Author: The Metrognome

Categories
Wellness

Holi colours are pure evil

Did you know that the gulaal you’re about to use on Holi is actually skin cancer-causing mercury sulphite? Read on.
by Dr Ajaya Kashyap

(Part I of III)              

The festival of colours is back, and it is immersing people with much-needed joy and enthusiasm. Holi, the festival of colours, is among the most celebrated festivals in the Indian community.

However, be warned: most Holi colors sold in the market are oxidized metals or industrial dyes mixed with engine oil.

The green colour comes from a chemical known as copper sulphate, purple from chromium iodide, silver from aluminum bromide, black from lead oxide and other shiny colours are the result of powdered glass being added to the colours.

All these are toxic in nature and can result in anything from skin allergies to eye irritation and blindness, apart from many other disorders. When washed, they enter our rivers and the soil and increase pollution. So, everyone should play Holi safe as colours can lead to:

Lead Oxide (Black) leads to Renal failure, learning disability.

Copper Sulphate (Green) leads to eye allergy, temporary blindness.

Chromium Iodide (Purple) leads to Bronchial asthma, allergies.

Aluminium Bromide (Silver) is carcinogenic.

Mercury Sulphite (Red) leads to skin cancer.

I suggest you go for natural and eco-friendly colours. They are made from natural substances that are safe and soothing both for you and your environment. Though they are costlier, they are worth their price.

Over the years, the fad of chemical or artificial colours has become part of the festivity. These are prepared from harmful substances like acids, mica, glass powder and alkalis, and are quite capable of causing serious skin complications and allergies. Often referred to as unholy colours of Holi, artificial colours can lead to skin allergies, irritation, redness, rashes, itching and bumps on the skin.

Some of the allergies caused are:

Eczema One of the most common skin complications occurring due to effect of artificial colours. In this allergic condition, skin becomes scaly and appears to be inflamed. Besides, it has flaking and blisters that cause extreme itchiness.

Dermatitis Atopic dermatitis is another plausible allergy occurring due to chemical reaction of colours. The allergy causes severe itching, pain and blistering.

Rhinitis This allergic reaction is an inflammation of the nasal membrane, wherein one experiences nasal congestion, discharge, itching and sneezing.

Asthma Artificial colours can also cause severe damage to the airways, or developing asthma. In this allergic condition, one experiences breathing difficulty and shortness of breath.

Pneumonitis Another possible allergic condition occurring due to inhalation of chemically treated colours is pneumonitis, wherein one experiences fever, chest tightness, fatigue and breathing difficulty.

Dr Ajaya Kashyap is the Chief Surgeon, Cosmetic and Plastics, Fortis Hospital, Delhi.

Tomorrow: Caring for your hair and skin before playing Holi. Plus, how to make natural and herbal colours at home.

Categories
Overdose

Bura maano, Holi hai!

Jatin Sharma is aghast at people’s moronic behaviour during Holi, and wonders why they forget basic decency while having fun.

Holi stands apart from all the other festivals in India. For starters, Holi is the only festival in which, instead of wearing new clothes, we head out the door wearing our old tattered ones. For another, it is the most mischievous festival of the country. In fact, the statement ‘Bura na maano, Holi hai’ pretty much explains everything that is allowed in the name of Holi.

Holi is one festival where everybody has the ‘license’ to tease others in society. But in recent times, people have forgotten the most important aspect of Holi: it is still a festival.

By itself, a festival is supposed to spread sweetness and light, and Holi also does that. A festival is meant to bring society together to share good thought and happy moments. But as time goes by, everyone has turned Holi into a joke holiday tinged with cruelty.

People are now looking at Holi as a festival that gives them the chance to harass and torture others, sometimes complete strangers. How else do you explain the use of polythene bags in place of balloons or oil paints instead of gulaal? The simple gulaal-and-water routine of Holi has now given way to Chinese colours and rain dances. And the ‘festivity’ starts even before the day of revelry, with groups of people hitting the terraces of their buildings and aiming for people on the streets, especially those who are well-dressed and probably going for job interviews.

The more I see it, the more it begins to appear that the only reason we use these strange colours during Holi is so that we can laugh at others for the next 10 days as the colours refuse to fade quickly. And certain men should just go ahead and announce that the only reason they participate in the festival is so that they can touch women inappropriately in the guise of celebration.

We have become such hooligans with this festival, not caring how people will suffer for our five minutes of enjoyment. We aim for moving bikes, trying to hit the rider as hard as we can with our water balloons, not realising that we are putting the rider at risk of death or blindness with our antics. We put fear in the hearts of several girls who fear being molested in the name of Holi. We deliberately colour somebody’s head so that he or she has to keep washing their hair for a week, and still find colour with each wash.

Let alone human beings, our moronic behaviour extends to targetting animals as well. Painted dogs and tattooed cows are becoming a common sight post-Holi in recent years.

If we are one those characters who use pakka rang, or waste water, or paint animals, or throw balloons on passers-by or molest girls, we should be ashamed of ourselves. On the one hand, we try to show the world that we are a decent society that stands against the atrocities on women, but on the other, we go ahead and molest women in fun. On the one hand, Maharashtra is going through a severe drought, which we discuss during our smoke breaks at work, but on the day of the revelry, we will still waste water because it is ‘only for one day, so it’s okay’.

We say we love animals, but we think colouring them green, yellow and red is funny. We talk of donating our eyes and urge others to do so too, but we think nothing of blinding others with chemical colours.

The hypocrisy in our society has made us forget the actual fun and frolic of Holi, and that it is a festival of colours to be celebrated with goodness and innocence. It should make people and animals feel safe, and let them rejoice without having to look over their shoulders.

Most importantly, it should be celebrated in the spirit that Lord Krishna celebrated it with. He would have hated our silver and green chemical colours, and He would never put oil paints on gopis. And He definitely wouldn’t put gulaal on his cow.

This year, celebrate Holi to spread happiness, and not to target people. And if you’re still looking at it as an excuse to harass people, then to everyone else I say, please, bura maano, Holi hai.

Jatin Sharma is a media professional who doesn’t want to grow up, because if he grows up, he will be like everybody else.

(Picture courtesy telegraph.co.uk)

Categories
Enough said

Old love

Humra Quraishi is heartened by the idea of senior citizens wanting to give marriage a try in their ageing years.

At this point, there is very little use talking about the DMK and why it pulled out of its political arrangement with the UPA, for even as I write this, I am certain that the UPA will have grabbed or tempted another partner into its folds, may be a more compatible one.

I’d rather focus on the marriage fairs taking place in our country today, events that give our senior singletons a chance of getting a compatible mate in their autumn years. It’s a heartening development that we are no longer bypassing our middle-aged and the aged for marriage and companionship. Even better is the fact that we are beginning to realise that their emotional cravings, urges and wants are still intact and need voice.

Anyway, why should widows, widowers and divorcees, apart from ageing spinsters and bachelors be all alone? They have every right to have a partner to love and to hold. Let such fairs take place in every single city of this land. Let there be happiness in the lives of hundreds of men and women who are lonely and fending for themselves, battling with something as killing as loneliness.

People think that after a certain age, a person needs nothing more than material comforts. A man or woman can be well-equipped in terms of money and every comfort known to mankind, but money doesn’t buy you buy emotional support. Money can buy you sex, but not emotions.

I’m reminded of this line from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Memories Of My Melancholy Whores, “Sex is the consolation one has for not finding enough love.” What great philosophy is tucked into these words! I hope this philosophy sits well on those who organize these wedding fairs for senior citizens, and who help bring out those lonely souls from beyond the barriers that their own kith and kin impose on them, as do hackneyed traditions and outdated norms.

But just one word of advice to those wondering if they should participate in such fairs: don’t confuse these marriage fairs with cattle fairs. Go with an open mind and come away with someone you are compatible with.

Humra Quraishi is a senior political journalist based in Gurgaon. She is author of Kashmir: The Untold Story and co-author of Simply Khushwant.

Categories
Watch

A great idea takes Root

The Root Reel, an initiative to bring good documentary films and discourses on them to the public, turns one today.
by Medha Kulkarni

It started off as a simple idea born out of sheer love for good documentary films and after 12 months, incredible documentaries, critical engagements, passionate debates and discussions, The Root Reel celebrates its first anniversary today.

Part of The Root, which was conceived as a platform to facilitate discourses and expression on social and environmental issues through workshops, music, film (whether animation, documentary or short film), and other cultural avenues, The Root Reel deals specifically with films. In the course of the last year, The Root has set up various forums that saw the exchange of ideas and thoughts and encouraged a critical engagement with the issue at hand.

The Root Reel has been organising documentary film screenings once a week at the Alliance Francaise Auditorium, either in collaboration with another organisation or by themselves. This weekend’s film screening is extra special as it marks a milestone in the life of The Root Reel and has been organised in conjunction with the Indian Documentary Foundation (IDF). The film being showcased is Whores’ Glory and it is being shown on a first-come-first-seated basis.

Prior to this, The Root Reel has showcased such films as Megacities, Between The Lines, NEXT: A Primer On Urban Painting and Blood In The Mobile.

Those of you that can get out of work by 6 pm today, head to the Alliance Francaise Auditorium, Theosophy Hall, near Nirmala Niketan, Churchgate, to watch this film and stay back for a bit and participate in the discussion thereafter. The film is directed by Michael Glawogger and is 90 minutes long. Entry is free.

About Whores’ Glory:

Whores’ Glory is a cinematic triptych on prostitution: three locations, three languages, three religions. Paradise, the world and the hereafter merge in prostitution to create an image of the relationship between men and women. In Thailand, women wait for men behind glass panes, staring at reflections of themselves. In Bangladesh, men go to a ghetto of love to satisfy their unfulfilled desires on trapped girls. And in Mexico, women pray to a female death so as not to see and feel their own reality. Where the most intimate becomes a commodity, the product is expensive and fiercely contested.

Look for more details on The Root and their events here.

Categories
Beauty

Quick beauty fixes for the summer

Coffee for cellulite and kosher salt for rough hands…our beauty writer’s got DIY fixes for skin as the heat advances.
by Beverley Lewis

I may not have all the answers to all of life’s problems, but there’s one thing I’m fairly certain of: if there’s a natural solution to remedy a beauty conundrum, I will definitely give it a go. In my experience, natural home beauty remedies tend to be more effective than over-the-counter beauty products and they are very cost-effective.

I’ve put together a quick reference guide of five of my favourite DIY home beauty remedies. Follow them and glow this summer!

Apple cheeks

Apples are full of powerful compounds like malic acid that can have a great effect on your skin. Malic acid is a fruit acid, or an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), which means it works as a gentle exfoliator to reveal smooth, glowing skin. Slice an apple very thinly. Place the slices on the face and leave it on for 15 minutes. These soak up the extra oil and also help close pores.

Smooth operator

Exfoliating your skin regularly should be a mandatory part of your beauty regimen. You need to remove dead skin cells, toxins, and other deposits on your skin which could dull your complexion and lead to blemishes.

Good news is, you don’t need expensive scrubs and exfoliants to get glowing skin. There are several ingredients you can use to make your own exfoliating mask at home.

Try my favourite: salt or sugar body scrub. To make it, pour ¼ cup table salt or granulated sugar into a small bowl or container. Pour olive oil into the container until it covers the salt. Stir the mixture. Rub the scrub all over your body and into your skin. Rinse thoroughly, and you are left with a smooth glowing complexion.

Cellulite, be gone!

Stop cellulite in its tracks with this DIY, spa-like method. With the heat making us all reach out for our light cotton dresses and hats, why should cellulite stop you from flaunting your perfectly toned pins in a tiny pair of shorts?

Try this: warm ¼ cup of freshly-ground coffee beans with two tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave for 10 seconds. Next, stand on a large sheet of plastic or paper and smear this mixture over the affected area, then tightly wrap yourself in saran wrap (what is saran wrap?).

Leave this on for about 20 minutes, then remove the wrap, wash the area and using a natural bristle body brush, massage the area with brisk, upwards strokes. Follow this remedy for six weeks and you will notice a considerable difference.

Get polished

Chipped polish and ragged nails got you down? Get compliment-worthy hands at home with these tips: cut and file nails to your length of choice. As for shape, there are two main options: square or rounded. Next, soak your hands in a bowl of warm water for five minutes. Add two tablespoons of a bath powder or your favourite liquid soap to soften nails. Make sure the water’s not too hot or it will dry out your hands and nails. Then, apply cuticle oil or lotion on dry hands to nourish and soften rough spots.

Follow this with a cuticle stick to press cuticles back so they don’t get in the way of the polish. After this, exfoliate hands with a body scrub or homemade mixture of olive oil and kosher salt or raw sugar. Scrub for two to three minutes, then wash thoroughly. Follow this with a rich moisturiser. And the final step: apply a base coat first, then apply two thin coats of polish.

Puff pastry

“You look tired…” Ah. Those dreaded three words no woman wants to hear. But fret no more, try these natural solutions and you’ll be struttin’ around, wide-awake in no time.

– Place cotton balls soaked in milk under your eyes for a few minutes. The lactic acid in the milk helps reduce puffiness and dark circiles.

– Freeze a couple of spoons over night. In the morning, rest them on your eyes until they are not cold any longer. If you do this every morning, you will see a big difference in about two weeks.

– Slice one small piece off of a potato, and cut the slice in half. Put each slice under your eyes and leave it under your eyes for 20 minutes.

– Place two thin lemon slices directly onto your bags or circles. Don’t squeeze your eyes tightly but be careful not to open. After 20 minutes carefully rinse off with cold water.

Have a beauty question? Send it to us as editor@themetrognome.in or tweet it to us at @MetrognomeIndia and Beverley will answer it for you.

(Pictures courtesy idiva.com, 123rf.com)

Categories
Kharcha paani

Tea cheaper, cigarettes, tobacco dearer

Maharashtra State releases Budget 2013-2014 in State Legislature today. Cigarettes, alcohol to be dearer; tea and essential commodities enjoy concessions.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Every successive Budget, State or Union-presented, comes down heavily on certain things while letting others off a bit easy. The Maharashtra State Budget 2013-2014 was tabled in both Houses of the State Legislature today by Deputy Chief Minister and State Finance Minister Ajit Pawar today. Here are some of the Budget’s highlights:

– Concessional rate on tea to continue up to March 31, 2014.

– Increase in tax rate of gold, silver and their jewellery from 1 per cent to 1.10 per cent and sugar cane purchase tax from 3 per cent to 5 per cent to raise fund for drought relief for one year.

– Increase in tax on bidis, cigarette and tobacco.

– Tax on paver blocks to be increased from 5 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

– Surveillance of transactions by Sales Tax Department to go up.

– VAT exemption on Braille watches and vehicles for handicapped.

– Reduction in rate of tax of AICD heart implant from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.

– Financial Institutions liable to pay stamp duty on mortgage deeds.

– Increase in excise duty on country liquor, I.M.F.L. and strong beer.

– Rs 150.83 crore allotted to State sports and youth policy.

– Rs 80 crore earmarked for technical education quality improvement.

– Rs 317.17 crore for police modernisation.

For complete Budget 2013-2014 coverage, click here. 

(Picture courtesy fanpop.com)

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