Ideas plus

Seeking life, after riots

Asian — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:52:39 GMT

By Deepal Trivedi

Twenty-nine-year-old Mohammed Sheikh came to Singapore to get a diploma in hospitality management so that he could gradually "settle" down with a job. Today, seven years later, he says Singapore has given him much more than an education or a job. It has given him security and a sense of belonging which remains a fantasy for most of his friends and relatives back home in India.

Hailing from Gujarat, Mohammed, like most of the 5.5 million Muslims in the state, witnessed gory riots in 2002 that saw bloody clashes between majority Hindus and minority Muslims in the otherwise industrialised and progressive state. He watched three of his family members, including his father, getting butchered. Mohammed later learnt that his cousin was gangraped before being charred to death. His family had to pay for being a Muslim. Soon after the riots, his family was socially ostracised by the Hindus in his city. The right wing Hindu organisations even announced an "economic" boycott of all Muslim products and services.

Besides losing his family and home, Mohammed lost confidence and faith in the civil society. Democracy and human rights became an illusion for his community. Attempts by a section of the media or national and international human rights groups to change the situation by highlighting their plight boomeranged. The local pulse was so anti-Muslim that anyone espousing their cause was labelled a "pseudo". All Muslims were, Hindu Gujarat believed, anti-nationals.

But unlike most Muslims who silently accepted their marginalisation as their karma (destiny) and unlike the few who took to so-called jihad and got in touch with extreme Islamic elements across Indian boundaries to avenge the Gujarat carnage and get involved in chalking out an elaborate "We versus Them struggle", Mohammed decided to move on in life.

He did not want to spend the rest of his life cursing his destiny, abhorring the role played by his passive state government or detesting a particular community. He wanted to move on.

After five months, when the bloody violence had abated, he went back to the hotel he worked at to resume his duty as the chief manager. His Hindu colleagues were glad that he was alive because the violence had left over 2,000 Muslim men, women and children killed.

Mohmamed’s employer, a kind Hindu man, offered some unsolicited but practical advice in the context of the changed socio dynamics in Gujarat. "Son, either change your name or change your address".

If Mohammed would sport his quintessentially Muslim name, the hotel owner would lose a significant chunk of business since Hindus would not like to see a Muslim name tag in the new divisive environment.

His Muslim name had become an obstacle to his career plans in Gujarat, which ironically produced Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace and communal harmony. The Gujarati in Mohammed calculated, "If I would have gone and tried to settle down in any other place in India, I would have to begin from the scratch. So, why not another country? At least my future would be bright." USA or UK were too far-fetched for his economic considerations. He did not want to end up in an Islamic nation and so Singapore appeared to be the most promising option.

"I moved on," Mohammed can now afford to beam with confidence. Mohammed aspires to become a Singapore citizen. He loves when his children bring home Hindu friends and share snacks. "My children have Christian, Buddhist, Hindu friends," he says, proudly.

Surprisingly, Mohammed says, Singapore has instilled secular values in him.

"If I would have been in Gujarat, I think I would not have even met you. I would have been hating all Hindus and baying for their blood, perhaps," he smiles as he passes on a plate of "vegetarian ham" at the eatery he works.

Singapore can be a good example of cohesive multi-faith existence. If Mohammed Sheikh would have chosen to live in denial in his home state of Gujarat in India, perhaps he would not be able to confidently believe what he does today. "I don’t hate Hindus. Singapore has taught me to be more affirmative towards all religions. Do you want a Mango yoghurt drink, our desi lassi style," he asks. "It’s quite like what you get at the Manek Chowk hawker centre in our city," he gets nostalgic.

More than an economic power house, it is this multi-cultural and multi-faith mosaic of Singapore that is eye-catching. Maybe it is because of Singaporeans like Mohammed that the authoritarian streak in five-decade old PAP rule gets subdued. It also makes me introspect. When I came to Singapore, I was sceptical about the various state controls. Singapore’s veiled authoritarianism was suffocating but now, after meeting Mohammed, I am questioning the democratic system that fails to give social, physical and financial security to all its citizens. What is the point of constitutional provisions when they are simply of cosmetic value?

As a deputy manning an eatery joint in food-loving Singapore, Mohammed looks forward to a bright future for his daughters. He even aspires to bring his mother to Singapore so that she can "see for herself that people of different faiths can be friends and can co-exist peacefully".

"Muslims need to integrate into the mainstream society and it is unfair to view all Muslims as anti-nationals. But that is what happens in Gujarat, isn’t it," he asks?

My national pride and sense of belonging would be assaulted if I answer him truthfully so I evade. Instead, I counter question him. "What Muslim sect do you belong to? Which mosque did you go back to in India?"

Mohammed says, "I don’t want to get into all that. Now I am just a Singaporean. And I am proud of it". He then passionately starts outlining his plans of owing an eatery and becoming a part of Singapore’s food business. I want to still move on, he says. Best of luck, Mohammed.

Mohammed Sheikh is the pseudonym of an Indian Muslim settled in Singapore who does not want to reveal his name and identity because he has extended family back in Gujarat.

Nautanki loses lustre, artistes fall on hard times

Asian — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:55:21 GMT

By Narayan Bareth

Once the nautanki theatre was very popular in Rajasthan’s Brij and Mewat regions and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, but now the popular art form is facing a difficult time. Most of its performers (folk artistes) don’t want to carry forward the centuries-old tradition to the next generation.

Ramprasad, a nautanki artiste, says: "I am not passing it to my children because there are no takers for nautanki and one can’t feed his family through performing in nuatanki. A group of nautanki artistes performed in a show in Jaipur recently and said the it did not attract many people.

Karauli’s Madan Lal has spent most of his life performing in the nautanki. He said: "With the advent of cinema, television and cassettes, nautanki lost its space. It has every thing to mesmerise viewers as it has songs, music, drama, acting and dialogue. But people are now hooked to TV serials."

The nautanki has occupied pride of place in the society for centuries. "There were days when we kept the audience engaged whole night at cattle fairs and farmers liked it," says Madan Lal. The art form of nautanki is based on folk songs and dances. It consists of folklore and artistes play the roles of mythological characters of history like Raja Harishchandra and Raja Amar Singh of Rajasthan.

Sandeep Madan, Jawahar Kala Kendra’s programme officer, said that not only nautanki but other art forms were also struggling to retain their place in the society. "It is painful to note that all art forms are facing a tough time. Artists are trying to keep alive their centuries-old traditions. The government is helping forms like nautanki. We manage to arrange shows. We also organised a workshop to motivate new generation, but we found very few interested people," Lal said.

Asha Verma learnt it through her mother, late Mushtar Bai, and is still performing in a nautanki. "My mom was perhaps the first woman artiste in the region staging nautanki. But I will not train my children," she said.

"There is no scope for nautanki because this is an era of consumerisation. But we got addiction of this form and can’t go away," she said.

"It is very difficult for an artiste to run her family while performing in nautanki," she said. She says there was a time when a large number of people thronged to watch the nautanki shows.

"The popular art form is losing its charm. In fact, it’s dying. I got it through my father, but I did not encourage my children to follow it. We are unable to earn a livelihood through nautanki," says Ramprasad.

Srinagar-Dubai direct flight from V-Day

Asian — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:00:19 GMT

By Yusuf Jameel

Come Valentine’s Day, and Kashmir will see the launch of International flights from Srinagar’s modernised airport and the opening of the second section of the Valley’s dream train. After the inauguration of Srinagar airport’s new terminal by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the first Air India Express flight will take off for Dubai. Kingfisher and some other private airlines too have sought permission from the Union civil aviation ministry for more flights on the route.

Kashmir tourism officials and tourist traders say Srinagar’s finding a place on the international aviation map will bring a "significant change" in the tourism scenario in the Valley. "It is a grand, encouraging development. With a direct flight between Dubai and Srinagar, we can hope for a large number of Arabs along with their families turning to Kashmir for holiday," said tourism director Farooq A. Shah.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah too is convinced that Kashmir, with gushing waters, mighty snow-capped mountains and magnificent landscapes, surely offers the "best options" to the travellers from the Gulf. "It would be an inspiration for so much we have to offer them," he said.

"The Gulf is our thrust area for attracting tourists as Kashmir is very near to them," added Shah. Officials also believe that their initiative has come at the right juncture as Arab tourists have been facing security problems in the West in the aftermath of 9/11 and as a result of the so-called war on terrorism.

Kashmir tour operators admit that not many Western tourists choose Kashmir as a destination following the separatist campaign becoming violent about two decades ago. Several countries including the US, Britain and Australia, have, while ignoring the pleas from the state government that Kashmir is now safe for tourists, only renewed their adverse travel advisories asking their citizens to avoid the region.

"We’re now eyeing the Gulf and are optimistic about it working well," said Rauf Ahmed, a tour operator. The lean season, from July to August, in the Valley coincides with the holiday season in the Gulf. Government officials and the tour operators are unanimous in their view that the visit of hundreds of thousands of domestic tourists can be used by them to portray it as a sign of normalcy.

Air India Express, which offers flights to 10 major international destinations including Dubai and Abu Dhabi within a distance of around four hours from nine Indian cities, has inducted a fresh B737-800 aircraft increasing its fleet size to 21 aircraft, including seven leased aircraft.

The new aircraft inducted in the fleet has "shikara on the Dal Lake in Kashmir" on one side of the tail and an "image of a large expanse of the Rajasthan Desert" on the other side. The tail designs are an innovative and novel feature of the Air India Express fleet. Each of the aircraft showcases the picturesque landscapes, monuments, birds, animals, handicraft and dances of India on both sides of the tail.

The Air India Express is reported to be contemplating to go for a Dubai-Jeddah connection to make the flight commercially viable by flying Umra groups from Srinagar. Former director general of tourism, Muhammad Ashraf, said: "Keeping in view the keen desire of the people to perform umra in Mecca, there will be sufficient load for the flight if it is operated with the Jeddah connection." Currently, only chartered Haj flights operate to and from Srinagar airport during the pilgrimage season.

He also believes that with the start of the first flight from Srinagar to Dubai, a gateway would be opened to many more destinations. "Jeddah, Muscat, Kuwait, Doha and Bahrain in the Persian Gulf are all almost equidistant from Kashmir," he said. "Arabs with families coming for holidays in hot summers and Kashmiris going out for umra and shopping during winters," he asserted and added that in addition to all these, the flights would be able to carry lot of cargo from Kashmir, especially handicrafts, fruit, vegetables, flowers and possibly trout fish.

Involving a cost of Rs 1,100 crores, the Srinagar International Airport, which is likely to be named after Kashmir’s saint Sheikh Nooruddin, has integrated terminal building for domestic and international passengers with aero bridges. The new terminal building, comprising six sections and spread over an area of more than 200, 000 square feet, will handle 500 domestic and 450 international passengers at a given point, the officials said. They added that it will be first airport in India to have inline baggage X-ray system.

Mangalsutra to solve tribe’s conjugal woes

Asian — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:22:25 GMT

By Manoj Anand

When it comes to customary laws, nobody dares to challenge it in tribal society, but Nyishi, a tribal community of the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, has unanimously decided to change the age-old customary laws for its women folks. The dominant tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh has resolved to adopt the customs of their non-tribal counterparts for women folks, thereby making mandatory for the married women to wear the necklace, similar to mangalsutra, so that the people could know about their marital status.

The community leaders said that the entire move was aimed at checking the growing cases of alleged adultery among the married women of the tribal community in the state. The tribal body has also made it compulsory for every groom to present the jenjap (necklace) to his new bride as a ritual at the time of solemnising their marriage. Moreover, if a man possesses more than one wife, as is the common practice in the tribal societies, he will have to present the necklace to each of his wives to reveal their marital status to the community.

Bogged down by the increasing number of adultery cases, the community leaders have long been debating the issue for a solution. However, it could not create any consensus over the issue. Finally, the two clans of Nyishi — Tebw and Lappa — having around 20,000 population spread across the hilly interiors of East Kameng, Papum Pare, Lower Subansiri, Upper Subansiri, Kurung Kumey, East and West Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, resolved to adopt the customs from their non-tribal counterparts. The members of the community are also settled in some parts of neighbouring Assam’s Sonitpur district.

Taba Hare, the president of Tebw and Lappa Welfare Society, who was instrumental in taking this initiative, said: "With calls from several quarters, including intellectuals of Arunachal Pradesh, to reform the outdated customs and traditions, the Tebw and Lappa Welfare Society (TLWS) had conceptualised the idea to adapt jenjap as a marital symbol for women at its 7th annual convention held at Balijan under Papum Pare district this year."

Hare, a former politician, said that the "identity crisis" for the tribal women has a bearing on the marital fabric of their respective communities. The fact that tribal women did not have any marital symbol identical to mangalsutra and sindur of Hindus, resulted in occurrences of "many unfortunate incidents" that led to chaos among their own tribal brethren.

The society leaders, however, clarified that they are not imitating the plain tribes, but have only revived the age-old tradition of the community. Taba Hare pointed out: "We had the tradition of giving kopung tasang, an expensive necklace made of silver, by the mother-in-laws or other senior female members of tribal families to the newly-wedded brides as a blessing for their well-being. But those traditions have almost been discontinued or forgotten, owing to the current wave of modernisation."

According to the TLWS president, the re-introduction of jenjap, a modified version of kopung tasang and its mass acceptance will go a long way in putting a check on the incidences of elopement and polyandry. It will rather strengthen the marital bonds between the husband and the wife.

The married male members of Tebw and Lappa clans recently presented jenjap to their wives. Prominent among those who presented the traditional ornament to wives were education minister Tatar Kipa, sports and youth affairs and land management minister Atum Welly, local MLA Ngurang Pinch and Berlin Deori, son of former Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee president, late Omem Moyong Deori.

India’s first-ever museum on explosives in Assam

Asian — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:24:09 GMT

By Manoj Anand

The forensic science laboratory in Assam has embarked upon an ambitious plan of setting up an explosive museum in order to educate the security personnel besides giving an opportunity to civilians to obtain basic knowledge about explosives.

With terrorist activities becoming a global reality, a lot of people have started showing curiosity in understanding the details of blasts. The joint director of the forensic science laboratory Dr Padma Pani who envisaged this idea of setting up the museum said: "Such inquisitive people can now educate themselves by visiting the Forensic Science Laboratory in Guwahati which has established first-ever museum on explosives." The Forensic Science Laboratory in Guwahati which caters its expertise on explosive to entire north-eastern states is meant to develop methodologies and facilitate in probing blast explosions in detail and thereby preventing such incidents in future.

The forensic experts in the laboratory said: "The museum will have three sections where we are going to display remnants of bomb blasts collected from across the world. We will also have about 500 photographs, CDs besides various explosive devices like letter bomb, book bomb, detonators, mortars and others."

The Explosives Museum, which was inaugurated recently will also be a nodal point to research and develop methodologies to probe blasts and explosions in detail and thereby prevent such incidents in the country. Assam and other northeastern states have witnessed several violent incidents in the last couple of years, the worst being the recent serial bomb blasts on October 30 at nine places in the state.

Over 80 people had died and several injured in the serial blasts in the state capital and other areas last month. The credit for setting up the museum is attributed to joint director of the Forensic Laboratory of Guwahati, Dr Padma Pani, regarded among the best in the country.

His institution has trained personnel not only from the Northeast but also from many other states and foreign countries. Dr Pani who has authored many books on forensic science said: "This is a really good effort to have a place which you can use for the capacity building of the police officials as well as even the public to see and gain knowledge on this. Because such type of gallery or museum can provide a place where one can get to know how different kinds of explosives have been used in the recent times as well as earlier. And how police actions and other steps are required to check the menace of illegal explosives." An expert in forensic science, Dr Pani has been a regular guest speaker at seminars on criminology.

He has also been associated in the investigation of many blasts over the last few years in the Northeast and that basically inspired him to set up an Explosives Museum, which he says will help investigators in many ways. Besides police personnel, the general public can also come to the museum and gather knowledge about explosives.

The explosive materials that have been displayed in the museum include the RDX, PTD devices, TNT explosives, grenades, guillotine sticks, detonators and many other devices that have been used since early times in the Northeast.

The museum is also displaying "Booby Trap", a little-known explosive device in the world crime map. "Booby Trap is a very interesting explosive device where the bomb explodes even with a slightest movement like starting a car, switching on the mobile phone or opening or closing a door. We have collections of similar devices and all will be on display," said Dr Pani.

The forensic science laboratory also intends to enrich the museum further by presenting the evolution of explosives used by militants in north-eastern states since 1980.

Food expert warns against monopolies

Asian — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:45:10 GMT

Rashme Sehgal

Food security expert Pat Mooney, executive director of the Canada-based Rural Advancement Foundation International, warns that a consolidation between the food, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries called the life sciences industry is an extremely dangerous development.

Mooney shot into the limelight in the late '70s with a series of hard-hitting reports warning against how seed patenting would lead up to loss of global agricultural genetic resources.

"A tighter connection between genomics or gene sequencing research that deals with plant, animal and human life and data management allows MNCs to mix and match genes thereby playing around with the basic DNA," Mooney stated. "Once you gain control over the technology, it can be applied to a wide spectrum of products. All this is being done to gain control over the marketplace through use of patent and other monopoly controls," he said.

"Twenty years ago, we did an assessment of the markets seed industry and found there were over 7,000 public and private institutions around the globe. Now three companies control 47 per cent of the global seed market. In the late 1970s, there were 65 companies marketing herbicides and insecticides, but today nine companies constitute 91 per cent of the global market. In the late 1970s, the top 20 pharmaceutical companies collectively had about 5 per cent of the global pharmaceutical market. Today, they control 40 per cent of the global pharmaceutical market," said the seed expert.

"The result is there for everyone to see. Seventy five per cent of the biological diversity of this world has already been wiped out. These companies are telling governments that in order to feed the poor and hungry, they should be handed over proprietary control of all seeds. I must add that 82 per cent of all seeds being sold are patented. Ten years from now, 100 per cent of all seeds being sold will be patented," he said.

While their long-term strategy is to create a life-science industry which combines pharmaceuticals and food in one package, the last 18 months have got these companies a little worried. Mooney said, "For one, they realise that the GMO foods have turned out to be a complete dud. I think their own projection is that the second generation of GMOs is also going to be a dud and that it's the third generation of GMOs that will help them make some money."

"But it's not going to be as easy as they think because the public has begun to ask some tough questions. There is a real scare amongst the public and farmers that the ownership of life is a very scary thing and should not be handed over to a a handful of companies," he said.

"The consumer has also become aware that the fellow who is selling them a herbicide-tolerant crop is also the owner of the pharmaceutical company. For the first time in a quarter century, we're seeing the issues of who owns and controls life becoming important," he said.

No consensus on uranium mining in Meghalaya

Asian — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:01:39 GMT

Manoj Anand

The Rs 800 crore compensation packages to develop infrastructure in uranium-rich villages in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya has failed to convince the anti-mining lobby comprising NGO and local leaders in the frontier state.

According to Union Cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, "Meghalaya can not only play a significant role in contributing to India’s energy requirements, it can also bring economic prosperity to the state". This also indicates the urgency of New Delhi to go ahead with its ambitious uranium mining project in Meghalaya. The Uranium Corporation of India Limited has proposed a Rs 1,046 crore opencast uranium mining and processing plant at Mawthabah in the West Khasi Hills district of the state, which has an estimated deposit of 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore.

However, the government-owned mining company has failed to make any progress on mining front as it has failed in convincing the state government, political parties and anti-mining groups.

The uranium mining areas are scattered in the West Khasi Hills district. Initially, the project was limited to Domiasiat, the UCIL has renamed the project as Kylleng-Pyndeng Sohiong Uranium Project considering the vast deposits of the metal in the entire stretch from Wahkaji to Mawthabah village. Mr Chandrasekhar and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, who were here to hold talks with political parties and anti-mining groups, said: "We are currently targeting to generate 20,000 MW of electricity through nuclear energy. We need uranium resources to achieve this goal. We have started the mining projects in three states except Meghalaya."

Mr Chandrashekhar and Mr Kakodkar met the all-party committee on uranium mining and the NGOs in Shillong on the need to start the project. But the officials failed to make any breakthrough, with both the officials saying that they received a mixed response. They also clarified that New Delhi would not force the decision on anyone to go ahead with uranium mining but leave it to the state government and the people to decide.

Mr Kakodkar, who briefed Meghalaya chief minister Donkupar Roy and the members of the All-Party Committee on Uranium Mining, besides anti-mining groups, said: "Uranium mining is safe. There is no fear of any health and environmental problems due to uranium mining. We have advanced technologies for safety performances in all the nuclear plants." Knowing that several students’ organisations and peoples representatives are not convinced, Meghalaya chief minister said he and his Cabinet colleagues did not make any commitment to the visiting officials.

"Health hazard is still a major concern for us," said the chief minister, pointing out that his government is awaiting the reports from the experts’ groups constituted by the All-Party Committee on Uranium Mining.

One of the expert panels, comprising state health department officials, will look into the local concerns of health hazards. The other panel of specialists from the Northeastern Hill University (NEHU) will look into the pros and cons of the uranium mining project.

The Khasi Students Uni-on president Samuel Jy-rwa, who has been at the forefront of the movement against uranium mining, said the compensation pa-ckage was nothing but a "bribe". "The Centre sh-ould stop this appeasement policy and realise that no amount of financial package can help reduce health hazards which would result from uranium mining," Mr Jyrwa said.

Children live cursed life as parents separate

Asian — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:23:40 GMT

Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

She is too weak to do the job she is presently engaged in, but she has no option other than working in the paddy field from dawn to dusk for the sake of her four grand children and ailing 65-year-old husband Banamali Munda.

Sumi Munda, 56, a resident of Putulia village under Swam Patna block in Orissa's Keonjhar district, says she has to live a few more years to feed Gura (8), Jatuni (6), Bulu (4) and Bital (2), until they grow up and become able to sustain themselves. Peta Munda, the mother of the children, left home eight months ago to marry another person. This is one of several such cases of married women leaving their children and husbands to go for the second marriage in the tribal-dominated Keonjhar district.

Every year, many such incidents are reported from the district. In some cases, the deserted men also remarry and resettle completely at another place, leaving the children in despondency.

In absence of their parents, the children are looked after by their grand parents. Since the girls in this part of the state marry at an early age, by the time they reach 50, their husbands are normally above 65-70, unable to contribute to the family's income because of their frail health.

In Sumi's case, her son Burunda Munda is still very much with the family. But his ill health does not permit him to work fulltime and he earns not more than Rs 20 a day by working as an agricultural labourer. The total income of the family - Rs 40 a day - is hardly enough for two square meals a day for all the members. The low tribal literacy (28.11 per cent) and lack of awareness are said to be the main causes that have stood in the way of overcoming this immoral practice. How can this practice be stopped? "We have been organising counselling camps at villages against this social evil. The response is very good so far. People are now seen shying away from this practice," says Urmila Mahanta, a volunteer of non-governmental organsiation, People's Cultural Centre (PECUC). Urmila herself is a victim of such parental separation. Her mother Gita Mahanta left when she was just 5. A few months later, her father went mad and subsequently died. She was looked after by her uncle Maheswar Mahanta.

The state government has not yet identified the total number of parental separation cases. "The government should take steps to collect statistics of parental separations and announce special rehabilitation packages for their children," said PECUC chief Ranjan Mohanty.

Going to India? Get lessons in etiquette first

Asian — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:23:27 GMT

Sarju Kaul

Going for business in India? Better brush up on cultural tips. A trip to India could be fraught with confusion for Britons despite the long history and language we share.

The UK India Business Council, which promotes bilateral trade, business and investment between the two countries, has decided to plug the cultural gap and has launched cultural briefing sessions for business executives going to India.

The first session, to be held on July 28, will be chaired by culture expert David Solomons, who is also chief executive of CultureSmart!Consulting. He will talk about understanding cross-cultural framework, key cultural differences and being conscious about the differences in values and attitudes in the UK and India. The UKIBC will launch its Insight India series, of which these cultural briefings will form a part, to help Britons understand Indian religions, politics and etiquette. "India has a rich and diverse cultural landscape; a land of huge opportunities. UK India Business Council exists to ensure that UK business is ready and able to capitalise on these opportunities. Helping business succeed in India is our priority, and integral to doing business in India is an understanding of its religions, politics and etiquette," UKIBC chief executive Sharon Bamford said.

The most important advice for punctual Britons is the information that Indians are not always punctual. They have been advised to "be patient and flexible".

For Britons, for whom weekends are sacrosanct, there is more shocking advice. Indians may call on weekends to discuss business. So don’t be offended, advises the etiquette. With recruitment of Britons by Indian firms going up, UKIBC decided to introduce education on Indian etiquette, the organisation said. There are already over 32,000 Britons who reside in India, according to the British Council, and the number is steadily going up.