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What is Web 2.0?

2010-05-04T00:49:00.000-07:00

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 may be a buzzword that has existed for a few years
already, but it’s still creating a lot of buzz…and
disagreement. Experts are still debating about the exact
definition of Web 2.0. If you’re still feeling confused
about it, the following explanations might hopefully make
things clear for you.

Essential Characteristics of Web 2.0

Instead of looking for the exact statement that would
explain what Web 2.0 is, let’s just focus on what makes a
website Web 2.0 instead of just Web 1.0.

To begin with, let’s focus on the common examples provided
by most experts. What makes Netscape (Web 1.0) different
from Firefox (Web 2.0)? Hotmail from Yahoo Mail? Geocities
from Blogger? MP3.com from iTunes? Do you get the picture
now? If not then here are several essential characteristics
of Web 2.0 that all experts do agree with.

Knowledge-Oriented Environment – Web 2.0 acknowledges the
need and power of knowledge. Information is what makes the
world go round today – or at least it does in the Internet.

User-Generated Content – Now, what matters most is the
content that users themselves are not generating. They may
not be as professionally packaged or executed as what we’ve
been used to with Web 1.0 websites and applications, but
user-generated content also tend to have greater impact on
readers.

User-Managed Content – With Web 2.0, users don’t just
generate content. They manage it as well. They control how,
when, and where it’s presented as well as who gets to see
it.

Service-Oriented Architecture – It’s all about what a Web
2.0 application can do for you. That’s why Web 2.0
applications tend to offer as many features as possible
and expand continuously.

Human Interaction – Web 2.0 also acknowledges and makes
use of human interaction. It is why social bookmarking and
social networking sites are incredibly popular with people
nowadays.

Doesn’t Fight the Internet – Web 2.0 learned from its
predecessor, Web 1.0, not to fight with the Internet.
Rather than force the Internet to make itself suitable to
the services required by a particular application, Web 2.0
takes advantage instead of the inherent advantages of the
Internet. Its global audiences should be seen, for instance,
as a benefit rather than a disadvantage.

Syndication – Web 2.0 makes great use of syndication.
Syndication refers to the various processes used by websites
to make their content available and accessible, preferably
in digest form, with other users and websites for several
purposes. RSS feeds and podcasting are just a few ways of
syndicating content.

Innovation – Web 2.0 embraces innovation in all its stages.
It is why web 2.0 is defined as to be in a stage of
“perpetual beta”: not a day passes by wherein software
developers continue to find ways to improve their products
and services.

Four Levels of Web 2.0

Tim O’Reilly provided four levels to categorize Web 2.0
applications. Level 3 is at the top of the hierarchy: they
exist only in the Internet and primarily rely and improve
based on the frequency and variety of interaction with and
between users. Wikipedia, eBay, and del.icio.us are just a
few prime examples of level 3 Web 2.0 applications.

Level 2 websites are those able to operate offline but work
better online such as Flickr. Level 1 websites on the other
hand are those that also operate offline but provide more
features when they’re operated online. Examples of level 2
Web 2.0 websites are iTunes and Writely. Lastly, level 0
websites are simply those which produce the same results
whether they’re operated online or offline. Examples of
such websites are Yahoo! Local and Google Maps.

We will win vote

2008-07-21T05:46:00.001-07:00

The Chief Minis ter, Dr Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy, on Sunday exuded confidence that the Congress-led UPA government will sail through the trust vote in Parliament on July 22.

Dr Rajashekhar Reddy, who arrived in the capital on Sunday morning, hosted a luncheon meeting for the MPs from the state.

The Congress is confident that all the party MPs from the state, and two more votes will be cast in favour of the motion of confidence to be moved by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.

All the Congress MPs, barring Mr Ch Harirama Jogaiah and Mr Y.S. Vivekanand Reddy, were present.

Mr Jogaiah had reportedly told the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, that he only had reservations against the Chief Minister, Dr Rajashekhar Reddy, and that he would vote for the Congress.

Mr Vivekananda Reddy was away in Jaipur on a personal work and could attend the meet.

Dr Reddy called on Congress president’s political adviser, Mr Ahmed Patel and briefed him.

He also called on Union information and broadcasting minister, Mr Priyaranjan Das Munshi, who had recently undergone a bypass surgery.

It was attended by CWC member in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, M. Veerappa Moily, AICC coordi nator, Mr P.J. Kurien, AICC secretary, Mr Iqbal Singh, and APCC president D.Srinivas.

The party managers are confident that with MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi announcing his support to the UPA government, the entire contingent from Andhra Pradesh will cast its vote en bloc in favour of the trust motion.

Apart from Union ministers belonging to Andhra Pradesh, the luncheon meeting was also attended by several MLAs and state irri gation minister, Mr Ponnala Laxmaiah and state housing minister, Mr Botsa Satyanarayana.

The Congress has been propagating that nuclear energy is indispensable for rural development and tackling agrarian unrest.

It has resorted to aggressive posturing on the issue till now. It said that while the initial investment was high, the provision for reprocessing the spent nuclear fuel would considerably bring down the costs, the party argued.

New science institute in city

2008-07-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

Asian Institute of Gastroenterology launched its Institute of Basic Sciences and Translational Research in the city on Sunday.

The institute, established at a cost of Rs 20 crore, will take up various research activities mainly on stem cells, liver and pancreatic diseases, intestinal cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases.

The institute has already signed an MOU with the Centre of Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), and the National Centre for Cell Sciences, John Hopkins Hospital in USA, for further research on gastrointestinal diseases.

“Our survey has shown that 30 per cent of our people suffer from gastrointestinal diseases. Research in this field is lagging behind mainly because the basic research working is in isolation. To overcome this, we have started this institute,” Mr D. Nageshwar Reddy, the head of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, said.

Doctors of Asian Institute said they would come up with productive research results soon. The new institute will focus on the prevention of diseases and vaccination.

Maya to be UNPA chief

2008-07-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

The BSP is likely to join the UNPA on July 23, a day after the trust vote, and the party chief, Ms Mayawati will become chairperson.

According to sources, the TD chief, Mr N.Chandrababu Naidu, the UNPA convenor, has formally invited Ms Mayawati to the UNPA. He has already said that Ms Mayawati should be Prime Minister.

In the event the government loses the trust vote on July 22, the leaders will decide on July 23 whether to stake claim to form an alternative government or to go for polls. In case the government survives the vote, the leaders will meet to decide on the future course of action.

“The government has no numbers. It has lost its majority. I am warning the government against trying to mobilise invisible and indirect numbers,” Mr Naidu said.

Mr Naidu said that the UNPA, BSP and the Left had come together on a one-point agenda to dislodge the Congress-led UPA government.

Mr Naidu and Ms Mayawati had a separate meeting when the UNPA and Left leaders met at the residence of TD leader Mr K. Yerrannaidu in Delhi on Sunday.

25 killed in attack on Lal Masjid

2008-07-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

At least 25 peo ple, mostly policemen, were killed in a suspected suicide attack near Lal Masjid here on Sunday, minutes after Islamic hardliners demanded the public hanging of President Pervez Musharraf at a rally to mark the shrine’s storming by the military a year back.

“The death toll can rise but we can confirm 25 deaths till now. Most of those killed are policemen,” an interior ministry official told this newspaper. The official toll, however, stood at 19 till the time of filing this report.

The Pakistan government declared a “red alert” throughout the country.

IT firms may face land tax

2008-07-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

Industries, IT firms and infrastructure project developers could face a additional charges on two fronts.

The government has issued notices to the agencies which alloted land to private industries and companies, to pay 10 per cent of the basic market value as one-time charge for using the land for non-agricultural purposes.

These notices may impact all IT firms including those in Hitec City and Madhapur where the basic market value is now Rs 15 crore per acre.

The government wants these agencies to pay 10 per cent of basic market value as alienation cost for assigned land. Till now the government was collecting the fee only when its own land was alienated.

The collection of onetime conversion charges were put on hold following resistance by the APIIC.

“The APIIC objected to the levy of fresh charges because huge amounts were paid for conversion from agricultural to non-agricultural use at the time of forming industrial layout,” a senir revenue official pointed out.

The government introduced one-time conversion charges in place of nonagricultural land assessment cess which was levied annually. “Following the industrial policy we have asked the government to exempt the companies from paying fresh charges,” said APIIC managing director B.P. Acharya.

Centre no to airport at Vizag

2008-06-24T04:01:00.000-07:00

The Union ministry of defence has denied permission for the proposed international airport at S.

Rayavaram near Visakhapatnam citing security threats.

The state government, however, is in no mood to relent and the Chief Minister,DrY.S.Rajasekhar Reddy, will shortly dash off a letter to the Centre conveying the state’s decision to go ahead with the project.

Official sources told this correspondent that as an alternative proposal, the state may even ask the defence authorities to leave the existing airport to civil operations and shift to S.Rayavaram.

The state and the Airports Authority of India zeroed in on Rayavaram because of locational advantage.

“The ministry had recently written to the government denying permission,” a senior official said. The ministry stated that the Navy would set up the Naval Alternative Operations Depot and a submarine plant near Visakhapatnam and the location is eight km away from the proposed site for the airport.

The ministry was avoiding the issue for the past one year and did not give any specific details whenever the state sought clarifications.

Sources said the ministry initially replied that the distance between the airport and the proposed naval depot should be“reasonable” but was never specific.

The state government officials dismiss the ministry’s argument of security threat as the existing airport, where the civil operations are also carried out, is in the range of below five kilometres from all the naval establishments.

Merit students lose seats

2008-06-24T03:54:00.000-07:00

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to raise the quota of management seats for both MBA and MCA colleges from the existing 20 per cent to 25 per cent from this academic year.

Though nothing is confirmed as yet, a formal announcement to this effect is expected in the next couple of days.

However, it is still undecided on the quantum of fee hike for both these prestigious courses. The private college managements have long been demanding raise in management quota seats as well as tuition fee.

They argued that the management quota and fee structure in the state are lower when compared to a number of other southern states.

Though the private colleges demanded raising the management quota to 30 per cent, the state government has decided to go for 25 per cent anticipating furious protests from the student community.

Currently, there are altogether 390 MCA and 296 MBA colleges in the state which offer nearly 53,500 seats.

The counselling for admissions is expected to commence in the second week of July.

With the raise in management quota seats by 5 per cent this year, meritorious students will lose nearly 2,600 seats in convenor-quota, which will be eventually shifted to the management quota.

However, the officials said the decision would not have much impact on the students as there are chances of 50 to 60 new colleges coming up this year and at least another 20,000 seats are likely to be added.

But a number of students who secured merit in the entrance examination argued that they will lose the opportunity of admissions for 5 per cent seats in ‘top colleges’ which they specifically aim for.

Of the total 2,00,836 candidates who appeared for the Icet-2008 entrance examination for MBA and MCA admissions this year, 1,93,215 candidates qualified recording a staggering pass percentage of 96.20 per cent.

Last year, it was a little below at 87.82 per cent.

Inflation breaches barrier at 11.05%

2008-06-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

Powered by rising fuel prices, inflation has touched a 13-year high of 11.05 per cent. Friday’s announcement led to immediate reverberations in the stockmarket: the BSE’s Sensex closed at its lowest level since August 2007, while on the political front the BJP called for the immediate resignation of the Prime Minister and the finance minister.

Lower-income groups were hit the hardest as the public distribution system has collapsed.

Economists feel the infla tion rate will rise further as fuel price hikes have an indirect impact on other prices. Sustained inflation could affect growth, they warn.

The government’s options are limited as the price rise is from the supply side. There could be rate hikes by the RBI.

Hopes are pinned on a good monsoon, which will ease the foodgrain situation, and a drop in world commodity prices.

Many feel the government and the RBI did not act in time. A Goldman Sachs report said: “We reiterate that the RBI has been behind the curve for not having increased the benchmark repo rate in April. Experts blamed the government and the RBI for failing to act early to curb inflation which touched 11.05 per cent.

Analysts said the government delayed in tackling the impact of world oil prices, that soared 40 per cent since January. “It acted in June and and burnt a hole in the pockets of the common man,” said one.

The consensus is that inflation will rise further in coming weeks. “Headline inflation could touch 13 per cent by end-September, before easing off,” said Kotak Securities economist Mridul Sagar. “Rates could fall in the last quarter on the back of a good monsoon.” “There is a further upside left in inflation,” said Crisil’s chief economist D.K. Joshi. He expects double-digit inflation to stay.

“While a correction in global prices and a good monsoon could bring relief, we don’t expect inflation to fall below 8 per cent until December,” said Reliance Capital chief economist Atsi Sheth.

State elections only in May 2009: CM

2008-06-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy, said in New Delhi on Thursday that Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh would be held only in May 2009, after his government completed its term, even if the Lok Sabha elections were held in November.

However, he hastened to add that the Election Commission might use its discretion if the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections fell within a six-month period.

Dr Reddy’s comments came in the midst of speculations that the rift between the UPA government and the Left parties over the nuclear deal would necessitate Lok Sabha polls in November.

Intelligence sources also said that the UPA government’s intransigence on the nuclear deal and the Rs 70,000 crore farm loan waiver were indications of a November elections.

The Chief Minister, fresh from a good show in the bypolls, exuded confidence on his party’s performance in the coming elections.

He told mediapersons that the Congress was the “reigning champion” in the State and would win 36 Lok Sabha seats and 230 Assembly seats, whenever elections were held.

“Just as you will have reigning champion in football or tennis, the Congress is the reigning champion in politics,” he said.

He added that the party had won all the ‘preliminary rounds’ (meaning local bodies’ polls) and would repeat the victory in the finals too (the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls).

When asked whether the AICC general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, will be the future leader of the party, he responded: “Why doubt about it?” The Chief Minister will visit Delhi next week again, as he could not call on the party president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Neither could he meet the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday.

In Nellore, the information and public relations minister, Mr Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, ruled out early Assembly polls.

The minister dismissed speculation that the government would go for Assembly elections in September to avoid giving time to Chiranjeevi to launch his party and run a campaign. “We would like to give him time,” said Mr Ramnarayana Reddy.

“This will only erode the vote bank of the Telugu Desam.” He said Chiranjeevi was likely to have some impact in urban areas besides East and West Godavari and Krishna districts.

Air ticket prices set for another take-off

2008-06-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

Air travel is set to get costlier with stateowned unified carrier Air India and leading private airline Jet Airways raising fares by identical levels.

The two airlines have raised fares by finalising a new minimum basic fare for various sectors depending on the distance travelled.

For instance, for flights up to 750 km, the minimum basic fare will now be Rs 1,000. It will be Rs 2,250 for distances between 750 km and 1,000 km and Rs 3,000 for distances above 1,000 km. Air-India will hike fares from Friday while Jet Airways already hiked the fares on Thursday evening itself.

The move is to ensure that airlines do not sell tickets below cost to avoid escalating losses in view of high aviation turbine fuel prices.

There was no minimum basic fare for sectors earlier.

Air India officials said the hike in fares varied as per the sectors. “The fare hike of basic fares, which was earlier Rs 2,000 on the Delhi-Mumbai route, will now be Rs 3,000. But in some other sectors the hike is negligible,” said an Air India official. Kingfisher Airlines stated that a fare hike is imminent.

Budget carrier SpiceJet, which raised basic fares earlier this month, has now hiked its fuel surcharge amount by Rs 300 (for distances up to 750 km) and Rs 550 (for distances beyond 750 km).

Only 10% of CBSE English seats taken

2008-06-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

Less than 10 per cent of English medium CBSE seats in government schools have been taken, even as opposition parties and teachers unions are fiercely opposing its introduction.

The government is offering CBSE syllabus for English medium students from Class VI.

Officials blamed the poor response on the lack of textbooks. They said that nearly 15 lakh textbooks were needed for CBSE students in 6,500 schools and these have not been printed.

Some teachers are playing radio news bulletins in the classrooms to help students learn English.

Officials have asked teachers to take classes on spoken English for now. But teachers who taught in Telugu medium all these years have ignored the directives. They contend that the 10-day training given to them was not adequate.

The process of introducing English medium in government schools was started in April, but the government was undecided on the syllabus — SSC or CBSE — till the last minute. It opted for CBSE only on June 10, two days before the schools reopened.

Officials are finding it difficult to provide study material as there are no prescribed textbooks for CBSE. Worse, the officials are still seeking permission from CBSE and NCERT Boards to draft textbooks.

They are now selecting content from NCERT textbooks. Next, they will compile the material in five subjects and then place orders for printing. That will take another two months.

Added to this, more than 3,000 out of 6,500 high schools have no additional classrooms to accommodate English medium students.

“We have instructed them to clean up storerooms and also use varandahs,” said Mr C.B.S. Venkatramana, principal secretary, school education. “These are all initial hiccups which we will overcome soon.”

Jose, Shaji in court for bail

2008-06-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Jose Mathew and Shaji John, who were arrested for allegedly molesting a US woman Kelly Pecker, on Tuesday moved a Sessions Court, seeking bail.

Following a plea from the prosecution to adjourn the case on the ground that the camera recovered was sent for analysis to ascertain whether any photograph was taken, principal sessions judge Aruna Jagadeesan posted to June 20, the hearing of the petition.

In their petitions, they submitted that due to nonavailability of medical test report, they were denied bail earlier. Now, the result of medical examination was submitted before the court.As per the result, the complainant was not at all sexually abused.

Hence, this court may consider the release of result as a change of circumstances to entertain the present petition.

Woman in coma after infant goes missing

2008-06-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

A poor woman slipped into a coma on Monday in a government hospital here after her eight-day-old son went missing from the nursery ward even as police remained clueless.

Ms Munni Bai, 25, from Mandir Hasod area on Raipur’s outskirts, earlier alleged that a nurse had offered her money if she gave away the baby to a couple wishing for a son.

The baby was born May 24 at the Bhimrao Ambedkar Government Hospital. Soon, doctors separated her from the child on medical grounds. On Saturday, she was told the baby was missing. The police is probing the case.

A hospital official, Mr Sunil Gupta, said: “Every newborn carries a tag and registration number on his or her leg. We are compiling details and cross-checking inputs.”

Congress eyes 2009 LS polls

2008-06-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

Bolstered by its performance in the bypolls, the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy and the pradesh Congress chief, Mr D. Srinivas, have started gearing up for the 2009 general elections.

On Monday, the Chief Minister said steps are being taken in this direction. He, however, refused to divulge the details. But the sources close to him said a number of programmes are on the wings to ensure that the party does well to take on the opposition parties.

The sources also added that if all the plans get the high command’s approval, almost 40 per cent to 45 per cent of the sitting Congress legislators would be denied tickets because of the allegations of largescale corruption, nepotism, inefficiency and poor public image.

The Chief Minister and PCC chief have decided to use the services of three reputed institutions to conduct a public opinion on the party’s winning chances across the state.

The party is likely to kickstart the surveys from June 15.

Similarly, in another 100 constituencies where there is no party representation, opinion polls will be conducted to find people who can be prospective candidates .

The party also decided to revamp the district Congress committees by removing atleast 15 district unit presidents soon.

6,500 schools turn to English

2008-06-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s frequent change of stance on the state government’s ambitious programme of introducing English medium in state-run schools from this year has sent shivers down the spines of school education department officials.

In a sudden shift from the earlier stand, Dr Reddy on Monday directed officials to implement English medium in all the 6,500 schools. At a meeting held with officials of school education department on Monday in Secretariat, Dr Reddy made it clear to officials that English medium should be introduced in all the schools at a stretch from this year.

The officials had earlier identified 3,800 schools in the first phase to launch the programme from the coming academic year. With just 10 days to go for the new academic year to commence, officials have their fingers crossed over the possibility of implementing the scheme in all the 6,500 schools.

The mode of syllabus has not been finalised. While the Chief Minister wants CBSE syllabus, the teacher unions are demanding state syllabus. A final decision is expected on Wednesday.

Flying gets costlier but no sop for city

2008-06-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

Top airlines like Air India, Kingfisher and Air Deccan will hike fares from Tuesday.

This follows the decision by oil marketing companies to increase the cost of aviation turbine fuel by 18.5 per cent. ATF costs around Rs 69,000 per kilolitre in New Delhi and most other cities.

Air India will impose Rs 300 as additional fuel surcharge (AFS) for travel below 750 km and Rs 500 for distances beyond that.

Kingfisher and Air Deccan will charge Rs 300 for travel up to 750 km and Rs 550 for distances beyond that.

Jet Airways will impose similar surcharge from June 7. Other airlines are likely to announce a fare hike in a couple of days.

ATF is cheaper at Shamshabad airport because the government collects only 4 per cent sales tax against 33 per cent elsewhere. ATF costs Rs 52,000 per kilo litre.

That has not brought any relief for passengers from the state. The airlines said it was impossible to exclude Hyderabad passengers from the surcharge.

IT firm cheats 400 employees

2008-05-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

The chairman and managing director of Dolphin Solutions, an IT company situated at Nandagiri Hills, was arrested by the Jubilee Hills police here on Friday after a case of cheating was filed against the firm.

The police arrested Gali Vinay Naidu for allegedly cheating 400 employees to the tune of Rs 4 crore and closing down the company.

Vinay is from Chittoor and had set up the company a year ago by renting a building at Nandagiri Hills after taking huge loans.

He allegedly used to take Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh from each of the 400 employees to appoint them. He allegedly gained their confidence by paying them salaries for the first three months and promising them of better prospects and foreign tours.

However, Vinay allegedly failed to pay back the loans, rents of the building, payments for various services and even stopped paying salaries to the employees.

A few months ago, he closed down the firm and absconded.

Several employees of the company lodged a complaint with the Jubilee Hills Police Station who in turn nabbed the accused on Friday.

He will be produced before the court on Saturday, the Jubilee Hills police inspector, Mr B.Limba Reddy, said

Gujjars shut Delhi

2008-05-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

At least two persons were killed, one of them in police firing, and 14 security personnel injured in violent clashes between Gujjar demonstrators and the security forces in Delhi and Haryana on Thursday. The Gujjars took over the areas bordering the national capital and paralysed rail and road traffic, completely disrupting normal life till late in the afternoon.

One person was killed when the police opened fire on agitators, blocking traf fic on the national highway at Patti Kalyana in Panipat district, while the other died in a stampede reportedly triggered by the police action at Samalkha in Haryana. State Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, ordered a magisterial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of the two persons.

On the warpath over their demand for Scheduled Tribe status, the Gujjar community, observing “martyrs’ day”, poured into the national capital region since the early hours of the morning and blocked major roads leading to New Delhi.

The security forces resorted to lathicharges, lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse violent mobs at Mehrauli, Mathura Road, Gazaipur and Anand Vihar, among other areas.

Nearly 110 agitators were detained by the police.

The agitators fought pitched battles, hurled stones and other missiles at the police.

Life came to a standstill in the affected areas as shops downed shutters and people stayed indoors, while marauding mobs moved around brandishing lathis and spears.

Gujjar alert on in Delhi

2008-05-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Intensifying their agitation, Gujjar protesters on Wednesday laid siege on major highways leading to the national capital, with traffic on the entire Mehrauli-Gurgaon and G.T.-Karnal stretches thrown completely out of gear.

The agitators, demanding scheduled tribe status for their community, put up roadblocks at several important junctions. A high alert has, meanwhile, been sounded in Delhi and neighbouring parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, with the Gujjars declaring that they would observe Thursday as a “black day” to mourn its “martyrs” killed in police firing in Rajasthan.

Earlier in the day, the protesters struck fear among both commuters and local residents as they moved around brandishing swords and other weapons and set ablaze tyres on Gurgaon’s M-G Road area, the hub of the satellite township where most of the major shopping malls are located.

The Gujjars have threatened to bring the entire national capital region to a halt on Thursday. The Centre, fearing that the situation could get out of hand in the Gujjar-dominated areas, has ordered the beefing up of security in sensitive zones: Mehrauli, Ghazipur, Patparganj, Badarpur, Khanpur, Ayanagar, Chilia village and Rampur. Security forces are expected to cordon off these areas.

The Union home secretary, Mr Madhukar Gupta, who is personally monitoring the situation, is in touch with the Delhi police commissioner and the DGPs of UP and Haryana.

The BJP, meanwhile, sent two of its leaders to Jaipur to review the situation.

Chief Minister, Ms Vasundhra Raje, met her ministers and party leaders, including Prakash Javdekar and Kalraj Mishra.

Gujjars at Bayana and Sikandara in eastern Rajasthan have blocked the rail route connecting Mumbai to Delhi, and the national highway linking Jaipur to Agra. Hit by turbulence, the railways on Wednesday cancelled 10 trains passing through Rajasthan for the fifth consecutive day and diverted several others to different routes.

Back to work after a break

2008-05-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Fishermen are now preparing to venture into sea as the 45-day ban on fishing is coming to a close. As scientists found fish breeding to be active during April and May, fishing by mechanised boats in the east coast of Tamil Nadu has been prohibited between April 15 and May 29. The two-lakh fishermen spread over 13 coastal districts of the state pulled their boats offshore and carried out overhauling works, apart from mending fishnets.

Now the fisherfolk across the state have started taking out their boats for a trial run after a month.

Fishermen had welcomed the 45-day holiday as it facilitates increase in fish production. There are over 50,000 registered fishing vessels in Tamil Nadu of which 5,596 are mechanised fishing boats.

The state government had announced that they would pay Rs 500 per family during the mandatory fishing ban period, which benefitted two lakh fishermen families and cost the government Rs10 crore.

Mr A. Alwyn, fishermen from Rameswaram said, “Even though the ban on fishing would help us in getting a good catch, it does not lend us any hand in getting more money. The agents form a syndicate and bring down the price of our catch. So the fisher folk’s dream of earning more money after the holiday does not realise.” The Rameswaram fishermen have a different issue, apart from the price.

They are have the fear of being attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy, which hampers their free movement in the sea.

The ban came into effect after the Centre suggested it — by a mutual consensus among all maritime States — to conserve and replenish fishery wealth. It is being enforced since 2001 in the State.

Husband fled with our child

2008-05-26T19:10:00.001-07:00

Tahseen weeps as she shows the photograph of her daughter Soha and husband Khalid Oman. Soha has been allegedly kidnapped by her father.

A foreign national, married to a local girl, has been charged with kidnapping his three and a half year old daughter from the city.

Khalid Osman (32), a physiotherapist from Sudan, married Tahseen Sultan (26), a resident of Hakeempet, 10 years ago. Six years after marriage, they went to Sudan. Once there, Khalid reportedly started harassing Tahseen and locked her up in a dark room everyday.

Fed up with the torture, she returned to India on February 14 last with her daughter and started staying with her mother.

After six months, Khalid Oman also came to the city and started harassing her again. On May 2, he kidnapped his daughter Soha from his wife’s maternal house and escaped.

Tahseen filed a complaint against her husband in the Banjara Hills police station.

Mr Ashok Kumar, subinspector of police, said: “A case has been registered under Section 498A IPC and investigation is on.” Police say Khalid has taken shelter in Delhi.

“My husband behaved like a sadist. He called me up last night from Delhi and threatened to sell my child.

Though I filed a complaint in the police station, the police doesn’t seem to bother. I want my child back at any cost. I cannot live without her,” said Tahseen.

Yeddy may rake up Hogenakkal

2008-05-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

The Hogenakkal drinking water scheme could face problems as chief minister elect B. S.eddyurappa in Karnataka is expected to keep his ‘promise’ that should his BJP return to power in the state, he would halt the project once and for all.

It may be recalled that Mr Yeddyurappa had inspired the antiHogenakkal agitation in Karnataka by undertaking a boat ride in the Hogenakkal falls on March 16. But, chief minister M. Karunanidhi had put the project on hold and said it could be taken up after a government got elected in Karnataka. The ambitious Hogenakkal drinking water scheme could hit a roadblock as the chief minister elect B. S. Yeddyurappa in Karnataka is expected to keep his ‘promise’ that should his BJP return to power in the state, he would halt the project once and for all.

It may be recalled that Mr Yeddyurappa had inspired the antiHogenakkal agitation in Karnataka by undertaking a boat ride in the falls on March 16. Following violent protests, chief minister M.

Karunanidhi had put the project on hold so that it could be taken up after a popular government got elected in Karnataka. However, Mr Yeddyurappa had then declared in an interview to a Tamil biweekly that the project would be “permanently stalled once a BJP govern ment gets elected.” Now that the BJP has come to power and he would himself lead the government, it is logical to assume that Mr Yeddyurappa would block Tamil Nadu’s Rs.1,334 crore project for providing drinking water to the districts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri bordering Karnataka.

His stand is that the Tamil Nadu project would hurt the availability of water for Karnataka, while Tamil Nadu argued that Karnataka had already tapped its share of Hogenakkal water to feed the domestic taps in Bangaluru.

Sensing the changed political situation in Karnataka, chief minister Karunanidhi had instructed the officials during a review meeting of the municipal administration and water supply departments on Friday to resume Hogenakkal works. “As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, work is happening as per schedule,” said chief secretary L. K. Tripathy on Monday.

Petrol will cost more soon

2008-05-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Centre is seriously considering market-determined prices for petrol together with a significant reduction of customs and excise duties.

Petroleum ministry sources said that if the present excise duty of Rs 14.30 per litre is reduced by half, it would save the petroleum companies Rs 7.50 per litre. The price will then be hiked by just Rs 5. In 2002-03, soon after the administered price mechanism was discontinued, petrol was sold at market-determined prices. Petrol used to subsidise the price of diesel.

The NDA government then started to subsidise the cost of petrol. The oil companies now want petrol again to be sold at market prices.

Gujjar leader spurns peace

2008-05-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Gujjar agitation for Scheduled Tribe status continued for the third day on Sunday. The leader of the agitation, Col.

Kirori Singh Bainsla (Retd), turned down the Centre’s invitation for talks and he also refused to travel to Jaipur to meet the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ms Vasundhara Raje.

With the death toll rising to 38, the Centre rushed additional companies of paramilitary forces to Rajasthan to bring the violence under control. On Sunday, 21 companies (about 2,500 personnel) of the paramilitary forces, drawn from the Border Security Force (BSF), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), are stationed in violence-hit districts of the state.

The “rail roko” call given by Col. Col. Bainsla resulted in the disruption of rail traffic between New Delhi and various destinations in Rajasthan on Sunday. The rail traffic was disrupted ahead of the anniversary of last year's Gujjar agitation, which had claimed 26 lives between May 9 and June 4, 2007. Railway officials here said at least seven trains passing through Rajasthan, including the AmritsarMumbai Golden Temple Mail and Nizamuddin-Bandra Garib Rath Express, were cancelled in the interest of passenger safety.

The Centre has issued advisories to the states neighbouring Rajathan — Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi — to remain alert in order to prevent any untoward incident in the wake of the Gujjar violence.

The Rajasthan Gurjar Arakashan Sangarsh Samiti, which is spearheading the agitation, has rejected the Rajasthan government's special relief package of Rs 282 crores for Gujjar-dominated districts, as was suggested by the Ramdas Agarwal committee. The committee was constituted on the recommendation of the Justice Chopra committee,which had rejected a demand for ST status for Gujjars last year. Instead, the Chopra committee favoured the provision of special relief for the uplift of Gujjars.

The CPI(M) has condemned the police firing in Rajasthan on Friday and Saturday, and a politburo statement said,0 “The Vasundhara Raje government, which has earned notoriety in police firings, is solely responsible for the present killings. The BJP government has not learnt any lesson from last year's incidents and completely bungled in tackling the agitation.

5,000 women still untraced

2008-05-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

The state government’s proposal to establish a Women and Child Protection Bureau (WCPB) in the home department is yet to take off. It was meant to be umbrella organisation to deal with crimes against women.

At present, there is a Women Protection Cell attached to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to deal with crimes against women. But it only deals with major cases and leaves the rest to the local police.

However, the local police is ignoring cases related to trafficking of women. This is worrying the CID.

“Many instances of trafficking in women have come up in Vijayawada but cases are not being registered under the relevant Act,” said a top CID official.

“We wrote many letters to the Vijayawada police commissioner but there was no response. We are taking up the issue again now.” The government had decided to set up the WCPB after the High Court rapped it over the alarming increase in cases of missing women and children. It even summoned the director general of police for a personal explanation.

“There are many laws to protect women but a unified command is lacking to effectively enforce the laws and deal with the crimes,” said the inspector general of police (CID), Mr S. Umapathi.

The home minister, Mr K.Jana Reddy, announced in the budget session of the Assembly that the WCPB would soon be put in place but that has not happened as planned.

Mr Jana Reddy, in fact, held a meeting with women MLAs to take their suggestions on the WCPB. They suggested tough measures, besides good counselling programmes, to deal with the crimes.

Sources said the home department would consider all these suggestions while framing the framing the structure of WCPB.

Meanwhile, as per an undertaking given by the DGP to the High Court, a standard operating procedure has been evolved for station house officers to investigate cases of missing children and women. Statistics reveal that cases relating to missing children and women has gone up sharply in the last four years.

In all, 13,557 such cases were reported between 2004 and 2007 of which only 9,496 cases resulted in the missing persons returning safely. “This is posing a big challenge to us,” said a senior police officer. Even now, 4,061 persons remain untraced causing great anxiety to their families and police, which has been pulled up by the HC.

Terror, violence and desensitisation

2008-05-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

IN THE aftermath of the Jaipur blasts, a leading news channel had organised a discussion on whether India had become shockproof in respect of violence and if repeated terror attacks had desensitised us as a society. In my view, the answer is an unqualified yes. It may be debatable whether our country has become shockproof to terror attacks, but the undeniable fact is that the more noble and elevating responses of earlier times have yielded ground to a certain lessening of shock and a certain amount of cynicism.

In many ways, given the profile of those present, the debate should have been exceptionally moving. There was a young widow whose husband had just lost his life in a terrorist encounter and another woman whose son, also in the armed forces, had similarly lost his life fighting insurgents in Kashmir.

She told me something I will never ever forget. She told me how she mourns her son every day, yet she is proud that he died in uniform and gave his life to his country. Her heart went out to the families of innocent civilians who had been senselessly killed in terrorist attacks. I stared at her in awe. Here was a woman who had lost her son, an unthinkable fate for any parent, and she had it in her heart to feel both pride because her son had died in uniform, and sorrow for innocent civilians who die in terror attacks. There are simply no words to describe such simple goodness. It was an extraordinarily humbling moment for me.

Then there was another older woman who had brought along her 12-year-old granddaughter whose parents had been killed in the Sarojini Nagar blasts. While she wept talking about her son and daughter-in-law, all she could hope for was no one else to suffer like her. A man whose niece died in the Jaipur blasts spoke about how the agony was not just his but the collective angst of an entire society. This should have encouraged deep soul-searching. But, for some reason, the discussion became predictably dissonant and an exercise of apportioning blame.

This is, perhaps, the measure of the times we live in and how the recurrence of violence and our perception of it has somehow become a little unfeeling and cynical.

The response of political society to terror has to be both constructive and united. At no point in time should an internal blame game commence, which will only have an effect of dividing society. The Indian National Congress has always offered a spontaneous and constructive support to the government of the day at times of national crisis, such as in the aftermath of the attack on Parliament.

Unfortunately, the BJP has chosen not to follow the constructive path. It lost no time in launching a blistering attack upon the Prime Minister and the Union government. The chief minister of Rajasthan made snide remarks about the Congress president’s visit to Jaipur with L.K. Advani standing by her side. For some reason, it was wrong for the Congress president and UPA chairperson to visit Jaipur to offer condolences to the injured and to victims‘ families, but it was perfectly fine for Mr Advani to do the same thing.

It is nobody’s case that the principal Opposition party should not point out the mistakes that they might perceive the government has made, but, there is a time, a place and a constructive manner in which that can be done. Sadly, the BJP does not understand or observe the “Laxman rekha” between constructive and destructive criticism. It is also very important that terror should never be communalised or used for political propaganda, particularly in the immediate aftermath of an attack.

The shock, horror and trauma following a terror attack are a time of great human suffering and the victims need the entire nation’s support. It would be cynical and insensitive to muddy waters at a time when society has to present a united face against terrorism.

The response of civil society and institutions such as the media are also very important at these times. The ordinary Indian has shown exceptional qualities of humanity and concern during moments of crisis. Whether following a terror attack or a communal riot or a huge natural calamity like an earthquake or tsunami, local citizens have rushed to the aid of the injured and affected without a moment’s hesitation. It is always the nearby villager who wades into the devastated area and renders all possible assistance to people who need it. In the aftermath of the tsunami I was humbled by the sight of simple homemakers who cooked whatever food was available in their homes and fed those who were stranded or had lost their homes. The resilience of our people is legendary, as is our capacity to bounce back to normalcy. In far more developed countries we have seen images of looters and vandals taking advantage of the shock and disruption of a natural calamity.

Kolli hills set to get a makeover

2008-05-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

The state tourism department has embarked on an ambitious plan to bring the un-spoilt and picturesque verdant Kolli Hills, a segment of the vibrant Eastern Ghats in Namakkal district, onto the tourism roadmap of the country.

Accordingly, massive projects have been evolved to develop the Kolli Hills, which promises a sequestered haven for nature lovers, at an outlay of Rs 6 crore.

The officials hope to develop the spot as a leisure destination and also as health resort.

“There is tremendous scope for promoting Kolli Hills as a health resort.

Unlike the recreational hill stations like Ooty and Kodaikanal, Kolli Hills is a rich repository of medicinal plants,” a senior tourism official said and added, “though it was still very nascent for the government to establish a health spa, the department is determined to promote this lesser known spot.” Pointing out that a catch phrase to market this scenic spot would soon be evolved, the official told this newspaper that initially Rs 1 crore has been earmarked to establish infrastructure facilities especially park, parking lot, lighting, drinking water facilities, etc.

Further, the Centre had in principle agreed to provide Rs 5 crore for creating additional infrastructure. Once this sum is obtained and the works completed, Kolli Hills would witness a surge of tourism activities.

Besides promoting it as an important tourist destination in the state, the officials anticipate to develop Kolli Hills as a destination for adventure sports.

Hills has numerous attractions including the shimmering Akash Ganga falls, trek routes, nature trails and the renowned Sri Arapaleeshwarar temple and over 70 hairpin bends.

Cuddalore stalker nabbed

2008-05-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

The police detained a Kannada speaking man, suspected to be behind the several murderous attacks on villagers in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday night. A village patrol team nabbed the man after he was found moving in a suspicious manner with bloodstains on his clothes.

People living in over 50 villages in Cuddalore had been spending sleepless nights for the last few weeks after an unidentified man brutally killed two persons and injured many during night attacks.

“We have strong suspicion that the man we detained could be behind the two murders and other attacks.

All the people were attacked when they were sleeping.

The man we picked up had no injuries on his body but had bloodstains on his veshti. We are sending the bloodstained clothes for DNA test as the man was not co-operating when ques tioned. We found that he is mentally unstable,” Mr Pradip Kumar, superintendent of police, Cuddalore district, told this newspaper on Sunday.

First murder was reported on May 9 in Kothavaheri village where an auto rickshaw driver Ravi (30) was the victim. A farmer named Balasubramanian (28) was killed two days later. The unidentified man reportedly attacked many other villagers also. All attacks took place when the victims were asleep.

According to the police, the Kannada speaking man was not ready to talk despite the authority getting an interpreter to talk to him. “He is mentally unstable. We don’t see any reason for him to be roaming around in the villages. Only a patrol team from the village caught him.

We are positive about his involvement in the attacks.

Right now he is a suspect.

Only after DNA tests we can confirm his involvement,” the official added.

After the reports about attacks by unidentified man started appearing, senior police officials had deployed more than 250 men in different villages along with local patrol teams.

When the police heaved a sigh of relief on Saturday night after catching the suspect, another attack was reported on Sunday morning triggering speculation that the actual culprit is still at large. However, a senior official claimed that the latest incident, in which an old lady was attacked, is not related to serial attacks.

“The old lady was attacked after she had a family problem,” the official said.

BJP pins hopes on Yeddy

2008-05-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

The ‘intrusive’ Hogenakkal water project will not be affected by the return of B. S. Yeddyuruppa as Karnataka’s chief minister, Tamil Nadu president of the party L. Ganesan asserted.

“I do not foresee any threat to the Hogenakkal project. It is a scheme that ought to be implemented by Tamil Nadu government,” Mr Ganesan said on Sunday and added, that Mr Yeddyuruppa was a “staunch nationalist who believes that India is one nation from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. I am sure he would help resolve the issue amicably.” Mr Ganesan was reacting to a query on the prospects of implementing the Hogenakkal project in Dharmapuri owing to stiff opposition from Karnataka.

Karnataka BJP had been belligerently opposing the project.

In March Mr Yeddyuruppa visit ed the site bordering Karnataka and asked the TN government to stop it. The state government put the project on hold but hardly two days before counting commenced in Karnataka, chief minister M. Karunanidhi asked offi cials to complete the Rs 1,334crore project as scheduled.

Expressing that the state government should go ahead with the project, Mr Ganesan remarked, “Let Mr Yeddyuruppa first assume charge as chief min ister. The issue could be explained to him and he would surely act favourably.” On his party’s behalf, the senior leader pledged ‘full support for the project’.

He told reporters at Kamalalayam, party headquarters here, that the rout of Congress in Karnataka Assembly elections showed that people have rejected the Congress. Elated over his party’s victory in Karnataka, he said the poll verdict was a victory to the party’s policies and achievements of the government led by former prime minister A.B.Vajpayee and Mr Yeddyuruppa’s short but good rule.

Meanwhile, party members were on cloud nine over the victory and possibility of forming the first-ever saffron government in South India on May 28.

Sweets were distributed and crackers burst.

State general secretary Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan and other leaders participated.

Setback for Congress in Lok Sabha bypolls

2008-05-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

It was a day of set backs for the Congress, with the party defeated in three byelections to the Lok Sabha. Thane in Maharashtra went to the Shiv Sena, Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh to the BJP and Tura in Meghalaya to the NCP. The Congress, however, managed to retain two Assembly seats in Haryana.

In Tura, Delhi lawyer Agatha Sangma, daughter of senior NCP leader Purno A. Sangma, consensus candidate of the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance, defeated the Congress’ Zenith Sangma by 99,855 votes. Ms Sangma, 27, becomes the fourth member of her family in public life:

two of her brothers are MLAs in Meghalaya.

In Hamirpur, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s son Anurag defeated O.P.Rattan of the Congress by 1,74,666 votes. In Thane, the Shiv Sena’s Anand Paranjape defeated Sanjeev Naik of the NCP by 90,872 votes. In Haryana, former chief minister Bhajan Lal won the Adampur Assembly seat.

BJP reigns supreme

2008-05-25T18:36:00.001-07:00

The BJP made history on Sunday as it planted its first saffron flag in the South, winning 110 seats in a hard-fought election for Karnataka’s 224member Assembly. “There was no question of defeat,” said the BJP’s triumphant chief ministerial candidate, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa. “I was always confident of victory.” Mr Yeddyurappa is expected to be sworn in as Chief Minister on May 28.

He will be formally elected leader of the BJP legislature party on Monday.

BJP sources claimed that the party would get the support of four Independents. The unambiguous vote for change and an end to a series of fractured mandates dealt a severe blow to the Congress, which had hoped for a comeback in the southern state ahead of the general elections in 2009.

The Congress won 80 seats, retaining much of its voteshare at 34.6 per cent, but was unable to translate support into seats, garnering an increase of 15 seats from its previous haul of 65 in 2004.

The biggest loser was the Janata Dal (S) and the father and son duo of Mr H.D. Deve Gowda and Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy, who were restricted to their traditional rural vote base, winning 26 of a total of 28 from the southern districts, down from their 2004 tally of 58.

The Janata Dal(Secular) clearly took a beating at the hands of the BJP, which cashed in on the twin election planks that played out — the “betrayal” by the JD(S) as well as the plea to be given a chance to run a singleparty government.

Mr Kumarasawmy told this newspaper that the main reason for the JD(S) defeat was because senior leaders had left his side. “It was a one-man show,” Mr Kumaraswamy said, meaning he had campaigned singlehandedly.

But poll analysts like Harish Bijoor ascribed the BJP’s victory to Karnataka’s fractious caste and cash-rich politics.

“It was a consolidation of the Lingayat vote in the BJP’s favour and a fracturing of the Vokkaliga vote between the Congress and the JD(S).” The AICC office-bearer in charge of Karnataka, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, said the weak Congress organisational structure as opposed to the BJP’s, which was fully geared for an election, was responsible, pointing to the party’s voteshare, which remained higher than that of the BJP’s 33.9 per cent.

Former chief minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, on whom the Congress’ hopes of a resurrection had rested and whose own political future is yet to be decided, said it was “the saddest day of my life.” Party insiders ascribed the drubbing to the inability of the party to inspire confidence in the Congress’ time-honoured vote base of minorities, Muslims, dalits and SCSTs. Out of the 51 SC-ST seats, the BJP won 29, Congress 17 and the JD(S) two. The Congress was simply not ready for an election. “We were expecting elections in November,” admitted one Congress leader.

The much-vaunted Bahujan Samaj Party was a no-show, although its state president Marasandra Muniyappa said his party had gained six per cent of the vote.

“While we stand in second place in 10 constituencies, we are the third in around 36,” he said. The giant killer of the day was Mr Yeddyurappa.

He ended his rival S.Bangarappa’s unbeaten electoral run as well as that of a number of senior Congressmen, such as former chief minister, Mr Dharam Singh, who lost by a paltry 56 votes while attempting a record ninth consecutive win.

Spotted deer chased to death

2008-05-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

He plight of a three-year-old spotted deer that strayed into residential areas ended in a tragedy on Saturday.

According to eyewitnesses, a few villagers, mostly youngsters chased the male herbivore for about 20 minutes until the animal died of shock.

According to forest department sources the incident happened near ‘Pannaikuppam Eri’ in Villupuram district. The curious villagers made several attempts to catch the animal, but the shock created during the chase affected the nervous system of the deer. The villagers noticing that the animal was breathless informed the district forest authorities and the wildlife officials on their arrival found the animal dead.

A senior wildlife official informed this newspaper that a post-mortem was carried on the deer the same day.

The autopsy report confirmed that the animal has sustained severe stress and trauma resulting in the collapse of the nervous system and renal failure.

The animal had lost its way from the adjacent reserve forest areas and was in search of a water body, the official added.

According to wildlife activists, the loss of deer habitat due to urbanisation and uncontrolled exploitation of reserve areas are the major reasons forcing the animals to stray into residential areas during which fatal human animal conflicts are becoming usual.

Spotted deer (axis) are extremely nervous animals and are always on the alert for a stalking predator. The spotted deer is the most commonly found deer species in India.

Computer aided designs for traditional sarees

2008-05-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

The state handlooms and textile department has introduced 3,000 new designs for the benefit of the handloom weavers cooperative societies producing silk and cotton sarees.

Among them are 378 traditional designs, including a unique design woven on a traditional silk saree made as far back in 1902. These traditional designs were reintroduced because they were exquisite. “All these 378 designs have been contributed by weavers and connoisseurs. The century-old saree was given by one Chettiyar family,” says Vishwanath Shegaonkar, secretary, handlooms, handicrafts, textiles and khadi department. He told this newspaper that the designs have been introduced as part of an effort to improve the marketing strategy of over 1,103 handloom weavers cooperative societies across the state.

These computer-aided designs come in handy to make the products more attractive and thereby increase the sales, he added.

Moreover, this would ensure continuous work for weavers. The department gave upto Rs 2,000 for each design obtained from the people.

Asked to comment on the stagnation of products due to soaring prices of yarn in Erode and other parts of the state, Mr Shegaonkar said chief minister M. Karunanidhi had already written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging the Centre to bring down the yarn prices.

“The Centre should ensure that cotton is made available for processing into yarn for the benefit of the weavers,” he said. Presently, 73 lakh cotton bales were required for the textile industry in the state per annum. But only 5.5 lakh bales were produced in the state and the remaining quantity was purchased through open markets from Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

But for now the department was concentrating on value addition like introducing organic cotton shirts and aroma shirts with jasmine fragrance. The yarn for the organic cotton shirts is made from the cotton grown by the tribals of the Chitling Hills in Dharmapuri district. Cotton is cultivated in about 40 acres land without using chemical fertilisers or insecticides.

During 2007-08, the Cooptex has registered a retail sale of Rs 126.5 crore and earned a profit of Rs 5 crore.

Claiming that the government was taking steps to improve the sale of handloom products, Mr Shegaonkar said over 140 weavers societies across the state have been asked to produce export items as this would enable the weavers to get enhanced wages ranging between Rs 120 to Rs 200 per day.

Karnataka results today, BJP banks on Mayawati

2008-05-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

The BJP appears to be relying on the charge of Mayawati’s blue elephant to score a victory in the recently-concluded Karnataka Assembly polls. An internal survey conducted by the party before the polls indicated that Ms Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party could increase its voteshare by at least four per cent.

Counting of votes will begin across the state at 8 am on Sunday, and almost all projections indicate that there might be a hung Assembly for the second consecutive time. The first results are expected by 11 am, and almost all results are likely to be declared by late Sunday afternoon.

A senior BJP leader said: “The increase in the BSP’s voteshare could hit the Congress hard.” BJP spin doctors are confident that the increase in the BSP’s vote percentage would benefit the saffron camp. The leader added: “Another post-poll survey conducted by the BJP once again confirmed that Mayawati would strengthen her position in the state, as far as voteshare was concerned.” The BSP is contesting 219 of the 224 Assembly seats in the state.

Both the BSP and the Samajwadi Party are in the fray in Karnataka. Though neither of the parties are expected to win any significant number of seats, both could eat into the voteshare of other major players, particularly the Congress.

The BJP has also been talking of major “consolidation” of the Lingayat community in its favour. The BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate, Mr B.S.Yeddyurappa, belongs to the politically-dominant Lingayat community. According to the saffron brigade’s calculations, the BSP would “eat into the Congress’ dalit votebank.” It can be mentioned that in the 2004 Assembly polls in Karnataka a major chunk of the dalit votebank had shifted from the Congress to the BSP.

Sources said that “Congress managers were somewhat apprehensive of a similar outcome.” If Ms Mayawati’s charge could hit the Congress hard, the BJP strategists were a bit wary of the Samajwadi Party.

The SP, led by Mr S. Bangarappa, is contesting nearly 50 seats in the state. A BJP strategist pointed out that during the 2004 polls, Mr Bangarappa was with the saffron brigade and it had “helped us to a great extent to emerge as the single largest party.” However, Mr Bangarappa, 76, has now been talking of the need to “oust the communal forces from Karnataka.” Mr Bangarappa is contesting against Mr Yeddyurappa.

BJP leaders in New Delhi claimed that there was a “kind of wave in favour of the party,” and that Mr Bangarappa would not be able to make any dent in it. The party also denied speculation that some of its top brass were holding “secret parleys” with Janata Dal (Secular) chief H.D. Deve Gowda.

Trying to cast her spell over the 22 per cent dalits in the state, Ms Mayawati had taken on all the three outfits — BJP, Congress and JD(S) — during her campaigning.

Though the BJP has played on the “betrayal by the JD(S)” and exhorted the electorate to “give the party a last chance,” it is quite apprehensive about what might transpire on Sunday. “It just might be difficult for us to touch the magic figure and we might fall short by maybe 15 seats,” a party leader said. Some of the BJP top brass are preparing to rush to the state in the event of a hung Assembly.

Sherpa climbs Everest 18 times

2008-05-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Appa Sherpa broke his own world record by conquering Mount Everest for the eighteenth time.

Appa Sherpa, from a village at the base of the world’s highest peak, topped out in the early hours of the morning, the head of Nepal’s Mountaineering Association said.

“Appa Sherpa summitted Everest at 5:45 am (local time) this morning. He has set the new world record as it is the 18th time he has got to the top,” Ang Tsering Sherpa said.

Appa’s closest competition — trailing at 15 ascents — is the 42-year-old Nepalese climber Chhewang Nima.

Appa Sherpa, known as one of Nepal’s “Super Sherpas” — hardened climbers with almost superhuman stamina — was among 37 climbers taking advantage of good weather to reach the summit on Thursday. Twenty-seven others reached the peak on Wednesday. Ten of them were Indians, including two women.

The mountaineers, including an IPS officer, belong to the Union home ministry, an official release said.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and home minister Shivraj Patil congratulated the team on its success, it added.

Twenty-two Indians have summitted the world’s highest peak in two days as part of 12 different expeditions.

Kalpana Dash of Orissa, India, reached the summit on Tuesday leading a Friendship Everest Expedition. She also became the first Indian to scale the world’s highest peak this season.

Twelve Indian climbers, all members of Sana Expedition, scaled Everest on Tuesday. Nine Indian climbers from another expedition, Snow Lion from the Indian Army, also reached the top.

Kalpana, 38, made it after two failed attempts. According to her family and information received from Arun Trek and Expedition Training, Nepal, Kalpana reached the peak at 11.30 am on Wednesday.

Kalpana persevered to scale the Everest after abortive attempts in 2004 and 2006.

She had left Dhenkanal on March 5, saying this time she will return home only after scaling the Everest. As news reached the district, her family members were delighted. Sweets were distributed amongst local people and well wishers who thronged her Kumbharasahi residence.

Another Indian summiteer is a policeman from Jammu and Kashmir. Constable Ram Singh accomplished the mission and unfurled the flag of Jammu and Kashmir police on the summit State’s director general of police, Kuldeep Khoda said, “It is a moment of honour and pride not only for Jammu and Kashmir police but for the whole state.” Ram Singh was part of the Indian Mount Everest North Col. Expedition sponsored by the Union home ministry.

This spring’s other aspiring recordbreakers include adventurer Yuichiro Miura, 75, of Japan and Nepalese Min Bahadur Sherchan, 73, who are vying to become the oldest person to conquer Everest.

PAK, TALIBAN SIGN PEACE ACCORD

2008-05-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

The Pakistan government and Taliban militants have signed a 15-point peace agreement to eliminate training camps of the militants, besides halting attacks on security forces and government installations in the restive Swat district.

Senior NWFP provincial minister Mr Bashir Ahmed Bilour said on Wednesday evening that the government and the local Taliban has signed the “historic 15-point peace agreement.” Talking to reporters after conclusion of the third and final round of talks in Peshawar with representatives of Tehrik-e-Taliban, he said that both the parties agreed to make practical efforts for the establishment of durable peace in Swat and hence inked a peace truce.

“The local Taliban have agreed to cooperate with the state machinery in the maintenance of peace and harmony in the region besides binding them to cooperate with the government,” said Mr Bilour.

The minister, while dilating upon others points of the accord, said that measures will be taken for swapping the prisoners and there would be total ban on display of arms and ammunition. Similarly, he said, the Taliban will cooperate with the government health teams in campaigns against fatal diseases.

Mr Bilour said Imam Dheri Madrassa, the strong hold of Taliban from where the present uprising had started by rebellious cleric Maulana Fazalullah, will be converted into an Islamic university. The accord bounds Taliban against raising private militia in their respective areas, Mr Bilour added.

According to the peace truce, the Taliban will hand over lethal and heavy weaponry to the govern ment, will not attack CDs, barbar and music shops, will neither resort to suicide blasts and instead will condemn it and will allow women to perform their duties at the work place without any fear.

Moreover, the Taliban will accept writ of the government and only licensed FM radio stations would be allowed to operate in the area. The government will implement “Shariah” (Islamic laws) in Swat and Malakand divisions. The government has agreed to the gradual withdrawal of security forces from the district.

Meanwhile, Taliban militants said on Thursday that the success of a peace deal with the government in a north-western area depends on the complete enforcement of Islamic law in the region.

The agreement in the scenic Swat Valley ends months of fighting between troops and rebels loyal to pro-Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah who was campaigning for the introduction of harsh Sharia law.

“We have accepted to give up the armed struggle because the government has agreed to the complete enforcement of the Sharia laws,” pro-Taliban militant spokesman Muslim Khan said in a statement.

“We are happy about the agreement but the success of agreement depends on the conduct of the government, especially in enforcing the Sharia laws,” Mr Khan said.

AMU to launch Islamic banking

2008-05-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) will shortly start a course on Islamic Banking and Finance that will be based on the norms of Shariah (Islamic rules on transaction). This is the first time that such a course that allows “interest free banking” is being started in India.

The Islamic law prohibits interest on both loans and deposits, as both profit and risk are shared together by the borrower and the lender.

As a result, the depositor, who does not bear risk in other banking systems has to equally share the risk with the bank in Islamic banking. Owner of the capital, however, is allowed to have a share in the surplus.

India has no banks that operate on shirkah and muzarabah that are the basic Islamic principles. The Daurl Ifta Deoband has even issued a fatwa against “normal and routine” banking schemes that do not subscribe to Islamic norms.

There are, meanwhile, a few non-banking cooperatives like Al Ameen Islamic Financial and Investment Corporation Ltd. in Karnataka and Mumbai-based Al-Barr Finance House Limited, which have branches in some cities, including Aligarh. There are also some popular investment companies that claim to invest money as per the Islamic laws.

A three-member committee has been set up under the chairmanship of Dr Mohammed Nejatullah Siddiqi, a retired Aligarh Muslim University, professor of economics and Islamic studies to work out the modalities of the course on Islamic banking.

HC says temple land not to be alienated to BEL

2008-05-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday directed that the state should not alienate temple land to that of Bharat Electronics Limited (Bel) at Nemmaluru village in Krishna district.

While dealing with a petition filed by Mr M. Venakatacharyulu, chairman of the trust board of Venkateswaraswamy temple, stating that the district administration was making efforts to alienate 53 acres of temple land to Bel for establishing an additional unit to manufacture and supply of optical and opto-electronic vision devices, the court asked the government not to allot the land till further orders.

The petitioner informed the court that the land, which was proposed for alienation, is the main source of income for the temple.

The petition also said the temple was founded in 1669 and devotees gifted the land for the purpose of nithya deeparadhana (the daily rituals of the temple).

Re-admit medical students, says HC

2008-05-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

The AP High Court on Thursday directed the NTR University of Health Sciences to allow the students, whose admissions had been cancelled on the ground that they did not have the qualifying marks, to attend classes again.

While dealing with a petition filed by physically disabled students of MBBS first year classes, who have been barred by the university after pursuing studies for a year because they did not obtain the required 50 per cent marks in the entrance exam, after pursuing studies for a year, Justice Ramesh Ranganathan directed that the university permit the students to write the internal exams to be held at the end of May.

The university had recently rejected the admission of 22 students and asked them to vacate the hostels. Eight of these students had approached the court seeking a suspension of the university.

Lifestyle diseases to beat viral threat

2008-05-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

Bacteria, viruses, germs and worms will play a low profile in the next two decades as lifestyle diseases overtake infectious and communicable diseases.

The global burden of disease is fast shifting from infectious diseases to noncommunicable diseases, with chronic conditions such as heart disease and stroke now being the chief causes of death globally, including India. While the World Health Organisation warns that shifting health trends will push lifestyle diseases up the chart, health experts in India point out that the trend has already started in the country with the number of heart diseases and diabetes going up considerably.

According to a WHO report, leading infectious diseases like diarrhoea, HIV, tuberculosis, neonatal infections and malaria will become less important causes of death worldwide over the next 20 years. The WHO has arrived at this projection based on data on 73 health indicators.

Senior interventionist cardiologist Dr DK Barua says the chief causes of death are noncommunicable diseases like heart attack, diabetes and hypertension. “The incidence of non-infectious diseases has gone up considerably. We are on the ascending stage now and 20 years from now, India could over take China in diabetic cases,” he says.

The WHO statistics show risk factors like smoking and alcohol consumption will push the number of non-communicable diseases including maternal mortality, which is currently as high as 450 per lakh live births in India and other developing countries.

King George Hospital superintendent, Dr T Ravi Raju, supports WHO data saying India will become a leading county in terms of number of cases of diabetes and heart and kidney ailments.

The average life span of an Indian was 37 years before Independence and now it has gone up to 65.

Experts say that the change in pattern of diseases is not necessarily due to the change in lifestyle or stress but Indians are genetically more prone to heart diseases than those living in any other developing country.

Complaint filed on Gold Quest

2008-05-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

After the alleged Gold Quest scandal came to light, the first case against the company was registered in the city on Wednesday night.

A 65-year-old retired government employee, Mr Radhakrishna of Tarnaka, lodged a case with the Mahankali police on Wednesday night against Gold Quest and an agent claiming that they together cheated him of Rs 27,000 in 2006.

According to the police, in 2006, a friend of Radhakrishna introduced him to a Gold Quest agent, C.Srinivas.

The agent allegedly assured the complainant that by paying Rs 27,600 Mr Radhakrishna can join the scheme and if he gets another member to join as well, he would earn Rs 11,500 per month. Three months after Mr Radhakrishna paid the membership money of Rs 27,000, he was given a gold and a silver coin worth Rs 6,000 by the company, the police said. As Radhakrishna did not introduce anyone else he did not get any further incentives.

Though the Gold Quest office at Surya Towers in Mahankali was locked since the Gold Quest scam came to light, on Wednesday Mr Radhakrishna decided to lodge a complaint.

Based on the complaint lodged by Mr Radhakrishna, police registered a cheating case under section 420 of IPC and cases under sections 4 and 5 of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Scheme (Banning) Act 1978 against Gold Quest and agent Srinivas.

‘I win because people love me’

2008-05-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

He is described as “ajaathashatru (one who does not have rivals)” in state politics. Former chief minister Dharam Singh is in the news but this time for different reasons. The Congress candidate from Jewargi constituency wants to create a record of sorts by winning elections from the same constituency for the ninth time in a row. In an interview with this newspaper, he discussed what could happen in Jewargi and in the state as well.

Q: How are your poll preparations and what is your take on your victory?

A: Besides my friend and KPCC president, Mallikar jun Kharge, no leader has even won elections eight times in a row from the same constituency. Because of the delimitation, he had to change the constituency this time. I am contesting from Jewargi from where I have been winning since 1972. I will win this time too, no doubt.

Q: But, the BJP has been making allegations that you have not done anything for the constituency and you won the elections in the past by distributing money. Your comments.

A: (Visibly disturbed) They are desperate and therefore, they make such baseless allegations and you publish them ... It is the BJP which brought mine-owners to distribute money. I won elections because people loved me and this time too, it is the same factor that will work in my favour. In a way, this election will be the easiest. It will be a cakewalk.

Q: If you have achieved so much, can you tell me some of the major programmes.

A: Mudabala, Indi and Jewargi branch canals were sanctioned during my tenure. Development of Bidar-Srirangapatna state highway is a major achievement. Every grampanchayat got a high school, one IT college, five junior colleges and one degree college were sanctioned after I became the chief minister. Who got circuit benches to Gulbarga and Hubli? If this is not development, what else is development? Apart from this, I am there for a marriage or paying the fee of a child in my constituency.

Isliye woh log mohabbat kartien hain (That is why they love me).

Q: What is your poll prediction?

A: The Congress will get a comfortable majority. The BJP will not cross more than 80 and the Janata Dal(S) might get around 35.

Q: It looks like that BJP has an edge because of the Lingayat factor. Don’t you consider this?

A: The BJP will not do well in these 69 constituencies. The Lingayat factor has not worked here. Mr Yeddyurappa is not mature.

He is not chief minister material. You see how they ran the government for 20 months. Almost every day, the partners (JD-S and BJP) fought. You would remember that when I was the chief minister, things were different. We never fought in public.

Employee is strangled

2008-05-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Following the murder of Jayaraman, a 32-year-old data entry operator of Pondicherry university on Tuesday, employees of the Pondicherry university and relatives of the victim squatted on East Coast Road with the body of the victim, demanding action against a senior university official, who is allegedly responsible for the death.

Jayaraman was found strangulated to death in his estate near his house in Kalapet.

He was missing since Monday evening and his brother found the body on Tuesday.

According to members of the non-teaching staff’s welfare association of the university, the deceased was facing threat from a particular university official.

“Jayaraman was aware of the official’s malpractices in the university. He had already informed the higher officials about the activities of the official concerned. So fearing further expose the official killed him,” the protesting employees of the university alleged.

More than 200 people blocked the ECR in the afternoon, seeking immediate police action against the official.

“They blocked the traffic by keeping the stretcher carrying the dead body on the road. The police had to give assurance to make people disperse from the road,” said the police. It may be noted that Jayaraman had already given a complaint at the Kalapet police station saying that he was facing threats from a particular official.

He had also tried to commit suicide a few months ago due to the alleged harassment from the official. Jayaraman’s brother had lodged a fresh complaint on Wednesday against the official at the Kalapet police station.

Minister’s homage at the Rajiv memorial

2008-05-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

Carrying a torch, he, along with his party men, went around the mural in silence.

Mr Reddy was the last man from Andhra who Rajiv Gandhi met a few hours before his death. With tears welling up in his eyes, he recalled a brief meeting organised by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in the venue, “When I called on Rajivji in Chennai before he left for Sriperumbudur, he asked me to work for the Congress’ victory in Parliamentary elections.

Taking orders from him, I was attending election meetings in Nellore when I received a call that he was dead. Since then, I keep coming to the site every year in his memory.” Y.S.Rajashekera Reddy’s government, he said, had been implementing all programmes named either after Rajiv Gandhi or Indira Gandhi. He wanted the Congress to come to power in Tamil Nadu too.

He brought with him about thousand workers in a motorcade of hundred vehicles and also organised poor feeding. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee too came on a yatra carrying Rajiv jyoti from Bangalore to Siperumbudur under the leadership of its labour department convenor S.S.Prakasam. Carrying a torch, he, along with his party men, went around the mural in silence.

Steps to prevent theft of babies

2008-05-20T23:34:00.000-07:00

In a bid to put an end to the “mixing” of newborn and the alleged “lifting” of male babies from the Erode GH and to avoid the ensuing conflicts, the footprints of the babies will be maintained as records in the Medical Record Department along with the details of the respective parents.

This initiative is first of its kind mooted in the Erode GH and comes close to the increasing number of babies being swapped besides the babies that go missing from the maternity wards in the hospital.

The simple procedure would help avoid the complicated, time consuming and expensive DNA tests, Dr. Hussain Ali told this newspaper.

The impression of the right foot is taken of the male babies and left of the female.

With an average of 18 deliveries per day, footprints that are as unique as the fingerprints have been made mandatory.

Initially CCTVs were suggested to keep an eye on the mishappenings at the labour wards. Even if funds for these could be managed it was not foolproof and could be manipulated unlike the footprints, he said.

BSNL

2008-05-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

For the first time in the country, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched the international standard smart payphone service at Anna University campus on Monday.

Speaking at the function where Dr D Viswanathan, vice chancellor, Anna University launched the service here, Mr A S Egaya chief general manager, Tamil Nadu telecom circle, said the service was brought about through a tie up with Navitel Corporation Private Limited.

“Through this phone the users can avail the local, STD and ISD facilities by drop of a coin.

The box has electronic intelligence to accept multi denomination coins like Rs 1, 2 and 5.

Naxalite issue to be taken up at meeting

2008-05-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Naxalites’ interference in tiger reserves and cross-border issues are going to be taken up during the third meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, scheduled for Wednesday. The Centre has accepted that Naxalite activities are “greatly interfering” in tiger reserves management, specially in Indravati in Chhattisgarh and Palamu in Jharkhand, which were inaccessible for the recent tiger census.

Members will also discuss on strengthening the strategy for tiger conservation and a refined methodology which will be used for the next tiger evaluation.

Assessment of ecological integrity of tiger reserves as an integral part of the management effectiveness will also be taken up during this meeting.

“To promote ownership among stakeholders as well as transparency, diversity of stakeholders is essential. It is necessary that those who are part of a tiger reserve must use the assessment results to improve the condition of that individual reserve. It will help in bringing the required changes that are necessary for wildlife conservation,” said a member of the NTCA, adding that timing of the next all-India tiger estimation and NTCA’s logo will also be finalised. During the last census, the International Union for Conservation of Nature had given few suggestions to Project Tiger on its evaluation process.

No land for IT companies to set up shop

2008-05-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

Several major Information Technology companies have been waiting in vain for land from the state government to set up their units around the city.

Though the government claims to have a pro-IT stance, it has not yet responded to the applications of top-notch companies such as Siemens, HCL, Applabs and Value Labs for land.

The state government did say some time back that it would not allot any more land around Hyderabad to IT firms but it made exceptions for companies such as Infosys. “We expected a positive response from the government when we proposed to set up our second centre in the country in Hyderabad,” said a Siemens official. “But it has not taken a decision yet.” In fact, the IT department does not have even a single acre to allot to the IT compa nies. The state government has transferred hundreds of acres to the AP Infrastructure Corporation for auction, because of the increasing pressure on land around Gachibowli and in the vicinity of Shamshabad Airport.

“How can we give land to companies when there is no land available around Hyderabad?” asked Mr S.K. Joshi, secretary of the IT department.

“The available land is with the APIIC.” Vexed, Siemens is planning to start another development centre at Visakhapatnam. “This does not necessarily mean we have abandoned the Hyderabad project,” said the company official.

Other companies are still waiting for a favourable decision from the IT department.

The government’s decision to achieve exports of over Rs 25,000 crore this year. And to achieve this, it is intending to promote ‘IT towns’ in areas which fall in Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts.

“We don’t want to face a logjam as in Bangalore where land is not available and travel has become difficult,” said an IT department official.

IT companies are, however, eager to have their unit near Hitech city or around Shamshabad Airport.

“We are not asking the land for free,” said the representative of an IT firm. “But the government should give some relief to the companies that have already generated much employment.”

Ship near Somalia coas

2008-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

The hijacked Jordanian cargo ship with 10 Indians among its crew was traced three days after it was commandeered by heavily armed Somali pirates off the Somalian coast.

According to reports received here on Tuesday, the ship M V Victoria was located at Garacad, about 600 kms north of Somalian capital Moghadishu. Further details are awaited and it was immediately not known if any ransom demand was made.

The ship, which left Mumbai early this month carrying humanitarian aid, was hijacked about 55 kms near Moghadishu on Saturday in a string of attacks off the lawless Somalian coast, according to director general of Shipping.

4,200 tonnes of bagged sugar were being taken to the war-ravaged Somalia hit by food shortages. News of the vessel being traced came even as Indian Navy ships were put on high alert. Officials of the Kenyabased East Africa Seafarers’ Association were also involved in efforts to locate the ship.

Destroyer INS Delhi has been put on stand-by and is ready to sail at a moment’s notice, Navy sources said.

Sea pirates in three speed boats with heavy arms and guns hijacked the ship which had 21 crew members. Besides the 10 Indians there were two Burmese, two Bangladeshis, three Kenyans and two Tanzanians. The ship is owned by Sharjah-based Five Seas Company and operated by Sharjah-based Marwan Shipping. MV Victoria, registered in Jordan, was built in 1979.

“The pirates have not made any demands yet,” Mr Andrew Mwangura of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme said on Monday.

He was a great scholar’

2008-05-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

Vijay Tendulkar was one of the greatest playwrights in India. He was the investigative journalist of society. I first met him several years back, not as a playwright but as a neighbour. Then I met him again while I was assisting Ashutosh Gowarikar and then while acting in a TV serial by his daughter Priya that he produced. He fondly called me Jesus Christ.

I read a line written by the great filmmaker Tarkwasky that said, “Imagination is less richer than reality.” Tendulkar’s writing made me understand the truth behind this statement. His classic plays Ghasiram Kotwal, Sakharam Binder and Shantata Court Chalu Aahe (translated as Silence! The Court is in Session) are deeply imprinted in my mind. He was a scholar, a thinker and a guide.

A strong man who went through a lot, having faced three deaths in his house — that of his son, his daughter and his wife. My biggest guilt is that I didn’t meet him in the last six-seven months. I remember his quiet walks in the Vile Parle East area. I always wondered what would be going thorough his mind as he walked at an even speed. He was vocal about the loss of freedom in the aftermath of the blasts in Mumbai in a newspaper. He was a fearless man. His play Sakharam Binder was banned by the state censor board; a play named Gidhade too was performed without tickets as that too went through a censor hassle.

He was threatened several times by political and cultural goons. As a writer, I dwell very often on the fantastic, but it’s he who made me understand the richness of reality. I am grateful to him for giving me the freedom to write a script based on his classic play Sakharam Binder titled Sakharam ke Khoj Mein and now I have written a film script on it called Sakharam.

I will be recollecting his words and his silence and hope they take me through my future. If at all life exists after death, I’d really want to meet him again.

Karuna back to work

2008-05-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

He attended office at the Fort St. George on Monday and received the interim report from the one-man commission of Justice P.Shanmugam probing the telephone-tapping episode.

At the end of high-level talks with officials later on Monday, the chief minister passed orders for reverting to the old scheme of tendering the sand trade. The power to handle the tenders for sand quarrying was delegated to the district collectors.

Also, it was decided at this meeting to hold the review meetings with the collectors and district superintendents of police.

The letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came the next day, pleading for intervention to save the weavers from spiralling yarn price.

It was also decided to sanction compensation of Rs.one lakh each to the two families of the workers from Tamil Nadu killed in Iraq recently.

Now the chief minister is getting ready to chair the review meetings with the district collectors and SPs, to be held everyday up to May 30—except for recess on May 26.

It could be very difficult, even torturous, for someone who had just undergone treatment for pain in the neck and the back, to undertake to preside over these long bureaucratic sessions, but then, that’s what Mr Karunanidhi is made of—a spirit of hard steel even though he needs the support of someone else’s shoulder to shuffle around with his fatigued frame. He attended office at the Fort St. George on Monday and received the interim report from the one-man commission of Justice P.Shanmugam probing the telephone-tapping episode.

Also, it was decided at this meeting to hold the review meetings with the collectors and district superintendents of police.

The letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came the next day, pleading for intervention to save the weavers from spiralling yarn price.

It was also decided to sanction compensation of Rs.one lakh each to the two families of the workers from Tamil Nadu killed in Iraq recently.

Now the chief minister is getting ready to chair the review meetings with the district collectors and SPs, to be held everyday up to May 30—except for recess on May 26.

Jaipur blasts: RDX not used

2008-05-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

After a week-long analysis, the National Security Guard and the Rajasthan Forensic Laboratory have confirmed that RDX was not used in the nine blasts that rocked Jaipur on May 13.

Sources in the NSG as well as in the forensic lab said no traces of RDX were found from the places which were rocked by the blasts in the Pink City, and it mainly contained Neogel-90, an explosive comprising ammonium nitrate.

The bomb data squad of the elite NSG, after examining the remains of the splinters gathered from the location of the blasts, said all the splinters, mainly comprising cycle ball bearings, flew only in one direction A similar modus operandi of assembling the explosive material was used in the Hyderabad blasts last year

Pranab in Pak, calls on Sharif & Zardari

2008-05-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday invoked the loss of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto’s life to terrorism to suggest that India and Pakistan must work together to combat the menace of terrorism for the sake of their collective futures.

“That would be a fitting tribute to Ms Benazir Bhutto’s memory and her legacy,” Mr Mukherjee said after arriving in Islamabad.

“Her loss is still a fresh wound. Not just Pakistan, but our entire region has lost a charismatic leader of great promise, foresight and capability,” he added.Mr Mukherjee is visiting Pakistan to resume the bilateral “composite dialogue” process.On Wednes-day he will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Mr Makhdoom Shah Mah-mood Qureshi.

They will review the composite dialogue process and discuss the modalities of commencing the fifth round of the talks.

Mr Mukherjee said India looks forward to continuing the talks in a spirit of cooperation, trust and pragmatism, but added a caveat that “this is predicated on an atmosphere free from terrorism, violence or the threat of it.” Mr Mukherjee met Pakistan People’s Party cochairman Asif Ali Zardari soon after reaching Islamabad.

He also met Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader and former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.He is expected to call on Awami Nati-onal Party leader Asfandyar Wali Khan, who is a member of the ruling coalition.Mr Khan is the grandson of the legendary Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan.

Mr Mukherjee will call on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani on Wednesday.

Mr Mukherjee said he would be looking forward to get a sense of how a “new democratic environment” in Pakistan would help the two countries in addressing various issues related to peace, stability and economic development.

Wednesday’s talks between Mr Mukherjee and Mr Qureshi will be the first formal high-level political contact between the two countries after the recently concluded election in Pakistan, which saw the formation of a democratically-elected government there.

According to sources tracking India’s engagement of Pakistan, the Indian side would be particularly interested in hearing from the Pakistan government on the Kashmir issue. New Delhi would want to know whether the new, democratically-elected government in Pakistan will want to pursue Pervez Musharraf’s four-point Kashmir plan or whether it will make any new proposals. The four-point plan comprised withdrawal of troops, local self-governance, no change in the border, and a joint supervision mechanism involving India and Pakistan.

Mr Mukherjee said several proposals in the political, economic and regional fields are on the anvil for consideration and implementation. An Associated Press of Pakistan report said Pakistan and India have finalised a consular access agreement to facilitate the early release of prisoners following their identification.

The APP report quoted an unidentified Pakistan foreign ministry official as saying that Pakistan has presented 15 proposals to the Indian side on the eight issues of the composite dialogue process. According to the official, both sides agreed to put the Siachen and Sir Creek issues on the “fast track”. The APP report cited the official as suggesting India and Pakistan were closer to an agreement on the Sir Creek issue after the joint survey and preparation of agreed maps. On the issue of handing over Jinnah House in Mumbai to Pakistan so that it can open a consulate in it, the Indian side said the case is pending with the Supreme Court, the report added.

Earlier in the day, the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan met to review the fourth round of the composite dialogue process.

A statement issued by the Pakistan foreign ministry said Mr Shivshankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir “expressed satisfaction at the progress made so far and exchanged views on carrying forward the composite dialogue process.” The talks were held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere, the statement added.

In the meeting, Mr Menon said he raised the issue of firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC).

“Both sides made it clear that they attach great importance to the ceasefire and they want to make it hold,” he said.Mr Menon said the matter had also been taken up by the directors-general of military operations and both sides are committed to maintaining the ceasefire, which came into force in November 2003. India has been concerned by the recent incidents of firing on its soldiers from across the LoC. There have been three such incidents since May 8, and an Indian soldier was killed on Monday.

India and Pakistan launched the composite dialogue process in 2004. It comprises eight subjects: Peace and security including confidence-building measures; Jammu and Kashmir; Siachen; Sir Creek; Tulbul navigation project/Wullar barrage; terrorism and drug trafficking; economic and commercial cooperation; and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields. The fourth round concluded in October 2007.

Steel prices to decline after Centre moves

2008-05-20T00:33:00.000-07:00

Steel prices may further soften due to the government putting pressure on companies to contain the commodity’s rates to tame inflation and the slackness in construction activities on the onset of monsoon, say analysts.

As inflation rose to near 44-month high of 7.83 per cent for the week ended May 3, the government is likely to put more pressure on steel companies to contain the rising prices, Karvy Comtrade’s G. Harish said.

The onset of monsoon will also contribute towards slackening of steel prices as construction work slows down during this period, resulting in less demand of the commodity, he pointed out.

The wholesale ingot and scrap prices have fallen by up to Rs 500 per tonne in New Delhi last week. The fall is said to be due to cautious approach by buyers after secondary steel producers announced to cut prices on all flat products by about Rs 4,000 a tonne.

In the futures markets, Mr Harish said, steel prices are expected to trade between Rs 25,000 and Rs 26,000 a tonne level next month, after which the rates are likely to firm up.

However, independent strategy consultant in steel and natural resources, Mr A.S. Firoz, hopes that steel prices will cool down in another 2 to 3 months as there is a slowdown in infrastructure projects in domestic as well as global level.

“The prices are artificially maintained by speculative forces and cannot continue to trade in the same level as the global demand for the commodity is weakening,” Mr Firoz said. He said it will either remain at the same level or slacken a bit in the coming week.

The wholesale ingot and scrap prices were down by Rs 500 per tonne in New Delhi on Monday due to reduced demand from re rolling steel units.

Ship with 10 Indian sailors hijacked off Somalia coast

2008-05-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

A year after it missed getting hijacked on the seas wrapping the Horn of Africa, the directorate-general of shipping (DGS) on Monday confirmed that Merchant Vessel Victoria had been hijacked.

The DGS said the vessel had been hijacked off the Somalian coast on Saturday with at least ten Indians on board. The hijacking allegedly occurred on the 3,700 km coastline of Somalia, large stretches of it not patrolled by Somali coast guard or international sea safety agencies.This is the third such case in this year so far.

According to a top DGS official they were investigating the matter but were hindered in their efforts as there was no intimation about the hijacking from the ships owners.

The 3,340 gross register tonnage (GRT) vessel MV Victoria registered in Jordan and made in 1979 had 12 crewmembers from India, Tanzania, Pakistan and Bangladesh.At the time of the incident, the master and crew gave a distress signal.There is no update on the safety of the crew so far.

The International Maritime Organisation had issued guidelines to member states because of the increasing number of cases of piracy and armed robbery on ships off the coast of Somalia.

India has alerted the Coast Guard in Somalia and the International Maritime Bureau piracy centre in Kuala Lumpur and London.

The ship laden with cargo had sailed from Mumbai earlier this month and went missing about 55 nautical miles off the Somalian coast. The ship was believed to be carrying sugar donated by Denmark from Mumbai to Mogadishu towards humanitarian aid.

According to shipping officials, the hijackers were in all probability militia fighters from Somalia.

They said these incidents occurred when militias ruled the roost in Somalia. However the defeat of several militias by armed forces of Somalia and other African Horn nations meant the pirates have made a comeback.

“They are well-equipped with speed boats and high end satellite phones through which they track merchant ships. These were probably former militia fighters who after having done with their wars have now entered the world of high sea piracy,” said an official.

According to shipping officials they have learnt from the Kenyan Seafarers’ Assistance Programme that the pirates boarded the ship from three speedboats and took the vessel north towards Hobyo region.Last year MV Victoria was involved in another failed hijacking attempt which failed food aid for Somali.

Annamayya receives musical honour

2008-05-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

The Tallapaka village, birthplace of saint poet Annamacharya, reverberated with his keerthans on Monday, when his 600th birth anniversary was observed.Hundreds of classical singers from across Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states rendered keerthans in front of his 108-feet tall statue.

For the first time, the processional idols of Lord Venkateswara and his consorts descended the seven hills to take part in the festivities of his ardent devotee, Annamayya, in his native village.

Tallapaka is located 100 km away from Tirupati at Rajampeta mandal in Kadapa district.

A festive atmosphere prevailed in several villages en route to Tallapaka too. Villagers decorated the roads with leaves and plantain trees to welcome the Lord who was trav eling to Tallapaka.

Bhajan mandals took out a procession from Rajampeta to Tallapaka with the Lord of the seven hills in the lead. Caparisoned elephants and horses were part of the procession.

Despite the sweltering heat, majority of the members of the bha jan mandals walked without slippers as a sign of their reverence for the Lord.

Apart from the heads of various mutts, renowned musicians and artistes including Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan, P.B. Srinivas, Padmasri Yella Venkateswara Rao, Dwaram Lakshmi, Padma Subrahmanyam and Chitti Babu attended the celebrations. Classical singers, Dr Shobha Raju, Jyothirmayee Chowdhary, G. Balakrishna Prasad, Dr Seshu Latha, Hyderabad sisters, and hundreds of others were also present. The film director, Mr K.Raghavendra Rao, who portrayed the saint poet in celluloid, joined the celebrations along with other film personalities, Manju Bhargavi and Kanchana.

The singers rendered Annamayya’s sapthagiri samkeerthanalu beginning with Bhavamulona Bhagyamunanduna and also presented his popular numbers.

Notices to unknown Jaipur land buyers

2008-05-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

The stamp and registration department of Rajasthan has directed to issue notices to over 4,000 mysterious buyers to prove their bona fide as they acquired land in the border districts of the state. The police and security agencies have already been investigating such land deals.

The sale of land in the border area has brought considerable embarrassment to the ruling BJP government as a local BJP leader is reported to have played a key role in the land deals and earned huge amounts in commission.

According to sources, the Registration authorities found that such deals were finalised through power of attorney documents.

The sources said the registration department has given one month to the buyers to prove their credentials otherwise the authorities will recommend an investigation by the CID. The registration authorities have already referred 500 such deals to the CID when the buyers did not turn up to reply.

According to the revenue authorities, such buyers acquired huge areas of land in the border districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jalore despite the Central government notification for these districts in 1996 which does not allow any outsider to move there without permission. A BJP leader allegedly acted as middleman in land deals and is reported to have earned Rs 19 crores as commission.

He acted as middleman in deals for the sale of 1,90,000 bighas of land.

Interests of Pervez, Zardari coincide

2008-05-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

The collapse of Pakistan’s ruling coalition is a result of the fact that power in Pakistan has been split in three directions. The game is to play one against the other. The question to ask is who is more compatible with Asif Ali Zardari, who is an arch calculator. He has to choose between (President) Musharraf and (Nawaz) Sharif.

After the elimination of Benazir Bhutto, Sharif is the only politician who has a mass base in the state of Punjab. From these three politicians, I would say that he is the only one who has a future. Of course, when President Musharraf first seized power, he had Sharif arrested.

Sharif apologised in order to get himself released from jail but that period of his life is behind him There is a Great Game being played out in Pakistan. I believe that if Sharif has to be destroyed, it will be done in the name of Islam. Sharif is close to the Saudis and they allowed him to live in their country for the last eight years. When he returned to Pakistan, a Saudi prince escorted him back. So, in that sense, Sharif does not have a weak hand. But we must not forget that on the question of Islam, American and Saudi interests are not on the same line. The US is scared of radical Islam. It does not suit them. Sharif has at present chosen to stay out of the government. He wants a civil government installed and a return to democracy. That is why he is pressing for the reinstatement of the dismissed judges.Musharraf’s interests, on the other hand, are extremely limited. He is saying, “Don’t get rid of me.” He supports the US and vice-versa. The Pakistan Army will get along with Musharraf.

So basically, Musharraf, Zardari and the US will survive together for the time being. It’s obvious that Musharraf’s and Zardari’s interests coincide. They can survive by helping each other.

Obviously, two sides in this triangular contest will stay together in order to help each another.

My experience is that countries which are not democratic have no guarantors. Our own situation is India is very different. As a democracy, we have been able to build strong institutions and so are able to stand on our own feet.Terrorism worries America.

Look at what has been happening in Pakistan for the past two years. They have been sending pilotless planes into the NorthWest Frontier Province in order to bomb their own people. It’s a very messy game being played out there. Both Balochistan and the North-West Frontier have become extremely radical. I may be sounding extremely cynical but democracy (in Pakistan) is an ideal that only people in Lahore are ready to buy. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s family is not very radical. It is therefore a very good sign that his grandson is the present chief minister of that state. The question, of course, is how does India safeguard its own interests, especially with the stepping-up of militant activity along our western border? We need to understand that Pakistan was never a moderate state. They were always under the influence of radical Islam. The most important agitation that the Muslim League launched in order to get Pakistan was Direct Action. Both Jinnah and Liaquat Ali represented the forces of moderation but they went away sooner than was expected.

I must emphasise that radical Islam was not born today. It was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan which saw an upsurge of ultra-rightwing forces. Some years ago, when I met former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev at an international meet, I asked him, “Mr President, we were your friends.

But you did not inform us about the invasion.” He replied, “I did not know about it myself. I came to know about it on the third day through the newspaper. There was a junta within the politburo who had ordered it.” Everything does not work according to one’s calculations.

By pressing for democracy, Sharif is growing in stature by the day. Obviously, the patience of the public is also wearing thin.

The counterweight to these radical elements will come from Punjab. Punjab is the only state which has a small middle class.

Nawaz represents this middle class. It is for this reason that he suits India more than the others.

DNA test for moms BABY SWAPPING

2008-05-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

Two mothers from Erode who have been fighting over a newborn child underwent DNA tests at a forensic lab here on Monday to determine the child’s actual parentage.

Thirty-year-old Sundari delivered a baby girl on April 19 at the Government Hospital in Erode. Within a few hours of her delivery, the doctors at the GH claimed that the baby had gone missing from the hospital. A complaint has also been filed with the Erode police regarding the incident. Meanwhile, about a week later Sundari and her husband Ramaswamy spotted a child that resembled their newborn at the same hospital. “When we enquired, we got to know that the child belonged to Papa (35). They claimed that Papa had also delivered at the same hospital and that it was their baby,” Sundari’s relatives said. After the doctors failed to solve the confusion among the mothers over custody of the girl child, they referred both the parents to the government forensic lab at Dr Radhakrishnan Salai here for DNA tests.

Blood samples of all five of them – Papa and her husband, Sundari and her husband Ramaswamy, and the newborn – have been taken.

According to the officials at the lab, the results would be out in three days. Both the mothers will have to wait for three more days to find out if the baby is theirs. A few weeks ago, two mothers from North Chennai underwent DNA tests.

Ganguly sworn in Madras CJ

2008-05-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly, was sworn-in as Chief Justice of Madras high court on Monday, replacing Ajith Prakash Shah, who was recently transferred as Chief Justice of Delhi high court.

In an official ceremony, attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and some of his cabinet collegues, electricity minister Arcot N.Veeraswamy and law minister Durai Murugan, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala administered the oath of office to Justice Ganguly, who was transferred from the Orissa High court.

This was Mr Karunanidhi’s first public function after he was discharged from a private hospital on Sunday.

The chief minister pre sented a yellow coloured silk shawl and bouquet of flowers to Mr Ganguly after the latter was sworn in as Chief Justice at a function in Raj Bhavan.

Born on February 3, 1947, Mr Ganguly, who hails from West Bengal, after completing M.A (English) in 1968 and LLB in 1970 from Calcutta University, was enrolled as an advocate on December 1, 1971.

He practiced in the Calcutta high court and also in the Supreme Court and handled cases dealing with Constitutional, Service, labour, Company, Education, Revenue, Customs, Civil and Criminal matters.

He was appointed as a permanent judge of Calcutta high court on January 10, 1994. Immediately, he was transferred to Patna high court.

After being in Patna high court for more than six years, he was transferred to the Calcutta high court in August, 2000.He was shifted to the Orissa high court in April 2006.He became its acting Chief Justice in January 2007 and the regular Chief Justice on March 2, 2007.

BJP objects to Sonia pics in ads

2008-05-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravishankar Prasad on Monday demanded the removal of the photographs of Congress president Sonia Gandhi from all government advertisements as the post that she held, that of UPA chairperson, was a political one and not a government office. It was simply a political title “which conferred no entitlement or legitimacy for being featured in media advertisements paid for by the government,” he said.

Mr Ravishankar Prasad noted that Mrs Gandhi was earlier chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC), which was a governmental position, but she subsequently stepped down from that in the wake of the office-of-profit row. At present she does not hold any government office, he pointed out, therefore there was no justification for her being featured in government advertisements.

The BJP leader said her photographs were appearing on an almost daily basis not only in advertisements released by the Union and some (Congress-led) state governments, but also in those of public sector undertakings. The Congress president was thus getting “free and privileged publicity at the cost of crores of rupees from the public exchequer,” he said.

“Though Dr Manmohan Singh was nominated Prime Minister by Mrs Sonia Gandhi, we hope appropriate direction would be given by him to stop this palpably illegal and unjustified practice,” he said. The BJP leader demanded that the Prime Minister’s Office instruct all ministries, departments and PSUs to put an immediate end to “this corrupt and unjustifiable practice.” A directive to this effect must go out immediately, he added, so that when the government completes four years on May 22 Mrs Sonia Gandhi is not projected in the publicity blitz.

Rice exporters face lawsuits

2008-05-19T00:29:00.000-07:00

The export duty on basmati rice will not curtail inflation but will lead to loss of export market, Ficci said on Sunday.With a view to discourage exports, the government imposed an export duty of Rs 8,000 a tonne on basmati rice. The government has also lowered minimum export price (MEP) from $1,200 to $1,000 a tonne.

Ficci said the total consumption of rice in India is close to 89 million tonnes, of which, the consumption of basmati is a paltry 0.2 per cent. Even this meagre domestic consumption is restricted to the upper income consumers who have high disposable incomes.Ficci in a letter to the Prime Minister said the twin measures hold out the possibility of loss of export market.

Meanwhile, Saudi importers are already threatening lawsuits against Indian rice exporters for default on commitments and have started negotiating with Pakistan and Thailand for its rice requirements.

Indian exporters have told the importers in Saudi Arabia that they can not absorb the additional duty as their margins are thin. They have said that the Saudi importers will have to bear this additional duty. Meanwhile, the Riyadh chamber of commerce and industry has asked the Indian government to withdraw this duty.

The market lost by the Indian basmati rice farmers will in turn, help their Pakistani counterparts.

China confirms its N-facilities are unaffected

2008-05-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

Nuclear facilities in China that were jolted by a massive earthquake have been confirmed to be safe, an environmental safety official said on Sunday.
China’s nuclear safety agency ordered staffers to be on standby in case of an environmental emergency following last week’s magnitude 7.9 quake that rocked Sichuan province, home of several key atomic sites.

Those facilities are safe and under control, said a man at the ministry of environmental protection’s nuclear safety department who only gave his surname, Mr Li.He was confirming a report by the government’s Xinhua News Agency, which issued a one-line statement citing unidenti fied government officials.

China has a research reactor, two nuclear fuel production sites and two atomic weapons sites in Sichuan, according to the French nuclear watchdog.All were 60 to 145 km from the epicentre.

Beijing had not publicly announced any damage to nuclear sites, although the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety said China reported “light damage” to unspecified nuclear facilities that were being dismantled before the quake.

Mr Thierry Charles, the group’s director of plant safety, said Chinese authorities immediately shut down nuclear sites for inspection. There were no reported leaks of radioactivity, he said.

9 FIRs filed by Jaipur blast victims

2008-05-18T23:33:00.000-07:00

Charges of attempt to murder and waging conspiracy against the nation were pressed in nine FIRs filed on Sunday by victims of Jaipur terror blasts that left 64 people dead.
The cases were registered under different sections of IPC related to unlawful prevention activities at public places, attempt to murder, waging conspiracy against the nation, and explosive act, a senior official said.

Four FIRs were lodged by victims in the Manak Chowk police station while five were registered with the Kotwali police station, the official said.

Nine bombs packed in separate bags attached to bicycles tore through crowded markets at five places in Jaipur on May 13 in which 64 people died and over 150 injured. Based on one of the seven sketches, a man was interrogated at the Jyoti Nagar police station.

But he was a priest on way to his job when a passerby alerted, another official said, adding that he was immediately set free.

A hardcore Simi activist Mohammed Sajid and his three accomplices detained on Saturday at Udai village in Sawaimadhopur district by Special Investigation Team were being interrogated separately, the official sources said. SIT is working in the areas concerning the bicycles, seven sketches, and twenty people including Simi activists detained for interrogation, the sources said.

The next terror attack could be from the sea

2008-05-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

Tuesday evening’s serial bomb blasts in Jaipur, in which over 60 people were killed, has demonstrated yet again how ill-equipped India is to handle the new complexities of terror warfare. A new command must be created to protect the nation.
Jaipur was the eleventh major terrorist strike on ‘soft’ targets in the past three years. The political leadership has stuttered out its usual statements about ‘resilience’ and ‘foreign hand’ ad nauseam, while the bureaucracy has predictably kept mum on what is a colossal failure of leadership and intelligence at both the Central and state levels. The Intelligence Bureau, in the meantime, has suggested that terrorists are planning seaborne attacks against the dozens of oil rigs, including production and support platforms, along both the coasts of India. This appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

An oil rig, like the proverbial iceberg, has a small portion visible above the surface — leaving the vulnerable parts beyond visibility. What cannot be seen are the supporting legs of the rigs, the labyrinth of pipelines with interconnecting control valves that ensure flow of crude oil from the rigs to the mainland or to single buoy moorings (SBMs), which, in turn, permit oil tankers to embark the same crude for transportation ashore. In some places, like the Gulf of Kutch, these SBMs are also used to enable incoming oil tankers to pump out their imported crude to refineries ashore. Supporting this gigantic effort is a large number of logistic ships (OSVs, or offshore support vessels), which provide food, handle personnel transfers (sometimes also done by helicopters), pollution control response, fire tender duties, etc.

The extreme vulnerability of the oil rigs was vividly displayed by the massive fire and total destruction of an oil production platform in Bombay High in July 2005 when an OSV accidentally collided with the rigs’ underwater pipeline. This resulted in a massive search and rescue operation by the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard and by civilian ships, followed by counter-pollution operations by the Coast Guard to prevent pollution along the Mumbai coastline.

In addition to the financial loss, the nation had to face a massive drop in crude oil outflow from this offshore oilfield, located some 40 nautical miles off Mumbai port.

This event will not have been missed by the new breed of maritime terrorists, who would also know that India has invested over Rs 1,60,000 crore in these rigs. There is an organisation to deal with offshore security threats to oil rigs, coastal refineries, coastal nuclear power plants and ports.

The Coast Guard looks after peacetime security and is in regular touch with all stakeholders — the Navy, the port authorities, shipping, ONGC, Oil India and the intelligence agencies. Wartime threats are handled by the Navy.

In this era of ‘no-war, no-peace’, there is an ever-present threat to offshore and coastal installations. The threat from the sea can take various forms — trained ‘sea terrorists’ can attack by approaching the target in dhows or even submersibles, making the last mile in collapsible rubber boats, lay explosives in the most vulnerable parts and depart or carry out suicide attacks.

Another alternative would be to bring an explosives-laden ship and collide it against the target, or sink it in the harbour approach to block the port. And, of course, terrorists can enter coastal targets by land and cover the last stretch, as in Israel, in microlite aircraft to get in.

In any such terror attack, the repercussions would be severe — economic, envi ronmental and in sheer terms of shock.

India’s economic prosperity lies in being completely secure at sea — 90 per cent of our trade, 70 per cent of our oil imports and 70 per cent of our indigenous oil and gas production comes from the sea.

The issue of modifying India’s national security-cum-intelligence apparatus to address new forms of warfare has been hammered to near-death. Little may have moved but the need for a completely new machinery to fight terrorism is becoming all the more relevant in everyday incidents as in Jaipur’s. We are simply not equipped to address terrorism.

There have been reports that the government is considering handing over the 2010 Commonwealth Games project to the Army keeping in view the failure of the bureaucracy and civil administration to deliver.

The United States, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, has been far more ruthless and successful in protecting its citizens. With Jaipur’s incident in focus, does it not look like it is time to hand over all anti-terrorist activities to three separate ‘empowered’ joint commands, which will include all elements of the military, paramilitary, police, intelligence, railways, ports, airports and any other agency that needs to be a part of the apparatus? These three commands can be headed by the Army, for land threats, the Navy for seaborne-coastal threats, and the Air Force to address aerial threats. There is also an urgent need to augment the force levels of the Navy and the Coast Guard. Each of these seagoing services should reach a strength of 200 ships, and each should double their aviation assets.

Laws to permit the Navy and Coast Guard to board and search suspicious ships need to be introduced at the earliest. The existing force levels — 75 ships and 45 aircraft for the Coast Guard; and 130 ships and about 200 aircraft for the Navy — are inadequate.

Getting our counter-terror mechanism in place should take priority over time-worn intellectual debates. Also, at some point in the future, these joint commands could also be pressed into action to combat the Naxalite threat, which today spans 11 states.

The protection of its citizens is the Centre’s primary duty. The buck stops there.

How seriously other nations take this threat is best exemplified by what I saw in the United States in 2005. All armed forces units were flying an additional flag — of a serpent with the inscription ‘Don’t Tread On Me’. This flag has been used by presidential proclamation only four times in 234 years. It was brought out during the wars that threatened the American nation — the War of Independence (1776-1781), the Civil War (1860-1865), the attack on Pearl Harbour (1942) and post 9/11 (2001).

India too faces this new form of warfare and its government cannot take the rather philosophical view that was once articulated by a television commentator, to my considerable amazement: ‘As everyone knows, there is no reality, but only points of view.’ Global terrorism is a hard reality, and it is here to stay, irrespective of individual perceptions and views. Dealing with this new form of asymmetric war will require the combined might and wisdom of all of India.

We need not emulate the Americans by hoisting a second flag to remind our citizens (and leaders) that the nation is in a state of war. But we do need to get our act together, and quickly. The present form of asymmetric war being waged by international terrorists who serve no nation is, after all, too serious an issue to be left only to the politicians, bureaucrats and the overstretched intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces. Remember the old saying: ‘Steel fist in a velvet glove’? That is what we need.

12 die in Bengal violence

2008-05-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

The third and final phase of panchayat polls in West Bengal held on Sunday proved to be the bloodiest, with at least one dozen people dead and dozens of others injured. The first phase held on May 11 went off peacefully, while six people were killed in the second phase on May 14.
On Sunday, elections were held in seven districts — North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Birbhum and Murshidabad. The worst-affected was Murshidabad, where at least 12 people were killed, most of them in just one police station area — Domkal. One person who was injured at Nanoor in Birbhum district on Saturday night in a bomb explosion succumbed to his injuries early on Sunday. He was allegedly a CPI(M) supporter who was injured while making bombs.

On Saturday night, the body of another CPI(M) supporter was found at Madarihat in Jalpaiguri. On the eve of the polls in Murshidabad, the death of a CPI(M) supporter gave ample indication about the mayhem which was about to unfold. Sharful Sheikh was killed on the spot when the bomb he and his friends were making exploded. The incident occurred at Notundira village, in the Lalgola police station area. An hour before the polling began at 7 am, 42-year old Bhavesh Mondal was killed when CPI(M) supporters allegedly threw bombs and fired bullets when a dispute occurred over queue formation. The incident took place at Uttarchar Matherdia Primary School in Rani Nagar police station area. A critically injured person, Rafiqul Islam, was rushed to Kolkata for treatment.

I want to be a Chinese: Dalai Lama

2008-05-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Dalai Lama, who is visiting Britain for nine days from May 22, has said that he would like to return to Tibet as a Chinese citizen.

“Actually, I am very much looking forward to becoming a citizen of the People’s Republic of China. At the moment I am a refugee. But I would like to return to Tibet as a member of China’s Tibetan minority,” he told the Sunday Times in an interview. The Dalai Lama has set four conditions which, if met, would permit him to return to Tibet. “The first sign that the (Chinese) government is taking the world’s concerns seriously would be the opening of Tibet to the foreign media. They should be given free rein to report all that they find, whether it is good or bad,” he said. The second condition relates to medical assistance. “Second, it is important that the government accept medical aid from outside. There are great numbers of Tibetans who have been injured in the recent disturbances and it is very doubtful that they have received the treatment they require,” the spiritual head of the Tibetans said. “Third, the government must release all political prisoners. Not those who have perpetrated violence, but all who have protested peacefully. Then there should be fair and open trials for those who did engage in criminal activity,” he said. “Finally, there need to be substantive discussions with a view to satisfying the Tibetan people’s aspiration to exercise their basic human rights. That is the right way to prevent any further disturbances. And by disturbances, I mean peaceful disturbances,” the Dalai Lama concluded.

Sadhu hurt in suicide bid

2008-05-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

Swami Himaval Bhadrananda, a controversial godman, on Saturday fired shots inside the Aluva police station after threatening to kill himself.

The swami was brought to the station in the morning after he called up cops and mediapersons and told them that he was going to commit suicide.

Police had filed a case against Bhadrananda , after he barged into the office of a Malayalam newspaper and threatened the staff for publishing a report terming him a fraud.

On Saturday, mediapersons rushed to Bhadrananda’s house after getting his call and found him sitting with a .32 pistol in his hand. He spoke to them while holding it against his forehead.

Meanwhile, the police also arrived and persuaded the swami to come with them. He did so, but held the gun firmly to his forehead.

The dramatic scenes continued at the station. Cops tried to persuade him for an hour , but all in vain .Finally, the media corps waiting outside the station barged in and this provoked the swami.

“You have destroyed my life,” he shouted. You should not do this to anybody else.” Cops, who thought that the swami’s attention had been diverted, tried to snatch the pistol from him.

There was a scuffle in which the gun fired twice.

Police finally overpowered Bhadrananda and snatched the pistol from him. The swami suffered a minor injury on his hand. The reporter of a Malayalam daily swooned thinking he was hit by a bullet. But no injuries were found on his body. Bhadrananda too was admitted in a hospital.

Police charged cases of attempted suicide and attempted murder against him.

The Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, strongly condemned the way the police handled the issue and said it besmirched the image of the government.

Nasa images show Mars is very cold

2008-05-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Mars interior is more colder and solid than previously thought, suggests an analysis based on new images sent by a Nasa spacecraft in orbit around the Red Planet.

“We found that the rocky surface of Mars is not bending under the load of the north polar ice cap,” said Roger Phillips of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Coloumbia.

“This implies that the planet’s interior is more rigid, and thus colder, than we thought before,” said Phillips, the lead author of the report appearing in the online version of journal Science.

He suggest any liquid water that might exist below the planet’s surface and any possible organisms living in that water, would be located deeper than scientists had suspected.

The discovery was made using the Shallow Radar instrument on Nasa’s Mars reconnaissance orbiter, which has provided detailed pictures to date of the interior layers of ice, sand and dust that make up the north polar cap on Mars. “In our first glimpses inside the polar ice using the radar on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, we can see stacks of icy material that trace the history of Mars climate,” said a co-author

AIDS week from today

2008-05-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Global AIDS Week of Action-2008 (18-24 May) is to be marked by a demonstration demanding the speeding up of the implementation of the HIV Prevention Bill that would enforce a law to protect people with HIV/AIDS from discrimination.

The Bill, pending since July, 2007, would play a key role in reducing gross human rights violations against marginalised groups, ensure employment of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs), give access to hospitals for infected pregnant women and admission to schools for HIV children.

The highlight of the two-day campaign, conducted by Tamil Nadu AIDS Solidarity Action (TASA), is a mobile van with a model of the ‘equality statue’ with characters of various professions like actor, doctor, teacher etc. that will go around the city, providing information to the public about the Bill.

Simi activist detained in Jaipur for questioning

2008-05-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Rajasthan police has detained a Students’ Islamic Movement of India (Simi) activist for questioning in connection with the terror blasts in Jaipur.

The man detained is Sajjid, a teacher in a madrasa from a small town under Swai Madhopur district. “We have brought him to Jaipur for questioning,” said Jaipur deputy inspector-general of police Sourabh Srivastava.

Swai Madhopur district is believed to be a base for Simi’s activities. The police on Saturday released three more sketches of terror suspects and also announced a reward of Rs 10 lakhs for information about the people who carried out the blasts that killed 64 people and injured over 200 in Jaipur. Additional directorgeneral of police (crime) A.K. Jain said Sajjid was picked up from Udai village, but bore no resemblance to any of the sketch es released by the state police. In all, sketches of seven suspects have so far been released and more are expected. On Friday night, the UP police detained a number of persons, including the landlord of one Afzal Khan, whose identity card was found in a car after the blasts in Jaipur. On the basis of the address mentioned in the I-card, the anti-terrorist squad of the state police picked up a person from his Hussainganj residence where Khan was stated to be staying.

Traders make money through smuggling

2008-05-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Following the Sri Lankan customs ban on carrying large quantity of trade goods by air passengers since May 15, at least some of the traders have found another way to make money - smuggling. At least three traders, including one from the island nation, were arrested for smuggling gold and star tortoises on Thursday in Chennai.

The customs officials at Chennai airport seized six gold biscuits, weighing 760 gm, from two traders who arrived in Chennai from Colombo on Thursday night. “The traders were found carrying gold biscuits packed in polythene bag stuffed in their anus,” a senior customs official said.

The two, identified as B.Ismail Harif and M.I.Nizamuddin from Ramanathapuram, were regular travellers engaged in taking clothes from Chennai to Colombo for business.

On Thursday night when they arrived they tried to walk through the green channel saying that they had nothing to declare. But customs officials, on suspicion, detained the duo and did a body scan on them. It was found that they were carrying gold biscuits.

On Friday morning with the help of a medical team, customs officials, took the biscuits out of their body.The two later told the officials that they were offered Rs 1000 to carry one biscuit.

In another incident, the customs official seized 235 live star tortoises, worth over Rs. 3.5 lakh from a Lankan trader who was going to Colombo from Chennai on Thursday night.

“This is the first time airport customs are detaining a Lankan national for trying to smuggle star tortoises,” the customs official said.The arrested Lankan was identified as Mohamed Murzil from Jaffna.

Pillayan is CM of East Lanka

2008-05-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, better known as Pillayan, a former LTTE commander who had broken away to fight the Tigers alongside the government forces, was on Friday sworn in as the chief minister of the newly elected Eastern Provincial Council (EPC).

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat around 6.30 p.m. in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The President has cause to worry as his Muslim ally M. L. A. M. Hisbullah accused him of betraying the Muslims by going back on his promise to make him the chief minister. He said he and two other Muslim members would step out of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA). “The President and the government deceived not only me but also the whole Muslim community and the 12 Muslim ministers,” the BBC Sinhala service quoted Mr Hisbullah saying.

The May 10 EPC polls in the eastern districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara saw the UPFA win 20 (18 plus two bonus) seats in the 37-member council, while the opposition UNP-Sri Lankan Muslim Congress alliance got 15 and the JVP and Tamil Democratic National Alliance secured one seat each.

Several opposition parties and rights organisations have termed the elections as rigged, listing out the many instances of bogus voting and intimidation of voters. The most-heard complaint was the Pillayan’s armed cadres, going under the political banner of TMVP, were in control of several polling stations, driving away voters identified as members of rival camps.

Brushing aside Hisbullah’s claim, Pillayan said the UPFA would not have scored victory in the provincial elections but for his TMVP helping.

Also, he has made it clear that his group would keep arms “until terrorism is defeated”. Mr Hisbullah had vowed to disarm all militant groups, Tamil and Muslims, if he was made the chief minister in the east. The Pillayan group has been repeatedly accused of murdering civilians, abducting children for conscription and other serious human rights violations, while teaming up with the government forces to take on the LTTE and other rival outfits in the east.

Interestingly, Pillayan’s boss Karuna Amman is being held in a London prison after being arrested by the British immigration officials a little over four months ago for entering the country on false travel documents.

He is likely to be deported to Colombo shortly and that could throw up a fresh leadership conflict in the paramilitary outfit. Acknowledging that Karuna was still the leader of the TMVP, Pillayan had sometime back even offered to hand over the CM post to him when he returned home.

Informed sources said President Rajapaksa was keen on having a retired Sri Lanka Administrative Service officer Mounagurusamy, as the chief minister of the eastern province, preferring him over the controversial Pillayan and Mr Hisbullah.

Mr Samy was the Government Agent (equivalent to district collector in India) in Batticaloa and had a clean image, so the President had thought he would make a good chief minister—a fair match for the only other Tamil chief minister in the world, DMK’s M karunanidhi heading the administration in Tamil Nadu.

Mr Samy had contested in the May 10 poll but lost. However, the President was contemplating bringing him into the council through one of the two bonus seats. It now appears that he did not want to take chances with the militant Pillayan and might have chosen to wait for Karuna’s return to see how the TMVP fortunes evolve in the coming days.

Teen waits for surgery

2008-05-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

The Child Welfare Committee here is in a dilemma over an abandoned teenager, whose maggot-infested foot must be amputated to save his life, but his parents cannot be located to give their consent for the surgery and be available for post-operative support.

N. Chandrasekar (17) was first found begging outside the golden temple in Vellore, when passersby complained about the foul smell emanating from his foot oozing pus. Then began his journey from Vellore to the Ranipet government hospital, to the CWC home in Bangalore, and to the government boys’ home at Royapuram, in Chennai. “He was taken to Bangalore because he claimed that his parents lived in Kamakshipalaya, but the CWC workers were unable to locate it.

Since he spoke fluent Tamil, they brought him to Chennai,” said Dr P.Manorama, the chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee.

Chandrasekar immediately underwent a medical examination, from which the doctors learnt it was a case of chronic oesteomyelitis (bone infection) and that his leg needed to be amputated below the knee. “The CWC will bear the treatment expenses, but we would be grateful if some specialists could lend their expertise for the operation,” she said.

anorama, the chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee.

Chandrasekar immediately underwent a medical examination, from wich the doctors learnt it was a case of chronic oesteomyelitis (bone infection) and that his leg needed to be amputated below the knee. “The CWC will bear the treatment expenses, but we would be grateful if some specialists could lend their expertise for the operation,” she said.

LTTE SUICIDE ATTACK KILLS 10

2008-05-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

At least 10 persons were killed, three of them policewomen, when a LTTE suicide bomber rammed his motorcycle into a bus carrying riot-control police personnel just a few hundred metres from the official residence of the Sri Lankan President on Friday noon, officials said.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the dead included seven police personnel and two civilians, besides the Black Tiger. Over 90 were injured in the massive blast heard across the city.

Many civilians were among those hurt and some were in critical state at the National Hospital, he said.

“The LTTE suicide bomber rammed his motorbike into a bus carrying police personnel,” Brig Nanayakkara said.

The pro-LTTE TamilNet website however said the killer had used a three-wheeler (autorickshaw) to ram into the bus. The police personnel were on their way to provide additional security for the swearing-in ceremony of former Tamil Tiger Pillaiyan as the chief minister of the newly elected Eastern Province, at the Presidential Secretariat later in the evening.

The attack took place across a Buddhist temple in the highly guarded Fort area of Colombo’s commercial zone dotted by army and police checkposts. Apart from the residence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the area also houses the five-star Hilton Hotel and the twin-tower World Trade Centre office complex—a previous target of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The blast site appeared like a battlefield strewn with shattered glass and twisted metal, not to forget the dead and the injured.

Appealing to the people to remain calm “and not be provoked by this further display of unmitigated terror”, President Rajapaksa said, “With this bomb attack on a busy street, the LTTE has once again demonstrated to the world its total commitment to violence and terror to achieve its separatist goals in Sri Lanka, and its absolute contempt for democracy and human rights.” The Black Tiger hit was obviously meant to demonstrate the LTTE anger at the Pillaiyan swearing-in and also its claim to be able to strike anywhere, any time.

It was the third big LTTE attack in a week—a bomb had ripped through a crowded café in the eastern town of Ampara on the eve of the May 10 provincial elections, killing 12 and injuring over 36.

And just hours before the polling started, a Sea Tiger suicide diver sank a naval ship docked in the eastern port of Trincomalee.

The government, however, is putting up a brave front in the midst of these deadly hits by the Black Tigers..

Prime minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake earlier this week ruled out resumption of peace talks with the Tigers and declared that victory “is within the grasp of our heroic security forces.” He had also claimed that the days of the LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran “are numbered”.

Stir threat by Prasar employees

2008-05-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) employees have threatened to launch a four-day-long stir beginning on May 19 to press their demand that Prasar Bharati employees and assets be retained with the government. The stir will be in the form of “work to rule” and may affect the functioning of DD and AIR, given that both have a staff shortage.

stir is being spearheaded by the National Federation of Akashvani and Doordarshan Employees (NFADE). The Federation itself is an umbrella organisation with 21 smaller staff associations comprising various DD and AIR employees as its members. The Federation has claimed that the nearly 40,000 Prasar Bharati employees will be participating in the “work to rule” agitation. This may affect the working of both DD and AIR as they are shortstaffed. The shortage is estimated to be nearly 8,000 employees in Prasar Bharati. For, there have not been any recruitment in the organisation for many years now.

Prasar Bharati sources told this newspaper that it has sought permission from the government to hire people for at least 2,700 “critical” posts in DD and AIR. A proposal regarding the proposed recruitment was sent to the Union ministry of information and broadcasting in April 2007.

The employees are concerned that the group of ministers (GoM) looking into various issues concerning the public broadcaster, are yet to decide on their demand that employees and assets be retained by the government. In the last meeting of the GoM, held in early April, yet another crucial issue — financial and capital restructuring of Prasar Bharati — was discussed. NFADE, however, feels that the deliberating on merely capital restructuring without discussing assets is not in consonance with the assurance given to them earlier.

The Prasar Bharati employees.

She has built a new home for 250 dogs, cats in Erode

2008-05-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Her compassion towards street dogs and the undesired cats left to loiter and the need for a spacious accommodation to take care of these ‘children’ had impelled her to purchase a house on 56 cents at Kullampalayam near Erode. Sujatha, daughter of a film producer in Erode, says she chose to sacrifice her life and left her father’s bungalow at Gobichettipalayam for about 250 cats and dogs.

A long list of degrees tag her name. She was even offered the position of a lecturer at a college. But, nine hours at work would mean nine hours away from her ‘children’. “So I decided not to work,” Sujatha said. And the 35year-old also decided to remain a spinster. The reason: “Rearing cats and dogs in our community (Goundar) is a taboo and my grandparents never stepped into our house because they despised them. My parents were supportive, but keeping them at home after marriage would be impossible,” says Sujatha.

She said her interest in these animals started at the age of 7 and she flicked money from home to get kittens and pups from her friends. “Later I started to pick animals on streets, old, sick and disabled seeking attention. Vets from Chennai and Mettupalayam make periodical visits and ensure their well being,” she says.

“After moving into the new house nine months ago, I have had two attendants to help me with the two sheds, 7 cents dedicated for the cats and 10 cents for dogs. The first two months at the new house was terrible, for about 90 cats died of cat pneumonia.

It was then that I stopped counting. Counting is superstitious and I fear they would die,” says Sujatha.

“A separate kitchen has been set up to prepare fish and milk for the animals.

The monthly expenses to feed them is between Rs 17,000 to Rs 20,000,” says Sujatha.

Her father, cine producer and location consultant Jyothi Raja, supports her financially.

Besides her immense love for cats and dogs, the Indian bow snake was something she had fancied for and wanted to get it from snake catcher ‘pambu’ Parthsarathy. “But I was not allowed to keep snakes. Earlier I had a deer, mongoose and a monitor lizard,” she said.

Crackdown on Banglas in Rajasthan

2008-05-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Rajasthan government on Friday ordered a crackdown on Bangladeshis with criminal backgrounds and said the police has already begun questioning them. This was revealed by state PWD minister and government spokesperson Rajendra Singh Rathore on Friday. Jaipur returned to normalcy on Friday with no curfew being imposed in the city.

Investigators have also detected startling similarities between the explosives used in the Jaipur bomb blasts and the Lumbini Park blasts in Hyderabad. Mr Rathore said the 10 bicycles used to plant the bombs in Jaipur’s walled city were bought from eight shops in the Kishanpole area of the city. All but two shop-owners have been identified. Investigators suspect that the bombs were assembled and the bicy cles bought and placed just hours before the blasts.

“We have ordered the identification of suspicious Bangladeshis within 30 days.

We have issued orders that names of Bangladeshi illegal immigrants found to be on the ration card rolls should be struck off. The Bangladeshis with criminal backgrounds are being identified,” Mr Rathore said. “Many of those questioned say they are residents of 24 Parganas and other districts in West Bengal. The claims are being verified,” he added.

“Our government took it very seriously. Our officials spoke to senior authorities in the Union home ministry and requested help in tackling the Bangladeshi issue,” Mr Rathore said. According to the minister, in 2004, there were 2,500 Bangladeshis in Jaipur and the number is now over 10,000. The first such action was reported from Ajmer, where the police had arrested eight Bangladeshi nationals.

All district collectors and superintendents of police have been directed to complete within 30 days the process of identifying Bangladeshi migrants living with or without voter ID cards and/or ration cards and get them verified, Mr Rathore said, adding that the procedure for deporting the identified illegal aliens could then be started. According to the police, there are a large number of Bangladeshi nationals living around the dargah area in Ajmer. These people came here as devotees and settled here, but the problem is that these Bangladeshis got involved in crimes,” said a senior police officer. The state government acted after investigators suspected the Bangladesh-based terrorist outfit Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) of being behind the blasts. Also, one of the cycle-shop owners apparently told investigators that a man with a Bengali accent had purchased one of the bicycles. DIG Saurabh Srivastava of the Rajasthan police’s special investigation team (SIT), when questioned about a Maruti Esteem car found locked near Jaipur’s railway station, said it belonged to one Afzal Dehlvi, a resident of Lucknow, who had apparently left the car and boarded a train to Chennai to visit his ailing mother. The car belonged earlier to a lady resident of Delhi who had sold it off a year ago. The police is also probing the claims of an Udaipur resident who claims he saw one of the suspects with a woman at his restaurant recently. The police has so far released sketches of four men who allegedly bought the bicycles (used to plant the bombs) on Tuesday.

The Rajasthan police SIT is working closely with anti-terrorist squads from Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to crack the case. The Rajasthan police currently has a team camping at Sahibabad, UP, to probe an email sent to a TV channel. Investigators also point out that bombs were planted on bicycles in recent terror strikes in various cities of UP, a similarity with the Jaipur bomb blasts. According to the Rajasthan government, 63 people died in Tuesday’s blasts. Of these, 51 of the deceased have been identified and the families of half of these have already been given the compensation announced by the government.

Blame put on rusted needles

2008-05-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

Expressing apprehension over using “substandard and rusted needles provided by the centre” to implement the vaccination programme in Tamil Nadu, State health minister M. R. K. Panneerselvam urged union health and family welfare minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss to take immediate action to supply “good quality syringes at once.” “If such syringes are used, the immunisation programme would collapse and again there would be adverse reactions,” he said adding following the death of four children due to measles vaccine in the state; the state government has modified the immunisation programme to set right the situation. “Now the immunisation is being done at hospitals and select outreach centres under medical supervision,” Mr Panneerselvam said.

In a letter addressed to Dr. Anbumani on Thursday, Mr Panneerselvam said the use of AD syringes have been completely stopped in the state.

Seeking fresh supplies of quality needles, the minister cautioned the centre to take steps “to issue suitable instructions to all the states on the use of AD syringes as the same would have been supplied by the centre to all other states.” In the copy of the letter, which was made available here, he said the centre had supplied auto disable (AD) syringes in December 2007 and they were substandard.

Some of them were rested and could be used to administer vaccine.

Citing a report already submitted by the state health secretary to the centre, Mr Panneerselvam said dust was found accumulated inside the syringes.

In his report dated May 9, V. K. Subburaj, state health secretary said the AD syringes provided by the centre were supplied to all the districts in the state. In Tiruchi, needles containing the batch no. (1) 0612048 bearing the expiry date: November 2011, (manufacturer: BD Solo Shot) were found defective and some rusted.

A total of 102 such defective AD syringes were found in Tiruchi district.

Bio-pesticide from students

2008-05-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Ezhumalai (45), a farmer from Pattabiram in Tiruvallur district, is happy that his yield has almost doubled in his one-acre farm after the use of “Ponneem,” a bio-pesticide developed by a group of students from Loyola College here. Mr Sundaram of Therkumalaipakkam in Kancheepuram district and Mr Kumar of Sembarambakkam are few of the more than 1,000 farmers who have benefitted from the use of Ponneem in the last fifteen months.
Ponneem, a product from the traditional knowledge of farmers, is a combination of both neem oil and pongam oil. A litre of this pesticide costs just Rs 135 whereas other bio-pesticides available in the market cost more than Rs 200 per litre. “A litre of Ponneem can be mixed with 350 litres of water and sprayed once in 15 days. I found that very effective on sunflower and other plants I have been cultivating,” said Ezhumalai. A group of students from various disciplines led by entomologist Mr Gabriel Paul Raj were discussing the plight of farmers in the country few years ago and arrived at the idea of introducing organic farming techniques to farmers in the neighbouring districts on an experimental basis. Thanks to the research and advice of Dr Ignacimuthu, head of the department of entomology, the group of students produced the bio-pesticide as a first step.

“Ponneem does not cause pollution as it does not leave any residue like the chemical pesticides. It is bio-degradable. It does not kill beneficial insects and kills only harmful insects. The lethal dose study (LDS) conducted on the pesticide for safety analysis found that the toxicity is almost nil,” said Dr Ignacimuthu. “The farmers were apprehensive initially when we visited the villages.

Ezhumalai of Pattbiram agreed to test the bio-pesticide first. When he found that the yield has almost doubled, he told the fellow farmers about it,” said Ms Jinu Abraham (22), a student involved in promoting the bio-pesticide.

“We have covered more than 110 villages in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts in the last 15 months and the response from the farmers has been overwhelming,” said Jayashanti, a lecturer in charge of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) in Loyola College, who has been involved in spreading awareness about organic farming in the villages. The students are also in the process of getting Ponneem patented. “As the demand is on the rise, we have plans to set up a plant in Agathiarpatti village in Kancheepuram district for producing Ponneem,” said Mr Antony Robins, team leader of the Ponneem project.

“There are at least two big companies approaching us for buying the formula. Our purpose is not to make profit. So we plan to do it on our own and provide bio-pesticide to farmers at an affordable cost,” said Mr Vishnu, another student involved in the project.

City, Jaipur terror traced to PoK

2008-05-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

Police has found striking similarities between the improvised explosive devices used in the Jaipur serial blasts and the ones used in the twin blasts on August 25, 2007, in Hyderabad.
Intelligence agencies said this indicated that terrorists who triggered the Jaipur and Hyderabad blasts learned their deadly tricks in the same camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Bangladesh and from the same trainers.

Sources in the intelligence department told this correspondent that contrary to initial reports, RDX was not used in the Jaipur blasts.

Forensic tests revealed that only ammonium nitrate gel (also known as Neogel) was used in them. The same material was used for the twin blasts in the city.

Neogel is freely available in local markets.

“About 1.5 kg of Neogel with metal ball bearings was put in boat-shaped wooden cases in Jaipur and Hyderabad,” said the source. “In both cases, timers were used.

The similarities in the signatures of the bombs are shocking.” On August 25, 2007, two IEDs exploded at Lumbini Park Laserium and Gokul Chat Bhandar in the city while one unexploded bomb was recovered from Malakpet and defused.

The Special Investigation Team and Counter Intelligence teams of the Hyderabad police reached Jaipur on Thursday to investigate the links between the two incidents.

While two bombs were used in Hyderabad, eight bombs were used at six places in Jaipur while one bomb was defused.

“Our information is that the terror couriers behind both blasts got trained in the same camps in PoK and Bangladesh and this explains the similarities in the operations,” said the source.

Bangladesh-based HarkatUl-Jehad-e-Islami (HuJI) is suspected to be behind both the blasts. “There are similarities in the bombs used in Jaipur and Hyderabad blasts,” said the city police commissioner, Mr B. Prasada Rao. “There are also slight differences.” He added that city and Jaipur police were sharing information on the blasts.

The special secretary (internal security) in the union ministry of home affairs, Mr M.L. Kumawat, an AP cadre IPS officer, is coordinating the probe into the Jaipur-Hyderabad blasts link from the Centre.

Icahn weighs a proxy fight at Yahoo

2008-05-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

The Microsoft-Yahoo merger story may not be over yet.
Mr Carl C. Icahn, the billionaire investor and activist shareholder, is considering a proxy fight for seats on the Yahoo board in hopes of pushing the company to restart talks to sell itself to Microsoft, people who have held discussions with him said on Tuesday.

Mr Icahn’s interest comes less than two weeks after Microsoft withdrew a $47.5 billion offer for Yahoo after being rebuffed. The deadline for board nominations is Thursday.

Mr Icahn has told associates that he bought as many as 50 million shares of Yahoo — worth more than $1 billion — in anticipation of pressing for seats on its board. He has also inquired at Microsoft, through various friends, whether he could help bring that com pany back to the negotiating table, these people said. He has received little encouragement, these people said, because Microsoft has insisted that it has “moved on.” As a result, it remains unclear whether Mr Icahn will move forward, these people added.

Many Yahoo shareholders, frustrated at the company for pushing Microsoft away, would appear receptive to a dissident slate of directors. In recent days, Yahoo’s board has received a deluge of letters from Yahoo shareholders criticising the company’s tactics during the negotiations with Microsoft.

But Mr Bill Miller, the portfolio manager at Legg Mason who has said he thought a merger would be a good strategic move, said he was unsure he would support Mr Icahn. Legg Mason owns more than six per cent of Yahoo.

In an interview, Mr Miller said he had no knowledge of Mr Icahn’s plans and would consider any proposals. But he suggested that without clear indications that Microsoft would resume negotiations, he saw little reason to justify the election of new directors

Bangla accent of bomber points to HuJI

2008-05-15T04:28:00.000-07:00

The Rajasthan police has put together a sketch of one of the people it suspects was behind Tuesday’s terror blasts in Jaipur. The man depicted in the sketch is believed to have purchased one of the cycles used in the attacks from a local shop in Jaipur.
The Jaipur police on Wednesday evening zeroed in on a shop called Santosh Trading Company in Kishanpole market which is believed to have sold an “Enron” cycle to the suspect on the day of the bomb attacks. Police sources revealed that six cycles of different brands, used in the blasts, were purchased between 11 am and 2 pm on Tuesday afternoon.

The sketch released by the police revealed a well-built person around 25 to 26 years of age. The interrogation of the shop owner revealed that the person parted his hair in the middle and “spoke in a Bengali accent”. These fresh revelations reinforce the claims of the security agencies that the Bangladesh-based Harkut-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI) was behind the blasts, the sources said.

While three of the bicycles were “Hero Rangers”, the rest were of a different make, said the police sources. The Rajasthan police suspects that all the cycles used in the blasts were purchased from Kishan Pole market. The police is also questioning other cycle sellers to come up with sketches of other possible suspects.

The police sources revealed that the bombs that were carried on the bicycles were made of a deadly cocktail of RDX and ammonium nitrate. The bombs, each weighing 1.5 kg, were filled with cycle ballbearings made of iron before being wrapped in white plaster bandages, said the sources.

Clock timers were used to trigger the bombs, which were placed in plastic bags. Central security agencies are also probing the possible use of Neogel-90, an explosive used for commercial purposes, in the blasts.

The intelligence agencies have already started analysing STD and ISD calls made from Jaipur over the last 48 hours to establish if there are any international linkages behind the blast. The IG (Jaipur), Mr Pankaj Singh, said the eight blasts occurred in close proximity of each other.

“All the bombs weighed around 1.5 kg. The presence of RDX and ammonium nitrate has been detected, though the quantity of ammonium nitrate is more. The use of cycle ball-bearings in the bomb makes the bomb more dangerous,” Mr Singh said.

The use of cycles bears a striking resemblance to the Malegaon blasts in Mumbai and the blasts in three courts in UP last year, the police sources said. Police officials suspect the same outfit may be behind all three terror strikes — in Mumbai, UP and Jaipur. “There have been eight blasts at six places. Besides, one live bomb has been defused,” said the ADG (law and order), Mr A.K. Jain, in Rajasthan.

The use of RDX in the bombs has become a fresh cause of concern for security agencies. Intelligence officials revealed that around a year ago a special task force from UP arrested one Jallaludin, alias Babu Bhai, who was the northern area commander of HuJI in India.

Though his interrogation did not provide much in the way of information, Jallaludin’s associate Naushad told the police that the outfit had distributed 80 kg of RDX between various HuJI operatives across the country. The intelligence officials said so far only 40 kg of this RDX has been recovered. The security agencies fear that the RDX used in the blasts may be a part of that supply and much of it may still be in the hands of the terrorist group.

TAX MATTERS - Employer is duty-bound to deduct tax

2008-05-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

Q How is the quantum of tax to be deducted on salary determined? Also clarify on TDS applicable to property let out?
Parikshit Via e-mail A tax will by antotoSection only According 192, have be deducted from salary employer while paying salary. The deduction has to be at the rates applicable to an individual. The benefit of deduction under Chapter VI-A may be allowed over and above the exemptions under Section 10 and deduction for professional tax while deducting tax. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) every year issues a circular on TDS on salaries where it clarifies the deduction under chapter VI-A which can be reckoned by the employer.

The employer can also take the cognisance of a loss incurred under the head “Income from House Property”. No cognisance can be taken of loss incurred under any other head of income.

The employer will also have to take into account any other income under the head salaries or other heads. The employer may also in such cases take cognisance of the tax already deducted on such income while deducting tax at source. However, this should not have the effect of reducing the tax deductible under the head “salaries” except where there is a loss under the head income from house property.

Tax is normally deducted in 12 equal instalments. The employer has to issue a Form 16 and also Form 12BA (for salary exceeding Rs 1,50,000) which are statements showing particulars of perquisites, other fringe benefits or amenities and profits in lieu of salary along with its value.

Section 194 (I) deals with the tax deduction requirement on rent. Under this section, any person other than an individual or Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) subject to tax audit under section 44AB in the immediate previous year by reason of exceeding the specified turnover/sales/gross receipts is to deduct tax at source on the payment of rent.

The deduction has to be made at the time of payment or credit whichever is earlier, if the rent consideration is Rs 1,20,000 during the financial year.

Under this section tax is to be deducted at the following rates:

If the payee is an Individual or HUF , the deduction will be 15 per cent and if the payee is any other person, TDS rate will be 20 per cent.

(Kamal Rathi is a chartered accountant, representing Rathi & Malani, a Hyderabad-based accounting firm. Readers can mail their queries on income-tax tokamalrathi.ca@gmail.com)

SCrefuses to block Nano’s production

2008-05-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to put any roadblock before the world’s cheapest car Nano’s planned rollout by the year-end though it issued notices to its producer Tata Motors and the West Bengal government following a petition challenging land acquisition.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice M.K. Sharma said it will not order any status quo on the issue of land acquisition for the car’s plant in Singur in West Bengal.

The lawsuit filed by affected farmers has challenged the January 2008 order of the Calcutta High Court upholding the legality of the government’s decision to acquire 997.11 acres of land at Singur for the project.

The bench issued the notice despite protests by the West Bengal counsel, Mr K.K. Venugopal, who said: “The land has already been acquired, the possession handed over and the compensation paid.” The project has “reached financial closure”, said Mr Venugopal, pleading to the court not to issue notice on the petition by five Singur farmers, including Mr Kedar Nath Yadav, challenging the High Court’s ruling.

The bench issued notices after counsel for Mr Yadav, Mr K. Bandopadhyay, pointed out to the court that part of the Singur farmers’ land acquired by the state was still with West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation. Mr Bandopadhyay also contended that the Land Acquisition Act empowered the government only to acquire land in public interest and not for business houses.

The petition said, “The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has made a drastic decision to acquire thousands of acres of agricultural lands in various parts of the states for various industrial projects, including those for Tata Motors’ small car project in Singur and for the Salem group’s project in Haldia.”

Census of wild animals taken up

2008-05-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

In a recent census on the population of tigers carried out in the Papikondalu wildlife sanctuary, the forest wildlife management authorities have identified the presence of five tigers including four adults and a cub and 15 leopards.
With an exception of a newborn cub, the forest authorities did not confirm whether the number of tigers has gone up or dwindled. However, they con firmed that there were no reports of poaching of tigers in the sanctuary limits.

The forest conservator (wildlife management), Mr S.K. Sinha said, “We have carried out the tiger population census based on the norms recommended. Our people kept a tab on pug marks, litter and other evidences to substantiate the presence of the wild animals in the sanctuary limits.” authorities The forest have also prepared proposals for setting up water sources for the wild animals in certain pockets of the forest areas following the recent cases of straying of the big cats into human habitations. The forest authorities intend to set up water sources for the animals to quench their thirst. The areas will be selected where there are no water sources like creeks, rivulets and tanks. The forest authorities will dig tanks, construct check dams to store water, dig trenches and set up concrete tanks.

Water will be carried through tankers and these sources will be filled up with water wherever possible and help the animals quench their thirst.

The district forest officer, Mr B. Ananda Mohan said, “We are in the process of preparation of the proposals for setting up the water sources. We are hopeful that by next summer, the animals will not face any water problem.”

Relations fine with EC, asserts YSR top of the page

2008-05-14T03:25:00.000-07:00

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S.
Rajasekhar Reddy on Tuesday said that the state government was not at loggerheads with the Election Commission on the issue of election code vis-à-vis development works.

The Chief Minister said that the government would clarify on the notice served to it by the Election Commission on taking up developmental programmes and the agriculture minister, Mr N.

Raghuveera Reddy’s reported “derogatory remarks made against the Election Commission.” The Election Com mission had served notices to the state government and Mr Reddy for the violation of the model code of conduct set by the EC.

“We have high regard for the Election commission,” the Chief Minister said.

“There are no differences between the government and the EC on any matter,” he clarified.

Dr Reddy, however, defended the statement of the agriculture minister, Mr N. Raghuveera Reddy, seeking the continuation of regular programmes like the Rythu Chaitanya yatras.

“Mr Raghuveera Reddy said that Rythu Chaitanya yatras should not be stopped since it was the season to educate farmers.

Unlike a housing scheme or other works which can be put off, agriculture plans can’t be postponed.

There would have been no political gain,” the Chief Minister said.

“The Election Commission too agreed with his viewpoint and okayed the programme,” he added.

When reminded that the Opposition demanded the resignation of the agriculture minister, Dr Reddy said, “They have no issue.

They are just indulging in mudslinging.”

State fire force turns away HIV positive

2008-05-14T03:05:00.000-07:00

The AP Fire and Emergency Services Department will not recruit HIV positive men in the fire force.
The state government has amended service rules to keep out HIV positive men from the fire force as it did in the case of the police two years ago.

Similarly, the fire service also decided to continue with its practice of not recruiting women as fire fighters though the police had done away with similar rules. These specifications are present in the new AP Fire Subordinate Service Rules for recruitment of station fire officers, firemen and driver operators. Apart from physical and written tests, men have to take a medical test too to be considered for the posts.

As per rules, those who are HIV positive, physically handicapped, are flat-footed, or have pigeon chests and wobbly knees cannot be considered for the post. The rule also bans recruitment of those who suffer from abnormal psychological behaviour.

AP State AIDS Control Society had opposed the discrimination against HIV positive people in police and fire services department. It also moved court but the government stuck to its stance.

Interestingly, the director general of the predominantly male fire and emergency services department is a woman IPS official, Ms Aruna Bahuguna. She said HIV positive men were not eligible as per government rules and added that women won’t be considered either while recruiting for posts of 1,116 ‘firemen’ since firefighting needs lot of physical stamina.

“The fire-fighter has to break doors, windows, walls and climb up and down buildings,” she said. “They sometimes have to carry the victims out. Moreover, these posts are only for firemen.” She added that women might be considered for the posts of driver and fire station officers.

An APSACS official pointed out that there were several High Court judgments terming discrimination against HIV positive people to be irrational and unconstitutional.

“Even a bill to safeguard the rights of HIV positive people is being charted out,” he said. “HIV is not AIDS.” However, a senior police officer said that when even a slight squint or bad teeth was a disqualification for joining the police and fire force, it would be absurd to recruit an HIV positive person.

“They would not be able to withstand rigorous training because of the decreasing immunity,” he added

60 KILLED AS TERROR HITS JAIPUR

2008-05-14T02:57:00.000-07:00

Eight bomb blasts triggered by terrorists over just 12 minutes on Wednesday night killed at least 60 people in the heart of Jaipur and injured 200.
The explosions, the first terror strikes in the Pink City, occurred in markets usually teeming with people and near the Hanuman Mandir in the walled city.

The bombings took place as India marked the 10th anniversary of nuclear tests conducted on May 13 in Rajasthan, but it was unclear if there was any link.

“According to the information I have received, 60 people have died and 150 have been injured,” said the Rajasthan chief minister, Ms Vasundhara Raje.

The Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HuJI) is suspected to be behind the blasts, home ministry sources said.

The sources ruled out the use of RDX in the carefully orchestrated low-intensity explosions, which were suspected to have been set off from cycles in areas frequented by tourists, including near the historic Hawa Mahal.

The blasts took place at Tripolia Bazar, Johari Bazar, Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal and Choti Choupal, all located within a two-km radius in the old city. Inspector-general of police (Jaipur) Pankaj Singh said in all there were eight blasts, a couple of them in the same area.

The police said one explosive device was defused by the bomb disposal squad near the Hanuman temple.

One of the blasts took place in a car and another near a handloom shop in Kotwali area of the city, home department sources said. Most of the injured were rushed to Sawai Man Singh hospital. The bodies of several victims lay strewn in the corridors of hospitals. The blasts triggered a near-stampede situation at the blast sites, which were crammed with peak-hour shoppers as panic-stricken people ran helter-skelter in search of a safe place.

Doctors said many of the victims of Tuesday’s blasts had shrapnel injuries. They feared that the toll may rise further.

The bomb explosions left blood splattered on the street and cycles and rickshaws in a mangled heap, television showed. “It’s a terror attack.

There was no (intelligence) report of this,” the Rajasthan director-general of police, Mr A.S. Gill, told reporters.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, condemned the blasts and appealed for calm.

Jaipur, which has a population of more than two million, is one of the nation’s top tourist resorts and a favourite attraction for foreigners.

State borders were sealed and a high alert sounded in Fol lowing the serial bomb blasts in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the city police and intelligence agencies are probing the possible links with twin blasts in the city with emergence of some similarities.

Interestingly, the twin blasts that occurred on August 25 last year at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat Bhandar happened between 7.25 pm and 7.35 pm. The Jaipur serial blasts took place around the same time.

The task force office human bomb blast at Hyderabad in October 2005 too happened at about the same time. Both the task force office and twin blasts were carried out by Harkat-Ul Jehad-e-Islami. State intelligence agencies said that they are yet to get official communication of the explosive used in the Jaipur serial blasts though it is being suspected that RDX was used in Jaipur.

“Once the exact details of the explosives used in the blasts emerge then possible links between city and Jaipur blasts can be established. As of now, there has been no alert or inputs from the Intelligence Bureau in the Centre to the states. We are coordinating with our Rajasthan counterparts to establish any possible links,” sources in state intelligence agency said.

Sources said that the pre liminary information was that timers were used in the Jaipur blasts. The city police is trying to find out if they were the same as the ones used in twin blasts here.

Iron ball bearings were reportedly used in the Jaipur blasts. In the twin blasts too, iron bearings were used as splinters in the Improvised Explosive Device.

The state intelligence wing has got the Intelligence Security Wing (ISW) to put on alert places of worship.

Intelligence agencies are on the tenterhooks as the Jaipur blasts come days ahead of the first anniversary of Mecca Masjid blast.

City police commissioner B. Prasada Rao said that an alert had been sounded and security checks would be carried out extensively.

China quake kills 12,000

2008-05-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

A massive earthquake toppled buildings across a wide area of central China on Monday, killing more than 8,533 people, trapping hundreds of students under the rubble of schools and causing a toxic chemical leak in one of the worst quakes in decades. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated a region of small cities and towns set amid steep hills northeast of Sichuan’s provincial capital of Chengdu. The official Xinhua news agency reported 8,533 people died in Sichuan alone and dozens of others in surrounding areas.
[The Indian embassy in Bei jing said that according to the information available so far, no Indians were affected by the earthquake, PTI reported from the Chinese capital.
“No problem (has been reported) so far, as far as Indians are concerned,” it quoted embassy sources as saying. Indian diplomats said they had checked with their contacts in Chengdu and elsewhere.] In Beichuan county, just east of the epicentre, 80 per cent of the buildings had collapsed and some 10,000 people were injured aside from 3,000 to 5,000 dead, Xinhua said. It and other state media said a chemical plant in Shifang city cratered, burying hundreds of people and spilling more than 80 tons of toxic liquid ammonia from the site. In Juyuan town in Dujiangyan city, just south of the epicentre, the middle school collapsed, burying the students and immediately killing four ninth graders, Xinhua reported.
Xinhua said its reporters in Juyuan town saw buried teenagers struggling to break free from the rubble “while others were crying out for help.” Photos posted on the Internet and found on the Chinese search engine Baidu showed arms and a torso sticking out of the rubble of the school as dozens of people worked to free them, using small mechanical winches or their hands to move concrete slabs. Xinhua said 50 bodies had been pulled from the debris but did not say if they were alive

Police hunts for Gawli’s riches

2008-05-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

After stating that the gangsterturned-politician Arun Gawli could be worth several hundred crore, almost all of it being benami, the cops made a small beginning unraveling his hidden assets which included two expensive cars.

Two cars, together worth not more than Rs 7 lakh, are among the first seizures of the don-turned-politician Arun Gawli’s benami properties. The Mumbai police on Sunday confirmed having seized the two cars bought by Gawli in the name of one of his acquaintances.

A Maruti Suzuki Versa and an Alto have been seized by the police in Mumbai. Police informants reportedly tipped off the police about the cars being used by Gawli for his personal use, which actually belonged to the gangster himself and it, was just that he had bought it in the name of one of his accomplices.

The man on whose name the cars were bought, the police said, is also a member of Gawli’s political outfit, the Akhil Bhartiya Sena. “We have seized both the cars in Mumbai.

Gawli’s acquaintance has confessed that the cars which are in his name were bought from Gawli’s money and were being used for Gawli’s personal use,” said Mr Deven Bharti, deputy commissioner of police, detection, crime branch.

State lifts ban on transfers of its employees

2008-05-11T04:02:00.000-07:00

fter a long wait the babus of Andhra Pradesh breathed easy as the state government on Saturday issued order to lift the ban on transferring employees working in government departments.

The GO 134 said employees working for more than two years in a particular station can apply for transfer. The order also said that preference would be given to employees who were working in a particular area for a very long period, longest standing employees, those working in difficult areas, family persons and cases of compassionate appointments.

Transfers on medical grounds would also get equal preference.

This relaxation on transfers also extended to the education department and a set of separate guidelines will soon be announced by the department. All transfers other than those for administrative reasons will be done by counselling.

The government order directed heads of departments to start transfers from May 15 and complete by June 16.

All employees seeking transfer will have to mention three preferences and the proceedings will take place accordingly. If more than one employee have the same choice of place, the most senior employee among the group will get the preference subject.

However, all these transfers where the employee’s preference is be considered, will be treated as request transfers. No travelling allowance will be given to the employee.

Revenue earning departments like commercial taxes, prohibition and excise will follow a separate set of guidelines.

BIE permits 1,600 new private colleges

2008-05-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Despite severe criticism from several quarters for encouraging private colleges at the cost of government colleges, the State government has decided to permit another 1,626 private junior colleges from the coming academic year (2008-09).

The government has approved the proposal put forth by the Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) to open more junior colleges in the private sector. Interestingly, it has not proposed even a single government college in the State.

The government has issued a GO (Rt No. 419), dated May 6, 2008, allowing BIE to issue notification for establishment of 842 new private unaided junior colleges in 587 identified Mandals and 784 junior colleges in 74 Municipalities. BIE is expected to issue a notification inviting applications next week.

Currently, there are 4,088 junior colleges in the State, of which only 711 are government-run and 150 are government-aided. The remaining 3,227 colleges are run by private managements.

However, various associations of junior lecturers of government colleges have strongly protested the move and alleged that the State is conspiring to close down government junior colleges by encouraging more and more number of pri vate colleges every year.

They said while the department of school education is strengthening 6,500 government schools through an investment of over Rs 9,500 crore, the BIE has not initiated any steps so far in this direction, though government colleges are performing better.

Government colleges continued to improve their performance in the Intermediate results with increased pass percentage for the third consecutive year. Out of the 1,01,259 candidates who appeared for the examination this year, 55,133 passed registering 54.45 per cent success. Last year the pass percentage was 52.12 per cent.

The is same with governmentaided colleges which improved their performance, with the pass percentage rising from 53.39 per cent to 53.53 per cent. However, it is considerably high compared to 51.69 per cent recorded in 2006.

Karnataka sees 60% poll

2008-05-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Nearly 60 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in the first phase of the elections on Saturday that an exit poll by a private television station said would net the BJP 31 seats of the 89 contested in the key Cauvery basin area.

Of these, the BJP is expected to win 14 of the 28 seats in the capital Bangalore, giving the rightwing party a clear edge as campaigning begins in earnest for the crucial second and third phase of elections to the Karnataka Assembly.

Welcoming the early trends that showed the Congress taking a huge dent winning only a paltry 23 seats trailing behind, even the Janata Dal (Secular) which NDTV predicted would win 26 seats, said, “We will win more than 40 seats in the first phase and I believe more number of minorities have come to vote for our party.” Announcing the poll turnout details, chief electoral officer M.N.

Vidyashankar on Saturday claimed credit for a peaceful election. “Of course, I have to thank the media and police for this,” he said. Of the 11 districts that went to the polls on Saturday, the Bangalore rural district topped the list with 72.5 per cent voter turnout.

Bhajji unmasked: Ponting

2008-05-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Saturday hit out at Harbhajan Singh, saying that the Indian off-spinner has been unmasked by his attack on teammate S. Sreesanth.

Ponting said people can now make their own judgment on Harbhajan after the slapping row since it involved his own teammate.

“The (slapping) incident was him dealing with a guy that he has probably played 20 Tests with,” Ponting, who had a brief stint with Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indi an Premier League during which the slapgate took place, said.

“After this latest issue in India, I think people should be making their own judgments about Harbhajan. He has again done something wrong,” Ponting told Herald Sun.

The Sydney fiasco involving Harbhajan and Andrew Symonds is more than three months old, but Ponting remained incredulous at how Harbhajan got off with a slap on the wrist after being charged with racially abusing Andrew Symonds.

Harbhajan was initially suspended for three Tests but after an appeal received a 50 per cent match fee fine on a lesser charge.

“It certainly wasn’t the outcome that we expected. He ended up being fined 50 per cent of his match fee. As it is, I will cop a 20 or 30 per cent match fee fine most oneday games because I am behind in the over rates,” Ponting said. Ponting admitted his team had several lapses of judgment in that ill-tempered series against India, but claimed they were blown out of proportion. “Most of us would put our hands up and say we made a few minor errors last year,” Ponting conceded. “I think the thing that happened was that every time there was a minor error it was turned into something that was a lot bigger than it was.” As for the IPL, Ponting said it will benefit the game if it was not held annually and it is included in the international calendar. “If there is some sort of window carved out for an opportunity for international players to play (in the IPL) most years — and it doesn’t have to be every year because that will never work out for everybody,” Ponting said

Huge heroin haul at airport

2008-05-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

In one of the biggest drug busts in the city, a Thai woman was caught at Shamshabad airport on Saturday with a consignment of heroin worth Rs 2.22 crore that she was attempting to smuggle to Kuala Lumpur.

Pincahao Khronvipa alias Pinkae, 34, who was to take a Malaysian Airlines flight, checked in without a hitch. The security at the GMR Rajiv Gandhi International Airport failed to detect the drug concealed in her baggage. Pincahao, who senior police officials said was a prostitute working as carrier for a suspected Nigerian national, was stopped just before she boarded the flight.

The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) additional director-general, Dr P. Babu, said the woman was arrested on an intelligence alert.

He said Pincahao had come to India from Bangkok and stayed at Delhi. She flew into Hyderabad from Delhi at 8 30 pm on Friday and stayed at the airport overnight. Pincahao, who was about to board Malaysian Air lines flight MH 199 at 1 am on Saturday, had concealed the drug in a false cavity in her suitcase. The police said an African national had given her the consignment and she was to be paid between $2,000 and $3,000 to carry it to Kaula Lumpur.

A case was booked against Pincahao under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Sub stances Act. The accused was produced before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge in Ranga Reddy district.

Police officials, who suspect the involvement of the international drug mafia in the incident, said narcotic cartels could be using Hyderabad as a transit point due to lax security at the airport. “This was Pincahao’s first visit to the country. Her passport shows that she regularly visited several Gulf countries and Singapore and Malaysia,” a senior police official said.

“She could have been used as a carrier by a major drug cartel,” he added. “We can’t rule out the involvement of the international drug mafia.” Other police officials said the incident raised questions about security at the new airport.

“Check-in baggage is supposed to be screened by GMR personnel. However the heroin got past the security checks and she would have boarded the flight had DRI officials not arrested her,” said one police official.

In a similar incident last week, DRI men arrested a Filipino carrying 2.7 kg of heroin worth Rs 2.7 crore at the Chennai International Airport.

“The modus operandi in the Hyderabad and Chennai incidents are almost identical,” a police official said.

Exercise brain to stop forgetfulness

2008-05-09T03:28:00.000-07:00

When David Bunnell, a magazine publisher who lives in Berkeley, California, went to a FedEx store to send a package a few years ago, he suddenly drew a blank as he was fill ing out the forms.

“I couldn’t remember my address,” said Mr Bunnell, 60, with a measure of horror in his voice. “I knew where I lived, and I knew how to get there, but I didn’t know what the address was.” Mr Bunnell is among tens of millions of baby boomers who are encountering the signs, by turns amusing and disconcerting, that accompany the decline of the brain’s acuity: a good friend’s name suddenly vanishing from memory; a frantic search for eyeglasses only to find them atop the head; milk taken from the refrigerator then put away in a cupboard.

“It’s probably one of the most frightening aspects of the changes we undergo as we age,” said Nancy Ceridwyn, director of educational initiatives at the American Society on Ageing.

“Our memories are who we are.

And if we lose our memories we lose that groundedness of who we are.” At the same time, boomers are seizing on a mounting body of evidence that suggests that brains contain more plasticity than previously thought, and many people are taking matters into their own hands, doing brain fitness exercises with the same intensity with which they attack a treadmill.

Decaying brains, or the fear thereof, have inspired a miniindustry of brain health products — not just supplements like coenzyme Q10, ginseng and bacopa, but computer-based fitter-brain products as well.

Nintendo’s $19.99 Brain Age 2, a popular video game of simple math and memory exercises, is one. Posit Science’s $395 computer-based “cognitive behavioural training” exercises are another. MindFit, a $149 software-based programme, combines cognitive assessment of more than a dozen different skills with a personalised training regimen based on that assessment.

And for about $10 a month, worried boomers can subscribe to websites like Lumosity.com and Happy-Neuron.com, which offer a variety of cognitive training exercises. Alvaro Fernandez, whose brain fitness and consulting company, SharpBrains, has a website focused on brain fitness research. He estimates that in 2007, the market in the United States for so-called neurosoftware was $225 million.

Mr Fernandez pointed out that compared with, say, the physical fitness industry, which brings in $16 billion a year in health club memberships alone, the brain fitness software industry is still in its infancy. Yet it is growing at a 50 per cent annual rate, he said, and he expects it to reach $2 billion by 2015.

From Hula Hoops to Corian countertops, marketers have done very well over the six decades guessing the desires of the generation born after World War II.

Now they are making money on that generation’s fears, and it is not just computerised flash card makers with the money-making ideas. Doctors and geneticists have also tapped into the market.

Boomers believe they have ample reason to worry. There is no definitive laboratory test to detect Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors rely on symptoms to make the diagnosis, and most think that by the time symptoms show up the brain damage is already extensive.

By 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, 11 million to 16 million Americans will have the disease.

“Most people when they turn 50 begin to look at forgetfulness with more seriousness,” said Dr Gene Cohen, the director of the Center for Ageing, Health and Humanities at George Washington University.

“When you misplace your keys when you’re 25, you don’t pay any attention to it,” he said. “But when you do the identical thing at 50 or older, you raise an eyebrow.” Lisa C., 47, a clinical psychologist in the San Francisco Bay area, who preferred not to disclose her last name for fear that friends and colleagues would question her mental faculties, misplaced her cellphone one day a few years ago.

She called it from her home phone but heard nothing. Finally, while making dinner a few hours later, she found it — in the freezer.

She was so unnerved, not just by that but also by the poor results of a subsequent mental status test, that she had an MRI done on her brain. The diagnosis: perfectly normal. Dr Cohen said people can also overreact, attributing absent-minded actions to failing brains, when it is actually simple distractibility that is to blame.

Nancy Cutler, 51, a publication designer in Piedmont, California, grew worried about her brain a few years ago when she drove her car to work one day, then, forgetting she had done so, took the bus home. “It was pretty embarrassing to have my kid call me and say, ‘what do you mean you’re on the bus?’ ” Ms Cutler reminded herself that she was preparing for her son’s bar mitzvah, going through a stressful period and was very distracted. But she was concerned enough to report the incident to her physician, and ask if there were certain supplements she should be taking. The doctor told her to take up activities that challenged her mind. (Ms Cutler said she had not done anything yet, because it is “a real time commitment.”) Dr Cohen, who recently conducted a study of people born from 1946 to 1955, the first half of the baby boom, said he was struck by the number of respondents who believe they can do things on their own to enhance the vitality of their brains.

Gavaskar quits ICC position

2008-05-09T03:12:00.000-07:00

Sunil Gavaskar ended his eight-year stint as chairman of the ICC cricket committee on Thursday, weeks after he was asked to choose between his media commitments and his role with the game’s world governing body.

The former India captain had come under fire for criticising the ICC as a commentator and columnist.

His tenure in the committee was marked by a number of innovative decisions, including the referral system in Tests, introduction of the hawk-eye technology for deciding LBWs, “free hits” and the “power play” rule.

“Gavaskar conveyed his decision to the ICC on Wednesday after chairing the meeting of the cricket committee, which concluded in Dubai on Tuesday,” ICC’s acting CEO David Richardson said in a statement on Thursday. The ICC had in March put Gavaskar on notice after his comments did not go down well with the body’s top brass, asking him to choose between his job as a commentator and columnist and that of chairman of the cricket committee. Gavaskar took over as chairman of the ICC cricket committee from West Indian Clyde Walcott in June 2000. He was given a one-year extension in 2006 and was re-elected to the post in 2007. His term was due to end next year.

There’s still confusion over who will succeed Gavaskar as head of the committee.

Gavaskar said that with more and more cricket being played, it was not possible for him to do justice to both jobs.

Azhagiri cleared of murder charge

2008-05-09T02:51:00.000-07:00

The Chitoor Sessions Court on Thursday acquitted Mr M.K. Azhagiri, son of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr M.

Karunanidhi, and 12 others in the case relating to the murder of former TN minister, Mr T.

Kiruttinnan.

The former minister was murdered on May 20, 2003, at Madurai in Tamil Nadu when he was going for a morning walk. Mr Azhagiri and Madurai Deputy Mayor, Mr P.N.

Mannan alias Madurai Mannan, were made prime accused in the case.

However, the Sessions Judge, Mr P. Durga Prasad, acquitted Mr Azhagiri and 12 others saying that prosecution failed to prove the charges against them.

The Supreme Court shifted the trial from the Madurai sessions court to Chittoor sessions court in August last year, acting on a transfer petition filed by Mr Muthuramalingam and Mr Suresh Kumar, who raised doubts about the possibility of free and fair trial since the prime accused was the son of the Chief Minister.

The prosecution examined 114 witnesses and 13 accused including Mr Azhagiri. In fact, 82 witnesses and 13 accused were examined from March 12 to April 24 this year without a break.

More than 1,000 followers of Azhagiri had come from Madurai in 200 vehicles for the final hearing.

They mobbed him after the court acquitted him, burst crackers and distributed sweets.