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A0:4B7:B8=67Q =4F34;78

he Centre has returned the West

Bengal Governments incomplete proposal seeking a CBI probe
into the gangrape of an elderly nun
at a Ranaghat (Nadia) convent on
March 14 and sought a fresh request
in a proper format.
The State Government sent its
intimation for a CBI probe into the
case to the Centre on March 19. A
day after, the Union Home Ministry
returned it pointing out to the West
Bengal Government that a format
under the Delhi Special
Police Establishment (DSPE) Act
that governs the CBI must be followed, officials said.
According to the DSPE Act, the
format should include the case diary,

a preliminary report of the investigation by the State police and

full justification for transfer of the
case to the CBI.
But the Mamata Banerjee dispensations reference was only an intimation expressing the State
Governments approval. It mentioned
that since the State Chief Minister has
desired a CBI probe into the incident,
the case should be referred to the
Central investigation agency,
Ministry sources said.
Confirming the development
and indicating the reason for the
Centres move, Union Home Ministry
spokesperson KS Dhatwalia said,
The proposal (for a CBI probe into
the nun gangrape) was not complete.
We have asked them to send it in the
required format. By now, the State
Government must have received correspondence (relating to the return
of the State Governments intimation)
from the Centre but till today there
is no response from them.
MHA officials said, Only sending an intimation shows their halfhearted approach to the matter. The
West Bengal Home Department has

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been asked to follow the rules relating to such references and send the
complete format required for seeking
a CBI probe.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC)
has been critical of the CBI for its
probe into the Saradha chit fund
scam. The party-led Government in
the State sent the half-hearted proposal apparently to cover its failure
in tracking the culprits despite its
agencies having CCTV footage of the
dacoits who indulged in the savage
act of gangraping the 71-year-old
nun. A number of State Government
Ministers had also indirectly alleged
the involvement of the Right wing
groups in the incident.
Turn to Page 4

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error revisited Jammu-Pathankot

T
National Highway for the second
consecutive day on Saturday after a second batch of two heavily armed terrorists, clad in combat uniform,
breached three-tier security grid by targeting an Army unit in Samba cantonment in Jammu. In a daylong operation, the Special Operations Group of
the Indian Army neutralised both the
terrorists without giving them an
opportunity to storm the Army camp.
The attack came less than 24 hours
after two heavily armed fidayeen were
neutralised in a joint operation by the
security forces inside Rajbagh police
station of Kathua district on Friday.
Three security personnel had sacrificed

their lives before neutralising the first

batch of two terrorists on Friday.
Just after the audacious strike, the
national highway was closed for vehicular traffic to allow the security forces
to mobilise reinforcements to take on
the terrorists. School examinations
scheduled to take place at
Army Public School on the premises
and other educational institutions were
postponed as life came to a halt in
Samba district.
As security forces took time to
assess the ground situation and prepared for the assault aimed at neutralising terrorists holed up in a civilian
area in Samba cantonment, Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar confirmed
in New Delhi, The two terrorists have
been neutrailised by the Army personnel at the end of over eight-hour
long operation.
Parrikar said two back-to-back terror attacks in Jammu are an attempt by
militants to boost their morale which
has badly hit due to Army operations.
Turn to Page 4

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01A070<C7><0BQ
=4F34;78

armers suicide may be

F
making more news but the
latest National Crime Records
Bureau (NCRB) data on suicides shows that the selfemployed non-farming category constitutes for most number of suicides in India. Equally
alarming is the fact that housewives ended their lives at twice
the rate of farmers.
The grim reality was presented by the Centre recently in
the Supreme Court to claim a
decline in the number of farmers suicide over the years. The
2013 data of the NCRB reported 1,34,799 suicides (nearly 11
per lakh population) in the
country. Of this, suicide by
farmers or agriculturists under
self-employed category was
8.73 per cent or 11,772.
The number of housewives, who took the extreme
step, constituted 16.88 per cent

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or 22,742. But it was the selfemployed non-farming sector
that accounted for 29.28 per
cent suicides (39,462 deaths).
About 60 per cent of Indias
population is engaged in farming or agricultural activity. Being
the main source of income for
the majority in the country, the
apex court had asked the
Government to respond to a PIL
filed by a Punjab-based NGO
Youth Kamal Organisation,
which highlighted the cause of

high incidence of farmer suicides due to a weak minimum

support price and crop insurance among others.
The affidavit filed by an
Under Secretar y in the
Department of Agriculture and
Cooperation accepted that
between 1997 and 2003, there
were 1,13,872 farmers suicides
averaging 16,267 a year,
a figure quoted even by the
petitioner.
Turn to Page 4

;DA=afkk]VU
RecV[VTeZ`_
?=BQ =4F34;78

wo weeks after the

T
Government had begun
the scrutiny of nine coal blocks
amid reports that these reserves
had received undervalued bids
owing to cartelisation, it has
disapproved bids for four of
these blocks three of which
belong to Jindal Steel & Power
Ltd (JSPL) and one to Balco.
The decision was taken
late on Friday night after Coal
Secretary Anil Swarup confirmed the move through a
tweet. Bids for Gare Palma
IV/1, IV/2, IV/3 and
Tara coal blocks not accepted,
he had tweeted on the night of
March 20.
JSPL on Saturday reacted to
the development by saying that
it was puzzled with the decision while stating that it fol-

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lowed a consistent and prudent

bidding strategy throughout
the coal block auctions.
We had followed a consistent and prudent bidding
strategy throughout the coal
block auction process,
with a serious long-term business perspective.
Turn to Page 4

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New Delhi: All 16 Provincial
Armed Constabulary personnel
accused in the 1987
Hashimpura massacre case
were on Saturday acquitted by
a Delhi court of charges related to the killing of 42 Muslims
who were picked up from
a village in Meerut. The judge
gave them the benefit of doubt.
All accused acquitted. I
give them benefit of doubt for
want of evidence, especially
regarding their identity,
Additional Sessions Judge
Sanjay Jindal said.
The court has referred the
case to the Delhi State Legal
Services Authority for rehabilitation of victims who have
been truly identified.
Those acquitted are Suresh
Chand Sharma, Niranjan Lal,
Kamal
Singh,
Budhi
Singh, Basant Ballab, Kunwar
Pal Singh, Budha Singh,
Rambir Singh, Leela Dhar,
Turn to Page 4

0/$UHMHFWV9,3FXOWXUHVRQYLHVIRUSHRQVMRE
?C8Q 908?DA

ost politicians want their

M
children to follow in their
footsteps but a Rajasthan
MLA wants his son to
chart his course according to
his eligibility.
BJP legislator Heera Lal
Verma does not want his 8th
standard pass son, Hansraj, to
join politics and considers him
fit for a peons job, for which he
appeared in an interview at
Krishi Upaj Mandi (Rajasthan
State Agriculture Marketing
Board) in Ajmer on Friday.
A two-time MLA from
Tonk district, Verma, who was
a State Government officer
before joining politics, said his

son being less educated was

eligible for this kind of job only
and he did not want him to
enter politics or do any other
work which is beyond his
capabilities or eligibility.
My son, Hansraj, works in
a private clinic in Niwai and
earns C5,000 per month. He
was weak in studies and could
not clear secondary exam
(Class X). So this is the only
option available to him. I will
not encourage him to involve
himself in any work or business
which is higher than his capabilities or eligibility, the SC category MLA said on Saturday.
When some of the other
MLAs questioned his sons
decision to apply for a peons

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job, Verma told them that it is
unusual but not a sin or anything wrong.
After all, it is the matter of
leading an honest life. I will not
encourage my children to use
unfair means to lead a prosperous life. He said the inter-

view went well and he would

get the job on the basis of his
performance only, he said,
adding that the recruitment
process will be transparent.
I am a postgraduate in
three subjects and also a gold
medalist. I worked as Deputy
Director in Social Welfare
Department and I know that
getting a Government job will
make his future secure. He
could not continue his
studies, so this type of job
is suitable for him, he said.
Vermas eldest ex-councillor son is a businessman,
another has recently graduated and is currently preparing
for competitive exams, and his
daughter is pursuing BEd.

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CReVU+# "!
irector Hashvardhan Kulkarni
on a popular radio channel
reportedly said that he spent
almost two years to get the script and
the story right. Well, obviously, what
constitutes correct to him will
definitely not be in tune with any sane
person who goes to see this film.
First, the movie is not a sex
comedy. In fact, there is no laughter
here. One will only want to beat ones
head against the wall to certain
dialogues. Chota Chetan dekne aaya
hai ya chota chetan ko bada karney,
says a cop looking pointed at the
crotch of a boy more cheap than
funny one would say. Second, if the
movie is about one man and his
sexapades, then also the film doesnt
make much sense since we are not told
if he is happy because he has scored.
Looks like all our hero wants is to have
sex and the woman in question is just
another notch in his belt.
As for the performances. Gulshan
Devaiah as Mandar, the man who can
smell the needs of a woman, is
passable. The back and forth with his
life becomes tedious. Radhika Apte has
given a passable performance.
Over all, the film tries too hard to
come across as an adult comedy
without meaning to label women as
promiscuous. In the end, all it does is
to bore you.

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t was back in 1950, when the fairy
tale Cendrillon by Charles Perrault,
the twelfth in the Walt Disney
Animated Classics series, was released
in the US by the title Cinderella. Over
the next 65 years many movies on this
fairy tale have been made both
animation and films including one
starring Drew Barrymore.
So, there is nothing new that this
one has to offer in terms of story since
we all know it, unless one counts how
Cinderella actually got her name a
twist which is rather sadistic in nature.
But apart from that, Disney has
ensured that the classic tale remains a
family feature with a message that
whatever the circumstances one should
always be courageous and be kind to
others. While this is a little difficult to
follow in todays day and age what
makes this film so likeable is that the
message is so beautifully wrapped up

in a love story that makes your tearyeyed and smile at the same time.
Of course for the children, who
have not seen any of the earlier
versions, to see so many colours come
alive, a goose turning into a coachman
and two slimy lizards into attendants
albeit a little green. Or for that matter a
pumpkin turning into the most
beautiful stagecoach. It is another
matter that the credit for that needs to
go to the technical team or the
designers. And then there is Cinderella
and her gown. Fifty shades of blue
comes to mind. One cant forget the
rainbow coloured glass slippers that
will give Jimmy Choo a run for his
money.
Director Kenneth Branagh has
caught some great visuals on the
camera ensuring that the picturesque
scenes will remain in the mind long
after the movie has ended.
The good part is that there is no
melodrama or very many songs which
proves that not all fairy tales need to
have them to make them engaging.
Go see this one even if you have no
children.
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QWhat is the best part of Dil Ki Baatein?

Its a very different kind of love story

which has never been told before. Its the
first time that cancer is been dealt on
Indian TV so openly. It is a very expensive
treatment especially for a middle class
family. Aninditas family is not crying
because she has cancer. They are trying to
find a practical solution to deal with it
When I am on the sets, I go with what
which will make it possible for the patient the director is telling me to do. I become
to die in peace and at the same time for the like a blind person who has to be led, I
family to find a closure and move forward. dont try to give my opinion because such
QWhat was the most challenging thing big people are involved. Thats how I can
do justice to the story. We are all giving this
for you in show?
Im a very emotional person. When I show our 100 per cent.
see the reel life character, I feel
QWhat was your reaction when
the pain of a mother who is
you read the role?
going to leave her children
The story is so brilliant
FWT]8P\
and her husband. Im a
that the moment I read it, I felt
mother in real life. I can feel
^]cWTbTcb an emotional connect not only
what a mother must be
with Anindita but all the other
8V^fXcW
going through knowing that
characters as well. My
fWPccWT
she is going to die soon.
character is suffering from a
Something like this, is really
disease and will soon leave my
SXaTRc^aXb
difficult to cope with in real
husband and family behind. I
PbZX]V\Tc^
life.
look at it in that sense.
S^FWT]
Q How are the makers
QWhat about your bald look?
trying to balance the sad
We have used prosthetic
bdRWQXV
story in a romantic angle?
make-up for it. We are not just
_T^_[TPaT
Our makers are very
focussing on the love story but
_Pac^UcWT
good. Its a Mahesh Bhatt
the after-effects of cancer
bW^fXcXb
stor y and he has full
which drains one of all energy.
supervision on the story,
QTccTac^QT But Anindita bravely accepts
script and the dialogue.
ever ything with a smile
[TS
When he comes on board
including hair fall. She asks her
for story like this, he makes
husband if he finds her ugly
sure that its gripping and wellwith no hair? He replies: I fell in
said. Our producers Guroudev Bhalla love with your looks in the beginning, But
and Dhaval Gada are preparing on our part now I am in love with you as a person. That
also and are actively involved in scripting scene was very touching. Issues are
and picturising of the every scene.
portrayed in such a way that it will not be
QHow is it like working with such senior just a sob story but also show a husbands
deep love for his wife.
people on this show?

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eason 2 of Dance India Dance

(DID) Super Moms is back on Zee
TV. The dance reality show which
had caught the viewers attention due
to some great performances by the
mothers in its debut season by
garnering 6087 TVT goes on air from
March 28 on Saturday and Sunday.
Though they are all homemakers, they
strongly believe in following their
passion and having an identity of their
own by dreaming big.
One such mother is the 36-yearold Preeti Khetan from Delhi who
tells you that she was always inclined
towards dancing since childhood, but
never thought to take it up
professionally.
Whenever there was a marriage
in my family, I used to dance in the
ladies function. My husband Arjun
was initially sceptical in allowing me
to pursue my passion but when he saw
how much I loved dancing, he gave
full support. My two daughters Ishita
(12) and Arushi (8) encourage me to
live my dream, Preeti says adding
that her aim to participate in DID... is
not to win the show but to get the
support from her father-in-law who
doesnt favour women pursuing a
career in dance.
My father -in-law is against
women dancing for whatever reason.
He is an orthodox who believes that
women should not be dancing in
public. When I was leaving for
Mumbai to be a part of the show, he
wished men but he still dont accept
the fact that women from a decent
families should dance so openly. My
biggest victory will be when my
father-in-law will come on the stage
and say that he accepts me as a
dancer, Preeti tells you.
With a new tag Har Lamha
Nayi Ummeed, the channel aims to
give hope and a platform to many to
live their dream, whether its through
SaReGaMaPa, Indias best dramebaaz
or Dance India Dance.
Its important to recognise and
inspire people, especially mothers
who sacrifice their passion or dream
for the family. We try to instill hope in
people. Its not about showing a sob or
rags to riches story. We want to tell
our viewers that if these contestants
can do it, why cant you. Its about
never to stop dreaming, Pradeep
Hejmadi, business head, Zee TV tells
you.
Another contestant from Delhi,
30-year-old Dipashree Chaterjee,
couldnt keep up with dancing after
marriage due to an abusive
relationship. For the next eight years
she bore the brunt of her
husbands bad
moods.
I got married
when I was 19. It
was an arrangedcum-love marriage.
When I was pregnant with Disha
(who is 10 now), my husband used to
torture me mentally and physically. I

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Q Tell us about the new business venture
of yours?
It is a home shopping channel where
celebs will be given a platform to either
endorse a product or create a product of
their own to sell. It is unlike any other TV
shopping channel. It will also have small
clippings where celebrities or fashion icons
will talk about beauty tips or talk about
fashion and lifestyle in general. For example
how to wear eye make-up or how to dress
for certain occasions. So it a celebrity
teleshopping network in Hindi.
Q How did the idea take root?
Television in India has a wider reach
and we wanted to do something new and
different as far as teleshopping in concerned.
So I worked on the concept for six months
to iron out the basics but the real work
happened in the last three months.
Q Any reason why you chose Akshay
Kumar as a partner?
Actually this happened by chance. I had
gone to meet him to request him to
endorse a set of earphones. When he
asked me for what I told him about my
venture. A common friend of ours was also
there who is into television home shopping
network and he explained to Akshay how
big this industry was and growing at a very
fast pace. It was then that Akshay said he
wanted to be a part of it and asked me if he
could join.
Q Will there be products by Indian celebs
only? Who are some of the Bollywood
actors we will see?
Yes, since it is for the Indian market.
Sonakshi Sinha is one of the first celebrities
to have come on board to endorse and sell
her range of products. One will see other
Bollywood actors come and either endorse
or sell their products over the next few
weeks. Many celebrities and non-celebrities
have approached us and we will be
announcing their names and products
soon.
Q Any particular reason why only Indian
celebs?
It is for the Indians. So in order for the
buyers to have a connect, we have stuck to
India.
Q Who is your target audience?
Anybody from anywhere middle
and upper middle class people. This is
because our products are in the range of

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C2,000 to C5,000. Also people in tier II and

tier III cities.
Q What makes Best Deal TV different
from other home shopping channels?
First, of course, is the fact that it is
celebrity backed. We are giving celebs a
platform to sell their product directly to the
people at a very affordable price. Second, we
have a team of experts who will test each
product for quality control before it is
brought to the viewers.
Q Why TV and not online shopping?
Online shopping is for the niche, TV
shopping has a wider viewership. In fact,
Indian home shopping market on television
stands at C13,000 crore and growing at
CAGR of 24 per cent annually with 60 per
cent penetration in the country. So the
potential is huge when it comes to the small
screen. Also there are very few players and
it is a segment that is waiting to be tapped
for its potential.
Q The launch was on March 18, in the
middle of World Cup 2015. Will it not
affect you?
To be honest, cricket is still a very malecentric game even though there are many
women who have now started watching or
following the game. Our channel is for
women who love to shop and follow celeb
fashion.

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have got severe back problem because

of that. I took to teaching children
dancing at home to pay my daughters
school fee. Sometimes, my husband
would to take away all the money to
spend on alcohol, Dipashree tells you.
It was her daughter Disha who
prompted Dipashree to take a stand.
One day my daughter come up to me
and said: Mamma, we cant live with
him with any more. Hell kill you.
Why can't you leave him? She gave
me a lot of support and courage to
move out of that relationship,
Dipashree says who now lives with
her parents and daughter.
Money was tight. Dipashree would
use her mothers saree to make a
dance costume. But it was her father,
Pratap Chaterjee, who has been her
pillar of strength. He took double
shift so that Dipashree could take part
in every dance competitions in the
city.
When she was in school, we used
to get calls from her teachers saying
that Dipashree has bunked her classes
and was found dancing in the
premises. I used to punish her for
being non-serious towards her studies.
But it was my wife who told me not to
come in way of her passion. Today,
she has qualified for DID 2. I am
happy. I just hope that she is able to
realise her dream of winning it, the
62-year-old father tells you.
Its not just about putting up a
good TV show but we go out of the
way to help people who have been
associated with us and come from all
walks of life by providing better
opportunities and instill hope in a
meaningful manner. Well be giving
the mothers to work as part time
dance trainers and conduct workshop
at Mount Litera Zee School. We also
refer them for other upcoming
projects and TV shows, Hejmadi tells
you. The season will be an 11-week
series starting with the auditions of
the show. From there on it will go into
weekly eliminations with the till top
15 contestants are left who will then
compete for the title of DID Super
Moms.
Actor Govinda who was last seen
in the movie Happy Ending with Saif
Ali Khan, makes a comeback, after 14
years on the small screen as a judge
with Geeta Kapur and Terrence Lewis.
Karan Wahi is the host of the show.
The last time Govinda was seen in the
small screen was when he hosted a
TV game show Jeeto Chappar Phad
Ke.
Speaking about the dance reality
show Govinda said that DID Super
Moms season 2 has a set a benchmark
and tried to do something new every
season. My judgement criteria would
be dance that would connect to the
heart. Ive just shot a couple of
audition episodes and Im floored by
the sheer range of talent these
mothers have displayed and the
reasons that motivate them to dance,
he says.

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elhi Government on
Saturday denied any
D
financial aid to the cashstrapped civic agencies and
asked them to seek Centres
help. A delegation of three
Mayors Yogender Chandolia
from North Delhi, Khushi Ram
from South Delhi and
Meenakshi from East Delhi
Municipal Corporation of
the BJP-led municipal corpo-

rations in the Capital met Chief

Minister Arvind Kejriwal at
Delhi Secretariat seeking funds
as the civic agencies are facing
acute financial crunch. The
Mayors were accompanied by

the chairman of East Delhi

Standing Committee.
North Corporation is
under a loan of C1,400 crore, so
we demanded C302 crore,
which is part of our global share

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same day after the complaint was

handed over by the Chief Ministers
he Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has Office (CMO) for examination.
The facts after the examination
placed three of its officials under
suspension over charges of irregular- clearly pointed out malafide on the
part of two meter readers
ities and corruption in
meter reading and billing. CWTPP RcX^]f
f Pb Satish Sharma and
Sharma. The role of
The action was taken
cPZT]PP UcTaPP ] Umesh
the meter inspector, Vinod
against the officials after
PVVaXTeTS
Kumar, was also found to
an aggrieved consumer
met Kejriwal at his Janta R^]bd\Ta\
\ Tc be suspicious as he failed to
such a high bill propDarbar on March 19.
:TYaXfP[PP cWW Xb check
erly before allowing it to be
Sohan Pal, the com3 PaQPa^^ ] delivered to the consumer.
plainant and a resident of 9P]cP3
Based on the facts
Kalyanpuri, was aggriev<PaRW (
found in the examination,
ed over his spiralling
water bills. He further complained that both the meter readers and the meter
when he contacted the officials, they inspector have been placed under susasked for a bribe of C6,000. When pension till detailed investigation is
he didnt pay the bribe, his bills were undertaken by the Vigilance
Department and a showcause notice
further hiked.
He finally decided to meet the is also being issued to the Zonal
Chief Minister at his Janta Darbar on Revenue Officer for explaining his
March 19. The file was called on the position in the entire matter.

for the year 2014-15 from the

Delhi Government. They
denied it and claimed that they
have adjusted the money in our
loan, North Delhi Municipal
Corporation (NMC) Mayor

Yogender Chandolia said.

The delegation claimed
that the financial situation of
three civic agencies has deteriorated after the trifurcation.
We requested Delhi

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Government to give C302 crore,

so that we can pay staff salaries
and meet other expenses. At
present, 70 per cent of

educational expenses are paid

by Delhi Government. But to
pay pension to the retired
teaching staff, we requested
them to increase this share to
90 per cent, Chandolia said.
The Mayors claimed that
efforts are being made to
generate money but to make
the civic agencies run, they
need financial backing.
According to a senior
Government official, the Chief
Minister expressed his
willingness to help but Delhi
Government too is reeling
under financial crisis.
The Delhi Governments
financial situation is not good as
there is a deficit of C4,000 crore
in revenue target during the last
one year, the period when the
city was being run by BJP-led
Union Government, said
Kejriwal in a Press statement.

The Chief Minister advised

the delegation to approach the
BJP Government at the Centre
for funds. If the Centre grants
the funds to us, it will be
transferred to the municipal
bodies within hours,
Kejriwal assured.
Deputy Chief Minister
Manish Sisodia will soon meet
Union Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley to seek funds. The
municipal corporations too
are planning to seek an
appointment with Jaitley.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP
MLA Vijender Gupta alleged
that the Arvind Kejriwal
Government is indulging in
petty politics. The three
corporations need funds badly
to get out of the financial crisis but the State Government is
deliberately blaming them
instead for the mess, he said.

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BPc]P\BX]VW
@QSXQebYgYdXSQfUQd

New Delhi: A city court has issued a bailable warrant against Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas
Goel after he failed to appear before it in an alleged
BC055A4?>AC4AQ =4F34;78
rioting case of 2008. Metropolitan Magistrate Sunil
Kumar Sharma issued the warrant against Goel after
ERIs Director-General
he did not appear on
RK Pachauri, who is facing a
Saturday even after
sexual harassment allegation from
the courts direction
a woman employee, was on
on January 12.
Saturday granted anticipatory bail
EYVT`fce
The police had
by a Delhi court, which rejected the
request of police for his custody.
UZcVTeVU chargesheeted 21
While extending the relief, the ARTYRfcZe`[`Z_ people, including
court said it was on a condition that
Z_gVdeZXReZ`_d Goel, BJP leaders Harsh Vardhan (now Union
Jagdish Mukhi and Aarti Mehra, in an
he will join the investigation as and
VgV_RdZe Minister),
alleged case of rioting and damaging public
when called and also follow
previous directions like not f_UVc]Z_VUeYRe property during a protest by BJP activists at the
eYVT`_UZeZ`_d CPI(M) office in Central Delhi in March 2008. One
entering the TERI office premises.
During the hearing, the Delhi Z^a`dVU`_YZ^ of the 21 chargesheeted accused has since expired.
Goel, who later joined the AAP, was elected
Police who moved an application
VRc]ZVch`f]U
seeking recall of courts order
T`_eZ_fV Speaker of the Delhi Assembly on February 23. On
January 12, the court had allowed applications
granting protection from arrest to
Pachauri, alleged that he is misusing the liberty granted to seeking exemption from personal appearance for
that day only after it was moved by the counsel for
him and influencing the witnesses.
Arguments heard from all the parties. There is no Goel and five other accused, subject to cost of
substance in the plea of prosecution for recall of earlier order C2,500 each, with a direction to appear before it on
to grant interim protection to the accused. Anticipatory bail Saturday. When Goel did not appear on Saturday,
is granted to the accused with a condition that he will join the magistrate issued a bailable warrant of
the investigation as and when called by the IO of the case, C10,000 against him and posted the matter for
hearing on May 30.
PTI
Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kumar Tripathi said.

New Delhi: A 34-year-old carpenter

has been arrested for cheating
thousands of people of crores of
rupees by luring them to invest in a
Ponzi scheme in 2008 promising
hefty returns in a short period, the
police said on Saturday.
Satnam Singh was arrested on
Friday when a team of Delhi Polices
Economic Offences Wing (EOW)
tracked a bank account being
operated by him. This led them to his
current address in Chandigarh.
Singh, who is a carpenter by
profession, had targeted thousands of
small depositors in 2008 by offering
them schemes with small
initial deposit of C300, C1,500, and
C12,000 in his company NGP
Private Limited.
Police said that he had started his
company in Delhi in February 2008
and till the end of August 2008
had collected more than C1.5 crore
from thousands of victims
before disappearing.
A case of cheating was registered
against Satnam Singh in 2008, and he
was absconding since then, said

dbTSP?^]iX
bRWT\Tc^[daT
cWTVd[[XQ[TfXcW
_a^\XbT^U
WXVWaTcda]b

Deputy Commissioner of Police

(EOW) Rajneesh Garg.
Garg said that Singh was cheated
by a multi-level marketing company
before 2008. Later, he himself
floated such a company, Garg said.
To bring more people into his
trap, he initially gave gifts to the
depositors and offered handsome
incentives to agents who brought
depositors, Garg said.
The official said that Singh closed
his company office and went
underground when the depositors
started demanding their returns after
the lapse of the maturity period.
Police are still searching for his
brother-in-law Jasbir Singh, another
director of the company.
IANS

]PcX^]#

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ndia is set to become the first

country in the world to have
Ibiometric
data and no duplicacy in the voters list after linking of Aadhaar card with voter
identity card, Chief Election
Commissioner HS Brahma
said on Saturday.
When we are able to seed
the Aadhaar figure (number)
on EPIC card that will ensure
that there is not a single duplicate number. We will do it definitely by 2015 and then India
will be the only country in the
world where there will be
complete biometric of voters.
There will be not a single
fraud or duplicate voters,
Brahma said at a conference on
electoral reforms here.
Asked about Supreme
Courts order which had said
that Aadhaar is not a prerequisite for availing public services,
he said everyday lakhs of voters are seeding their names with
Aadhaar card on their own.
Everyday our voters are
themselves seeding (their names
for Aadhaar cards). More than
lakhs daily. We do not want to
make it compulsory but our voters themselves want it. It is a
good gesture, the CEC said.
He appealed to all citizens to

&+$1*(2)1$0(

I, Virendra Kumar Malik

S/o Late Ram Saran Malik
R/o C-68B, Sector-15, Noida
(U.P.) have changed my
name to Virendra Malik for
all purposes.
PD(6578)A
I, Suman D/o Shri Om
Prakash Chhonkar have
changed my name to
Suman Lata for all future
purposes.
PD(6579)A
I, Anshu S/o Sh. Suresh
Chandra R/o A-88, Sector36, Noida (U.P.) have
changed my name to
Anshuman Chandra for all
purposes.
PD(6580)A
I, Kiran D/o Sh. Suresh
Chandra R/o A-88, Sector36, Noida (U.P.) have
changed my name to Neha
Sahu for all purposes.
PD(6581)A
I, Nikhil Suresh S/o Suresh
Kumar
KG,
Resident
of
Nandanam
(Assariparambil), Kattathy,
Ettumanoor
P.O,
Athirumpuzha
(Vill),
Kottayam (Dist)Kerala have
changed my name Nikhil to
Nikhil Suresh for all future
purposes.
PD(6582)A
I, Geetha Suresh W/o
Suresh Kumar KG, Resident
of
Nandanam
(Assariparambil), Kattathy,
Ettumanoor
P.O,
Athirumpuzha
(Vill),
Kottayam (Dist) Kerala have
changed my name Geetha S
to Geetha Suresh for all
future purposes.
PD(6583)A
I, Vivek Kumar Shukla S/o
Late Vidya Sagar Shukla R/o
E-2, Shri Jee Garden-II,
Goverdhan Road, Mathura
(U.P.)have changed my
name to Vivek Shukla for all
purposes.
PD(6584)A
I,Deepak Aggarwal S/o Mr.
Ravinder Prakash Aggarwal
R/o 345, Hari Nagar
Ashram, New Delhi-110014
have changed my sons
name from Kalp Aggarwal
to Ketan Aggarwal for all
future purposes.
PD(6585)A
I, Ashutosh Anal S/o Shri
Krishna Kumar Singh R/o E1901, Sunshine Helios
Apartments, Plot No. 05-B,
Sector-78, Noida (U.P.) have
changed my name to
Ashutosh Singh for all
purposes.
PD(6586)A

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avoid duplicate names in the

voter list saying it is a crime punishable for upto one year.
Brahma said once the
Aadhaar number is mentioned
in electoral rolls then individual
voters can also change their
address online because Aadhaar
will be the basic identity.
It will remove all allegations
of duplicacy in the voters list and
harassment to voters in changing their address, he said adding
that so far 85 crore Indians have
got their Aadhaar numbers.

We are very hopeful that

the remaining 25-30 crore peoples Aadhaar cards would be
done by August this year, he
said, adding that in West Bengal
the Aadhaar figure is around 55
per cent so far.
On electoral reforms, he
said political reforms should also
be talked about in the same spirit. He said if the Government
accepts the report of the Law
Commission then 95 per cent of
problems on issues of electoral
reforms will be resolved.

3^Rd\T]cb[TPZRPbT)Cf^
bT]cc^YdSXRXP[Rdbc^Sh
New Delhi: A Delhi court on
Saturday remanded two persons, accused in the classified
documents leak case, to judicial
custody till April 1 after the CBI
said they were not required for
further custodial interrogation.
Chartered accountant
Khemchand Gandhi and Paresh
Chimanlal Budhdev, a partner
in Mumbai-based M/s Chitale
and Associates, were produced
before Special CBI Judge SC
Rajan after expiry of their CBI
custody, with the agency saying
they could now be remanded to
judicial custody.
The CBI told the court that
their probe in the case was going
on and various persons were

required to be examined to
unearth the larger conspiracy.
The agency said they were
analysing huge number of documents and data recovered
during the investigation.
The court, after hearing the
submissions, remanded both
the accused to judicial custody
till April 1.
Gandhi was arrested by
CBI from Mumbai on March
12 and brought to Delhi on
transit remand, while Paresh
was arrested on March 13
when, according to CBI, he
was allegedly trying to destroy
troves of confidential government documents stashed
in his office.
PTI

6T`W`cVdeURjSj852
B?B8=67Q 670I80103

haziabad Development
Authority (GDA) organised
G
an eco-forest day on Saturday.
The programme was attended
by the senior officers of the district administration and local
politicians, including the Mayor
and representatives of all political parties.
Speaking on the inaugural
function, GDA vice chairman
Santosh Kumar Yadav said that

spread over 15 acre land the

city forest is the lung of the city.
To maintain and preserve the
environment of the city the
authority had been developing
the greenery wherever it finds
the place and the city forest is
the part of their efforts. The
authority had planted over a
lakh trees in this stretch. The
old monuments have been
maintained as the heritage.
Sculptures and handicrafts have
been displayed in the forest.

:_UfTe>R_[YZ
Z_C;5ARaaf
hcZeVde`=R]f
Patna: RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan,
alias Pappu Yadav, on Saturday
said he made a request to
party president Lalu Prasad to
induct former Bihar Chief
Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in
RJD and declare him the chief
ministerial nominee in the
coming Assembly poll.
I made the request to
induct Manjhi in RJD and
make him CM nominee from
the party to Lalu Prasad in a
letter to him, Pappu Yadav told
reporters.
Yadav, who stood by
Manjhi during his power tussle with Nitish Kumar despite
Prasad siding with the latter,
said, Going into poll without
Manjhi would tantamount to
loss to the party.
Manjhi has become the
voice of dalit and downtrodden
hence going to poll without
him will tantamount to loss for
us, he said.
He said the RJD chief had
himself described Manjhi as a
"nice man."
Manjhi who went out after
a showdown with mentor
Nitish Kumar has been
expelled from JD(U) and
formed Hindustan Awam
Morcha (HAM) along with
other rebel JD(U) Legislators.
The BJP had pledged vote
to Manjhi in the floor test
which ultimately did not happen as Manjhi tendered resignation earlier.
Before Pappu Yadav, senior
RJD leader and former Union
minister Raghubansh Prasad
Singh had also spoken in
favour of Manjhi and even
mooted making him Deputy
Chief Minister in the Nitish
Kumar Ministry.
PTI

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SQ`debUT_^33DF
Mumbai: A Catholic church
located in New Panvel node of
Navi Mumbai was attacked by
unknown persons in
the wee hours of Saturday,
police said.
According to police, the
attack was carried out by two
persons who were riding pillion
on a motorcycle at around
1.30 am when they hurled
stones at the Saint George
Catholic church located near a
bridge in the area.
In the incident, the covering glass outside the statue of

Saint George got damaged.

The trio, comprising the
biker and the pillion riders,
were covering their faces, a
police official said, adding the
incident was captured on a
CCTV camera and the footage
has been verified by the police.
The church was built in
2007 and can accommodate
over 800 people for prayer.
Meanwhile, additional
reinforcements were called in
and security around the area
has been tightened, the official
said.
PTI

*ULPUHDOLW\

From Page 1
The Government then quoted the figures of 2013
when suicide by farmers climbed down to 11,772. It
went on to state that in 2009, farmers suicides rose
to 17,368, but offered no explanation for the increase.
The affidavit, which relies on NCRB statistics,
suggests that suicides due to agrarian crises are unfortunate. But equally alarming is the number of suicides resulting from reasons as varied as family problems, illness, drug abuse or addiction, unemployment,
property dispute, professional or career problems,
love affairs, barrenness or impotency, cancellation or
non-settlement of marriage, dowry dispute, fall in
social reputation and even for unknown reasons.
The category where the reason is unknown
reported 18.4 per cent (24,809 deaths) of the total
suicides in 2013, as per NCRB data. The services
(Defence/Government/private service) category
accounted for 12.39 per cent (16,706 deaths) of the
total suicides.
The Agriculture Ministry maintained any death
due to unnatural reasons, including suicides is unfortunate. It said that suicide is manifestation of a specific state of mind and cannot be confined to any
strata of society. While economic reason is seen as
a major trigger for suicides both by farmers and others -- self-employed non-farmers, housewives and
those in service, it may not be the case always as the
figures suggest, the Ministry added.

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6^ecRP]RT[b#R^P[Q[^RZ
From Page 1
We are puzzled with the decision
and would make our best efforts to
engage in a dialogue with the Coal
Ministr y and Government
Authorities to present the facts, the
company said in a statement.
A Sesa Sterlite spokesperson also
refused to comment on the issue.
Balco is a subsidiary of Sesa Sterlite.
JSPL had emerged as the successful bidder for Gare IV/2, Gare
Palma IV/3 and Tara coal blocks
while Balco had successfully bid for
Gare Palma IV/1 coal block.
The Government on its part also
did not specify any reason behind the
decision. When asked to react, Coal
Minister Piyush Goyal said that The
Department (Coal Ministry) will
take the final decision on the rejected bids, it will deliberate and then
decide.
When asked whether these blocks
will be re-auctioned or allotted to Coal
India Ltd (CIL), Goyal said the
department will take a call on it. He
was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event during the day.

#_URS`ceZgVReeRT\
From Page 1
The Defence Minister said,
When the morale of the opponents is down, they make such
attempts to boost it.
Two back-to-back fidayeen strikes were earlier
reported in Jammu in July
2003. A three-member fidayeen group had then attacked
an Army camp at Tanda in
Akhnoor and came close to
annihilating senior army officers of the Northern command hours after militant
strike in Banganga area of
Katra, base camp of Mata
Vaishno Devi Shrine.
Though the fidayeen
group, lying low after infiltrating the Indian territory, managed to dodge the security
forces for over 24 hours but

1T]VP[bWP[UWTPacTS

they failed to gain access inside

the Army camp in Samba.
Briefing the media late on
Saturday in Samba, Brigade
Commander of 168 Brigade RS
Rana said, Heavily armed terrorists opened fire on the sentry posts of an Army unit in
Samba Cantonment around
5.45 am on Saturday morning.
He said these terrorists were
holed up in a civil building outside the Cantonment, from
where they were firing intermittently.
The alert sentries returned
fire effectively, pinning them
down. With the immediate
mobilisation of Army Quick
Reaction Teams, the militants
were effectively cordoned off
and localised in a very restricted area, and were not permit-

There are possibilities though

that the four blocks may go to CIL,
sources said.
The Government was re-examining the bids for nine coal blocks,
including those where JSPL and
Balco had emerged as top bidders in
the recently held auction.
The remaining five blocks which
were facing scrutiny, however have
been cleared by the Government,
sources said.
Earlier the Coal Ministry sources
had denied having received any complaint regarding the nine blocks in
question. They had said that the
scrutiny was being conducted only to
ensure that all the technical parameters were met while bidding for these
blocks, by the concerned bidders.
There had been widespread speculations that some bidders could have
indulged in cartelisation to keep the
prices low for the concerned mines.
So far, a total of 33 coal blocks have
been auctioned in two tranches. While
in the first lot 19 coal mines were auctioned, in the second lot 14 coal
blocks went under the hammer.

ted to enter the unit compounds. Army Special Force

elements, closed in on terrorists, who were eliminated in the
surgical operation, Brigadier
Rana said.
Announcing that the Army
has not called off its operation
in the area, he said there were
no causalities to any civilian or
Army personnel. The injury
sustained by a civilian was not
sustained from terrorist fire, he
clarified, adding the individual
fell off his bicycle and sustained
laceration wound to his forehead, while crossing the area.
The senior Army officer
said that a high state of vigil is
being maintained to effectively deal with any security challenge in the region. The combing operation is presently being
carried out.
Interestingly, after the passage of 48 hours the security

establishment has failed to

investigate the possible route of
infiltration taken by the fidayeen group to enter the Indian
territory. In the absence of any
security assessment report
made public by the BSF authorities, Defence Minister
Manohar Parikkar in Delhi
said, The International Border
has many nallahs and at times
it is difficult to man the area
completely.
Giving figures, Parrikar
said that about 26 militants
have been killed this year by the
Army with only one loss from
its side. He said this proves that
the Army was doing better job
and that intelligence has also
improved.
Defence PRO Lt Col
Manish Mehta in Jammu said
security forces have recovered
huge quantities of arms and
ammunition.

?C8

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c`SSVU`WTRc
TRdY`_?9#%

Ghaziabad: A television journalist was robbed of his car,

cash and other belongings and
severely injured by a gang of
highway robbers who waylaid
him on NH-24.
Assistant producer of a private news channel Shivam
Tripathi told Vijay Nagar police
in his complaint that on the
intervening night of March 15
and 16, as he was returning
home, he saw a man lying on
the road at NH-24. When he
stepped out his car, the man
stood up and suddenly seven to
eight men hiding in roadside
bushes pounced upon him and
hit him with pistol butts. PTI

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From Page 1
Hambir Singh, Mokam
Singh, Shami Ullaha, Sarwan
Kumar, Jaipal Singh, Mahesh
Prasad and Ram Dhayan. Except
Mahesh Prasad and Kunwar
Pal Singh, all were present in
court and have been out on bail.
The court had on February
21 fixed its verdict for Saturday
after seeking some clarifications
from the counsel for the prosecution, accused and victims.
The court had earlier reserved
the judgement on January 22
after hearing final arguments.
According to the prosecution, represented by Special
Public Prosecutor Satish Tamta,
Provincial
Armed
Constabulary (PAC) personnel
had come to village
Hashimpura on May 22, 1987,
and picked up about 50
Muslims as a congregation of
500 had gathered outside a
mosque there.
The victims were shot by
the accused personnel and
their bodies were thrown in a
canal, it had said, adding 42
people were declared to have
perished in the massacre. The
chargesheet was filed before the
Chief Judicial Magistrate
(CJM), Ghaziabad, in 1996.
Nineteen people were
named as accused and charges
for offences of murder, attempt
to murder, tampering with evidence and conspiracy were
framed against 17 of them by
the court here in 2006 after the
case was transferred to Delhi
on a Supreme Court direction
in September 2002.
The 16 accused acquitted
on Saturday are the ones still
alive. The CB-CID of the Uttar
Pradesh Police, which probed
the case, had listed 161 people
as witnesses.
PTI

[P]S\PaZ$

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ongress MP Renuka
Chowdhury has been
booked under SC/ST
Atrocities Act and for allegedly taking a bribe of C1.10
crore from an aspiring election
candidate.
However, the former Union
Minister has denied the charges,
terming them politically motivated and asserting that she will
legally fight the case.
The case was
registered following an order by
High Court in
Hyderabad on the
complaint by B Kalavati who
alleged that Chowdhury took
the money from her husband
Ramji Naik for getting the
party ticket to contest from
Wyra Assembly constituency
in Khammam district, according to Khammam circle
inspector Sridhar. Naik, a
local Congressman and tribal leader, has since died.
The complainant alleged
that Chowdhury abused her by
her caste when the money was
sought to be returned.
When contacted, Renuka
said, I am disappointed and
hurt over the allegation against
me. Its a politically motivated
charge. She dared the complainant to furnish proof.
Kalavathi claims she has
the proof to back her charges.
She has also threatened to
commit suicide if her money
was not recovered
The FIR, which was registered on March 16, alleges
that the bribe was paid on
May 30, 2013. Kalvathi told
the reporters that the first
installment of C10 lakh was
paid on May 30, 2013, C60
lakh in a guest house in
Khammam on December 1,
2013, C50 lakh to her associates on March 30, 2014, and
earlier C15 lakh to three of her
associates.

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he Centre will train five

lakh differently-abled peoT
ple between the ages 15-59
with adequate skill sets in
the telecom, healthcare, retail
and lifestyle sectors in the next
three years to groom them
according to the current standards of industry sector.
The Ministries of Social
Justice and Empowerment and
Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on
Saturday joined hands to
launch a National Action Plan
for skilling persons with disabilities, entailing an annual
corpus of C150 crore.
Speaking on the occasion,
Union Minister for Social
Justice and Empowerment
Thawar Chand Gehlot said,
besides making the disabled
population self-sufficient, the
plan would also help in filling
up the three per cent reserved
Government posts for the disabled, which has been missing
the SC deadline for the last
three years.
According to Census 2011,
there are 2.68 crore Persons
with Disability (PwDs) in
India, out of which, about 1.34
crore people are in the employable age of 15 to 59 years.
We have been able to fill
up about 1.75 per cent of the
mandatory three per cent
reserved quota for the disabled people in the
Government sector so far. The
plan is to train about 25 lakh
disabled people in the coming
seven years, Gehlot told The
Pioneer, after the launch of the

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owing for rapid development of Western Uttar

Pradesh, Chief Minister
Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday
laid foundation stone for 60 projects worth C59,634.872 lakh.
Concerned over the havoc
created by untimely rain and
hailstorm across the State,
Yadav assured that his
Government would compensate for the monetary loss suffered by farmers.

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National Action Plan.
The problem as on date is
that while there are vacancies
in the reserved categories, the
disabled population does not
have the required skill set or
training. We will train the disabled people as per industry
demands and help them find
suitable jobs, he said.
In October 2013, the apex
court had asked the Centre and
State Governments to provide
three per cent quota in jobs to
disabled persons in their
departments, firms and PSUs,
observing that it was an alarming reality that they are unemployed due to social and practical barriers.
The Supreme Court had
also asked the Governments to
compute the number of vacancies available in all the establishments and identify the
posts for disabled persons within three months and implement
it without default.
Status report on employment of people with disabilities
(PWD) with the MSJE ministry shows that the total identified posts are 26,98,762, of
which, only 10130 posts are

filled by the disabled population, which translates to 0.38

per cent of all posts.
Similarly for the Public
Sector Units, the total number
of posts is 4,527,293, of which
only 26,242 disabled are
employed, which translate to
0.57 per cent of all posts filled
by disabled people.
Gehlot also announced
that the Government would
conduct the first ever Indian
Open Paralympics Games 2015
in the Capital in May this year
for promoting the talents of the
differently-abled community
in sports.
Only around two percent
of the workforce in India is
skilled. We have decided to create a separate Sector Skill
Council for people with disabilities to scale up the initiative with quality standards,
which are acceptable by industry at large, said Rajiv Pratap
Rudy, Minister of State (IC) for
Skill
Development
&
Entrepreneurship.
Our Ministry will contribute C100 crore to this initiative and support MSJE at
every step, he said.

Reminding the people that

Meerut had a history in the
struggle for freedom and that
it is known for its social fabric
and unity amongst the members of all caste and religions,
Akhilesh said that some groups
are trying to fuel communal
hatred but his Government
would ensure that they dont
succeed in their efforts.
Addressing a huge gathering at `Sadbhavana Rally,
organised in Meerut on
Saturday afternoon, Akhilesh
said that his Government is
committed towards providing
a terror-free society.
Highlighting the development plan of his Government,
he said that laying of Lucknow
Expressway has started on warfooting and they are also planning to facilitate a modernised
Police Control Room which
would help the cops, in both
rural and urban areas, to reach
the crime spot within 10 to 15minutes.

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nion Food Minister Ram

Vilas Paswan on Saturday
slammed
the
Bihar
Government for the alleged
sloppy pace of paddy procurement despite twice extending
the deadline by the Centre.
He said if Nitish Kumar
Ministry was incompetent
to do so, the FCI was ready to
step in.
For the last four months
we have been urging the State
Government to fulfil the target
of acquiring 30 lakh metric
tonnes of paddy by January 31
last. But, despite extending the
deadline twice till March 31 the
Bihar government has so far
purchased only 14.60 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, Paswan
told reporters.
Now only 10 days are left
for the State Government to
meet the deadline, the Union
Food Minister said and wondered how the target would be
achieved in this short duration.
Due to inadequate
arrangements for paddy procurement and laxity on the part
of the State Government, farmers have been deprived of minimum support price, he said.
If the State Government is
incompetent to procure paddy
to fulfil the target and in case

it makes a request to the Union

Government FCI (Food
Corporation of India) is ready
to step in, Paswan said.
The Union Food Minister
said that due to inadequate
procurement, the Centre had
arranged grains from surplus
States like Punjab, Haryana
and Chhattisgarh to run Public
Distribution System in Bihar
in the past.
Paswan, who is also president of Lok Janshakti Party,
took the Bihar Government to
task for failing to provide list of
1.11 crore beneficiaries still
left out of subsidised ration
under Food law.
He, however, said the
Centre would not stop allotment of quota of foodgrains to
Bihar after March 31 this year
on this count.

New Delhi: Some States have

expressed concern over the
controversial no-detention policy up to Class-VIII, saying it
has led to a sharp fall in academic exercise, at a high-level
meeting on the proposed
National Education Policy, consultations for which are expected to be over by December.
At a meeting of the State
Education Ministers and
Secretaries here on Saturday,
Madhya Pradesh Education
Minister Paras Chander Jain
argued that automatic class
promotion has led to a situation
where a student neither fails
up to Class VIII and nor gets
promoted after that.
Automatic class promotion
up to Class VIII under the policy has led to sharp fall in academic exercise and students are
unable to cope up with examinations in the upper classes
failing in the process, Jain said
at the meeting, chaired by
Human Resource Development
Minister Smriti Irani.
Some other states including
Assam, Nagaland, Chhattisgarh
and Rajasthan are understood
to have voiced similar concerns.
Reforming the school
examination system is one of
the themes for consultations on
the new education policy.
Talking to reporters, School
Education Secretary Vrinda
Sarup parried a question on the

VUfTReZ`_a`]ZTje`V_USj5VT
New Delhi: The exhaustive consultation process to frame the
new National Education Policy, which was launched on
Republic Day, would be completed by December. The draft
report would be put up before various stakeholders and the
Central Advisory Board of Education following the completion of the consultation process. At a meeting with the State
Education Ministers and Secretaries chaired by HRD
Minister Smriti Irani officials said that during the year-long
exhaustive exercise, over 25 lakh consultation meetings
would be held at the village level.
PTI

Governments stand on the

issue, saying the thematic
groups are gathering views
which may be complementary
or different from that issue.
Essentially, everybody is
talking about quality of education. It is a structured discussion, not to say this has to be
reverted. Quality has wide
dimensions, she said.
Last year a panel headed by
then Education Minister of
Haryana Geeta Bukkal had
recommended re-introduction
of class promotions in its report.
The controversial policy

came into effect with the enactment of the RTE Act allowing
students to get promoted up to
Class VIII regardless of their
academic performance.
The participants were
hopeful that the new education
policy would address the issue
comprehensively.
The draft report of the education policy would be put up
before various stakeholders and
the Central Advisory Board of
Education following completion of the consultation process.
Around 2.5 lakh consultation meetings would be held at
the village level, about 6,600
meetings at the block level, 626
deliberations at the district
level and 3,500 meetings in
urban local bodies. The
Government has set up a task
force to monitor the consultation process.
PTI

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lmost three years after the

Cabinet decision, the
Union Ministry of Housing and
Urban Poverty Alleviation
(HUPA) has finally released
C418 crore to ensure safe water
supply in 4.80 lakh slum
households in the 40 districts
in five Japanese Encephalitis
(JE) endemic-States to curb the
fatal disease.
JE, a mosquito-borne viral
infection, is the most common
cause of viral encephalitis
claiming hundreds of lives
every year in the identified districts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
Assam, Tamil Nadu and West
Bengal. Ensuring safe water
will check the transmission of
entero-virus in children.
Mortality is higher among
children and thousands of
them in these districts have
been rendered disabled by it.
The decision of the Union
Cabinet in October 2012 was
as per the recommendation of
the Group of Ministers (GoM)
for prevention and Control of
JE/ Acute Encephalitis
Syndrome in 66 municipalities
in 60 priority districts in the
States. In the first phase 40 districts have been identified
where preventive measures
have to be undertaken.
However, sources said the
fund which has come two years
after the estimates were made
will be too little to meet the

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escalation cost for the purpose.

The estimate was done way
back in 2012. Due to the passage of time, there may be statewise variations in the slum
household, population and
municipalities and availability
of infrastructure thereby necessitating revision in the estimated cost, said the sources in
the Ministry.
But the States have been
clearly told that the central
assistance for ensuring safe
water supply will be within the
limit already set by the
Ministry. (See Box)
The GoM in 2011 had sug-

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gested formulation of a programme with a budgetary outlay of C4,038 crores for five
years to curb the disease in the
five States in first phase.
Ministries such as HUPA, Rural
Development and Health have
been involved in the scheme.
The GoM was constituted
after it was observed that
approximately 8,000 AES cases
and 1,200 deaths were reported annually from JE/AES
endemic districts with poor
infrastructure, lack of critical
care and rehabilitation facilities,
and low priority to preventive
activities.

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n view of the growing pressure from within his party

and the Opposition, Karnataka
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
has now indicated that he
would announce his final decision about handing over the
IAS officer DK Ravis case to
CBI on Monday, in the
ongoing Assembly Session.
Siddaramaiah, who is isolated in his stance, has been
directed by the party high
command that he should hand
over Ravis case to CBI without
ignoring the growing dissent
against the ruling Government
in Karnataka. Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi has also
asked the CM to hand over
Ravis case to CBI.
Siddaramaiah had earlier
slammed the Opposition parties for politicising the issue.
HD Kumaraswamy said I went
to tamper post-mortem reports
when I paid respect to DK
Ravis body, said the CM.
The Government will not
hide anything, we will not protect anyone. I have been in politics for thirty five years, I
understand peoples sentiments
and respect them, more importantly, I promised his parents
that I will get the truth.
The Opposition is making
allegations for the sake of politics. I am not interested in
burying the truth, thats not my
business. We also want the
truth to come out, thats what
I have promised to the parents,
he added.
Since the Assembly is
going on and has been
adjourned till Monday, the
stand of the Government
would be made known on the
floor of the House, he told the
reporters in Bengaluru.

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But madam has not
instructed me to do like this or
that. She told us that it is for the
government to take a decision
and given free hand to the
Government, he claimed.
He said he met Ravis parents on March 18 and had told
them that the Government
would take a decision after the
post-mortem and other related reports are available with it.
I am making it very clear that
the government is not going to
protect anybody. We are not
going to hide anything,
Siddaramaiah said.
Meanwhile, former Chief
Minister HD Kumaraswamy
on Saturday criticised
Siddaramaiah-led
Government for floating baseless stories to cover up the case
of IAS officer DK Ravis death
and said that the findings of the
investigation should not be
made public until a chargesheet
is filed in the matter.
The stories floating
around about this case are
politically influenced. The State
Government and its officials
are floating these stories to
cover the truth, he said.
Kumaraswamy further said the
Supreme Court has said that
when a matter is under investigation, no statements should
be made about it.
The findings of the investigation should not be made

public until a charge sheet has

been filed in the case. But you
(Siddaramaiah) have violated
all that and floated many stories in various media, said
Kumaraswamy.
The mysteries death of 36year-old Karnataka cadre IAS
officer DK Ravi has become
political and also isolated
Siddaramaiah who is a powerful leader of Kuruba community. The death of DK Ravi,
who is a Vokkaliga (Gowda) a
dominant community in the
state, has now taken a full circle caste colour and dominant
communities like Lingayats and
Vokkaligas are fighting for the
case to be handed over to CBI.
For JD(S), which is spearheading the agitation against
the Government, it is a question of political survival. The
party has lost its ground in the
old Mysore area, the vokkaliga
heartland, and wants to regain
it by exploiting this issue.
Meanwhile, the other major
Opposition party, BJP, has
always openly said it wants to
decimate the Congress
Government in Karnataka. For
the BJP, it is Congress hatao and
the death of DK Ravi has
become a major issue for its
political gain.
In this political battle
Siddaramaiah is fighting a a
lone war as none of his party
leaders are supporting him.

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n what looked like a poor

IPolices
advertisement for the Bengal
crime investigation abilities, a delegation of the
National Commission for
Women on Saturday visited
the Convent of Jesus and Mary
School at Ranaghat in Nadia
district, where a 72-year-old
nun was gang raped last week,
and failed the State
Government for their inability
to arrest the culprits despite the
availability of CCTV footages.
Chairperson of the threemember committe, Shamima
Shafiqu said, It is a matter of
concern that despite a CCTV

our days after Chief Minister

Laxmikant Parsekar said
F
that the Union Ministry for
Environment and Forests
(MoEF) has decided to revoke
the suspension of the environmental clearances, the Ministry
has finally issued a formal
order making its stand clear.
The order clears the way
for resumption of mining in
Goa, while also asking the
State Government to be vigilant
against illegal mining and violations of environment laws.
The MoEF had suspended
all 139 leases in the State barely days after the Shah
Commission report was tabled
in Parliament and after then
Goa Chief Minister Manohar
Parrikar had issued an order
banning all mining.
State Government of Goa
shall develop and implement a
credible mechanism to regularly monitor and ensure that
capping of 20 million metric
tonnes of mining leases in
State of Goa is implemented as
per the directions of the
Supreme Court, the MoEF
order dated March 20 reads.
The order, while classifying
Goas mining leases into three
sections, indicated that 72 mining leases were in a position to
start mining operations, after

obtaining required permissions

from the State Government
agencies. Eighteen other mining leases have been identified
as being in close proximity to
forest areas, therefore requiring
new forest clearances, while 22
more mining leases were in
eco-sensitive areas and needed
permissions from the Supreme
Court.
The Supreme Court hasnt
yet completed the hearing of
the case filed by the Goa
Foundation, in connection with
the scam as brought out by the
Justice MB Shah Commission
of Inquiry. Goa`s mining sector has been non-operational
for more than two years
because of the State
Government ban, the Union
Ministry suspension and the

Supreme Court ban.

While the Supreme Court
has already allowed the restart
of mining, the State Government
too had lifted its suspension
leaving only the Union Ministry
to revoke the suspension of
ECs or grant them afresh. While
lifting the ban, however, the apex
court had fixed a cap of 20 million metric tonnes for ore extraction from Goas mines. The
State had exported nearly 57
million tonnes of iron ore in the
financial year before mining
was banned.
Chief Minister Laxmikant
Parsekar has now said that the
mining companies will get
approximately half of what they
used to export before the ban.
The MoEF order has also asked
the Goa Government to ensure

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stop them from misbehaving

with the younger nuns of the
school. Discharged from the
hospital, the nun left Bengal
on Friday.
Meanwhile, even as sexual violence against women continues to hit the national headlines yet another student at
prestigious Jadavpur University
(JU) on Saturday brought
molestation charges against
three fellow students of the
Engineering Department
sources said.
In a complaint written to
the University authorities, the
girl alleged that her classmates
molested her during a feast
organised on Friday night.
When contacted the local
police sources acknowledged
the receipt of the complaint
saying the complaint was made
little before midnight on Friday.
No arrest has yet been made

though we are looking into it

the official said.
Meanwhile the JU authorities said a committee was being
set up to look into the complaint
while Education Minister
Partho Chatterjee said the
Government would not immediately intervene into the matter and would wait for the decision taken by the JU authorities.
The State Government had
late last year burnt its fingers in
Jadavpur by confronting the students on a similar case that took
place in the middle of 2014.
While the Government tried to
ignore the 2014 incident igniting a prolonged students protest
the then Vice-Chancellor
Abhijeet Chakrabarty alleged to
be a protge of the State finally lost his job when he was
forced to resign in the face of
mass hunger strike staged by
the students.

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ainter Shuvaprasanna
Bhattacharya and city
P
industrialist Harshavardhan
Neotia have been summoned
for questioning by the
Enforcement Directorate (ED)
in connection with the Saradha
chit fund scam.
The painter, perceived to
be close aide of West Bengal
Chief
Minister
Mamata Bannerjee,
has been summoned
about a business deal
he made with
Saradha Group chief
and scam kingpin
Sudipta Sen.
Meanwhile,
Neotia who coowns Indian Super

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footage there has been no

arrest, and added that the
culprits should have been
arrested by now.
Our team would take up the
matter with police, she added.
She said, It is a very unfortunate incident and it should
not have happened in the first
place, before ruling this is definitely the fault of the State.
Her comments came when
the CID desperately tried to
make up for its initial lapses by
quizzing a team of the local
police of the Gangnapur Police
Station which was reportedly
around the area in the dead of
night on March 14 when the
incident took place. The secu-

rity guards of the school reportedly told the CID officials that
the patrolling police van did
not respond to their repeated
whistling.
A septuagenarian nun was
gang-raped by a band of
intruders which the State
Police suspected as Bangladesh
nationals when she tried to

that mining companies do not

dump ore outside areas designated in the official mining
plans and deal effectively with
environment related violations.
Chief Minister Laxmikant
Parsekar said that now it was
up to the mining companies to
complete the necessary formalities and resume mining
operations. When mining will
actually start depends on how
quickly the mining companies
get the remaining formalities
completed, Parsekar told The
Pioneer. When asked why the
Goa Government had been
unable to nail the main culprits
responsible for the Rs 35,000crore illegal scam for over
three years since his party was
in power, Parsekar said: Law
will take its own course.
The Shah Commission
report had indicted a complete
collapse of administration as
a result of a nexus between
bureaucrats and mining magnates and politicians, many of
whom have been now allowed
to renew the same leases by the
State Government, for the
mammoth mining scam.
The BJP, in Opposition
then, in its complaint to the
President of India in 2011,
had named several Congress
politicians as being a part of the
scam, but none has been arrested so far.

League franchise Atletico de

Kolkata said he has been
asked to appear for questioning
regarding his association with
Bhattacharya whose several
paintings he had purchased in
the past.
The duo was earlier grilled
by the ED in October 2014.
The agency has now summoned Bhattacharya to appear
on March 23 and Neotia on
March 27.
Confirming
the news a senior
official said, The
ED has found
some inconsistencies in the statements
of
Suvaprasanna and
so he has been
summoned.

F^\P]<;0UX[Tb
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Thiruvananthapuram: In
fresh trouble for Congress-led
ruling UDF in Kerala, CPI
MLA ES Bijimol has filed a
complaint against Labour
Minister Shibu Baby John and
two others in connection with
the defamatory public statements over the ruckus in the
Assembly on March 13,
prompting police to seek legal
opinion to register a case
against them.

Bijimol, representing
Peerumedu constituency in
the Assembly, lodged a complaint with state DGP alleging
that Kozhikode DCC President
K C Abu and MA Wahid MLA
had made remarks against her
purposefully to outrage her
modesty and defame her
in public.
PTI

^_X]1XWPa
\PcaXRTgP\

Patna: A day after being reprimanded by the Patna High

Court, the Bihar government
on Saturday enforced a crackdown and apprehended over
900 people, including students
and parents, from different
exam centres in the State for
cheating in the ongoing matriculation examination.
Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar admitted that reports of
rampant use of unfair means in
the ongoing matriculation
examination has sullied the
image of the State following
which he passed strict orders
to stop it.
Reports of cheating in
examination has drawn bad
name to Bihar...I have ordered
to stop cheating in ongoing
matriculation examination),
Nitish Kumar said.
Union Minister Upendra
Kushwaha, however, said that
the Centre will seek a report
from Bihar on the cheating
incidents.
PTI

New Delhi: NIA on Saturday

arrested Abdul Mazeed
Momin, an absconder, in connection with the Burdwan
blast, taking the total number
of arrested persons to 17.
Momin, who has been on
the run since last year, was
apprehended from Sealdah in
central Kolkata this evening.
The blast in Burdwan took
place inside a house on
October two last year, leaving
two persons dead.
National Investigation
Agency(NIA) took over the
case from West Bengal police
a few days after the explosion
after international links surfaced.
Investigators have found
that Improvised Explosive
Devices (IED) were being fabricated in the house and later
smuggled to neighbouring
Bangladesh.
NIA has so far found that
members of JMB terror group
had established their network
in different places like
Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda,
Birbhum, Burdwan in West
Bengal and Barpeta in Assam,

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Sahibganj and Pakur in
Jharkhand.
NIA also claimed that
senior members of JMB had
established terrorist training
centres and bomb-making
units in Beldanga and Mukim
Nagar of Murshidabad,
Nanur of Birbhum and
Khagragarh and Simulia of
Burdwan district.
PTI

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fresh but an intense war of

A
words has broken out
between the ruling saffron
alliance partners in Maharashtra,
with a miffed Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP
hitting out at the Shiv Sena over
the latters allegations of corruption in the LED lights project for Mumbai, initiated by the
Union Power Ministry.
Within days after Shiv Sena
spokesperson and MP Sanjay
Rauts write-up in his party
mouthpiece Saamana alleging
massive corruption in the LED
light projects initiated for 100
cities, including Mumbai, by
Union Power Minister Piyush
Goyal generated considerable
heat in the State political circles,
Fadnavis on Saturday accused
the vested interests of running
a motivated and malafide
campaign to deny superior LED
lights at a lower cost to Mumbai.
Mumbai & Maharashtras
progress through a collaborative
& transparent process will not
be derailed at all by unfound-

ed allegations Vested interests

are running a motivated &
mala fide campaign to deny
benefits of superior lighting at
much lower cost to the city of
Mumbai, Fadnavis stated in
first two of the several tweets
that he posted on his personal
Twitter handle.

In his third tweet, the CM

wrote: All LED procurement is
being done collaboratively &
transparently using e-bidding
just like the enormously successful coal auctions.
In an edit page articles
published in Saamana on
Wednesday last, Rautwho is
also the executive editor of the
newspaper, alleged among
other things that there was
massive corruption in the LED
lights project involving a cost
of C25,000 crore to C30,000
crore initiated for 100 cities

across India, through Staterun Energy Efficiency Services

Ltd (EECL). He said that if a
probe is ordered, at least two
(BJP) ministers will lose the
beacons on their vehicles.
Dwelling specifically on
the LED lights projects meant
for Mumbai, Raut stated that
had the Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation (BMC)
had executed the work by floating open tenders, then things
would have been transparent.
But, one Union minister dealt
with awarding of contract while
sitting in Delhi. The Shiv Sena
rules the BMC, but the Centre
issued the work orders for
installation of LED lights in
Mumbai, the Sena spokesperson alleged, as he demanded a
Lok Ayukta probe into the
LED lights scam.
Raut said that the alleged
irregularities LED lights project were a perfect case for
social activist Anna Hazare to
launch an agitation in Delhi.
This is like darkness of corruption below the LED lamp
post, he wrote.

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hief
Minister
K
Chandrashekar Rao vowed
C
to make Telangana a unique
State where all religious faiths
will get equal respect and
Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb or composite culture will flourish.
He was speaking on the
occasion of the 100th death
anniversary of a venerable saint
of Deccan Fazilat Jang Moulana
Mohammed Anwarullah
Farooqi, the founder of the oldest seminary of Hyderabad
Jamia Nizamia last evening.
Speaking in chaste Urdu,
KCR recalled the huge contribution made by Moulana
Farooqi and his 150-year-old
seminary for the promotion of
education in Hyderabad.
First Chief Minister of
Hyderabad B Ramakrishna
Rao and former MP Baga
Reddy were among the students of this premier institution, he recalled.
Alleging that a respected
institution like Jamia Nizamia

was completed neglected and

ignored during the united
Andhra Pradesh rule, KCR
announced that recognised status of Jamia Nizamia will be
restored and its degrees will be
equivalent to the degrees of
Osmania University.
We cannot forget that
Jamia is older than Osamnia
University, he said adding
that it was his good fortune
that he became the first Chief
Minster ever to visit this hoary
institution.
We have achieved
Telangana after a protracted

struggle. Now we need the

cooperation of all sections to
make it the number one and
most prosperous State. It has
been proven once again that
Telangana is a prosperous
State, he said.
He was once again generous in his paeans for Mir
Osman Ali Khan, the last
Nizam of Hyderabad. He was
our king. He is part of our history and no body can hide the
history, he said.
Truth is bitter but it is a
fact that the Nizam had done
so much for the development

and prosperity of Hyderabad

State. People can never forget
it, he said.
Rejecting the criticism
against his visit to the grave of
Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan,
he wondered when people of
Andhra can remember and
respect a British engineer Sir
Arthur Cotton for building a
barrage, why people of
Telangana can not remember
the Nizam who had done so
much for them.
KCR said that his government was committed to work
for the economic and social
uplift of Muslim minority and
had allocated more than C1,100
for minority welfare.
He announced that a new
auditorium will be built in the
Jamia at a cost of C9.60 crore
and foundation stone will be
laid soon.
Moulana Mufti Khaleelur-Rahman, Vice Chancellor,
Jamia Nizamia said that Jamia
was a secular institution, which
kept its doors open for all the
sections of the society.

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he United States and Iran

reported
significant
T
progress on Saturday toward a
nuclear agreement, with the
Iranian president declaring a
deal within reach. Americas
top diplomat was more
reserved, leaving open whether
world powers and Tehran
would meet a March 31 deadline.
Speaking after a week of
nuclear negotiations in
Switzerland, U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry challenged
Iran to make fundamental
decisions that prove to the
world it has no interest in
atomic weapons. Amid conflicting statement by officials
about how close the sides were,
Kerry said, We have an oppor-

tunity to try to get this right.

The talks have made substantial progress, Kerry told
reporters, though important
gaps remain. Talks with Iran
resume next week.
In Tehran, Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani was
more optimistic. Achieving a
deal is possible, he said. There
is nothing that cant be
resolved.
Other negotiators offered
both positive and negative
assessments. Top Russian negotiator Sergey Ryabkov and Irans
atomic energy chief Ali Akbar
Salehi said in recent days that
technical work was nearly
done. But French officials said
the opposite, declaring the
sides far from any agreement.
Kerry was departing later
Saturday to meet with
European allies in London,
before
returning
to
Washington, in part to ensure
unity. Kerry said the U.S. and
its five negotiating partners

en a deal again. It is particularly

opposed to providing Iran with
quick relief from international sanctions and wants a longer
timeframe for restrictions on
Irans nuclear activity.
On Twitter Friday, Frances
ambassador to the U.S. called
talk about needing a deal by
March 31 a bad tactic that is
counterproductive and dangerous. Gerard Araud called it
an artificial deadline and said
DBBTRaTcPah^UBcPcT9^W]:Taah
negotiators should focus
b_TPZbSdaX]VP]TfbR^]UTaT]RTPUcTa
instead on the next phase
QX[PcTaP[\TTcX]VbfXcW8aP]XP]5^aTXV]
reaching a complete agree<X]XbcTa<^WP\\PS9PePSIPaXUPQ^dc
ment by the end of June.
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Kerry said the U.S. wasnt
0?
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rushing into a pact, stressing
that the latest stab at a diploBritain, China, France, matic settlement with Iran has
Germany and Russia are gone on for 2 years. We
united in our goal, our dont want just any deal, he
approach, our resolve and our said. If we had, we could have
announced something a long
determination.
But France, which raised time ago. But, he added, decilast minute objections to an sions dont get any easier as
interim agreement reached time goes by.
Its time to make hard
with Iran in 2013, could threat-

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emens embattled President said suicide

bombings that killed at least 142 people at
Shiite Huthi mosques in the capital aimed to drag
the country into chaos, violence and internal
fighting. The Huthis, whose militiamen seized
Sanaa in September, vowed to take further revolutionary steps following Fridays blasts.
The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attacks on two mosques in the capital Sanaa and another in the Huthis northern
stronghold of Saada. They were the first claimed
by IS in Yemen, where rival Al-Qaeda has traditionally been the dominant jihadist outfit.
President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has taken
refuge in the southern city of Aden having
escaped house arrest in the Huthi-controlled
capital last month.
In a letter to relatives of the victims of the
mosque bombings, which also left 351 people
wounded, he condemned the attacks as terrorist, criminal and cowardly.
Such heinous attacks could only be done
by the enemies of life, who want to drag Yemen

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Ankara: Jailed Kurdish rebel

leader Abdullah Ocalan on
Saturday called for Kurds to
hold a historic congress to end
a decades-long armed struggle
against the Turkish authorities
that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
In an eagerly-anticipated
message for the traditional
Kurdish New Year, Ocalan
HT\T]XbRPaahPQ^Sh^UP\P]ZX[[TSX]PQ^\QPccPRZPcP
however stopped short of set0? ting out a clear road map for
\^b`dTX]BP]PPHT\T]^]5aXSPh
disarmament of the Kurdistan
into chaos, violence and internal fighting, said Workers Party (PKK) rebels as
the letter released by his office late yesterday.
had been anticipated in some
Shiite extremism, represented by the armed quarters.
Huthi militia, and Sunni extremism, represented
In the message read out by
by Al-Qaeda, are two sides of the same coin, who a pro-Kurdish lawmaker to
do not wish good and stability for Yemen and hundreds of thousands of supits people, Hadi wrote. Hadi has declared Aden porters in the southeastern
the temporary capital of Yemen. The attacks city of Diyarbakir, Ocalan said
came a day after clashes between forces loyal to that the armed struggle had
Hadi and those allied with the Huthis in the been "painful" and could no
longer be maintained. AFP
southern city.

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decisions, Kerry said. We

want the right deal that would
make the world, including the
United States and our closest
allies and partners, safer and
more secure. And that is our
test.

#$STPSX]PccPRZbPb
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Beirut: The death toll from
attacks on Kurdish new year
celebrations in Syria has risen
to 45, including five children,
a monitor said on Saturday,
accusing the Islamic State
group of responsibility.
There are now 45 dead
from last nights attacks in
Hasakeh, as most of those who
were in critical condition passed
away, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said, after
reporting 33 killed last night.
Two explosions struck as members of Syrias Kurdish minority celebrated on the eve of
Nowruz, the Kurdish new year,
in the northeastern city of
Hasakeh.There was no immediate claim of responsibility
yesterday, but Rami Abdel
Rahman of the Britain-based
Observatory told AFP the

D:YdSVTX\_^bTbBhaXP
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London: Five teenage girls
who had shown an interest in
going to Syria have been barred
from travelling abroad by a
judge at the High Court here,
amid fears that they would go
there to join Islamic State militant group.
The girlstwo aged 15 and
three aged 16were made
wards of the court, a legal
move that removes their passports and ban them from leaving England and Wales.
The order, the second such
ruling this week, comes after
Tower Hamlets local authority
in East London raised concerns. Justice Hayden had earlier this week issued a similar
travel ban order in relation to
a 16-year-old boy whose two
elder brothers were killed fighting in Syrias civil war.
The teenager was also
made a ward of court following

an application from Brighton

and Hove City Council.
Last month, three girls
from an east London school
travelled to Syria, where it is
feared they joined the Islamic
State (IS) militant group.
Making the order, Justice
Hayden directed that the girls
are not identified, and also
ordered the removal of the
passports of a number of adults
involved in their care as there
was evidence to suggest family members may have been
aware that the girls were
becoming more radicalised.
It seems to me that that
must have been known to the
parents and they deliberately did
not share it with the authorities
who were keen to protect these
vulnerable young girls, he said.
Justice Hayden said the risk to
teenagers travelling to Syria was
as grave as it can be.
PTI

extremist IS group was behind

the attacks. According to him,
the explosions were a few hundred metres (yards) apart from
each other, with at least one of
them caused by a suicide
bomber inside a vehicle.
The Kurdish Peoples
Protection Units (YPG) control
Hasakeh city, but IS militants
have launched attacks on towns
nearby. The jihadist offensive
has sparked fierce clashes with
Kurdish militia in the province,
which is strategically located
along Syrias borders with Iraq
and Turkey. UN chief Ban Kimoon condemned the
heinous attacks, while the
commander of the Kurdish
security forces, Joan Ibrahim,
said the crime that occurred
today in Hasakeh will not pass
without retribution.
AFP

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tepping up its crackdown

against illicit fund-raising
Sactivities
in a big way, Sebi has

?=BQ6DA60>=

ssuring easing of entry

barriers for global corpoA
rations, Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley on Saturday said
that India needs to become
globally competitive from
infrastructure to taxation.
In his convocation address
at
the
Management
Development Institute (MDI)
here he underlined the need
for relaxing norms for entry of
multinational corporations to
promote growth.
"We have to make the
entry point into India easier
for large global corporations to
grow, for large Indian corporations to become global, we
have to ease the process of
doing business," Jaitley said.
He stressed on the "ease
of doing business, the stability of policy, the maturity of
political decision makers, the
maturity of political process in
reaching the correct decision
rather than creating hurdles.
From our infrastructure to
taxation, we have to become
globally competitive".
The Minister said that
high economic growth was
necessary to create jobs and
raise resources of the government to eradicate poverty.
"Best response to poverty
eradication is high growth
rate. Sluggish economy cannot

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eradicate poverty. They can

only distribute poverty," he
said.
The economy is likely to
grow at 7.4 per cent in the current financial year and is
expected to accelerate to 8-8.5
per cent in the next financial
year beginning April 1.
Jaitley, in his budget
speech, had announced a host
of steps to boost growth and
improve the ease of doing
business. The NDA government had earlier relaxed foreign investment norms in various sectors including insurance and defence.
Parliament recently

passed the Insurance Bill raising the foreign investment

limit in the sector from 26 per
cent to 49 per cent.
India, Jaitley said, does not
need a "sluggish but active
economy, a profitable economy where the revenues of the
government are so large that
it can actually bring up the
standard of living of poor.
"The best response to
poverty eradication is high
growth rate. It enables the state
to pull up (the standard of living of) the poor.
It enables a state to have
sufficient resources to feed the
poor."

busted more than 150 cases of

frauds against gullible
investors involving close to C
13,000 crore in the current fiscal.
These include over 100
cases of deemed public issues,
involving an amount of over
C2,200 crore and more than 45
cases of illicit Collective
Investment Schemes (CIS)
worth over C9,500 crore in the
fiscal year ending this month.
This marks a significant
rise from the previous fiscal,
as the total orders passed
against deemed public issues
in the last two financial years
stand at about 110, while the
corresponding figure for CIS
orders is over 55.
An analysis of the orders
passed by Sebi shows that the
majority of orders against
deemed public issues were in
West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
The same for CIS activities are
in Tamil Nadu, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal.

The lack of banking and

financial services as well as
gaps in laws led to a proliferation of such illegal fund raising in large parts of the country. With the Sebi coming
across hundreds of complaints
from aggrieved investors, the
watchdog stepped up its
enforcement and prosecution
activities, a senior official said.
With new powers, Sebi
has been acting swiftly in the
current fiscal against firms and
individuals who raised public
money by issuance of securities such as debentures and
redeemable preference shares
without complying with the
necessary regulatory laws.
Issue of securities to 50 or
more persons entail a legal
obligation to get listed on a
stock exchange. Among others, it is also mandatory for the
companies to bring out a
prospectus with respect to
the public issue.
Some of the major erring
companies include Rose Valley
Constructions,
Ramel
Industries and NVD Solar
Ltd. They had raised funds
from thousands of investors by
luring them with promises of
high returns.

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=4F34;78) Mining cost is likely to go up with the passage of

the new mining bill that mandates miners to pay more for project affected people, according to theindustry .
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation)
Amendment Bill, 2015, provides for the same amount of royalty payable by existing lease holders in the District Mineral
Fund (DMF) and one-third of the royalty for those who will
get mines after the enactment of the new law.
"As miners will have to pay towards DMF, their production cost will go up which they will obviously try to pass on
to end-users and as a result, common people will suffer," miners' body FIMI Secretary General R K Sharma said.
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o call the Indian fan the fourth
stump of cricket would be no
exaggeration, especially after the
2015 edition of the ICC Cricket
World Cup. Over the last few
World Cups, he has fired the team from the
stands as never before, given that uniquely
Indian atmosphere to stadiums away from
India and travelled to places as far as the
Caribbean islands, England, Australia and
New Zealand to cheer Team India.
Om Prakash Mundra, who is the
longest travelling Indian fan with cricket and
other sports as well, is however sad that the
Indian fan story starts and ends with cricket and there are seldom many who travel for
sports other than cricket, like for the
Olympics or Shooting, Wrestling or Boxing
world cups.
I have travelled as a fan to six cricket
World Cups, starting 1992 in Sri Lanka. This
year, I have seen the biggest Indian contingent in the stadiums so far away from India,
he acknowledges.
When India bled blue with 86,000 of the
86,537 fans at the behemoth called
Melbourne Cricket Ground, South Africa
could not take the pressure of the deafening cheers for India and Dhoni, after winning that game, said it was heartening and
inspiring to be with such robust Indian
crowd away from home. It feels like home,
he said, thanking Team Indias fans for providing the support his boys desperately
needed, especially after a harrowing threeand-a-half months they spent Down Under
for the disappointing Test and Tri-series.
Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland
is mighty impressed by the Indian attendance in Australian stands and says, its
good to see the atmospherics and sold out
crowds thus far.
So what would you attribute this stand
makeover to? On his part, Swami Army
founder member Rajul says it has everything
to do with the growing economy of India
which has given enough money in the hands
of young Indians to travel at an expense. It
is surprising that so many of us came from
all corners of the world. Even if you say that
the NRI Indians have the money, what
would you say about the Indian fans who
travelled from India? he asks, pointing out
that the young working Indians are willing
to spend for cricket travels.
One such twosome was Raj and Keith,

friends working in cities as apart as Mumbai

and Delhi. We booked our tickets and
flights two years ago and it came to us cheap,
Raj, a software engineer, said. In between the
two matches at Adelaide and Melbourne, the
two took countryside and scenic trips into
Australias hot touristy sells, like the Great
Ocean Road trip for $179 each.
On first count, before the India-Pakistan
inaugural clash at Adelaide on February 15,
South Australia Tourism official Sibil Jhaveri
said 10,500 Indian travellers are expected
to travel on various packages for the first two
Indian matches of the World Cup.
Anticipating this influx, South Australias
Premier Jay Wilson Weatherill bid very highly to get the India-Pak match to his venue.
Talking to The Pioneer, Weatherill said,
We invested heavily in getting the IndiaPakistan match to our venue. Indians are the
fastest growing segment with regard to
migration to South Australia, we want to
improve ties with India, sporting ties are a
common tradition, he said. With 10500
coming and seeing Adelaide and surrounds, he felt, a lot of business interest could
be generated.
Adelaide, the capital of SA, is the
fastest growing city for Indian migration and
Indian immigrants come second after the
Chinese in this region. Besides adorning the
Adelaide Oval and lending song and dance
atmospherics outside of it, Weatherill said,
the travelling Indian fan is a good vehicle
to promote the State and its economy.
That most of the Indian fan contingent
planned two years in advance to be in
Australia and New Zealand for the World
Cup shows how seriously this generation is
taking its cricket related travel plans. While
most of the travelling Indian was from the
young segment, a lot of young couples with
children also came cheering for the first two
India matches and spent the remaining week
or so to other parts of Australia to make it
a heady mix of game and family holiday.
Rajul, who was checking out online travel sites like Cleartrip and Yatra for members
of his fan club, said much of the travelling
was powered by the amazingly affordable
deals in play. Imagine C2 lakh or C2.5 lakh
per person for a 12-day holiday in Australia
inclusive of the match ticket, accommodation and local travel? Add to these packages
the fact that the Indian economy has grown
three-folds giving a lucrative income to the

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middle class and you would know why

Adelaide Oval and MCG were sold out to
Indians, he said.
There is no doubt that Indians are huge
cricket fans, the most passionate in the
world, second only to the Bangladeshis perhaps. But the difference between the two is
of the pocket. That there were not more than
1,500 Bangladeshis in the stands when their
country was making history reaching the
quarterfinals pointed to the limited resources
of the Bangla fan that does not allow him
to spend to be at a place he would die to be.
Incidentally, out of the 51,556 in attendance
at MCG for this particular match 98 per cent
were Indians, this time more from various
parts of Australia than from India or
England or America.
Take the case of Karthik. He had travelled on a $500 ticket all the way from Perth
which is a time zone away from Melbourne.
It would have been much better had the
ICC stuck to a format which would allow
us to make our travel plans in advance and
save on accommodation and air ticket
spends, he said, pointing out that the reason why the MCG was half empty for the
Q/F was because of travel issues as also the
match being on a week day. Incidentally,
Indias semi-final clash with Australia also
falls on a Thursday in Sydney which has a
40000 capacity and the largest Indian population in the whole of Australia.
Searches for Australia and New Zealand
from India started rising late last year
between October and December, for travel between early February and mid-March,
the timing of the group stage matches.
Similarly to the World Cup in Brazil,
Indians searched close to their selected dates
with the majority of searches taking place
for the final period from early January until
now. Giving the reason for this trend
online travel site Wego Managing Director
Jackson Fernandez said: Australia and
New Zealand have risen as popular destinations with Indian travellers, thanks to
effective marketing drives from tourism
bodies, as well as greater airline connectivity. Add to that the allure of attending the
Cricket World Cup in some of the most
atmospheric cricket grounds in the world,
and Indian travel interest was bound to be
ignited.
Though the stadiums are yet to fill up
for the knockout stages, Fernandez insist-

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ed that the big jump in searches tripled for

the final couple of weeks of the Finals, from
March 18 to 29. The most popular selected destinations in the southern hemisphere were Melbourne, Sydney and
Auckland with a search spike of 250 per cent.
The majority of searches hailed from Delhi,
Mumbai, Calcutta and Bangalore.
Delhi to Melbourne was by far the most
searched route, followed by Delhi to Sydney
and Mumbai to Sydney, Fernandez
observed. The highest number of searches for Auckland was from Mumbai. Indians
preferred four or five star accommodation
over the lower starred properties, he pointed out.
Amid all these highs, Mundra is sad that
the Indian fans commitment still is more to
fun than the actual game or supporting India
all through. No one stays for the entire tournament, he rues. He insists that the fan trail
should now extend to other sports also, like
multi-strain competitions like the Olympics.
They all came to Australia for the first two
weeks and returned. Nobody stayed on for
the entire tournament perhaps because there
was not much affordability to stay in
Australia for 45 days. But had they planned
much in advance, the cost would have gone
down by 70 per cent. All my inland air tickets are for not more that $30-$35 because I
booked in 2013, he said.
In 1983, when India won its first World
Cup title, the stadium did not have a single
Indian who had travelled from India specifically for the Final. It was then full of the
Southall and Birmingham gentry which was
enough to raise the decibel in support of the
team. In 2003, a small contingent of Indians
travelled for the World Cup but most of
them made way to the national parks and
Cape Town packages after attending the initial Indian matches. The Final at The
Wanderers in Joburg recorded a record
crowd of 20,000 Indians, mostly settled in
South Africa. Mostly, at that time, the Indian
fan meant the most well heeled ones like
Mukesh Ambani who was in the general
stands and Vijay Mallya and his entourage
who bought some of the most expensive corporate boxes and made news by flying in
models and beauties in private jets.
By 2007, some of the so-called common
man fans had saved enough to reach a place
as far away as the West Indies. Assessing the
growing potential of the Indian fan, most

BD378A60DC70<

tourism boards had laid out lavish plans and

freebies for the Indian contingent to attract
future trade. That India went out of the tournament pretty early had empty hotels and
homestays reeling under the absence of the
Indian fans most of whom cancelled their
travel plans after their team was bundled out.
But even in 2007, most of the Indians
were being flown in by corporates or were
there on freebies and junkets. It was still
more about holiday than about committed
cricket viewing.
In 2011, it being a home tournament,
everyone who could be in a stadium in an
India match was there. Travel and money
dynamics had worked out. Also, India was
performing well so all the stands were sold
out, a cricket official says, adding that much
of the cricket fan dynamics are linked to the
performance of Team India a fact true
of all fans.
Come 2015, the fan support system has
become so crucial that even the otherwise
rye team India players do not fail to
acknowledge how much it means to them
when the stands are all theirs, cheering for
them in alien conditions.
The rainbow element of this makeover
is that the Indian fan is now also growing
into the game and its involvement is not
purely to chant in Indias support. Our
major role starts when things are not going
as per plan for the team in the middle. We
then manufacture slogans, chants and
Mexican waves to egg on the players and
many times it works, Rajul says, pointing
out how at Adelaide Virat Kohli kept
exhorting them to keep up the chant.
With the numbers the understanding of
the game has also grown. You now see the
Indians acknowledging feats of other teams.
After making his farewell century against
India at Auckland, Zimbabwe stand-in
captain Brendon Taylor was overwhelmed
by the standing ovation he got from the
packed Indian crowd. Its never been like
this for me ever to be appreciated so collectively, he said getting all emotional.
One doesnt really know what is going
to happen in Sydney when India take on
their toughest challenge so far in the tournament. I would say 60:40 would be the
ratio of Aussie fan: Indian fan, Rajul predicts.
Mundra, however, says whatever the
numbers, the noise will be all ours.

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artin Guptill became the latest batsman to make

Cricket World Cup history
with an innings of 237 not
out in a total of 393-6
which led unbeaten New Zealand to a 143run win over the West Indies in Saturdays
lop-sided quarterfinal.
Guptills innings, compiled from 163
balls and including 11 sixes and 24 fours,
was the highest by an individual in a World
Cup match, beating Chris Gayles 215
against Zimbabwe on February 24, and the
second-highest in all one-day internationals after Rohit Sharmas 264 for India in
November last year.
It was the first double century by a New
Zealander in ODIs, beating the record high
score of 189 he set himself, and made
Guptill the first New Zealander to score
centuries in consecutive World Cup innings
after having made 105 against Bangladesh.
He is the fifth batsman after Sharma,
Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and
Gayle to top 200 in a one-day match. All
five of those scores achieved in the past five
years. Im just incredibly proud of what
happened today, Guptill said. I was just
really proud to score that many runs and
get the win as well.
New Zealand will play South Africa in
Auckland on Tuesday in a semifinal which
will bring together some of world crickets
most prodigious hitters the Proteas A.B.
de Villiers who owns the fastest one-day
international century and New Zealands
Corey Anderson, from whom de Villiers
took that record. There will also Brendon
McCullum, Kane Williamson and Guptill,
Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla, all set
to meet at Eden Park a ground with the
shortest boundaries in world cricket.
The Black Caps won the toss but lost
captain and chief run-maker McCullum for
12, with West Indies captain Jason Holder
taking a well-judged running catch after a
mistimed drive off the bowling of Jerome
Taylor. That setback produced groans in the
capacity crowd, but Guptill more than
picked up the slack.
He shared partnerships of 62 for the
second wicket with Williamson (33), 143
for the third with Ross Taylor (42) and 55
from 18 balls with Grant Elliott (27).
The West Indies received a boost
ahead of the match when star batsman
Gayle was ruled fit to play after struggling
with a back injury. He moved freely and
took a catch at cover to remove Williamson
from Andre Russells bowling in the 16th
over and another to dismiss Corey
Anderson, also off Russell, in the 44th.
When Williamson went, New Zealand
was 89-2 and with its two best-performed
batsmen back in the pavilion, but
Guptill and Taylor soon established full control for the
Black Caps.
Aside from Samuels
dropped chance, the West
Indies had another opportunity to dismiss Guptill
when he was on 86. He skied
a drive off Samuels towards

bUS_bTRbUQ[Y^W[^_S[

figuratively



F4;;8=6C>=) Martin Guptill had just

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produced the highest ever individual

score in a World Cup match, and naturally everyone wanted to know how he
had done it.
But faced with a barrage of questions after the match, the famously
laconic Guptill had no explanation. Im
still not really sure what happened
today to be honest, Guptill said. It still
hasnt sunk in yet.
Guptill hit 237 not out for New
Zealand on Saturday which was the
foundation of its 143-run win over the
West Indies the quarterfinals. Aside
from setting a tournament record, it was
also the second-highest individual score
in all one-day internationals, the highest by a New Zealander in ODIs beating his own record and only the fifth
score in excess of 200 in the history of
50-overs internationals.
At the post-match press conference,
reporters wanted to know the secret
behind the performance, asking how the
day had gone, starting with breakfast, and
whether there was anything different







Taylor at long on but the fielder was slow

coming off the boundary and the ball fell
at his feet.
After reaching a relatively conventional century from 111 balls, Guptill added
another hundred runs from 41 deliveries
in a blizzard of boundaries to all points of
the Wellington Regional Stadium.
He led New Zealand to 206 runs from
its last 15 overs and 84 from the last five.
He really took the game away from us and
what was good about his innings was that
he batted straight through, Holder said.
We could have had him out earlier. We
had a couple of half chances that we probably could have taken. Thats cricket.
It was a dismal day for West Indies
bowlers, with the opening bowlers Taylor
conceding 71 runs from seven overs and
Holder 76 from eight, while Russell gave
up 96 runs from his full quota of 10.
The West Indies faced an imposing
task of even getting close to New Zealands
score, and though the scored moved
along at better than eight runs per over, the
wickets fell at regular intervals and the
innings ended on 250 in the 31st over.
Gayle dashed to his half century from 26
balls with seven sixes. But when he was out
for 61 from 33 balls at 120-5, the West
Indies cause was lost.
Trent Boult took 4/44 to
regain his place as the
tournaments leading
wicket-taker
with 19.

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about his match-day routine this time.

I had a bit of a sleep-in this morning, Guptill said simply. Then I had a
bit of breakfast and went down to the
ground early and had a bit of a go on the
bowling machine with the coach.
Then I went out and did what I did.
Guptill looked weary and still a little bewildered after standing in the middle of the Wellington Regional Stadium
while 30,000 fans chanted his name, and
left it up to others to find his innings
place in history.
It was pretty cool (to hear the

chants of the crowd). Ive never had anything like that before and to hear it here
in New Zealand is even better and in a
quarterfinal is pretty special as well.
After Guptill had carried his bat
through 50 overs to guide New Zealand
to 393-6, batting first, Trent Boult
bowled 10 consecutive overs and took
4-44 to help bowl out the West Indies
for 250 in 30.3 overs and set up a semifinal against South Africa in Auckland.
In doing so he reclaimed his place as
the leading wicket-taker at this World
Cup with 19.
Boult said with only two days to prepare for the semifinal at Eden Park, New
Zealand had to quickly set aside Saturdays
win and look forward.
Well travel tomorrow, get up there
and prepare for it just like we have for any
other game in this tournament, he said.
Weve got a lot of scouting to do of a quality South African side.
Well get a training day in and then
well get into it. Its going to be all go
but I know the guys are very excited to
get into it.
0?

FTbc8]SXTb_Ph_aXRTU^a
X]R^]bXbcT]RhbPhb7^[STa
F4;;8=6C>=) West Indies have their
own inconsistencies to blame for being
bundled out of the World Cup in the
quarter-finals, captain Jason Holder said
following their 143-run trouncing by
New Zealand.
The class of 2015 fell well short of the
standards set by proud West Indies
teams of the past which have twice won
the World Cup.
They were the last team to qualify for
the play-offs and in their first suddendeath match in Wellington on Saturday
they were all out for 250 in the 31st over
after New Zealand had posted an imposing 393 for six.
The New Zealand innings was set up
by a remarkable World Cup record 237
not out by Martin Guptill, the second
highest ODI score ever, but Holder said
that would not have happened under a
better West Indies side.
It was obviously a good innings. He
took the game away from us. But we put
him down early and we had a few half
chances which we could probably have
taken, Holder said after seeing Marlon
Samuels drop Guptill when the opener
had made just four.
I think we need to respond a little
bit better when were bowling at the
death. We didnt really land our yorkers
and we paid for it.
Holder said the performance was
typical of the way the West Indies had
played throughout the tournament,
winning three and losing three
pool games.

Weve had some good games, weve

had some bad games. Our bowlers have
to be a lot more consistent than they are
at the moment.

70E4=CA4C8A435A><0=H
5>A<0C0BH4C)60H;4

A recurring back injury will certainly keep Chris Gayle (in pic) out of the
upcoming home Test series against
England, but the destructive batsman
insists that he isnt retiring from any format of the game.
Definitely want to play the T20
World Cup next year for West Indies, theres
no doubt about that, Gayle told
ESPNcricinfo. Ive got a few concerns and
a few injury (cases) to try and solve. Ill give
myself some time and hopefully look back
at it and see how well I can actually progress
for West Indies cricket at this point in time.
Im actually out of the Test series,
the back wont hold up for that format
at this point in time. But I havent retired
from any format as yet. As I go on Ill
keep informing WICB about my
progress, he added.
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<44=0:B78A0>
9>CI4>5I

oth the Indians and the Australians

arrived in Sydney on Saturday for
the high tension semi-final at the
Sydney Cricket Ground on March
26. But while Team India decided
to do some gymming at their hotel, the
Aussies straight away went into business with
their star batsman Glenn Maxwell not even
crossing the airport lobby before throwing
a salvo at India.
I think we targeted them pretty well this
summer. They havent won a game against
us all through the summer. Hopefully that
is pretty clear in their memories. We can
make the most of that. Weve been dominant
all summer in the ODI format. We want to
continue that, he said cheekily.
One is not too sure if reminding India
about their past failures rather than remembering their brand new unbeaten form in the
World Cup is prudent strategy for the
Aussies but Maxwell is known for his audacities with the bat too well to be faulted with
his audacities with verbals.
Fresh from his fast and furious 44 runs
against Pakistan and Australias victory in the
face of Wahab Riazs killer bowling, Maxwell
was all praise for the way his team had shown
up at Adelaide. It was an incredible win. The
boys played outstanding cricket. To win it as
comfortably as we did in the end, it gives us
great confidence for the next game.
It was a little bit uncomfortable at times.
But I think when you look at the overall
result with six wickets in hand and 90-odd
balls left, it is a very comfortable win. We
controlled the momentum of the game
whole way through. There was an unbelievable spell from Wahab Riaz. Full credit to
him as that was pretty incredible. Wahab is
as good a bowler as you will face and he
(Watson) got us through that tough period
and made sure he set the platform for us to
finish in the end, he said.
He credited Watson, who was fined 15
per cent of his match fee for the fracas he had
with Riaz, for the calm experience which
helped build their 68-run stand.
That experience showed out there and
that is what we needed. Just to be cool and
have a calm head. He (Watson) has been out
there and done that. He was just outstanding. Just to have him at the other end, especially when I was batting, it was a pleasure
to watch, he said.
Except for the cheap return in the
match against New Zealand which Australia

lost, Maxwell has been powering his way with

the bat all through the tournament, getting
50-plus scores all through, except in the clash
with Pakistan.
One of the many that Indian skipper MS
Dhoni would have to heavily strategise
against, Maxwell acknowledged that India
had been consistent in victory in the World
Cup. India are a very good side. They
wouldnt be here in the semi-finals if they
werent a good side. We have to bring our A
game when we play them this week, he said
but only after reminders of the past.
Downplaying the role of Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra
Jadeja on the Sydney pitch known to
favour spin, Maxwell said: It is different
pressure and different situation. I bat at No
6 (for Australia) and there are still five guys
ahead of me, who are going to be batting
first. Hopefully, they can make the most of
the conditions. My job is to finish it off.
He, however, was categorical that its not
India vs Australia which is the main rivalry but its the Ashes which is the biggest.
There are a lot of big rivalries in international cricket. Every team that we play
against, there is like some sort of
rivalry or history attached.
8
For Australia, the Ashes,
cWX]ZfT
is still probably our
cPaVTcTScWT\
biggest and oldest
_aTcchfT[[cWXb
rivalry, he said.
bd\\TaCWThWPeT]c
Talking about
f^]PVP\TPVPX]bcdb
Virat
Kohli,
Maxwell talked of
7^_TUd[[hcWPcb_aTcchR[TPa
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plan with no
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QTT]S^\X]P]cP[[bd\\Ta
We havent had a
X]cWT>38U^a\PcFT
team meet yet, but
fP]cc^R^]cX]dTcWPc
it will be pretty similar to the summer.
6
6[T]]<
<PgfT[[
We did pretty well during the summer against
them. I am sure we will go
ahead with similar plans and we
will have a few tricks up our sleeve, he
said before exiting the arrivals at the
massive Quantas Terminal at the
Sydney domestic airport, smiling to himself.
Perhaps he was remembering
his strange shot which he tried against
Wahab at Adelaide on Friday and got away
with it. He later tweeted about it too: And
to clarify, the shot is called the back away,
look away, deliberate cut through point...
Haha! Well bowled Wahab! Had me...
India, perhaps, will do a better job of this
0dbcaP[XPb6
6[T]]<
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had me.

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n a significant statement pertaining to the

functioning of National Sports Federations,
IUnion
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on
Saturday said that the NSFs should professionalise their administrative structure rather
than continue as oligarchies.
Jaitleys remarks, which he made as a chief
guest at the Conference of Ministers and
Secretaries of States/Union Territories incharge of Youth Affairs and Sports here,
assumes significance as many of the office
bearers of NSFs hold on to their posts for
many years or exert influence even after 0ad]9PXc[ThSdaX]V0]]dP[2^]e^RPcX^]^U<38
?C8
demitting office.
Jaitley, who increased the sports min- delicate balance will have to be maintained
istrys budget allocation to around C380 crore among the three.
The NSFs should professionalise their
compared to last year, said that the NSFs play
a big role in the development of sports in the administrative structure rather than being
country but they have not being able to gen- reduced to oligarchies, Jaitley said when
erate their own revenue and be self sufficient. asked how to raise the profile of Indian sports.
The minister lamented the shortage of
NSFs do the actual management of various sports and they play a big role in devel- sports infrastructure in the country and said
opment of sports. Central government comes except for BCCI, no sports federation has been
in for the management of sportspersons in able to contribute in infrastructure building.
The BCCI has constructed world-class
representing the country internationally. A

infrastructure including stadia which are not

owned by government but by the BCCI. This
has thrown open a lot of cricketing talent from
which to choose to represent the country.
Jaitley suggested that India should concentrate on a few sports of core competence to win
medals in Olympics while broad-basing
sports at the grassroot level to nurture talent.

C>?0C7;4C4B=443=>CF>AAH

Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

assured athletes who would be given funds for
training under the Target Olympic Podium
Scheme (TOP), not to worry about the contentious clause requiring them to get prior government approval for any other commercial
deals with third parties. Selected sportspersons
can continue personal commercial endorsements entered before agreeing to be part of the
TOP, provided funding is not received for the
same activities as the Scheme.
Asian Games gold-medallist Seema
Punia is among those who have been offered
to join the scheme for C75 lakh till the 2016
Rio Olympics. The scheme covers sailing,
archery, athletics, boxing, wrestling, shooting and badminton.

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O How did Beyond All

Boundaries happen?
Sushrut Jain, the director of this documentary,
had been toying with this
concept for long. He got in
touch with me with his plan
and a solid story to tell. I was
immediately interested. There is
a dearth of cricket fan stories in
India and I felt this was the perfect platform. I am hoping this
documentary sets a trend
among new age movie makers
who come up with their version
of a fan story.
OWhy a documentary and
not a full-fledged commercial
film on cricket fans of India?
Beyond All Boundaries is a
serious take on what some
people (in this case three protagonists) have gone through
to follow their passion cricket. Giving it a commercial twist
would have taken away from
their heartfelt true stories of struggle and devotion. Not all movies are
made to be masala blockbusters,
there are some which reflect the
hardships of the society. Such movies
do well on a documentary canvas.
OAre you looking for more such
projects to produce in India ?
I have my eyes and ears open for
such opportunities. The Indian cinema landscape needs a makeover and
soon. I have always welcomed off-beat
but real stories with open arms.
OWhen you say similar subjects,
what do you have in mind?
I mean important issues like
womens rights or the lack of safety for
women in the country. What bothers
me also is the tight hold on freedom
of expression. That is depressing. We are
a modern society and should be given
the license to voice our opinion. I would
love to back a project which talks
about the various problems that
still plague the Indian society. If it is handled well by a thinking director, I am
ready to contribute in whatever fashion.
OWhen do we see you acting in a
Bollywood film?
I have been reading a lot of scripts.
But I dont see myself fit in any of those.

Talktime
POOJA MISHRA
Model, VJ and lawyer-turned-actress Pooja Mishra, who recently
launched her calendar themed on being sexy talks to SANGEETA
YADAV about her new production house, her tiff with Colors over plagrising the concept of a cookery show et al

Colors channel has

never been fair to me

QTell us about your new calendar?

This calendar which is
themed on being sexy, is the first
offering under my production
house
Pooja
Mishra
Productions. We launched PMP
six months back. There are so
many aspects in our lives that
stop us from being sexy. Thus,
through this calendar, Im trying to empower women that
they should feel sexy about
themselves. Ive styled this calender myself and have personally shopped for each piece of
lingerie, footwear and everything.
QHow did the idea for a calendar come up?
I appeared for a cover shoot
for a mens lifestyle and fashion
magazine. Everybody liked the
pictures and told me to put it on
a calendar. They all have been
gushing about it. So, I picked my
birthday to launch this calendar.
QAre you cranky or happy
about birthdays?
After a certain age in our
life, we dont get older with our
birthdays. We get younger. So
Im 18 till I die. And I just turned
18 again. (laughs)
QHow is your music video
shaping up?
The song is almost ready.
Weve got amazing lyrics and I
am lending my voice to this
number. I was supposed to
launch this album earlier but
there were some or the other
problems surrounding its
launch. The single is based on
my life and the struggles I have
had to go through. People, who
have given me a hard time, were
extremely insecure that I was
going to talk about it in public
through this video. But I just
want to move on.
QYou claim that Colors has
plagiarised your idea of a cookery show...

At the moment, I am in no hurry to take

up projects and make a fool of myself.
I will only do cinema which I feel I can
justify.
OIs there nothing that you are considering at the moment?
I am talking with a few big production houses in India for a film but it is
too early to talk about it right now. I cant
promise anything but I think, I shall be
doing a proper Hindi film by the end of
this year or early next for sure.
OHow acquainted are you with Hindi
and Indian culture?
I went to St Columbus school in
New Delhi. My parents live in the city
and I visit them often. I met my wife on
the streets of Delhi. So, its pretty much
Dilli meri jaan for me. I love the buzz
around this metropolis and the fact that
it is so clean. Honestly, I find the city
much cleaner and more happening
than most other cities in India.
As for the language, I can speak
chaste Hindi without stammering. I can
also rattle off a few Hindi abuses for that
matter. (Laughs)
OWhat else binds you to the country?
We are simple, well meaning people
who like to talk a lot. This is what attracts
me about India. The landscape is abundant and beautiful. The only thing we
need is good marketing and we will feature in the top destinations in the
globe. The festivals and the food of the
country is also appealing.
OLets talk about your numero uno
project, The Big Bang Theory. Whats
happening on that front?
Its been an emotional journey for all
of us. We lost one of our actors last year
and we were all very depressed. The Big
Bang Theory team is like a big family. We
get along very well and hang out together whenever it is possible. When we lost
the star who played Mrs Wolowitz, the
production team took a break to grieve
for her. She was an incredibly talented
lady and a very jovial person on the sets.
She will be missed very much. But after
that break, we have all assembled and
have started shooting for season 8 of the
show. There are lots in store for the fans
of BBT.
OGive us a peak into whats coming up
in season 8...
Its going to be a roller coaster for all

OHave you seen Indian soaps or finite

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the protagonists. Season 8 takes off from

where we left. Raj is extremely happy
with his psychotic girlfriend, Howard
and Bernadette deal with marital woes
together while Penny and Leonard
begin a new chapter in their lives.
Sheldon and Amy take their relationship
to a whole new level. More of the same
thing, packaged in a different lively way.
Its funnier and more crisp than the previous seasons.
OWhat is it in this show that people all
over the world are hooked to it?
The fact that it is not a regular sitcom
with moments of comedy. The BBT is a
full-fledged story of the protagonists
and what they go through on a routine
day. There is an emotional connect with
the audience and that works for the show.
It is not an over-the-top comedy.
ODo you the Indian small screen lacks
innovative content for a sitcom?
We have a lot of talent in India but
we dont know how to utilise it in the perfect manner. There are very few production houses who back original talent. They
go with the staid concepts on offer.
Because those are tried and tested and will
work in the Indian scheme of things. This
is the reason why sitcoms do not work
here. What we need is a few people deliberating and coming up with original ideas
of fun stories and patenting them. Then
they should scout for producers and
launch their show with good actors and
not necessarily super stars.

shows?
I dont follow any soap. I know Kapil
Sharmas show does well and is based on
a lively concept.
OHow is Bollywood perceived abroad?
People are keen to watch our movies
not just because they are colourful and
have lavish sets, but because they are
refreshing, fun and have a message for
the society. Films like Lunchbox, Queen
etc are well perceived and have done
well in LA. Most of our celebrities have
carved a niche for themselves out here.
Priyanka Chopra is a well known personality and the West adores her sense
of style. So, is Aishwarya Bachchan
making waves at the International
Awards scene. I was lecturing a
University class on cross-culturalism
and I thought the best way to make the
class understand would be to show them
a film. I filmed Kuch Kuch Hota Hai for
them inside the class and the minute it
got over, the students wanted more.
Such is the aura of Indian films.
OWhat is the last film you have seen
and what did you like about it?
I saw Kangana Ranauts Queen
recently and I think she has done a great
job. The movie is an effortless take on
women power.
OWho is your pal from the BBT team
and your special moment?
I get along with everyone but I am
thick friends with Simon HelBerg who
plays Howard Wolowitz. We spend a lot
of time together on the sets and off it too.
Each and every moment on BBT is special for me, considering it is a platform that
I am lucky to have.
OHow did your parents react to this role
of Raj Koothrapali?
My parents have always supported me
in my decisions. When I told them
about this show, my mother was apprehensive. She had not thought that I would
land up such a plumb opportunity so early
on in my career. But when she saw the
light and fun side of it, mummy was grinning ear to ear.
OWhat will you do when BBT comes to
an end?
Everything good has to eventually
end. But then something good
emerges too. I shall wait for the
good times again.

0DBB><4?;0CC4A

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FWT]X]BhS]ThU^acWTRaXRZTc^aTeT]^cWTafXbTbPe^daP_[PccTa
^UPdcWT]cXR8]SXP]UX]TSX]X]VPc3T[WX>3T[WXbPhb<44=0:B78A0>
aved Khan is no run-of-the-mill restaurateur dishing out mediocrity in the name of
JIndian
cuisine in an alien land where butter

Colors has never been fair

to me. They treated me badly
during Bigg Boss, lifted ideas
from my blogs on the show and
now they have taken away my
cooker show script and made a
show of their own. The sponsors
of Farah Ki Daawat had offered
me sponsorship too. I have sent
them a legal notice and they
havent responded to it yet.
QDid you get any response
from Farah?
Not yet. But Ive nothing
against her. She is just a puppet
in their hands. Its a bigger conspiracy which they have been
doing for years.
QYour upcoming plans?
After the music video, we
are going to get into the production for our film.

chicken is the most misunderstood popularity on the platter.

He takes pride in the fact that he has gone
beyond the humdrum, the usual, like chicken tikka, for example. His restaurant, Delhi O
Delhi is not even on the touristy circuit of
Sydney, preferring to nestle in the back corner of an old part of town, erroneously called
Newtown!
But that has not kept the guests away with
most days sold out with 85 to 110 guests being
served at any given time.
The proud owner of Australias top food
safety and excellence award and also possessing Aussie equivalent to the Michellin status, Delhi O Delhi wins you by its buzz and
its personalised service, where its owner
Javed has built a relationship with clients and
staff on an equal footing.
I believe in innovating and giving authenticity a peg in Australia, Javed who travels only
Air India because of his fierce patriotism, tells
you. The raj kachori that is wheeled in right
then authenticates his claim. After all, where
would you find a raj kachori being an entre
anywhere in Australia?
Although, there are many Indian eateries
in Sydney, most restaurants ply the same overwrought dishes. Not so the case with Delhi O
Delhi where you will be pleasantly surprised
not just by the becoming dcor but also an
exhaustive menu.
Right from the time it began operations
back in 2006 to now (the restaurant has won
the One Chef Hat 2015 Award by the
Australian Good Food & Travel guide), DoD
has attracted committed customers.
First, the restaurant is very pleasantly
located. Away from the hustle and bustle of the
main streets but not too far away from civilisation either. Second, our understated decor
which speaks volumes about what we want to.
And third very important, we like to make
food interesting and captivating.
So our old timers are there, but they will

9PeTSfXcWcWTRWTU

be served with a twist, Javed Khan tells you

in between taking orders and serving his guest
with old familiarity.
The dishes here are different but not in any
way away from the authentic Indian food. Be
it the lamb chop, the palak kofta or the saag
paneer, Delhi O Delhi has pushed the boundaries of suburban dining and firmly established
itself as an elegant and welcoming destination
for those in search of traditional flavours and
cooking methods with a modern interpretation of India.
The tantalising menu, featuring locally
sourced produce, meats, seafood and poultry,
is an extravagant showcase of dishes tailored
to satisfy todays tastes whilst keeping its
authenticity. If you are a meat lover and you
havent tasted the bhuna gosht, you are really
missing something.
Pair it with garlic naan and some tandoori
Afgani kebabs which melt in the mouth. There
is a lot of stuff for vegans too and people preferring to opt for the gluten free meals at the
restaurant can have a good experience here.
He may be heading a slightly inexperienced team, but Javed spends a lot of time
in training them. I did not have a birth
talent. I honed my skills in the cooking department and luckily for me, it
has worked.
Whatever I have learnt
today has been inherited from
my mother who is a brilliant
cook. She is the one who
has instilled in me tremendous respect for the traditional Indian cuisine. The
blending and mixing is
my only contribution,
Khan says.
Delhi O Delhi is entreprenuer Javed and his wife
Ishrats fruit of labour. In its
immense success lies the intense
struggles that the couple went
through for years before the restaurant Delhi O Delhi could come up in
South Australia.

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B9F5BC1CC13B54D8B514?6I1:>1
ivers are ancient and older than the
flow of human blood a mini cosmos spawning history, tales, spirituality and technological incursions.
Flowing rivers are the largest renewable water resource for humans and a crucible of
aquatic ecosystem. Rivers also have a habit of
moving on and on from the
source where they gush with
gay abandon to their mouth
where they quietly disappears into the surroundings.
That journey is now being
interrupted. Since the age of
industrialisation, humans
have increasingly exerted a
DCC0<::D<0A pervasive influence on water
resources. Rivers in particuB8=70
lar have drawn humans to
monumental engineering interventions such as
dams and barrages often as chest-thumping
dominance and seldom as an enduring bond
between man and nature.
As a result we are swimming against the
tide of unlearnt history and bad modern water
policies. Most of the world rivers today are in
a state of crisis, of degeneration and degradation. This is serious and frightening. Eighty
per cent of the world population resides on
the banks of rivers and their well-being will be
threatened by increasing water pollution and
flow fluctuation. While each river has its own
distinct identity and profile, when it comes to
vulnerability and stresses it is astonishingly
common such as intensive water use for agriculture, unregulated industrial development
and waste flow, and river habitat modification.
As rivers and water bodies become central
to economic development and urbanisation, it
will be important for national policies to look
at the world as a network of rivers and as ecological systems interacting with their drainage
basins and the atmosphere. Often policies lack
sensitivity towards basic values like equity,
transparency, accountability, sustainability and
participation of the people in water policy
processes. The beauty of successful river
cleaning and rejuvenation is that it is not all
about investing billions but equally developing
inter-disciplinary and inter-ministerial strategies. Rivers thus have to be reconceptualised
as a relationship of history, culture and ecolo-

gy, and to be treated as endowments to be sustained for future generations.

B9F5B45F5<?@=5>D71>71B5:EF5>1D9?>
Possibly one of the most modernising policy
approaches of the Narendra Modi Government
has been to raise the profile of rivers. For the
current Government, water is indispensable to
governance and development plans, livelihood
and healthy life, expressed as sujalam sufalam
(water for prosperity) and Swachh Bharat
Abhiyaan. The earlier Ministry of Water
Resources has now expanded to include River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Likewise, Drinking Water and Sanitation,
which was a department under the Ministry of
Rural Development is now a full-fledged ministry with a Cabinet rank minister. These are
early indicators, hopefully, to a more serious
rethinking, readjustment and enhancement on
water approaches and technologies as various
water projects are witnessing widespread negative ecological and livelihood impacts.
A stable supply of quality water is an
essential requirement for guaranteeing socioeconomic-political stability. Ganga becomes
central to river conceptualisation, cleaning
and planning in India. With a length of 2,525km, Ganga is the longest river of India and the
second largest river in the world in amounts of
water discharge. But with a fecal coliform
count, at some stretches, drastically overshooting the quality limits, the water is lethal for
drinking, bathing and even irrigation. Ganga
is the fifth most polluted river in the world.
While this remains a shameful reality, it is
important to continuously reinstate the symbolism of Ganga as the river of faith, devotion and worship. Rabindranath Tagore
expressed it beautifully as the sacred thread of
Indian yajna connecting years of wisdom,
religion and meditation. There is Ganga in
every part of India and the emblematic interpretations can be a collective force of change.
The Ganga and many other rivers will
represent numerous difficulties of development and management. For one, cleaning the
rivers cannot be separated from rejuvenating
the flow. But rivers also need to be harnessed
for the wider national need. Economic development and requirement of energy and food
cannot be divorced from developing rivers in
terms of storage for irrigation and electricity

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generation. This is critical as Indias current

urban population (410 million) will double by
2050. The smart cities plan in 100 cities
across India cannot be sustainable without
more intelligent human-nature symbiosis. The
challenge is to balance environmental, human,
cultural, pilgrimage and economic interests
within the complex system of a major river.
A river has to be planned as a whole and
not as parts. Basin planning with attention on
marginalised rivers (tributaries, rivulets and
torrents) and not just the mainstream ones are
crucial. The upstream, middle course and the
delta will require greater efforts of integrating
and harmonising with careful study, data
analysis, federal cooperation and consultation.
One of the neglected aspects of river
development in India has been navigation.
The golden age of navigation in the Ganga
was mid-19th century with steamers of the
East India Company plying as far upstream as
Garhmukteshwar. But with the development
of the upper Ganga canals and the railways,
navigation was effectively grounded. This
needs to be revived. Using connected rivers
for logistics and freight movement is a cleaner
form of transport. Importantly, a thrust
towards navigation will also drive planning
towards maintaining flow and a relook at the
development on the upper catchments area.
B9F5BC1B5>D@?<<ED54?EB13D9?>C1B5
Half of the worlds major rivers are badly polluted or depleted. Pollution caused by runoff
from agricultural chemicals, poorly managed
industrial processes, and lack of adequate
treatment for sewage and other urban waste is
the most serious threat to rivers and remains a
challenging issue. Food is grown in ways that
send pollution into the water, products are
manufactured using more water than needed
and forests are cleared without considering the
dangers of erosion. It is rightly said that
humans and ecosystem suffer when rivers are
badly managed. Globally some great works
have been achieved in improving the state of
the rivers. Some remain sadly uncared for and
some have sunk due to bad approaches and
forced solutions.
Rivers in the past decades were like poetry, supposed to be instructive but in an unnoticeable manner. Now increasingly many
rivers are less rhythmic and cry for help in

very noticeable ways. Indias river clean-up

mission can greatly benefit from the lessons
on international river basins. Below is a snapshot of the facts on some of the international
rivers. This can be a useful source of information on good practices and the bad experiences for our own river management.
9>D5B>1D9?>1<B9F5BC1>4<5CC?>C
Singapore River: Unprecedented urbanisation
in Singapore in the 1960s led to a new urban
development plan keeping in mind the health
of the Singapore river. From 1977 to 1983, the
rivers condition had improved dramatically
through dredging, rebuilding the river walls
and the construction of a 6-km-long promenade along both banks of the waterfront.
Today, Singapore river is an attractive waterfront environment for housing, recreation and
entertainment.
Lesson: City development synchronising with
river and water bodies.
Alleghany and Monongahela rivers in
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh in the early 20th century had the highest rate of typhoid fever in the
US as the rivers were dumping areas for
untreated waste. This practice continued even
till the 1950s, turning the rivers lifeless with
no aquatic existence. But with a series of
wastewater treatment plants and awakening
campaigns and with local and national laws by
the 1970s, the rivers are populated by fish and
also support a large waterfowl.
Lesson: Public awakening and initiative;
implementation of laws.
Citarum River in Indonesia: Citarum, the
biggest river basin in Java is probably the
worlds most garbage-choked river. The textile
factories operating at Citarums upper course
were the main culprits in the 80s. The ADB has
approved US $500 million to help the
Governments efforts to clean and rehabilitate
the river by constructing solid waste facilities
and wastewater treatment plants. There is also a
serious problem of corruption and implementation. The expected timeline is 25 years before
the Citarum can return to its pristine state.
Lesson: Upstream waste management and
misuse of funds.

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or many centuries, Jodhpur has
been the hub of Marwar, meaning
the land of the dead. The infertile
land with rare rainfall made the
area a death bed for men and animals for many years. However, the harsh climate could not diminish the spirit of its people. They made Jodhpur one of the biggest
royal kingdoms of India and contributed
richly to the countrys art, commerce,
music, food and mostly architecture. Its sons
of the soil, known as Marwaris, migrated
across India and earned extraordinary fortune in business.
Today, the city of Jodhpur is home to
archaeological gems from a different era.
The Mehrangarh Fort boasts of a rich history and splendid architecture. The word
Mehrangrah came from Mihir garh, meaning the abode of Sun. The history of the fort
goes hand by hand with the history of
Jodhpur city the second biggest in
Rajasthan and perhaps the most spectacular tourist spot India has to offer.
An extraordinary 550-year-old fort
stands in one corner, while the last modern palace of colonial India exists elegantly on the other. In 1211, Rathore Rajput
fled his old capital Mandore to take
refuge in Marwar. From then started a
royal saga, and finally on May 12, 1459, one
Pradhan Rao Maldeo Jodha established a
royal fort atop Godagiri mountain. The
fort situated 400 ft above the city surface
was called the abode of Sun.
Legend has it that a man named Raja
Ram Meghwal was buried alive at the time
of its foundation to mark a sacred sacrifice
to God. Even the architect of the fort was
buried alive to keep its design confidential.
Mehrangarh got its real glory during the
period of Maharaja Yashwant, who ruled
Marwar from 1638 to 1678. Later, it was
attacked and conquered by Afghan ruler
Shershah, who demolished the temple
inside the fort.
In the 16th century, Rao Udai Singh
regained it. It was he who played a significant diplomatic role with Mughal emperor
Akbar and saved the kingdom from Mughal
accession. Through marriage diplomacy, he
made his daughter a Hindu queen of
Prince Jehangir, who went on to become
Jodhabai of the Mughal harem. It cemented a long term peace treaty with the
Mughals. For this he derived the Raja title
from the Mughal royal court.
The fort was taken over by Aurangzeb
in 1678, but a year after his death in 1708
it was again recovered by Raja Ajit Singh.
The Marwar chronicle records that during Ajit Singhs funeral, his six wives and
58 concubines sacrificed their lives to
immortalise themselves as sati, at this fort.
The glory of Rajputs did not last long after
that. Maratha invaders from Deccan and
finally the East India Company got hold of
this great fort in 1818.
As I entered the fort crossing the
sloped path, the splendour of its design and
craftsmanship captivated my attention. The
fort has several gates; the gateway of victory, locally known as Fateh pole, was built in
1708. As soon as one crosses the Fateh pole,
one can spot an orange slab with palm prints
of satis or women who burnt themselves in
the pyre of their dead husband, King Ajit
Singh, in 1843. Sati cult was officially
banned in India in 1829, and from 1818 a
British resident was present in Jodhpur, but
no one dared stop royal sacrifices of queens
and concubines of a dead king.
The fort houses a mini township that

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contains Singar Chowk meant for public

weddings. Now divided into 18 parts, it
houses a history museum which displays
some of the finest antiques of the royal family. The 80-kg coronation throne made of
gold by Abhay Singh is now at Moti Mahal.
The ceilings and walls are colourfully decorated with local organic colours, sandalwood frames and glass. But even after so
many centuries, they shine as bright as new.
The residential portion of the fort, especially the wall that served as a bridge between
the outer and inner world, is crowned with
the worlds finest work of jafri carved on
sandstone. It is amazing to see how sculptors made the great work possible several
years ago when there was no electronic stone
cutting machine. Pavilion after pavilion of
this fort displays jafri that contains various
floral designs and Hindu motifs. The
jharokha or the window frame covered with
a stone curtain from where women saw the
outside world is a sight to behold. With
almost zero influence of Islamic architecture,
the sandstone work of this fort is distinctive.
The artillery section of the fort has a
rich collection, such as the massive canons
on the terrace. No one should miss the
Chamunda Durga Mandir that enshrines
the deity of the royal family. It is believed
that it was taken to this fort in 1469 from
Mandore. The massive 17.5-kg lock, and
the ponds built for queens also attract visitors. From the top of the fort the old city
looks like a bustling human jungle where
most of the buildings are painted blue. The

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colour singles out houses of Bramhins,

pointing to the strong caste awareness
among citizens. No wonder Jodhpur is also
known as the blue city.
If Mehrangarh is a known gem, then
Yashwant Thada is the unknown gem of
Jodhpur. This royal mausoleum was established by the queen of Yashbant Singh II (
1875-1895). Built in 1899, it is the final resting place of the royal family, and their
memorials have been erected on the ground.
Built in white marble with excellent carving and stonecrafting, these temple-like
monuments are a feast for eyes. The place

is calm and silence rules here. The temples

are small but enriched in decoration.
The next stop is Indias last great palace
of the colonial era, the Umaid Bhawan. In
the 1920s, when the area witnessed a prolonged period of famine, Maharaja Umaid
Singh planned a grand palace construction
project which would generate employment
to 3,000 people. It was more a job generation project than building a luxury abode.
Built in classical Italian style between 1929
and 1942, the palace is the last footprint of
a fading class of India. Designed by HV
Lanchester and JR Lodges, this pink and
golden sandstone palace has 347 rooms with
a huge central dome 32 m from floor surface. The inside walls were painted by Polish
painter Jullius Stephen Norbin. The building is made of interlocking stone block
process and has now been partly thrown
open to the public. The part opened to public has been converted into a museum that
displays royal collection of commodities and
artifacts. The unimaginable collection of
clocks, cameras, crockery, royal garments,
old photographs, hunting trophies, furniture
and vintage cars, ranging from Rolls Royce
to Ford, are mind-blowing.
One cant miss the coaches of Jodhpur
Railways the personally owned railway
company of the royal family in the colonial
era, which started in 1924 and used to run
2,400 km from Jodhpur to Sindh are also
on display.
After Indias Independence in 1947,
Jodhpur was initially reluctant to join the
Indian republic, but later its ruler Hanwant
Singh agreed. Today, Jodhpur prevails as one
of the supreme samples of Indias royal and
elegant past. In its narrow lanes, the edifice
of a pristine past silently whispers with contemporary time.

5 A > <  ?0 6 4 
Cuyahoga River in Ohio: In
1969, the Cuyahoga River in
Ohio, described as an oily river
that oozed than flowed, became
famous for being the river that
caught fire. The incident resulted
in a massive environmental campaign in the US in the 1970s.
Earlier the mindset of the
Cleveland people was that prosperity came at an environmental
cost which was a necessary consequence.
The attitude started changing
in the early 60s, and in 1968
Cleveland residents overwhelmingly passed a $100 million bond
initiative to fund the Cuyahogas
cleanup.
Lesson: Public awakening and
initiative.
Lake Karachay, Russia: Lake
Karachay, at a point of time, was
the most polluted site. In the
early 50s, the Soviet Union used
the lake as a dumping spot for
nuclear waste. Reports suggest
that in 1968, radioactive dust
from the lake irradiated half a
million people.
The remediation method of
covering the lake with stones and
concrete was equally disastrous
as the weight pushed the polluted
sediments down and closer to the
groundwater. Sometimes searching for a solution can lead to
other difficult problems.
Lesson: In-depth study and evaluation before undertaking actions.

&OHDQLQJULYHUVFOHDQVLQJSROLFLHV

the Chinese Government has

invested approximately
$8,000,000,000 towards over
2,700 projects in eight rivers and
lakes throughout the country.
Lesson: No country can be a super
power without its water resource
in a pitiable state. Delayed action
can lead to hard hitting costs.

Matanza-Riachuelo River,
Buenos Aires: Scientific studies
have revealed that the water of
this river is almost poison.
Ironically 3.5 million people live
in its contaminated basin. This
river also reflects a classic case of
misappropriation of funds. In
1993, $250,000,000 was set aside
for a clean-up project but only
$1,000,000 was used to improve
the condition of the water.
Lesson: Corruption and misappropriation of funds.
Rhine, Central Europe: The
Rhine in the 1970s was referred
to as Europes sewer and the river
delta in The Netherlands was
described as the cesspit.
Approximately 60 million people
were affected by the pollution. A
small group of concerned people
in The Netherlands set up
Reinwater Foundation to get the
river cleaned up and started with
legal proceedings against the
French potassium mines on
grounds of cross border pollution. The Rhine commission had
set a target to bring back the
salmon to the river by 2000. By
1997, the fish had returned.
Lesson: Litigation, compensation
and regional approach. Raise a
slogan and achieve the target.

The Danube/Black Sea, Central

Europe: Danube is the most
international river basin in the
world that drains into the Black
Sea. Pollution issues constantly
dogged this river. One of the
biggest source of river pollution
was the over-production and
poor handling of solid manure
and liquid waste from raising
livestock. Many farmers were not
even aware of the problem and
therefore their participation was
critically important in the
Danube River Basin Management
Plan so that the Danube waters
meet good ecological status by
the end of 2015.

Lesson: Participation of the people

in water management processes;
awareness campaign, and scientific research and analysis.
Mekong: The Mekong, the lifeline of South-East Asian states, is
home to the worlds largest freshwater fisheries. Through fishing,
aquaculture and irrigation, it sustains 65m people. The issue on
the river is about upstream dams
being built by China and Laos
and the flow impact on the fisheries and silt downstream. The
Mekong demonstrates the significance of upstream actions and
the need for coordination and

transparency in the river

management this is not
only between states abut also
within states.
Lesson: Downstream concerns will
be significant, and upstream
responsibilities in terms of pollution whether between states or
within states will be crucial.
Yellow River, Lanzhou, China:
The water of the Yellow river in
the Lanzhou Province of China
has over the years turned red due
to contamination. The biggest
threat to China will be poor quality of drinking water and waterborne diseases. It is reported that

=5CC1759>D85=1>175=5>D
By bringing in international river
management know-how and
experiences as well as adapting
some of the state-of-the-art solutions, rivers can be restored.
Three broad messages come out
from the lessons mentioned
above. First concerns the timeline. Most of the river cleaning
programmes have a long history
and a long-term plan. Such is the
complexity and dynamic of the
rivers. Thames, Rhine and
Danube in Europe have taken a
period of over 20 years to achieve
the desired result.
A well-observed and realistic
timeframe is required but also to
have regular targets within the
timeframe. Second relates to
funds. Since, river cleaning is a
dynamic process, there needs to
be a continuous flow of funds for
capital as well as operational
costs. Sewage treatment plants

(STPs) are going to be the mainstay of river cleaning. Allocation

of funds and also seeking international assistance will be essential. Funding for such projects
can be an important aspect of
bilateral relations, given the technological and financial strength
of the donor countries.
The third is the method.
Development of rivers has to be
democratic, participatory and
multilateral. Litigation also plays
an important part in terms of
public awareness. It becomes a
critical aspect of good governance. Water policies have to
remember that the flow of water
in rivers is not merely material, it
is also a flow of life and thus
ensuring ecological preservation
and sustainability is fundamental
to the healthy functioning of the
country.
Rivers are not a lost cause.
Nature has the regenerative quality to it and we need to rejuvenate our thoughts. Actions need
to come together and very quickly implemented through water
efficiency mechanisms, scientific
research platform, widespread
education and training, and highlevels of institutional and administrative knowledge. But more
than anything else it needs public
awakening. A good way to be
involved is to feel ashamed of our
actions. The Prime Minister
repeatedly makes us realise this.

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antra, in Indian
esoteric tradition,
has meanings
deeper than a
mere geometric
figure with ritual significance.
There are supposed to be
about 940 yantras of which
Sriyantra holds the crown
position. The author unravels
the hitherto known and
mostly unknown meanings or
manifestations of Sriyantra
and is able to brilliantly
establish it as the most beautiful representation symbolising harmony between macro
and micro aspects of subtle
and causal phenomenon,
from the tiniest subatomic
particles to the infinite universe, from human anatomy
to the geophilosophy of the
nation, and ultimately the
creation itself. To explain all
this, the author of this book

takes the reader through

myriad avenues of knowledge, both ancient and modern, Eastern and Western,
tantra, iconography, medical
science, genetics, mathematics and quantum physics.
Geophilosophy, or the
union of geography and philosophy, a little known and
rarely taught subject, explores
the mutual relationship
between philosophic thought
and the land. It is to be taken
as the philosophy specific to a
particular region or nation
that lies at the root of synthesis of political, territorial,
socio-cultural, historical, economical and spiritual thinking. Geophilosophy thus
explains why different lands
(and the people living there)
have different thought systems. Kumar not only traces
the broad contours of devel-

opment of the concept, especially the work of Gilles

Deleuze and Felix Guattari,
two leading French philosophers in this field, but moves
on to apply the concept to
India to sum up the nature of
Indian thinking.
Reading through the
book, the reader cannot but
admire how Kumar is able to
correlate and interconnect
seemingly unrelated concepts.
Kumar explores the
ancient Puranas and Pali literature for early ideas and
imaginations about geography of India and is able to
find similarities between the
physical landscape of India
and the internal geography of
human being as described by
Yoga, Tantra and Pali texts.
An analysis of the sacred
landscape of India on the
lines of Harvard scholar

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umar Mangalam Birla sums

up his success mantras in
four simple lines:
Your attitude determines
your altitude.
People are your biggest
asset.
There are no shortcuts.
There is no substitute to
smart, hard work

TAKEOVER TALES
Over the years, Kumar
Mangalam has spread the
groups business to 42 countries,
with about half of the companys money coming in from
international operations.
Almost 20 years since he took
over, the Aditya Birla Group is a
$40 billion conglomerate and a
leader in viscose staple fibre,
palm oil, integrated aluminium,
insulators, carbon black, copper
and cement; Indias third largest
telecom company; with businesses in financial services,
retail, trading, natural resources
and agriculture.
Unlike most other businessmen, Kumar Mangalam believes
in what is called the Parta system, which, essentially means
that at the end of the day, there
should be cash flow coming in a very traditional Marwari way
of doing business.
As he charted his global
expansion plans, acquisition was
on the top of his mind. One of the
companies he wanted to acquire,
American aluminium maker
Novelis Inc., was four times the
size of Hindalco (Hindustan
Aluminium Company), the Birla
Groups aluminium manufacturing unit. At the time, Novelis was
going through a very difficult
phase. In a luncheon meeting in
2006 with then Novelis CEO
Brian W Sturgell, Hindalcos managing director Debnarayan
Bhattacharya and group CFO
Sumant Sinha proposed a
takeover.
After the acquisition, which
finally happened in 2007,
Novelis had to be put back on
track. One of the biggest problems was that before it was
acquired by the Birla Group, it
had signed multiple contracts to

Diana Eck leads to the conclusion that Indian nationalism unlike the West is not a
modern political phenomenon but an intricate network
of sacred pilgrim places with
the organic unity of human
body as a metaphor. India is a
unique land with examples of
multiplication, replication
and duplication of sacred
sites as shown by seven
sacred cities, seven sacred
rivers, four dhams, four
kumbhas, 12 jyotirlingas,
numerous Kasis, Gangas,
Merus etc. Kumar terms this
phenomenon of replication
and duplication as the concept of bimba-pratibimba or
mirror reflection and is able
to show it as the hallmark of
Indian thought system.
Sriyantra the Ultimate
Code of Indian Civilisation,

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title of the third chapter, conveys the crux of the book.

Sriyantra in itself is interlocking of triangles. Kumar
painstakingly accumulates
the evidence that much of
Hindu and Buddhist thought
can be termed as triangular
or triadic and finds the connection with Indias triangular topography and many of
the sacred triangles associated with Tripurasundari, the
goddess representing the SriYantra.
In the next chapter entitled Meru and Sriyantra,
Kumar introduces the concept of Meru, a synonym of
Sriyantra, through its varied
meanings. Author concludes
that Sri-yantra is the synthesis of different routes to
apprehend Meru, the peak of
immortality. Sri-yantra is the

most abstract representation

which combines the Hindu
and Buddhist belief systems;
agama and geometry; recusion and singularity; cosmology and geography; ritual and
wisdom; grammar and arbitrary images; mantras and
visualisation; skill and intellect; devotion and perfection.
It is constructed upon the use
of combinatorial mathematics. In my understanding, Sriyantra is the combinatorial
matrix of Indian civilisation.
It is the Meru of Indian civilisation. It holds in its inner
enclosure the nectar and
immortality of the Indian
civilisation. (P. 79)
Fifth chapter of the book
contains analysis of mathematical properties of the
structure of Sriyantra where
Kumar not only presents the

work of several mathematicians ranging from

Aryabhatta in the fifth century to modern day scholars in
this area. Kumars grasp over
the emerging areas of modern
science is evident from the
sixth chapter entitled
Sriyantra and Quest for
Higgs Boson. Here, for the
uninitiated, Kumar not only
presents a simplified picture
of the role of newly discovered subatomic particle Higgs
Boson and its role in the
Standard Model accounting
for the matter and the forces
in the Universe, but goes
much further to fit it in the
Indian conception of sodasi
standing up for fullness,
deriving evidence from
Upanishads and other sources,
linking it finally to the triadic
concept of Universe represented by Sriyantra.
Last two chapters focus
on the map and the flag of
India from the geophilosophical perspective. Discussing
the history of Indian geography in general and her map
in particular, Kumar hammers home the point that
idea of India is not a modern
construct, not the cartographic map, but the Mother
goddess Bharati dotted with
sacred landscape. There is a
continuity and something
underneath the collective
imagination springing from
the geography that has kept
India united and largely
peaceful internally. (p. 149)
Last chapter aptly entitled
Pleading for a New National
Flag makes delightful reading for it brings to light the
debate on national flag in
the Constituent Assembly
along with the history of
flag in India and finally
makes a strong case for
adoption of a new design for
Indian flag based on triadic
nature of Indian civilisation
with a Sriyantra emblem in
the centre.
This important contribution to the Indic studies is
marred by the frequent use of
difficult philosophical and
scientific jargon (not easy to
avoid in the work of this
nature) which a lay reader
will find difficult to grasp.
Nonetheless, the work establishes Niraj Kumar as a leading new age thinker grounded in the ancient Indian
knowledge systems.

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deliver aluminium products, but
had bought the raw material at a
much higher price. The cost
ripped the profit margins.
Finally, the company was turned
around by merging the highcost business of Noveis with the
low-cost business of Hindalco
and taking out redundancies.
The acquisition made the Birla
Group the largest producer of
aluminium of the world.
In 1998 too, Kumar
Mangalam had acquired
Dharani Cement Ltd and Shree
Digvijay Cement Co. Ltd, in a
move to consolidate the companys leadership in the cement
business. In 2004, Grasim, the
Birla Groups flagship cement
company, acquired Larsen &
Toubros (L&T) cement division
for C2,200 crore, which was
renamed UltraTech Cement
Limited. At the time, this was
ranked amongst one of the

largest business deals in India. It

also made Grasim Indias largest
cement producer, and doubled
its capacity And, more recently
in 2014, UltraTech completed
the acquisition of Jaypee Cement
for $600 million, making Kumar
Mangalam the undisputed
cement king of India.
The Birla Group became the
leader in producing carbon
black (a form of carbon used in
rubber products) with the help
of US-based Columbian
Chemicals. The deal was for
$875 million it doubled the
companys capacity to two million tonnes and got it a foothold
in European and North and
South American markets.
CHICKENING OUT
The Birlas are Marwaris, a successful business community
originally hailing from the State
of Rajasthan, who are vegetari-

ans and teetotalers. None of

their office campuses prepares
non-vegetarian food. But how
could the no non-veg practice
continue when 60 per cent of
the companys revenue came
from international operations,
spread across 36 countries and
five continents, employing
1,36,000 people?
In 2003, Kumar Mangalam
bought a small copper mine in
Australia for $12.5 million. The
employees were worried about the
new culture that would be brought
in with the change in ownershipno alcohol and no meat.
But then finally, he saw
what he had least thought of.
And as I was reminded (of) the
first time I saw butter chicken
being served in a Birla canteen (...)
the most difficult challenges turn
out to be the ones you least expect,
he writes in Reimagining India.
At one point of time, Kumar

Mangalam would be impressed

by anyone who spoke the
Queens English, but as he went
to Brazil and Egypt, he came
across people who were not particularly proficient in English,
but extraordinary at their work.
So he started respecting his
chartered accountants more,
who often came from the smaller towns of Rajasthan, and didnt speak English fluently.
PLAYING ON TRUST
In 2001, he launched Idea
Cellular Ltd, which was started
as a joint venture between Birla
and AT&T Communication.
Tata Cellular joined in later. The
trio got the acronym BATATA.
But soon, the Tatas exited the
business and so did AT&T, in
2006. Kumar Mangalam decided
to carry on with Idea Cellular.
But a few years later, Idea started to fizzle out.

Kumar Mangalam decided

to make his company a panIndia player. He bought telecom
licences.The telecom firm also
started to focus on central
India, instead of the metros,
unlike most of its competition.
He wanted Idea to be one of
Indias top three telecom companies. When Himanshu Kapania
became the managing director of
Idea in 2011, the mobile telecom
industry was already changing
courses social networking sites
like Facebook were becoming
popular and India was embracing
the smartphone revolution. The
future was all about Internet
data. And Idea had just won
third-generation (3G) spectrum
in nine out of 22 telecom circles
in the spectrum allocation auction by the Government in 2010.
The biggest challenge was to
see that the Idea 3G network and
services rollout happened properly. After that, it was all about
creating customer stickiness, so
that more people rode the Idea
network. In the next phase, the
emphasis was on offering services, whether it was Facebook
or instant messaging services like
Whatsapp at cheap rates, entertainment services in sachet packets and, later, bundling 3G services with affordable smartphones. Today, Idea has reached
a market cap of over C
and is highly profitable. It also
has the lowest debt equity ratio
compared to its peers, Airtel and
Reliance Communications.Q

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n January, a friend of mine got a

personal audience with Pope
Francis, the leader of the
Catholic Church. He showed me
the pictures of the Pope and him. I
was attracted by the body language
of the two protagonists in the picture. It looked as if two friends had
met after a long time. Unable to
hold back my curiosity, I asked my
friend, what message did the Pope
convey during the conversation.
Oh, he just asked me to pray for
him. All he said was, Please pray for
me; pray for me. Nothing more than
that, said my friend.
This was rather strange to me,
who had heard that the Pope always
blessed people who called on him
with the words, God bless you my
dear son/daughter. A Pope pleading
his followers to pray for him is something abnormal, which gives the message that all is not well in Vatican.
My doubts were quenched when
a news report appeared within weeks
about the possible abdication of the
thorn by Pope Francis. I do not
know, even two or three. Two have
already passed. It is somewhat a vague
sensation, the Pope told a Mexican
TV channel recently, when asked how
long he would continue to lead the
Church. Since the immediate objective of the article is not to discuss
about the sense of fear in the mind of
Pope Francis, I am coming back to
the happenings in India over the last
couple of months.
Last Sunday saw Catholic churches all over the country reading out
pastoral letters during the congregation. The letter expressed apprehensions, concerns and fears over the

increasing number of attacks on

churches, convents and institutions
owned by the Church and of course
the chosen representatives of the God.
The ghar wapsi (re-conversion), vandalism on churches in New Delhi and
rape of a nun at Nadia district in Bengal has estranged and upset the
Catholic sect. These issues were highlighted in the letter.
Monday saw 86-year-old JF
Ribeiro, former Punjab Director General of Police, coming out in the open
and alleging that Christians are being
selectively targeted in India following
the change of Government in New
Delhi in May 2014. The former
super-cop says he finds himself a
stranger in his own country. He
claims that though he was demoted in
1985 from the post of Secretary in the
Union Ministry of Home Affairs to
the post of DGP in Punjab, he did not
have any reservation to take up the
job, though it had been well below
his stature.
A close scrutiny tells that Mr
Ribeiro was a Special Secretary in the
ministry and his posting as Punjab
DGP was a promotion. It is interesting to note that the former Commissioner of Bombay City Police was not
considered to be appointed as Maharashtra DGP though he had earned
some name fighting the mobsters in
the megapolis. Public memory being
short, many people may not remember the fact that, no less a person than
CaptainAmarinder Singh had questioned the appointment of Mr
Ribeiro, who had no experience fighting terrorists, as the DGP of Punjab. It
was the legendary KPS Gill, Mr
Ribeiros successor, who wiped out

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terrorism from Punjab.

Following Mr Ribeiros outburst
came the sharp criticism of Cardinal
Baselios Cleemis, the president of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of India.
He accused the Union Government
of protecting cattle while the security
of the Catholics was being ignored.
His comment was based on the
alleged rape of a nun in Nadia in
West Bengal and the attacks on
churches in New Delhi. Cardinal
Cleemis (55) is the youngest member
of the college of cardinals which elect
the pope. It is an open secret that he
has set his eyes on the papal chair.
Cardinal Cleemis was highly
critical of the ghar wapsi (religious
conversion ) programmes happening
all over the country. The Catholics
also got annoyed when RSS chief
Mohan Bhagawat said the motive of
Nobel Laureate Teresa was nothing
but religious conversion. The Cardinal and the laity forgot the fact that
Mother Teresa herself had declared
that religious conversion was the
basis behind all her charity works.
She had staged a sit-in protest in
1978 against the Freedom of Religion
Bill introduced by OP Tyagi, then a
Member of Parliament.
The world may not know the fact
that Christianity has been surviving
and strengthening in India for the last
2,000 years since its arrival in the
country in AD 52. Many a Hindu has
been killed in riots by over-zealous
proselytisers, but by and large India
has been the safest place in the nonChristian world for the Christians.
The immediate objective of the propaganda unleashed by the Church is
to portray India as a country inimical

to the Church. Why? The answer is

embedded in recent history.
The year 1978 saw the passing
away of Pope Paul VI (81) and the
election of Italian Albino Luciani as
the next Pope. His tenure began on
August 26, 1978, and lasted till September 28, 1978, when he was found
dead under mysterious circumstances
in the Vatican. Though the reason for
his death was given as cardiac arrest,
Pope Luciani never had any cardiac
problems. No post-mortem was held
and the funeral was conducted in a
hasty manner, said Kunhanandan
Nair, a veteran journalist based in
Berlin, who covered the death of Pope
John Paul 1 and the subsequent election of the next Pope. Something
was rotten in Vatican at that time.
There were reports about misuse and
misappropriation of $130 crore from
the Bank of Vatican, dirty connection
between certain cardinals and mafia
members and of course the CIA, said
Nair. According to the journalist, the
death of John Paul 1 was described by
the Italian media as a Sacred murder
in the Vatican.
He said there was enough evidence to suggest that Pope Luciani
was murdered by a member of the
mafia who was hired and brought in
from Palermo. Pope Luciani had
decided to oust the then president of
the Bank of Vatican on charges of
embezzlement and to throw out certain powerful Cardinals involved in
paedophile, sexual controversies and
drug trafficking. He had prepared an
action-plan to clean the Church but
the powerful cartel with the help of
the CIA and the mafia finished him
off, reminiscences Nair.

5 4 4 3 1 0 2 :
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Reader response to
Swapan Dasguptas column,
Usual Suspects, published
on March 15:
Expected loss of credibility:
A large section of the aam
aadmi knew that the Aam
Aadmi Party would end up
in the present state. Only a
section of the minority
community had different
hopes. These people wanted
to prevent the BJPs rise and
voted en masse for the AAP.
That is how the AAP won.
A few of them were also
hoping for some freebies.
If we look carefully at the
vote-share, then the
BJPs share really did not
dwindle in Delhi. So, blaming all Delhiites for the
BJPs fate would be unfair
and inaccurate.
Piya

Revolt can grow bigger:

We agree that the Aam
Aadmi Party is no different
from others, since it is also
prepared to sacrifice principles when it comes to the
greed for power. Otherwise,
how can the party throw out
two founder-members from
its Political Affairs
Committee merely because
they had raised some fundamental questions?
The revolt against
Arvind Kejriwal could grow
once he fails to provide the
freebies that he has
promised to the people.
The Government in
Delhi does not have enough
resources to give the various
sops. This will cause an
erosion of support among
the AAP voters. The two
founder-members will wait
for an opportune time and
then strike.
Venkataraman Jagadesan

Exposed by the passing day:

Supporters of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
and the BJP, and the others,
who had known the worth
of Arvind Kejriwal, are
having the last laugh.
This is not the normal
evolution of a political party
that we are seeing, but a
phony revolution in
television studios gone
terribly awry.
The BJPs representatives in the Delhi Assembly
and in Parliament will
have to help those hapless
slum-dwellers and
rickshaw-pullers on
humanitarian ground.
Meanwhile, the Aam
Aadmi Party and its
leadership appear capable
of much more serious
damage than what has come
out in the sting operations
against them.
Jitendra

9cbQU\cX_gcdXUgQid_
`b_dUSdY^W^QdY_^X__T
Reader response to
Kanchan Guptas column,
Coffee Break, published on
March 15:
Conflicting ideas create
chaos: Nations are born of
the myths which people
weave around their lives.
India was a cultural continuum which perished when the
people of the land lost militarily to invaders. Since then,
it was a bunch of fragmented, conflict-ridden territories
which strangely and improbably wanted a nation called
India. It did not succeed as
partition happened on religious lines took place. Since
then, ethnicity has been promoted to its extreme pitch.
Ethnicity and nationhood are
contrary principles and one
thing will have to give way.
S Kurup

Trusting the non-Indian

arbiter: In India, the word,
nation, is a bad one.
Anything said about the
defence of India is trashed
by Nehruvian status quoists
as jingoism. The recent case
is that of Priya Pillai, who
wants go abroad to vent her
rant against India.
The likes of Jairam
Ramesh are batting for her.
Unwittingly, the so-called
liberals and the ultra-liberals seek to debilitate nationhood by trashing all talk on
those lines as jingoism. But
they promote their own
brand of jingoism in foreign
countries. Is Priya Pillai not
promoting the White mans
superiority theory by
approaching the West
against her own regime, and
by recognising them as the
sole arbiter of Indian
citizens rights?
Ashutosh Dube

The never-again museum:

Indians surely have a lot to
learn from Israel in terms of
preserving cultural heritage
and history, and taking pride
in them. The Islamic and the
Christian invaders of India
have also left a large amount
of documentation of the
atrocities perpetrated against
the Hindus. Making a never
again museum for each of
these would require land
greater than the size of the
whole of Israel. Why dont
the authorities just make the
Taj Mahal into a never
again museum?
Adnyat
Deliberate distraction:
Political debate is designed to
distract the masses rather than
engage them on issues that
may be bland but are of
importance. A section of the
media is sold out.
Nilan

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VHWWRVRUWRXWSDUW\PHVV
elhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal is back from
Bengaluru after naturopathy
treatment. A source says
that even though he had to
get his blood sugar and cough treated,
that wasnt the sole reason why he kept
himself away from Delhi for more than
10 days. Kejriwal was well aware of the
party infighting and wanted to keep
away from the controversy. He also
wanted to see how Manish Sisodia and
other ministers run the Government in
his absence. He is said to be satisfied on
both fronts. He is confident that Sisodia
can run the Government, so now he will
concentrate on the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) organisation.
According to sources, Kejriwal will
finalise the agenda of the National
Executive meeting of the party, which
will see the participation of more than
300 founder members of AAP. It is
being said that Kejriwal and his aides
are preparing a list of party members
who are close to either Prashant
Bhushan or Yogendra Yadav. A separate
list of Kejriwal supporters is also being
prepared. The Delhi CM is expected to
personally talk to those who are in a
dilemma. Sources say the leaders and
workers with Leftist and Socialist
thoughts will be kept aside. The real
reason for controversy is to make
Kejriwal the high command, but his
supporters are presenting the whole
matter as an ideological battle between
socialism and others.

challenge the summon issued by Patiala

House Court in the Supreme Court.
Probably, Chidambaram is helping him
prepare the legal strategy. Sources say
Sonia and Rahul like him and know his
abilities. Due to the defeat in the Lok
Sabha Elections and the rivalry within
the party, Chidambaram has been keeping a low profile and has been more
active in the court room. He also frequently writes columns in newspapers
on financial issues.
It is also being said that since the
high command is giving importance to
Chidambaram, president of Tamil Nadu
Congress EVKS Elangovan has also
become mild. Some days ago, he was
demanding that Chidambaram and his
son Karti be sacked from the party, but
now he is on the backfoot.
Elangovan had issued notices to six
leaders who were loyal to Chidambaram
and has now taken the notices back. The
six leaders are said to have given a reply
to the high command instead of
Elangovan, and the high command was
satisfied with their answers.
Chidambarams arch rival Jayanthi
Natarajan has also left the Congress.
Probably, the party will now send him to
the Rajya Sabha as soon as possible.

<0=978B 0<18C8>=B

ast year, former CM of Bihar was

L
defeated in the Lok Sabha Elections
and his security deposit was seized. In

38B?DC40<>=62>=6<?b

hough the number of Congress MPs

T
has reduced to only 44, the fight
between them has increased. There is no

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egotiating the nation
and investigating secularity have been
trends of discourse in India
for long. But in this era of
globalisation, can national
identity be defined as a
fixed, unified notion?
Extending what Amitav
Ghosh had established in
The Shadow Lines, a nation
is not a homogenous idea,
particularly in the case of a
nation like India with its
multiple cultures, languages,
beliefs, and practices. Within
this construct, creating a
unified national identity or
employing the nation as a
form of narrative is not just
difficult but could also be
often misleading. However,
certain headlines and titles
have essentially ridden on
the technique of presenting
the nation (or a religion) as a
cultural trope, often to mirror the society. Do they
evoke sentiments of patriotism and initiate a productive revolution? Or are they
tools of propaganda to channelise hidden agendas?
Recent films like Clint
Eastwoods American Sniper
based on the life of US Navy
SEAL Chris Kyle or the now
infamous documentary
Indias Daughter by Leslee
Udwin have both used titles
which generate a sense of
national consciousness.
India and America are both
generalised in the titles
which gives an impression
that both projects are structured as cultural signifiers
for/of both countries. Sure,
such titles reflect social
polity, or ostensibly seem to
make a cultural statement,
but to what extent is this

coordination between Congress MPs in

the Lok Sabha. There is no coordination
between leader of the Congress in Lok
Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge and deputy
leader Capt Amarinder Singh. Singh isnt
usually present in the House. Of course,
the chief whip of the party Jyotiraditya
Scindia is active, but his liveliness is not
being appreciated by some leaders. They
are complaining that they are not getting
a chance to speak in the House due to
the Parliamentary leaders.
Apparently, Congress MP from West
Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has
complained to the Congress president
on the same issue. The controversy
started after the discussion on the Land
Bill in Lok Sabha. Scindia and
Deepender Hooda gave a long speech
on the Bill, and then many Congress
MPs claimed that most of the time allotted for the party was being consumed
by the Parliamentary leaders, leaving little or no time for them. Party leaders
say the Congress is getting less time due
to the few MPs and that is the cause of
all problems.

0;;80=24>=CA02:8=9:

eemingly, the alliance between the BJP

and PDP is coming back on track.
After initial jolts, both parties are heading towards better coordination. CM
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is said to have
taken the initiative and is trying to better
the relationship with the BJP. Sources say
Mufti has changed after the direct message of BJP president Amit Shah. Home
Minister Rajnath Singh had also said that
the alliance was not a priority for the
Centre when it came to national security.
After that Mufti has taken many
decisions which have made BJP leaders
happy, prompting Shah to say that there
is no need to break the alliance.
The alliance was at stake when
Mufti first thanked terrorists and
Pakistan for peaceful elections and then
released Masarat Alam. But now Mufti
has taken a slew of decisions to revive
relations with the BJP, including raising
the status of two ministers from the BJP
quota and giving them independent
charge. Deputy CM Nirmal Singh is
now being given more importance, and
Sajjad Lone has been given more important portfolios. Lone has been made a

minister from the BJP quota.

Apart from this, the PDP and BJP
have formed a coordination committee
which will discuss every important issue
and then take a decision. To placate the
BJP, Home Secretary Suresh Kumar has
been transferred. Now it seems that the
governance will be back on track. Though
some BJP leaders are still apprehensive
about the Afzal Guru controversy.

<0H0640ABD?5>A?>;;B

he Assembly Elections will be held in

Uttar Pradesh after two years, but
T
BSP supremo Mayawati has already started the preparations. Sources say she has
assigned the responsibilities to new officials of the organisation. Apart from this,
the process to identify the 403 candidates
has started. This is the first time that
Mayawatis party is recruiting educated
youths to take responsibility at the booth
level. Before this, district coordinators
were entrusted with this responsibility
and they chose core voters of BSP for
booth management. But this time the
scenario has changed. Booth level
responsibilities are being given to educated youths from all sections of society.

Sources in BSP say the Samajwadi

Party is not their real problem, and that
it can be easily handled. BSP leaders feel
that the crime rate has gone up during
Akhilesh Yadavs tenure and there is dissatisfaction among Yadav-Muslim core
voters. Middle class and forward voters
are angry too, but BSP is not able to
attract them. Leaders of BSP say this vote
bank seems to be loyal BJP supporter.
The BJP has become successful in
putting itself as the main Opposition
party in the State.
First of all, BSP has to reclaim the
status of the main Opposition party, and
the BJP is putting hindrances in its path.
It is the BJP which maintained an attacking posture in the Assembly and issued
the list of failures when the Akhilesh
Government completed three years.

<>A4?>F4AC>2783D

he importance of former Finance

T
Minister P Chidambaram has
increased again. When Manmohan
Singh was summoned in the coal scam,
Sonia Gandhi sought Chidambarams
opinion, and he briefed her about all the
technicalities. Manmohan will soon

35 years of his political career, Jitan Ram

Manjhi always wanted to become an
MLA, but now his ambition is to become
the CM again. His supporters are preparing to field more than 100 candidates of
Manjhis party, prompting him to
announce that his party will fight on 125
seats. He has been briefed that if he
fights on 125 seats, he can win at least 35
to 40, making the fight triangular and
then be in a position to negotiate with
Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar and
also the BJP.
One of Manjhis closes aides says he
would not talk to Nitish, but will keep
the communication channels open with
Lalu and the BJP. He feels that if he
chooses the option of a pre-poll
alliance, then he will get lesser seats
and will not be in a position to negotiate after the elections. So he thinks it is
better to go alone.
Sources in the Manjhi camp claim
that the BJP can help him if he fights
alone. Though, the BJP is worried that if
he fights alone, it can harm the party in
the same manner as it will harm the
JDU. Manjhis camp is discussing on the
point that if the JDU and RJD dont
have an alliance, he can choose to go
with the latter. Lalu might give him
more seats in comparison to the BJP.
So, he and his close aides are keeping
every option open.

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politics of representation justified? For, India today is a

magnificent manifestation of
ambivalence, heterogeneity,
and variation. It is substantially distanced from the colonial yoke. Therefore, creating
an impression that a certain
project mirrors the pulse of
the entire country often bears
the risk of unmasking itself as
propaganda.
In the opening scene of
American Sniper, Chris Kyle
(played by Bradley Cooper),
shoots a child and a woman
who are hurling a grenade at
the US Marines. Kyle, evidently traumatised by the
futility of violence, also
earns the nickname of
Legend among his peers for
his kills. The cultural demarcation is clear here: A legendary American sniper
comes to the rescue of the
nation each time its security
seems compromised, even if
its a child who is propagating the violence, for there is
no other way. He will kill the
child and then feel sad about
it. And then a movie will be
based on such diligent sentiments and it will be accordingly titled, just in case people still miss the point.
Closer home, it was
strongly argued that Indias

Daughter highlighted the

mentality of Indian men as
the convict in the December
16 gangrape held the girl
responsible for the tragedy.
He stressed that because she
resisted the attack, she had it
coming. A defence lawyer, a
law enforcer himself, in a
moment of striking irony, said
that he would murder his
female relatives if they were
found engaged in pre-marital
activities. If on one hand,
statements like these underlined how, for all Indias
claims to modernity, the seeds
of repression and regression
are still immovably ingrained
in people, calling it psychology of all Indians only aggravate the problematic signification. Its arbitrary and convoluted. Udwin, at the same
time, also underlines the ferocious battle the youths of the
country waged against such
constricting mindsets, and
thereby, the conflict between
the two Indias are further
highlighted.
Similarly, a couple of
years earlier, in 2012,
Innocence of Muslims was
the title of the trailer written and produced by
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula
(reportedly, under the pseudonym Sam Bacile. And it

spared no iota of innocence for any Muslim. Two

versions of a 14-minute
video uploaded on YouTube
under the titles The Real
Life of Muhammad and

Muhammad Movie Trailer

were met with wide protests
and rage, specially from the
Muslim world. Two months
later in September 2012,
video clips of the trailers

dubbed in Arabic went viral

as well. Reportedly, during
the dubbing, its anti-islamic
ideologies were inserted
without the knowledge of
the actors. If one remembers watching either of the
videos, it was a blatant
onslaught on Islam and
denigrated Prophet
Muhammad. Muslims were
projected as savages and
reduced to an object of
merciless ridicule. Worse, it
was also released on
September 11 in Egypt and
soon spread to other parts
of the world. Needless to
say, it was disturbing and
horrifying to watch parodies of the Prophet being
depicted as a child abuser,
homosexual buffoon, womaniser, and a beast.
Using a striking title to
establish an ideology has
been in practice for long.
For instance, the reputation
of Hard Rock or Death
Metal music precedes them.
They are unapologetically
loud, aggressive and at
times intentionally blasphemous. The absence of hesitance in negating the
essence of God and religion
is conspicuous by their
overt critical lyrics. Christ
Deformed (The Black

Dahlia Murder), F*** your

God (Deicide) The Bible is
Bulls*** (Corporate
Avenger) are mere examples
of a massive range of examples of the same: The Bible
is Bulls*** furnishes us
with the most straightforward demonstration of their
ideology with the blatant
lyrics:
The Bible is bulls***,
the Koran is a lie
The Bhagavad Gita did
not fall from the sky
These are the books written by men
They have caused wars,
now follow if you can.
Such titles thus treat
obscenity and blasphemy as
equipment to express the
complexities of human
experiences and perceptions. Blasphemy thus
becomes a man-made
aspect and the line between
morality and modernity
turns obscure.
Indians are famously
passionate and emotional,
and our films are no exception. Hence in the context
of India, a title bearing a
sense of national identity is
bound to have a reasoning
effect. For example, the
nationalist rhetoric of the
pre-independence years

produced films valourising

the mother figure. Mehboob
Khans Aurat, a modest film
made in the early Forties
was remade in colour as
Mother India in 1956.
Notice how the title was
changed to reflect the making of the new nation, the
projection of Indian culture
to the world market. It was
the immediate postIndependence moment that
led to the phenomenal iconisation and identification of
the mother and nation in
popular consciousness. Its
title indicated the female
body as a privileged signifier as a nationalist discourse.
Decades later, and in
more recent times, a newspaper headline No One
Killed Jessica also led to the
creation of a film using the
same title on the revolutionary Jessica Lal murder case
in Delhi. It was an
inescapably haunting headline, mocking right to the
face of Indian judiciary
which failed to put a criminal behind bars for murder
until the general public of
the country was mobilised
to fight against injustice.
World War II brought
an end to the concept of the
nation as a reality and economic homogeneity led to
interdependence among
states. Thus, when titles
such as the ones mentioned
above use the nation as a
carrier of a nations consciousness, it opens a can of
questions and discourses
on cultural susceptibility,
national ethos, the dispute
between public and private,
and humanity in general.

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ack Huston, the British actor
known for Boardwalk Empire,
American Hustle and more, has
seen his Hollywood cachet grow further with the the news that hell take
the lead in the upcoming remake of
gothic adventure The Crow.
The original, based on James
OBarrs comic book, concerns a man
who is brought back to life and sets
about avenging the death of his
fiancee, guided by a telepathic link
with a crow. It topped the box office
chart in the US when it was released
in 1994, and was made all the more
poignant by the death of its lead,
Bruce Lees son Brandon, who was
killed when a gun on set was mistakenly filled with live ammunition.
Huston has been rumoured for the
role in the remake from director Corin
Hardy, but an interview by Dread
Central with OBarr at a comic convention suggests that its a done deal.
Jack Huston has definitely been cast,
OBarr was reported as saying, and that
he was really happy with that choice.
Its another eye-catching lead for

an actor who has been steadily making

his name with acclaimed supporting
roles. He gave Boardwalk Empire one
of its most vivid characters as disfigured war veteran Richard Harrow;
played Jack Kerouac in Kill Your
Darlings; and rounded out the all-star
ensemble in American Hustle. In his
biggest role yet, he will play Ben-Hur
in the remake of the swords-and-sandals epic which is currently filming.

5Zd_Vje`SR_d^`\Z_XZ_R]]^`gZVd
isney has banned smoking in
all of its forthcoming movies,
unless characters being
depicted were historically known for
lighting up. The news broke at
Disneys annual shareholder meeting
in San Francisco last week, during
which the studio also confirmed
plans for Frozen 2 and revealed the
title of its Star Wars spin-off project,
Rogue One.
Walt Disney chairman and CEO
Bob Iger said he would absolutely
prohibit smoking in all Disney films
going forward, including those produced by the studios wholly owned
comic-book-movie division, Marvel
Studios, and Star Wars unit Lucasfilm.
I thought it was the right thing
for us to do, said Iger, who was
responding to a query from an
investor. We are extending our policy to prohibit smoking in movies
across the board: Marvel, Lucas,
Pixar and Disney films, he said.
Except when we are depicting a historical figure who may have smoked
at the time. For instance, weve been
doing a movie on Abraham Lincoln,
he was a smoker, and we would consider that acceptable.
But in terms of any new charac-

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uneera Williams and
Sukina Owen-Douglas
are rappers. They combine spoken word, hip
hop and poetry for their
music and in their own words
they rap hard. But theyre also
Muslim women who pray five times a
day, dont drink, and always wear
hijabs. The women are the first to
admit this makes their chosen career
rather unusual in fact theyre widely
known as one of the first well-known
female Muslim hip hop duos.
Theres this dichotomy, says
Owen-Douglas, 33. Some days Id walk
down the street in my hijab with my
headphones on listening to the WuTang Clan. Id catch a glimpse of myself
in the mirror and laugh. Someone
would see me and probably think I
cant speak English properly, but Im
actually listening to rap.
Shes not the only one whos surprised by her music passions she
explains that most people look at the
pair of them and never assume theyll
rap. They think well do some poetry,
or sing, or be really soft. But I used to
rap really hard, and I think it was
because of these stereotypes.
I wasnt overcompensating, but we
were trying to be like, we can rap just
as hard as the guys. Were not these
kind of fragile, petalled flowers.
The fast-talking duo do not come
across like flowers. Theyve been rapping ever since they left their home
town of Bristol to study at the
University of London more than 10
years ago. Back then they formed their
two-person group Poetic Pilgrimage,
and now it has thousands of fans across
the world.
Its pretty impressive stuff, but of
course, they also have their critics.
Its really because were women, or
were doing music, says Williams, 34.
Theres this idea [in Islam that]
our voices are beauty, and we shouldnt
show our beauty. She says that at gigs

My national dress isnt a shalwar

kameez, its H&M, says Owen-Douglas.
Some people think the West is jaded.
And the West and Islam cant meet. But
we cant ever have that stance because
thats who we are.
Fashion has also been a big part of
their identity exploration: A big thing
is how we express ourselves through
our clothing. Before we converted,
[Williams] had a bright red Mohican. I
had long dreadlocks, one half was
bleached blond and the other was
black. Then you come to Islam and
youre trying to figure it out you know.
We went through a stage of being like,
were black we need to represent ourselves. We wore these big mama
African dresses. Then we were like,
were MCs so it was trainers, Adidas
everything.

in the Muslim community the women

have been asked to sit down throughout their performance and not move, or
even perform behind a screen.

=>C<DB;8<?>BC4A68A;B

At a Muslim speed dating event, one

man even told her, Ill pray for you sister when she told him about her hip
hop. The women laugh over the story,
and Owen-Douglas says that even
though shes happily married to a
Muslim who supports her, people often
tell him he shouldnt let his wife show
off her voice on a stage.
She says his response sums up their
thoughts: Hes always like, have you
heard my wife rap? Thats not beautification, shes scaring people.
Having asked the women to rap for
me, I see what he means (they go for it
hard in The Telegraph offices). But its
also easy to see why theyre so popular.
Theyre passionate, powerful and, quite
frankly, good. Its no wonder that they
dont just get criticism from the Muslim
community some people often try
and mould them into ambassadors for
the religion. We get expectations of
what we should be, says Williams.
People are always like, you should
write a song about the Quran. They
want us to be their poster girl and not
say anything against [Muslims].
This is not what the women want
to do. Theyre both from Caribbean
backgrounds and actually converted to
Islam exactly 10 years ago. Their songs
do have messages about Islam such
as being your own person and doing
whats right for you but theyre also
about social/political issues, their heritage and female empowerment.

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ters that are created for any of those

films, under any of those labels, we
will absolutely prohibit smoking in
any of those films.
Disney supposedly banned smoking in family films in 2007, two
months after US ratings body the
Motion Picture Association of
America said it would consider the
habit when awarding film certificates.
The policy does not appear to have
been universally enforced, however,
with the character of Absolom the
caterpillar retaining his trademark
hookah in Tim Burtons Alice in
Wonderland remake from 2010.

2X]STaT[[P SV]]V`WFDS`i`WWZTV

F48=B?8A4F><4=

So how do they find wearing a hijab

after so many years of expressing themselves through their hair? People say
the hijab is oppressive, says Williams.
But in lots of cultures covering your
head has always been ennobling. It
showed you cant mess with this
woman, shes of a higher status.
I would never cover my face, adds
Owen-Douglas, talking about wearing a
niqab, a headscarf that shows only the
eyes. Because then how could I
engage? And were all about engaging.
She sees their missions as trying to
show the world that Muslim women
arent quiet, oppressed and isolated:
We represent everything that is difficult. Were black Muslim women.
When people see us dressed
colourfully as Muslim women, white
women smile at us. Maybe theyre not
used to it and want to interact with us.
But either way, people look at us and
confront the prejudices they have. They
think if they can be Muslim women
and be fun and enjoy what they want,
then I can be whatever I want.

<H=0C8>=0;3A4BB.7<

It all sums up their own experiences.

Though theyre now devout Muslims
after being inspired by Malcolm Xs
story, theyre both still keen to keep
their Caribbean roots in their music as well as their British ones.

CWT3PX[hCT[TVaP_W

inderella proved the latest big

winner for Disneys trend of live
action fairytale remakes after
topping the US box office at the weekend on its way to a $132.5m worldwide debut. The $70.1m estimated
haul for Kenneth Branaghs film was
one of the best ever openings for the
month of March, and just ahead of
Maleficents $69.4m debut in June last
year. Disneys riff on Sleeping Beauty
starred Angelina Jolie in the title role
and went on to make $758.4m globally
to be one of the top 10 movies of 2014
at the box office.

Cinderella features a largely British

cast transferred from the small screen.
Downton Abbeys Lily James takes the
role of the downtrodden servant girl,
with Game of Thrones Richard
Madden as Prince Charming.
Australian Oscar-winner Cate
Blanchett is Cinders wicked stepmother, with Helena Bonham Carter as the
fairy godmother in a traditionalist take
which has drawn strong reviews.
Analysts suggested the film had
benefited in the US from an audience
skewed towards female cinemagoers,
families and under 12s.

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sukimi Ayano made her first scareT

crow 13 years ago to frighten off
birds pecking at seeds in her garden.
The life-sized straw doll resembled
her father, so she made more.
And then couldnt stop.
Today, the tiny village of
Nagoro in southern Japan
is teeming with Ayanos
hand-sewn creations,
frozen in time for a
tableau that
captures the
motions of
everyday life.
Scarecrows pose in
houses, fields, trees,
streets, and at a crowded
bus stop where they wait
for a bus that never comes.
In this village, there are only
35 people, said Ayano. But
there are 150 scarecrows, so
its multiple times more.
Each of the 350
scarecrows crafted by
Ayano over the years was
built on a wooden base, with

newspapers and cloth used to fill them

out. They are often dressed in hand-medowns, and the ones propped up outdoors lined with plastic to keep them
dry. Tourists have started to come too,
drawn by the two lifeless delegates
guarding the road leading to the village,
next to a board identifying Nagoro as
Scarecrow Village.

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n eagle-owl that has

reigned terror over a
small Dutch town for more than a year
has been captured and will be relocated. Dubbed the terror owl by
locals, the bird of prey has been
swooping down on unsuspecting residents and gouging flesh. At least 50
people have been injured, many
requiring stitches.
The attacks often lead to nasty
injuries, including hefty bumps, cuts
and scratches, Purmerend leaders said
in a written statement.
Last week, a falconer captured
the owl, moving it to a temporary

aviary until a suitable home is

located. The municipality had
planned to leave the bird alone, but
the attacks were more intense,
city leaders said. Many residents
in the area were anxious to go on
the street. The bird is one of the most
common and largest species of owls in
the world. While it is a protected
species, city leaders received a special
exemption to relocate the creature.
Another dive-bombing owl in
Oregon has led park workers to recommend people wear hard hats between
dusk and dawn during nesting season.

They told the Cape Cod

Times they have had their
share of adventures, including encounters with bears
and extreme weather, including an
avalanche, a landslide, and blizzards.
They started in 2006 with small
trips, and Jennifer Riehl, a research scientist, and her husband, an engineering
instructor, now typically drive about
50,000 miles a year. Their next goal is to
finish visiting Alaskas boroughs, and
start on Hawaii.

2>D?;42><?;4C4E8B8CC>
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n Oklahoma architecture firms proposal for a tornado-shaped skyA

scraper in downtown Tulsa includes a

D?8

Michigan couple has completed a

A
quest to visit all 3,108 counties in
the lower 48 States in the US closing
out the task with their trip to
Nantucket. Jennifer and Jonathan Riehl
completed their journey last week
when they boarded a ferry to the
island. The Riehls, of Hancock,
Michigan, have done it all in the same
vehicle a green 1999 Dodge Intrepid
with more than 540,000 miles.

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weather museum and a rotating restaurant at the top.

Architecture firm Kinslow, Keith &
Todd designed the building, which they
dubbed the Oklahoma Weather
Museum & Research Center, as part of a
Reimagining Downtown challenge for
local magazine Tulsa People.
The architects said the building
design, which would include a weather

museum, a weather research

centre and a top-floor rotating restaurant, is meant to
resemble a spinning tornado
to draw attention.
This would be Tulsas
Space Needle, architect Jim
Boulware said. No one else
would have one. Andrew
Kinslow, a partner at the
firm, said there has been
a lot of local excitement
about the design, but thus far
no clients have come forward
seeking to take on the estimated $150 million construction project.
Theres a number of
people who would like to
see it built, Kinslow told
The Huffington Post.
Theres a lot of oil
money in Tulsa, and if
people decide they want it
done... itll get done. The
men said they are not worried about upsetting survivors
by building the tornado-inspired
skyscraper in Tornado Alley.

D?8

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mathematically-challenged
A
man in India was dumped
by his bride-to-be when he

failed to correctly answer a

basic addition problem just
prior to the ceremony.
Police in Uttar Pradesh said
they were called to mediate
between the bride and grooms
families in Rasoolabad after
Lovely Singh backed out of
plans to wed Ram Baran when
she discovered her intended husband could not add 15 and six.
Baran gave the answer as 17
instead of the correct 21.
Mohar Singh, the father of
the bride, said Barans family
failed to disclose his lack of education before the marriage plans
were arranged.
Any [first grade] student
must be able to solve the simple
problem asked by us. The family
of the groom had kept us in dark
about the youths qualification,
Singh said.

D?8

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ealth, as we all know is

the level of functional
or metabolic efficiency
of a living organism. In
humans, it is the general condition of a persons mind and
body, usually meaning to be free
from all kinds of illnesses, injuries or
pain. Staying fit and fine in body
and mind has been one of the greatest ambitions of mankind, since time
immemorial, as we are well aware of
the fact that health is wealth.
However, with the changing times
and modernisation of our lifestyles,
we are getting more and more prone
to various types of diseases, like high
blood pressure, diabetes, liver and
kidney problems, mental disorders,
etc.Well, you may be little amazed to
know that there is a permanent cure
or remedy in Vastu, for all the above
mentioned diseases!
Vastu is the art and science of living well. All the life-contexts, in current times are fraught with stress,
major or minor, long or short-lived
and wrong food habits. This can lead
to an unsettled mind and diseased
body leading to poor health. So, calm
your mind, eat healthy and sleep
well. Also practise yoga and other
free-hand exercises in the right Vastu
direction or zone of your home/office
to get the desired results.
In fact, you may find it hard to
believe that after solving about 12,
000 case studies, Mahavastu experts
have inferred a highly effective 4Step method to strengthen the
Northeast (NE), the West-Northwest
(WNW), the NorthNorthwest(NNW), the EastSoutheast (ESE), the SouthSouthwest(SSW), and the South-East
(SE)Vastu zones, which are considered to be the main affected areas, if
you have frequent health problems.
This certainly does not mean
that the art and science of Vastu can
replace medical science. However,
since Mahavastu, ayurveda and yoga
are all founded on the same philosophy of Sankhya Darshan (the Indian
metaphysics), hence, all the three are
interrelated to each other in some
way or the other.

In the Mahavastu philosophy,

the entire space is divided into three
equal divisions, in which each division is of 120 degrees (one-third of
360 degrees), and represents the
vata, pitta and kapha, the three main
constituents in ayurveda (the Indian
traditional science of medicine), also
known as the tridosha (or the three
imbalances).
Due to these three basic imbalances, the state of physical health
varies. Each division of 120 degrees
encompasses certain Mahavastu
zones, and whichever of these zones
is imbalanced, as per the 4-steps of
Mahavastu, the corresponding dosha
will appear as disease in the Body.
Same is the case with mental
health. In yoga, triguna (the three
attributes of mind), viz Static
(tamas), Active (rajas) and Serene
(sattva) are responsible for the
health of the mind. Again, the same
(one-third) division is responsible
for each guna.
With the 16 Mahavastu techniques, you can easily work out the
solutions and reasons of why your
health gets disturbed regularly, or
why you have to take refuge in
strong medicines or antibiotics.
Sometimes, the situation may worsen, as medicines too, stop responding in certain cases. Therefore, by
balancing the Mahavastu zone of
health and healing, you can
strengthen your immune system in
such as a way that you become resistant to most of the frequently occurring diseases, which damage your
health completely. With these techniques, you can even stop surgeries,
if you have to face them quite frequently! Actually, the 16 main Vastu
zones and the five basic elements of
nature, such as the fire, water, earth,
air and space, commonly known as
the panchtattva work together to
determine the shape and quality of
your life.
Walking when done on a regular
basis, in the morning or evening in
the right direction can improve your
overall health conditions, rejuvenating as well as enlightening your
mind and soul! For example: You

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f the recent confessions of many a members of the

medical fraternity are any indications it seems guilt is
catching up with them. And it should? Vulgar consumerism has touched all quarters of the society and
medical fraternity is no exception. Health care is a basic
necessity that must reach everyone. But Government
policies may not be enough. Only those in the business,
like the medical practitioners or the pharma manufactures can be instrumental in helping the county achieve
this. The answer lies in just two words being ethical.
Ethics is the science of morals. It is a field of knowledge that distinguishes between the right and the wrong
practices. Even for the practitioners of medical science or
manufacturer of medicines. Not that the problem is just
because of these two. But the importance of these in
healthcare is rather crucial. If the medical practitioners is
doing his job as a service and not to gain financial or
other rewards half the problem is solved. It is common
knowledge that many of the diagnostic investigations are
more redundancies than necessities. The reasons need
not be highlighted. Similarly, over-medication is also a
common practice. The ultimate loser is the patient who
bears the brunt of such unethical conducts. Some kind of
a nexus between the diagnostic centres and doctors does
exist in many cases. Similarly, the pharma companies in
order to market their drugs push it through the doctors
to even those patients who do not need it.
The pharmaceutical industry is a highly competitive
business and its success is dependent on the sales and
marketing of each drug. The cost of research and development for each drug is millions of dollars. In 2005, the
research and development expenditure for the biopharmaceutical industry within Europe and the US was
15,474 million euros. The actual drug discovery and the
drug development can take years. After which, testing
and clinical trials are required prior to getting approval
by regulatory boards. After launching the drug the company has much at stake as it has already outlaid millions
of dollars the success of its sales is an important factor to
the success of the company.
Pharmaceutical companies that once maintained a
continuous stream of discovery have now surpassed peak
ingenuity and follow a path of diminishing innovation.
There are studies to suggest that the decade from 1951 to
1961 saw the introduction of 4,562 new drugs. This is an
incredible number compared to the lack of innovation we
exhibit today, despite the fact we possess a high degree of
technological advantage over previous generations. There
was an essay written by a medical researcher that suggested that marketing is the enemy of pharmaceutical innovation. Three out of four drug applications involve drugs
that either replicated the action of medicines already in
the market or were new formulations that at best added
minor conveniences to patients and doctors.
One of the most widely contested strategies of pharmaceutical companies is the way in which they are able
to influence physicians and students through medical
education. Drug companies unethical marketing practices are often aimed at both health professionals and
consumers. Unethical and inappropriate marketing of
medicines means that health professionals and sometimes receive biased information about a drug. Research
shows this can lead to irrational prescribing and use. A
bit of ethical conduct may not be a bad idea for the medicine world to cure itself.

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will be attracted towards spirituality, if you

go for regular walks towards the Northeast
(NE) Vastu zone. Similarly, you will start
developing better professional skills and your
personal as well as social relationships will
improve, if you go for walks in the Southwest
(SW) Vastu zone, which is the zone of skills,
relationships, vocation and family. On the
same lines, a regular walk in the SouthSoutheast (SSE) enhances your mental and
physical strength.
Om, Swastika, or any such sacred symbols of the different religions, when kept in
the correct Vastu zone will attract a positive
energy flow,and will influence your body
and mind as well as bring a complete change
of atmosphere in your house. A detailed
knowledge about all these can be attained by
the various Mahavastu courses, which keep
occurring of and on, round the year.
Good entrance/entrances to your
house also bring forth physical and mental
well-being. According to Mahavastu, there
are 32 different kinds of entrances that
have positive or negative effects, such as
the NE, SSE, SE, SSW, E, etc. Also, do not
forget to treat the negative zones, like the
ESE, WNW and SSW which are important
for let go, as it will reduce the negative
effects in your life, and make you healthy,
wealthy and wise!
Vastu is the tool given to us by mother
nature with which we can create an environment conducive for fulfillment of our
desires. Money, success, love, happiness and
prosperity almost everyone is looking to
get them. But the very reason why you are
not getting them is inherent in your own
space your home and workplace. And
study of those reasons, ie, the good and bad
effects of your space on your mind and life
situations, is Vastu Shastra.
Unless you diagnose and treat those reasons either yourself or by seeking an
experts advice, your efforts will be wasted in
the wrong direction. You can easily solve
almost all the problems in life with Vastu
solutions and remedies. All you need is to be
aware of the power of 16 Vastu zones and
five elements in your building that are shaping up your thoughts, your behaviour and
results of your efforts. And, learn how to
utilise them for manifestation of your
desires. Then, you can shape your own destiny and create an ideal life for yourself as
well as for the people around you.

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hy does the mind require Gods
company? Because by its sheer
nature, it is fickle; one which
pulls forcefully; is strong; and its obstinate (The Bhagavad Gita 6.34). The
Shrimad-Bhagavatam paints a still worse
picture. It states that the mind is a rascal
and its natural tendency is to go lower, ie
to the mode of darkness the lowest of
the three modes, which are goodness,
passion and darkness. And according to
our scriptures, the mind is a subtle matter, not a gross matter like the brain.
Scientists agree; they also feel that the
mind is the creation of the brain, ie it is
one of its functions only. It cannot be
seen by any of their instruments. They
cannot locate exactly from where this
mind operates. However, they have designated different areas of the brain for its
various functions.
Going by our scriptures, the mind
must be controlled. Because by whom
consciousness [mind, senses and intelli-

gence] of self has been conquered by self,

his consciousness is a friend only and for
one who has not conquered the consciousness, his consciousness stays as an
enemy of self only in enmity. (6.6) What
do we want? Do we want or value peace or
not? Do we want happiness or prefer to be
unhappy? The answers to both the questions have to be in the positive only. Then,
this mind must be controlled. Without
mind control, there is neither peace and
without peace, there cannot be any happiness. (2.66).
How can this mind be controlled?
Lord Krishna guides in The Bhagavad
Gita. It can be brought under control by
practice and by detachment from sense
objects. (6.35) Both the practice part and
detachment from sense objects have
direct links with God, whose help is crucial to succeed in both of them. Let us
take the practice part first. Countless people have realised that it is practically
impossible to subdue the mind without

the help of a very powerful entity, which

is God. All practices to control the mind
for any extended period are only possible
with the help of God. Same goes for
detachment from sense objects. Without a
link with God, the senses cannot be kept
away from harmful sense objects, because
like the mind they also naturally seek
lustful pleasures, and only God can help
us stay away from them. In short, the
mind has to be put under the charge of
God, who is all-goodness besides being
all-powerful.
The following examples will confirm
what I have stated earlier. A small child,
lost in a mall, will not quieten down unless
he or she is united again with his or her
mother. The same situation is of the mind.
It can only be made peaceful when it is in
the company of God. Remember that all
souls are parts of God only. (15.7) Plants
can grow only with the help of water.
Similarly, the mind requires Gods presence. A tulsi plant needs warmth to grow

and survive. Likewise, we need Gods guiding touch to be able to control the mind.
Even with Gods help, the process of
mind control cannot be rushed; it is a
slow and deliberate process. Lord Krishna
has instructed, From wherever, from
wherever in different sense objects, the
unsteady and flickering mind wanders,
from there, it should be brought under
control of self only. (6.26) And, by
patient intelligence mind become slowly
detached. Steadying consciousness in God
or soul, one should not think of anything
else. (6.25) When in muddy soil, dont we
need to keep moving? Otherwise we sink.
We can now conclude that the mind
needs Gods company to come under control. Let us never forget that senses, mind
and intelligence are said to be lusts seats.
Through them, this lust bewilders an
embodied person, covering his wisdom. I
welcome your comments.

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170A0C17DB70=?03<034>
n the corporeal world, all existences
and systems remain in a state of
flux, be it in the cosmic world or
earthly existences. Braving all the periodic and progressive changes, we are to
go through, we are supposed to work
towards meeting our existential and
aspirational needs, and keep marching
ahead in life with ease and comfort.
Our seers realised quite early that the
key to it is being in good health
physically, mentally, emotionally and
otherwise.
The seers, in their bid to work out
ways and means to remain in good
shape amidst all changes, explored the
dynamics of life in gross and subtle
terms. In the process, they got to know
the continuum in time and space at all
levels; the interdependence and thereby
compulsive inter-connectedness of all
aspects of life. They also realised the
correspondence between the cosmos
and earthly existences to come up with
the saying: Yata Brahmande tata
Pindam, meaning as is the cosmos, so
the world. That calls for the need to
articulate ways and means to live in
conformity with the varying dynamics
of nature.
Now, when it comes to be in accord
with nature, its extremes the cold, the

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hot, and rainy and their transitory phases from one to the other needs to be
marked. Of them, the intervening phases of spring in between cold and summer, and autumn between rainy and
cold are relatively more unpredictable
and turbulent, and therefore, often difficult to withstand. The unpredictable
twists and turns in atmospheric condition as is being experienced as on date,
is a case in point. The question that evidently followed: How to withstand the
varying onslaught of nature and still
have our vitals in place.
To find the answer, the seers then
extended their searching mind to strike
upon the core of our existence, the singular primal force the divine spirit
or the force of consciousness, whatever
way you term them. They hypothesised
that this very primal force is the source
and effective cause of all aspects of our
dynamic existence, and which holds
the key to unity underlying all diverse
existences to shape the world as a unified organism. Though that very primal force is invisible and incomprehensible in gross terms, but empirical
evidences suggest that but for acknowledging its existence, the harmony and
stability of nature despite continued
changes, could not be understood and

explained. It would not be possible to

work out ways and means to live in all
strength amidst all the transitory phases of nature either.
Accordingly, based on their metaphysical realisations and experiential
learning down the ages, our masters
stipulated a holistic living pattern,
which may ensure a sustained healthy
and quality life. The process takes into
account the callings of our physical as
well as our psychosomatic needs, coming as it may with the varying dynamics
of nature. Accordingly, the two
Navaratras Shardeya and Chaitra
dedicated to mother goddess Durga,
the epitome of shakti, have been provided for in our annual calendar
marked with two major seasonal transitions during the year.
During the Navaratras, we submit
ourselves to a nine days prayer regime
observing all austerities. The austerities
such as temporarily changing the food
regime helps cleanse and rejuvenate our
biological system so as to be physically
well grounded to take on the challenges
ahead in all strength. The prayer regime
calls for gathering up all functional
coordinates of a being and direct all acts
of body, mind, emotions, and intellect
together towards the symbolism of
mother goddess. Evidently, the opti-

mum best in a being would come out.

The fruits of such endeavour would
need no elaboration. If somehow such
a habit is inculcated, life may turn
rewarding and fulfilling. For, then, one
would be able to take on the challenges
ahead in all strength and also avail of
the opportunities coming their way.
Remember, getting focused to the particular symbol would not mean seeking some such form-God existent in
the heaven. In practical terms it
implies getting well tuned to the all
powerful and supposedly all-knowing
divine spirit available within, which
animates and drives all functional
coordinates of a being. In fact, the
power of knowing, the empowerment
tool of human beings, too, comes out
of that very divine spirit. Having thus
empowered oneself, one could not only
withstand in all strength the vicissitudes of nature, but also enjoy the
bounties of nature in full and turn life
into a pleasant experiences. With these
words, I wish the devout a happy
Navaratra.
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