The Rajasthan connection

While writing obit of Parveen Babi, most of the writers mentioned films like Amar, Akbar Anthony and Shaan but nobody mentioned Charitra, the debut film of Babi, which earned the soubriquet of 'bold heroine'.

Charitra was directed by B.R. Ishara, in which famous Test cricketer Salim Durrani, also made his debut on the silver screen after taking retirement from the Test cricket. Both Parveen Babi and Salim Durrani hailed from Gujarat but Salim started his cricketing career from Rajasthan and remained a Rajasthani as far as cricket is concerned.

Like Parveen Babi, Salim is considered one of the most flamboyant all-rounders in the history of Indian cricket.

Though he played just 29 Tests, he was immensely popular with the crowd as he was known for hitting sixes on public demand. Salim had his own style, which made him very popular among the member of fair sex.

Many people don't know that Salim played an important role in the famous Indian victory in 1971 in the West Indies (Port of Spain) under Ajit Wadekar. Gary Sobers and Clive Llyod were going great guns.

During the team meeting on the night of fourth day, Salim told his captain that these two wickets should be left to him. And on the fifth day, within space of 10 overs he claimed the wickets of Sobers and Llyod paving the way for the first Indian victory on the West Indian soil.

But like Parveen Babi, Salim faced tough times after his retirement. With no permanent source of income, Salim lived on help from friends and admirers. Last heard about him was that Salim is receiving a very small monthly stipend from Champs, a foundation set by Sunil Gavaskar for caring, helping assisting and motivating sportspersons.

If Parveen Babi's first film had Rajasthani connection, Amrish Puri's last film was shot in Rajasthan. Amrish, known for his famous lines Mogambo Khush Hua, was shooting for Kachchi Sadak (arguably his last film) in Jaipur and Jodhpur for the last one and a half months before he fell ill.

The inmates of Jodhpur jail will never forget Amrish Puri as in the film he was playing a role of tough, no-nonsense jailor. Amrish Puri celebrated Eid Al Fitr with the inmates who welcomed him with shouts of Mogambo Khush Hua.

He spent some time with them and shared sweets on the occasion of Eid.

A pall of gloom descended on the Jodhpur jail when the inmates heard about the news of Amrish Puri's death.

Desert ship sinking

THE sudden decline in population of camels has raised alarm in the state. According to one estimate, today there is only half the number of camels alive in the state as were 10 years ago.

The reason for such drastic decline is the economic development, which has made rearing of camels economically unprofitable.

Researchers say rearing of camels has become expensive as the traditional grazing grounds have been eaten up by the relentless and unplanned economic development.

Earlier the farmers had to spend nothing to rear a camel as grazing grounds were freely available in the area.

Director of the National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner, M.S. Sahni, while admitting the decline in the number of camels, said: "In 1992 there were more than 800,000 camels in the state, which was reduced to 686,000 in 1998-99.

But this population saw a sharp decline of 25 per cent in 2003-04, bringing down it to 500,000.

The other reason attributed is shift by farmers to other avenues. Since the state is facing successive droughts for the past four years, many farmers have sold camels and left for the cities in search of employment opportunities.

Sahni says they are making sustained efforts to check the decline. The state has launched a campaign to popularize the camel milk and its medicinal qualities. (The Khaleej Times)

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