India's Mr Tiger

We have known the brilliant investment banker Hemendra Kothari for a while once described by Forbes as Indias Mr Tiger Kothari the chairman of DSP BlackRock has divided his responsibilities equally between his work his family his lovely daughter Aditi tied the knot recently this year and his passion the conservation of Indias wildlifeHemendra Kothari and Bittu SahgalNot only has he pledged over R 50 crores of his personal wealth towards this but he has also set up the Hemendra Kothari Foundation and The Wildlife Conservation Trust with the sole purpose of uplifting the living conditions of underprivileged communities near 82 tiger reservesAnd this Friday Kothari will be present at the annual Sanctuary Wildlife Awards at the NCPA which has been sponsored by DSP BlackRock and is an initiative by Sanctuarys founder Bittu Sahgal to recognize and honour the best in the field of wildlife conservation in India Its that one night in the year when wildlife lovers come together to acknowledge each others struggles and achievements and more importantly to celebrate the achievements of others said the impassioned conservationistAwards will be given to a 25yearold woman who tracks tigers a couple who has shaped Goas fight against unethical mining a man who started a free nature school for rural children on the edge of a tiger reserveand so many more Sahgal said These men and women are the backbone of Indias ecological security and deserve to be recognized as the heroes that they areMen do cryIts not often that you see grown men cry and certainly not swashbuckling A grade cricket starsRohit and Ritika SharmaBut thats exactly what happened according to sources when during his rocking sangeet last week the cricketer Rohit Sharmas tobe fatherinlaw Bobby Sajdeh had walked up to the stage and movingly requested Sharma to take care of his daughter in futureApparently there was many a moist eye including Sharmas when he gallantly promised to honour the request SweetPromises to keepWe love Goabased designer Wendell Rodricks cryptic social media postsManohar Parrikar and Wendell RodricksUnlike many of his peers Rodricks has a worldview and his interests go beyond the world of sartorial splendor Which is why Rodricks gentle but biting critique of politicians and the promises they make and do not keep caught our attention Before he moved to Delhi our friend Manohar Parrikar promised a garbage free Goa by 15th December 2015 posted the designer adding laconically yesterday That day has passed Just saying We wonder what Parrikar has to say in his defence to thatGratitude for Indias brave heartsYesterday marked Vijay Diwas the 44rth anniversary of Indias victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war and the subsequent liberation of BangladeshThen Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Group Captain KP Ken Misra on her postwar visit to the Hashimara base to express gratitudeAnd as expected there were tributes and remembrances throughout the country One such was that of our friend Deepa Harris the hospitality expert whose father Group Captain KP Ken Misra had been the Commanding Officer of Hashimara the air force base in North Bengal which had played a critical role in tilting the war in Indias favourDeepa and Colvyn HarrisThere could not have been a better bunch of war heroes in one place recalled Harris of those turbulent times including future Air Chief Marshal at that time Wg Cdr SK Kaul who was awarded the MVC for leading attacks into East Pakistan at grave danger to his life and Future Air Marshal KC Cariappa who had commanded a helicopter squadron from hereShe added Im so proud to be the daughter of a father who was at the forefront of every war for his country and my mother who never left his side playing her own role in emotionally supporting pilots and their families or ensuring they were fed if the Mess chefs were missing in actionIn celebration of PonkhAlong with yuletide a chill in the air and ho ho ho any one in Maharashtra knows that December is the season of ponkh And who better to introduce the tender green jowarsorghum delicacy to readers than our friend Roshni Bajaj Sanghvi Ponkh was introduced to me by the Gujarati side of my family she saidPonkhEvery winter I buy a couple of kilos from Chheda Stores which I stock up in sealable pouches in the freezer and steam in small portions whenever I crave some throughout the year she said And heres the way Sanghvi serves it with black pepper sev and sugar balls tossed with a squeeze of lime and a smidgen of tender garlic chutney She said Each bite is all sorts of fun sensations ndash crunch chew tang spice and sweetnessLooking a gift horseKnowing how thin societys skin can be we disapprove of any kind of social segmentation at parties this includes two tiered parties and even place tags at sit downs which clearly reveal the hosts ranking of the importance of those invitedHowever we think that those worthies currently at a beach resort to celebrate the birthday of a high profile and generous gent are being needlessly sensitive when they crib about their boarding arrangements We have been put up at the resorts premier hotel reported one from the site But weve heard that those whove been booked into another hotel are not too happy about it Tch Tch whats that about looking a gift horse in the mouth