Science at Fudan University.
The wetlands are known to have a high diversity of fish 鈥?both freshwater and coastal 鈥?and have been a breeding ground for some rare aquatic mammals.
“Our surveys have found 128 species of fish in Jiuduansha and its precincts out of which five fall under the national priority protected fish,” says Wu Jihua with the Biodiversity Institute.
Given the nature of the marshlands, water and shore birds abound a good 113 varieties of them 鈥?out of which six species are listed as endangered animals.
Jiuduansha has also been reported to be an important stopover for food for long-distance migratory birds, particularly from Australia. “With few signs of any human activity, it has proved to be a good habitat for the migrant birds,” claims Wu.
The reserve is also known to hold rare plant communities and vegetation that researchers say is of great economic and scientific value.
The wide composition of macrofauna is also indicative of the diversity of the Yangtze River estuary, Wu points out.
Experts believe that Jiuduansha is likely to grow because of the higher rate of sedimentation brought along by the various water conservancy projects along the Yangtze River. Therefore, protecting the wetlands is of critical importance to ensure the sustainability of the habitats, according to Zhang.
However, questions remain over large-scale reclamation projects, particularly with Shanghai’s constant search for agricultural farmland, which could seriously affect Jiuduansha’s ecosystems. Ecologists warn that loss of wetlands could lead to serious decline in ecosystem services.
One way to alleviate such impacts would be to protect grasslands that help in trapping silt and water-flow regulation, and which are also key spots for migratory birds.
Zhang and his team hope to address this issue at an international marshland preservation conference in August, which will also highlight the unique features of Jiuduansha to the world.
Wetland home to rare species by — IT may be hard to believe, but some 10 kilometers from Pudong International Airport lies a natural wetland reserve “Jiuduansha” 鈥?that is home to some rare marine life and migratory birds.
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Mar 08 2008
the NYT lies
An overdue correction
By Bivash Mukherjee 2004-6-7
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THE New York Times has finally come clean on its coverage of the fallacious weapons of mass destruction that fueled public opinion in favor of the war in Iraq.
“In some cases, information that was controversial then, and seems questionable now, was insufficiently qualified or allowed to stand “unchallenged,” the Times said in an editorial on May 26.
“Looking back, we wish we had been more aggressive in re-examining the claims as new evidence emerged 鈥?or failed to emerge.”
While the long-delayed “correction” can be forgiven for being a tad late, the timing of its release does little to shield the credibility of the paper that took a huge beating after last year’s plagiarism scandal.
Their integrity at stake, the Times editors were quick to seize the opportunity presented to them following the fall from grace of Ahmed Chalabi.
Chalabi was the single, big “source” behind the series of front-page “scoops” on the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
The paper waited to issue the correction until the US forces raided Chalabi’s residence in Baghdad last month on suspicion that he was passing off secrets to Iran.
It thus brought to an end an extended honeymoon period between the Iraqi exile and his protectors in Washington.
The former head of the Washington-created Iraqi National Congress is a convicted criminal, accused of embezzling millions.
Pentagon still found no reason to doubt Chalabi, who fed them what they exactly wanted to hear.
In return, he pocketed a decent US$340,000 monthly stipend for his cooked-up intelligence.
The question is: why did this newspaper wait so long to issue a rectification?
Mind you, it wasn’t apologetic about the long period of disinformation that it churned out but instead chose to pass the onus on to a person, who suddenly stood discredited.
“Editors at several levels who should have been challenging reporters and pressing for more skepticism were perhaps too intent on rushing scoops into the paper,” it claimed.
“It looks as if we, along with the administration, were taken in.”
Along with the administration?
A veiled admission by the paper that it implicitly 鈥?or is it tacitly 鈥?played into the hands of the Bush administration in the run-up to the mayhem in Iraq?
The reproof also conveniently fails to mention Judith Miller, the reporter who relied on Chalabi the most and came up with the exclusives.
A Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Miller has managed to keep her job at the paper, which last year wasted little time in belittling a young Black reporter after “exposing” him in a five-page rebuke for cooking up stories.
Will Miller and her ilk ever be held accountable for perpetrating the lies that went a long way in building public opinion in the case for war?
Do they feel any sense of remorse and guilt as pictures of the horrors of war emerge every single day 鈥?a reality they cannot escape of being party to?
That Miller indulged in intellectual dishonesty is hardly in doubt.
What is disconcerting however, is the level of complicity by the paper in allowing uncontested government half-truths to make it to fine print.
If anything, the Times, along with the Washington Post, showed remarkable intellectual and moral bankruptcy if one were to discount the theory of their being politically naive to allow themselves to be so easily manipulated by Chalabi and the White House.
Indeed, its argument that it was a victim of lies and duplicity is nothing but an attempt to cover up its own labyrinth of deceit and fabrication that has come back to haunt them.
Meanwhile, far away in distant Iraq a nation mourns, as lives are lost in the thousands.
But honestly, does anybody care?
An overdue correction by — THE New York Times has finally come clean on its coverage of the fallacious weapons of mass destruction that fueled public opinion in favor of the war in Iraq.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=124434
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Mar 08 2008
russian rocket
Russian rocket rolls on
By Bivash Mukherjee 2003-9-22
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ELENA Dementieva is obviously enjoying her best season in tennis.
The top-seeded Russian fought back a late surge by Chanda Rubin to beat the American 6-3, 7-6 (6) and claim the US$585,000 Shanghai Polo Open on the hardcourts of the Xianxia Tennis Center yesterday.
In a clash between the top two seeds, Dementieva clinched her second title in as many weeks and against the same opponent.
The Russian overpowered Rubin 6-2, 6-1 in the final of the Wismilak International in Bali, Indonesia, last Sunday.
It looked like it would be another walkover for Dementieva, who easily grabbed the first set 6-3, but found a much stronger opponent in the second.
Rubin came charging back into the match in the second set, playing a more tactical game to counter Demen-tieva’s strong forehand returns.
She raced to 2-0 lead with frequent forays to the net but then handed Dementieva a lifeline with too many errors.
Broken in the third game and more regularly after that, the Russian squared the game 4-4 to come back into the match and set up a thrilling tie-breaker.
Dementieva passed Rubin repeatedly with some strong cross-court rallies, much to the delight of an appreciative crowd. The American had no answer as she found herself stranded at the net once too often. In some ways, Rubin’s aggressive stance was her own undoing, as she gifted away points with her error-prone game.
Rubin committed the same mistakes in the tightly fought tiebreaker to eventually hand the match to her rival.
The American said she wasn’t quite playing her best tennis and failed to take her chances. “I just wasn’t solid enough,” she said.
Dementieva said she was tired after her long match with Ai Sugiyama in the semifinals on Saturday and didn’t even want to think of another three-setter. “When it got very close in the second set, I did everything I could to finish it in the second set,” she said.
Dementieva said Rubin was an easier opponent in Bali. “It was easier last week (in Bali). This time she (Rubin) tried to put pressure on me by coming to the net more often. She has a good forehand so I tried to play to her backhand more,” the Russian said.
The eighth-ranked player admitted that she still had to put in more work into her serves. “Hopefully, the next time I come here, I will be serving like (Andy) Roddick,” she quipped.
It was the third career title for Dementieva, who walked away with US$93,000 in prize money and moved up to seventh place in the WTA Race.
In the doubles later, Emile Loit of France and Australian Nicole Pratt beat Sugiyama of Japan and Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-3, 6-3 in a clash of unseeded pairings to take the crown and bring the curtains on the women’s event.
But Shanghai will continue to be in the grip of tennis fever as the ATP Heineken Open kicks off today at the same venue.
Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic is the top seed in a draw that also includes Dutchman Martin Verkerk at No 2 and Mark “The Scud” Philippousis of Australia seeded third.
China will be represented by Zhu Benqiang and Zeng Shaoxuan, with Zhu taking on Magnus Norman, the seventh-seeded Swede, and Zeng facing a tough opener against the hard-serving Verkerk.
Russian rocket rolls on by — ELENA Dementieva is obviously enjoying her best season in tennis.
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Mar 08 2008
xi
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200705/20070519/article_316488.htm
Xi urges media to work hard by —
Xi urges media to work hard by —
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Mar 08 2008
ian thorpe
Swim star shines
By Bivash Mukherjee 2002-9-23
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AUSTRALIAN swimming sensation Ian Thorpe is making a splash in China 鈥?away from the pool.
The world record holder and Olympic gold medalist is on his first trip to the main-land, but for reasons few would associate with a teenager. Thorpe is in China to raise money for a school for disabled children in Beijing.
The 19-year-old has won enough gold and silver medals to fill a treasure chest. The Aussie rocketed to international fame as one of the stars of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games where he broke the 400-meter free-style world record and claimed three gold medals and two silvers, earning the sobriquet “The Thorpedo.”
Such have been his exploits in the world of sports that he beat the likes of Formula One ace Michael Schumacher and golf king Tiger Woods for this year’s World’s Most Outstanding Sportsman award in the U.S.
But few know that Thorpe is also a man of charity.
Through his Ian Thorpe Foundation for Youth, he has raised funds for children’s causes worldwide.
“The trust was founded in 2000 and launched by Australian Prime Minister John Howard. There is a board that makes decisions. It deals with children’s issues specifically,” the swimmer, who was on a two-day Shanghai stopover last week en route to Beijing, said.
Thorpe will auction one of his autographed, long-sleeved swimsuits in Beijing tomorrow. The money will be donated to the Beijing Zhiguang Special Education and Training School, which was established in 1998 to help pre-school and school-aged disabled children and provide vocational training to disabled school students.
The swimmer will meet Beijing Municipal Govern-ment representatives and get an insight on the city’s preparations for the 2008 Olympics. He will also receive the award for “the most popular sporting personality in China.”
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