My India : Culture & Community

'Satyagraha House': Gandhiji's S Africa abode now a unique museum

2011-11-19T23:50:00.001-08:00

Johannesburg: A house in the leafy suburb of Orchards in Johannesburg, where Mahatma Gandhi once resided, is now a unique hotel that doubles up as a museum on the life of the leader who left a legacy in both South Africa and India.

'Satyagraha House' was officially opened on Tuesday night by Jean Francois Rial, Chief Executive of French travel company Voyageurs du Monde, which bought the house from its owners two years ago.

With assistance from local historians, the company has re-created the authentic Edwardian home and developed an on-site museum complete with Gandhi memorabilia and period pieces from India that reflect the development of the Mahatma's anti-colonial and anti-racism philosophy and his commitment to non-violence.

"Gandhi's concept of passive resistance became known as Satyagraha, hence the name chosen for this new tourism destination for those who wish to learn more about Gandhi's South African experience," Rial said.

Eric Itzkin, Deputy Director of Immovable Heritage at the City of Johannesburg, said: "We believe the site will attract both South African and international visitors and will resonate particularly with those with an abiding interest in the struggle to combat racism and ultimately apartheid.

"The house tells its own compelling story, but can also be integrated into a wider visitor experience by combining a visit here with visits to Soweto, Constitution Hill and Johannesburg's Old Fort Prison, a jail where Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were both held."

The Orchards house built in 1907 is revered as the place where the future Mahatma conceptualised and evolved his philosophy of passive resistance -- the pacifist method of protest that he subsequently employed in India.

PTI

Razia Sultana - The First Women Who Ruled India

2011-11-09T01:54:00.000-08:00

Daughter of Iltutmush, Razia Sultana was the first female Muslim ruler of South Asia. She was a talented, wise, just and generous woman. She was a great administrator and was well versed in governmental affairs. She was not only a good leader in the battlefield but herself was also an excellent fighter. As the most capable son of Iltutmush died during his own life, and the rest were incompetent to govern, Iltutmush nominated his daughter, Razia Sultana, as his successor on the throne of Delhi. Whenever Iltutmush had to leave his capital, he used to leave Razia Sultana in charge of the affairs in Delhi. But when Iltutmush died, Rukn-ud-din Firuz, one of his sons, occupied the throne and ruled for about seven months. Razia Sultana, with the support of the people of Delhi, secured the throne after defeating her brother in 1236.
Razia Sultana established complete law and order in her country. To rule the country, she abandoned her femininity and adopted a masculine getup. She used to dress as a man when appearing in public, be it in court or on the battlefield. She made an Ethiopian slave named Jalal-ud-din Yaqut her personal attendant and started trusting him the most. This challenged the monopoly of power claimed by the Turkish nobles.

The Turkish nobles resented having a woman as their ruler, especially when she started challenging their power. They began conspiring against her. In 1239, the Turkish governor of Lahore rebelled against Razia Sultana. However, when she marched against him, he first fled and then apologized. Then the governor of Bhatinda revolted. When Razia Sultana was trying to suppress the rebellion in Bhatinda, her own Turkish officers deposed her from the throne of Delhi and made her brother Bahram the Sultan. Razia Sultana married the governor of Bhatinda, Malik Altunia, and with his help tried to reoccupy the throne. She was defeated by the Turkish nobles and was compelled to flee away. A peasant who had offered her food and shelter while fleeing from an encounter killed her in her sleep. She died in 1240.

Pic: Hema Malni (Famous bollywood actress in Rajia Sulatana - The movie)

Did you know that … India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world?

2011-11-09T01:49:00.000-08:00

The total production of fruits and vegetables in the world is around 370 MT. India ranks first in the world with an annual output of 32 MT fruits, about 8% of the world’s fruit production; also is the second largest producer of vegetables (ranks next to China) and accounts for about 15% of the world’s production of vegetables. The current production level is over 71 million MT and the total area under vegetable cultivation is around 6.2 million hectares which is about 3% of the total area under cultivation in the country. The diverse agro-climatic zones in the country make it possible to grow almost all varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables in India.

According to National Horticulture Board the main fruits grown in India are apple, banana, lime/lemon, mosambi, orange (mandarin), grapes, mango and papaya. In case of vegetables, potato, tomato, onion, cabbage and cauliflower account for around 60% of the total vegetable production in the country. Vegetables are typically grown in India in field conditions; the concept is opposed to the cultivation of vegetables in green houses as practiced in developed countries for high yields.

Only 2% of these crops are processed into value-added products. Hence, there is a need for maximum commercial utilization of fruits and vegetables and to adapt production and marketing activities to the requirements of the world market and to cater to domestic demand which, over the past few years, has been increasing because of various socio-economic factors. If the nutritive value of the processed food products could be maintained, this sector would emerge as a major value-added food industry.

There are over 4000 fruit processing units in India with an aggregate capacity of more than 12 lakh MT (less than 4% of total fruits produced). It is estimated that around 20% of the production of processed fruits is meant for exports, the rest caters to the defense, institutional sectors and household consumption. Mango and mango-based products constitute 50% of exports.

The fruits and vegetables considered important by the Horticulture Board of India are mostly grown in the areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, hilly regions of North Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Tripura, West Bengal and Orissa.

indolinkenglish

World’s worst lungs are in India - Cross-continental survey raises deeper air pollution fears than suspected

2011-09-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, Sept. 1: Indians have the poorest lungs among 17 populations across four continents, according to new research that has stirred speculation that the health effects of air pollution in India may be worse than hitherto suspected.

An international study that investigated the lung functions of healthy, non-smoking adults from 17 countries has found that the efficiency of breathing of South Asians, mainly Indians, is 30 per cent lower than that of Europeans and North Americans.

This difference in lung function is much larger than previous estimates from earlier studies that compared South Asian Indians to Caucasians and cannot be explained by differences in weight, height, and urban or rural living.

“Poor air quality could explain this — many years of breathing polluted air could impair lung functions,” said Kiruba Shankar, an epidemiologist at the St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, and a member of the study team.

The study did not look into exposure to air pollutants. So the effects of maternal and child nutrition, which can also influence lung health, cannot be ruled out yet, Shankar told The Telegraph.

The study, co-ordinated by Salim Yusuf, an India-educated professor of medicine at McMaster University in Canada, examined lung functions of 46,000 women and 17,000 men. Its results were presented at the American Thoracic Society meeting this year.

Some researchers believe that the poor lung functions observed in Indians serve as a grim reminder of India’s colossal task of cleaning the air that hangs outdoors over most Indian cities and indoors at rural and urban homes.

“I was shocked to see a 30 per cent difference — this should be an eye-opener for us,” said Sundeep Salvi, a pulmonologist and director of the Chest Research Foundation in Pune, who is independently studying lung functions in rural and urban areas.

Scientists applied sophisticated statistical techniques to correct for the effects of age, height and gender — all of which can influence lung functions — to estimate the true differences in lung functions. Earlier studies had suggested that lung functions of Indians were about 10 per cent to 15 per cent lower than those of Caucasians.

“Differences in genetic as well as vastly different environmental factors may be contributing to the large differences we see in lung function,” Mylinh Duong, an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University, told this newspaper.

Anecdotal evidence indicates a steep rise in the number of patients with airways disease, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Indian cities, doctors said yesterday at a conference on air pollution organised by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. “I think the incidence of respiratory illness has gone up 10 times over the past 20 years,” said Sanjeev Bagai, a consultant paediatrician.

“The gains some of our cities have made by switching to compressed natural gas and introducing vehicular emission standards are being eroded by the rising number of vehicles,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, deputy director of the CSE.

The lung function tests examine the efficiency through which a person can breathe. Long-term inflammation caused by prolonged exposure to gaseous pollutants or tiny particles can impair lung functions.

A 15-city study in India published two years ago has established a strong association between the density of diesel trucks in the neighbourhood and asthma, said Salvi, who estimates about 5 per cent of school-going children in India are diagnosed with asthma.

“And while COPD is primarily linked to smoking, we also encounter patients with COPD who have never smoked in their lives,” said Salvi. “India has a huge inventory of potential lung irritants that we routinely encounter in the city air or inside our homes — traffic and industry emissions, biomass and wood burning, incense sticks, and Diwali crackers.”

Telegraph India

India experiencing its most corrupt congress government till date

2011-09-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Less than a week after activist Anna Hazare brokehis fast with much fanfare, aggrieved Team Anna members claimed that thegovernment was back to its 'dirty tricks' and was victimizing them for theircampaign against corruption.

Hazare aide Arvind Kejriwal has received an Income Taxnotice for dues of over Rs 9 lakh, a charge that he has hotly contested, sayingit was not the I-T department but "political bosses" that have madethem do this.

His colleague, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, linkedthe renewed urgency behind I-T department's move with MPs' complaints againstKiran Bedi's "ghoonghat act" and the Delhi Police claim that the CDwith a purported conversation between his father Shanti Bhushan and MulayamSingh Yadav was genuine.

Bhushan said, "This shows that the government has notlearnt any lessons. The smear campaign is still on... There is a notice againstArvind. Delhi Police has closed the investigations in the CD case saying thedisc is genuine. There is also a privilege notice against Bedi. They are backto dirty tricks. They are back to the dirty tricks department."

Bhushan plans to move court for contempt against DelhiPolice's closure report and will ask for an independent probe by a courtappointed special investigative team.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal questioned the timing of the notice thatcame 11 days ahead of Hazare's fast. Chief commissioner of Income Tax issuedthe notice to Kejriwal to clear the dues, claiming that he violated the bondclauses under which he went for study leave for two years. Kejriwal claimed he"did not violate" any bond provision and he resigned from his IndianRevenue Service job after the stipulated three years of rejoining duty afterstudy leave. "It is not the I-T department's decision. They are doing whatthe government is saying. The I-T officials have no role in this notice. Theyare doing because of the pressure from political bosses," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said he had taken study leave on full pay for twoyears from November 1, 2000 and he rejoined work on November 1, 2002 aftersigning a bond that he would refund the salary if he resigned or retired orfailed to resume duty within three years of his study leave. "I have notviolated any provisions. What government is saying is wrong. After over oneyear of rejoining, I took leave without pay which was sanctioned by mysuperiors. I worked for RTI. I was not into any wrongdoing. I have not signedany bond that I will not take leave after rejoining," he said.

However, the government has been of the view that unpaidleave cannot be recognized as active service and Kejriwal should have worked inthe department for three years before giving his resignation. The Central Boardof Direct Taxes (CBDT) had, in fact, recommended in 2008 that dues againstKejriwal be waived off but the Department of Personnel and Training did notagree to the proposition. In a latter dated April 22, 2008, the governmentasked the I-T department to "kindly recover pending dues from ShriKejriwal as per leave rule and furnish a no dues certificate so that hisresignation may be submitted for approval of competent authority".

Kejriwal said he had already informed the government that hedid not have funds to pay off the Rs 9.27 lakh dues as he had donated all hissavings, including Rs 30 lakh he got as awards. On the computer loan he took,he said he had asked the government to adjust it against his provident fund butit was not done.

"Now, government officials are visiting my relatives inmy village Siwani and Hisar and making all kinds of enquiries. They have notbeen able to find anything against me so far," he said.

Referring to some media reports linking his uncle, who waskilled in a road accident five years ago, with RSS, he asked what his relativeshad to do with the anti-corruption movement. "There are some reportssaying that my paternal uncle in his childhood used to go to RSS shakhas. Whatis wrong in that? What has he to do with our movement," he said.

On the privilege notice, Bedi said she would not apologiseand would say, "I am sorry I will not say sorry to you. I will show abigger mirror to them on what is happening in our Parliament andassemblies."

TNN

List of corruption scandals:

WIKILEAKS: 'CASH FOR VOTES'

There was uproar in India's parliament on 17 March after a leaked cable from the whistle-blowing Wikileaks website described how a senior Congress aide showed a US embassy official "chests of cash" allegedly used to bribe MPs to support the government in a crucial vote of confidence in 2008.

The vote was over a controversial deal between India and the US which paved the way for India to massively expand its nuclear power capability. The government's left-wing allies withdrew support, but Congress narrowly survived the vote. Opposition parties at the time accused the government of offering cash for votes.

The Congress party and all of those named in the cable deny the allegations.

The leak came just days after a new report by consultancy KPMG said that corruption threatened India's growth. It said that it wasn't simply the daily diet of petty bribes that hold back the economy, but the huge scams where billions of dollars are allegedly siphoned off by government and industry.

In July, two people - an aide of a politician and a political activist - were arrested in connection with the scandal. The Supreme Court criticised the police for carrying out a "shoddy probe".

A senior MP, Amar Singh, was also questioned after he was accused of offering to bribe opposition MPs to abstain from the vote. He denies the allegation.

ANTI-CORRUPTION CHIEF FORCED OUT

In early March the head of India's anti-corruption watchdog, PJ Thomas, was forced to resign by the Supreme Court on the grounds that he himself faces corruption charges.

The decision was an embarrassment for Manmohan Singh because he chaired the committee that cleared his appointment and publicly supported him.

Mr Thomas says the charges - which are 20 years old - are baseless. He has never been arrested and the charges have also never been tested by a judge in court.

TELECOMS LICENCES

In February, Telecommunications Minister Andimuthu Raja was arrested and accused of selling mobile phone frequency licences for a fraction of their value, in what some analysts are calling India's biggest ever scandal.

His colleague in the southern DMK party, MP Kanimozhi, was arrested in connection with the scandal in May and is in jail. She is the daughter of M Karunanidhi, one of India's most powerful regional politicians and an important ally of the Congress-led federal government.

In July, the scandal claimed a third politician - India's Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran resigned following allegations that he coerced the founder of the mobile phone firm Aircel to sell off his stake to a firm favoured by the minister. He denies the allegation.

Auditors estimate the alleged mis-selling of the licences cost the exchequer nearly $40bn (£24.5bn) in lost revenue. Mr Raja is accused of issuing the frequency licences on a "first-come, first-served" basis instead of auctioning them.

He denies all the charges.

The net of police investigators has been cast wide and they have questioned business leaders, TV bosses and political figures in connection with the alleged scam.

In February the government was forced to cave in to opposition demands to hold a cross-party probe into the telecoms scandal.

In March, a former aide of Mr Raja, who owned a real estate company, committed suicide.

MAHARASHTRA WIDOWS

In November 2010 Ashok Chavan, the chief minister of Maharashtra, one of India's most prosperous states, was forced to quit over his alleged role in a scam involving homes for war widows.

Retired senior army officers and relatives of senior politicians are accused of helping themselves to apartments meant for war widows in Mumbai.

Mr Chavan denies any wrongdoing. He was ordered to resign by Congress leaders while the matter is investigated.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi were beset by more than poor organisation: police arrested various Games officials for alleged financial irregularities.

The build-up to the event was overshadowed by revelations of sleaze, incompetence and missed construction deadlines.

And in January, yet another Congress party head rolled when Suresh Kalmadi, the Games organising committee chief, was removed from this post.

He has been under investigation over claims of corruption and denies any wrongdoing.

In August, a report by India's state auditor tabled in parliament said preparations for the Games were deeply flawed, riddled with favouritism and vastly over budget.

It said there were serious irregularities with bidding and contracts, and that the seven years organisers had to prepare were wasted.

The games cost $4.1bn (£2.5bn) instead of the $270m (£166m) first estimated, while revenue was only $38m (£23m).

The government said parliament would reflect on the report and "decide what needs to be done".

MINING SCANDAL

BS Yeddyurappa of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quit as chief minister of the southern state of Karnataka in July after he was indicted in a mining scandal.

An anti-corruption report alleges the scam cost the exchequer more than $3bn (£1.8bn) between 2006 and 2010. Mr Yeddyurappa denies any wrongdoing.

Correspondents say illegal mining has been rife for years in Karnataka. The state produces about 45 million tonnes of iron ore a year and exports more than half of it to China.

The anti-corruption report on mining in Karnataka found that the promoters of privately owned mining companies in the Bellary region - where most of the mines are located - paid off politicians, and then joined politics themselves, rising to positions in the state government.

These mining businessmen-turned-politicians exerted so much influence over the local officials that the Indian media began describing Bellary as a "new republic".

Exclusive: How the Indian government bungled up?

2011-08-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: It was a collective plunge off the cliff, as a senior minister puts it colourfully for the UPA government.

1. The CCPA - the cabinet committee on political affairs met and hold the union Home Minister to take a "very hard line" on Anna Hazare's fast.

2. P Chidambaram told them that he was of the view that Anna should be allowed to fast 'indefinitely subject to medical examination" which would take the wind out of the movement.

3. In the absence of Sonia Gandhi, he was overruled and that is when the three-day farcical conditions were applied.

4. After that in what is now being described as "ill advised adventurism", Manish Tewari was told to attack Anna and not hold back.

5. Throughout these developments, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was fully aware and an active participant in the decisions.

6. P Chidambaram was told collectively let the police take what action they feel is justified.

7. The government was caught completely unawares by the agitation.

8. The government was also banking on an Intelligence Bureau report which said that Hazare who was admitted to Medanta in Gurgoan was in poor health.

9. The volte face was just as fast and just as collective with the government left with egg on its face..

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2011-08-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

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Aamir Khan says Anna Hazare deserves greater support than cricket team

2011-04-08T00:43:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Actor Aamir Khan says the country should extend greater support to Anna Hazare's struggle for a strong anti-corruption law than it did to the Indian cricket team's quest for the World Cup. In a letter to the social activist, who is on fast unto death demanding that the government co-opt the civil society in drafting the Lokpal Bill, the actor said the struggle against corruption was "infinitely more important, and affects each and every one of us".

In the letter sent on April 6, the actor called Hazare an inspiration for the youth of India and said that he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to pay heed to Hazare's appeal.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Khan said: "I would like to humbly submit to you that, based on all the material that I have read, what Mr Hazare is saying makes a lot of sense to me."

"I am one of over a billion citizens of this country who is affected by, and most concerned about, corruption in our country. The last few months have witnessed some shocking exposés. In fact our society has been plagued by this sickness over the last few decades. I am one of the many who feel that strong steps need to be taken as corrective measures," the actor wrote to the Prime Minister.

He further wrote: "It is therefore with great hope and all humility that I request you to pay heed to the voice of Mr Anna Hazare. I would like to submit to you that the nation is slowly but surely collecting behind Mr Hazare in appreciation for what he is fighting for. I am merely one of many who support Mr Hazare and have come to appreciate that this upright 72-year-old man is willing to sacrifice his life in the fight against corruption."

Text of Aamir Khan's letter to Anna Hazare

Mumbai,

6th April, 2011.

Dear Mr. Hazare,

Over the last few days I have been following, through the media coverage, news about your struggle against corruption and the fast that you have undertaken.

I have been through your appeal.

I have been through the draft provided by the media of the government proposed Lokpal bill, which is under consideration of the government, which you are opposing.

Through the internet, I have also been through the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill as drafted by the members of the Civil Society, which you are supporting.

I would like you to know that I am amongst thousands who are fully supportive of your efforts. The crusade that you have begun is an extremely important one, and I would like to extend my support to you.

For your information, I have written to our Hon'ble Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh requesting him to pay heed to your appeal. I am attaching my letter to him for you to read.

You are an inspiration for the youth of this country and my prayers are with you.

Like the country has supported the Indian Cricket team in their struggle to win the World Cup, I hope and pray that your struggle, which is infinitely more important, and affects each and every one of us, will get an even greater support.

Jai Hind.

Yours sincerely,

Aamir Khan
TNN

Across India, Anna fast fever catches on

2011-04-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

The agitation for the Jan Lokpal Bill continued in Mumbai for the third day with more people coming out in its support. At Azad Maidan on Thursday, several young faces were visible in the crowd, which was vociferous in its support for the Anna Hazare-led campaign.

On Thursday, India Against Corrupt volunteers again took to the streets to spread awareness about the Bill. Pamphlets, IAC badges and white ribbons were distributed among pedestrians and commuters across south Mumbai. “We request people to wear the ribbon until the Bill is passed. IAC will distribute ribbons at all railway stations and religious places,” said Ruben Mascarenhas, IAC youth coordinator.
“We plead to citizens to be at their nearest railway station with candles at 7 pm on Friday. Similar agitations will be held every day,” said Mayank Gandhi, IAC Mumbai spokesperson.

HYDERABAD: A group of Telangana activists on Thursday launched an indefinite fast at India Park. The main opposition party, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as well as Telangana Rastra Samiti (TRS), also extended their support to the cause of Anna Hazare.

The Telugu film industry also came out in a big way in support of the Jan Lokpal bill. Actor Mohan Babu announced he would take out a rally of thousands of students in the pilgrim town of Tirupati on Friday. “Let us support Anna Hazare in this national cause,” he said. Actors Kamaraju, Murali Mohan and Prakash Raj, and singer Anuj Gurwara also pledged support.

GUWAHATI Anna Hazare appears to have given poll-bound Assam a weapon to beat the Congress with. Addressing a rally near Guwahati on Wednesday, senior BJP leader LK Advani declared his support for the Gandhian social worker on fast-unto-death in New Delhi for an anti-graft bill. Barely 24 hours later, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi likened Hazare’s movement to Jayprakash Narayan’s stir against Emergency.

PATNA The state government came out in support of Hazare and the agitation. Chief minister Nitish Kumar said, “Strong laws and speedy judicial processes that ensure exemplary punishments to the corrupt are needed to tackle the menace. Anna Hazare has insistently striven to draw the attention of the UPA government towards notifying the comprehensive Lokpal Bill.”

Meanwhile, the indefinite fast by former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, facing a life term for murder, entered its third day today. Yadav continued his fast in the high-security Beur jail here, jail authorities said. Some prisoners too were on a fast-unto-death in support of the demand. A team of medical experts examined Pappu Yadav at the jail after a sudden fall in his blood pressure.

(Hindustan Times With PTI inputs, AP Pics)

Indian Govt refuses to budge, Hazare asks people to court arrest

2011-04-08T00:19:00.000-07:00

The government on Friday rejected anti-corruption protesters' demand for a notification on the composition of re-drafting panel members for the Lokpal Bill. Regarding the second demand of making a civil society member the chairman of the redrafting panel, the government said that in such a situation no minister will be part of the panel and only government official or a bureaucrat can be a member of such panel.

Telecom and human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal said on Friday that their position regarding protesters demand remains unchanged and no official notification can be used and at the most an official letter by the law ministry can be issued. Another round of talks between the government and the Anna Hazare's representatives Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal will take place this evening at 6pm to end the deadlock.

Veteran activist Anna Hazare on the fourth day of his fast-unto-death appealed to the people to court arrest on the 13th of this month and teach government a lesson.

Meanwhile, support for Hazare is growing among all sections of the society across the nation.

Indians stand up against corruption

2011-04-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

As the hangover of India’s World Cup win subsides, the UPA’s cup of worries has started to fill up again with veteran rights activist Anna Hazare sounding the bugle against all pervasive corruption by starting a nationwide campaign in support of Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by legal experts from the civil society.

Vindicating Sunday Standard-C fore poll survey that puts the UPA government on mat for a dismal performance against corruption, the Hazare’s anti-corruption brigade would be launching a nation-wide movement across 200 cities from April 5 with Anna sitting on fast unto death at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Conscious of strong undercurrent against corruption, Sonia Gandhi led National Advisory Council’s subgroup on transparency met on Monday to discuss the Jan Lokpal Bill. It is expected to refer the Bill to the government with some minor changes.

Bringing top offices of Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India in its ambit, the Jan Lokpal Bill proposes severe sentences including life imprisonment, confiscation of property against corrupt on a fast track trial.

The anti-corruption formation supported by Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev, Art of Living Guru Sri Sri Ravishankar, Magsaysay award winners - former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal and Swami Agnivesh has asked every Indian citizen to keep fast on April 5 in support of the Corruption-free India campaign. Even former India captain Kapil Dev has asked the PM to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill and then give the CWG probe to it as layers over layers of committees have failed to seize the matter.

Rejecting the draft Lokpal Bill as too weak to fight corruption and the Group of Ministers (GoM) to vet it as unclean, Hazare on Monday demanded setting up of a joint committee consisting of at least half members from the civil society to work on the draft Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by legal luminaries like Justice Santosh Hegde and Shanti Bhushan.

“Doesn’t the government know that Sharad Pawar is doing land scams in Maharashtra and Kapil Sibal could not see corruption in 2G scam? How we can have faith in such a Group, which consists of people like Pawar, Sibal and Moily? Can such people draft a Bill meant to weed out corruption?” thundered 73year old Hazare.
Lending her full support to the campaign, Kiran Bedi said, “The cricket World Cup win has given India joy for next four years. I invite every Indian to join and bat with Anna to win the World Cup against corruption that would remain forever with us.”

Anna Hazare's letter to Indian PM

2011-04-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: In a five-point letter to the Prime Minister, veteran activist and Gandhian Anna Hazare has explained why he is continuing with the hunger fast that the government has asked him to re-consider. Mr Hazare is clear that his agenda is not just to push for the bill, but to ensure that it is not drafted by the government alone - this, he says, would be undemocratic and would allow politicians to provide far too many loopholes to let themselves off the hook.

Here's the letter:

Dear Dr. Singh,

I have started my indefinite fast at Jantar mantar. I had invited you also to fast and pray for a corruption free India on 5th April. Though I did not receive any reply from you, I am hopeful that you must have done that.

I am pained to read and hear about government's reaction to my fast. I consider it my duty to clarify the points raised on behalf of Congress party and the government by their spokespersons, as they appear in media:

1. It is being alleged that I am being instigated by some people to sit on this fast. Dear Manmohan Singh ji, this is an insult to my sense of wisdom and intelligence. I am not a kid that I could be "instigated" into going on an indefinite fast. I am a fiercely independent person. I take advice from many friends and critics, but do what my conscience directs me to do. It is my experience that when cornered, governments resort to such malicious slandering. I am pained that the government, rather than addressing the issue of corruption, is trying to allege conspiracies, when there are none.

2. It is being said that I have shown impatience. Dear Prime Minister, so far, every government has shown complete insensitivity and lack of political commitment to tackling corruption. 62 years after independence, we still do not have independent and effective anti‐corruption systems. Very weak versions of Lokpal Bill were presented in Parliament eight times in last 42 years. Even these weak versions were not passed by Parliament. This means, left to themselves, the politicians and bureaucrats will never pass any law which subjects them to any kind of objective scrutiny. At a time, when the country has witnessed scams of unprecedented scale, the impatience of the entire country is justified. And we call upon you, not to look for precedents, but show courage to take unprecedented steps.

3. It is being said that I have shown impatience when the government has "initiated" the process. I would urge you to tell me - exactly what processes are underway?

a. You say that your Group of Ministers are drafting the anti‐corruption law. Many of the members of this Group of Ministers have such a shady past that if effective anticorruption systems had been in place, some of them would have been behind bars. Do you want us to have faith in a process in which some of the most corrupt people of this country should draft the anti‐corruption law?

b. NAC sub‐committee has discussed Jan Lokpal Bill. But what does that actually mean? Will the government accept the recommendations of NAC sub‐committee? So far, UPA II has shown complete contempt for even the most innocuous issues raised by NAC.

c. I and many other friends from India Against Corruption movement wrote several letters to you after 1st December. I also sent you a copy of Jan Lokpal Bill on 1st December. We did not get any response. It is only when I wrote to you that I will sit on an indefinite fast, we were promptly invited for discussions on 7th March. I wonder whether the government responds only to threats of indefinite fast. Before that, representatives of India Against Corruption had been meeting various Ministers seeking their support for the Jan Lokpal Bill. They met Mr Moily also and personally handed over copy of Jan Lokpal to him. A few hours before our meeting with you, we received a phone call from Mr Moily's office that the copy of Jan Lokpal Bill had been misplaced by his office and they wanted another copy. This is the seriousness with which the government has dealt with Jan Lokpal Bill.

d. Dear Dr Manmohan Singh ji, if you were in my place, would you have any faith in the aforesaid processes? Kindly let me know if there are any other processes underway. If you still feel that I am impatient, I am happy that I am because the whole nation is feeling impatient at the lack of credible efforts from your government against corruption.

4. What are we asking for? We are not saying that you should accept the Bill drafted by us. But kindly create a credible platform for discussions - a joint committee with at least half members from civil society suggested by us. Your spokespersons are misleading the nation when they say that there is no precedent for setting up a joint committee. At least seven laws in Maharashtra were drafted by similar joint committees and presented in Maharashtra Assembly. Maharashtra RTI Act, one of the best laws of those times, was drafted by a joint committee. Even at the centre, when 25,000 tribals came to Delhi two years ago, your government set up a joint committee on land issues within 48 hours. You yourself are the Chairperson of that committee.

This means that the government is willing to set up joint committees on all other issues, but not on corruption. Why?

5. It is being said that the government wants to talk to us and we are not talking to them. This is utterly false. Tell me a single meeting when you called us and we did not come. We strongly believe in dialogue and engagement. Kindly do not mislead the country by saying that we are shunning dialogue.

We request you to take some credible steps at stemming corruption. Kindly stop finding faults and suspecting conspiracies in our movement. There are none. Even if there were, it does not absolve you of your responsibilities to stop corruption.

With warm regards,
K B Hazare

India can lead the world on the path of non-violence, says Dalai Lama

2011-04-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: India, the land of Mahatma Gandhi, can lead the world on the path of non-violence, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said at a lecture here on Saturday.

"The practice of compassion and non-violence is important and is the way and means to bringing conviction to people. India can lead the world on the path of non-violence," the Dalai Lama said at former President R Venkataraman's birth centenary lecture on non-violence and spiritualism.

Talking at length about the importance of compassion, the spiritul guru said: "Compassion is for your own wellbeing. Medicine alone cannot bring wellbeing. Now doctors are realising that peace of mind is important in ensuring good health."

"In fact, in building strong coalition among nations, friendship is important. For friendship, trust is important. And for trust you need compassion," he added.

On religion, the Dalai Lama said a lot of people who say they are religious do not actually understand the meaning of their faith.

"Sensible people do not necessarily follow any religion. In this country, I have seen that a lot of people begin their day by praying but a lot of them don't know the meaning of the hymns. That is why they resort to corrupt means when they get a chance. Because they don't see the connection between religion and the day-to-day life," he said.

"I think modern education should also have a curriculum on moral principles," he added.

IANS

Gracious in defeat- India deserved to win, says Sangakkara

2011-04-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

SRI LANKA captain Kumar Sangakkara said his team were disappointed but proud to go down to a team that deserved the World Cup victory more.

"I am very proud of everyone in the team, especially Mahela (Jayawardene) who rose up to the occasion and put up a great hundred," he said, after India defeated his side by six wickets in the final at the Wankhede stadium.

Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 103 off just 88 balls to take Sri Lanka to 274-6 in the day-night clash watched by a capacity 30,000 crowd and millions more on television.

"When you look at this Indian team anything less than 350 is not enough. It has been a great tournament for us. The way India played they deserved the tag of favourites.

"Both Sri Lanka and India will be proud with the way they have played."

Sangakkara, who made 48, said the only way his team could have stopped India from winning the crown was to take quick wickets but that did not happen.

"India were the better side. They were fantastic tonight. The only way for us to stop India was to get at least seven wickets. Gautam (Gambhir) was outstanding and (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni stepped up and performed.
"We are diappointed but the better side won."
Gambhir made 97 while skipper and man-of-the-match Dhoni finished unbeaten on 91.

AFP

Indians celebrated the world's biggest party after winning world-cup 2011

2011-04-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

A billion Indians launched the world's biggest party Saturday, as their adored national team lifted the cricket World Cup, triggering celebrations and firework displays across the country.

From the megacities of Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi to India's rural heartland, where entire villages had gathered around television sets to watch the final, this cricket-obsessed nation went into delirious meltdown.

"The whole of India is not going to sleep tonight," said Sania Singhvi, an 18-year-old college student from Mumbai, where the Wankhede Stadium, the match venue, was engulfed in a sea of dancing, cheering Indian fans.

Motorbikes with pillion passengers waving the saffron, white and green Indian tricolor roared up and down Mumbai's sweeping Marine Drive promenade, weaving in and out of the traffic, as cars hooted their horns in accompaniment.

In the streets of the country's financial capital, people danced and banged drums, cheered on by entire families who had come out onto their balconies and rooftops to watch the party unfold, chanting "India, India, India!"

Jaywant Nikam, a 50-year-old architect who was among the 32,000 spectators inside the sold-out stadium who watched India down their South Asian rivals Sri Lanka , was almost overcome by the occasion.

"I was 23 years old when India won the World Cup the first time, and it's so good after so many years to see them win again with my children," a tearful Nikam said, hugging his son and daughter.

His 11-year-old son Vedant was dressed head-to-toe in the Indian team kit, the price tag still dangling from his cap and his face painted in the colours of the national flag.

There were tears of another kind in the Sri Lankan capital, as some fans wept with disappointment after watching their team fall at the final hurdle.

Colombo's Galle Face promenade, where tens of thousands had gathered in expectation of a victory party, took on the atmosphere of a wake, as fans made their way home in silence, shaking their heads and offering each other consoling pats on the back.

Some still managed to put a brave face on their disappointment.

"We must be happy that the World Cup was lifted by a fellow South Asian nation," said Palitha Perera . "We have only another four years to wait."

The victory was especially sweet for the people of Mumbai.

The World Cup final was the city's highest-profile sporting event since the 2008 attacks, which saw 10 Islamist militants kill 166 people at landmark targets, including the Taj Mahal Palace hotel where the teams were staying.

"We are very, very proud of our team," said college student Beenish Shaikh.

"It is truly something to win the trophy after 28 years. We are so happy. We are going to party all through the night."

In Kolkata, thousands of ecstatic fans thronged the city's three kilometre-long (two-mile-long) Park Street boulevard, singing and hugging.

"Many of us were not born in 1983 when India last won the cup," said Neha Keshri, 18.

"We waited through the years, and six editions of World Cups passed by. The moment has come now," she laughed.

Some 3,500 police personnel had been deployed to ensure the safety of the two teams and the spectators in Mumbai, who included both countries' presidents.

Khaki-clad police equipped with bamboo sticks were joined by paramilitaries with full body armour and automatic weapons, as coastguard and navy patrols kept watch on the Arabian Sea and a no-fly zone was imposed over south Mumbai.

Indians from cycle-rickshaw drivers and Bollywood film stars to the prime minister had been swept up in the anticipation, with an Indian swimwear model now stuck with fulfilling her pledge to strip naked for the team if they won.

Cycle-rickshaw driver Sheru Khan , 35, showed his dedication by riding nearly 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from his home in northern Uttar Pradesh state to Mumbai after being promised a free ticket by a local politician.

Black market tickets for the match had exchanged hands for as much as to $3,300 each, and cricket's governing body was criticised for only making 4,000 tickets available to the general public.

The Mumbai Mirror tabloid said that customs officers at the city's airport even offered to waive import duty on a replica of the World Cup trophy in return for seats at the final.

Statistical Highlights: India vs. Sri Lanka, Worldcup Final 2011

2011-04-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Statistical Highlights of the World Cup 2011 final match between India and Sri Lanka

# Sachin Tendulkar's run-aggregate of 482 at an average of 53.55, including two centuries and two fifties, is the second best in the 2011 edition of the World Cup,next only to Dilshan's 500

# The top six run-getters in the 2011 edition of the World Cup are - Tillakaratne Dilshan (500), Sachin Tendulkar (482), Kumar Sangakkara (465), Jonathan Trott (422), Upul Tharangta (395) and Virender Sehwag (380).

# Dilshan is the fifth batsman to amass 500 runs or more in a World Cup Competition, joining Sachin Tendulkar (twice - 673 in 2002-03 & 523 in 1995-96), Matthew Hayden (659 in 2006-07), Jayawardene (548 in 2006-07) and Ricky Ponting (539 in 2006-07)

# Sreesanth's economy rate in the 2011 edition of the World Cup is 8.07, conceding 105 runs.

# Mahela Jayawardene (103 not out) has become the sixth batsman to post a century in a World Cup Final - the first five being Adam Gilchrist - 149 off 104 balls against Sri Lanka at Bridgetown on April 28, 2007, Ricky Ponting - 140 not out against India at Johannesburg on March 23, 2003, Vivian Richards - 138 not out against England at Lord's on June 23, 1979, Aravinda de Silva - 107 not out against Australia at Lahore on March 17, 1996 and Clive Lloyd - 102 against Australia at Lord's on June 21, 1975.

# Sri Lanka (274 for six) have registered their highest World Cup total against India, bettering the 272 for four at Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi on March 2, 1996.

# Jayawardene has equalled Sanath Jayasuriya's feat of three hundreds in the World Cup. They share a Sri Lankan record for most hundreds in the World Cup.

# Jayasuriya has posted his second hundred against India - his 14th in ODIs - 13 for Sri Lanka and one for Asia XI.

# For the first time in an ODI, Zaheer Khan has delivered the first three maiden overs.

# Zaheer (21 at an average of 18.76 in nine matches) has emulated Shahid Afridi's tally of 21 at an average of 12.85 in eight games. Both share a record for most wickets in the present edition of the WC.

# Zaheer had an excellent first spell, conceding six runs, his figures being 5-3-6-1.

# Muralitharan became the first Sri Lankan to appear in 40 games at the World Cup.

# Muralitharan has appeared in the final game of his career - his 350th game in ODIs.

# Sangakkara and Jayawardene were involved in a stand of 62 for the third wicket - Sri Lanka's highest against India at the World Cup, eclipsing the 51 between Marvan Atapattu and Aravinda de Silva at Taunton on May 26,1999.

# Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with Sangakkara's catch, has effected ten dismissals (seven catches + three stumpings) in the 2011 edition of the World Cup.

# Mahela Jayawardene has completed his 1,000 runs in India - 1049 in 29 matches at an average of 38.85, including three centuries and four fifties.

# With Samaraweera's wicket, Yuvraj Singh has completed his 20 wickets (ave.23.10) in 23 games in the World Cup.

# Yuvraj has bagged 20 wickets in a calendar year for the first time - at an average of 26.05 in 14 matches

# Yuvraj's bowling figures of 2 for 49 are his best in 23 tournament finals.

# Yuvraj's tally of 15 wickets at 25.13 runs apiece in nine matches is the second highest for India, next only to Zaheer's 21.

# Nuwan Kulasekara (32 off 30 balls) has recorded his highest innings at the World Cup.

# Perera (22 not out off nine balls) has registered his highest innings at the World Cup.

# Gautam Gambhir has completed his 4,000 runs in ODIs. He is the eleventh Indian to do so.

# Gambhir has recorded his highest innings in eight tournament finals - his maiden fifty.

# Gambhir's 25th fifty in ODIs is his fifth against Sri Lanka.

# The 83-run partnership for the third wicket is India's highest for any wicket in a World Cup Final, next only to the 88 between Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag against Australia at Johannesburg on March 23, 2003.

# Jayawardene and Kulasekara put on 66 for the sixth wicket - Sri Lanka's highest against India at the World Cup, eclipsing the 34 between Roshan Mahanama and Arjuna Ranatunga at Taunton May 26, 1999.

# The aforesaid partnership is the highest for the sixth wicket in a World Cup Final, obliterating the 32 between Michael Bevan and Stuart Law for Australia against Sri Lanka at Lahore on March 17,1996.

Scoreboard in the World Cup final
between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on
Saturday.

India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets

Sri Lanka innings
 U. Tharanga  c Sehwag b Khan            2
 T. Dilshan  b Harbhajan Singh          33
 K. Sangakkara  c Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh  48
 M. Jayawardene  not out               103
 T. Samaraweera  lbw b Yuvraj Singh     21
 C. Kapugedera  c Raina b Khan           1
 N. Kulasekara   run out                32
 T. Perera  not out                     22
 Extras (b 1 lb 3 w 6 nb 2)             12
 Total (for six wickets; 50 overs)     274

Fall of wickets: 1-17 2-60 3-122 4-179 5-182 6-248

Did not bat: L. Malinga, S. Randiv, M. Muralitharan

Bowling: Z. Khan 10-3-60-2 (1w), S Sreesanth 8-0-52-0 (2nb),
M. Patel 9-0-41-0 (1w), Harbhajan Singh 10-0-50-1 (1w), Yuvraj
Singh 10-0-49-2,  S. Tendulkar 2-0-12-0 (3w), V. Kohli 1-0-6-0

India innings
 V. Sehwag lbw b Malinga                  0
 S. Tendulkar c Sangakkara b Malinga     18
 G. Gambhir b Perera                     97
 V. Kohli c & b Dilshan                  35
 MS Dhoni not out                        91
 Yuvraj Singh not out                    21
 Extras: (b-1, lb-6, w-8)                15
 Total: (for four wickets, 48.2 overs)  277

Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-31 3-114 4-223

Did not bat: S. Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, S.
Sreesanth, M. Patel.

Bowling: Malinga 9-0-42-2 (2w), Kulasekara 8.2-0-64-0,
Perera 9-0-55-1 (2w), Randiv 9-0-43-0, Dilshan 5-0-27-1 (1w),
Muralitharan 8-0-39-0 (1w)

Player of the match: MS Dhoni (India)

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat

NDTV/Reuters

India vs Pakistan Highlights | World Cup Semi Final 2011

2011-03-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the statistical highlights of the World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan in Mohali.

Virender Sehwag has batted quite well in the present competition, aggregating 380 runs at an average of 54.28, including one century and one fifty, in seven matches.

Sehwag's aforesaid performance is his career-best in a series/competition, bettering the 348 in five matches at an average of 69.60 in the 2008 Asia Cup.

Sehwag's 38 off 25 balls is his best innings against Pakistan at the World Cup, eclipsing the 21 at Centurion on March 1, 2003.

Sachin Tendulkar has recorded his 95th fifty in ODIs - his 38th at home.

Yuvraj Singh has posted his second duck at the World Cup - his 14th in ODIs.

Tendulkar is the top run-scorer in ODIs at Mohali, aggregating 366 (ave. 61.00) in seven matches, including four fifties.

Tendulkar is also the top run run-getter in India-Pakistan ODIs, amassing 2474 at an average of 39.90 in 68 matches, including five hundreds and 15 fifties, surpassing Inzamam-ul-Haq's tally of 2403 (ave.43.69) in 67 matches.

Only Sanath Jayasuriya has made more runs than Tendulkar against Pakistan - 2517 runs at an average of 32.68, including three centuries and 18 fifties in 82 matches.

Tendulkar is the first Indian player to amass 400 runs in the present World Cup - 464 at an average of 58.00 including two hundreds and two fifties in eight games.

Tendulkar's run-aggregate is the second highest in the present tournament, next only to the 467 by Tillakaratne Dilshan at an average of 66.71, including two centuries and two fifties, in eight games.

Tendulkar is the first batsman to amass 400 runs in a competition three times at the World Cup - the first two occasions being 673 (ave.61.18) in 2002-03 and 523 (ave.87.16) in 1995-96.

Virender Sehwag (1036 at 35.72) has become the sixth Indian to complete 1,000 runs or more against Pakistan, joining Sachin Tendulkar (2474), Rahul Dravid (1899), Mohammad Azharuddin (1657), Sourav Ganguly (1652) and Yuvraj Singh (1251). Dhoni soon became the seventh Indian to do so -1001 at an average of 52.68 in 25 matches.

Gambhir and Tendulkar were involved in a stand of 68 for the second wicket - India's best against Pakistan at the World Cup.

Wahab Riaz (5/46) has recorded his career-best bowling performance in ODIs - his first five-wicket haul

Wahab's performance is the best for Pakistan against India at the World Cup, surpassing the 3 for 59 by Mushtaq Ahmed at Sydney on March 4, 1992.

Wahab Riaz (5/46) is the first Pakistani bowler to bag five wickets in an innings at Mohali.

Ntini (5/21 against Pakistan on October 27,2006) and Riaz are the only two bowlers to bag five wickets at Mohali in ODIs.

Riaz became the fourth Pakistani bowler to claim five wickets or more in an innings in India. He has joined Naved-ul-Hasan (6/27 against India at Jamshedpur on April 9, 2005), Aaqib Javed (5 for 35 against Sri Lanka at Gwalior on May 12, 1997 & 5 for 61 against India at Chennai on May 21, 1997) and Azhar Mahmood (5/38 against India at Bangalore on April 4, 1999).

Suresh Raina (36 not out) has posted his highest World Cup score.

Umar Gul (8.62) has recorded worst economy rate by a Pakistani bowler against India at the World Cup.

Kamran Akmal is the third wicketkeeper to effect four stumpings in the tenth edition of the World Cup, joining Kumar Sangakkara and Mushfiqur Rahim.

Ind vs Pak: India beat Pakistan to reach World Cup final

2011-03-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Twenty-eight long years after that magical Indian summer in England, the Men in Blue are one victory away from proving that India is truly cricket’s superpower, not just commercially but also on the field.

One victory away from being world No.1 in ODIs, in addition to Tests. One victory away from giving the ultimate thank you gift to the greatest cricketer since Don Bradman, and a fitting farewell to a coach who has contributed so much to their rise. And one victory away from giving millions of young Indians born after 1983 - including several members of the present team - the joy of knowing what it actually feels like to have your squad lift the Cup that counts before your jubilant eyes. Kumar Sangakkara - Sanga to millions of fans - is waiting with his formidable Lankans. But so is the opportunity of a lifetime for Dhoni’s Daredevils.

India went into the semifinal against Pakistan as odds-on favourites, and for once the bookies had it right. The quality of cricket didn’t really live up to the occasion but the ebb and flow of emotions - from exuberance to unease to disappointment to hope to joy to sheer mad exultation - more than compensated. Wednesday’s win extends India’s record against Pakistan at the World Cup to 5-0. Some day, the law of averages will catch up, but not with history beckoning so alluringly.

It was supposed to be India’s batting vs Pakistan’s bowling but as often happens in cricket, things didn’t go according to script. The Indian innings got off to an explosive start, powered by Virender Sehwag, stuttered midway and finally lurched to a total - 260 - that could at best be described as fighting. Man of the match Sachin Tendulkar produced one of the patchiest innings of his stunning career, but its value became more and more apparent as the Pakistani innings steadily went into terminal decline.

The bowling, though, was a revelation. Defending 260 meant there was no scope for even a single bowler to have an off-day. No one did, with Zaheer, Munaf, Nehra, Harbhajan and Yuvraj all taking two wickets each. Incredibly, the first extra, a wide, came as late as the 37th over. Dhoni attacked throughout, the Men in Blue fielded with tigerish resolve and the bowlers never eased the pressure, even when Pakistan appeared to be cruising.

At the end of India’s innings, Pakistan would have fancied their chances. After a blistering start from Virender Sehwag that briefly raised visions of India crossing 350, Afridi’s men had succeeded in reining in India for 260 - a total that most pundits felt was at least 20 runs below par, given the small ground and fast outfield.

Umar Gul, supposed to be Pakistan’s spearhead, was taken to the cleaners, going wicketless and conceding 69 runs in 8 overs - the worst economy rate ever by a Pakistani bowler against India in a World Cup match. But young left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz rose to the occasion, taking 5 wickets for 46 - the best ever by a Pakistani against India at the World Cup.

Riaz, varying his pace intelligently, gave an excellent display of seam and swing as he struck at vital moments. He brought Sehwag’s blistering innings to a disappointingly premature end and then returned to dismiss Kohli. Yuvraj Singh walked in to a huge ovation from his home crowd. It turned into stunned silence as Riaz produced a full swinging delivery that crashed into Yuvi’s stumps.

For good measure, Riaz also got rid of Sachin Tendulkar. Afridi had vowed before the match that Pakistan wouldn’t let Tendulkar get his 100th international century but his teammates seemed bent on proving him wrong, generously offering chance after chance. Tendulkar struggled to pick Saeed Ajmal and was given out LBW but survived when he asked for a review. On the very next ball, the Pakistanis appealed for a stumping. Sachin was then dropped thrice off Afridi and once off Hafeez before Afridi finally caught him. It was perhaps fitting that Sachin’s 100th century didn’t come from such a flawed innings.

Dhoni hung around without ever looking convincing and it was left to Raina to guide India to a semblance of respectability. Ironically, overs 44 and 49, which yielded 43 runs for the loss of just 1 wicket, were actually one of India’s most productive uses of the batting powerplay in this Cup. The bowlers had done their bit with the bat. They were to do much, much more with the ball.

TNN

20 years, 92 quakes: Ground trembles beneath Jaitapur's feet

2011-03-15T23:08:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Fukushima has become part of the local lexicon at Jaitapur. As news of the apocalypse-like situation in Japan reaches the far corners of villages in and around the area, residents have increased their agitation against the proposed 9,900 mw nuclear power plant.

Jaitapur area falls in the seismic zone 3 category, and data from the Geological Survey of India shows that between 1985 and 2005, there were 92 earthquakes.

The biggest earthquake in Jaitapur, recorded in 1993, measured 6.2 on the Richter scale. The ground is unstable, say activists and geologists, and there is no guarantee that the government's safeguards will protect the people and ecologically sensitive Konkan coast from a nuclear disaster should there be another earthquake.

Environmental activist Pradeep Indulkar said: "The third explosion at the Fukushima plant in Japan on Tuesday confirms that in the event of an earthquake, precautionary measures and safeguards will not avert a disaster. It is better not to have a nuclear power plant in this seismic zone region."

At Shivane village, 20 km from Jaitapur, Chandrakant Padkar remembers the day the earth shook and the road outside his house vanished. The unreported earthquake took place two years ago, and the village still bears the scars. Now, with the government's plans to set up the nuclear plant here, the gorge has taken on a more ominous avatar.

TNN

India captures 61 suspected Somali pirates

2011-03-14T02:09:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, India -- Indian naval patrols captured 61 suspected Somali pirates and rescued 13 crew from a hijacked fishing vessel after a crossfire in the Arabian Sea over the weekend, authorities said Monday.
The Indian navy said pirates seized the Mozambique-flagged Vega 5 in December and have since been using it as their mother vessel.

A navy aircraft spotted the ship in the Arabian Sea after pirates onboard tried to hijack another vessel Friday, the Indian military said.

After the two sides exchanged gunfire, Indian patrols captured 61 armed pirates who, according to navy spokesman P.V.S. Satish, were suspected to be Somalis.

"This vessel (Vega 5) had been a risk to international shipping for last four months and has carried out several attacks," a navy statement said.

Indian military officials hailed the weekend operation, 600 nautical-miles west of their country, as their greatest success in a single anti-piracy operation.

Earlier this year, Indian naval forces captured 43 suspected pirates in two separate events in the Arabian Sea.

CNN

Biggest ever in terms of participants in history: Commonwealth Games 2010

2010-10-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

After a controversy-marred build-up and negative publicity, the Commonwealth Games set a historic landmark of being the biggest-ever in terms of participation with more than 6700 athletes and officials confirming their entries for the event here on Friday.

With just one day left for the opening ceremony, Delhi will now be known to have hosted the biggest Games surpassing participation in Melbourne four years ago which stood at 5766 athletes and officials.

The excitement is also building up as the Queen's baton makes its way through Delhi in its final lap. The baton had reached the Games Village Saturday morning. After much negative publicity, the Games have made history by being the biggest ever in terms of participants.

More than 6700 athletes have confirmed that they will be attending the mega event. Over 5800 foreign delegates have already arrived and many more are expected to come on Saturday. With this Delhi overtakes Melbourne which hosted the Games in 2006, in terms of participation.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit sounded optimistic and made it clear that she was sure about the Games being a success. The 14 day Games will be kicked off with a grand opening ceremony on Sunday evening at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. It will start with a 2-minute clip showcasing India to the world.

The biggest helium balloon ever will be suspended 25 ft above the ground at the ceremony. Musicians from across the country will also perform at the event.
Athletes from 71 nations will participate in the parade. Ace Shooter and Olympic Gold medalist Abhinav Bindra will take an oath as captain of the Indian team.

Finally, the ceremony will close with a song by none other than A R Rahman. The event will be closely guarded. There will also be over 600 volunteers on duty and over 2000 others taking care of cleanliness, transport and spectators.

Delhi Police chief Y S Dadwal advises people of Delhi to plan their movement well since security will be foolproof. He says 41 venues are being protected. Each bus carrying athletes will have two escorts apart from the security inside the vehicle.
"All leaves of Delhi Police personnel have been cancelled since the 15th of September. We have substantially increased security. We have made considerable arrangements for ballistic security too," said the Commissioner of Police.

"Information about all accreditation cards have been passed on to the police in Hindi too. Those who have to use arms have been given good enough training," he added.
Dadwal promises there will be no PCR shortage. "We have a total of 630 PCR vans. We have withdrawn 450 vehicles from various police units for escort duties. We have hired 900 vehicles. There are unmarked vehicles too," he clarified.

Indian doctor couple banned in Oz from running aged nursing homes: Signed death certificate without autopsy

2010-07-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

An Adelaide company owned by a husband and wife doctor team has been prevented from running Commonwealth-funded nursing homes.
Bresant Pty Ltd – owned and directed by Dr Jagdish Saraf and Dr Madhu Saraf – operated the Brighton Aged Care until March this year when the Department of Health and Ageing revoked its approved provider status.

The company applied for a review of this decision but the original ruling was upheld this week.

It is the first revocation of approved provider status under the Rudd Government. The last time a provider lost approval was in August last year.

According to a statement from the Minister for Ageing’s office, the decision to revoke Bresant’s status was based on: “…a history of significant and repeated non-compliance with its obligations under the [Aged Care] Act, resulting in serious risk to the health, safety or well-being of residents.”

In September last year, another Adelaide facility run by Bresant was forced to close after staff rolled a resident in tomato sauce as part of a ‘practical joke’.

The department also expressed concerns about the provider’s failure to report the death of a 71-year old resident to the coroner in July last year.

In February, the South Australian Coroner found that the Sarafs acted “improperly” when they signed the death and cremation certificates for the resident without performing an autopsy.

The Sarafs appealed the coroner’s decision, arguing that the death was not ‘unusual’.

But the South Australian Supreme Court recently ruled that the death was still reportable because the resident had died of “an undetermined cause”.

“This has been a very sad episode and once again, I extend my condolences and sympathies to the family,” said Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot.

“The thousands of hard working and dedicated staff in aged care will welcome the decision by the Department of Health and Ageing to revoke Bresant’s approved provider status.”

“In fact, it was a staff member who brought the matter to the attention of the South Australian police.”

The Rudd Government has again expressed concerns that doctors who own and operate aged care facilities can sign the death and cremation certificates of residents.

It has written to State and Territory attorneys-general seeking their cooperation to close the ‘legal loopholes’ that allow this to occur.

[Fri 18/07/2008 10:21:54]- Australian Ageing Agenda

UK best & India worst in aged care: Global study

2010-07-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

The analysis by the Economist Intelligence Unit looked at access to services, quality of care and public awareness in 40 countries. It found the UK performed particularly well on issues such as obtaining pain killers and quality of support. Along with Australia, it received 7.9 out of 10, well ahead of nations such as Denmark, on 5.1 and Italy, on 4.4. India came bottom on 1.9.

The researchers, part of the group which publishes the Economist magazine, talked to health professionals in 40 countries as well as looking through official data.

They concluded access to drugs and carers were the two most pressing issues for all involved. They also said that most health systems, no matter how well funded, relied to some extent on charities and philanthropic bodies to offer support to patients, particularly through networks of hospices.

David Praill, chief executive of Help the Hospices in the UK and co-chairman of the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance, said the result was “heartening” for the UK.

But he added: “The system is far from perfect and there remains huge disparity.”

He also said urgent action was needed in those countries with the worst systems.

“Hospice and palliative care is still unavailable to many of those in need, especially in the developing world with millions of people dying in pain and distress every year.”

TOP FIVE COUNTRIES

UK – 7.9 out of 10
Australia – 7.9
New Zealand – 7.7
Ireland – 6.8
Belgium – 6.8

BOTTOM FIVE COUNTRIES

India – 1.9 out of 10
Uganda – 2.1
Brazil – 2.2
China – 2.3
Mexico – 2.7

-BBC, July 14

Chandigarh is officially India's cleanest city

2010-05-11T02:08:00.000-07:00

Chandigarh has emerged as the number one city in terms of sanitation in the National Rating Exercise, government said on Monday.

Announcing this, Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy listed Mysore at number two, Surat at number three and the NDMC area of New Delhi in the fourth position.

"The purpose of this exercise is to recognise better performers as well as to encourage other cities to perform better. The idea behind the exercise is to galvanise action in states and cities towards better sanitation," Reddy said.

Terming it as a "timely initiative", Reddy hoped that all stakeholders will join hands in the endeavour of creating totally sanitised cities.

Policy rating of 423 cities which covers 72 per cent of the urban population was undertaken. The country was divided into five zones for the purpose and each city was scored on 19 indicators.

Officials said the cities were classified into four colour categories of red, black, blue and green.

"The rating of cities creates a baseline which can be used to measure progress in respect of sanitation in our cities and is expected to encourage cities to perform better in years to come," a senior official said.

None of the cities were rated as "Green" the best category in the exercise. However, four cities -- Chandigarh, Mysore, Surat and NDMC area in New Delhi -- were in the Blue category.

Reddy said he will be writing to all the chief ministers of the states to prioritise sanitation.

"I hope the ratings today will indeed mobilise all stakeholders to prioritise and take action for improving sanitation," the minister added.

Press Trust of India

Sceptic challenges guru to kill him live on TV

2010-03-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

When a famous tantric guru boasted on television that he could kill another man using only his mystical powers, most viewers either gasped in awe or merely nodded unquestioningly. Sanal Edamaruku’s response was different. “Go on then — kill me,” he said.

Mr Edamaruku had been invited to the same talk show as head of the Indian Rationalists’ Association — the country’s self-appointed sceptic-in-chief. At first the holy man, Pandit Surender Sharma, was reluctant, but eventually he agreed to perform a series of rituals designed to kill Mr Edamaruku live on television. Millions tuned in as the channel cancelled scheduled programming to continue broadcasting the showdown, which can still be viewed on YouTube.

First, the master chanted mantras, then he sprinkled water on his intended victim. He brandished a knife, ruffled the sceptic’s hair and pressed his temples. But after several hours of similar antics, Mr Edamaruku was still very much alive — smiling for the cameras and taunting the furious holy man.

“He was over, finished, completely destroyed!” Mr Edamaruku chuckles triumphantly as he concludes the tale in the Rationalist Centre, his second-floor office in the town of Noida, just outside Delhi.

Rationalising India has never been easy. Given the country’s vast population, its pervasive poverty and its dizzying array of ethnic groups, languages and religions, many deem it impossible.

Nevertheless, Mr Edamaruku has dedicated his life to exposing the charlatans — from levitating village fakirs to televangelist yoga masters — who he says are obstructing an Indian Enlightenment. He has had a busy month, with one guru arrested over prostitution, another caught in a sex-tape scandal, a third kidnapping a female follower and a fourth allegedly causing a stampede that killed 63 people.

This week India’s most popular yoga master, Baba Ramdev, announced plans to launch a political party, promising to cleanse India of corruption and introduce the death penalty for slaughtering cows. Then, on Wednesday, police arrested a couple in Maharashtra state on suspicion of killing five boys on the advice of a tantric master who said their sacrifice would help the childless couple to conceive.

“The immediate goal I have is to stop these fraudulent babas and gurus,” says Mr Edamaruku, 55, a part-time journalist and publisher from the southern state of Kerala. “I want people to make their own decisions. They should not be guided by ignorance, but by knowledge.

“I’d like to see a post-religious society — that would be an ideal dream, but I don’t know how long it would take.”

His organisation traces its origins to the 1930s when the “Thinker’s Library” series of books, published by Britain’s Rationalist Press Association, were first imported to India. They included works by Aldous Huxley, Charles Darwin and H.G. Wells; among the early subscribers was Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister.

The Indian Rationalist Association was founded officially in Madras in 1949 with the encouragement of the British philosopher Bertrand Russell, who sent a long letter of congratulations. For the next three decades it had no more than 300 members and focused on publishing pamphlets and debating within the country’s intellectual elite.

But since Mr Edamaruku took over in 1985, it has grown into a grass-roots organisation of more than 100,000 members — mainly young professionals, teachers and students — covering most of India. Members now spend much of their time investigating and reverse-engineering “miracles” performed by self-styled holy men who often claim millions of followers and amass huge wealth from donations.

One common trick they expose is levitation, usually done using an accomplice who lies on the ground under a blanket and then raises his upper body while holding out two hockey sticks under the blanket to make it look like his feet are also rising. “It’s quite easy really,” said Mr Edamaruku, who teaches members to perform the tricks in villages and then explains how they are done, or demonstrates them at press conferences.

Other simple tricks include walking on hot coals (the skin does not burn if you walk fast enough) and lying on a bed of nails (your weight is spread evenly across the bed). The “weeping statue” trick is usually done by melting a thin layer of wax covering a small deposit of water.

Some tricks require closer scrutiny. One guru in the state of Andhra Pradesh used to boil a pot of tea using a small fire on his head. The secret was to place a non-conductive pad made of compacted wheat flour between his head and the fire. “I was so excited when I exposed him. I should have been more reasonable but sometimes you get so angry,” he said. “I cried: ‘Look, even I can do this and I’m not a baba — I’m a rationalist!’.”

Another swami — who conducted funeral rites for Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister who was assassinated in 1984 — used to appear to create fire by pouring ghee, clarified butter, on to ash and then staring at the mixture until it burst into flames. The “ghee” was glycerine and the “ash” was potassium permanganate, two chemicals that spontaneously combust within about two minutes of being mixed together.

Exposing such tricks can be risky. A guru called Balti (Bucket) Baba once smashed a burning hot clay pot in Mr Edamaruku’s face after he revealed that the holy man was using a heat resistant pad to pick it up.

The chief rationalist was almost arrested by the government of Kerala for revealing that it was behind an annual apparition of flames in the night sky — in fact, several state officials lighting bonfires on a nearby hill — which attracted millions of pilgrims. Despite his efforts, he admits that people still go to the festival and continue to revere self-styled holy men.

One reason is that Indian politicians nurture and shelter gurus to give them spiritual credibility, use their followers as vote banks, or to mask sexual or criminal activity. That explains why India’s Parliament has never tightened the 1954 Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, under which the maximum punishment is two months in prison and a 2,000 rupee (£29) fine.

Another reason is that educated, middle-class Indians are feeling increasingly alienated from mainstream religion but still in need of spiritual sustenance. “When traditional religion collapses people still need spirituality,” he says. “So they usually go one of two directions: towards extremism and fundamentalism or to these kinds of people.”

Since richer, urban Indians have little time for long pilgrimages orpujas (prayer ceremonies), they are often attracted by holy men who offer instant gratification — for a fee. The development of the Indian media over the past decade has also allowed some holy men to reach ever larger audiences via television and the internet. “Small ones have gone out of business while the big ones have become like corporations,” says Mr Edamaruku.

But the media revolution has also helped Mr Edamaruku, who made 225 appearances on television last year, and gets up to 70 inquiries about membership daily. Thanks to his confrontation in 2008 with the tantric master, the rationalist is now a national celebrity, too.

When the guru’s initial efforts failed, he accused Mr Edamaruku of praying to gods to protect him. “No, I’m an atheist,” came the response. The holy man then said he needed to conduct a ritual that could only be done at night, outdoors, and after he had slept with a woman, drunk alcohol and rubbed himself in ash.

The men agreed to go to an outdoor studio that night — all to no avail. At midnight, the anchor declared the contest over. Reason had prevailed.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7067989.ece

Meerut Families Caught Burying Their Children ALIVE!

2010-03-27T07:19:00.001-07:00

When the entire country had come out to watch the longest solar eclipse that occurred on Friday, some people in Uttar Pradesh’s town of Meerut did something bizarre.

Not everybody celebrates a solar eclipse with a traditional pinhole projector. The folks in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, for instance, like to commemorate the occasion by burying their children.

Local authorities in Meerut were shocked to discover their local graveyard filled with families on January 15^th, the day of India’s latest annular eclipse.

What’s even more shocking is that the parents were burying their children’s body parts, in hopes that a combination of the eclipse and graveyard dirt would somehow cure their polio.

According to Manzoor Ahmed, one of the parents at the scene, “Solar eclipse affects everything. It has been scientifically proven.”

Shaheen Fatima, who buried her son’s leg in the dirt, further clarifies this strange behavior, saying, “We believe that the solar eclipse affects the soil also…the soil undergoes some changes during the eclipse and hence it may correct the deformity in the children.”

Dr. Vinod Mishra, a local astrologer, discredits these claims, noting that a solar eclipse has zero effect on soil, let alone disease.

So who should we believe: parents who bury their children or a local astrologer? Hmm…

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/47370/a-bizarre-ritual-up-town.html

No BJP leader tried to stop Babri demolition: Police officer

2010-03-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Photo: PTI/Nand Kumar for The Hindu Newspaper
A NEW TURN:Senior IPS officer Anju Gupta

Rae Bareli: The demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 took place in the presence of a clutch of top Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh Parivar leaders, none of whom, Lal Krishna Advani included, made an attempt to stop the vandals, said Anju Gupta, senior police officer and the prosecution's star witness in the Ayodhya demolition criminal case on Friday.

Ms. Gupta, who was Mr. Advani's personal security officer (PSO) at the time, told the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Rae Bareli that the BJP leader gave a “joshila” (fiery) speech from the dais, repeating over and over that “mandir yahin banayenge ( the temple will be built right here) and this electrified the kar sevaks.

Ms. Gupta said she was present on the dais for a substantial part of the six hours it took to raze the “disputed structure.” Through this time not once did she see Mr. Advani – or the other leaders present on the makeshift Ramkatha Kunj Manch – order the kar sevaks to halt the demolition. Instead, they made merry, hugged each other as each dome of the 16th century monument fell, and distributed sweets.

The leaders on the manch sang bhajans, made inflammatory speeches, raised provocative slogans and egged the kar sevaks into staying on to finish the work. “Vahan par jashan ka mahoul tha” (the mood was celebratory), she said.

Her requests to the police control room for “force reinforcement” were met with indifference, she said.

Ms. Gupta's testimony is significant for two reasons. Though there were more than a dozen senior government officials present in the town on that day, she alone has come forward to narrate the events leading up to the demolition. Secondly, as Mr. Advani's PSO, she had a vantage view of both the structure as it was being demolished and the dais where over a dozen BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders had gathered. Among them were Mr. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti, Ashok Singhal, Sadhvi Rithambhara, the former Director General of U.P. police, S.C. Dixit, and Acharya Dharmendra.

Ms. Gupta said she could only hear a part of Mr. Advani's speech as she had to leave the dais to escort the fleet of cars accompanying Mr. Advani.

On her way back to the dais, around 11.50 am-noon, she said she spotted kar sevaks, armed with a variety of implements, including pulleys and ropes, climbing atop the domes. Many of them fell to the ground. When she reached the stage, Mr. Advani asked her to describe the situation at the demolition site. On hearing that kar sevaks were falling off the domes, he was very worried, and insisted on going to the spot. However, later he relented and asked her to escort Ms. Bharti to the demolition site, she said.

http://www.in.com/news/current-affairs/fullstory-no-bjp-leader-tried-to-stop-babri-demolition-police-officer-13307667-df406d513ae6a3a57fb7e735bb3b71fbb1c99a52-1.html

Killed, aborted or neglected, at least 100m girls have disappeared

2010-03-26T02:47:00.000-07:00

IMAGINE you are one half of a young couple expecting your first child in a fast-growing, poor country. You are part of the new middle class; your income is rising; you want a small family. But traditional mores hold sway around you, most important in the preference for sons over daughters. Perhaps hard physical labour is still needed for the family to make its living. Perhaps only sons may inherit land. Perhaps a daughter is deemed to join another family on marriage and you want someone to care for you when you are old. Perhaps she needs a dowry.

Killed, aborted or neglected, at least 100m girls have disappeared—and the number is rising

Now imagine that you have had an ultrasound scan; it costs $12, but you can afford that. The scan says the unborn child is a girl. You yourself would prefer a boy; the rest of your family clamours for one. You would never dream of killing a baby daughter, as they do out in the villages. But an abortion seems different. What do you do?

For millions of couples, the answer is: abort the daughter, try for a son. In China and northern India more than 120 boys are being born for every 100 girls. Nature dictates that slightly more males are born than females to offset boys’ greater susceptibility to infant disease. But nothing on this scale.

For those who oppose abortion, this is mass murder. For those such as this newspaper, who think abortion should be “safe, legal and rare” (to use Bill Clinton’s phrase), a lot depends on the circumstances, but the cumulative consequence for societies of such individual actions is catastrophic. China alone stands to have as many unmarried young men—“bare branches”, as they are known—as the entire population of young men in America. In any country rootless young males spell trouble; in Asian societies, where marriage and children are the recognised routes into society, single men are almost like outlaws. Crime rates, bride trafficking, sexual violence, even female suicide rates are all rising and will rise further as the lopsided generations reach their maturity (see article).

It is no exaggeration to call this gendercide. Women are missing in their millions—aborted, killed, neglected to death. In 1990 an Indian economist, Amartya Sen, put the number at 100m; the toll is higher now. The crumb of comfort is that countries can mitigate the hurt, and that one, South Korea, has shown the worst can be avoided. Others need to learn from it if they are to stop the carnage.

The dearth and death of little sisters

Most people know China and northern India have unnaturally large numbers of boys. But few appreciate how bad the problem is, or that it is rising. In China the imbalance between the sexes was 108 boys to 100 girls for the generation born in the late 1980s; for the generation of the early 2000s, it was 124 to 100. In some Chinese provinces the ratio is an unprecedented 130 to 100. The destruction is worst in China but has spread far beyond. Other East Asian countries, including Taiwan and Singapore, former communist states in the western Balkans and the Caucasus, and even sections of America’s population (Chinese- and Japanese-Americans, for example): all these have distorted sex ratios. Gendercide exists on almost every continent. It affects rich and poor; educated and illiterate; Hindu, Muslim, Confucian and Christian alike.

Wealth does not stop it. Taiwan and Singapore have open, rich economies. Within China and India the areas with the worst sex ratios are the richest, best-educated ones. And China’s one-child policy can only be part of the problem, given that so many other countries are affected.

In fact the destruction of baby girls is a product of three forces: the ancient preference for sons; a modern desire for smaller families; and ultrasound scanning and other technologies that identify the sex of a fetus. In societies where four or six children were common, a boy would almost certainly come along eventually; son preference did not need to exist at the expense of daughters. But now couples want two children—or, as in China, are allowed only one—they will sacrifice unborn daughters to their pursuit of a son. That is why sex ratios are most distorted in the modern, open parts of China and India. It is also why ratios are more skewed after the first child: parents may accept a daughter first time round but will do anything to ensure their next—and probably last—child is a boy. The boy-girl ratio is above 200 for a third child in some places.

How to stop half the sky crashing down

Baby girls are thus victims of a malign combination of ancient prejudice and modern preferences for small families. Only one country has managed to change this pattern. In the 1990s South Korea had a sex ratio almost as skewed as China’s. Now, it is heading towards normality. It has achieved this not deliberately, but because the culture changed. Female education, anti-discrimination suits and equal-rights rulings made son preference seem old-fashioned and unnecessary. The forces of modernity first exacerbated prejudice—then overwhelmed it.

But this happened when South Korea was rich. If China or India—with incomes one-quarter and one-tenth Korea’s levels—wait until they are as wealthy, many generations will pass. To speed up change, they need to take actions that are in their own interests anyway. Most obviously China should scrap the one-child policy. The country’s leaders will resist this because they fear population growth; they also dismiss Western concerns about human rights. But the one-child limit is no longer needed to reduce fertility (if it ever was: other East Asian countries reduced the pressure on the population as much as China). And it massively distorts the country’s sex ratio, with devastating results. President Hu Jintao says that creating “a harmonious society” is his guiding principle; it cannot be achieved while a policy so profoundly perverts family life.

And all countries need to raise the value of girls. They should encourage female education; abolish laws and customs that prevent daughters inheriting property; make examples of hospitals and clinics with impossible sex ratios; get women engaged in public life—using everything from television newsreaders to women traffic police. Mao Zedong said “women hold up half the sky.” The world needs to do more to prevent a gendercide that will have the sky crashing down.

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15606229&source=hptextfeature&fsrc=sky|IPoltis

Her struggle for justice against honour killing

2010-03-26T02:45:00.001-07:00

Divya Gandhi in THE HINDU

Sushma’s brother murdered her husband, three others to avenge their marriage

Bangalore: As the Women’s Reservation Bill rings in the centennial year of Women’s Day on a celebratory note, 25-year-old Sushma Tiwari’s story tells of an inspirational fight-back against a brutal form of patriarchy and caste oppression.

SUSHMA- HER FIGHT AGAINST HONOUR KILLING

It has been a six-year legal battle for Sushma against the horrific ‘honour killing’ by her brother of almost her entire marital family: husband Prabhu Nochil, her father-in-law and two minors in their home near Mumbai, all to avenge her marriage into a family of a ‘lower’ caste. Sushma is from a Brahmin family of UP, and Prabhu, an Ezhava from Kerala.

Although the fast track sessions court in Maharashtra, and later the Bombay High Court, awarded the death penalty to Sushma’s brother Dilip Tiwari and his accomplices, the Supreme Court in December 2009 reduced the sentence to 25-year imprisonment.

This February, Sushma filed a review petition questioning the decision to let off the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

In 2004, seven months after the couple got married, Dilip and his associates massacred four members of the Nochil family, and grievously injured two others. A pregnant Sushma luckily escaped as she was visiting a relative.

The Supreme Court, explaining its decision to revoke the death sentence, said: “It is a common experience that when the younger sister commits something unusual and in this case it was an inter-caste, intercommunity marriage out of [a] secret love affair, then in society it is the elder brother who justifiably or otherwise is held responsible for not stopping such [an] affair.”

It added: “If he became the victim of his wrong but genuine caste considerations, it would not justify the death sentence… The vicious grip of the caste, community, religion, though totally unjustified, is a stark reality.”

“Totally illegal”

Sushma has challenged this reasoning, stating this perception “is wrong and totally illegal under our Constitution and various laws of the land like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989” and “can never be made a ground for lessening a sentence. In fact, these feelings of caste hatred are themselves criminal…”

Her petition states: “In fact, mass killings based on the concept of ‘honour’ must be viewed by this Hon’ble Court as murders which must be given the highest deterrent sentence.”

In Bangalore recently to attend the National Young Women’s convention organised by the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), this resolute young woman told The Hindu that by reducing the sentence, the highest court of the land has sent out a wrong message to all those who wished to marry out of caste. “Even if not for my own safety or that of my five-year-old daughter Trishna, the death sentence must be upheld for the sake of humanity.”

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/08/stories/2010030856821400.htm

Entertainers or sex slaves? DISTURBING TRENDS FROM PUNJAB

2010-03-26T02:44:00.000-07:00

Many young Punjabi girls are being forced into prostitution in the garb of working as dancers or entertainers, reports Riva IN THE TRIBUNE CHANDIGARH

Her dark gloomy eyes reflect her shadowy past, unable to hide her shame and pain. Sitting in a corner of a dark room, Rashmi (name changed) prefers this darkness of a dingy room to bright neon lights and posh hotel rooms. At the young age of 17, Rashmi has already experienced the seamier side of life that lies behind this glam world. Her nightmarish journey into this murky world began in cultured, air-conditioned rooms of five-star hotels and culminated into this innocent teenager becoming as a prostitute.

Women’s trafficking in Punjab is not unheard of. While many young girls from other parts are sneaked into the state to be employed as sex slaves, a large number of Punjabi girls, in the garb of working as performers, are being herded across the borders to do the same job in metropolitan cities of India and Gulf countries like Dubai.

Investigations revealed that many of the musical groups operational in Punjab act as mediators in whisking off young women to Arab countries and other Indian cities for dancing, a euphuism for prostitution.

Trafficking on the rise in Punjab

More than one lakh women are a part of around 5,000 orchestra groups operating in Punjab, though all of them are not involved in prostitution (The faces of the girls have been blurred to protect their identities)

“I had joined a musical group a year back and was promised Rs 500 per show. We performed at music shows, at marriages and other parties, mostly during late evenings. Two months into the job, my employer started asking me to stay back at her house to help her with household chores. Then came a time when I was prohibited to go out or meet my parents without her or her husband’s permission.

“Show or no show, I couldn’t go home. They always had an excuse. One day, they asked me to join them on a three-month tour to Bangalore for a series of Punjabi cultural shows. They offered Rs 15,000 per month for the job. Forced by poor financial circumstances, my parents agreed and I, too, went reluctantly. Only after reaching there did I realise what was my actual work. I was hired by a hotel on Bangalore’s posh MG Road for pleasing its customers for a period of three months. They had signed a contract to this effect with my employer. I was in trouble in a strange land not knowing its language,” narrates Rashmi, while giving details of her harrowing tale.

Rashmi, a good-looking girl of 17, is a resident of Basti Danishmandan in Jalandhar. She left studies after completing Class X and started working with a musical group in the city to supplement her family’s income. After joining the group, she was forced to do menial jobs at the house of her employer and was frequently subjected to torture and abuse for not giving in to their unjust demands. She was also underpaid on the pretext that money had been spent on buying make-up and dress material for her.

Trafficking on the rise in Punjab

But her real nightmare began once she landed in Bangalore. She found herself one among the 50 women present there to pander to the demands of the male customers of the hotel. “The guests, as we called them, would take us out for a movie or shopping They would give us gifts and in return expected to be treated like boyfriends. They could talk anything and we were not supposed to spoil their mood, whatever the provocation,” discloses Rashmi. The 50 women in the hotel had come from different parts of the country and even from as far as Nepal.

Though she hesitates to speak clearly, Rashmi confesses that she was pressurised to do what she obliquely refers to as ‘wrong things’. “We were five girls in that hotel from Jalandhar and I learnt that many more from the city were into the same business in other hotels of Bangalore. In fact, Hindi-speaking girls were at a premium there,” she adds. Anjali Sinha, an activist with NGO Stree Adhikar Sangathan, reveals that there is an inter-state nexus between such ‘gangs’ that recruit innocent girls under the garb of dancing and later push them into prostitution.

“India is in the process of widespread economic and social restructuring because of capitalisation and globalisation, which have changed the social fabric of our society. Everything today is driven by capital. Women and children are increasingly becoming commodities to be bought, sold and consumed by tourists, military personnel, organised crime rings, traffickers, and men seeking sexual entertainment without responsibility,” adds Anjali Sinha.

Though Rashmi has since quit the troupe, many of her friends are still into it and are doing a tour of Dubai at present. When The Tribune spoke to one such girl in Dubai, she confessed that they were actually working as sex slaves, providing entertainment to their ‘guests’ for money and material goods.

“I dance in a hotel bar. In three months, I earn about Rs 2.5 lakh. I dance for about six hours a day, from 6 pm to 12 am. During this time, forget eating, I cannot even drink water without my customer’s permission. If he wants me to drink while dancing, I have to do it`85 I had an inkling about the nature of work here while I was in Bangalore, but still went ahead`85 due to certain compulsions,” discloses Alisha.

Alisha has signed a three-month contract with the hotel. She cannot step out unless her customer pays a stipulated amount to the hotel management. “It is like being literally enslaved`85 trapped in this vicious circle of prostitution and moral degeneration`85 I cannot escape since I am the only bread-winner for my family, back in India`85″ she sobs.

“Once trapped in the quagmire of flesh trade, escape is very unlikely. It’s like a never-ending, widening gyre whose stigma lives with you like a ghost…” she adds.

But, why join such professions in the first place? “At 16, I married against my parents’ wishes. The guy turned out to be a drug-addict. After three years of marriage and two children to feed, I walked out of this abusive relationship. But my parents refused to help me. So, I got a job as a domestic helper with an NRI family in Deep Singh Nagar, Bathinda. I was given a room, too. But the owner started demanding sexual favours and I decided to quit the job to work in an orchestra, run by a neighbour’s relative. Good looks were my passport to the job. But, I soon realised that it was not all about dancing,” confides Madhu (name changed).

“Penury, betrayal, illiteracy and abuse are classic ingredients of our lives. Everybody talks about izzat, but izzat isn’t going to feed my family, is it? You need money to survive, and I had no other options,” adds Madhu. In August last year, the Bathinda police had rounded up several girls who were involved in flesh trade in the guise of orchestra business.

According to a report by the Central Bureau of Investigation reports, the global human trafficking industry affects an estimated six to eight million people annually and is worth $ 9 billion. A survey conducted by the National Commission for Women estimates that 378 districts (62 per cent) of India are affected by trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation.

“Women, the world over, are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, especially, when they are migrants or refugees and when they are suffering from poverty or affected by racism and caste structure. Women and children are forced into the industry by violence, lack of economic alternatives, deception, debt bondage and financial enslavement. It is a human rights disaster. It is high time the government seriously tackled the menace that has assumed alarming proportions,” says Jai Singh, who runs the Volunteers for Social Justice, an NGO.

Most of the girls are either forced into the profession by parents, or are victims of poverty and unemployment. Minal (34), a resident of Guru Nanakpura, Bathinda, has been dancing since she was 17, earning anything between Rs 8,000 and Rs 12,000 a month. After she failed in Class X, her widowed mother married her off. But as luck would have it, her moments of joy were short-lived. Just three months into the marriage, her drunkard husband started forcing her to sleep with other men to earn some money.

“I was young and good looking. One day, a customer asked me to join a western orchestra group then operational in the town. Sometimes you need to pay with your soul to earn a livelihood. I then started to work as a prostitute, disguised as a dancer,” she sobs. “I have been to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore on ‘business’ tours,” she adds. There are around 5,000 orchestra groups in Punjab, involving more than one lakh women.

Although common, such cases don’t usually come to the notice of the police. “Rarely do we come across such cases. Given our society’s attitude towards the victim, girls and their families prefer to keep mum. The police, society and the politicians should work in tandem to curb this menace,” says Manjeet Kaur, in-charge, Women’s Cell, Jalandhar.

President of the Lok Bhalai Party, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, says that while his party had not received any written or formal complaint hitherto, such incidents are quite common in Punjab. “Faced with unemployment and compelling family needs, young beautiful girls, sometimes even well-educated ones, are forced into this dirty business for the want of money. They do not choose it by preference, but out of sheer necessity, often after broken marriages or being disowned by families,” he adds. But president of the Punjab Orchestra Association Vijay Sahota dubs these reports as false, saying: “Though incidents of pushing dancers or orchestra singers into prostitution had come to light in Bathinda in the late 1990s, after our association was formed in 2000, no such case has been reported.” “Artistes are poor, not immoral. If the organisers play foul, the girls should complain to us. Our association will definitely come to their rescue and help them get due respect,” he concludes.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100313/saturday/main1.htm

Is it India or Taliban?

2010-03-26T02:42:00.000-07:00

Khap panchayat decision ‘abhorrent’, says Haryana caste body president

INDIAN EXPRESS FEB 07 2010

A 22-year-old woman in Haryana has thrown the gauntlet at the powerful Jat khap panchayat (village caste council), refusing to follow its diktat to start living with her husband of three years as “brother and sister”. The president of the larger body of khap panchayats has now denounced the diktat as “abhorrent”.

The defiance of Kavita — whose marriage to Satish was summarily declared annulled by the khap panchayat in Rohtak’s Meham Kheri village on January 30 because husband and wife belonged to the same gotra — was reported by The Indian Express on February 6.“I will never agree to their decision,” Kavita, who has a 10-month-old baby and is one of only three women in her village who have a diploma in teacher’s training, had said.

Today, Randhir Singh, chief of the Meham Chaubisi, the umbrella body of khap panchayats in whose jurisdiction the panchayat of Kavita’s village lies, said he strongly disapproved of the diktat.“Let me be very categorical. The manner in which punishment was meted out to the family was abhorrent,” said Singh. “In our view, the marriage was wrong, but the way the Kheri panchayat went about administering its justice was doubly wrong. This is why I have called a meeting on Tuesday (February 9). We want to avoid any sort of violence or unrest.”The area has been tense since Kavita complained to the Rohtak SSP against the khap panchayat’s order, and an FIR was registered against 21 people. The family is now living under police protection.Meham Chaubisi is the most powerful khap panchayat body in Haryana, with influence over 3.5 lakh people. In the early 1990s, Meham Chaubisi had famously and violently stood up to former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala. Singh, who is in his sixties, is aware of the significance of the decision taken by a Meham Chaubisi panchayat in a state where khap panchayats annulled over 40 marriages in 2009 alone.

“I know the girl well,” said Singh. “She is a very docile and polite child. All the (strong) utterances she has been making are under the influence of the media and some relatives. However, the whole issue should make us ponder over an ill which has been ignored for a long time now.”Singh was referring to the social ill of female infanticide, which, he said, had shrunk the number of women available for marriage, and contributed to the rising number of weddings between the “prohibited sets of gotras”.“Haryana has the one of the worst sex ratios in India. I think this is a collective failure of our society. Today there are villages, where there simply aren’t enough girls. Considering their far reaching influence, it is high time that panchayats took a lead in this direction.”Satish and Kavita belong to the Berwal and Beniwal communities respectively, who are, as per local custom, bound by consanguinity and hence barred from marrying each other.

“This is not irrational,” Singh said. “Even some of our greatest social reformers have warned against the dangers of marrying within the same family. For example, Swami Dayanand Saraswati specifically said that there should be a gap of at least seven steps between two families. It is a practice that is being followed since time immemorial.”Despite his arguments in favour of the separation of gotras, Singh, a former officer in the state government, wants to do everything to avoid violence.“Contrary to projections in the media, we are not like the Taliban. We are simply upholding our customs. The main purpose of the meeting on 9th is to avert bloodshed. We don’t want lives to be lost.”

He has some idea of the possible “solution”: “I think if we can convince the couple to leave the village and allow the parents to live in their home with dignity, the solution can be sorted out.”However, this is a solution that both Kavita and Satish have already rejected. At Satish’s home, 50 km away from Kavita’s, Satish’s 20-year-old brother Ravinder put forth a condition: “My brother and sister-in-law may leave the village only if the man who made my father go around the village with a shoe in his mouth is made to do the same. He is a powerful local politician, but he cannot treat people like this.”

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/khap-panchayat-decision-abhorrent-says-haryana-caste-body-president/576576/0

This Haryana caste panchayat story has a twist: a woman stands up to fight back

Holding her 10-month-old son, Kavita, 22, repeats just one line: “I will never agree to their decision.” Overnight, the khap panchayat (caste council) in Maham Kheri village, annulled Kavita’s 3-year-old marriage. The Jat caste panchayat declared that Kavita and her husband Satish were of the same gotra and cannot live as couple. The panchayat announced that they had to treat each other as siblings.Not an unusual story in Haryana’s Jat heartland but this one has a twist: Kavita, one of the three women from the village with a diploma in teacher’s training, has refused to buckle. She is fighting back.

“How can they decide one fine morning that I should treat my husband as my brother? All of them attended our wedding, they even sat during the pheras when the gotras of both the bridegroom and the bride were announced. Then nobody raised a question, so why now?” she speaks out as the other women of the house remain huddled on the kitchen floor and as two constables, posted for their security, watch.Kavita went with her family to the Rohtak SSP’s office to lodge a complaint against the khap panchayat early this week. An FIR was registered against the 21 members of the panchayat and forced the council to call a review meeting. In a meeting held on Friday, the khap panchayat apologised to Satish’s father for parading him with a shoe in his mouth. The members decided that in case Kavita and Statish wanted to live together, they would have to leave the village. But for Kavita, that’s not an option. “Why should I?” she says.

“We have registered an FIR based on Kavita’s complaint and we are investigating the case. Based on the findings, we will take appropriate action against the persons found guilty,” says SP Rohtak, Anil Kumar Rao. An assistant sub-inspector posted in Hissar was also part of the khap panchayat. “We have reported his involvement to his superiors in Hissar who will take departmental action against him,” Rao adds.Even as Kavita is running from pillar to post against the panchayat’s ruling, her husband stays inside his house, 50 km away. Its courtyard is full of relatives. Three police constables, who have been posted for the family’s security, pass on the hookka and take part in the discussions.The only person who is not involved in the talks is Satish, a temporary worker in a milk plant in Rohtak. Since the khap panchayat order, he has not even stepped outside the house, fearing backlash.“I do not know why they targeted us. The local numberdar wants to fight for panchayat elections as sarpanch. Maybe he just wanted to rake up some issue,” Satish says.

“On January 30, the khap panchayat started at 12:00 pm. Instead of having it in an open chaupal, they held it behind closed doors. They came out at 4:00 pm to announce the decision,” Kavita says.The panchayat then forced a shoe in mouth of Kavita’s father-in-law Azad Singh and paraded him in the village. His wife Laxmi fainted. Kavita’s brother immediately took her home. “I did not have time to pack and why should I pack? I am not abiding by this decision. I will go back soon to my husband,” Kavita says.The drama began when Hawa Singh Pradhan, who retired from the Haryana State Electricity Board, went to a neighbourhood village, Charkhi, to visit his relatives. While leaving, as per tradition, he was distributing money among the women of the family. During the brief interaction, an old woman who belonged to the Beniwal gotra told him that one of her granddaughters was married in his village.

Within hours, the news had spread across Maham Kheri village that Kavita and Satish were from the same gotra. Within three days, a 21-member committee was formed and a decision taken. “The marriage stands annulled and they should live as brother and sister,” Pradhan says. “The village is volatile because of this issue. We have taken this decision to calm down the villagers.” Kavita is waiting for February 9 when the khap panchayat of 24 villages will be held. “I will not leave my village. I have done no wrong,” she says.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/this-haryana-caste-panchayat-story-has-a-twist-a-woman-stands-up-to-fight-back/576346/0

Victim of khap panchayat order files complaint with Rohtak police

INDIAN EXPRESS

The controversy over a same-gotra marriage in Rohtak district of Haryana has taken a new turn after its victim filed a formal complaint seeking registration of a case against the Benewal khap panchayat. Kavita, who was forced to leave her in-laws’ house on January 31 following a diktat issued by the khap panchayat, met Rohtak Senior Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Rai on Wednesday, seeking action against the panchayat for issuing an “unconstitutional” order declaring her marriage null and void. She also sought reunion with her husband Satish of Kheri Meham village.

Rai said her written complaint had been forwarded to the station house officer (SHO) of Meham for necessary action. In her complaint, Kavita has alleged that it was a pre-planned conspiracy to disrupt her marriage and action must be initiated against the panchayat so that it was not repeated again. Meanwhile, the mahapanchayat of Meham Chaubisi is scheduled to meet on February 9 to resolve the issue. —C B Singh

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/victim-of-khap-panchayat-order-files-complai/575231/

Woman, baby forced to leave in-laws’ home on khap order

INDIAN EXPRESS

Following the orders of a khap panchayat, a resident of Kheri Meham village in Rohtak, Haryana, was forced to leave the house of her in-laws with her nine-month-old son on Sunday. On Saturday, the Kheri Meham khap panchayat had declared the marriage of Kavita Beharwal with Satish Benewal illegal, and ordered her to leave the village. Kavita of Bagi village in Jhajjar had got married to Satish in November 2007. After remaining silent for two years, on Saturday the Kheri Meham panchayat ruled their marriage invalid as they were of the same gotra and, even though they had been living together for two years, were like siblings.Meanwhile, parents of Kavita met representatives of the Meham Chaubisi and informed them about the undemocratic decision of the Kheri panchayat.

Satpal Sings, PRO of SSP office Rohtak, said: “We have not received any complaint from the girl’s or the boy’s parents. We will act once we receive the complaint.” On Sunday, a Mahapanchayat of nearby villages was summoned to review the directions issued by the Kheri Meham panchayat, but its members did not turn up. The issue has now been referred to the Meham Chaubisi, the panchayat representing 24 villages of the area, who will soon meet to take a final decision on the marriage.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/woman-baby-forced-to-leave-inlaws-home-on-khap-order/573841/

Khap panchayats are not above Constitution, says Punjab CJ

INDIAN EXPRESS

Making it clear that khap panchayats are not above the law, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal on Friday expressed serious concern over the diktats issued by such bodies.“Are you trying to say that khap panchayats are above the Constitution? This is not Afghanistan, this is India. Talibani courts cannot be allowed here,” said Justice Mudgal. He was hearing a case related to a PIL filed by an NGO, Lawyers for Human Rights International.

In an intervening application, advocate Pirthi Singh Chauhan had stated that khap panchayats were not doing anything illegal. “Khap panchayats are complimenting customary law and it is the right of khap panchayats, rather their fundamental duty as well, to abide by the customs,” said the plea. Referring to a case in which a person, Ved Pal, was lynched by a mob in a village for marrying within the same gotra, Chauhan stated: “The acts of Ved Pal and his wife amounted to public nuisance, affecting other members of the religion.”

Saying that the victim had not conformed to the “conditions of a valid Hindu marriage,” he added: “Marriage between same gotra is strictly prohibited. The actions of khap panchayats are not inconsistent or derogatory to the Constitution. Any restrictions imposed by the khap are valid.” Chauhan further stated that “If khap panchayats do not impose restrictions, then violators will destroy the society and create chaos. Ved Pal wanted to destabilise the society and administration”.Reacting sharply to the application, the Chief Justice made it clear that nobody is above the Constitution.Appearing for the NGO, advocate Navkiran Singh argued that khap panchayats are an affront to the establishment of judicial system. “The diktats of these panchayats cannot be allowed in a democratic set-up,” he said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/khap-panchayats-are-not-above-constitution-says-punjab-cj/553290/0

Childless Indian Man Sacrifices Tongue to Lord Shiva

2010-03-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

Nobody wants to die, but it’s a natural part of life. And it’s also the reason we reproduce—so that our humanity lives on through our children, grandchildren, and great-great-great-great grandchildren.

But not everybody is destined to live forever. Impotence, infertility, and even just plain marital apathy have reared their ugly heads many a time and prevented the natural process of procreation.

Just ask Mukesh Kumar, an Uttar Pradesh resident from the village of Banthari, which lies approximately 200km from Lucknow.

He has been married for four years, yet remains childless. Nobody knows why he is unable to conceive (although most speculators suspect infertility), but what we do know for certain is that this inability to procreate so angered him that he cut off his tongue as a sacrifice to Hindu God Lord Shiva.

According to inspector R.P. Mishra, the incident began at Mukesh’s home, where a spousal disagreement blew over into something far worse.

Inspector Mishra further explains: “An ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, an angry Kumar left his house following a tiff with his wife for not being able to conceive. He went to the temple, where he offered his tongue to the deity.”

He was immediately shipped to a nearby hospital, where his tongue was reattached. Doctors claim he’s safe now, although he’s likely to suffer from future speech problems (Duh!).

Apparently, Mukesh hoped that his ’sacrificial tongue’ would inspire Lord Shiva to offer him a child.

You know, there are treatments for infertility. But hey… whatever floats his boat!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/man-offers-his-tongue-to-gods-1866567.html

"I still believe artificial insemination or adoption might be worthy alternatives to consider" Sukh Sandhu

A popular Indian wedding custom has killed another GROOM!

2010-03-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

Pankaj Kishore Karotia, 21, was just about to claim his new bride and take her from a wedding reception to her family home when his uncle drew his licensed handgun to fire a final shot in celebration. As he was loading it, it fired accidentally and hit his newly-wed nephew in the head.

The reception party was almost finished when the tragedy happened. His new bride was waiting for him in the car as he died.

Just before leaving the wedding reception with his new bride, 21-year old Pankaj Kishore Karotia was fatally shot in the head by his uncle.

This was not a case of jealousy, however, and no malice was involved. A popular Indian wedding custom is to shoot a gun in the air in celebration. Unfortunately, as the excited uncle learned, you should never load the gun with the barrel pointing at people.

In what was ruled culpable homicide, the gun fired as he was loading for one final shot in the air before his nephew left with his new bride.

The bride was waiting in the car for her new husband to take them to their home at the time of the accident.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7271134/Groom-shot-dead-at-wedding-by-uncles-stray-celebratory-bullet.html

Indian Community Shuts Out Woman for Inter-Caste Mixing

2010-03-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

Old traditions die hard and this was evident from a recent development in India where Parsanta Pawar, a woman from Mangrul Chavala village, was shunned by her own community, including her husband. The reason for this harsh treatment was because Pawar had been touched by a member of another community during a heated argument.

Since this area suffered from water shortages, access to water was a touchy topic for a lot of people. In addition to this, even though the borewell was accessible to a few communities in the area, it was actually established on school grounds on the zilla parishad (district).

According to reports, Pawar had been gathering water along with several others at the local borewell when they were confronted by Ram Halde, a visiting educational officer.

Halde was unhappy that members of the Pardhi community were taking water from the school well.

What followed was an intense argument of which Pawar and the officer were central figures. It is believed that Halde might have pushed her in during this exchange. At the end of the day, Pawar complained about the officer at the local police station.

However, by this time, her community was more worried about caste rules than water access. Since she had made physical contact with someone from another group, she was declared untouchable by her community.

In India, untouchables refer to a group of caste members who are ostracized from various spheres of life because of their low social status.

In keeping with this strange idea, everyone from Pawar’s own group have started breaking contact with her.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Community-ostracises-woman-touched-by-outsider/articleshow/5536577.cms

India’s Untouchable Millionaire

2010-03-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

Heard of Hari Pippal, a member of the untouchable caste who captured the hearts of the public? He was born into the lower caste where he struggled through menial jobs before he overcame all adversities to become a self-made millionaire.

Pippal’s success is all the more extraordinary because of the limitations imposed by the caste system.

According to this century-old system, groups of people were divided into castes in a hierarchy where the top most castes received greater prestige than the lower ones.

Originally, this stratification was based on the occupation of a person. However, over time, it consolidated into a means of determining a person’s social status.

At the same time, the caste system also became hereditary.

Folks who prescribed to this system also did not believe in social mobility of classes and it is for this reason that Pippal’s story stands out.

Pippal’s caste, the Dalits or scheduled caste as they are commonly referred to today, occupied the lowest ring and was commonly associated with roadsweepers and toilet cleaners.

His early life is testimony to the hardship suffered by members of this caste. For example, during the childhood years, he recalls sleeping on the street.

And, as a teenager, he had to undertake the laborious job of rickshaw driver in order to feed his family.

However, hard work and perseverance paid off for this enterprising businessman. Pippal now rubs shoulders with high-caste business as the owner of a big private hospital, a shoe factory, a motorbike dealership and a restaurant.

While this self-made man continues to be heralded as an inspiration to others, he is wary of being used as a token.

Pippal points out that India must make a lot more progress before the caste system (and the social stigma associated with lower levels) is eliminated.

He described the various ways in which his caste has continued to affect his work life as well as his personal life.

To begin with, he could not name his first startup company after himself as it would be snubbed by higher caste members.

Later on, as he became more successful, he built a hospital which was initially snubbed by doctors of different castes. These folks came flocking back once the place became renowned in the area.

There was also the sad incident involving Pippal’s son and his fiancée. While the girl’s high-caste family were happy about the union, many from their community were offended by it.

The engagement fell through when these members started threatening the life of the girl’s family.

‘Now I believe my children should marry within their caste. It’s better that way,’ was the words of Pippal after this incident.

Pippal supports programmes, be it educational endeavors or empowerment efforts, that will diminish this type discrimination.

He believes that these ventures would l help the lower castes overcome the initial hurdle, i.e. the poverty issues.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/06/india.ameliagentleman

Bizarre Health Rituals in India Show Dangerous Side of Tradition

2010-03-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

In what has got to be on of the most vile and disturbing things ever put to print, a man in eastern India was arrested for his unconventional and downright insane method of curing the common cold in children.

50-year old Jamun Yadav, who considers himself to be a demigod of the Hindu faith, believes he can channel and transfer divine energy through his feet, which has lead to him standing on the necks and throats of young children suffering from your average run-of-the-mill cold.

Santosh Singh, who served as a spokesman for the police on the case, stated that the parents who allowed this self-described holy man were most likely unaware of his methods. When asked about them, the guru claimed that he was merely speaking for God, and as such needs no other defense.

Although an isolated incident, it serves as a grim reminder of the dangerous religious traditions observed by many Hindus in India, many of which are done so for the health of their children. One such ritual involves throwing infants off of a fifty foot tower, a tradition thought to bring good health and luck to the child throughout his or her life.

The children are tossed from the tower onto a tightly stretched sheet below, where they seemingly bounce safely and are then handed to their mothers. This bizarre and dangerous ritual, which has been practiced for 500 years, has yet to count any fatalities, but that hasn’t stopped critics from deriding it as unsafe.

The ritual is typically performed by Hindus and Muslims alike in the Indian district of Solapur, which is located in Maharashtra, as well as smaller outlying villages. Before the event happens, the parents of the babies being take a vow at a temple.

A more recent incident highlights the case of Nek Singh, an Indian guru who employs brutal beatings to “cure any ailment,” including cancer. Oddly enough, all of his “patients” were women. The treatment involved savage kicks and punches, and even standing on the head of the individual. The guru proclaimed that the goddess Kali possessed him, enabling him with the power to heal through physical violence.

Based out of the Etah district of Uttar Pradesh in India, police eventually raided the village, but the self-proclaimed spiritual healer managed to evade capture. Although his whereabouts are unknown, I would be surprised if he and his neck stompin’ buddy are enjoying a cold beer somewhere in hiding.

Another similarly disturbing tradition is the practice of burying disabled children alive up to their necks for six hours during a solar eclipse for approximately six hours. This is seemingly done to offset the negative effects that are thought to be caused by a prior solar eclipse.

Although genuine testing has been done to test the relationship between mud therapy and the eclipse, no conclusions have been drawn, despite many mothers stating their children have experienced improved mobility after undergoing the terrifying ritual.

Article is from weirdasianews

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2780045/Cruel-cold-cure-mystic-arrested.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/01/babies.tower/#cnnSTCText

http://www.groundreport.com/Business/Shocking-Belief-Sheer-Madness_11/2904403

Charity comes hard to India's super rich

2010-03-23T02:49:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: The number of wealthy Indians has been rising fast over the last decade, but they're not ready yet to let go of their hard-earned cash, even for charity, according to a study by business consultancy Bain & Co.

The number of so-called "high net worth individuals" in India has grown at about 11 percent every year since 2000, possibly the fastest pace in the world, to more than 115,000 now.

Two industrialists, Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries and Lakshmi Mittal, are among the five wealthiest individuals in the world, according to Forbes magazine.

But when it comes to giving away money, India's rich are not very keen on loosening their purse-strings.

Charitable giving in India probably totalled about $7.5 billion in 2009, according to the study by Bain & Co, equivalent to about 0.6 percent of the country's GDP.

That percentage is higher than Brazil's 0.3 percent and rival China's 0.1 percent, but it falls way short of the 2.2 percent in the United States, and 1.3 percent in Britain, the report said.

Most Indians have no qualms about giving cash to family, friends, household staff and religious institutions, but given the scale of poverty -- an estimated 40 percent of India's 1.1-billion population lives on less than $1.25 a day -- Indians need to become way more generous, said Bain partner Arpan Sheth.

"Should individuals, particularly the well-off, be giving more? Can they afford to make larger donations? The answer to both these questions is absolutely yes," Sheth said at the first Indian Philanthropy Forum in Mumbai, the country's financial hub.

There are an estimated 2.5 million non-profit organisations in India, and about half of all donations in the country go to religious, sports and cultural organisations, the Bain study showed.

A huge 65 percent of donations comes from the central and state governments, with a focus on disaster relief. A large amount also comes from foreign organisations.

Only 10 percent comes from individuals and corporates, in sharp contrast to the United States, where 75 percent of charitable giving is from individuals and corporates, Sheth said.

And in India, its not about who has more money: in fact, the wealthiest social class has the lowest level of giving, just 1.6 percent of household income, which palls when compared to billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who has given away some 82 percent of his net worth.

Bain & Co's Sheth said Indians' reluctance to part with their cash stemmed from a variety of reasons including no tax breaks for charitable donations and a deep-seated suspicion of what charitable organisations really do with the money.

"Accumulation of wealth is a fairly recent phenomenon in India -- it really began only with the opening of the markets, and we do have a history of scarcity," Sheth added.

"So it may be harder for people to let go of their newly-earned wealth."

But change is coming: software czar Azim Premji and telecom tycoon Sunil Mittal have set up charitable foundations, and Vineet Nayyar, head of software firm Tech Mahindra recently gifted a third of his shares to another charity.

"Such high-profile donations, private foundations, greater organisation in the NGO landscape and mass events that encourage fund raising, will encourage a greater culture of philanthropy in India," Sheth said.

"What's also needed are conducive tax laws," he added.

Reuters

Indian Citizens told to brush up on etiquette

2010-03-23T02:27:00.000-07:00

(Reuters) - India has compiled a list of do's and don'ts for its citizens at this year's Commonwealth Games to help showcase New Delhi's charms.

"We want to tell them don't urinate in public, don't spit, keep your houses and shops clean, keep public transport safe and such things," Delhi tourism chief Rina Ray told the Hindustan Times Friday.

"This will tell every Delhiite that instead of being on the sidelines as a spectator, he or she can contribute to a better games."

New Delhi is preparing to host more than 100,000 foreign visitors during the October 3-14 event and the Indian capital hopes to use to games to show itself off as a truly global city.

"We don't want to start (the campaign) too early lest it fizzles out," Ray said.

The tips on good manners will be spread to through billboards, pamphlets, websites and audiovisual means in the coming months, Hindustan Times reported.

"We want to change Delhi's public culture, their behavior toward each other and to guests...so that they are courteous," Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said at the Delhi Tourism Conclave Thursday, the paper reported.

"We want tourists to go back with the impression that Delhi is a sophisticated city."

(Writing by Sanjay Rajan in Chennai; Editing by Alastair Himmer)

National Tree of India

2007-11-09T20:40:00.000-08:00

Banyan is the National tree of India. The mighty banyan tree commands a great presence in the rural setting of India. The very size of the banyan tree makes it a habitat for a large number of creatures. For centuries the banyan tree has been a central point for the village communities of India.

The banyan tree is massive not only from outside but it also sends new shoots from its roots, making the tree a tangle of branches, roots and trunks. The banyan tree towers magnificently over its neighbors and has the widest reaching roots of all known trees, covering several acres. The life of banyan tree is very long and is thought of as an immortal tree.

Because of its huge size, the banyan tree acts as a good shield and protects the rural folk from the hot sun. Even to this day the banyan tree has remained the focal point and gathering place village councils and meetings. It is due to these qualities, the banyan tree is considered sacred and honored.

National Song of India

2007-11-09T20:39:00.001-08:00

The National song of India is Vande Mataram. It was composed by the famous poet, Bankim Chandra Chaterjee in the year 1875. Rabindranath sang the National song (Vande Mataram) by setting a magnificent tune and Shri Aurobindo interpreted the deep meaning of the song. The English translation of Vande Mataram (National song) was rendered by Aurobindo, which is considered official.

Vande Mataram !
Sujalam, Suphalam,
Malayaja Shitalam,
Shasya shyamalam, Mataram !

Shubhra jyotsna Pulakita yaminim
Phulla Kusumita
Drumadala Shobhinim,
Suhasinim, Sumadhura Bhashinim,
Sukhadam, Varadam, Mataram !

Sapta Kotikantha
Kalakala Ninada Karale
Dvisapt Koti Bhujair Dhrita
Khara Karavale
Abala Kena Ma Eta Bale !
Bahubala Dharinim,
Namami Tarinim,
Ripudalavarinim Mataram !

Tvam Hi Durga
Dashpraharana Dharini,
Kamala, Kamaladalaviharini, Vani,
Vidyadayani, Namami Tvam,
Namami, Kamalam,
Amalam, Atulam,
Sujalam, Suphalam, Mataram,
Vande Mataram !

Shyamalam, Saralam,
Susmitam, Bhushitam,
Dharanim, Bharanim Mataram !

National Game of India

2007-11-09T20:38:00.002-08:00

Hockey is the National Game of India. Hockey has been played in India for time immemorial. There was a golden period of Indian hockey when hockey stalwarts of India ruled the game. On the international scenario there were no competitors to match the magical hands of Indian hockey players. The might and power of Indian hockey made India synonymous with the game. Unmatched excellence and incomparable talent of Indian players became folklore. The ball-juggling feats of players like Major Dhyanchand made people to think that Indian players used some kind of black magic. The Golden Era of hockey in India was the period from 1928 - 1956 when India won 6 successive gold medals in the Olympic Games.

National Fruit of India

2007-11-09T20:38:00.001-08:00

Mango (Mangifera Indica) is the National fruit of India. Mango is one of the most widely grown fruits of the tropical countries. In India, mango is cultivated almost in all parts, with the exception of hilly areas. Mango is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India, we have hundreds of varieties of mangoes. They are of different sizes, shapes and colors. Mangoes have been cultivated in India since time immemorial. Even in our mythology and history there are stories of mangoes- the famous Indian poet Kalidasa sang its praise. Alexander the great, along with Hieun Tsang savored the taste of mangoes. The great Mughal king, Akbar is said to have planted over 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga (modern Bihar). The mango is eaten ripe and is also used for pickles.

National Flower of India

2007-11-09T20:37:00.002-08:00

Lotus is the National flower of India. The Lotus symbolizes spirituality, fruitfulness, wealth, knowledge and illumination. The most important thing about lotus is that even after growing in murky water it is untouched by its impurity. On the other hand the lotus symbolizes purity of heart and mind. The National Flower 'Lotus' or water lily is an aquatic plant of Nymphaea species with broad floating leaves and bright aromatic flowers that grow only in shallow waters.

The leaves and flowers of the Lotus float and have long stems that contain air spaces in them. The lotus flowers have many petals overlapping in a proportional pattern. The root functions of lotus are carried out by rhizomes that fan out horizontally through the mud below the water. Lotuses, cherished for their tranquil beauty, are delightful to take a look at as their blossoms open on the pond's surface.

National Flag of India

2007-11-09T20:37:00.001-08:00

The national flag of India is tricolor. It has deep saffron color strip at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportions. The width and length ratio of the National flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white strip, there is a wheel in navy blue color to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. The diameter of the wheel approximates to the width of the white strip and has 24 spokes. The design of the national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22nd July, 1947. The use and display of the National flag of India are regulated by a flag Code.

National Emblem of India

2007-11-09T20:36:00.003-08:00

The National Emblem of India has been taken from the Sarnath Lion capital erected by Ashoka. The national emblem of India was adapted by the Government of India on 26th January1950. In the National emblem only three lions are visible and the fourth one is hidden from the view. All the lions are mounted on an abacus. At the centre of the Abacus, there is a Chakra (wheel) which symbolizes the Dharma Chakra (Eternal wheel of law).

There is a bull, a galloping horse, an elephant and a lion, separated by intervening wheels over a bell shaped lotus. The word Satyameva Jayate (truth alone triumphs) have been inscribed in Devanagari script. The National emblem of India is the official seal of the President of India and Central and State Governments. The National emblem is used only for official purposes and commands highest respect and loyalty. It is also a symbol of independent India's identity and sovereignty.

National Calendar of India

2007-11-09T20:36:00.001-08:00

The national calendar of India is based on the Saka Era with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days. The national calendar of India was adopted on March 22nd 1957. Dates of the Indian national calendar have a permanent correspondence with the Gregorian calendar dates- 1 Chaitra falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.

The national Calendar of India is used along with the Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes- (i) Gazette of India, (ii) news broadcast by All India Radio, (iii) calendars issued by the Government of India and (iv) Government communications addressed to the members of the public.

National Bird of India

2007-11-09T20:35:00.001-08:00

Peacock (Pavo cristatus), which is a symbol of grace, joy, beauty and love is the national bird of India. Peacock occupies a respectable position in Indian culture and is protected not only by religious sentiments but also by parliamentary statute. The Indian peacock is a colorful, swan-sized bird with a fan-shaped crest of feathers on its head, a white patch under the eye and a long-slender neck. The male peacock is more colorful than the female one.

The male peacock has a glossy blue breast and a magnificent bronze-green colored tail of around 200 extended feathers. The female peacock is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and does not have a tail. The dance of the male peacock by fanning out the tail and shaking the feathers is a treat top watch. In India the peacock is found in almost all parts and enjoys full protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

National Animal of India

2007-11-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

Tiger (Panthera Tigris, Linnaeus) is the national animal of India. Tiger is also called the lord of Jungles. As the national animal of India, tiger symbolizes India's wildlife wealth. The rare combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger great respect and high esteem. India is home to nearly half of the total population of tigers. The government of India launched the Project Tiger in 1973 to protect the royal animal.

Out of the eight races of the tiger, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger is found almost all over country (with the exception of the north-western region). With the launch of Project tiger in 1973, the tiger population showed a gradual increase and the census of 1993 puts the tiger population of the country at 3,750. Under Project tiger 23 tiger reserves have been established throughout the country, covering an area of 33,406 sq. km. Unfortunately due to negligence of authorities and poaching the tiger population of India is decreasing at an alarming rate. In fact, some of the tiger reserves do not have any tigers at all.

National Anthem of India

2007-11-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

National Anthem of India

The national anthem of India, Jana-gana-mana, was composed by the great poet Rabindranath Tagore and was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on January 24th 1950. Jana-gana-mana was first sung on 27th December, 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. The songs, Jana-gana-mana, consists of five stanzas. The first stanza constitutes the full version of the National Anthem. Playing time of the full version of the National Anthem is approximately 52 seconds. The national anthem of India is as follows-

"Jana-gana-mana-adhinaayaka, jaya he
Bhaarata-bhagya-vidhaataa
Punjab-Sindhu-Gujarata-Marathaa
Draavida-Utkala -Banga Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Gangaa
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga
Tava shubha naame jaage
Tava shubha ashisha maange
Gaaye tab jaya gaatha
Jana-gana-mangala-daayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhataa
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he
Jaya jaya, jaya, jaya he!! "

Here is Tagore's English rendering of the stanza (Indian national anthem) - "Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat and Maratha, of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal it echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, Mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny victory, victory, victory, victory to thee."