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Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Capt M Kumar - 03-08-2010
A student of Rishi Valley Bangalore and Lady Shriram College, Rajawat topped up her education with a business management degree. She worked with five comapanies in various capacities before changing focus.
But today, as Chhavi heads NREGA meetings in her village dressed in jeans and T-shirt, she is fast emerging as the changing face of rural Rajasthan. "It should change. There is so much one can do," she says.
"In fact, my business management degree is helping me take care of the village better. It is a sort of social work that runs in my blood," says the woman who became sarpanch on February 4. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/LSR-grad-quits-job-to-be-sarpanch/articleshow/5655761.cms
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-12-2010
[size="6"]Modi summoned in Gujarat riots probe; resign, says Cong[/size]
AHMEDABAD/GANDHINAGAR: The 2002 Gujarat riots returned to haunt Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday when a Supreme Court-appointed investigation team summoned him for questioning on March 21. The Congress immediately asked him to step down.
According to Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief R.K. Raghavan, the move to question Modi follows an order from the Supreme Court on April 27 last year.
That followed a petition from Zakia Jaffri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri who was killed in the riots, and advocate-activist Teesta Setalvad on the wider conspiracy surrounding the 2002 communal frenzy.
That petition had named Modi, who was chief minister when widespread violence directed at the Muslim community broke out in February 2002 after the burning of a train at Godhra that left 59 Hindus dead. The violence, which raged intermittently for weeks, left hundreds dead.
The Supreme Court bench had referred the petition from Jaffri and Setalvad to the SIT with directions to look into it.
Rights activists and Modi critics have consistently argued that the violence could not have gone on the way it did in Gujarat in 2002, but for a tacit green signal from the highest in the administration.
The SIT summons led the Congress to demand that Modi should step down as the chief minister.
Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said: "What has happened today should have actually happened many, many years ago. A chief minister of Gujarat and his government presided over the worst massacre of minorities that independent India has witnessed in the last 62 yuears.
"It is perhaps for the first time that a sitting chief minister has been summoned to appear before a SIT on mass murder. It would be appropriate that he should step down before appearing before the SIT."
But Tiwari quickly added that "it would be too much to expect" from Modi to do so.
Eight years after the post-Godhra riots, Modi suffered the ignominy of being the first-ever chief minister of any state to be called for questioning in connection with a criminal complaint after he and his administration were accused of aiding and abetting riots in one area here.
SIT chief Raghavan dismissed as hypothetical a question whether Modi is legally bound to appear before the SIT.
Zakia in her 100-page complaint alleged conspiracy by Modi and 62 others, including his Cabinet colleagues, senior police officials and senior bureaucrats.
Gordhan Zadaphia, Ashok Bhatt, P C Pande, who were the home minister, health minister and the city police commissioner at the time of the riots were also named in the complaint.
There was no immediate reaction from Modi or the state government.
"I hope that justice will be given to us... It has been a long journey. I am very happy that Modi has been summoned," Zakia said.
Raghavan said the SIT will submit its report to the Supreme Court on its investigation into some of the riot cases by the end of April.
He was evasive whether the SIT probe will come to an end once Modi responds to the summons. "Possibly yes, not necessarily," he said.
"We have examined a number of witnesses who have given evidence and levelled allegations against Modi as well. We have to post that evidence to Modi...We are giving a chance to him to respond to the allegations and get responses."
Raghavan said the SIT has "almost come to the end of the inquiry".
"So we have naturally to ask Modi as to what he thinks of the information we have collected," he added.
SIT has already recorded statements of number of persons named in Zakia's complaint which include, Zadafia, BJP leader I K Jadeja, former IPS officer R B Sreekumar, social activist Teesta Setalvad, IG Shivanand Jha, some senior police officers and political leaders.
The Supreme court had in April last year asked the SIT to look into the complaint of Zakia.
The SIT which was constituted by the apex court to investigate the Godhra train carnage case and eight other post-Godhra riot cases, was directed by the SC to examine a complaint by Jaffery and submit report in three months.
In July last year, the Gujarat High Court dismissed a petition challenging the probe by SIT against Modi and 62 others for their role during the 2002 riots.
Former BJP MLA Kalu Malivad (one of the 62 people named in the complaint) had filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court demanding a stay on investigations by the SIT with regard to Zakia's complaint.
The High Court had dismissed the petition saying as the SIT is directly working under the supervision of the Supreme Court no relief can be granted in this matter and dismissed the petition.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Modi-summoned-in-Gujarat-riots-probe-resign-says-Cong/articleshow/5672188.cms
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-12-2010
[size="6"]Complaint against team probing Gujarat riots[/size]
![[Image: raghvanstory.jpg]](http://www.ndtv.com/news/images/story_page/raghvanstory.jpg)
First the Best Bakery Case trial was moved out of Gujarat after the victims complained of intimidation by the state. Then the Bilkis Bano Rape Case was transferred to Mumbai because the Supreme Court found Gujarat unable to deliver unbiased justice. Now, in the crucial Gujarat Riots cases, the public prosecutors have resigned alleging the court is communally biased and the Special Investigation Team indifferent.
The credibility of the Special Investigation Team that has summoned Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in connection with Ehsaan Jaffrey murder case in the 2002 Gujarat riots is also under scrutiny in the Supreme Court. (Read: Modi summoned by Supreme Court panel)
The court hearing the Gujarat Riots Cases is biased against witnesses and the Special Investigation Team re-investigating Gujarat Riots cases is indifferent, these are the strong allegations that have been made by Public Prosecutors R K Shah and Nayana Bhatt who have officially complained and resigned from the case.
Two months ago, activists filed a complaint against the SIT on the grounds that it includes Shivanand Jha, a police officer accused by Zakiya Jaffrey in her complaint.
Activists are also upset that the SIT has been slow to summon Modi and that the SIT's chief, RK Raghavan, does not spend enough time in Ahmedabad.
The complaint has also asked for the SIT to be reconstituted.
The panel filed its defence in the Supreme Court on Thursday and it will be examined by the court on Monday.
More crucially, the SIT has not submitted another crucial evidence in court: The CD, that has telephone call data of government leaders and officials in the first few days of Gujarat riots.
Sources say if the SIT does not swiftly makes a case of hard technical evidence to back the accusations of conspiracy, Modi might just be able to escape with SIT without a scar.
http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/complaint-against-team-probing-gujarat-riots-17580.php
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-12-2010
[size="6"]Railway platforms are not highways, Mr Gowda[/size]
![[Image: gowdastorypic.jpg]](http://www.ndtv.com/news/gowdastorypic.jpg)
In what can be termed as a gross violation of rules and utter misuse of power, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, along with his posse, drove two Toyota Fortuners onto the platform of Bangalore City railway station.
What's more, Deve Gowda got the cars parked right next to the train to see off farmers leaving for New Delhi on Tuesday to attend a protest rally he had organized. Gowda took a later flight to Delhi.
Akhil Agarwal, the divisional railway manager (DRM), said, "I don't know if Deve Gowda really required this special arrangement. Vehicles aren't allowed onto the railway platforms except for any medical emergency."
However, officials from South Western Railway claimed that Deve Gowda didn't violate any railway rules as he travelled just 10-15 metres from the main gate.
Milind Dharamsena, state general secretary JD (S), said, "Deve Gowda has been suffering from gastroenteritis and thus was unable to walk. We requested the railways to grant us the permission to let him drive up the platform to which they obliged."
Sources within the party said Gowda was hindered by his leg ailments. As he was on an official tour, he was left with no choice but to take the vehicles inside the station. "Several politicos, including the Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, do the same while they leave for official trips," a party functionary said.
Party officials even claimed that Deve Gowda has a special privilege of getting driven up to an aircraft at any airport to avoid security hassles. However, government rules do not permit this.
A R Infant, Additional Director General of Police, Railways, denied any knowledge of the incident. "It is a matter concerning the former prime minister's security. I cannot comment on this," he said.
http://www.ndtv.com/news/cities/railway-platforms-are-not-highways-mr-gowda-17558.php
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-12-2010
[size="6"]Islamic clerics oppose women's bill[/size]
![[Image: 172620-mm.jpg]](http://mangalorean.com/images/news/172620-mm.jpg)
Lucknow, March 12 (IANS) Not only certain political parties, but even some influential Islamic scholars and clerics are strongly opposed to the women's reservation bill.
Their opposition seems to stem from the fact that such a provision will not only entitle but also encourage more and more Muslim women to take a plunge into politics, where it would not be possible for them to strictly adhere to the tenets of the Shariat.
Maulana Saeed-ur Rehman, principal of the Lucknow-based internationally renowned Nadwat-ul-Ulema seminary, told IANS: "It was un-Islamic for any Muslim woman to contest an election in a secular nation."
"Muslim women could contest elections in theocratic Islamic states because they would have to necessarily remain in 'purdah' while there was no such restriction in secular societies."
The principal of the institution that remains a host to students from leading Islamic nations across the globe, contended Islam did not permit participation of women in people's parliament simply because that would mean close interaction with men. "They could, however, join the proceedings of a parliament where there was ample provision for 'purdah' and proper segregation of women," he said.
Asked whether that would not lead to creating more illiteracy among Muslim women, he shot back: "Islam is not against education of women, but the idea is to let them acquire education but remain within the confines of their homes, as Islam clearly prescribes 'purdah' for them and holds that they must look after their homes."
City's Naib Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed, who also heads Lucknow's oldest Islami seminary Firangi Mahal, feels otherwise. "There is nothing wrong about a Muslim women participating in active politics and contesting elections. After all, so many Muslim women have done well in politics", he said.
"However , I am opposed to the women's reservation bill as it was contradictory to the fundamental provisions of any democratic society," he argued. "In fact, reservation within reservation was against the spirit of the Indian constitution," he stressed.
Leading Shia cleric and scholar Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, however, believed in the line adopted by the Nadwa principal. Asked how an Islamic state like Iran allowed women to participate in various political activities, he replied: "Well, Iran does have women members of parliament, who go through the process of elections, but they strictly follow the 'purdah' system."
"Even when they sit in their parliament, they observe complete seclusion," he said, adding this could not be possible in Indian parliament.
"Any woman entering the electoral fray would have to go into lanes and bylanes, stand on dais and brush shoulders with men. How can Islam permit all that?" he asked.
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=172620
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-12-2010
[size="6"]Canada 'Can't' Stop Muslim Men from Child Marriages[/size]
Immigration: 'Child bride' loophole can't be closed.
Federal immigration officials say thereââ¬â¢s little they can do to stop ââ¬Åchild bridesââ¬Â from being sponsored into Canada by much older husbands who wed them in arranged marriages abroad.
Top immigration officials in Canada and Pakistan say all they can do is reject the sponsorships of husbands trying to bring their child-brides to Canada. The men have to reapply when the bride turns 16.
The marriages are permitted under Sharia Law.
Muslim men, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, return to their homeland to wed a ââ¬Åchild brideââ¬Â in an arranged marriage in which a dowry is given to the girlââ¬â¢s parents.
Officials said some of the brides can be 14 years old or younger and many are forced to marry. The practice occurs in a host of countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Lebanon.
In classified documents, Canadian visa officer Steve Bulmer said he refused to allow one Pakistani man to sponsor his 15-year-old bride in August 2009.
"I can find no section (of law) that states the marriage is 'invalid' or 'void,'" Bulmer wrote in e-mails obtained by lawyer Richard Kurland under Access of Information. ââ¬ÅI am afraid the age does not invalidate the marriage even if it is illegal to marry.ââ¬Â
Abdul Hameed, of the Canadian embassy in Islamabad, said child marriages are not valid in Canada.
ââ¬ÅA child marriage is punishable but it does not render the marriage invalid,ââ¬Â Hameed said. ââ¬ÅWe are refusing such application on grounds the marriage will not be valid as per Canadian laws.ââ¬Â William Hawke, of immigrationââ¬â¢s Permanent Resident Unit, said the young brides wonââ¬â¢t be allowed in Canada.
ââ¬ÅSponsorship applications submitted for a spouse under 16 will be refused,ââ¬Â Hawke said. ââ¬ÅOnce an underage spouse turns 16 they are a member of the family classââ¬Â and can be sponsored.
He said the application is rejected if a spouse turns 16 during processing. Kurland said thereââ¬â¢s little that can be done to stop Canadians from marrying child brides.
ââ¬ÅA 15-year-old bride doesnââ¬â¢t void a marriage,ââ¬Â Kurland said on Thursday.
ââ¬ÅThe application is turned down and the person can reapply when his bride turns 16.ââ¬Â
He said the practice has been going on for years and ââ¬Åis a concrete loophole that canââ¬â¢t be fixed.ââ¬Â
Immigration officials quoting an Afghanistan Law of Marriages said in some countries it is ââ¬Åcustomary for young females to wed men considerably older, especially if the man is in a position of financial or social power.ââ¬Â
According to the law, it is not uncommon for marriages between first cousins or extended family members.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/03/11/13198071.html
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-12-2010
[size="6"]Would-Be Suicide Bomber Worked for British Airways[/size]
A would-be suicide bomber worked for British Airways and plotted to take advantage of cabin crew strikes to launch an attack, it was alleged yesterday.
Rajib Karim, a trusted IT expert at the airline, planned to volunteer for crew training to help keep flights running during the threatened walkouts.
He also used his access to BA's computer systems to gain insider knowledge about airline security and pass it to terror masterminds in Yemen and Pakistan, a court heard.
Union bosses seized on the revelations to claim that passengers could be endangered by BA's tactics for beating the planned strikes. The airline says it has more than 1,000 volunteer staff ready to work as cabin crew in the event of industrial action.
Karim, 30, was born in Bangladesh and came to Britain a few years ago to get a UK passport which would smooth his terror mission, it was claimed.
Two years ago he secured a full-time job at a BA call centre in Newcastle upon Tyne and became 'heavily involved' in software development.
But he had a 'clear intention and desire' for martyrdom and wanted to become a suicide bomber, Westminster Magistrates Court heard.
His computer allegedly contained encrypted files showing he was in contact with terrorists abroad.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257189/BA-worker-planned-use-strike-suicide-bomber.html
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-12-2010
[size="6"][url="http://www.janes.com/news/defence/business/jdi/jdi100312_1_n.shtml 'Outdated manufacturing processes' force POF to turn down $500m worth of orders"]'Outdated manufacturing processes' force POF to turn down $500m worth of orders[/url][/size]
State-owned Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) has requested a government grant of USD250 million to modernise its ageing facilities and help meet a growing production backlog, Jane's has learnt.
The POF made the recommendation to the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production on 9 March, and stated that "outdated manufacturing processes" has so far caused the company to turn away production orders worth around USD500 million.
Lieutenant General Javed Ashraf, chairman of the committee, told Jane's on 10 March that the money is needed quickly.
"A lot of the POF's plants are ageing and they need to be replaced," he said. "The POF has requested this money based on an estimate that they put forward to the defence committee.
Lt Gen Ashraf said that the low production rate of the POF's present facilities meant that the company has not been able to meet contractual deadlines and has had to refuse other work.
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Capt M Kumar - 03-12-2010
WASHINGTON: The Appeal of Conscience Foundation has announced it will felicitate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with its prestigious World Statesman Award for the year 2010.
The award would be presented to the Prime Minister in September, said John Negroponte, the former Deputy Secretary of State, at a reception hosted at the residence of Indian Ambassador to the US. Meera Shankar, in Washington..
Shankar said the Prime Minister has graciously accepted the award.
Among the past recipients of this prestigious award include British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (2009), French President Nicolas Sarkozy (2008), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2007) and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2006). http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Manmohan-Singh-to-get-World-Statesman-award/articleshow/5675431.cms
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - rcscwc - 03-14-2010
Reservation- blue print of a new Pakistan
[size="3"]After this women reservation, it is a matter of time before 15$ and 3% seats are reserved for muslims and xians. Yadav castist chieftains are demanding it, with eyes on muslim vote bank. Mamata too is in favour as she wants to break CPM hold on W. Bengal. Congress has to lpump for it sooner or later. [/size][size="3"][/size] [size="3"]Then it would be back to 1946 when such a reservation took place and India was partitioned. A solid block of about 20% will be enough to put a muslim as a PM. And another Pakistan, with a much bigger chunk going off. This time around the genocide of Hindus will be very, very high.
Is BJP and Hindus blind or they have a death wish?[/size]
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-14-2010
[size="6"][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Britain-plans-to-abolish-House-of-Lords-Report/articleshow/5682236.cms"]Britain plans to abolish House of Lords: Report[/url][/size]
LONDON: The British government may abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a 300-seat fully elected second chamber, a media report said on Sunday.
In fact, plans to do away with the upper house of Parliament are to be unveiled in a draft bill on Lords' reform by British justice secretary Jack Straw in a few weeks' time, just before the general election, 'The Sunday Times' reported.
Although it's unlikely to become law before parliament is dissolved, the plan comes amid growing concern over peers' abuse of expenses, the report said.
The House of Lords currently has 733 members, 78 more than the 646-seat House of Commons. Membership to the Lords was once a right of birth to hereditary peers, but following reforms, these now only form a portion of membership.
And, the Labour government's new blueprint would have all members directly elected, ending the tradition of party patronage. A proportional representation system would be used to select members, with voting taking place at the same time as general elections.
One-third of the new chamber would be elected on each occasion, with members serving three terms -- 15 years -- in a system similar to the one used to select members of the United States Senate, the report said.
The new "peers" could also be subject to a US-style "recall ballot" that would disqualify them for incompetence; and, in the event of death, members would be replaced without the need for by-elections under a best-loser system, it said.
The legislators would be paid a salary, but probably less than the 65,000 pounds now paid to backbench MPs.
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-14-2010
[size="6"][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Pak-army-may-be-paying-compensation-to-slain-26/11-terrorists-kin-US-lawmaker/articleshow/5680607.cms"]Pak army may be paying compensation to slain 26/11 terrorists' kin: US lawmaker[/url][/size]
WASHINGTON: In a remark that further implicates Pakistan's domineering military in charges of supporting terrorism against India, a US lawmaker has alleged that it may be paying compensation to families of terrorists who attacked Mumbai on 26/11.
The stunning charge came from Congressman Gary Ackerman in course of a hearing he convened on the Lashkar-e-Taiba in his capacity if chairman of a House sub-panel on South Asia on Thursday. "There is, in fact, no reason to doubt that Pakistan's military is likely paying compensation to the families of the terrorists killed in the Mumbai attacks," Ackerman said in his prepared remarks at the start of the hearing.
The lawmaker did not elaborate on the charge against the Pakistani military, which if true would be extremely provocative for India at a time New Delhi is pressing Pakistan to take action against masterminds of 9/11. His office had not returned calls at the time of writing. Nine of the ten Pakistani fidayeen (suicidal) terrorists who attacked Mumbai landmarks eventually died after killing 173 people. A lone captured survivor Ajmal Kasab, is now on trial in Mumbai, largely disowned by Pakistan.
Ackermanââ¬â¢s remark about the Pakistani militaryââ¬â¢s complicity in terrorism was just one of several at the hearing by lawmakers and expert witnesses that repeatedly implicated countryââ¬â¢s army and intelligence agencies and barely stopped short of calling Pakistan a terrorist state. The only token qualification to such characterization came from Shuja Nawaz, a Pakistani-American witness from Atlantic Council, who agreed that LeT was a ''Frankenstein's monster created for the purpose of assisting the Kashmiri freedom movement'' but insisted it ''ended up... with an independent agenda.''
"Successive civil and military leaders of Pakistan supported the movement as a strategic asset to counter a powerful India... by waging a war of "a thousand cuts"' Nawaz, who is the brother of a former Pakistan Army chief Asif Nawaz Janjua conceded, while contending that ''Over time, however, the sponsored organization took a life of its own.''
Broadly expressing dismay over the Obama administrationââ¬â¢s lackadaisical approach to the Pakistani militaryââ¬â¢s use of terrorism, the hearing also challenged the notion that the Kashmir issue was the root cause of the problem between India and Pakistan, a proposition advanced only by Congressman Dan Burton, a long-time supporter of Pakistan. Congressman Ackerman described the idea that resolving the Kashmir issue will end terrorism as ''dangerous nonsense.''
''The LeT's true goal is not Kashmir, it is India. And the LeT is not shy about announcing that its intention is to establish an Islamic state in all South Asia,'' Ackerman said. The witnesses broadly agreed with this assessment.
"There is no doubt in my mind that we have to find ways to resolve the issues relating to Kashmir. But I think resolving Kashmir is not going to solve the problems relating to LeT," Ashley Tellis, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said.
"The murder and mayhem is being conducted by groups that have absolutely no connections to Kashmir. To my mind that is story, the fact that this is a group that has operations in 21 countries, that has an ideology that is completely anti-western, that is opposed to modernity and secularism and all the kinds of values that we take for granted. This group is not going to be satisfied by dealing with the issue of Kashmir," he added.
Heritageââ¬â¢s Lisa Curtis challenged Congressman Dan Burtonââ¬â¢s proposition the terrorism problem would not be solved without resolving the future of Kashmir through a plebiscite, saying in her travels to the region she hasnââ¬â¢t heard any support for the idea of a plebiscite and even Gen.Musharraf had dropped the demand in favor of more forward-looking solutions.
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-14-2010
[size="6"][url="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/world/asia/12iht-letter.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss"]Opening Up to the World and Its Evils[/url][/size]
PONDICHERRY, INDIA ââ¬â A dark wind blew into this sleepy, coastal town recently ââ¬â it carried the threat of global terrorism, of bombs and gunmen and unprovoked attacks on soft targets.
On Feb. 13, people thought to be Islamic terrorists bombed a restaurant in the northern city of Pune, killing 17 people. Speculation followed that the location had been chosen for its popularity with Western tourists. The government warned that terrorists appeared to be targeting foreigners in India, and soon a specific advisory was issued for this former French colonial outpost, a popular tourist destination usually associated with yoga, spirituality and the quest for inner peace.
A team of commandos in combat gear was seen driving around town in a jeep, automatic rifles at the ready.
At the French Consulate, on the beach road, where middle-aged pensioners take their evening walks, security forces set up roadblocks and sandbags.
The police and extra security were evident at hotels and tourist attractions. In a depressingly familiar ââ¬â yet in these parts, utterly new ââ¬â routine, visitors were frisked, and bags were examined.
Many of the precautions were clearly for show, designed to instill public confidence. Still, there was a definite undercurrent of worry, a certain anxiety that sprang as much from fear as disbelief. Bars and restaurants were filled with jocular conversations about black bags and unattended luggage. At the entrance to hotels and shopping malls, it was possible to hear derisory ââ¬â and slightly nervous ââ¬â comments about the lax security.
Outlook, a national magazine, ran a cover package that asked: ââ¬ÅAre terrorists targeting foreigners?ââ¬Â One of the stories included photos of Pondicherry and a dramatic quote from a Frenchman who owns a popular restaurant, a backpackerââ¬â¢s hangout now said to be a possible target.
ââ¬ÅWhen you come to India, you donââ¬â¢t mind dying in India,ââ¬Â said Pierre Elouard, the restaurant owner and an acquaintance of mine.
It was all bizarre ââ¬â surreal, really. It was hard to imagine that this peaceful part of the country ââ¬â a town without an airport or until recently even a broad-gauge rail connection, a sun-baked, slow-moving corner that has always felt at the edge of world ââ¬â could really be on the map of global jihad.
Pondicherryââ¬â¢s charm has always lain for me in its isolation ââ¬â its seclusion, its distance from the world, and the sense of perspective (and safety) afforded by that distance.
Yet the more I thought about it, the less surprising the apparent erosion of that safety seemed. After all, weââ¬â¢ve been subjected to wave after wave of globalization over the last couple of decades. I suppose terrorism is just the latest.
Pondicherry has reaped many of the benefits of globalization. In the 1990s, soon after India liberalized its economy, integrated it with the world, the countryââ¬â¢s new wealth started trickling down here, transforming the quiet, tree-lined streets and the surrounding farms and fields.
Old French mansions, high-ceilinged villas that had until then been sequestered behind bright bougainvillea, were opened to the public, turned into restaurants and designer hotels.
Farms gave way to real-estate development, the open plains and coconut plantations of rural South India slowly choked by ornate apartment blocks.
Pondicherry woke up, grew more ambitious ââ¬â and more wealthy. The wealth was evident in the flash of new jewelry stores and shopping malls, in the shine of the cars and S.U.V.ââ¬â¢s, many imported, that clogged its roads.
Globalization is a multifaceted phenomenon, of course, a modern Hydra, and from the beginning this wealth has been accompanied, too, by certain less desirable characteristics.
Like much of India, Pondicherry has suffered from growing congestion, noise and environmental pollution. The wealth has not been distributed equally. Old patterns of living have been disrupted, and the resulting social disorientation has occasionally broken out into lawlessness and violence.
All this we have learned to accept as the modern condition. We take ââ¬â we have been forced to take ââ¬â the bad with the good. We know that globalization is a package, inseparable into its component parts.
Now, we are being confronted with a new part of the package. Global terrorism is inextricably linked to global capitalism ââ¬â financed by it, a reaction to it, fueled by the resentments it has engendered around the globe.
Money always has a cost. I suppose it would have been naïve to think that we could take it ââ¬â that we could grow wealthy, climb out of the poverty that has for so long defined this area ââ¬â without paying a price.
I suppose it was naïve, too, to hope that we could sit in our living rooms, watching the senseless violence of the world unfold on our televisions, pretending all the while that we werenââ¬â¢t part of that world. No corner, how matter how geographically remote, is immune. Globalization, as the former United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, once put it, is a force like gravity ââ¬â unstoppable, inevitable and frequently crushing.
On a recent Friday evening, rumors swept through town that a bomb had been found in the train station. The police fanned out to other potential targets, warning shopkeepers and hotel owners. They asked them to install metal detectors. They advised them to screen customers carefully.
By the next day, it turned out to have been a false alarm. An abandoned bag had indeed been found; a bomb squad had been deployed, but the bag contained only some clothes and utensils.
So the panic was premature. Pondicherry is still safe. But I canââ¬â¢t help feeling that weââ¬â¢ve crossed a certain line ââ¬â that weââ¬â¢ve been thrust into a battle we never imagined ourselves part of, that weââ¬â¢ve been forced to confront an evil we always assumed had no interest in us.
No matter how often I tell myself that I have moved here to move away from the world, that I have found a safe haven for my children, a place where they can grow up removed from the madness of out there, reality keeps intruding. The world keeps reminding me that Iââ¬â¢m part of it.
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Guest - 03-15-2010
[size="6"][url="http://www.zeenews.com/news611143.html"]Fresh trouble for Modi; CBI may move SC in Sohrabuddin case[/url][/size]
New Delhi: Within days of being summoned for enquiry by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the 2002 Gujarat riots case, Chief Minister Narendra Modi is facing fresh trouble with the CBI planning to move the Supreme Court again in the alleged Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seems to have run into differences with the Gujarat government and may approach the SC as the state has been declining to handover details of a police encounter of Tulsi Prajapati, who is believed to be an eyewitness in the Sohrabuddin encounter case.
The CBI, which was directed by the Supreme Court to investigate into the fake encounter of Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausarbi in 2005, had approached the Gujarat government seeking details of the police encounter of Prajapati, an undertrial who was lodged at Udaipur jail.
According to the state police, Prajapati was killed when he tried to escape from the custody while being shifted back to Gujarat from Rajasthan after attending a court trial.
When contacted, CBI spokesperson Harsh Bahal said, "The Supreme Court had directed the CBI to also look into the larger conspiracy behind the Sohrabuddin case. In this connection, the case record of the death of Prajapati was called for from the government and Director General of Police Gujarat, which is yet to come."
While he refused to divulge further, sources in the investigating agency said if the state government continued to decline the information, the agency may approach the apex court again seeking directions for handing over the details of Prajapati case to it.
The state government had rejected the information to the CBI on the ground that the agency was directed to investigate only Sohrabuddin's killing.
Prajapati's killing had raised many eyebrows as he was perceived to be a sole witness to the killing of Sohrabuddin and his wife. They both were labelled as gangsters.
Prajapati was eliminated by Gujarat police in an encounter in Banaskantha district and the police had said the accused was trying to escape after firing at the personnel escorting him, a claim challenged by the Forensic laboratory report and the Railway Police.
According to the investigations, Prajapati had written a letter from Rajasthan jail to his brother in which he had claimed that he was the lone witness to the "cold-blooded murder" of Sohrabuddin and Kausarbi and Gujarat police was scheming to kill him. The deceased had asked his kin to file a writ petition in Rajasthan High court to prevent his transfer back to Gujarat police.
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - rcscwc - 03-18-2010
Naroda Patia ka kadwa sach
Docââ¬â¢s testimony nails lie in Naroda Patia fetus story
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Ahmedabad: One of the most gory stories of the Naroda Patia massacre, of how a pregnant womanââ¬â¢s womb was ripped open and the fetus dangled on the tip of a sword by the mob, before she was killed, has been busted by a testimony given by a government doctor. After 95 persons were killed on February 28, 2002 at Naroda Patia, stories were doing rounds that the killers had cut open eight-month pregnant Kausar Bano Shaikhââ¬â¢s womb, pulled out the fetus and killed her.
Dr J S Kanoria, who conducted postmortem on the womanââ¬â¢s body on March 2, told the special court on Wednesday, supported by documents, that he found the fetus intact. He said he was posted at Nadiad but called to the Civil Hospital following the emergency when he conducted the autopsy on an unidentified body, which was later identified as Kausar Bano.
Kanoria showed his post-mortem report to the court saying he found the fetus intact in the womanââ¬â¢s womb itself. The fetus weighed 2,500 g and was 45 cm long. He mentioned about burn injuries in his post-mortem note, but was quiet on whether there was any other injury on the body.
In April last year, the Gujarat government argued before the SC on this case after SIT submitted a report in a sealed cover. The governmentââ¬â¢s claim was that SIT had refuted charges that Kausar Banoââ¬â¢s fetus was pulled out of her womb and killed by sword before her eyes by violent mob. Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi contended that such allegations levelled by an NGO were proved false by SIT report. Nearly a year later, the doctor, considered a neutral witness, has deposed the same before the trial court.
[url="http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=CAP&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI"][color="#02679c"]http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=CAP&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI[/color][/url]
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Bharatvarsh2 - 03-21-2010
Don't worry most Muslims are very patriotic (just as the pre partition Mulims were) and this obviously shall never happen except in the paranoid minds of Hindu fanatics (just as partition never happened).
Besides we are secular & have no roots or claim upon land as Hindus even though it was our ancestors who have been in this land for over 5000 years and built this civilization and shed their blood to make it independent (while the Muslims & Christians were happily kissing British ass).
You are just a communal fanatic out to stir up trouble in secular India.
As MMS has told us minorities have first claim upon resources in secular India and Hindus like the untermensch they are just have to accept their dhimmi status.
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Arun_S - 03-23-2010
[url="http://news.oneindia.in/cj/dipin-d/2010/bhagat-singh-died-for-nationalism-not-communism.html"]Bhagat Singh died for nationalism, not communism[/url]
Quote:Tuesday, March 23, 2010, On this day (Mar 23) entire Bharat is commemorating the heroic sacrifice made by three young patriots on 23 Mar, 1931. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru gladly kissed the gallows on this day by singing the song that praises their motherland Bharat.
After long 79 years of their execution we are still debating on the legacy of this revolutionary patriot. For all of us, the chronicle of Bhagat Singh is a source of inspiration in serving Bharat Bhavani.
To my knowledge he sacrificed his precious life for a noble cause, for the liberation of Bharat from the invaders, for nationalism. Undoubtedly Bhagatââ¬â¢s legacy belongs to every Bharati.
But for the communists (experts in transforming sheep to dog), he died for communism and not for nationalism. They are incessantly advocating Bhagat as their poster boy, for several years they have been using Goebalsian tricks to claim Bhagatââ¬â¢s legacy.
They are injecting fake stories about Bhagat into the blood of youth who are ignorant about Bharatââ¬â¢s history. Discarding the historical facts, the communists become angry with the Sangh inspired organizations for propagating Bhagatââ¬â¢s ideals.
The communistsââ¬â¢ ideologues conveniently ignoring the truth that the roots of Bhagat Singhââ¬â¢s ideology lie in the very concept of Hindu Rashtra. To figure out the ideology of this extraordinary patriot we have to go through some crucial stages of the 23 year long Bhagatââ¬â¢s life.
Bhagat was born into a family of patriots, who were the staunch followers of Arya Samaj. His grandfather Arjun was an activist of Arya Samaj, father Kishan Singh and Uncle Ajith Singh were members of Ghadar party, founded in US intended to hurl out the British rule in Bharat.
The habitual argument of Marxists is that Bhagat was an atheist; he was not a believer of idol worship, so he has nothing to do with Hindutva.
I remind the pseudo historians that during the younger days Bhagat was guided by the philosophy of Arya Samaj founded by Swami Dayanand Sarawati. Arya Samaj is a patriotic organization formed to fight against social inequality and to inculcate patriotism in youth. The Samaj are against idol worship, they believe only in the supremacy of Vedas.
Obviously Bhagat happened to be a follower of this view and turned out to be a fierce nationalist.
Also, Bhagat studied in Dayanand Anglo Vedic School and later in the National College of Lahore (founded by hard nationalists Lala Lajpat Rai and Bhai Parmanand).
The second stage was Bhagatââ¬â¢s association with revolutionary patriots and nationalist organizations. In many instances Bhagat openly expressed that he was inspired by the sagas of two great patriots Chatrapati Shivaji and Maharana Pratap.
In Bharat, the Communist Party was officially formed in 1925 but till his death Bhagat was never a member of this party. Bhagat encultured the primary lessons of politics from Scheendranath Sanyal, the founder of HRA (Hindustan Republican Association) and not from any communist.
The purpose of HRA was to create a Federative Republic of Indian States rooted in the ideology of Sanathan Dharma.
Later the organization was renamed as HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association) under the leadership of Bhagat Singh and Azad to unify the revolutionary movements all over the country.
Bhagatââ¬â¢s close associates, Rama Prasad Bismil (an Arya Samajist and pracharak of Hindu Rashtra), Chandra Shekar Azad, Mohammed Ashfaqullah Khan were all followers of Sanathan dharma.
The third stage was his association with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Bhagat's concept was firmly rooted in the ancient culture and tradition of Bharat. Bhagat came to know about the activities of Sangh through Shivram Rajguru, an active Swayamsevak (Maharashtra) and his comrade in HSRA.
He is very anxious to know about Dr Hedgewar (Doctorji) and the functioning of Sangh. Once, he shared his great respect towards Doctorji with Rajguru.
After the assassination of Saunders in 1928 (by Bhagat and Rajguru), Bhagat advised Rajguru to seek help from Doctorji for a shelter and he sent Raj to Nagpur, where the RSS head office located.
Thus his vision is parallel to that of the Akhant Bharat Sankalp of RSS. But unfortunately Bhagatââ¬â¢s ideals are misinterpreted by the Communists to achieve their vested interests.
So my dear young comrades, that sacrifice is for nationalism; not for the alien ideology of communism. Let us pay our tribute to the great son of Bharatmaa.
[url="http://www.ptinews.com/news/578491_Bhagat--Rajguru--Sukhdev-martyrdom-remembered"]Bhagat, Rajguru, Sukhdev martyrdom remembered[/url][color="#f47622"][/color]
Quote:Hussainiwala (Punjab), Mar 23 (PTI) Paying Rich tributes to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on their 79th martyrdom anniversary today, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal regretted that their dreams of a prosperous country are yet to come true.
"It is sad that the aspirations of our freedom fighters have not yet been fulfilled because they dreamt of an independent India free from illiteracy, unemployment and starvation," Badal said here.
Even after 60 years of freedom, the Centre has not been able to provide basic civic amenities to the common man, he said.
Badal, who announced a grant of Rs 50 lakh for beautification and development of Shahedi Samarak at Hussainiwala, however, said "It is our duty to nurture the feeling of nationalism amongst our youth.
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Capt M Kumar - 06-17-2010
Why Raajneeti seems to have drawn people and audiences of all ilk and held them there for the entire length of the film is also about how the 1990s and 2000s stereotype of the one-dimensional, evil and grimy politician has been replaced by a multifaceted set of politicos, deeply ambitious of course, but portrayed in all kinds of colour and with much more texture than what we even got to see in Prakash Jha's earlier "political" offers (Apaharan and Gangajal). Perhaps a part of the answer lies in Jha's closer understanding of the electoral system after his stint as a Lok Janshakti Party candidate in Bihar in 2009. The anger and the regional stereotypes that limited the imagination to the venal Uttar Pradesh-Bihar, somewhat BIMARU thug are missing from Raajneeti's landscape. Shot in Bhopal, a mix of sets and actual backdrops, it could be any state and any city -Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore, Mantralaya in Mumbai or even Sansad Marg in Delhi. http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4017122&page=7
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - ramana - 06-17-2010
Capt. Kumar, Congrats on your 1001 post!
Miscellaneous news and discussion - 2 - Capt M Kumar - 07-05-2010
Thanx Ramana.
Even in the case of Madani, once a key accused in the Coimbatore serial bombings case, the Congress in Kerala joined hands with the Marxists demanding his release from prison in Tamil Nadu. Following his release, the Congress and the Marxists competed with each other to give him a heroââ¬â¢s welcome. Can we ever hope to win the war against terrorism with such a mindset and in the absence of any political conviction or commitment? Is this what secularism has come to mean in the secular republic of India? Must the people continue to suffer?
http://www.dailypioneer.com/266963/Cynical-politicsweak-state.html