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Indian PM condemns Gujarat violence in strongest attempt to soothe Muslim hurt
Vijay Joshi
Associated Press Writer
India’s Hindu nationalist prime minister has condemned
the massacre of Muslims by Hindu mobs in Gujarat state last year, in the
most unequivocal attempt yet by a government leader to heal the rift between
the two communities.
 Indian
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee waters a tree during a tree-planting
ceremony at Huai Hong Krai Royal Development Center Sunday, Oct. 12, in
Chiang Mai. Vajpayee concluded his three-day official visit to Thailand
Sunday. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in a
rampage by Hindu mobs in the western state of Gujarat last year after
Muslims set fire to a train carrying Hindu religious pilgrims, killing 60 of
them.
“What happened first was wrong, what followed was even
worse,” Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is on a three-day visit
to Thailand, told a gathering of the Indian community Friday.
Vajpayee’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party,
which rules Gujarat state, has been accused of deliberately allowing the
riots to go on while Muslims were being killed.
On Thursday, police in Gujarat re-arrested 13 Hindu
rioters acquitted of killing 14 Muslims by burning down a bakery in March
2002 in Vadodara town of Gujarat state. Police said the 13 were arrested on
a court order, and that eight others had fled.
“I cannot think of people burning one another. The
people who are responsible are in the dock,” Vajpayee said in an emotional
45-minute speech.
The Gujarat riots deepened the rift between India’s
majority Hindus and minority Muslims, and further reinforced the image of
the Bharatiya Janata Party as an intolerant, anti-Muslim group.
Although Vajpayee has expressed sorrow in the past for
the violence, his comments Friday constituted the strongest condemnation by
any senior government figure of the Gujarat carnage and could go a long way
in soothing the collective Muslim hurt. The Gujarat riots came at a time
when Vajpayee’s government has been pushing to open the Indian economy to
attract foreign investors and portray the country as an open and vibrant
society.
Vajpayee said Muslims should not feel alienated in India,
noting that there are more Muslims in the country than in neighboring
Islamic Pakistan. Muslims comprise about 12 percent of India’s 1 billion
population.
He said if Muslims have any grievances they can go to
court.
However, many Muslims in India say they fear going to
courts to seek justice for fear of reprisals by militant Hindus.
During the trial of the bakery burning defendants in
Vadodara, 35 of the 60 witnesses - including the daughter of the murdered
bakery owner - retracted statements they had made to police identifying the
perpetrators, saying they feared for their lives.
‘Just Show’ art exhibition goes pop
Phisut Itsaracheewawat
Thirteen young artists have banded
together to create the Temporary Painting Sculpture Printing and
Installation Art Exhibition at Northern Village 2nd floor, Central Airport
Plaza, running through October 29.
 Pilaiphan
Sombatsiri presided over the opening ceremony at Northern Village, Central
Airport Plaza.
Pitakarn Pongwarut, the mastermind behind this
exhibition, claimed that their concepts were different from other artists’
personal inspiration, and they intend to portray what they called ‘Art and
Design for Decor’.
This exhibition was arranged by 13 alumni from Silprakorn
University, Chiang Mai University and Ratchamongkol Technology Institution -
Payap Campus to present their ideas of contemporary art and to apply them
for decor motivated by a ‘Pop Art’ doctrine.
 Many
different textures of flowers portray a liveliness and relaxation of
spiritual mind. One of the many works presented in Just Show.
All works are composed of collage, hard edged and garish
color techniques together with scientific technology as a popular means used
by international pop art artists to create their work.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Pilaiphan
Sombatsiri, general manager of Hilton Park Hotel, managing director of
Northern Elephant Association and director of Siam Association under Royal
Patronage.
Dental Art in Chiang Mai
Art to soothe dental patients
Text by Marion Vogt
Photos by Michael Vogt
The Dental Art Clinic prides itself on its unique
ambience. It has been carefully designed to ensure your dentistry experience
is pleasant, enjoyable, and perhaps even fun.
Long gone are the days of dentistry when the visit to the
dentist’s office was to sit in a dark waiting room reading ten year old
magazines and all treatment was synonymous with pain.
 A
huge window with a ‘winter garden’, to help you forget you are at the
dentists.
The reception area at the Dental Art Clinic on
Chiangmai-Hod Road, near Central Airport Plaza has Lanna style lounge
chairs, an almost open roof with natural light, current magazines, and a
friendly ‘dentist’s helper’ who will serve you iced water while you
wait. The classical background music ensures that no disturbances like
‘drilling noises’ can be heard and it is more like sitting in a
comfortable living room than in a dentist’s waiting room.
 It
is too nice to be a Dental Clinic - that’s why they called it Dental Art.
Dr. Pathawee and Dr. Sakornrat have created this relaxing
atmosphere for the comfort of their patients because they believe every
patient deserves it. Their personal agendas for their clients includes:
A pleasant, enjoyable experience without anybody feeling
rushed
Personal, dental health care for all ages
A healthy, beautiful smile when patients leave the Dental
Art Clinic
Both dentists studied and worked in Germany at the
Humboldt University in Berlin and their German, as well as their English is
that of a native speaker. Their love for art and antiques made them decide
against opening an ordinary clinic but something that is probably only
possible in a culture loving city like Chiang Mai. The paintings are changed
every couple of months, so people who go for a regular checkup can always
find new art to appreciate.
Despite the art, everything is still about your teeth.
Dr. Pathawee and Dr. Sakornrat personally advise and counsel every patient
and Dr. Pathawee is a specialist in oral surgery treatments. They offer
everything, from preventive tooth care, root canal therapy, tooth colouring,
crowns, veneers, bridges, full and partial dentures, orthodontics, natural
fillings, inlays, onlays, and extensive gum surgery.
The percentage of expats is high at around 40%, coming
from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and USA in the main, and the Dr.’s
assure there is no two-tier pricing!
Dr. Sakornrat said that since most of their patients work
during the day, the clinic also opens in the evenings from 5-8 p.m. and
weekends from 9.30-3 p.m. and other times by appointment.
The reward for both of them are patients who experience a
confidence boost with healthy teeth, the confidence to smile again and who
leave the clinic, curious to come back just to see what new art treasures
are on display.
“Quality is cool”
Marion Vogt
Horeca Food Supply Company Chiang Mai announced the
delivery of their newest cold truck, which is able to store goods between 4
and 18 degrees.
 The
new white and red Horeca cold storage truck which can be seen in the streets
of Chiang Mai from now on.
Temperature management throughout the handling chain,
from producer to consumer, is a key ingredient for any consumer to receive
high quality vegetables, meet or seafood. When good cool chain practices are
in place, good quality food products can consistently be delivered to the
consumers with the result of satisfied clients and increasing selling
volume.
The quality of packed fresh fruits and vegetables is only
maintained by storage and transport at the correct temperature. At low
temperatures chilling induces injuries and freezing can occur. Each product
has an optimum temperature which is best for handling and storage. Products
with different optimum handling conditions should not be transported
together on the same load without expert advice.
Patinya Srisuck (Khun Joon), one of the partners of
‘Horeca Supply’ told us that they have the goal to make their deliveries
with cold trucks only, instead of using pickup trucks with a cool box in the
back. Horeca Chiang Mai is the one Stop supplier for Hotels and Restaurants
in the Northern region.
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
Rebecca Lomax
In celebration of its 55th anniversary, Land Rover
sponsored a presentation by United Bangkok Artists of Andrew Lloyd
Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” October 7 - 12
at the Bangkok Playhouse. According to Colin Andrews, president of Land
Rover Thailand, “When I saw UBA’s production last year of ‘Jesus
Christ Superstar’, I decided that Land Rover should become more heavily
involved in the future. I would not hesitate to say that last year’s
production was better than any I have seen, including in London’s West
End.”
 “Joseph,”
which has been rewritten by the authors themselves numerous times, enjoyed
yet another variation as directed by Dale Gutzman. Loosely based on the
Bible story, Joseph and his dysfunctional family suffer through many trials
and tribulations with occasional hysterically funny musical twists before
they move from seeing the world in black and white to seeing it in
Technicolor.
With the amazing singing and dancing skills of the mostly
Thai crew, Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery, then deceive their
father into thinking he’s dead. “One More Angel in Heaven” is
presented as a country and western piece, with the singers and dancers in
fringed shirts and cowboy boots. Rap music and a sad but elegant piece set
in Paris, “Those Canaan Days”, calypso and blues run through the show.
The real show stopper, however, was the Pharaoh, who emerged from his bed
and bad dreams as Elvis Presley, complete with jeweled white suit!
United Bangkok Artists, founded by Khunying Malaival
Boonyaratavej and Dale Gutzman, is committed to presenting a quality
production in Bangkok every year. UBA is a creative community dedicated to
professional productions but also to productions that contain meaningful and
inspirational messages. Proceeds from the musical are donated this year to
the Somdetya’s Charity fund, founded in 1985 by HRH Princess Srinagarindra,
the late Princess Mother. The Somdetya’s fund helps mainly in rural areas
with basic needs such as medical care and infrastructure development.
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