from THE TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-4451333,prtpage-1.cms
My husband threw us out: Neera Chopra 26 Apr 2009, 1625 hrs IST, Gayatri, TNN
Neera Chopra lived through abuse, poverty and some tough choices to make her once-unwanted girl child, Pooja Chopra, the Pantaloons Femina Miss India World 2009, she is today.
I don’t know where to begin… they were terrible times. My husband was well-placed, but the marriage had begun to sink almost as soon as it began. Like most women do, I tried to work against all the odds .
My in-laws insisted everything would be alright if I had a son. My first child was a daughter, and that didn’t do me any good… but I couldn’t walk out. I had lost my father, my brother was in a not-so-senior position in BATA. I didn’t want to be a burden on my family and continued to live in my marital home in Kolkata. I looked after my mother-in law, who was suffering from cancer, and while bathing her, I would tell myself she would bless me and put things right.
I don’t know how I tolerated it all. The least a man can do, if he must philander, is to not flaunt his women in his wife’s face. Then began the manhandling. I still wanted my marriage to survive. I was a pure vegetarian and learnt to cook non-vegetarian delicacies thinking it would please him.
Then, I was pregnant again. When Pooja was eight months in my womb, my husband brought a girl to the house and announced he would marry her. I thought of killing myself. I hung on the slight hope that if the baby was a boy, my marriage could be saved.
When Pooja was born a girl, for three days, nobody came to the hospital. There was a squadron leader’s wife on the opposite bed, who was kind enough to give me baby clothes for Pooja to wear. When she was 20 days old, I had to make a choice. I left the house with my girls — Pooja and Shubra, who was seven then. I haven’t seen my husband since. I promised myself, even if we had just one roti, we would share it, but together.
I began life in Mumbai with the support of my mother, brother, who was by then married. It wasn’t the ideal situation, especially when he had children — space, money, everything was short. I began work at the Taj Colaba and got my own place. How did I manage? Truth be told, I would put a chatai on the floor, leave two glasses of milk and some food, and bolt the door from outside before going to work. I would leave the key with the neighbours and tell the kids to shout out to them when it was time to leave for school.
Their tiny hands would do homework on their own, feed themselves on days that I worked late. My elder daughter Shubhra would make Pooja do her corrections… This is how they grew up. At a birthday party, Pooja would not eat her piece of cake, but pack it and bring it home to share with her sister. When Shubhra started working, she would skip lunch and pack a chicken sandwich that she would slip in her sister’s lunchbox the next day.
I used to pray, “God, punish me for my karma, but not my innocent little kids. Please let me provide them the basics.†I used to struggle for shoes, socks, uniforms. I was living in Bangur Nagar, Goregaon. Pooja would walk four bus stops down to the St Thomas Academy. Then, too little to cross the road, she would ask a passerby to help her. I had to save the bus money to be able to put some milk in their bodies.
Life began to change when I got a job for Rs 6,000 at the then Goa Penta. Mr Chhabra, the owner, and his wife, were kind enough to provide a loan for me. I sent my daughters to my sister’s house in Pune, with my mother as support. I spent four years working in Goa while I saved to buy a small one-bedroom house in Pune (where the family still lives). I would work 16-18 hours a day, not even taking weekly offs to accumulate leave and visit my daughters three or four times a year.
Once I bought my house and found a job in Pune, life began to settle. I worked in Hotel Blue Diamond for a year and then finally joined Mainland China — which changed my life. The consideration of the team and management brought me the stability to bring them up, despite late hours and the travelling a hotelier must do.
Shubhra got a job in Hotel Blue Diamond, being the youngest employee there while still in college, and managed to finish her Masters in commerce and her BBM. Today, she is married to a sweet Catholic boy who is in the Merchant Navy and has a sweet daughter.
I continue to finish my day job and come home and take tuitions, as I have done for all these years. I also do all my household chores myself.
Through the years, Shubhra has been my anchor and Pooja, the rock. Pooja’s tiny hands have wiped away my tears when I broke down. She has stood up for me, when I couldn’t speak for myself. Academically brilliant, she participated in all extra-curricular activities. When she needed high heels to model in, she did odd shows and bought them for herself.
When I saw Pooja give her speech on TV, I knew it came from her heart. I could see the twinkle in her eye. And I thought to myself as she won “My God, this is my little girl.†God was trying to tell me something.
Today, I’ve no regrets. I believe every cloud has a silver lining. As a mother, I’ve done nothing great.
‘I won due to my mother’s karma’
Pantaloons Femina Miss India World 2009 Pooja Chopra’s mother promised ‘One day, this girl will make me proud’. Pooja speaks on fulfilling that promise…   When I was 20 days old, my mother was asked to make a choice. It was either me — a girl child, or her husband. She chose me. As she walked out she turned around and told her husband, ‘One day, this girl will make me proud’. That day has come. Her husband went on to marry a woman who gave him two sons. Today, as I stand here a Miss India World 2009, I don’t even know if my father knows that it is me, his daughter, who has set out to conquer the world, a crown on my head. Our lives have not been easy, least so for my mother. Financially, emotionally, she struggled to stay afloat, to keep her job and yet allow us to be the best that we could be. I was given only one condition when I started modelling — my grades wouldn’t drop.
All the girls in the pageant worked hard, but my edge was my mother’s sacrifice, her karma. Today, when people call to congratulate me, it’s not me they pay tribute to, but to her life and her struggle. She’s the true Woman of Substance. She is my light, my mentor, my driving force. My win was merely God’s way of compensating her.
Samantha
9 May 2009 — As of 06:00 GMT, 19 May 2009, 40 countries have officially reported 9830 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 79 deaths.
The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.
Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [jpg 613kb] As of 06:00 GMT, 19 May 2009
Adapted from http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_19/en/index.html
For latest updates please click http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
http://www.wellnessnrecreation.com
16 May 2009 — As of 07:00 GMT, 16 May 2009, 36 countries have officially reported 8451 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Mexico has reported 2895 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 66 deaths. The United States has reported 4714 laboratory confirmed human cases, including four deaths. Canada has reported 496 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported nine laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Belgium (2), Brazil (8), China (4), Colombia (11), Cuba (3), Denmark (1), Ecuador (1), El Salvador (4), Finland (2), France (14), Germany (14), Guatemala (3), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (4), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (9), Norway (2), Panama (43), Peru (1), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (100), Sweden (2), Switzerland (1), Thailand (2), and the United Kingdom (78).
WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the influenza A(H1N1) virus.
Individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travelers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care. These recommendations are prudent measures which can limit the spread of many communicable diseases, including influenza.
Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO web site on a regular basis.
Adapted from http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_16/en/index.html
Manchester United were crowned champions of England for a record-equalling 18th time at Old Trafford.
A goalless draw with Arsenal ensured Liverpool losing out the title chase to their north-west rivals.
After over three decades as the unquestioned kings of English football, Liverpool FC now have someone else to share the title with.
The title is United’s third in succession and sees them equal Liverpool’s record of 18 English top-flight league wins, 11 of those coming in the Premier League era.
Sir Alex Ferguson already has his sights on reclaiming the Barclays Premier League next season targeting the 19th title.
Hugh Van Es, the Dutch photographer whose photos of the 1975 fall of Saigon became one of the most lasting images of the Vietnam war passed away at 67 in Hong Kong where he lived for more than 35 years.
He is part of the generation of photographers and journalists who covered the Vietnam war. Many paid tribute to his courage, talent and personality.
He is also one of the few Western photographers that hang on to the very last moments to witness the war’s end, shown thru his lens of a helicopter rescuing people from the roof of the US Embassy in Saigon.
After the Vietnam war, he continue to cover major events across Asia, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the fall of Ferdinand Marcos in Phillipines.
‘Slumdog Millionaire’ child star Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail left homeless after his family’s shack was demolished by Mumbai council who insists that the slums are illegal constructions.
No prior warning given for the demolition. These people really need a roof as the monsoon will begin in a few weeks.
Azharuddin and his family spent the night on the streets.
15 May 2009 — As of 06:00 GMT, 15 May 2009, 34 countries have officially reported 7520 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Mexico has reported 2446 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 60 deaths. The United States has reported 4298 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 449 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Belgium (1), Brazil (8), China (4), Colombia (10), Cuba (3), Denmark (1), El Salvador (4), Finland (2), France (14), Germany (12), Guatemala (3), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (4), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (7), Norway (2), Panama (40), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (100), Sweden (2), Switzerland (1), Thailand (2), and the United Kingdom (71).
Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO web site on a regular basis
Adapted from http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_15/en/index.html
Barcelona punishes Athletic Bilbao to win the Kings Cup and now aim for La Liga.
Barcelona won the first of three possible titles this season when they came from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the King’s Cup final on Wednesday.
Yaya Toure equalized in the first half with a great solo effort before Lionel Messi, Bojan Krkic and Xavi scored three times in 12 minutes just after the break to lift the cup for the first time since 1998.
The Catalans could be crowned the Primera Liga champions this weekend. They are facing Manchester United in the Champions League final on May 27. Stay tune.
14 May 2009 — As of 06:00 GMT, 14 May 2009, 33 countries have officially reported 6497 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Mexico has reported 2446 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 60 deaths. The United States has reported 3352 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 389 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (8), China (4, comprising 2 in China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and 2 in mainland China), Colombia (7), Cuba (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (4), Finland (2), France (14), Germany (12), Guatemala (3), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (4), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (7), Norway (2), Panama (29), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (100), Sweden (2), Switzerland (1), Thailand (2), and the United Kingdom (71).
Adapted from http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_14/en/index.html
12 May 2009 — As of 06:00 GMT, 12 May 2009, 30 countries have officially reported 5251 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Mexico has reported 2059 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 56 deaths. The United States has reported 2600 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 330 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (8), China (2, comprising 1 in China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and 1 in mainland China), Colombia (3), Denmark (1), El Salvador (4), France (13), Germany (12), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (4), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (7), Norway (2), Panama (16), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (95), Sweden (2), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (55).
Adapted from http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_05_12/en/index.html
