VOL: 2 ISSUE 64 April 09, 2009

Moorthy takes a dig at Baalu

Chennai, April 09:Former
Union Minister and PMK
Sriperumbudur candidate'
A K Moorthy' today took a
dig at his rival DMK
candidate and Union
Minister' T R Baalu' for
having shifted his seat
from South Chennai,
which he had represented
four times as MP, saying he
(Mr Baalu) did not have
implemented any useful
scheme for them.
In the same
vein, he called Mr Baalu's
bluff on having
implemented Rs 56,000
crore worth schemes in
Tamil Nadu.
The then Union
Minister' Dayanidhi
Maran' had requested
taken possession of
55,000 acre of land after
throwing out some 1.25
lakh people, Mr Moorthy
claimed.
The PMK leader
then held an agitation
following which the
proposal was dropped.
On Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister' M
been able to complete quadrilateral project month to the children of
this project, how will he under which work had those who gave lands for
bring Metro Rail Project been going on for the last the project and also
to Chennai?'' Mr Moorthy five years. Land for the employment on completing
asked. project ''was acquired at studies.
Recalling low rates.'' Mr Moorthy Mr Moorthy said
several projects had said if he was elected, he he had been representing
c o m e u p i n would ensure 50 per cent C h e n g a l p a t t u
Sriperumbudur during of the jobs here in the Constituency in Parliament
the reign of AIADMK consituency were given for ten years during which
General Secretary and to local educated tenure 74 works were
Former Tamil Nadu Chief unemployed and balance completed at a cost of Rs
Minister J Jayalalithaa, for those from other 22 crore. Due to
he said the previous BJP districts. delimitation, he was
Government at the He promised to standing here.
Centre allocated funds provide education -Agencies
for the golden allowance of Rs 500 a

any faith in the people of PMK Founder-Leader' S Karunanidhi's' claim

his constituency.
Addressing a
rally here, Mr Moorthy
alleged though people of
S o u t h C h e n n a i
Constituency placed their
trust and voted for Mr
Baalu, a three-time Union
Minister, he had not
Ramadoss' to stop Mr
Baalu' from inking an
agreement with a
Malayasian firm for
setting up a satellite
township for Chennai.
Under the
p r o p o s a l , t h e
government would have
saying the laying of
foundation stone marked
the fulfillment of a long-
pending dream for the
Chennai Central-Egmore
Link Project, he said till
now no step had been
taken to complete the
project. ''When he has not

Police studying Vaiko's speech:

City Police Commissioner
Chennai, April 09 : The
police is studying the
speech made by
Marumalarchi DMK
(MDMK) general secretary
Vaiko for his alleged
remarks that ''India would
not remain one country'' if
Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapaksa did not
stop the war against Tamils
in the island nation.
''We are studying
his speech,'' City Police
Commissioner K
Radhakrishnan told UNI,
when asked whether the
police was contemplating
any action against Mr Vaiko
for his speech made
y e s t e r d a y, w h i l e
addressing a protest
demonstration against the
Lankan government.
M r Va i k o h a d
made the remarks, while
sharing platform with
Pattali Makkal Katchi
(PMK) founder-leader S
Ramadoss, CPI state
secretary D Pandian,
BJP leader Su
Thirunavukarasar and
Ta m i l N a t i o n a l i s t
Movement leader P
Nedumaran in the protest
demonstration organised
by the Sri Lankan Tamils
Protection Committee,
an umbrella organisation
of various poltical parties
to espouse the cause of
Lankan Tamils.
The City Police
Commissioner said the
police has not received
any complaint with
regard to Mr Vaiko's
speech.
H o w e v e r,
sources said the police,
in the absence of any
complaint, could suo
motu initiate action
against him as ''the
offence is cognizable in
nature.'' If at all police
take action, Mr Vaiko
could be booked under
s e c t i o n s 1 2 4
(a)(sedition), 125
(waging war against a
friendly government),
153 (a) (offences against
public tranquility) of
Indian Penal Code (IPC)
and under the provisions
of Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967.
Mr Vaiko was
earlier arrested on
charges of sedition on
October 21 last year for
supporting the outlawed
LTTE, while addressing a
party function in the city.
After being in jail for 14
days, he was released as
police did not press for his
remand extension.
-Agencies
Page 2 Times Chennai E-Paper
AIADMK inks poll pact with
MDMK, announces candidates
Chennai, April 09 :
Ending the nearly fortnight
long suspense and behind
the scene parleys, the
Opposition AIADMK today
finalised the seat-sharing
deal with its principal ally,
the MDMK, and released
the list of candidates for the
23 seats it would be
contesting in the May 13
Lok Sabha polls in Tamil
Nadu.
The agreement,
under which the MDMK
has been allotted four Lok
Sabha seats, was inked by
AIADMK supremo J
Jayalalithaa and MDMK
General Secretary Vaiko
this morning.
A joint statement
issued by both the leaders
said, the MDMK would
contest from Virudhunagar,
Thanjavur, Erode and
Nilgiris (Reserved)
constituencies.
The clinching of
the deal after hectic parleys
and mediation by alliance
party leaders, marked the
culmination of the seat
sharing agreement in
AIADMK-led front.
The AIADMK,
heading the Third Front in
the state, would contest 23
seats. It had allotted seven
seats to PMK, which had
renewed its ties after a gap
of eight years, and three
seats each to the two Left
parties-- the CPI and the
CPI(M).
There was
considerable delay in
finalising the pact as the
MDMK, which had initially
asked for eight seats, one
seat more than seven
seats given to PMK,
refused to scale down its
demand.
However, when
the AIADMK suggested
that it could allot only two
seats, Mr Vaiko believed to
have insisted that it be
allotted atleast five seats,
one more than it had
contested in the 2004 Lok
Sabha polls.
F i n a l l y, t h e
AIADMK made it clear that
it could give only four seats.
Till the eleventh hour, Mr
Vaiko had demanded that
the party be allotted one
more seat, but the AIADMK
turned down the request,
party sources said.
The MDMK,
which was in the DMK-led
DPA during the 2004 Lok
Sabha polls, quit the DMK
front, prior to the 2006
Assembly elections, after
differences with the DMK
leadership, over allottment
of seats and joined the
AIADMK-led front.
The AIADMK
would contest from
Tiruvallur (Reserved),
South Chennai, Central
Chennai, Kancheepuram
( R e s e r v e d ) , Ve l l o r e ,
Krishnagiri, Arni,
Villuppuram (Reserved),
Salem, Namakkal,
Ti r u p p u r, P o l l a c h i ,
Dindugul, Karur, Trichy,
Perambalur, Cuddalore,
Mayiladuthurai,
Sivaganga, Theni,
Ramanathapuram,
Tuticorin and Tirunelveli.
Ms Jayalalithaa, after
clinching the much-
awaited deal with the
MDMK, wasted no time in
releasing her party
candidates list and her
month-long campaign
trail, beginning from April
16 in the city.
She would
extensively cover all the
constituencies, starting
from Southern Tirunelveli
on April 18 before
culminating her
electioneering on May 10
in the city.
There were no
surprises in the
candidates list, which,
however, figure several
new names.
W h i l e
nominating old faces for
the constituencies
coming under the
southern districts, the
party has nominated two
women candidates -
N a m m k a l
district women's Wing
s e c r e t a r y V Va i r a m
Thamizharasi from
Namakkal and Former
Assembly Speaker P H
Pandian's wife Dr
Cynthia Pandian from
Tuticorin.
Former minister
S Raja Kannappan, who
had recently quit the
ruling DMK and joined
the AIADMK, was
rewarded with a ticket.
The AIADMK strongman
would contest from his
favourite Sivaganga
constituency.
A few former
state ministers and ex-
Rajya Sabha members
figure among the list of
candidates. Former
Union Minister and
party's propaganda
s e c r e t a r y M Subramanian Swamy on
Thambidurai, MLA,
would contest from Karur,
while former Rajya
Sabha members O S
Manian and star speaker
and film comedian S S
Chandran would contest
from Mayiladuthurai and
Central Chennai
respectively.
S h e a l s o
nominated former Rajya
Sabha member Thanga
Ta m i z h s e l v a n f r o m
Theni. Mr Tamizhselvan,
who had won from
Andipatti in 2001 after Ms
Jayalalithaa was
disqualified from
contesting the Assembly
polls, had resigned his
seat, paving way for the
party supremo's victory in
the subsequent bypolls.
Ms Jayalalithaa
rewarded him with a
Rajya Sabha seat and
has now nominated him
for the Theni seat.
Former state
minister S Semmalai
would contest from
Salem, while senior
leader and former MP V
Sathiyamurthy from
Ramanathapuram.
Former DMK
m i n i s t e r D r E
Ramakrishnan, who had
joined the AIADMK and
won the 1991 Assembly
e l e c t i o n f r o m
Acharapakkam, would
contest from the
April 09, 2009
'Chennai Digestive Diseases
Week 2009' begins
Kancheepuram
(Reserved) seat, former Chennai, April 9 : More lecture on the impact of Gastric Cancer and Rectal
MLA C Sivasami from t h a n 5 0 life style disorders and Cancer.
Tiruppur and former Gastroenterologists from digestive health. A live course on
minister M C Sampath across the country The event Endoscopic Ultra
would contest from arrived in the city as part would be formally Sonography has also been
Cuddalore of the 'Chennai Digestive inaugurated by the Tamil organised from Apollo
Following is the Diseases Week 2009', Nadu Governor Surjit
list of AIADMK Hospitals to educate the
candidates: R Rajan which began here today. Singh Barnala tomorrow. specialists.
(Thiruvallur-Reserved), The event was There would be The event would
S Rajendran (South organised by the Tamil a two-day training conclude with an
Chennai), S S Chandran Nadu chapter of Indian programme for the 50 International Continuing
(Central Chennai), Dr E S o c i e t y o f specialists on the use of Medical Education
R a m a k r i s h n a n Gastroenterology in Endoscopic Ultra programme that would
(Kancheepuram- association with World Sonogram (EUS). have participation from
Reserved), S K M P Vasu Gastroenterology The main aim of international and Indian
(Vellore), K Nanjegowda Organisation (WGO). the training programme
(Krishnagiri), N experts, discussing on the
Subramanian (Arni), P Organising was to educate the advances in Gastro
Murugan (Villuppuram- Committee Chairman Dr specialists on the use of Oesophageal Reflux
Reserved), S Semmalai K R Palaniswamy told the new technology Disorder, Irritable Bowel
(Salem), Ms V Vairam reporters here that during which was practised on Syndrome (IBS),
Tamizharasi (Namakkal), the event, WGO the diagnosis of Cancer Diventicular diseases.
C Sivasami (Tiruppur), K President Dr Eamonn of the Oesophagus,
Sugumar (Pollachi), P Quigley would deliver a Brochogenic Carcinoma, -Agencies
Balasubramani
( D i n d i g u l ) , M
Thambidurai (Karur), P
Kumar (Tiruchirapalli), R DMDK ready to boycott polls
P Marudhairaj
(Perambalur), M C
Sampath (Cuddalore), O
on Tamils issue: Vijayakant
S M a n i a n Sivaganga, April 09: AIADMK," he said, at an Stating that he
(Mayiladuthurai), R S Actor-turned politician election meeting here on had faith only in the
Raja Kannappan and founder of DMDK Wednesday night. people, he asked the
(Sivaganga), Thanga Vijayakant has said his "When the voters "do you have faith in
Tamizhiselvan (Theni), V
party was ready to Tamils are getting killed me."
S a t h y a m u r t h y
(Ramanathapuram), Ms boycott the Lok Sabha in Sri Lanka, the political The government,
Cynthia Pandian elections in Tamil Nadu parties in Tamil Nadu are which was offering one KG
(Tuticorin) and K on the Sri Lankan Tamil's holding alliance talks," rice for Rs one was not
Annamalai (Tirunelveli). issue, if the AIADMK and Mr. Vijayakant, whose caring about the
DMK also do so. party is going it alone in exhorbitant prices of other
Swamy flays "We are ready
to boycott the elections
the polls, said.
He challenged
essential things, mainly
water, cotton seed and
on the Sri Lankan issue, the Congress, DMK and animal feed.
Vaiko's but we need the support AIADMK to fight the
of the DMK and the elections alone. -Agencies
comments
Chennai, April 09:
Janata party President
Thursday criticised
MDMK leader Vaiko's
comments at a public
meeting here, warning of
a "bloodbath in Tamil
Nadu if anything
happened" to LTTE
leader V Prabhakaran
and demanded his
detention under the
National Security Act.
In a party
statement here, Mr.
Swamy termed Vaiko's
remarks on Wednesday
as "highly objectionable,
anti-national," and
deserving legal action.
Mr. Swamy said
Prabhakaran was a
"proclaimed offender"
who was wanted in the
R a j i v G a n d h i
assassination case, and
warning of a 'bloodbath'
in Tamil Nadu if he was
harmed amounted to
"incitement of violence
and disloyalty to the
nation."
Te r m i n g t h e
statement made by Vaiko
a s " o ff e n s i v e , " M r.
Swamy urged the Chief
Minister M Karunanidhi
to initiate legal action
against the MDMK
leader and detain him
under the NSA.
April 09, 2009
Seeman pleads his detention
under NSA be quashed
Chennai, April 09: Tamil
film Director Seeman, who
was arrested under
National Security Act
(NSA) for openly
supporting the banned
LTTE and speaking against
the unity and integrity of the
country, today appeared
before the Advisory Board
and pleaded for quashing
his detention under NSA.
The director
appeared before the Board
The complete half yearly magazine
for professional Education
for details call
99400 24556
Times Chennai E-Paper
Paramount to launch operations in Kolkata
Chennai, April
Paramount Airways,
09
India's first premium
comprising Mr Justice M anything against national service, all business
K Natarajan (Chairman), integration. class airline is to launch
Mr Justice M Murugadas H e w a s its operations in Kolkata
(Member) and Mr Justice produced before the by end of this month.
S M Siddique (Member) board by Palayamkottai Paramount Airways
and submitted that he police, which arrested Managing Director
had not committed any him under the NSA amid Thiagarajan recently met
offence to attract charges tight security. After Mr We s t B e n g a l C h i e f
Minister Buddhadeb
under NSA. Seeman appeared before
Bhattacharjee to fly to
He told the the Board, he was taken Kolkata, is the gateway to
Board that he had only back and lodged in North eastern
offered moral support to Puducherry prison. operations.
the Sri Lankan Tamils The Airways
and did not speak -Agencies announced operations of
daily flights along the
Chennai-Kolkata sector
and would also connect
MDMK demands lifting of ban on LTTE
Chennai, April 09 :
The MDMK today
demanded that the Indian
government must lift the
ban on Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
and sought the Centre's
intervention to bring
about immediate
ceasefire in Lanka.
Adopting a
resolution to this effect,
the party's General
Council, chaired by its
General Secretary Vaiko,
alleged that both the
DMK government in
Tamil Nadu and the
C o n g r e s s l e d
government at the Centre
had cheated the Tamils in
Guwahati and Agartala, a
release from the airlines
said here today.
Passengers
flying from Kolkata will
find it more convenient to
travel to southern
destinations, allowing
them early access to
connecting flights to
Madurai, Coimbatore,
Cochin, Trivandrum,
Tiruchirapalli, Bangalore
and Hyderabad.
The flight from
Chennai is set to take off
at 0705 hrs and will arrive
Kolkata at 0910 hrs
thereafter proceeding to
Guwahati and Agartala.
The return flight will leave
Sri Lanka.
The General
Council, in another
resolution, said separate
Tamil Eelam was the only
solution to the ethnic
crisis in Sri Lanka and
condemned the UPA
government for miserably
failing to find a solution to
the crisis.
The General
Council also resolved to
work for the victory of
AIADMK led alliance in
the May 13 Lok Sabha
elections in Tamil Nadu
and Puducherry.
E a r l i e r ,
addressing the General
Council, Mr Vaiko said
Page 3
Kolkata at 1325 hrs and
will reach Chennai at 1530
hrs.
Paramount
Airways operates brand
new e-jets along with all
the trappings of luxurious
seat recline, ample leg
space between seats and
an ethnic signature cuisine
and this coupled with the
airline's competitiveness
has always ensured that it
attracts discerning
passengers.
Paramount is
now set to repeat its
successful business model
in the North eastern sector.
partymen should not
bother about those who
had quit the party and
joined the ruling DMK
recently. ''Let us not talk
about those who had left
us'', he said.
After rebel
leaders and party MPs L
Ganesan and Gingee N
Ramachandran, joined the
DMK, after they were
expelled from the party for
their anti-party activities,
two MLAs, party's
Presidium Chairman M
Kannappan and Cumbum
N Ramakrishnan quit the
party and joined the DMK
and resigned their MLA
seats.
Page 4
Assam elections under
shadow of terror
Guwahati, April 09: The
shadow of terror looms
large over the elections in
Assam with militants
striking with a vengeance
in the past one week, killing
11 people and wounding up
to 100 more in a string of
bombings and grenade
attacks.
There were four
powerful explosions and
three grenade attacks
Monday in which eight
people were killed. Two of
the blasts were in Assam's
main city Guwahati.
"The wave of
terror attacks would surely
scare away people from
actively taking part in
electioneering and may
even force people to keep
away from voting," Akhil
Ranjan Dutta, a political
analyst and a teacher at
Gauhati University, said.
There is a general
sense of fear and panic
after the serial bombings
and grenade attacks
Monday in different parts of
Assam.
"A sense of
insecurity haunts people
and the situation is getting
even more complicated
with political parties
politicising the terror
attacks for electoral gains,"
said Dilip Chandan, editor
Congress will contest around
440 seats: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi, April 09: A
week before the Lok Sabha
elections start, Congress
strategist Jairam Ramesh
has conceded it will be a
"tough fight" although he is
optimistic that his party will
win again.
Ramesh said his
party would contest around
440 seats out of 543 seats
as against 417 in the 2004
Lok Sabha elections. It
won 145 seats the last
time, while the party
expects to better its
performance this time.
"It is a tough fight
and no political party can
predict the outcome. But
we sure have an edge,"
Ramesh, who resigned as
a central minister to take
MP Sampark Kranti Express
train derails; no casualties
Faridabad, April 9: Three
coaches of Khajuraho-
Hazrat Nizamuddin
express train derailed at
Faridabad railway station
in the wee hours on
Thursday but there was no
report of any casualty.
The incident
happened at 5:20 am.
Though rail traffic was
affected initially, Divisional
Times Chennai E-Paper
of Asom Bani, a mass
circulation Assamese
weekly.
With no other
issue of substance raised
in this campaign so far,
the opposition is going all
out against the ruling
Congress party over lack
of security. Elections to
Assam's 14 Lok Sabha
seats are scheduled April
16 and 23.
" T h e
government has no
moral right to continue in
office and should resign.
There is no security and
the government has
miserably failed," said
Chandra Mohan
Patowary, president of
the main opposition
Asom Gana Parishad
(AGP).
The role of the
opposition, however, has
come under attack from
the civil society with
views expressed that
leaders were simply
trying to whip up
emotions rather than
standing up in the war
against terror.
"This is not the
time for loose statements
and attempts to make
political gains. In
situations like terror, be it
political parties or the civil
charge of the party's
election war room, said.
He said there
was "cautious optimism"
in the Congress, which is
trying to again emerge as
a single largest party in
the 545-seat Lok Sabha.
R a m e s h
admitted that the exit of
the PMK from the
Congress-led United
Progressive Alliance
(UPA) was a serious
setback.
" We a r e
seeking a mandate on
the performance of our
government, which
implemented 85 percent
of its promises in the
previous manifesto," he
said. But "Indian
Railway Manager, Delhi,
B D Garg, said.
Rail traffic was
briefly disrupted on the
route
The impact of
derailment was
minimised as the train
was running at a slow
speed, he said adding
that senior railway
officials have rushed to
National
society, everybody must
join hands to counter
t e r r o r, " s a i d J a t i n
Borgohain, another
political analyst.
But Borgohain
did criticise the way Chief
Minister Tarun Gogoi had
handled the situation.
"The chief
minister said the state
doesn't have enough
security to guard every
locality and such other
things.... We want the
chief minister to be a little
more bold in his
reactions," he said.
The Congress,
in turn, is asking why no
other political party is
coming out strongly
against the perpetrators
of terror.
"Why is the
opposition so scared to
attack terror groups like
t h e U L FA ( U n i t e d
Liberation Front of Asom)
who are involved in the
recent attacks? We have
not heard a single word
from parties like the AGP
speaking boldly against
the ULFA," Assam Health
Minister and government
spokesperson Himanta
Biswa Sarma said.
-Agencies
elections are not fought
on achievements alone",
he quickly added.
"There is a
caste arithmetic that also
has to be factored in."
Asked how he
would compare the
previous Lok Sabha
elections with the one set
to start, Ramesh
answered: "Security is an
important issue now.
"Then you don't
have (former prime
minister Atal Bihari)
Vajpayee, who was like
an umbrella figure (for the
National Democratic
Alliance allies), which
(L.K.) Advani is not," he
added.
-Agencies
the spot.
The stranded
passengers have been
sent to Nizamuddin by
other trains. The railways
have opened helpline
numbers: 01123455964
and 01134359748.
-Agencies
Don’t be over-confident:
Advani tells cadre
Ahmedabad, April 09:
BJP's Prime Ministerial
candidate L K Advani
today said that he
sensed over confidence
among party cadres and
warned them that this
could lead the same
situation which resulted
in the defeat of NDA in
2004 general elections.
"After the
defeat of the NDA in 2004
I was asked several
times what was the
reason behind it. The one
reason I could give is that
it was over confidence
among party workers,"
Advani said while
addressing partymen
here on Wednesday
night.
"The party
workers were over
confident due to the good
work done by the BJP-
led government at the
Centre especially the
Golden Quadrilateral
and the Prime Minister
rural road scheme
projects," Advani said.
"Today I see the
same over confidence
amongst party workers.
This might end up
making same mistakes
which we did in 2004," he
added.
Solution to Babri issue only through
dialogue: Kalyan Singh
Aligarh (PTI): Kalyan
Singh, who as BJP
leader was a prominent
member of the Ayodhya
movement in the 90s,
says a solution of the
vexed issue cannot be
enforced through laws
but reached only through
a dialogue between
Hindus and Muslims.
Singh, who
recently aligned with the
Samajwadi Party and
has owned "moral
responsibility" for the
demolition of the Babri
Masjid in 1992, said, "it is
my firm conviction that
any attempt to enforce a
solution by enacting new
laws without taking the
sentiments of both
s e c t i o n s i n t o
consideration would only
lead to further acrimony
and bolster divisive
forces in the country".
In an interview
to PTI, 77-year-old
Singh, who parted ways
with the BJP in the run-up
to the general elections,
says the "major re-
alignment" of political
forces that has taken
place in north India will
throw up "surprise
results" that will be a
"setback" to BSP and the
BJP.
Hitting out at
the BJP, he said while it
pledged to build the Ram
"Four weeks
ago, I was asked in an
interview why do you
think BJP will win in
2009, one reason I gave
was that there was no
over-confidence among
party cadre this time.
"This is what I
had said four weeks ago.
But today I won't say that.
Today I am sensing over
confidence, which has
seeped in the last four
weeks," the BJP leader
said, adding that "I don't
blame you for that. Even I
am surprised at this
development."
He said that
after the interview he was
on election campaign in
Maharashtra and
Karnataka, where he
addressed rallies in
lesser known areas like
Pandharpur, Sehwag,
Delguri and Satara.
" A l l t h e
meetings with party
workers in those areas
were bigger than the
BJP-Shiv Sena meeting
in Shivaji Park in
Mumbai," Advani said,
adding that it gave him
the confidence to think
that the nation has
decided to vote NDA to
power.
Temple, it was aware that
many NDA allies were
opposed to this move.
The BJP has presented a
"duplicate manifesto"
and will finally veer
around to moving on the
NDA agenda.
"The BJP is still
raising sensitive issues
including the false
promise of building the
Ram Temple but the
people of the country are
now asking as to what it
has done for building the
temple when it was in
power in the Centre for
more than six years,"
Singh said.
"If this imbroglio
is not resolved through
negotiations, then the
only way out for both the
parties is to await a final
decision of the Supreme
Court on the matter,"
Singh said.
Singh also
attacked the saffron
party for indulging in
"divisive" politics by
harping on controversial
issues like abrogation of
Article 370 and
introduction of Common
Civil Code.
The former BJP
vice president said, "the
country is passing
through a very
challenging period and
any attempt to inject
divisive politics will only
April 09, 2009
"But, I just want to
warn you that don't be
under any false illusion.
But at the same time there
should not be decrease in
the confidence," Advani
told the gathering. "BJP
should be the one to take
India to the top. Victory for
BJP is victory for India," he
added.
Advani also
urged booth workers to
ensure that there is a
higher turnout on the day of
election in the
Gandhinagar constituency.
"The micro
management of the booth
should be organised in
such a manner that there is
at least 60 per cent voting
on the polling day. Last
time in 2004 it was only 43
per cent," he said.
Advani also
urged the party workers to
ensure that maximum
number of women and first
time voters cast their votes
on April 30.
He asked them to
identify people in the
constituency who are
educated and well off but
do not vote. "Try and bring
them for voting. That would
be a great help," Advani
added.
-Agencies
be detrimental to its
interests".
Singh lashed out
at the Mayawati
government saying "the
breakdown of law and
order in the state, which is
a result of overpowering
influence of mafia, has led
to a reign of terror in the
state."
For BJP, Singh
said, "After facing an
imminent rout in this
general elections, the
party would receive such a
set back that it will take
more than 20 years for it to
dream of any sort of come
back."
Singh said his
friendship with Mulayam
Singh marks a major
realignment of political
forces in north India as it is
based on the principal of
fair and proportionate
share for all sections of the
s o c i e t y, i n c l u d i n g
minorities, backward and
tribals.
He said the new
alliance was fully
committed to providing 33
percent reservation for
women in all legislative
bodies in the country as
long as this measure also
included adequate
representation of women
belonging to all
underprivileged sections.
-Agencies
April 09, 2009 Times Chennai E-Paper
5,000 clash with police in
China: Rights group
Beijing, April 09: About
5,000 villagers clashed
with police in eastern
China after laying siege to
a coal mine blamed for
damaging local farmlands,
a human rights group said.
The villagers had
"surrounded and attacked"
the coal mine in a rural
county of Anhui province
on Tuesday, the Hong
Kong-based Information
Centre for Human Rights
and Democracy said in a
press release.
Police in Fengtai
county confirmed the
protest took place but said
only about 1,000 people
were involved and denied
there was any clash with
police.
"They wanted the
coal mine to stop operating
in the villages because the
lands have sunk due to the
mining," a police officer
who refused to give his
name said.
Georgia rules out revolution
ahead of mass rallies
Tbilisi, April 09: Georgia's
Interior Minister said on
Wednesday there would be
no new revolution in the
former Soviet state on the
eve of mass opposition
protests to demand the
resignation of President
Mikheil Saakashvili.
The opposition
plans to protest daily in the
capital Tbilisi until
Saakashvili quits, accusing
him of an authoritarian
streak that has stifled
democratic reforms
promised in the 2003 Rose
Revolution that swept him
to power.
War with Russia
last year, when Moscow
crushed a Georgian
assault on breakaway
South Ossetia, has
emboldened critics who
argue Saakashvili, 41, has
made too many mistakes
to continue ruling until
2013.
The West is
watching closely for a
possible repeat of a
November 2007
crackdown, when police
firing tear gas and rubber
Iran to decide on nuclear talks
after reviewing offer
Tehran, April 09: Iran will
decide on the offer of
nuclear talks made by the
United States and five
other world powers after
reviewing the details, a
senior adviser to Iranian
President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said on
Thursday.
"We will review it
and then decide about it,"
Ali Akbar Javanfekr said.
Wednesday's
invitation to direct talks
marked a major policy
change in Washington,
which suspects Iran's
nuclear program has
"No conflict
happened between
police and the people."
However, the
human rights group,
quoting local authorities,
said the crowds fought
with police, smashed up
a police car and injured
the county's vice chief,
Ma Shiping.
Residents say
the Gubei coal mine has
caused land subsidence
that has affected 50,000
people in the area, with a
total of 8,000 hectares
(19,800 acres) suffering
cave-ins, the rights group
said.
It said more
than 1,000 paramilitary
police had been sent to
the area to restore calm
and that local officials
were trying to resolve the
dispute, but that 5,000
people were still at the
mine on Thursday.
"Local leaders
bullets dispersed the last
big demonstrations
against Saakashvili.
Interior Minister
Va n o M e r a b i s h v i l i ,
considered the power
behind the throne, said
police would be tolerant
p r o v i d e d t h e
demonstrations
remained peaceful.
"There is no
chance of a revolution in
Georgia," he said. "It (the
protest) cannot last for
ever. The participants
also have their own
limits."
"If there is no
threat to the lives of the
citizens, our tactic will be
to not intervene or
impede members of the
protest in expressing
their will freely," he said.
"My position
does not give me the
liberty to exclude
anything, but my mood
tells me there will not be
violence."
Analysts say
they have doubts about
the unity of the
opposition, its strength of
military aims, a charge
Tehran denies.
The United
States, Russia, China,
France, Germany and
Britain said in a
statement they would
ask European Union
foreign policy chief Javier
Solana to invite Tehran to
the talks to find "a
diplomatic solution to this
critical issue”.
Breaking with
past US policy of
shunning direct talks with
Iran, President Barack
Obama's administration
said the United States
World
and the coal mine have
been holding meetings to
resolve the issues raised
by villagers these days,
but we need time," the
police officer said.
He denied
villagers were still
gathered at the scene.
China sees tens
of thousands of protests
or outbursts of violence
e v e r y y e a r, o f t e n
stemming from land
d i s p u t e s o r
dissatisfaction with local
authorities.
China's rulers
are particularly
concerned about unrest
in 2009, which will see a
string of sensitive
anniversaries including
20 years since the
Tiananmen massacre
and 60 years since the
founding of the
communist republic.
-Bureau Report
leadership and the level
of support for it beyond
Tbilisi. A protracted
stand-off, they add, could
play into the hands of
hardliners.
The authorities
said last month they had
uncovered a plot to
o v e r t h r o w t h e
government, arresting 10
men alleged to have links
with the opposition and
releasing secretly filmed
video of them apparently
buying weapons.
The opposition
accused the government
of a smear campaign.
The Interior
Ministry said on
Wednesday it had
information the Russian
military was reinforcing
positions in South
Ossetia near the de facto
border with Georgia.
R u s s i a ' s
Interfax news agency
quoted a Russian military
official as saying troops
were conducting
exercises.
-Agencies
would join in nuclear
discussions with Iran
from now on.
"We strongly
urge Iran to take
advantage of this
opportunity to engage
seriously with all of us in a
spirit of mutual respect,"
the six powers said after a
meeting of senior
diplomats in London.
Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton said
the United States would
be a "full participant" in
major power talks with
Iran.
-Agencies
Assume being on camping trip:
Italian PM to quake victims
L’Aquila, April 09:
Gaffe-prone Italian
Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi has
reportedly asked the
28,000 people left
homeless by Monday’s
earthquake to assume
being on a camping trip.
Making the
serious gaffe on German
television station N-TV,
Berlusconi said, “[The
victims] have everything
they need. They have
medical care, hot food ...
of course, their current
lodgings are a bit
temporary, but they
should see it like a
weekend of camping."
The magnitude-
Algerian Prez looks to third
term in election
Algiers, April 09:
Algerians are looking
largely with frustration or
indifference toward a
Presidential Election on
Thursday set to hand
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
another five years at the
helm of this US ally with
vast gas reserves,
s o a r i n g y o u t h
unemployment and an
active al Qaeda offshoot.
The left-wing
opposition, many Islamist
leaders, and the chief of
al Qaeda in Islamic North
Africa have called for a
boycott of the vote and
predicted fraud.
Bouteflika, who was first
elected with the Army's
backing in 1999 and
again in 2004, enjoys
support of all key
government players.
He faces five
low-profile opponents,
but none has successfully
challenged his message
of continuity and
reconciliation after an
insurgency that ravaged
this North African country
in the 1990s.
The President,
72, had the Constitution
changed last year so he
could run again. There is
so little suspense about
the outcome that voter
turnout is viewed as the
key test of the election.
Bouteflika's
campaign has said that
President wants 60
Russia to build nuclear
powered submarine in 2009
Severodvinsk, April 09:
A Russian shipyard has
been told to begin
construction of a nuclear-
powered strategic
submarine this year, an
official said.
"Russia's
Defence Ministry has
ordered the shipyard to
start construction of the
fourth Borey class
submarine this year," a
Sevmash shipyard
official told RIA Novosti
Wednesday, adding that
work could begin either in
July or December.
6.3 quake hit L'Aquila
and several towns
covering 230 square
miles (600 square
kilometres) in central
Italy early Monday, killing
272 people, levelling
buildings and reducing
entire blocks to piles of
rubble. It was the worst
quake to hit Italy in three
decades.
According to
the Guardian,
Berlusconi's comment
might have been aimed
at reassuring the public
as rescuers kept on
searching for survivors in
the midst of a powerful
aftershock.
percent turnout, and has
predicted he should win
at least 75 percent of
votes cast.
National radio
reported late Wednesday
that participation was
reaching about 75
percent in some of the
election bureaus for
nomads in the southern
Sahara Desert, who
started voting early
because of the huge
distances they have to
cross on camel to cast
their ballot.
Elhaj Boualem,
who sells fruits in the
Casbah, the often-restive
historic centre of the
capital, Algiers, said he
lost faith in voting since
1992, when authorities
cancelled legislative
elections that Islamists
were poised to win. That
sparked a cycle of
bloodshed that killed up
to an estimated 200,000
people over the ensuing
decade.
"I'll just cast a
blank ballot," said
Boualem. He said he was
only voting because local
authorities told him his
housing application
would be rejected if he
couldn't produce a
stamped voter's card.
The President's
program hinges on
continuity.
A m e d i a
watchdog, meanwhile,
The first Borey
class submarine, the
Yury Dolgoruky, will start
sea trials in June.
The vessel is
170 metres long, has a
hull diameter of 13
metres, a crew of 107,
including 55 officers, a
maximum depth of 450
metres and a submerged
speed of about 29 knots.
It can carry up to 16
ballistic missiles and
torpedoes.
Two other
Borey-class nuclear
submarines, the
Page 5
Berlusconi said in
total 28,000 people had
lost their homes in the
earthquake, with 17,000
now living in tents and the
rest in free hotel rooms or
staying with family.
The Italian
Premier is famous for his
v e r b a l g a ff e s , w h i c h
include describing US
President Barack Obama
as "young, handsome and
suntanned".
He also hit
headlines last week by
making a number of
diplomatic gaffes at the
round of summits in the
UK, France and Germany.
-Agencies
slammed the Algerian
government for censoring
three French magazines
this week because they
were deemed critical of
Bouteflika.
"This censorship
is disgraceful," said the
Paris-based Reporters
Without Borders in a
statement. "It constitutes a
denial of press freedom
and therefore a denial of
democracy."
During his
campaign, Bouteflika
repeatedly hinted that he
could offer a blanket
amnesty if the last militants
from al Qaeda in Islamic
North Africa renounce their
near-daily ambushes or
bombings and turn
themselves in.
Bouteflika's
tenure has also seen a
large investments in roads,
dams, and housing, part of
a USD 200 billion program
funded through Algeria's
large oil and natural gas
exports.
With most leading
Islamists banned from
politics in this
overwhelmingly Muslim
c o u n t r y, c a n d i d a t e s
running against Bouteflika
include one woman from a
small, far-left party, two
nationalists, and two
relatively moderate
Islamist-leaning politicians.
-Agencies
Alexander Nevsky and the
Vladimir Monomakh, are
currently under
construction at the
Sevmash shipyard and are
expected to be completed
in 2009 and 2011. Russia is
planning to build eight of
these submarines by 2015.
All Borey class
submarines will be
equipped with new Bulava-
M ( S S - N X - 3 0 )
intercontinental ballistic
missiles, which carry up to
10 nuclear warheads and
have a range of 8,000 km.
-Agencies
 Page 6
Rupee recovers by 16 paise
in late morning trade
Mumbai, April 09: The
Indian rupee on Thursday
pared its early gains and
fell to 50.02/03 a dollar in
late morning deals due to
volatile stock markets.
Activity was at
low ebb due to long
weekend holidays, starting
on Friday. The forex and
money market will remain
closed on April 10 on
account of 'Good Friday'.
In quite trade at
the Interbank Foreign
Exchange (Forex) market,
the domestic unit slipped
below 50-level in opening
trade, but later was quoted
at 50.02 a dollar, down by
five paise, against the US
L&T bags orders worth Rs 605 crore
Mumbai, April 07:
Engineering firm Larsen
and Toubro on Thursday
said it has bagged orders
worth Rs 605 crore in the
last quarter of FY'09 for
engineering and
construction related works.
In a filing to the Bombay
Stock Exchange, L&T said
its construction division
would execute these
contracts.
L&T has bagged
a Rs 165 crore order from
the Andhra Pradesh
government for supplying
Canadian firm defends use of
Indian steel for oil pipeline to US
Washington, April 10: A
Canadian pipeline
company has defended the
use of India-made steel for
an oil pipeline project in
President Barack Obama's
home state of Illinois after a
protest rally by hundreds of
steel workers.
TransCanada
said Wednesday that it was
necessary to look to India
for a large share of the pipe
that is being used for the
project that will transport
Canadian oil to the US as
an idled Illinois steel mill
couldn't have supplied the
pipe needed for it.
A TransCanada
spokesman told the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch that
the US companies will
supply about 30 percent of
the pipe for the project but
contended that the US
Steel plant in Granite City,
Illinois, was unable to
produce pipe to the
necessary specifications.
The newspaper
said around 500 protesters
gathered outside the
Granite City Works
Tuesday to support "Buy
Sensex falls into negative
territory on profit-taking
Mumbai, April 09: After
rising by nearly 190 points
in opening trade, the
Bombay Stock Exchange
benchmark Sensex
declined by over 86 points
at 1030 hrs owing to profit-
booking at higher levels.
The Sensex,
which shot up by 189.78
points in early trade, was
Times Chennai E-Paper
currency from the
overnight close of
50.18/19. The local unit
recovered 16 paise
against its previous
close.
It moved in a
range of 49.95 and 50.07
per dollar.
On Wednesday,
it was down by 14 paise.
Forex dealers
said strong equity market
in opening trade led to
the recovery in the rupee.
The Indian
benchmark Sensex was
up by 91 points or 0.85
per cent at 1015 hrs, but it
declined by 86 points at
1030 hrs.
p o t a b l e w a t e r. T h e
project is to be completed
in 15 months.
Besides, it
received Rs 133 crore
order from the Delhi Jal
Board for designing and
laying pipelines. The
project is scheduled to be
completed in 21 months.
Another order worth Rs
118 crore, it secured from
Utkal Alumina
International for
designing and
constructing raw water
transmission pipeline at
American" policies at a
rally organised by United
Steel Workers near a lot
where the India-made
pipe for the project was
being stored.
The protesters
demanded that the 'Buy
American' policy be also
implemented for the
2,000-mile Canada-US
oil pipeline that would
bring crude oil from
Alberta to the Wood
River refinery complex.
The protest
came after the board of
the local county
unanimously passed a
resolution at its regular
meeting declaring that
federal funds be used to
promote goods and
services made or
performed by American
citizens and companies.
While there
have been protests
against the use of
Chinese products in the
US in the recent past, this
is the first time that an
Indian product has been
targeted.
Protesters
down by 86.38 points to
10,655.96 at 1030 hrs
with stocks of oil and gas,
IT, FMCG and PSU
sectors succumbing to
profit-taking.
Similarly, the
National Stock Exchange
index Nifty also fell by
35.90 points to 3,307.05.
Stock brokers
Business
F o r e i g n
Institutional Investors
(FIIs) continued their
buying spree and they
pumped in USD 273.50
million in three trading
session since April 1.
Asian indices
also exhibited a firm trend
in their early trade due to
overnight rally on Wall
Street.
Ta i w a n ' s
weighted index was up by
3.52 per cent, Kospi by
2.92 per cent, Nikkei by
2.77 per cent, Straits
Times by 2.02 per cent
and Hang Seng by 1.95
per cent.
-Agencies
their Alumina plant in
Orissa.
It is expected to
be completed in 17
months.
Further, L&T bagged a
contract worth Rs 189
crore from SAIL-IISCO
Steel plant for civil works
in West Bengal, to be
completed in 12 months.
Shares of L&T were today
trading at Rs 836, up 3.64
per cent on the BSE.
-Agencies
carried banners of 'Buy
American' and 'Rebuild
American Manufacturing'
at the rally, held in the
backdrop of a huge pile of
steel pipes with 'Made in
India' marks.
The protesters
called for an overhaul of
state policy that has led to
the dismantling of
industrial base of in
America and the loss of
millions of jobs.
The protests
come hardly a week after
the US joined the G-20
declaration to "name and
shame" the countries
r e s o r t i n g t o
protectionism.
In addition to
India, TransCanada is
using 11 other pipe
suppliers, four from the
US and two from
Canada. The orders were
made three years ago,
when the US steel
industry was near
capacity and the world
economy was growing.
-Agencies
said ahead of tomorrow's
holiday, major players
preferred to book profits
at every rise.
The market will
remain closed tomorrow
on account of "Good
Friday".
-Agencies
DoT to issue norms to check
evasion of fees by operators
New Delhi April 09: The
Department of Telecom
is in the process of
working out new
guidelines for revenue
calculations of operators
having multiple licences,
including for Internet
services, to check
licence fee evasion.
"There is a
need of issuing
guidelines to such
service providers on
apportioning the
revenues earned from
the Internet customers
towards the usage of
NLD network ...," said an
internal DoT note.
S o m e
integrated players are
Japan govt approves $154bn
stimulus spending
Tokyo, April 09: Japan's
ruling party said on
Thursday that it had
approved record
stimulus spending of
about 154 billion dollars
to resuscitate the
recession-hit economy.
Spending on
the emergency
economic measures
should total some 15.4
trillion yen, the party's
RIL's maiden gas delivery to
NFL plant likely today
New Delhi, April 09:
Reliance Industries is
likely to deliver natural
gas from the nation's
most prolific field to its
first customer, Nagarjuna
Fertiliser Ltd, on
Thursday.
RIL's eastern
offshore KG-D6 field
started producing gas on
April 1 and the initial
volumes were used for
pressuring the pipeline
and maintaining the
minimum buffer in the
line.
"We have been
told that gas will reach
our plant at Kakinada in
Andhra Pradesh in next
couple of days...maybe
even tomorrow," an NFL
Idea launches GSM mobile services in Orissa
Bhubaneswar, April 09:
Expanding its national
footprint, leading
telecom operator, Idea
Cellular on Wednesday
launched its GSM mobile
services in Orissa
offering world class
facilities covering over
2,200 towns and villages.
Part of the
Aditya Birla group, Idea
aims to provide the
people of Orissa superior
connectivity and offer
whisper clear audio
q u a l i t y, z e r o c a l l
congestion and high
capacity, ahead of time,
Ambrish Jain, Director,
Operations of Idea
found to be showing
lower revenues under
licences on which they
have to pay higher
licence fee so that they
end up paying lesser
dues to the government,
said a DoT official.
T h e n e w
guidelines will focus on
segregation of cost and
revunue of the operators
in more strict manner, he
said.
Operators are
required to pay six per
cent of their income from
long-distance services,
while they do not have to
pay any share of revenue
earned from Internet
services.
policy board announced.
In total the
stimulus package will be
worth more than 56.8
trillion yen (570 billion
dollars) when non-
spending steps such as
loan guarantees for firms
are included, the board
said.
Prime Minister
Taro Aso is expected to
unveil the package later
official said.
The NFL plant
is just 60 km away from
RIL's gas processing
facility at Gagimoga near
Kakinada.
RIL is currently
producing five million
cubic meters per day of
gas from Dhirubhai-1
and 3, the first two of the
18 gas fields in KG-D6
block. Output is expected
to be ramped up to 40
mmcmd by July and to
peak 80 mmcmd by next
year.
The company
had last month signed
gas sales and
transportation contracts
with 12 fertiliser
companies.
Cellular Ltd, said at the
launch ceremony.
Idea would
introduce its complete
range of affordable and
innovative mobile
telephony products and
services for over 39
million people in the
State, he said.
Idea's 2.75G
capable and 3G ready
core network provides for
all future technological
enhancements.
It now covers
over 80 per cent of the
telephony potential of the
country and is the third
largest private GSM
player with over 41
April 09, 2009
R e c e n t l y, t h e
telecom ministry had found
that Dishnet Wireless has
not shown income earned
from selling its NLD
infrastructure to the ISP
business division.
A spokesperson
of Dishnet Wireless said
his company has abided
by all the rules and
regulation of the
government.
At present,
operators having more
than one licences —
unified access (mobile and
fixed), NLD, ILD and ISP —
give the consolidated
income of the group.
-Agencies
this week, before
s u b m i t t i n g a
supplementary budget to
parliament for approval.
The injection is
the latest in a series of
stimulus packages aimed
at pulling the Japanese
economy out of its worst
slump since World War II.
-Agencies
"Fertiliser firms
will pay RIL the rupee
equivalent of $4.20 per
million British thermal unit
plus taxes and
transportation," a
Petroleum Ministry official
said.
"The exchange
rate will be the average of
rupee-dollar rate of the
previous month. So, all the
sales that will happen in
April will be billed at the
average of reference rate
for March," he said.
Of the 15.35
mmcmd gas distributed
among 15 urea making
plants of 12 fertiliser firms,
NFL is to get 1.55 mmcmd.
-Agencies
million subscribers across
15 telecom circies.
Promising to
develop customer service
with a robust retail network
comprising exclusive +My
Idea Stores,+ +Idea
Points+ and other outlets,
Jain said adding the retail
network would be
expanded to cover 18,500
outlets by March, 2010.
Idea's 2.75G
edge enabled network
would cover over 360
places in Orissa by next
month and would expand
to cover 2,200 towns and
villages by March, 2010.
-Agencies
April 09, 2009
Perform or perish: Hilditch to Symonds
Melbourne, April 09:
Andrew Symonds might
have been recalled to the
Australia team despite a
mediocre domestic
performance, but chairman
of selectors Andrew
Hilditch has issued a
warning to the troubled
allrounder, saying it's high
time for him to either
perform or perish.
Hildtitch said
Symonds, who has had a
run-in with behavioural
issues in the recent past,
deserves one last
opportunity to prove
himself and has been
selected in the squad
largely based on his past
heroics.
"He's obviously
n o t p e r f o r m e d
domestically as well as we
or he would have liked, so
we really had to make a
Safina to become world number
one in WTA rankings
Washington, April 09:
Russia's Dinara Safina will
replace American Serena
Williams as world number
one in the coming WTA
world rankings, the
organization said on
Wednesday.
Safina, who has
yet to win a Grand Slam
event, has risen up the
rankings thanks to four
WTA singles titles in the
past year -- at Montreal,
Los Angeles, Berlin and
Sania-Chuang enter
quarter-finals in Florida
Florida, April 09: Sania
Mirza and her Chinese
Taipei partner Chia-Jung
Chuang reached the
doubles quarter-finals of
the $220,000 MPS Group
Championships here, but
not before some late
scares.
The Indo-Taipei
pair had to fight it out in a
marathon three-setter to
Sehwag leading cricketer, Dhoni
leads Wisden's Dream Test XI
London, April 09:
Wisden, the highly
respected cricket
publication, on
Wednesday named
Virender Sehwag as the
Leading Cricketer in the
Wo r l d f o r 2 0 0 8 a n d
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
captain of its first ever
Dream Test XI which has
five Indians in the ranks.
India's rich vein of
form found ample
reflection in Wisden's first
ever Dream XI which
include Sehwag, Dhoni,
S a c h i n Te n d u l k a r ,
Harbhajan Singh and
Zaheer Khan.
India has the
largest representation in
Times Chennai E-Paper
decision on giving him an
opportunity to see how
he was going or not prior
to the Twenty20 World
Championships in June,"
he said.
"We thought it
was the right way to go
but, as I've told Andrew, it
will be up to him from now
on. He's going to have to
perform.
"We think after
everything he's done for
Australian cricket, one of
our all-time best one-day
players, that he deserves
this opportunity. But it will
be up to him now to seize
that chance," he added.
Symonds,
playing for Queensland,
had a disappointing
outing in the domestic
circuit this season,
scoring mere 197 runs in
eight first-class matches
Tokyo.
The Russian
was also runner-up in five
competitions including
the 2009 Australian
Open, where she was
beaten by Williams, and
the 2008 French Open.
"There's no
question that while I am
very proud of my results
over the past year, I
would have liked to reach
this achievement in a
different manner," said
down Melinda Czink of
Hungary and Lilia
Osterloh of America 6-0
3-6 10-5 in the first round.
H o w e v e r,
Sania-Chuang duo's
route to the last four won't
be a cakewalk as fourth
seeded pair of Bethanie
Mattek-Sands of America
and Nadia Petrova of
Russia awaits them in the
the Test squad, followed
by Australia (Ricky
Ponting and Mitchell
Johnson) and South
Africa (Graeme Smith
and Dale Steyn) who
have two each.
Flamboyant
batsman Kevin Pietersen
is the lone English player
in the XI, while the West
Indies is represented by
run-machine Shivnarine
Chanderpaul.
S m i t h i s
Dhoni's deputy in the
side.
The three
selectors who picked the
squad were former India
captain Ravi Shastri,
retired West Indian pacer
Sports
at an average of 15.15.
Meanwhile,
skipper Ricky Ponting,
who alongwith Michael
Hussey and Mitchell
Johnson, has been
rested for the ODI series
against Pakistan in Abu
Dhabi and Dubai from
April 22, welcomed
Symonds's inclusion in
the squad.
"He's a very important
player in our overall set-
up. Yes, he is working
through his fair share of
issues and everything.
But once he gets back
around us then I'm sure
that he'll have an impact
on our team with his on-
field performances," he
was quoted as saying by
the 'Sydney Morning
Herald'.
-Agencies
Safina.
"I hope to prove
to everyone over the
coming months that I
merit the honour of being
world number one.
"It's a great
honour to reach the
number one ranking and
it is a dream that every girl
who has ever wanted to
play professional tennis
shares."
-Agencies
next round.
S a n i a ' s
campaign in the singles
already came to a
premature end with a
straight sets defeat at the
hands of seventh seed
Alona Bondarenko in he
opening round.
-Agencies
Ian Bishop and former
New Zealand stumper Ian
Smith.
"The criteria for
selection are simple: the
best eleven to play a Test
match, no matter the
opposition, guided by
performances in 2008,
and taking into
consideration the amount
of Test cricket they played
in the year, the quality of
their opponents, and that
indefinable blend of class
and form," Wisden said.
Gallery: India's
win in New Zealand after
41 years
-Agencies
Entire country supported us in
New Zealand triumph: Tendulkar
Mumbai, April 09:
Sachin Tendulkar and
four other victorious
Indian teammates
returned to Mumbai in
the wee hours of
Thursday and thanked
the countrymen, saying
the entire nation
supported the team in its
quest of creating history
in New Zealand.
" I t ' s a n
achievement. Everyone
is happy. The entire
country has supported
us. It was victory after 41
years," the champion
batsman told reporters at
the Sahar airport on
arriving with four other
Younis banks on Shoaib, Afridi
for success against Australia
Karachi, April 09:
Pakistan captain Younis
Khan is banking heavily
on the experienced duo
of Shoaib Akhtar and
Shahid Afridi to fire in the
coming series against
Australia in Abu Dhabi
and Dubai.
Younis said he
was happy to see injury-
prone Shoaib back in the
side for the five one-day
internationals and
Twenty20 game.
"He has worked
hard and I am confident
he will play out the full
series. His return is a
I will miss 'my hometown'
Delhi for sure: McGrath
Australian
pacer Glenn McGrath at
the bowling end in his
heydays meant batsmen
had hardly a chance to
free their arms, be it in
ODIs or in Tests. A
legendary bowler, who
was famous for applying
brain over brawn,
McGrath earned most of
his international wickets
through impeccable line
and length, which is
quintessential in T20
cricket. His strength was
for all to see when he
played in the inaugural
edition of IPL for Delhi
Daredevils, where he
proved to be one of the
most economical
bowlers.
But his life has
changed a lot since. He
lost his beloved wife Jane
immediately after IPL.
Initially apprehensive
about coming back for the
tournament, McGrath
finally decided to fulfil his
commitments to the Delhi
team.
Zeecric.com’s
Biswajit Jha had a chat
with the lanky Australian
pacer on the sidelines of
a promotional event in
Delhi.
Excerpts:
Will you miss Delhi this
time since the you were
treated here like a son
of the soil last year?
Last time I really enjoyed
playing in Delhi. I got a
huge support from the
local crowd, which was
teammates.
U n d e r
Mahendra Singh Dhoni,
India defeated New
Zealand in their own
backyard in a Test series
for the first time since
Mansur Ali Khan
Pataudi's team had
vanquished the Kiwis in
1967-68 after hopping
across the Tasman sea
after a poor series in
Australia.
Tendulkar, who
had made vital
contributions with the bat
in both the preceding
five-match one-day
series and the Test
rubber, returned with
good sign for us as he is a
very experienced
performer," Younis said
on Wednesday.
The senior
batsman pointed out that
both Shoaib and Afridi
had this habit of
performing well against
top opposition.
"I am banking a
lot on them although we
require a complete team
effort to beat the
Australians," he added.
Younis pointed
out that Pakistan had
some top all-rounders in
Shoaib Malik, Afridi and
fascinating for me. In that
sense I will miss Delhi.
You have retired from
international cricket
almost two years back.
Are you fit enough to
play in the second
season of IPL?
It’s true that I had quit
international cricket a
couple of years ago. But
in the last one month I
have been working really
hard in the gym. I am
okay with my fitness now
and I will have no
problem in adjusting to
the demands of IPL.
What will be the
difference in South
Africa?
It will be a good contest
between the bat and the
ball in South Africa. The
wicket will be good for the
pacers too.
Why did you have
apprehensions in
playing for IPL this
time?
It was a big decision to
come back here. I have
had some personal
problems since I lost my
wife Jane. I have two little
children to look after.
That’s why I had initially
decided not to take part
in IPL this time. But then I
chose to fulfil my
commitment to
Daredevils at least for
this season. My mother is
taking care of my
children.
How difficult was it to
handle the death of
your wife Jane, who
Page 7
Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan
Singh, Munaf Patel and
Dhawal Kulkarni.
Some members
of the support staff of the
team also landed in
Mumbai along with them.
Skipper Dhoni
and some other members
of the team, based in
northern cities,
disembarked in Delhi by a
different flight.
South-based
cricketers, including
stalwarts Rahul Dravid and
V V S Laxman, went to their
respective places directly,
according to Cricket Board
sources.
-Agencies
Sohail Tanvir and felt the
trio would have to make
significant contribution if
Pakistan were to win the
series.
"It is going to be a
tough series and we need
to put in a collective effort.
Even though Australia will
be without their regular
captain Ricky Pointing and
inform all-rounder Michell
Johnson, the return of
Andrew Symonds is a big
plus for them as he has
always been a successful
performer against us,"
Younis said.
-Agencies
died of cancer?
It was really tough time for
me and my family. But the
support I got from
everybody is awesome. I
was moved to find the
support for Jane McGrath
Foundation during the
Sydney Test. I am thankful
to everybody, who helped
me come out of that terrible
phase of my life.
What’s your opinion
about the Delhi
Daredevils team this
time?
We have a balanced team
this time around. The
induction of David Warner
will add more firepower to
batting.
Will you miss your
opening bowling partner
of last season, Mohd
Asif?
The team has enough
resources to replace
anybody.
How do you rate Virender
Sehwag as a captain?
Sehwag has a very astute
cricketing sense. I really
enjoyed playing under him
last season.
What’s your opinion
about Sehwag as a
batsman?
He is a terrific batsman. I
enjoyed bowling against
him.
What are the attributes of
a good captain?
A good captain is one who
uses the experience of the
senior players…one who
listens to everybody, even
to the junior members of
the team.
Page 8 Times Chennai E-Paper April 09, 2009

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