Woman beating: SC slams Punjab govt

The apex court directed the Parkash Singh Badal government to provide security to the woman, though not by state police, but other agencies. Rejecting the District Magistrate's report which said such incidents are not rare in the state, the Supreme Court said the document was 'misleading and factually incorrect'. "The report is misleading and factually incorrect. We will put it in a dustbin. We can't just accept that such incidents 'happen' ... we are really bothered about what happens daily on the streets - helpless women being beaten up mercilessly," said the apex court. Empathizing with the woman, the SC said: "We can't restore her dignity; all we can do is to put balm on her feelings." Criticizing the role of police and police recruitment procedure, the court said: "No police recruitment takes place without money." The apex court also hinted that it might impose a huge fine on the Punjab Police for the incident. In March, four policemen were suspended in Punjab after they were caught on camera hitting a woman who purportedly tried to complain about being harassed by a truck driver. The 23-year-old woman said she had been harassed by the truck driver while returning from a wedding party. The family of the victim reported the incident to the constables who they spotted on the road at Tarn Taran near Amritsar. But after taking a bribe from the driver the constables started beating her, she alleged and the video of the incident was shot on a cellphone by a witness. A senior police officer later tried to defend the cops involved saying the constables were only trying to prevent a fight. Some other police officers said an altercation began between the family and the cops when constables tried to arrest the victim's father, who was allegedly drunk and was misbehaving.

Dalit minor girl raped in Bhiwani

ROHTAK: Police arrested an upper-caste man on Sunday for allegedly raping a minor dalit girl in Haryana's Bhiwani district.

The 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped on the night of April 3 but she kept quiet about it till April 6.

The police registered a case against Zile Singh (32) who owns a shop in the village on Saturday night and arrested him on Sunday.

The victim had gone out of her house on April 3 when Singh took her to a nearby abandoned house and allegedly raped her. He kept the girl with him overnight and released her in the morning, according to the police FIR.

She returned home before other family members woke up and did not tell anyone. But her family suspected that something wrong had happened with her after they noticed change in her behaviour. She finally told them about the rape on Saturday evening.

A police officer said that the victim with her family filed a complaint on Saturday after which they registered a case against Singh. Singh will be produced in the court on Monday, the officer said.

(TNN)

Madina murders: Dalits start indefinite 'dharna' at Rohtak

Rohtak (PTI): People belonging to Dalit community today sat on indefinite 'dharna' at Ambedkar Chowk outside local Congress office here, protesting against the "police inaction" in the murder of two youths of their community.

Sudhir (10) and Vikram (22) were shot dead allegedly by some youths of "upper caste" in Madina village of Meham sub-division on March 30.

The district authorities did not allow the protesters to erect a tent on the 'dharna' site saying that they don't have permission for it.

The protesters are demanding immediate arrest of all those who have been booked in connection with the killings besides Rs 25 lakh compensation and a government job each to kin of the deceased.

They have also threatened that they would 'gherao' the residences of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi on April 14 if their demands are not met by then.

Dalits from across the state will participate in this 'gherao' to mount pressure on the union leaders, besides apprising them of the plight of SCs in Haryana, they said.

Top officials of district police and administrative authorities have tried to pacify the Dalits saying that sincere efforts are being made to nab the accused and they will be arrested soon.

However, the protesters are adamant on their demands.

"We have arrested five of the accused and simultaneous raids are being carried out to nab the others," a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, Sansaar Singh, father of Suudhir, said in a press release, "We cannot reside in the village till the accused are arrested. We are entirely scared as people of the upper caste are still threatening our kin of dire consequences."

Minor dalit girl gang-raped

VARANASI (TNN): A minor girl from dalit community was allegedly gang-raped by three teen aged boys at Mahjooda village under Suriyawan police station in Bhadohi district on Thursday evening.

The police, however, denied gang rape and said that the girl was raped by a boy of the same community while two others were also present at that time.

All the three were arrested on Friday.According to reports, the 16-year-old girl had to gone to field on Thursday evening when three boys Jogi Chamar (18), Sarvjit Chamar (17) and Chandra Srivastava (18) dragged her away to a lonely place and raped her. After returning home girl narrated her agony to family members.

The Bhadohi SP Ashok Kumar Shukla, when contacted over phone, told TOI that Jogi Chamar, who raped the girl, is the main accused, while two others helped him to overpower the girl. The matter is being investigated, he said.

Top-ten blog nomination is not up to mark in Hindi : Ravindra Prabhat

Expert Comment 

"Nowadays there is a hot news in south asia that superior blog of different languagesare going to be awarded by Bobs  International. In almost 14 languages blogs (6Group)are being slected by the german Broadcaster " Deutsche Welle" for Bobs International Prize. This time the main language of south asia "Hindi" is also being given an important place. Juri member Rabish Kumar is also being criticised to not salected standerd and meaningfull Blog in Hindi."  In addition to this when Nazia Rizvi  had a talk with Blog Historian & New Media Expert Mr. Ravindra Prabhat. His reply was shocking enough. South Asia Prasents a special meet with Mr. Prabhat.

Naziya : Please tell me, What type of activities of "Deutsche Welle" in diffrent field ?

Prabhat: Deutsche Welle is a german broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio in 30 languages DW (Radio). It has a satellite television service (DW (TV)), which is available in four languages, and there is also an online news site. Deutsche Welle, which in English means "German Wave", is similar to international broadcasters such as the BBC World Service, France 24, Voice of America, Radio Canada International, Radio Free Europe and Radio France International.

 

Deutsche Welle has broadcast regularly since 1953. Until 2003 it was based in Cologne; then it relocated to a new building, the "Schürmann-Bau", in Bonn's former government office area. The television broadcasts are produced in Berlin. Deutsche Welle's website is produced in both Berlin and Bonn. On 6 February 2012 Deutsche Welle underwent a significant rebranding.

Deutsche Welle was inaugurated on 3 May 1953 with an address by the West German President, Theodor Heuss, as its first shortwave broadcast. On 11 June 1953 the public broadcasters in the ARD signed an agreement to share responsibility for Deutsche Welle. At first it was controlled by Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR). In 1955, when this split into the separate Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) and Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) networks, WDR assumed responsibility for Deutsche Welle programming. In 1960 Deutsche Welle became an independent public body after a court ruled that broadcasting from Germany was part of the federal government's foreign-affairs function. On 7 June 1962 it joined the ARD as a national broadcasting station.

At prasent his three type services , first DW (Radio): shortwave, cable TV, satellite and digital radio (DRM) broadcasting in 29 languages, with a 24-hour service in German and English second DW (TV): satellite television broadcasting mainly in German, English, Arabic and Spanish. French and Italian were added in 2009 and Portuguese and Chinese in 2010. and third DW.DE: 34-language website.

Nazia: Please give short brief about blog prize activities.

Prabhat: They are all among the 364 nominees for top awards this year in The Bobs. The Bobs’ expert jury members needed three weeks, but they managed to whittle down more than 4,200 submissions to the contest to handful of nominees in each of the competition’s 34 categories and 14 languages. Your turn has come. Now that the candidates have been decided, it’s up to you to give them a look over and vote for the ones you think are best. Remember, you can vote once per category per 24 hours. The blogs that get the most votes will win The Bobs Users’ Choice prize and knowing that people across the Internet love them. Polls open today and will close on May 7 when all the winners are announced at re:publica in Berlin. Winners of the Jury Awards will be invited to pick up their prizes at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany, on June 17-19.

Now go have a look at this year’s nominees of hindi language. They are "Maine rishvat di", "Mohalla Live","Taslim", "Anna Hajare", "Aurat Ke haqiqat", "Aadharbhoot Brahmand", "Nari","Vigyan Vishva", "Chokher Vali" and "Sarp Sansar".

Nazia: You are the only Hindi author, who has edited the first Hindi blog analysis Book. You wrote first time "History of Hindi blogging" . This book has been translated into several languages. So I would like to ask you, what really Hindi Bob's right under international awards have selected blog?

Prabhat: No, never. Hindi blog for the selection of the jury made the award, among them the lack of civic sense. Like the frog in the news-room discussions them seems to be only true and meaningful. In the selection of Rabish Kumar  the discriminatory act is clearly visible.

Nazia: What is your objection to the selection?

Prabhat: A blog is not proper to criticize him by name. Yes, I think that some good blog must be included. For instance Janaki pool of Prabhat Ranjan, Dr Arvind Mishra's Scai blog, Lalit Kumar' Dashamlav,Awinash Vachaspati's Nukkadh, Chhinten aur bauchharen of Ravi Ratalami, Randhir Singh suman's Loksangharsh, Dinesh Rai Dwivedi's Teesara Khambha, Rekha Srivastava 's Mera Sarokar etc.

  

Nazia: So this means that the named class is not a blog in your view?

Prabhat: No, I did not say that. In my view - Four  blog can not be sure which object to select.

Nazia: In your opinion which blog do you like the most?

 

 Prabhat: Taslim,Mohalla Live,Chokher Vali & Sarp Sansar. Select these blog do not disappoint. It really deserves to be nominated as best blog. Good luck with these blogs.

Nazia: What are the reasons, why not someone else?

Prabhat: I mean, it's not better to just accept the blog. Choose something else in this blog which I consider worth taslim after the vote. - Like the snake world, with Chokher, Mohalla Live, etc..

Nazia: This is the time of the vote, based on taslim and pioneer woman blog. So what will be  your preference?

Prabhat: See, Taslim is a science blog, which is logical way to his crusade against superstition. That's why I like him. There are more important things negative. Has to be given permissions to read it. That is not the only woman in the category of public blog  What to do then was nominated in the category of best blog?

Nazia: A Last question for you, that Hindi  blogs for awards submission process lasted more than a half months to complete. These blogs can now select jury has nominated. April 3 the next five weeks, you can vote for your favorite blogs can make him the winner. How do you find it suitable ?

Prabhat:  No Comment right now, because it can be said that only after completion..

Nazia: Many- many thanks for Your opinions on this subject.

Prabhat: Thanks .

(Interviewer : Nazia Rizvi  for South Asia Today)

India and Germany gear up for round of talks

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has arrived in Germany. Bilateral trade is likely to be high on the agenda at the two-day inter-governmental talks that kick off in Berlin on Thursday.

India was one of the first countries to recognize the German Federal Republic and also one of the countries which gave strong support to German Reunification in 1990. "India and Germany agree on several policy areas of international diplomacy," says R. K. Jain from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. "They both want a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. They are cooperating with each other in the G-20 process."

Germany and India are both members of the G20

Manmohan Singh will co-chair the second round of inter-governmental consultations in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. This format of consultation is also used with China and Israel, as well as various European countries.

Jain expects the two-day meeting to drive forward bilateral cooperation in the field of clean environmental technologies and alternative energies, which include nuclear power. "India has an ambitious nuclear program and there has to be a discussion about how German firms can contribute to it." For years, France and India have been talking about massive investments into India's civil nuclear energy program.

Increasing trade volume

Trade relations are also high on the agenda. In the first round of consultations in May 2011, German and India's leaders confirmed the ambition to increase bilateral trade volume from 15 billion to 20 billion euros by the end of 2012. At the end of 2011, the volume amounted to well over 18 billion euros. Germany is now India's seventh most important supplier. Demand for German machines, which make up 30 percent of all such deliveries to India, remains high, as it does for electrotechnology. In return, India supplies Germany with textiles, leather, food and increasingly with chemical goods, metal products and also with electrotechnology.

India wants to expand its civil nuclear program with German expertise

In order to bring the trade relations onto a sustainable course of growth there is a lot to do. Bernhard Steinrücke, Director General of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, mentions an important point: "The German government will underline the fact that the proposed free trade agreement between India and the EU is of the utmost importance for India and Europe and therefore for Germany too."

Jain thinks this should not fail because of India, which will try to persuade Germany to exert pressure on the EU so the agreement does materialize.

No change of course

Big car firms such as Mercedes, Volkswagen, BMW, and engineering giant Siemens have long been present in India. However, India hopes that the free trade agreement will allow small and medium-sized German companies to get a stronger foothold in India and share their know-how, says Jain.

"German industry hopes the visit will highlight the significance of German investment in India's business sector as well as in the sciences," agrees Steinrücke.

German industry would benefit from a free trade agreement between the EU and India

In this context, the German side should also highlight the interest Germany has in skilled labor from India. The controversial CSU/CDU election campaign slogan "Children instead of Indians" did not go down very well with Indians in the past decade. That's why Indian politicians will be following German efforts to lure skilled workers and scientists from India.

Germany has parliamentary elections coming up in September this year and they're due in India next year. However, Steinrücke does not think they will play a big role in bilateral relations. "If the two governments are now agreed on certain themes, it has little to do with the parties that make up the governments. We don't expect a change of course."

Three attempts were made to kill Sanjay Gandhi: WikiLeaks

A US cable outed by WikiLeaks has claimed that there were three assassination attempts on Sanjay Gandhi.

NEW DELHI: There were three assassination attempts on Sanjay Gandhi, a key figure during the Emergency, including one where a high powered rifle was used when the leader was visiting Uttar Pradesh, a US cable outed byWikiLeaks has claimed.

In a September 1976 dispatch, the US embassy reported the then prime minister Indira Gandhi's younger son was targeted by an unknown assailant in a "well planned assassination attempt" which failed. The date suggests the incident occurred during the Emergency.

"Indira Gandhi's son Sanjay was shot three times on August 30 or 31 by an unknown assailant," the cable says, attributing the information to a clandestine source. The report says Sanjay escaped and was not critically injured.

If Sanjay did suffer injuries, their nature is not specified but interestingly the cable bases its information on information provided by Indian intelligence sources.

"According to Indian intelligence, this is the third attempt on the younger Gandhi's life," the cable states and goes on to surmise that the attack will eventually be blamed on revolutionary elements sponsored by outside powers.

As is now evident, no word was let out on the UP incident or any of the other alleged assassination attempts. It is now unclear whether the intelligence sources quoted in the capable were impeccable, but Sanjay's authoritarian image did earn him powerful enemies.

Opposition to Emergency and the Gandhi family came from conventional political sources as well as radical elements of both right and left wing persuasion.

Other US cables have noted that Sanjay and Indira's private secretaryR K Dhawan were "non-ideological" authoritarian figures behind the Emergency who worked to ensure the PM's power remained unchallenged.

A telegraphic summary provided by US intelligence to the state department on September 6, 1976 says of the UP incident, "The information concerning the incident is under tight control at present, but the attack will eventually be blamed on revolutionary elements sponsored by outside powers."

The excesses of the Emergency led to Congress suffering a decisive defeat in the 1977 election that were held after Indira Gandhi lifted the curbs on fundamental rights. Janata Party swept to power but in all investigations that followed, there was no mention of any attempts to kill Sanjay.

Sanjay was killed in a plane crash in the Capital on June 23, 1980 soon after Congress came back to power after internal bickering consumed the Janata Party. He was 33 and a rising star in the Congress clearly seen as successor to his mother. His early death brought his elder brother Rajiv into politics who till then was a commercial pilot with Indian Airlines.

Rajiv eventually became prime minister after the assassination of his mother and then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

Courtesy by : TNN 

Indian Regional Writings VS Indian Writings in English

Indian regional writings are not acceptable to Western readers in comparison to these IWE’s , where these authenticity of Indian cultural life is lacking ? The reason I think Indian regional literature can hardly be overstated given its emphasis on rural life and social structures far removed from the growing urban centers and the western readers can not identify with as described in the stories of village life and of exploitation and feudal structures .On the other hand , the IWE fictions are more accessible with Western mind as the writer always want to paint the Indian (clear to say migrant Indian’s ) reactions to the reality of a small town or a village preserved in the space of an Indian metropolis or in a Western metropolis like London or New York.

This is why the IWE writers steer clear of Indian shores to settle down in foreign lands. Not only Naipal. Rushdie, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai or Jhumpa Lahiri keep themselves away from Indian Subcontinent, but Arundhati Roy, who is running after Medha Patkar nowdays,once expressed her preference to live out side India , in her interview with William Dalrymple prior to the release of the Booker-winning The God of Small Things . . Hari Kunzru, author of The Impressionist and Transmission claims that he is not an Indian writer but a British one. 

What is it that makes the most talented of India's literary geniuses of IWE push out of Indian land to settle down in foreign domain? Is it the promise of readership, fame, recognition and money that comes from catering to the western market with a much wider reader base? Anita Desai moved outside India only in her 50s when she was already an established author and her opponents say she did it for getting herself nominated for Booker’s and Nobel prize .Or do these writers move away from the land that sparks their stories to achieve a heightened sense of intimacy and observation that distance is known to create?

Now the main question is: do IWEs refer to a person from India (akin to a Frenchman, or an Englishman) who writes in English, or does it refer to the cultural aspect of India ? Is this ambiguity purposeful or unintentional? Because nobody is telling about R.K.Narayan, Raja Rao and Mulk Raj Anand today with regards to IWE and these names are totally forgotten .In the New Yorker (special issue on the 50th year of Indian independence) Rushdie wrote that during these fifty years, best literature in India has been written in English. It vividly shows his ignorance of Indian literature in Hindi and regional languages. By : Sarojini Sahoo A distinguished bilingual South Asian feminist writer, and an associate editor , a feature oriented English journal Indian AGE,  who has been enlisted among 25 Exceptional Women of India by ‘Kindle’ English magazine of Kolkata and  has been conferred with the Orissa Sahitya Academy Award, 1993, the Jhankar Award, 1992, the Bhubaneswar Book Fair Award and the Prajatantra Award. She is also in the advisory board of Indian Journal of Post Colonial Literature; published from the English Department of Newman College, Thodupuzah, Kerala. She is also a known columnist in National news papers of India and a renowned  blogger for her ideas in feminism and has gained world wide fame. Her Blogs are SENSE & SENSUALITY, FEMININE-FRAGRANCE and INDIA 

Sri Lanka to probe mass grave with more than 150 dead

(Reuters) - Sri Lanka is setting up a presidential commission to investigate a mass grave with the remains of more than 150 people, an official spokesman said on Sunday.

Two reports submitted to a court last week said that the human remains, in the town of Matale 142 km (88 miles) north of the capital, dated back to the period 1986-1989 when Sri Lanka faced a Marxist insurrection.

"The president has decided to appoint a presidential commission to inquire into the mass grave. This will be apart from the ongoing police inquiry," Mohan Samaranayake, President Mahinda Rajapaksa's spokesman, told Reuters.

The decision to set up commission comes five months after the mass grave was found at a building site near a hospital.

Ajith Jayasena, the judicial medical officer at the hospital, said the excavation was still going on and there may be more remains in the grave.

Marxist rebels of the Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna (JVP), or People's Liberation Front, launched the second phase of an insurrection in the late 1980s after the first one in 1971.

The security forces responded ruthlessly and many rebels were killed or disappeared. The JVP later 

Twelve Afghan civilians dead in air strike - Afghan officials

By Mohammad Anwar

SHIGAL,Afghanistan (Reuters) -  Eleven children and a woman were killed by an air strike during a NATO operation targeting Taliban commanders in eastern Afghanistan, officials in the region said Sunday.

Civilian deaths have been a long-running source of friction between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his international backers. Karzai has forbidden Afghan troops from calling for air strikes and NATO advise crews not to fire at or bomb in populated areas.

Six insurgents - two of them senior Taliban leaders - were killed during the operation in a village in Shigal district in Kunar province, which is on the Pakistani border, on Saturday, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The Interior Ministry did not mention any civilian casualties but Wasefullah Wasefi, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said civilian homes had been hit during an air attack.

"Eleven children and a woman were killed when an air strike hit their houses," Wasefi said.

The deaths came on the same day that a car bomb killed five Americans, including three U.S. soldiers, a young diplomat and a U.S. Defence Department contractor, in the southern province of Zabul.

Mohammad Zahir Safai, the Shigal district chief, said the woman and the children were killed when the houses collapsed on them.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Captain Luca Carniel, said they were aware of reports of civilian casualties and was assessing the incident.

Carniel said ISAF had provided "air support" during the operation but he said there had been no ISAF troops on the ground. The air strike had been requested by coalition forces, not their Afghan allies, he said.

A Reuters journalist saw bodies of 11 children when they were taken to Safai's office in protest by their families and other villagers on Sunday.

The journalist did not see the body of a women and Safai said residents told him of the death. Women's bodies are not displayed, according to custom.

Wasefi also said an American civilian adviser to the Afghan intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, had also been killed in the operation. He said it had lasted several hours.

The Ministry of Interior said the two dead Taliban commanders, Ali Khan and Gul Raouf, planned and organised attacks in Kunar.

(Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Robert Birsel)

(Photo & News Credit: Reuters/Stringer)

THE DARK SPECTRE OF MANMOHAN’S HATRICK

WHEN CHETAN SHARMA MOVED TO BOWL FOR HIS HATRICK AGAINST NEWZEALAND IN THE WORLD CUP 1987, THE ENTIRE NATION WAS WITH HIM. THE NATION CELEBRATED THE HATRICK, LATER KAPIL, HARBHAJAN AND IRFAN PATHAN ALSO PERFORMED THE SAME FEAT AND WAS LAPPED UP BY THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. BUT WILL THE NATION CELEBRATE IF MANMOHAN SINGH ENTERS THE RACE COURSE FOR THE THIRD TIME?

Ravi Shankar Prasad, B.JP’s spokesperson never let go an opportunity to take potshots at his opponent and, especially when the situation is so inviting as Manmohan Singh’s ostensible indication to go for his hatrick, Prasad caustically dubbed the Prime minister’s wish as ‘audaciously ambitious’. Was Ravi Shankar Prasad justified in his comment? Or was it a cryptic remarks coming from an opposition leader in the wake of the exhibition of the requisite amount of the confidence on the part of the incumbent Prime minister, indeed deserves a careful examination in the backdrop of impending election in the 2014 and Manmohan Singh’s role as the Prime ministerial candidate given the fact that Rahul Gandhi is still in the process of testing the electoral water.

Let us begin with the election of 2009 and the victory of Congress party at the general election. The nation’s economy was in a good shape and Manmohan by and large was looked upon a respectable leader who, unlike his political colleagues, never meant politicking. Moreover, Manmohan Singh had demonstrated his deft political acumen by not bowing to the wish of Communist party as he had proceeded to sign the nuclear deal with U.S.A notwithstanding the protests from the Communist party against signing such a deal. Manmohan Singh’s audacious move to ignore the bluffs of his supporting partner who had propped up his government from outside had gone down well with the people of India who looked upon him as a sign of uncompromising leader who would not buckle under the coalition pressure when the greater and delicate task of nation’s foreign policy was concerned. The people of India celebrated this attitude of the Prime minister that he had renounced his attachment to the Prime ministerial chair for the sake of nation’s priority and sensitivity to the national cause.

In contrast to Manmohan Singh, the people viewed the BJP’’S Prime ministerial candidate, Lal Krishna Advani as a man inspired by his Prime ministerial ambitions whose primary concern was to become Prime minister and therefore the people of India gave a short shrift to Advani and his Party. This is not to say that Lal Krishna Advani was not competent or deserving candidate for this post. However, it was the public perception that favoured Manmohan over Advani in the 2009 general election. Even the people looked upon Manmohan as the one who could bring them the most elusive succor that the seasoned politicians were not capable of. People also remembered him as the architect of Economic liberalization ushered in the year 1991 when he was the finance minister which metamorphosed the Indian economy forever and galvanised the Indian youth to dream big like their European and American counterparts.

Alas, wishes were the horses; 2014 would be just like 2009, the people of India would have the same level of trusts and faith in Manmohan as they had in him in the year 2009. The country had seen the golden regime of Manmohan in 2009, whereas the country had witnessed the nightmarish eruption of hosts of corruptions and scams in the public life that could even induce the corpses to squirm in the coffins. The woes and sorrows of the common men and women of the country had increased thousand fold with the astronomical price rise of the essential commodities and the transport fare---the backbones of hoi polloi stands broken in the wake of this price rise and which even the Direct Cash Transfer to the bank account of the poor people cannot undo. The series of scams beginning with 2g and culminating in Coal blocks scam, had sullied and substantially dented the government’s image. Worse still, the Nirbhaya episode had completely wiped out whatever residual credibility of the government was left intact—the world community had come to recognize India as a medieval society where the girls are the most unsafe and unsecured. Even Prime minister’s weak and hapless statement that, he too is a father of a daughter—appeared unconvincing and too soft ---which of course, in the wake of the sinister crime, must have been strong and stentorian.

While the people of India suffocated under the seething heat of unbearable price rise, the kith and kin of those in power flourished. Robert Vadra , the son-in law of Gandhi family fabulously added to his wealth—his overall net worth increased to three hundred crores of Indian currency. While the honest officer who blew the whistle on Vadra, suffered the persecution of the government, the government under Manmohan Singh did all in his position to suppress the scandal of Vadra and DLF which had colluded with him in the scam. Gone was that Manmohan Singh who had risked the fall of his government in 2009 by refusing to kowtow to the wish of Communist who wanted him to refuse signing the nuclear deal, and emerged a new Manmohan who would go to any extent to save his chair—even if that meant mortgaging his own conscience to the power brokers and those stakeholders who would give him a new political lease of life.

Manmohan Singh was a find for the first family of the Congress Party as a stop gap arrangement till its’ Prince in the waiting, Rahul Gandhi matures to step into his shoes. And sensing all this, Manmohan Singh shrewdly calculated that his regime would inevitably come to an end in the year 214. However, the indecisiveness and vacillation of the CROWN Prince, Rahul Gandhi seems to have brought a fresh glimpse of hope to Manmohan Singh whose credibility seems to be an all- time low. Manmohan Singh knows that he still enjoys the trusts of Gandhi family and is still the confidante of Sonia Gandhi and in the event of lack of consensus for leadership, he would end up as the best choice of the Congress Party as its’ candidate for the next election. And therefore, he came out with his comments to enter into the Race course residence for the third time---creating a hatrick to be the occupant of the race course residence.

Alas, Manmohan Singh would have done a thorough introspection before mouthing or airing his ambition for entering the race course for the third time. He should have known that although he may still be an apple of Gandhi family but to the larger public, his name evokes a fear, a dread---the strings of corruptions that his current regime is being identified with, spontaneously come rushing to the minds of the electorate. Manmohan might revel and exult at the prospect of his entry into the race course and make hatrick, but his discredited regime is does not sooth the common mass of India. The people of India had shown their respects for Manmohan of 2009 who showed respect for people’s sensitivity over the prime ministerial chair, whereas, Manamohan of 2014 is considered as a Chief executive Officer of Gandhi family who would go to any extent to secure and salvage the tainted image of Gandhi family for the sake of Prime Ministerial chair. People wonder in disgust: ‘Where is that Manmohan who showed the mirror to his mentor Narshimha Rao by stating that person in power must be like Caesars wife much above any suspicion’. People still would covet Narshimha Rao’s regime despite several fallibilities, however, people would be in mood to condone Manmohan Singh for his acts and omissions. Hence, the people clapped and celebrated Chetan Sharma when he went for his hatrick in the world cup 1987, however, the people are even loath to hear Manmohan’s name for a hatrick in the Race course residence. And, Ravi Shankar Prasad was actually representing the common people’s mood when he dubbed Prime minister’s dream as ‘ audacious ambition’

By :  Vivekanand Jha

(Via Email)

Why I support the pakistani cricket team

Many of my readers have raised eyebrows after I have ‘liked‘ the Pakistani Cricket team on Facebook. I do not feel the need to justify myself, since it is but obvious that cricket is a display of skills and temperament and has nothing to do with one’s patriotic feelings. I have ceased to remain a cricket fan, after they started covering half of the TV screen with ads, and cheerleaders took over dada’s enthusiasm. However, I do find it an interesting idea for an article; why someone – who has the least interest in cricket, would go all the way and like the cricket team of a ‘rival’ country?

Well, Pakistan is not just a country like any other. It is a cohesion of multiple forces living together. The Pakistani establishment can be broadly divided into three forces – the jihadi groups, the military establishment and the people. While the other establishments may have different interests, and we may have our reasons to hate and accuse them, a major part of Pakistan is people. Hardworking and simple people like you and me – who struggle for the daily bread and butter on their tables, who don’t care for hatred or wars. All they want is to live in peace.

While India and Pakistan, at a political level are at on-and-off-war since partition, rarely think of how wonderful life would have been, had the partition not happened! Within decades, we have become so unrecognizable, so aloof of each other’s concerns. What makes the Indo-Pakistani conflict even more dangerous is that both sides contain nuclear weapons. With the possibility that Pakistan might become a failed state, there is a good chance of a major genocide erupting in the twenty-first century. The ‘people of Pakistan’ is our only hope of establishing peace within and outside the country.

Very much like India, Pakistan’s religion is also cricket. Their cricket has suffered badly in recent times due to the political unrest. Pakistani people seriously need a moral boost to keep the country rolling. I was thinking about this for long and arrived to a conclusion – that a big win of Pakistan in the next world cup will get the people on their front foot. It will give them the moral boost to stand up and run. I know the thought might be stupid and naive. But rarely do we think that India has gone way ahead, at-least in cricket, with billions of rupees being spent on infrastructural and talent hunt. Where does Pakistani cricket stand? Even if we keep the political reasons aside, won’t a strong Pakistani cricket team bring back the age old thrill of watching an Indo-Pak cricket match?

By : sourav roy 

Well, I am a poet and a dreamer, but also a realist and an optimist. I value simple living and high thinking. I try to give my best I can, in everything I do. I am an idealist but circumstances have always tried to convince that life doesn’t work out the way I wish for or predict. But for me it’s too early to give up. And its’ never too late!

My ultimate passion lies in writing poems in Hindi, and I have authored three books  - ’अनभ्र रात्रि की अनुपमा‘, ‘उत्थिष्ठ भारत‘ and ‘यायावर‘.

Dalit boy caned by teacher, hospitalised

A Dalit boy, K. Vairamuthu, studying X Standard at Karapettai Nadar Boys Higher Secondary School , has been hospitalised after he was caned by his maths teacher recently.

In a quarrel during lunch break, the boy is alleged to have thrown a duster at his classmate. Maths teacher S. Kaniraj, accused of caning the boy, said that Vairamuthu was punished for using ‘filthy language’ while quarrelling .

Ahead of the public examination in mathematics, the special class was conducted . Vairamuthu’s mother Rameshwari said that the boy did not talk about the caning incident at home.

But, by 9.30 p.m., he was down with fever and taken to a private hospital on Tiruchendur Road.

His father K. Kandasamy said that any teacher would punish a disobedient student but not to the extent of causing injuries. The boy had been caned severely and there were bruise marks all over his back. Headmaster in-charge C. Natarajan said that he came to know about the incident only after the boy was admitted to the Government Hospital on Thursday morning. Chief Educational Officer K. Jayakannu said that he was on duty at a paper valuation centre and was not apprised of the incident. Enquiries will be made on the caning incident and action taken based on it, he said.

Jaipur Development Authority favoured some developers, incurred loss of Rs 12 crore

JAIPUR: A local audit report has indicted Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) of favouring a few developers and incurring a loss of nearly Rs 12 crore during land conversion, transfer and regularization. The audit report charged the civic authority with wrongdoings which included charging the builders on regularization price neglecting the rules of imposing rates on reserve price.

A private land at Gajsingh Pura was converted from institutional land use to housing permit and a lease was granted at 20% of the regularization price of Rs 60 per sq yard. However, the orders issued by the state government in 2004 clearly state that the any conversion for housing societies has to be processed at the reserved price. Ignoring of rules and favouring the developer made JDA incur a loss of Rs 3.5 crore in the deal. Based on the regularization rates the developer paid Rs 7.92 lakh. But if calculated on the reserved prices which were Rs 3300 per sq/ metre, the amount would have reached to Rs 3.64 crore.

Similalry JDA gave land at other places like Shrikrishnapura village in Sanganer thesil, Shreechak Gatoch village and to companies at Ramnagriya and Jagatpura at throw away prices leading to an overall loss of Rs 12 crore.

Meanwhile, the CAG report tabled in the legislative assembly, too, put the state government on the back foot. The Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Limited ( RIICO) incurred losses of Rs 2.78 crore due to allotment of land in violation of rules. The corporation overruled the norms and allotted land to Finproject India Private Limited at Sitapura Industrial Area phase -III.

The report also claimed that Rajasthan Small Scale Industries Corporation Limited incurred a loss of Rs. 1.19 crore due to non-adherence to the guidelines of the coal distribution policy. It also failed in formulating a proper mechanism to safeguard its financial interests.

Courtesy by : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-03/jaipur/38247626_1_rs-12-crore-audit-report-reserve-price