Palash Kumar, a New Delhi-based journalist with the Asian Age newspaper, died Saturday following a road accident in Rajasthan that left his wife and daughter seriously injured, police said.
Palash Kumar, 37, his wife Manisha and their five-year-old daughter Mallika were going to the Sariska wildlife sanctuary when a truck hit the journalist's Honda City car in Alwar district, a police control room spokesman told IANS.
Manisha and Mallika suffered serious injuries, the spokesman said, and were rushed to a hospital in Alwar.
'Palash Kumar died while being operated upon,' a doctor at the Vinayak Lifeline hospital said.
The accident happened around 10.45 a.m. in Papri area near Kishangarh. 'It was a head-on collision,' a police official said from Alwar town. The impact left the car completely mangled.
Palash Kumar, who has previously worked for Reuters and AFP, was driving the car.
The police said another child, identified as Gayatri, was also travelling in the car, was also injured. 'We are trying to find out whether she is a family friend's daughter,' the police spokesman said.
The two children were in a critical condition late Saturday after undergoing two surgeries, attending doctors said, adding that Manisha's condition was stable and she was in the intensive care unit.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Poor woman sells child for husband's memorial service
A poor Hindu woman in Bihar sold her infant son to raise money to perform the 'shradh ceremony' (memorial service) of her husband. But she was arrested before she could hand over the child to a childless couple, a police official said Tuesday.
Parvati Devi (name changed)-- in her early 20s and a resident of Patwa Toli in Gaya town, about 100 km from here -- said she was forced to sell her 45-day-old son due to abject poverty.
Chandrasekhar Prasad Sinha, Civil Lines police station officer-in-charge, told IANS on phone Tuesday that she was arrested along with two people, including Nurmani Surdas, her neighbour, who paid her Rs.10,000 to purchase her son.
"The police arrested them when they arrived in the Gaya district court premises Monday to prepare legal documents to hand over the child to Surdas," said Sinha.
Her husband Rajkumar Sao, who was from a backward caste, was killed when he fell from a train a few days ago. After his death, she decided to perform his 'shradh ceremony' by selling her child.
She told the police that Surdas had given her Rs.10,000 for her child.
Parvati Devi (name changed)-- in her early 20s and a resident of Patwa Toli in Gaya town, about 100 km from here -- said she was forced to sell her 45-day-old son due to abject poverty.
Chandrasekhar Prasad Sinha, Civil Lines police station officer-in-charge, told IANS on phone Tuesday that she was arrested along with two people, including Nurmani Surdas, her neighbour, who paid her Rs.10,000 to purchase her son.
"The police arrested them when they arrived in the Gaya district court premises Monday to prepare legal documents to hand over the child to Surdas," said Sinha.
Her husband Rajkumar Sao, who was from a backward caste, was killed when he fell from a train a few days ago. After his death, she decided to perform his 'shradh ceremony' by selling her child.
She told the police that Surdas had given her Rs.10,000 for her child.
Ganguly looking forward to Sri Lanka series
Feeling fresh after a month-long rest, former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly is now looking forward to the three-Test series in Sri Lanka beginning July 23.
'The month-long rest has helped me to reinvigorate. I've resumed practice from Tuesday,' Ganguly told reporters here.
On his inclusion in the Test squad, he said: 'I was always there in the squad. So, there is no question of a comeback. I was only out of cricket for a month after the Indian Premier League (IPL).
'I hope to play well. Everyone who is selected will want to give his best. I hope it will be a good series,' Ganguly said.
The talismanic left-hander said it was too early to comment on India's prospects in Sri Lanka. 'The Lankans are a good side. We have to play well.'
Ganguly said he would not have any problem gelling with youngsters like Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha.
Asked to comment on India's debacle in two consecutive One-Day International (ODI) finals, he said: 'I was not there in the squad. So, I would not like to comment.'
'The month-long rest has helped me to reinvigorate. I've resumed practice from Tuesday,' Ganguly told reporters here.
On his inclusion in the Test squad, he said: 'I was always there in the squad. So, there is no question of a comeback. I was only out of cricket for a month after the Indian Premier League (IPL).
'I hope to play well. Everyone who is selected will want to give his best. I hope it will be a good series,' Ganguly said.
The talismanic left-hander said it was too early to comment on India's prospects in Sri Lanka. 'The Lankans are a good side. We have to play well.'
Ganguly said he would not have any problem gelling with youngsters like Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha.
Asked to comment on India's debacle in two consecutive One-Day International (ODI) finals, he said: 'I was not there in the squad. So, I would not like to comment.'
Chennai court rejects former Kerala minister's plea
A Tamil Naidu court Wednesday rejected a request from former Kerala minister P.J. Joseph to exempt him from personal appearances in a two-year-old molestation case on health grounds.
Joseph had allegedly molested a woman journalist during a commercial flight from here to Kochi in 2006.
Joseph was forced to quit his ministerial post following a probe by a senior woman police officer who said the allegations needed a judicial review on the basis of prima facie evidence.
The charge-sheet was filed against Joseph in May this year.
The next hearing of the case has been posted for Thursday.
Joseph had allegedly molested a woman journalist during a commercial flight from here to Kochi in 2006.
Joseph was forced to quit his ministerial post following a probe by a senior woman police officer who said the allegations needed a judicial review on the basis of prima facie evidence.
The charge-sheet was filed against Joseph in May this year.
The next hearing of the case has been posted for Thursday.
Market ends day with hefty gain
The Indian equities market ended the day with a hefty gain on the back of heavy buying in capital goods, metal, realty and banking stocks.
The market surged in the early trade on positive cues from global markets on the back of sharp fall in crude oil prices to $136 from the all-time high of $146 per barrel.
All the sectoral indices ended the day in green.
The market started on a firm note and remained positive till the end of the session.
The 30-share benchmark of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) sensitive index (Sensex) opened at 13,581.41 points, touched a high of 13,998.48 before closing at 13,964.26 points. It went up by 614.16 points or 4.60 percent at the days close.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) S and amp; P Nifty, which opened at 3990.90 points, closed at 4157.10 points. It went up by 168.55 points or 4.23 percent.
The BSE Midcap index, which closed at 5,470.68 points, went up by 154.69 points or 12.91 percent.
BSE Smallcap index which closed at 6,789.88 points went up by 227.69 points or 3.46 percent.
The market breadth was positive. On BSE, 2,130 shares advanced, 529 declined and 67 maintained status quo.
The gainers of the day were Reliance Infrastructure at Rs.835.45 went up by 10.66 percent, Jaiprakash Associate at Rs.173.30 gained 10.00 percent, and Tata Motors at Rs.404.55 went up by 7.49 percent.
The market surged in the early trade on positive cues from global markets on the back of sharp fall in crude oil prices to $136 from the all-time high of $146 per barrel.
All the sectoral indices ended the day in green.
The market started on a firm note and remained positive till the end of the session.
The 30-share benchmark of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) sensitive index (Sensex) opened at 13,581.41 points, touched a high of 13,998.48 before closing at 13,964.26 points. It went up by 614.16 points or 4.60 percent at the days close.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) S and amp; P Nifty, which opened at 3990.90 points, closed at 4157.10 points. It went up by 168.55 points or 4.23 percent.
The BSE Midcap index, which closed at 5,470.68 points, went up by 154.69 points or 12.91 percent.
BSE Smallcap index which closed at 6,789.88 points went up by 227.69 points or 3.46 percent.
The market breadth was positive. On BSE, 2,130 shares advanced, 529 declined and 67 maintained status quo.
The gainers of the day were Reliance Infrastructure at Rs.835.45 went up by 10.66 percent, Jaiprakash Associate at Rs.173.30 gained 10.00 percent, and Tata Motors at Rs.404.55 went up by 7.49 percent.
Three killed in gang rivalry in Delhi
In the third shootout in the national capital in as many days, two motorcycle riders shot dead a 30-year-old man standing near a police station early Wednesday but were immediately gunned down by the victim's friends.
Police said Sahim Chowdhury was near the Seelampur police station in northeast Delhi when the assailants fired at him. Three bullets hit Chowdhury and he collapsed on the street.
And like in a Bollywood movie, his friends opened fire in retaliation and killed the assailants.
Chowdhury and the attackers were rushed to the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
'It was a fallout between two criminal gangs,' Deputy Commissioner of Police Jaspal Singh told IANS. 'Chowdhury was known to be involved in illegal activities. We have registered a case and will soon arrest his friends. Investigations are on to identify them and to verify if they opened fire in self-defence.'
On Tuesday, Mahesh Kapoor, 52, an employed with a Nokia Priority showroom on Vikas Marg, was killed when he was returning from a bank after withdrawing Rs.135,000. The assailants fired in the air before escaping.
Late Monday, two brothers were gunned down in Ballimaran area of the walled city when their neighbours called them out of their house and fired at them.
Police said Sahim Chowdhury was near the Seelampur police station in northeast Delhi when the assailants fired at him. Three bullets hit Chowdhury and he collapsed on the street.
And like in a Bollywood movie, his friends opened fire in retaliation and killed the assailants.
Chowdhury and the attackers were rushed to the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
'It was a fallout between two criminal gangs,' Deputy Commissioner of Police Jaspal Singh told IANS. 'Chowdhury was known to be involved in illegal activities. We have registered a case and will soon arrest his friends. Investigations are on to identify them and to verify if they opened fire in self-defence.'
On Tuesday, Mahesh Kapoor, 52, an employed with a Nokia Priority showroom on Vikas Marg, was killed when he was returning from a bank after withdrawing Rs.135,000. The assailants fired in the air before escaping.
Late Monday, two brothers were gunned down in Ballimaran area of the walled city when their neighbours called them out of their house and fired at them.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Delhi journalist dies in road accident
Palash Kumar, a New Delhi-based journalist with the Asian Age newspaper, died Saturday following a road accident in Rajasthan that left his wife and daughter seriously injured, police said.
Palash Kumar, 37, his wife Manisha and their five-year-old daughter Mallika were going to the Sariska wildlife sanctuary when a truck hit the journalist's Honda City car in Alwar district, a police control room spokesman told IANS.
Manisha and Mallika suffered serious injuries, the spokesman said, and were rushed to a hospital in Alwar.
'Palash Kumar died while being operated upon,' a doctor at the Vinayak Lifeline hospital said.
The accident happened around 10.45 a.m. in Papri area near Kishangarh. 'It was a head-on collision,' a police official said from Alwar town. The impact left the car completely mangled.
Palash Kumar, who has previously worked for Reuters and AFP, was driving the car.
The police said another child, identified as Gayatri, was also travelling in the car, was also injured. 'We are trying to find out whether she is a family friend's daughter,' the police spokesman said.
The two children were in a critical condition late Saturday after undergoing two surgeries, attending doctors said, adding that Manisha's condition was stable and she was in the intensive care unit.
Palash Kumar, 37, his wife Manisha and their five-year-old daughter Mallika were going to the Sariska wildlife sanctuary when a truck hit the journalist's Honda City car in Alwar district, a police control room spokesman told IANS.
Manisha and Mallika suffered serious injuries, the spokesman said, and were rushed to a hospital in Alwar.
'Palash Kumar died while being operated upon,' a doctor at the Vinayak Lifeline hospital said.
The accident happened around 10.45 a.m. in Papri area near Kishangarh. 'It was a head-on collision,' a police official said from Alwar town. The impact left the car completely mangled.
Palash Kumar, who has previously worked for Reuters and AFP, was driving the car.
The police said another child, identified as Gayatri, was also travelling in the car, was also injured. 'We are trying to find out whether she is a family friend's daughter,' the police spokesman said.
The two children were in a critical condition late Saturday after undergoing two surgeries, attending doctors said, adding that Manisha's condition was stable and she was in the intensive care unit.
Increase in tourists to 'God's own country
The number of tourists flocking to 'God's own country' is increasing by the year. While Kerala saw an 18.41 percent increase in foreign tourist arrivals last fiscal, the growth was 7.70 percent for domestic holidayers.
'At the end of the last fiscal, a total of 554,921 foreign tourists and 6,879,885 (6.8 million) domestic tourists visited Kerala,' Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the state assembly Tuesday.
Eco-tourism projects in the state had 1.4 million tourists as their guests, Balakrishnan said in a written reply to questions raised by opposition legislators.
The state has been successfully promoted as a tourism destination through the projection of the catch-phrase 'Kerala - God's own country'.
The tourism industry in Kerala has not only brought in increased revenues for investors over the years, but has also created a large number of jobs. The tourism revenue at the end of the last fiscal went up by 25.28 percent, touching approximately Rs.110 billion.
Balakrishnan said the biggest problem the industry faces is a shortage of rooms. While there are 8,800 rooms in the four- and five-star category, there are 6,500 rooms in the one- to three-star category. In addition, there are 300 rooms in the heritage section.
'The central government has now sanctioned 65 new three-star hotels. The state government is also offering 10 percent subsidy on investments in the tourism sector and also offers special rates for electricity for the tourism industry,' the minister said.
To boost the industry, the state government has also decided to appoint organisations of non-resident Keralites (NRKs) working outside India as tourism brand ambassadors to promote the state as a tourist destination.
Around two million Malayalis are settled outside India.
'At the end of the last fiscal, a total of 554,921 foreign tourists and 6,879,885 (6.8 million) domestic tourists visited Kerala,' Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the state assembly Tuesday.
Eco-tourism projects in the state had 1.4 million tourists as their guests, Balakrishnan said in a written reply to questions raised by opposition legislators.
The state has been successfully promoted as a tourism destination through the projection of the catch-phrase 'Kerala - God's own country'.
The tourism industry in Kerala has not only brought in increased revenues for investors over the years, but has also created a large number of jobs. The tourism revenue at the end of the last fiscal went up by 25.28 percent, touching approximately Rs.110 billion.
Balakrishnan said the biggest problem the industry faces is a shortage of rooms. While there are 8,800 rooms in the four- and five-star category, there are 6,500 rooms in the one- to three-star category. In addition, there are 300 rooms in the heritage section.
'The central government has now sanctioned 65 new three-star hotels. The state government is also offering 10 percent subsidy on investments in the tourism sector and also offers special rates for electricity for the tourism industry,' the minister said.
To boost the industry, the state government has also decided to appoint organisations of non-resident Keralites (NRKs) working outside India as tourism brand ambassadors to promote the state as a tourist destination.
Around two million Malayalis are settled outside India.
BIG 92.7 FM launches 'Astha Chamma'
In its endeavor to take the strong association between Tollywood and Radio in the next level, BIG 92.7 FM, Hyderabad’s no.1 station and Art Beat Capital’s producer Ram Mohan P today innovatively launched the music of their romantic comedy Telugu film titled ‘Astha Chamma’. RJ Shekar along with the casts Swathi, Nani, Director Mohana Krishna Indraganti and Music Director Kalyani Mallik at the press of the button played the first song on-air exclusively for BIG FM listeners thus marking the first ever digital audio launch of a movie in Tollywood. The music is available only on BIG 92.7 FM.
BIG FM listeners were enthralled when the movie star cast Swathi and Nani snipped and played few comedy junctures of the movie live at BIG FM studios. Actors Srini and Bhargavi play the second lead role in the movie. The movie is a romantic comedy driven by lots of humor and entertainment.
BIG 92.7 FM has exhaustive on-air and on-ground plans for ‘Astha Chamma’ in order to create unprecedented buzz. BIG 92.7 FM has started the promotion of the movie by exclusively premiering teasers of the music starting June 23. The Station will feature interviews with the cast and crew of the movie and also run contests for its listeners across Hyderabad, Tirupathi and Vishakapatnam.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ashwin Padmanabhan, Station Director, BIG 92.7 FM, said “After our association with big hits like Happy days, Athidhi and Krishna, we are extremely excited to launch Astha Chamma. The movie perfectly links with BIG 92.7 FM Hyderabad’s humorous and ‘bindaas’ positioning. We are approaching the association with the objective of delivering value and exclusivity to our listeners as well as the producers of the movie”.
Says Producer Mr. Ram Mohan P, “With the advent of Radio Stations, Ring Tones on mobiles, iPods and MP3 players, the way music is heard is completely transformed from the traditional audio cassette and the CD formats. By launching the music through the BIG FM, we hope to get in listeners excited about our songs first. BIG FM follows a very structured manner of picking up what their listeners would love. We at Art Beat Capital want this venture to be a "win win" game for everyone. After all, "Ashta Chamma" is a game!
BIG FM listeners were enthralled when the movie star cast Swathi and Nani snipped and played few comedy junctures of the movie live at BIG FM studios. Actors Srini and Bhargavi play the second lead role in the movie. The movie is a romantic comedy driven by lots of humor and entertainment.
BIG 92.7 FM has exhaustive on-air and on-ground plans for ‘Astha Chamma’ in order to create unprecedented buzz. BIG 92.7 FM has started the promotion of the movie by exclusively premiering teasers of the music starting June 23. The Station will feature interviews with the cast and crew of the movie and also run contests for its listeners across Hyderabad, Tirupathi and Vishakapatnam.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ashwin Padmanabhan, Station Director, BIG 92.7 FM, said “After our association with big hits like Happy days, Athidhi and Krishna, we are extremely excited to launch Astha Chamma. The movie perfectly links with BIG 92.7 FM Hyderabad’s humorous and ‘bindaas’ positioning. We are approaching the association with the objective of delivering value and exclusivity to our listeners as well as the producers of the movie”.
Says Producer Mr. Ram Mohan P, “With the advent of Radio Stations, Ring Tones on mobiles, iPods and MP3 players, the way music is heard is completely transformed from the traditional audio cassette and the CD formats. By launching the music through the BIG FM, we hope to get in listeners excited about our songs first. BIG FM follows a very structured manner of picking up what their listeners would love. We at Art Beat Capital want this venture to be a "win win" game for everyone. After all, "Ashta Chamma" is a game!
ViScope - a stethoscope that shows heart beats
Diagnosis is set to become more accurate now with the launch of ViScope 100, an innovative auscultation device that enables doctors to 'see' heart beats.
HD Medical Group Ltd officially launched the device here Tuesday.
Arvind Thiagarajan, chief inventor of ViScope, told reporters that with this device, doctors could see the heart beat.
The display device shows graphically the heart beat in the form of waves similar to a ECG graph.
According to Thiagarajan, the visual device could be plugged to a computer and a print-out could also be taken. A doctor could also zoom in on to a particular spot for a careful study.
K.Thirumurthi, a nuclear medicine physician at Madras Medical Mission, who has tested the equipment, told IANS: 'Seeing the sound makes a lot of difference in arriving at a conclusion. It takes a long time for a doctor to actually master the art of hearing the heart.'
'The general practitioners may miss to read/hear correctly the heart sound which may turn out to be costly for the patient.' With a devise like ViScope, things were smooth, he added.
According to him, ViScope, which has an improved technology in comparison to stethoscope, could replace the traditional device.
However, the high price of the device, at Rs.30,000, poses challenges to the marketing plans of HD Medical.
'The price has to be brought down at least by half so that general practitioners can also buy the instrument,' Thirumurthi said.
HD Medical has tied up with BPL Ltd to market the product nationwide.
'We are targeting to sell around 50,000 units by the end of 2009 and earn around $10 million. We will be looking at the primary health centres and the various telemedicine projects,' HD Medical chief operating officer and vice-president Vijay Simha said.
HD Medical Group Ltd officially launched the device here Tuesday.
Arvind Thiagarajan, chief inventor of ViScope, told reporters that with this device, doctors could see the heart beat.
The display device shows graphically the heart beat in the form of waves similar to a ECG graph.
According to Thiagarajan, the visual device could be plugged to a computer and a print-out could also be taken. A doctor could also zoom in on to a particular spot for a careful study.
K.Thirumurthi, a nuclear medicine physician at Madras Medical Mission, who has tested the equipment, told IANS: 'Seeing the sound makes a lot of difference in arriving at a conclusion. It takes a long time for a doctor to actually master the art of hearing the heart.'
'The general practitioners may miss to read/hear correctly the heart sound which may turn out to be costly for the patient.' With a devise like ViScope, things were smooth, he added.
According to him, ViScope, which has an improved technology in comparison to stethoscope, could replace the traditional device.
However, the high price of the device, at Rs.30,000, poses challenges to the marketing plans of HD Medical.
'The price has to be brought down at least by half so that general practitioners can also buy the instrument,' Thirumurthi said.
HD Medical has tied up with BPL Ltd to market the product nationwide.
'We are targeting to sell around 50,000 units by the end of 2009 and earn around $10 million. We will be looking at the primary health centres and the various telemedicine projects,' HD Medical chief operating officer and vice-president Vijay Simha said.
Markets maintain gain in afternoon trade
Indian equity markets extended their gain early Wednesday afternoon.
At 12:30 p.m., the 30-share benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, was up by 216.31 points or 1.67 percent at 13,177.99. It had touched a high of 13,224.26 earlier.
At the same time the broader based S and amp;P CNX Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange was up by 52.50 points or 1.34 percent at 3,948.95.
However, the market breadth was negative. On BSE 697 shares advanced, 1,796 declined and 53 remained unchanged.
At 12:30 p.m., the 30-share benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, was up by 216.31 points or 1.67 percent at 13,177.99. It had touched a high of 13,224.26 earlier.
At the same time the broader based S and amp;P CNX Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange was up by 52.50 points or 1.34 percent at 3,948.95.
However, the market breadth was negative. On BSE 697 shares advanced, 1,796 declined and 53 remained unchanged.
Seven guerrillas, army officer killed in Kashmir
Seven guerrillas and an army officer have been killed near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir in an intense gunfight that started two days ago, officials said here Wednesday.
A defence spokesperson said a group of heavily armed guerrillas had sneaked into the Indian side of the LoC, that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district, 106 km from here, Monday evening. A massive flushing out operation was started in the area by the army that is still continuing.
'So far, seven terrorists have been killed in this ongoing engagement between the army and the intruders. One junior commissioned officer also lost his life while eliminating the terrorists,' the spokesperson said here.
A defence spokesperson said a group of heavily armed guerrillas had sneaked into the Indian side of the LoC, that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district, 106 km from here, Monday evening. A massive flushing out operation was started in the area by the army that is still continuing.
'So far, seven terrorists have been killed in this ongoing engagement between the army and the intruders. One junior commissioned officer also lost his life while eliminating the terrorists,' the spokesperson said here.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Three workers injured in Bokaro steel plant blast
Three workers were injured in a factory blast in Bokaro Steel Plant in Jharkhand Friday morning, official sources said.
According to officials, the blast took place in the furnace of the Steel Melting Shop of the steel plant.
Three employee have received 60 percent burn injuries, hospital sources said.
The injured employees are being treated at Bokaro General Hospital, where their condition was said to be critical.
Employees of the steel plant are blaming the BSL management for the incident, saying poor maintenance caused the blast.
Factory sources said the production has been stopped and it will take at least 40 hours to repair the blast furnace.
According to officials, the blast took place in the furnace of the Steel Melting Shop of the steel plant.
Three employee have received 60 percent burn injuries, hospital sources said.
The injured employees are being treated at Bokaro General Hospital, where their condition was said to be critical.
Employees of the steel plant are blaming the BSL management for the incident, saying poor maintenance caused the blast.
Factory sources said the production has been stopped and it will take at least 40 hours to repair the blast furnace.
Kerala Tourism wins the best tourism website award
Kerala Tourism’s official website, www.keralatourism.org has won the Net4 PC World Web Award 2008 instituted by the technology magazine PC World, for the best tourism website in India. In its second year, the PC World Web Awards chose www.keralatourism.org from among 57 websites across 31 popular categories.
www.keralatourism.org was launched in 1998 and currently receives around 1,50,000 visitors and 6,00,000 page views per month. The site offers thousands of pages on Kerala, indexed in all major search engines. Designed and maintained by Invis Multimedia, the website was judged as the most visually appealing and won accolades from the judges for being a clean and well-structured site. The website’s use of technology and good search option were also said to be way ahead of others.
On the criteria of evaluation, PC World said, “Our experts rated sites on two levels – design and usability. Design included colours, typography, visual appeal and consistency. Usability took into account interactivity and customisation in India.”
Secretary for Kerala Tourism, Dr. Venu V., said he was thrilled by the award. “This award is a great recognition of how we use the internet to communicate with users. We are constantly upgrading our website to make it more user friendly and interactive”
The website has won several other acclaims including the Award of Excellence from the Government of India for the ‘Most Innovative Use of Information Technology and Best Tourism Website / Portal’ and the 2005 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for the best travel E-Newsletter, pointed out Mr. M. Sivasankar, Director, Kerala Tourism.
www.keralatourism.org was launched in 1998 and currently receives around 1,50,000 visitors and 6,00,000 page views per month. The site offers thousands of pages on Kerala, indexed in all major search engines. Designed and maintained by Invis Multimedia, the website was judged as the most visually appealing and won accolades from the judges for being a clean and well-structured site. The website’s use of technology and good search option were also said to be way ahead of others.
On the criteria of evaluation, PC World said, “Our experts rated sites on two levels – design and usability. Design included colours, typography, visual appeal and consistency. Usability took into account interactivity and customisation in India.”
Secretary for Kerala Tourism, Dr. Venu V., said he was thrilled by the award. “This award is a great recognition of how we use the internet to communicate with users. We are constantly upgrading our website to make it more user friendly and interactive”
The website has won several other acclaims including the Award of Excellence from the Government of India for the ‘Most Innovative Use of Information Technology and Best Tourism Website / Portal’ and the 2005 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for the best travel E-Newsletter, pointed out Mr. M. Sivasankar, Director, Kerala Tourism.
Painter Paritosh Sen receives Legends of India award
Eminent painter Paritosh Sen was conferred the Legends of India Lifetime Achievement Award for Fine Arts 2008 by West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi here Friday evening.
Painter Shuvaprasanna accepted the award at the ICCR Centre on behalf of Sen, who could not be present on the occasion for health reasons.
'The honour that has been conferred to me is the ultimate award a painter can wish for in his lifetime. I can't describe my feelings in words. I am already 90 years old but there is a long way to go to be able to literally live up to this honour,' Sen told IANS.
'Legends of India' Lifetime Achievement Award was introduced with the objective of honouring accomplished artists or organisations for their efforts in promoting traditional art forms like music, theatre or fine arts.
The award carries a gold plaque, an angavastra (a shawl) and a cash reward of Rs.25,000.
A pioneer of the modern art movement in India, Sen has excelled in using the human figure set against a two-dimensional picture plane to express his views on contemporary life. His works have been exhibited in India and abroad. Also a prolific writer, Sen has published many works in both Bengali and English.
Legends of India is an independent society whose prime objective is to promote and nurture traditional Indian art forms.
The previous recipients of the Legends of India Lifetime Achievement Award include renowned names like Mrinalini Sarabhai, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Yamini Krishnamurthy and Chandralekha.
Painter Shuvaprasanna accepted the award at the ICCR Centre on behalf of Sen, who could not be present on the occasion for health reasons.
'The honour that has been conferred to me is the ultimate award a painter can wish for in his lifetime. I can't describe my feelings in words. I am already 90 years old but there is a long way to go to be able to literally live up to this honour,' Sen told IANS.
'Legends of India' Lifetime Achievement Award was introduced with the objective of honouring accomplished artists or organisations for their efforts in promoting traditional art forms like music, theatre or fine arts.
The award carries a gold plaque, an angavastra (a shawl) and a cash reward of Rs.25,000.
A pioneer of the modern art movement in India, Sen has excelled in using the human figure set against a two-dimensional picture plane to express his views on contemporary life. His works have been exhibited in India and abroad. Also a prolific writer, Sen has published many works in both Bengali and English.
Legends of India is an independent society whose prime objective is to promote and nurture traditional Indian art forms.
The previous recipients of the Legends of India Lifetime Achievement Award include renowned names like Mrinalini Sarabhai, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Yamini Krishnamurthy and Chandralekha.
Quake in Andamans, tremors felt in Chennai
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were Friday rocked by a quake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale. Mild tremors were felt in the Tamil Nadu capital as well, the meteorological department said here.
Shah Rukh's six-pack abs put me to shame: Aditya Narayan
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's six-pack abs in 'Om Shanti Om' gave a complex to many including 20-year-old Aditya Narayan, best known for hosting 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007'. He says he was ashamed of his paunch after seeing King Khan's toned body.
'When I saw Shah Rukh's six-packs in 'Dard-e-disco' song in 'Om Shanti Om', I felt so ashamed. At 42, he is so fit, so popular and has so much money. And at such a young age, I had a paunch. I was so ashamed,' singer-actor-anchor Aditya told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
Aditya is set to host the new season of popular music reality show 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2009' that starts July 4 and he will be sporting a new look.
'I will look sexier this season. I have lost a lot of weight and I am also sporting a new hairstyle - a slight mohawk,' he said.
Aditya, son of well-known playback singer Udit Narayan, debuted as an anchor with 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007' and later went on to host 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs' as well. He also won several television awards for his stint as a host.
And now he feels he doesn't even need a script to anchor a show.
'I am 100 episodes old now and hosting is no longer a job for me. I don't even feel the need of a script now. I have grown with the show and I am used to the way things happen on the sets,' he maintained.
Aditya is currently in his final year of graduation, and he says he has already been offered about 60 films.
'I will begin shooting for the first one around November-December, but I can't disclose any details about it. Besides that, I have been offered about 50-60 films, but I have decided on only a couple of them. Actually, I've been getting more acting offers than singing,' he quipped.
As a child, Aditya sang alongside his father in 'Akele Hum Akele Tum' in 1995 and then with Asha Bhosle in 'Rangeela'. He shot to fame for his song 'Chotta bachcha' in the 1996 film 'Masoom'.
He also appeared in movies like 'Pardes' and 'Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota' as a child artiste.
Now set to become a full-fledged hero, Aditya is quite sure of the kind of films he wants to do.
'I want to do love stories, maybe college romance stories or some new genre. I don't want to do offbeat films in the beginning; so commercial cinema is what I want to do first,' he said.
Whether commercial or offbeat, Aditya says he will sing for himself in his films.
'When I saw Shah Rukh's six-packs in 'Dard-e-disco' song in 'Om Shanti Om', I felt so ashamed. At 42, he is so fit, so popular and has so much money. And at such a young age, I had a paunch. I was so ashamed,' singer-actor-anchor Aditya told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
Aditya is set to host the new season of popular music reality show 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2009' that starts July 4 and he will be sporting a new look.
'I will look sexier this season. I have lost a lot of weight and I am also sporting a new hairstyle - a slight mohawk,' he said.
Aditya, son of well-known playback singer Udit Narayan, debuted as an anchor with 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007' and later went on to host 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs' as well. He also won several television awards for his stint as a host.
And now he feels he doesn't even need a script to anchor a show.
'I am 100 episodes old now and hosting is no longer a job for me. I don't even feel the need of a script now. I have grown with the show and I am used to the way things happen on the sets,' he maintained.
Aditya is currently in his final year of graduation, and he says he has already been offered about 60 films.
'I will begin shooting for the first one around November-December, but I can't disclose any details about it. Besides that, I have been offered about 50-60 films, but I have decided on only a couple of them. Actually, I've been getting more acting offers than singing,' he quipped.
As a child, Aditya sang alongside his father in 'Akele Hum Akele Tum' in 1995 and then with Asha Bhosle in 'Rangeela'. He shot to fame for his song 'Chotta bachcha' in the 1996 film 'Masoom'.
He also appeared in movies like 'Pardes' and 'Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota' as a child artiste.
Now set to become a full-fledged hero, Aditya is quite sure of the kind of films he wants to do.
'I want to do love stories, maybe college romance stories or some new genre. I don't want to do offbeat films in the beginning; so commercial cinema is what I want to do first,' he said.
Whether commercial or offbeat, Aditya says he will sing for himself in his films.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Bihar MP sentenced to life for murder
A Bihar court Wednesday sentenced Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP Surajbhan Singh to life imprisonment in a sixteen-year-old murder case.
Amid tight security, the Begusarai fast track court judge Ravi Prakash Dhar Dubey awarded life imprisonment to three people, including LJP MP Surajbhan Singh, a day after they were convicted by the court for farmer Rami Singh's murder in 1992, official sources in the court said.
The court also pronounced a fine of Rs.25,000 on each of them.
Surajbhan Singh was found guilty under sections 302, 149 of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act for the murder of Rami Singh, a farmer, Jan 16, 1992.
His lawyer said that Surajbhan Singh will appeal against it.
Surajbhan Singh represents Bihar's Ballia constituency in parliament and is considered close to Union Minister of Steel and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.
Hundreds of people, mostly supporters of Surajbhan Singh, gathered outside the court since early afternoon to hear the court's verdict.
Rami Singh, a resident of Mathurapur village in Begusarai district, about 126 km from here, was shot Jan 16, 1992 allegedly by Surajbhan Singh and his henchmen, according to the police complaint in the case.
Soon after the court found him guilty in the murder case, the police took him into custody. He will be lodged in the Begusarai jail.
Surajbhan Singh faces 30 criminal charges, including those of murder, extortion, kidnapping and looting.
Last year, he was named accused in the murder of additional public prosecutor Ramnaresh Sharma, 55.
Sharma, a human rights activist, was shot by two unidentified people at his residence in Begusarai.
Amid tight security, the Begusarai fast track court judge Ravi Prakash Dhar Dubey awarded life imprisonment to three people, including LJP MP Surajbhan Singh, a day after they were convicted by the court for farmer Rami Singh's murder in 1992, official sources in the court said.
The court also pronounced a fine of Rs.25,000 on each of them.
Surajbhan Singh was found guilty under sections 302, 149 of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act for the murder of Rami Singh, a farmer, Jan 16, 1992.
His lawyer said that Surajbhan Singh will appeal against it.
Surajbhan Singh represents Bihar's Ballia constituency in parliament and is considered close to Union Minister of Steel and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.
Hundreds of people, mostly supporters of Surajbhan Singh, gathered outside the court since early afternoon to hear the court's verdict.
Rami Singh, a resident of Mathurapur village in Begusarai district, about 126 km from here, was shot Jan 16, 1992 allegedly by Surajbhan Singh and his henchmen, according to the police complaint in the case.
Soon after the court found him guilty in the murder case, the police took him into custody. He will be lodged in the Begusarai jail.
Surajbhan Singh faces 30 criminal charges, including those of murder, extortion, kidnapping and looting.
Last year, he was named accused in the murder of additional public prosecutor Ramnaresh Sharma, 55.
Sharma, a human rights activist, was shot by two unidentified people at his residence in Begusarai.
India to launch dedicated satellite for youth
India is launching a dedicated satellite for youth next year carrying scientific instruments developed by students from Indian and foreign universities, a top space agency official said Thursday.
'The mini-spacecraft will be launched in 2009 as a piggyback on board a polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV), carrying a remote sensing satellite, from the Satish Dhawan space centre at Sriharikota (about 90 km from Chennai),' Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair told IANS.
The various instruments, developed by graduate and postgraduate students of universities from India, Russia and other countries, will study and share data on earth imaging, atmospheric applications, solar emission and galactic observations.
'The less than 100-kg spacecraft is being built at our satellite development centre in Bangalore. The dedicated youth satellite is the brain-child of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who proposed such a mission during his visit to Russia two years ago,' Nair said on the sidelines of an international conference on Indian aerospace science and technology here.
As an auxiliary satellite, it will be a dedicated platform for aerospace students to conduct experiments, which will also give some idea about the coupling between sun and earth.
The Indian space agency plans to christen the mini-satellite as YouthSat.
Kalam, who inaugurated the three-day tech event, said a dedicated satellite for youth would enable the next generation of aerospace scientists and technologists to leverage their knowledge and skills for exploring new frontiers in space.
'The objective is to create a common platform for aerospace students across the world to jointly conduct experiments in space for the benefit of future generations and humanity as a whole,' Kalam noted.
'The mini-spacecraft will be launched in 2009 as a piggyback on board a polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV), carrying a remote sensing satellite, from the Satish Dhawan space centre at Sriharikota (about 90 km from Chennai),' Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair told IANS.
The various instruments, developed by graduate and postgraduate students of universities from India, Russia and other countries, will study and share data on earth imaging, atmospheric applications, solar emission and galactic observations.
'The less than 100-kg spacecraft is being built at our satellite development centre in Bangalore. The dedicated youth satellite is the brain-child of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who proposed such a mission during his visit to Russia two years ago,' Nair said on the sidelines of an international conference on Indian aerospace science and technology here.
As an auxiliary satellite, it will be a dedicated platform for aerospace students to conduct experiments, which will also give some idea about the coupling between sun and earth.
The Indian space agency plans to christen the mini-satellite as YouthSat.
Kalam, who inaugurated the three-day tech event, said a dedicated satellite for youth would enable the next generation of aerospace scientists and technologists to leverage their knowledge and skills for exploring new frontiers in space.
'The objective is to create a common platform for aerospace students across the world to jointly conduct experiments in space for the benefit of future generations and humanity as a whole,' Kalam noted.
West Bengal flood toll reaches 46
The toll in the floods in West Bengal went up to 46 as many parts of the state still remained inundated Thursday.
More than 300,000 people are still in relief camps, mainly in East Midnapore district, state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta told reporters after a high-level meeting at the state secretariat here.
Vast tracts of Patashpur, Sabong, Pingla and Bhagabanpur blocks in East Midnapore district were still inundated, but the situation was normalising in the West Midnapore district, which also bore the brunt of the recent flood fury, officials said.
The state government has increased the flood relief grant to Rs.570 million, Dasgupta said.
Meanwhile, Relief Minister Mortaza Hossain and Civil Defence Minister Srikumar Mukherjee went to the Raj Bhavan Thursday and briefed Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on the situation and the steps taken by the government to provide relief to the people.
More than 300,000 people are still in relief camps, mainly in East Midnapore district, state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta told reporters after a high-level meeting at the state secretariat here.
Vast tracts of Patashpur, Sabong, Pingla and Bhagabanpur blocks in East Midnapore district were still inundated, but the situation was normalising in the West Midnapore district, which also bore the brunt of the recent flood fury, officials said.
The state government has increased the flood relief grant to Rs.570 million, Dasgupta said.
Meanwhile, Relief Minister Mortaza Hossain and Civil Defence Minister Srikumar Mukherjee went to the Raj Bhavan Thursday and briefed Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on the situation and the steps taken by the government to provide relief to the people.
Sam Manekshaw dead
Former Indian Army chief and Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw died in Wellington in Tamil Nadu early Friday, officials said. He was 94.
Manekshaw was battling several ailments for the past few years.
As the army chief, Manekshaw scripted India's military victory over Pakistan in 1971 leading to the creation of Bangladesh.
Manekshaw was battling several ailments for the past few years.
As the army chief, Manekshaw scripted India's military victory over Pakistan in 1971 leading to the creation of Bangladesh.
Two gangsters killed in Mumbai
Two notorious gangsters were killed Thursday evening in a gunfight with a Mumbai Police team, an official said.
Sunil Bangera alias Puthran and Amar Shetty, alleged to be associated with the Ravi Poojari gang, were shot dead in Kandivli suburb of northwest Mumbai, he said.
According to police, they were involved in an attack on a builder in Bangalore three months ago.
Thursday morning, the two had created a ruckus outside a television company office in neighbouring Thane district, the official added.
A police inspector involved in the operation, Nitin Alaknore, was injured in the cross-firing and was admitted to the Bhagwati Hospital.
Sunil Bangera alias Puthran and Amar Shetty, alleged to be associated with the Ravi Poojari gang, were shot dead in Kandivli suburb of northwest Mumbai, he said.
According to police, they were involved in an attack on a builder in Bangalore three months ago.
Thursday morning, the two had created a ruckus outside a television company office in neighbouring Thane district, the official added.
A police inspector involved in the operation, Nitin Alaknore, was injured in the cross-firing and was admitted to the Bhagwati Hospital.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Jharkhand to construct cricket stadium on HEC land
Jharkhand will soon get an international-standard cricket stadium. The Jharkhand Cricket Association (JCA) would build the stadium on land acquired from the public sector Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC).
'We will transfer 31.7 acre of land to JCA. The land will be transferred at the rate of Rs.50 lakh (Rs.5 million) per acre. This way HEC will get around Rs.16 crore (Rs.160 million),' said Abhay Kath, company secretary of HEC, Saturday.
He said: 'The formalities to transfer land will be completed in two weeks. The capital, which will be generated from the transfer, will help the company meet its work orders.'
The HEC, which is a sick unit, needs working capital to meet its work order targets. At present, HEC has work orders worth Rs.700 million.
The land transfer case was pending in the Jharkhand High Court. The court Friday cleared the transfer of land to JCA. The court, while clearing the transfer, directed the JCA to pay Rs.100,000 per annum as rent. JCA will also give five percent of the ticket-sales to the company.
'We will transfer 31.7 acre of land to JCA. The land will be transferred at the rate of Rs.50 lakh (Rs.5 million) per acre. This way HEC will get around Rs.16 crore (Rs.160 million),' said Abhay Kath, company secretary of HEC, Saturday.
He said: 'The formalities to transfer land will be completed in two weeks. The capital, which will be generated from the transfer, will help the company meet its work orders.'
The HEC, which is a sick unit, needs working capital to meet its work order targets. At present, HEC has work orders worth Rs.700 million.
The land transfer case was pending in the Jharkhand High Court. The court Friday cleared the transfer of land to JCA. The court, while clearing the transfer, directed the JCA to pay Rs.100,000 per annum as rent. JCA will also give five percent of the ticket-sales to the company.
ICICI Bank launches exclusive 'Platinum Identity' Credit Card
ICICI Bank, India’s largest private sector bank today announced the launch of the ICICI Bank ‘Platinum Identity’ Credit Card. The ‘Platinum Identity’ credit card offers a high value proposition, as it brings together shopping, travel and golfing privileges with a powerful rewards program and differentiated service benefits. The card targets the discerning and affluent set of customers who wish to experience the privileges that are offered to the global cardholder.
Mr. Sachin Khandelwal, Head-Cards Product Group, ICICI Bank said, “This card is launched keeping in mind the fact that our customers have matured and demanding more exclusive offers. We will offer our customers value and privileges that are, the best in the industry. Keeping in line with the changing lifestyle of our customers, the ‘Platinum Identity’ product has been designed to make cardholders feel truly special as well as to meet their evolved needs specially related to travel and lifestyle. This is a global offering at a truly competitive price point.”
The card offers privileges like accelerated rewards program, exclusive rewards catalogue, a powerful air mile conversion option and travel benefits which include Rs 1 crore air accident insurance and complete fuel surcharge waiver across pumps. There is also a full-fledged concierge service, ‘i-Assist’ to address the lifestyle needs of the cardholders.
The Platinum Identity Credit Card offers the following features:
- Welcome privileges - Golf Fee Card with two year membership and Priority Pass
- Accelerated rewards earn – double reward points on international spends, fast-forward earning through the powerful Xpress Rewards program
- Exclusive rewards redemption catalogue ‘Hand-picked Rewards’ featuring premium brands
- Superior air mile conversion program – Convert your reward points into air miles
- Comprehensive air accident insurance of Rs. 1 crore
- Complete waiver of fuel surcharge
- ‘Specials’ -Exclusive offers in lifestyle categories
-‘i-Assist’ - A round-the-clock, complimentary service that provides assistance with Travel and restaurant reservations, gift arrangements, event tickets, and more.
Mr. Sachin Khandelwal, Head-Cards Product Group, ICICI Bank said, “This card is launched keeping in mind the fact that our customers have matured and demanding more exclusive offers. We will offer our customers value and privileges that are, the best in the industry. Keeping in line with the changing lifestyle of our customers, the ‘Platinum Identity’ product has been designed to make cardholders feel truly special as well as to meet their evolved needs specially related to travel and lifestyle. This is a global offering at a truly competitive price point.”
The card offers privileges like accelerated rewards program, exclusive rewards catalogue, a powerful air mile conversion option and travel benefits which include Rs 1 crore air accident insurance and complete fuel surcharge waiver across pumps. There is also a full-fledged concierge service, ‘i-Assist’ to address the lifestyle needs of the cardholders.
The Platinum Identity Credit Card offers the following features:
- Welcome privileges - Golf Fee Card with two year membership and Priority Pass
- Accelerated rewards earn – double reward points on international spends, fast-forward earning through the powerful Xpress Rewards program
- Exclusive rewards redemption catalogue ‘Hand-picked Rewards’ featuring premium brands
- Superior air mile conversion program – Convert your reward points into air miles
- Comprehensive air accident insurance of Rs. 1 crore
- Complete waiver of fuel surcharge
- ‘Specials’ -Exclusive offers in lifestyle categories
-‘i-Assist’ - A round-the-clock, complimentary service that provides assistance with Travel and restaurant reservations, gift arrangements, event tickets, and more.
Taxi fares in Kolkata up by Rs.2
Taxi fares in Kolkata will go up by Rs.2 from July 1 following the price hike in petroleum products, said Transport Minister Subhas Chakrabarty here Monday.
'After a meeting with members of the Bengal Taxi Association and Calcutta Taxi Association, we have decided to increase taxi fares by Rs.2 from July 1. Passengers will have to pay Rs.2 extra on the total fare,' Chakrabarty told reporters at the state secretariat here.
Bengal Taxi Association's general secretary Bimal Guha said the taxi unions have decided to withdraw the indefinite taxi strike called from June 25 since their demand for hike in fares has been met by the state government.
'After a meeting with members of the Bengal Taxi Association and Calcutta Taxi Association, we have decided to increase taxi fares by Rs.2 from July 1. Passengers will have to pay Rs.2 extra on the total fare,' Chakrabarty told reporters at the state secretariat here.
Bengal Taxi Association's general secretary Bimal Guha said the taxi unions have decided to withdraw the indefinite taxi strike called from June 25 since their demand for hike in fares has been met by the state government.
BIG 92.7 FM announces the winners of "Big Singaara Singer" contest
BIG 92.7 FM, the only station in Chennai which celebrates “Tamilian Pride” today announced the winners of the largest talent hunt on radio ‘BIG Singaara Singer’. The winner announcement happened in the presence of eminent personalities like music director Vijay Anthony, playback singers Sangeetha and Mahathi. Winners will now get a chance to become playback singers in Mr. Vijay Anthony’s forthcoming movie
After the rigorous on-air preliminary rounds and on-ground semi-finals four contestants were short listed for the final round and among them Ms. Daphne Kumaraswamy and Mr. R Srinivasan were announced as winners today which happens to be “world Music day”. BIG 92.7 FM also conducted a SMS poll where thousands of listeners voted for their favourite voice.
Speaking about the initiative Mr. P.B Ramaswamy, Cluster Head, BIG 92.7 FM TamilNadu said “There is a plenty of talent hidden in every Tamilian and this is part of BIG 92.7 FM, Chennai’s endeavour to live the Tamilian Pride in everyday offerings. Through this initative we have provided the talented with a platform to be recognised and get an opportunity of a lifetime. We are thankful to Mr. Vijay Anthony who has accepted to feature the winners of the contest as playback singers in his forthcoming movie. This is just another Life Kondadalam offering from BIG 92.7 FM”
BIG 92.7 FM – Kekkalam Pesalam Life Kondadalam
About BIG Singaara Singer:
In an initiative to identify and gratify ‘Tamil’ talent from the streets of Chennai, BIG 92.7 FM, Chennai’s only radio station that celebrates ‘Tamilian’s Pride’ in everything that it offers, has initiated the ‘BIG Singaara Singer’, the biggest ever talent hunt on radio in Chennai. Through the BIG Singaara Singer contest, BIG 92.7 FM will identify two golden voice of Chennai from aspiring singers and will gratify them by giving them an opportunity as playback singers in a forthcoming Kollywood movie.
After the rigorous on-air preliminary rounds and on-ground semi-finals four contestants were short listed for the final round and among them Ms. Daphne Kumaraswamy and Mr. R Srinivasan were announced as winners today which happens to be “world Music day”. BIG 92.7 FM also conducted a SMS poll where thousands of listeners voted for their favourite voice.
Speaking about the initiative Mr. P.B Ramaswamy, Cluster Head, BIG 92.7 FM TamilNadu said “There is a plenty of talent hidden in every Tamilian and this is part of BIG 92.7 FM, Chennai’s endeavour to live the Tamilian Pride in everyday offerings. Through this initative we have provided the talented with a platform to be recognised and get an opportunity of a lifetime. We are thankful to Mr. Vijay Anthony who has accepted to feature the winners of the contest as playback singers in his forthcoming movie. This is just another Life Kondadalam offering from BIG 92.7 FM”
BIG 92.7 FM – Kekkalam Pesalam Life Kondadalam
About BIG Singaara Singer:
In an initiative to identify and gratify ‘Tamil’ talent from the streets of Chennai, BIG 92.7 FM, Chennai’s only radio station that celebrates ‘Tamilian’s Pride’ in everything that it offers, has initiated the ‘BIG Singaara Singer’, the biggest ever talent hunt on radio in Chennai. Through the BIG Singaara Singer contest, BIG 92.7 FM will identify two golden voice of Chennai from aspiring singers and will gratify them by giving them an opportunity as playback singers in a forthcoming Kollywood movie.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Coal mining affected due to torrential rain in Jharkhand
Coal mining has been badly affected in Jharkhand due to torrential rain, said an official Friday.
Rainwater entered mine areas forcing the coal companies to stop mining.
'Coal production has been reduced to 50 percent due to rains. The rain water gushed into open cast mines and flooded the road leading to it,' said R.K. Saha, technical director of Central Coalfield Limited (CCL).
CCL produces around 100,000 tonnes of coal everyday. Due to rains, the production has been reduced to half.
As a precautionary measure, the CCL management ordered stopping of mining in the underground mines.
There are over five mines of CCL located adjacent to various rivers. The water levels of major rivers of Jharkhand are rising and three rivers - Swarnarekha, Damodar and Khakai - are flowing above the danger level.
According to CCL officials, mines in Rajarappa, Barkasayal, Argada and other areas have been affected. Rajarappa colliery area recorded rainfall of 120 mm in the past three days. Similarly, Barkasayal has received 170 mm rainfall.
Bharat Coking Coalfield Limited (BCCL) mines, too, have been affected due to the incessant rainfall.
'Mining has been affected due to the rains,' said K.B. Srivastav, BCCL public relations officer.
A BCCL official said coal mining has come to a halt in Muraidih and Shatabdi coal projects.
In the Shatabdi project, water has entered the mine area forcing officials to stop mining. Production has come down to 20 to 30 percent in BCCL, an official source said.
The dispatch of coal has also been affected due to the rains.
The railway tracks are submerged at many places in Orissa, West Bengal and some parts of Jharkhand. This has affected movement of goods trains, said an official of BCCL.
Rainwater entered mine areas forcing the coal companies to stop mining.
'Coal production has been reduced to 50 percent due to rains. The rain water gushed into open cast mines and flooded the road leading to it,' said R.K. Saha, technical director of Central Coalfield Limited (CCL).
CCL produces around 100,000 tonnes of coal everyday. Due to rains, the production has been reduced to half.
As a precautionary measure, the CCL management ordered stopping of mining in the underground mines.
There are over five mines of CCL located adjacent to various rivers. The water levels of major rivers of Jharkhand are rising and three rivers - Swarnarekha, Damodar and Khakai - are flowing above the danger level.
According to CCL officials, mines in Rajarappa, Barkasayal, Argada and other areas have been affected. Rajarappa colliery area recorded rainfall of 120 mm in the past three days. Similarly, Barkasayal has received 170 mm rainfall.
Bharat Coking Coalfield Limited (BCCL) mines, too, have been affected due to the incessant rainfall.
'Mining has been affected due to the rains,' said K.B. Srivastav, BCCL public relations officer.
A BCCL official said coal mining has come to a halt in Muraidih and Shatabdi coal projects.
In the Shatabdi project, water has entered the mine area forcing officials to stop mining. Production has come down to 20 to 30 percent in BCCL, an official source said.
The dispatch of coal has also been affected due to the rains.
The railway tracks are submerged at many places in Orissa, West Bengal and some parts of Jharkhand. This has affected movement of goods trains, said an official of BCCL.
Malayalam actress Sukumari shines as dumb mother
Veteran Malayalam actress Sukumari has wowed the audiences with her performance as a dumb mother Kuniyamma in director Ashok R. Nath's recently released 'Mizhikal Sakshi' and says she enjoyed playing the role.
'I play the role of a dumb mother and I am so delighted because all these years I have been talking a lot in all the roles I played. This is totally different. I am yet to see the film and the response I am getting is unbelievable,' Sukumari told reporters here Sunday.
Produced by V.R. Das under the banner of Cyber Vision, the film is about the status of a woman who is all alone. The film also focuses on the relationship between a mother and a son.
Kuniyamma plays a Muslim widow who is unable to accept the death of her only son and takes to the streets in search of him. Mohanlal makes a guest appearance as Sukumari's son in the film that opened Friday.
Initial reports indicate that the veteran actress, who has completed 56 years in filmdom, will vie for top national and international acclaim for her performance.
Producer Das is happy that he grabbed the film.
He said: 'I am really happy that I produced this film because if I had not done it, someone else would have done it. Everything was well planned. We made this film at a cost exceeding Rs.5 million. It was really satisfying for me and I am happy that it has come out well. And I wish that we get good support from the audiences,' .
Scripted by Anil Mukhathala, this is Nath's third film and he is all praise for Sukumari.
Nath said: 'Throughout the film you don't see the actress Sukumari, but Kuniyamma reveling in the role. She has done a tremendous job.'
The film also stars Krishna Prasad, Nedumudi Venu, Kochupreman and Manoj K.Jayan besides 'little known' veteran Kailash Nath who plays an important role.
'I play the role of a dumb mother and I am so delighted because all these years I have been talking a lot in all the roles I played. This is totally different. I am yet to see the film and the response I am getting is unbelievable,' Sukumari told reporters here Sunday.
Produced by V.R. Das under the banner of Cyber Vision, the film is about the status of a woman who is all alone. The film also focuses on the relationship between a mother and a son.
Kuniyamma plays a Muslim widow who is unable to accept the death of her only son and takes to the streets in search of him. Mohanlal makes a guest appearance as Sukumari's son in the film that opened Friday.
Initial reports indicate that the veteran actress, who has completed 56 years in filmdom, will vie for top national and international acclaim for her performance.
Producer Das is happy that he grabbed the film.
He said: 'I am really happy that I produced this film because if I had not done it, someone else would have done it. Everything was well planned. We made this film at a cost exceeding Rs.5 million. It was really satisfying for me and I am happy that it has come out well. And I wish that we get good support from the audiences,' .
Scripted by Anil Mukhathala, this is Nath's third film and he is all praise for Sukumari.
Nath said: 'Throughout the film you don't see the actress Sukumari, but Kuniyamma reveling in the role. She has done a tremendous job.'
The film also stars Krishna Prasad, Nedumudi Venu, Kochupreman and Manoj K.Jayan besides 'little known' veteran Kailash Nath who plays an important role.
World Gujarati meet to be held in US in August
The younger generation of the Gujarati diaspora in the US will have an opportunity to revive their roots with a global conference that will also have trade and business events.
'The World Gujarati Conference at Raritan Centre in New Jersey Aug 29-31 is to introduce Gujarati values to the younger generation born and brought up in the US,' said Sunil Nayak, president of the Association of Indian Americans in North America (AIANA), which is organising the meet.
The second World Gujarati Conference, 'Chaalo Gujarat', is an attempt by AAINA to bring Gujaratis from all walks of life and from all parts of the world under one roof to share their experiences and values, he told mediapersons here Saturday.
The biannual event was launched in September 2006, bringing together a large number of Gujaratis from around the world. 'It was for the first time that leaders from various fields came together for a single cause: Uniting the Spirit of Gujarat,' Nayak said.
'This year too, a galaxy of leaders, musicians, poets, litterateurs, business leaders, academicians and sportspersons will share the stage in a spirit of solidarity.'
Several prominent Gujaratis have been invited to share their experience. The invitees include Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, businessmen Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, technocrat Sam Pitroda, businessmen Karsanbhai Patel, Sudhir Mehta, Pankaj Patel, Gautam Adani, Jay Mehta, Tulsi Tanti, Deepak Parekh, Uday Kotak, economists Jagdish Bhagwati, Bakul Dholakia, singer Pankaj Udhas, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actor Paresh Rawal, music composer Himesh Reshammiya, singers Falguni Pathak, Alka Yagnik, Aishwarya Majumdar and cricketer Irfan Pathan.
Many religious leaders too are likely to be present.
There will be fashion shows, laser show, multi-screen film, legends-of-Gujarat gallery, traditional dance, comedy show, food festival, ras garba competition, skit, play and much more.
A trade show cum exhibition too has been organized to showcase companies, product and alliances.
The Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers will put up an international property show in real estate and infrastructure development that would present non-resident Gujarati (NRG) investors, especially for those in North America, opportunities in both retail and institutional segment, said GIHED president Shekhar Patel.
The objective is to give a chance to builders and developers to showcase their upcoming commercial and residential projects for NRGs who could compare the best buy in property, Patel said.
'The World Gujarati Conference at Raritan Centre in New Jersey Aug 29-31 is to introduce Gujarati values to the younger generation born and brought up in the US,' said Sunil Nayak, president of the Association of Indian Americans in North America (AIANA), which is organising the meet.
The second World Gujarati Conference, 'Chaalo Gujarat', is an attempt by AAINA to bring Gujaratis from all walks of life and from all parts of the world under one roof to share their experiences and values, he told mediapersons here Saturday.
The biannual event was launched in September 2006, bringing together a large number of Gujaratis from around the world. 'It was for the first time that leaders from various fields came together for a single cause: Uniting the Spirit of Gujarat,' Nayak said.
'This year too, a galaxy of leaders, musicians, poets, litterateurs, business leaders, academicians and sportspersons will share the stage in a spirit of solidarity.'
Several prominent Gujaratis have been invited to share their experience. The invitees include Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, businessmen Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, technocrat Sam Pitroda, businessmen Karsanbhai Patel, Sudhir Mehta, Pankaj Patel, Gautam Adani, Jay Mehta, Tulsi Tanti, Deepak Parekh, Uday Kotak, economists Jagdish Bhagwati, Bakul Dholakia, singer Pankaj Udhas, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actor Paresh Rawal, music composer Himesh Reshammiya, singers Falguni Pathak, Alka Yagnik, Aishwarya Majumdar and cricketer Irfan Pathan.
Many religious leaders too are likely to be present.
There will be fashion shows, laser show, multi-screen film, legends-of-Gujarat gallery, traditional dance, comedy show, food festival, ras garba competition, skit, play and much more.
A trade show cum exhibition too has been organized to showcase companies, product and alliances.
The Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers will put up an international property show in real estate and infrastructure development that would present non-resident Gujarati (NRG) investors, especially for those in North America, opportunities in both retail and institutional segment, said GIHED president Shekhar Patel.
The objective is to give a chance to builders and developers to showcase their upcoming commercial and residential projects for NRGs who could compare the best buy in property, Patel said.
'Bombaat' to give image makeover to Kannada star Ganesh
Known for his soft romantic roles, Kannada star Ganesh is being presented in a different avatar in action movie 'Bombaat' and director D. Rajendra Babu claims that his fan following will reach a new high after the movie.
Ganesh, popularly known as Golden Star, plays a tough guy who uses his brain more than using his fighting skills to defeat his enemies.
'Ganesh will rock in his new avatar and acquire a mass hero image through this film,' Rajendra Babu told IANS.
Rajendra Babu, who has completed 25 years as a director in filmdom, says that while doing the post-production work of 'Bombaat', he had seen many technicians in splits after watching Ganesh's performing in the film.
'The role suited Ganesh perfectly and our storywriter Janardhana Maharshi delivered a tailor-made script for the actor who is bound to have a changed image after 'Bombaat'.
'He has acted so well in the film that his fan following will increase and his ardent fans will like the changes effected in the film,' said Rajendra Babu.
Ganesh hit the bull's eye at the box office with his 2006 film 'Mungaru Male' and repeated the success story with his recent release 'Aramane' that has completed 50 days run in many centres in the state. Now hype is building around 'Bombaat'.
Ganesh is more than happy to be a part of 'Bombaat' and said: 'As Babu sir said I have a different role in the film. I play a hard taskmaster. Even my dialogue delivery will be different. I have also done some exceptional fights in the film. The script needed an intelligent director and Babu has done his best in the film.'
In the film, he is paired with top Kannada actress Ramya and this is their first film together.
The actor also hopes that music director Mano Murthy, who had delivered two musical hits for his 'Mungaru Male' and 'Cheluvina Chiththaara', will complete the hatrick through 'Bombaat'.
Murthy has composed five songs for the film - four are melodious and one is peppy song. And he said that he is sure that the album would become a big hit. The audio of the film will be released on Ganesh's birthday July 2.
Producer Rockline Venkatesh too is confident about the film's box office success and says that it will be out and out commercial entertainer.
Venkatesh said: 'Ganesh has worked very hard in this film which is certain to bestow him a new image. And director Babu has to change his style of narration for this film.'
Ganesh, popularly known as Golden Star, plays a tough guy who uses his brain more than using his fighting skills to defeat his enemies.
'Ganesh will rock in his new avatar and acquire a mass hero image through this film,' Rajendra Babu told IANS.
Rajendra Babu, who has completed 25 years as a director in filmdom, says that while doing the post-production work of 'Bombaat', he had seen many technicians in splits after watching Ganesh's performing in the film.
'The role suited Ganesh perfectly and our storywriter Janardhana Maharshi delivered a tailor-made script for the actor who is bound to have a changed image after 'Bombaat'.
'He has acted so well in the film that his fan following will increase and his ardent fans will like the changes effected in the film,' said Rajendra Babu.
Ganesh hit the bull's eye at the box office with his 2006 film 'Mungaru Male' and repeated the success story with his recent release 'Aramane' that has completed 50 days run in many centres in the state. Now hype is building around 'Bombaat'.
Ganesh is more than happy to be a part of 'Bombaat' and said: 'As Babu sir said I have a different role in the film. I play a hard taskmaster. Even my dialogue delivery will be different. I have also done some exceptional fights in the film. The script needed an intelligent director and Babu has done his best in the film.'
In the film, he is paired with top Kannada actress Ramya and this is their first film together.
The actor also hopes that music director Mano Murthy, who had delivered two musical hits for his 'Mungaru Male' and 'Cheluvina Chiththaara', will complete the hatrick through 'Bombaat'.
Murthy has composed five songs for the film - four are melodious and one is peppy song. And he said that he is sure that the album would become a big hit. The audio of the film will be released on Ganesh's birthday July 2.
Producer Rockline Venkatesh too is confident about the film's box office success and says that it will be out and out commercial entertainer.
Venkatesh said: 'Ganesh has worked very hard in this film which is certain to bestow him a new image. And director Babu has to change his style of narration for this film.'
Pregnant actress accuses producer of molestation
Actress Malavika has alleged that a producer tried to molest her after she could not do certain dance steps, due to pregnancy, while shooting for a film.
'I found it difficult to do certain difficult dance steps due to my pregnancy. I had agreed to do the film but its shooting had been delayed. The producer, Anjaneyulu, came into my caravan and 'tried to physically examine me' to find out whether I am really pregnant,' the actress said by phone from Mumbai Sunday.
The alleged incident took place Friday in Hyderabad during the shooting of a Telugu film featuring Malavika as the female lead.
Denying the charges, the producer has threatened to claim defamation charges, amounting to Rs.7.5 million, against her.
'The accusations made by the actress are false and baseless. She refused to do what was required of her for the film under some pretext of the other. I will challenge her charges in court and claim damages,' Anjaneyulu said.
'While I am not saying that I will not complete the film, I am willing to face the matter in any court,' the actress said.
A spokesman of the South Indian Artistes' Association told IANS that its president Sarath Kumar has received a complaint from the actress.
'I found it difficult to do certain difficult dance steps due to my pregnancy. I had agreed to do the film but its shooting had been delayed. The producer, Anjaneyulu, came into my caravan and 'tried to physically examine me' to find out whether I am really pregnant,' the actress said by phone from Mumbai Sunday.
The alleged incident took place Friday in Hyderabad during the shooting of a Telugu film featuring Malavika as the female lead.
Denying the charges, the producer has threatened to claim defamation charges, amounting to Rs.7.5 million, against her.
'The accusations made by the actress are false and baseless. She refused to do what was required of her for the film under some pretext of the other. I will challenge her charges in court and claim damages,' Anjaneyulu said.
'While I am not saying that I will not complete the film, I am willing to face the matter in any court,' the actress said.
A spokesman of the South Indian Artistes' Association told IANS that its president Sarath Kumar has received a complaint from the actress.
Indian music bands rock on - experiment, innovate
Music bands in India are growing by the day. No longer willing to be bracketed in set genres, they are experimenting, fusing entirely different formats and breaking musical barriers to ensure that their tunes and rhythms truly rock.
Milli Bhagat, Jalebee Cartel, Oritus, Radius and Cyanide are some such bands and their music is as inimitable and innovative as their names.
'There are a lot of bands like 'Frequency' that are experimenting and playing some great music,' Rohan Solomon, lead vocalist of Delhi-based band Cyanide, told IANS.
'The unique selling point of our band is our guitar tones and melodic choruses,' he said.
Jalebi Cartel also loves experimenting while creating music.
'We basically do electronica. But we also experiment with a lot of house music and progressive music,' said Ash Roy, vocalist and percussionist of Jalebi Cartel.
Asked what sets their band apart, Roy said: 'We put in a lot of energy since ours is a dance act. Also, since all of us were DJs earlier, we know and understand the mood of the crowd.'
The audiences these bands usually cater to are school and college students, who are more accepting in terms of changes in music and mixing of varying genres.
Roy pointed out that another band 'Midival Punditz' had done some path-breaking work. 'They have mixed electronica with Indian classical!' he said.
The boundaries of music are being broken in India and it is a welcome change for artistes and people alike.
'Boundaries are created by the human mind ... there is no need to put music into any category,' said Amit Kilam, drummer of Indian Ocean, the band that created its own genre of fusion music 18 years ago.
'Experimentation is all about breaking out of the mould, music should be flowing,' he said.
Music labels like Sa-Re-Ga-Ma and Mummy Daddy Records now see an opportunity to cash in by encouraging young talent and giving them a chance to establish themselves.
Sa-Re-Ga-Ma's new album 'The Underground' has tracks by a number of young bands that have gone on to experiment with music and create numbers that have a wide appeal. And these groups are touted to have what it takes to be the 'next best thing'.
There has definitely been a drastic change in the music industry outside of Bollywood that Kilam describes as a 'new style of music'.
Milli Bhagat, Jalebee Cartel, Oritus, Radius and Cyanide are some such bands and their music is as inimitable and innovative as their names.
'There are a lot of bands like 'Frequency' that are experimenting and playing some great music,' Rohan Solomon, lead vocalist of Delhi-based band Cyanide, told IANS.
'The unique selling point of our band is our guitar tones and melodic choruses,' he said.
Jalebi Cartel also loves experimenting while creating music.
'We basically do electronica. But we also experiment with a lot of house music and progressive music,' said Ash Roy, vocalist and percussionist of Jalebi Cartel.
Asked what sets their band apart, Roy said: 'We put in a lot of energy since ours is a dance act. Also, since all of us were DJs earlier, we know and understand the mood of the crowd.'
The audiences these bands usually cater to are school and college students, who are more accepting in terms of changes in music and mixing of varying genres.
Roy pointed out that another band 'Midival Punditz' had done some path-breaking work. 'They have mixed electronica with Indian classical!' he said.
The boundaries of music are being broken in India and it is a welcome change for artistes and people alike.
'Boundaries are created by the human mind ... there is no need to put music into any category,' said Amit Kilam, drummer of Indian Ocean, the band that created its own genre of fusion music 18 years ago.
'Experimentation is all about breaking out of the mould, music should be flowing,' he said.
Music labels like Sa-Re-Ga-Ma and Mummy Daddy Records now see an opportunity to cash in by encouraging young talent and giving them a chance to establish themselves.
Sa-Re-Ga-Ma's new album 'The Underground' has tracks by a number of young bands that have gone on to experiment with music and create numbers that have a wide appeal. And these groups are touted to have what it takes to be the 'next best thing'.
There has definitely been a drastic change in the music industry outside of Bollywood that Kilam describes as a 'new style of music'.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Infiltration bid foiled, two guerrillas killed in Kashmir
Two separatist guerrillas making an infiltration bid were gunned down by security forces near the India-Pakistan border in north Kashmir's Kupwara district early Saturday.
Police said the security forces early morning intercepted and challenged a group of heavily armed infiltrators in Gagaldara village near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto boundary that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
'The militants were intercepted immediately after they infiltrated to this side, resulting in a fierce gunfight at the end of which two militants were killed. The search operation in the area is still continuing,' a police officer said here.
Arms and ammunition were recovered from the shootout site, the police claimed.
Police said the security forces early morning intercepted and challenged a group of heavily armed infiltrators in Gagaldara village near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto boundary that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
'The militants were intercepted immediately after they infiltrated to this side, resulting in a fierce gunfight at the end of which two militants were killed. The search operation in the area is still continuing,' a police officer said here.
Arms and ammunition were recovered from the shootout site, the police claimed.
Over 30 Tibetans held in Himachal to prevent Olympics run disruption
Over 30 Tibetans have been detained in Himachal Pradesh to prevent them from crossing the international border to disrupt the Olympics torch run in Tibet, a police official said Saturday.
During the past few days, the police have rounded up over 30 Tibetans from Shimla and Kinnaur districts, Ashwani Kumar, director-general of police, told IANS Saturday.
He said that the police would ensure that no Tibetan would be allowed to violate the law or hold any demonstration near the border.
Most of the Tibetans who were rounded up were without proper documents required for entering prohibited areas in Kinnaur district. A special permission from the district administration is necessary, especially for foreigners, for entering certain areas located near the international border.
During questioning, the Tibetans allegedly confessed to the police that they wanted to enter Tibet in order to disrupt the Olympic torch run.
During the past few days, the police have rounded up over 30 Tibetans from Shimla and Kinnaur districts, Ashwani Kumar, director-general of police, told IANS Saturday.
He said that the police would ensure that no Tibetan would be allowed to violate the law or hold any demonstration near the border.
Most of the Tibetans who were rounded up were without proper documents required for entering prohibited areas in Kinnaur district. A special permission from the district administration is necessary, especially for foreigners, for entering certain areas located near the international border.
During questioning, the Tibetans allegedly confessed to the police that they wanted to enter Tibet in order to disrupt the Olympic torch run.
Floods leave thousands of tourists stranded in Orissa
Thousands of tourists, mostly from West Bengal, are stuck in Orissa's Puri town following floods that washed away roads and a railway track, an official said Saturday.
'The flash floods triggered by monsoon rains washed away about one kilometre railway line between Bhadrak and Balasore and damaged an iron girder bridge,' M.D. Sahu, public relation officer of the east coast railway, told IANS.
'As a result of which at least 10 Howrah-bound trains have been cancelled in the past couple of days,' he said.
Although some trains are going through other routes, over 2,000 passengers have cancelled their tickets in Puri, he said.
The tourists complained that the affected include women and children and many of them are going from pillar to post for suitable accommodation in the temple city, 56 km from here.
84-years-old Biswanath Majumdar, a resident of Kolkata, had come with his wife last week and planned to return Wednesday. Majumdar had return tickets but the train was cancelled.
He has been going to the railway station every day to find out if the train has started running. 'Some trains are going through other routes, but we are not able to get berths,' Majumdar told IANS.
Thousands of passengers are facing trouble, he said.
About 200 tourists Friday staged a protest in the town demanding alternate arrangements so that they could get home, said a district administration official.
'We are trying to arrange at least 10-20 buses to send them home,' he said.
At least three people were killed and one million people were affected by the floods that hit five districts of north Orissa. The unofficial death toll was seven.
Thousands of flood victims continued to struggle to get food Saturday, though two Indian Air Force helicopters dropped food packets.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday requested the central government to send at least three more helicopters to speed up the relief operations.
'The flash floods triggered by monsoon rains washed away about one kilometre railway line between Bhadrak and Balasore and damaged an iron girder bridge,' M.D. Sahu, public relation officer of the east coast railway, told IANS.
'As a result of which at least 10 Howrah-bound trains have been cancelled in the past couple of days,' he said.
Although some trains are going through other routes, over 2,000 passengers have cancelled their tickets in Puri, he said.
The tourists complained that the affected include women and children and many of them are going from pillar to post for suitable accommodation in the temple city, 56 km from here.
84-years-old Biswanath Majumdar, a resident of Kolkata, had come with his wife last week and planned to return Wednesday. Majumdar had return tickets but the train was cancelled.
He has been going to the railway station every day to find out if the train has started running. 'Some trains are going through other routes, but we are not able to get berths,' Majumdar told IANS.
Thousands of passengers are facing trouble, he said.
About 200 tourists Friday staged a protest in the town demanding alternate arrangements so that they could get home, said a district administration official.
'We are trying to arrange at least 10-20 buses to send them home,' he said.
At least three people were killed and one million people were affected by the floods that hit five districts of north Orissa. The unofficial death toll was seven.
Thousands of flood victims continued to struggle to get food Saturday, though two Indian Air Force helicopters dropped food packets.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday requested the central government to send at least three more helicopters to speed up the relief operations.
55 percent public school students suffer backache: study
Heavy school bags are the main cause for growing backache complaints among school-going children. About 55 percent students studying in public schools suffer from backache, while 30 percent government school students fall prey to the problem, says a new study.
Poor diet, wrong posture while walking, standing, watching television, studying, bathing and lying on the bed also accentuate the problem, says the study by the Joint Care Club (JCC) on the students of ten schools up to class VIII here.
The JCC is an organization supported by orthopaedic surgeons.
The study also found that the majority of children who suffered from backache did not tell their parents about it either due to ignorance or fear.
Studies were conducted upon 100 students between the age group of 7-15 years. They belonged to different economic strata and various schools, said JCC secretary Mahesh Jha.
It was found that 55 percent students studying in public schools suffered from backache, while 30 percent students of government and municipal schools fell prey to the problem.
About 53 percent of students belonging to upper classes had acute backache problem.
Fifteen percent of students belonging to the middle class and 10 percent of students belonging to weaker sections of the society suffered from backache.
Only 22 percent students, who never went to school, did not complain of backache, Jha said.
Fifteen percent students who participated in outdoor games, along with hectic study schedule, faced no problem of backache, the report said.
In most cases, children hesitated in telling the problem to their parents as they were scolded instead of getting sympathy.
Interestingly, 22 percent of 'sensitive' children belonging to the weaker sections afflicted with backache told the problem to their parents. The parents scolded them but later they gave treatment at home instead of consulting doctors.
On the other hand, 65 percent of the children from affluent classes told their parents about the backache but they hardly took it seriously.
In 15 percent cases, the parents took the complaints seriously and consulted the orthopaedic surgeon.
According to Jha, a large number of children suffering from backache belong to public schools because apart from carrying heavy school bags, they had to sit at home for long hours each day to complete their daily lessons and to prepare for surprise tests, the report said
Children of government and other schools had comparatively lighter schoolbags and also had lower pressure of studies, it said.
Poor diet, wrong posture while walking, standing, watching television, studying, bathing and lying on the bed also accentuate the problem, says the study by the Joint Care Club (JCC) on the students of ten schools up to class VIII here.
The JCC is an organization supported by orthopaedic surgeons.
The study also found that the majority of children who suffered from backache did not tell their parents about it either due to ignorance or fear.
Studies were conducted upon 100 students between the age group of 7-15 years. They belonged to different economic strata and various schools, said JCC secretary Mahesh Jha.
It was found that 55 percent students studying in public schools suffered from backache, while 30 percent students of government and municipal schools fell prey to the problem.
About 53 percent of students belonging to upper classes had acute backache problem.
Fifteen percent of students belonging to the middle class and 10 percent of students belonging to weaker sections of the society suffered from backache.
Only 22 percent students, who never went to school, did not complain of backache, Jha said.
Fifteen percent students who participated in outdoor games, along with hectic study schedule, faced no problem of backache, the report said.
In most cases, children hesitated in telling the problem to their parents as they were scolded instead of getting sympathy.
Interestingly, 22 percent of 'sensitive' children belonging to the weaker sections afflicted with backache told the problem to their parents. The parents scolded them but later they gave treatment at home instead of consulting doctors.
On the other hand, 65 percent of the children from affluent classes told their parents about the backache but they hardly took it seriously.
In 15 percent cases, the parents took the complaints seriously and consulted the orthopaedic surgeon.
According to Jha, a large number of children suffering from backache belong to public schools because apart from carrying heavy school bags, they had to sit at home for long hours each day to complete their daily lessons and to prepare for surprise tests, the report said
Children of government and other schools had comparatively lighter schoolbags and also had lower pressure of studies, it said.
Congress, Samajwadi Party inching closer
Amid speculation that the Communists may stop backing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government over the India-US nuclear deal, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party appear to be finally preparing to shake hands.
According to Congress sources, a section of its leaders are considering a possible electoral alliance with the Samajwadi Party if the Left withdraws its legislative support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Although the Samajwadi Party's 39 MPs in the Lok Sabha (including two dissidents) will not be enough to make up for the 62 Left MPs, they would be good enough for the Congress to remain in power and complete its five-year term, these sources told IANS.
Already there are clear signs of a patch-up between the foes-wanting-to-be-friends.
While Congress leaders insist that they need a strong ally in Uttar Pradesh to boost the party's sagging electoral showing, Samajwadi Party members feel there is nothing wrong in joining hands with the Congress to take on the state's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
'We have no problem in having a political alliance with the Samajwadi Party because we need a strong ally in Uttar Pradesh,' a Congress general secretary told IANS. However he had a word of caution. 'You cannot trust them because both the Samajwadi Party and the BSP play similar politics.'
There is plenty to indicate that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party are ready to end their dragging cold war.
The Congress has informed a parliamentary committee on law and justice that it has no objections if changes are made in the bill reserving seats for women in parliament, modifications the Samajwadi Party seeks.
A section of the Left is aware that both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party are trying to isolate it.
'It is very clear that both are trying to get closer and isolate us on issues like the (India-US) nuclear deal and the women's bill,' a CPI-M politburo member told IANS.
Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh has declared that his party would reconsider its opposition to the nuclear deal if the government briefed it adequately.
When the UPA called its allies to celebrate in May its four years in government, Manmohan Singh made it a point to walk over to Amar Singh's table.
Amar Singh is also publicly expressing regret for attacking Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the past.
'Bitter personal experiences and serious misunderstandings must not be the basis of political attitude and strategy. They have to be based on ideology,' Singh said recently.
He went on: 'Anyone who is broadly secular will have to agree that under the given circumstances, the Congress is definitely a lesser evil than the communal NDA (National Democratic Alliance).'
According to Congress sources, a section of its leaders are considering a possible electoral alliance with the Samajwadi Party if the Left withdraws its legislative support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Although the Samajwadi Party's 39 MPs in the Lok Sabha (including two dissidents) will not be enough to make up for the 62 Left MPs, they would be good enough for the Congress to remain in power and complete its five-year term, these sources told IANS.
Already there are clear signs of a patch-up between the foes-wanting-to-be-friends.
While Congress leaders insist that they need a strong ally in Uttar Pradesh to boost the party's sagging electoral showing, Samajwadi Party members feel there is nothing wrong in joining hands with the Congress to take on the state's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
'We have no problem in having a political alliance with the Samajwadi Party because we need a strong ally in Uttar Pradesh,' a Congress general secretary told IANS. However he had a word of caution. 'You cannot trust them because both the Samajwadi Party and the BSP play similar politics.'
There is plenty to indicate that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party are ready to end their dragging cold war.
The Congress has informed a parliamentary committee on law and justice that it has no objections if changes are made in the bill reserving seats for women in parliament, modifications the Samajwadi Party seeks.
A section of the Left is aware that both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party are trying to isolate it.
'It is very clear that both are trying to get closer and isolate us on issues like the (India-US) nuclear deal and the women's bill,' a CPI-M politburo member told IANS.
Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh has declared that his party would reconsider its opposition to the nuclear deal if the government briefed it adequately.
When the UPA called its allies to celebrate in May its four years in government, Manmohan Singh made it a point to walk over to Amar Singh's table.
Amar Singh is also publicly expressing regret for attacking Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the past.
'Bitter personal experiences and serious misunderstandings must not be the basis of political attitude and strategy. They have to be based on ideology,' Singh said recently.
He went on: 'Anyone who is broadly secular will have to agree that under the given circumstances, the Congress is definitely a lesser evil than the communal NDA (National Democratic Alliance).'
Friday, June 20, 2008
Kerala firm rocks football fans with Euro 2008 game
Even as Euro 2008 enthrals soccer aficionados across the world, a Kerala-based IT company is rocking fans with an online game based on football.
The 10-minute-long game, 'Penalty Game Euro 2008' devised by Invision Technologies (Pvt) Ltd, features all the 16 teams competing in the ongoing Euro 2008 championship.
It has been developed for a Dutch travel company, Invision managing director G.S. Abhilash told IANS.
The Dutch firm, an existing Invision client that owns an online marketing company Ezeppelin, wanted Abhilash to develop an interactive game coinciding with Euro 2008. 'Since I like football, I said yes and in a month's time, I did it,' he said.
Ezeppelin has offices in Holland and Turkey, and Abhilash said the new game has been a hit.
In the interactive penalty shoot-out game, only the Dutch team takes the penalty kick against the other teams. 'The passion is high (among Ezeppelin's Dutch clients),' Abhilash said.
Invision has now been given an order for a second game.
'Our team is working on it and we expect to finish it soon. The second part would have more features,'
Rajasthan to move bill on quota for economically backward
The Rajasthan government has decided to convene a session of the state legislature to pass a bill providing for 14 percent reservation to the economically backward among the upper castes.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Wednesday announced job and education quota benefits for the economically backward category (EBC).
'Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to announce reservation to EBC,' Law Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari said.
'According to a decision taken by the cabinet today, the government proposes to bring a bill on reservation for the new category in the state assembly soon,' Tiwari told a press conference here.
'We are working out the parameters of economic backwardness,' he added.
Tiwari said legal opinion on the issue was being taken and different caste organisations were also invited to submit their representations on the matter.
He clarified that this reservation would only be available to those who at present are not entitled to any reservation in any category.
The Rajasthan government Wednesday offered a five percent special reservation to the Gujjar, Banjara, Gadia Lohar and Raika communities, bringing an end to a nearly month-old stand-off over the Gujjar community's demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes category.
While announcing the special reservation, the government has not tampered with the existing Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes or Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.
So far, Rajasthan has had total quotas of 49 percent - 16 per cent for the Scheduled Castes, 12 per cent for the Scheduled Tribes and 21 percent for OBCs.
The newly announced quotas of five percent and 14 percent are apart from the existing reservation.
Thus, Rajasthan now has a total reservation of 68 percent, among the highest in the country.
Sufi music fest begins in Kashmir
'Daag Ko Koun Dene Wala Tha/Jo Diya Hai Khuda Diya Tune' - the Urdu ghazal of well-known poet Daag Delhvi sung by a Sufi singer set the mood for the three-day Sufi festival of music and dance that began here Thursday evening.
Artists from Egypt, Syria, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are scheduled to perform at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex during the festival. It has been organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy jointly with the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
At Thursday's brief inaugural session, a folk group from Egypt performed here with some local artists. Later, Sufi singer Radhika Chopra had the audience enthralled with her renditions.
The festival was declared open by state Governor S.K. Sinha.
Karan Singh, chairman of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, was the chief guest at the function.
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, his wife Shameema Azad, and some prominent citizens were also present at the inaugural.
Zafar Iqbal Manhas, secretary of the cultural academy, said artists from Pakistan, Syria and Uzbekistan would arrive here Friday to perform during the festival.
Artists from Egypt, Syria, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are scheduled to perform at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex during the festival. It has been organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy jointly with the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
At Thursday's brief inaugural session, a folk group from Egypt performed here with some local artists. Later, Sufi singer Radhika Chopra had the audience enthralled with her renditions.
The festival was declared open by state Governor S.K. Sinha.
Karan Singh, chairman of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, was the chief guest at the function.
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, his wife Shameema Azad, and some prominent citizens were also present at the inaugural.
Zafar Iqbal Manhas, secretary of the cultural academy, said artists from Pakistan, Syria and Uzbekistan would arrive here Friday to perform during the festival.
India will face water shortage sooner than expected
While an energy crisis is looming large on one side, a new study cautions that India's water demand will outstrip supply a few decades from now - if not sooner.
The study by T.N. Narasimhan, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, says the Indian government has 'seriously overestimated' available and utilizable water resources.
Narasimhan's study is in the June issue of the Journal of Earth Systems Science published by the Indian Academy of Sciences here. It says that optimistic projections made by India's Planning Commission as late as in 2007 are incorrect.
He says these estimates were based on data provided by the water resources ministry in 1999 that 'significantly underestimated' evapotranspiration (ET) - a term used to describe the amount of water lost due to evaporation of surface water and 'transpiration' by plants and trees.
According to the study, the use of more realistic value for ET would reduce the amount of water available for human use by at least 37 percent. This is the second time in 12 months that scientists have raised an alarm over water availability in India.
Last year N.K. Garg of the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) called for urgent action before water scarcity 'becomes unmanageable'.
He said the government has overestimated utilizable water by as much as 68 percent and that India is unlikely to meet the annual demand of 897 billion cubic metres (BCM) projected for 2050 'even after full development of utilizable water resources'.
The source of water for all uses in India is the 3,838 BCM of rainfall it receives annually. Part of it enters rivers and streams, another part recharges the groundwater, and the third part is lost due to ET.
According to the Planning Commission's calculations, the surface flow and recharge components add up to 60 percent - or 2,301 BCM - of the total rainfall and this is available for human use. This implies that the remaining 40 percent is lost due to ET.
Narasimhan, however, argues that this figure of 40 percent is 'significantly' lower than published estimates of ET for a number of regions in the world.
For instance, the ET is 90 percent for Australia, 82.1 percent for the Amazon basin, 82.8 percent for France and between 60.5 and 66.4 percent for the world's total land area.
Narasimhan says an independent study - using a higher ET of 69 percent - has estimated the available water in India to be 1,460 BCM or almost 37 percent less than the government projection.
Due to engineering and environmental constraints, only about half of the available water - or 712 BCM - is actually 'utilizable,' says Narasimhan.
'If we compare this 712 BCM of utilizable water with the current use of 634 BCM, it is clear that India is already at the threshold of over-development of water resources,' Narasimhan warns.
'Thus, India has to be seriously concerned about shortage of water right now rather than a few decades from now,' a conclusion shared by the study carried out by IIT-D's Garg.
According to Garg's analysis published last year, almost all the basins in India would become water-deficit, thereby raising 'a big question about the availability of water for inter-basin transfer'.
Garg's analysis also showed that the groundwater has been overexploited as far back as 1997-98.
Muthaia Perumal, a hydrologist at IIT-Roorkee, said the study by Narasimhan should serve as a warning and that a credible estimate of ET for India is urgently needed to revise the estimates of utilizable water.
'ET for India has been estimated so far by indirect means - subtracting run off and ground recharge from total rainfall - which is not accurate,' Perumal told IANS.
'A rigorous assessment of ET has not been made partly because water resource data is restricted by the government,' he added.
Perumal says there is a strong necessity for precise data on water availability especially because power generation has been thrown open to the private sector.
'There is a danger if private companies start building reservoirs for new power projects without knowing exactly how much water is available,' he pointed out.
'Impounding more and more water for power production means that ET will further increase, thereby accelerating water scarcity,' Perumal maintained.
The study by T.N. Narasimhan, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, says the Indian government has 'seriously overestimated' available and utilizable water resources.
Narasimhan's study is in the June issue of the Journal of Earth Systems Science published by the Indian Academy of Sciences here. It says that optimistic projections made by India's Planning Commission as late as in 2007 are incorrect.
He says these estimates were based on data provided by the water resources ministry in 1999 that 'significantly underestimated' evapotranspiration (ET) - a term used to describe the amount of water lost due to evaporation of surface water and 'transpiration' by plants and trees.
According to the study, the use of more realistic value for ET would reduce the amount of water available for human use by at least 37 percent. This is the second time in 12 months that scientists have raised an alarm over water availability in India.
Last year N.K. Garg of the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) called for urgent action before water scarcity 'becomes unmanageable'.
He said the government has overestimated utilizable water by as much as 68 percent and that India is unlikely to meet the annual demand of 897 billion cubic metres (BCM) projected for 2050 'even after full development of utilizable water resources'.
The source of water for all uses in India is the 3,838 BCM of rainfall it receives annually. Part of it enters rivers and streams, another part recharges the groundwater, and the third part is lost due to ET.
According to the Planning Commission's calculations, the surface flow and recharge components add up to 60 percent - or 2,301 BCM - of the total rainfall and this is available for human use. This implies that the remaining 40 percent is lost due to ET.
Narasimhan, however, argues that this figure of 40 percent is 'significantly' lower than published estimates of ET for a number of regions in the world.
For instance, the ET is 90 percent for Australia, 82.1 percent for the Amazon basin, 82.8 percent for France and between 60.5 and 66.4 percent for the world's total land area.
Narasimhan says an independent study - using a higher ET of 69 percent - has estimated the available water in India to be 1,460 BCM or almost 37 percent less than the government projection.
Due to engineering and environmental constraints, only about half of the available water - or 712 BCM - is actually 'utilizable,' says Narasimhan.
'If we compare this 712 BCM of utilizable water with the current use of 634 BCM, it is clear that India is already at the threshold of over-development of water resources,' Narasimhan warns.
'Thus, India has to be seriously concerned about shortage of water right now rather than a few decades from now,' a conclusion shared by the study carried out by IIT-D's Garg.
According to Garg's analysis published last year, almost all the basins in India would become water-deficit, thereby raising 'a big question about the availability of water for inter-basin transfer'.
Garg's analysis also showed that the groundwater has been overexploited as far back as 1997-98.
Muthaia Perumal, a hydrologist at IIT-Roorkee, said the study by Narasimhan should serve as a warning and that a credible estimate of ET for India is urgently needed to revise the estimates of utilizable water.
'ET for India has been estimated so far by indirect means - subtracting run off and ground recharge from total rainfall - which is not accurate,' Perumal told IANS.
'A rigorous assessment of ET has not been made partly because water resource data is restricted by the government,' he added.
Perumal says there is a strong necessity for precise data on water availability especially because power generation has been thrown open to the private sector.
'There is a danger if private companies start building reservoirs for new power projects without knowing exactly how much water is available,' he pointed out.
'Impounding more and more water for power production means that ET will further increase, thereby accelerating water scarcity,' Perumal maintained.
India's Big Broadcasting signs up AsiaSat 3S
BIG Broadcasting, an offering from The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, one of India’s top three private sector enterprises, has joined hands with Asia’s premium broadcast satellite AsiaSat 3S for its bouquet of television channels which will soon be ‘seen’ serving millions of Indians across the country with a world class television entertainment experience. Announced by BIG Broadcasting the official communiqué states that, an agreement has been signed for one C-band transponder on AsiaSat 3S.
In an effort to boost & strengthen the Group’s presence in the media & entertainment space, Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group is using the C-band transponder to broadcast its bouquet of world class channels. Services will include general entertainment channels, movie channels, and music channels across languages and a host of other differentiated offerings.
"One of our key objectives is to offer our audiences a unique, world class & unprecedented TV viewing experience. Placing our satellite television services on AsiaSat 3S, Asia’s premium platform for satellite television enables us to establish in the shortest time possible a seamless broadcast network accessing all our targeted cable homes, “said Ashutosh, COO of Reliance BIG Broadcasting Private Limited.
"By using AsiaSat 3S, we gain immediate access to all cable head ends across India. We are proud to have AsiaSat as our partner as it offers us a large audience access across the country that fully supports our aggressive broadcast plans," Ashutosh added.
"BIG Broadcasting is an impressive addition to AsiaSat's expanding list of blue-chip customers. We are thrilled to be selected as the satellite partner of one of India's most dynamic and biggest broadcast ventures. It is evident that AsiaSat offers real value to premium broadcasters who look for service quality and access to their target markets in the Asia-Pacific," said Peter Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.
"India’s media sector is flourishing at an astonishing pace. AsiaSat has been serving the Indian media market since the early 90s and continues to play a contributing role in its rapid expansion. The potential of the Indian market is enormous as we all know, while the country’s economy continues to flourish, our clients will expand and diversify their service offerings. Our commitment to providing premium service to Indian broadcasters shall remain in the years to come,” added Mr. Jackson.
In an effort to boost & strengthen the Group’s presence in the media & entertainment space, Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group is using the C-band transponder to broadcast its bouquet of world class channels. Services will include general entertainment channels, movie channels, and music channels across languages and a host of other differentiated offerings.
"One of our key objectives is to offer our audiences a unique, world class & unprecedented TV viewing experience. Placing our satellite television services on AsiaSat 3S, Asia’s premium platform for satellite television enables us to establish in the shortest time possible a seamless broadcast network accessing all our targeted cable homes, “said Ashutosh, COO of Reliance BIG Broadcasting Private Limited.
"By using AsiaSat 3S, we gain immediate access to all cable head ends across India. We are proud to have AsiaSat as our partner as it offers us a large audience access across the country that fully supports our aggressive broadcast plans," Ashutosh added.
"BIG Broadcasting is an impressive addition to AsiaSat's expanding list of blue-chip customers. We are thrilled to be selected as the satellite partner of one of India's most dynamic and biggest broadcast ventures. It is evident that AsiaSat offers real value to premium broadcasters who look for service quality and access to their target markets in the Asia-Pacific," said Peter Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.
"India’s media sector is flourishing at an astonishing pace. AsiaSat has been serving the Indian media market since the early 90s and continues to play a contributing role in its rapid expansion. The potential of the Indian market is enormous as we all know, while the country’s economy continues to flourish, our clients will expand and diversify their service offerings. Our commitment to providing premium service to Indian broadcasters shall remain in the years to come,” added Mr. Jackson.
West Bengal flood toll rises to 16
The number of dead in the floods in West Bengal has risen to 16 with several rivers flowing above the danger level and inundating fresh areas affecting more than two million people.
The worst affected West Midnapore district alone accounted for 15 deaths, District Magistrate N.S. Nigam said Thursday. One person died in East Midnapore district.
However, West Bengal Inspector General of police Raj Kanojia confirmed only eight deaths in West Midnapore, where about 1,60,000 people have been hit by the floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains. Thousands of houses have been destroyed and 35,000 people sheltered in relief camps, Nigam said.
'Many people are yet to be rescued as the administration has not managed to reach some remote areas of Sabong, Pingla, Narayangarh Keshpur areas," he added.
The river Subarnarekha is in spate creating a flood-like situation in Dantan, Gopiballabhpur and Kesiari areas, he said.
Army and air force continued relief and rescue operations in East and West Midnapore after heavy monsoon rains lashed the state Tuesday and Wednesday.
About 200 army personnel have been working day and night to rescue the marooned and provide dry food and relief material like tarpaulin sheets, a defence spokesman said.
South Eastern Railway officials said long-distance train services between West Bengal and Orissa would be out of operation for three days due to water-logging on the tracks.
'Train services between Howrah and various destinations of Orissa cannot be resumed for another three days. The lines are totally marooned,' the officials said.
Trains to other parts of the country ran as scheduled Thursday though at a slower pace in the Howrah-Kharagpur section due to damage to the tracks caused by the floods.
The worst affected West Midnapore district alone accounted for 15 deaths, District Magistrate N.S. Nigam said Thursday. One person died in East Midnapore district.
However, West Bengal Inspector General of police Raj Kanojia confirmed only eight deaths in West Midnapore, where about 1,60,000 people have been hit by the floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains. Thousands of houses have been destroyed and 35,000 people sheltered in relief camps, Nigam said.
'Many people are yet to be rescued as the administration has not managed to reach some remote areas of Sabong, Pingla, Narayangarh Keshpur areas," he added.
The river Subarnarekha is in spate creating a flood-like situation in Dantan, Gopiballabhpur and Kesiari areas, he said.
Army and air force continued relief and rescue operations in East and West Midnapore after heavy monsoon rains lashed the state Tuesday and Wednesday.
About 200 army personnel have been working day and night to rescue the marooned and provide dry food and relief material like tarpaulin sheets, a defence spokesman said.
South Eastern Railway officials said long-distance train services between West Bengal and Orissa would be out of operation for three days due to water-logging on the tracks.
'Train services between Howrah and various destinations of Orissa cannot be resumed for another three days. The lines are totally marooned,' the officials said.
Trains to other parts of the country ran as scheduled Thursday though at a slower pace in the Howrah-Kharagpur section due to damage to the tracks caused by the floods.
500 days Celebration of SUN - NIIT Partnership towards improving the talent pool on the skill sets with SUN Technologies
The SUN & NIIT partnership towards improving the Talent pool with skills on SUN Technologies ranging from Java, Solaris… has taken a new dimension by completing the milestone of 500 days. This milestone is significant in a way that, in this journey of 500 days of partnership, NIIT has evolved into the Largest Learning Solutions Provider for SUN Microsystems in the world.
This is a unique achievement and sets a very strategic direction to the partnership and aims at further improving the availability and improvement of the Talent Pool on the skill sets with SUN Technologies.Towards the 500 Days Celebration of the Partnership, an event is scheduled here in city on 21st June 2008 at Katritya Hotel & Towers from 3PM onwards, aimed at bringing Senior Managers & Technical Specialists onto a platform in a Summit Mode with a series of sessions interspaced with gestures to,1) Felicitate the Early Adopters from the Students,2) Felicitate the IT clients who have been instrumental in providing the employment Opportunities3) Felicitate the key IT Services Organisations who have nurtured the Talent Pool through building SUN Certified Professionals among their staff4) Felicitate the SUN-NIIT Academic partners from the formal education System, who have taken the initiative to extend the benefits of this opportunity to their students5) Felicitate the SUN Certified Trainers, who contributed to the technical excellence in the Training Delivery & Skill enhancement of the Talent Pool.
The Event is also aimed at providing a glimpse of the Technical Excellence of the SUN’s offerings to the IT Sector in terms of the Tools to support the Developer community at large through special interactive sessions with the SUN Technical Team.The event is restricted to members of the public who are special invitees drawn from the Academia, Industry, Students and SUN & NIIT Fraternity. NIIT, Asia ’s No. 1 IT trainer and leading Global Talent Development Corporation, offers learning and knowledge solutions to 5 million students across 32 countries.
This is a unique achievement and sets a very strategic direction to the partnership and aims at further improving the availability and improvement of the Talent Pool on the skill sets with SUN Technologies.Towards the 500 Days Celebration of the Partnership, an event is scheduled here in city on 21st June 2008 at Katritya Hotel & Towers from 3PM onwards, aimed at bringing Senior Managers & Technical Specialists onto a platform in a Summit Mode with a series of sessions interspaced with gestures to,1) Felicitate the Early Adopters from the Students,2) Felicitate the IT clients who have been instrumental in providing the employment Opportunities3) Felicitate the key IT Services Organisations who have nurtured the Talent Pool through building SUN Certified Professionals among their staff4) Felicitate the SUN-NIIT Academic partners from the formal education System, who have taken the initiative to extend the benefits of this opportunity to their students5) Felicitate the SUN Certified Trainers, who contributed to the technical excellence in the Training Delivery & Skill enhancement of the Talent Pool.
The Event is also aimed at providing a glimpse of the Technical Excellence of the SUN’s offerings to the IT Sector in terms of the Tools to support the Developer community at large through special interactive sessions with the SUN Technical Team.The event is restricted to members of the public who are special invitees drawn from the Academia, Industry, Students and SUN & NIIT Fraternity. NIIT, Asia ’s No. 1 IT trainer and leading Global Talent Development Corporation, offers learning and knowledge solutions to 5 million students across 32 countries.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Liquor the most imported item at Kerala airports
Gone are the days when non-resident Keralites returned home with a bagful of goodies, most notably electronic gadgets.
Today, that is passe. The only article that continues to be brought in - and in an increased flow - is liquor, ranging from the expensive scotch to the inexpensive rum.
Thanks to the latest amended rules, people arriving aboard an international flight can bring along two litres of 'spirits'.
'India and Sri Lanka are the only two countries where an international passenger can bring in two litres,' said Mohan Kumar, a senior customs official at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. Elsewhere, passengers are allowed only a litre.
Kerala has more than two million Keralites working abroad, 90 percent of them in West Asia.
The state has three international airports, and on an average about 4000 passengers arrive daily. Of these, close to 90 percent are Keralites returning to their home state.
Said a customs official who has served at Kerala's all three international airports: 'The rules are very clear, and it states that for every passport, irrespective of the age, one can bring in two litres of spirits. There are only a handful who do not arrive with liquor. So calculate for yourself the amount of liquor that arrives every day at the airports in Kerala.'
The rush in the duty-free shop at Kerala's international airports peaks when direct flights from Kuwait arrive. Kuwait has no duty-free shop, and passengers arriving on these flights throng the duty-free shops at the three airports in Kerala to buy liquor.
Many bring in liquor above their allotted quota of two litres, and not all come under the scanner of customs officials.
'On an average, we open just one percent of the baggage for inspection,' said another customs official.
'First, we give the chance to the passenger to declare. For every litre of excess liquor that arrives, we levy a duty of close to 154 percent,' he said.
Yet, going by the rising volumes of alcohol coming in, it doesn't seem anyone is overly deterred.
Today, that is passe. The only article that continues to be brought in - and in an increased flow - is liquor, ranging from the expensive scotch to the inexpensive rum.
Thanks to the latest amended rules, people arriving aboard an international flight can bring along two litres of 'spirits'.
'India and Sri Lanka are the only two countries where an international passenger can bring in two litres,' said Mohan Kumar, a senior customs official at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. Elsewhere, passengers are allowed only a litre.
Kerala has more than two million Keralites working abroad, 90 percent of them in West Asia.
The state has three international airports, and on an average about 4000 passengers arrive daily. Of these, close to 90 percent are Keralites returning to their home state.
Said a customs official who has served at Kerala's all three international airports: 'The rules are very clear, and it states that for every passport, irrespective of the age, one can bring in two litres of spirits. There are only a handful who do not arrive with liquor. So calculate for yourself the amount of liquor that arrives every day at the airports in Kerala.'
The rush in the duty-free shop at Kerala's international airports peaks when direct flights from Kuwait arrive. Kuwait has no duty-free shop, and passengers arriving on these flights throng the duty-free shops at the three airports in Kerala to buy liquor.
Many bring in liquor above their allotted quota of two litres, and not all come under the scanner of customs officials.
'On an average, we open just one percent of the baggage for inspection,' said another customs official.
'First, we give the chance to the passenger to declare. For every litre of excess liquor that arrives, we levy a duty of close to 154 percent,' he said.
Yet, going by the rising volumes of alcohol coming in, it doesn't seem anyone is overly deterred.
Woman, two kids burnt alive by husband for dowry
A woman and her two minor children were allegedly burnt alive by her husband in a Bihar village reportedly after his dowry demands were not met, police said Thursday.
Suman Devi along with her seven-year-old son and four-year-old daughter were burnt alive Wednesday by Rajiv Singh in Pagahiya village of Muzaffarpur district, about 80 km from here.
According to the police, he tied the victims to a cot inside their home and set them on fire after sprinkling kerosene. The police recovered the three charred bodies from the house.
Suman's father Parshu Ram Singh accused his son-in-law of killing the three after his dowry demands were not fulfilled. The accused was absconding, police said
Suman Devi along with her seven-year-old son and four-year-old daughter were burnt alive Wednesday by Rajiv Singh in Pagahiya village of Muzaffarpur district, about 80 km from here.
According to the police, he tied the victims to a cot inside their home and set them on fire after sprinkling kerosene. The police recovered the three charred bodies from the house.
Suman's father Parshu Ram Singh accused his son-in-law of killing the three after his dowry demands were not fulfilled. The accused was absconding, police said
Padmapriya's body cremated, Karnataka against CBI probe
Karnataka's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is not covering up the death under mysterious circumstances of a party legislator's wife and there is no need for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Home Minister V.S. Acharya said Tuesday.
'There is no compulsion on the government to cover up (the death of Padmapriya, wife of BJP legislator from Udupi K. Raghupathi Bhat),' he told reporters here.
Padmapriya, 35 and a mother of two sons, was found hanging in a Delhi apartment June 15, five days after she went missing from Udupi on Karnataka's west coast.
Acharya rejected the demand of the opposition parties and women's organisations in the state for a probe by the CBI to find out whether Padmapriya committed suicide or was murdered.
'There is no need for a CBI probe,' he said, adding the state police is investigating the case.
Padmapriya's body was cremated at Udupi Tuesday morning.
The Karnataka police has not so far arrested any one in connection with her death. They are questioning Atul Rao, a childhood friend of Bhat, who is said to have arranged for the flat in Delhi and taken Padmapriya there.
'We have not arrested him (Atul Rao). We are still questioning him,' a top police official said.
Padmapriya's body was flown to Bangalore Monday night after an autopsy at New Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. The autopsy is said to have concluded it was a case of suicide.
'There is no compulsion on the government to cover up (the death of Padmapriya, wife of BJP legislator from Udupi K. Raghupathi Bhat),' he told reporters here.
Padmapriya, 35 and a mother of two sons, was found hanging in a Delhi apartment June 15, five days after she went missing from Udupi on Karnataka's west coast.
Acharya rejected the demand of the opposition parties and women's organisations in the state for a probe by the CBI to find out whether Padmapriya committed suicide or was murdered.
'There is no need for a CBI probe,' he said, adding the state police is investigating the case.
Padmapriya's body was cremated at Udupi Tuesday morning.
The Karnataka police has not so far arrested any one in connection with her death. They are questioning Atul Rao, a childhood friend of Bhat, who is said to have arranged for the flat in Delhi and taken Padmapriya there.
'We have not arrested him (Atul Rao). We are still questioning him,' a top police official said.
Padmapriya's body was flown to Bangalore Monday night after an autopsy at New Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. The autopsy is said to have concluded it was a case of suicide.
Sonia to launch community health insurance scheme in Andhra
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi would formally launch Rajiv Aarogyasri, a community health insurance scheme, in five more districts of Andhra Pradesh July 17.
She will also launch Aarogyasri-II in 18 districts, already covered under Aarogyasri-I, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced Tuesday.
She will launch the schemes meant for people living below poverty line at a health camp at Ongole in Prakasam district.
Aarogyasri-II will provide for cashless treatment of all diseases that are not covered under the ongoing scheme and for which treatment is not available in government- hospitals.
Reddy, who reviewed the implementation of the scheme, said by Oct 2, 2008, the entire state would be covered by the total inclusive medical aid, whose components are Aarogyasri-I, Aarogyasri-II, '108' and '104' medical services.
The aid will be available to about 18.8 million BPL families, who comprise 90 of the total population.
Under Aarogyasri launched in March last year, people are treated free of cost for cancer, neuro, cardiac problems, renal, burns and accidents. The treatment also includes surgery.
The premium is Rs.330 per family and the entire amount is paid by the government.
The officials said scheme had become so popular that many other states were coming forward to replicate it.
She will also launch Aarogyasri-II in 18 districts, already covered under Aarogyasri-I, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced Tuesday.
She will launch the schemes meant for people living below poverty line at a health camp at Ongole in Prakasam district.
Aarogyasri-II will provide for cashless treatment of all diseases that are not covered under the ongoing scheme and for which treatment is not available in government- hospitals.
Reddy, who reviewed the implementation of the scheme, said by Oct 2, 2008, the entire state would be covered by the total inclusive medical aid, whose components are Aarogyasri-I, Aarogyasri-II, '108' and '104' medical services.
The aid will be available to about 18.8 million BPL families, who comprise 90 of the total population.
Under Aarogyasri launched in March last year, people are treated free of cost for cancer, neuro, cardiac problems, renal, burns and accidents. The treatment also includes surgery.
The premium is Rs.330 per family and the entire amount is paid by the government.
The officials said scheme had become so popular that many other states were coming forward to replicate it.
Tata Communications net profit down to $2.5 mn
Tata Communications net profit dipped to $2.5 million (Rs.100 million) during the fiscal 2008 compared to $3.75 million (Rs.150 million) for the previous year.
The consolidated revenue clocked $2.05 billion (Rs.82.63 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2008.
'The year 2007-2008 was significant as the company was re-branded as Tata Communications. Our global infrastructure and service in emerging markets like India, Asia, Middle East and Africa will help us to drive a new world of communication,' said Tata Communications managing director and CEO N. Srinath in statement issued late Tuesday evening.
The company has declared a dividend of 45 percent.
The consolidated revenue clocked $2.05 billion (Rs.82.63 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2008.
'The year 2007-2008 was significant as the company was re-branded as Tata Communications. Our global infrastructure and service in emerging markets like India, Asia, Middle East and Africa will help us to drive a new world of communication,' said Tata Communications managing director and CEO N. Srinath in statement issued late Tuesday evening.
The company has declared a dividend of 45 percent.
Amul crosses Rs.50 bn mark
The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (Amul) has registered 22.9 percent growth to reach a record turnover of Rs.52.55 billion, an increase of nearly Rs.10 billion over the previous year.
Announcing this at the 34th Annual General Meeting at Anand Tuesday, the GCMMF Chairman Parthibhai Bhatol said this was an extremely impressive growth when viewed from the perspective of 13.4 percent growth during 2006-07 and 29 percent in 2005-06. In global terms, the turnover is $1.3 billion at existing currency exchange rate.
Amul is the apex marketing body of 13 district milk unions of Gujarat having a membership of 2.7 million milk producers.
Bhatol said that total milk procurement averaged 7.5 million kg per day, a growth of 12.9 percent, over 6.7 million kg per day during 2006-07. 'During the peak procurement period we have successfully demonstrated our ability to process almost 10 million litres of milk per day,' Bhatol said.
Bhatol said that GCMMF has done remarkably well in most of the value-added consumer packs. Amul milk in pouches has been the largest contributor to the turnover of the Federation with sales up by 48 percent in value terms.
Sales in the flavoured milk segment has risen by 39 percent. While Amul processed cheese recorded a growth of 27 percent, sales of Amul cheese spread too increased by 39 percent.
He further said that to ensure that weaker sections are able to afford Amul butter, special emphasis was given to low unit value packs with a new Amul reduced-salt butter being launched during the year, he added.
In the UHT milk category innovative calcium enriched variant, Amul Calci+ was launched. Since there is a growing demand for pure and natural products in India, GCMMF has introduced use of pure natural vanilla in ice-cream in a wide range of pack sizes, Bhatol said.
Amul Probiotic Dahi had increased the sales in the curd category by 35 percent. The Federation's policy of continuous product innovation was accorded global recognition, when it received the prestigious International Dairy Federation Marketing Award 2007 for the launch of Amul Pro-biotic ice-cream, he said.
'Our public policies should ensure a level playing field for the farmers as well as remunerative returns for him. Then only sustainable way to control unwarranted inflation in food products could be achieved. Long term measures towards incentivising farmers to boost production would bridge the yawning supply-demand gaps,' Bhatol said.
Despite rapid population growth in the country, the per capita availability of milk in India has increased to 245 grams per day which is very close to WHO standards. If we are to maintain this achievement an effective buffer stock mechanism for dairy commodities must be set up to ensure proper management of the demand-supply equation of milk products, Bhatol said. By supporting farmer-owned organizations, government can ensure that maximum share of consumer's rupee goes back to farmers themselves.
Bhatol observed that during the last 62 years, the Amul cooperative movement has served as an effective catalyst in transforming socio-economic landscape of rural India. Amul has also been able to tap the growing demand for value-added milk products which provide higher remuneration to farmers.
'Having countered competition of multinational corporations, as well as the domestic private sector, we are well poised to steer the dairy cooperative sector into an era of greater prosperity and growth,' Bhatol said.
Announcing this at the 34th Annual General Meeting at Anand Tuesday, the GCMMF Chairman Parthibhai Bhatol said this was an extremely impressive growth when viewed from the perspective of 13.4 percent growth during 2006-07 and 29 percent in 2005-06. In global terms, the turnover is $1.3 billion at existing currency exchange rate.
Amul is the apex marketing body of 13 district milk unions of Gujarat having a membership of 2.7 million milk producers.
Bhatol said that total milk procurement averaged 7.5 million kg per day, a growth of 12.9 percent, over 6.7 million kg per day during 2006-07. 'During the peak procurement period we have successfully demonstrated our ability to process almost 10 million litres of milk per day,' Bhatol said.
Bhatol said that GCMMF has done remarkably well in most of the value-added consumer packs. Amul milk in pouches has been the largest contributor to the turnover of the Federation with sales up by 48 percent in value terms.
Sales in the flavoured milk segment has risen by 39 percent. While Amul processed cheese recorded a growth of 27 percent, sales of Amul cheese spread too increased by 39 percent.
He further said that to ensure that weaker sections are able to afford Amul butter, special emphasis was given to low unit value packs with a new Amul reduced-salt butter being launched during the year, he added.
In the UHT milk category innovative calcium enriched variant, Amul Calci+ was launched. Since there is a growing demand for pure and natural products in India, GCMMF has introduced use of pure natural vanilla in ice-cream in a wide range of pack sizes, Bhatol said.
Amul Probiotic Dahi had increased the sales in the curd category by 35 percent. The Federation's policy of continuous product innovation was accorded global recognition, when it received the prestigious International Dairy Federation Marketing Award 2007 for the launch of Amul Pro-biotic ice-cream, he said.
'Our public policies should ensure a level playing field for the farmers as well as remunerative returns for him. Then only sustainable way to control unwarranted inflation in food products could be achieved. Long term measures towards incentivising farmers to boost production would bridge the yawning supply-demand gaps,' Bhatol said.
Despite rapid population growth in the country, the per capita availability of milk in India has increased to 245 grams per day which is very close to WHO standards. If we are to maintain this achievement an effective buffer stock mechanism for dairy commodities must be set up to ensure proper management of the demand-supply equation of milk products, Bhatol said. By supporting farmer-owned organizations, government can ensure that maximum share of consumer's rupee goes back to farmers themselves.
Bhatol observed that during the last 62 years, the Amul cooperative movement has served as an effective catalyst in transforming socio-economic landscape of rural India. Amul has also been able to tap the growing demand for value-added milk products which provide higher remuneration to farmers.
'Having countered competition of multinational corporations, as well as the domestic private sector, we are well poised to steer the dairy cooperative sector into an era of greater prosperity and growth,' Bhatol said.
In name of Hanuman, Delhiites still feed monkeys!
When it comes to feeding monkeys, Delhi residents would rather do it hands-on, perhaps in the hope of being blessed by monkey god Hanuman! Or so the capital's civic agencies are discovering while trying to implement a court order.
Special centres set up near two Hanuman temples by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to collect feed for the animals are going empty.
While many devotees say they don't know about these collection boxes - near the Hanuman temples at Connaught Place and Yamuna Bazar - the civic agencies claim people prefer to feed the monkeys personally instead of depositing food in the boxes.
'We have fined hundreds of people who have been caught feeding monkeys in public places. But frankly, this campaign of collection centres has not been a success,' MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur told IANS.
'Religious sentiment is the biggest challenge in this campaign.'
Hanuman is revered by many Hindus as a symbol of strength and devotion. And many people believe by feeding monkeys, they are doing a service to the monkey god.
Lalu Maharaj, the head priest of the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place, agreed: 'People want to feed the monkeys themselves. It is a religious sentiment.'
The collection centres were set up a year ago after the Delhi High Court banned the public feeding of monkeys as the practice was causing the animals to congregate in hordes, often resulting in ferocious attacks on people.
Such simian incidents led to nearly 25 people being injured last year. A civic official even died after falling from his terrace following an attack by monkeys.
The figure of simians on the prowl in the capital ranges from 10,000 to 20,000. Many of the monkeys have been translocated to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of the capital.
The collection centres are put up every Tuesday and Saturday when devotees throng the Hanuman temples. The feed is supposed to be collected by the NDMC and the MCD and transported to the sanctuary.
But they have not received a good response.
People, however, say the collection boxes are kept in obscure corners of the temples. Prakash Kumar, who was at the Connaught Place temple to offer prayers on a Saturday, had no idea about the collection centre.
'I didn't know that such a collection box existed. In fact, I still see people feeding monkeys in my area in east Delhi,' Kumar told IANS.
MCD's Mathur admitted that the campaign had not been well advertised and said they would have to work towards educating the masses about it.
In the Connaught Place area, the collection box lies in an unnoticed corner on the temple premises, with a dilapidated board saying people can deposit food for monkeys inside.
Sarita Jha, another worshipper, said she had 'heard somewhere' about the box but didn't know where it was.
'I hardly see any monkeys around the Hanuman mandir (temple) these days. Once people don't see the monkeys, they don't give the feed...and in any case it is out of reverence to Lord Hanuman that people want to feed the monkeys themselves. Depositing the feed in a box is not what many would like,' she said.
Special centres set up near two Hanuman temples by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to collect feed for the animals are going empty.
While many devotees say they don't know about these collection boxes - near the Hanuman temples at Connaught Place and Yamuna Bazar - the civic agencies claim people prefer to feed the monkeys personally instead of depositing food in the boxes.
'We have fined hundreds of people who have been caught feeding monkeys in public places. But frankly, this campaign of collection centres has not been a success,' MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur told IANS.
'Religious sentiment is the biggest challenge in this campaign.'
Hanuman is revered by many Hindus as a symbol of strength and devotion. And many people believe by feeding monkeys, they are doing a service to the monkey god.
Lalu Maharaj, the head priest of the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place, agreed: 'People want to feed the monkeys themselves. It is a religious sentiment.'
The collection centres were set up a year ago after the Delhi High Court banned the public feeding of monkeys as the practice was causing the animals to congregate in hordes, often resulting in ferocious attacks on people.
Such simian incidents led to nearly 25 people being injured last year. A civic official even died after falling from his terrace following an attack by monkeys.
The figure of simians on the prowl in the capital ranges from 10,000 to 20,000. Many of the monkeys have been translocated to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of the capital.
The collection centres are put up every Tuesday and Saturday when devotees throng the Hanuman temples. The feed is supposed to be collected by the NDMC and the MCD and transported to the sanctuary.
But they have not received a good response.
People, however, say the collection boxes are kept in obscure corners of the temples. Prakash Kumar, who was at the Connaught Place temple to offer prayers on a Saturday, had no idea about the collection centre.
'I didn't know that such a collection box existed. In fact, I still see people feeding monkeys in my area in east Delhi,' Kumar told IANS.
MCD's Mathur admitted that the campaign had not been well advertised and said they would have to work towards educating the masses about it.
In the Connaught Place area, the collection box lies in an unnoticed corner on the temple premises, with a dilapidated board saying people can deposit food for monkeys inside.
Sarita Jha, another worshipper, said she had 'heard somewhere' about the box but didn't know where it was.
'I hardly see any monkeys around the Hanuman mandir (temple) these days. Once people don't see the monkeys, they don't give the feed...and in any case it is out of reverence to Lord Hanuman that people want to feed the monkeys themselves. Depositing the feed in a box is not what many would like,' she said.
'Mr. India' inspired 'Thoda Pyaar...': Kunal Kohli
Contrary to rumours that his 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic' has been inspired by Hollywood's children's classic 'Mary Poppins', director Kunal Kohli says its essence lies in the Bollywood blockbuster 'Mr. India'.
'The spirit and essence of 'Mr. India' is just fantastic. I always wanted to make that type of film,' Kohli told IANS.
The film is about four children and their angel nanny, just like 'Mary Poppins'. But Kohli said: 'My film has not been copied from any movie. If I had to copy it, I would have very well taken the copyright for it.'
''Thoda Pyaar...' is not my version of the film, but it is as 'desi' (Indian) as 'Mr. India'. You can say that it falls under the same genre. I love the way that film is made and I am a great fan of Shekhar Kapur,' said Kohli who was in the capital to promote his film.
Kohli says he has seen 'Mr. India' almost 200 times. The 1987 blockbuster 'Mr. India' was a science fiction superhero film starring Anil Kapoor in the title role, Sridevi as his romantic interest and Amrish Puri as the villain Mogambo.
In 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic', Saif Ali Khan teams up with Rani Mukerji. It also has Rishi Kapoor, and Amisha Patel makes a special appearance.
Kohli describes it as a feel good movie, saying: 'The film creates such a nice feeling. It teaches and entertains at the same time!'
Although the film has been given a U-certificate by the censor board, it shows Amisha romancing Saif in a bright yellow bikini in a swimming pool. In that too, Kohli finds a direct connect with 'Mr. India'.
'Even 'Mr. India' was a children's film but it had the song 'Kaante nahin kat te' picturised on Sridevi and Anil. That was also a sensuous song.
'Sensuality and vulgarity have a difference. I don't make films like that. Besides, 'Lazy lamhe' is a clean song. It wasn't censored and we also got a U-certificate. You can very well watch it with your parents, brothers and sisters and believe me you won't be embarrassed,' he maintained.
The film, made within a budget of Rs.200 million, also has four young children in pivotal roles and Kohli has handpicked three of them from Delhi.
'I wanted kids with a Delhi accent, with clean Hindi. Mumbai kids don't have that fluency in the language. I tested about 300 kids from Delhi and found three gems,' he said.
Most of Kohli's films, including 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge', 'Hum Tum' and now 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic', have been the bright and lived-happily-ever-after' types. So would he ever be game for a dark film?
'I don't know. I haven't ever thought about it. I just like my films to be emotionally high,' he said.
'The spirit and essence of 'Mr. India' is just fantastic. I always wanted to make that type of film,' Kohli told IANS.
The film is about four children and their angel nanny, just like 'Mary Poppins'. But Kohli said: 'My film has not been copied from any movie. If I had to copy it, I would have very well taken the copyright for it.'
''Thoda Pyaar...' is not my version of the film, but it is as 'desi' (Indian) as 'Mr. India'. You can say that it falls under the same genre. I love the way that film is made and I am a great fan of Shekhar Kapur,' said Kohli who was in the capital to promote his film.
Kohli says he has seen 'Mr. India' almost 200 times. The 1987 blockbuster 'Mr. India' was a science fiction superhero film starring Anil Kapoor in the title role, Sridevi as his romantic interest and Amrish Puri as the villain Mogambo.
In 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic', Saif Ali Khan teams up with Rani Mukerji. It also has Rishi Kapoor, and Amisha Patel makes a special appearance.
Kohli describes it as a feel good movie, saying: 'The film creates such a nice feeling. It teaches and entertains at the same time!'
Although the film has been given a U-certificate by the censor board, it shows Amisha romancing Saif in a bright yellow bikini in a swimming pool. In that too, Kohli finds a direct connect with 'Mr. India'.
'Even 'Mr. India' was a children's film but it had the song 'Kaante nahin kat te' picturised on Sridevi and Anil. That was also a sensuous song.
'Sensuality and vulgarity have a difference. I don't make films like that. Besides, 'Lazy lamhe' is a clean song. It wasn't censored and we also got a U-certificate. You can very well watch it with your parents, brothers and sisters and believe me you won't be embarrassed,' he maintained.
The film, made within a budget of Rs.200 million, also has four young children in pivotal roles and Kohli has handpicked three of them from Delhi.
'I wanted kids with a Delhi accent, with clean Hindi. Mumbai kids don't have that fluency in the language. I tested about 300 kids from Delhi and found three gems,' he said.
Most of Kohli's films, including 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge', 'Hum Tum' and now 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic', have been the bright and lived-happily-ever-after' types. So would he ever be game for a dark film?
'I don't know. I haven't ever thought about it. I just like my films to be emotionally high,' he said.
Gujjars conclude 'successful' talks with Rajasthan government
Breaking a 26-day-old violent standoff, the Rajasthan government and the agitating Gujjars concluded 'successful talks' late Tuesday evening on the community's demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category. An agreement between the two sides will be signed Wednesday morning.
Addressing a press conference after the talks, Ramdas Agarwal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who headed the government delegation, said: 'I am happy to state that normalcy will return very soon in the state. Both the sides are satisfied with the talks, which have been successful. An agreement will be signed tomorrow, which will be made public.'
He said the agreement had been reached 'keeping in mind the interest of five crore (50 million) people of Rajasthan'.
Gujjar leader Col. K.S. Bainsla described the talks as 'historic'. 'I thank Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Ramdas Agarwal for working out an amicable solution.'
Both the leaders, however, refused to divulge details of the agreement reached.
Ramvir Singh Vidhuri, a Gujjar leader, told the media, 'The agitation will be called off tomorrow (Wednesday) after we receive the agreement.' He also termed the talks as 'very successful' and said that 'no tampering' had been done with the Other Backward Classes or the present Scheduled Tribe list.
'You will come to know about it in the morning,' he said.
In Rajasthan, the total percentage of reservation - for OBC, Scheduled Caste and Tribes is at 49 percent already.
Sources close to the chief minister said the signing had been fixed for Wednesday 'deliberately' as Raje considers Wednesday as 'very auspicious' to begin any new work.
The Gujjars are classified among the other backward classes (OBCs) in Rajasthan but they want Scheduled Tribe status that would give them a bigger share of the jobs and education quota pie. They have been agitating since May 23.
Meanwhile, Bainsla's supporters continued their agitation at Bayana in Bharatpur district, 160 km from here, laying siege on the railway track linking Mumbai with Delhi. Army and paramilitary deployment also continued there to check against any untoward incident.
As many as 39 people were killed when the agitation turned violent last month.
Last year, Gujjars held protests all over Rajasthan from May 29 to June 4 to press the same demand. At least 26 people were killed in the violence then.
Addressing a press conference after the talks, Ramdas Agarwal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who headed the government delegation, said: 'I am happy to state that normalcy will return very soon in the state. Both the sides are satisfied with the talks, which have been successful. An agreement will be signed tomorrow, which will be made public.'
He said the agreement had been reached 'keeping in mind the interest of five crore (50 million) people of Rajasthan'.
Gujjar leader Col. K.S. Bainsla described the talks as 'historic'. 'I thank Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Ramdas Agarwal for working out an amicable solution.'
Both the leaders, however, refused to divulge details of the agreement reached.
Ramvir Singh Vidhuri, a Gujjar leader, told the media, 'The agitation will be called off tomorrow (Wednesday) after we receive the agreement.' He also termed the talks as 'very successful' and said that 'no tampering' had been done with the Other Backward Classes or the present Scheduled Tribe list.
'You will come to know about it in the morning,' he said.
In Rajasthan, the total percentage of reservation - for OBC, Scheduled Caste and Tribes is at 49 percent already.
Sources close to the chief minister said the signing had been fixed for Wednesday 'deliberately' as Raje considers Wednesday as 'very auspicious' to begin any new work.
The Gujjars are classified among the other backward classes (OBCs) in Rajasthan but they want Scheduled Tribe status that would give them a bigger share of the jobs and education quota pie. They have been agitating since May 23.
Meanwhile, Bainsla's supporters continued their agitation at Bayana in Bharatpur district, 160 km from here, laying siege on the railway track linking Mumbai with Delhi. Army and paramilitary deployment also continued there to check against any untoward incident.
As many as 39 people were killed when the agitation turned violent last month.
Last year, Gujjars held protests all over Rajasthan from May 29 to June 4 to press the same demand. At least 26 people were killed in the violence then.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tamil Nadu politics and its galaxy of cine stars
A small temple in Tamil Nadu's Rajapalayam town saw an unusual crowd last week - a gathering of diehard Rajnikanth fans who prayed fervently that their icon decides to enter politics.
The members of the Rajnikanth Fans Association also sacrificed 10 goats at the Pechiamman temple in Rajapalayam, about 100 km from Madurai, to appease the deity, hoping that their wish is fulfilled.
After the huge success of 'Sivaji: The Boss', Rajnikanth is now busy with his next film 'Kuselan', whose rights have reportedly been sold to Pyramid Samaira for Rs.640 million. With Rajni still so engrossed in films, only divine intervention could draw him into politics, his fans felt.
'We pray that our superstar should enter active politics,' said Yogasekaran, the leader of the fans association.
He pointed out that other film heroes like Vijayakanth and Sarath Kumar had their own parties. Even actor Karthik had left the All India Forward Bloc and set up his own political party.
Rajni fans have reason to fear others will hog the political space for actors going abegging in the ruling DMK, especially after the exit of Sarath Kumar from the party.
Chennai is rife with rumours that Karunanidhi is mulling dropping the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) from the DMK-led alliance, and is ready to welcome Vijayakanth's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kahzagam (DMDK) into the fold.
Vijayakanth's film 'Arasangam' released recently and he apparently has a lot of time for politicking. Last week, Vijayakanth, popularly known as Captain, told the media in his constituency Vriddhachalam that the DMDK will 'only align with parties that give a written undertaking to strive for the people's welfare' for the coming Lok Sabha elections.
On Sunday, he said: 'I have no plans to team up with any party, I am confident of my alliance with the people. No one can stop me from becoming chief minister.
'Reject both these parties (the DMK and the AIADMK) and give new thinking a chance... take their money (DMK's and AIADMK's) because it is really yours and vote for the DMDK,' the Captain said.
He stressed that common people were reeling under the burden of 'price rise and Special Economic Zones' and demanded 'a ban on online trading of food grains' - similar to what one-time actress and AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha has been saying for the past several weeks.
She has, however, been focused on criticising not arch rival DMK but Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and the United Progressive Alliance's policies to ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) keeps her AIADMK in its radar for the 2009 polls as a staunch detractor of the UPA.
Jayalalitha has, in several recent attacks on Vijayakanth, said she and her party 'were the true inheritors of MGR (AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran)', dismissing all talk of any friendship with Vijayakanth, known as 'Karuppu MGR' or black MGR.
This has lent credibility to talk of the DMDK allying with the DMK rather than with the AIADMK, which is more likely to extend its hands to the tried and tested PMK.
But where is superstar Kamal Haasan in all this star talk?
Kamal perhaps wants his much-hyped Friday released 'Dasavatharam' to speak for his politics. The opening and ending shots of the film had DMK patriarch Karunanidhi and the film began with the debate on whether there is god - the Dravidian rationalist's constant argument.
It also ended with the argument that if there is god, should he let this happen - shots of a great tsunami devastating Tamil Nadu's coast, drowning a statue of poet-saint Thiruvalluvar, and one of Kamal's avatars Vincent Poovaragan, a Dalit leader.
The film was also replete with shots of Jayalalitha reviewing relief work in a helicopter and gave credence to crank theories about the 2004 tsunami, thrown in with a liberal dose of anti-Americanism - perhaps aimed at pleasing the Indian Left. The film, therefore, gave his audience ideas that Kamal Haasan too was preparing for a political debut with a very unscientific potboiler.
All-India Samathuva Makkal Katchi president Sarath Kumar has, meanwhile, made his anti-DMK stand stronger by calling for the 'resignation' of Chief Minister Karunanidhi, who must 'own responsibility for his failure to check prices of essential commodities'.
The actor-politician even went on to say, 'Will reinstalling the Kannagi statue and securing classical, divine-language status to Tamil help control the rates of essential commodities?'
The members of the Rajnikanth Fans Association also sacrificed 10 goats at the Pechiamman temple in Rajapalayam, about 100 km from Madurai, to appease the deity, hoping that their wish is fulfilled.
After the huge success of 'Sivaji: The Boss', Rajnikanth is now busy with his next film 'Kuselan', whose rights have reportedly been sold to Pyramid Samaira for Rs.640 million. With Rajni still so engrossed in films, only divine intervention could draw him into politics, his fans felt.
'We pray that our superstar should enter active politics,' said Yogasekaran, the leader of the fans association.
He pointed out that other film heroes like Vijayakanth and Sarath Kumar had their own parties. Even actor Karthik had left the All India Forward Bloc and set up his own political party.
Rajni fans have reason to fear others will hog the political space for actors going abegging in the ruling DMK, especially after the exit of Sarath Kumar from the party.
Chennai is rife with rumours that Karunanidhi is mulling dropping the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) from the DMK-led alliance, and is ready to welcome Vijayakanth's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kahzagam (DMDK) into the fold.
Vijayakanth's film 'Arasangam' released recently and he apparently has a lot of time for politicking. Last week, Vijayakanth, popularly known as Captain, told the media in his constituency Vriddhachalam that the DMDK will 'only align with parties that give a written undertaking to strive for the people's welfare' for the coming Lok Sabha elections.
On Sunday, he said: 'I have no plans to team up with any party, I am confident of my alliance with the people. No one can stop me from becoming chief minister.
'Reject both these parties (the DMK and the AIADMK) and give new thinking a chance... take their money (DMK's and AIADMK's) because it is really yours and vote for the DMDK,' the Captain said.
He stressed that common people were reeling under the burden of 'price rise and Special Economic Zones' and demanded 'a ban on online trading of food grains' - similar to what one-time actress and AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha has been saying for the past several weeks.
She has, however, been focused on criticising not arch rival DMK but Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and the United Progressive Alliance's policies to ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) keeps her AIADMK in its radar for the 2009 polls as a staunch detractor of the UPA.
Jayalalitha has, in several recent attacks on Vijayakanth, said she and her party 'were the true inheritors of MGR (AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran)', dismissing all talk of any friendship with Vijayakanth, known as 'Karuppu MGR' or black MGR.
This has lent credibility to talk of the DMDK allying with the DMK rather than with the AIADMK, which is more likely to extend its hands to the tried and tested PMK.
But where is superstar Kamal Haasan in all this star talk?
Kamal perhaps wants his much-hyped Friday released 'Dasavatharam' to speak for his politics. The opening and ending shots of the film had DMK patriarch Karunanidhi and the film began with the debate on whether there is god - the Dravidian rationalist's constant argument.
It also ended with the argument that if there is god, should he let this happen - shots of a great tsunami devastating Tamil Nadu's coast, drowning a statue of poet-saint Thiruvalluvar, and one of Kamal's avatars Vincent Poovaragan, a Dalit leader.
The film was also replete with shots of Jayalalitha reviewing relief work in a helicopter and gave credence to crank theories about the 2004 tsunami, thrown in with a liberal dose of anti-Americanism - perhaps aimed at pleasing the Indian Left. The film, therefore, gave his audience ideas that Kamal Haasan too was preparing for a political debut with a very unscientific potboiler.
All-India Samathuva Makkal Katchi president Sarath Kumar has, meanwhile, made his anti-DMK stand stronger by calling for the 'resignation' of Chief Minister Karunanidhi, who must 'own responsibility for his failure to check prices of essential commodities'.
The actor-politician even went on to say, 'Will reinstalling the Kannagi statue and securing classical, divine-language status to Tamil help control the rates of essential commodities?'
Sports schedule for June 17, 2008
Following is the sports schedule for June 17, 2008:
Football: Euro 2008 Group C - Netherlands vs. Romania (Berne, Stade de Suisse); Italy vs. France (Zurich, Letzigrund)
Tennis: $10,000 ITF Tournament in Gurgaon
Athletics: 48th Senior National Championships in Madurai
Football: Euro 2008 Group C - Netherlands vs. Romania (Berne, Stade de Suisse); Italy vs. France (Zurich, Letzigrund)
Tennis: $10,000 ITF Tournament in Gurgaon
Athletics: 48th Senior National Championships in Madurai
Missing Raipur baby found with 'wrong' mother
A baby that went missing a week after birth from Chhattisgarh's biggest government hospital here has been found. A nurse had given the baby to another woman by 'mistake', police said Tuesday.
The police had earlier thought the infant had been kidnapped. But it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity when police brought a woman, Chameli Bai, to the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Government Hospital with the 'missing' baby in her arms late Monday.
Munni Bai had delivered a baby boy May 24 in the hospital and left him in the nursery ward when she went to her village on the outskirts of Raipur. The baby was reported missing from the ward May 31.
'Chameli, who gave birth to a boy May 30, was on May 31 mistakenly handed over Munni Bai's baby by a nurse,' Lal Umed Singh, additional superintendent of police (city), told IANS.
'Due to the nurse's mistake, Chameli returned home with a wrong boy and left her own child unclaimed at the nursery ward. It was a case of mistaken identity,' he said.
Hospital superintendent Vivek Chaudhary said the baby had now been handed over to Munni Bai.
The police had earlier thought the infant had been kidnapped. But it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity when police brought a woman, Chameli Bai, to the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Government Hospital with the 'missing' baby in her arms late Monday.
Munni Bai had delivered a baby boy May 24 in the hospital and left him in the nursery ward when she went to her village on the outskirts of Raipur. The baby was reported missing from the ward May 31.
'Chameli, who gave birth to a boy May 30, was on May 31 mistakenly handed over Munni Bai's baby by a nurse,' Lal Umed Singh, additional superintendent of police (city), told IANS.
'Due to the nurse's mistake, Chameli returned home with a wrong boy and left her own child unclaimed at the nursery ward. It was a case of mistaken identity,' he said.
Hospital superintendent Vivek Chaudhary said the baby had now been handed over to Munni Bai.
Beggar couple murder, Gujarat police foxed
A double murder of a mendicant and his wife late Monday night in a Gujarat village has left police clueless about the motive behind the crime.
Amargar Bawaji, 55, and his wife Leelaben, 50, were sleeping in their house at Gangadi village in Kalyanpur sub-district, 140 km from here and 315 km from Ahmedabad, when some assailants entered their home and clobbered them to death.
Their heads were smashed violently, Kalyanpur police sub-inspector V.A. Gadhvi told IANS, adding that a wooden pestle could have been used as the murder weapon.
Amargar belonged to the Bawaji community, a mendicant caste, and he barely made a living by begging, Gadhvi said adding that the killers had not stolen any item from the house.
Further investigations were on.
Amargar Bawaji, 55, and his wife Leelaben, 50, were sleeping in their house at Gangadi village in Kalyanpur sub-district, 140 km from here and 315 km from Ahmedabad, when some assailants entered their home and clobbered them to death.
Their heads were smashed violently, Kalyanpur police sub-inspector V.A. Gadhvi told IANS, adding that a wooden pestle could have been used as the murder weapon.
Amargar belonged to the Bawaji community, a mendicant caste, and he barely made a living by begging, Gadhvi said adding that the killers had not stolen any item from the house.
Further investigations were on.
Rising water levels trigger flood fears in Orissa
Heavy rains in northern Orissa caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal has led to rising water levels in six rivers, triggering fears of floods, officials said Tuesday.
'The water levels in Budhabalanga, Brahmani, Subarnarekha, Jalaka, Kansabansa and Sona rivers have been rising due to incessant rains in the past two days,' D.N. Sahu, an official in the state revenue control room, told IANS.
While the water level in Jalaka River has crossed the danger mark in Balasore district, it is below the danger mark in the other rivers, the official added.
Jalaka's water level was 6.41 metres at 8 a.m. Tuesday, against the danger mark of 5.50 metres. It will start flooding villages in the low-lying areas if it crosses 7.50 metres, Sahu said.
District Collector A.K. Padhiary said: 'We have kept relief materials ready and have deployed officials for relief and rescue in the area for prompt action. We have also deployed officials to keep a watch on the river embankment.'
'The water levels in Budhabalanga, Brahmani, Subarnarekha, Jalaka, Kansabansa and Sona rivers have been rising due to incessant rains in the past two days,' D.N. Sahu, an official in the state revenue control room, told IANS.
While the water level in Jalaka River has crossed the danger mark in Balasore district, it is below the danger mark in the other rivers, the official added.
Jalaka's water level was 6.41 metres at 8 a.m. Tuesday, against the danger mark of 5.50 metres. It will start flooding villages in the low-lying areas if it crosses 7.50 metres, Sahu said.
District Collector A.K. Padhiary said: 'We have kept relief materials ready and have deployed officials for relief and rescue in the area for prompt action. We have also deployed officials to keep a watch on the river embankment.'
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Ahmadiya community denied permission for Hyderabad meet
The Andhra Pradesh government has refused permission to the Ahmadiya community to hold a meeting here June 15 following protests from some Muslim groups.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy directed the police not to allow the community to hold its meeting at any public place as this could create law and order problems in the city.
A delegation of Muslim groups led by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had called on the chief minister Monday to demand that the Ahmadiya, also called Qadianis, should not be allowed to hold their conference.
The controversial sect was to hold its meeting at the Public Gardens, in the heart of the city.
The delegation said the meet could vitiate the peaceful atmosphere as the activities of Qadianis were provocative. A representation submitted to the chief minister said the Qadianis were declared non-Muslims by all Muslims countries as their beliefs clash with the basic tenets of Islam.
The delegation comprising several clerics said the activities of the sect were hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims as it calls itself Ahmadiya Muslims and warned that the permission to hold a meeting could create law and order problems.
"They (Qadianis) don't believe that Hazrat Mohammed is the last prophet sent by Allah and this is against the basic belief of Muslims but they still carry on activities with Muslim names thus misleading people," said Abdul Raheem Qureshi, assistant secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the apex body of Indian Muslims.
He pointed out that the founder of the sect had claimed that he was a prophet and sometimes even said he was Jesus.
Owaisi, leader of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), explained the activities of the sect to the chief minister, who directed the officials not to allow the sect to hold its meeting at any public place and not to give any official patronage to the event.
The chief minister said ministers would neither attend the meet nor send any greeting message. He also asked authorities of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) to remove the posters about the event from all RTC buses.
The delegation comprised prominent religious scholar Moulana Hameeduddin Auqil Hussami, imam of the historic Mecca Masjid here, Moulana Abdullah Qureshi Al-Azhari and representatives of several groups including Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiatul Ulema, Tableegi Jamaat and the head of Jamia Nizamia, an over 130-year-old Islamic university.
Muslims comprise 30 percent of the city's seven million population.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy directed the police not to allow the community to hold its meeting at any public place as this could create law and order problems in the city.
A delegation of Muslim groups led by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had called on the chief minister Monday to demand that the Ahmadiya, also called Qadianis, should not be allowed to hold their conference.
The controversial sect was to hold its meeting at the Public Gardens, in the heart of the city.
The delegation said the meet could vitiate the peaceful atmosphere as the activities of Qadianis were provocative. A representation submitted to the chief minister said the Qadianis were declared non-Muslims by all Muslims countries as their beliefs clash with the basic tenets of Islam.
The delegation comprising several clerics said the activities of the sect were hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims as it calls itself Ahmadiya Muslims and warned that the permission to hold a meeting could create law and order problems.
"They (Qadianis) don't believe that Hazrat Mohammed is the last prophet sent by Allah and this is against the basic belief of Muslims but they still carry on activities with Muslim names thus misleading people," said Abdul Raheem Qureshi, assistant secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the apex body of Indian Muslims.
He pointed out that the founder of the sect had claimed that he was a prophet and sometimes even said he was Jesus.
Owaisi, leader of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), explained the activities of the sect to the chief minister, who directed the officials not to allow the sect to hold its meeting at any public place and not to give any official patronage to the event.
The chief minister said ministers would neither attend the meet nor send any greeting message. He also asked authorities of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) to remove the posters about the event from all RTC buses.
The delegation comprised prominent religious scholar Moulana Hameeduddin Auqil Hussami, imam of the historic Mecca Masjid here, Moulana Abdullah Qureshi Al-Azhari and representatives of several groups including Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiatul Ulema, Tableegi Jamaat and the head of Jamia Nizamia, an over 130-year-old Islamic university.
Muslims comprise 30 percent of the city's seven million population.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
