A cup of coffee may keep your heart healthy by improving blood flow, says a study.
A study on 27 healthy adults showed for the first time that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee significantly improved blood flow in a finger, which is a measure of how well the inner lining of the body's smaller blood vessels work.
The research was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.
Specifically, participants who drank a cup of caffeinated coffee had a 30 percent increase in blood flow over a 75-minute period compared to those who drank decaffeinated coffee.
'This gives us a clue about how coffee may help improve cardiovascular health,' said Masato Tsutsui, M.D., Ph.D., lead researcher and cardiologist and professor in the pharmacology department at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan.
The study adds to a growing body of research about coffee, the most widely consumed beverage worldwide. Previous studies showed that drinking coffee is linked to lower risks of dying from heart disease and stroke, and that high doses of caffeine may improve the function of larger arteries, reports the Science Daily.
Opinion poll: Harshvardhan emerges as the favourite CM candidate According to a poll conducted by ORG for Headlines Today, New Delhi may see a change in the government in the name of BJP's CM candidate Dr Harshvardhan. The poll results show that 38 per cent of the people voted in favour of BJP, while 28 per cent voted in favour of Congress and 26 per cent voted in favour of the Aam Aadmi Party. According to the opinion polls Harshvardhan emerged as the favourite CM candidate. However Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had a slight edge over the latest entrant Arvind Kejriwal. The vote share according to the opinion poll revealed a vote share of 29 per cent for Congress, 37 per cent for BJP and 21 per cent for the AAP. Opinion poll: Harshvardhan emerges as the favourite CM candidate Though Kejriwal's party managed to captivate Delhites attention with their corruption-free image, many people questioned the AAP's political set up and their foundation. The party suffered a massive setback recently when a sting operation emerged showing a few AAP members accepting donations without following any proper procedures. Amongst this the biggest problem faced by the people was price rise in the capital, followed by corruption and power tariff. According to the debates and discussion on Headlines Today, the Congress' popularity has taken a back seat due to many issues mainly, the party's incumbent performance at the Centre. The opinion poll also revealed that the BJP is likely to win 40 seat, Congress will manage 18 seats and the AAP with manage to win 10 seats in the December 4 elections.
Recalling the Kanchi Sankaracharya Case
By S Gurumurthy
When the Principal Sessions Court in Pondicherry on Wednesday (November 27) acquitted the Kanchi Sankaracharyas, Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi, and all the others charged with the murder of Sankararaman, my mind recalled the arrest of the Sankaracharya in November 2004 and the unprecedented vicious atmosphere created by the Dravidian ideologues and parties, secular media and even liberal intellectuals against the Acharya. They sat upon the Kanchi Mutt, held the Acharya guilty and more and spread all kinds of unmentionable canards about him and the Mutt and hurt beyond words the millions of peaceful spiritual followers of the Mutt, who cried in silence with no one to console them.
No debate on the Sankaracharya judgment will be complete without recalling the vicious and hurtful discourse against the Acharya and the Mutt and how the ancient institution and its faithful underwent the all round assault and pain silently. When the entire spectrum of secular, human rights and liberal megaphones had turned against the Mutt and the Acharya and desecrated them, it was only The New Indian Expresswhich stood for what it believed was right-- namely that the Mutt and the Acharya were being hounded without basis and the case itself was groundless. The judicial verdict exonerating the Acharyas and all the others charged with the crime implies that the entire case was misdirected.
Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi leaves a court in Puducherry after being acquitted in the sensational Sankararaman murder case. (PTI)But, based on counter investigation, The New Indian Express said so within days of the arrest of the Acharya. “The Case Is Dead. Who Will Do The Funeral And When?” This was the title of third of the five articles on the Sankaracharya case that appeared in The New Indian Express. This article appeared on November 24, 2004, exactly 12 days after the seer’s arrest on the auspicious Deepavali day. The article opened thus: “On counter investigation, we found the case against the Sankaracharya not just slippery, but actually groundless from day one. Not just that. It involves a bit of fabrication too. Yes the fabrication to fix the Acharya. The police are running for cover. They may not give up yet and may fabricate more to put the case which is dead on life support system. But the case is irretrievably lost.”
The dramatic turn came on Wednesday in the Kancheepuram Magistrate court. The two criminals on whom the police had exclusively relied to name the Sankaracharya as an accused in the case have actually turned to accuse the police as the fabricators of the case itself. The court judgment now pretty much says the same thing. The New Indian Express carried four more articles in my name on the Sankaracharya case. The first article titled “As the Sankaracharya stands like Abhimanyu” [NIE 23.11.2004] captured the Dravidian political and secular media theatre in the state which were hounding the hapless Acharya stung and stunned by the heinous charge against him.
The Acharya was damaged more by the false news items planted by the police which the willing secular media and Dravidian megaphones lapped up to defame and discredit the Acharya. Another article titled “Unless the Case is Reinvestigated, Justice will not be Done” [26.11.2004] detailed how on the procured testimonies of hardened criminals the state was telling the judiciary that the Sankaracharya was “the worst criminal”. The fourth article dated 3.12.2004 was on how the case had ceased to be an investigation into a crime and had become a vicious campaign to demolish the Acharya himself. The article ended thus: “Even if, at the end, I am entirely proved wrong, I cannot shirk my duty to alert the public and sensitise the authorities about the destruction of too many values involved in this investigation which is gradually turning into a battle between the silent and silenced Kanchi Mutt on the one hand and police and its associate, the media megaphones on the other. It is no more an investigation into crime....it is now a larger design to defame and discredit the Mutt itself.” The final article titled “Will the Secular Media Heed Justice Reddy’s Warning?” appeared on January 14, 2005. This article was on the judgment of Justice Narasimha Reddy of the Andhra Pradesh High Court before whom a frivolous writ had been filed by some labour union on the basis of media reports linking some deaths [which had taken place six years ago on the premises of a mill, from where the Acharya had been arrested] to the Acharya.
Disposing of the writ, the judge said the petitioner swayed by the media did not want to lag behind in the unprecedented process of denigration of the Kanchi Mutt, an ancient, prestigious and glorious institution with almost a 2,500-year history. He added that it was sad that an institution of such glory was targeted and persecuted in an organised manner in an independent country, by “not only individuals, but also a section of the institutions, such as the State and the Press”. He also noted that the proponents of human rights, fair play and dignity to individuals and institutions have maintained stoic silence, adding “a powerful section is celebrating or watching it with indifference” the “perfidy against the Mutt” that had shocked the nation and beyond”. He noted that the “amount of disrepute and sacrilege inflicted on Sri Jayendra Saraswathi has no comparables adding that harshest possible words were used directly or in innuendo against him” and “today he is subjected to similar treatment as was Draupati in the Court of Kauravas”. That was the state of the Acharya and the Mutt when The New Indian Express stood for truth against tsunami of vicious campaign against the Acharya.
The reward for these articles was an arrest warrant against me and almost a search on The New Indian Express and even the Thuglak magazine, which had carried the Tamil version of the articles. As usual the judiciary came to the rescue and passed orders restraining the state. I was questioned by the Superintendent of Police who led the investigation. When I asked him why he was suspecting the Acharya to be the offender, he said that the victim had been sending highly offensive letters to the Acharya and therefore he had a motive to eliminate him. I asked him whether he thought of the possibility of someone inimical to the Acharya eliminating the victim to put the blame on the Acharya. He was blank. I told him that the criminal investigation has to exhaust all the possibilities before opting for one particular view. That is precisely what the police in the Sankaracharya case failed and neglected to do. The result was a huge and costly lapse -- and great hurt to a noble institution and to its silent and peaceful faithfuls. The Sankaracharya case verdict is a lesson for all-- the police, state, media and the liberals --every one of them sided with the police and against the Acharya. Will they now introspect?
Why Tarun Tejpal and Tehelka Should be Downright Ashamed!
What are the excuses now? The December 16th gang-rape rushed into national consciousness because the victim could have been ‘anyone of us’. The gang-rape of a photo journalist in Mumbai shocked because it put a big dent in Mumbai’s image for being safe for women. But the common thread between these two ghastly stories was-the men were from the lower strata of society-less educated, with ad-hoc jobs and the perfect definition of an anti-social element.
But as this sensational story broke out, which described how a reputed journalist-Tarun Tejpal of Tehelka had molested a woman journalist who was his daughter’s friend and the daughter of an ex-colleague, we have to come to terms with the fact that erudite, “educated” and these so called “respectable” men are more or less same as the animals who committed the above mentioned heinous crimes. Agreed, it is plain stupid to even attempt to compare these unrelated but ghastly events, but men can no longer blame it on education, society and other unrelated factors, because one of their kind has just shamed the whole kind.
So what really happened? A woman editor of Tehelka was molested by editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal during Tehelka's Think festival that was held in Goa from November 08 to 10.
Without going into tawdry details, what has been learnt that Tejpal molested the journalist on not one, but two separate occasions. As we had mentioned, the journalist was not only the daughter of Tejpal’s ex-colleague, but his daughter’s good friend too. After the first incident, Tejpal is said to have told the distraught victim, who had resisted his assault and was walking off, that this was the easiest way for her to keep the job. He attempted to assault her again the next day.
The victim claims to have received several SMSes from Tejpal, who tried to brush it off as a small incident. She had informed her friend-Tejpal’s daughter and 3 others of the incident and then proceeded to write an email to Tehelka’s managing editor Shoma Chaudhury reporting the incident and calling for action against Tejpal.She also demanded action under the Supreme Court of India's Vishaka Judgement guidelines regarding sexual harassment.
Firstly, let us take a moment to salute the victim who had the courage to speak up against her boss and a well known journalist, being fully aware her identity may become public and her career as a journalist maybe put on the line. The victim’s decision to stay silent on such occasions has been lamented by many as the main reason for emboldening men in power-such as Tejpal, who get great male ego boost everytime a victim chooses to stay silent, giving them a false sense of bravado to take on their next target.
Secondly, Tejpal’s response to the whole incident has been nothing but pathetic. In an email to the magazine's managing editor Shoma Chaudhury he wrote: "The last few days have been most testing, and I squarely take the blame for this. A bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation, have led to an unfortunate incident that rails against all we believe in and fight for. I have already unconditionally apologized for my misconduct to the concerned journalist, but I feel impelled to atone further. I feel atonement cannot be just words. I must do the penance that lacerates me. I am therefore offering to recuse myself from the editorship of Tehelka, and from the Tehelka office, for the next six months."
The fact that he was willing to put his reputation, his career and his name on the line for a carnal urge is one end of the stupidity spectrum for Tejpal. But his assumption that this high brow apology, featuring fancy words can make up for his lewd actions just acts as a reminder of his big ego. The incident, which may have scarred a girl for life, leave alone destroy her trust , has been described as a mere bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation, clearly showing he STILL doesn’t think it was a big deal. And he means to show that his “unconditional apology” is although enough, he still feels impelled to atone further. He feels lacerated and for that he must do penance. All hail Tarun Tejpal, apparently the latest reincarnation of Jesus Christ.
And how guilty does he feel, Mr Tejpal seems to have scientifically calculated. Just enough to let go of his position for 6 months. Ah, just enough for the girl to recover, is it Mr. Tejpal? He may have built a career out of exposing our corrupt politicians through sting operations, but his exposed misogynistic self is the perhaps the most ugly of the lot.
More shocking has been the weak reaction of managing editor Shoma Chaudhury, whose actions seem to convey she has sided with the tormentor instead of the victim. “There has been an untoward incident and though he has extended an unconditional apology to the colleague involved, Tarun will be recusing himself as the editor of Tehelka for the next six months,” Chaudhary wrote in a mail to her colleagues.
Chaudhury told The Indian Express that the woman journalist had not filed a criminal complaint and that she, as well as other staffers, were “satisfied with the action taken”.Tehelka has said that the magazine has not instituted an enquiry into the matter. “It is an internal problem and we are not setting up any enquiry into the matter,” Chaudhary told Business Standard.
Given the fact the victim had mailed her in expecting some stern action and in the hope she, being a woman, would understand her pain, Shoma Chaudhury’s response has been disappointing.
Powerful men who think they can have their way always are the big problem here. And a Tarun Tejpal, who is going to cool off somewhere for 6 months before resuming work that involves writing scathing articles and exposes about corrupt politicians and the sad state of affairs in India, is one of them. But just an advice, we hope next time his magazine writes about rape or women safety in India, they do a double check. Hypocrisy can be as bad as a typo.
Nov 22, 2013
Tehelka case: Who is Urvashi Butalia? Now that the committee is formed and the lead investigator chosen for investigating the plight of the young journalist, many of us would be interested to know who Urvashi Butalia is? and how does she qualify as an investigator to a case that is so important for working women and most of all the nation. Among literary circles and feminists, she is a brand-a name that epitomizes women's rights and revolutionary ideas. Her voice can be heard through her much acclaimed book 'The Other Side of Silence'. But read more to know more about her.
Birth:Born in Ambala, Haryana, in 1952, she did her B.A in literature from Miranda House and Masters from Delhi University in 1973. IN 1977, she persued Masters in South Asian Studies from the University of London. A feminist, an activist and a thinker She started her career as an Editor in Oxford University Press in Delhi and later at the Oxford headquarters. She worked for Zed Books, a London-based publishing house, and later came back to India to open her own publishing houses Kali for Women (1984) and Zubaan Books (2003). That was the beginning of her career as a feminist as she started developing an idea of women's issues, especially related to partition history and communal riots. Gender, communalism, fundamentalism are some of her other subjects. 'The Other Side of Silence' A literary gateway to the plight of women during partition and their, sometimes brutal,experiences. The book is a conglomeration of over 70 interviews of women who survived the partition, emphasises particularly on the violence against women at the time of crisis. The times have changed, but the position of women remains the same. They continue to be violated to appease egoes, although in different scenarios that are changing with the times. Here's Urvashi again to let justice rest.
Full text of Tehelka emails: Tejpal called it an unfortunate incident Following is the full text of the email purported to have been written by Tehelka Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhary to employees, announcing Tejpal’s decision to “recuse” himself from editorship for six months. Please note that the text of the email was not officially released by Tehelka.
Dear All, This may come as a rude surprise to many of you. There is a letter from Tarun appended to this mail. There has been an untoward incident, and though he has extended an unconditional apology to the colleague involved, Tarun will be recusing himself as the editor of Tehelka for the next six months. Tarun Tejpal. AFP Tehelka is an institution he has built, and which many journalists both current and former, have contributed to in the most profound ways. Throughout our 13-year career, we have proudly articulated and tried to live by the highest standards. We have also believed that when there is a mistake or lapse of any kind, one can only respond with right thought and action. In keeping with this stated principle, and the collective values we live by, Tarun will be stepping down for the period mentioned. This is a hard time for all of us, and I hope all of you will stand by the institution. Best, shoma Following is the full text of the email purported to have been written by Tejpal to managing editor Shoma Chaudhary. The email was not officially released by Tehelka. My dear Shoma, The last few days have been most testing, and I squarely take the blame for this. A bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation, have led to an unfortunate incident that rails against all we believe in and fight for. I have already unconditionally apologised for my misconduct to the concerned journalist, but I feel impelled to atone further. Tehelka has been born and built, day on day, with my blood, toil, tears and sweat, and that of many others, against near-insurmountable odds. It has lived for and fought the big battles of our time, always on the side of the oppressed and the wronged, always on the side of equity and justice. Its voice has travelled the world and changed policy and perceptions. It has been a beacon for those who would do the right thing. Through bad, and worse, times I have protected Tehelka and its journalists from the inevitable demands of power and corporations. I have always allowed every journalist’s sense of the right to flower and express itself. No one has ever been asked to do what they don’t believe in. I have always held that Tehelka the institution, and its work, have always been infinitely more important than any of us individuals. It is tragic, therefore, that in a lapse of judgment I have hurt our own high principles. Because it involves Tehelka, and a sterling shared legacy, I feel atonement cannot be just words. I must do the penance that lacerates me. I am therefore offering to recuse myself from the editorship of Tehelka, and from the Tehelka office, for the next six months. You have always been stellar, Shoma, and even as I apologise to you and all my other colleagues, for this unfortunate incident, I leave Tehelka in your more than capable and safe hands. In apology, Tarun
Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal steps aside after sexual assault charges
Tarun Tejpal, founder and editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine Tehelka stepped down from the post for six months following the allegations of sexual assault and intimidation from a junior woman colleague. In an email to the magazine’s managing editor Shoma Chaudhury, Tejpal wrote, “The last few days have been most testing, and I squarely take the blame for this. A bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation, have led to an unfortunate incident that rails against all we believe in and fight for.”
