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If ‘Hitler’ is gunning for votes, ‘Bichhu’ is out to sting rivals
New Delhi
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Sonia, Rahul to campaign
Mizoram
LS/Assembly Polls
Digvijay Singh, Scindia share dais after one
year
14-lakh decrease in MP voters’ list
Wooing voters with mouth-fresheners
Polls Sidelights
Grant permanent commission to serving women: HC
Appointment of Judges
Pak declares cyber war on India
Sandalwood availability in Mysore declining
1 lakh turtles died along Orissa coast, says Greenpeace
Contemporary films lack content, say veterans
Top IT firms, MS distributors under DRI scanner
Indiabulls Retail puts on hold expansion plans
ISRO has no plans for solar mission: Nair
Centre urges NE states to set up anti-terrorist squads
IGNOU relaxes MBA entrance criteria
Economic Recession
Malegaon Blasts
JMM leader Soren behind the agitation
Raj meets ailing Bal Thackeray
Portrayal of Husain’s life and creations
Tiger census begins in north Bengal
Prez medal conferred on Intelligence officer
Antony welcomes Zardari’s statement
‘Bilateral talks right for Kashmir issue’
Ezhimala Naval Academy to commission in January
Smriti Irani’s chopper makes emergency landing
Three held for violating code of conduct
2 code violation cases registered
Notice to BJP on controversial photos
NSD to set up centre in Kolkata Abhinav Bharat to move court on Pragya’s behalf
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If ‘Hitler’ is gunning for votes, ‘Bichhu’ is out to sting rivals
Hail Hitler! This is not some kind of a war cry from any fundamentalist group but an appeal from an independent candidate to voters to ensure his victory in the Madhya Pradesh poll battle.
But why in the name of 'Hitler', you may ask. There is no need to feel shocked. He is not asking people to vote for him in the name of the Second World War machine - Hitler. In fact, 'Hitler' is candidate Goverdhan Patel's nickname. This 'Hitler' is in the poll race from Balaghat. Madhya Pradesh is known for candidates being referred to by their nicknames and even seeking votes by those names. Some candidates are also highlighting their professional 'titles' to attract the attention. In the list of more than 3,100 candidates contesting for 230 seats, one comes across a lot of nicknames. Such candidates are in all parties. As someone said that 'funny names' are adding spice to the election scene. If Goverdhan Patel 'Hitler' has opened his campaign guns in Balaghat, there is independent Jitendra Singh Tomar 'Bichhu' trying to sting his rivals in Dimni. In the tribal Betul constituency, Azad Chandrashekhar Pandole 'Samajsevak' is reminding people the services he has rendered to them as a social worker. In Siddhi, Sajjan Singh 'Mr' is apparently expecting everyone to address him with respect. "There’s a preference for nicknames over the real names as most voters won't be knowing the contestant's formal name,'' explained a shopkeeper here. On huge roadside hoardings and in newspaper advertisements, the candidates are highlighting their nicknames or those titles by which they are popular in their area. However, nicknames will be missing in the candidates' list at the time of polling. One can see a large variety of nicknames — 'Papaji', 'Pappu', 'Uncle', 'Kakaji', 'Pammy', 'Sunny', etc. Then there are also 'Kakki', 'Gaddi', 'Netaji' and 'Kaptan' in the fray. All over Madhya Pradesh, 'Bhaiyaji' is a popular way to address people and many candidates are using it to boost their local image. And candidates coming under the senior citizens category have added 'Dada Bhai' or 'Kakka' to their names to highlight their goodwill in society. Some candidates are seeking votes by adding their profession to the name: Rajesh Nagwanshi 'Press Wale' (Piparia), Mushtaq Pathan 'Raja Babu Barafwale' (Sehore), Surendra Soni 'Patrakar' (Hoshangabad), Umesh Kumar Bari 'Patrakar' (Khategaon) and Sheikh Sikandar 'Engine Mechanic' (Sohagpur). Similarly, over a dozen 'Advocate', 'Engineer' and 'Thekedars' (contractors) are standing in the polling arena, with their professional title attached to their names. "I am more known in my area by my title than my real name," says Ashok Patel 'Kaptan', who is in the fray from Hatpipalia. There are some more such candidates: Abdul Gafoor 'Guddu Peerji' (Badwaha), Ramesh Patel 'Shergarh' (Badnawar), Imrat Singh Lodhi 'Netaji' (Narsinghpur), Rajendra Ranchhor Parsai 'Nannu Maharaj (Khargone). Then there is Congress leader Mool Singh 'Dada Bhai' from Raghogarh, and another candidate Lalaram 'Uncle' from the same constituency. Veer Singh 'Papaji' is contesting from Pawai and Brijmohan Dhoot 'Kakaji' from Khategaon. Harisingh Raghuvanshi 'Badda' and Harisingh Rajput 'Kakka' are also trying their luck. Those who are sticking to their childhood nicknames are: Brahmadutta Mishra 'Chhote', Ram Niwas Gautam 'Guddu', Kamlesh Prasad Pandey 'Pappu', Vijay Kumar Pandey 'Pappu Maharaj', Dr Sonal Sharma 'Sonu', Bharat Kumar Jain 'Bholu Seth', Jeevan Lal Patel 'Babloo Patel', Gulabdas 'Guloo Dubey', Yogendra Duby 'Galphulli Bhaiya' and Dhirendra Kumar Singh 'Munni Singh'. Members of the erstwhile royal families have been using their titles even now. They feel offended if they are not addressed as 'maharaj', 'maharani', 'raja sahib', and 'kunwar sahib.' In elections, they prominently use their pre-Independence titles. More than 10 'rajas' are contesting the assembly elections. Even they are using their popular nicknames: Yadvendra Singh 'Jaggu Raja' (Tikamgarh), Raj Kumar Singh 'Munna Raja' (Bijawar), Manvender Singh 'Bhanwar Raja' (Maharajpur), D. Mani Singh 'Babbu Raja' (Chhatarpur), and Congress nominee Vikram Singh 'Nati Raja' (Rajnagar). There are some 'ranis' as well. While Asha Rani is contesting from Bijawar constituency on a BJP ticket, Divya Rani is trying her luck as a Congress nominee from Pawai. Many people ask what is there in a name. There may be 'nothing' but the assembly elections are showing that, definitely, there is something in a nickname. At least, these nicknames or 'funny names' are adding spice to the 'election menu' before the voters.
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New Delhi
New Delhi, November 23 She said the terrorists should not be associated with any community, caste and religion. As a political party, the Congress was duty bound to face this challenge to provide relief to people. Addressing her first rally for the Delhi Assembly elections to be held on November 29, she said the UPA government in the Centre had undertaken development works in various fields. The Congress government had laid down strong economic foundation for progress and overall development of the nation. “Today, we have strong economy and the world accepts this,” Sonia Gandhi said. Giving example of the nuclear deal, she said the Congress government took the decision keeping in mind long-term effects. This nuclear energy would help in industrialisation. She appealed to the citizens of Delhi to help the Congress form the government for the third consecutive time as for the past 10 years it had proved to be a government committed to development, employment, education and providing health facilities. Attacking the BJP, she said it made false promises to misguide people. During its five- year rule from 1993 to 1998, the BJP had changed three Chief Ministers. “But the Congress party had only one Chief Minister for the past 10 years because we believe in work not occupying the chair,” she said. When the Congress came to power 10 years back, the situation was different. Now the entire face of the city has changed, she added. The Congress government gave relief to 40 lakh residents of unauthorised colonies after issuing provision certificates to the resident welfare associations of the colonies. The regularisation of unauthorised colonies had been done only during the reign of the Congress party - once when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister, second during the Congress led-UPA government. This was done by making an amendment in the ‘Master Plan of Delhi 2021’, she said. She sought cooperation of the electorates to do more development work in Delhi. “Nothing can be done without the people’s support and that is why the Congress government in Delhi has launched the ‘Bhagidari’ scheme,” Sonia said.
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Sonia, Rahul to campaign
Jaipur, November 23 Gandhi will reach Behror from New Delhi on November 26 to address an election rally in nearby Bhatida town, Congress spokesman Mohan Prakash said here. Later in the
afternoon, she will address a public meeting in Jhunjhunu city for party nominees in that district, Prakash said. Likewise, party general secretary
Rahul Gandhi will tour the state on November 27 to address a series of public meetings in different constituencies in
Ajmer, Nagaur, Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur districts, he added. — UNI
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Mizoram
Aizawl, November 23 The 40-member Mizoram Assembly is going to polls on December 2. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s campaign in Serchhip has boosted the confidence of Congress workers in the state, party sources said. Other Congress heavyweights like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are scheduled to hold rallies in the state capital and nearby constituencies. Political analysts feel these rallies will aid the Congress’ flagging morale before the Assembly
elections. Rahul, whose grandmother Indira Gandhi, father Rajiv Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi are popular in
Mizoram, has campaigned for Lalthanhawla in Serchhip. Huge crowds greeted Rahul Gandhi during his visit on Friday and it has boosted the confidence of the former Chief Minister. “The mood is upbeat and the Congress is going to win this elections,” says an upbeat
Lalthanhawla. — PTI
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LS/Assembly Polls
Kolkata, November 23 Party secretary Rahul Gandhi has already announced that the WBPCC leaders were negotiating with Mamata Banerjee for jointly fighting the Lok Sabha polls against the CPM. Mamata may share the dais with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee at a function going to be held at Malda town on December 6. Singh will inaugurate the late A.B.A Ghani Khan Chowdhury’s statue there. According to sources, veteran leader Somen Mitra, who had been a closed loyalist of the late leader all through, may also be invited there. It is likely that for strengthening the party in the state, Mitra will be brought back as the WBPCC president since Priya Das Munshi has been critically ill for over a month. The AICC leadership feels that Mitra’s long experiences and organisational capabilities will help revamp the party at the grass-roots level. Working president Pradip Bhattacharyya welcomed the move of the AICC. Both Mitra and the late Khan Chowdhury wanted that both Congress and the TMC should fight jointly against the CPM in the forthcoming elections. After Chowdhury’s death, Mitra founded the Democratic Indira Congress (DIC) and joined hands with Mamata for fulfilling the late leader’s wish. Congressmen in general are in favour of jointly fighting with the TMC and other Left parties since they are convinced that they alone can never defeat the CPM. Mamata also had been making the move to get all anti-Left forces united against the CPM. Mamata said she would be happy to get united with the Congress to fight against the CPM. TMC leader Partha Chatterjee expressed confidence that they would defeat the CPM in the elections and oust them from power if all anti-CPM parties were united. In the ongoing municipal elections in Howrah and several other districts, both Congress and the TMC have united against the
CPM.
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Age has not deterred him; Panditji is SP candidate
He fought his first assembly election from the Nadbai-Vair constituency in 1957 on a Samajwadi Party ticket but lost to Raja Mann Singh of the Congress. Today, 51 years later Ram Krishan Sharma is back on the poll scene, tirelessly moving about the same villages with his supporters asking for votes. And this time opposing him on a BJP ticket is Krishnender Kaur, daughter of Raja Mann Singh.
80 year- old Sharma is probably the oldest candidate in the fray in Rajasthan and is the stalwart of the Samajwadi Party. He is the only surviving founding member of the party. “The SP broke away from the socialist wing of the Indian National Congress in 1948 and I have been with it since then,” he says. Fondly called Panditji, Sharma is witness to a whole era of national politics. “I have moved around these villages campaigning on foot, a cycle and even on a rickshaw. I won the elections then in Rs 600. But now everything is changed. Filthy amounts are spent on campaigning,” he adds. And it is not just the cost of campaigning which has changed over the years. “There is such a great deal of moral and value degradation that I find it difficult to come to terms with it. In those days before the 1980s we would talk about our party, its ideology and philosophy to the voters. We would impress them with our ideas and thoughts. But now it is totally different. Now it is either what caste you belong to, how much money and liquor you can flow during elections which matters," he says. Sharma began his political career as a student leader during the Quit India Movement of 1942. "After that I joined the INC and have been in politics ever since. We have been with top national leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia, Jai Prakash Narayan and Chandreshekhar, Lal Krishan Advani," he recalls. Considered to be the best orator of the Rajasthan assembly, age has not dulled the spark in Panditji. "I have never changed my party and do not believe in sacrificing my ideology for the sake of power. I have remained MLA many times and also MP. I believe that we are here to work for the downtrodden and the poor," he says. Father of the land reform movement in Rajasthan, in 1965, Panditji became the zila pramukh and remained at the post for 14 years. He introduced a system of social justice during this period during which jobs were given to the poor and oppressed. "He was the only opposition, who won from Bharatpur in 1974 assembly elections and was one of the leaders, who was arrested during the emergency," relates his son Shailesh. Other than one election of 1998, Panditji has contested every election in the state these past 50 years, many of which he lost but his spirits remain undefeated. And as he begins his address at a "chunavi sabha" its obvious Panditji has chosen to call a spade a spade instead of indulging in desperate politics. "All I can promise you is that I will put all my energies working for the people. What we believed in 50 years ago is what we say now. The rich are edging out the poor from the democratically chosen institutions. It is part of a planned strategy and we have seen through it," he tells his voters.
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Digvijay Singh, Scindia share dais after one
year
Guna (MP), November 23 The two came together on the same dais at an election meeting for Congress candidate Sangita Rajak in village Bhadore, about 35 km from here. In his address on the occasion, Singh said that a wave in favour of Congress was evident throughout Madhya Pradesh as observed by him during his campaign tour in 35 districts of the state. The former chief minister said that the formation of the Congress government in the state after the assembly polls was inevitable. “Issues of Bijli, Sadak and Pani were still there,” Singh said. After the meeting, the two leaders went in the same vehicle to the helipad and from there they left for their respective programmes.
— PTI
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14-lakh decrease in MP voters’ list
New Delhi, November 23 According to the state election commission data, the number of voters this time stands at 3.63 crore as against 3.78 crore in the 2003 assembly polls. The names of 14.24 lakh voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls as the election officials cited migration and deaths, the reasons behind the change in the list. “Many people from the state have moved to neighbouring states in search of jobs or for other personal reasons. While some have died," a senior state election official said. However, the number of service voters has increased by more than 10,000. As many as 6,826 female service voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the elections. "There is an increase of 10,230 service voters. In the last elections, there were 13,609 service voters in comparison to 23,839 service voters this time," he said. Extra police personnel have been deployed on sensitive booths in the state for polls.
— PTI
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Wooing voters with mouth-fresheners
New Delhi, November 23 This is besides a raging demand for masks of political leaders. “Over the years, trends in advertisement accessories have changed. From traditional flags and banners, it has changed to fresheners and fashion materials,” says Abdul Gaffar Ansari, a trader at Sadar Bazaar who had been supplying poll publicity material for the past 20 years. The fashion accessories that are in demand from various parties, particularly the BSP, include clips, bands, lockets and bangles with the party symbols, he says. Seeing a big crowd of children in rallies, it was the traders who conceived the idea of using mouth fresheners with wrappers having the party symbol on it. The mask mania has also gripped the capital’s parties where the demand from the Congress is for party’s young face Rahul Gandhi. For the BJP, party patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee still has the “poster boy” image. “Most of the Congress candidates are demanding masks with Rahul’s face on it, while the BJP candidates ask for Vajpayee’s face on banners, posters and masks,” says Madanlal, another shopkeeper.
— PTI
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Polls Sidelights
Rajnagar (Chhatarpur district): Believe it or not, many prominent members of royal families of pre-Independence days, who still prefer to be addressed as "maharaj," "raja sahib," "kunwar sahib" and "maharani sahiba," have joined the Dalit bandwagon with the aim to remain in power!
The former feudal lords have shifted their loyalty from the parties claiming to represent "aam aadmi" to the one whose vote bank once formed their "praja" - poor people belonging to the OBCs, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minority communities. In the Bundelkhand region of north Madhya Pradesh, many "rajas" made a beeline to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to get the poll ticket. At least, four "rajas" have switched over their loyalties from the Congress to the BSP to jump into the poll arena. One of them, Raja Shankar Pratap, even declined the Congress ticket for the Chhatarpur constituency. He preferred the BSP ticket from adjoining Rajnagar seat. When someone wondered why these "raja-maharajas" had joined Mayawati's political outfit BSP, representing mainly oppressed Dalits, a Congress leader commented, "Maybe, they still love to ride the elephant." The BSP's election symbol is “hathi”. "And," he said, "it suits 'bahenji' also to have these raja-maharajas in her vanity bag -- and because of her social engineering concept, she can now boast about royal blood connections also!"
Eunuchs, no longer crowd-pullers
Kotma (District Anuppur)/Shivpuri (near Gwalior): Eunuch (hijra or kinnar) candidates are no longer attracting crowds and media attention. When a decade ago, a eunuch, Shabnam Mausi, contested the assembly poll from Suhagpur, she hit headlines in the state and national media. As Shabnam Mausi was the first eunuch to contest an election in India, and win it too to become the "first hijra MLA," the world Press and TV channels had given her massive exposure. Shabnam Mausi is again in the poll race, with her band of eunuchs, campaigning in their traditional dancing and singing style. She is contesting from Kotma in the new Anuppur district as a Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate. In Shivpuri, near Gwalior, another eunuch, Lalli Mausi, is in the field as an independent candidate. Her group members are going from door to door to dance and sing. "Give your vote to our Mausi, and we will pray to God for your family's good health and happiness," they plead while leaving. This time, the media is also not paying much attention to eunuch candidates as they have seen many of them contesting elections for the assembly and civic bodies in the past decade. "Also, the voters noticed that elected eunuch leaders' performance has been no better or worse than that of the other men or women candidates," pointed out the Bhopal-based veteran media expert Suresh
Mehrotra.
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Grant permanent commission to serving women: HC
New Delhi, November 23 The High Court’s tough talk on benefits for women serving officers followed the government’s claim that it had decided to grant permanent commission to women officers who would be recruited in future. The government’s policy decision, however, did not go down well with the High Court which directed it not to overlook the cause of the serving women officers. “This is a salutary step taken by the three Armed Services but still falls short of our expectations. This would imply that there was no jam yesterday, no jam today and only jam tomorrow,” observed a Division Bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Mool Chand Garg in an order. “It may not be possible to reopen past cases but we can see no cogent reason why at least for women personnel who are still in service, the policy can not be made applicable,” the court ordered. Following High Court’s earlier direction to treat women officers at par with their male counterparts in armed forces, the Central government in September took a policy decision to grant permanent commission to those women officers who would be recruited in future in Judge Advocate General and education departments. It was decided that the benefits would not be extended to serving women officers. The direction came on petitions filed by women officers, through counsel Rekha Palli, seeking direction to the Centre to stop alleged discrimination against them in the matter of grant of permanent commission. The petitioners contended that unlike their male counterpart they were not granted permanent commission and were forced to retire after 10 years of service despite being fit for the job. “Female officers cannot be discriminated against by declining to grant them permanent commission and by releasing them from service after just 10 years when they are physically fit,” she said.
— PTI
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Appointment of Judges
New Delhi, November 23 The commission, in its 214th report, has suggested two options: Enactment of a law, restoring the primacy of the Chief Justice of India and the power of the executive to make the appointments or seeking a reconsideration by the Supreme Court of its three judgments on the subject. A re-look was necessary as the judges in the collegium were not aware of the credentials of the candidates being considered for appointment as judges in the high courts and the apex court, the commission, headed by former Supreme Court Judge A.R. Lakshmanan, said. The commission did not refer to the recent corruption charges against the judiciary. However, its report has come close on the heels of such allegations that have led to the initiation of impeachment proceedings against Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen and handing over to the CBI the Ghaziabad PF scam case involving several high court judges. Further, the CBI was allowed to examine two Punjab and Haryana High Court judges Nirmaljeet Kaur and Nirmal Yadav in another scam relating to the delivery of Rs 15 lakh in cash-at-the-doorstep of a judge. The report has also come in the midst of a face-off between the executive and the judiciary over the seniority issue in the proposed appointment of three judges to the Supreme Court. The collegium insisted on promoting High Court Chief Justices H.L. Dattu (Kerala), A.K. Ganguly (Madras) and R.M. Lodha (Patna) as judges of the apex court. The collegium had overruled the reported objections from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) relating to overlooking the seniority of Chief Justices A.P. Shah (Delhi HC), A.K. Patnaik (Madhya Pradesh) and V.K. Gupta (Uttarakhand).’ The commission said its recommendations were based on its study, undertaken suo motu, which examined the law on the subject, various recommendations of Parliament Standing Committees and the practices in other countries such as the US, Australia, Canada and Kenya. It said the executive was the sole authority for the appointment of judges in the countries covered by the study, or the executive was doing it in consultation with the Chief Justice. This was in contrast with the practice in India since 1993 under which the recommendations of the Supreme Court collegium, headed by the Chief Justice, were binding on the government. While law minister H.R. Bhardwaj, to whom the report was submitted yesterday, has recently stated that the collegium system has failed, Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan has spoken against any drastic changes in the present practice. The commission said the judges constituting the collegium “are not conversant with the names and antecedents of the candidates and more often than not appointments suffer from lack of adequate information”.
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Pak declares cyber war on India
Chandigarh, November 23 The defacement of the Indian websites was in retaliation to the hacking of the website of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, allegedly by Indian hackers under the guides of the Hindu Militant Group (HMG). The Pakistani website was reportedly hacked on November 17. The ONGC website, which remained defaced for over hours, read the message from the PCA, WARNING Indian hackers against any further ‘intrusion in Pakistan’s cyber space’. The message read: “This is a message from the PCA for HMG in return to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority defacement. Back off, go read some course books. Else you will loose both, your name and this game. We will literally SMOKE YOUR DOORS OFF like other groups did before. This is a warning for the Indian authorities either to launch inquiry against HMG or get ready for more action. We are sleeping but not dead. Now face the consequences”. The official website of the public sector oil major was defaced around 4.30 pm. As the news of the hacking flowed through the cyber space, the ONGC authorities got into action and the website was restored around 5.30 pm. Confirming the defacement, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said they had managed to remove the obscene remarks on the website within a short span of time. Though not much is known about the PCA except that the hacked page is posted on Yahoo geocities under the user name doser-dalnet. The Indian hackers, HMG is run by a guy called Sneak, who calls himself and his group as Guardians of Hindustan. They share the ideology of the Hindu militant organisations and are very active on social networking site, Orkut. They have hacked number of Pakistani online communities and also owned responsibility.
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Sandalwood availability in Mysore declining
Mysore, November 23 Craftspersons, who were doing intricate works of art since ages, are now shifting from sandalwood to other raw materials that are easy to procure. If the present trend continues, the region’s association with sandalwood will soon be a thing of past. Sandalwood produced in Mysore is universally acknowledged as the best in the world and had made Tipu Sultan to declare it as a royal tree in 1792. But, the classification of sandalwood under the threatened species and its inclusion in the red list was not adequately publicised. The fact is that the availability of sandalwood has declined and hard to get.
Sources at handicrafts marketing and extension centre here told that the decimation of the habitant and rampant smuggling in the past had reduced the supply of sandalwood, forcing the artisans to shift their preference to ‘white wood’ or sivani wood. Reckoned to be suitable for growth in dry deciduous forests region surrounding Mysore-Chamarajanagara belt, the place was apt for the rare species to grow under natural conditions. But, over harvesting, smuggling and the government’s strict policy regulation, which was a continuation of the British policy, ensured the downfall of the this aromatic plant which was another feather in the cap of Mysore that gave the region a unique aura. Natural habitat for sandalwood in Mysore region, included Chamundi hills, Bandipur National Park forests, Maddur range, Yediyala, Arabhitittu, Punajanur forests, BR Hills, K Gudi forests, M M Hills and surrounding areas. But the free hand which the forest brigand Veerappan had and the relentless smuggling rung the deathknell of this rare species. Sandalwood is found only in a few countries, including India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines, but over the years, India’s production (mainly from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) has declined while the inferior variety from other countries was flooding the international market.
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1 lakh turtles died along Orissa coast, says Greenpeace
Bhubaneswar, November 23 “Independent studies suggest turtle mortalities remain in the range of 10,000 to 15,000 every year across the Orissa coast. This amounts to over 100,000 dead Olive Ridley turtles washed ashore in the past 10 years,” it said in an approach paper titled “Turning seas of trouble into seas of plenty.” Though government estimates showed drop in mortality from 13,575 in 1997-98 to 3,242 in 2006-07, Sanjiv Gopal of Greenpeace, releasing the approach paper here said casualty could be much higher as all carcasses would not wash ashore. Seeking quick steps for effective management of Orissa’s marine resources, he said the current turtle season should bring a change for the fishing community and the Olive Ridley turtles if the government implemented existing instruments to ensure sustainable management. Sustainable fisheries management would safeguard the livelihood of over 4.5 lakh traditional fishermen, hit by falling fish catches in near shore waters, Greenpeace said. It said the Forest Department needed to progressively reduce turtle mortality over the next five seasons. Stating that it had submitted an estimate of Rs 2.02 crore to boost the Forest Department's turtle protection machinery and Rs 9 crore for compensation and alternative income generation schemes for affected fishermen, the watchdog said so far this money had not been allocated by the state government.
— PTI
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Contemporary films lack content, say veterans
Panaji, November 23 “We have a beautiful body but the soul is lost,” yesteryear actor Randhir Kapoor, who is here to attend the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2008, said. Kapoor said that despite having big budgets for films, there was no content compared to the Hindi films of the past. “Content does not come with money. We are more commercial now,” he said. Kapoor said there was a need to encourage script writers to generate rich content required for the success of any film. Echoing Kapoor's sentiments, veteran filmmaker Jahnu Barua said, “Most of the big films flop because of the lack of content irrespective of how many stars are there in them.” The national award winning film-maker, said the content was around but we have to look for it. “All the big corporate houses investing in this industry have now started realising that it is not the stars but the content that delivers success,” said Barua, who is best known for his film “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara”. He said there was a shortage of good script writers. "When a film is planned, the writer is the first one to be contacted and last one to be paid. There is a neglected attitude towards the writers, which needs to be changed,” the filmmaker added. Barua said the scene is optimistic in the regional film industry. “In the regional film industry, a good writer is respected. Respect does not mean bowing the head but respecting him financially,” he said.
— PTI
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Top IT firms, MS distributors under DRI scanner
New Delhi/Mumbai, November 23 Sources in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said the firms were under probe for allegedly importing software from Microsoft Singapore Ltd (part of the Microsoft group) between 2005-2007 without declaring the complete value of the imports, thereby “evading duty” for which notices would be issued soon. Top sources in the agency said the “evasion” amounted to import of CDs and DVDs during the period for which they had allegedly not declared the licence fee as stipulated by the country’s laws. Sources said the agency had started its investigations in June and had even arrested Sunil Dalal, managing director, Softcell Technologies, a Mumbai-based software company and also a distributor of Microsoft in India as part of its investigations. A few officials of Microsoft Corporation (India) Ltd among others were reportedly questioned by the agency, sources said. When contacted, a spokesperson for Microsoft said that the company does no have “any comments to give” about the ongoing investigations. A TCS spokesperson, however, said: “There is some inquiry going on with regard to import of Microsoft software in India. We have been advised by our legal advisers that there have been no irregularities committed in respect to such import.” An HCL spokesperson said: “We have received some queries and we are cooperating with the agency. We do our business with utmost integrity and as per law”. Other companies believed to have been under the probe include CMC Ltd, Wipro Technologies, Redington India Ltd and Ingram Micro Inc. Earlier in April this year, Microsoft had been asked by the IT Department to pay about Rs 700 crore
as tax. In September, the service tax department had charged the Indian arm of Microsoft with evading taxes to the tune of Rs 128 crore during 2006-07 and had asked it to pay Rs 256 crore, including penalty.
— PTI
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Indiabulls Retail puts on hold expansion plans
Chandigarh, November 23 It is learnt that the company has already closed down four of its mega stores (lifestyle stores) - two each in Delhi and Ahmedabad, while a similar number of its Trumart stores (grocery) have also been closed down. Several employees of the company, including senior executives, have also been laid off. The company officials maintain that this is just a part of the restructuring of the retail business, and they will open new stores in better locations, where people have a better spending ability. “We have closed down some of the loss-making stores, but opened new stores in some cities in western India. As many as eight Trumart stores have been opened in Pune, Ahmedabad and some other cities. Our total network is almost the same and 37 stores are running successfully,” says Gagan Banga, CEO and director of Indiabulls Financial Services. “When we acquired Piramyd Retail earlier this year, it was a loss-making venture with cumulative losses of over Rs 50 crore. As part of the restructuring, we have closed down the loss-making stores,” he adds. Since the beginning of this year, the retail industry in India has been on a downslide. Several retail chains and cash-and-carry stores, including Indiabulls, have been forced to down scale their operations owing to high rentals, poor footfalls and rising interest rates on loans. “We are not opening any new store during this financial year. The target is to ensure that the existing stores become profitable, and we are confident of achieving our targets,”
says Banga.
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ISRO has no plans for solar mission: Nair
Thiruvananthapuram, November 23 Delivering a memorial lecture on ''India's recent space achievements'' in connection with the 113th birth anniversary of Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmibai of Travancore royal family, he said the solar mission titled "Aditya" would be intended to study solar emissions. Dr Nair said the mission was expected to be launched within two years to put the satellite in between the sun and earth, so that it could study both the planets. The proposal had been sent to the Union Government and its approval was awaited. He said the ISRO was planning to launch Chandrayaan-2 in 2012, a mission in which a robot would be sent to collect samples from the lunar surface and conduct tests. After completing the Chandrayaan series, the ISRO would be going in for a mission to Mars and steps for it had alreay begun. A blueprint of the mission was expected to be out only after four or five years. On the allegations that the country was spending huge amounts on space experiments, the ISRO chief defended it stating that only three per cent of the total budget was spent on them. Stating that the Chandryaan-1 was a great success, he said the country achieved a world record by planting the national flag on moon surface as scheduled. Claiming that no country achieved such accuracy in landing, he said ''the world is looking us with jealousy because of our success landing.''
— UNI
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Centre urges NE states to set up anti-terrorist squads
Agartala, November 23 State home department officials here today said the issue was discussed in the recently held meeting of DGPs and chief secretaries of Northeastern states with the Union home ministry and it was also decided that the Centre would bear the expenditure for the initiative. The ministry has also asked the states to identify some police officers and diligent constables who would be imparted anti-terrorist training under the Special Protection Force, while suggesting to strengthen intelligence wings and effect better coordination between the Centre and state intelligence as well as among the states of the region. It had decided to post a senior Central Intelligence Officer in the region to ensure the highest level of co-ordination in intelligence gathering following the serial blasts in Agartala and Assam and threat of a fresh spurt in militancy, the sources stated. Besides reorientation of intelligence network in NE states, the Centre had assured to use latest technology in all the sectors of policing and intelligence gathering. BSF patrolling along the Indo-Bangladesh border would be strengthened to prevent trans-border movement of militants, the officials said. The ministry asked Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam to seal the porous stretch of the International Border and assured to extend support and even compensate the states for shifting the population from near the International border. The ministry has sounded an alert following reports that DGFI and ISI had been focussing on the Northeast and were working on a plan to destabilise the region. The Centre has identified 15 such groups of Northeast, which have intensified their relationship with the HuJI and LeT recently, the sources said, adding that new strategies had been formulated to prevent Northeastern militants who were using Bangladesh hideouts for guerilla training and terror planning against India.
— UNI
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IGNOU relaxes MBA entrance criteria
New Delhi, November 23 “Now, fresh graduates in general category with 50 per cent marks and reserved category students with 45 per cent marks are eligible to appear for OPENMAT, the entrance test of IGNOU for admission to the MBA programme,” said vice-chancellor of the university, V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai. He said the essential clause of three years experience in supervisory and managerial category for graduates willing to take admission to the MBA programme has also been done away with. Even those graduates who have successfully cleared the entrance test for admission to management programme conducted by recognised institutions like CAT, MAT and state-level tests conducted by the state governments, need not sit for the OPENMAT test of IGNOU, he said. The vice-chancellor also said the age limit for admission to the management programmes, apart from MBA offered by the university, has also been removed. The next OPENMAT test will be held on February 2, 2009 across the country.
— PTI
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Economic Recession
New Delhi, November 23 “As far as the country’s economy is concerned, recession is on our doorstep. The government has not reacted to the situation and has failed in taking adequate measures to counter its effects,” party general secretary Arun Jaitely told reporters here. Recalling steps taken by Vajpayee regime when faced with a similar liquidity crunch in the year 2003, he said, “Vajpayee initiated many programmes, including the Pradhanmanti Gram Sadak Yojana and National Highways Project, which injected liquidity into the market and helped the economy recover from the crisis.” Noting that any government would have automatically taken steps to boost liquidity in times of an economic slowdown, he said it was unfortunate that the UPA regime had turned a blind eye to everything. “The priority should have been to pump more money into the market. It is sad that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, though an economist, has failed to understand the situation,” Jaitley said. The party also criticised the government for not slashing down prices of petroleum products despite the fact that the international prices of crude oil had come down substantially. “Normally in times of recession, the prices come down. In petroleum, the international prices of crude oil have come down from $147 to below $50 per barrel. We would like to ask why the benefit has not passed on to the common man. Any sensitive government would have done so,” he said.
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Malegaon Blasts
New Delhi, November 23 "BJP would like to ask the government about the progress made in the September serial blasts in Delhi, which led to the Batla House encounter. Why is the government keeping silent on the issue. And why has MCOCA, which was made applicable to Delhi in 2002, not been imposed on the blast accused?" BJP national general secretary Arun Jaitley told reporters here. Alluding to the slapping of the anti-terror on Malegaon accused Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col P S Purohit and others, the senior BJP leader claimed that this proved that MCOCA was being used after ascertaining the religion of the accused. "It seems imposition of MCOCA does not depend on the nature of the case but on the religion of the accused," Jaitley said. The saffron party leader claimed there were several examples in which MCOCA has been used by thecDelhi police in less heinous crimes. "What were the reasons that the government prevented the Delhi police from using MCOCA against the serial blasts accused?" Jaitley asked.
— PTI
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JMM leader Soren behind the agitation
Kolkata, November 23 Later, addressing a public meeting at Baruipore in South 24-Parganas, the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also alleged that some reactionary forces and other vested interests were actively involved in the tribals agitations in east
Midnapore. Bhattacharjee said he was ready to meet the tribal leaders to discuss their demands, which if reasonable, would certainly be solved. He asked the tribal leaders not be misled by the Maoists and other vested interests which would harm them and also the state’s interests. He said the government was taking all possible steps for the development of the tribal districts and the improvement of the
tribals’ livelihood . The Front chairman alleged that the UPA had agreed in principle to fulfill Soren’s demand for extending the Jharkhand state with the inclusion of West Bengal’s three districts,
Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura during the confidence motion moved by the BJP and the left parties in the Lok Sabha on July 22, when the JMM MPs voted in favour of the government. He warned that any attempt to bifurcate West Bengal would be foiled and firmly dealt with. The Left Font committee, at an urgent meeting today, reviewed the on-going tribals agitation in the Jangalmahal-Lalgarh-Belpahari-Salboni areas in west
Midnapore, which according to Bose, the Maoists and the Trinamool Congress were supporting. He said the meeting today decided to combat the tribals problems politically and side by side, the Chief Minister also had been told to take appropriate administrative measures for meeting the tribals demands. Bose said the Chief Minister would soon visit Jangalmahal and hold talks with the aggrieved
tribals. The CPM and other parties like CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc would also organise meetings in the
tribals’ districts for restoring peace and normalcy.
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Raj meets ailing Bal Thackeray
Mumbai, November 23 MNS sources maintained that Raj met the octogenarian leader at Matoshree, the latter’s residence in suburban Bandra, to inquire about his health but the meeting has fuelled speculations. “There will be an impact within cadres of Sena and MNS over the uncle-nephew meeting,” MNS sources said. Raj, who looks and even speaks like his illustrious uncle, was tipped to succeed him. However, it is cousin Uddhav who now manages the party. The last time Raj met the senior Thackeray was on January 23, 2006, the Sena chief’s birthday. “I went to meet him today to return some of his old books I still had with me. We spoke about cartoons and old memories,” Raj, who like his uncle is a cartoonist of repute, said. “We spoke on topics other than politics,” Raj said. Uddhav, following differences with whom Raj quit Sena and floated the MNS, was also present at the meeting.
— PTI
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Portrayal of Husain’s life and creations
New Delhi, November 23 Maqbool Fida Husain is one of those distinguished few who has characterised the canvas of Indian art with a unique dimension of modernity. According to the author this book traces the alleys of evolution of one of the living Indian legendary artistes who all throughout his life has endeavoured towards taking the Indian art to an elevated contemporary plane, and has quite effectively translated the modern Indian psyche into the visual medium. This is an extremely well researched book that gives a gripping overview of Husain’s life and creations spanning from 1947-2007 and has come after 40 long years. The author said, “The task of writing this book has been a long and arduous journey, and carrying out the work so far away from M.F Husain has resulted with a product that is coloured with good deal of objectivity. However, it wouldn’t have been the case if I would have been close to him.” This book written in the narrative style portrays the figurative trait of Husain’s works and his love and knowledge of the multi-cultural ethos of India with a unique recherché. The author said, “M.F Husain is an artiste who has reached to the abstract through his figurative style, making use of metaphors and allusions. He is perhaps the only painter who has combined the Koran and the Bhagwat Geeta on his canvas and celebrated the multi-cultural diversity of India in his works.” Ashok Vajpayei, noted poet and chairman of the Lalit Kala Academy said, “The publication of this book is quite timely and is significant in more than one sense. Husain through his works has created a modern iconography and platform that would serve as a channel for the younger generation towards the gallery of art.” This is worth mentioning that this great artiste is the only modern painter who has translated the great Indian epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata - from the written medium to the visual frame. Meanwhile, the academy has offered Husian the membership of the executive body of the academy and the painter still living in exile has consented to the proposal.
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Tiger census begins in north Bengal
Siliguri, November 23 The census, which began from November 20, will end on Novemeber 25. A total of 33 teams, comprising both government and NGO representatives, are conducting the survey. “We are planning to put up special cameras to monitor the movement of the tigers,” Sekhar Majumdar, assistant divisional forest officer-II, Jalpaiguri, said. The team is being headed by S. Patil, chief conservator of forests and wildlife, north Bengal. Similar endeavours will follow in December to trace the number of tigers in Mahanada, Jaldapara and Boxer Tiger reserves in north Bengal, official sources said. Tiger footprints, excreta and scratch marks will serve as indicators to conduct the census, the sources added.
— UNI
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Prez medal conferred on Intelligence officer
New Delhi, November 23 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented the medal to Braroo at a function, which was attended by home minister Shivraj Patil, national security advisor M.K. Narayanan and top officials of police and intelligence agencies. Braroo, who was earlier conferred the police medal in 1993, had served in the troubled Jammu and Kashmir during 1990s, when militancy was at its peak there. He had also served in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
— UNI
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Antony welcomes Zardari’s statement
Kozhikode, November 23 “I welcome Mr Zardari's statement although there are instances of ceasefire violations along with the borders,” Antony told reporters here. On improving relations with China, he said despite having unsettled border problems with that country, the Army will undertake a joint exercise with the Chinese army at Belgaum in Karnataka next month.
— UNI
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‘Bilateral talks right for Kashmir issue’
New Delhi, November 23 Former assistant secretary of state for south Asia Karl Inderfurth said “too much has been made” out of Obama’s interview to Time magazine and MSNBC TV channel where he stated that he wanted to try and resolve the Kashmir issue seriously and would devote serious diplomatic resources to get a special envoy in there. “I think there is no question on the right approach to Kashmir. It is just to allow India and Pakistan to address it themselves bilaterally taking into account the concerns and ambitions of the Kashmiri people. I have no doubt at all that would be the approach of the new administration,” Inderfurth told Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN’s ‘Devil’s Advocate’ programme.
— PTI
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Ezhimala Naval Academy to commission in January
Kozhikode, November 23 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to inaugurate the academy built at a cost of Rs 721 crore, he told reporters after addressing a function in connection with the ‘Army Mela-2008’ here. All the training and academic programmes of the Indian Navy will be shifted to the new academy, perhaps the biggest in Asia, once it becomes fully operational, Antony said. The academy can at a time train 750 cadets, including those from friendly
countries. — UNI
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Smriti Irani’s chopper makes emergency landing
Jabalpur, November 23 Irani was on the way to Barghat in Seoni district for addressing a BJP poll rally for the November 27 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh when her chopper developed a technical snag. The helicopter made an emergency landing with all its occupants reported safe. Irani later returned to Jabalpur via road, the police said.
— PTI
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Three held for violating code of conduct
Jabalpur, November 23 Aditya Patel, Akhilesh Singh and Amit Kosta have been held with Rs 51,000 cash, the police said, adding that they seized three vehicles laden with election publicity material of former state health minister and BJP candidate from Patan rural seat Ajay Vishnoi, following a complaint of the violation of election code of conduct. The police last night booked the trio under sections 188, 34 and 171 (8) of the IPC and rule 66/192 of the Motor Vehicle Act. — PTI
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2 code violation cases registered
Harda, MP, November 23 Distict returning officer P.K. Verma said here yesterday that the case was registered against both candidates in the district election office for not submitting their expenditure in specified time frame.
— UNI |
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Notice to BJP on controversial photos
Bhopal, November 23 The State Election Office sources said the EC ordered the BJP to reply by November 25, failing which the EC might initiate action for violation of the model code of conduct. The notice was served following a complaint filed by the Congress to state chief electoral officer J.S. Mathur, who forwarded it to the EC.
— UNI
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NSD to set up centre in Kolkata Kolkata, November 23 “The state government has agreed to the proposal of setting up an NSD centre here,” West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said today during the inauguration of the eight-day-long 8th Theatre Festival (Natyamela) in the city. “NSD would be given a location at Rawdan Square for setting up the centre. However, for the time being, the school would impart training programmes, workshops and other activities at Minerva Theatre,” Bhattacharjee said. The Chief Minister also assured to provide financial help to theatre groups from across the state. During the festival, as many as 95 dramas will be staged in several theatre halls across the metropolis. The festival started with Rabindra Nath Tagore's ‘Kaaler Yatra’ today. Eminent theatre personalities Sobha Sen, Ashok Mukhopadhyay, Mohit Chattopaddhyay and Sisir Sen were among those who graced the occasion today. — PTI
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Abhinav Bharat to move court on Pragya’s behalf Gwalior, November 23 “A plea will be submitted tomorrow in a Maharashtra court through Advocate I.G. Khandelwal,” AB president Himani Savarkar told mediapersons here today. Claiming that the Sadhvi was a member of the organisation and was innocent, she alleged that Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS)apprehended her as part of a conspiracy. “The Sadhvi and the Indian Army’s Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit are being harassed by the ATS,” Savarkar alleged. — UNI
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Shiv Sena to launch ‘vada pav’ Vaiko denied visa to UK Compensation for kin Synthetic milk: 3 held 7 die in mishap RSS man stabbed to death
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