Aarey: The War for Trees

A lush greenary lies quietly in the lap of the never sleeping Mumbai, in particular, the Aarey Colony. The area which was ones the heart of ghost stories for midnight office returners who traveled to Andheri/Goregaon/Malad is now being robbed of its glistening green forest for building Metro car shed. The protest against this project started in August after Tree Authority sanctioned the cutting down of 2646 trees for the same. However, environmentalists and citizens of Mumbai joined hands in filing petition in Bombay High Court. The petition was dismissed and the decision was made in the favor of Government, leading to start of tree-felling process since Friday night. 

A Tale of a Tree

The rise in global warming has set all alarms at buzz, with intellectuals discussing and debating on how to slow down or even stop the rapid rise of carbon footprints and green house gases, which are causing rapid change in the atmosphere leading to abnormalities in weather patterns. While the hasty industrialization is to be partly blamed, as the race to becoming the supreme power between the countries never cease, another factor that has lead to the suffering of humans and animals alike is DEFORESTATION. Here starts the story of how a rotten seed sown killed the healthy trees too.

A Seed was Sown

The master of the mansion was presented with a beautiful seed. The seller promised great fruits to ripe and flourish from this seed, to add on colors to the already charming and vivid garden. The master didn't hesitate to accept this seed. With eyes filled with hope, he took it to the garden unsure if there was a future where he'll witness the seed bare fruit.

MMRC (Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation) first presented the idea of Metro Line 3 in 2011. The plan underwent further changes as new stations were added from the original covering a total of 33.5 kms between Colaba to SEEPZ. The estimated cost to build the whole project including the 27 stations and the elevated and underground stations covering a total of 146 Kms of track was Rs. 21,000 Cr.

The Central Government gave approval for the said plan in February 2012. Soon the Union and the State passed the plan in June 2013 and February 2014, respectively. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan laid the founding stone in August 2014.

In 2015, a metro depot was recommended to be built in 30 hectors of land in Aarey Colony for the metro cars to rest at non-working hours and for carrying out repair and maintenance work. It is expected to house 55 trains and 8 coaches.

Providing Proper Soil and Nourishment

A seed cannot grow if it is sown in infertile land due to lack of nourishment. A seed fallen on the rock will either be eaten away by birds or will dry away in the heat of the sun. A seed that is sown on the road will get trodden. The master must careful choose the soil that suits the seed and provide it with timely supply of water and fertilizer.

The Line 3 was previously planned to be in funded through Public-Private Partnership (PPP). However, the idea was scrapped by Urban Development Ministry in August 2012. Instead, it proposed a 80:20 funding by State and Central Government. A special JV was formed between the two government for the implementation of the project.

For the project to be implemented, a belt constituting both residents and plantation need to be either cleared or relocated. Almost 2,800 families were relocated to Kurla and Chakala. While residents of building that were in danger of collapsing during the underground work were provided accommodation in South Mumbai with MMRC bearing all the expenses relating to their re-accommodation.

Surviving Harsh Climate

When a sapling sprouts, it has to undergo unavoidable changes in both its own form and the surroundings. The sapling with a frail trunk and few leaves must support its roots to grow further deep into the soil till it finds ground water source. For this, the sapling has to withstand scorching summers, harsh winters and heavy rains. Only if it goes through the trials of seasons and succeed to survive, will it be able to follow its dream to one day flourish and bear fruit.

The construction of Line 3 was faced with multiple hindrances with activists taking to court for preservation of the plants and forest life. The estimated plant life to be affect by this project is around 5,012, of which some will be cut down, while a majority will be replanted in other parts of this city. The agreement states that for one tree that's been cut down, three trees should be planted by the contract holder. However, 2 PILs were filed in Bombay High Court to stop cutting down of the trees as proper approvals were not received for the construction of the stations located at certain areas in February 2017. HC ruled in the contractor's favor and the ruling was challenged in Supreme Court. SC had granted a temporary stay till May 2018.

Also, the selection of Aarey colony for the metro depot raised many opposition as almost 2,700 trees are to be cut down. The wildlife preserved by these trees may include leopards and other endangered flora and fauna. A open plot in Kanjurmarg was among the alternatives recommended, however, the idea was scrapped as a small portion of this plot was under dispute. There are also alleged allegations that the rush to build car shed in Aarey colony is also to invite further developmental projects including residential buildings that will be forged by encroaching into forest lands.

A Seed Bearing Poison Fruit

It only takes one wrong decision to turn a beautiful and bountiful garden into dead tree forest. A seed of the poison tree spreads its roots to the water source in the ground and spews its poison. The ground water source that had kept the other plants nourished and healthy was now going to be the cause of their ruin brought down by false promises blinding the garden master's decision. As the tree grew and flourished with fruits as dark as the heart of a morbid soul, its poison was choking the smiles of its fellow flowers and slowly clipped the clapping hands of the trees that had stood tall and proud against nature's tantrums.  

In the petition hearing in September 2019, the state government said to the court that Aarey cannot be declared forest just because of the greenary, instead Line 3 project is very much needed for curbing traffic and reducing travel time. On 04 October 2019, HC declared that Aarey was not a forest. Hence, the MMRCL authorities started to axe trees from Friday night. 

A crowd of over 300 protester immediately gathered and many were arrested for hindrance.  Section 144 with criminal charges was quickly implemented in order to control the growing numbers of protesters with the day break. Many voiced their concerns and tried to reason with the police who had laid barricades to stop anyone who was not a resident of Aarey to pass through. Protester became witnesses to the gruesome murders of those age old trees as each cut of the axe swiftly took away the breathe of these shading trees. Over 2,100 trees have already been cut down since the approval.

A Ray of Hope

However, the garden fairies that colored the leaves with the changing of seasons and blossomed the flower buds, came to rescue the garden from being swallowed by darkness and depravity. In a world where any sign of kindness and sincerity is met with hatred and  malice, the few who are crowned with strong will and grace to face the sword are still crossing blades with those that are 100 times more powerful. 

To those who stood disheartened, Monday morning brought with it a news that came as the breath of fresh air. SC issued a stay order on felling of trees till October 21 after a special bench was formed for the hearing of a Suo Motu PIL filed by a group of Law students led by Rishav Ranjan. The letter highlighted various issue that Aarey colony and Mumbai as a city will have to face. Other than chopping down the green lungs, the letter also mentioned that the project will effect Mitthi river which could lead to flooding of Mumbai city and also pollute the river. In order to show good faith, SC also ordered to release the protesters on submission of personal bonds. Government authorities have agreed to stop felling of trees as ordered by the court and have released the detained protesters.

Small Victories are Power Boosters in Big Battles

As the fairies fought the foot soldiers of darkness, who were pinned by curse to follow their master's orders, many were taken to captivity. For the power of the soldiers were far greater and the hearts of the fairies were kind and their wings tender. Yet they fought holding their ground, trusting in their allies to back them. This faith led to a magic spell that pushed back the enemies to the boundary and brought back the fairies taken away captive. The fairies rejoiced as they welcomed back their fellow brethren. However, they were well aware that this spell will expire in its due time and the battle of the good and the bad will continue as the day and night chase after each other unceasingly. 

To many this small victory brings great joy, however, the war is far from ending. With Government officials standing stern on building the car shed in Aarey Colony, the alternative options have been shrinking from few to none due to varying legal and technical reasons. The next hearing is to be held on 21 October 2019 after the special bench has gone through the details of the PIL. 

This is all the fact and fiction you need to be aware of with regards to the continued protests by the environmentalists and residents of Mumbai. While it is not fairy tale, yet people are joining hands and standing their grounds at Aarey with the hope that they will be able to find a happy ending to this saga. I would urge you, the reader, to think of this 'Does Government have enough Oxygen tanks for all our children and grand children?' Because we do not want development at the cost of the health of our and our future generations.

#StopCuttingTrees #SaveOurGreenLungs

P.S. The images do not belong to this blogger. They belong to their rightful owner.

Chandrayaan II: Another Proud Moment by ISRO

On 22nd July 2019 at 14:43 IST, Chandrayaan II made a successful lift off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Nellore (Tamil Nadu, India). The space craft carrying a lunar orbiter, lander and rover was originally scheduled to lift off on 15th July 2019 at 14:51 IST. However, due to technical issues spotted with less than an hour to take off, the launch was called off. The main objective stated by ISRO for this mission is to discovery lunar water.

What is Chandrayaan II?

Chandrayaan II is the successor of Chandrayaan I by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). Chandrayaan I was launched in October 2008 for mapping the chemical characteristics and topography of the lunar surface. The orbiter stopped sending signal in August 2009 due to technical issues. Soon after, ISRO declared the mission to be over. 

Chandrayaan II was originally planned to be made through a joint venture between ISRO and Roscosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency). The agreement was signed by the two agencies on 12th November 2007. ISRO was incharge of executing the orbiter and rover, while Roscosmos was responsible for the lander. This mission got extended from a launch in 2013, as anticipated, to 2016, due to failure of Roscosmos in delivering the lander. However, later Russia withdrew from the project as Fobos-Grunt mission to Mars failed. The same technology was being used in other space missions as well. 

In 2015, India decided to build Chandrayaan II on its own. The mission was set to motion with launching date expected to be in March 2018. But the launch was further rescheduled to April, then October. In June 2018, the launch was further pushed to first quarter of 2019 after the Comprehensive Fourth Technical Review Meeting. During a test carried out in February 2019, the lander’s leg sustained some minor damages. 

Later, on 15th July 2019, the preparations for launch was almost initiated but was aborted due to technical glitch.  

Design of Chandrayaan II:

The launcher, GSLV Mk III (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III), carries three components, namely, the orbiter, Vikram lander and Pragyan rover. 

The Orbiter-

The orbiter lift off weight is approximately 2379 kg. It will orbit the moon at an altitude of 100 km. The high resolution camera on the orbiter will capture images of the lunar surface before detaching from the lander and rover.  It is carrying eight devices most of which are made by ISRO or Indian subsidiaries. The orbiter is expected to last 1 year on the lunar orbit. 

Vikram Lander-

The lander is named after Vikram Sarabhai, who is considered as the father of Indian space program. The estimated lift off weight of the lander is 1471 Kg. The lander is expected to detach from the orbiter using its 800 N liquid main engines. Initially, the lander had four main liquid engines. However, another engine was mounted centrally in order to remove the lunar dust draft during landing. The lander will be conducting various scientific research on the lunar surface for 14 days after achieving a soft landing and deploying the rover.

Pragyan Rover-

The solar-run rover is named as Pragyan which means ‘wisdom’ in Sanskrit. It weighs around 27 Kg. The rover has six wheels and will commute at 1 cm per second on the surface. During its navigation on the surface, it will carry out chemical analysis, the data of which will be received by the Earth station through the lander. 

The stereoscopic 3D camera will provide 3D imaging of the surface which will enable the ground control team to navigate the rover. The rover is expected to accomplish its mission within 14 earth days, which equals to 1 lunar day as it is not equipped with the infrastructure to withstand the cold lunar night. 

Objective of Chandrayaan II:

The main objective of this space mission is to understand and study the lunar topography and exosphere. To find the chemical composition of the lunar soil and discover water bodies/content, which is better known as Lunar water. While the orbiter will also help sketch a 3D map of the moon’s surface. 

Chandrayaan II Leading Scientists:

Muthaya Vanitha (Project Director)

Chandrakanta Kumar (Deputy Project Director)

Ritu Karidhal (Mission Director)

Nandini Harinath (Deputy Operations Director)

Anuradha T K (Programme Director at ISRO)

Project Cost of Chandrayaan II:

The total allocated cost of the Chandrayaan II project is Rs.978 crore and the bifurcation is as follows

GSVL Mk II = Rs. 375 crore

Space Equipment = Rs. 603 crore

There is also a lot of buzz going on around how this space programme by ISRO costed less than certain Hollywood movies such as Avengers: End Game and Dark Phoenix among others. 

Chandrayaan will orbit the Earth till it attains enough thrust to set course for the moon. The expected date of landing is 07th September 2019 between two craters (Manzinus C and Simpelius N). India will become the fourth country on successful landing preceded by Russia, US and China. The morals are high of all Indians on this grand feat of by ISRO as fingers are crossed for a soft and successful landing of Chandrayaan II on the moon.

Hauntings from Around the World

Aahat to Supernatural to The Wailing… I’ve watched them all. Yes readers, today’s feature is on ‘Hauntings’. It is a general understanding that horror as a genre is pure fiction. A writer’s imaginary ghost killing non-existent humans in a place that’s usually a house, mental institution or a remote cottage in the woods. However, the receptive audience might absorb the content as per their subjective beliefs.

Do I believe in ghost or to put it more descriptively, souls of dead people impended between death and afterlife only to be stuck on Earth? As if life wasn’t hell already (Laughing). My beliefs are of little importance but my reader’s beliefs matter. As that would decide whether you will show any interest on reading further or not. Here are some of the places that are tagged as haunted with the scariest backdrop.

Are you ready with Holy water and prayer of deliverance?

1. Bhangarh fort (Rajasthan, India)

Bhangarh fort tells the tale of a black magic practitioner who fell in love with the princess who lived in this fort. He tried to win her heart using black magic. The princess came to know of his dishonorable ways and got him killed. Before dying, he cursed the villagers to die and also said that the houses will stay roofless. It is said that if you build a roof in this village, it will end up collapsing.

2. Monte Cristo Homestead (New South Wales, Australia)

When you truly love someone, losing them would break you. Mrs. Crawley, who once owned this house, is said to have locked herself in the house for 23 years after her husband’s death. Later when she died, people say that they have seen her ghost wandering in the house and there are also incidents of strange voices and flickering lights inside the house.

3. Highgate Cemetery (North London, England)

If you think vampires are nice after watching Twilight, this might change your mind. Highgate cemetery, the resting place for over 1,50,000 people, is said to be haunted by a vampire. Rumour has it that the vampire is 7 feet tall and has the ability to freeze time and hypnotise with big red eyes. He is often spotted wearing a black long robe. This place caught the attention of people when a woman was found decapitated and burnt. Cold hearted!

4. Ancient Ram Inn (Gloucestershire, England)

Its high time we introduced sacrifices and cult stuff in to this conversation. Ancient Ram Inn was established in 1145. This inn is said to have a history of satanic sacrifices and is built on pagan burial ground. The customers of this inn have even jumped out of the windows at the sight of flying furniture and sounds of children screaming. Such facilities after paying 25-30 Euro, sucks!

5. Greyfriars Kirkyard (Edinburgh, Scotland)

A poltergeist, finally! Greyfriars Kirkyard is a cemetery haunted by Sir George Mackenzie’s ghost. All thanks to a homeless man who broke in the Mackenzie’s mausoleum. It is said that people are often physically attacked and left with bruises and scratch marks. Also, visitors have experienced black outs. Sir Mackenzie sounds like a bad boy.

6. Paris Catacombs (Paris, France)

We all have seen human bones or replicas of the same in our school science lab. But how many of us have seen hundreds of human bones kept artistically in a tunnel. Voila! You don’t need to fret much. In your next trip to Paris, a visit to this tunnel could be an add on. Visitors are not just bewildered by this jaw-dropping sight but there have been reports of people disappearing altogether. If you are lucky you’ll just see apparition. Yikes!

7. Island of Dolls (Mexico)

This one had featured in my ‘20 Strangest Islands on Map’ article (http://bsoccergirl92.blogspot.com/2018/12/top-20-strangest-islands-on-map.html). It is called as Isla De Las Mulecas, the literal translation being “Island of Dolls”. In 1950’s, the island keeper found a dead body floating in the water. It was a young girl. However, he could not save her. A few days later, a doll came floating in the water. He thought that it was the young girl’s doll and hung it up on a tree. The island keep felt that the girl was haunting the island, hence, he hung all the dolls that came floating in the water. There are thousands of grotesques dolls hung throughout the island.

8. Screaming Tunnel (Ontario, Canada)

A 100 years ago, a young girl died inside the tunnel when her house caught on fire. Her house was on the other end of the tunnel. She ran into the tunnel for help but died before she could find anyone. This tunnel now lies below the railway tracks connecting Toronto to New York. It is said that if you light a match or lighter inside the tunnel, you can hear the screams of a girl and the fire goes off on its own.

9. Aokigahara Forest (Mount Fuji, Japan)

This 30 square kilometers spread of forest is renown as “Suicide Forest” as it has the second highest rate of suicides in the world. It is said that the souls of the people who died in the forest, haunt the place. Though the forest looks majestic, it has its demons.

10. Changi Hospital and beach (Singapore)

War leaves scars on the soul. Changi Hospital was used by the Japanese soldiers to torture Chinese soldiers during World War II. Many Chinese soldiers were killed by the Japanese soldiers in at the Changi Beach and Hospital. Both locations are now said to be haunted by the spirit of the deceased soldiers. There have been sightings of headless soldiers walking on the beach.

11. The Langham Hotel (London, England)

If you feel that you could never meet a Royalty in real life, don’t be disappointed. This 153- year old hotel houses Royal spirits including Emperor Louis Napoleon III and a German Prince, who jumped to his death. This place came into news in 2014 when players of England National Cricket team ran out of the hotel due to sudden flickering of lights and other paranormal activities.

12. Hoia-Baciu Forest, (Transylvania, Romania)

Forests are supposed to be beautiful with lush greenery and wonderful creatures. But what is a UFO doing here? Yes. This forest has found its place on the haunted list, when a military technician photographed an UFO hovering over the forest in 1968. It is believed to be an other-world portal as many visitors have disappeared in the forest and for those of who have survived, they suffer from rashes and nausea. Some call it the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania. If there are disappearances, then I agree!

13. Poveglia Island (Venice, Italy)

The last and the creepiest place is half a mile away from Venice, the Poveglia Island. This island also featured in my ‘20 Strangest Islands on Map’ article (http://bsoccergirl92.blogspot.com/2018/12/top-20-strangest-islands-on-map.html). Its history has a combination of worst death. Plague, armory and mental asylum- the magic portion for haunting created. This island was used by Napoleon for the storage of his arms and ammunitions, later as a quarantine in 1776 at the outbreak of bubonic plague, and as a mental asylum. The soil of the land has traces of human skeleton. It is cited that people can hear the bell of the bell tower ring, even though the bell was taken down decades ago. There is a ban on human visit on this island. 

So I’m ending the list on the ominous number and putting it out on a ominous date. If today was Friday, then the circle of superstition would have been complete. As for whether these places are in reality haunted or not is purely dependent on what you experience when you are at this place. But who so ever plans on visiting such places, I would ask you to carry your ghost repellent weapons and a brave heart. May the God have mercy on you soul!

Turmoil Times for YG Entertainment as Yang Hyun Suk and His Brother Resigns

YG Entertainment’s misery seem to have no ending, with the latest being the voluntary resignation of Yang Hyun Suk. As announced on Friday, Yang Hyun Suk stepped down from all his positions in YG Entertainment amid the controversy of involvement in B.I’s illegal drugs scandal and supply of prostitute to business partners.

The year seem to be jinxed for one of the top Entertainment companies in South Korea. YG came in to bad light at the start of this year when ex-Big Bang member Seungri got caught up in the Burning Sun controversy. Things got even more entangled for him when it was revealed that Seungri was one of the active members in a Kakao chat group created by Jung Joon Young to share pornographic videos and images without the consent of the women involved. 

This controversy and the number of top artists involved in it shook the Kpop industry and its fans. The next issue looming around and still under investigation is on tax evasion by YG. There were reports that YG presented incorrect earnings in order to evade tax liability. The company didn’t show the entire earnings from its artists’ overseas performances rather it was added to individual earnings of the artist. There are also some irregularities found in the stock transaction of the agency which is considered to be carried out with Yang Hyun Suk’s knowledge.

iKon, who’s ‘Love Scenario’ bagged Golden Disk Song of the Year Award 2019, saw the exit of its rapper and singer-songwriter B.I. after being accused for trying to purchase illegal drugs. Dispatch, a local media outlet in South Korea, exposed this news on the grounds of a Kakao chat between the ex-iKon member and a convicted drug offender. Where the rapper insistently asked for some LSD, even after repeatedly being warned on turning into an addict by the other person in the chat. B.I stated the reason for buying drugs that he wanted to become a genius. In June, he announced his exist through an Instagram announcement.

Two days later, YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun Suk announced his resignation. There are suspicion that Yang Hyun Suk may have suppressed  Han Seo Hee's testimony on B.I’s drug issue. However, YG denied such allegations. 

Prior to this, there were reports of Yang bringing in prostitutes for his business partners. In light of the rumors, Yang Hyun Suk departed from YG. Following his footsteps, Yang’s younger brother Yang Min Suk also stepped down from his position at YG Entertainment within few hours. 

As the investigation goes on, only evidenced and testimonies could shed light on which allegations were true and which were meant to defame the artist or the company. For now, the kpop fans and especially the fans of the artists in YG Entertainment are in grave despair with the events unfolded since the beginning of this year. 

Junhyung of Highlight and Choi Jong Hoon of F.T.ISLAND Quits Showbiz after the Scandal

This week of March saw shocking revelations and announcements following the Kakao Talk chat group with members from entertainment industry being involved in sharing discreet videos of women without their consent. By the end of the week the third person to have put down his paper on entertainment industry is Junhyung of Highlight followed by Choi Jong Hoon of F.T.ISLAND on the same day.

The first person to come to light was Seungri, ex-member of Big Bang, who announced his retirement on Monday, 11th March after being charged with bribing investors with prostitutes and sharing indecent videos of women on a chat group without consent.

Jung Joon Young, singer of Drug Restaurant, was the second one to come to light in relation with the incident. The singer admitted to the charges of sharing over 10 videos of women he had sexual relations with. He posted an apology to the victims and declared his exit from all activities of showbiz that he was involved in on Wednesday, 13th March. He underwent questioning by police and was asked to submit his cell phone on Wednesday.

The day following witnessed Highlight Junhyung’s agency, Around US Entertainment, putting out a statement to inform the fan’s his exit from the group. The fans kept questioning on Junhyung’s involvement in the scandal after his name went out in public. 

Junhyung has admitted to viewing the videos uploaded by Jung Joon Young and appeared as a witness during the questioning on Wednesday. His agency had first denied the claims but later put out a well phrased statement saying, “Some time at the end of 2015, Yong Junhyung met Jung Joon Young at a drinking gathering. The next day, while contacting each other 1:1 via Kakao Talk, he was informed that Jung Joon Young filmed illegal, hidden camera footage. Afterward, Junhyung admitted that he viewed this hidden camera footage, and he and Jung Joon Young went on to exchange inappropriate remarks about the footage.

We learned of the facts stated (above) through Yong Junhyung's witness questioning. After realizing the severity of this situation, Junhyung took part in his questioning diligently, and he is now in a deep state of reflection for his past inappropriate actions, as well as for the disappointment that he undoubtedly caused many due to his immorality.

He is also aware that this incident is not one that can be forgiven, and he feels greatly apologetic toward fans of Highlight for breaking their trust and repaying their love with disappointment. In order to take responsibility for his actions and prevent further damage to the group's image, Junhyung will leave Highlight as of March 14, 2019.

Even when Junhyung became involved in an unfavorable scandal, we were unable to obtain the clear facts right away and released a hasty statement, causing confusion; for this, we apologize. We will take caution so that such incidents do not occur again. We apologize one more time to fans who cherish Highlight.”

As for Choi Jong Hoon of F.T.ISLAND, he name was mentioned by SBS FunE as Mr. Choi of the chat group. He has been charged with spreading illicit image of a women and having a lewd conversation regarding the videos with Jung Joon. His agency, FNC Entertainment, released a statement on 14th March saying, “Choi Jong-Hoon, who has aroused criticism due to his involvement in recent scandals, has decided to depart from FT Island as of today. Choi Jong-Hoon will faithfully participate with police investigations within this week. He will permanently leave the team and retire from the entertainment industry.

We bow our heads in sincere apology for neglecting proper management and character education of our artists and for worrying many people through unpleasant events. We strongly feel the severity and responsibility towards the matter and will do our best to cooperate so that the facts will clearly be uncovered during police investigations.”

He is also facing accusation of bribing the police to cover up a DUI that happened in 2016. There were text conversations regarding the same between the members of the scandalous Kakao Talk chat group.

Jung Joon said, “Jong Hoon could have made it to the front page of news.”

Choi Jong Hoon replied, “Why would I make it to the news. I took care of it quietly.”

Seungri answered, “Don’t expect to get help next time you get involved in drunk driving incident. 000 hyung shut everyone up using his own money.”

We fans surely didn’t expect such a scandal to blow out taking down people whom we once admired. This only calls for caution to all the members of idol groups (male and female) and solo artists, whose actions are closely monitored by a great number of people who support their act, to not take advantage of the position that they are in to do any defame-able and derogatory actions that may lead to a uproar.

Jung Joon Young Admits to Uploading Videos without Consent, Quits the Entertainment Industry

In the latest from the Kakao Talk Chat group controversy pertaining to Seungri and other renowned names of entertainment industry, Jung Joon Young (JJY) who was said to be a suspect in participating in uploading discreet videos of women without consent, has admitted to the allegations.

JJY flew in from USA on 12th March for questioning. He admitted to have filmed women without their knowledge during the period 2015-16. He then shared those videos in a chat group on Kakao. In his statement to Korean Herald, he said, “I admit to all my crimes. I filmed women without their consent and shared it on social media chat room, and while I did so I didn’t feel a great sense of guilt”.

The 30-year-old apologised stating, “I kneel down to apologise to the women who appeared in the videos and all those who might be disappointed and upset at this shocking incident.

I will faithfully cooperate with the investigation by the police that will start on Thursday and I will readily accept whatever punishment is in store for me”.

JJY is the second artist to have quit the industry following Seungri who announced his retirement on 11th March. Will this scandal grow any bigger with other prominent faces involved as it is claimed that the chat group had 8 members? Only time can tell.

Big Bang Seungri’s Big Bang Story

No crime stays hidden for long, especially if you live a public life. The latest one to hit the headlines and take Kpop fans by a storm is the scandal surrounding Kpop’s renowned band Big Bang’s youngest member Seungri.

Before EXO or BTS became sensational, Big Bang was the top dog of Kpop. Seungri, the maknae of the group, was always seen  being playful and lightening up the mood. The vocalist is now caught in allegations of illegal prostitution and circulation of pornography. After the news spread on social media, the Singer announced his retirement from the Entertainment industry.

Where It All Began:

From all the investigation that I could do based on the information available in the white web, the misfortunes began with a complained about an assault on a customer by the staff of the “Burning Sun” club.

During the investigation, footage surfaced of use of drugs and sexual misconduct on female customers of the club. Even though Seungri claimed that he was just an Executive Director and was involved only in the publicity of the club but not in day-to-day operations, he still posted a formal apology regarding the matter. This matter spanning from early January 2019 to February and if the singer had thought his sufferings were over, he was mighty mistaken.

March began with news of investigation of a KaKao Chat group formed by Seungri with artists of other boy band and solo artists. This revelation was made by SBS FunE. Neither the police nor the netizens would have bothered if it was just a group of guys talking about how stressful it is to live a celebrity life. Instead, the group was said to be formed in order to share inappropriate images and videos of women whom the members fraternised with. Also, these images were shared without the consent of the involved women. Seungri is also said to be involved in supplying prostitutes to businessmen in Seoul night clubs.

About the controversial Kakao Talk Chat Group:

It is said that there were 8 members in this group including the singer and an employee of club ARENA. Other celebrities names connected to this group are Jung Joon Young, Junhyung (Member of Highlight), Choi Jong Hoon (member of F.T. Island) and Kang Daniel. The agencies of all these artists have denied the claims, while assuring to get clarification regarding the matter from the respective artists. After police confirmed the legitimacy of claims against Seungri regarding the chatroom, the Big Bang member took on the social media to announce his retirement in order to preserve the integrity of the band members and his agency, YG Entertainment.

YG Entertainment:

Yang Hyun Suk, the CEO of YG Entertainment, has held his peace but the agency put out a statement saying that the retirement comments were entirely the singer’s own choice and that he did not consult the agency regarding the same. The agency clarified that it is yet to make a decision regarding the future of the artist with them. Following this, YG Entertainment’s stock fell by 14% on 11th March.

How did Media Know about the Chat Group?

The twist in this story doesn’t end here. Apparently, there are reports stating that the existence of this group came into light when one of the members of this chatroom was getting his cell phone repaired. The repairing servicemen leaked it to media which surely raises questions of privacy amidst this shocking exposé.

Other Major Contributors in this Controversy:

A) Jung Joon Young (JJY)

Jung Joon Young caught his fame through MNET’s Superstar K4 (2012). Even though the singer took third position in the finals, his cover of Sympathy made an impression on all. Following which he released mini-albums, became a part of 2 Days 1 Night TV show and lead vocalist to rock band- Drug Restaurant. The singer took a break from his TV show following the investigation on claims made by his ex-girlfriend of sexual abuse in 2016. The same was withdrawn a few days later and JJY returned to the show.

In the recent controversy involving the Kakao chat room, the year 2016 is dragged again in relation to JJY. Dating back to 27th January 2016, when Zico (Member of Block B) and JJY appeared on MBC’s Radio Star and Zico mentioned about the “Golden Phone” owned by JJY. Zico made it very specific that it was unlike the regular phones and that the phone was used only for Kakao Talk. When Zico asked him if he still owned the phone, JJY got shy and replied that he did have it.

JJY also added that Zico would come to his house and ask for the golden phone and lay on his bed while going through the phone. During that time netizens didn’t ponder much on this golden phone but now it makes more sense.

Reports have it that JJY has shared more than 8 hidden camera videos of women in the group made by Seungri and in 1-to-1 conversation with other celebrities friends starting from late 2015 to late 2016. He also shared discreet images of a female employee during the same period.

B) Choi Jong Hoon (CJH)

The F.T. Island guitarist was brought into light with regards to this controversy by Channel A News. They published blurred images of two artists whom netizens identified as JJY and CJH. CJH is said to be a very close friend of Seungri and the two have been business partners in multiple ventures.

There has not been any explicit evidence to his participation in sharing any videos but the channel claims of him to be a member of the chat group. This wouldn’t be his first encounter with such an issue. Like his friend JJY, CJH has been accused by a woman of sexual assault. She was threatened and forced to send him discreet images of herself back when she was in sixth grade and the guitarist was in middle school. This allegation was made during the recent ‘Me Too’ drive.

What lies ahead for Seungri, JJY and CJH?

Seungri has been prohibited from leaving the country and the upcoming Big Bang concerts have been cancelled. The singer said that he was retiring from the entertainment industry as this controversy is too much to handle. He is being investigated by the police with regards to the allegations.

As of now, JJY is in USA with regards to his work and has been asked to come back to South Korea at the earliest for investigation. He had tours lined up for coming months which have been cancelled and 2 Days 1 Night TV show producers have confirmed the exit of the singer from the show and any footage regarding him will be edited out.

And for CJH, there has not been any statement from his agency as this discovery is the latest in this scandal.

If any of the above mentioned artists are found to be guilty of supplying indecent images and videos of women without consent then they could face jail time of 3-5 years and a penalty fee upto 30 million won. Not to state the obvious, their music career is buried. 

Top 20 Absurd Delicacies from Around the World

Hi Readers, I’m back with another Top 20 list and this time it is food. If there is anything in this world I don’t think twice before spending money on, it’s food! This girl loves to eat delicious food. I believe the eating process begins with my eyes; unless the food looks appetizing, it won’t invoke an urge to consume. The next step is my nose; being from the country of spices, I surely love the fragrance of the perfect mix of spices that activates my brain cells to give me the sensation of hunger. The second last step involves an organ that is not parallel to mouth, none other than ears. If it is something crunchy, it should produce a sweet lullaby when crushed or cut through. The last and the best is mouth, where finally the tasting happens. 

While just writing the steps has invigorated the hunger in my belly, by the end of this list (if you could survive till the end) you’ll probably be judging peoples’ eating habits. I’m not talking about chewing loudly or half the food stuck around the mouth, but about what goes into their mouths. Here a list of Top 20 most absurd food from around the world. Bon Appetite!

1. Haggis (Scotland)

We all have heard of minced meat sold in different forms, but how would you like having minced liver, heart and lung of animals like sheep along with some beef and seasoning vegetable, mixed and stuffed like sausage into the stomach of sheep and boiled only to be turned into a pudding. That is exactly what Haggis is and it is also the national dish of Scotland. 

2. Khash (Middle East, East Europe, Turkey)

I, anyway, am not a big fan of soups and this gives me even more reason to. Khash is a non-typical soup made with the head and legs of cow or sheep as a whole. Imagine that skull staring at you from the bowl. Sometimes other parts like the brain or stomach are also added. As if it’s going to make us feel any better. 

3. Black sausage (Worldwide)

There is another name which is more appropriate- Blood sausage. As the name suggest, it’s made from blood and fat mixed with beef, vegetables or starch to make it thick enough to be stuffed into a sausage sack. It might not be erring for most people as it is consumed across the globe, but I just happen to be in the country that doesn’t have black sausage, nor am I into blood.

4. Wasp Crackers (Japan)

What is your usual reaction when you see ants or insects on your biscuit, you throw it away. But since we are in the world of the weird, Japan has a snack of crackers with wasps in it. Talk about finding better replacements for chocochip in cookies.

5. A-ping (Cambodia)

Spiders, yes people, this regional delicacy of Cambodia is, to be put simply, fried spider. I can’t tolerate seeing spider the size of my pinky fingernail and here is a whole community of people eating tarantula species of spider. This goes back to history of when king Khmer Rouge rule, due to lack of food and out of desperation, the people started eating spiders. I will I feel sorry for those people, I wonder if there is still a need for this.

6. Worms 

During my internet expedition for unimaginable delicacies there were a couple of worm varieties that cropped up. I thought I’d better club them as even though they may be different worms, they were consumed in the same form, either raw or fried.

a) Beondegi (South Korea)- If you are a Korean you know what this is or if you are someone who understands Hangul, you would know the literal meaning of the term which is “Pupa”. This dish is actually a snack sold on the streets of South Korea in a cup with a toothpick for spoon and what you will be picking are boiled and spice coated Silkworm pupa. Good luck.

b) Sago Delight (Southeast Asia)- Sago an insect when eaten raw is chewy and meaty and when cooked takes on a bacon-y taste. I vote for regular bacon. 

c) Escamol (Mexico)- The Mexican mix in English songs are often a hit but I wonder how you would feel about this Mexican dish. Escamol is a mix of larva and pupa of a species of Ant called as Liometopum Apiculatum. A fancy way of saying it, is Ant Caviar.

d) Mopane (South Africa)-  Mopane worms are traditional dried or smoked and cooked with tomato or chili sauce. It is said to be high on protein.

e) Witchetty Grub (Australia)- Also called as Bush tuckers goes back to culinary history of Aborigines of Australia. They are usually cooked over a coal fire. People say that it tastes like a cross between chicken and crab, then why don’t you stick to chicken or crab, though I understand insects don’t price as much and the cooking time is less. 

7. Cherry Blossom Meat (Japan)

We have all been mesmerized by how majestic a black horse looks, will you be mesmerised if you were presented with horse meat? Not me! Cherry Blossom meat is the raw meat of horse and its Japanese name is “Sakuraniku”; where in, Sakura stands for cherry blossom and Niku is for meat. This name is due to the pink color of the raw meat. I’ll pass.

8. Crocodile Meat (Australia, Africa, Southeast Asia)

My grandfather had a farm and we had cows, goats, chickens and such homely animals. But imagine raising crocodiles for food. Since this meat has low fat and low cholesterol, atleast we know they won’t be dying of a heart attack (If you know what I mean).

9. Shirako (Japan)

I’ll give this one to you straight, fish reproductive organ uncooked. This milt is harvested from Salmon, Monkfish, cod and few others. As the list progresses, I’m judging the appetite of human race. I understand that God made all creatures for human consumption, but my brain is turning into scrambled egg.

10. Cobra Heart (Vietnam)

The analogy of “he ripped out my heart” is literally true for all the victim Cobra snakes. If you want to understand the extent of cruelty, here’s the perfect example. The person holds a living cobra and rips open the flesh near the heart area and plucks the beating heat and puts it into a bowl or glass and empties the snake’s blood into the same vessel. Guess what… That’s the dish. 

11. Yin-Yang Fish (Taiwan, China)

Since we are on human cruelty on living creatures, here’s another alive-example. Also called as dead and alive fish, is cooked in oil. While the carp fish’s body is cooked, its head is still alive and kept out of the oil. When it is presented before the diners too, the eyes and mouth are still moving. The fish is very much alive as its flesh is ripped of its body by eaters.

12. Sannakji (South Korea)

Another food that’s moving on your plate is octopus. Nakji, a species of octopus which is smaller in size but has long tentacles is served either whole or cut into small pieces while its tentacles are still moving and very much alive.  This dish is widely consumed throughout South Korea.

13. Jellied Moose Nose (Canada)

Before you start gagging, let’s mellow it down with some jelly. Squishy and bouncy, who doesn’t like jelly. So how about some Moose nose turned into jelly? Yes people, it’s exactly as the name suggests. A delicacy favoured in Alaska and Northern Canada, the snout of Moose is cooked with spices and vegetables such as onion after the fur has been entirely removed. It is put into a loaf pan and kept in the refrigerator to cool down and you know what comes next… the end product. I’ll remember this every time I see a pack of jelly.

14. Locus (Israel)

We all have heard the story from The Bible, where God sent plagues on Egyptians, one of them was locus. So they eat away your crops and leave you without food, make them your food. Deep-fry or steer fry, what would you prefer?

15. Dog Meat (Korea, China and Vietnam)

Dogs are man’s best friends. They listen to you, they fetch, they howl and we all love to have them as pet. Imagine yourself biting on a chicken leg and replace that leg with dog leg. I’ll probably pass out. But not in some countries of Asia, where dog meat is traded in the black market extensively and they don’t fall short of customers, even though the government has forbidden this age old practise. Being a dog lover, with a long list of dog breeds that I want to have as pets, I’d rather starve than eat them.

16. Rocky Mountain Oysters (U.S.A., Canada)

Name could be deceiving. Unlike what came to your mind when you first heard the name, this dish is made of something that wouldn’t have even remotely come to you in your wildest dream. This dish is made of bull testicles after they are peeled and coated in flour, deep fried thoroughly. I’ll leave you at that.

17. Ikizikuri (Japan)

Japan is quite renowned for raw sushi, which is an expensive and extensively enjoyed delicacy. Ikizikuri is in similar lines, prepared with fish, octopus, shrimp, squid and other sea creatures. These creatures are dissected or heated while still alive and presented for consumption while still alive and moving. Find your humanity people!

18. Puffin Heart (Iceland)

Remember the cute creature from ‘Happy Feet’ movie? No, I’m not speaking about penguins, the one that disguises like a penguin and can fly short distance. That is what a Puffin is. But prepare yourself for what’s coming next. People in Iceland hunt them, break their necks, skin them and eat the raw heart before it gets cold. It is said to be a traditional Icelandic delicacy. One that would turn me into a vegetarian.

19. Fried Brain Sandwich (U.S.A)

Before any of my crazy adventurous readers put this delicacy (gagging as I say it) on their must-have list, let me inform you that this dish no longer makes to the menu cards of restaurants. Famous during early 1900’s till 1970’s, this dish was just a huge brain patty between burger breads. However, this dish disappeared as soon as the mad cow disease hit U.S.A and U.K. in the late 1990’s. Something to be thankful about!

20. Virgin Boy Egg (China)

We are NOT talking about human eggs for consumption here, let’s clear that out of our heads. This centuries old tradition is still in practise in China. This dish, practically, is eggs soaked in the urine of prepubescent boys, probably 10 year old or so. It is said to have medicinal effects of helping to prevent from heart attacks or curing asthma. I’ll suffer the disease. Period.  

So this was a short overview of highly unappetizing food for thought. How do you feel now about all the things that go into a human mouth? I’m highly picky and adventurous but within limits when it comes to food. Let me know if any of my reads have tried one of these delicacies. 

(P.S. The writer has no intention of hurting any personal sentiments and the images use in this article are taken from the Internet, hence they belong to the rightful owner. )